European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Page b stars and stripes thursday feb Nidiry 25,1993 Friendly american gets Royal Welcome Bidav Melancon staff writer Obenhausen Germany what began As a Way to get to know his neighbors turned into a Royal appointment for an expatriate american. V Jim Kissinger says being the first american to Serveas the Obenhausen s carnival Prince is Only natural. Since moving to Eben Hauson population 1,451 he s become a full fledged member of the Community. Berhart Wahler president of the Selbst Hilife self help Fasching club agrees. Selecting Kissinger As the town s Prince made sense he said because he s a Good Man and a Good Friend. He s the Best Man for the ,. The latest addition to Obenhausen Royalty moved to the town in 1988. Kissinger who manages the Schweinfurt military Community s training support division was quickly befriended by neighbors George and Irma Wahler. George Wahler took the newcomer to a weekly club meeting where members Swap stories share meals discuss politics and enjoy other aspects of Vil Lage life. Membership is open to anyone living in the Community regardless of occupation or social status kiss Inger said. Obenhausen is about a 20-minute drive from Schweinfurt s Conn Barracks. Over time Kissinger was invited to join the organization and Given a festival hat and jacket. He participated in several local festivals and took on More responsibilities within the club. During a dinner last november George Wahler mentioned something about being the Prince kiss Inger said. He had to be kidding Kissinger recalled think ing. That s Only for but the next Day Berhardt Wahler told Kissinger that a Small committee within the club had elected him to the largely ceremonial Royal Post. Kissinger s first edict was to appoint Friend Rose Mary Westpheling the Schweinfurt Junior High school nurse As his Princess. He said about 90 percent of the people in the Community were surprised when the Royal couple were announced during q mock storming of the town Hall nov. 21. There s not much to the Job of being Prince Kissin Ger said. It involves greetings and handing medallions to festival goers at meetings ceremonies and parades. Although his Mastery of the German language is progressing his majesty Prince Jimmy As he is known relies of a speech writer for Public outings. There is no Way to plan for what May happen at an activity said Westpheling. R. I just go with the flow. People who Don t flex break and they miss out on a lot of fun she said. Nothing goes according to Hoyle. I m not sure what the rules Are but it sure is germans have accepted the Royal couple without hesitation she said. People Are so Nice and so outgoing Westpheling said. Since i do not speak German people make a special Effort to let me know what s happening and what i m supposed to be it s very unusual. He s the Only one american Prince in the Region. We Are very proud of both of them said Albrecht Schreck the Royal speech writer. Being selected Fasching Prince is Obenhausen s Way of saying he belongs there and has a Home de spite being american Kissinger said. All i did was just integrate into the Community he said. If you make any attempt at All to speak German or be Friendly it is rewarded double what you put into it Kissinger said. Americans Only have to give 40 percent the germans will give 60 percent in order to Sas do Cut Jim Kissinger Obenhausen s Prince Jimmy stands by his Princess Rosemary Westpheling. Voting program lists elections in eight states Washington is the Feder Al voting assistance program has announced the following elections California los Angeles mayoralty april 20. Connecticut municipal elections May 3 towns of Andover Avon Barkhamsted Bethany Bolton Burlington Farmington nauga tuck Sherman Union and Woodbridge boroughs of Bantam Danielson Fen Wick Jewett City Litchfield Naugatuck Newton Stonington and Wood Mont Groton. Michigan some municipal elections March 8. Several cities general elections april 5 Ann Arbor Battle Creek Wyandotte angst. Joseph. City primaries aug. 3 East Lansing Grosse Pointe farms and Park Muskegon and port Huron. Primary sept. 14 in Dearborn Detroit grand rapids and East grand rapids and Pontiac. Minnesota most township elections March 9. School Board elections May 18. New Hampshire All towns March 9 or May 11. Cities on various dates in november. Pennsylvania a statewide primary for state supreme court Superior court and Commonwealth court May 18. General elec Tion nov. 2. Some counties also will hold elections nov. 2 for common pleas court judges and Philadelphia will hold elections to fill two vacancies on the Phila Delphia municipal court. Texas mayoral elections will be held May 1 in Arlington Elpaso. Fort Worth and san Antonio. Corpus Christi will elect its top City executive april 3.wyoming mayoral and Council elections will beheld May 11 in Rock River la Grange Albin Burns Pine Bluffs Opal Mills Chugwater Hartville big Piney Marble ton and states waive registration require ments for defense department person Nel living overseas. Other states require voters to Register by mailing a completed Federal Post card application to local voting officials. Unit voting officers have More information. Belknap to get new chief Gaeta Italy is capt. Walter f. Doran will relinquish command of the 6th Fleet s flagship Belknap to cmdr. Robert t. Moeller in Gaeta Italy on Friday. Doran has commanded the guided missile Cruiser since March 1991. His next assignment i Washington d.c., where he is expected to be promoted to rear Admiral. Moeller is reporting to the Belknap from the office of the Secretary of the Navy in washing ton. Reformer to include exercise in Italy new military chief in Greece Athens Greece a it. Gen. Dimitris Skarvelis was promoted to chairman of Greece s joint chiefs of staff the government announced wednesday. Skarvelis 59, replaces Gen. Yiannis very Yakis who held the Post since 1990. Greece s new military chief headed the army general staff before his promotion. Recall for toy trucks announced Washington up Wang s International inc. Is voluntarily recalling about 9,100 of its wooden Christmas toy trucks. The Model number is x4848. The consumer product safety commission said Young children could choke on truck parts. By. J. King Cruger Northern Italy Bureau for the first time in its 24-year history part of the annual return of forces to Germany reformer exer Cise will take place outside nato s Central Region. This year the . Army Europe will contribute about 4,000 troops to dragon Hammer a major annual exercise in nato s Southern Region according to a spokesman at Usa eur Headquarters in Heidelberg Germany. The exercise is to begin april 26 and end May 23, said spokesman James Boyle. The army will deploy 4,000 troops to the Livorno and Vicenza areas of Northern Italy where they will Man Euver in the to River Valley As part of a computer assisted exercise from May 18 to 23. The full dragon Hammer exercise will take place from May 5 to May 23, with the live exercise ending May 19, according to Royal air Force Squadron Leader John Jeffery. He is a spokesman in Naples Italy for Allied forces Southern Europe a subordinate Nat command. Adm. Mike Boorda a South s commander will Lead the exercise. Details about dragon Hammer 93 cannot be re leased yet Jeffery said. Many soldiers who will participate in the exercise in Northern Italy Are based in Germany and some troops from the United states will replace them As part of the reformer exercise Boyle said. The . Troops will be fewer than the number deployed to Italy but their inclusion allows the army to test its ability to draw equipment overseas before Send ing the troops Forward Boyle said. He said Usa eur officials probably will announce sometime in March which of the command s units will participate in the Italy deployment. Contributing to thl report to writer Joseph Owen in Heidelberg snowstorm halts traffic in Eastern Austria Vienna Austria a a heavy snowstorm with winds gusting up to 40 Miles an hour halted trains Street cars and buses wednesday and disrupted Road traffic in most of Eastern Austria. Morning traffic halted in Many parts of Vienna. In one District people left their cars to direct traffic and unravel the chaos. Forty cars were involved in a pileup on a freeway South of Vienna and 15 cars crashed on a freeway West of Vienna. The number of injured was not available. In Many cases ambulances could not reach injured Drivers and Snow clearance Crews were stymied by trucks or cars abandoned by Drivers
