European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 21, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes thursday december 21,1389 Bank strike precedes discussions by Randy Mcclain staff writer almost too merchants National Bank employees staged a strike wednesday one Day before their Union was scheduled to resume 1990 contract talks with manage ment. Bob Schindler merchants Gen Era manager said the walkout did t close any branches. It looks to me As if the strike is Over in All but name Only he said. The strike turnout was among the smallest since the West Ger Man Commerce. Banking and insurance Union targeted merchants for walkouts 10 Days ago. Mer chants National has the military banking contract in Germany Greece and the Netherlands As Well As in the United kingdom. The current labor dispute affects Only German operations. Union members have staged four Days of walkouts. The biggest strike was dec. 11. When about 150 employees stayed Home and pickets paraded outside the Bank s Frankfurt Headquarters. On wednesday the Bank management said 22 employees walked out of a half dozen branches handsome 70 workers were missing at Headquarters. Striking employees want to Force concessions from merchants on wages and a variety of working conditions. But Little Progress has been reported in three weeks of negotiations. The two sides were to resume talks thursday morning. Management has agreed to one Union demand a 4.6 percent pay raise for All employees but there arc other clicking Points. Among those arc a Bank proposal to give step increases every two years in Stead of annually. The Union claims such a move would Cost the average employee 1,800 Marks $ 1,050 in lost wages. The Union is also Balking at the Bank s request for a limited amount of sunday work. Mer chants wants employees on Han to refill and service automated Teller machines that run out of Cash or experience technical problems Over the weekend. Union officials maintain that employees should not be bothered on sundays. Memorial rites planned Pir Masens West Germany memorial service for retired army civil Ian Willis c. Roberts will be held at 11a.m. Friday in the main Post Chapel. Roberts died sunday after an extended illness. He had worked for the 73rd signal in in Parma sons since 1977 an retired in april. Correction a photo caption this week about two separate Christmas parties for disabled children was incomplete. In one photo a Soldier from the 2nd in 3rd aviation regt looked on As  girl from the Heuchel Hof Home for handicapped children opened a present at  Airfield. In the second photo an airman from the 569th . Forces police group talked with an american boy in kaisers Lauvern. Investigators find no link to cases of cancer at Butzbach elementary by Janet d Agostino medical writer investigators from the Frankfurt army regional medical Center have found nothing linking the cases of can cer suffered by a number of Butzbach elementary school students and on teacher. No potentially cancer causing sub stances such As Asbestos or pesticides were found by the three member team that inspected the school dec. 8. Radon detectors installed at the school about a year ago also have not indicated a High level of radon Gas a naturally occurring substance emitted from some types of rocks that has been linked to lung cancer. Principal Harry Schyberg asked the Hospital to inspect the school because some teachers were concerned about a fellow teacher and students who had developed cancer. There was a lot of anxiety in the school Schyberg said. In the past four or five years a 4 year old kindergarten or has died of malignant Lymphoma another child developed a tumor on the salivary glands and a teacher found she had breast cancer Schyberg said. An 8-year-old boy at the school has Malig Nant tutors of the Central nervous sys tem. The environmental health team inspected inside and outside the school said Cap Michael Reiss. Chief of environmental health for the preventive Medicine activities at the Frankfurt Hospital. The team was looking for problems that could Lead to health risks such As leaks in the ventilation system unusual doors or the presence of heavy Industry in the area. More sophisticated tests will not Bedone because evidence was not found to warrant More investigation said or. It. Col Clement Hanson Deputy of preventive Medicine activities at the Frankfurt Hospital. Hanson was Able to verify and obtain information on Only one of the cancer cases at the school. He could not say whether the Inci Dence of cancer at the Butzbach school was higher than Normal because it a difficult to determine incidence rates especially among schoolchildren. The school has 1,040 students and 82 employees. Incidence is also difficult to deter mine because the development of can cer May have Many factors such As genetics lifestyle infectious agents and nutrition. However cancers caused by environmental hazards usually take decades to develop Hanson said. It s difficult to take some cancer cases and try to link them up to a com Mon source of  Lack of Snow on european slopes dims prospects for Holiday skiers by Norm zeigler1 Ravel outdoor writer because of continuing warm weather skiers looking Forward to Christmas on the slopes face Bleak prospects this holi Day season. Industry and armed forces recreation Center officials report that Many areas throughout Europe have Little or no Snow. Hermann Kucharski director of advertising and Public relations at the fecund a Des Schif Ahrons friends of ski ing in Munich said Only Glacier areas have Good skiing. The few non Glacier resorts in operation have Snow making equipment and generally have Only one or two trails open. It s the same in the whole Alpine  Kucharski said. His statements were echoed by  head of the information Section at adar the German automobile club. In Italy s Sud Tirol Only two areas Schnal Stal and Sulden arc open la incr said. La incr said Austria is in pretty goo shape because of its Many Glacier areas. He listed Kapraun Slu Baital Hinter Turand Kaun Curtal among austrian areas that have Good skiing. There Are a few other areas Whereon can ski but the Snow Quality is poor Lehner said. In general la incr said the Only Good skiing is above 2,000meters. Helmut St Ger of tyrolean Tours Ink Richdorf Austria said ski conditions in Kirc Dorf and nearby St. Johann arc very  the company which caters mainly to americans is busing guests tothe Glacier at Kapraun about an hour away. In West Germany Only the Zug Spitzen Garmisch Parten Kirchen is open for operation la incr said. The largest of the three armed forces recreation Center resorts is at Garmisch. Arc spokesman Harry Connors said wednesday the Zug Spitze has a base of 36 inches with 4 inches of new Snow. None of the lower slopes in Garmisch i open. The arc resorts in Berchtesgaden and Chi Emsee Are busing guests to Glacier areas in Austria. During Christmas arc Chi Emsee is running a bus Todach Slein. Arc Berchtesgaden is transporting skiers to Dach Slein and Fla Chau because local slopes Are Bare cancellations at arc Are looked Aton a Case by Casc basis Connors said. According to Kucharski those hoping for improved conditions on the slopes before Christmas will probably be disappointed. The forecast is for the weather pattern to remain the same through new year  Man held in fatal beating of briton Frankfurt West Germany is a West German sought in the beating death of a 26-year-old British Man was arrested wednesday in the Frankfurt suburb of Bachst. Frankfurt police identified the suspecting the manslaughter As Peter j., 20. It is German police custom not to release last names. The Man is being held in connection with the death of Steven Roberts of Manchester who died dec. 7 following an altercation dec. 3 in the music Hal disco. Witnesses told police that Rob erts who was pounding on a cigarette machine which had apparently malfunctioned attacked a West German who approached him. Police said Roberts was knocked Dowland his head slammed against the dance floor at least seven times. Two . Soldiers had accompanied Roberts to the Hospital. No formal charges have been filed police said. Arson destroys romanian offices Frankfurt West Germany up arson destroyed the romanian tourist Agency in Frankfurt Early wednesday morning causing about $2.9 million Worth of damage but injuring no one police said. Police said a taxi Driver notified fire fighters and police around 3.45 . That there was a fire in the Agency s offices on the first and second floors of a 16-Story High Rise building. Police were searching for two male suspects. A guard saw them running from the building. The Glass facade of the first two floors of the building was shattered by the heat of the Blaze. Flames smoke and water caused the extensive damage. Officials believe the arson was connected with the brutal crushing of pro democracy demonstrations in Romania Over the weekend. Apartments evacuated during fire Ramseck West Germany is investigators have been unable to deter mine the cause of a Pattonville housing area fire that caused $50,000 damage monday. The 7 . Fire forced evacuation of the 19-unil apartment building and the temporary relocation of six families a Stuttgart Community spokesman said. Municipal firefighters from  rescued two occupants from a third floor window he said. A 17-year-old military family member who suffered smoke inhalation spent the night under observation at the local army Hospital in Stuttgart. The family member was released tuesday. The spokesman said the fire damage the building Utility system wiring and storage area White smoke damage Stair Wells and several apartments. Community contractors Hope to Cleanthe apartments so the families can return before Christmas