Press and Sun-Bulletin from Binghamton, New York • 1

RACING DURA INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDWAY CHANGES WITH THE TIMES 9D Si -ij). IK MAY 28, 1999 FINAL EDITION 1999 THE BINGHAMTON PRESS BINGHAMTON, N.Y. www.pressconnects.com FIFTY CENTS Illness an even greater trial for people without insurance Chenango Bridge, and Robert Warner, R-Vestal. The young Conklin resident told lawmakers and audience members attending the forum in Binghamton City Council chambers that her coverage as a dependent will end when she graduates. She said she is worried that her heart problems may be judged a preexisting condition and hence BY SAMME CHITTUM Staff Writer At 21, Joy DeVoe should be looking forward to graduation next year from Broome Community College.

Instead, her health is uncertain and her financial future in doubt. "For me, graduation just means I'm going to join the rest of the uninsured," said $1,000 in much-needed prescription drugs every month. DeVoe was one of 30 people who spoke with candor, trembling voices and sometimes anger at a forum held to air the plight of New Yorkers who are doubly burdened by ill health and lack of insurance coverage. On hand to listen were Assemblymen Jay Dinga, R- women of all ages stood up to provide moving testimony about their struggles to retain their dignity and financial footing in the face of life-altering illnesses and mounting medical bills. Advocates for the uninsured hope to expand coverage for working people who SEE HEALTH 4A disqualify her for vital health coverage in the future.

Also, if she is only able to work part-time, she might be excluded from coverage offered only to full-time workers. "I may not be healthy enough to carry on in a full-time position; I may even need a transplant," said DeVoe. "It's very scary." One after another, men and INSIDE Free clinic serves uninsured. PAGE 4A Libous introduces mental health proposal. PAGE 1B DeVoe, who was born with a congenital heart condition and relies on her father's insurance coverage to pay for Friday SPORTS Roller hockey The president of Major League Roller Hockey will visit Binghamton next week to announce the league's intention of operating a team here this season.

The league's original franchise set for Binghamton, the New York Riot, suspended operations Wednesday. PAGE ID "Belgrade MEMORIAL DAY 1299 "These ceremonies are important because they let families know that deceased veterans are not forgotten by their peers. LARRY PARSONS, PAST COMMANDER, VFW POST 478 Parades, picnics honor heroes no naicuies indictment 1 j.J. 1) BY SHARON EURO AND TODD McADAM Staff Writers I early June 1 944, Americans knew two momentous events were about to occur: Allied soldiers were soon to land somewhere in France in the invasion planned for 2Vi years; and Rome would be re-taken from the Nazis. First Lt.

Carl Pierson of Greene saw neither, though he made one of those successes possible. Monday, Memorial Day, was created with people like him in mind. On June 1, Pierson stuffed himself into the cockpit of his A-36 ground attack plane essentially a P-51 Mustang with special air brakes to allow dive-bombing. He had climbed into the cockpit for more than 80 combat missions since he arrived in Italy the previous December and was a flight leader. He took off on the crucial day in the Allied push on Rome.

The U.S. 5th Army was flanking in one direction while the British 8th Army was pressing from the south. By the end of the day, the German lines would be shattered and the Allies would be within 13 miles of Rome, "now in plain sight," according to news reports that day. But Pierson never came home. That was the day he died.

Fifth Army dispatches said the light and medium bombers played a pivotal role in breaking the last line of German defense. Monday is the day to remember Pierson and 1 ,171,188 other people killed in the 10 major conflicts the United States has been involved with in the past 223 years. The price America has had to pay for its freedom amounts to more than 14 lives a day. "When you go to war, you don't know if you're coming back," said the Rev. John Koopman of the American Legion's post in Greene.

And it is for those people the ones who didn't come home that Memorial Day exists. In preparation, Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion posts decorate veterans' graves with flags. American Legion Post 1254 placed 120 flags on U.N. secretary supports charges against Milosevic ASSOCIATED PRESS BELGRADE, Yugoslavia Calling the U.N. war crimes tribunal a tool of NATO, the Yugoslav government dismissed as an alliance ploy the indictments Thursday of President Slobodan Milosevic and four top aides.

The president's demo MILOSEVIC cratic opposition was no less dismayed, saying the indictments for crimes against humanity were ill-timed and would undermine the possibility of a peace deal. "Now Milosevic is put into a corner and there's no incentive for him to make a compromise," said Vojin Dim-ltrijevic, a professor of international law and director of the Belgrade Center for Human Rights. Vladislav Jovanovic, the Yugoslav representative to the United Nations in New York, accused the tribunal of blindly following the United States and NATO and said the indictment undermines efforts to end the conflict. "This is an offense to the Yugoslav population because somebody from outside tries to judge who is to rule Yugoslavia and for how long, and this is highly undemocratic and highly unsubstantiated," Jovanovic said. For ordinary residents of Belgrade, the indictments amounted to another NATO targeting mistake an attack that would only fuel further anger against the West.

"This is like extinguishing fire with gasoline," said Andjelka Savic, a 79-year-old retired teacher. "NATO is really stupid." "There is a credible basis to believe that these accused are criminally responsible for the deportation of 740,000 J1 A mm if LATEST DEVELOPMENTS NATO conducts a record number of airstrikes, some 741 sorties in 24 hours. The Yugoslav capital of Belgrade is plunged into darkness after power facilities are hit, but power is later restored. NATO says it is targeting Serbian heavy military equipment to help level the playing field between the Serb military and the Kosovo Liberation Army, an ethnic Albanian rebel militia. 0 The latest surge of refugees fleeing to Macedonia 1 from Kosovo suddenly slowed to i a trickle, and U.N.

aid officials were not sure why. During the previous four days, 6,000 to 8,000 arrived daily. Kosovo Albanians and for the murder of 340 Kosovo Albanians," Louise Arbour, the tribunal's chief prosecutor, said at The Hague. Arbour had the backing of U.N. chief Kofi Annan, who indicated Thursday that he supported the indictment.

"The prosecutor must go where the evidence leads her. Justice must be allowed to take its course," said a statement issued from his office. The victims of those purges welcomed the decision and urged the tribunal to energetically prosecute the case. "I hope the indictment will not just be on paper, that he will be sentenced. And the sentence should be death," said Hasim Murseli, 48, one of thousands of refugees in the Stankovec I camp near the Macedonian border.

In New York, human rights officials said Milosevic will probably avoid arrest as long as he stays in Serbia and remains Yugoslav president. Human Rights Watch officials said the indictment was an important and long-awaited first step toward bringing Milosevic to justice. INSIDE Russian officials angered by indictment. PAGE 5A Chenango Valley Salutato-rianChing Hung Ho and Valedictorian Megan Conklin were among the 40 high school seniors honored at the Broome-Tioga Scholastic Recognition Dinner on Thursday at the Binghamton Regency Hotel. STORY, PAGE IB Sun-Bulletin GERRY RAYM0NDA Press Sun-Bulletin Christopher Clinton of Ithaca roars like a lion while from noon to 5:30 p.m.

daily through Labor Day. enjoying a ride on a shiny black carousel horse Rides are free. The zoo is open from 10 a.m. to at the Ross Park Zoo. The carousel will operate 5 p.m.

mm i ii inn i Lose yourself at Long wood Revel in a magnificent collection of flowers, plants and sparkling water at Longwood Gardens. PAGE 1C WORLD Bringing back a masterpiece It took 22 years of careful scrubbing and scraping to restore Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper. Now critics are saying this attempt, which is at least the 10th restoration effort, goes too far. PAGE2A MONEY Job fair More than 50 companies are expected to participate in the second annual Southern Tier Job Fair on June 12 at the Oakdale Mall. A coalition of Southern Tier businesses is hoping to fill about 1,000 openings.

PAGE 10B TOMORROW LIVING Get organized! The long weekend is the perfect time to tidy up. WEATHER FAIR 72751 DETAILS 2B INDEX 4 sections 44 pages Business 10B Movies Classified 7C Obituaries Crossword 2C Opinion Horoscope 2C TV Landers 5C World 3C 4B 14A 2C 2A LOTTERIES N.Y. Daily: 6-9-5 N.Y. Win 4: 7-2-3-5 N.Y. Take 5: 12-22-27-31-36 N.Y.

Pick 10: 7-8-13-17- 20-30-37-39-40-43-48-51- 60-61-66-69-70-71-76-79 Pa. Daily: 3-7-4 Pa. Big 4: 7-7-4-2 Pa. Cash 5: 1-4-14-19-32 TO SUBSCRIBE 798-1161 NY 1-800-253-5343 PA 1-800-241 -21 20 ONLINE Press 5-'" www.pressconnects.com 0 "00701 ii ticipate in the Vestal Memorial Day ceremony and sponsor an open house from 1 to 5 p.m. "Marking the graves with flags is our biggest project," said Charlie Swan, past post commander.

About 15 volunteers from the Veterans Outreach Center of the Southern Tier plan SEE MEMORIAL 4A Dinner Reno, security adviser refuse to resign recognizes top students lay a wreath and shoot a 21-gun salute," said Jim Bailey, post commander. Besides marking graves in Bunn Hill Road Cemetery, Tracy Creek Cemetery, Vestal Hills Memorial Park, and Vestal Memorial Park with 2,500 flags, Vestal American Legion Post 89 will march in the Endicott Memorial Day parade, par matter, recently appointing a veteran federal prosecutor, Randy Bellows, to direct a fianel of other government awyers and FBI agents to examine the department'scon-duct. Berger also said he hasn't considered quitting, even though more than 80 members of Congress sent a letter to President Clinton demanding that he get rid of the national security adviser and hold him responsible for the breach. In other developments: The Senate approved without opposition several proposals to tighten control on sensitive U.S. exports and improve security at nuclear labs.

Asian-American lawmakers, joined by Cox, warned against targeting Asian-Americans for discrimination because of the uproar over Chinese espionage. INSIDE Find out what to do and where to go on Monday. PAGE4A graves in St. Cyril's Cemetery on Riverside Drive and Glenwood Avenue Cemetery in Binghamton. "We also hold a ceremony at the First Ward Memorial Pool where we raise the flag, It, 3 .1.

4 BERGER RENO At one point in the process, John Lewis, who was the FB I's assistant director for national security, complained directly to Reno about the wiretap denial. The issue was subsequently referred to Daniel Seikaly of Justice's Executive Office for National Security, who also turned down the FBI request. Because neither Lewis nor Seikaly contacted her again, Reno said she assumed the problem had been resolved to their satisfaction. Reno has set in motion a review of Justice's role in the GANNETT HEWS SERVICE WASHINGTON Attorney General Janet Reno and national security adviser Samuel Berger say they have no intention of resigning, despite criticism from Republicans who say the two Clinton administration officials didn't aggressively investigate allegations of Chinese spying at U.S. nuclear labs.

Reno acknowledged breakdowns in how the Justice Department responded to early suspicions about Chinese espionage, but she rejected renewed congressional calls for her to resign. Reno told reporters Thursday that Justice and FBI officials should have consulted her two years ago, after the bureau's repeated efforts to wiretap a Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist were denied. GERRY RAYM0NDA Press.