European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 21, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Route 66 at age 66 continued from Page 14 pianist left Pennsylvania in a Buick convertible Bobby Troup s wife had a suggestion Quot Why done to you write a song about route 40?&Quot Troup was still thinking about that when he picked up route 66 and headed for Hollywood two generations of musicians from Nat King Cole to the rolling stones have since Sung of going through Saint Looey and Joplin Missouri ,. And Oklahoma City is mighty pretty. Meanwhile Troup has joined Woody Guthrie and Merle Haggard As beloved Balladeer of intriguing roads. Years later Sterling Silliphant. Television producer and another East West traveler remembered the Road when creating a backdrop for a television series. \ lie route 66 ran from 1960 to 1964, it was about Young drifters in a Corvette that was traded annually despite no visible improvement in the Zero incomes of Tod and Buz even though few episodes were shot on route 66, it was the Highway that mattered. The abandoned Whiting Bros service station near Flagstaff ariz., is a relic from the Highway s heyday. Loi Angie time i Quot it was a symbolic title Quot Silliphant once said. Quot it s an expression of going somewhere. The Best known american Highway cutting across America. It s the Backbone of  beat author Jack Kerouac became steel trestle Bridge on route 66 in Winona ariz., sees traffic no More. Another literary icon of the Highway when he wrote of a thinking Man s lust for fast roads leading to a Fine place and a Good lady. The journey he said should be the experience the destination almost. Incidental. Route 66 was christened in 1926. It was a sometimes dirt Road that was known for its hard travel even As it slowly enlarged to two lanes. For both dust bowl migrants and Tater vacationers tasting postwar Prosperity it was the Highway of dreams. Quot if you were going to go West in the 30s, 40s and 50s, route 66 was about the Only Way to get to Southern California Quot said Jim Powell an auditor from St. Louis and head of the route 66 motor club and car club of Missouri which recently drove a stretch of the Road in old thunderbird Bel airs impalas and galaxies. Memories a and Memorabilia a Are an important part of the Highway s mystique. A lot of its fans Rode route 66 As children on vacation. They stopped at places like Stuckey a White Castle Steak n shake and Frozen custard All of which Date Back to the highways glory Days. Everywhere they collected souvenirs and the habit stuck. Now they Wear to shirts announcing their Devotion whether to the late great club cafe in Santa Rosa n.m., or to earlier motor Tours into the past. They also get License plates Reading route66, and Wear tiny enamel Lapel pins shaped like Highway signs. Anything to preserve the memories. It was president Eisenhower impressed by the autobahn he had seen in Germany in world War ii who ordered a study that in 1956 produced the Federal Aid Highway act. The act dictated a 42,000-mile spider web of interstate highways that nearly killed roads like route 66 a and the atmosphere that went with them. But then came the historians myth keepers and nostalgia buffs dedicated to keeping the Road alive. They have succeeded and Hope to continue doing so perhaps for another 66 years. Tho address Lor the National route 66 association is . Box 5323, Oxnard. Calil., 93031. The associated press contributed to this article readers action line merchants loan rates help offset risks Quin the last 2vt? years the interest rate on my savings account has gone lower and lower due to Quot Market  i believe it s gone from 5 a percent to 3 percent almost a 50 percent drop. Yet the 15 percent interest Rale on my personal loan remains at 15 percent Why can merchants Cut the savings interest rate hut does t lower the loan interest rate based on Quot Market conditions9 Jeff Weber Kaiserslautern Germany Yvonne Wise Public and Media relations manager merchants National Bank replies interest rates on savings accounts Tor military Bank customers have As you said experienced a jolting decline. In december 1991, our clients enjoyed a savings interest rate of 5.50 percent today s rate is 3 percent you Are Correct to Point out that rates Are Market driven one of the things Over which your Community Bank has no control. We believe our 15 percent Annua interest rate for  Loans is competitive. According to Bank hate Monitor oct. 19 Issue Bank and Thrift National averages Lor personal Loans Are shown at 15 87 percent and 16 47 percent respectively both considerably higher than what the Community Bank offers. Although the Community Bank rate is competitive there is still no guarantee it will remain at 15 percent. Unsecured Loans Are expensive for any Bank to administer and maintain and do present a certain amount of risk to the Bank. However merchants the military commands and the department of defense feel strongly that we should continue to offer this product to our customers and so we will hoping that we can continue to offer them at a Low 15 percent. One Way to reduce the Cost of any merchants loan is to secure it with a Community Bank certificate of Deposit. To write us readers1 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 done to know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211. Alt letters must be signed. Please include address and Telephone number. Preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Page ,6 a the stars and stripes a urday. November 21, 1992