European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 14, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Possible theater closure thursday May 14, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 11triggers protest 849 Kane wig theater official Jim Sohre sits inside the Frankf firt playhouse a facility that some officials want to close. By Luke Britt staff writer Frankfurt Germany a the Frankfurt playhouse May face its final curtain Call aug. 1 because local military officials want to use the facility for meetings. The proposed closure has prompted criticism from Community and theater officials As Well As volunteers and patrons of the oldest army theater in Europe said William keys director of personnel and Community activities for the Frankfurt military Community. The proposal is backed by the Frankfurt area sup fat Ort group whose officials said the planned closure is inked to a shortage of funds. But keys Isnit convinced. A i think the ask might be making a Power play a he said. A they want the theater and have set their minds to it and they want As Little resistance to it As Jim Sohre who is responsible for theater operations said the real Issue is that the playhouse is located in the same building used by ask Headquarters officials. The want the playhouse closed because it does no to fit with the Headquarters image Sohre said. The decision ultimately rests with col. Kenneth Hibl area support group commander said keys and Sohre. But the groups chief of staff Curtis Clark is driving the Effort they said. Hibl and Clark were attending a conference in Berlin this week. Hibl could not be reached. But Clark reached at the conference by Telephone said he is responsible for ensuring that Money available for Community projects is spent wisely. A a we re looking at Many different programs and whether we can continue to fund them at the current level. We have less Money to work with and some programs will have to be reduced a Clark said adding that no decision concerning the theater has been made. Clark confirmed that some officials believe that the facility should be used Only for the Headquarters agencies. He did not say what would be done with the theater if the playhouse were closed. Keys and others said the closing could occur before anyone can Register opposition. Clark told theater officials that by May 20 they had to have a plan to either close or move out keys said. Instead keys and Sohre Are writing a rebuttal justifying the playhouses importance. Sohre said a petition Campaign is a possibility. A we done to think the ask realizes that closing this theater is going to Impact More than just the lives of the staff. There is a Large Volunteer Force and a number Burtonwood unit formally inactivating in ceremony today Burtonwood England a amps a the largest . Army Headquarters unit in the United kingdom is holding an inactivation ceremony at 2 . Today according to an army spokesman. The 47th area support group Headquarters at Raf Burtonwood will officially inactivate july 15, but the army decided to have a formal ceremony sooner because most of the personnel Are leaving before then said command sgt. Maj. John Jennings. The unit is part of the 21st theater army area come. Some 24 military 13 . Civilians and 102 British employees were assigned to the unit at last count which was earlier this year said Jeff Young a spokesman for the 21st theater army area come. Burtonwood located 20 Miles East of Liverpool served As a european Forward Supply Point supporting Reserve storage activities in England and Wales. Jennings said that just the Headquarters is inactivating while the storage facility at Burtonwood will remain open. Officials also said a decision is expected soon on the future of the Reserve storage activity. Other storage facilities include a conventional ammunition storage site at Raf Caerwent near Cardiff Wales and the Reserve storage and Marine Fleet at Hythe near Southampton. The . Army has operated from Burtonwood since 1967. Of dedicated patrons who Are strongly opposed to this a Sohre said. Last year nearly 10,000 people attended performances produced by hundreds of volunteers Sohre said. Keys and Sohre said they fear the theater a closure is a virtual fait a comply. They pointed to the arrival of transportation workers at the theater monday afternoon As evidence. The workers were there Sohre said to see a what it would take to pack us up and move us someplace else. The Only question for Clarki think is whether we close Down completely or move someplace Clark has suggested that the candlelight dinner theater located in the Terrace club on the Abrams Complex could serve As the Community theater. Frankfurt is the Only military Community in Europe with a full scale production theater and a dinner theater Sohre said. But keys and Sohre argued that the dinner theater is designed for Small productions and cannot accommodate an orchestra or multiple sets. A we could never do the big musicals there a Sohre said. A a they re our bread and butter. One successful musical might finance the rest of a to continue to produce Large productions the dinner theater would have to be renovated including expansion of the stage and dressing rooms. Sohre also disputed Clarks assertion that funds Are no longer available to support both Heaters. He said the playhouse turned nearly a $30,000 profit in 1991 and is running in the Black this year. Most of that Money goes into a Community fund and supports other programs Sohre said. If the playhouse were closed Community officials said some of its rooms would be converted to offices and conference rooms while the main auditorium would remain intact for Large meetings. The playhouse has been in the Headquarters since 1963, and people who work there sometimes joke that their part of the building has never seen a new coat of paint. In fact the beige Walls Are cracking in several places and paint chips a some As Large As a Good sized dinner plate a add to the Calico App Carence of the stained peach carpet. About $140,000 in improvements to the theater was proposed As part of a 1992-1995 Community improvement plan Sohre said. The proposal Calls Tor repainting a new carpet and refurbished seats. Future Bleak for 2 germans facing 4th year As hostages Beirut Lebanon api a their last image seen by the world was a Short video of them sitting next to a Christmas tree in december. On saturday the last two Western hostages held by shiite Muslim extremists Start their fourth year in Captivity with no sign that Freedom is near. German Aid workers Heinrich Striebig 50, and Thomas Kemptner 30, remain imprisoned somewhere in Lebanon possibly unaware that they Are the Only westerners still held captive by the pro iranian militants. In their Homeland they re almost forgotten men a their plight rarely rates a mention in the German Media. Germany refuses to give in to demands and the . Envoy in Lebanon is frustrated in his efforts. Militants holding the hostages have said they will free Striebig and Kemptner once German authorities either release two lebanese shiite Brothers convicted of terrorist crimes or reduce their prison terms. Efforts to free the two hostages have been fruitless because German authorities refuse to Trade the Brothers Mohammed Ali Hamadi and Abbas Hamadi. Gabriele Steck Bromme Mohammed Ali Hamadi a German attorney said the German government will a stick to the Law. They will not be the last word of the missing germans came dec. 26, when their captors issued a one minute videotape showing both men sitting under a Christmas tree appealing to German Chancellor Helmut Kohl a to Pardon the Hamadi a statement accompanying the tape warned the German authorities that a intransigence will Only entail harm to the captives. Striebig and Kemptner were kidnapped May 16, 1989, in Sidon the provincial capital of South Lebanon where they worked with the German Samc he mantas Relief organization in palestinian refugee Camps. They Are held by a group calling itself the holy warriors of Freedom. It is believed to be part of the fundamentalist Hezbollah or party of god. The Hama disc elder brother Abdel Hadi is Hezbollah a Security chief and reputed head of the holy warriors. The final six american and British hostages held in Lebanon were freed in late 1991 after . Mediation Between the kidnappers Iran and Syria. The last one out was Terry Anderson the associated press chief Middle East correspondent. He was released dec. 4 after nearly six years in Captivity. . Envoy Giandomenico Picco who masterminded the release of the . And British captives said last month that he continues to work for the germans release. But he did not appear optimistic about a breakthrough soon. A a in a doing As much As i can Quot he said. He noted he was working on a other humanitarian issues in Lebanon. These include securing the release of some 300 arabs held in israeli occupied Southern Lebanon and determining the Fate of four israeli servicemen and four iranians missing in Lebanon some since 1982. Diplomatic and shiite sources in Lebanon said there is no known linkage Between the germans and the others. United kingdom y Raf Burtonwood a amps map
