European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 27, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Name dropping at the zoo by Jeffrey Bair associated press zoo animals shall be nameless. Celebrities such As the Pittsburgh zoos chuckles the Dolphin and Alphie the Monkey Are stepping out of the limelight As some zoos begin to promote animals As species rather than individuals. To achieve that More zoo officials Are no longer promoting specific animals and a Arentt publicizing animal names says Karen Asis a spokeswoman for the american association of zoological Parks and aquariums. The Pittsburgh zoo stopped naming animals last year. Unnamed animals also Are on the prowl at zoos in Detroit Miami. And Columbia , the Dallas zoo still publicizes popular animals by name but is phasing them out. A the new policy contradicts the goals of zoo marketers who for years humanized such fan favourites As Shamu the killer whale. King Tut the cockatoo and Vanilla Gorilla. Quot we re seeing fewer things like birthday parties Lor animals and that was fairly common 20 or 30 years ago Quot says Michael Hutchins the zoo association s conservation director. Quot people sometimes see wild animals in a zoo As glorified pets and that a whal we re doing when we name  to be sure Many zoos still Are naming animals. The Bronx zoo sought a mate for Rapunzel a hairy Rhino. The National aquarium in Baltimore gave four Beluga whales names in inuit an Eskimo language. William Conway director of the new readers action line York zoological society and its Bronx zoo says names Are practical and id numbers which some zoos depend on Are hard for keepers to remember Quot the Baboons the zebras the elephants a All know each other As individuals. They Are not Little robots or Little machines Quot Conway says. A giving a name to an animal gives it the dignity of life Quot other zoo officials however say names can damage the integrity of a species in the Public Eye. Quot in be never known an individual animal that was As Beautiful As an entire species Quot says Steve Graham director of the Detroit zoo. A in our cult of personality we sometimes forget the goals of a zoo Are to preserve  about 500 of the Pittsburgh zoos 4,000 animals had names when new director Barbara Baker changed the rules last year. A the idea is to have the animals presented As natural not As cutesy things Quot she says. The Bronx zoos Conway predicts that regardless of policy keepers will name their charges and  names will reach the Public anyway. And the Media love a Good yarn about animal antics. Births deaths ailments and especially courtship have been chronicled with Zeal in major american newspapers. A Pittsburgh Post Gazette headline about great apes said a love blossoms Between new  the Arizona Republic went further giving Hazel the Gorilla the a Liz Taylor award for most storied love  Congo her mate was Quot biggest Dud in the lovemaking  publicizing a particular animal can a the idea is to have the animate presented As natural not a cutesy things a says Barbara Baker director of the Pittsburgh zoo seen Here with a zoo Gorilla that is undergoing dental surgery. Interest the Public in a threatened species Hutchins says. For example Nicholas and Alexandra two Snow leopards from Seattle s Woodland Park zoo toured the United states before their deaths to raise funds for Protection of the leopards asian Mountain Homeland. But the celebrity of an animal can complicate Breeding programs and backfire on advertising campaigns. Animals must be transferred among zoos to ensure a diverse Gene Pool and that can anger visitors whose favourites Are moved Hutchins says. Most damaging of All is the death of a zoo animal a Quot the dread of All zoo directors a Conway says. A animals die like you and me. If Rapunzel Dies then that s a news Story. If Rhino 253 Dies that s not so much of a  military have priority at child care centers am writing to obtain a sensible and logically defendable explanation of Why military families have an Quot anytime Quot priority Over civilian families when registering children for child development Center cd enrolment. My wife recently gave birth. Upon learning of my Wile s pregnancy i registered my future child last october for cd care in Hopes of space availability within 12 months time. I was informed several weeks before the baby was bom that my registry will stay in essence far Down the list As any military family with a child stepping off the plane will be placed on the list above my name no matter How Long i have been there. I was informed that this is Usa eur directed policy. I find this policy extremely disturbing As it appears to treat civilian employees As second class citizens. Are we not also essential to Usa eur operations Here both my wife and i Are employed by the . Army in what Are considered As necessary Mission supporting jobs no less than military personnel. If we Are unable to find child care either my wife or myself May have to go on Loop leave without payor be forced out of a Job to take care of the child. Military personnel have the same options As us to obtain qualified care providers in the Community or on the Economy. What would happen say to the single employed civilian Parent looking Tor child care in Short what is the justification for this seemingly biased and unequal treatment Thomas o. Dauer Frankfurt Germany in Linda Shirlea Center based program director he Usa eur child development services cd replies in a sympathetic to your family a inability to Lind child care in your Community. Lower priority Tor civilians is a he a department of the army policy. The current Usa eur Patron priority policy implemented in june 1990, establishes three categories 1, Active duty military 2. Dod department of defense civilian employees and 3. Other eligible patrons. Communities must keep three separate waiting lists. The priority 2 list for Dod civilians May not be used until the priority 1 Active duty military fist is exhausted. The he a eligibility criteria focuses solely on the military population. There is no provision for Dod civilians on stateside waiting lists. Congress allocates funding for child development Center cd construction based on military population. As a result we must also direct our primary support to military members. In Usa eur we have extended this policy to include a waiting list for civilians. We Are aware of difficulties that Are being encountered in some locations where military demand is High however our focus must remain with the military population. Regarding your statement that military and civilians Are Here on a volitional basis military members Are assigned to Usa eur civilians choose their jobs and the locations. Single employed civilian parents must consider their own child care arrangements before they accept an assignment in Usa eur. We appreciate the efforts All Usa eur child care patrons make in support of our Mission. We Are continually looking for new ways to expand child care options and reduce waiting lists to make More services available for All of our customers. Check with your pc centralized registration and referral to keep abreast of new child care options that May come available through family child care or supplemental programs and  Price on cars is not the real Price on june 16 i visited the cafes new car Dealership in Furth. I found a a 1991 Plymouth Sundance red sticker Price $8,700. When i talked to the Chrysler Plymouth sales representative he told me that All the sticker prices were wrong. For me to get the car i wanted it would Cost me $10,500. A so i have to ask the obvious question a what Price does the customer go by i done to know if the car a should sell for the sticker Price and if not Why does cafes not Correct it Russell Brumley v Erlanger Germany in sgt. Maj. Michel j. Bolduc he cafes Europe a sergeant major replies i m sorry the sales representative failed to explain. The sticker Price you see is the manufacturer s suggested retail Price which is what a customer would pay for the car if bought in the United states. The cafes new car sales program actually Sells the car at a lower Cost than the sticker Price. But you must add to the cafes new car sales Price the preparation charges and the Cost of shipping the car to Furth Germany a this accounts for the difference Between the sticker Price and the Price the sales representative quoted you. We be asked the Headquarters of overseas military sales group to Tell their car representatives to fully explain this to All customers. To write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don i know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes. Apo 09211-4211. All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Page 16 a the stars and stripes saturday july 27, 1991