European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 12, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes Friday february.12,1988 Home refinancing easier with new a rules _. A ,u. Pm mini Mil to Tum of it by Chuck v1nch Washington Bureau Washington  will find in Caster 1o refinance mortgages and buy Homes in High cml areas As a mull of a new Law affecting the Vel Ranj administration Home loan program.  overseas who own Homes in the United slain Benefit from the legislation because in eliminates rules barring personnel from refinancing their mortgages unless they actually occupy the Homes. Previously the Law prohibit cd Active duly service members from refinancing mortgages if they were serving Al Tome other location even if i member s family fill lived in the Home old a a  the Only requirement Tor cud personnel to refinance Zwir mortgages is that they retain ownership. This is intended to ease financial burdens for personnel on Remote Over seas hours whose families slay at inc stale Side Homes if mortgage interest rates drop enough that it would be to their advantage to refinance said a House veterans affairs Commilles staffer. Technically accompanied overseas personnel who rent i hair stateside Homes also would be allowed to refinance Mort gages under the new Law called the vet Erans Home loan program improvements and property Chabi Lulion act she Laid. Hurt change applies to Loans made on or after Jan. 21.1988. The other major change to the Vanhome loan program contain in the new Law affects the maximum a guarantee. Previously the maximum guarantee the amount the a pays the mortgage Bank if a Homeowner defaults was 60 percent of the Lorn by to $27.500. Now 50 percent of Loans of $45,000 or Tew i guaranteed. For Loans of More than 145,000, -10 Pyrc Cal of the Ipanis guaranteed with a minimum of �36,0uu and a minimum of s22.soo. The a lending institutions usually will Gram Loans of up to four limes the Amoum of the Yajuga rattle with no Down payment required. The committee staffer said ibis provi Sion makes it easier for service member to buy Homes in High Cost Areu and win reduce the number of defaults and to closures on a Home Loans. Gei enc Chen sets sights on new Exchange store by Charlie Bowden Munich Bureau a new Schange store will open by Lale Spring Al the nato base Al  West Germany replacing the Small store that was shut Down in november. Cafes eur pc vice commander col. Donald Gilbert said thursday. The Exchange was closed in mid november after air Force officials failed to meet a deadline tet by nato officials Al  who wanted i split of the store s profits. The nato Exchange operated by the Canadian Exchange already had agreed to a Proni sharing arrangement with the Community my moved into the building thai had housed the cafes Europe operation. Although Buchan pc officials had agreed in principle la establishing a profit sharing operation at the base such an action required approval by the air Force and the Exchange service Board of directors. The subject was raised Al the Board of director meeting in january and authority was Given to split net earnings so-50 with the Cilc Skirchen Community s support for mar Gilbert said. Since Ihnn a memorandum of understanding has been drawn up proved at the cafes Headquarters in Dallas and by cafes Europe commander Brig. Gen. Joseph t. Ellis and is currently awaiting approval by the commander Al guile Skirchen. I feel confident the store will open Gilbert said. The Only question still left is the exact Date. Assuming hat it is signed we would Spect Tobe in business in Early to mid Spang Gilber Taid. Me exact opening Date is dependent on hew in dub renova Tion will be needed for the area provided by of Kenlar Ehen for a new facility. At this Point in appears the facility will be housed in s former dining Hall and Day room. The new facility will be smaller with a respective decrease in the num Bers of items carried in us Normal inventory. Gilbert said. Local officials have surveyed the us. Conlin genl of about 1,500 air Force and army ser remembers and their families to determine whal uniquely Ameri can items the nato Exchange should include m us Stock assortment after the cafes store closed. Based on that Survey. Gilbert said the new cafes facility hns a list of Aboul 150 items that will be inducted in the store s Basic inventory. Thai s what Well Stock first and Ihra go from there he said. Sales Al the old facility average j about s137,000 per month and officials Are projecting sales of aboutj70.000 per month when the new Szorc opens. Moti of the Stock assortment will be similar to what is available in an adj is Sho Petie. Gasoline coupons used in Germany also ill be come available again when the store opens. The Only other cafes facilities Al  Are � la Tor shop and military clothing sales store neither of which has the necessary safeguards required by Law to Stock gasoline  Dosin of the cafes facility forced us. Shoppers to either travel to she non in the nether hands about a 20jo minute drive or use the nato Exchange where items arc priced i n German marts As a result of the declining value of the Dollar Nga Insl the Mark customers were faced with paying prices in the nato Exchange for american items uial were As much As 30 percent higher than the cafes Price. For example in november when the Rale was i 66 Marks to the Dollar a half gallon of milk told for j1,45 in cafes and 11.62 in inc nato chame. Loaf of cafes Sandwich bread that sold for 88 cents was s 1,25 in the nato facility. Officer convicted of larceny May lose pension  found guilty wednesday after a iwo Day trial of filing false claims for travel related reimbursement larceny for accenting the Money and misuse of a government Voni in addition to dismissal from the army the jury recommended thai i Echford receive a reprimand lose All pay and benefits accrued during his 2 h ats of miliary serv ice and pay a 16,000 Fine he the end of font Carol face one Carof confinement. Pitchford s nato Hawk duly were based Al Redstone Arsenal ala., and he worked Only with a Secretary Aphis Paris office. He was relieved of his nato hav duty in september and attached to the . Army Mai Encl com Din  West Germany where he has served As a special projects officer. The jury which consisted of a brigadier general six colonels and one lieutenant col Onel found Pitchford not guilty on four witnesses testified that pitch lord use two government vehicles for personal transportation around Paris Over a 2vj year period while his own car a 1971 porsche was being repaired. Pitchford also used the government vehicles to take per Sonal vacations to Holland Germany and by Labium  the court. According to documents produced by look the witness stand Surin the pkg in hearing to apologize to the court for hit misconduct. The Chicago raised Pitchfork also asked lobe allowed 10 retire from the army. Obviously it s quite a blow for Man with 21 years in the military to tone a retirement said r. Waco Carter Ptah Ford s civilian lawyer after the Ontl but we re very pleased of confine men in adjudged in this  Preemie Quad up efs pass critical stage father says Munich Sis the month old Robb quadruplets arc together again gaining weigh and strength although it probably will be several months be fore icy Are sent  re out of the critical stage now Sec. Dwayne Robb said wednesday. They re getting stronger every Day and All Are gaining weight despite the positive signs shown by Christopher. Gwendolyn Lamar and Liosha doctors Are concerned bout Valosha because she developed a brain Haemorrhage a few Days after birth Robb  won t know the extern of the damage if any for several months he said. The quadruplets bom Jan. Ii were two months premature an weighed boil two pounds each. After birth they were transferred to intensive care units at three different hospitals in Munich. Later they were split Between two hospitals. On tues Day the four were brought loge Lher for the first time since their birth Robb said while the children s Mother. Dailies has since been released and is Al Home the infants probably won t be released until their weight a dose to five pounds Robb said. It could be two to four months before we can bring them Home he said. Aim scouts Schweinfurt West Germany a former Winburg High school student has advanced to Eagle Seoul the highest rank in boy scouting. Jeffrey u Bishop 1 8, is the son of Sec. Piil and Jan Bishop of so Weinfurt for his service project he led a pro Gram to repair broken and discarded Lovs. He Ona sized 28 volunteers who repair Wal de fld prepared the toys for delivery Lone y families of the Schweinfurt military Community lot Christmas. To earn the Eagle Seoul award Boj Seoul must fulfil requirement to the areas of Lead ship. Service and Ould Ooi skills. This includes at least 21 men badges and in average of 100 noun on a Community project Bishop logged i than 236 hours on his project. Bishop who Padua Ltd in june Fany More boy scouts Honor first lady Washington a Nancy Rea Gan has received the boy scouts of Ameri Ca s Silver Buffalo award the or gamia Tion s highest award for Volunteer service to youth the White House announced. Mrs. Reagan is the tint wife of a Silling president w to chive the award accords a to her spokeswoman Elaine cons pen. She was cited for her of fix to tattle drug abuse among the Young. President Reagan placed the be rib boned award on mrs. Reagan i thou Den in an Oval office ceremony a ended by lop boy scout officials a half dozen scouts from around the noun. Try Crispen said