European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 1, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes Friday. September 1. 1989 Many teachers continue strikes a the associated press teachers strikes idled nearly 60.000 Stu dents in five states thursday As the walkouts marked the fourth Day with Little Progress in reaching an agreement. The strikes cancelled classes for More than?0.000 students in three Illinois districts 14.4 10 students in two Montana districts 11.150 in two Ohio districts 7.000 in three Michigan districts and 3,400 students in one District in Pennsylvania. Pay and benefits were the major issues for the estimated 2,900 teachers on strike most since monday. In Michigan however teachers in Pontiac reached a tentative settlement wednesday night but their colleagues weren t talking in three other districts. The pact Pontiac teach ers agreed upon offered wage increases aver aging 5 percent a year for four years. The 991 teachers reported for work thursday and the 16,691 students arc to return tuesday. The strikes so far have spared any Large school systems. But the leaders of unions rep resenting 4.700 teachers in two Sacramento. Calif., area districts have voted to strike overpay sept. 5, the first Day of school for 94.000 students. Computerized insulin pump offers diabetics new Hope Boston a a computerized implanted Insu Lin pump the size or a hockey puck can tree diabetics from giving themselves injections and May help the avoid some of the disabling complications of their Dis ease doctors report. It s a significant  said or. Christopher  of Johns Hopkins University who helped test the device this is. In my View the first successful Long term experience Wilt variable rate implanted in Sulin pumps the device which borrows technology from the space program could be years away from becoming commercially available. Researchers said they plan to test a slightly modified version before seeking food and drug administration approval. The experimental pump designed at Johns hop Kins is one of several similar devices tested in recent years. Others have been plagued by clogged lines and other malfunctions. Besides relieving diabetics of the chore of giving themselves injections such pumps could More closely mimic the body s natural release of insulin and fore stall diabetic complications such As blindness and kid Ney failure doctors say. An estimated 500.000 diabetic americans require frequent insulin injections because their bodies fail tomake enough of the essential hormone which Breaks Down sugar. The new disk shaped pump implanted in the Abdo men is three inches in diameter and weighs seven ounces. It holds about 2v Teaspoons of insulin a two month Supply and can be refilled with a syringe. The pump was tested on in diabetics. Doctors said it generally worked Well although four of the devices became blocked when tissue grew Over the Catheter that releases the insulin. One also malfunctioned be cause of a faulty microchip. Doctors can program the pumps to vary the rate a which they release insulin throughout the Day. Patients use a hand held radio transmitter to command the pumps to give out an extra burst of insulin after meals. While blood sugar control with the pumps was Good the doctors said they Hope someday to develop a de vice that senses the body s blood sugar Levels and re leases insulin As it s needed. The pumps manufactured by Minim cd technologies of Sylmar calif., were tested by Sauck and other doctors at Johns Hopkins and the University of Cali fornia Irvine. They described the results in thursday s new England journal of Medicine. Patients used the pump for All their insulin needs for periods ranging from four months to two years. Except for two who withdrew from the Experiment because of blocked catheters patients have been uniformly Happy with their pumps doctors said. . Plans children s crusade to Cut dropout rate pay tuition Providence. . A gov. Edward d. I Prate thursday proposed a sweeping plan that would provide academic help to students from the third Grade through High school and Promise graduates Money to Ward College costs. In return parents and children signing up for the Rhode Island children s crusade would have to obey the Law avoid drugs agree to work with mentors and tutors have their report cards monitored by state officials and act As Good examples in their neighbor  would work with students much like the National big Brothers program giving advice and act ing As companions and role models. The state Board of governors for higher education approved the program shortly after the Diprete announced it thursday morning. Rhode Island is about to become the first state to embark on a program of this magnitude on a statewide basis dip Etc said. Dir Csc said he would be knocking on the door of the White House for a significant contribution of Federal funds for the plan. New York stale last year enacted Liberty scholarships for lower income students accepted at Public or private new York colleges. Rhode Island s program goes further it would enrol students at an Early age and give them educational and social help said Leila Mahony Diperle s senior assistant. The crusade is aimed at the estimated one third of the state s 10,000 third graders who receive subsidized hot lunches at school or whose families receive food Stamps Mahony said. It would seek to Cut the dropout rate among those students in half to 25 percent. As a result an Esti mated 1,200 additional students each year would at tend College and 1,200 would go on to other training  from other families could seek mentors and tutoring help but would not be promised the scholarships Mahony said. There would be Little checking on a family s financial status she said. We Don t want the borderline people to slip through the cracks Mahony said. If three people cheat that s Fine. They probably need our help  the children s crusade would enrol its first class of third graders in september 1991. The maximum scholarship available when the youngsters reach collage age a decade later would be $3,436 per year the estimated Cost of tuition at the University of Rhode Island in the year 2000. The maximum scholarship would increase 5 percent a year after that said America w. Petrocclli the slates higher education commissioner. Students at Landing other slate schools and apr Culice ship programs or Propri Clary schools would receive less. Students attending private colleges whose tuition arc higher would receive the maximum scholarship. We really feel that if inc program is successful we May have made a fundamental change in certain Pat terns that contribute to Slud cols dropping Oul said  plans to ask businesses foundations and schools to contribute $10 million to a state created foundation to get the program going. The state would be expected to contribute $3.2 million a year bringing the fund with interest to approximately $50 million after 10 years Mahony said. The Money would pay for scholarships tutors and administrative costs. A real High five a Young Fai Gocr leaps into the or to give still Walker Charles Stron a High five. The 29-year-old South african who now live in Las vegas is 10 feet High on his stilts. He delighted youngsters with his performance this week at the 141st an Nual Michigan state fair in Detroit Chicago opera dosing its doors to Pavarotti Chicago a Tenor Luciano Pava Rolli and his High c s have been banished from the Lyric opera where officials say they arc tired of hearing the same old song after he once again can celeb his appearances for the season. Lyric opera is now unwilling 10 take the risk of one More cancellation by or.  said the opera s general director Ardis Krainik. I m very sad about this. But i did t have any Choice. A lot of people have been very mad about his  the last Straw came when Pavarotti 53. Cancelled six performances As Cisvara Dossi in Puccini s Tosca scheduled at the civic opera House for late Stem bar and Early october citing an inflamed sciatic nerve Krainik said. Pavarotti has backed Oul of 26 of his 41 scheduled performances with the Lyric since 1981, she said. Pavarotti s new York based manager Herbert Broslin said he spoke Wilh the Tenor thursday Al his Home in Modena Italy and Pava Rolli issued a statement saying that he agreed there should be no future collaboration Wilh the Lyric. It is True that most of the cancellations in my career have happened with the Lyric opera of Chicago so i under stand very Well the disappointment thai they have Pava Rolli said. I have never been a Canceler and 1 do nol like 10 can cel my appearances in Chicago because they have a Beautiful audience and idea tar there. "1 can say that if i am not Good Luck to the Lyric opera of Chicago then perhaps the Lyric opera of Chicago is not Good Luck 10  Breslin said he considered Krainik s reaction a Little bit  i think she gets the impression that he is doing this out of spite for the Lyric opera of Chicago which is absolutely wrong he said. Broslin had written and advised the Lyric that the Tenor cannot subject him self to the Rigours of a live operatic performance because the inflamed sciatic nerve near the hip left him unable to move extensively on stage. The Singer requires two months of therapy Broslin said. Krainik said she did everything pos sible to try to convince Pavarotti to appear even suggesting that he sing the role from a chair. His medical problem while certainly a concern is apparently nol affecting his voice she said. The Singer rejected the idea. Lyric spokesman Danny Newman said the opera had received More than 100calls from fans thursday nearly All of whom supported the decision not to do business with Pavarotti