European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 28, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tough times in amerika Elbe River Germany \ Dresden /2 Mulde River r Arnsdorf i in Chemni a f try20 Miles / j ri7colj life in a tiny German Village belies its name / / Ontoh. Amerika is amp by Mark Fritz associated press writer cheer up americans. In amerika things Are really Tough. In this tiny Village in the former East Germany every worker is unemployed and every family is afraid of losing its Home. With the closing of the spinner i amerika textile Mill the Community s economic lifeline since 1849, the amerikan Way of life is in danger. Quot this is a difficult time for amerika Quot says Hans Friedrich a the ird generation amerikan and amerika s leading a probably Only a historian. Although technically a District of the neighbouring Village of Arnsdorf amerika has its own identity. Road signs Point it out and if you mail a letter to Quot amerika Germany Quot residents say it will get Here. Amerika s 120 residents have apartment houses a train station a health clinic and a Long Asphalt path that lets them stroll to the Edge of the Swift wide Zwi Kauer Mulde River. Sitting on 200 acres just North of the czechoslovak Border amerika is one of the prettiest places in the former East Germany. It is surrounded by a Majestic Panorama of Pine covered Hills spacious skies and a after planting season a a fruited Plain Complete with Amber Waves of Grain. According to Friedrich the Village got its name nearly a Century and a half ago when new Mill employees trudging through dense Forest and crossing a wide River kept asking Quot what Are we doing discovering America Quot the Germani Zed name stuck and was officially adopted by owner Bernhard Schmidt. The Mill thrived employing 1,300 people by 1932. The communists did t tamper with the name although they did change the nearest big town Chemnitz to Karl Marx City. For four decades amerika was in Karl Marx county. But the arrival of German unification the free Market and a flood of cheap imported sweaters trousers and shirts have mercilessly hammered the East German textile Industry. On Jan. 1, spinner i amerika was shut Down and transferred to the state holding company idling 260 people a including everyone in amerika. Arnsdorf mayor Gerald Merkel says there Are at least three prospective buyers who want to revive the Mill and one who wants to sell off the equipment. He expects a decision next month. He said it is unclear what will happen to the residents who live on the grounds although he said he personally doubts anybody would be evicted. Quot my own Hope is to convert the Community into a tourist attraction Quot he said. Quot the name is the most important  the average amerikan is fairly old. Most began drawing pensions rather than jobless benefits after they were Laid off. Then there Are people like Karl Heinz Kunze the single father of a handicapped child who worked at the Plant for 21 years. Quot i m 40,&Quot he said. Quot if i was 15 years younger i could Start Over. If i was 15 years older i could get my  Friedrich the self appointed historian worked in the Mills Laboratory for 45 years. He shares a two room apartment with his widowed 80-year-old Mother. His father and Grandfather also toiled in amerika. In 1984, he began chronicling the history of amerika and has compiled a thick Binder of photos and papers dating to the 19th Century. Included Are postcards that say Quot greetings from  Quot it s important for people to know that amerika exists Quot he said. Residents Only Hope that remains the Case. Quot i worked on the looms for 40 years Quot says Thea Stoeber 56. Quot this sweater in a wearing was made there. Hope if somebody buys the Plant we can keep our  Quot my own Hope is to convert the Community into an important tourist attraction. The name is the most important thing Quot. A. Arnsdorf mayor Gerald Merkel readers action Lin Utility Bill Shock has Reader hot in August 1990. My husband was stationed at Ferris Barracks in Erlanger. Due to a shortage of government housing he was forced to look for living accommodations on the local Economy. The Hunt for a Home was Long but he found a Brand new two bedroom apartment above the Bunde Spost in Weise Dorl. The army paid the German rental agent fee advanced us one year of Oha overseas housing allowance to pay our Deposit and gave us Miha moving in housing allowance. Upon establishing service with the local electric company we were told our monthly Bill was to be 250 Marks and we would have an annual meter Reading in 12 months. Well we just received our annual Reading and the resulting Bill and were shocked to find that we owe an additional 1,476 Marks for 1991 a and our monthly Bill will increase to 338 Marks. I consider my family a Energy conscious Quot and have always tried to conserve Energy. We have floor heat in the family room and one bathroom five space room Heaters of which Only two Are used in the bedrooms and keep the thermostats on every one set at 15 degrees centigrade at All times. We also use two transformers a 75-Watt and a 1,300-Watt. My husband asked if the army would pay this Bill but was told no and that the army considered it Gross overuse on our part. He then inquired at the pro housing referral office on Ferris Barracks and they told him the electric heal probably caused the High Bill and that there was nothing we could do. Why won t the army pay this when a Soldier and family live in government housing they pay Only their bad Basic allowance quarters and Oha and they certainly Arentt charged for any amount Over that. We were also told that since we Haven t used our maximum entitlement of bad and Oha for my husband s rank the army would cover the increase of the a electric Bill for the next year. The army has paid or covered every expense thus far Why not the electric Bill Meg Roberts Erlanger Germany sgt. 1st class Michael Donohue staff finance no office of the Deputy chief of staff resource management Headquarters Usa eur and 7th army replies i appreciate the comments you made concerning the overseas housing allowance Oha program. Five years ago our Advance station housing allowance program was almost non existent and the moving in housing allowance Miha program became effective sept 1, 1990, after approximately a four year Battle for approval. But Oha does not cover everything nor was it designed to do so. The Laws governing the payment of Oha Call for the use of actual rent within certain ceilings and an average Utility maintenance allowance and moving in allowance. The averages Are determined from surveys completed by soldiers living in private rental housing in selected communities throughout Neucom. Since August 1990, the Utility allowance in Germany has averaged $199 a month. Should a Soldier use less than this amount for utilities he can keep the difference should he use More he pays the difference As i always do in this column and in other mediums i urge All soldiers who live in private rental housing to Complete timely and accurate housing allowance surveys when asked to do so. It is Only with accurate Survey data that the allowances can be  to write us headers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to headers action line co the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apoate 09211. All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Page 16 a the stars and stripes saturday March 28, 1992