European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 18, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                T sunday december 18, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 Chr Somas Parade sends blues packing by Nancy l. Torner . Bureau Raf Alconbury England even though Raf Alconbury s population is falling fast the spirit of Christmas is rising. The runway and other parts Falconbury will be returned to the British defense ministry next year apart of the . Military draw Down. A reduced . Presence will remain. Yet base personnel have no allowed the reductions to put a Damper on Christmas. Instead they rallied Friday afternoon to stage the largest Christmas Parade in the base s history. Because it s the Parade probably our last with All the units participating we wanted to go put with a bang rather than a whimper said Jidy Sharp recreational director and one of the Parade s organizers. James Woody Woodard a graphic artist with services marketing and publicity who also helped organize the Parade said that when the woman who spearheaded the 1993 Christma Parade moved Back to the states she made him Promise to keep the Parade tradition alive. So we pulled out All the stops this year. Woodard said. The Parade was led by a festively decorated Security police car and a Bagpiper senior airman Scott Hill Hewin be competing in Early 1995 in the . Air forces in Europe level of Theair Force Talent contest at Spang Ahleman Germany. Hill was followed by representative from every unit on base in decorated military vehicles aboard floats and on foot. ,. In. ".,. Participation from British organizations that included British Gas the Brookfield Shire horses bandwagon and the Hinchin Brooke school s Caribbean steel band. We wanted to involve everybody Sharp said. We appealed to their Christmas  the Appeal worked on Pat Colucci base librarian who Rode the Parade route reclining on a float Reading bedtime stories to his Teddy Bear Asbestos it col. Chuck Bowker otherwise know leads the Way for other Reindeer Riding Raf Alconbury s Christmas Parade. Theodore i think it s the Parade Good for the base because it s Alconbury drawing Down Colucci said. It s been a Tough year for the base and this is Good for  it. Col. Chuck Bowker who was sporting a red nose and Antlers on his crash helmet while Riding in a team of go carts fashioned to look like tiny sleighs said the Holiday seemed More vivid when people got involved in a Christmas program. This was particularly True this year he said because of the draw Down. Is Dave Zidlo Pat Colucci librarian at Raf Alconbury reads bedtime stories to his pal Theo Dore while Riding on one of the floats in the base s Christmas Parade. Vav / is Dave Dudlo As Rudolph the red nosed Reindeer in go carts fashioned into sleighs during for a Little while it the Parade refocuses everybody s attention Bowker said. Senior airman Jami Hoyt who drove a festive looking military vehicle said i was t in the Holiday spirit at All until we actually started decorating it the vehicle the Parade also was a boost for youngsters said a Spectator master sgt. Leslie Hess. The anticipation of Christmas is Parton what makes the Holiday special she said and the Parade really gives the kids something to get involved in.1 the Parade also helped bring the spirit of Christmas to spectators who were simply Young at heart. Some Snow would be Nice tech. Sgt. Russ Foster said. But barring Snow this is  ,-.,- Foster said that he had just returned from temporary duty in the states and that the Parade made for a Nice Homecoming. It s More like a Hometown feeling he said. Staff sgt. Tonya Noble said that this was the eighth year she would be spending Christmas away from Homeland that the Parade helped to make her feel a Little More festive. This is the time of year that you want to be with your family Noble said. Unfortunately Home is where the air Force sends  senior airman Linda m. Garcia said that because of the draw Down a lot of people Aren t into the Holiday  makes it a Little More  staff sgt. Barry Frazier said that he already was brimming with the spirit of Christmas and that the Parade put him Over the top. It makes me feel Good he said that the base is still trying to go out with a  Asbestos is any of several related minerals of fibrous Structure that offer great heat resistance because of their non flammability and poor conductivity. Asbestos has been used for Brake linings suits for firefighters and astronauts and fireproof materials for the building Industry. Prolonged exposure to or inhalation of Asbestos fibres or dust can cause several diseases including lung cancer. Is by sue Palumb Mediterranean Bureau Nas Simonella Sicily. One family s House was temporarily evacuated and rooms in six other Simonella houses we resealed off when officials discovered Asbestos insulation in their water Heaters according to a release from the naval air Sta Tion  Officials inspected All 120 Homes in thenas i housing area and found that 61 of them contain the same Type of heating unit with Asbestos insulation. Workers conducting maintenance in one of the Homes discovered the problem when they disturbed the Asbestos material dec. 9.the Asbestos material was used to wrap the mechanism that transfers thereat to the water a spokesman said. The Asbestos insulation was wrapped an sealed but the Seal had broken in seven of the Homes inspected base personnel determined that Only the Utility room where the water Heater was located had been contaminated in six of the Homes. Those rooms were sealed until they could be decontaminated. In the Home that was evacuated the majority of the furniture in the contaminated area also was removed for  evacuated family has returned to the Home base officials said. Cleanup was completed in the House five Days later. The families of the other affected Homes remained in their houses during the decontamination process. The level of Asbestos found is Kerylow risk said it. Barbara Burfeind pub Lic affairs officer. Nevertheless Ever precaution is being taken until the late 1970s, Asbestos was commonly used in insulation floor covering roofing ceiling tiles fireproofing sound absorption hair dryers and Brake shoes and clutches for automobiles. Asbestos is group of minerals made up of tiny fibres. Asbestos has been linked to several Dis eases including asbestosis and lung cancer. Military officials Are replacing the water Heaters in the seven houses where the Seal was broken and Are monitoring the other 54 houses. Those Homes Are not currently at risk for contamination be cause the insulation is still wrapped and sealed the release said. The Heaters i those houses will be replaced Over the next two  said housing officials were unaware the Heaters contained  of the 120 Homes were originally equipped with the Asbestos Laden heat ers. Most of the Heaters were installed 20 to 40 Yean ago and Many were replace Dover time. Families exposed to Asbestos May request to have the information Putin their health records so they can be monitored Burfeind said