European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 b the stars and stripes thursday november 21, 1991housing project to ease Simonella crunch by j. King Cruger Mediterranean Bureau construction under Way on a 500-unit family housing project for Nas Simonella Sicily will help relieve the naval air stations acute housing shortage. A right now we have 700 fewer government housing units than we need. The new housing will go a Long Way toward solving our housing shortage. It will be a great help to us a it. Mark Mccaffrey is Gonella a spokesman said tuesday. The contract Calls for the project to be completed no later than March 31, 1993, but phased occupancy will take place sooner As the units Are completed. Currently Navy families qualifying for government quarters at Simonella face an 18-Inonth waiting list before moving into one of the installations 309 leased or 129 on base units. One of the existing leased housing areas is located across from Nas i which houses support activities such As the commissary and schools. The other is 28 Miles away at Costanzo North of the City of Catania. There has been an acute housing shortage at Simonella for some years As the increasingly important base at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean experienced rapid growth. Simonella currently has an Active duty population of 3,251 men and women. Groundbreaking for the Blue Bay housing project started in february and construction of its primary roads and underground utilities is expected to be finished by the end of the year Mccaffrey said. The project is located outside the town of Brucoli about a 35-minute drive Southeast of Nas ii is Gonella a operational base. The Hillside site overlooks the ionian Sej and is within walking distance of a Beach Mccaffrey said. Original plans called for the project to have Only 200 units but the installation received congressional approval in july to increase that number to 500 units Mccaffrey said. Half of the units will have two bedrooms 35 percent will have three bedrooms and the remainder will have four bedrooms Mccaffrey said. Ninety percent of the units will be for enlisted personnel and the rest for officers. Construction of the actual buildings a a mix of town houses duplexes and some single dwellings a is expected to Start in the new year. All the units in Blue Bay housing will have Central heating single car garages washers dryers and Kitchen appliances including dishwashers Mccaffrey said. The Navy has an option to add another 500 units to the project and to lease the housing area for As Long As 30 years. Its current contract with the projects sicilian builders Serman corp., specifies that the Navy will lease the quarters for 10 years at a fixed Price of $18,040 per unit per year Mccaffrey said. He added that the Cost is less than the ceiling of $20,000 per year set by Congress for such leased  ballots cast by military Rise in Louisiana by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a the bitterly contested and widely publicized gubernatorial election in Louisiana on saturday produced record voter turnouts within the state and prompted a marked increase in the number of military Absentee ballots cast officials say. No statistical breakdowns Are available yet but officials said 551 military Absentee ballots were cast in the general election pitting Democrat Edwin Edwards against Republican David Duke who has past associations with the Kun flux klan and nazism. In comparison 208 military Absentee ballots were returned in 1990 a a congressional election year. In 1989, when elections were held for state and local offices 24 military Absentee ballots were cast. In the last state gubernatorial election in 1987, 341 military Absentee ballots were returned said Shine Domingue assistant commissioner of elections for Louisiana. Edwards who served in three previous scandal tainted terms As governor trounced Duke who was re of mediated by president Bush and other National re pub ican leaders by a margin of 61 percent to 39 percent. Domingue said the a a unprecedented worldwide attention Given to the election was responsible for the High number of ballots cast among All segments of the states voter population. A no doubt about it a he said. A the publicity fuelled this turnout. We had Media covering the election from All Over a not just Here but from Japan England Germany you name  Many voters including some who cast Absentee ballots made it known that they weren to particularly Happy with either candidate he said. A we had a lot of people Contact us to ask if they had to vote for governor to validate their ballot which had five other statewide offices on it a Domingue said. A the answer is no a your votes for the other offices on the ballot still count even if you did no to pick one of the candidates for  status of forces talks called no threat to living standards by de Reavis staff writer High level talks involving american and european negotiations will produce minimal changes in the daily live Sash americans attached to Allied forces in Europe a . Embassy spokesman says. A articles in the press have raised fears that the talks could have Adverse Impact on the living standards and a Quality of life of United states militant personnel in Germany a spokesman Neal Walsh said. A a Butl one Point made by participants in the talks is that the goal of the discussion will be to maintain Quality of life for personnel stationed in  the latest talks were adjourned nov. 14 and Are scheduled to resume Early next year. Walsh said the negotiators Are revising the supplement to the nato status of forces agreement Between Germany and nations with troops stationed there. Germany requested the revision in Light of the recent political changes in Europe including German unification. The supplement with Germany was signed aug. 3, 1959, Ana does not affect . Forces stationed in other european countries Walsh said. The supplement details 83 areas regulating everyday life of the Allied forces in Germany. These areas include taxes vehicle registration gasoline prices Low level flying labor Laws postal rates telecommunications and building codes. Working groups representing the United states Britain Canada France Belgium and the Netherlands Are working with German officials to redefine the statutes. Nelson Ledsky of the state department is heading the . Delegation. Representatives from the state department defense department european come . Army Europe and . Air forces Europe Are attending the sessions. Talks began sept. 5, and discussions focused on Maneu vers property rights and traffic control said a German foreign ministry official who asked to remain Anonymous. He gave no other details. He said the november meetings involved other areas but he declined to be More specific. The discussions Are being held in Bonn Germany under the auspices of the foreign ministry. Dod has t Given up on Croton by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a the Pentagon Isnit ready to throw in the Towel yet on building a new air base at Croton Italy according to a defense department official. A a we la probably revisit it in the fiscal 1993 budget to see if we can satisfy congressional requirements a said the official who asked not to be identified. This years defense authorization and appropriations Bills once again denied All funding for the base meant to House the 401st fighter Wing which has begun vacating its longtime Home at Torrejon a Spain. The air Force has revised its original construction plan once trimming some costly support facilities to lower the original Price tag estimated at More than $800 million. 6�?T but congressional critics of the project such As rep. Patricia Schroeder d-colo., and sen. Jim Sasser d-tenn., Are still not satisfied and want the base construction plan pared Down even More.6 teens around Germany join ranks of Eagle scouts by the stars and stripes the following Young men in Germany have joined the ranks of the Eagle scouts the highest award in boy scouting. To earn the Eagle scout award a scout must fulfil requirements in leadership service and outdoor skills. This includes earning at least 21 Merit badges and completing a Community service project. The new Eagle scouts and their projects Are a John Maddock 17. The son of Pat and Chris Maddock John is a Junior at Ramstein High school. When a buildup of Silt and erosion from a nearby Stream caused flooding at Ramstein Abs outdoor Archery Range John dedicated More than 100 hours to solving the problem and restoring the Range. John is a member of troop 156 at Ramstein a and has been involved in scouting for seven years. A Brandon lovin 14. The son of senior master sgt. Stephen and staff sgt. Harriet lovin Brandon is a freshman at Baum older High school. He planted 1,050 Hardwood Trees a Ash Maple Oak and Cherry a in an area near Birkenfeld that was devastated by windstorms in 1989. Brandon is a member of troop 104 in Neu Briecke and has been involved in scouting for four years. A Peter Mcclellan 13. The son of Richard and Susan Mcclellan Peter is an eighth grader at Pitburg Middle school. He and his father arranged with the mayor of the German Village of Ober Weis for Peter to restore a Fountain there. With his troops assistance the scout repaired the Village landmark. Peter is a member of troop 460 in Pitburg and has been involved in scouting for five years. A Joshua Sheehan 15. The son of Gerald and Theresa Sheehan Joshua is a Sophomore at Vilseck High school. He provided printed materials and information about the Organ donor program to More than 8,000 people. He also used videos and presentations to increase Public awareness of the Organ donor process and benefits of the program. Joshua is a member of troop 240 in Vilseck and has been involved in scouting for four years. A David Maclachlan 16. The son of David and Helga Maclachlan David is in his first year of Trade school in Bac Neustadt where he is studying to be a Carpenter. He supervised the construe Tion of a Fence around the Wil Flecker housing area to ensure the safety of Chil Dren and residents plants. David is a member of troop 251 in Wil Flecken and has been involved in scouting for five years. A Joshua Rees 16. The son of Jame and Robin Rees Joshua is a Sophomore at Nurnberg High school. He collected magazines for waiting rooms at the army Hospital in Nurnberg and paperback books to Send to military units serving in operation desert storm in the persian Gulf. Joshua is a member of troop 103 in Nimberg and has been involved in scouting for eight years