European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 29, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes saturday october 29,1994 Holiday spirit still alive in Furth closure plan win f curb Ghr Somas spes of pm Byron Jensen Nairn Borg Bureau Furth Germany Christmas shopping at the Post Exchange Here will not be affected by plans to close All military facilities in Furth and Numberg a Exchange official said Friday it will be business As usual at the Exchange which draws customers from throughout Bavaria and beyond said Stan Mcghee the store  Are no plans to scale Back our merchandise selection through the Christmas holidays Mcghee said. In fact the store will expand its shopping hours to seven Days a week beginning monday and continuing through Christmas. The store is normally closed on mondays. The plans announced thursday will end the 50-Yearhistory of a Community that began in the final Days of world War ii and was commanded from August 1984 to june 1986 by the current chairman of the join chiefs of staff . Army Gen. John m. Shalikashvil. Most of the approximately 1,100 soldiers affected will move to Bamberg. Other Small units will move else where. Few will inactivate. The closure affects Johnson Barracks and . Darby Cavern in Furth finder bar Racks in Zir doff and the clinic and bavarian Ameri can hotel in Nurnberg plus housing areas. The facilities should be turned Over to the germans by the end of 1995.the portion of the closure with the widest Impact is the loss of the Exchange and the commissary across the Street both among the biggest in Europe and attractions for customers from outlying areas. Mcghee said he will keep those customers in mind As his store makes closure  told my people. We re not going to have the clo sure mentality Mcghee said because so Many of the customers come from far away and will expect the same service and merchandise As in the paste said items will be taken off the Stock list based Only on How they sell not simply because the store is closing.  -.-,v ,. The facility May get smaller As sales reflect a de Clining local customer base but Mcghee Hopes to keep it open until August 1995. A shop Pette which also carries videos books magazines and class i beverages will remain open until 1told my people. We re no going to have the closure mentality Stan Mcghee Furth Post Exchange manager the final Post closure. Mcghee said the store s closing is sad. It s going to be a loss to our customers in Europe he said. It s one of the few stores that has the space available to display the full Stock that cafes has the announcement thursday of the closure of the Nurnberg military Community also saddened some of Mcghee customers. Theresa Hollowell lives in Ansbach 25 Miles to the Southwest but has enjoyed the shopping in Furth. I d rather come Here than Wurzburg. Wurzburg does t have anything she said thursday afternoon. She said the news of the closing caught her by sur prise. I thought it was a joke. When my Friend told me i thought she was joking she said. But she said they did t ask us did they Elmer Blake  is in charge of the commissary across the Street from the Exchange said the announce ment was sad news for a store ranked annually at the Best or among the Best in Europe. It s a shame i Tell you he said. With All the stores around in a 100-mile radius this is the Best store. Right now i get people from Wurzburg Bamberg Ansbach Hohenfels  people have often told him that they drive to Furth to shop because of the selection and the cleanliness of the store. He said his store is a class d store meaning it carries every product that is in the commissary sys tem. The nearest class d commissary is in Wurzburg which is a Long drive from some of the communities served by the Furth store. The news of the closure struck hard at the bavarian american hotel where Long term plans called for a top notch hotel and conference Center and renovation has been in full swing. Jefferey l. Turk sr., the general manager said it is too bad that those plans and the hard work of the staff will be Cut Short of the goal. Everybody on the staff has Given their heart arid soul to improving the hotel and turning it into a pre Mier hotel said Turk. The hotel which is across the Street from Nurnberg s train station is Only 100 Yards frown the City s oldest District a popular tourist spot especially during the Christmas Market. Turk said the renovation plans have been continuing As have the efforts of the hotel employees from Cooks to clerks to painters. The news of the closure set now for december 1995, will not affect the staffs attitude toward providing service he said. We can Only Hope that someone will see the value of the hotel he said and reverse the decision. Airman of by Nancy  . Bureau Raf Mildenhall England a airman with the 100th Security police so has been found guilty of one charge of at tempted larceny and one charge of larceny of . Government property a base spokeswoman said. Senior airman Troy Caldwell of Raf Mildenhall pleaded guilty to the first charge and not guilty to the second charge during a court martial oct. 18 and 19, the spokeswoman said. Caldwell was charged with the offences aug. 29 and was found guilty on both counts by a jury of eight officers. The Case stemmed from a break in at Caldwell s off base Home sometime Between March 7 and 10, for which he attempted to defraud a British insurance company of More than $8,000 by Over valuing his insurance claim the spokeswoman said. . Gui feel Caldwell s insurance claim file March 18, included items that he did not own and items that were not stolen. Also the Dollar amounts placed on some of the stolen items were higher than their actual value in conjunction with the insurance claim police received consent from Cald Well s wife May 23 to search the couple s Home. Police discovered three pairs of Handcuffs two flak vests two Kevlar Hel mets nine m16 ammunition pouches 10 m16 ammunition magazines two Bayo nets two grenade vests nine pairs of Mit ten inserts two pairs of cold weather Mit tens and three web belts. The senior airman was found guilty of stealing All the items except the three unmarked web belts the spokeswoman said. Caldwell was sentenced to two years imprison a total forfeiture of pay and allowances demotion to airman Basic Anda bad conduct discharge. In 500 Reward offered ants r hanging Tough a female South korean Dicks prepare to shoot special military sol supposed terrorists in a building during anti terrorism train ing thursday in Kwangju South of Seoul. Heidelberg Germany is authorities Are offering a $2,500 Reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person  robbed a merchants National Bank in Sermersheim in August. Witnesses described the person As a 20 to 30-year-old Black male weighing about 150 to 170 pounds. He was 5 feet to 5 feet 5 inches tall and had a muscular build and medium complexion. He wore Battle dress uniform pants and dark Sung lasses and carried a Black Backpack. The Man committed the robbery at 2 . Aug. 9 using a Small Black pistol. He took $6,317.99 and 15,200.52 German Marks about $10,411blank Money or Ders and a Money order machine Accord ing to the criminal investigation come Orchid. Authorities would like to talk with any one  has seen someone in Possession of a Money order machine or has been offered a Deal to Cash a Money order. Call the Heidelberg Cid at civilian 06221-57-7941 or Dan 370-7941, or the military police at 06221-57-8800 or Dan 370-8800. The country code for German is 49. Information will be treated confidentially