European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 31, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday december 31, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 5computer network site propose Federal employees could do Job near Home by Fern Shen the associated press Washington a reasoning that it makes no sense for Federal workers to drive hours each Day to sit at a computer terminal that could be anywhere Federal officials Are proposing to establish the nation s first Federal alternative work site Center in Hagerstown my. A instead of driving 75 Miles to the District of Columbia government employees who live near the Small Western Maryland City could work minutes from Home connected to any of several Federal agencies by computer. A imagine an umbrella a network of work Sites around the Beltway to Stem the inflow of traffic a said Wendell Joice who is coordinating efforts to get the Pilot project running. Joice a personnel research psychologist for the office of personnel management said he has been talking to planners and officials in other areas of Maryland and Virginia about setting up work Sites for them if the Hagerstown project succeeds. A i know a lot of people who Are commuting like that n i Oft a i1 and t he pub and 1 know How it changes their lives leaving the House at 4 ., getting up at 3,�?� said Marsha Fuller who would be project manager for the site. The proposed Tel work site would be the first in the nation for Federal employees. Hawaii and Washington state Are experimenting with similar arrangements for state and private employees Joice said. Fuller a Hagerstown based transportation consultant said she brought the a idea to Federal officials where it was Well received. Since january 1990, Federal employees have been Able to make arrangements to work at Home through the Federal flexible workplace Pilot project. A this should be even easier for them to accept Quot Joice said a because it s a More traditional office  Joice said his office is gathering information to show Federal agencies the number of employees who could make use of the satellite work Sites. But he was optimistic that there would be enough interest to justify opening the Center within a year. A if we just get one Agency and some employees we re going to move on this Quot Joice said. He declined to cite specific costs for the Pilot Center but said they would be minimal at first. Some Hagerstown entrepreneurs have offered a year s free office space and computers could be borrowed from other agencies he said. As Many As 200 employees might occupy the new work site Joice said. Quot by the time i get Home the evening is shot Quot said Stephen r. Funk of Smithsburg md., who works for the environmental Protection Agency. Smith 44, gets up at 4  And drives about 25 Miles to Frederick where he gets a commuter Van for the rest of the trip. A a in a not thrilled about getting up at 4 in the morning a Funk said. �?o1 could chop off three hours from my workday at  Funk said he still would have to commute to Washington at least once a week for meetings and to see records but he easily could spend three Days a week working in the satellite office in Hagerstown 20 minutes from Home. A most of my work is done on computer a he said a and 75 percent of it could be done  10 years ago dec. 31,1981 a Lech Walesa agreed to negotiate with Poland a military rulers and the nationwide curfew was being lifted for new year s eve Quot in View of constantly improving social discipline Quot reports from Poland said. 20 years ago dec. 31,1971 the . Command announced that heavy . Airstrikes against Supply buildups and anti aircraft defences inside North Vietnam South of the 20th parallel ended after five Days. Also North Vietnam refused to accept More than 900 gift packages mailed to american prisoners of War. 30 years ago dec. 31,1961 a British prime minister Harold Macmillan told great Britain it is no longer the mighty Power that once policed the world and that Britain s Quot period of supremacy Quot in the world is gone. 40 year Sago dec. 31,1951 a United nations truce negotiators asked the North korean communists for information about 55 civilians believed being held As truce talks dragged four Days past the 30-Day provisional truce limit set for dec. 27. Wohl d it a a f \ ii50 years ago today 31 dec. 1-941 the last american and filipino troops Retreat through Manila toward Bataan and the japanese March into the burning City. Soviet forces retake Kozelsky near Moscow. In North Alrica rommers afrika Korps halts its Retreat and digs in at Al Asheila. Two activist demonstrators display a Banner sunday in a tree overlooking the tightly guarded White House North Lawn. Eight arrested in protests at White House Washington up six people were arrested sunday for climbing the tall Iron Fence around the White House and two others were arrested for throwing red paint on one of the Gates the secret service reported. The secret service said those arrested belonged to the activist group Community for creative non violence. However a group calling itself the Atlantic life Community took credit for the demonstration. According to an Alc news release the group staged the demonstration to protest president Bush s policies promoting a a new world  the Alc said the Bush administration was engaged in Quot the same old policy of . Intervention in the third world that included the persian Gulf War. The secret service said the six protesters were charged with unlawful entry and the two who allegedly tossed red paint on the Gate were charged with defacing government property. The Alc claims that 13 of its members were arrested during the  pays $25 debt to pal after 46 years i orca 2194 Days of War w. H. Smitti a us Fishers inc. A Pikeville by. A George Wells never forgot the $25 he owed a fellow Soldier for pulling his guard duty so he could visit his wife and now he has tracked Down the Man and paid the 46-year-old debt. Phillip Ratliff 77, said it was t the Money that Drew him to a meeting with Wells on saturday. A i just want to see the Man that a honest enough to pay his debts a said Ratliff of Shelbiana. In 1945, Wells and Ratliff were stationed at fort Campbell in Western Kentucky. Wells a sergeant sometimes asked Ratliff a private to keep his watch guarding German prisoners of War so he could go see his wife. In Exchange Wells gave Ratliff his guard pay. A when 1 was discharged i did no to have enough Money to pay him $25 i owed him a recalled Wells 70, of Somerset a retired civil servant. He recorded the debt and Ratliff address in a Little notebook. He later misplaced the notebook but remembered the debt. T his year Wells wife found the notebook. Ratliff address was listed As a Post office that had since been closed but webs son in Law a state trooper helped him find Ratliff s new address. Ratliff a retired Steelworker said he did no to remember the debt and tried to give Back the Money. But Wells said he did t agonize for 46 years to have Ratliff make a Welshor out of him now. Quot in a not a Saint and i done to pretend to be a Wells said. Quot but there a two things i won t do i wont lie and 1 wont cheat. A