European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday May 29, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 11 letters Ann Landers writer complaints hit postal rates service next january the postal service will raise the Cost of mailing a first class letter to 30 cents. Not so Man years ago such mail service Cost 3 cents. For 3 cents you could get a letter delivered in three Days. Thus we probably can expect for 30 cents delivery should take 30 Days. The Federal postal people Are already Selling a 5-Centpearl Buck stamp. Just think come january it will take six Bucks to mail a letter. A the Price of Progress. John t. Halbert Weierbach West Germany i find it very disturbing that there has not been More correspondence concerning the . Postal service plans to change first class delivery standards and to increase first class postal rates to 30 cents. I am even More disturbed that people Are willing to accept this reduction in service and increase in rates and even defend it because it appears to be such a  people Are obviously uninformed. In 1971, Congress passed the postal reorganization act that replaced the old Post office department witha corporate styled . Postal service. Under the direction of a Board of governors comprised mostly of business executives and a few academics the . Postal service has continually increased the Cost of mailing a first class letter and has reduced its services. Among these service reductions Are the termination of to the door delivery in All housing built after 1978. " a total of 3,100 Post offices have been close since 1971 most in Rural areas that need them most. In 1974, the postal service eliminated postage due mail. Many collection boxes have been removed and in Many areas pick  from existing collection boxes have been reduced to once a Day. There Are no longer any pick  from collection boxes on sundays. The mails do not move any mor Between saturday afternoon and monday morning. And saturday postal hours at Many Post offices have been reduced from a full Day to a half a Day. Such service reductions Are indefensible in Light of the Sharp increase in first class postage rates since reorganization. In 1936, the Cost of mailing a first class letter was 2 cents. From 1936 to 1971, the Cost of first class letters increased just 4 cents to 6 cents. Since 1971 postage rates have skyrocketed from 6cents to 10 cents 1974 to 13 cents 1975 to 15 cents 1978 to 20 cents 1978 to 22 cents 1985 and finally to 25 cents 1988. As far As the bargain we re getting compared toothed countries a letter mailed via German mail is always delivered to the addressee s door key word indoor in just one Day. A letter mailed in most . Cities won t be delivered across town in one Day. Soon All one Day service will be eliminated in the United  you Are concerned about the proposed rate in crease i urge you to write to Ralph Nader . Box19312, Washington . 20036, today. This is an Issue that will affect All of us for the rest of our lives James Aiello or. Span Dahlem West Germany army suffering from Eye doctor shortage i would like to know Why there is Only one doctor of optometry Eye doctor at Berlin army Hospital there has Only been one for Many Many months now. I m sure the thousands of other people depending on this facility would like to know especially the ones on the 5-month waiting list. Name withheld Berlin editor s note it. Col. William r. Smith animal clinic praised i would like to spread the word about an Organiza Tion of caring professionals at Vogel Weh veterinary clinic animal impound facility. After searching for a suitable dog for our family to adopt including an unsuccessful foray to our local Stierhiem German animal shelter cheerful assistance was provided at Vogel Weh s animal impound facility by knowledgeable compassionate people. As an alternative for those who Are unwilling or unable to Shell out hundreds of dollars for a dog there Are abandoned Loving animals available on deathrow for a nominal fee. These animals will repay you with love and companionship for years to come. By the Way to whoever left Puzzle he is learning to Trust again and we Are very pleased to have him. Judy Lon bad Kreuz Nach West Germany Hanau student reunion set a reunion for former students of Hanau High school will be held in Denver june 29 and 30 and july 1. Contact in West Germany is Helen close at ets 322-8710 or civilian 06181-55717. Contact in the United states is Kathy Ellinger Weston at 303 695-4515 or Larry Martin at 303 794-8085. Jr., surgical consultant he 7th medical come re plies unfortunately for our beneficiaries there is a world wide shortage of optometrists in the army by nearly 36 percent. This shortage is constantly being monitored. Hopefully the civilian health promotion scholarship program will train additional optometrists forthe army and minimize the shortage Over the next few years. There Are Only 25 optometrists presently stationed in All of Usa eur. Regrettably this Means that some areas will suffer shortages. However the Berlin area is slated to have a second optometrist by  will eventually decrease the inconvenience and waiting list. Pen pals i am 20 years old and enjoy singing cooking gardening and writing pen friends. Imelda Zendano new Road Magnao Halason Beach Dumaguet City Negros Oriental Philippines am 25 years old. And my hobbies Are Reading singing listening to music. Cooking and corresponding. Petrona Lindo lot 31, White House housing scheme. Evanton . St. Catherine Jamaica i am 18 years old and enjoy volleyball singing cooking and gardening Nely soils new Road Magnao Halason Beach Dumaguet City. Negros Oriental Philippines am a 28-year-old filipino interested in a pen pal. I am interested in dressmaking. Emma Lucido la Bongon lasing Davao City Philippines 8000 i am 20 years old and would like to have pen pals. Nicer m. Juntilla Tob so Negros Occidental Philippines european edition col. Gene e. Townsend Usan commander editor in chief it. Col. Suzanne l. Phillips Usan Deputy commander editor in chief Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for members of the Nita slices overseas. Contents of the stars and stapes Are not necessarily the official views of. Or endorsed by the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. 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D-6100 Darmstadt 11. West Germany. News bureaus Bremerhaven Germany Ken Clauson building 103. Carl Schurz Cavern Apo 09069. Telephone ets 342-8659 or civilian 0471 -88782 Kaiserslautern germans Deedee Arrngton Doke Peggy David son Lynda Davidson building 2899, Pulaski Barracks Apo 09227-3717. Telephone civilian 0631-52104. Munich Germany Steve Taylor. Building 16, c stairwell 2nd floor Mcgraw Cavern. Soured Apo 09407 Telephone ets 440-7320 or civil Ian 089-690-1800. Nurnberg Germany Vince Crawley Effie Bathen. Building 21. Wil Liam o. Darby Cavern. Apo 09696 Telephone ets 460-7256 or civilian 0911-712563. Stuttgart Germany Joseph Owen. Building 4303, room 201. Wal lace Barracks. Mailing address co Vii corps Fin. Group. Of & to Wallace Barracks Apo 09154 Telephone ets 420-7179 or civilian 0711-542571 Wurzburg. Germany John Millar room 110. River building Apo 09036 Telephone ets 350-4704 or civilian 0931-71569. Dear Ann Landers i never dreamed it could Hap pen to me but it  Well dressed gentleman i met on a plane posed most convincingly As a wealthy texan. Head snapshots of his fabulous ranch and said he wanted to write to me and keep in touch. After his third letter 1 replied. When he received my letter he called me Long distance. We talked for Over an hour. His Sec Ond Call was collect. He had left his credit card in his briefcase the third Call was also collect. He had lost his credit card and it was being reissued three weeks later he flew to Denver to Sec me. He stayed in a lavish suite at the Brown Palace hotel. Atthe beginning of our correspondence he had sent a brochure of a Beautiful horse farm in Kentucky that he said he was negotiating to buy. He invited me to Fly with him to meet the owner and tour the farm. I said i d love  few Days before our scheduled trip he called with the bad news that his Wallet Check Book and credit cards had been stolen from his hotel room. This occurred on Jan. 31. 1990. He said he could t shift funds from his business account or use business credit cards for his personal use because it would t  his new checks he said would not be Avail Able in time. Could i possibly lend him Money for the trip i said of course and went to my credit Union and took out a $5,000 loan. We had a Lovely time i Kentucky and were treated royally. We flew first class stayed in an elegant hotel and had caviar from room  weeks later there were More Long distance Calls still collect which made me suspicious that my Romeo just might be a Eon artist. By then the broker sin Kentucky had the same idea and began a full scale investigation. 1 called the Texas horse breeders association and Board of realtors to Check further. I was told that this fabulous Texas ranch does indeed  had been featured on lifestyles of the Rich and famous but it did not belong to my companion. I have just sent letters documenting my suspicion to the Fri the District attorneys and the police depart ments in Dallas and Houston. 1 Realie that my Story alone won t be enough to Nail this phony but if Ever woman he bilked would come Forward a pattern of fraud would surely surface and the hum would he  will take me 96 payroll deductions to pay Oil the credit Union loan. My phone Hills have put me in there for several months to come. Please Ann warn your readers about men like this. Most women Are to embarrassed to admit that they be been so Gullible so they keep quiet. Their embarrassment and silence  Vides these creeps with their greatest Protection. Please urge them to speak out. Anonymous in Denver dear Denver you Are right about Embarrass Umit and silence work ing to the advantage of these Crooks. Ever woman who has been victimized in this manner should report the incident to the Fri the District attorney and the police department just As you did. Thanks for the Alert. Mean while Don t be too hard on yourself. No experience is a total disaster if you learn from it. Gem of the Day the chances for a piece of bread falling Jelly Side Down is in direct proportion to the Cost of the carpet. C croat ots Syndicate Brussels Belgium David tarment. Into Vional Pioss a Hinloi. 1 Boulevard Charlemagne. Box 45. 1041 Brussels Telephone civilian 003. 238-0967 Mediterranean j King Cruger. Gary Mill and Candida  Naples. Italy Asa Box 56. Ipod 09521. Colophon of au1ovon i b 1 i 10 to 4880 or civilian 0039-81-7 524049 new York City room 401. 252 seventh Avo now York 10001 toll phone 212-620 3333 United kingdom Davd Ouhl. Amy Ouis uni Jones. Build in 4 a Cess us. Raf Mildenhall. Apo 09127. Colophon of Auto on3hto 01 civilian 0638-512226. Washington . William Bartman Janet Howells Titt Moy. Oast a the Pentagon room 21 756. To Dox 4g09b Washington. Do 20050-6095. Colophon of 202 697 6695. Tololah 202-693 63 10 circulation offices Germany Dorlin. Civilian 8331846. 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