European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 b the stars and stripes wednesday thursday december 25/26,1991 at a glance Steven of Banion was convicted monday on three assault charges for allegedly spitting his aids in Fec cd blood at three Sherts officers and a nurse in Cincinnati. See Story on Page 7. Alaskan governor cleared a state panel on monday dismissed ethics charges against Alaska gov. Walter j. Hickel after he agreed to divest himself of his shares in a natural Gas pipeline company he has promoted. A Page 4 cultivating the Middle class congressional democrats Are using their tax Cut fight with president Bush to Plant a simple idea in voters minds democrats want to help the Middle class. A Page 5 girl found Frozen recovers a year after she was found nearly Frozen in a Snowbank in West Virginia Brittany Eichelberger counts to 10, says the alphabet up to Quot a Quot and loves to dance. A Page 7 funeral recalls crackdown friends and relatives of a chinese political activist who died last week of cancer used his funeral tuesday to quietly protest the 1989 military crackdown that ended massive pro democracy protests. A Page 9 Industry to improve in �?T92 . Industry should end a two year slump in 1992 As the Economy struggles to shake off the effects of the recession the Commerce department said. A paqe15 Index  Abby Landers 16,21 comics.17-20 commentary.13 crossword.16,21 faces a no places .10 letters .12 Money matters.15 sports.22-28 to listings.27 weather.11 Gorbachev from Page 1 Danilov. In other developments tuesday a prime ministers from Commonwealth states met in Moscow to discuss economic Reform programs. The ministers expressed concern about Cash shortages after Russia lifts Price controls Jan. 2, the inter fax news Agency reported. A a third Day of fighting raged in the former soviet Republic of Georgia where president Oviad Gamsa Hurdia is battling opposition forces who have branded him a dictator. At least 30 have died in the clashes in Tbilisi the capital. Georgia is the Only former Republic that has refused to join the Commonwealth. A Viktor Gerash Chenko head of the former state Bank formally resigned soviet television reported. The Bank has shut Down and Gerash Chenko earlier this month said it had run out of Money. Press spokesman Alexei Kozhemyako said Gorbachev met with his 30 remaining staff members to bid them Farewell and discuss the transition of Power. The National legislature meanwhile met to discuss a Resolution. Quot a a a a a a and Sions until at least thursday on the Resolution which would effectively disband the legislature. Only about one third of lawmakers attended the morning session of the Council of the republics the upper chamber of the National legislature. In a newspaper interview published tuesday Gorbachev reiterated his criticism of the Commonwealth saying it was unclear whether it was a a unification or a  Gorbachev told Komsomol Skaya pravda he worried about unrest if the Economy and living conditions continue to Worsen but said he did not expect another military coup. Gorbachev and Yeltsin met for More than six hours on monday to discuss the orderly Transfer of command Over the late soviet unions 27,000 nuclear weapons and other issues of succession. The Issue of who controls the nuclear Quot Button has been one of the most pressing questions since Gorbachev scentral government collapsed. The four nuclear republics a the Ukraine byelorussian Kazakhstan and Russia a have agreed to let Yeltsin keep the briefcase with codes and communications equipment needed to launch the weapons although All must approve the decision to launch. In Washington a Bush administration official said the United states would extend diplomatic recognition to Russia As an Independent country this week and support it for the soviet unions seat on the . Security Council. Contest from Page 1 children competed in the 3 to 7-year-old category and 352 were judged in the 8-to 12-year-old group. Winners were contacted by Telephone on Friday and saturday. Unfortunately 239 struggling Young artists did no to qualify either because their entries were postmarked after the dec. 9 cutoff Date or because they a misunderstood the contest guidelines. In addition to the six winners a three in each age group a judges selected 15 other submissions for honorable mention. Second place in the younger age group went to . Shuman one of 78 4-year-Olds who entered. A a in a real proud a said the preschooler whose entries were decorated with crayons Felt and glitter plus marshmallows and Gummi Bear Candy left Over from halloween. His dad it. Col. Charles Shuman is a doctor at the army Hospital in Niernberg Germany. K.c., whose full name is Kelly Collin asked Santa Claus for a mutant Turtle Blimp and helicopter for Christmas. For his second place entry the stars and stripes also gave him a Panasonic portable radio and cassette tape player. As soon As he figured out How to play it he put on the headphones and went jogging through the living room and hallways. Andrea Knapp 6, spent monday and tuesday taking pictures with the Kodak instamatic camera she won after earning third place in the younger category. Her artwork was dominated by pastel yellows greens and glitter. Shuman Knapp Solis Baptiste a photo of Winner Julie Anna Chidley was not available for this edition a i took a picture of my family a picture of my mom and daddy at the tree a the first grader said. A tomorrow a she added decisively a a in a Gonna take a picture of my  the felines name is Gizmo. Her father maj. Brian Knapp and Mother Mary of Heidelberg Germany said their daughter was ecstatic upon learning shed won. She was Given an honorable mention in last years contest but she wont be Able to compete next Christmas a her family moves to fort Sill okla., in May. Artificial leaves bows and coloured yarn marked the entries from Maria Solis 8, who won second place in the older age category. A wow this is great a the third grader from Giessen Germany said when she was presented with her miniature radio. Asked Why she thought her entry was licked she said a i guess because i used a of of Bright coloured markers and Yam and  her father Armando Solis is with the . Army corps of engineers Europe div. Her Mother is Anne Solis. Living in Izmir Turkey May have influenced Nicole Baptiste a artwork. Using Only Silver and Gold paint the colors on her third place Winner were reminiscent of byzantine icons common in the Aegean climes. She a 10, and her air Force Mother is tech sgt. Lori k. Baptiste. The contest encouraged creativity and stressed that a any medium could be used to color the five Holiday drawings that were printed in the newspaper. After paint markers and crayons food was the most popular medium. Young artists embellished their work with Kitchen spices Rice onion flakes Cereal cake frosting raisins Popcorn noodles and coloured sugar. The More than 1,000 contestants also Flavoured their work with Candy including red hots red Licorie life savers gum drops cookie decorations Candy canes a amp is and chocolate chips. Non edible entrees included tinsel Pine Needles dried leaves Flowers seeds twigs beads moving eyes jewelry Gold Bells silk Flowers lace Cotton balls pipe cleaners and feathers. Dollar from Page 1 tary Exchange rate in Germany plunged from 1.52 Marks to 1.48 Marks for tuesday. The fall came after the Federal Reserve on Friday Cut the interest rate that it charges member Banks on Loans from 4.5 percent to 3.5. Percent the lowest rate since 1964. The Cut should be passed on to american businesses and Consumers in the form of More affordable Loans which economists Hope will loosen consumer purse strings. But the Cut also Means investors will receive less return on Money they have in . Banks Stein said. For Large companies with millions of dollars in stateside Banks the lost interest could be hundreds of thousands of dollars. On monday these investors began moving their Money to european markets where interest rates driven by inflation arc rising to postwar highs. The feds move to Cut rates came a Day after the German Bundesbank hoisted interest rates by one half Point to 8 percent the highest rate since world War ii. And As Germany goes so goes most of Western Europe said Michael Ellman professor of economics at the University of Amsterdam. On monday France Spain and Italy followed the Bundesbank a Lead by boosting rates. The Bundesbank a decision was aimed at curbing inflation which recently has been hovering around 4 percent. Such inflation a is not acceptable for Germany Over the Middle course a the Bundesbank said. Although he suggested that the Dollar would continue to weaken Ellman would not predict just How far the Exchange rate could fall. A that would be sticking my neck out a he said. The dollars saving Grace could come Early in the new year Ellman and others said but Only with additional turmoil in the new Commonwealth of inde pendent states. If planned Steps toward a free maket Economy go awry and disenchanted citizens of the former soviet Union take to the streets the same investors fleeing from the states to Western Europe would Likely flee Back again Ellman said. Quot the social situation in Russia is very unstable. The economic situation is very bad a he said. A a it a entirely possible that sometime in the next few months Well have More political upheaval in  if this happens there would Likely be a flight of Money into the Dollar similar to what occurred during the August coup said Michael Simmonds a Market analyst with Midland Bank of London. The dollars Exchange rate against the Mark jumped 7 pfennig to 1.78 on aug. 20, one Day after the attempted coup of soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev. A if there is social unrest in what was called the soviet Union then i would expect the Dollar to Benefit As a result of its Safe Haven status a Simmonds said