European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 10, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and stripes Friday August 10,1990 news updates Houston Oil spill Houston apr the coast guard began to Cut Back Crews thursday As the cleanup of a 700,000-gallon Oil spill in Galveston Bay nears an end. Coast guard chief Petty officer Rich Muller said Salvage Crews were sopping up remaining pockets of sludge near Houston Point in the Bay s northernmost part. Other Crews meanwhile continue to take apart a battered Barge that remained outside the Houston ship Channel. Once the Barge is severed the coast guard plans to reopen the ship Channel to two Way deep draft ship traffic for the first time since the Accident. Dart Man trial new York apr the Man accused of being the Dart Man who Thot pins into women a buttocks was found mentally competent to stand trial. But the charges were downgraded from felonies to misdemeanours and he was freed on bail. Criminal court judge John Walsh released Jerome Wright 33, on $1,000 bail wednesday. The reduced charges mean Wright would face Only a year in jail if convicted on a weapons Possession charge said Colleen Roche spokeswoman for the District attorneys office. She would not explain Why the charges were reduced. Police believe Wright used a Blowgun to fire homemade darts fashioned from pins and paper at 55 women All wearing skirts. In finds mismanagement waste at Fey Randy Mcclain financial writer n a six month investigation by the do Jar tent of defense inspector general has bund the waste of several Hundred thou Serviceman a wife held in slaying of daughter Karlsruhe West Grimany a amps a the Wile of an american Scricc member is being held by West German police in connection with the strangulation of her infant daughter a spokeswoman for the Karlsruhe military Community said thursday. Medical officials determined that the child was bom Between 5 30 and 6 40 . July 30 at the woman a Home in Paul Revere Village. That morning West German police and criminal investigation come agents responded to a Call from a neighbor that the baby had been born. When the investigators arrived the Mother was being attended by a West German doctor from the local West German emergency services. The doctor declared the baby dead however information was not available As to when the baby died. The Mother was taken to a West German Hospital and released saturday. Results of an autopsy performed by a  German medical team july 31 at the Lan Stuhl army regional medical Center have not been released. When investigators questioned the Mother tuesday she confessed to intentionally strangling her daughter said the Community spokeswoman Ruth Dyal. The american woman the wife of an army member stationed in Karlsruhe has been in the custody  West German police since the confession. Police and american agents Are continuing the investigation. Dyal said. No other information was available she said. The time of a memorial service for spec. Naion l. Heeler was incorrectly Rcpt la e tiday. T he Sere tee wiil be held Roo ii tuesday in the Sheridan Casein pm Pel Al Augsburg. West germans Sand dollars in operating funds favouritism in hiring and other examples of mismanagement at the stars and stripes. An edited version of the report which was made Public late wednesday makes recommendations aimed at streamlining the newspaper and reducing its payroll. According to sources who read the original report it also recommended that the newspapers commander and editor in chief col. Gene e. Townsend disc Siline managing editor Mert Proctor and Bur other top supervisors. The newspaper has 60 Days to file a written response with the in Townsend said. The Ign a investigation began after William Bartman a staff writer at the new spa a cry a Washington Bureau made 17 allegations detailing fraud waste and abuse in a nov. 6 letter to Gen. John r. Galvin commander of the . European come. Bartman was fired in april in a separate incident that involved his lying to a supervisor about sources for a news article. However Bartman maintained that he was fired because he had blown the whistle on mismanagement at stripes in Europe and censorship of the news at the Pacific stars  in Tokyo. A second in investigation upheld the dismissal and the results of that inquiry also were released late wednesday. The Ign a inquiry in Europe was expanded Early this year to cover 26 allegations Only nine of which investigators said they could fully substantiate. Among the allegations that the in found to of accurate a employees on stripes news desk which edits articles designs news pages and writes headlines have worked 5 v2 to six hours per Day while receiving pay for eight hours for at least the past 13 years. The in estimated that More than $500,000 had been paid out in salaries for work not performed Over that period. The in added that amount was a conservative estimate based on a one shift operation. The news desk normally operates two shifts. A stripes management proceeded with plans to buy a new offset printing press unit from a sole source the German supplier Koenig amp Bauer at a Cost of $5.5 million without fully exploring other less expensive options. Towmsend said the newspaper still feels the German unit is the Best buy and he said stripes intends to seek permission once again from the department of defense to go ahead with the Purchase. A the stars and stripes is overstaffed and an annual savings of $ 1.7 million could be realized by eliminating 44 jobs. Townsend said the newspaper agrees it can make do with fewer employees especially in Light of impending troop cuts in Europe. He said a selective hiring freeze implemented in May has already resulted in 10 positions being eliminated and attrition can be used to make further cuts a the stripes pm edition had lost at least $100,000 a year since its inception in february 1988. Investigators said the pm an afternoon edition with late night sports scores from the United states should be discontinued. The pm ceased publication on july 13. A the managing editor allowed favouritism to play a role in employment decisions at least once. The report said he named an air Force enlisted member As City editor in 1984, even though that Job was normally filled by civilians. Quot the placement of a military member in the position for other than a temporary period constituted a violation of policy and had the effect of denying employment to qualified civilians a the in report stated. The service member served for three years and then was hired As a civilian to fill the position after retirement from the military. The report quoted personnel rules that prohibit a position from being held open for a retiring member of the uniformed services Quot to provide that person with a preferential Opportunity to apply for or be  however the report noted that the initial hiring of the individual As a civilian was correctly approved under army regulations by the then commander of stars and stripes. The report further noted that a 1989 manpower Survey conducted by a Usa eur Agency stated that the Job of assistant managing editor for training research and resources which the employee later filled in August 1987, was not needed. The in report said the establishment of the position May have resulted in the unnecessary expenditure of some $80,000 in salary and benefits. A the establishment of a computer applications position by the managing editor resulted in the unnecessary expenditure of More than $20,000 in salary and benefits. A former department of defense dependents schools teacher was hired As training instructor for computer applications. The in said the sex teacher did not have specialized experience in computer programming to handle a portion of the Job requiring the development of a computer program for storing and retrieving photographs. The in said that Job could have been done with a commercial software package that Cost $95. The report recommended that both positions be eliminated. A stripes editors should have some degree of Choice in deciding which military members arc assigned to the newspaper As reporters. Stripes has both civilian and military reporters but the military members Are usually assigned by their Branch of the service with Little or no input from editors. The in report was met with mixed reviews thursday. Townsend said the newspaper intends Quot to take our Medicine get better and move into the future stronger a Little tougher and a Little a scr i intend to use this report As a Road map to help me implement some very difficult  Townsend declined to comment on any pending disciplinary actions. However the sources said Townsend is considering three Day suspensions without pay for four news desk supervisors who allowed other employees to leave work Early. The edited report also recommended that disciplinary action be taken for the establishment of the assistant managing editor and computer training slots. The sources said disciplinary action also was recommended against the managing editor for what the in called Quot time and attendance abuse on the news desk. The managing editor declined to comment on the matters covered by the in investigation. Quot i will respond to the allegations in the proper forum a Proctor said. Bartman who instigated the in s inquiry said he was somewhat pleased by the in report on stripes. A it sounds like the investigators worked hard and got what they could a Bartman said adding that he will continue to push for what he termed other evidence of fraud waste and abuse to be presented to Congress. However Bartman said the in report that upheld his firing was a a Whitewash a and added that he is considering filing suit against the department of defense to overturn his dismissal. The in report on Bartmann a firing concluded that he was dismissed for lying to his civilian supervisor regarding his sources for a news article on air Force base closings in Europe. The in directed that a stay of his dismissal which had been in effect since april 6, be lifted by the director of administration and management office of the Secretary of defense. Bartman was officially separated from stripes employ on july 20. Townsend received the in report last month but the edited versions were not made Public until wednesday. The Public copies were edited by the in with names some titles and some other details blacked out. Ngo charged with theft after car Chase Ramstein a West Germany sols a an army sergeant w to allegedly tried to steal $850 Worth of cigarettes from the Ramstein commissary led police on a High Speed Chase through a housing area before crashing his car into an oncoming patrol vehicle. The Soldier whose name was not released was captured and charged with larceny and reckless driving after the tuesday night incident. An army civil Ian worker was detained As an accessory on the same charges said staff sgt. Doyle Tillman a base spokesman. No one was injured in the collision. A Security specialist for the commissary system alleges that the two each put two half cases of cigarettes in shopping carts and covered the carts with cardboard they found elsewhere in the store. They then tried to walk out with the carts through a staffed checkout lanes. Store officials confronted the sergeant then called Security police. However the sergeant tied to a car before authorities arrived leaving the second suspect at the store. The civilian suspect ran for a nearby wooded area but was caught by a Security police canine team soon after. Authorities believe alcohol May have been a contributing Factor in the incident which is under investigation by . And West German authorities. 2 museums in Paris reopen after 5 weeks Laris Al a authorities thursday said two Laris museums have been reopened to individual visitors five weeks after such visits were barred at five museums because of Art thefts. The Eben museum will be open wednesday through saturday from 2 .10 to 4 ., with visits i imbued to about 45 minutes the French museum directorate said. The Jean Jacques Henner museum will admit individual visitors at 3  On wednesdays saturdays and sunday the communique said. Quot soil closed to the Public except for special visits arranged in Advance Are the Delacroix Gustave Moreau and Enn Ery museums. The order to restrict Access to the five Small museums was issued july 5 after paintings were stolen from the Herbert and two larger Paris my Cums a the l ouvre and the Cam Valet