The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 79

d-I'alm Beach Post. Wednesday, February 19, j973 FOP Claims Lawsuit Threat Prompted Deputy's Firing PETER COOKE Pl ltfl rttt A spokesman for the state Fraternal Order of Police FOP' has charged that Kenneth Bach-rrjn. a former Palm Beach County Sheriff I)e partm-nt deputy was fired last week because a woman threatened to sue if he were nut Bachman had arrested the woman within the Last couple of months Her attorney threat-cried suit and the sheriff decided to fire iliach- I live. have r. ike i -n and i- m.

depu-in the mirth Other deputies recognized Bachman's professionalism and see that the same think could happen to them and the FOP is doing something about it." he said Leonard said Bachman should have been given a hearing by the sheriff, but wasn't. Leonard said a response to the FOP's request to the Police Standards Board, a state agency in Tallahassee, for a review of Bachman dismissal is expected soon, possibly today The next step after the Police Standards Board is the state attorney general's office." Leonard said yesterday. But he added: "What we're hoping for is the sheriff to put the man back to work I think he got some bad advice and when he reviews it he'll rehire Bachman." Sheriff Department spokesmen could not be reached for comment on the matter by The Post or Leonard. "I've called the sheriff repeatedly and his secretary says he's either not there or is in a meeting." Leonard said "I leave messages, but he doesn't return the calls Leonard said he was not aware of the existence of an ad hoc citizens committee, which a spokesman said has collected over 100 signatures on a petition demanding "due process of law" for Bachman The spokesman said the committee, comprised of friends of Bachman and government workers, will present the petition to Heidt-man sometime this week said Re "mar. and 2 ad the- Government Is Asked To Cut Insurance Cost n.

i I lKimO FlSM TIAAI gCT Delray Selects Centola Tentative Okay For Defender Job Ob Mil II l. UAH The governing board of the American Osteopathic Association iAOAi, meeting in Palm P.each yesterday, said intervention by the federal government is essential to reduce the cost of malpractice insurance for the nation's doctors and at the same time assure just compensation for medically injured pa tietits The AOA's 21-rnember board of trustees, representing almost 15,000 osteopaths, adopted resolutions asking the federal government to subsidize the sale or purchase of malpractice inMjr ante and to develop a national no-fault compensation system (or injured patients lioth proposals will he presented to the I'S Department of Health. Education and Weifare HKV i in Washington todav Malpractice claims and losses have rien sharply in recent years and liability insurance which almost all doctors carry to protect themselves against lawsuits has doubled or tripled in price The result has been and will be to discourage phvsi' lan entr into some geographic- areas or some specialities whet 1 insurance i rates are inordi natelv high," an AOA spokesman said It is dramatic aliv evident today that either a new method for allocating the burden of medical liability insurance coverage must be found or changes made in the claims de te rmination To in ken' lev Y' leOVr.ii uuiv tors a p. I nder i f.iillt sv be imj n--ited to. phv-Mc-al injur p.

the ir.j.i.'si'v were if no a v.i irco1-. i Pl-Oad if i.nrr.s tl.r-i-ii'h i v. j-i'V-' I -ii i i i ft avl to set (,. 1 g'iverniri'-ni i-i I- und- the 111 I'll OMe la a a' el and Milan' IC'I A ta I- VVli'li'i 0, rei I rcjoi." to i m. i-d i I'l he I (vcimm l.t 'i h- c-vt i Health SEA FQnn CLEANED AS YOU DESIRE StaH Photot bv Ron Linditv Shoppers Found Many Items Were in Short Supply or Gone Completely Dade Grocers Back Strike Palm Beach County Workers Seen Following Suit i mm School Bv LYNDA BUUaSS Pott Staff Wrllir DELRAY BEACH The City Council tentatively agreed last night to lure David Centola as the city's pub he defender The position was created hv the council at the request of Municipal Judge Ernest Si mon' who said a public defender was needed to represent indigent people in his court Centola, a Boynton Heach attorney, formerly was city prosecutor in Boynton Beach and judge ad litem in ('reena cres City and Lake Worth In their informal selection of Centola which can't be made official until the nexl regular council meeting council members passed over Bennett Colin of Boca Raton and Thomas Purdo id Boynton Heach Colin, a co public defender in Boynton Heach, and a lor inei assistant state attorney, is a member of the firm ol Reynolds.

Marchbanks and Colin, which is representing loiiner Patrolman (leoigc Clemens in his suit against the city tor reinstatement anil hack pay Clemens was fired alter being accused of causing dissension among fellow officers, making disparaging remarks about the department's administration and city officials, and withholding information in a police investigation. But Clemens claims lie was lircd because of his member ship in the county Police Benevolent Association "Under no circumstances would I vote for him It 'ohm," Mayor James Schciflcy said last night "1 wouldn't want him inside the Police Depart merit 'Ihe majority ol council members said they did not la-vor hiring Purdo because his Boynton Beach position might eventually conflict with the Delray Heach position because he would prosecute in one city and defend in Closing Protested If 'V-V'tNj I 'S-'YtV'v' hn By JOHN M. Pott SlaH Writtr Dade County grocery clerks voted last night to support meat cutters in their strike against I'antry Pride supermarkets a move that means Palm Heach County outlets probably will shut down Saturday The Hetail Clerks Union, meeting in Miami, voted unanimously to support the meat cutters in the dispute and said its members will walk off the job Friday morning Palm Beach and Broward County clerks, scheduled to meet tonight, are expected to follow suit Locally, delicatessens, seafood and all but one meat department at West Palm Heach outlets were closed. Most dairy sections were low on supplies and deliveries from the company's warehouses where Teamsters were honoring pic ket lines were not reaching local stores Non-striking employes at the Pantry Prick-on Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach estimated business was olf '10 per cent and a worker at the Riviera Beach store said the company was losing $3,000 a day because meat shelves were empty Elia Mosesso, president of the Ketail Clerks Union, said his organization and Ihe meat cutters "work closely" and that "our relations are very good There are more than 2,700 retail clerks working in Pantry Pride's 150 Florida stores, he said. Company officials, who say they usually tally each outlet's daily total sales, acknowledged many store's inventories "had been depleted," but refused to estimate dollar losses "We haven't had the time to figure it." said Clarence MacManus, a Pantry Pride vice president "At the moment though, it looks like we should be back in good shae by Thursday or Friday About 2.000 members of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union went on strike Monday after negotiations lor a new three-year contract broke down over the weekend A federal mediator said negotiations probably will not resume before the end of the week.

An intensive radio and newspaper advertising campaign to attract temporary meat cut lers generated more than 100 applicants, including 'iO in Palm Beach County. Art Soares, I'antry Pride's meat supervisor for Palm Heach and Martin counties, said the 30 applicants are being "evaluated'' and that they will be dispatched to local stores today and Thursday Soares was busy cutting meat at the company's North Palm Beach Twin City Mall out let, which is the only Pantry Pride in the area where freshly cut meat is available The meat cutters say they are willing to accept the company's olfer of a $124 across-the-board weekly pay increase in the first year but they balked at 4 per cent increases ollered for the second arid third years. The proposed raise would have boosted the salary of a head meat cutler to WW a week immediately and to $243 on Aug 17 They now earn $219 The union is scheduled to begin negotiating a new contract on Thursday for its members working in ('rand Union stores I 1 i i1 SOI ill HAY The City Commission last night agreed to send City Manager John Flynn to the Palm Heach County School Hoard meeting tonight to oppcjse the suggested clo-irig of South Hay Elemental School Commissioners also agreed to b'gin actively trying to ex panel cttv bruit on all sides to trv to 'more than double the area of the city Fl Ml MJgge ted that (he citv limits he expanded cad In Sit 7K and smith to the Honda Kt ight Co talion on I 21 We re not going to push anything down anyone's Uircj.it." win said his is just an exploratory move, but I can see anything but ad vantages to these poc pie living in the areas that might be annexed' if we bring them into the iiv 'I be clo -ing of Sejiith Hay El me ntal was one uf 22 iiioiic sav ing sug ge-'li'il last W'-ek bv school Sapt Carroll whej said the sc beiejl system faces a po te-titial linamial crisis lr also suggested that Palm He-ac Public School be closed, and lesidents- have voiced strung opposition I urge vein to oppose- the closing ol our school as vehement Iv as the people of Palm are opposing the- closing of thciis," I Ivrui told ceimmisoricrs MI.I.IM) I CM I I 14 Charged in Welfare Cheating ADEA mvm Palm Beocfi tBC V. County -K Fourteen persons in Palm Beach County were charged yesterday with cheating the government on welfare payments. "We're in a bad economic condition but that's no excuse for people to take advantage of programs like these," said State Atty David Bludworth, whose olf ice filed the charges.

Bludworth declined yesterday to identify the persons because warrants for their arrests had not been issued. He also declined to provide details of the charges Kim Maher of the state Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services said her office has referred several suspected wellare fraud cases to the state attorney's office, but this is the first time in months that charges have been brought against such a large number of people at one time Bludworth said, "Our of lice will continue to investigate complaints of this nature and we intend to prosecute." Accident Fells Traffic Lights Six trallic lights at South Dixie Highway and Bunker Road in West Palm Beach were knocked to the ground early ester-day when a car hit a traffic utility pole, police said The driver, Gary Reynolds, 20, of 310 Golf Road, West Palm Beach, was traveling south on Dixie about 4 20 am. when he fell asleep, officers said He was charged with careless dr iving, causing an accident and driving without a license. Reynolds refused treatment at Good Samaritan Hosptial, hospital officials said Police said officers were directing traffic at the intersection until the damage is repaired, probably today. Service Station Robbed An attendant at the Hess service station on Okeechobee Boulevard west of West Palm Beach was hit on the head with a crowbar, bound and robbed early yesterday, Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies said.

Robert Reagen, 20, of Tequesta, was alone in the bathroom Conflict Of Interest Is Charged 'A, I ol the station about 3 a when he heard a noise, turned around and was struck, officers said His assailant bound him with belts of employes who change into their uniforms at the station, and took $10 and a case ol motor oil, deputies said Reagen later freed himsell He re fused treatment for the head wound, deputies said Police Grievance Panel DELRAY BEACH Police Chief Murray Coc hranyes terday authorized the formation ol a grievance committee within the Police Department. A number of police officers have wanted stich a committee fur more than a year a period when the department has been plagued by many internal problems Before Cochran became police chief in October, the officers complained that their grievances and problems often were ignored by unsympathetic officials along the department chain of command. They said that when an issue finally reached City Manager J. Eldon Mariott, who has the final word in administrative matters, Mariott made a decision without any type of hearing Cochran said the committee will be made up of four patrolmen and one detective, all elected by members of their respective shifts or divisions Yesterday, he authorized officers in each division to conduct elections for committee members as soon as possible 4 ft If, Freshly Cut Meat Is Available in Only 1 Store in Area Palm Beach Publics Advantages Are Expensive HMYNTO.N HEACH Service station owner McOcan chaigeej last night that two members of the City Planning and Zoning Hoard have conflicts of interest with their jobs McClcan said boa id Chairman Joe Kelly, a leal estate agent, and I airico Kossi, an engineer for the Eeisiireville retirement nmniunity, should he removed from the hoard Kelly said McClcan's comments were "not worthy ill reply liossi said he attached little importance to the charges, anil denied that he had a con-llict of interest McClcan, defeated in bids for a City Council seat in the last two elections, said he has volunteered to be on the board. He said that City Hall officials told him he could not serve on the Planning and Zoning Hoard because it would be in conflict with his service station business "We have the greatest conflict of interest that could exist," McClean said "How could a realtor be on the Planning and Zoning Hoard-' Legally, they shouldn't he there." JOHN PETERSON class.

Junior high age pupils say they'd rather stay at their hometown school than go to a larger junior high or middle school across the river. But these very advantages are the reasons why school budget planners think they can save money by closing the school. David DeRuzzo, Assistant Superintendent in charge of budget, planning and evaluation, says the per pupil cost at Palm Beach Public is $235 higher than the county average for elementary schools because of a "unique combination of staffing." Palm Beach Public was built in the 1920s and the school has been added to many times since then. But while the school plant is not new, both Burkhart and DeRuzzo agree the school doesn't have any more maintenance problems than the average school. The school enjoys a special relationship with the town, gaining extra services at no cost to the school Town playing fields are used for the school sports program an arrangement Town manager George Frost estimates is worth and the town provides a fulltime school crossing guard to help children cross the busy Cocoanut Row which runs between school buildings.

Thursday night, when the science fair is open to parents in the evening, the town will send a policeman to guard the school. Burkhart, who has been with the county school system 19 years and with Palm Beach Public for six, hesitates to say what change would occur In the quality of education for Palm Beach students if Palm Beach Public were closed. "I wouldn't want to judge," he says, "It's like asking me as a father if my family is better than the rest of the neighborhood In my eyes, of course it is." JOYCE HEARD a class presentation on the history of jazz she would sing in the school's auditorium. What does she think of her school? "It's a good school We don't have any problems and we have the best band in the county," she said. "I think Carroll is i razy to want to close the school.

He's more interested in balancing the budget than In our education." Palm Beach Public Is the only school in the county oflering nine consecutive grades. It also is the only school with a fulltime exceptional education list El class, for third through eighth graders, although other schools have part-time ECE programs. Sixty per cent of Palm Beach Public's ECE students ft from Palm Beach, 30 per cent are bused in from other towns and 10 per cent are assigned to the school just to be in the ECE program. Students in the exceptional classes say they like working at their own pace, on individual projects and being In a small The standard olive drab lnoi dooi to Palm Beach Public Principal Waiter Heikhaits otlice is adorned with a dooi sie woi of art. a w.ieid collage created especially for the piineipal by an eighth gi ade ait class "We have a unique group ol viudents and teach ers lieie I know I'm very luc ky," said Btiikhart While Palm Beach parents and the Town Council yesteiday defended the school against a ihrealenecj closing by School Supl Joseph anoll, Hurkhait and his teachers continued wilh Hie every dav business of educating E0l! students in grades kmdei gar ten tlilejugh eighth grade In Ihe corridor between BurVhart's olhce and the schoeil gvin.

where students ai" beginning to set up several hundred exhibits for a Thursday science fair, music student Nancy Klempcrer sat singing and strumming her guitar. What was she doing making music in the halls during lass Practicing for.