European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and stripes monday March 26,1990 army Crew logs special duty by Vince Crawley Nurnberg Bureau Tenne Lohe West Germany a 1st it. Todd Wheeler called it the a ten non Lohn Chain saw  he a in charge of 100 i Lumberjacks who spent the weekend inside the ten Venlo he firing ranges Impact area helping West German foresters Clear out Trees blown Down by last months Hurri Cane Force winds. A it s like they had a Small Tornado touch Down Here a said Wheeler a 24-year-old Engineer platoon Leader from Woodstock Conn. Quot they were going to close it Down for. As Long As six to eight months. So they sent us in to give them a  about 75 of the Lumberjacks Are combat engineers from wheelers battalion the 16th engr in in nearby Firth. He said a platoon from Erlanger no a 2nd in 6th inf regt also pitched in. Tenne Lohe an 8,000-Acrc military firing Range and Man Euver area just North of Nurnberg is used daily by 1st army div troops. Foresters estimate that enough Trees were knocked Down there since Christmas to make from 65,000 to 100,000 cubic feet of lumber a or enough firewood to fill some 1,000 pickup trucks. Wheelers Crew began working thursday and quit sunday night. A a we re making a considerable Dent a he said Friday a but we re not going to Clear the whole area  he estimated that his 100 soldiers would need a month to do the entire cleanup. Quot the logs arc so jumbled up pfc. Rennes Baker of the 16th engr in gets on with the Job in the Tenne Lohe area. The Forest is so dense that we have a lot of trouble getting our equipment in there a Wheeler said. Workers said logging was just one of a Long list of jobs that combat engineers perform. German foresters however supervised this project. Among other things they wanted to Salvage As much Wood As possible and make sure no one got Hurt. A you  expect a tree that is uprooted lying Down on the ground to jump up in the air when they Cut it. But i saw it happen a said master sgt. Alfonso Smith from Tennen Lohes a Range control office. The Trees engineers said often became twisted and Bent when they collapsed on top of themselves. Saw off the wrong limb and the tree reacts like a giant Spring that has suddenly been released. A on the first Day i thought it was going to be pretty easy a said pfc. Rennes Baker a 19-year-old combat Engineer from Knoxville Tenn. A but its a amps Vince Craw to not As easy As it looks once you get i around the underbrush. We be got i a Job on our  Cpl. Frank Woerle. 29. From St. Louis i said that getting in Between the logs was hard work but that engineers tend to be outdoors enthusiasts and liked the Job a actually this is kind of fun Quot he said a a in a rather be out Here than in the Bat Racks or motor  pfc. David Watson agreed. The 19-year-old from Colorado Springs Colo added that a combat engineers favorite Job is to a tear stuff  arbitrator says school erred in leave policy by Dave Walczak staff writer a Federal arbitrator ruled that school officials in Madrid Spain erred by refusing to Grant some department of defense dependents schools teachers administrative time off during a Day of labor unrest in Spain. Roger p. Kaplan made the ruling last month after hearing testimony in january. The overseas federation of teachers which represents teachers in Spain pursued the Case through the grievance procedure. Neither the Union nor the school system plans to Appeal Kaplanis decision the controversy dates Back to dec. 14, 1988, when some Madrid area teachers fearing for their safety did not report for work during a nationwide strike by Spanish workers. School administrators later told those teachers that they had to use sick leave leave without pay or All purpose leave the equivalent of annual leave to cover the lost time. All but three teachers chose to take sick leave. Kaplan ruled that Only those who chose All purpose leave were entitled to administrative leave. A i am aware that certain teachers Felt coerced into choosing sick leave on dec. 14th," Kaplan wrote. A however this arbitrator will not inquire into their reasons for choosing sick  the Union filed its grievance on behalf of teachers who work at Royal Oaks elementary just outside of Madrid and at Torrejon High school and Torrejon elementary located on Torrejon a about 20 Miles from the Spanish capital. Students did not attend classes on dec. 14, in part because school bus Drivers participated in the one Day strike. Many teachers who reported for work that Day were immediately sent Home without being charged leave according to a Union official. The Union based its Case on a 13 meeting Between Torrejon High school principal Ira Scheier and the schools faculty when he advised teachers a to use judgment and prudence in determining whether it was Safe to come to  leave status for teachers was not discussed. A what transpired at the dec. 13th meeting was management a failure to effectively communicate its leave policies to the teachers concerning the general strike  Kaplan wrote. Quot having failed to adequately communicate this important Point the Agency Dodds must Bear the consequences of its ambiguous  program for patients gives old Stamps new life mrs amps used Stamps Are distributed to about 4,000 hospitalized  involved in stamp collecting. By Chuck Roberts staff writer Landsiedel West Germany a Lou Novacheck wants to Recycle letters from Home into a Hobby for hospitalized service members. Under Novacheck a plan service members stationed in Europe will Send him the used Stamps and envelopes from the letters they receive and Forward them to Stamps for the wounded a non profit organization that introduces stamp collecting to hospitalized service members. Novacheck who lives in Germany after retiring from the army in 1985, said he is in an Ideal situation to receive the Stamps because anyone with an Apo address would pay no postage fee for sending him cancelled Stamps or envelopes. A i figure its a no lose situation for the military people a he said. Herman Neugass the National chairman for Sotwin Washington d.c., called Novacheck a plan a wonderful idea and encouraged people to participate. The organization began 48 years ago when Ernest Kehr distributed Stamps to service members who were being treated at Hal Loran general Hospital in Staten Island n.y., after being wounded at Pearl Harbor. About 8 million men and women have participated in the program Neugass said. The program is most effective with Long term patients he said. A it does no to work As Well in Short term illnesses. Its Best for those who spend extended time in bed a Neugass said. As part of his Job Neugass delivers the Stamps to the veterans administration Headquarters in Washington. . The a forwards them to about 45 participating hospitals and about 4,000 patients in the United states. For those who would like to help Novacheck offers a few words of advice a tear off a Section of the envelope bearing the Stamps or leave the stamp on the envelope because soaking it off is part of the Hobby. A Send envelopes with Apo numbers because people collect the numbers the same Way As Stamps. A save the cancellation markings particularly european ones. The Only Stamps not wanted Are Tomse that Are torn damaged or defective or tuberculosis Stamps Hoys town labels easter seals or postage metered or envelope embossed Stamps. Novacheck began collecting Stamps when lie was a child. A but the girls in High school replaced it. Said. A my oldest son did a scout project in we cart �?T70s, and that caused me to get Back into the Hobby. He first heard of the organization while stationed a fort Meade md., and serving As editor of the to collector a Magazine about Stamps that arc Consi ered to be errors freaks and oddities. Anyone who would like to donate Stamps can mail them to Lou no . Box 894, Apo 09751. Stamps also can be sent directly to the or Gamma a address the National chairman. Stamps for the wounded Cheri Gass 4201 Cathedral ave. N.w., Apt. 924e, Washington d c. 2001b