European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 8, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes business news new year sees Dollar surging up the first week of the new year turned out to be a surprisingly Strong one for the Dollar. Most currency traders had expected 1989 to begin with the Dollar continuing to ease off its christmastime rally during which it nearly bulled through the 1.80 Mark level. Wrong. In the first few Days of january the Dollar forged above 1.81 Marks challenging the ability of the major european Central Banks to keep the . Currency in Check. The bullish trend for the Buck started shortly after .jets shot Down a pair of libyan Mig-23s in a dogfight Over the Mediterranean. Currency by Randy Mcclain traders flocked to the Dollar later that Day driving it up More than two pfennig in West Germany in just a few hours. In a time of International conflict the Dollar often serves As a Safe Haven currency on worldwide Money markets. The Good news is that the Buck s move up in the Wake of the trouble in the med was followed by Good economic news As Well. On Friday the . Labor department reported that the nation s unemployment rate dropped by 0.1 percent in de Cember leaving just 5.3 percent of the country s workforce unemployed. Non farm payrolls in creased by 279,000 workers on the month. The relatively Strong jobs figures had an imme Diate Impact on the Dollar s value. In Frankfurt West Germany the Buck moved above 1.8125marks late Friday afternoon within an hour of the release of the jobs data in Washington. The Strong move higher touched off fears among currency traders that the world s Central Bankers led by the West German Bundesbank might intervene in the Market in an Effort to push the Dollar Back Down. Gunter Teich foreign Exchange analyst with the Bank of Boston in Frankfurt said he believes Central Bank intervention would have to involve All major european Banks plus the . Federal Reserve to be convincing and successful. Without . Assistance halting the Dollar sold move higher would not be so easy Teich said. And without any intervention at All scenario most traders View As unlikely the Buck figures to strengthen even More he said. Fundamentally 1 think the Dollar is probably a Little overvalued right now Teich said. But there is still a lot of growth in the . Econ.  whatever the Long term Outlook for the Buck,. Service members overseas benefited from the turmoil of the past week. The week ended with the military Exchange rate at 1.78 Marks to the Dollar an increase of two full pfennig froma week earlier and the highest rate in West Ger Many since oct. 21. That rate will be in effect at military banking facilities throughout West Ger Many at least through monday. Against the British Pound the Dollar also showed some improvement. On tuesday the Pound was Worth $1.8235 in Europe. By Friday it was trading below $1.80 for the Purchase of one Pound. Another Factor working in the Dollar s favor is the prevailing View among economists that interest rates Are still on the Way up in the United states. Higher interest rates tend to attract foreign investors to the Dollar and move it higher. Still one More possible plus for the Dollar is the death of japanese emperor Hirohito. Foreign Exchange traders expect the Dollar to move higher especially against the japanese yen following the death of the 87-year-old Monarch Friday. The stars and stripes is Brenda Hosier Marion Smith left and Rosy Sabine who offer their services to the overworked polish their client s Silver. Rent a wife lends hand to frazzled professionals by Randy Mcclain Kaiserslautern West Germany if All that was needed to build a successful business were enthusiasm and a Catchy slogan then Rosy Sabine and Mari on Smith would have it made. The longtime friends decided Over lunch late last year that life in the work a Day world is a drag unless you re your own Boss. Their solution was to Start a House cleaning and errand service that is catching on with american Cou Ples and hard working singles in the Kaiserslautern military Community. The service dubbed rent a wife has Only 10 customers so far but that s not bad considering the company just got off the ground in Early november. Sabine who still holds a part time Job Selling insurance and Smith who Sells newspaper advertising for Community newspapers in addition to handling her share of rent a wife cooking and cleaning both expect bigger things in the months ahead. Rosy has Hegji Hopes of taking our idea to the stat Sand promoting it on the Johnny Carson show Smith said. Rent a wife has t gotten quite that far yet. Today Sabine and Smith Settle for advertising in the Kaiserslautern american Community newspaper. Erika Pfauntsch an cafes food service manager into Jelweh is among those who Are glad they do. After seeing the rent a wife newspaper and Pfauntsch decided her hectic schedule and that of her husband who owns a private business Don t allow much time for household chores. We needed that Little extra hand to get things done that would otherwise never get done said Pfauntsch the Mother of two children. Twice a week for three hours each visit and 60 Marks $34 per session Sabine and Smith descend on the Pfauntsch household. They handle chores As diverse As vacuuming doing the laundry ironing making the Beds dusting and Wash ing dirty dishes. Pfauntsch thinks rent a wife is an idea whose time has come. Their business has a world of potential Pfauntsch said. It takes a while f9r people to get used to the idea of letting someone in their Home but the idea is going  Back in the states similar ideas have already caught on. A number of Chain operations including firms called minute maids and Cinderella s housekeeping Are Well cleaning up. Sabine a native of Fulda West Germany who mar ried an american military Man moved 19 the United states a few years ago and is now Back in Germany where she thinks the idea will catch on As Well. She said single service members married couples who both work and officers wives swamped with Volunteer duties Are All potential clients. Well do whatever needs to be done Sabine said. Catering shopping for people taking clothes to the dry cleaners picking them up or housework. We re not just cleaning  perhaps Sabine s and Smith s slogan says it Best. Need to go shopping but Don t have the time your clothes at the cleaners and you need them by nine you have dinner guests and toward cooking you re just not inclined rent a wife for the  Sabine who is separated from her husband said the rent a wife company is More than just a passing fancy. She sees it As a Way of winning a degree of financial Independence. If you really want to make it you be got to be your own Boss these Days Sabine said. If you work for someone else you Only get paid what they think you re Worth not what you re really  Smith a native of Seattle who has lived in Germany and the Philippines As a military wife agrees. But she also sees the company in a somewhat More Down to Earth Light. I clean my own House so Why not do it some place else and get paid for it she asks. Even at this Early stage the rent a wife team Al ready has tackled a couple of the most feared Domestic assignments throwing a party on Short notice an cleaning up after a Herd of neighbourhood children aged 5 and under. The catering Job was for a single officer who was having 40 of his closest friends Over for a pre Christmas party Smith said. We had Only 24 hours notice but we picked up the food the Beer the win and put it All  among the dishes Sabine and Smith whipped up were potato salad Ham Rolls shrimp dip marshmallow fruit salad devised eggs and a vegetable tray. Smith describes cleaning up after the kids who invaded another officer s Home one afternoon As rent wife s toughest Job to Date. I be never seen so much debris in my entire life she said. There was clutter everywhere Crayon on the Walls. It was definitely a  so far Smith s and Sabine s clients Are split about equally Between men and women despite the firm s name which would indicate an All male clientele. Sabine said she s received just one complaint about the rent a wife Moniker. The critic was a woman who was insulted because she said the name implies a Wom an s place is in the Home and nowhere else. It s not a bad name Sabine said. We just needed something Eye catching and i think this is Eye catch ing. And after All both Marion and i Are sex wives. So that qualifies