European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 27, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday july 27, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 Ramstein shoppers must adjust to new commissary by Doyle Tillman Kaiserslautern Bureau Kaiserslautern Germany beginning monday shoppers will have fewer hours to fill their grocery carts at the Ramstein a commissary the largest . Food store in Europe. The store will shave an hour off business each morning but sunday shoppers will feel the greater Pinch. Jon sundays the commissary will not Only open later but close earlier. Low patronage during certain hours a As Well As guidance from the defense commissary Agency Headquarters in the United states a prompted the cuts deca Europe officials said Ramstein a commissary will be open sometimes there a be a greater number of employees in the store than customers. And that was t doing Justice to the majority of  red Wenglowski deca Europe weekdays and saturdays from 9 . To 9 ., and sundays from 9 . To 6  The current hours Are 8 . To 9  Every Day except holidays. The change in hours reduces commissary shopping availability to 81 hours a week. A people Arentt using it the commissary a said de Wenglowski chief of store operations for deca Europe. But the impending changes arc not pleasing the stores customers a they  Cut hours especially sunday evenings a said . Army sgt. Karen Cooper who typically shops sunday afternoons around 3 or 4. Study results approved about three weeks ago verified less than profitable sales hours according to Wenglowski. The study was conducted in the commissary by Ramstein commissary officer Eberhard von dem Bach and approved by the 86th wings commander col. Steven Caine. Caine served As the Wing commander in the absence of Brig. Gen. Jef Frey s. Pilkington who recently returned to Ramstein from an extended assignment in Turkey. The study pointed out that a Between 8 and 9 ., sales for the Day amounted to no More than 2 percent for the Day except on military paydays a said von dem Bach an eight year Veteran commissary manager who previously worked in Furth. As for sunday business Quot after the by closed at 6 .it was totally dead a the Ramstein commissary officer said of the base Exchange. According to von dem Baches figures the Ramstein store makes about 85 percent of sunday sales Between 11 . And 5  And roughly 10 percent Between 9 and 11 . The remaining 5 percent of sales Are scattered through the remaining hours but he said a Between 8 and 9 ., sales done to even amount to a fraction of a percent a cutting poor sales periods from the business schedule will allow the commissary officer to employ More people during busier hours. A sometimes there a be a greater number of employees in the store than customers a Wenglowski said. A and that Wasny to doing Justice to the majority of  von dem Bach said he would like to Cut hours further to improve service during Peak sales periods. A ideally 70 hours would give the Corr. Unity much better service a the commissary officer said. Ramstein a commissary has undergone several schedule adjustments in recent years. Each time commissary patrons found themselves with less time to shop. As recently As 1991, the commissary was open round the clock. In october 1991, officials trimmed shopping hours to 7 . To 11  And Cut Back the hours further in summer 1992, when the current times were adopted. Von dem Bach also proposed a 70-hour sales week to reorganize the daily work Force but the plan was not approved. At 8 30 . Tuesday . Air Force staff sgt. Christie Lingard said she a likes that they open at 8, but in a More unhappy about the closing Early  she acknowledged that she does not. A amps John Bohnec retired it col. George Bromley and his wife Louise shop at the Ramstein store. Usually shop Between 8 and 9 . A i shop once a month Early in the morning and at least once a month on sunday afternoon a said senior airman Richard Acostajr. Of the 86th trans so. A i come first thing a cause there Are no people and shop for the Squadron. I spend s200 to $300.�?� maj. Ronald Sargent of Parma sense 5th combat equipment co said a i see the changes As an alarm that More services Are going away. He said the reduction in hours could affect smaller surrounding communities such As Baum older from which soldiers and families travel to shop at Ramstein. The reduction of hours was not just to improve customer service. Von dem Bach said the reduction was being carried out in accordance with deca Headquarters guidance from fort Lee a. The worldwide Headquarters sent policy guidance setting Forth new standards a based on store sales a that specified the number of hours stores could be open. According to the new standards Ramstein a store should be open at least 65 hours a week. Commissary Headquarters officials hoped to reduce hours and thereby Cut Back operating costs worldwide said the Ramstein commissary  turn slowly for airman accused of rape by Nancy  . Bureau Mildenhall England a a . Airman who has been denied bail by a British court pending his trial on rape charges could remain in British custody for at least another month. Airman Gordon Christopher Taylor �3, with the 100th Maint so at Raf Mildenhall was charged by the Mildenhall magistrates court on july 11 with raping a 21-year-old British woman. Taylor was denied bail on the grounds that there was a substantial risk he would interfere with witnesses and that he might fail to appear for trial if released. On monday afternoon Mildenhall magistrates granted a request by British prosecutor Peter Gair to set a hearing aug. 22 to discuss sending Taylor Scase to the Crown court for trial. Mondays hearing was held to determine the status of the police investigation. Gair said the investigation was expected to be completed by aug. 22, when the Case could be referred for trial to the Crown court. The Crown court trial would be held before a judge and jury. Gair said after mondays hearing that a a in a hoping the next time aug. 22 will be the last time Taylor will have to appear in the Mildenhall magistrates court. Gair also said it was not known How soon a trial Date would be set once the Case was referred to the Crown court. He noted that the higher court had a backlog of cases. Meanwhile Taylor a British attorney Peter diver has appealed the bail ruling to the Crown court which is scheduled to hear the matter in a closed session aug. 5, Gair said. If the Appeal is dented Taylor will remain in British custody while awaiting and during the trial. Diver did not appear in the Mildenhall magistrates court on monday. Although Taylor was expected Tho appear before two magistrates Early monday morning the hearing was delayed because diver was absent. A British court official said after lunch monday that she called divers office and was informed by an answering machine that the attorneys office was closed until thursday. Another British attorney who was in court on other matters agreed to represent Taylor during mondays hearing. The hearing was delayed until late afternoon so she could Confer with the airman. No arguments were put Forth on Taylor a behalf for sending the Case to the Crown court in less than 28 Days. The rape incident is alleged to have occurred july 10 in a toilet in an Raf Mildenhall dormitory. Diver has said Taylor denies the incident was rape. However a formal plea will not be entered by Taylor until the Case is heard in the Crown court. Taylor lives off base in Burwell about 15 Miles Southwest of the base. His estimated Date of departure from the United kingdom is september 1995