European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 9, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday february. 1987 the stars and stripes Page 3 . Skoot pet server win top prizes for kids Washington a Matthew Peters 13, a seventh grader from Spring Street Junior High school in Nashua n.h., saturday won the grand prize in grades five through 12 for inventing a Scooter like device tar coasting on ice or pavement in a contest sponsored by the weekly Reader school publication. A 6-year-old Oklahoma girl has come up with a solution to a problem that has vexed some pet owners for years to 10 feed a cat or dog without having to Wash the Messy spoon afterwards. Suzanna Goodin s solution is 10 shape a pet Cracker into an edible spoon that can be broken up into the pet s food after serving. Her edible pet food server car ried off a grand prize. The weekly Reader said More than 200,000 Chil Dren participated in its contest Suzanna a first grader at Hydro Al Etc diary school in Hydro,owa., was cited for the Best idea submitted by children in kindergarten through fourth Grade. Both children received $500 . Savings Bonds and were being Fried Al the National inventors expo in the nation s capital during the weekend Matthew Calls his invention the "s.l.t. a single pole with wheels and a scat is placed Between the rider s legs. A rider balancing his or her weight on the pole and wheels can steer with feel and body motion. It has a rubber Brake at one end. Matthew conceived it after seeing his father in a hockey rink skate fast then sit Down on his hockey stick and Glide. Suranni said she came up with the idea Abr her edible spoon because she always has to iced the Kittens. Mama yells if j Don t Wash the she shapes a pet Cracker into a spoon and adds one of three flavors charcoal to sweeten the Pel s breath Brewers yeast for Flea control or garlic to control intestinal parasites the . Patent Model foundation is conducting another contest called invent America this Spring for schoolchildren. The contest will offer More than $ 100,000 in prizes. Top Reagan administration officials have Lent enthusiastic backing to the Scholastic emphasis on invention say ing it can help Foster the Talent the nation needs to compete economically with the rest of inc world. As if to underscore that Point a four Man delegation from China was also visiting the National inventors expo to see How the United slain encourages curiosity in its children. Japan has had a children s invention contest since the 1940s, Matthew Peters rides his invention. Paediatricians join protest against to toys new York up the american Academy of paediatrics announced its opposition saturday to new toys that interact with children s television shows and a watchdog group said it would ask the Federal communications com Mission to ban interaction program Ming. Peggy Charryn president of action for children s television said the group s lawyers would file a Peti Tion with the acc monday asking the Agency to Slop the practice or to hold Public hearings to gather com ments from Consumers. Charren said we Are asking the acc to Issue a declaratory ruling holding that the broadcast of Chil Dren s to shows which Are program length to Arneri cars including both current and proposed program Ming violates the Public in i Crest we want them to say something to Stop the prac Tice or open an inquiry. This development foreshadows an ominous trend. If it works it will be a mandate in he highly competitive toy Industry for every toy maker to tall in the toys presented Ai the american International toy fair which opened sunday in new York for 15,000 merchants arc not in stores yet. Bui the acc approved the to toy linkup months ago without input from Consumers Industry sources said. Spence Boise vice president of corporate affairs for Mattel inc., one of the toy makers involved said per Mission was granted by the acc Bureau of mass Media but we arc not at Liberty to disclose their acc officials could not be reached saturday for Clari Kali on. Or. William h. Dietz chairman of the american Academy of paediatrics committee on children and television and a professor at Tufts University medical school announced his group s opposition to the toys. This new toy technology.,. Makes it Clear that the acc is Content to let toy companies and broadcast companies use airwaves As a billboard for Selling products to children he said. They would t dream of doing such a thing for up prom a child demonstrates a Fisher Price pxl1000 Cam Corder the lust video record playback machine for children. It was to be introduced at he toy fair to new York where there hits been controversy Over other new toys those that Are activated by television signals. Adults. There would be an uproar. Adults can switch channels children can to it is Clear the acc does not consider Protection of children in the Public interest. "1 think it is Lime for parents to turn off the to and remember that the greatest Force for creativity and imaginative play is the interaction toys Are the latest Ripple in inc High tech wave that has lifted annual Loy sales to a record 112.5 billion and Given kids such things As Lazy tag and talking dolls. The controversial new toys have been sold in 45 to 60 percent of Domestic markets according to a report in variety the show business Trade paper. The new fall television shows hooked to the High tech toys made especially for the programs include Captain Power and the soldiers of the future mat Tel inc. Toys tech Force and the Moto monsters Axon inc. Toys and Saber rider and the Star sheriffs impulse toy co. Kids can play with the toys alone or use them to interact with the to show. Or As in the Case of tech Force they can let the related action figures be turned on by an inaudible signal in the show s soundtrack. Since the shows won t be on until next fall maybe action for children s television is protesting some thing they have not had a Chance to evaluate Maud s. Boise suggested. In developing this toy line we had to be certain that the toy can stand on its own. If the child has the toy but no to he can play with the toy. And if the child has no toy he can watch and enjoy inc show. We have been to the acc. They said the technology does not interfere with the show. They said they have no objection to the Dietz objected to the promotion footage for Mattel s Captain the promo. Shows a father and son playing the game with to and then the father turning and shoot ing his son with a laser gun. That is a very disturbing image he said "1 am concerned about people who would think that is a kind of reasonable promotion and that is the kind of mind that is putting this on for my son to see. Children already see 12,000 violent acts on to a year. It seems to me the last thing they need is an Opportunity to participate in it. I suspect 1 1 ii will fur ther desensitize them to violence by to. It also saps the free play and imagination of Oxford to launch fund raising drive in America new York not old Tosoni Ani take care because the fund raisers Are coming. Oxford University is in financial trouble and those hands across the sea will have their Palms Chi ended. In recent limes Oxford has been financed almost entirely by the British government but that source is drying up. The government has imposed a 20 percent Cut in financial Aid the director of development a Osford Henry Prucker said and if we Don t find new income rather quickly Oxford will be technically insolvent in three Drucker was in new York recently with the vice Chancellor sir Patrick Encill to scout the terrain before open ing a full scale fund raising Campaign hat will seek donations from alumni corporations and philanthropies. Oxford Neill and Prucker concede. Is sadly behind the times. American universities have had development pro Grams for years snicker said. Oxford does t even have a list of its Grad the school says there Are 12,000 Stu dents and an estimated 120,000 living graduates. We arc seeking funds for current of Drucker said. We re not even beginning to Lake into account plans for expanding the University into the next neither Encill nor Drucker would say How much Money Oxford seeks. Drucker became the first director of development after having taught Politi Cal science at the University of Edin Burgh. Bui he is from Rutherford n.j., and graduated from Allegheny College in Meadville pa., before going to the London Schoof of economics in 1964. We will probably launch our Campaign in inc fall Rudker said. We want unrestricted gifts what you Call endowments. We need to raise salaries. A full professor Al Oxford will earn maybe 528,000, and there is always the problem of the brain Drain. In the 1990s, . Campuses will begin to expand again and the raiding will Start in Earnest. It s a sad fact but it s bloody easy for . Colleges to lure our Best people
