European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 18, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday february 1 it 1993 . The stars and stripes b Page 5 criteria proposed for base closures. A. ,. Washington a the economic Impact of past military base closings will be considered in draw ing up a new list of recommended shutdowns a Nomi Nee told a Senate committee tuesday. But Jim courier nominated As chairman of the base closure commission added that the economic Impact would be of less importance than the military value of the installation. The function of the department of defense is not to create jobs the former new Jersey Republican con Gressman said. Courier spoke to the Senate armed services com Mittee at a confirmation hearing for seven of eight commission members. Defense Secretary Les Aspin is required to present his list of recommended closures to the commission and Congress on March 15. The panel will make its proposals to president Clinton on july 1. The last round in 1991 closed 34 bases and realigned 48 More with a projected savings of $2.3 billion by Fis Cal 1997. Without a specific list of closures the commission nominees responded in general terms to the commit to he function of the department of defense is not to create jobs Jim courier nominee for chairman of the base closure commission tee s questions. Former president George Bush nominated the com Mission members based on several recommendations from democrats and republicans in Congress. The nominees Are expected to win Senate confirmation., minor bit of controversy surrounds these Lection of Rebecca Gernhardt Cox a vice president for Continental airlines and wife of rep. C. Christopher Cox a Calif. Rebecca Cox said she would disqualify herself from deciding the Fate of any facilities in her husband s District. This is the third time in five years that a round of in the stars and stripes 10 years ago feb. 18, 1983 libyan Strong Man col. Moa mar Qadhafi vowed to turn the Gulf of Sidra into a red Gulf of blood if the . Aircraft car Rier Nimitz and its Battle group re enter Libya s disputed Waters. 20 years ago feb. 18, 1973 the joint military commission called for real peace in Vietnam saying hostilities continued despite the cease fire signed in Paris three weeks ago. 30 years ago feb. 18, 1963 the . Supreme court in a 5-4 vote declared unconstitutional two acts of con Gress that strip citizenship from per sons who stay abroad in wartime to avoid military service. 40 years ago feb. 1 8, 1 953 a stay of execution was granted to condemned nuclear spies Ethel and Julius Rosen Berg pending a review of their Case by the . Supreme court. 50 years ago _ feb. 1 8, 1 943 the cumulative effect of Daylight bombing by . Planes and nighttime raids by the Royal air Force is stretching Ger Man defences to the limit said the . 8th air Force commander maj. Gen. Ira c. War ii " 50 years ago today feb. 18 Britain s 77th Indian brigade the Chin dits crosses the Chin Dwin River in Burma without running into any japanese troops and cuts the Mandalay my Itkina rail line. . Forces gathering on Guadalcanal for an invasion of the Russell islands in the Solomons learn that the japanese have withdrawn. In. Tunisia German troops take Sbei la. Source 2194 Days of War. W h Smith publishers inc. World almanac Book of world War Bison books corp 1981 a an 11-month-old Mountain lion catches a basketball sized snowball tossed by its Trainer tuesday at the Cincinnati zoo. It was the first time the lion had played in the Snow. Winter storms put freeze on Day to Day activities by the associated press a storm that dropped a foot or More of Snow bogged Down highways and closed schools tuesday from the Plains to new England. I like Snow. But i d like to see this go i thought the Winter was Over said Bob Neeley of Olmsted iii., which got Aboul 8inches of Snow it was the most Snow he Southern Illinois town has received since 1979 Many motorists ended up in ditches or in fender Bender accidents. Police in Western new York state blamed the weather on one traffic death. On Mon Day the storm was blamed for seven traffic deaths Overall four in Misson two in Oklahoma and one in Kentucky a Missouri woman who suffered a seizure at her Rural Home died when 12 inches of Snow prevented ambulances from reach ing her authorities said. It s very bad said Illinois state police sgt. Al Manint in Pesotum. Roads Are extremely Slick and by evening 21 inches of Snow had fallen at Montpelier it. 20 inches had Cov ered Rome . And 19 inches had been recorded at Bradford a. Earlier in the Day about 8 inches fell in Central Ohio and up to 14 inches in Southern Illinois the National weather service said. Some Indiana state government offices were closed or opened late. Gov Evan Bayh cancelled an air plane tour of the state that he had planned to discuss medicaid funding problems. Schools were closed tuesday because of Snow and Slippery roads in parts of Oklahoma Kansas Missouri Illinois in Diana Ohio West Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania and Virginia. Grissom fab near Peru ind., closed for the Day. Even in new Hampshire where Snow usually in t a big Deal some schools announced before Snow began falling that they would close Early to avoid Slippery roads later in the Day. In Southern Illinois 12 inches to 14 inches of Snow had fallen at Vienna on the Kentucky state line and about 80stranded motorists spent the night on the floor of dining rooms at a Motel or at St. Paul s Catholic Church said Johnson county sheriff Elry Faulkner. Interstate 70 West of Hays kan., was reopened Early tuesday after being closed during the night with drifts of 3 feet to 4 feet. Base closures will take place and lawmakers fears have not diminished. Sen. Dianne Feinstein d-Calif., praised the Selec Tion of Cox and expressed Relief that a californian would be on the panel. The state has been hard hit by military cuts losing 100,000 civilian and military jobs to 17 base closures Frinstein said. I Trust she will fight ably Long and hard to prevent base closures in the state of California Frinstein said of Cox. The comment Drew nervous laughter from the other senators. Other nominees at the hearing were Peter Bowman who commanded the Portsmouth naval shipyard in new Hampshire from 1987 to 1990. Beverly b. Byron former democratic congresswoman from . Johnson a retired air Force general Harry Mcpherson jr., who served As a Deputy undersecretary of the army. And Robert Stuart jr., president of Conway farms and a 1991 commission 1991 commission member Arthur Levitt jr., was unable to attend the hearing. Groups Hope to improve Gays image Washington a Gay rights abortion rights and civil liberties groups arc launching a Campaign to improve the image of homosexuals in the aftermath of the tight Over Gays in the military. Plans Call for mailing an eight minute video to members of Congress and Penta gon officials to combat stereotypes of homosexuals. A documentary for airing on Cable television is also in the works. We need to debunk what the joint chiefs of staff arc learning about cays and lesbians said Alan Klein a spokes Man for the newly formed Gay and Les Bian emergency Media Campaign civil rights and other groups have joined the Campaign saying attacks on Gays often coming from the religious right represent just one episode in a larger Effort to erode constitutional free Doms. They use Gay rights As an opening wedge but they have a much Broade Agenda said Loretta Ross program director at the Center for democratic re Newal an Atlanta based organization. This is not a Burden the Gay Community should have to shoulder on their own. To end bigotry and discrimination in this country said Arthur Kropp presi Dent of the Liberal group people for the american Way. Ann Northrop head of the Media Campaign envisions a $500,000 Effort Over the next year one video will document violence against Gay people. Another will teach activists How to combat anti Gay rights referendums such As one that passed in Colorado in november the Campaign will distribute a video explaining the Gay Community s political and social Agenda. And the group has arranged an hour of television time in May on the deep wish satellite network. Activists say the Campaign is timely not Only because of the wave of protest Over president Clinton s plan to allow Gays in the military but because of a Long Ter strategy aimed at demeaning homosexuals. The far right senses it s losing ground nationally on issues like abortion an communism said Robert Bray of the National Gay and lesbian task Force. To raise Money. They need to vilify a new clearly homosexuality is the next bogeyman said Frederick Clarkson an expert on the religious right from the Institute for first amendment studies. It s a hot Button
