European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 15, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes tuesday october 15, 1985 most americans support prayer in school poll shows new York a prayer in the nation s class rooms should not just he allowed it should be encouraged according to a majority of americans surveyed in a Media general associated press poll. And while there is Strung support for the constitutional separation of religion and government a surprising num Ber of americans 25 percent believe Church stale separation is a bad idea the nationwide Telephone poll found. When asked do you think the separation of Church and state is a Good idea or not two thirds of the 1,412 respondents said yes one Quarter said no and 9 percent were unsure. Highly so Van percent of the respondents favored a moment of silence in school in which students could Pray if they wished. If students were encouraged to Pray during inc moment of silence 63 percent would still support it. Three quarters also said that prayer in schools did not violate the separation of Church and state. Support for prayer in american schools crossed every age race economic and political line the poll found. But school prayer did not have the support of the major Ity of jewish respondents. Jewish leaders have expressed concern that the Christian majority could impose its religious beliefs in the schools. Silent prayer will be allowed in Public schools if a pro posed constitutional amendment is passed into Taw. The amendment approved by the Senate judiciary committee on oct. 3, would reverse a supreme court ruling of june 4 hat barred Public schools from holding a moment of silence if students were encouraged to Pray. The amendment must be approved by Congress and ratified by 38 slates in become Law. On the Issue of Church state separation protestants were More Likely than both catholics and jews to oppose the constitutional principle. Thirty percent of protestants said it was a bad idea. Only 20 percent of catholics fell the same Way. Virtually All of the jewish respondents favored Church slate separation. On other issues eight of 10 respondents said student religious groups should have the same Access to school facilities As other student groups. The Issue is presently before the supreme court in a Virginia Case where a student religious group was barred from holding a prayer meeting in a school activity period. A majority 55 percent believe parents who Send their children to private schools should not be Given tax Breaks to to make up for the tuition. Forty percent supported such tuition tax credits. Thirty one percent of the respondents in the poll had children in Public schools 6 percent had children in Pri vate schools and 1 percent had children in both. Sixty two percent did not have school age children. Respondents in the Media general associated press poll included a random scientific sampling of 1,412 adults across the country sept. 1-7. As with All Sample surveys the results of Telephone polls can vary from the opinions of All americans because of Chance variation in the Sample. For a poll based on about 1,400 interviews the results Are subject to an error margin of 3 percentage Points either Way because of Sample variations. Gasoline prices continue falling los Angeles a pump prices in the . Have declined for the 14th straight week surpassing a drop in wholesale gasoline prices for the first time since last Spring Oil Industry analyst Dan Lundburg says. An oct. 11 Survey of 17,000 gasoline stations nation wide showed the Overall Price for All grades of gasoline dipped to si.20, compared to $1.21 on sept. 20, Lundburg said sunday. While retailers saved an average 0.84 of a cent on their gasoline costs they passed on an average 1-Ccnt savings to customers Lundburg said adding it was the first time since april that the dealers have dropped their retail prices More than the amount of their suppliers1  since the beginning of summer retail gasoline prices have dipped about 4 cents a gallon despite predictions that increased summer driving would Force them up he added. Lundburg speculated that dropping gasoline prices May invite a contemplated Federal excise tax on the fuel. The Gap Between self serve and full serve prices continued to Widen Lundburg said. At self serve pumps regular leaded Cost $1.08 per Gal Lon nationwide on oct. 11, Down 1.32 cents since sept. 20, Lundburg said. Regular unleaded Cost $1.16 a gallon Down 1.31 cents and Premium unleaded was priced at $1.29 per gallon Down i cent he said. At the full service pumps regular leaded gasoline was $1.31 per gallon regular unleaded was $1.38, and Premium unleaded Cost $ 1.44, Lundberg said. The average savings Over sept. 20 was Only 0.63 of a cent per gallon he said. A total of 76 percent of retail gasoline sales arc through self serve pumps now compared to 67 percent in 1981, Lundburg said. In that year the difference Between self serve and full serve prices was Only 9.5 cents per gallon compared to 21.3 cents per gallon now he said. Meanwhile Lundberg said the oct. 3 decision of the organization of Petroleum exporting countries calling for members to hold current production Levels at least until their december meeting could backfire on open if the United states heating Oil needs Don t increase significantly this Winter. Currently the . Inventory of Petroleum heating fuel is Down about 18 percent compared to last year and open is gambling on Sharp increases in demand to drive up prices Lundburg said. But . Consumption is Down he said. If any of the other worldwide Oil producers increase production and drive Down prices open might just find by the december meeting that they will have to do some thing about their deteriorating position in the world Lundberg said. Warehouse Burns in Iran Nicosia Cyprus a a massive fire swept through a warehouse in he iranian capital of Tehran destroying $2.3 million Worth of food and textiles Iran s official islamic Republic news Agency reported. Irna monitored in Cyprus said the Blaze in downtown Tehran was brought under control after three hours. Stateside disease like mononucleosis hits Lake Tahoe area residents inc Ini . I i la medical specialists arc investigating a mysterious illness afflicting in Usi ully High numbers of residents on the North Shore of i Ike Malinc. The symptoms of the illness arc similar to Hose of mononucleosis. Or Paul Cheney who shares in  Medicine prac Tice at incline Village with or Daniel Peterson said he believes the problem is a mononucleosis epidemic. The epidemic is highly unusual because it i sinking the heterosexual monogamous adult he said. Mononucleosis usually affects  Gary p. Holmes a viral disease specialist with the National centers for disease control in Atlanta said blood tests of at least so residents of the area indicated they had mononucleosis or something that resembles  longshoremen pause in work during funeral of fellow worker Baltimore up about 16,000 longshoremen at 300 North american ports stopped work briefly during the funeral of a Union  killed while protesting the use of non Union workers to unload a ship on the Baltimore docks the president of the International Union said. Longshoremen some with cuts and bruises suffered in the protest keeled in the overflowing aisles and doorways of St. Rose of Lima s Church at services for Jack Taylor 59, who died after he was struck by a police car that was racing to the disturbance. We re not going to let him die in vain said Alfonso Goss a Longshoreman who has been out of work since aug. 14. Next time we might just turn the ship Over. We re coming to you As a Union  Peggy Lee progressing Well following bypass heart surgery new Orleans up Singer Peggy Lee recovering from bypass heart surgery at Touro infirmary has been transferred from intensive care to the cardiac rehabilitation unit doctors said. That s Means she s progressing real Well said Touro spokeswoman Suzanne Stewart. Lee who came to new Orleans for an engagement at the Fairmont hotel s Blue room checked into the Hospi Tal with Chest pains and doctors performed a double by pass a four hour operation. O Connor says women Are still barred from top Legal positions Minneapolis up supreme court Justice Sandra Day o Connor says tenacious social barriers still keep females from top areas in the Legal profession but Success is not impossible. Single minded determination can make changes for women o Connor told 200 cheering women jurists at the National association of women judges. However the Job Outlook for women lawyers is far from Bright o Connor told the group she helped found in 1979. The number of female judges remains disproportionately Small said o Connor who was named la the supreme court by president Reagan. Only 4 percent Are women. Moment of truth for Texas Grid fers be Jers marchers by the associated press Texas High school football players band members and cheerleaders will find out this week if they can read write and add Well enough to continue playing marching and Yelling. Under the state s controversial no pass no play Rule students must pass All subjects at the end of the first six week grading period to be eligible for extracurricular activity Dur ing the second six weeks. Controversy Over the Rule led to Post poning inc stale High school baseball play offs this summer when one state District judge ruled it was unconstitutional. Another state District judge said the Law was constitutional and ordered the play offs to resume. The state supreme court later upheld the Law. Grades from the first six weeks arc due this week and University interscholastic league and Texas High school coaching association officials coaches and school administrators Are expecting More confusion and possibly More court action. I can foresee that some Parent just won t take it said Donald Jay executive director of the coaches association. His kid will make a 68 or 69 in one class and hell decide that s not fair and they la go to court. It could jeopardize our whole foot Bull playoff system just like it did for base ball.1 Bill fancy the Ull s athletic director Hopes the state supreme court action will sidetrack some of the litigation. Straining order knowing that on the same basis of facts the supreme court is Goi Neto overrule  Farney said spot checks around the state showed that Junior High and Junior varsity students most affected by the stricter standards will be ineligible to the extent that they might have to cancel some  fancy says most of the complaints he hears about the Rule involve the length of the . They seem to feel a Shorter period of time would be More educational to give the youngster an Opportunity to get Back into the program fancy said six weeks at the beginning Middle or end of a season basically knocks out the whole sea son. Judge from granting a temporary re marching band Competition could be More affected than football programs Farney said. You Don t have a second team tuba player he said. When you have big gaps taken out of your band it destroys the  some school districts held their band competitions Over the weekend so their full bands could compete. Fancy said most coaches band directors and administrators agreed that some thing had to be done to improve the state s educational system which lagged badly behind the rest of the nation. When you re a legislator and you arc presented with the facts that Texas is 47lh in verbal skills and 49ih in math and one in three students that begin the ninth Grade does t graduate it s time to do something Farney said