European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 09, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes education wednesday november 9,1994 coach ended Blackstead reflects on a life of shaping children s education by Jimi Jones education writer Wiesbaden Germany All he Ever wanted Todo was be a coach. Nothing else said Joe Blackstead. I had no aspiration to be a school  but that s exactly what he became. And after a 42 year career in the department of defense dependents schools Blackstead retired this month As the director of the military overseas schools for the Efro pea Region. During those years Blackstead has seen major turnovers in education since he first coached kids i basketball football and baseball at Nurnberg. Most rewarding Over the years was seeing children learn and develop he said sharing stories about his pupils and mentioning in particular a recently retire major general whose Fife he touched. It s not just this Guy. There Are dozens and dozens of them and i had nothing to do with it he said giving credit to teachers and youngsters. He would t change a thing he added about the years he spent in Dodds and he said the Only administration. You just can t spend time with Chil Dren like you d  As an administrator he recognized the importance to Dodds of such programs As the study of teach ing methods of teaching that helped consider ably in alleviating the Gap noted in Pupil test scores and school improvement plans. The school improvement plan concept is an exam ple of the Many Good things available to schools today Blackstead said. And in that Dodds head the class he said. We be become Lead ers in that area he said. In the North Cen trial association for the accreditation of colleges and schools Dodds had the Best program in any of the 19 states that the inca  Dodds achieve ment in school improvement contributed to Blackstead s earning the inca s John  award for excellence in education. Blackstead also the Germany chapter of Phi Delta Kappa selected him the 1992 educational administrator of the year. For Blackstead being honoured As one of Dodds top administrators marked a significant Detour from his original plan of being a High school teacher on an Indian reservation in his native North Dakota. While in High school he played football and basketball As Well As ran track. These athletic skills enabled him to enter the University of North Dakota at grand Forks on a football scholarship. However a three year stint with the Navy during world War ii interrupted his studies. After the War Blackstead completed his Bachelor of arts degree at the University of Portland in Oregon. Upon graduation he began his first teaching Job in Portland earning $2,900 a year. After two years there he joined the military school system where his salary jumped to $4,205. I was going to stay one year that s All he said. In 1952, wanting to visit Spain Blackstead took the Dodds position in Germany. His intent was to teach for a year then spend he summer in Spain on his Way Back to America. Upon seeing Spain Blackstead decided to stay in Germany for another Chance to experience Spanish culture. Eventually he was Able to teach at Madrid High school in Spain. Alter three years at Madrid he took his first principalship at Johnson High school in Japan in 1959. Two superintendent Tours and a regional Deputy directorship kept him in the Pacific until 1973, when he came to Germany As director for the then Dodds North Germany Region when the North and South sections merged in 1983, Blackstead became director of the Germany Region. He held that position until four months ago when the three european regions consolidated into one. \  a. Since retiring to Arizona Early this month Blackstead wants to spend More time with his three daughters and two grandchildren. He also plans to learn to play the trombone he said recalling his admiration for big band artists such As Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller and new Orleans jazz dubs. Although his nine years of High school coaching in Dodds gave Way to his tenure As an administrator Blackstead feels the four years he spent teaching math and coaching sports at Nurnberg High school were probably the greatest satisfaction that i achieved in my working  Nurnberg one of eight High schools then was a Small school and we used to beat Frankfurt Munich and Stuttgart with regularity he said. I take great Pride in not what i accomplished but what my kids  $1.92 Bill Ion in flood Aid 16 victims Rome a the government promised 3 trillion lire $1.92 billion in emergency Relief tuesday for the devastation caused by torrential Rains that claimed at least 58 lives in Northern Italy. Rescuers managed to reach All but 11 villages isolated by flooding or mud slides civil defense authorities said. But 10,000 people remained homeless and several dozen were missing. Treasury police joined the army of civil defense workers guarding against looters and trying to Stop Price gouging. Cheap rubber boots were going for 100,000 lire $65 in the piedmontese town of Asti Rai state television said. In nearby Alessandria four people were caught looting abandoned apart ments news reports said. Two Days after the worst of the Rains much of the North presented a devastated landscape. Upside Down cars floated Down mud churned Rivers a to set lodged in a tree a dead pig Hung Halfway out of a farm building window. Authorities continued to find bodies including an old woman in Alessandria still clutching a Black leather purse with her valuables a Gold Chain and watch and less than 3 million soaked lire $1,900news reports said. Damage in Piedmont alone amounted to 5.5 trillion lire $3.5 billion officials in the Region bordering France said. The regional Council called it the worst Natu ral calamity that has befallen Piedmont in the memory of  most Devastey in the three Day deluge the Impact of flooding in Italy is indicated was the Rich agricultural area of pied Mont famed for its red and sparkling White wines truffles and Fiat cars. Fields wineries cattle farms Small businesses and factories across the Region were destroyed. Fiat based in Piedmont s main City of Turin stopped an Assembly Jine because in this helicopter View of an italian Riviera area shaped by torrential rainfall. Parts could t reach the Plant. It was believed to be the first weather related stoppage since world War ii. The Ferrero confectionary company one of Europe s largest and maker of no Tella and the Kinder Brand shut Down coated with mud. The company put the damage at 100 billion lire $65 million. The White truffle season was wiped out with the Price Riding at $115 announce. Farther East in the Lombardy Region a state of Alert remained in effect for the rain swollen to River