European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 12, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes a Ltd thursday May 12,1994 a Money to newspapers by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a a House armed services committee proposal to give the european and Pacific stars and stripes newspapers an extra $12 million in appropriated finds next year should allow them to continue operating a defense department official said. But Many questions still remain about the future of the two editions based in Darmstadt Germany and Tokyo. A a Quot. A a a a a a a. A. The committee made its recommendation last week As part of its version of the fiscal 1995 defense authorization Bill which still has a Long Way to go before it takes effect. A a. A a. The Bill must be approved by the full House reconciled with a separate Senate version and signed by president Clinton before it becomes Law. Jordan e. Rizer director of the american forces information service a the newspapers policy making organization a said it is his understanding that the $12 million would come on top of the routine appropriated fund support the papers now receive. This year the two editions Are receiving a total of $9.6 million in appropriated funds. Rizer said the additional $12 million would be enough to keep the papers alive once control of stars and stripes bookstores is transferred to the army and air Force Exchange service and the Navy Exchange come on oct. 1. Congress ordered that Transfer As part of the fiscal 1994 defense authorization act because lawmakers think the exchanges can offer better discounts on books and magazines for military members overseas. The bookstores have traditionally been the financial Backbone of the operation and stars and stripes and defense department officials have worried about How to sustain the papers after the bookstores Are turned Over. A a a a a v the european edition in particular has been hit hard by the overseas draw Down. Daily circulation has dropped by More than half Over the past few years to about 57,000, resulting in losses averaging $6 million a year. The daily circulation of the Pacific edition is about 28,500. So fair the european edition has managed to avoid seeking additional subsidies from the military by drawing on Money from an in House investment fund established in the late 1970s./ on tuesday air Force col. Steven s. Hoffman commander of the european stars and stripes described the committee recommendation As  however he declined to predict what Impact such an appropriation would have on the newspapers financial health. A a it a too speculative to comment right now a too Many factors Are still unresolved a he said. Chief among them according to Hoffman is the pending agreement on the Transfer of the bookstores to the Exchange services. The amount and timing of the payments to the stars and stripes for its Bookstore inventory and equipment Are key factors in determining How much Money the newspaper will need to survive army officials have said. However details of the arrangement Are still being negotiated. In Light of the House committees proposed solution to the immediate financial crisis the Issue now being discussed is How Long the papers will remain in their current form once the bookstores Are gone. The exact wording of the Bill remains unknown until after the government printing office prints the text later this week. However committee members have again asked the newspapers to study the possibility of beaming news to overseas areas via satellite As a Way to Cut stars and stripes operating costs. That a a concept that defense department officials have studied and shelved in the  a a a a a a. A a a a a Quot it a the scenario typically envisions consolidating editors and Headquarters staffs of the papers in the United states while keeping some reporters in each theater to handle local news. The news would be edited in the states with the finished newspaper pages then being beamed via satellite to overseas plants for printing and distribution. In an explanatory report accompanying the House committee Bill afis was directed to draft a a standby plan to do just that. In the report lawmakers also directed afis to run a demonstration project of beaming news electronically to a select overseas population and Rizer said his Agency is developing plans to test such a concept in Korea. Cameras in by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau while an army family advocacy inspection team is recommending video monitors in child development centers following alleged abuses in Baum older Germany the air forces in Europe already has centers equipped with cameras a spokesman said tuesday. In addition the . Naval forces Europe has one Center with cameras As Well As rules requiring visual Access in All areas of the centers a spokesman said. . Air forces in Europe installed cameras in each of its child development centers in 1986, said Doug Moore a Safe spokesman. A a it a part of an air Force wide program a Moore said. Eighteen Safe installations have child development programs Moore said. There Are 47 separate facilities at the bases. The average daily enrolment at All the facilities is about 21,000. At Spang Dahlum a Germany for example there is one main Center and five annexes. The Center has two cameras in each of the five activity rooms and two cameras trained on the outdoor playground said Lesley Wright the programs assistant director. The base is in the process of installing cameras in the five annexes which were opened to handle the recent expansion at Span Dahlem a the air Force is pretty aware of How 8 its _ important the cameras Are a Wright said. The policy regarding . Nava forces Europe child development centers requires visual Access in All areas said it. Ike Skelton a Nav eur spokesman. Such Access is defined As an unobstructed View into each developmental area or room. Although video monitors Are not specifically required Nas Simonella Italy installed video monitors in january 1992 at an estimated Cost of $5,000, Skelton said. The monitors were installed on the recommendation of a Navy child development Center inspector who said they would improve visual Access. The Navy has nine child development centers Skelton said. There Are 455 full time pupils 136 preschoolers and 57 children in the sure Start program. A there have been no substantiated reports of physical or sexual abuse reported Over the last two years and no care givers have been fired or prosecuted for abuse at child development centers a Skelton said in a written statement. Within the first 60 Days of employment All Navy care givers must Complete comprehensive standardized training on How to prevent identify and report child abuse or neglect in any environment Skelton said. Care givers also Are instructed in preventing and responding to abuse in child development  really Cookin now Heidelberg Germany a amps a single soldiers billets in Europe now contain about 935 of the 1,156 kitchens planned for installation by the time troop withdrawals arc done according to . Army Europe. _ the remaining installations should occur within the next year except in buildings scheduled for renovation within 18 months the command said. The 53rd area support group headquartered in bad Kreuz Nach Germany is the regional support unit closest to being finished with the Job with 213 of 216 kitchens installed. Heidelberg Germany a amps a . Army Gen. David m. Maddox approved three new Quality of life standards for soldiers this week setting goals for housing maintenance refuse collection and custodial services in army communities in Europe the action raises to 30 the number of Community based standards that the . Army Europe commander has put into effect since last year. The housing maintenance Standard requires engineers to Complete 60 percent of routine work orders within 15 Days of their submission 75 percent within 30 Days and 80 percent within 45 Days. Engineers still must respond to emergency work orders immediately and to urgent requests within five Days according to .rules ordered army Europe Headquarters. The command said it has met the Standard in most cases already but codifying it gives customers grounds Tor complaint if they done to get reasonably prompt serv inc a. The Standard mandates 40-hour-per-week operation of a work order desk and entitles customers to choose Between morning or afternoon maintenance or repair appointments. The refuse collection Standard Calls for once weekly pickups of trash and garbage As needed collection of Bulky items and adequate distribution of containers for recyclable materials. Currently frequency of collection vanes from Community to Community