European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes quarterly report on letters to the editor once the weather turns warm fewer people feel Strong enough about an Issue to sit Down and write a letter to the editor. I Don t have any hard evidence to base this on but i have noticed Over the years that we receive fewer letters in the Spring and the summer than in the win Ter said Kathy Chipman Wicker editor of the letters to the editor column in the stars and stripes. From april 1 to june 30, 1,266 people wrote to the stars and stripes compared to 1,431 in the previous three months. Many of the people who did write were concerned about their Homes neighbourhoods and communities. Twelve people complained that the filth and the noise made living in some military housing similar to living in a ghetto. You Are the one who drove Over the new shrubs and wet Lawn creating such pleasant looking ruts. You Are the one who leaves empty Oil cans oily rags another debris from your car in the garage one Reader wrote of her fellow government housing neighbors. Another Reader wrote that people should Stop complaining about living overseas and instead try to learn the language and customs of the country where the Yare stationed. Eight angry people responded that some folks have a harder time adjusting to change Are not As adept at learning languages and Are just Plain Home sick. Probably no Soldier has Ever said that life in the Barracks is great. Five disgruntled gis complained that there were too Many inspections and they did not like receiving mass punishments when Only a few do no keep their rooms in shape. Some soldiers they said use marriage As a ticket out of the Barracks. Cafes continued to be a popular target for stripes readers. But along with the usual gripes about the prices and too Many Liz Claiborne clothes were three letters defending the Exchange system. Complaints of prices drive me crazy wrote Areader. Just try the prices on the Economy if cafes is so terrible. I la bet your mind changes pretty Quick  the commissary system did t escape comment. Act name Chessie assisted by her master complained there was a Lack of variety of cat food found on store shelves. A steady diet of tuna she said gets tiring. The social issues that people were concerned about included Drunken driving teen pregnancy and homosexuals in the military. A grieving father wrote a sad letter about the consequences of drinking and driving. If you want to see a father talk to grave markers just to talk to his family drive drunk. If you want to see a childless father with absolutely no sympathy for drunk Drivers see me he wrote. A military policeman was so moved by the letter he promised to do a better Job of catching Drunken Drivers. The stars and stripes changed its policy on publish ing the names of parents convicted of sexually abusing their children after three readers wrote that they were concerned the victims would be further traumatized because people in the Community could determine who they were. Is it necessary to cause further embarrassment tothe victim and family by printing a name one Reader asked. News stories of protesters who demonstrated against president Reagan s decision to Send troops to Honduras Drew a rash of 21 letters in the first part of the year denouncing the protesters. Fifteen More people protein this Quarter most upset with the protesters but five saying these people had a right and a duty to protest. Bowlers rallied together and defended an s airing of Bowling tournaments saying the sport has a Large following Here and in the United states. One writer said he was tired of being put Down because he liked Bowling. Sports columnist Ben Abrams Drew the ire of dozen readers Many of whom were parents when he wrote that High school varsity letters should be re served Only for students who participate on school teams. He wrote the column after the department of defense dependents schools decided to award letters to students who compete on Community swimming teams. Under the category of we just can t please any body two people wrote complaining about the Many letters of complaint printed in the stars and stripes. Letters to the editor must be signed but the stars and stripes honors requests to withhold names and locations of writers. Letters that Are forwarded to a Agency for reply do not include the writer s name and As Many identifying details As possible Are  one in every five letters is printed in the letters to the editor column. If a writer poses a question that recently was addressed a copy of that response will be sent. Letters not published in the stars and stripes usually Are acknowledged through a response from the Man aging editor. Some special thank you letters to those who really care i have been inspired to write this about some people who made a Day worthwhile. I am a Mother of a son who is handicapped an attends Niernberg elementary school. I would like to give my deepest gratitude and appreciation to the sin Gle soldiers who took time from their Busy schedule to participate in the special olympics. We All have to understand and give credit where credit is due. It was very exciting and heartwarming to see you people care and to watch you folks work to Gether with our children As a team. You took the time to care for a child who really needed the most. For one Day you put a smile on their faces and gave them encouragement to win and to Goon. My hat is off to each and every one of you. We watched you when you picked up our smaller kids and carried them on your shoulders after they won an event. You cheered them on when they received their medals. When they lost an event you encouraged them by saying hey we still have one More event to  no matter if they won or not you turned the olympics into fun. I wish other people could have shared and witnessed what i saw that Day. It would have made you proud of the single soldiers. I among other parents of Handi capped children have a hard time with people accept ing our children for who they Are and not for what the Yare. You folks made our children feel special and proud. It was t because you helped them win but because you made them feel they could accomplish a task. So this is Why i am taking time from my Busy sched ule to say thank you to each and every one of you who were there for being buggers and a special Friend to our children. You made special olympics a Day to remember fora very Long time. Just knowing you were there made a Cloudy Day seem like Sunshine. This is also to a special person named Karen. Than you for your patience and your time. I am the Parent writing this letter but it Speaks for All of us with deep admiration and to assure you that someone Here noticed you and thanked you from their heart. Nicholas and Rose roman Furth West Germany i am writing this letter to Praise an institution an two individuals who should be recognized for their hard work and dedication. The institution i am speaking of is the 3rd Arm div no Academy. I recently graduated from the primary leadership development course taught a Butzbach. It is probably the most important of the schools that the no education system has to offer i that its primary function is to Mold future and present cos into what the army wants in its cos Sharp individual in both appearance and knowledge who is fair in judgment shows no Bias or prejudice cares for his soldiers and always leads by example. The 3rd army div Ploc course has an outstanding group of instructors from the commandant on Down. They All did a Superb Job while i attended the course but two individuals stood out. They were sgt. 1st class Robinson and staff sgt.  the first Day you could Tell that sgt. 1st class Robinson had something that no other instructor had. His techniques May seem Odd to some but he go results. During the Field exc Erise portion of the course he took 58 soldiers from at least 10 different military occupational specialities Many of them in non combat arms and on at least one occasion turned us All into combat soldiers. None of us quit and the credit goes to sgt. 1 St class Robinson. For his love of duty i am sure All of us give him a Hardy too Tough sergeant to Tough another cadre deserving recognition is staff  Montoya who taught his squad for the most part by himself when there should have been two instructors for the squad. He made the Boring enjoyable and earned All of our respect. He defines the phrase Lead by  staff sgt. Montoya thank you. Name and address withheld editor s note people sometimes ask us Why we Don t run thank you letters. It is because we receive so Many we would not have room for any other letters. But we be decided to share one or two of themore interesting letters once a week. Writer says cafes management might improve Berlin Golf club recently there has been a lot of discussion about cafes taking Over the operations of some mar facilities such As Golf courses Bowling alleys and the like. Most dialogue has been negative toward cafes re Garding this Issue but there might be something to say in favor of cafes or anybody for that matter in the Case of the . Army Berlin Golf club. The Berlin course has had the reputation for years As being one of me nicest military Golf courses in the world and by and Large it is although lately because fan old outdated sprinkler system they be had prob lems with watering. Many thanks to Jim and Crew for the shape they keep it in. The clubhouse with its pro shop restaurant bar locker rooms and Golf club storage area was very functional Well furnished maybe needed a Little paint in some places. The membership Felt the facilities were quite adequate As a matter of fact quite luxurious compared to some other places. The Only thing lacking is service. The exception is Heinz Abel who has been employed at the club for More than 50 years. He is now responsible for club storage. Last year and the year before new management was hired a new manager for the club last year and in 1986 a staff member who works in the Dupca responsible for mar. The new club manager the fifth one since 1981 is no longer there. Here Are just a few of the Many things management has done for our club restaurant was closed in october of last year for renovation fourth time since 1982. It s still not open As of this writing. On dec. 1 last year management told members to vacate locker rooms and club storage areas because of renovation to be done during the slow season. As of this writing the facilities Are still not in use eve though yearly club storage and locker room fees were paid sorry about refunds. New carpeting Laid throughout the clubhouse Pale Blue so the Normal dirt from the course can be  course it s not indoor outdoor like the old one and Golf spikes can t be worn on it but it s new. Actually old one is somewhat of a Misnomer since most of twas Only replaced two years ago. From Lack of interest or supervision management let All the driving Range balls Lay out repeatedly on the Range overnight naturally one Day there were no driving Range balls. We could go on and on mentioning Little things like management acting like they re doing the members a favor just for doing what they Are paid for but you be probably got the message. In All fairness to the club management though we understand that All the unneeded renovation to the club House was paid for by thousands of Good of Naf i dollars Way to go Guys. What about the sprinklers in talking to a Friend of ours who works for cafes management he assured us that cafes might be Little out of Wack but would never let anything of the sort which has happened and continues to happen in Berlin occur. That is Why there might be something today in favor of cafes. On second thought though Friend or not knowing the cafes track record and having Only the alternative of their management or what s in place now we be decided on what we think is the Best course of action. In order to help president Reagan and his Berlin initiative we should offer to give the Golf course Backoo the russians and let them use it As they did in 1945 As a tank Park. It could be a package Deal manage ment included of course. Name withheld Berlin