Wednesday, June 12, 1991 . school, ‘ average student, Maybe he - shrink off and on just to stay even. ‘+ failure didn’t affect Steven as it might . difficulties. ow inleht say Steven Benson had it made sin the shade. Grand- » dad ay Harry Hitchcock amassed the family fortune in the old {ashi loned way. He eared It In the tobacco business. His Lancas- ter Leaf Tobacco Co, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was one of the largest cigar tobacco Importers i the US. Bioven's father dled In 1980, Pas im er, Mi garet, was reputed e worth a cool $14 million. owen scads more to come * when the petriareh of | the family Joined those great Inhaters in the Sky. Meanwhile, Steven didn't He and i MAX HAINES | his older sister, Carol, had been brought up in the lap of Auaury For years, the family lived in a farge comfortable home just out- side of Lancaster. In high Steven was an was a little better dressed than the other ia ae boys, Maybe the MG he drove. was o bit Did this in: entishy Stevent? Not on out ostentatious, but, let's face It, Steven life. He resl, is job at caster Leaf and opened up his own cco Import business, It took a year and a pile of mother’s money for hin go belly up. Steven took his latest bas ness failure in stride, just as he had been doing all his life. He moved to Naples, Florida, quite Possibly to be closer to the fountainhead of cash, his mother. Margaret was bus: building a quaint little half million dol- lar home In Naples. Despite a lingering feeling that Steven was a bation less brother Scott turned "brother | at all. How's that, you say? Well, V'll tell you. Evi- dently, many years carller, when slater was an impetuous teenager, she gave birth to a son out of wedlock. Mar- garet Benson adopted her grandson and raised him as her own son. As boys didn’t turn out well. As a teenager, Scott, who managed to ueeze by on a $7,000 a month all lowance, was a confirmed cocaine addict and blonde chaser. He visited a venture, which enalGea organizing a conglomerate of a dozen small com- panies under one umbrella. Right from the time the company was started, Ste- ven kept borrowing small amounts from Hig mother. to Keep ons or tho:ether, of _ Jantar executive wcollege It wasn't an unusual request when, in 1985, Steven asked his mother for a min- Iscule few thousand dollars to bail him out of his latest disaster. His obliging mother gave him two blank cheques, which our boy juumodiately hiked to $125,000, Folks, that's not loose change in ‘anyone's ballpark. Steven used the cheques to place a flown payment on a new home in Fort Mye: Mother tallied up ‘Steven's follies and came up with several millions of dollars that Steven had lost, squandered, and blown over the years. The Fort Myers house caper was just too much, even for Margaret Benson. She wrote her son out of her her will. . It was the same thing with Steven's It is not clear how Steven: learned at arried his mother’s ‘rash behaviour. It doesn’ really matter. He simply decided to- ail his entire family and inherit his mother's fo1 ei On July 9, 1985, Steven showed up at his mother's home in the exclusive One must Keep in mind that business - affect you and me. In every case, {mother ‘bailed her son out of financial “mansion outside Lancas! Juail’s Roost area of Naples. He Buisted thet Margaret, Carol and ‘Seat the a 68, and Scot Moat tert In tho "0 back ec seat, _ Inj tion key, : vite vehi how up, Instantly killing tt Benson, about the’ head ‘and neck, Charles ; Meyer, on an adjoining golf Sours, heard the oxploaten and ran to its cours He bx a Just managed to pull en a second blast ‘arol fro! demolsted tho Gehicle and’ blew. off a portion of Me of Moyers nose, Steven watched Carol was eckyaay ‘to hospital, where she told her story. From her ‘statements and remnants of two Pipe bombs, police @ rei realized they had a louble homicide on their hands. Initially, they had ee idea that the murderer a member of the famlly, but It ‘didn't ‘take long before thelr entire focus centered on Steven: As in moat criminal cases, pottce. tend to Investigate the next of moving on to other aspects of the Investigation. Detectives workin rounders oun they couldn’t family. veut of his of his gh on the Benson time, there was iiltle it They learned that Sto. ed with electrical Gevlees ry ing ‘She famlly ee for a pecine. tne dou nut shop was a 10-minute trlp, to hel extra’ teven was ing bi him plenty of time to plant the two A otek at the Hughes Supply Co. told detectives that he had sold pre ae toa man matchin, pipe was of manufacture of the bombs. A receipt for the pipe was recovered. It had Steven's palm print on It. Steven was arrested and charged with double murder, as well as several lesser charges. Carol testified that her mother had grown tired of Steven's ways. Margaret had not only cut him out of her will, she had also cut him off m all other sour further testified that, at the time of the explosion, her brother had done nothing her as she had attempted to gone over an hour, giv- 2 same type med in the spendthrift ‘ces of money. , exaell from the car, defense lawver nainted out mit at ity might have been involved in a drug deal that went sour and could have been pala y: a a oe, ring to serve as a less ih iame 2 slemas scenario, The jury didn't 35, the man who had He received two life double murders and an Suitiowal 22 yen In in prison for attempted murder - anne t Colller County Sheriff's Office. io Naples, Florida, advises _ a w confined to the Haller Prison in Stark, Florida, where they expect he will reside for some time. Wednesday, June12; 1991 The Castlegar Sun ‘Page 9B Before you pliant that tree, let us plant a thought about safety Trees planted under power lines can grow up to be a hazard. Not only can they be the cause of power outages, they can also endanger adventurous tree-climbing children. When plotting your landscape, take a moment to visualize your little nursery stack as a mature tree. Make sure that when full-grown its branches don’t touch overhead lines. If you have trees that interfere with power lines, don't attempt to trim them yourself. Call us and we'll advise you how to proceed safely. If your area is serviced by underground distribution lines, call us before digging. We'll provide you with a stake-out of power lines. To strike one is extremely fj . dangerous and could also black out an entire arga,- Our concern is to provide you with areliable supply of electricity and to help you use it safely. ra 7 Castlegar Office : 365-6212 West KOOTENAY POWER e A CANADIAN. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY: WEEK JUNE 16-22, EXCELLENCE: TODAY'S GOAL:IS‘'TOMORROW’S REWARD: Reuter - The creator of Rambo, the macho, machine gun-toting iene who came to Morrell’s first female protagonist Tuns, swims and refrains from drink- siveness during the | Reagan era, a has come up with a new character more befitting the “kinder, gentler” 1990s. Tess Drake, a health-conscious Joumalist depicted by author David Morrell in his new novel, “The Covenant of the Flame,” ing, king and eating red meat. Avi . for an environmental magazine, she is deeply concemed about the ecologi- cal threats to the planet, ‘Though she is hardly the violeat killer hero that Rambo was, Tess does her own share of killing as she is perhaps the ideal ch symbolize the seinder, gentler nation” i Bush for this new decade. about what I think is the most seri- ous issue we are facing today, and that is the survival of the planet,” Morrell told Reuters, A mild-mannered former profes- Sor of Armerican Hiesanate, Morrell ip of bloody INDUSTRIAL FIRST AID UPDATE > June 15 * 9:00 a.m. Must hold a current LF.A. ticket. Fee: $50.00 Register at Selkirk College 352 a 1 New manuals will be available fee $25 ZX WSRLD ; Looking fc for Something? Jeans with 40" long legs Work Boots (tadies 5-21, Work Boots men's 5-13) We probably have it,. but if not Jack will search high and low for it © -@ WORKWERR- 3 miles Eat d of Trallon 3S Mon-Sat. 9:30-5:30 Thurs.-Fri. 9:30-9:00 thrillers, pec he provided his readers a chance to escape from the bitter reality of life. “Reality is a nice place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live there Weng fone Ayrieal Monell sud. most people. Describing the tragic experience of watching his cancer-stricken 15- year-old son booked up to all sorts of Trail — 364-1121... POOR BOYS Carpet & Upholatary Ciesnere 365-2488 » 367-6234 ‘Last Chance G.S.T. included Limited one per customer SENIORS DISCOUNT room, & hall plus Stainguard ‘Standard chair & chesterfield. * Living & dining ‘Couch potatoes’ Dear Ann Landers: This is an open Ietter to'all the couch potatoes who .fecl:unloved because their’ wives are no longer interested in Sex. If your wife's life is anything like ‘mine it gocs like this; I'am up | at 6 am get myself ready for work, see that the kids eat a good break: fast and get them off to school. My couch potato gets up whenever he feclS'like it and goes to work, He's home. around 5:30 or 6:00, picks up the remote control and heads for the recliner, -I head for the kitchen to fix dinner, serve it and then clean up. I then straighten up the house, spend time with the kids, start a load of laundry, bathe the children “and pot them in bed. Finally, I am ‘able to sit down, While folding the laundry Tuy to engage my husband in conversa- tion and all Y get back is a grunt. Ho docsn't even take his cyes off the een ee eae ‘After a while, T givo up and go to bed, dis- too tired to be angry. With a life like this, sex better start paying more attention “becomes nothing more than one of those chores that is, tolerated because I was brought up to belleve '. it was my duty. I am not a demand. ing woman, All I want is a ki word, a little conversation, some ’* small sign of recognition that I am’ human and: maybe a little help’ around the house ‘in the evening...‘ T hope all you couch potatoes | - letter person- :, out there will take this ally, You just might rediscover the . girl you used to date. 7 Worked to deathin Florida) 2 Dear Florida: you spoke. ‘for a lot of wives today. On behalf of that Sad Sisterhood of the Overworked and Unappreciated, I thank you. «with “Too Much Homework in ,, Oxnard.” My 11-year-old has hours more homework than his brother and sister had at his age, We lived >in another state while his two sib- ‘lings were growing up and I’m con- , Vinced that part of th the problem is , the sweet deal that teachers get bere in Califomia. My mother taught grade school for 20 years, She corrected her own class papers, did playground duty and lunchroom supervision, pre- pared report cards, attended teacher . workshops and had parent confer- ° ences after school hours. My son has classes for about ~ four hours a day. The rest of the Dear Ann Landers: t agree time its some social or fun activity. As often as three days out of the month there is no school because of a “teacher workshop’ or “teacher prep” day, etc,, etc., During parent conferences, there is no school. for an entire week. Lunchroom and playground supervision is done by parent volunteers because the teach- ers have. it in their contracts that they don’t have to do this sort of * thing. Parents are asked to volun- teer to be class “Spelling Mom” or Math Dad" and correct the Papers for those classes. If you divided teachers’ annual salaries by the number of hours they actually work, they are making over $30 an hour. Not bad — with three months vacation. “Kids now need homework 80 they can Jean what was'at one taught during school hours. We are unable {o afford a private school, but I'm considering teaching our son at home because I seem'to'be doing it anyway.:I'm with’ you, — Another Fed Up Mom in Orangevale, Calif, at Dear Orangevale: I am not close enough to the Califomia pub- lic school system to respond intelli- gently, but you:can be sure I will receive a ton of mail from many who are. Meanwhile, teach your child at home if you want to, but be will miss an important part of his education — - leaming to get along with other children. ne wos: ESTSes current compilation ai the most people do, edited by Chuck Sp Shepherd. Proof that true stories are weirder than made-up stories, 3M Co. announced in April that at least 20 people have died in the last two years from intentionally sniffing Scotchgard fabric protector to get high. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says more people use inhalants to get high than use cocaine. Other drugs of choice: stick cooking spray. Odds and Ends (Mostly Odds) ¢ San Francisco police officer Bill Langlois retired from the force in December after 28 years, many as a decoy, during which he was mugged 256 times in attempts to stop street crimes against the elder- ly. Said Langlois of his career, “I found it fascinating to see a crime from its inception.” * Ona bus tip to California in November, a Chicago Apostolic Assembly Church youth group endured the following: a two-day delay getting out of Chicago; numerous breakdowns, including a tire blowout in Missouri; a junk- food Thanksgiving dinner aboard the bus instead of the planned sumptuous meal in California; clutch failure on the bus as it climbed an Axizona mountain dur- ing a blizzard; two days in a small motel in Flagstaff, Ariz. awaiting heater and engine repairs and emer- gency cash (which never arrived); the stench of uncleaned lavatories; convulsions by the driver while at ; the wheel, due to diabetic reaction; and citations issued by New Mexi- .©o police for having an unsafe vebi- ‘cle (which finally ended the trip). « As part of the coordinated global efforts for the third annual World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, spon- of nurses, who unrolled a giant con- dom onto him. ° A West Valley City, Utah, man, 35, was charged with an August burglary in one apartment and trespassing in a nearby apart- ment. Police said that after the alleged burglary, the man heard a baby crying and entered the second apartment. He awakened the mother and asked her to feed the baby, but she refused. After suggesting that the baby might need to be changed and from the baby’s diaper himself, lectured the mother, and left, but was picked up : aoe afterward by police, » the US Board of Gene Names Bartlesville, Okla., Odor Mitigation Task Force was called to action to | identify a rotten-egglike smell } ‘pr frozen kangaroo tails and then ate the evidence. °A13- ryemle boy was arrested for his mother near Los the city. were made with a Chicago research company to identify the smell, but that required residents to use special devices to bottle the smell and send it away. + As part of last fall’s primary campaign for state legislature in Muskogee County, Okla., incum- bent Jeff Potts charged dirty tricks against John Monks. Potts made a Citizen’s arrest of two women car- tying “Vote for Jeff Potts” signs but wearing skimpy clothing and occa- sionally baring their breasts to passers-by on a busy street. ‘Weapons of Choice « According to the constable in remote Alice Springs, Australia, aborigines attacked three policemen in February by beating them with Angeles in January by throwing the family’s pet chiluahua at her dur- ing a fight. ° Ronald Clark, 30, was charged with assault in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in February for reportedly hitting Thomas Jones in the face with a frozen fish, breaking Jones’ nose. Clark was confronted in his home by Jones in an argument over a woman. ¢ Vera Williams, 73, was sen- tenced to five days in jail in March in New Bnmnswick, Canada, for assault- ing two mounted police with a toy badminton racquet. The officers had begun to question her and ber sons for suspected salmon poaching. (Send your Weird News to Chuck Shepherd, P.O. Box 57141, Washington, D.C. 20037.) Have you seen a picture in the Sun of yourself, a relative or a friend? If you would like the photo, stop in at our office and we'll give it to you - free of charge! We are located at: 465 Columbia Avenue publicly about the difficulty in plac- ing more Indian names on official maps. Two examples: The closest English Seng of a waterfall Dear . And the aie nanie of Lake Char in Massachusetts is a word contain- ing 44 letters and meaning, “You fish on your side, I fish on my side, nobody fishes in the middle.” ° Last summer, ranches in ‘Wyoming began to import Mexican cowboys because, for the first time, the federal government certified that no qualified US citizens want- ed the work, Said a local civiclead- . er, “The stams of being a cowboy * just doesn’t exist anymore.’ “Last summer, the 19-member DADA Tandy: 1 COULD HAVE ADVERTISED IN THIS SPACE! FATHER’S DAY DINNER SuOhe ~' «Turkey ° 2 Seafood. Fettucini $ 95 CHEF MARIO'S | Faiious SEAFOOD ‘COMBO . ¢ Alaskan ‘King Crab Legs ters in Shell lams in Shell al ER i allops Pp * Prawns 2 95 On Father’s Day Take Him Out to % Gussy’s Father's Day Ae Sunday brunch 4.10 a.m. - 2 p.m, «’ 8%, $595 Child fgorted ed Sslads, Bacon, Hi Ham, . Fein Senfood oly les le, Scrambled “Bord Nelson, Fotel 616 Vernon St. © Mussels 2° 94 ervations: 362-2077 352-7211 imMPO USED VEHICLE SALE We have accumulated an outstanding selection of import used vehicles. They have all been safety inspected in our service department -and are fully reconditioned and ready for many more miles of trouble free 1989 TOYOTA TERCEL * 2 Dr. hatchback * 66,000 km's * 5 spd. manual * silver metallic + Alpine cassette stereo system 1989 MAZDA 323 + 4 Dr. sedan « only 56,000 km's * 5 spd. manual * cassette stereo system 1986 HONDA ACCORD * 4 Dr. sedan + 84,000 km's + auto . cassette stereo system sterling silver re ae wan operation. Come in and make your selection, TAKE A TEST DRIVE, MAKE US AN OFFER. We are committed to clearing these units by June 30 and NO REASONABLE OFFER WILL BE REFUSED. 1985 TOYOTA TERCEL * 2 Dr. hatchback - light blue metallic « * 5 spd. manual * cassette stereo Svein 1989 SUZUKI SAMURAI * convertible + 4 wheel drive + 5 spd. manual * only 21,000 km's « soluxe model 1987 TOYOTA TERCEL * only 77,000 km's » cassette stereo system * auto * extra clean unit Seea Sulack Sales Professional Today! KALAWSKIKY ahs PONTIAC BUICK GMC (1989) LTD. —THE KING OF CARS—— 1700 Columbia Ave., Castlegar oan? 365-2155 Collect TRAIL, FRUITVALE, ROSSLAND CUSTOMERS CALL 364-0213