European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 3, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday december 3, 1933 the stars and stripes Page 3af stuck with $20.2 million in tease service pay for Lack of escape clauses by Chuck Vinch Washington bureaus Washington a Congress is making the air Force eat the Cost of buying out a Long term lease for family housing at a base in Sicily that was shut Down several years ago. To in its fiscal 1994 budget request the air Force asked for $20.2 million to pay off a lease for housing built at Comiso a which was scheduled to become a ground launched cruise missile site until a treaty was signed in 1987 Banning such weapons in Europe. Air Force officials say it would be cheaper to finish paying off the lease than to break the contract which would result in substantial penalties. The House and Senate armed services committees supported the air Force request. But the House and Senate appropriations committees which control the purse strings in the two tiered defense budget process denied the funding. In the conference report 1994 defense authorization accompanying the fiscal Bill lawmakers on the armed services committees said that in Light of the appropriations committees action the air Force should take the $20.2 million out of existing family housing operations funds. Although the armed services committees would have Given the air Force the Money the report indicates lawmakers Are upset that the situation developed at All. The United states and nato pursued a a dual track diplomatic strategy regarding the Glam Force in Europe that called for constructing bases and deploying the missiles while at the same time negotiating a theater ban in such weapons. The report said lawmakers Are a a dismayed that leases associated with the Glam bases did not contain clauses allowing t in United states to cancel them at Little or no extra Cost. A had such a provision been included in the lease the conferees understand that this $20.2 million liability to pay for housing that is of no use to . Forces would have been avoided a the report said. Officials at . Air forces in Europe Headquarters at Ramstein a Germany were not available wednesday or thursday to comment on the congressional criticism. A a. The authorization Bill directs Secretary of the air Force Sheila e. Widnall to provide a report on leases associated with Glam bases in Europe. The report should include a Brief description of teases supporting each Glam base highlighting the . Government s termination rights a or Lack thereof a As Well As details on the potential penalties of breaking the leases lawmakers said. The report is due in six months. V Holiday cheer to 50 children by Chuck Roberts staff writer monster Germany a Many of the children at a Christmas party hosted thursday by american soldiers have never spent the holidays at Home with their parents. But even if they could sister Rufina said its unlikely they would experience the Joy they Felt at the party Given by soldiers of the 15th Ord in at monster army depot. The annual Holiday affair has become so popular with the 50 children that they began asking in november if the soldiers would let them come again Rufina said. As she spoke an army lieutenant dressed As Santa Claus handed out Candy and presents to the children who ran to Greet the robust Man with big hugs and smiles. Some of the youngsters would not have celebrated Christmas this year if they had remained in the troubled Homes they come from Rufina said. These Are children who wind up in places such As the children a Home in Aschaffenbur where 40 of thursdays party goers spend their Days. The other children at the party came from the John f. Kennedy school in Minster. The children from Aschaffenbur with no parents in their lives learn to rely on each other Rufina said a this is their family a the group they done to feel they Are missing anything a she said of the children who ranged in age from 2 to 16. T but those who leave the Aschaffenbur Home and later revisit it As adults often talk about the Good times shared at Christmas ass Jim Delft Elm a youngster from a children s Home gives Santa Claus a giant hug thursday at a Christmas party Given by american soldiers in Miinster Germany. That might be the Case with 14-year-old Birgit Gilmer who was attending her third Christmas party at the depot. She said the event is made special by being together with the american soldiers. Those times also will be remembered by the soldiers who selected and bought the toys and volunteered their afternoons to play with the Young ones. It was the second Christma party for pfc Israel Flores who eagerly volunteered when he heard about this years party. A i just love these kids a said the native of Clinton okla. I. A they get the memory of a lifetime and it s the same for me too. Its one of those milestones that just happens. Its just 3 . Teens charged in stun gun attacks amps have be Darmstadt Germany three american teen agers have Deen charged by German authorities with armed robbery and Battery in connection with the stun gun attack in a German citizen in october. A the German court sent notices out to the three teens that they should engage lawyers for their defense or have the court appoint one Quot said a judge for the German youth court in Darmstadt the youths Are All army family members living with their parents in Darmstadt he said. A the youths Ages Are 18,17 and 15 and ail fall under the German youth Law Quot he said. �?o1 think they will probably go to court sometime in february or March a said the judge who did no to want his name used. The maximum penalty under the German youth Law the judge said is one years imprisonment. Polity arrested the three after a 28-year-old Man reported on oct. 11 that he was attacked with a stun gun and robbed of 50 Marks by three English speaking youths while Riding his bicycle past Lincoln Village an american housing area. Police get mystery tip in slaying Case by de reams staff writer Darmstadt Germany a an Anonymous letter in English to the German police about the unsolved murder of 2-year-old Elora Mckemy has prompted the police to Appeal to the Public for information. Police Are looking for information about the identity or whereabouts of a a Joe Canzino Ana the meaning of the two sequences of numbers and letters �?o44 10 12 and �?o6ttr.n�?� that were included in the text of the letter. A the Rictter writer claims this Man Joe Canzino could help us make Progress in the Case a said Darmstadt police spokesman Werner Rill. Rill would not disclose additional contents of the letter which was received by police in Frankfurt about a week ago. The army a criminal investigation cd in Darmstadt which is helping German authorities in the investigation re fused to talk about the letter the child daughter of army sgt. Brent Mckemy and his wife. Penny disappeared from the fan ply a fourth floor army stairwell apartment at Babenhausen Cavern Southeast of Frankfurt Between 1 . And 4 . Sept. 15. Her body was found a few hours later near a water filled gravel Quarry about a Quarter mile from her House. The girl had been and sexually assaulted. A we know this letter might be just a Crackpot but we cannot afford to ignore any Lead As absurd As it might seem said an official with the special 10-Man German police squad working the Case. A that a Why we decided to go Public a to see if we can find this Joe Ruhl said the Cid has not been unable to track Down anyone with that name connected to the military. The syntax of the letter led the special squad to believe that the letter writer was a German with a Good command of English. Ruhl said that the special squad works in conjunction with the Cid and has followed up on 2,500 clues so far. A we Haven to discovered the right clue yet but we Are still confident that we will find the person who killed Elora Mckemy a Ruhl said. Ruhl said the american military Community has been extremely cooperative during the course of the investigation. German police Are asking that anyone with information about the identity or whereabouts of Canzino Call the German special squad at 06151/969-4312
