European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 16, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday february 16,1993 the stars and stripes b Page 3 by Mark Kinkade. Staff writer Wiesbaden Germany a actor Gerald Mcraney has a debt to pay the Marine corps and he a picked Somalia As the place to Settle up. Mcraney is the Star of the lbs to sitcom major dad in which he plays maj. John d. A a Mac Macgillis a career Marine officer who marries a Liberal reporter with three Young daughters. But for now he is teaming with the Uso to visit marines who Are in Somalia supporting operation restore Hope the International humanitarian Effort to feed starving somalis. After a 15-hour flight from los Angeles to Frankfurt he stopped briefly at the Haine Berg Post Exchange in Wiesbaden to sign autographs monday afternoon before catching a military flight to Somalia from Rhein main a. The actor said he planned to spend at least three Days in the african country shaking hands and talking to the troops to show his appreciation. A some of it quite frankly is payback Quot Mcraney said. A i produce major dad and the Marine corps has really gone out of its Way to be helpful to us. We be gotten an awful lot of cooperation and an awful lot of help from them. A if i can take a week out of my life to go shake some hands and say hello to some people who Are in a place that you got to know they done to really want to be it helps even the Scales up a  Mcraney said he feels a closeness to military people that goes beyond simple publicity. He said he has a commitment that comes not Only from his work on the to program but also from his Southern upbringing. A your first year technical adviser on the show put it very Well a Mcraney told the stars and stripes. A the said a you know there a a sort of Southern Patina to the  and there san awful lot of military schools in the South. When you grow up in the South its sort of  the trip to Somalia is Only one Way Mcraney has showed his thanks to the military not just for his commercial Success but also for the Job the military does for the nation. Mcraney went to the persian Gulf during operation desert storm and saw troops off when they left California for Somalia. A the More i was exposed to military people a to be exposed on a concentrated basis a the More i was filled with an awful lot of admiration a Mcraney said. He originally wanted to go to Somalia when the operation began according to major dad technical adviser Jerry Broeckert a major in the Marine corps. But the taping schedule for the program made it impossible for the actor to get away at the time. The trip May yield some Story ideas for the program. In to or ways amps Mark Kinkad actor Gerald Mcraney of televisions a major dad signs autographs at the Haine Berg Exchange in Wiesbaden Germany on monday before travelling to Somalia to visit . Troops participating in operation restore Hope. In past programs the actor producer has used his conversations with military people to generate script ideas. A especially the things that go on with a military family a Mcraney said. A a that a common to All the services a lost furniture base housing a on and on and on. My sister is married to a retired air Force officer. A lot of these Story lines come straight from their  realistic Story lines seem to be what brought out the crowds at the Post Exchange. More than 200 people clogged the Haine Berg store for a Chance to meet the Star and get an autograph. A a in be always liked the show a said army sgt. Jim Hubert from Mainz. A a it a surprisingly accurate the Way it shows military family life. With three kids of my own i can see a lot of what i go through on the  future scripts Call for the major to be promoted to lieutenant colonel. Then the staunchly conservative Marine and his family will take an assignment at the White House. The shows writers also arc closely watching the de Bate on homosexuals in the military. If the ban is lifted it could become a part of the shows Story line. But me Raney said he will not pursue the. Issue until the Pentagon makes a decision. A a it a not our place to influence policy a Mcraney said. A a we la just wait and see what happens a his dedication to the department of defense comes from the affection Mcraney has for the military Community said Broeckert the Marine major. A the wont do anything to Embarrass the military a Broeckert said. A a he a a staunch supporter and the people in the military know that when they watch the show. As a Marine i can Tell you that we re proud of the Way he represents  but for some at the Haine Berg Exchange it in t Only Mcrancy a affection for the military or the shows real life Story lines that make the actor popular. A a he a Cool a said army spec. Jason was cloth from Wiesbaden. A a he a hilarious. He kind of makes us in the military Feci  pinball player goes after title full tilt new York apr How Many Points does it take to claim the title of worlds greatest pinball player done to even apply for the title unless your score reaches half a billion. Lyman Sheats jr., 26, of Hampton a. Won the third International championship Competition sunday with 570,690,040 Points a enough to take the Crown and a $3,000 purse. A my first games were Lousy because i was worried about what everybody else was doing a said the Champ who played on a or. Who machine. A then i blanked out everybody and played the game against the machine on my own and 1 stopped looking at the  some 500 pinball aces from North America Europe Australia and Japan converged on a Manhattan hotel for a weekend of flashing lights Bells ramps and boulders. The annual event is held under the auspices of the professional and Amateur pinball association. Adult competitors arc grouped into three categories based on skill. The division b Winner was . Fried of North Arlington n.j., who took Home $1,500 and a trophy. The $1,000 division c prize went to Kevin Rodriguez of new York City. Willy Mckinney 14, from Alexander ark., won a $500 gift certificate in the under-16 category. Pinball has gotten flashier since the first machines were invented some 60 years ago. Today a models include multilevel playing Fields digital stereo sound computerized boards and even holograms. Sheats a software Developer said he practices his pinball skills up to two hours a Day at Home. He even ought a second machine so his Girlfriend could play along. A you have to keep your Cool a he said. A the play is very fast the flippers Are very Strong and you get a lot of velocity on the  a mass set for former Heidelberg High teacher Heidelberg Germany a amps memorial mass will be celebrated wednesday in Heidelberg for a former Heidelberg High school teacher who died saturday at her Home in san Antonio. Vilma Gutierrez 50, taught business and computers during her More than 13 years at the High school she participated in a variety of Community activities until illness forced her to leave her Job last March. She was stricken with breast cancer in 1991 and later developed liver cancer said Dana Pope the schools Media specialist. Gutierrez earned her bachelors degree at St. Mary a University in san Antonio later receiving a masters degree from the University of Texas. The mass at the Mark Twain Village Chapel in Heidelberg will begin at 3 30 . In lieu of Flowers the family requests that donations be made to a scholarship to be set up in Gutierrez a memory at the High school or to the american cancer society. For information on the scholarship Contact Heidelberg High school officials. Gutierrez is survived by her parents whose first names were not available of Zapata Texas a brother Ben and a sister Alma both of san  election Sites dates Are announced Washington the Federal voting assistance program has announced the following upcoming elections in the . California a Assembly District 31, including Fresno and Tulare counties special primary March 2. A Senate District 2, including Del Norte Humboldt Mendocino Solano and Sonoma counties. A special primary March 2. A Senate District 16,.-including Kern Kings los Angeles and san Bernardino counties. A special primary March 2. A Senate District 32, including Orange county. A special primary March 2. Connecticut a 140th House District including Norwalk saturday to fill seat vacated by Doug Mintz. A 7th senatorial seat including Windsor locks Suffield Somers and Enfield sunday to fill seat vacated by Cornelius of Leary. Nebraska a Lancaster county. School Board april 6, City Council and Airport authority May 4. A Douglas county. Primary election april 6, general election May 11. Residents of these areas who currently live outside the United states May Register temporarily by mailing a completed Federal Post card application no later than 29 Days before the election. In most instances the deadline has passed. But for More information Contact your unit voter assistance officer or your local Legal office