European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and stripes wednesday May 23,1990teens say they re getting a lot out of life by Chuck Roberts staff writer bad Kreuz Nach West Germany a teen agers at bad Kreuz Nach arc excited about life. To them life has come to mean living is for everyone a teen age support group created by senior airman Bobby Purcell from Sembach a West Germany. Since Purcell began the group in 1986, the organization has developed a following of More than 700 members in the United states and Europe. The members arc dedicated to the groups cause. One Mother recently asked Purcell for an explanation of the groups popularity. A she said a you know i done to Sec where the loyalty comes for this group. I could ground my kids for 10 years from the to and it  do any Good but if i say you can to go to one meeting of the life group they beg and they plead and they cry and they get upset and they Promise to make things  a Purcell explained that the adult volunteers care about the teens and that the teens know that people in life will listen. A we expect the kids to respect us As much As we respect them. Period and Bottom line a he said. Derrick Thompson said he a did no to expect much when he attended his first life meeting at bad Kreuz Nach with a Friend. A wherever in be been a and in be been All around the world being raised in a military family a in be never had friends like Here in this group a Thompson said. The life group in bad Kreuz Nach officially got under Way on May 9, when Thompson and other members performed a the heart never Dies a a play about teen age suicide. Performing the play is an initial step in forming a life group. The play was written by Purcell in 1986 to help him Cope with the suicides of about 20 teen agers in Plano Texas. It shows How alcohol wrecks a marriage while drugs and peer pressure overwhelm the couples youngest son. At bad Kreuz Nach the group meets once a week. The no. 1 topic and problem that most teens discuss at the meetings is peer pressure said Eric Lowe who played the part of an alcoholic father. He said peer pressure increases when teens move overseas. A when they get Over Here they get so depressed a Lowe said. A when you get Here you want to be part of the gang and if you want to be part of the gang you May have to do something like grab a lady a purse or take  the life meetings also teach teens to counsel other teens. Purcell said this is important because teens almost always talk with other teens before they talk with a teacher or Parent. The program impressed Judy ver mehr a Counselor for adolescent substance abusers at bad Kreuz Nach. A this is the Best prevention education concept that in be come across since in be been Over Here a ver mehr said. A someday we might be Reading in our history books about Bobby Purcell starting the life  Purcell a Volunteer work does no to always produce such Praise. His life has been threatened by parents who resented him helping their children and he rarely has time for himself. A sometimes there a no privacy or you think a my gosh i done to have a life of my own because in a always there for everybody  but i have never Ever regretted  arrested in slayings of Frankfurt homeless by de Reavis staff writer West German police have arrested a 50-year-old unemployed electrician who claims he was sent from heaven to beat homeless men to death in Frankfurt Parks. The suspect whose name was not released has confessed to the bludgeoning deaths of four homeless people in the City since february a police spokesman said. The Man also told police that he killed two other men who happened to be in City Parks but who were not homeless. Two other homeless victims remain in comas. A the claims he had received messages from the Empire of the dead and was sent from heaven to kill a the spokesman said. Although the suspects Story seemed incredible the Man had details about the crimes that Only the attacker could have known police said. The Many a arrest came minutes after another homeless Man was critically beaten Early tuesday the spokesman said. A witness saw the bleeding victim observed a Man running away and summoned police. The suspect who was carrying a Hammer and a knife in a plastic bag was taken into custody within 15 minutes the spokesman said. The attacks began feb. 1, when a homeless Man was beaten into a coma. On april 2, a homeless Man sleeping on a Park Bench was beaten to death and on May 4 and 5 three men were killed within 24 hours while sleeping on Park benches. The suspect has also admitted to two other slayings on feb. 6 and sunday. The victims were not homeless. The Many a latest victim was in critical condition with a split Skull. News update greyhound request Dallas apr strike plagued greyhound lines inc. Has asked holders of $225 million of its junk Bonds to sell them Back at Steep discounts to keep the company out of bankruptcy. Wurzburg soldiers help extinguish fire West Point graduate killed in car Accident Pir Masens West Germany a amps a a 24-Ycar-old graduate of West Point was killed in a one car Accident sunday near Fischbach. Army 2nd it. Lisa Marie Denny drove off the Road and into a tree around 8 30 . She was declared dead at the scene. She was assigned to the 4th in 1st air defense arty at Pir Masens. Denny of Chicago is survived by her Mother Claudia j. Dijohn of Mundelein 111., and her father James m. Denny whose Hometown was unavailable. A memorial service is scheduled for 4 . Friday in the Pir Masens Post  $ 100 Bills passed in Nurnberg Forth West Germany a amps a two counterfeit $100 Bills were passed by John Millar Wurzburg Bureau Veit Hochheim West Germany a three off duty Wurzburg soldiers interrupted their saturday activities to help put out a fire in a neighbouring government leased apartment building. A it was like something we just had to do a said pfc. Rich Evans cob 11 the signal in. The fire began about 7 . In a 24-unit government leased apartment building in the Wurzburg suburb of Veit Hochheim. Pfc. Amador Garcia c Btry 6th in 52nd air defense arty his wife and two other couples had just finished dinner when they noticed the flames. Evans called the fire department and then joined Garcia and pfc. Jim Connor he co 123rd signal in in dashing for the elevator and grabbing fire extinguishers. The three ran to the stairwell of the next building Connor said. A was we were going up we each took a floor and started knocking on doors and telling people to get out a he said. Reaching the apartment Garcia said the group found a three Guys in there trying to put it  officials would not release the name of the individual living in the apartment. Connor said the men were trying to put out the fire with water. With the fire extinguishers the fire was put out in about three minutes he said. German and . Military authorities Are investigating the fire Wurzburg spokesman Dale Bryson said. Connor said it appeared that fire from a Barbecue Grill set Patio furniture ablaze and the fire spread from there. Bryson could not confirm that anyone was injured during the fire. Damage to the building and personal and government property was estimated at $8,600, he said. Series of rail strikes scheduled in Italy Rome a amps a the first in a new round of nationwide Railroad strikes will begin thursday night in Italy with one scheduled just before the first Day of the world cup soccer Competition. The strikes announced in Rome by leaders of the transportation workers Union Are designed to pressure the government into increasing rail workers wages and benefits. The first of the 24-hour strikes starts at 9 . Thursday the second at 2 . Friday and the third at 9 . Sunday. Additional 24-hour strikes Are to Start on tuesday at 9 . And at 2 . On june 7. The first world cup match Between defending Champion Argentina and Cameroon starts at 6  on june 8 in Rome. The strikes Are expected to bring All train service in Italy to a halt and no plans have been announced for emergency train service during the strike periods. No Riding Bike struck killed by car Karlstedt West Germany a amps a a 2nd army div fwd Soldier was killed by a car monday morning while Riding his bicycle to work. Sgt. Rosalio Ruiz 34, was a tank crewman assigned to b co 3rd in 66th Armor at the Clay Cavern. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a German doctor said Jeanie kitchens a 2nd army div spokeswoman. Ruiz apparently left the bicycle path on Highway li52 near osterholz Schrambeck before he was struck by a car driven by another 2nd army div Soldier kitchens said. At the Nurnberg areas main Exchange Between May 12 and 13, according to an advisory from the criminal invest no charges have been filed against the Driver a Soldier assigned to the 498th support in. West German civilian and . Military authorities Are investigating. Ruiz joined the army in 1974 and was assigned to the division in 1988. He is survived by his wife and four children. Gation come. The Bills had a yellow tint and different serial numbers the advisory said. They were probably printed by the same person it said. A spokesman said investigators could not be reached for More information late tuesday afternoon. Med area communications system activated Golbani turkeys amps a the first satellite link in a Modem Telephone and facsimile communications system for the Mediterranean area was activated tuesday. The new digital wide band system funded by the defense communications Agency is the first in a series of planned improvements to . Military communications in the area. The satellite connection links the Gol Basi satellite communications Center about 25 Miles South of Ankara with in Ciurlik a near Adana. The new system is scheduled to be operational throughout the Southern european Region within the next five years. Other locations in Turkey scheduled to be linked include Synop Istanbul Izmir mar Maris Adana Erzurum and Diyarbakir