European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 12, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a a the stars and stripes saturday May 12,1990residents stunned that Navy May abandon Ingleside port by the Cox news service Ingleside Texas a nearly two years and $65 million after construction began on a huge naval base officials fear that world events and the . Navy May scuttle the highly coveted Home port. The area was scheduled to be the Home port for 4,700 sailors from the training aircraft Carrier Lexington the battleship Wisconsin and eight to 12 support ships. Since january however the Navy has placed a moratorium on its construction projects while it reassessed its needs in a changing world. For Ingleside population 5,400, and its neighbors whose Economy has suffered from the Oil bust the stakes Are vital the Home port would create 1 1,000 jobs with an annual payroll of$170 million. The 350-Vard, two level pier scheduled for completion in less than three months is a source of Pride to local residents. The pier wharf and roads leading to the facilities represent $48.3 million of the base construction budget of $142 million. Quot it s hard to explain to folks who see this whole Complex about two thirds Complete and the pier that is All but completed that the Navy now might be making plans to abandon it. Its just hard to make sense of it a said Brad Arvin coordinator of the Home Orl steering Council. A needless to say people Are very concerned about the upcoming decision on june 15 whether to Complete the port said Arvin whose group has engineered and coordinated the drive to create the base. The Ingleside Home port is among 34 facilities around the world that the Navy is considering scrapping because of budget cuts triggered by a changing geopolitical climate a and a reduced emphasis on defense. A a in a sure glad that everybody in Europe is getting Freedom and that communism is losing but that a still no reason for . Workers to suffer from military Job layoffs or cutbacks a said Wynn Olsen the piers construction supervisor. He echoed the jittery sentiment of Many Resi dents who feel that the breakout of peace around the world will Hurt communities whose economies rely on military facilities. The area has already Learned that its largest Industrial employer the Corpus Christi army depot is in danger of losing some of its Mission. To Cut costs the defense department is considering a proposal to consolidate All military aviation maintenance under the management of the air Force. The army depot the worlds largest helicopter overhaul facility has an annual payroll of $158 million and spends locally $30 million a year for supplies and utilities. The army earlier announced that As Many As 200 permanent and 357 temporary employees at the depot would lose their jobs because of dwindling defense budgets. For months there had been rumours that the Navy was considering Torp doing some bases even ones still under construction. Still Ingleside residents were stunned last month to see their Home port at the top of the proposed hit list. The Navy was compiling the list even As defense Secretary Dick Cheney assured Congress he supported the Home port and that the Ingleside project would be completed. This has angered Texas a congressional delegation. A you told me that you would do All you could to support the Home port. The Navy still supports the program. In spite of that construction remains blocked and the entire project is in great jeopardy a sen. Lloyd Bentsen a Texas told Cheney in a letter dated May 1. Bentsen noting that a it is important to finish the Job without further delays a pointed out that Texas and nieces county have spent $50 million in land purchases site development and other construction projects at the site. A we Are in the lurch. Our future is on hold until the Navy decides what the future will hold for us. All we can do is Hope and stay optimistic a Arvin said. A  of the Road a Long stretch of . 71 disappears under flood Waters from the red River near Texarkana ark., on thursday. The flooding was touched off by last weeks severe  girl 5, unhurt after kidnapping a to Monitor shows 5-year-old Nicole Ravesies reunion with her parents. Tallahassee Fla. Apr a 5-year-old Massachusetts girl was found unharmed at a Gulf coast fishing Lodge and was to return Home with her parents Friday after a 38-Day abduction by an obsessed baby Sitter authorities said. Sex bus Driver Kenneth m. Cole ii 24, was charged with kidnapping after he was arrested thursday on a tip from the Lodge owner who saw a local news report on the abduction. Nicole Ravesi of Milford mass., showed no signs of abuse Fri spokesman Paul Cavanagh said. A a we re thankful to get our daughter Back a said Frank Ravesi adding that the girl was a kind of scared of the  his wife Debra said she was a very Happy very  Cote appeared before a . Magistrate thursday. He agreed to be returned to Massachusetts to face kidnapping charges. Cote and Nicole had been staying since May 5 in a trailer behind sportsman a Lodge in East Point a fishing Village 70 Miles Southwest of Tallahassee owner Bob Allen said. He said Nicole called Cole a a dad and never spoke of her Mother and father. When Allen called Cole out of the trailer so Fri agents could Rescue Nicole thursday she was a kind of Down at first a Allen said. Her parents arrived in Tallahassee at 11 . Thursday on a private Jet. Retirees complain about social Security service Washl Ritow c m Washington apr six straight years of budget cuts have sharply reduced the ability of the social Security administration to serve older americans Retiree organizations told Congress on Friday. A 21 percent slash in the social Security payroll has been accompanied by a a marked decline in service and renewed complaints about inaccurate information constantly Busy telephones and arbitrary rulings on eligibility Quot said Lawrence Smedley executive director of the National Council of senior citizens. Quot in some offices clerical positions have been reduced to the Point that managers Are often covering reception desks and spending time on data entry a Margaret Dixon a director of the american association of retired persons told a hearing by the Senate finance social Security subcommittee. Louis Denoff Deputy commissioner of social Security acknowledged the Agency is being stretched to near its limit. Nevertheless Ensoft said a satisfaction with sea service has also remained High with Over 83 percent of respondents in a National Survey last year rating Ssan a service As either Good or very  one reason Ensoft said is that the Agency has been Able to retain technical employees and those who work directly with retirees and the disabled. The testimony was presented at a hearing on a Bill by sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan d-n.y., chairman of the subcommittee. The legislation whose chief goal is removing the Agency from the department of health and human 1,0051 social Security staff by 7,000, to 70,000 full time workers. Ensoft said Agency officials were confident an increase of that size was not needed although a former Deputy used that figure in a memo to commissioner Gwendolyn King earlier this year. Ensoft said approval of president Bush a budget would assure that social Security staff would be held at 63,000 a and give sea the period of stability it so sorely  John f. Delfico a director of the general accounting office an Arm of Congress said that although there May be a need for More workers in some areas a thorough study needs to be undertaken before wholesale increases in staffing Are  a Par Moynihan a Bill would require so Cial Security to list local office numbers in Telephone directories. The Agency now lists Only a toll free nationwide number but on request will give a local number to anyone who Calls the toll free line. A because the mental physical and educational handicaps of some older and disabled americans make the Telephone an uncomfortable and unfamiliar instrument local offices must remain accessible and adequately staffed a Dixon said of Harp