European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday december 24, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 7ringing in Christmas playing Santa Claus for a very special occasion Kirk Larsen of Albany ore., persuades accepted his marriage proposal. Larsen arranged to be Santa at Albanys heritage Hall Kim Ropp to sit on his Lap gives her an engagement ring then kisses her alter she on Friday As a Way to Surprise his  Nino should be major Factor this Winter by Randolph e. Schmid the associated press Washington a there Are blizzards in the upper Midwest floods in Kentucky and drought in California a just another typical Winter in the United states. The National weather services Winter forecast a covering december january and february a Calls for cold wet weather in the South and Milder than Normal conditions to the North. But Quot mild is a relative thing in places like International Falls minn., where frigid Winter weather is Normal. Cold and wet May mean either snowstorms or just More rain and colder than Normal weather along the Southeastern coast. For millions of people Winter arrives with a Calendar notice of the solstice the shortest Day of the year dec. 22 or 23. This year the season began at 3 54 . Est sunday. Meteorologists count dec. I As the Start of Winter. They like most people know that weather Best determines the season. Predicting what Winter will bring can be a risky Busi Ness. While some May count on government forecasts others consult the old Farmer s almanac or measure the Width of bands on caterpillars. Even the covering of onions can Tell the weather to come at least in folklore s rhyme Quot onion skins very thin mild Winter coming in. Onion skins very Tough Winters coming cold and  City dwellers tired of shovelling driveways and paying heating Bills May be perplexed by Farmers Praise for cold and Snow. Quot year of Snow year of plenty Quot goes an old English proverb. And in Germany there is a saying that it is better to Sec a Wolf at the door in february than a peasant in shirt sleeves. Farmers know that Snow will Aid crops when it melts in Spring and it forms a Blanket shielding the land and developing seeds from the bitter cold. A warm spell in Winter can cause plants to Bud Only to be killed by the next icy blast. This years Winter forecast combines the most recent information on climate changes induced by the Al Niho Southern oscillation Phenomena with traditional comparisons of recent weather and similar years in the past. The developing Al Nino a periodic warming of the water in the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean should be a major Factor this Winter. James Wagner of the Federal climate analysis Center in Camp Springs md., said warm moist air from that water is rising into Clouds and forming storms that displace the upper level Jet Stream and can affect weather far into the United states. Sometimes the presence of an Al Nino brings Strong storms ashore on the West coast As happened in 198283, Wagner said. That would be Good news for drought plagued California. But the mild Al Nino in 1986-87 did t help the state so Relief Isnit guaranteed. Al Nino should ensure a wet wintry season in the Southeast and Southwest Wagner said. In the Midwest where Winter usually Means cold and Snow the Overall forecast is for relatively mild weather. Two time Nasa Leader Dies from cancer at 72 Washington apr James c. Fletcher who reluctantly agreed to head Nasa for a second time after the challenger Accident in 1986, died sunday of cancer a Nephew said. He was 72. Bill Fletcher of Provo Utah said his father flew to Washington on saturday and was Able to spend several hours with his brother before he died sunday evening. Fletcher who had lived in suburban Mclean va., since his most recent retirement from the National aeronautics and space administration served on the boards of several corporations and held a part time teaching Job at the University of Pittsburgh his family said. Fletcher first served As Nasa administrator from april 1971 to May 1977. In May 1986, after the challenger Accident the previous january that claimed the lives of seven astronauts then president Reagan asked Fletcher to return to the Job until the shuttle program was restored. He resigned a second time effective april 8,1989. In his second term As head of the space Agency Fletcher supervised the Long Effort of Nasa to redesign the flawed Booster seals that caused the challenger Accident and helped develop a new management system that put greater emphasis on Quality control and safety for the shuttle program. Gasoline prices decline in All grades this month los Angeles up Gas prices continue to experience a seasonal decline dropping 1.54 cents during the past two weeks an Oil Industry analyst said sunday. A nationwide Survey of pump prices conducted dec. 20 found the average Price of a gallon of gasoline was 121.81 cents or Down 1.54 cents Over the previous Survey conducted dec. 6. A this is an acceleration of a drop that began a few weeks ago a said Trilby Lundberg author of the Lund Berg Survey. Lundbergh a Survey of More than 13,000 service stations nationwide found slight decreases in All grades of gasoline at the full and self service pumps. At the self service pump the Survey found regular unleaded Gas Selling for 108.10 cents Premium unleaded 125.24, and regular leaded 104.16. Motorists pulling into the full service pump were paying 136.82 cents for regular unleaded 152.06 for Premium unleaded and 138.09 for regular leaded