51.   Art Howe, widely nominated to be fired last winter, guided the unheralded Oakland Athletics from oblivion to playoff contention until the last week of the season.

52.   As a free agent last winter, Darryl Kile made it quite clear that he did not want to pitch in New York.

53.   Appier was granted restricted free agency for about three months last winter and was courted seriously by Boston.

54.   As far as the increase in emergency response time is concerned, police officials blame the bad weather last winter.

55.   As he has since Iowa last winter, the more Dole campaigns, the more voters he drives away.

56.   As last winter ended and consumers scrambled to pay record heating bills, analysts were already looking toward the coming winter with dread.

57.   As late as last winter, he indicated such rules were inviolable.

58.   As the new general manager, Hart has merely attempted to do what he was supposed to do when hired last winter.

59.   As police were dissecting her story last winter, the name of Lamar Sanchez surfaced, though Reuther declined Monday to say exactly how.

60.   As recently as last winter, it was on Biscayne that cops running a prostitution sting snared an Atlanta Falcons player the night before the Super Bowl.