European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 19, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes Friday May 19.1989 High tech smuggling ring smashed by . Customs Miami a customs agents smashed a ring that smuggled a phenomenal amount of High tech equip ment to soviet bloc countries but a belgian believed to be the ringleader remained at Large officials said wednesday. Four people were arrested tuesday in Texas on conspiracy and Export Law violations and si.8 Mil lion Worth of sensitive computer equipment was seized in Colorado As it was being readied for Export said customs sen ice spokesman Michael Shechan. The name of the belgian who is believed to be living in Europe was not disclosed. An arrest War rant also was issued for Warren Wetstein of Toron to. The ring arranged computer equipment ship ments from the United slates through european countries for delivery to Bulgaria typically the procuring agent on behalf of the whole soviet  said Keith Prager head of the investigative Tram code named Miami exodus group. Customs undercover investigation began 13 months ago and has received information on the Export of Lens of millions of dollars Worth of com Puter equipment by the ring in the past three or four years. Shiehan said. This network of smugglers has been involved in a phenomenal amount of High technology smug gling he said. This particular network has been a main supplier an enormous supplier of High tech equipment to Eastern bloc  in addition to Romania and Hungary the net work made shipments to or through Libya Iran Iraq Yugoslavia Austria and Belgium he said. The equipment seized from a Colorado Springs colo., warehouse consisted of two digital equip ment corp. Vax 8820 computer systems owned by Pioneer Standard electronics of Cleveland. Prager said. The systems have numerous military and civilian applications he said. It can do virtually anything. It can run anything from a traffic system in a City to radar to All kinds of military applications he said. The computers were to have been taken to hous ton for shipment to Europe then to Turkey and finally Bulgaria Prager said. The final destination and intended use were not known. The soviet Union and other communist coun tries have sought to buy Western computer equip ment rather than develop their own he said. They re willing to pay two three four 10 times As much As the technology is Worth simply because it will save them 100 times that amount in research and development the spokesman said. Something to smile about Amanda a Trunci. 7, strokes the head of her brother Zachery in an Atlanta Hospital tuesday. Amanda called the 911 operator when her Mother Teri went into labor and helped her when she could t help herself. Stateside time capsule in Church has to remain buried fort Wayne ind. A the contents of a 124- car old time capsule buried near a Corner of the Trinity episcopal Church will remain a mystery. The time capsule was to be opened saturday at the Climax of a Celebration of 1 50 years of an episcopal presence in the City. Those plans had to be scrapped. We can t get it out the Wall would come tumbling Down if we pulled it out said the Rev. Craig Kallio pastor of the 450-Membcr Church. We won t be Able to gel the time capsule out until we destroy the  that May require a Long wait. The Church is on the National Register of historic places. Members Laid the Cornerstone and buried the Box on april 15.1865, the Day after president Lincoln was assassinated. No one considered digging it out until this year. We re just curious to find out what s in  Kallio said. Nominee of d As envoy despite Gross remarks Washington a the Senate foreign rela. Lions committee on thursday endorsed the nomination of Michigan Republican activist Peter f. Secchia As ambassador to Italy but the panel s chairman said he feared Secchia might Embarrass the United states because of his penchant for making Gross  the committee s vote was 13-0 in favor of Secchia a former Republican National commit Occman for Michi Gan and lumber Industry executive. The chairman. Sen. Clai bomb Pell d-r.i., and sen. Alan Cranston d-calif., voted present meaning they took no position. Pell inserted into the hearing record newspaper accounts containing the distasteful specifics of or. Sec Chia s  at his confirmation hearing earlier this month Sec Chia pledged to be far More careful As a Diplomat in his use of colourful language than he had been in his differ ent role As a political organizer and activist. Process May revolutionize microchip storage ability Austin Texas a a new process for forming Ultra Hin components of microchips eventually win allow significantly More information to be stored on them University of Texas researchers say. They announced wednesday that their process Low ers by hundreds of degrees the temperature at which thin layers of crystalline Silicon material the build ing blocks of microchips can be grown. Although the process won t be fully fell in the Micro electronics Industry for a decade University officials called it a breakthrough. Employment by cities increased during 87 Washington a the number of people employed by the nation s cities is rising again the census Bureau reported  employed 2,541,000 people As of october 1987, the Bureau said. That s 47,000 More than a year earlier and 20,000 workers Short of the All time High in october 1980. The increase in 1987 the most recent figure Avail Able reflects hiring to provide services to growing City populations said Alan v. Stevens head of the governments division of the Bureau s employment statistics  peaking in 1980. City employment dropped sharply Early in this decade after cancellation of the comprehensive employment training act which provided Federal Money for governments to train workers. A weak Economy at that time also held Down Munici pal hiring Stevens said. Overall City governments had 148.2 workers per 10.000 residents As of of Lobar 1987. Nashville refuses to Roll out Landing pod for ufos Nashville Tenn. Up the City Council has shot Down a Bill that had called for Nashville to construct a ufos Landing pad. But councilman George Darden insisted that he is serious about the need to build a Landing port for unidentified Hying objects and took exception when officials made Light of his proposal. You might live to regret this Day Darden told the Council after the 27-1 vote against his proposal tuesday night. Many people have come to me expressing the fact that they Are seeing these unidentified flying objects. I remember when i was a Little boy about 7 years old my mama saw a swarm of bees coming. She said i m going to land those bees my mama knew what she was talking about. Bui my mama had not pre pared anything to Welcome them. All we need to do is build something that says they Are  with All the Welcome to music City Usa signs in Nashville. Darden said creatures from outer space will arrive one Day find no where to land and they la go Back and say we  councilman Tom Sharp proposed an amendment to the plan thai would have allowed the Landing pad Only in Darden s District. But councilman Tom Alexander objected because we be got Loo much traffic  Darden complained that the Council did not understand the need to Greet ufos properly but acknowledged that some people think my elevator s not going to the top floor. I Don t care if my elevator does t go to the Bottom he said