European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday August 21, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 9 Argentine elections scheduled Buenos Aires Argentina a National elections will be held in May 1989, with the Winner of the presidential race taking office the following dec. 10,Interior minister Enrique Nosiglia said Fri Day. Nosiglia did not set a Date in May. Half of the 254 seats in the House of deputies will be up for election next year As Well As about one third of the 46 seats in the Senate. Voting also will take place for mayors in cities and towns across this country of 30 million. President Raul Alfonsin inaugurated Toa six year term on dec. 10 1983, is barred by the Argentine Constitution from seeking re election. He has said he will leave office not one Day before and not one Day after the constitutional limit. Alfonsin a civilian was elected in october 1983 to replace the discredited Mil itary Junta. The Junta led this South american Republic to War with Britain in1982 Over the Falkland islands which both countries claimed. Britain won. The two main political parties nominated presidential candidates last month Eduardo Cesar Angelou of Alfonsin Radical civic Union and Carlos Saul Menem of the opposition Peronis  arc Center right provincial governors. The Economy is shaping up As the main election Issue. Puzzle master strikes again it s Only a matter of time before pole Fame when he invented the rubik cube the Public m a Ndon. The professor says aficionados crack the professor s new that kept millions of people guessing is that he has not yet soued his or r,i., mind twister rubik s clock. Erno rubik joined by his daughter Anna 10, As he and he promises that the clock will c t the 44-year-old hungarian who shot to presents his latest creation thursday to and  the mind. Police see the Light Nob new York a it took dozens of investigators and an elaborate police scheme but authorities say they finally caught a Man who cheated manufacturers in at least eight states out of millions of dollars for years. He was terribly terribly intelligent police  Kelly said of 35-year-old Elliot Keith Offen who was nabbed Friday As he tried to Complete yet another alleged swindle. Through fancy phone work Offen was Able to steal and move on without getting caught Kelly said. Offen would arrange for products such As Light bulbs Luggage sunglasses and packaging tape to be trucked to warehouses that he would rent for a few Days Kelly said. Before the end of the 30-Day period for paying for the merchandise Offen would resell it then disappear with the Money. He was virtually a phantom a voice on the end of a line Kelly said. The scam ended when detectives moved in on him at 4 30 . At a Manhattan phone Booth Kelly said. He was terribly surprised because he s very disciplined and very intelligent and thought he was above arrest said Kelly commanding officer of the police department s special fraud squad. Offen who used As Many As 50 aliases and a variety of voices was charged with grand larceny attempted grand larceny criminal impersonation and warrant for interstate flight to avoid prosecution Kelly said. Offen is wanted by Broward county fla., police i connection with numerous fraud cases that authorities estimate amounted to $ 15 million in losses for companies there said officer Joseph Gallagher. Other states where police say his schemes reached in clude new Jersey Ohio Virginia Wisconsin Illinois and Indiana. By late Friday police had not located any of the Money and did not know where Offen lived or what he did with the Money Kelly said. Offen who was last arrested in new York state on larceny charges in 1977, refused to speak to police and asked for an attorney Kelly said. To earn the Trust of manufacturers Offen would learn the names of key people such As warehouse Man agers and would Haggle during the purchases like a legitimate buyer he said. Offen would use legitimate trucking companies another unknowing go Between but would Only pay for the relatively inexpensive rental of the warehouses Kelly said. Rarely would Offen meet anyone himself. Although it was not known How Many years Offenham been operating the National association of credit managers in Washington issued an advisory about him in september 1986, Kelly said. Military Roundup Kef Lavik commissary gets top Small store award Nas Kef Lavik Iceland the Navy commissary at Kef Lavik has been named the Winner of the 1987 Paget award in the Small store category. The award recognizes excellence in customer service operations and management at Navy commissaries. Exceptional family member fishing Day is scheduled Hanau West Germany the association of american Rod and gun clubs will hold a fishing Day for exceptional family members sat urday. Exceptional family members of All Ages Are invited to the free event at Campo Pond in Hanau. Fishing begins at 8 ., followed by fish weigh in at 11  And a Barbecue at noon. Participants will be provided with fishing gear and bait and receive a prize after lunch. Mem Bers of Hanau s 516th engr co will be on hand to assist the anglers. More information can be obtained by calling 1st sgt. Charles Carpenter at ets 322-8717. Troubled Continental airlines planning to Lay off up to 1,000 Washington a Continental airlines plagued by losses in recent months is planning a Layoff of up to 1,000 pilots flight attendants and other employees its chairman says. Chairman Frank Lorenzo disclosed the plan Here Friday outside a court hearing at which he defended plans for a major Layoff at Continental s sister firm Eastern airlines. Lorenzo also chairman of Texas air corp., which owns both Eastern and Continental said a formal announcement of the Continental Layoff would come inthe next few Days along with the Carrier s new fall schedule. He told reporters the Layoff would involve 2 percent to 6 percent of the company s 36,000 employees and would include flight attendants As Well As some management personnel. Between 300 and 500 pilots would be involved Lorenzo said. Continental posted a net loss of $231 million in the first six months of this year and announced earlier that there would be service cutbacks. At the hearing Lorenzo said it was necessary to Layoff some 4,000 employees and Cut Back service at Miami based Eastern. The cuts which would curtail service to 14 cities were announced earlier but have been blocked thus far under terms of a temporary restraining order issued by . District judge Barrington d. Parker at the request of three unions that represent Eastern employees. Lorenzo said the cuts were needed to save the financially troubled line. If Eastern s management is not permitted to take the actions to save this company then Eastern May run out of Cash Lorenzo said. He denied suggestions by attorneys for the employees that he has been attempting to engage in so called Union busting by transferring Eastern s assets to Continental. He also said there was no plan to merge the  cutbacks represent an Effort to stabilize the company and decrease the losses Lorenzo said. Union attorneys did question Lorenzo about the draft of a speech that he was to give to japanese investors in 1986 after Texas air bought Eastern. It said the Purchase gave Texas air leverage Over the Union. Eastern s air planes can be repainted and moved Over to Continental where they will be flown by non Union pilots it said. Lorenzo said an investment banking firm prepare the speech. It was unclear whether he Ever delivered it