You're watching KAPP Channel 35, Yakima. Now, Christine Brown and Bob Romero. The News 35, 11 o'clock report.
I have a dream...
My four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
I have a dream...
These were the immortal words spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. August 28, 1963. Words that guided him and thousands to walk the streets of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
They were in search of the American ideal that all men are created equal. And it is those words still spoken today that led thousands of people around the country to honor Dr. King, who was slain in 1968.
In Atlanta, Georgia, where Dr. King grew up, a memorial service was held at the church where King and his father were pastors.
The speakers included the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King, and Secretary of State George Shultz, who told the audience that King's struggle for racial equality must be won every day.
The site of Dr. King's grave was also visited by the group today.
In Washington, D.C., the church bells rang, as they did in many other parts of the country.
And in St. Louis, hundreds, and like other communities around the country, they marched.
It was a way to remember the long struggles of the 50s and 60s, where the issue of racial equality first dared to be spoken out loud.
Yakima was no different. Several hundred people took part in a symbolic walk today.
They were public officials, concerned citizens, young and old, and people of all races and religions. Their reasons for marching were the same.
To honor the work Martin Luther King, Jr. had done in his lifetime meant to recognize that the dream is not complete.
It's a great thing for everyone here. And you all can join us. It's a good memory to remember that things weren't always like this, and they're a heck of a lot better today than they were a few years ago, and we need to continue making sure they get better for tomorrow.
The Yakima march started out at City Hall in downtown Yakima, and ended at a small church in southeast Yakima.
A brief service was held at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. After the ceremony, citizens got to rub elbows with a number of government and civic leaders.
Among the guests were State Senator George Fleming, Employment Security Commissioner Isaiah Turner, and Governor Ruth Gardner.
Gardner spent the day traveling to five cities in our state to help those communities celebrate what the slain civil rights leader stood for.
Well, a year ago we had the first state celebration of its kind in the Rotunda in Olympia. We had some 3,000 people that showed up.
And I said at that time that there were a lot of people that could not be with us, and that I wish to go to the people next year and celebrate with them and their own communities.
And so we have done that with tremendous crowds wherever we've gone today.
Our own Mayor, Henry Beauchamp, says he was quite pleased with today's event.
I think this afternoon the crowd walking together hand in hand somewhat exemplified the spirit which we would like to see all the way across our land in every corner of the world.
A crowd estimated of between 300 and 500 participated in today's event here in Yakima.
A slain civil rights leader would have been 58 years old last week.
But the dream of equality is not shared by everyone. On Saturday a march through the all-white area of Forsyth County in northern Georgia led to violence.
Ku Klux Klansmen and their followers through rocks and bottle several people were arrested.
Today black leaders say that they're planning another march next weekend in Forsyth County.
And ironically today a one-time civil rights opponent, George Wallace, stepped down as governor of Alabama.
Wallace's successor, Guy Hunt, is the state's first Republican governor in 112 years.
Hunt was sworn in today and thus marking the end of a quarter century of southern politics for George Wallace.
He stood for segregation and stood in front of a school blocking blacks from entering.
Wallace's views were said to have mellowed over the years and was even known to have garnered some black votes in his bid to continue as governor of Alabama.
Some of us had to work today but others got the day off in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
If you visited the county courthouse today you might have noticed an interesting situation.
The hallways connecting the courtrooms were bare.
That's because the court system is an arm of the state and since the state celebrates King's birthday, workers got the day off.
Some sheriff's department workers also got the day off because the holiday was in their contract.
But for the majority of employees at the courthouse it was business as usual today.
County Commissioner Chairman Chuck Lerich says next year things may be different.
Where we are is that we have so many days off for Christmas and all the different vacation days.
And we felt that we needed to hold that number and not increase it.
And so we're in the process of negotiating to remove one of those other days to include Martin Luther King Day.
Commissioners are looking at eliminating one of the employees two personal days off for the year to celebrate King's birthday.
And if you were out driving today you noticed the dense haze that blanketed most of the area.
The Yakima Clean Air Authority has declared an air pollution episode
and is requesting that all wood stove burners be run at 20 percent capacity or not at all.
Director of the Clean Air Authority Bob Crosland says most of the haze is ground fog
but the situation could get worse if wood stoves continue burning.
I'm sure that we will be getting some breezes and clean this out.
We don't have the usual warm layer of air overhead that is usually associated with an inversion or a stagnation.
Therefore we think that this is a very temporary situation which we expect to cure itself within a day or two.
Crosland says that the ban on open burning will continue until further notice
and they're going to recheck the situation tomorrow.
Concern over wood smoke pollution is much greater than just the Yakima Valley.
A legislative house panel is considering a bill to set standards for new wood stoves.
Industry representatives have pledged their cooperation but say they want statewide standards written into a bill
so local communities can't go their own way.
Tonight a house fire on the east side of town brought out the firefighting crews.
We'll have that story coming up next.
And even though it was 14 years ago that the Supreme Court legalized abortion, these people never approved it and want the decision reversed.
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And at Valley Toyota you can save a whopping $2,500.
And that's just regular everyday savings at Valley Toyota.
The New York Stock Exchange today paused a minute in memory of Martin Luther King Jr.
but it was very much a day of business as usual for perhaps more than unusual.
The Dow gained nearly 26 points to close above the 2,100 level.
Yakima firefighters made quick work of a house fire on the city's east side tonight.
For the second time this home on east Maple caught fire.
Firemen were at the same house last night when an attic fire broke out.
The house was unoccupied and up for sale.
Both fires resulted in heavy structural damage.
The second fire broke out just after 6 o'clock tonight.
Ironically a fireman drove by the home a couple hours before the second fire but didn't notice any smoldering.
Fire investigator Tony Sloan says the cause of both fires is still under investigation.
A 22-year-old Yakima area man is in jail tonight after an early morning robbery.
Yakima police report that a black male armed with a butcher knife
held up an attendant at a Yakima Avenue shell station around 530.
Police pursued a suspect vehicle until he came to a stop and then he fled on foot.
Yakima County Sheriff's Deputy arrested the man.
An undisclosed amount of money was taken during that robbery attempt.
The informal search for two missing female pilots and their plane continues in the central Washington area.
There were no new clues discovered over the weekend.
There were no ground searches today and just a couple of planes were up in the air looking.
A formal search was called off last Tuesday.
The women have been missing since Thursday, January 8th, 11 days ago.
This week marks 14 years of legalized abortion.
It's the anniversary of the controversial Supreme Court decision that gave women the right to choose.
But even after 14 years the political and religious debate seems far from over.
Over the weekend supporters of the pro-life movement here in Yakima Valley marched in the streets of Yakima.
It was a peaceful protest of that decision 14 years ago.
John Phillips has the story.
This has become an annual rite on the weekend before the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade.
On Thursday the decision will be 14 years old.
More than 200 marchers took part this year in the 13-block procession from the Stone Church to the federal courthouse.
They wanted to make their belief known that abortion is still murder.
Well I believe in the sanctity of God-given life and that we don't have the right to terminate that.
25,000 abortions were reported in our state in the year ending last July.
The right to life movement suffered a pair of defeats in 1986.
In June the Supreme Court affirmed the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision by a 5-4 vote on deciding the constitutionality of laws in Pennsylvania.
A ballot proposal to stop state funding of abortions in Washington failed to get enough valid signatures to land on the ballot.
It's their strong beliefs and a continuing battle for the hearts and minds of people that bring the crowds out for such demonstrations.
What we hope to do really is to plant seeds of interest in people because we feel that education is the key.
And if we can get to them and express the realities of abortion, we feel that that will greatly help the pro-life movement.
There's a lot that people don't know.
Theirs was a peaceful march, but this 14th anniversary marks the end of another year of picketing and vandalism at one clinic that does perform abortions.
Beverly Whipple says while the arguments in the abortion issue haven't changed, she says some pro-lifers have escalated their verbal harassment of clinic workers and patients.
Over the past five years, anti-abortion activists have been losing in the courts, in the legislature, and at the polls.
And what we have seen is a response to those failures.
We do picket in a very peaceful and prayerful way.
We are not violent, and we are very much against violence of any kind.
At least one abortion court decision is on tap for this year.
The Supreme Court will review an Illinois law that requires early notification of parents of young girls seeking abortions.
In Yakima, John Phillips, News 35.
A poll conducted in our state by the Seattle Times shows continued support for legal abortions.
Forty-eight percent polled last year feel abortion should remain available.
Thirty-nine percent want it stopped.
Another 13 percent remained undecided.
Anti-abortion sentiments were stronger here in eastern Washington.
The Washington State Senate did have a Democratic majority, but not for the next month.
Senator Lowell Peterson of Mount Vernon will take time out to undergo surgery for jaw cancer.
With just one Democrat missing, it means a 50-50 split between the Republicans and Democrats, each having 24 members.
Oh, it's still too early to tell how Governor Gardner's plan to boost education by boosting taxes for some businesses will go over in Olympia.
The legislature finishing up with opening week hoop lies getting down to business.
Committees are expected to hear testimony from those who would be most affected by the governor's $500 million tax increase to pay for education.
Gardner told News 35 in Yakima today that the cards are on the table, and the legislature now is going to have to make some tough choices.
Education in this state is deteriorating.
If we are going to continue, for example, to pay Social Security in the future, we're going to have people educated who have jobs,
and that means people of all races and creeds, and therefore we're going to have to have a very strong educational system.
And I'm telling the people that we've got a problem.
If we push to make an investment in education, they'll have that opportunity.
We can live within our means, but we need to do more.
The tax plan involves extending sales tax to service providers like doctors and beauticians,
and they're expected to show up in force for those upcoming committee hearings.
While there are those in Olympia who may disagree with Governor Gardner's bold proposals,
some, specifically Yakima School District Superintendent Dean Starr, agree that more needs to be done to improve state education.
In New 35, Dan Holler reports Starr brought his message to the Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce today.
The mission of the Yakima School District is academic achievement and measurable outcomes, and that's all we're about.
During their monthly luncheon today, Starr reported to Chamber members that the Yakima School District is doing well, but could be doing better.
Starr, who agrees in part with Governor Gardner's proposed educational excellence program, says there must be more done to provide quality education,
especially when it comes to attracting new teachers.
The part that hurts is that a year ago we were starting teachers out at $14,000, and that just can't be in Attract the Best and the Brightest.
The Governor's plan calls for an $18,000 start. I support that. It calls for some more in-service days for teachers. I support that.
It calls for lower class size in the elementary schools. I support that. Above those, I guess the rest are arguable.
As far as the Governor's proposal—
to raise taxes to pay for the proposed educational program—Starr says he knows some people are against that idea,
and he agrees that the tax package may benefit some people more than others.
The East Side will benefit, but the taxation rate and leverage would be higher.
In the West, of course, it has a chance of gaining a lot more money than we do on the West Side, and that bothers me a great deal.
All in all, Starr says it's refreshing to see a Governor lay it on the line.
But he stresses that if people are looking for immediate improvement in the state education system, they'll have to wait a while.
Educators and the public want change immediately overnight, like a soap opera. Everything comes out in a 30-minute segment.
That's not the way it works in education. We have to have long-term stability to have the growth that we want in education,
and that's what we think the Governor's program is planning for—long-term stability, long-term funding patterns.
In Yakima, Dan Haller, News 35.
Starr says he believes enrollment will grow in Yakima schools in the near future.
He adds that one way to tell if students are learning is by their test scores—specifically scholastic aptitude test scores,
which he says need to improve in the district.
While the legislature labors over Governor Gardner's tax increase proposals,
they're finding another money matter very easy to approve.
It's the Washington State lottery. Without legislative reauthorization, the lottery dies June 30.
Both the House and the Senate are expected to approve the state's gambling agency.
Even opponents and those who say they personally don't play the lottery game said they'll be voting yes for one simple reason—
the big bucks the lottery brings in.
I bet if we had some gambling opportunities on the Super Bowl, we'd be making some money in this state, don't you think?
It depends on who you want to bet on, of course.
Hopefully people will be betting on both teams. That makes it more interesting.
I'd say it'll be more interesting, even though the Giants are a very heavy favorite as we get ready for the Super Bowl.
The Super Teams are now both in Pasadena for that game.
Number one has a tough challenge tonight in college basketball, and Dennis Conner is on top down under with a chance to redeem himself.
It lurks in homes like this, swiping fear in the hearts of millions.
And this year, if you're not careful, you might come face to face with it.
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Both teams are now in Pasadena for Super Bowl XXI.
Giants worked out today while the Broncos arrived, but not in time to practice in sunny California.
For the Broncos, they're playing touchdown today, and they got off the plane, including Coach Dan Reeves, who's having a birthday today.
And they arrived in time, of course, to see some of their fans cheering them on.
Coach John Elway says the Broncos expect to do well.
Like I said earlier, no one gives us a chance.
We don't have anything to lose. We can go out and turn it loose, and that's what we're planning on doing.
And I hope to heck it's a dull game. I hope we're ahead 35-0 in the half.
But I'm definitely not planning on it.
Not too many other people are either.
Giants worked out today, but their practice is closed to the media.
The only chance to see the whole team together is when they're getting off their buses and traveling from place to place.
For the Giants, 2,800 reporters descending on the Super Bowl, and they got a chance to talk to six at a time like Bart Oates.
In the respect that we think we're going to go out there and Denver's going to sit down, but we're out there.
We're working hard. We expect to win because we think we're a good football team.
In the Super Bowl a year ago, Mike Ditka says he'll stay in Chicago beyond the 1987 season possibly,
despite telling his assistants next year would be his last there.
Ditka now says he overreacted to the firing of general manager Jerry Venisi.
Ditka says his comments were made out of frustration and anger, and he says he'll coach next season and then reevaluate the situation.
Dennis Connor has a chance to regain what he lost three years ago, the America's Cup.
Connor reached the Super Bowl of yacht racing today by winning the Challenger Series.
Now Connor ran into some problems today. Rough water outside of Fremantle, Australia as he raced against Kiwi Magic,
and for the U.S. 55, Dennis Connor's Stars and Stripes, they lost a general sale as it split in the high winds and the rough seas today.
They managed to replace that, and while they were replacing it, Kiwi Magic, piloted by 25-year-old Chris Dixon, closed within nine seconds.
But then on the third leg here, hit the mark, lost valuable time.
Connor was able to pull away with his boat to a victory as he takes the Challenger Series four wins to one.
He said a lot of credit has to go, though, to Kiwi Magic and his crew, especially skipper Chris Dixon, for a great job in the Challenger Series.
I just can't say enough for their courage and their fortitude and the tremendous job that they did.
I'd like to offer them a very heartfelt congratulations from the entire Stars and Stripes team and from the United States of America because they did a tremendous job.
Moving to college basketball, the Iowa Hawkeyes' first assignment as the number one team in the nation was indeed a true test.
Iowa tonight played at one of the most difficult places to win when you're visiting team Purdue,
but the Hawkeyes were up to the challenge even without their leading scorer tonight, and that was William Marble.
Marble was in uniform but got hit here early, ends up with a scratched pupil, and will spend the rest of the game on the bench looking like a pirate there, Roy.
And without him, his team ran into a little bit of trouble as the Hawkeyes' Everett Stevens picks up the steal off Iowa.
Eighteen turnovers for the Hawkeyes in the first half, but they straighten things out in the second half.
Jeff Moe will hit the three-pointer here, and then down the stretch, Gary Gamble will get the ball on the breakaway.
He'll come up, get the jam, and he's fouled.
Iowa goes on to win it by three.
As we check the score, tonight it was Iowa, 70-67 over Purdue.
UNLV a winner tonight over Fullerton State.
Indiana State falls to number six DePaul.
Elsewhere in college basketball, St. John's and Pittsburgh a close game one point victory for St. John's.
Navy a winner behind David Robinson over Delaware, and it was Texas Christian, number 19 in the poll, a winner by Texas by 15.
And with today's holiday, there were five afternoon games in the NBA, including a thriller in New York that saw the Knicks knock off the defending champion Boston Celtics.
For New York, Gerald Wilkins put on quite a show in the early going as he gets a little off-the-glass reverse layup.
Wilkins tough underneath, but another guy who's always tough inside or anywhere, Larry Bird, he scores two of his 35 points in the paint here.
But then it was back to the Knicks.
Patrick Ewing would come up with the hook, and the Knicks would tie the game at the half.
Second half action, though, Knicks would pull away to lead by as many as 10, as Wilkins scored inside on the jam here.
Larry Bird was tough down the stretch. He got Boston back into this game. He hits the jumper from outside.
Contest was tied at 109 in the closing second, when Lewis Orr would fire off a 21-footer that would bank in, and the Celtics end up losing by a pair to the Knicks.
In Detroit tonight, the Pistons playing against Atlanta.
Dominique Wilkins on the bench with a knee injury, instead it was Isaiah Thomas putting on the highlight show for Pistons.
Pistons fans, 11 points, 9 assists tonight, as Detroit just had too much firepower.
They pull away to a 10-point victory and move into the central division lead. Pistons take over first in the central if we check the scores in the NBA.
Finney Johnson, what's that jumper? Former Sonic had a good night.
Boston falls to the Knicks by 2, as we mentioned. Atlanta a loser at Detroit to the Pistons.
Portland falls by 2 to Denver. The Lakers win behind 42 points from Magic Johnson today.
Either game's in the NBA, Philadelphia got 27 from Charles Barkley to beat Phoenix, it was Houston's easy winner over Cleveland.
Chicago falls at Indiana, and it was the Clippers losing another one, this time to San Antonio.
16 years in the major leagues is enough for Toby Harrah. Texas Ranger veteran announced today he's calling it quits as a player.
Harrah plans to manage the Rangers Class A team next season.
And basketball players captured all the honors, and this week's voting by the Yakama on Monday morning quarterbacks club for Athlete of the Week.
Male Athlete of the Week honors this week go to Adam Juntz at Davis Basketball Center.
The 6'6 senior hit 17 of 23 field goal attempts in a pair of pirate games at Davis Split.
Debbie Austin and YVC led the Indians to a win over Walla Walla with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
In team of the week, Natchez boys basketball took two games, beating Wapato and Highland, the first league losses for both the Wapato Wolves and the Highland Scotties.
Natchez unbeaten at 12-0 and ranks second in the state.
12-0, 12 straight games. That's in league play. That's overall.
And they've played some good teams, including Cashmere, defending state champs and beat them.
Okay, thanks Bob. Coming up next we'll find out more about our weather. We know that there's quite a bit of haze in the sky, but we'll find out what goes beyond that. Stay with us.
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The Forest Service says yes, but state officials have yet to speak.
The U.S. Forest Service says it wants to open up Mount St. Helens to climbers, but so far the restricted zone around the volcano has not been lifted.
State emergency officials are waiting for an opinion about risks for climbing and rescue missions,
and officials want to check on liability issues in the event of an accident or death.
All this caution comes as a result of a lawsuit that was filed against the state in 1981
for inadequately protecting the public from the volcano's eruption.
So in the future, perhaps we'll get to climb up there on the mountain, but in the meantime, will we be able to see it?
Probably wouldn't get too much of a view, at least the way things look in this area.
We're looking forward to about the same type of weather.
Currently outside, we have 21 degrees barometer at 30.57 and rising from there, 91 percent humidity in the winds out of the north at 5.
For the record, our high of 35 today, three degrees above normal for this time of year, dropped down to eight degrees.
Normally we're at 19. The record high at night was 59 degrees for all time.
Central Washington, Ellensburg, Toppenish, and Tri-Cities look like this, 16, 5, 34, 5, 20, and 9 for the highs and lows in those locations.
And moving on to the satellite picture, you can see high pressure off the coast holding things off,
which means what we can look forward to is having some of that stagnant air and the same type of weather staying around.
So it probably won't help the wood smoke problem, the way things look for the next couple of days as we move on to our forecast.
Tomorrow it will be partly cloudy. Highs will be in the mid-20s. Lows in the mid-teens.
Precipitation chance at zero and the winds will be light and variable.
So Christine, not really any real sign of relief in terms of getting some type of circulation in here to rotate the air a little bit,
change the weather pattern, and give a little better conditions for burning.
Yeah, that's what we need, but in the meantime people are being encouraged not to burn their wood stoves if they can avoid that.
Thanks, Bob.
Our weather has not interfered with building projects in the city.
A story coming up next describes our construction picture.
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The city of Yakima issued a record number of building permits in 1986, and city officials say that was good news for our economy.
News 35's John Mercer reports it's predicted the number of permits issued this year will once again soar to new heights.
In 1986 construction got underway at a number of office buildings and commercial buildings like Scarborough Fair.
It was a record year for the city.
Figures just released show 1986 had the highest number of building permits issued since 1979.
A total of 697 permits were issued for the building of properties valued at more than 21 million dollars.
That compares with 639 permits issued in 85 for a value of more than 16 million.
City code administration manager Bob Champagne says last year's good apple crop and low interest rates were the two main reasons for the increase.
People are willing to borrow money to build when their rates stay down.
We've experienced over the years when the rates go up the number of permissible issues goes down.
I think it's real simple that the interest rates are down. As long as they stay down I think your building will stay up.
Champagne thinks the number of permits being issued is a good indicator that our economy is healthy.
He thinks 1987 will be another good year.
All indications right now on the number of plans that we have in for review and the permits that we've issued that we think it will stay right up there with 86 and probably even get a little bit better.
You see a lot of office buildings and I think that will probably continue. I know there's a couple of trains over on Front Street that are going to convert those offices.
There's a couple of other buildings that are converting old buildings to offices. So I think you'll see that continue that trend.
So if we have a good economy this year and low interest rates, construction workers should be busy.
In Yakima, John Mercer, News 35.
And in 1986 the city collected $110,000 in building permit fees. Sounds pretty good and I hope it will be more next year.
That's our news for tonight. Remember no open burning tomorrow. Have a good night.
Good night.