European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 25, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 25, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 advocacy program seeks Nev in by Effie Bathen Heidelberg Bureau Heidelberg Germany family advocacy program managers want to rid the Public of the notion that they Hel Only bad  according to Pierre Wilkins family advocacy program manager for the . Army Europe the theme of new Public service campaigns May be Trust us. Fam ily advocacy people Are the people you can turn to., people know us for the really hard stuff family child and spouse abuse said Tom Hanna a Cornell University marketing specialist for the department of the army s Strong soldiers Strong families program. He addressed advocacy specialists an marketing specialists at a morale welfare and recreation conference in Heidelberg monday. Marketing is the leading Edge of prevention Hanna said. The message look for help Early before a problem  ".",  " the Public relations push also will be a tool in marketing Lingo for the advocacy folks to define their products create Market driven programs and have Posi Tive name recognition. The Effort mirrors the trend in com Mercial advertisements to Tell people that even those who Are successful Tan turn Toa professional for help. For example a recent Dean Witter and for financial serv ices features a father and children hold ing hands learning to skate High stress families Are the target audience for advocacy programs. Typically this group includes Youn Junior enlisted families with several Chil Dren /  -. They May have limited finances transportation and experience. But a child s teen years Are the second bump for parents Hanna explained. Every Parent knows where the risks 0 g. Delegates mull qualify Impre Verriens by Chuck v1nch Washington Bureau Washington almost 100 is sues touching on an array of army poli cies and programs will be discussed during the annual army family act in planning conference that kicked off Here monday. A total of 139 delegates representing every major army command and each segment of the army family Active duty and Reserve troops youths spouses civilians and retirees will spend the week drawing up recommendations for ways to improve life for sol Diers and their families. This the 12th asap conference Isth yearly culmination of an Effort by army leaders to get direct grass Root input from a Cross Section of the serv ice population. Mike Farmer family programs coordinator at . Army Europe head quarters in Heidelberg Germany Heads this year s nine member delegation from Europe which includes representative from each of the choir Mand s area support groups. In addition to Farmer the roster includes four Active duty soldiers two family members one civilian employee and one military Retiree. The delegates will break into groups to discuss various issues related to employment entitlements medical and dental benefits Force support family support and youth programs. On Friday the groups will formally present about one third of the 97 Origi Nal issues of the Agenda to the army leadership for consideration. For the first time in recent memory Usa eur has not brought specific concerns to the conference but Farmer said his delegation will be closely monitoring various issues raised by other overseas commands. These issues include granting civil service status to local hire family Mem Bers and employees in limited appointee positions overseas making no appropriated fund workers eligible for the defense department s priority placement program and addressing budget shortages in tuition assistance  initiatives that Are eventually for warded to senior army officials work their Way through the administrative Chain until they Are either completed or declared unattainable usually for budgetary reasons. As was the Case last year officials atthe conference implored the delegates to set priorities because of the shrink ing budget climate. We can t fix everything sgt.  the army Richard a Kidd bluntly told the delegated we Don t have the resources to fix  the Beligh teming theme pervade the opening sessions of this year s con Ference. As has by Corrie customary delegates will be asked to name not Only the five most valuable family pro Grams or services but also three that could be sacrificed. That s the most difficult thing you Llave to do Brig. Gen John g. Meyer jr., commander of the army Community and family support Center told the delegates. Meyer said the current situation is very much a Zero sum game in that Money for each new initiative can commonly from cuts in other programs. Is our budget going to increase this year no he said. Is it going to in crease next year no. We must be real to.   -. Since 1982, army leaders have re viewed hundreds of issues arising fro the asap conferences More than 220 recommendations have sparked new legislation policies or regulations or led to improvements in services an programs. V v -. A /. A those changes include a fourfold in crease in the maximum servicemen s group life insurance payout funded travel for College students whose parents Are overseas an expanded dental insurance plan for family members More rigorous military child car guidelines and a stateside military Cost of living allowance. Are Han a said the strains of living in satellite bed room communities of going through Long deployments also can heat up military life like a pressure cooker. Promotional ads such As fliers or radio and to Public service announcements May soon pop up. Advocacy efforts require total Community involvement said Hanna noting that dissolving boundaries Between separately funded Community programs is a key. Information programs May be held i conjunction with recreation and sporting events some marketing specialists recommended. Map family advocacy program snot the  with image prob lems said Gary Sowders a marketing manager from Grafe Wohr Germany you be got to trick people into these events he said half joking. They May have fun and accidentally learn some thing. V by v .-.-.  -.-. After can families warned to take precautions by Carlos Bongioanni \. Staff writer  officials have issued a Public health warning after an american toddler swallowed part of a Poison Ous mushroom at a Stuttgart Germany child care Cen Ter. Sixteen month old Aja Linkous Falk suffered Stom Ach cramps and other symptoms Friday but recovered quickly after being treated at a German Hospital. The incident prompted the Stuttgart military Community to Issue fliers warning americans of the hazards of eating wild mushrooms. According to the environmental office for the director of engineering and housing de the warm and wet weather conditions appear perfect for the growing of these mushrooms said sgt. 1st class Mike Alley the Public affairs officer for the 6th area support group in Stuttgart. The Deh is urging parents to destroy any mushrooms they come  the stricken Tot daughter of army sergeants Sonia and Andrew Falk was one of 11 children of the Patch Barracks child development Center playground when child care worker Sigrid Greer spotted her putting. Something in her Mouth Alley said. She immediately went to the baby did a Finger sweep and cleared the substance from the child s Mouth said Alley. She then contacted the front desk and had them Call the child s parents and the Poison control  Greer declined to discuss the incident. Alley said Poison control Center officials told child care workers that the child was not in imminent danger. After leaving a message at the office where both parents work the staff watched Over the child As they waited for the parents to pick up their daughter and take her to the army medical clinic he said. The girl s Mother however said she believes the Day care Center s procedures Are inadequate. I was upset said Sonia Falk a special agent for the 6th ask protective service detachment. Somebody should have gone ahead and taken her to the clinic. A half hour had probably Gona by by the time i got to   at Patch Barracks determined they were unable to provide adequate care. This prompted Sonia Falk to take her daughter to the children s Hospital in bowl Origen where they stayed for six hours Andrew Falk said. Doctors in Bobingen concluded that the child had ingested some of the mushroom it was poisonous but not life threatening said or. Manfred Teufel the chief doctor at the Bobingen hos   a " " we decided to give pills to the child to induce vomit ing rather than leave the mushroom in her system. These mushrooms can be potentially toxic and can cause damage to the kidneys liver or nervous  Alley said that under the right climate condition wild mushrooms can pop up  Sonia Falk said her husband returned to the child care Center Friday afternoon and counted at least 10 mushrooms along the playground. My husband and 1 Are both soldiers so we Don t have a Choice. We have to put our kid in child care said Sonia Falk. At the same time we feel there should be a 2-to-l ratio of children to cd workers. Toddlers Are always putting things in their Mouths and you just can t keep up with them All the time Alley said child care officials reported that three care providers Monitor the activities of the 11 children on the playground. Another worker had just returned in Side the building when the incident occurred he said. Train in  Northern Italy Bureau two americans both family members of . Sol Diers were killed last weekend when they were struck by a fast moving train on the outskirts of Vicenza Italy an army spokesman said. The victims Jason Kosan 19, and Daniel Scott 20, were killed at 5 30 . Saturday by an eastbound train travelling at More than 80 Miles per hour said maj. Bob Mcelroy an army spokesman in Vicenza. Italian police officials have determined that the two ducked under warning barriers at a Railroad crossing near the army s Villaggio housing area. The pair waited for a westbound train to pass and then crossed the tracks into the path of the eastbound train Mcelroy said. It is believed the two were killed instantly. Train personnel realizing they had hit something stopped the train and summoned police and medical personnel Mcelroy said. There were no witnesses to the Accident he added. Both family members former students at Vicenza american High school were returning Home to the housing area from the army s nearby Caserma Ederle where it is believed one or possibly both had been working. Kosan was wearing stereo headphones at the time of the Accident according to italian police. Following the crash the bodies were taken to the Vicenza City Hospi Tal where an autopsy was performed monday afternoon. Results Are pending and it is not known if the Accident was alcohol or drug related Mcelroy said. While information regarding survivors is incomplete it is known that Scott is survived by his father sgt. 1st class Lewis Scott and Kosan is survived by his step father sgt. 1st class Peter Flannagan both assigned to Vicenza Mcelroy said. A combined memorial service will be held for Kosan and Scott at 4 . Thursday in the base Chapel Mcelroy added