Tulare Advance-Register from Tulare, California • 1

Cost of living above average, but aspirins cheap average and Sacramentos were 6.2 percent The American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association, which developed the survey and compiled results, cautions that percentage differences between cities should not be viewed as exact measures and that spreads of three or fewer points are not statistically significant. The survey index shows this about Visalia: k- The cost of groceries is 2.6 percentage points below the national average. Housing costs are 3.3 percentage By Julie Fernandez Advance-Register Have a headache? Need an aspirin? Maybe youll feel better when we tell you the tablets you bought at the grocery store probably cost less in Visalia than they would have in Fresno, Sacramento or Merced. And so did that T-bone steak you plan to barbecue this weekend. How do we know? The four Central California cities were among 246 nationwide that participated in an American Chamber of Commerce cost-of-living survey during the last three months of 1986.

Chambers in each community followed strict survey piidelines to determine the cost of groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care and miscellaneous goods and services. When all the numbers were totaled, the cost-of-living in Visalia came out slightly 2.4 percentage points above the national average. Even lower overall than Visalia was Merced with a cost-of-living 1.2 percent above average. Fresnos figures were 7.2 percent above points above the average. Utilities, including electric, gas and telephone, are 1.2 percentage points below average.

Transportation costs are 6.4 percentage points above the national figure. Health care costs are 8.3 percentage points above the average. Miscellaneous good and services were 2.8 percentage points above. This category took a look specifically at such items as fast-food hamburgers, pizza and fried chicken; haircut and beauty salon services; dry cleaning, major applicance repair; newspaper subscription rates; movies and alcoholic beverages. The health care category took a look at the average cost per day of a semi-private hospital room, a doctors visit, a dentists visit and a 100-tablet bottle of Bayer brand aspirin.

The survey showed a bottle of aspirin cost $2.79 in Visalia, $3.29 in Fresno, $3.42 in Merced and $2.95 in Sacramento. The average hospital room in Visalia cost $280, compared with $248 in Fresno. $321 in Sacramento and $250 in Merced. (See COST, page 6) a WT ev High-tech Visalia fire station receives new temperature gauges d- p) sLCf i I t. A A-R photo by Don LeBaron Visalian Gary Benjamin, left, is legally blind, but with the help of his friend, Louie Martin, and a rope, he jogs three times weekly.

Runner not slowed by blindness By Joan McCray Advance-Register Whether it will keep the weather nice is too much to hope for, but nonetheless the Visalia Fire Department had a new, state of the art weather machine installed Monday. Its a convenience thing for us," said Capt. Jack Young. We dont have to go outside or take the time to drop whatever were doing to go out and monitor the weather; plus its all automatic so it takes all the guesswork out of it. Lyle Hammer, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service in Fresno, said the new MMTS machine (Maximum Minimum Temperature System) is a small digital system that provides a readout of the weather inside the building.

Tubes attach the readout system to a small unit outside that reads the weather. Young said the computerized system has a memory bank to record the low temperature, high temperature and observation temperature in a 24-hour period. Little buttons can be pressed to display those figures, and it also displays the correct current temperature continuously. The old weather station at the fire department was a big, boxed shelter outside. It had maximum and minimum thermometers that people had to go outside to read.

The MMTS "will improve the tak-ing of the observation temperature, Hammer said. The temperatures are not going to change or anything, theyll just be much more readily available to read. Hammer said each system has to go through very strenouous tests to verify figures and to make sure they are operating properly. Young said the new system is supposed to be correct within five- tenths of a degree and is pretty accurate. It doesnt leave room for human error where the other one did.

We had to move some mechanisms by hand. He added that the old system involved a thermometer with mercury, which can easily be disturbed. Young said the department hadnt been expecting a new system, so it was a surprise when the National Weather Service cooperative program manager popped in from San Diego to make the change. Evidently they put us up on the list for replacement, Young said. Within the last month or so weve been having some problems with one of the thermometers in our old equipment, which has been around here since the beginning of dirt.

We took it here from our old fire station in 1969 and its even older than that. Hammer said the installation of the MMTS in Visalia is part of the National Weather Services nationwide program of installing the devices at all Climat stations. (Climat stations, of which Visalia is one, only take readings of maximum, minimum and 8 a.m. observation temperatures as well as sometimes precipitation. Hammer estimated that the new weather systems cost about $400.

But there is no added cost to the Climat stations because the equipment belongs to the weather service and is loaned in exchange for a monitored report. Young said the new system brings bittersweet feelings. The only problem I have is being able to read the current temperature all the time, he said. There it is lighted up in nice green numbers, and when its 105 or 107 degrees out there the guys are going to want to stay in the air conditioned office, and when its freezing out there well, thats life. Easter services planned By Julie Fernandez Advance-Register A re-enactment of Christs walk to Calvary, a musical drama and a sunrise service are among the numerous activities scheduled in Visalia this Easter week.

And many churches have planned Maundy or Holy Thursday services to mark Christs Last Supper. On Good Friday, Holy Family Catholic Church once again will present the Living Way of the Cross, a street procession with a church member portraying the role of Jesus. That will begin at 12 30 p.m. The First Assembly of God Church has scheduled two performances of the resurrection musical The Voice." The musical drama featuring church members is planned for 7 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m.

Sunday. Tickets, which are free, can be reserved by calling 733-9070. The Visalia Ministerial Fellowship, which includes 44 churches, is sponsoring two Easter events. The First Christian Church at 100 W. School St.

will host the interdenominational Good Friday service at noon. The Rev. Roger Carey, pastor of Faith Baptist Church, will give the sermon. The fellowship again will sponsor a community sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. Easter Sunday at Mineral King Bowl.

The Rev. Michael Edwards, pastor of the Church of God of Prophecy, will be the guest speaker. A sampling of other services and Easter events include: Christ Lutheran Church will conduct services at 7 p.m. Thursday, 7 p.m. Friday and at 6 a.m., 8 a.m.

and 10:30 a.m. on Easter. Church of God of Visalia will conduct Maudy Thursday services at 7 p.m. An Easter sunrise service is scheduled for 6 a.m. Sunday at 21516 Ave.

380 in Woodlake and a church service is planned for 10:30 a.m. First Assembly of God will have Easter Sunday services at 8 and 10:30 a.m. First Baptist Church will conduct services at 7 p.m. Thursday and at 7:45 a.m., 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

on Sunday. The Rev. Harold Meers Sr. will speak on The Exultation of Jesus. First Christian Church will conduct services at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, at noon Friday and at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Grace Lutheran Church will conduct services at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

An Easter communion service is planned for 8 a.m. and will be followed at 9:15 (See EASTER, page 6) Benjamin said his blindness was not severe enough to interfere with his life until he was halfway though college. He has a fairly common progressive hereditary disease called retinitis pigmentosa, which causes the nerve cells at the back of his eyes to slowly atrophy and die. But just because he has lost his sight doesnt mean his life is lacking in other areas. Martin describes Benjamin as a remarkable man and a well-rounded character.

And if Benjamins busy life is any indication, Martin is right. Benjamin is a roving special education teacher for the Tulare County Department of Education; he travels about teaching blind and visually impaired students such skills as braille or typing, and even provides counseling. But Benjamin also takes time for a well-rounded social life. He is president of the board of the Visalia Players community theater, where he also acts. And as if that werent enough, he wants to learn to fly.

See JOGGER, page 6 By Joan McCray Advance-Register Legally blind, Gary Benjamin can distinguish no more than the difference between light and shade. But that doesnt stop him from jogging through the streets of Visalia three times a week. A willing friend and a trusty rope are the keys that transport Benjamin from the potentially confining life of a blind man to a world where he feels as free as a bird. Its funny, when I hang onto a rope I still feel free, Benjamin said. My body movements become unrestricted.

After a while, I dont even feel it. This feeling of freedom is one of several bonuses Benjamin has discovered from his jaunts. He speaks happily of the five-mile routes he runs each Monday, Wednesday and Friday with the aid of a 2-foot-long rope and two friends, either Richard Rodriguez or Louie Martin depending on the day. And Martin who is a marathon runner, enjoys these jogs as much as Benjamin. At first I was conscious of the rope, but not now, Martin said.

It just seems to disappear. New charges filed against Webb Couillards move came after Judge Thomas Parrington last Thursday struck down three felony counts of perjury against the Porterville supervisor at the end of his preliminary hearing. Parrington, a retired Tuolomne County judge who presided over the three-week hearing, decided perjury charges were not appropriate but said Couillard could refile amended misdemeanor counts to reflect Webbs alleged failure to declare he held a trust deed to the subdivision from 1983 to 1986. Publically elected officials by law must fill out a financial disclosure statement declaring all of their holdings. The other three misdemeanor counts allege Webb, while he held a $95,000 trust deed on land at Olive Avenue and Matthew Street in Porterville, swayed county officials into approving certain projects for the subdivision which boosted its value.

While Webb is able to claim a minor victory with the District Attorneys Office refiling amended misdemeanor charges in place of the dismissed felony perjury counts, the supervisor still faces eight felony allegations of embezzlement. (See WEBB, page 6) By Steve Breen Advance-Register Its back to Porterville Municipal Court for indicted Supervisor Chairman Ben Webb, scheduled to return April 27 to answer six misdemeanor counts of failing to disclose his stake in a Porterville subdivision and using his position as a supervisor to influence its development. Tulare County Assistant District Attorney Ronn Couillard, as he indicated he would do last week, decided to split those charges from the original 15-count indictment delivered against Webb in January by the Tulare County grand Jury. Local cable expanding selection Couple sues Webb, Ennis, city leader Indicted Supervisor Chairman Ben Webb is embroiled in more legal problems, this time in the form of a civil suit alleging he, a longtime friend and a Porterville city official used his influence as a supervisor to cheapen the value of a Porterville couples land. In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Tulare County Superior Court, Jessie W.

and DeLois Cooksey are asking for $2.3 million in damages from Webb, realtor Ben Ennis and Porterville City Finance Director Bill McGuire. The trio, allege the Cookseys through attorney Arthur Krawolec, were secret players in a real estate scheme that used county action to depress the value of their 10-acre orchard and force the couple to sell. Im totally dumbfounded, said Ennis, who is a close fnend and longtime real estate associate of Webbs. What this is is a nuisance suit, its a situation where theyve got Ben Webb down, and theyre trying to kick him." Webb couldnt be contacted this morning for comment. The Cookseys claim Ennis had bought land surrounding theirs to eventually build a subdivision.

When Ennis approached the couple with a bid for their land, the Cookseys refused to sell. Enms, said the suit, then concocted a plan to either punish the Cookseys for not selling or lower the lands value by convincing Webb to advocate the county abandon" the public road to their property northwest of Porterville. Ennis claims he asked for the road that borders his property be abandoned because be was thinking of making improvements along it, and wouldnt feel right if it was county property. Eleven people who signed a petition presented to the Board of Supervisors supporting abandonment proceedings were agents of Ennis who made false representations to supervisors regarding the land, the suit alleges. I have the right to petition the county, but the people who have access felt differently about it, Enms said.

If they're unhappy with it, they should talk to the county. The suit charges Webb further influenced county staff studying the abandonment proposal to advise supervisors to support the request. When the board approved the abandonment hi October 1985, diminishing the value of the Cookseys land, the suit said, Ennis and Webb enlisted McGuire to approach the Cookseys with another offer to buy their property. McGuire, as a city official, would appear more objective and neutral and thereby more likely to succeed" in convincing the Cooksey's to sell out They said they again refused, said the suit The inside story Index Accent on food 10 Classified 14-15 Comics 13 Daybook 6 Dear Abby 13 News capsules 2,6 6 Opinion 12 Sports 8-9 Television 11 Weather 6 Ducott said Continental will begin contacting subscribers late this month to make arrangements for the switch. Company representatives will then visit cable households and install the new system.

The process will take between 30 minutes and an hour at each home. The whole expansion project will cost Continental in the neighborhood of $17 million, Ducott said. will aLso mean a slight increase in basic cable rates, but a drop in the price for receiving premium movie channels, which now reach 70 percent of cable homes. Currently, subscribers have a choice between a basic cable package ($9.95) and a basic-plus deal ($12.95) that provides six additional channels. Under the new arrangement, the two systems will be combined into one that also includes a remote control for a total price of $15.95.

According to Ducott, the average increase will be $1.64 per subscriber. Movie channel rates, however, will be going down. The cost of receiving Home Box Office will decrease from $10.95 to $9.95, and additional services will also (See CABLE, page 6) By Steve Provost Advance-Register Folks who have a hard time making decisions probably wont like what Continental Cablevision is planning to do. But for those who believe that variety is the spice of life, the company is about to provide a little extra seasoning. Beginning April 20, the company will begin expanding its services from 35 channels to 40 in a move that should be completed by September.

By that time, Tulareans and Visalians will have a choice of nine new channels, seven of which will be offered as a part of Continentals basic cable service. Richard Ducott, Continentals director of marketing, said his company has been studying the move since it purchased Sequoia Cablevision six months ago. Basically, customers were looking for more sports programming, more family programming, more movies, he said. They wanted to get access to Bakersfield programming and they wanted to have access to public affaira-type programming. Along with the new channels, Continental will be adding a new converter designed to provide VCR compatibility and access to pay-per-view events.

Weather Fair tonight. Lows in the upper 40s to near 60. Light winds. Mostly sunny Thursday. Highs in the mid-SOs to mid-90s..