European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 23, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 news updates the stars and stripes saturday december 23,1989 bases in Greece Athens Greece a Mem Bers of peace organizations on thursday commemorated the end of a defense agreement with the United Stales a year ago and called Tor the withdrawal of . Military bases from Greece by May. About 2,000 protesters formed a human Chain from the foreign ministry to the . Embassy and called on the greek government not to Grant the United Stales an Extension on the May 21 deadline for the remo Val of four major military bases. The greek Campaign for the abolition of the bases condemned the ongoing american invasion of Panama adding we think the greek government should not Only condemn this invasion but should also learn the necessary lesson from the bases presence  a five year agreement Between inc two countries ended on dec.21 last year. Under its terms the bases must be removed by May but foreign minister Antonis a Maras said monday that the government will decide next year on whether to Grant the United states an Extension on inc deadline. Lithuanian decision Moscow a president Mikhail Gorbachev blasted Lithuania s communists on thursday for breaking with the National communist party in their drive to restore their Republic s  National communist party Central committee scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the historic Defiance. Rimantas Kana Penis a spokes Man for Lithuania s political groups Judis said Gorbachev summoned lithuanian members of the National parliament to protest wednesday s decision by the lithuanian communist party Congress to end subordination to the National party and declare itself Independent with its own rules and program. Maryland judge injured by bomb in his apartment Hagerstown my. A a bomb exploded Friday and injured county judge in his apartment officials said. Circuit judge John Corderman 47, was in stable condition and his life was in no immediate danger Washington county Hospital spokeswoman sheran White said. She would not comment fur ther on his injuries. The device went off in Corderman s third floor apartment in the downtown area of this Western Maryland City said police it. Robert Frick. A neighbor Steven pc yes 30. Said he saw a deliveryman bring a package to the building about 20 minutes before the 2 30 . Explosion. It looked like a Normal person to me a Normal delivery Keyes said. The deliveryman stayed inside five to 10 min utes and the explosion occurred about 10 minutes after he left pc yes said. Agents of the Bureau of alcohol to Bacco and firearms were in route from their Baltimore office about 65 Miles Southeast of Hagerstown. He s a judge. He s put a lot of people away Frick said. We Haven t talked to him simply because the medics we reworking on him. He said the explosion had some similarities to two other explosions that recently killed a judge in Alabama and a City councilman in Savannah a. Red ribbons remind revellers it s deadly to drink and drive by Gary Pomeroy staff writer they re tying one on in v corps to remind folks not to drink and drive Dur ing the holidays. The red ribbon tie one on program began in the Frankfurt military Community last year. The ribbons much like those on Christmas presents serve to re mind people not to drink and drive. The program is an expansion of Cele brate sober the joint air Force and army program in Europe aimed at reducing drinking and driving Between thanksgiving and new year s Day. More than 50,000 tic one on ribbons have been handed out in All 10 military communities in v corps since the pro Gram began nov. 21. In Frankfurt boy scouts from troops 92 and 992 distributed 5,000 tic one on ribbons attached to information cards about the program. And several military police guard shacks in the Frankfurt Community Are wrapped with red ribbons. During celebrate sober air Force safety officials join forces with Public affairs and social actions personnel and Security police to help the program work. It heightens everybody s awareness about the problems associated with the excessive use of alcohol said chief master sgt. De Baur chief of ground safety for the . Air forces Europe at Ramstein a West Germany. The goal is to not have any alcohol related traffic deaths he said. There was one traffic fatality in Safe during celebrate sober in 1988,and none in 1987, Baur said. Usa eur did not provide information on its Cele brate sober Campaign. Increased sobriety checks by air Force Law enforcement troops Are common during celebrate sober Baur said. Encouraging designated Drivers is an other common Means to make the holi Days Safe. In that regard Safe recently standardized the designated Driver programs at its officer and no dubs throughout the command. If someone goes toy temporary duty they know the clubs ofter the same Basic programs As their Home base Baur said. Designated Drivers who drink free non alcohol beverages at clubs and Agen cies whose employees Volunteer to sup ply rides improve celebrate sober chances for Success. After the holidays key participant from the air Force and army evaluate How the Campaign worked. It s really a year round Effort Baur said. Merchants Bank and Union report no Progress made in contract talks by Ron Jensen suit writer merchants National Bank and its employees Union arc no closer to a contract agreement As Christmas approaches. A Day of talks thursday ended in wide disagreement at the bargaining table. There was no Progress said Aloysi us Wohlfahrt a chief Union negotiator. Bob Schindler general manager of merchants agreed but added i Don t think we re at an impasse because i think before too much longer they la have to agree to  meanwhile the Union accused the Bank of dirty  Wohlfahrt said the Bank has removed information from Union bulletin boards and is accepting applications for jobs vacated by workers involved in the on again off again strike. They can t just replace somebody who is already on Board. That is illegal Wohlfahrt said. A lot of people yes they Are scared but they do not accept what management is  Schindler said the negotiating team for the West German Commerce banking and insurance Union does not have the support of its members. He based his statement in pan on letters received by the Union Headquarters in Dusseldorf West Germany from employees and on the number of employees staying off the Job. One letter from six employees in bad hers old West Germany said our opinions Are not included in the Issue. Issues Are not being addressed in a realistic  fourteen employees in Gic Ssan West Germany wrote we demand that the present offer from management should be accepted immedi  on the strike s largest Day 150 people at the Bank s Headquarters and two branches walked off the Job. No More than nine of the Bank s 130 branches have been affected on any one Day. The intermittent strikes began dec. 11. Schindler said Only 11 or 12 people at three branches were off the Job Friday. As far As we re concerned the strike is Over he said. A handful of militant people going around being on strike does not cause us very much  but Wohlfahrt said the Bank should not be deceived because Only a few peo ple Are off the Job. If people work that docs not mean that they arc Happy with management he said. The strike has the support of a majority of employees both Union and non Union he said. Schindler said the Bank is within its right to replace certain people for a Short period of time while they Are off the Job. He added that he does not know of any Union information being removed from bulletin boards. As far As i m aware that s not the Case. It certainly would t be with my authorization he said. Wohlfahrt said the letters Are from people at branches far away from the negotiations who do not know what a going on. We forgive these colleagues because they do not know what is Hap pening he said. The employees Are protesting among other things the Bank s demand that Union members Volunteer to work on sunday to maintain the automatic Teller machines. That remains a major sticking Point in the talks. Wohlfahrt said that sunday work is generally prohibited in West Germany on sunday a fact that the Bank has ignored Dunn the negotiations. Schindler said he believes employees in the merchants system support sunday work but that the Union is trying to negotiate for members who work at other Banks in West Germany. Man Burns of Van to protest . Attack by Gary Miller Mediterranean Bureau italian police arrested a 30-year-old Man who said he set fire to an unoccupied air Force Van in downtown comi so Sicily to protest the . Invasion of Panama. Police apprehended Carlo Corallo shortly after the 11 . Thursday fire that destroyed the Van s Interior. They traced the Man to his Home after he left a Christmas card at the office of a local newspaper reporter. In the card Corallo wrote that he set the fire to protest the actions in Panama which Are against the climate of de  he signed the card the hand of disarmament said Rino Francaviglia of Sailor Dies from gun wound Naples Italy is a . Navy Sailor from the aircraft Carrier Forristal died Early Friday in Marseilles France from a gunshot wound a Navy spokes Man said. The enlisted Man was assigned to air anti submarine so 28, which is Home ported in Jacksonville fla., said chief Petty officer Gary Potterfield of the 6th reel Public affairs office. The Sailor was discovered by French police about 2 . He died about 4 . While being treated by French emergency medical personnel for a gunshot wound to the head. The Sailor s name is being withheld until his next of Kin Are notified Potter Field said. The . Information service office in Palermo Sicily. According to an article in la Sicilia by Lino Rimmaudo to whom the card was sent Corallo admitted to setting the fire by throwing a burning bottle of alcohol into the Van which was parked downtown. He said he acted alone the article said. Corallo was taken before a magistrate who will decide if his actions were the result of mental  the nine passenger Van belongs to the 487th tac missile Wing at Comiso air station said sgt. Bryan Houe Baugh of the base Public affairs office. The base was briefly placed on a heightened terrorist Alert status after the fire thursday but everything was Back to Normal Friday morning Houe Baugh said. Comiso air station is 11 Miles North West of the provincial capital of Ragusa Sicily