European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes Friday january 26.1990 postal service looks for consistency Washington Jap the postal service is shrinking the areas in which it promises overnight and second Day mail delivery aiming to provide what it Hopes will be More consistent service. Postmaster general Anthony Frank says what customers want most is dependability. By concentrating its resources on smaller areas the Agency Hopes to belter keep its delivery promises. Frank said. To keep the postal service honest it is hiring an outside firm to measure its performance and report the results publicly. The Effort to make service More consistent comes two months before the postal service is expected to apply for a rate increase to take effect in 1991. The More concentrated service was tested in new York City Over the past year with Only one complaint. Frank added. Similar plans will be instituted across the nation Between june and the end of the year he said. We be already done 29.000 inter views with the Public said Frank of the research that led to planned changes in delivery. The biggest complaint inconsistent service. Sometimes a letter mailed across town would arrive overnight sometimes the second Day. Sometimes it took a week. Another concern he said was that people want their mail delivered at the same time every Day. I would t have guessed that it would he no. 2," he added. They Don t want to go out there and Sec it  a third concern he said is that the Public wants local mail delivered Over night. Two thirds of All mail is local and will not be affected by the changes Frank said. In general he said Between 5 per cent and 8 percent of mail might be changed from overnight to second Day or from second Day to third Day delivery. Currently the postal service manages to deliver about 95 percent of its Over night mail on time hut does t even come close to 95 percent for mail i tries to deliver on the second or third Day Frank said. Blocking Coal company truck striking United mine workers try to turn Back a company Coal truck on its Way to the rum Creek Coal sales Plant in Dehue . Union workers on thursday ignored an injunction prohibiting them from blocking the Road to the Plant. Two strikers were arrested during a confrontation with Federal marshals who ordered vehicles parked on the company s private Road Lowed away. Japanese owners say historic inn will retain its flavor Sallr Brixie. Mass. A the japanese now own the Puhlick House inn and run the Lood conces Sion at historic old Sturbridge Village but the venera ble Yankee institutions Promise that Tofu and sushi won t replace Turkey and succotash. This is an institution it s a bastion of Yankee Cui  said buddy Adler innkeeper at the Public House historic inn built in 1771 by a revolutionary War hero. It is what it is. To change it. Nobody would even contemplate  the inn a Cluster of White colonial buildings dotted about the town common also runs the food service Concession at old Sturbridge Village a living museum that recreates Massachusetts life in the Early i9th Cen Tury. Crawford Lincoln director of the non profit group that runs the milage said thursday that he. Too does t expect any changes now that a japanese com Pany owns the Village s eateries. Indian pudding not sushi will be the order of the Day from the food  he said. The changes look place earlier this week when Kyo Taru co. A japanese food service company bought restaurant associates of new York City for an Undis closed sum. Restaurant associates has six divisions with 120 full service restaurants and generates about $240 milli9n in annual Revenue said company spokes Man Dennis Rhodes in new York. In the Deal six top managers retained is percent of restaurant associates and will continue to operate he business. Hiroshi Tanaka chairman of Kotaru will also be chairman of restaurant associates. The acquisition included another venerable land Mark the 84-year-old italian restaurant Mamma Leone s in new York City Rhodes said. Amnesiac gets some Good news some bad news Boston up an apparent amnesiac found himself behind bars thursday after he remembered his name and asked the Fri to find put his Home he Learned he was wanted in Florida for allegedly making a bomb threat. Michael Placky. 28. Had attracted local Media attention for his tale of bewilderment. Placko who became known As Tim  had said he could not remember anything prior to when he woke up homeless in a Boston bus Sta Tion in january 1988. Placko had lived since october in a homeless shelter in Woon Sockol r.i., and his court appointed attorney said he suddenly remembered his name on tuesday. His name came to him tuesday night while he was driving around Woonsocket with a Friend lawyer Joan Needlman told the Boston Globe. He took the train and bus to Boston in the morning and went to the Fri. He asked them to find out where he was  the Fri determined that Placko was wanted in so Minoll county fla., on a charge of making a false bomb threat. A default warrant had also been issued by East Boston District court in 1988 stemming from his failure to return a rental car. Placko waived extradition to Flor Ida during his arraignment wednesday in East Boston and was ordered held in the Charles Street jail on $100,000 bail. Needlman said her client remembered his social Security number and the name of the woman who raised him and is very excited about finding his  i would have a greater likelihood of getting in Contact with my family in Florida Placko said during his arraignment. Sandra Caggiano an assistant court clerk said Placko seemed Fine and coherent during his court appearance. Placko is due Back in court monday when authorities Are slated to return him to  said the rental car charge would also be addressed monday. Barge towing tugs collide on Mississippi River new Orleans a two tugboats moving 33 barges collided in the dark on the Mississippi River thursday spilling More than 160.000 Gallons of Gaso line and diesel fuel near intakes for Public water sys tems authorities said. It. Ken Keane. A coast guard spokesman said the fuel spilled from two barges which were still leaking shortly before noon. Water company officials from Orleans and Jefferson parishes said they were checking water Quality at the intakes. We re not having any problem with drinking water on either Side right now Jefferson water system offi Cial David Mancuso said. The lugs a 25-Barge vessel carrying Coal and an eight Barge tug moving fuel were going in opposite directions when the collision occurred near the Hucy p. Long Bridge outside new Orleans Keane said. It was not immediately Clear How the Accident occurred he said. We just have two that have holes in them he said. There s no doubt there were others  the owner of the leaking barges estimated that 84,000 Gallons of fuel spilled from each vessel. The coast guard instructed Barge Crews to use their booms to contain the diesel and to leave the gasoline alone because containing gasoline into a pocket creates a fire Hazard Keane said. He also noted that gasoline evaporates quickly. Keane said that diesel is poisonous to fish and other wildlife but that any fuel not contained would be diluted quickly in the Mississippi s Swift current. The leaking barges were owned by chitin transportation of Cincinnati. Chotin vice president Stephen Frasher said the company was investigating the spill