European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 b the stars and stripes saturday december 14, 1991 at a glance f residents of the 27 northernmost counties Are hoping to turn their portion of California into the nations 51st state. The picture above is an Aerial View of Malibu Calif. See Story on pages 14-15. Bush welcomes hostages president Bush saluted five former . Hostages thursday and proclaimed at a festive Christmas tree lighting ceremony that Quot americans prayers were answered when these men came Home to  a Page 4 put Baghdad on watch warning that Iraq is hiding some nuclear capabilities the chairman of the House armed services committee is urging Bush to resume combat air patrols Over Baghdad. A Page 5 challenger tape withheld a Federal judge has refused to order the Public release of the audio tape of the last moments of the seven astronauts who died aboard the space shuttle challenger. A Page 6 Keating in prison former Lincoln savings owner Charles Keatingjr. Was led away in chains to Federal prison after he was charged with racketeering a Page 7 Disney announces plans Walt Disney co. Will expand in Anaheim with a second theme Park six times the size of Disneyland. A Page 8 Maxwell probe widens the official investigation of publisher Robert Maxwell s furtive finances has widened to include possibly illegal Stock purchases. A Page 17 Ibex 1 Abby Ann Landers 19 action line.16 comics.19-21 commentary.13 crossword .19 faces a places .18 letters .12 Money matters.17 sports.22-28 to listings.27 weather.11republics from Page 1 Commonwealth even if offered a ceremonial Job. A i do not see myself As guest of Honor at a wedding a he said. Gorbachev is seeking to preserve a single state with a Central government in Moscow. The Commonwealth would make each of the republics fully Independent although they would share control Over nuclear weapons. Presidential spokesman Andrei Grachev said Friday that Gorbachev was satisfied that the process of creating the Commonwealth was constitutional and that the new Structure could help avoid conflicts Between republics. But Grachev also said Gorbachev intends to resign a was a matter of principles if a majority of the 12 remaining soviet republics joined the Commonwealth. A source close to Gorbachev said he a Likely would make a Farewell speech As soon As the parliaments of at least seven republics ratify the Commonwealth agreement. It was not Clear How quickly that would happen but the russian information Agency reported that Gorbachev would be on the Job monday for a visit by . Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii. Baker said Friday he will discuss the safety of nuclear weapons and humanitarian needs on the trip which begins today but a we must not inject ourselves into the nations political revolution. In a news conference at the White House Bayci said that so far a we have not seen any changes in nuclear command and control that alarm us As the soviet Union splinters. A but we do have a National Security interest in seeing that these transformations take place in a manner that does not increase the risk from a nuclear standpoint a he added. Baker said Yeltsin had spoken by Tele soviets from Page 1 soviet Union is a difficult one no doubt a said defense Secretary Dick Cheney. Quot its difficult for those of us on the outside to know specifically who Speaks for that changing evolving entity that used to be the soviet  soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze was invited to the first meeting of the North Atlantic cooperation Council next week in Brussels. The Council was created by nato Heads of state and government last month in Rome to develop stronger ties with the former Warsaw pact nations. Worner said he still expects Shevardnadze to attend. A now As to who he wants to bring along he has to decide a Worner said. A your information is that they Are at this very moment trying to come up with a solution to that  Worner met later in the Day with Gennady Burbulis Deputy prime minister of Russia one of the republics that United to form the Commonwealth sunday in Minsk. According to a nato statement Burbulis assured Worner that the nuclear weapons would remain under a single authority and that the Minsk agreement reduced the risk of confrontation. Phone with president Bush for 25 minutes earlier Friday and gave him an update on his efforts to forge a Commonwealth of Independent states. Lawmakers in the three slavic republics that formed the Commonwealth last sunday a the russian federation byelorussian and the Ukraine a voted overwhelmingly this week to ratify the pact. But the Legislatures of Kazakhstan and the statement did not say whether Burbulis asked to Send representatives from the commonwealths republics to the cooperation Council meeting. Until leadership of the soviet Union is clarified Cheney suggested that discussions should take place both with leaders in the Central government and at the Republic level. In recent months All meetings Between the United states and the soviet Union regarding defense initiatives have included representatives from byelorussian Russia the Ukraine and Kazakhstan Cheney said. Although largely overshadowed by concerns regarding the sudden events in the Home of the alliances former enemy the defense ministers also approved military guidance for implementing the new nato strategy. The Post cold War strategy Calls for smaller highly Mobile forces that can respond to crises that might erupt in nato territory. They also approved a new streamlined command Structure for the Alliance. The plan reduces the number of major nato commands from three to two eliminating Allied come Channel and leaving european and Atlantic commands. It also split the european command into Southern Central and Northwestern subordinate commands and called for reorganizing the Central Region s five commands into two one for land forces and one for sea forces. The predominantly Muslim republics of Central Asia May take a week or More to debate the agreement. A i Hope that this will be the last treaty of the Independent states. As far As Gorbachev is concerned its time for him to Stop making hysterical warnings about imminent bloodshed and great misfortune a said Kazakhstan president Nur Sultan  from Page 1 detailing How Job losses will be handled. The association holds bargaining rights for teachers in the Region. The agreement obligates the Germany schools to first eliminate locally hired temporary teachers before permanent staff Are let go. Joseph Blackstead the Germany Region director said he has already announced the teacher cuts for january which he said Are strictly linked to declining enrolments. Because of expected decline in enrolment a fall new locally hired teachers were employed on a Tempo Ray basis with the provision that they not work past the last Day of the first semester a or Jan. 24, 1992, unless extended by that Date he said. The loss of teachers will mean some adjustments in classrooms and student placements Blackstead said. However school principals have been asked to keep the disruption of classes and movement of students to a minimum he said. A if students must change classes because of staffing reductions it is my goal to limit such changes to one at the semester break,.Blackstead said. A it is not my intent to Cut any programs or special  Blackstead said he will work with army and air Force officials to identify schools that May close. School officials announced previously that Munich elementary and Munich High school will close at the end of the school year and Blackstead did not Rule out the possibility of other closures. Blackstead said firing 200 teachers a is not an easy thing to  he offered his a sincere regrets to those teachers who will lose full time positions and asked that they consider serving the school system As substitute teachers. Georgia Williams Scaife the director of the Atlantic Region said no teacher reductions were planned in the Region at the semester break. The Atlantic Region includes schools in England Belgium and the Netherlands. A spokesman for the Mediterranean Region said school officials there anticipate to significant change in the work Force Over the next two  from Page 1 tary commissary Only 45 percent of the time. Earlier surveys did not accurately reflect actual commissary use because the studies were conducted Only in and around military facilities. A the earlier surveys missed the people that Seldom use the military facilities which turns out to be a substantial number a Pomeroy said. A so people paying More for Marke Basket items in the United states reduces that differential with overseas shoppers and ultimately Lowers the overseas Cost of living  More convenient shopping hours and Shorter waiting times were some of the major reasons cited by military shoppers in the United states for using civilian grocery stores the Survey found. However perhaps because of the Lack of american products in foreign stores a living pattern Survey of overseas members found that 70 percent of those stationed in Germany and an average of 65 percent of All overseas service members use commissaries said Navy capt. Dick Tangeman the director of the per diem committee staff. Other information considered in the Survey was a Price list of 84 Marke Basket items ranging from food and toiletries to car care and video equipment to determine the Normal costs for military members in the United states said coast guard cmdr. Bob Dodge of the defense departments compensation office. A the Survey measured the higher costs Many service members Are paying in stateside supermarkets As opposed to overseas commissaries and the new allowance will make up for that difference a Pomeroy said. 1 overseas cola is meant to compensate those stationed in foreign countries for the additional costs they face based on what stateside service members pay for similar goods and services he added. Actually the stateside Survey results supported a four Index Point decrease in overseas cola the Pentagon release said but officials voted to moderate the changes Impact by limiting the reduction to Only two Points. Another Survey of military stateside living patterns will be conducted next fall Dodge said. The results along with foreign currency fluctuations will again be used to determine overseas cola. The weakening Dollar will also mean an increase in december of the overseas housing allowance at most overseas locations officials said. The housing allowance a based on reported expenses of housing overseas a military members rank number of dependents and location a is not expected to change during 1992, unless Exchange rates fluctuate dramatically officials said