European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 01, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 24 news Brief the stars and stripes thursday february 1,1990 go sentenced to 41/2 years for 3 Heilbronn holdups Stuttgart. West Germany is private first class received a 4w-year prison term wednesday for his role in three sept. 16robberies in the streets of downtown Heilbronn. Pfc. Terr Cnoc d. Skinner 20. A welder As signed to he co. 237th engr in at Wharton Barracks in Heilbronn. Was one of four suspect charged in the Quick series of violent attacks on five West  the holdups the band of robbers slugged and kicked some of the victims. The robbers then left them lying unconscious injured and bleeding on the pavement. The native of Norfolk va., had pleaded inno cent to All charges at his two Day Stuttgart trial Center  it. Col Robert d. Newberry convicted him of the three robberies but found him innocent of an attempted robbery and  three robberies netted the robbers 460 Marks $271 and a  also sentenced Skinner to a Dishon Oracle discharge reduction to the lowest enlisted rank and forfeiture of All pay and allowances. On Jan. 8. The judge sentenced pvt. I lunar do. Evans. 23, to 40 months in prison for two of the same offences and for Drunken  other two defendants arc awaiting trial. Warsaw pact May cease to exist soon expert says by David Tarrant staff writer Brussels Belgium if current developments continue in Eastern Europe the Warsaw pact could cease to exist within a year nato s chief soviet expert said wednesday. Unlike nato which has a political role the Warsaw pact is Only a military Alliance. But it would be very very difficult to turn the Warsaw pact into a political Structure like nato Christopher Donnelly said. Because what it would appear to be doing in the eyes of Eastern european countries is turning a Structure that was designed to ensure soviet military control of Eastern euro Pean armies into one basically designed to ensure soviet political influence into Eastern european political affairs. And How Many european countries Are willing to accept thatt he asked in a speech at a seminar conducted by the Center for european policy studies. In place of the Warsaw pact Eastern Europe could be come Finland Zed Donnelly said referring to the Friendly but Neutral status of Finland. It could become a Region that recognizes some degree of influence from both the soviet Union and the West but which bans the stationing of foreign troops on its soil. The withdrawal of soviet influence in Eastern Europe puts an even greater Burden on soviet president Mikhai Gorbachev and his plans to restructure the soviet Economy and society Donnelly said. Previous soviet leaders such As Leonid Brezhnev we Reable to succeed for a period of time by promising a stability based on masses and masses of sausage Vodka medals and tanks Donnelly said. Unlike those predecessors who provided stability an control through the production of military weapons Gorbachev must manage sizable military reductions if he is to begin freeing up resources Donnelly said. To do that he has to convince the soviet military staff that such cuts can be made without endangering the Security of the country. There is a great Deal of military concern about loss of control and the fact that the country May be in the processor breaking up he said. The military is also very concerned about what is happening in Eastern Europe and has the feeling that Gorbachev has Given Eastern Europe away. Gorbachev s political abilities have already helped him through Many crises Donnelly said. But he will need All that and More in the near future. " 1989 was the year of Eastern Europe 1990 will be the year of the u.s.s.r.," Donnelly said. Where its military policy will go will depend a lot on what happens in the next few  freeze from Page 1 those gs-3 cashier  said Ralph Mallicott Hei Delberg s commissar 1 manager. The situation is going to gel worse. If we lose Cashiers through rotation or illness we will have to pull people from other parts of the store. That will affect shelf Stockage. How the produce gets out and even office  Malli Coic pointed out that customers already wait up to an hour in checkout lines at his store. In communities where labor shortages become Crit ical. . Troop support Agency commissaries will Call in the army to help Slock shelves and do warehouse work. We Aren t going to ask unless it s really Nec  Gomes said. Soldiers arc also expected to be used to help unload trucks and Slock shelves at the new Derheim commis sary which will open feb. 21. Gomes said the soldiers your stars and stripes Carrier will be calling soon. Please have your payment ready would be needed because the commissary had not hired enough employees for the new store before the freeze was imposed. Gomes and Mackrain denied that their respective commissary systems have immediate plans to Cut Back on regular store hours although questions remain about the future of extended hours at stores in both systems. We Don t want customers to get the idea that some one screams freeze and we immediately Start chop Ping hours Mackrain said. He said he was not ready to comment on the Fate of 24-hour operations at Ramstein a s store. Two other air Force commissaries in Europe to Gelwich in Kaiserslautern West Germany and Raf Lakenheath England also have extended hours. We will evaluate each store on its own merits Mackrain said. The vacancy rate will be different at each  Hanau s commissary at Wolfgang Cavern had been slated to extend its hour on March 1, becoming the first army commissary in Europe to stay open into the late evening. But that plan and other tentative proposals to keep commissaries at Robinson Barracks in Stuttgart and Heidelberg open late have been put on hold Gomes said. Some commissary managers said that they believe the commissaries will have to shorten their hours or Force employees to work overtime. We have a number of dependent wife employees Mallicott said. Overtime affects their Home life. Their husbands  exceptions to the hiring freeze Are possible Only if it can be shown that keeping a position vacant will Cost the government More than the salary involved. Such exceptions must be decided by the office of the Secre tary of defense. Denies from Page 1 has been widely blamed for failing to solve the coun try s dire economic crisis and reformist lawmakers arc demanding that the communists give up their monopoly on  presidency has become a More visible and substantive position in recent , there is Little question that the party s politburo and Central committee retain the political Power. Gorbachev told journalists he had just returned from the South apparently referring to nil Retreat on the Black sea where he was preparing for next week s meeting of the communist party s governing Central committee which is planning a potential critical party Congress for the  meeting comes at a time of political turmoil for Gorbachev and the ruling  breakaway lithuanian communist party rejected Gorbachev s efforts to bring it Back within the fold and the president was forced to Send troops into the warring Southern republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan to restore order and crush an Effort by azerbaijani nationalists to seize Power in  Rumor about Gorbachev s stepping Down was fed foreign i mainly Gorbachev As Well. Initially Baker was to go to Moscow on feb. 6. On tuesday the state department said it had suggested the visit begin on feb. 8.shevardnadze last week said there is widespread concern in the West that Gorbachev May not survive politically. But he attributed it More to a desire that Gorbachev s reforms succeed than to any real threat to the soviet Leader s political Power. Army accuses teachers Union of unfair labor acts by Dave Walczak education writer army officials have filed unfair labor practice charges against a teachers Union that encouraged its members to sue parents who brought child abuse charges that could not be substantiated. Maj. Gen. Lincoln Jones Iii ordered his staff in december to file the charges against the overseas federation of teachers through the Federal labor re lations authority. Jones commands Usa eur s Southern european task Force based in Vicenza Italy. The labor Agency s Boston regional of fice is handling the Case. Dick Zaiger who is reviewing the Case said wednes Day that he expects the Agency to Issue a decision this month. Ernie Lehmann the Union s european director said the charges Are a great ego trip for  general Jones is about to make Lega history Lehmann said from his office in Verona Italy. Not even in the civil Ian world would you find management charging a Union with being Over Zeal Ous. We carry the charge As a badge of  Lehmann said Jones has turned Dow requests to meet with Union officials. The Union represents teachers who Workin the Mediterranean Region of the de Arment of defense dependent schools. Task Force officials have not answered written questions on the Case filed by the stars and stripes on Jan. 25. The army in information sent to the labor authority accuses the Union of exceeding its representational rights and duties by seeking the institution of Law suits against the parents who raised the allegations of child abuse that could not be proven. The army also accuses the Union of requesting information from army officials and then harassing the army by filing unfair labor practice charges Over the alleged failure by the army to com ply with the  Lehmann said his organization filed three unfair labor practice charges oct.27 against the army for failing to pro vide More information about child abuse investigations but later withdrew them. The Union also was accused of failing to Register As an Enterprise under italian Law and failing to deduct italian mum taxes and social insurance contributions of its officers and employees. Lehmann denied that his Union has represented members in the lawsuits. He said the Union Only helps find lawyers for its members. Lehmann said two Union members i Italy one in Turkey and one in Spain have filed suits against parents All of whom arc in the military. He said the teachers Are accusing the parents of slander libel and defamation of charac Ter and arc seeking damages of up to $80,000. We will not tolerate people making false accusations he said