European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 5, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes sunday april 5, 1992 continued mar support pledged closing communities won t be forgotten general says by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a major morale welfare and recreation activities will remain a to the end in military communities slated for closure military officials reassured lawmakers last week. A a it a important that people in communities that Are shutting Down do not feel forgotten a Gen. Crosbie e. Saint commander of . Army Europe said thursday at a hearing of the readiness subcommittee of the House armed services committee. Saint was responding to concerns voiced by rep. Martin Lancaster , who chairs the subcommittee s mar panel about whether essential recreation services and activities will be kept alive while bases Are closing. A those services Are going to stay to the end a said it. Gen. Clifford Rees jr., vice commander of . Air forces in Europe. A there May be some things on the fringe like a chess club perhaps that May not survive and we May scale Down a commissary to something More like a 7-eleven,�?� he said referring to the stateside convenience store Chain. But major mar missions a will stay a Rees said. Saint said he has Given local commanders the task of a reciting to me personally How they will maintain services in closing communities. He said he is committed to that goal even though some activities May operate in the red and staffing May be a problem. A we will run some of these things at a loss a he said. A a we la keep a child care Center going even though the economics of it May be that there Arentt enough people left in the Community to support  staffing for mar activities is a problem because Many employees Are family members of departing troops. Saint said he is not averse to bringing in people from other communities on temporary duty to provide interim support for mar activities in a closing Community. A some of them May not like that but they have to suck it up and do it because they re not the ones who Are standing Down a Saint said. The Navy a limited draw Down in Europe has affected Only one major facility the former submarine base at holy Loch Scotland. But rear adm. Patrick Drennon director of the Navy a Shore activities said there was a comprehensive draw Down plan in place for that base to continue providing mar services a Down to the last  Lancaster also asked about whether the service commands in Europe Are taking Steps to avoid wasting any non appropriated fund dollars that May be freed up As bases close. A i Hope no one is having any Blowout parties with excess mar Money As these bases shut Down a Lancaster said. A Twete trying to be Good stewards of soldiers Money a Saint said. A if there have been any parties they must not have been very Good ones because i Haven to heard about  for 8&s 8anlor airman Phillip Ulmer senior airman Michele y. Ski Blocki slides Down Ramstein a Baker life  s Art contest announced schwetz1ngen, Germany Young artists can compete for prizes in a youth Art contest sponsored by coca cola Germany the contest is open to first Grade through sixth Grade children of authorized users of army morale welfare and recreation facilities in Europe. Artists will compete in three divisions determined by school Grade. Judges will select winners based on creativity craftsmanship and interpretation of the environmental theme a what can kids do to improve planet Earth Quot grand prize winners in each division will receive bicycles. Ice boxes and radio cassette players will go to second place safety Chute installed at Ramstein a Tower by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau Ramstein a Germany from a distance it looks like a huge overstretched White sock sagging from a High Rise building. And though it could pass As an amusement Park ride the Baker life Chute is designed to safely reunite feet with ground when there is a great distance Between the two. This week the tubular Nylon net was fastened to the top of the air traffic control Tower at Ramstein a. The $30,000 device provides controllers with another Means to escape the 100-foot Tower in Case of a fire. Before the Chute a we had no other option but the stairs a said capt. Rafael Quezada chief of air traffic control operations at Ramstein. The air Force mandated that air traffic control towers be equipped with a secondary escape system following a Jan. 30, 1987, fire at Minot fab . The fire in the control Tower caused no deaths or injuries. Ramstein is the sixth . Air base equipped with the Chute and the first in Europe. In fact the Chute at Ramstein is the first outside the United states. Air traffic controllers at Ramstein tried out the Chute tuesday under the supervision of Ralph t. Baker the inventor. The tubular net is situated on the towers catwalk and can be mane Vered by one person. After the Chute was unfurled and dropped to the ground it was secured to the Grill of a fire truck. In an actual emergency people on the ground would hold the ring at the end of the Chute until it could be tied to a vehicle or a stationary object Baker said. If there was nobody on the ground to stabilize the Chute the first person could still slide Down safely though the potential for injury would increase. A person enters the Chute feet first arms raised above his head. Speed is regulated by pressing the sides of your feet into the tube. The Chute is also tapered near a curve in the Middle which will slow a person Down. Several people can slide Down the Chute at the same time. A a it a awesome just the Rush of coming Down All the Way like that and enjoying it a said staff sgt. Ken Curvin 32, a control Tower operator and watch supervisor. A a it a better than a roller  a it was fun but its not suppose to be fun a added senior airman Michele ski Bicki 23. Baker who owns a trucking company in new Castle del., said he conceived of the idea in late 1980 after watching film footage of the Mem grand hotel fire on the evening news. The fire in Las vegas killed 84 people including some hotel occupants who jumped from the roof. A i  believe that we can go All the Way to the Moon and Back but we can to get people safely off of a 250-foot, 300-foot building a Baker said. Bakery a invention has been on the Market for about five years. About 20 Are in use at High Rise buildings and air traffic control towers. None have Beeri used yet in an actual emergency. The Chute can withstand flames of up to 480 degrees and its maximum length is about 40 stories Baker said. Although some people have suggested he sell the contraption to theme Parks Baker is not listening. A we did no to get into it for amusement Quot Baker said. A we got into it to save  winners. Third place winners will receive sport bags. The 21 entrants who Are selected for honorable mentions will also receive awards. Entries must be on paper and the use of any Art medium is allowed except for Oil paint. Each entry must include at least two colors and measure no larger than 12 by 18 inches. Chalk or pastel drawings should have plastic covers. Local army youth services offices must receive All entries by april 30. Winners will be announced at the end of May. For More information Contact your local army youth services office or Karen Ellis at military 370-8330 or civilian 06221-57-8330. Women enter military Academy Tokyo it a thirty nine women joined the Entrance ceremony at Japan a military Academy saturday becoming the first group of women to enrol in the school since it opened 40 years ago. The women wearing Navy Blue uniforms and Caps sat in one Corner As the 470 prospective military officers marked the Start of the school year at the National defense Academy in Yokosuka South of Tokyo. Women were admitted for the first time this year because the Academy determined that a it is possible to maintain Japan a military strength with High ranking female officers a said an Academy official who spoke on condition of anonymity. He said the growing number of military women in other nations such As the United states also prompted the decision. However news reports said the decision was made chiefly to attract More men. The Academy prepared new facilities including bathrooms and a Beauty parlor for the women the official said. The Academy has about 1,600 students including this years freshmen