European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Country music Star Roy Acuff Dies Nashville Tenn. Apr Roy Acuff whose fancy fiddle playing and stirring songs include the Wabash Cannonball and earned him the title a the King of country music a died monday a Hospital said. He was 89, Acuff who had been hospitalized several times in recent months most recently oct. 30, died at 2 35 . Of congestive heart failure Baptist Hospital said in a statement. Acuff joined the grand Ole opry in 1938 and be Ime the greatest Star in the fabled history of the country music show. When not playing the fiddle he did Snappy Yoyo tricks for audiences. In the 1940s, Acuff was so popular he was nominated for Tennessee governor and Nis name became part of a Battle cry chanted by japanese troops in world War ii. He was Best known for two hits recorded Early in his career the Wabash Cannonball and great speckled Bird. In the 1980s, he was a regular on the television variety show Hee Haw. But his enduring acclaim resulted from his longtime appearances at the grand Ole opry where he performed nearly every Friday and saturday night with his band the Smoky Mountain boys. A i never dreamed of anything like this a he once said. A i was Only trying to get Well known enough to do some Road shows. All i really wanted to do was just make enough Money to live  in a 1983 interview he recalled that his style of singing in the 1930s was new to country music a i reared Back and Sang it. I did it like i was going for the cows in Union  while country music gradually took on the trappings of pop and Rock music he stuck with his traditional style and shunned electric instruments. Instead his band normally consisted of fiddles dobros acoustic guitars pianos and Harmonicas. Even into the 1990s, he appeared just about every weekend on the show though Nis eyesight and hearing were poor. To help his vision he had glaucoma surgery in March 1991 a Ana missed just one weekend of performances. A i just love this stage a he said in 1988. A you let that curtain Fly Back and i m ready. Its just like when the whistle blows at a football  Acuff was born sept. 15, 1903, in Maynardville in the East Tennessee Hills son of a Baptist minister. He originally yearned for a baseball Ca Acuff racer and did not sing professionally until he was almost 30. Over the years he sold More than 25 million records with hits such As wreck on the Highway fireball mail night train to Memphis and pins and Needles. During world War ii it was said that japanese troops yelled a to hell with Roosevelt to hell with babe Ruth to hell with Roy Acuff a during one Battle Charger Acuff received numerous awards during his life. In december 1991, Acuff was honoured during a televised ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington d.c., for his contribution to the performing arts. Among cuffs awards was the National medal of Art in july 1991 and a lifetime achievement award in 1987 from the National Academy of recording arts amp sciences the organization that presents the grammy awards. During Breaks at the grand Ole opry he entertained the audience by doing Yoyo tricks and placing his fiddle upright on the Bridge of his nose and balancing it while fans rushed to the foot of the stage to take pictures. When president Nixon visited the opry in 1974, a widely published picture showed Nixon using cuffs Yoyo. President Reagan visited the grand Ole opry in 1984 to wish Acuff a Happy 81�t birthday. In 1990, Acuff and other opry stars went to Houston to entertain president Bush and other dignitaries at an economic Summit. Acuff always amiable to fans was himself keenly interested in politics and twice ran for governor As a Republican in the than solidly democratic state. He failed to win the Tennessee gop primary in 1944 but did win the nomination four years later. His Campaign included Calls for More roads and better schools but democrats attacked him As a a hillbilly  although Acuff lost by a 2-to-l margin in 1948, he received 167,000 votes a More than any gop nominee had Ever earned in a statewide a. In 1962., he became the first living person inducted into the country music Hall of Fame. His wife Mildred whom he married in 1936, died in 1981.u.s., european teens Hook up As computer pals by Jill Bartholomew Stuttgart Germany a German French and american students Are using modern technology to break Down cultural Walls at their High schools in a program that boosts foreign language skills through telecommunications and personal Contact. Students in the Model Effort called Pilot for partners in learning Over telecommunication have pen pal partners who speak the language they Are learning. Through electronic mail they communicate weekly with their partners. Participating instructors say Pilot gives students motivation to learn increases their vocabulary and ability to write in another language Broadens computer know How and gives them a Chance to communicate with Young people from foreign cultures. A the Walls of the school and Barracks Are breaking Down a said program creator Pat Ridge a teacher at Stuttgart a Patch High school. A the world is becoming More accessible. Computers open up a new expanded  two classrooms of pen pals who have communicated with each other this school year got together for the first time this month. German students from real Schule Renninger in Stuttgart visited pen pals at Patch High school. They spent the Day with their american partners visiting their classes and getting to know each other better. Students from both schools seemed to agree that the program was a hit. A a it a different writing to other Young people than just writing something for your teacher to read a said Patch student Matt Beatty. A you know that you will be getting a message Back. There is  Marcel Jamboree a German student said a in school we Only learn certain vocabulary words. When you write letters with a certain theme you learn words on your own that you otherwise  have. A i also think in a learning to write bet for a amps Jill Bartholomew Kristian Keesling Lefta student at Patch High school in Stuttgart shows Julia Dickehut who attends a local German school How to use a computer program for their foreign language pen pal project called Pilot. Ter. Its fun and i know its something i need to  the idea for the program came to Ridge a four to five years ago but at that time we did no to have enough software to make it work a he said. A we tested the program for the first time 1 Xhu years ago. Then we decided to make some real partnerships this  the ism compatible program cd mail was created for business transactions. But students use it to communicate with their partners on assigned topics such As self introductions the presidential elections what to do in Stuttgart for fun halloween and its German equivalent according to Patch High school German teacher Werner Dobner. Patch High is equipped with a network of computers connected to one computer called the a Post  it receives messages to be sent to Pilot participants. The messages Are filed under the students names in the computer and Are stored until a receiver Calls to pick them up. The German system is a bit less sophisticated since students use their computers at Home to participate in the program. They give Wolfgang Mackamul an English instructor at Rea Schule Ren Ningen finished assignments on a computer Diskette and he sends the messages from his Home to Patch through a Modem attached to his computer and Telephone. A at the american High school Pilot is part of the course program a Mackamul said. A we use it As an extra activity because students must do it at  in two to three years Mackamul estimates his school will have the equipment to conduct the Pilot program inside the classroom. A German schools Are funded by the communities in which they lie Quot he said. A it is very difficult for a Small Community to come up with the  in addition to Patch High and Rea Schule Renninger the other schools participating in Pilot Are Karlsruhe High school Berlin High school and Fanny Leicht gymnasium and Pagenburg gymnasium both in Stuttgart. A French school Lycoe Charles de Gaulle in Baden Baden also is participating. Each class taking part in the project plans visits or activities together during the school year. Dobner a and Macka mules classes met this month at Patch High. In Early january the american students plan to visit Macka muts class. And for the end of the school year the two classes plan a Field trip together. Jill Bannow Evy is an intern Al Trio Stuttgart citizen