ThE NEWS-CHRONICLE, Thousand Oaks, Monday, October 25, 1976-Page 3 Bronx firebomber: angry or 'a plain nut'? NEW YORK (UPI) Officials said today they have begun a series of intensive interviews with survivors of a Bronx social club firebombing and the relatives of the 25 persons who were killed in the blaze Sunday. They said they were unsure if the bomber was an angry dancer or "just a plain A spokesman for the Bronx District Attorney's office said police had talked to a man who was ejected from the club after a bitter argument with his wife, but said he was not a "prime suspect." "He, along with everyone else, is a suspect. But he is no more of a suspect than anyone else," the spokesman said. The man, who was himself burned in the blaze, was interviewed by detectives at his bedside in Lincoln Hospital. Detectives said they were questioning all the survivors of the bombing at the Puerto Rico Club, and residents of the Bronx neighborhood who watched the fire as dancers jumped from a second story window to escape the flames.
"There are literally scores of interviews that have to be conducted and dozens of possibilities explored," the DA's spokesman said. The injured man who appeared to be the prime target of the initial investigation by police and fire officials was reportedly heard to say as he was ejected from the club, "'There no more arguments here." But it could not be confirmed through authorities today that the man made any such statement. The woman involved in the argument died in the fire, police said, but officers would not say who she was. Witnesses at the club said shortly after the scuffle that a man tossed a firebomb into the club's stairwell, touching off a flash fire that trapped the 25 victims in the upstairs dance hall and sent scores of other patrons jumping out of the second floor window. Officials said the fire burned for only about 20 minutes, but exits from the second-story club were blocked by a metal door and refrigerator, forcing many patrons to jump from the window.
Fire Commissioner John O'Hagan said the first alarm was reported at 2:39 a.m. and said crews were on the scene a minute later. At a news conference later in the day, O'Hagan said, "We have determined there was an accelerant, probably petroleum-based, used to spread the fire." IN NOME 601 Helping out John Parr of the Newbury Park Jaycees models a double-edged community project his group will begin double-edged community project his group will begin Saturday: painting street numbers in front of residents' homes and handing out safety stickers. The services are free, although residents may offer donations to the Jaycees. (News Chronicle photo by Steve Kilgore) Jaycees have your number Some Newbury Park residents will be getting a free present from the Newbury Park Jaycees and a local paint store during the next six months.
Beginning Oct. 30, Jaycees plan to embark on an ambitious plan to paint house numbers on street curbs in the new sections of Newbury Park, according to director Bill Epley. "We're concerned about and in emergency situations it's hard for emergency vehicles to see house numbers if they aren't painted on the curb," he explained. Paint, brushes and supplies for the venture have been donated to the club by Al St. John, owner of the Panorama Paint Port in the Casa Conejo shopping center, he said.
Epley said the club plans to send out a team of four men two days a month and will also hand out stickers which, when pasted on the bedroom window of a child, serve as an alert to firemen. Interested persons may contact him at 498-3043 for further information on either the club or its safety project. Workers at Westlake plant will vote on union By MIKE TETREAULT Production workers at a Westlake Village manufacturing plant will vote Dec. 6 on whether to become one of the few groups of Conejo industrial workers to join a national labor union. Members of Local 170 of the Sheet Metal Workers International Association have been stationed in the employe's parking lot of Raypak 31111 Agoura Road, passing out union literature to passersby.
A majority vote of the production workers is needed for sheet metal workers union representation under organizing rules of the National Labor Relations Board. Unsurprisingly, management and labor spokesmen differ in explaining the motivation for union representation at Raypak. Richard Scott, business manager for Local 170, which covers the Los Angeles area, says impetus came from strong! union support within Westlake plant, the which manufactures swimming pool and hot water heaters and solar energy collectors. Eighty-five to 90 per cent of the 120-member production staff supported calling an election, Scott said. For the NLRB to supervise an election, at least 30 cent of the affected workers must sign cards saying they want an election.
Scott was reluctant to say who first approached the Sheet Metal Workers to initiate a union election. "All I can say is the employes made the first move to contact us. I wouldn't want to jeopordize anyone's position in the company by saying who it Scott was equally reluctant to speak about the problems, if any, that led to the push for a union shop. "Whatever led to the workers deciding they wanted a union wasn't just one Scott says. "A movement to get a union doesn't happen overnight.
The men have been thinking and talking about this for the last two or three years. Raypak President Alfred Whittell Jr. doesn't a agree. "It was probably initiated by some guy in the shop who got reprimanded, and he got one or two people to agree with him and they persuaded a few friends to sign the election authorization cards," he says. "We've been very busy for the last few months," Whittell continued, "and when you work that hard management, I'm speaking of you don't have all the time to give the rank and file the individual attention you might want to.
I think some guys got reprimanded and they couldn't take it." The Sheet Metal Workers and Raypak management also disagree on whether the union ever represented Raypak employes before. According to Scott, the Sheet Metal Workers represented Raypak workers before the company moved the plant from El Monte to Westlake six years Scott says the contract between the union and the ago. workers expired a short time after the move and it was not renewed. per "Maybe they thought they could do better on their own," Scott says. Whittel, on the other hand, says the union never represented Raypak's workers.
"We negotiated with the union in El Whittell says. "But we never signed a contract. They never got any membership from our workers." Whittell says that while some companies "lay down and play dead" when a union tries to establish itself, Raypak plans to fight fire with fire. The union may get some support from production workers who are dissatisfied with the present company L.A. County Fire Department height rule discriminatory, tory, U.S.
court rules The Los Angeles County Fire Department unconstitutionally discriminates against MexicanAmericans through use of minimum height requirements, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled. The appellate court last week voted 2-1 to reverse a decision by U.S. District Judge William P. Gray that a 5-foot, 7-inch minimum height is mandatory for job performance.
The decision will probably affect California police and fire departments which have height requirements, although the ruling applies directly only to the county fire department, said attorney A. Thomas Hunt, who appealed Gray's decree. Appellate court judges conceded that no scientific test has been devised to determine if height requirements can be job-related. Circuit Judge J. Clifford Wallace dissented.
Both sides did agree that the minimum height requirement would eliminate 45 per cent of otherwise eligible Mexican-American fire fighter applicants. The 1973 class-action suit was filed by the Center for Law in the Public Interest; at that time, nine black firemen and 41 Mexican-Americans were employed by the county fire department. The suit was the result of a complaint filed by Las Virgenes Fire Capt. Fred Vega, a plaintiff in the case. His activity in the case, he feels, made him the first victim of the fire department's hair length policy when he was suspended for two days in September from work at Station 72 south of Westlake Village.
His appeals of that suspension are still pending. weather Federal support of Burbank airport urged Area Chamber of Commerce, has sought the support of U.S. Secretary of Transportation William T. Coleman, in the effort to prevent the shutdown of HollywoodBurbank Airport. "Time is running out, and without a federal commitment, this prime transportation and will be lost to the Los Angeles Martin said in a letter to Secretary Coleman.
agreed to extend its lease termination notices, effective June 1, 1977, if action is taken by the Department of Transportation to set aside funds from the Airport Development Aid (Program (ADAP) for pur- Albert C. Martin, presi- He said Lockheed Air- chase of the Burbank air- Under the plan, the dent of the Los Angeles craft Corporation has port by a joint powers ADAP funds would be com- group, representing the mitted to the airport cities of Burbank, Glen- purchase, pending compledale, Pasadena and San tion of an environmental Fernando. impact report. plan, so Raypak has been working on a booklet pension explaining its new profit plan, he said. "The union never anything for them in the past," says Whittell, "and it won't in the future." At Weight Reduction Medical Rocky L.
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Thousand Oaks Blvd. 497-9335 CONEJO, VICINITY: Sunny Tuesday, with highs in the mid70s. Sunday's high was 76; last night's low was 50. POINT CONCEPTION TO MEXICAN BORDER: Over outer coastal waters from Point Conception to west of San Clemente Island, northwest winds 10 to 20 knots with 3 to 5 foot wind waves. Winds increasing to north to northwest 15 to 25 knots with stronger gusts and rough seas tonight through Tuesday.
Over inner waters, light variable winds night and morning hours becoming west to northwest 10 to 20 knots with 2 to 4 foot wind waves in afternoons through Tuesday. Chance of local northeast winds 15 to 25 knots below canyons developing, Los Angeles on Tuesday. Two foot southwest swells. Sunny on Tuesday. SAN FERNANDO VALLEY: Sunny through Tuesday.
Local gusty northeast winds 15 to 30 mph near the canyons and passes on Tuesday. A little warmer with highs 72 to 77. Lows 48 to 58. VENTURA COUNTY COASTAL AREA: Sunny through Tuesday. Chance of local gusty northeast winds 15 to 25 mph below coastal canyons on Tuesday.
Highs low and mid 70s. Lows 48 to 58. POLLUTION REPORT: The federal "clean air" health standard is .08 ppm (parts per million parts of air circulating) of ozone. First-stage smog alerts are called when the ozone concentration reaches .20 ppm. such alerts, the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District advises schools to curtail physical activities for students, and those with respiratory problems are urged not to exercise.
Here are Sunday's maximum hourly readings for atmospheric ozone levels: Conejo Valley, Camarillo, Simi Valley, coastal shore, inland coastal plain, .06. The local forecast for Tuesday is for .10 or less ppms. CarLene's STOREWIDE CLEARANCE GREAT GIFT ITEMS FOR CHRISTMAS OFF Includes Kaplan, Royal Windsor, Bookends, Clocks, Crystal, Music Boxes, Jewelry, Decanters and Many, Many (Except Religious Items) More! Open Tues. Sat. Closed Sun.
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Frank Hall! doesn't like to be undersold. Just a few of the Bargains NEW QUILTED INNERAPRING MATTRESS FOX I FOUNDATIONS: Twin Full Chest! beds $66; Trundle beds $136; Sofa and chair, loose 1 I cushion, $199. Several colors to choose from. Cutlery Set I $14.95. Crock Pot $10.95.
50 1 piece Tableware $16.95.1 Recliners from $79.95. 5 pc. bedroom sets $159. Corner I 1 groups complete $99. Something for every of the house at fantasticl savings.
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Famous brand names such as: Basset, Sealey, Mission, L.A.! Period, Gilespie, King Koil, and more at discount prices.1 Financing available. Hours: Monday Friday, 12 Saturday, 10 6. Sunday, 12 6. F. Hall's Furniture Mattress Warehouse, 2323 Teller in Teller Building, New- I bury Park, 2 blocks off Rancho Conejo off ramp.
Wholesale Factory Direct Furniture 495-7869 Clip 'n Save Pol. Adv. KATHLEEN GORDON Director, Division 4 Las Virgenes Municipal Water District WE NEED A WATER BOARD THAT CAN PLAN FOR THE SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY REACH THE CRISIS STAGE. I IT TAKES PLANNING TO KEEP WATER RATES AT THE LOWEST LEVEL CONSISTENT WITH GOOD SERVICE. WE NEED KATHLEEN GORDON WHO HAS THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO PLAN FOR BALANCED GROWTH IN LAS VIRGENES.
KATHLEEN GORDON knows resource planning KATHLEEN GORDON DIRECTOR, LVMWD DIVISION 4 Citizens to Elect Kathleen Gordon, 4318 Beaucroft Court, Westlake Village, CA. 91361. Chairman: Floyd Bennett Treasurer: Charles Carlson.
