European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 10, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                July 1985 the stars and stripes Page 17 modern living americas fire Outlook lds to hew ways by Mercer Cross National geographic life in a fire Tower int recommended for the fainthearted or the but it seems to agree with Lawrence Bud who been Manning the 50foot Tower atop the Ridge at lick Knob for the past 12 the Ridge is in the heart of the Coal country of Southern West the wind in these appalachian mountains is never sometimes it blows 40 or 50 Miles an that when Bud whose weather reddened face shows every one of his 63 hangs on for dear life As he climbers up the 74 Steps to his glassed in when that wind till rattle that he after i get up i dont pay any attention to that sometimes i cant hear my that about the Only time it bothers weather can be a problem for he remembers the december storm a few years ago when a Bulldozer had to Rescue him from Waist deep Snow after his food ran another violent lightning drove him out of the  Tower into the two room cinder lock Cabin at its a lightning Bolt knocked out his Telephone and radio scanner and licked a Knob off his Harris two Way radios and his Telephone Are his Only links to the outside when he spots a he confers by radio with other towers in the using a sighting device mounted on the circular Relief map in the Center of their Tower he and the other lookouts get a fix on the fires exact then they notify state Forest who put it Days go by without any human Harris Only company is a fat ground Squirrel that lives in the rocks of the he has occasional nocturnal visits from a Black Bear seeking As evidenced by tracks around the Harris salvation from loneliness is his own cd his handle is acquired because he once worked in a carryout that sold Early in the morning and again in the after Hes left the Tower for the Harris sits in the Cabin and converses with cd friends he  know if he met them on the there his surrogate family while Hes on the the Man he sees most often is Bentley a Forest Ranger from nearby a 23year Veteran whose proudest Possession is a National award for his fire re mention when Harris food and cigarettes run he notifies who picks up Harris order at a store in Oak Hill and delivers it in his Fourshee drive Harris time on the Mountain is Shorter than it used to while he once ascended the Knob for the entire fire three months in the Spring and three in the budget cuts have reduced the time to the six week Peak of each when it gets too Green to Burn in the Spring and when it gets too cold in the in anxious to get off of he in the he mows his neighbors lawns in Oak in the he i dont do and in a few he May do even Bud Harris and his fellow fire in West Virginia and around the Are an endangered the reasons Are numerous Aerial some times utilizing infrared sensors improved radio communications better Access to wilderness with More Reliance on the Public for reporting fires increasing use of sophisticated sensing devices on the and tight eight years says Ralph Glover Deputy state West Virginia had about 50 operational fire now it has in the budget of the department of natural re the first item to be trimmed is fire prevention and the second fire Glover reducing fire he is whats suffered a major the Forest service began using lookouts in the Early and their use peaked in the says John assistant director of aviation and fire management for the Forest in 1953 the Forest service had More than Tow ers that number has declined to of which Only 381 Are in although the need for towers has lessened and Many old towers require expensive Chambers lookouts provide both 24hour surveillance very a valuable communication link that you dont have if the Lookout int old towers have nostalgia Glover says about six West Virginia towers have been in the Forest service plans to use one As a museum at the inter Agency fire says Arnold a Center David Butts of the National Park scr Piccin Boise wistfully notes the significant attrition of towers in the mountains of the he laments their loss in part because of their value As Contact Points for Park its the passing of an 1 he National geographic photo fire watcher Lawrence Bud Harris using a sighting Erma Bombeck Singer Julio Iglesias built a 14bed room Villa in Argentina with 16 Baths As a vacation Retreat for his three the 16 Baths will not be any Parent who has Ever washed his hair with a vegetable Spray in the Kitchen sink can Tell you they will beat on doors and demand to be let in even when there is no one they will run water and steam up All the mirrors when they Arent even taking a there will be empty toilet tissue spindles even though the room has never been kids Are drawn to bathrooms like a it Moti Vates them from the time they Are immediately following an inner voice As soon As you learn How to you can toddle into the Bath room and throw your shoes into the what Are shoes asks the something you take off your feet every Chance you whats a toilet the place you throw your shoes to make it a bathroom int just another room in the to its the Las held fortress to protect their Pri the final Battle for the armageddon of their very if a bathroom were used for bodily and hygienic fun i could understand but its the social watering Hole of children my children went into the bathroom at age and barring major Holiday and occasional stabs at we never saw them again until it was time for them to get their own what did they do in there they projected Home movies of Mommy and daddy into the toilet bowl and flushed so that their faces swirled and looked they floated Light clubs in the bathtubs and shot at them with water they wrapped a dead horned Toad in a Flag and buried him at they decorated the toilet seat like a using dad Dys shaving Cream for the if you had to pick one room for learning about it would be the you learn about a Large bar of soap left in the Drain will eventually disappear when excessive water is run Over you learn about locks consisting of a Pushin Button Are easily opened with a plastic curler pin or the end of a paper clip even if he is your you learn about a Lizard put in a Cage on the Back of the commode will not be a Happy but with every flush will hold his breath and some when they yell into the what Are you doing in there believe their children when they grow la lot Awta times Syndicate