European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 30, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday August 30, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 7 Disney adds puppets to stable of stars Lake Buena Vista. Fla. A miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog danced a Jig with Mickey and Minnie mouse As the Walt Disney entertainment Empire Mon Day acquired the muppet menagerie and the services of their creator Jim Hanson. The merger of the two kiddie entertainment giants will mix the colourful characters from the muppet show inc most widely seen to program in the world with an estimated 235 million viewers in some 100 countries into Disney s theme Parks movies to shows and retail merchandising. Hanson also will create new characters for Disney. Hanson and Walt Disney co. Chair Man Michael Eisner refused to disclose the Purchase Price which reportedly was Between $ 100 million and $ i so million. Big Bird Oscar the grouch and the Coo Kie monster will be staying on sesame  some of 1 Cinson s creations for the children s series Are not part of Disney s takeover of Hanson associates inc., Anthell keep working with that show. The announcement came at the new Disney Mem studios at Disney world. Mickey and Minnie mouse were per forming their regular show when miss Piggy and Kermit bounded onto the open air stage. The four danced a Jig and kissed one another to applause from several Hundred spectators. I be loved Disney. I grew up on its movies. And i m Happy to have the puppets at the Parks said the bearded Hanson who created Kermit in 1955 and followed that up with miss Piggy animal fozzie Bear gonzo Scooter and others. Hanson and Eisner said few details have been worked out on Disney s plans for the puppets. But work has begun on a new muppet theater to open next memorial Day featuring 3-d technology and Dis Ney s audion Matronic robots. The Disney chairman said the acquisition would reinforce Disney s Parade of personalities. Walt Disney chairman Michael Eisner left and puppets creator Jim Henson Are joined a entertainment giants miss Piggy Mickey mouse Kermit the Frog and Minnie mouse As the Sale of Hanson associates to Disney is announced in Honda. Asked about criticism that the new Disney Mem studios theme Park did not have enough to offer children Eisner acknowledged that the planned new muppet show will give us just a Little bit More for he very Little  analysts have said the Park needed something to better compete with uni Versal studios Florida which will have two attractions geared to children when it opens May 1. But Eisner and Hanson publicist Susan Berry later said the up pcs would retain their family oriented humor and not become strictly children s characters. The up pcs attraction to Small children is primarily visual Berry said. Miss Piggy for instance whose humor is adult humor is not going to change she said. Georgia schools to ignore ban on Grid prayer by Cox news service Atlanta at least six Georgia school systems intend to disregard a Federal court ruling and say a prayer before their opening football games this week. Authorities in Bleckley Pulaski Montgomery heard and Wilcox county systems and the Thomaston City schools said they will have the invocation As usual. Pulaski county superintendent Bobby Gentry said this year s football season would open Friday night As it has for All of the 41 years he s been there with a prayer. Our Board voted to continue the tradition we be had for a Long Long time Gentry said. I support the Board in  but he added "1 think Well eventually have to take another look at it if lawsuits threatened by the Acle Are filed against counties that continue pc game Pray ers. Bleckley county too will stick with the practice said 9-Ycar school Board member Freddie White. We be decided to go on and have a Little prayer White said. When they Tell us we can to Well  White criticized the news Media for its continued reporting on the Issue. Why Don t the Media leave this alone he asked. This is what stirs things  heard county superintendent Benjamin Hyatt was one of the stronger advocates of continued school prayer and said he docs not intend to abide by the ban. We re going to have prayer at the football games he said. "1 definitely feel there s a need for it and until i m notified further Well continue to do that. "1 can t see Why one would not want something As Long As prayer is somewhat generic in nature he added. There s been no discussion at our Board meeting it s my decision to have prayer. I m a god fearing person and it s definitely needed it s needed in our  Board members in Montgomery never made a for Mal decision on the Issue said member William Braddy. It was kind of understood that it would be like it was despite the supreme court ruling. Somewhere there has got to be a stopping Point he said. There s More people that wants the prayer than Don t. If the majority wants it they ought to Rule. I always thought the prayer was for the players and they want it. They ought to have  if challenged by a lawsuit the system would Proba Bly Hall pregame prayer he said but added this is a Small county everybody knows everybody and we pretty much feel the same Way. I really Don t think there la be any trouble unless somebody from an out Side team does it. But most places we play arc in the same situation we  the same is True for Wilcox county said school Board member William do incr. We decided to leave it like we be always done it he  believe in prayer. I believe that s what we need in the school  if you have 300 people and 299 want something and one does to Why should you violate the rights of the 299 to satisfy the one he asked. Robbers get $200,000 in Silver at Nevada mine Reno Nev. A two Shotgun toting robbers stole More than a ton of unprocessed Silver from a Remote mine in a caper so Well planned that authorities suspect they had inside information. Baffled officials said monday they had no solid leads or suspects in the robbery late saturday night at Trinity Silver mine in Lovelock about 90 Miles North East of  impure Silver was Worth More than $200,000, authorities said. Gerie Smith spokesman for los an Geles based . Borax co., which owns part of the mine said the robbers used wheelbarrow and truck to cart off the loot then left spikes in the Road to Flat ten the tires of any pursuing vehicles. It was Well planned that s for sure Smith said in a Telephone interview they knew what they were  a Man wearing a red ski mask and armed with a 12-gauge Shotgun confronted two mine employees lied them with duct tap and then loaded up 1.25 tons of Silver but tons wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow onto pickup truck outside Pershing county undersheriff Bill Davis said. The robber was about 6-foot-4 and his accomplice was either a Small Man or a woman Davis said. The robbery was discovered when workers on the next shift came to work sunday morning police said. The bound employees had not been injured. Authorities speculated the robber would try to melt Down the unmarked Silver buttons which Are the size of Amini chocolate bar. Davis said police have notified precious metals dealer about the theft. Smith said the tires of mining company employees cars were flattened by the spikes As they drove to Lovelock to re port the theft sunday morning. It took the robbers More than on hour to Load their Booty which was in a locked vault and was scheduled to be shipped out of Lovelock soon according to Smith who said the thieves apparently broke the lock. Smith said the mine normally wait until it has about 50,000 ounces of Dore or in pure Silver before it ships a Load for further processing. The robbers got away with 40,000 ounces