European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes thursday May 18,1994 by Mark Kinkade staff writer Darmstadt Germany a sgt. Rudolph Smiths routine Day took a terrifying turn when he saw smoke billowing from the windows of his second Story apartment in Darmstadt a military housing area tuesday. Smith was driving to his Lincoln Vii Lage Home to have his daughter sign some routine family paperwork about 9 20 ., when military police sped past with lights flashing. Quot there were police in front of me and they drove toward my housed said Smith assigned to Darmstadt a 440th signal in. A then i saw it. I thought a my god. That a my  a Smiths apartment was engulfed in flames. His wife and 15-year-old daughter were watching from across the Street As their world went up in flames. Darmstadt fire officials said a faulty toaster May have started the fire which caused an estimated $200,000 damage including $45,000 of the Smiths personal belongings. Connie Smith the sergeants wife said the fire started when she put two pastries in the toaster. Quot i turned around and the toaster caught fire Quot said Smith sitting in her Bathrobe in a neighbors apartment after the fire. "1 tried to put it out with a fire lawyer known for court martial cases by de Reavis staff w Riter Edward j. Bellen a colourful civilian attorney who defended Scricc members in Germany and Vietnam died monday in his Home in Walldorf Germany near Rhein main a. He was 56. Quot he had been jogging and was apparently preparing to take a Bath when he died a said his wife Friderun. Bellen also is survived by three children Edward 30 Francis 27 and Fred Crun 25. Bellen from Scranton pa., attended Pennsylvania state University and Law school in Boston his wife said. Quot we met As tourists in Austria in 1960 and married a she said. Quot he decided to stay in Germany and practice Law and was proud of Many eases of the service members he defended in Germany and Vietnam Over the last 29  David court a lawyer who worked with Bellen in 1976, called him a the Pioneer a the Man who paved the Way for other civilian attorneys in the . Mili. Tary Community overseas. A the always said you must understand that a military jury is a Blue ribbon jury Quot court said explaining that the level of education of a military jury is generally higher than a Normal civilian jury and the people serving on the military jury Are used to listening to people because of their professions. A a a a a a. A a. A a a a  v a a a a \ / a amps John Bohmer Jacob Korn and Russom Tesfazion from the directorate of engineering and housing clean debris from a fire tuesday at Lincoln Village in Darmstadt Germany. No one was Hurt in the Blaze but a family a belongings were wiped out. Extinguisher but by the Tine i got to the extinguisher the fire was All Over the Kitchen i threw it Down and get my baby and got  Smith and daughter Tashika fled the apartment. Fire and police officials arrived on the scene moments later. Officials evacuated the building immediately according to Darmstadt military Community assistant fire chief Orson Bernhardt. A furniture moving Crew at the scene helped evacuate 10 children from a near by apartment and managed to save the belongings in the apartment above the Smiths where the family was just receiving its household furniture when the fire broke out Bernhardt said. The Blaze wiped out the Smith apartment and smoke damaged two apartments above Bernhardt said. Water damaged the apartment below and a next door apartment also was a a a a damaged. The army has insurance on the building and repairs should take about three months Bernhardt said. But the Smiths who did not have fire insurance lost All their possessions including a Bird. And two fish in the fire Smith said. They moved to Darmstadt from fort Lewis wash., in october. Darmstadt Community spokeswoman Teri Viedt said the family will probably qualify for emergency Aid from the red Gross the army Community services and other assistance. The three families displaced by the fire will also be issued new quarters. The 440th signal in is planning a bake Sale to raise Money for the Smiths. Military families urged to protest tax changes by Effie Bathen staff writers amps file Craig Marlin Edward a Bellen Robert Fiore a civilian attorney in Frankfurt Germany said Bellen was dedicated to court martial cases. A i done to know another civilian lawyer who spends his entire time defending gis. Most of us do some other work on the Side a Fiore said. Fiore said Bellen Learned the Public relations Side of criminal Law after associating with celebrity lawyers f. Lee Bailey and Melvin Belli. A the w As the lawyer of the 1960s,�?� Fiori said. A nobody handled As Many cases As he did at that time. He was truly  Bellens funeral and memorial service will be held at the Walldorf cemetery at 10 30   special olympics set Kaiserslautern Germany a amps a the Kaiserslautern military Community a 12th annual special olympics is scheduled for Friday at the Vogel Vieh sports Field. Special olympics is an International sports Competition that provides olym pie style sports for mentally or physically disabled children and adults. The More than 400 athletes expected to compete w ill vie for first second and third place medals and ribbons while gaining Confidence to apply at Home school and work organizers said. Bad Kissinger Germany a military people who want to avoid paying hundreds or thousands of extra dollars on their military moves should spend the Price of a postage stamp and write to Congress an expert  one person can make a difference. More can do More a said Sydney Hickey associate director of government relations for the National military family association. She urged women gathered this week at the 38th annual conference for american women a activities Germany to write letters to congressional members protesting a new tax Law that will prove costly to military people. The Law took effect Jan. 1 Ltd severely limits the tax free status of Many relocation allowances that service people receive with a permanent change of station Hickey said. A your enlisted Force will be devastated a she warned. A typical enlisted person in Grade e-5 could face More than $1,000 in taxes she said. This would be in addition to the no fax a estimates of $1,000 to $3,000 in a reimbursed costs that military members and their families currently absorb for each government ordered move. The relocation allowances Are meant to reimburse service members for expenses associated wit moving. They were tax exempt until last years deficit reduction Law was passed by Congress. The Impact on soldiers sailors airmen and marines May have been an oversight say some on Capitol Hill. Republican Sens. Phil Gramm of Texas and John Mccain of Arizona Are sponsoring a Bill to reinstate the tax free status of the military moving allowances. But they May be Barking up the wrong tree according to Hickey because tax legislation must originate in the House of representatives. The wife of a retired Sailor is urging people to write to the House ways and Means committee. The address is . House of representatives Washington . 20515. Letters from military families overseas have a lot of clout on the Hill said Hickey a noted speaker on military family and. Vocaty issues. A.  a. A according to the Nymfa the new tax provisions make Many relocation allowances taxable. These include a temporary lodging entitlements the stateside and temporary lodging allowances la. A dislocation allowances. A overseas move in allowances. A the meals portion of permanent change of station per diem. The provisions also prohibit deducting the costs of buying or Selling a House terminating a lease House Hunting trips and temporary lodging expenses at a new duty station. Quot As it stands now the Law requires a 3 percent funding fee for members using their a Home loan entitlement a second or subsequent time if they do not make a 5 percent Down payment. A we lose Money on every move we make a said Ellie Sagan of Frankfurt one of the 400 women attending the conference. She said that the tax change was unfair to military people because they Transfer so frequently. On any typical move service families throw away things such As food Auto supplies and plants and this Means Money out of the pocket she said. Hickey is scheduled to speak on the status of military benefits at 10  Friday at Frankfurt sidle hour theater