European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 31, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and Stripe Page 9 slowdown in Economy indicated Washington at the government s main forecasting gauge of to nomic activity edged up a modest  percent last Noniah. The Commerce depart ment said Friday in a of port that analysts took As a sign the Economy will slow in 1990 but not topple into a recession. The Small Rise in the apartment s Index of leading economic  followed a revised 0.3 percent decline in oct incr. I is designed to forecast ceo c months in the future has in this year rising in six of falling in the other five i pall in All. The Index who nomic activity six to exhibited a sawtooth the past 11 months Ai months. Through november a cent for the year com percent for All of 1988. To economists this Pic activity in 1990w la be Many analysts Are in As measured by the Grosi Index was Down by 0.3 per Wilh an increase of 3.9 two unidentified firefighters assist at the scene of thursday s twin in Gina plane crash. A Potot and his Passenay filled it. A crash Rahto House Erie a. A a twin engined Post Ash cd into the second floor of a House thursday kill Pilot and his passenger authorities said. The Pilot Floyd e. Smith 75. And Elwood Groham were testing the Beech 60 aircraft in preparation for a flight Friday to Florida when it crashed around noon into the Home of Willard and Antoinette flatly not far from Lake Eric. The Flat cys were not Home when the Piane crashed heavily damaging the second floor of the House. I looked up. I  was Low and it was making a strange  said Paul Pytak a neighbor. Then it looked like it was upside Down. And it straightened up and went right  Smith was the president and founder of automation devices inc. In Fairview and Graham was a shop employee who had been with the company for More Ithan 20 years. Flight originated from Eric International air Jcj Jugas scheduled to return there. Airport director  said the Pilot apparently radioed the Tower  noon about an engine prob Lem. Hut he Pilot s first  one of the engines was going on and off.  second report mentioned double with the . The crash apparently occurred about 30 seconds lire the plane was owned by automation devices which employs 44 people in the manufacture of Vibra tory feeders devices that feed parts onto production lines. Id cd evidence that econom lord sluggish than in 1989. Acting that the  product will expand at a modest annual late of percent or less in 1990. Compared with exacted growth of 3 percent this year. However analysts Gonci be Able to escape a rec part on the fact that the declined for three con Sci though not infallible the  percent Rise in in line with expectations orders for consumer Good providing strength were a mint claims an increase i dvrs. A Rise in the Money is backlog of manufacturers six other indicators act month with the biggest in the Price of raw material considered Good news for counted As a negative in the reflect declining demand. Other negative factors Wyrla decline in Slock prices a drop in consumer Confidence a decline in the aver age manufacturing work we a decline in building permits and a speedup in Busi Jess delivery times. The various changes left to of its 1982 base of 100. Ily expect the Economy will in. That belief is based in leading Index has not yet months the traditional a of a downturn in Ember. Which was right is led by a Strong jump in the other four indicators rap in weekly in employ Plant and equipment or ily and an increase in the ill cd orders. Is a drag on the Index last ivc coming from a drop while such a decrease is Fla lion prospects it is Index because it also can Index at 144.7 percent service members had a Good year in 89 continued from Page 1 household goods shipped during military moves. The Pentagon has Long argued that Many service members particularly mar ried Junior enlisted members pay sub Stantial out of pocket costs on household goods shipments because Congress set the weight limits too Low. The problem has always been that military officials have never come up with the data to support that said a Senate staffer. Obviously Congress has to have something More to go on than the Pentagon s word. When they finally forked Over a report backing up their assertions we were Able to work up re Vised  in another monetary Boon military pilots and doctors will begin receiving substantially bigger bonuses designed to keep them from being lured into higher paying jobs in the private sector. Well never to be Able to compete with civilian sector salaries in these areas but we think the bigger bonuses will improve retention the defense department official said. He acknowledged that Pilot retention is a perennial problem. We do what we can in terms of Money but when the airlines arc hiring we lose out. It s As simple As  with doctors the military has begun aggressively addressing other career influencing factors. We have to Deal with the Job environment he said. Doctors without support staff who practice Medicine All Day and then have to work another shift doing paperwork they re not going to stay around too Long. We need More sup port staff More nurses better working  women in the military received less attention in 1989 than in the previous year when controversy raged Over the assignment of women to certain Navy ships. In Early 1989, the Navy began opening thousands of slots on its combat Logis tics Force ships to women an initiative that is moving very smoothly said vice adm. Mike Boorda the service s person Nel chief. As for the Hornier Issue of women in combat the army announced late in the year that it was studying the feasibility of a four year test of women in the combat positions from which they be Long been barred. Related stories. Page 7. The recommendation from the de sense advisory committee on women in the services would be similar to a recent study done by Denmark. Canada dropped its restrictions on women in combat in february. It was the first nato nation to do so. While the committee will continue to push to open combat positions to women the coming draw Down of personnel Over the next few years might Hurt its chances. One of the thrusts behind integrating More women into the military and into combat jobs has been the predicted de crease in eligible youths. The so called shrinking manpower Pool is expected to Bottom out around 1994. But that argument loses some of its steam with personnel cuts leading to a slimmed Down Force and allowing the military to be More Picky in its recruit ing. In the morale welfare and recreation Arena the air Force in Europe was rocked by accounts of lavish unauthorized spending at no and officers clubs particularly at rams Cin a West Germany. Mismanagement reached such a degree in 1986 and 1987 that audits released this year said the service s entire mar system came close to collapsing. Air Force officials confidently told lawmakers they arc fixing the loopholes that allowed the mismanagement to occur. But at least one club official Testi fied before Congress that the Ramstein situation was noteworthy Only for its scope and that similar problems exist throughout the system. Earlier in the year the army began a systematic Campaign to relinquish control of its mar business activities by turning Over its class i package stores to the army and air Force Exchange service. And  and their families reacted angrily to congressional plans to Stock commissaries in Europe with fresh . Beef replacing cheaper local meat. The move was made in retaliation for a european economic Community ban on importing hormone fed . Beef. Officials agree that the . Beef will Cost More although they Are divided Over How much that increase will be