European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 12, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes a Page 11ann Landers i Tad to write and Tell you of a wonderful thing that Hap ined As a direct result of one of a columns. Lam the Mother of two children the oldest an 8-Vear-old boy who is severely Han sapped. He was bom with a crippling birth defect known As Arthog Rypokis. Travis has limited use of his. Hands arms feet and legs. After eight Sura Cal procedures him walk not very fast nor very far but he gets around although he is very bight and outgoing Travis was still heavily dependent on those around him. He hated not being on his own. When he went to of Hool he had to have an aide. When he went to birth Xiv parties he had to be accompanied by his father or me i done to have to Tell you How tiresome he found it to be constantly surrounded by adults. Then three years ago you ran a letter from someone whose Uncle had died and left him $5,000. Your Reader was looking for a worthy Charity to donate the Money to. Your response was Brief. A canine companions for Independence trains dogs to assist the physically handicapped a you said and then gave the address. That response changed the course of my songs life. We applied to the organization for a dog and after a 2-year wait cosmic a 2-year-old Labrador retriever came into our lives. Cosmic actually picks Travis up when he Falls opens doors for him turns on lights pulls his wheelchair gets objects too High for him to reach and picks up whatever he drops. She is truly an amazing animal. This year Travis goes to school with no aide. He needs Only cosmic by his Side. This would be enough but cosmic does More. For the first time in his life Travis is the envy of his friends and classmates. Instead of sitting on the sidelines As he once did thinking a i wish i could do that a his friends now watch Travis and cosmic and say a wow Isnit that something a so successful a team Are they that Travis and cosmic have been named 1990 National ambassadors for canine companions for Independence. This has done wonders for our songs self esteem. Asked How cosmic has changed his life Travis told one interviewer a Well i guess you might say i done to feel handicapped  i can to begin to Tell you what those words mean to me. People everywhere see these two together and come away with an entirely different attitude about dogs and the disabled. What an incredible contribution for an 8-year-old in a sorry this letter is so Long Ann but there is so much to say and i just  leave anything out. These dogs change the lives of disabled people so dramatically that those who have not experienced it cannot fully understand. Please keep spreading the word. Somewhere out there is a disabled person who is Only a dog away from a full and rewarding life. You have it within your Power to change things. I know you changed our lives and we cannot thank you enough. With sincerest gratitude a Kay Stout Marathon Fla. Dear Kay Stout thank you for an Opportunity to ask my big hearted readers once again to help this terrific organization. Please please Send whatever you can spare to canine companions for Independence. The address is . Box 446, Santa Rosa Calif. 95402-0446. There Are four training centers around the country. Ltd creators Syndicate letters a Reader asks about chemicals on produce a recent Donahue show raised the Issue of pesticides used on fruits and vegetables and the serious health threats these chemicals pose for Consumers a especially children. I would like to know if the commissaries have information about How produce is treated and which pesticides Are used so we can at least be knowledgeable about the risks. In addition a do the commissaries offer organically grown produce a fruits and vegetables grown without chemicals a As an alternative for Consumers who wish to decrease these chemicals in our diet Many of these chemicals Are systemic and cannot just be washed off. A Katherine Frandsen Stuttgart West Germany editors note a we received two replies to this letter. The first is from col. John c. Barck chief veterinary services he. 7th medical come thank you for your inquiry concerning the 7th medical come veterinary service pesticide testing program for fresh fruits and vegetables. 7th medical come ensures that fruit and vegetables comply with both . Food and drug administration and Federal Republic of Germany regulations for allowable pesticides and tolerances. 7th medical come veterinary inspectors select bimonthly samples of different fruits and vegetables that arrive at the defense subsistence storage facility a Kaiserslautern. They Forward these samples to the department of veterinary Medicine at the . Army 10th medical Laboratory which screens them for common pesticides used on fruits and vegetables in Europe. Small lots of fruits and vegetables purchased from produce terminal markets for direct delivery to commissaries must comply with Host nation and european Community standards. The items Are inspected at the terminal Market by . Army veterinary personnel they Are also subject to pesticide screening. To Date no tested fruit or vegetable has exceeded tolerance action Levels. Should Laboratory testing identify a fruit or vegetable above regulatory agencies tolerance 7th medical come would initiate actions to recall and condemn the item coordinate a Public service announcement about the item and the risk involved and notify the Host country of Laboratory findings. Depending upon the circumstances additional surveillance sampling May be performed or the supplier May be suspended by the procurement Agency. The second reply is from col. William j. Flanagan jr., commander defense subsistence Region Europe As the commander of the defense subsistence Region Europe dare it is my ultimate goal to provide High Quality and completely wholesome fresh fruits and vegetables to the soldiers airmen sailors mid Dod civilians located throughout the european Region. In surveying the dare produce operations at the terminal markets in Stuttgart Saa Brucken Munich Frankfurt Nimberg the Hague and London we have found limited supplies of organically grown produce. Our buyers normally do not procure these items for two main reasons. First there has been no demand for organically grown produce brought to my attention since i assumed command of dare almost two years ago. Second it is the dare policy to Purchase produce items according to the Best valued method where Quality will always take precedence. In the limited experience that we have with organically grown produce the outer appearance is mostly far below the standards for the fresh fruits and vegetables that we Purchase. In addition the Price of organically grown produce is significantly higher. In the procurement Field regardless of the product commodity anything is obtainable for a Price and organically grown produce is no exception. We realize that people who Purchase organically grown produce understand prices will be considerably higher and visual aesthetics will be somewhat lower than regular produce items. If there is sufficient demand for organically grown produce we could Purchase these items pending availability and in keeping with Quality standards. 1 would encourage those people interested in this product to Contact their local commissary management who have the Overall responsibility for determining item selection in the commissary system. The defense subsistence Region Europe will buy what commissary management requests. A questions raised about army regulation the St Jug Lpes 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 military services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of advertising in this publication including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department of detente or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for Purchase use or patronage without regard to race color religion sex National origin age marital status physical Handicap political affiliation or any other non Merit Factor of the purchaser user or Patron. Main office switchboard 06155-6010. Ets 348-5741 or 5823. For departments dial 06155-601 plus Extension or ets 348-8 plus the Extension. Please clarify for me Why a military unit cannot place male and female soldiers in the same room when in Garrison and yet Force these same male and female soldiers to share the same tent in the Field. Arentt there army regulations about this and Isnit it a bit much for soldiers to be placed in a situation which makes them feel uncomfortable merely because someone higher up does no to see the need to transport and or put up More tents. To be specific i refer to a the situation during reformer �?T90 where the 207th i be Hhd erected two up med tents a one for Junior enlisted personnel one for senior where were umbrellas the picture in a recent edition of the stars and stripes of people in Bismarck n.d., praying for rain was very interesting. Not one person brought their umbrella with them Oye of Little Faith. A Norm Robinson Izmir Turkey news ext. 237, 255, 282,226,326. Sports ext. 225, 269,263.332, 321,221. Features ext. 230, 245 or 341. Letters to editor ext. 208. Education Jimi Jones ext. 226. Medicine Janet d Agostino ext. 230. Business Randy Mcclain ext. 326. Advertising display ext. 247 or 309. Classified ext. 349. Telex 419-332. Tel fax 06155-601376. Mailing address Apo 09211-4211 or Postrach 11 14 37, 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 Germany Deedee Arrington Doke Peggy 1davidson, 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 civilian 089-690-1800. Nornberg. Germany Vince Crawley. Effie Bathen building 21, William o. Darby Cavern Apo 09696 Telephone ets 460-7256 or civilian 0911-712563. Stuttgart Germany Joseph Owen building 4303, room 201. Wallace Barracks. Mailing address co Vii corps Fin. Group of amp 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. Cos both to House both male and female soldiers. The Lack of consideration for these soldiers for privacy while doing things such As washing or changing is although horrendous typical of the Way things Are handled in this unit. When soldiers in the unit voiced a protest they were informed that the number of females did not warrant any More tents and to make do. This was not the first time this kind of a situation has occurred Here. During an exercise last year a female no was forced to stay in an All male tent because no one in authority Felt the need for a separate tent for a just one  the amazing thing is that Many of the High ranking officers manage to get their own tents. Why not double up a few majors or lieutenant colonels so female enlisted can have their own tents or even a Why not mix Junior enlisted and senior cos a just for the Field exercise and make one tent All male and one All female and please a if you know a Way of enlisting this brigade into the . Army that a takes care of soldiers please let someone know. 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