European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 5, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 a a a the stars and stripes saturday May 5, 1990 faces in places alaskan teen uses satellite to Hook Date for prom night from wire reports rather than sit Home on prom night Twyla Blankenship of Thorne Bay Alaska found a Date 1,000 Miles away. One of six graduates in the class of �?T90 in her Village of 450, she advertised through her advanced English class using a satellite educational network that links students in 30 school systems nationwide. She said she wanted a Date with a sense of humor who also looked Good in a Tuxedo. Out of several responses she picked Dustin Wam Beke a senior and football Star in Freeman wash., about 15 Miles Southeast of Spokane. A the funny thing was that All this started out As a joke a she said. A now that it s going to happen Well i m getting kind of  Blankenship has spent $300 on a round trip ticket for Wambeke. Who on Friday will drive to Seattle Fly by Jet to Ketchikan then take a 25-minute ride by float plane to i Home Bay on the Southeastern coast of Prince of Wales Island. A this is out of my own Money too a Blankenship said. "1 May have to starve at College but this is something i wanted to  a i guess in a kind of adventurous a Lambcke said. A to looking at this As an excellent Opportunity to meet a Nice person and see another part of the  Pearl on display the biggest Pearl in the world weighs 14 pounds is the Sie and shape of a human brain and must have been a pain in the neck of the Clam that bore it say its owners. Variously known As the Pearl of Allah and the Pearl of lao i a the natural Pearl went on display thursday in Ixos Angeles and later will be shown to prospective buyers. He guinness Book of records says it is the largest of its kind in the world. Part owner Peter Huffman said he had been told the Pearl was Worth irom $25 million to $50 million. Ill Man a jewelry dealer said he and co owner Victor Barbish might sell the Pearl to a museum if they can assure it will be properly insured safeguarded and displayed. I he Pearl s Stock is boosted by the romantic legend that says it grew 2,500 years ago when chinese philosopher spiritualism lao Tzu had a Small Amulet placed in a Clam. People who gaze on the Pearl Are said to Sec the images of Buddha confucius and lao Tzu. According to the legend the Pearl grew to its present size As it was handed Down for centuries to lao Tzu s descendants. The descendants would periodically replant the Gem in bigger clams allowing it to continue to grow. The Pearl and the giant Clam that was holding it were lost in a typhoon that hit the Philippines sometime during the Ming dynasty which ruled China from 1368 to 1 644. It was recovered in 1934 by a filipino diver who reportedly drowned trying to take it away from the Clam. Eventually brought to the surface it became the property of a moslem tribal chief who said it resembled the turban wrapped head of Mohammed. Thus it acquired the name Pear of  scientists meet goal students who needed $800 to finance a trip to a National science contest could t get the Money from the Lafayette la., Parish school Board. But passing the hat at the meeting netted $500. The remaining $300 was pledged thursday morning letting Edgar Martin Middle school meet its deadline for the National science olympiad in Clarion pa., said assistant principal Cindy Bobbitt. The school won the state Competition last weekend and the deadline for notifying the National Competition organizers whether they were going was tuesday. A they extended it two Days for us to raise the Money and let them know. We made it under the wire a Bobbitt said. She said businesses and residents had donated $6,200 since the Lafayette newspaper published an article tuesday about the deadline but students needed $7,000 to let organizers know they would compete. The 5-Sludent team went to wednesdays Board meeting to ask for help. Board members gave them a standing ovation but walked at Chipping in $800. An argument among Board members ended when one member noted that Board policy forbids giving student groups Money to  for trips. A proposal to lend the Money was shouted Down. Finally a teacher in the audience got up and passed the hat bringing in 4f  o Connor honoured Sandra Day of Connor received the Bess Wallace Truman award from the former first lady s daughter who praised the supreme court Justice for her dignity under pressure and loyalty to family and friends. Margaret Truman Daniel said she thought of Connor and mrs. Truman both Independence mo., natives were a Slough cookies and might have been friends except for their differences in age and political leanings. Of Connor 60, the Only woman appointed to the nations highest court is a Republican. Mrs. Truman who died in 1982 at 97, was a staunch Democrat like her husband Harry  reopens the Montana Standard ii Gior Nale vegetarian times and muscle and fitness Magazine Are again on Sale at Delau cry a super newsstand a round the Prima principal Jerry Prosek principal of sunny Side elementary school in Sobieski wis., shows off his Tut and tights to a class of first graders at the school. Prosek wore the costume As a result of a Challenge to pupils from each Grade to read a designated number of pages from selected books. Clock fixture in Oakland calif., for 83 Vears. Until last october a earthquake sent a Hail of bricks through the roof from an unstable building next door. Two weeks ago Delauer a reopened in a vacant optometrists office a few doors from the regular location squeezing 300 out of town newspapers 4.400 arcane magazines and unt Allied cigars and Candy bars into a space a one tenth the size of the 3.000-Square-foot store it used to occupy. Quot i did no to really realize what an institution we were said Gerri Anchando the cashier. As Anchando dispensed copies of the racing form and Palm Beach life repair work began on the 10-Story office building that caused All the trouble in the first place. Once the buckling Walls Are stabilized 73-Ycar-old Charles Delauer his son Bud and their 14 employees will end their Long ordeal and return to the place they belong. Dear Abby May we Bend your ear with a Pel Peeve its grocery stores that use automatic scanners and no longer Pul prices on their merchandise. They insist that this is for the customers  in ices not always current Are shown on the front of the grocery store shelves. How is an elderly person a pregnant woman someone with arthritis or bifocals or in a wheelchair a or just overweight a supposed to read the prices under the Bottom shelf if there Are no prices on the items in your grocery cart How can you quickly tally the total before you get to the checkout and the clerk informs you that you owe More than you can  for that matter How can you be sure that items scan correctly its almost impossible to remember All the prices posted on shelves or advertised a on Sale a but not yet entered into the computer. If a question arises someone must conduct a special Price search a delaying everyone standing in line. Most stores offer to refund scanning errors. This does not make up for the aggravation and time wasted. A shoppers Only alternative is to patronize a store that still Marks their merchandise the old fashioned Way. Dear Abby new is not always better a at least for customers a but complaints to the stores fall on deaf ears. A Gwen and Sally Mcbreairty m Willow Street a dear Gwen and Sally �qu0te., the consumer a Friend Ralph Nader when Sellers have dreams of riches beware of schemes that look like glitches a what is emerging from the complaints of Consumers who write to us is that Small rip outs amount to big business because they Are applied to Large numbers of customers. A most Consumers do not know they Are being taken by these sly frauds and those few who do Are Given the s�r3�?T of was a computer error or a just a mistake that we ii Clear up right  there is however no sorry extended to the Consumers who Don t Challenge the same bilk by the same seller. The result is a Mountain of Cash purloined for no services  so dear readers budget conscious shoppers should be wary of automation. When they make out their shopping lists they should list the prices advertised with the items they need and then total them up. If the total at the Cash Register is higher explanation Russ by a refund a is in order. Dear Abby Many people Are trying to lose weight and some Are paying a Fortune to lose it Only to gain it Back As soon about 35 years ago. A fat teen age boy went to doctor for a diet to lose weight. He followed his i Tor s advice and established Good eating habits. Tod he is slender As a Reed. Here is what the Good Doci told him a do not eat anything or drink anything except a Between meals. At mealtime take the same amount food on your plate that you re accustomed to taking then put Back exactly half of it. Eat slowly and Chi each bite 20 limes so you wont feel hungry. Now honest with yourself. Done to begin loading your plate if you were going to Slop a  a a Friend in Bend. Or dear Friend i am curious to know Why the Good doctor prescribe taking the same amount of food you re accustomed taking a then putting half of it Back. Why not take it half of the amount in the first place dear Abby apropos Toms letter concerning his spanking by k father who said. A this hurts me More than it Hur you my reply to my father under the same circus stances was a yeah but not in the same  i read your column first thing every Day and love keep it up forever. A Goddard Dubois. Age c Universal press Syndicate