European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 11, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes saturday june 11,1994german strike May disrupt services by Joseph Owen Heidelberg Bureau americans expecting Bills in the German mail information from a German Telephone operator or help from a German phone repairman May have to wait awhile. The German postal workers Union plans a third consecutive Day of warning strikes today continuing a scattered work stoppage that began after labor contract talks Between the postal enterprises and the Union collapsed thursday the Union said it called strikes at 28 Post offices and 39 Telephone offices on Friday involving 7,000 employees on the Early shift. About 11,000 employees walked off the Job in 54 cities thursday. The dispute has no effect on mail delivered through the military postal system in Europe said maj. James Moran executive officer of the Mannheim based . Army postal in Europe. A everything that comes into the Apo system is handled by the military As soon As it gets off the plane a Moran said. Top executives of the three German postal related firms that answer to the Post and telecommunications ministry a pos Dienst postal Servic Etele Kom telecommunications and pos Bank a have accused Union leaders of turning the labor talks into a farce. Quot to the workers self appointed representatives cold drinks and a vacation on the Cote do Azur obviously Are More important than jobs with a secure future a the Lekom a Board chairman Helmut Ricke said in a joint news release. The business leaders accused the Union of trying to Block the German governments attempt to convert the three enterprises into private corporations. The unions demands for worker benefits if granted would weaken decisively the postal enterprises ability to remain competitive the business leaders said. Union leaders said Friday that they were fed up with demands from the Federal postal minister Wolfgang Botsch and the opposition social democrats to approve contracts that would shift postal personnel to the private companies Only to see the company Board chairmen then reject the agreements. The Frankfurt based Union accused the employers of dragging out the talks unnecessarily by refusing to bring an improved contract offer to the bargaining table. The strike will not interfere with the delivery of mailed ballots for sundays election of German representatives to the european parliament the postal service said. The Union and the postal service reached a separate agreement Friday to assure delivery of the ballots. Signal command starting massive 4-nation exercise Worms Germany a amps a starting today More than 200 Europe based soldiers arc taking part in what the 5th signal come Calls the . Military a largest peacetime signal exercise. Grecian fireboat 94, which ends june 25, involves about 10,000 american military personnel in Germany Panama South Korea and the United states. Most participants Are soldiers but the air Force marines and Navy also arc taking part 5th signal come spokesman William e. Triplett said. Army Reserve and National guard troops also Are participating. The exercise which relies heavily on Field equipment is testing the military a worldwide telecommunications capability. In Europe it involves units assigned to the Worms based signal command . Army Europe and nato. The signal command will be the Host of the Battle staff and theater networks operations Center. Personnel deployed to various Sites in Germany for the exercise come from the following units Karlsruhe a 7th signal brigade . Army Europe a Kaiserslautern based 413th signal co and 414tn signal co attached to natos land forces Central Europe in Heidelberg. The army a information systems come at fort Hua Chuca ariz., is directing the exercise. Airman found guilty of lying in statements on quarters allowance Ramstein a Germany a amps a an airman who was overpaid nearly $8,000 in quarters allowance will spend three months at hard labor according to a statement from the 86th Wing. Staff sgt Albert a Brownjr. Of the 762nd communications so at Boer Ink Mountain top Cavern was found guilty in a special court martial this week of four counts of making false official statements and one count of stealing Money. He was found not guilty of one count of false Basic allowance for quarters re certification he had pleaded not guilty to All charges. Brown lied to an accounting and finance office worker about his entitlement and on his quarters allowance re certification forms the statement said. Based on that information the air Force overpaid Brown $7,957.20 in quarters allowance when he was living in government leased housing. In addition to the hard labor which he will not perform in confinement Brown also was sentenced to demotion by two grades to e-3,the statement said. Heidelberg women s club donates thousands to groups Heidelberg Germany a amps a the Heidelberg German american women a club disbursed 41,093 Marks about $25,000 in donations to local . Military and German organizations thursday. The donations were the proceeds from the clubs annual 2 a Day pfennig Bazaar in March. The donations were about 10,000 Marks move than was raised at the 1993 Bazaar said Peter dressier a spokesman for the. Army a Heidelberg based 26th area support group. Taken away a 22-year-old austrian Soldier Cente identified Only As Gerhard a of the simmering Section of Vienna is led away by police late wednesday after he allegedly stole an m60 tank and left a Trail of destruction As he drove it through the capital. Authorities said the Soldier got drunk after a fight with his Girlfriend stole the tank from a suburban austrian army Barracks and managed to damage 20 cars some traffic lights and Power lines. Dog owners around warned about by Mark k1nkade staff writer Hanau Germany a an outbreak of a virus that affects dogs lower intestines stomach and heart has killed at least two dogs and stricken others in the Hanau area officials say. They believe that the outbreak of the parvo virus May be caused in part by pet owners who did not have their pets vaccinated As the animals should have been. A apparently owners Are not taking the necessary precautions Quot said Claudia Weisbart a spokeswoman for the Hessen state ministry for youth and family health. One reason for the spread of parvo in housing areas is that dog owners fail to clean up after their animals Hanau military Community spokeswoman Robin Campbell said. Community regulations Call for owners to clean up dog fees from common areas and lawns where people and other dogs May go. In recent months or. Piano Freisen a Hanau veterinarian has seen at least 17 dogs mostly from the american Community in Hanau that have the parvo virus. One German dog died in his care from the virus and he knew of at least one other that had died of parvo. Military medical officials said veterinarians have treated a a several a cases of parvo virus infestations in dogs from the military Community. Virus Freisen said dogs in common areas such As housing areas Are particularly susceptible to the virus if dog owners done to clean up after the pets a a Cornmon use area is a Breeding ground for the virus if the fees remains a Freisen said. A the virus is in the fees and other dogs will get it and pass it  military vets in Hanau think the virus was carried to the Community by a Puppy that arrived recently Campbell said. The parvo virus is common to younger dogs said Freisen who treats Many american pets. Normally the virus lives in dog fees and can live outside the body in fees for up to six months he said. Bloody diarrhoea and an overpowering odor Are symptoms of the disease Freisen said. The virus can be deadly particularly for puppies up to a year old Freisen said. Normally younger dogs go through a series of inoculations to build their resistance to the virus. Parvo Freisen said is not a threat to vaccinated dogs. Veterinarians said owners can prevent the spread of disease by having puppies As Young As 8 weeks old inoculated and following the inoculations with Booster shots every few months. Until the Puppy is old enough for the shot medical officials said owners should keep the pets away from common use areas and other dogs