European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 8, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 r the stars and stripes tuesday novembers 1994 by Carlos Bongioanni staff writer 1 army officials believe they have fixed problems that temporarily derailed the streamlining of their civilian personnel system in they Hope to continue the transition to a new co system in the next few weeks said the . Army Europe a director of civilian personnel. Quot pretty soon people will have to find something else to say is broken said Lee Goeke usage urn a director of civilian personnel. Goeke was referring to com mints made against the civilian personnel operations Center in Meckenheim Germany. The transition was knocked off schedule when a computer system crashed in july. Goeke said the transition should restart with the Wurzburg Germany co being on line soon. Originally All nine pos in Usa eur were to have turned Over their local production responsibilities to the regional operations Center in Meckenheim by the end of this month. Once that happened the Center was to have managed civilian employee applicant in. A ther forms related to civilian personnel ,. A a. Tons. It also was to have issued referral lists and of matters. A total of 23 newly formed service centers would in turn have provided professional and technical service directly to the customer. A mathematically based on whats happening we should have no a backlog of applications waiting to be rated by mid november a Goeke said. A a that la be the Date we get 700 applications in and put 700 applications a a Goeke said an average of 700 applications and 150 requests for referral lists have been coming in each week. However the operations Center has been receiving applications at a rate of More than 1,000 a week and issuing 300 referral lists a week for the past five weeks to catch up on its backlog. A a in a confident when we take Over the Wurzburg co we wont experience the same problems we had in other transitions Goeke said. In the past the operations Center sent out a transition team two week before bringing a co on line to help Box files and close out All old business. Then on the Day of transition the operations Center and the newly formed service Center individually did All their assigned functions. In future transitions beginning with Wurzburg the operations Center will allow the service Center to input applications and Issue referral lists locally for up to four weeks to ensure that the applicant inventory and referral process is working effectively. The remaining pos a Grafe Wohr Germany Hanau Germany chevres Belgium and Vicenza Italy a should come on line with the operations Center by the end of january. Currently four pos a Heidelberg bad Kreuz Nach Stuttgart and Nurnberg Hohenfels All in Germany a have turned Over their local production responsibilities to the operations Center a some civilian employees like Cynthia Ethridge said they were accustomed to the old system and have found the new operations Center somewhat mysterious. A i did no to know anything about it a admitted Ethridge a food service worker in Stuttgart Germany. A the first time i heard about Choc was last week when i did no to get my cult Lulu Oahu no no w lit Heidelberg and was told that there was nothing in the computer on her. She said the service Center in Stuttgart d to do everything it could but a they said the Choc not flu inf 9n� a Trie Wasny to giving them any a a in be worked for the government for eight years and in be never seen. This happen before. Can to understand what a going on. I have a family to support a she said. Ethridge Wasny to the Only unpaid employee though. Payroll problems arise at the end of every fiscal year and these problems Goeke said were not exclusively connected with the operations Center. A a it a frustrating but you always have some who drop through a Goeke said. Aat. To inactivate Raf Chicksands England a amps a the 450th intelligence so will Mark its inactivation in a ceremony thursday at Raf Chicksands a base spokeswoman a said. The Squadron the largest tenant unit at Raf Chicksands will be inactivated in preparation of the bases return to the British defense ministry next september the spokeswoman said. The 450th intelligence so is subordinate to the 26th intelligence Wing at Ramstein a Germany and the air intelligence Agency at Kelly Fabj Texas. The squadrons classified Mission has been to provide secure radio communications to . And Allied forces the spokeswoman said. The Squadron originally activated As the 10th radio so at Brooks fab Texas in november 1949. It moved to Southampton England in August 1950 and later to Raf Chicksands. After several different name designations the Squadron became the 450th intelligence so in 1993.me eat merchants Dies by the stars and stripes a longtime employee of merchants National Bank died saturday of cancer a co worker reported monday. Josephine a Stokes 62, died at her Home in Stuttgart Germany said Lee Walker a close Friend and co worker at the merchants Headquarters in Frank Furt. The Type of cancer was not disclosed Stokes a native of Millberry s.c., was preceded in death by her husband Charles Stokes who died july 5, 1987. The Stoke ses had no children Walker said. Stokes who retired in april worked for merchants at the army Robinson Barracks in Stuttgart. She had worked As employee for 30 years. Her last position was chief of customer services Walker said. A memorial service is scheduled at 1. . Wednesday at the upper Chapel in Friedhof a Offenhausen Oben cemetery near Stuttgart. Those wishing to give Flowers May Send them to the Chapel. Residents haul off belongings after a landslide triggered by heavy Rains swept through Varallo Sesia Italy on monday. Italians assail flood response Alba Italy apr opposition politicians and Mua drenched citizens slammed the government monday for its response to floods that killed at least 51 people and devastated much of Northern Italy. Another 23 people died in three Days of driving rain across Southern France Spain and Morocco. But hardest hit was the italian Region of Piedmont in the worst deluge since 1913, officials said. The flooding caused billions of dollars in damage in Rich agricultural and Industrial areas where Fine barolo red wines truffles Asti a Yumante bubbly and Fiat cars Are produced. A a it a a Mega disaster a said environment minister Altero Matteoli. The civil defense service in Rome said at least 41 people were missing raising its estimate and 5,000 were homeless. Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi flew to Turin Piedmont a main City and Home of Fiat and inspected the damage in the surrounding area. V in Alba one of the worst hit towns rescuers came at least 24 hours too late and were badly coordinated said City Council member Giancarlo Bongioanni �?o1 still Haven to seen anyone a said Giuseppina Agnelli As she angrily shovelled mud from her House late monday morn-in8. ,. _. A a a a. A a in a not saying there was no help but certainly there is no coordination a said Gianni Allocca owner of a flooded Small plastics factory. He complained there had been no flood warnings. For much of sunday six Rescue Heli copters were grounded for Lack of fuel the Milan daily corriere Della Sera reported. Leftist opposition legislators charged that the army lacked amphibious vehicles and that the government Hadnot Given enough warning of potential flooding. The rain lightened a bit monday after 24 inches fell in less than three Days Over Piedmont which Borders France. Liguria Valle do Costa and Lombardy also were hard hit. Forecasts however said Rains would continue during the night further swelling Rivers churning dark Brown with mud. The flooding swept away Bridges and pieces of Highway caused landslides that blocked roads to isolated villages and Cut off electricity phone service and water to hundreds of thousands of people. In Alba a Mother died with her 5-year-old son when a Flash flood rushed through an underground passageway where she was trying to Rescue a dog witnesses said. In san Raffaele Climena near Turin a three Story building collapsed killing a 5-month-old daughter was rescued after five hours under the rubble shielded by her mothers body firefight ers told Rai state television. Rescuers saved 10 up clunkers trapped by flooding in a Cave near Vicenza divers in the City of Alessandria heavy with the smell of diesel fuel from dislodged tanks found four bodies trapped in the mud under water
