European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 09, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday october 9, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 3 air Force officials express Surprise dismay at resistance to Kaiserslautern housing project by Ink Hodgson Bureau in air Force officials say inc environmental and economic concerns raised b local citizens regarding the proposed culling of Trees til make Way for military housing is disproportionate tothe problem. Many of us Are surprised by the Lack of knowledge and understanding of the projects at the local said Frank j. We Lac. Chief of Musafi s housing management division. We have been very diligent about keeping Federal and slate officials informed. Hut it seems that much of the information did not flow Down to local governments and about 120 germans attended a meeting in Kaiserslautern thursday night. There representatives of major political parties and other groups expressed their fears about the construction project. They said it indicates a plan to increase troop strength in the area will increase pollution and promises to do Little or nothing for the German residents. Green party spokesman Kurt Markus called the proposed construction a scandal. He said that although the proposal has been discussed with the Kai Saslau turn City Council the general Public has not been informed about the plans. Markus urged local Citi cons to defend this Forest and said the construction violates a 1977 Kaiser slam turn zoning ordinance that prohibits cutting Trees for Industrial construction. He predicted that the City Council will deny approval for the plan because of opposition by local Cili ens groups. Another member of the audience said the United states is acting like a colonial Power in the matter. Natives have never been asked by the invaders How they feel about things he said. Col. James e. Dev incy commander of the 377th civil engr group at rail tin. Said All plans regarding both the tree cutting and the construction projects Are being discussed with German government officials from City to Federal level. Me denied claims that the project has anything to do with increasing troop strength in . This in t just something we re railroading through he said. Nor is it something that has just come up. There has been a shortage of available hous ing in this area for a Long Lime. We recognized a deficit As Early As 1973 and in recent years we have had to give up a number of government leased housing units As Well Devaney said. Right now. We have some people who have to drive As much As 50 minutes one Way from their Homes to the base. That impacts on our Devancy estimates there arc about 2.000 people living in Economy housing who Are on waiting lists to move into base quarters. Recent stories in German newspapers have referred to plans to construct 2,000 military family housing units in the Kaiserslautern Are. That construction could involve the Cutlipp of nearly a half million Trees from local Forest lands according to news reports. U Illi Ning Elgen Ramst trin s environmental coordinator. A s the actual number of Trees that could be toil is much lower. Our Best estimate right now is that we would have to Cut about 60.000 Trees for the Ramstein project he said. The original reports in the papers were that we would be cutting something Lik -150.000. I Don t know where those figures came from but the actual number will be closer to 100,000. There is no denying that there is an environmental Impact to cutting these Trees he said. But similar projects arc carried out every year in the German Community to provide housing space. A project in Kaiserslautern within inc past year to build private housing near the University resulted in the loss of about three times As Many Trees As we re planning to Cut he said. Others at thursday s meeting said the construction will not not add Revenue to the local Economy hut will increase the tax Burden for germans in the Community. Frank j. We Lac chief of Saff s housing manage ment division said it is True that components must be used i i the construction. However he said that docs not mean there will not be Busi Ness for local construction firms. Congress did Tell us in iw4 that we have to use american components but their ruling left open a wide variety of options he said a Rorn an economic standpoint it turns out that the Best Deal for us is to ship Over pc assembled sections such As Wall panels and roof trusses. Hut we would procure Interior hardware and construction services locally. We estimate thai of an Ini tial $30 million Cost figure for the 400 Vogel Weh units inc Revenue will be split about 50-50 Between Ameri can and German Wilde said the 50-50 figure is not hard and fast but if it varies the larger portion would be spent locally. I Usu old expect that split to be More like 60-40, with the German Economy getting the larger he said. Replacements to be sent to housing area company acknowledges Haws in Kitchen stoves by Brenda Hoster staff writer Giessen Germany some Resi dents of the Gartler Weiden military housing area near Gar Siedt arc gelling new Kitchen stoves As a result of complaints Hal their old stoves were Caus ing electrical shocks. The Vesta Brand stoves manufactured by Athens stove works inc. In Athens. came to the attention of officials and technicians of the . Army installation support activity Liuro pc in raid sep Timber. As soon As we heard about the prob Lem we sent a team to investigate the complaints said Kurt Cahn chief of the activity s contract services and Supply division. We also notified Athens who responded immediately by sending us one of their project the decision to replace the stoves which were installed in american housing areas in 1978 and 1979, was made after inspections revealed old and insufficient wiring in Model numbers 1426760, m26770 and 1628770. It was t Cost effective la spend More Money for repairs on stoves thai would need replacing in another year or two Cahn said. The inspections also revealed that in some casts the ground wires had either been disconnected or weakened through cleaning or moving of the stoves. The company acknowledges the flaws in their older models said chief warrant officer David Rowe the activity s chief of equipment support. The manufacturer has already replaced old fibrous wiring with silicone wiring and is using a heavier More durable ground wire according to Row and is making subsequent changes to improve the product. Liven though some of the problems found in the stoves were attributed to the manufacturer Cahn said it was important for tenants to be careful when cleaning the stoves to ensure that the ground v. Ire is not disconnected. La would also help to relieve similar problems if stoves were cleaned More regularly to prevent the deterioration of Insu lation and wiring from excessive grease Cahn said. Cahn expects Hal most of the stoves in the Bremerhaven area will be replaced within the next two months As the inspections continue in that area. We have also notified our housing officials throughout us Akruk to be on the Lookout for problems of this kind in heir area Cahn said. And we hav told the quarterly preventive maintenance teams to inspect stove ground wires to Sec thai the Are belgian paratroopers showing the Flag in Turkey by Joe b. Wiles Cornu Turkey belgian paratroopers have be come familiar sights to the villagers of Eastern Thrace about 75 Miles Northwest of Cornu. The paratroopers arc part of the Allied come Europe Mobile Force am participating in exercise archway express 85. Their Camp is just outside the Village of arc showing the Flag said it. Jean Francois haulers a patrol Leader with the belgian ill co 1st in paratroopers. We want to show the turkish people that if they need us we will be in addition to the belgians units from Germany the United kingdom and the United states arc performing deterrent patrols. During the second half of inc exercise the combat operations phase. Turkish military units will act As hos tile forces and engage the Ami patrols. The 1 Ith co consists of three platoons. Each Day one platoon provides Security for the 42 inflatable sleeping tents the portable Kitchen and the command Post. Meanwhile another platoon is on rest break which Actu ally Means cleaning weapons and personal equipment and making repairs to living quarters and inc third platoon performs the patrols. During the sometimes Boring passage of hours it is the patrols that provide enjoyment. For soldiers More than 1,500 Miles from their families entering a Village in their Mercedes trucks is almost like being welcomed Home. The people always seem Happy to Sec us said sgt. Marc peelers the senior Serge Anil on last sunday s patrol. The children Are the most enthusiastic. They arc always the first to approach Between the villages the paratroop cars Walch inc Road and the Fields for suspicious activities enacted by turkish soldiers wearing special . Sunday afternoon the patrol stopped in the Village of Alacano Oglu. As the paratroopers each carrying a 7.6mm weapon moved along the streets a smiling Tea House owner served glasses of turkish Lea and bottles of Coke. In front of a pastry shop a turkish boy examined a paratrooper s binoculars. Another child tried on a sol Dier s Maroon Beret. And As a flock of White geese watched from a distance the paratroopers watched for exercise incidents. Teth Sal. Wilcis it aligned to me 6m Allied tac air Force Public information office
