European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 22, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 22, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 5 Gao study uncovers extravagant trips Washington  cup Lou is travel ing at taxpayer expense to and Tom Mer scan assignments rep Jack Brooks a to Cav head of the government operations committee void trips on Turean liners at prices several times the Cost of equivalent air plane trips were turned up by a study begun last year by the general accounting of ice. The investigative Wing of Congress the chairman said  his comr Tiec has called slate department and i a. In formation Agency officials to explain at a hearing wednesday Why their employees travel in the Lap of luxury on cruise ships rather than on coach fare  Brooks also said officials would be asked to discuss a Ciao finding thai the two agencies have been very lax in accounting for millions of dollars in travel advances Prosuh a their employee1 " copies of die Ciao report have not been made Public Bilu committee but a source familiar with the document cited Tun examples found a the Gao of Ocean liner travel a state department person Nel in one Caie. An  and his Famich returning to Buenos Aires. Argentina from Home leave in 1 of Angeles flew to cart Pena Colombia and then took a 25-Day cruise to Buenos Aires according id the source. The source who spoke on condition he not be identified quoted the Ciao us Sav ing the image Cost slk.l5is, compared to  had the trip been made by air. In the other Case an employee and his six dependents flew from new Delhi. India for Home leave in Spokane wash., and began the return trip by dying new York. There they boarded the Queen a ii Abath ii for a live Day crossing to Upland where they took a flight Back to India. The Cust of the Ocean liner passage v As sik.407. Nearls four times the 54.7,12 for airfare from new York to . The Gao reportedly found. Brooks ordered the investigation in March i x4 after his committee held i hearing into the Case of a Usia employee who took his family on i taxpayer funded si7.371 trip up the Mississippi on the Delta Queen As he was returning Home from an assignment in South America the Usia said at the time that the Riv Croal Rule was approved by the Siau department which handles travel arrangements for Usia. Without the information Agency s knowledge. At the i9h4 hearing. Comptroller Gen eral Charles Bowsher. Head of the Gao. Said thai while Federal regulations allow government financed Home leave trips they arc supposed to be made by the most direct and expeditious  Brooks said in the statement that the Gao report supports his comment at the i4s4 hearing that the  Queen cruise might have been on the  tip of an enormous iceberg unfortunately it appears thai this is indeed the  he said. The Gao has identified numerous examples of extravagant travel by employees at the state department and the Usia including Lei surely cruises from South America to the United Stales and trips in first class accommodations on the Queen Ali acc la  spokesmen for the two agencies said there would be no comment until officials received copies of the Ciao report it s been a Frac Filion for a Coon s age but no More . Mass. A a half Century of tradition was cleared away with the dishes this weekend at the annual Coon supper where 160 people dined on Squash Pic biscuits and Raccoon meat served baked with bread stuffing. Members of the ladies Aid society some of whom have been dishing up the unusual victuals for at least 50 years say they be cooked their last Raccoon. The problem is the girls in the Kitchen Aren t gelling any younger and the tendency of the younger women does not lie in i he direction of Coon  said Helen Cook 78. When i told them that i was t going to do the tickets any More and Pris cilia Suriner was t going to Cook the Coons hey said Well that s  marriages were made and menu ties shared at the Coon supper that sonic years Drew More than 300 people to the Host congregational Church in this town of 385 people in the Berkshire Hilk the previous year s diners got first Refu Sal rights on tickets and reservations were passed Down in families for generations. This year the waiting list had 30 names. Until about 10 years ago the supper was followed by a dance. Folks began gathering in the Church pews hours before the first serving to renew acquaintance. Daniel in. Smith of Gutsfield look his wife of 43 wars. Barbara to the Coon sup per on their first Date Back in 1937 and they be missed few since. She looked to me like she wanted some thing to eat and 1 knew she could get plenty of Good food in Middlefield. And there was a hot Down and Square dancing afterwards lie said. They used to roast the Coons and just put them Down on the table he added. Bov was shut Good folks used to come from Cape cod and All Over the state the women eventually quit serving the Coons roasted whole said mrs. Suriner who took Over the chief chefs chores nearly 30 years ago. The cooked critters resembled skinned cats or worse she said and people did t like  after soaking the skinned and dressed Coons in water for 24 hours she popped them into a pressure cooker set at 15 pounds. Then the meat was taken off the Bones and roasted in a casserole with a Spe Cial bread stuffing. Some people can t stand even the  of Ca .ini1. A Coon and some have three or four helpings mrs. Cook said. On saturday five of the 15 women who gathered to Peel potatoes and Squash in the Small clapboard Church were Over to. Among them was Lulun Macken in. A Middlefield native who said she spends her Winters in fort . I la. But i drive in 2h-Fuo motor Home All Over the us i be worked on Allol them but i like to Tell people i was Only i year old when i  said Julia Andersen. Kyj. In the old Days the ladies worked on a Wood stove and a sink with Only a cold water Lap they measured Llie Success of the supper which in recent cars Hail cleared More than 5 4 u. By the new  stove water healer dishes silverware and renovations that doubled the Sie of the Church Kitchen Lor those who did t fancy Raccoon there were Chicken pies lopped with  c. Lefts baking powder biscuits and pumpkin pies Squash pies and Apple pies baked by designated experts. We Don t Send anyone Awa hungry  mrs Suriner. Sea tie May create Park Tor alcoholics . A the mayor s task Force on Sircel people is considering creating a special Park my shelter to provide a place for alcoholics to drink and then sleep off their binges. Police would be directed to crack Down on drinking in other Parks but to allow it in the designated area said Ken Cole director of the downtown emergency services Cen Ter. The goal is to return some of our Small downtown Parks to Public use by providing a place for the chronic Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today oct. 22, 1945 Vienna residents have been urged by an Allied occupation official to evacuate and find accommodations outside the City during the Winter. Vienna is expected to be increasingly cold and uncomfortable be cause of a critical fuel and housing shortage. 30 years ago today. Oct 22 1955 the european commission for the Saar sternly warned Saarland is to maintain order and Calm during the self determining vote on the status of this Industrial Region. The commission in  recently announced that the Saar s Borders will be scaled to keep out foreign troublemakers during the voting. 20 years ago today. Oct 22 1965 blonde actress Marie the body Mcdonald. 42, was found dead in her Hollywood Home. Authorities Are investigating the cause of death. To years ago today. Oct 22 1975 Gen. Francisco Franco Spain s 82-year old Leader fell seriously ill with a heart  sending re mors across Madrid that a Transfer of Power was imminent.  said Cole lie outlined the proposal Friday with Phil shows cad. Manager of King county s alcohol and drug abuse programs. The idea modelled after a Boston in pram is one of several proposals to Aid Seattle s Street people that the i so Force will consider on oct. 31. Mayor Charles Royer s proposed i98d budget includes $150,000 for the shelter but officials arc still attempting to find a site. Seattle has about 31 2 people sleeping outside according to a Survey conducted on the nights of oct. 7-10 by opera Tion nigh Walch a private non profit civic organi action. The nightly average last year was 42d, according to its Survey conducted during the first week of november 1984. Many homeless alcoholics drink in City Parks creating a nuisance. There Are half a do in Parks in Seattle that your common Citi in basically stays away from because they perceive them to be undesirable unsafe whatever said task Force member Richard Jacobs. The people want their Parks  shows cad said Boston s Pine Street inn was far Superior to the approximately 30 Hast coast detoxification and so cup it off shelters in nine cities he visited recently. Pine Street workers supervise an adjacent fenced in Park covering about half a Block for men and a separate but smaller area for women. This is not just for the alcoholics. It s also for mentally ill people and other dysfunctional Street  Showstead said. There needs to be a place where this population is Safe and is allowed to be he said. If they re not they go everywhere and police end up spending a lot of time mov ing them from Park to Park. Then everyone s life is of  mayor s aide Tom Byers who Heads the task Force said Royce would take a serious look at the idea. City Council president Norm Rice a candidate for mayor was sceptical Aboul the plan. I Don t know if that s what you want hey every body come Down Here and gel drunk " Rice said. Savings banh they re making sense Dun Cunneen a senior at Rochester . Institute of technology and his partner Bill Mckerrell not Isik i Roll their 8-fool replica of a Quarter past the Monroe sating hunk. The members of Sigma i fraternity Are rolling the Coin from heir school to Buffalo ., in a fund raising project for multiple sclerosis. Man in foreground is unidentified