The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 19

I 1 FRIDAY, AUGUST 20. 1993 The Palm Beach Post SECTION OCAL 1 MARTINST. LUCIE EWS Reynolds, Anderson battle over site of divorce cas mine which state Florida or California resolves the case. Neither star showed up for their first divorce court hearing, but their attorneys filed a stack of documents in which each accused the other of trickery and deceit. When asked why one state is more important than the other, attorneys for both would say only that their clients want the case heard in their home states.

Anderson's attorneys accused Reynolds of tricking her into returning to their Hobe Sound home from California in June as part of a ploy to serve her with divorce papers and keep the case in Florida. Legal proceedings will determine if the case is decided in Florida or California. By PAT MOORE Palm Beach Post Staff Writer STUART Loni Anderson wants $75,000 a month from her estranged husband Burt Reynolds, primary custody of their 4-year-old adopted son and a California judge to resolve the couple's divorce case. Details of the couple's snowballing court battle became public Thursday as lawyers for both celebrities began legal proceedings that will ultimately deter Anderson said that Reynolds told her June 9 "he realized he was not a very good husband or father and that perhaps he needed professional assistance. He told me that I was the love of his life." The next afternoon, Anderson was served with divorce papers and handed a plane ticket to California.

"This caught me totally by surprise," she stated in a court affidavit. Meanwhile, Reynolds' attorneys accused Anderson of lying about her residency in court documents and circumventing an order in the Florida divorce case by filing for divorce more than a month later in California. Fort Lauderdale attorney William Stolberg, one of three lawyers representing Anderson on Thursday, argued that the case should be heard in California because both live there most of the time. Attorneys filed into evidence a pre-nuptial agreement that listed Reynolds' net worth at $15.6 million and Anderson's assets at $1.1 million before their 1988 marriage. The agreement stated that both would keep assets they acquired before they married and would divide assets obtained during the marriage.

But the contract may no longer be in effect because of a clause allowing Anderson to void it if a child were born or adopted during the marriage. What They Want According to court documents filed Thursday: EXPENSES: Loni Anderson wants Burt Reynolds to continue paying for her to live in their rented Bel Air, home, salaries for the staff, and personal items for herself and their son, Quinton. She puts that at $75,000 a month. CHILD CUSTODY: She wants joint custody, of their son with her as primary custodian. RESIDENCY: Reynolds wants the divorce settled in Florida.

Anderson wants it settled in California. PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT: A prenuptial agreement states that both would keep assets they acquired before their marriage. 'if Scores on SAT drop in Martin Despite slightly lower scores, Martin County students beat the state and national averages. By SUSANNAH A. NESMITH Palm Beach Post Staff Writer STUART Martin County students scored lower on the college entrance exam last year than they did the year before.

The districtwide drop was actually a result of lower average Scholastic Aptitude Test scores at Martin County High School. SAT scores at South Fork High School students were up from the previous year. "There will always be fluctuation within a district SAT scores," Schools Superintendent Frank Brogan said. "However, our scores remain above state and national levels." The district averaged 440 in the verbal section and 509 in math. The test is based on a perfect score of 800 in each section.

The state averages were 416 in verbal and 466 in math, down from the year before. Nationally, students scored better last year than the year before, averaging 424 in verbal and 478 in math. On Wednesday, state Education Commissioner Betty Castor I 1 1 1 '4 tl I BARRY ALLENStaff Photographer Jason Raup, 16, a junior, is all eyes on the first day of computer class taught by Barbara Wells at South Fork High School. 'Now I want to teach you to she said. First day of school: Some things never change said that more girls and Hispanics, as well as more students overall, were taking the test.

Increasing the number of students taking the test tends to drive score averages down, she said. That wasn't the case in Martin County. Last year, 342 Martin County students took the test, down from 376 the year before. "We will take the scores apart in the next few weeks to determine where we can do better," Brogan said. Here are the test results: Martin County High School, 440 in verbal, 516 in math, compared with 465 and 536 last year; South Fork High School, 439 in verbal, 484 in math, compared with 427 and 477 last year.

St. Lucie County school district officials will not have their test results until October because the district missed a fee deadline, said Jayne Hartman, executive di tM TP uR' I iiriiiMMmirm "ii tt For veteran students, getting back means it's (yawn) business as usual. By SUSANNAH A. NESMITH Palm Beach Post Staff Writer After more than two long months of lazy summer days, students in Barbara Wells' computer programming class at South Fork High School were a little sleepy during the last class of the first day of school. Better wake up because the first test is next Friday.

"You've filled in the forms; you've filled out the blanks; you've answered the questions in the back of the book," she told the glassy-eyed students. "Now I want to teach you to think." The sleepy students were among 12,200 to start school in Martin County Thursday. "This was actually one of the best first days we've had in a few years," Schools Superintendent Frank Brogan said Thursday afternoon. At Stuart Middle School, the sixth graders were wide awake for their first class as they struggled to Please see FIRST DAY4B For kindergarteners and parents, it is the tearful goodbyes of a By SARAH K. DURAN Palm Beach Post Staff Writer FORT PIERCE Five-year-old Kappy Krueger didn't seem to mind having a different kindergarten class at Fairlawn Elementary School from his twin brother, Kuper.

Kuper, after all, was in the classroom next door. I The parting was a little harder for Weldon Culberth, 5. He watched sadly from the doorway as his identical twin, Sheldon, met his teacher. Like Kappy and Kuper, Weldon and Sheldon are in neighboring classrooms. "They said last night they want to be in the same room," said their father, Welton Culberth.

"They're so close; they seem to have adjusted." The start of school Thursday at Fairlawn Elementary School brought some tears from children and parents. But overall, back-to-school went smoothly, Please see SCH00L4B rector of planning, research and evaluation. Colleges and universities use the SAT scores to help determine eligibility for admission. PAUL J. MILETTEStaff Photographer Weldon Culberth, 5, of Fort Pierce watches his dad walk away Thursday after leaving him and his twin brother, Sheldon, at Fairlawn Elementary School for their first day of kindergarten.

"JT TT Ex-court worker sentenced "Ml Man guilty of killing his sister-in-lawlover Woman stole $445,000 .1 Former Treasure Coast Public Defender Elton Schwarz, who was once married to Ludlum's aunt, told Schack Thursday he thought of Ludlum as a granddaughter. He said Ludlum's mother and father had severe alcohol addictions and she missed out on a normal, loving relationship with her parents. "Ultimately, she apparently believed that through money, she might buy that love," Schwarz said as Ludlum cried softly. Schack agreed with Circuit Court Clerk Marsha Stiller, who said Ludlum betrayed public trust and her former co-workers. "Because of the shattered confidence that we had in her, and the public shame she brought upon the Clerk's Office, it will take years for the scars to heal," Stiller said in a letter to Schack.

Ludlum was in charge of preparing bank deposits of money paid by defendants to bond out of jail and fines and fees collected in the traffic division. She took cash from the deposits more than 70 times. She originally faced up to 17 years in prison on 78 felony charges. She pleaded no contest to scheming to defraud, official misconduct and four counts of grand theft in a plea agreement in June. The 5'-4-year prison term was the maximum allowed under the agreement.

By JILL TAYLOR Palm Beach Post Staff Writer STUART She may have had a rotten childhood. She may have given most of the money away. But the fact remains that Anita Ludlum stole nearly $450,000 from bank deposits was supposed to make for the Martin County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Circuit Judge Larry Schack said Thursday as he sentenced Ludlum to 5'2 years in prison. "You stole an enormous amount of 1 money," Schack said, noting it is the largest theft he can recall in his years as a judge and prosecutor. When Ludlum, 25, is released from prison, she will be on probation for 15 years and was ordered to pay $445,295 to the insurance company and local fund that reimbursed the county for the money she took from 1988 to 1992.

Assistant State Attorney Richard Barlow said the investigation showed Ludlum gave away a lot of the money to friends and a owned by her former boyfriend's family. gave away money that "was not to give," while buying frivolous things herself, he By JIM REEDER Palm Beach Post Staff Writer FORT PIERCE A circuit court jury found Wayne Dennis guilty of first-degree murder Thursday, rejecting claims he was insane when he killed his sister-in-law, Marilyn Eyth, in April 1992. Dennis, 51, of Hobe Sound, will receive the mandatory sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years at 1:30 p.m. today after Circuit Judge Bob Makemson hears comments from Eyth's family. "I'm pleased," Assistant State Attorney Steve Levin said.

"Now the victim's family can get their lives back to normal." Defense attorney Bob Udell said he wasn't surprised at the verdict. "There wasn't sufficient evidence to show the jury he was insane at the time of the murder," he said. Three psychiatric reports said Dennis was sane, and the defen dant, who acted as co-counsel, agreed but said he was suffering other severe medical problems. Prosecutors said Dennis killed Eyth because she broke off their love affair a week earlier. Eyth had been living with Dennis and his wife, Fran, but moved out to live with her father.

Jurors deliberated about 20 minutes Thursday before asking to hear Fran Dennis' testimony again. Fran Dennis said she overhead her husband threatening to ruin Eyth's life two days before the shooting. She also said her husband had hallucinations and could remember only bits and pieces of the morning of the shooting. Makemson has no choice but to sentence Dennis to life in prison but delayed sentencing until today so Eyth's family can be present "They have the right under Florida law," Jfe said. 4h- BARRY ALLEN, 'Staff Photographer Former deputy court clerk Anita Ludlum waits with her boyfriend.

Chris Donley, outside the courtroom before her sentencing Thursday..