European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday december 1, 19b8 the stars and stripes Page closure of Navy shipyards sought pm Norman Black a military writer Washington private shipyards want the fed eral commission studying possible military base clo sures to Largel  shipyards that compete against i hem. John i. Stacker president of the shipbuilders coun cil of America says in a letter o the special commis Sion that in these limes of severe budget constraints the closure of non nuclear shipyards would result in significant budget savings to the .  the  commanded in 1946 a Fleet of 1.115navat ships supported by 11 naval shipyards employ ing 93, civilian employees Stocker wrote. At the end of fiscal 1987. Inc Navy had an Active Fleet of 568 ships supported by eight naval shipyards employing7 2.400  Stocker s letter dated nov. 28 was obtained tues Day ii was sent to former sen. Abraham a. Ribicoff a Conn one of two men co chairing the commission on base realignment and closure. Legislation signed by president Reagan authorize the 12-Mcmbcr citizens commission to review the nation s military bases and to decide which arc to be closed Tor projected annual savings of s2 billion o i5  panel has unlit dec. 31 to report its findings to defense Secretary prank c. Carlucci who can Forward the list to Congress. Should he decide to do so. Con Gress can veto the entire list but cannot act to proc cd individual bases As it often has in the past. The All or nothing procedure is viewed As the bes Chance in More than 10 years to close unneeded Mili tary bases Over the objection Oflock congressmen. The shipbuilders Council represents . Corporate shipyards. The private Yards have seen orders for construction of commercial ships disappear in recent years leaving the Navy As their main source of Busi  Navy s Yards at the same Lime have begun to modernize and arc under bidding private Industry for repair and overhaul contracts. The private Yards assert they can l compete in such bidding contests because the government Yards Aren t trying to make a profit. The Navy s eight Yards Are located in Long Beach Calif. Puget sound Wash. Philadelphia Mara Island Calif. Pearl Harbor Hawaii Charleston. . Nor Folk a. And Portsmouth . Of those eight two arc not equipped to handle Over hauls or repairs to nuclear powered ships Phila Delphia and Long Beach and they were singled out by Stocker As prime candidates for closure. The Navy had no immediate comment saying Iliad no seen Stacker s left of. In the past however it has argued the Public Yards Are uniquely critical because they provide Basic capacity needed in the event of b War or other emergency. The commission has refused to discuss internal deliberations or material received from various groups.  Rescue lands hero in jail Smyrna a. A putting the family s Pel cat in a bag helped get the frightened feline Down from its near 100-foot-High Perch in a Pine tree ending a five Day ordeal during which another would be rescuer was jailed on disorderly conduct  Wilson Stepfather of the cat s owner climbed inc Ricc tuesday Cap tured the animal and put it in a duffle bag. The cat. A 2-Ycar-old White Persia named spooky was a Little thinner but otherwise none the worse for its ordeal. When police and fire officials had re fused several Calls for help the family claims. Wilson s 25-year old Stepson James m. Oils decided to try to save his sister s cat himself monday oils climbed 90 feel up the tree but got too cold and tired to continue. Spooky was uncooperative and kept climbing out of reach. Then firemen were called to the Rescue after Otts had climbed to where 1couldn t gel Down,".he said. When he was Back on the ground he cursed at police officers and was arrested police chief Everett Little said. Vietnam Story wins non fiction prize for 88 from National Book awards new York. Not Neil she Han s 16-year Effort to write a Book that he hoped would clarify the Vietnam Warfor himself and his country an Effort that culminated in the publication this year of a Bright shining lie was re warded tuesday night when the Bookas named Winner of he 19s8 National Book awards for non fiction. The fiction win Ner was Paris Trout by.  a novel about an interracial murder just after world War ii. While the Book was considered on of the longer shots among the five finalists which in Sheehan eluded novels by Don Dilillo and an Etyler the decision was warmly applauded by the capacity crowd at the Lack tic dinner and awards ceremony Althe Pierre hotel. Each author received 110,000 and aboriginal sculpture by Louise Nevelson. Both books were published by ran Dom mouse and both were edited by Robert loom is. Adding to the random House  Epstein the editorial director of random House received the $10,000first annual National Book awards for distinguished contribution to american letters. Shechan was cited for whal inc five judges on inc non fiction panel described As a work of remarkable lucidity but also remarkable  sub Tiuch John Paul Vann and american Vic Nam the Book blended biography and history in telling the Story of a dedicated career officer who spoke out against America s Early strategy in Vic Nam. Sheehan first met Vann while cry incas Vietnam Bureau chief for United press International in 1962. He also spent one year in Vic Nam for the new York times. After an emotional acceptance speech in which the author thanked his family and Many other friends and associates who helped him Complete the Book Sheehan said during a press conference he had thought the Book would Lake Only three or four years. In choosing Paris Trout Joel con Arron the chairman of the National boo awards fiction panel said that while any one of the five nominated books could have been awarded inc prize  fiction judges essentially were inter ested in was the Quality of the prose and in whether the Book is re readable and  in a Brief acceptance speech Dexter said "1 write a newspaper column for a living  his column is published three limes week in the Sacra mento Calif Bee he also said redid not make a big. Distinction betwee writing a novel and writing for a news paper pc writes 900 Dexter words of fiction Cadi Day he added and he had to redo two months work on Paris Trout after110 pages were lost in his computer. Born in Pontiac Mich in 1945, Dexter is a graduate of the University of South Dakota. He lived from Ages 5 to 9 in Milledgeville of. Chin Chia gets a Send off front sle futile Parker of the Cincinnati zoo and Mick Carman of the London zoo. Chlo Chi of goes Bye Bye Cincinnati api a 16-year old male Panda who has lived at the Cincinnati zoo since september packed up tuesday for a trip to per manent new quarters at a Mexico City too where he is 10 participate in a. Breeding program. Chia Chia a 290-Pound giant Panda who likes to Munch Bamboo attracted an estimated 400,000 people to a display featuring him at the Cincinnati zoo where he arrived in Early september from the London zoo. He had lived in London since age 2. Officials had projected that500,000 people would come to Sec Chia Chia and blamed Rainy weather and the fact that he was secluded for several Days at inc beginning of the exhibit because he was acting Home sick and out of character Cincinnati zoo officials said Chiachio was being placed in a Large crate for shipment. He was to be mown to Mexico City on wednesday. His new Home will be the Chapel Lipec zoo which has inc Best record for Breeding pandas outside China