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Post urges big budget increase
From Our Stale Bureau
SACRAMENTO - Legislative
Analyst A. Alan Post today reeom-
mended that the Legislature add
$66.8 million to Gov. Brown's pro-
posed 1977-78 state budget, includ-
ing funds to nearly double the state
employe salary increase sought by
the governor.
Post said the 1974-75 budget in-
cluded $354,000 for planning funds,
but that "planning for the new
building has not started" and the
fund; have not been spent yet.
He also questioned a $600,000
appropriation for science building
equipment at Long Beach State
University, noting that the sum
Costa del Sol
project wins
coast unit OK
By RALPH HINMAN
Staff Writer
SAN DIEGO - By the slim-
mest of margins, the State Coastal
Zone Commission today granted a
construction permit for the contro-
versial Costa del Sol housing
project adjoining Cerritos Channel
in East Long Beach.
With seven votes required for
appoval, the commission voted 7-3
in favor of the project — with very
tight restrictions, including the en-
hancement of a wildlife preserve
and the extension of Loynes Drive
into the area.
Although the commission has
given its approval, a start on the
project — under study since 1973 —
cannot begin immediately.
Other city, slate and federal
permits must be obtained before
construction can start on the
project, w h i c h would divide 39
acres into 210 lots and provide for
194 single-family residences, with
streets, green belts, parking areas
and utility easements.
The developer. Richard Roe.
originally proposed to build 918
houses on 15 acres but the plan was
rejected five years ago. Since then,
the project has been modified re-
peatedly, but failed to win approval
from the old Coastal Commission,
and. last month, from the newly
organized South Coast Regional
Commission.
Several opponents appeared to
urge — if not actual rejection — at
least a delay in issuing the permit.
They argued that an extension of
Loynes Drive would be detrimental
to southeast Long Beach by wprs-
enine traffic conditions on Pacific
Coast Highway.
Arguing against the proposal
were C. T. Weber, of Long Beach
Area Concerned Citizens, and Mrs.
Anne Walzer, of the Southeast Area
Development and Improvement
Plan (SEADIP) study committee.
Also opposed were Ed Lucely.
of the California Wildlife Trust, and
Sierra C l u b spokesman Norbert
Doll.
As part of what commission
executive director Joseph Bobovitz
described as "very detailed condi-
tions" for the project, the develop-
er? will be required to remove oil-
contaminated dirt from the Sims
Pond wildlife preserve, and add
about an acre of space to the pond.
Bandit seared
by shop owner's
trick; so's shop
PALMDALE ( A P ) - It
Seemed Like Such a Good Idea
at the Time Department:
A 19-year-old worker at a
doughnut shop told sheriff's
deputies ho looked over the
counter early today and saw
someone standing there wear-
ing a ski mask, a long coat and
carrying a shotgun.
Deputies said that as a
diversionary tactic the youth
cranked up flames on the stove
until they blazed toward the
ceiling, then dashed out the
back and called authorities.
• But. by the time deputies
arrived, the fire had burned
more than a hole in Foster's
Donuts shop.
The shop was gutted by the
flames and an adjacent liquor
s t o r e had extensive smoke
damage, firemen said.
Investigators were unsure
if any money was missing.
Calif, slashes farm water by 60%
By SUSAN SWARD
SACRAMENTO (AP) -
Drought-stricken California has
slashed its State'Water Project
How. cutting back agriculture by 60
per cent and cities and industry by
10 per cent.
Farmers wno use water from
the project were told Tuesday their
cutback would be 10 per cent
higher than originally announced
because of the worsening drought
— the state's worst since 1924.
Boh James, the Department of
Water Resources' deputy director,
said no towns or industries are ex-
..,, t_ f. ' ¥<B,.'**i
Would nearly double salary hikes
would be part of a proposed $1.8
million total expenditure.
"However, based on funding re-
cently provided for similar space at
UCLA, the total equipment cost
should not exceed $1.1 million."
Post's general fund spending in-
crease recommendations totaled
$84.8 million, plus $60 million in
additional expenditures from spe-
cial funds and bond funds, for a
total of $145 million.
But he also recommended
reductions totaling $78,3 million.
Post's budget analysis, con-
PRESS TELEGRAM
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16,1977
Assassination committee L.B. shipyard blast
antagonists9 showdown kills 1, injures 6;
WASHINGTON ( A P ) - The
chairman and staff director of the
House C o m m i t t e e on Assassina-
tions headed for a possibly explo-
sive showdown in their feud today
as the panel met to adopt rules and
consider b u d g e t and operating
procedures.
Rep. Henry Gonzalez. D-Tex..
and Richard Sprague, the staff
chief he tried to fire last week,
laced e a c h o t h e r across t h e
crowded hearing room but did not
speak.
The chairman was flanked by
Kenneth Brooten. a staff lawyer he
named Monday as "acting staff
director" in place of Sprague.
whom he had accused of trying to
undermine the chairman's author-
ity.
Nine of the strife-torn commit-
tee's 12 members, who had over-
r u l e d Gonzalez's order f i r i n g
Sprague. turned up as the meeting
proceeded.
The gentlemanly atmosphere
belied the internal strife that has
beset the panel but some members
indicated hesitancy about adopting
rules presented by Gonzalez with-
out giving them careful study.
Gonzalez repeatedly a s s u r e d
them that his proposals "faithfully
track the rules of the House" and
said previous proposed rules de-
veloped by the Sprague staff had
violated certain aspects of House
rules they were supposed to follow.
Gonzalez warned that the com-
mittee was under time pressure if
it is to survive with its mission of
investigating a n e w the assassina-
tions of President John F. Kennedy
and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. "Much of the committee's
L.A. tidelands fund halt threatened
By JACK 0. BALDWIN
Maritime Editor
Assemblyman Vincent .Thomas
warned that he would act to cancel
Los Angeles' tideland trust funds
unless city officials quit "stalling"
and repay between $15 and $35 mil-
lion in illegally spent tideland reve-
nues, the Independent, Press-Tele-
gram learned today.
Irked by what he labeled as
"stalling tactics" on the part of top
city hall officials, the dean of the
stale assembly said if the city does
not repay money it was paid by the
harbor department and allegedly
spent on illegal projects, he will
urge the tidelands trust be revoked
and returned to the state.
"Then the state can again lease
the tidelands back to the harbor
department," Thomas said.
There appears to be little
Weather
TOMGHT AMD THURSDAY
L.B. AREA — Morning. fog.
Mostly fair. Low 55. High 83.
MOUNTAINS - Fair. Low 35.
High 72.
DESERTS - Fair. Low 38.
High 92.
pected to be left without water by
the state move, but some agricul-
tural land w i l l have to go un-
planted.
"For cities and industries who
have contracts with us. this will
mean at least substantial voluntary
conservation at the minimum. But
there'll be more than enough water
to protect permanent crops like or-
chards," James added.
State water agency contracts
require t h a t agricultural water
users be cut back 50 per cent be-
fore city or industry water can be
reduced.
jur"v<.
tained in a 1,202-page document,
was distributed to legislators today.
He will appear before the Senate
Finance Committee Thursday to
provide an explanation for his
•recommendations, which tradition-
ally carry great weight as the law-
makers put together a compromise
spending plan for the following fis-
cal year.
Brown had proposed a 5 per
cent pay increase for most state
employes, with faculty members at
the California State University and
FEUDING PAIR AT COMMITTEE MEETING
Chairman Henry Gonzalez left, and Richard Sprague
future rest? on what we 80 here
this morning." Gonzalez said.
The committee broke for lunch
after ploughing through a long
series of rules with amendments,
but before getting to the crucial one
— a rule that would give the chair-
man himself power to "establish
such other procedures and take
such actions as may be necessary
to carry out the rules or to facili-
tate the effective operations of the
committee."
It was on this question of
agreement among city officials, the
staffs of the State Lands Commis-
sion and the attorney general's of-
fice, and port officials on how much
money is involved and who owes
what to whom.
All parties agree that the sum
in dispute is between $15. and $35
million and the financial snarl is
going to be difficult to untangle.
Thomas claims the city used
tideland funds which could amount
to as much as $39.5 million for
purposes other than "commerce,
navigation, and fisheries," as re-
quired under terms of various
tideland trusts granted the city dat-
ing back to 1911.
However, Fred B. Crawford,
harbor department general man-
ager, says .staff accountants calcu-
late the sum owed the department
at only $15.9 million. The situation
leaves Crawford in an awkward .
position. On one hand, as overseer/'
of harbor department funds, he has
a loyalty to protect port revenues.
But on the other hand he has been
under pressure from Mayor Tom
Bradley's office to allocate 5 per
cent of the previous year's revenue
for payment to the city's general
fund.
City, state, and port leaders
have held two recent closed-door
The municipal users affected
by the cut include the massive
• Metropolitan Water District, which
serves Los Angeles and much of
the surrounding Southern Califor-
nia area.
State experts say, however,
that the project, which provides
about five per cent of all water
used in California, only supplies
about one-quarter of that big dis-
trict's imported water needs.
For other big users, like the
Kern County Water District in the
(Turn to Back Pg., Col. 4)
Colleges receiving a 2.2 per cent
hike and judges getting nothing.
However, the analyst said it "is
sound public policy to pay state
employes in line with prevailing
rates, and because sufficient funds
arc expected to be available for
this purpose, we suggest that the
budget be increased in order to
close the gap in state salaries en-
tirely as of July 1,1977."
He withheld a recommendation
about CSUC faculty salaries, how-
(Turn to Back Pg., Col. 1)
-AP WirnhoM
whether the chairman or the full
committee shouldxhave power to
make decisions including the hiring
and firing of staff members that
the Gonzalez-Spraguc confrontation
was expected to hinge. But other
committee members declined to
discuss the question before it came
up officially.
Gonzalez disappeared at the
lunch break without talking to re-
porters. Sprague. smiling slightly,
repeatedly said "no comment" as
he left the room.
meetings in an attempt to hammer
out some compromise as to how
port funds paid into the city's
general fund could or should be
spent. Those meetings held Jan. 26
and Feb. 7 were closed to the news
media.
The press was not admitted
under an edict by Gregory Taylor,
assistant attorney general, head-
quartered in Los Angeles. He rea-
soned that since the possibility of
pending litigation was being dis-
c u s s e d t h e meetings w e r e
considered to be executive sessions
as permitted under the Brown Act.
Thomas has objected strongly
(Turn to Back Pg., Col. 4)
Press-Telegram 435-1161
Classified 432-5959
• STATUE OF Liberty taken "hos-
tage" by Iranian students protest-
ing alleged torture of political dis-
senters in their country. Page A-2
• LEGISLATION to give unions
right to picket all gates at construc-
tion sites back before Congress.
Page A-6.
• ENERGY SAVING bulb for light
fixtures may be named "Killer
Watt." Page A-7.
• P R E S I D E N T Carter has se- Action Line
lected two blacks and two women
for important adminstration posts.
Page A-9.
• BROWN REPLACES strongest
critics on Highway Commission.
Page A-14.
• NO GROWTH state policy and
vacillation of the State Energy
Commission attacked by Bob
Moretti, leader of the panel. Page
A-16.
IsT, Euribeaii' scientists
< • . .' > .»••
booked for Spac elab flight
WASHINGTON (AP) - The
Spacelab's first flight in orbit
Space Shuttle, which is to ferry
the Spacclab into orbit from
will-carry two scientists, one Cape Canaveral, Fla. ~
from -America and another from The American scientist will
Europe; the National Aeronautics be selected by NASA,, the other
Space Admnistration said today. -by the European Space Agency,
an. 11-nation consortium which is
The flight, in 1980. will be a • developing Spacelab.
.weeklong test of the big labora- The Spacelab will remain at-
tory 155 miles above the earth. tached to the Shuttle during the
The two scientists will work dif- mission. On later flights the Shut-
ferent shifts so that experiments tle will deposit it in space and
can continue 24 hours? a .day.
-•return up to 30 days later to
Three other Americans will bring it back to earth. As many
fly on the mission. They will be ,as four scientists, including all-
the two pilots and flight engineer^ foreign teams, will occupy the
lab on these later trips.
who will man 'the U.S.-nuilt
HOME EDITION
* IS PAGES
bodies fly 50 feet
A 64-year-old Long Beach Guy Jr.. employed by the Pacific
Naval Shipyard foreman was killed Railroad, also were treated for
and six workmen were injured shock and released at the dispen-
Tuesday when a drydock gate ex- sary, officials said.
ploded at Pier 1, authorities said. A board of inquiry was ordered
to report on the cause of the acci-
Frank Russo of 4233 Nelsonbark dent as soon as possible to the
Ave., Lakewqod, was pronounced shipyard commander. Capt. E. A.
dead of multiple head injuries at Miller.
12:13 p.m. at St. Mary Medical Officials said the men were
Center. part of Russo's work crew which
Witnesses said the work crew. was leveling the 100-by-16-foot
all assigned to Boat Shop 7. were watertight concrete caisson, used
blown up to 50 feet in the air when to seal off the end of the drydock,
the pressurized gate exploded. where extensive ship repairs are
The injured included Walter made. •
Kantman, listed in good condition Witnesses said the work crew
at Long Beach Memorial Hospital, was pumping compressed air into
where he was treated for head and the gate, increasing pressure mo-
arm injuries, and fellow shipyard ments before it exploded. Officials
employes Eric Owen, Leo Brown suspect there was a leak in the
and Kenneth Hawkins, all of whom gate's flotation system.
were treated f o r shock a n d The Pier 1 drydock was used to'
released from the shipyard dispen- overhaul the Queen Mary and outfit
sary. her as a tourist attraction after she
Richard Bennett and Richard arrived in Long Beach in 1967.
Another Sansinena mishap
brings hends to 2nd diver
In a second mishap in four suffered the bends and lacerations
days, another salvage diver has Tuesday after his cutting torch
been injured while working to cut ignited a pocket of gas in the man-
through the wreckage of the sunken gled hull.
oil tanker Sansinena in Los Angeles
Harbor. Greenke spent three hours in a
dockside recompression chamber
Officials said Paul Greenke. 55, before being transferred to County-
of Devine Diving and Salvage Co., USC Medical Center. He was re-
ported in satisfactory condition.
Last Friday, 30-year-old Pat-
SS Catalina goes rick J. Joseph contracted the bends
for $70,000 bid after he was brought to the service
too quickly, a company spokesman
said.
The venerable "Great White
Steamer" SS Catalina was sold at As a result of the mishaps, a
auction by federal marshals at salvage company spoksman said,
dockside today for a high bid of
$70,000.
•we've reassessed our safety proce-
dures and from now on we'll use
inert gases."
The winning bid, one of !3 sub-
mitted for the 53-year-old vessel, The Sansinena exploded at its
was tendered by Mr. .and Mrs. San Pedro pier last Dec. 17, killing
Hymie Singer, of Beverly Hills. seven crewmen and a security
Singer said after the auction he had guard, and spilling more than 10,-
been "prepared to go as high as 000 gallons of oil into the harbor.
$250,000" to buy the ship.
Singer didn't reveal the cou-
ple's plans for the future of the
Catalina, other than "the first thing
Assessor Watson
will be to go aboard and celebrate
our upcoming 40th anniversary on in hospital with
it."
heart condition
From Our LA. Bureau
T7O County Assessor Philip Watson
has. been admitted to St. Francis
Hospital, Lynwpod, with a heart
condition and is expected to be
away from work for two months, it
was learned today.
Los Angeles Superior Court
• FINDING ENOUGH water for Judge Nancy Watson told newsmen
essentials of life forces Albion resi- her husband complained of chest
dents into "ridiculously primitive" pains at noon Tuesday — about the
life styles. Page A-17. same time he was being summoned
before the Board of Supervisors to
explain his stand on freezing resi-
• POLICE investigating a residen-' dential assessments.
tial burglary found a cache of A spokesman for Watson's of-
weapons and explosives in a New-
port Beach dentist's home. Page B-
5.
fice told the board the assessor was
"not available," but no explanation
was given.
Mrs. Watson said her husband
A-3 was admitted to .the hospital after
Classified C-10,19 showing positive reaction on a
Comics C-7 ; treadmill test: She said Dr. AJ At-
Crossword C-7 tyah told Watson he would be in the
Editorial B-2 hospital for two weeks and would
Financial C-8,9 require another six weeks' recuper-
Life/Style A-11,13 ation.
Obituaries C-10 A hospital spokesman refused
Police Beat B-5 to give out any information, and
Shipping B-8 Attyah's office said he was unavail-
Sports C-1,6 able for comment.
Television C-20 Watson, 52, suffered a heart
Theaters B-fi,7 attack during his tax initiative
Weather B-8 campaign in 1968.