European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 29, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Try to maintain our High level of he said. A Only time will Tell which Way this company will said Lew Iwlew owner of Vladimir arts which Sells artwork to service members. Quot any time you have 50 percent of the audience you had before of prospective customers to sell to that s going to affect your Iwlew said his company whose european office is in Ansbach Germany has been doing business with the . Military Community since 1975. A we will remain an entity in Germany with Complete service As Long As there arc troops and a customer base to support that entity Quot he said. However Iwlew is prepared to follow Art Deal leads at military installations in the states and Panama. Each show is a Sample show where customers look at prints and order them matted framed or unframed. The works Are shipped to the customer from the company s . Headquarters in Michigan. A Cyan Dussart an Art dealer who operates dus Sart Art studio in Homburg a German town near the French Border said its business As usual when he sets up at military bazaars. Dussart said he and his wife have been Selling original Art works to americans since 1974. Spokesmen for two Oriental Rug dealers who sell chiefly to americans through bazaars auctions and private displays said business is Good. A the draw Down has not affected us As much As the Low Dollar Quot said Ali Girnas. A a we re still Selling the same amount of Tanbir Abdullah said his outfits sales Are about the same As last year. Both men speculate that Many service members and their families May have decided to buy rugs before returning to the United pounds in England in the United kingdom Anthony Johnson who with his wife Diane operate Whitehouse kennels and cattery in Pettistree near Ben Waters said they have been affected by the troop reductions. Johnson cited British press reports that americans spend 40 million pounds annually in the area. Quot in a not saying we re 40 million pounds Down personally but part of that is from our business certainly a he said. The financial effects of the draw Down have been gradual during the past year. A had it happened overnight obviously it would have been disastrous a Johnson said. Greg Worley general manager of Riverside theatre restaurant and bar at Woodbridge for 7�?~a years said his business Hasni to been hit hard yet about 25 percent of his customers Are . ans. A amps Jim Derheim Alan Gray in the hot spot. But he expects the 500-scat Cinema part of his operation to fall As much As 50 percent. In the past Worley said he catered to american tastes in films. Quot mainly it will affect us in How we program the Cinema Quot he said. A when we totally realize we Haven t got the american audience to Appeal to we should have to go to films a better orientated toward a British based on a High american attendance Worley said he introduced Popcorn into the theatre five years ago. A it was a huge Success. There a a tremendous profit in Popcorn. We Are expecting to Sec our Popcorn sales totally drop off. A a it a going to be a shame to lose them americans. They do tend to get into some of these movies while the British Public is a Little More Worley recalled the showing of Rix by several years ago and the americans enthusiastic reaction. A they were All standing up cheering on Rocky Balboa in the final fight a he said laughing. Restaurant receipts he predicted will fall 10 percent. The draw Down is also taking away students from american colleges and universities offering classes in Europe. Or. Joseph Arden director of the european division of the University of Maryland said the student population is Down 15 to 20 percent from its full time equivalent High of 10,000 students in the late 19s0s. A that drop however has been significantly less than the rate of withdrawal a lie explained. Arden who As director of Maryland Sasia program saw the program in Vietnam close in 1975, said he saw no reduction in course variety for the installations that remain. V a amps Jim derho m this sign reflects the times in Heilbronn Germany where american troops have packed and left. Quot there is some tendency Foi . Forces to become Mote geographically he said. Quot . To some dog inc Enco Ziagos Coll mint. That actual makes de Vety of to Grams for the locations that Anna Maurer associate Dean of student services at City colleges of Chicago said that although the number of its 200 locations has been Cut in half student enrolment has not suffered. A we re finding now that although their is a Dias Down. There is an upsurge in she said. Quot enrolments have been As High As they were last year even though there s fewer Maurer said service members and dependents want to take advantage of tuition assistance and earn As Many College credits As possible before they return to the states. A education is in great demand right now. 1 think All colleges Are finding that to be she Italy Rolls san Vito a paper feels the Pressby Gary Miller Mediterranean Bureau most american military installations in Italy have not shown up on defense department closing lists. In fact during a recent visit to Italy defense Secretary Dick Cheney said . Forces would be there for the Quot foreseeable one base that has fallen victim to the draw Down is san Vito Dei Normanna air station near Brindisi. It s scheduled for closure by september 1�?~>m. I Quot Ven though his business is More than 100 Miles away in Naples Bruno Brandi feels the financial Impact of the bases closing. His company Stampa gun Fralc began publishing the air stations newspaper Grapevine last january. That s when the paper turned into a civilian Enterprise. Since the paper no longer was printed at government expense Brandi faced the Challenge of drawing advertisers to support the publication. Quot it takes time to get people used to the idea that they have a medium to reach americans Quot the italian said. Then came the announcement in mid August of the installations impending closure. Convincing area businessmen to buy space in the Grapevine became All the More difficult. A a the reactions of potential advertisers in the area has been Why should we invest to try and attract americans if they re leaving a a a we la have to shut Down much ear tier than the closure of the base a Brandi said. Brandi who also publishes base papers for the Naples naval support activity and Nas Simonella Sicily said the Grapevine was never a moneymaker. Quot its the closure better now than in two years time but we did no to have the Opportunity to make up what we put out in time and Effort Quot he added. In the san Vito area the impending loss of about 3,000 customers has landlords restaurant owners shopkeepers and Auto mechanics catering to Amati cans Quot very very concerned a Brandi said. Quot the question will be if they can diversify somehow in the next two years to save then businesses Quot san Vito is not a resort Aiea where could rent their apartments to tourists in lie summer Brandi said. Quot in Naples we really Haven t Felt Siuk ii Ditte Ciu e compared to precious years Quot he said adding that the same was True for Simonella neither of those two bases nor the handful of other installations located throughout Italy has appeared on defense department com ii lists f age 5
