European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday april 1,1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 9americans protest at Cavern Gate by Steve Taylor Munich Bureau Munich West Germany a about 25 americans demonstrated at Mcgraw Cavern a a main Gate saturday morning with a Recycle Mcgraw signs. The signs Call for converting the nost a into a different use to transform it into something a Little More productive for the people of Munich a said John Otranto one of the demonstrators. A it should be turned into housing which Munich citizens done to have enough of a a said Marrianne Hofacker a former new York City resident now working in Munich As an Art historian. Sue Durr a member of the Munich american peace committee said the primary reason for the demonstration was to show support for a Green party plan to convert the Cavern and the nearby american housing area into an a ecological and social  a a we re not saying that americans should go Home. But to rejoice that the cold War is Over a said the former resident of Redwood City Calif. Helmut Steyrer the architect of the Green party plan and a member of the Munich City Council said his party is asking German As Well As american military forces to leave Munich. His plan which has the backing of the local social democratic party Calls for the construction of about 7,000 apartments schools sports facilities a movie theater and Library. An Extension of the City a present subway system is also part of the plan. The pc Reacher Forst . Housing area about a mile from Mcgraw has about 1,300 apartments two schools a movie theater shopping Center and German army Hospital. Although the group understands that no decision will be made Over the status of Mcgraw until a conventional forces in Europe treaty is signed Hofacker said that Quot if people say what they want  get a better response a from politicians. The committee was formed in 1983 to show Solidarity with West German and other peace movements. Members of the peace group who have no connection with the . Government were ignored by others entering the Gate at Mcgraw. Durr said it a was pretty hard to get anyone a attention. But one local resident passing by said a i done to want the americans to leave. In a still afraid of the  Over Here Navy of athletes to run Bike 2,103 rugged Miles to raise funds by j. King Cruger Mediterranean Bureau Naples Italy a fourteen runners and three bicyclists will set out May 17 from Northern Denmark on a grueling 2,103-mile fund raising route scheduled to end eight Days later in Naples. A the terrain we will go through especially from Central Germany through Northern Italy will be much More rugged than last years route. We will have to tackle 650 Miles of High Hills and mountains a said Navy it. Jerry Hillen organizer of the Naples biathlon. A the two people in our medical support team a nurse and an emergency medical technician could be real Busy As we pass through High elevations a he said. In 1989, seven runners and five cyclists completed a 1,736-mile journey from London to Naples in just under 104 hours. Bikers Rode during the Day averaging about 20 Mph and slept at night. The runners ran through the night averaging about 10 Mph and slept during the Day. Six participants from last years event Are returning. The runners and bikers represent Navy and air Force units from Naples and Nas Simonella Sicily. A we switched the route from Lon Don Naples to Denmark Naples so that we could run through different territory a Hillen said. Quot plus tackling the Alps makes it More of a  on the London Naples route each biker pumped for an hour and then was spelled by another biker who had Naples biathlon route a 2,103 Miles route through West Germany a amps Susan Harris been following in a Van. The runners did likewise with each running 30 minutes before being relieved. This years participants again will grind out the Miles around the clock. While some participants arc sleeping others will be running or biking along secondary roads. A we aim to make this As much of a running event As we can. However we expect we May have to use the bikers about four hours daily in order to keep to our planned timetable a said Hillen who is a medical Supply officer for the Naples naval Hospital. A if we Are on schedule running then we will keep with the runners. If not the cyclists will come in to make up the  the event will Start outside the town of Skagen at the northernmost tip of the danish Mainland and head South through the relatively Fiat Countryside of Denmark and non Hern West Germany. After entering Germany the participants and their seven person support team will pass through Flensburg Linic Burg bad Hersfeldt Fulda Wurzburg Ansbach Augsburg and Gann Isch. The route then will run through Austria and into Italy passing through Trento Vicenza Rimini Recti Ceprano and Formia before ending at Naples. Last years biathlon raised More than $ 10,000 for the Navy Relief society and Hillen Hopes this years event will top that. Contributors Are being asked to pledge $21 to Navy Relief a i cent for every mile the team will cover. Sponsors Are covering the event s expenses which amount to about $3,000, a a we stayed in hotels last year but this year in order to Cut expenses by $2,000, we will be camping out every night a Hillen said. A we sure could use some help from military units located along our route. All we Are asking for Are hot showers and places to pitch our  military units wanting to Otter support along Tho Way can phone Hillen at Auto on 625-3371 or 4714 or i. Paul Weishaupt at 625-4303. Vuono postpones trip to soviet Union Washington up a Gen. Carl Vuono the army chief of staff has postponed indefinitely a scheduled visit to the soviet Union because of the tense situation Between Moscow and Lithuania Pentagon officials said Friday. A the Felt this Wasny to a Good time for him to go a said maj. Kathy Wood a defense spokeswoman. A we Hope that he will eventually be Able to  Vuono the army a representative on the joint chiefs of staff had planned to leave Washington saturday for Helsinki Finland and to arrive in Moscow on monday for a soviet visit that would last until april 7. He was scheduled to visit Kiev and Leningrad in addition to Moscow. Vuono decided to postpone his trip following discussions on the situation in the soviet Union with defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Secretary of slate James Baker Wood said. Vuono strip had been scheduled As part of a continuing .-soviet military Exchange program defense officials  installation told to reinstate whistle Blower Chicago apr a judge has ordered reinstatement of a government whistle Blower who was fired after he revealed unsafe practices at the army a Rock Island Arsenal. Charles a a Curt Mcrae a Pilot fired two years after no turned in his supervisors also will receive Back pay under the order filed thursday by Phillip n. Miller administrative Law judge. Miller said Mcrae a Appeal to the Merit system Protection Board had supported his allegation that his tiring was in reprisal for activity protected under a Federal Law that protects whistle blowers. The decision by Miller will become final May 3 unless a party to the matter appeals to the Merit Board or the Board decides to reopen the Case. �?o1 am very Happy i mean very Happy that the judge looked at All the facts and ruled in our favor a Mcrae said in a Telephone interview Friday from his Home. Mcrae said he had at times doubted he would be vindicated in the Battle with his superiors at the Northern Illinois base. A this will kind of reaffirm that if you re willing to wait and be persistent the system will work yes a Mcrae said. Mcrae who has been looking for other work said he wants to go Back to his military Job but would report violations again if he saw them. A1 Schwartz an army spokesman at the Arsenal said there was no immediate decision on How the Agency would proceed. A we have received judge Millers decision and at this time we Are reviewing it in detail. Once we have completed our review we will determine what our action will be a Schwartz said. Mcrae a reinstatement is retroactive to nov. 29, 1989, the Date he appealed his firing. Mcrae said at hearings held two weeks ago in Rock Island that he had complained and had gone Over aviation chief Neil Pobanz s head after Pobanz repeatedly ignored pilots complaints about poor aircraft maintenance and unsafe practices. Mcrae was hired As a Pilot for the Arsenal in 1982. He was fired nov. 17, 1989, More than two years after he reported mishandling of dangerous chemicals and explosives among other flight safety violations. A month after he made his complaints in september 1987, Mcrae was grounded by Pobanz. Acting on Mcrae s tip army investigators found assorted violations including failure to report aircraft mishaps transportation of unauthorized personnel failure to notify the Airport of hazardous cargo and falsification of official documents