The Commercial Appeal from Memphis, Tennessee • 14

A14 THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL MEMPHIS SUNDAY DECEMBER 30 1990 (Teaching liof Latin on rise Illustration by More Rifling I By Seth Mydans Dm New York Time News Service LOS ANGELES At the Dyer Street School 9- and 10-year-olds say the Pledge of Allegiance in Latin then proceed with a lively 'class in what for them is far from a dead language The class is one sign of a nationwide revival of the teaching hf Latin in secondary and even elementary schools after a sharp decline in the 1960s and 1970s The growing interest has caused a severe shortage of qualified Latin teachers which in some cases is said to be slowing the expansion of courses Everyone assumed that this is a subject that had disappeared from the curriculum hut teachers administrators and parents are rediscovering Latin said A1 Baca a classics professor and the faculty president at California State university at ge gh school enrollment in Latin courses reached a peak in 1962 when 702000 students were studying it By 1976 enrollment had fallen to 150000 Since then enrollment has been steadily climbing according to Robert Wilhelm a classics professor at Miami University in Oxford Ohio Wilhelm is a program director with the American Classical League a national association of educators and scholars The organization said precise figures have not been available since 1982 but states have reported continuing increases Other indicators are rising like membership in Latin associations and numbers of students taking national Latin examinations As it re-establishes itself what was once an unquestioned requirement of academic tradition must now justify its place in the curriculum Teachers and administrators say Latin can help improve performance in English and other languages and raise test scores But critics in the past and today have argued that the language of an ancient culture is far removed from the concerns of students in a fastchanging society dation piling for three of the five bridges Building drainage systems Foster said it's difficult to predict how construction work to widen 1-240 will affect traffic in the coming months But Carl Wood director of operations for the Tennessee Department of Transportation said he think the construction of new lanes will cause greater impediments That shouldn't magnify any of the inconvenience that (already) Wood said State officials said this year they want to realign the proroute for Nonconnah posed ro barrels also have been placed along the stretch to reduce or increase traffic flow when needed because of construction requirements But William Foster the project engineer for Holloway Construction Co said current inconveniences mean eventual satisfaction for motorists when construction is finished They'll be happy for it three years from now he said will relieve some of the traffic congestion on 240 at this time" Construction which is running ahead of schedule faces two deadlines: Completion of the entire $447 million project by September 1993 and completion of the 1-240 widening by March 1992 Foster said construction to date has involved: Clearing impediments such as trees ana sod from the strips along 1-240 where the freeway will be widened Excavating and laying foun along 1-240 widening the six-lane freeway to eight umes from Poplar to Perkins The segment basically will have four lanes running in each direction Building one mile of new road Nonconnah Parkway Ramps will exit traffic off Nonconnah onto Ridgeway which will require traffic signals on Ridgeway underneath the new freeway Erecting a series of 30-foot-hlgh concrete sound barriers along 1-240 from ML Moriah to Quince to buffer nearby home-owners against interstate traffic noise Construction so far has caused some problems The 1-240 widening forced workers to remove overhead llghtingalong a one-mile stretch of -240 That apparently contributed to an accident earlier this month when a motorist drove into a ditch near ML Moriah Long rows of moveable orange connah Parkway Two ramps come off Nonconnah Parkway sending traffic onto 1-240 in separate directions east or west Two ramps come off 1-240 from separate east and west originations sending traffic southbound onto Nonconnah Parkway Two other ramps will streamline traffic off Mt Moriah One ramp from ML Moriah will avoid 1-240 by sending traffic directly onto Nonconnah while the other will lead from ML Moriah to I-240 North Erecting five bridges including an overpass above Ridgeway Road which Nonconnah Parkway will intersecL The other four bridges are Ert of the Nonconnah and 1-240 terchange Two carry access ramps over 1-240 while two others involve ramps overpassing other ramps All the nidges will have seismic design for protection during earthquakes Constructing two new lanes From Page A1 Route complex Interchange that Holloway will build between ML Moriah and Quince It will take millions of dollars more and several additional years to complete Nonconnah Parkway Local officials expect to get details from the state next month on Nonconnah Parkway's alignment past Ridgeway Road where the first phase of construction will terminate The bulk of this first phase of Nonconnah Parkway construction involves widening 1-240 from a point about a half-mile west of Perkins to a point just south of Poplar This is needed to pick up new traffic from the Nonconnah Parkway The project is complex It includes: Building six access ramps between 1-240 and the new Non Island weighs statehood Costs of smoking drinking wealth go up Tuesday under changes in tax But for many Puerto Ricans the case is not that clear-cut New Year laws focus on protecting the public dorsed legislation that would allow Puerto Ricans to vote on whether to remain a semi-auton-omous U5 commonwealth or seek statehood or independence Statehood seems to be the leading choice according to most polls and many politicians here U1 like everything like the other states I like the American said Angel Sanchez a 39-year-old restaurant worker who joined Romero Christmas caravan Supporters of continuing the commonwealth status say that a state where fewer than one in five people speak English fluently would be condemned to become an resisting efforts to blend into a more heterogeneous nation Give up Spanish? There is no such thing as surrendering snapped Romero Barcelo reflecting a raw nerve in the current debate I to tell a mother she cannot sing a lullaby to her child in Language is a key issue affecting statehood but clearly not the only issue With a per capita Income of $5673 in 1988 half that of the poorest state Missis By Bill McAllister The Washington Post SAN JUAN Puerto Rico The truck lurched forward into the warm mid-December night its six speakers blaring a Puerto Rican Christmas carol with a distinctly political message The Son of Heaven was bom in Bethlehem and Carlos Romero was bora in sang the six-member band in praise of the man who was waving Snd tossing Christmas candies to children along the route el caballoT shouted one onlooker to Carlos Romero Barcelo 57 the former governor Nicknamed el caballo (the horse) for his tireless campaigning to make this impoverished island of 35 million into the 51st state he was on the road again to convince Puerto Ricans that statehood is the key to their future After 92 years under the US flag Puerto Rico appears closer than ever before to resolving its status The US House President Bush and all three of the major political parties have en Parkway Part of the route once was to run along existing Winchester Road but officials now want the road to run through a currently undeveloped route more to the south City Engineer James Collins said last week officials expect more details from the state on the new route next month sippi Puerto Rico as a state would be entitled to massive amounts of federal aid Fully 60 percent of the island's people live in what the federal government classifies as poverty Yet by Caribbean standards Puerto Rico is an economic paradise The island receives generous US tax benefits and more than $6 billion a year in federal funds With 16 million cars jammed into a space two-thirds the size of Connecticut and Big Macs competing with beans and rice as a staple food Puerto Rico is far more prosperous than most of its Latin neighbors clans here Many politicians agree that statehood probably would win a referendum if it were held now Thanks to support from Bush and the widespread belief that statehood would funnel billions of dollars more in federal aid to Puerto Rico backers of commonwealth status are on the defensive Not only would Puerto Rico become the first state in the union to have a Spanish-speaking ma-' jority but statehood backers point out that it would have a large voice in Washington with two senators and six or seven members of the House Census Bureau officials say it would rank about 24th in population between Kentucky and Arizona New Savings During Jammy look inn the great window fashion at JCPcnney Custom Demising Save 40 on draperies uling our Caravan fabric from our Command Performance Collection Sava 30 an Carrera vertical blind Also mvt on bedspreadi and mp treatment! When you make an appointment with ua a profarional decorator will come to your home at your convenience Because the only way to make decorating decisions dm fit your lifestyles is so aee where you live and listen to your ideas CaS today far a i Judges revoke driver's licenses for up to life upon conviction of possession with intent to self drugs South Carolina is requiring those who do substantial business with the state to certify they will provide a drug-free workplace Nebraska is trying to stamp out drugs by imposing taxes ranging upward from $100 an ounce on marijuana Several new laws are aimed at better waste disposal Connecticut's recycling law requires trash collectors to report any residents and businesses who fail to separate corrugated cardboard newspapers office paper glass and metal food containers leaves scrap metal car batteries and waste oil for recycling Wisconsin is phasing in mandatory recycling Phase one prohibits disposing of car batteries waste oil or major appliances in landfills or Incinerators Indiana is requiring stores that sell automotive batteries to accept used batteries for recycling Virginia is providing an income tax credit for businesses that buy machinery used for recycling in other measures Louisiana is cutting the waiting time for a divorce in half by no longer requiring a six-month separation before a couple files for divorce Hawaii is opening adoption records to adoptees who reach age 18 unless one of their biological parents does not want to be identified Shoppers in Maine can go to malls and large stores on Sunday year-round as a result of an initiative approved by voters in November 13 See Call 529-2322 WIAMONDSI By Jim Luther The Associated Pran WASHINGTON New federal taxes will raise the price of tobacco beverage alcohol and some luxuries beginning Tuesday At the same time upper-bracket Americans will have to pay higher income taxes to help reduce the budget deficit The changes combined with the 51-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax increase that took effect Dec 1 will raise the average household's federal tax bill by about a year Congress estimates the average family making less than $50000 will pay an extra $1 a week Those with incomes between $50000 and $100000 will pay about $278 a year more on the average The increase for the $100000-toS200000 group will average $839 The richest 600000 couples and individuals with incomes over $200000 will pay an average of $8598 more per year Congress hit top-income earners to correct what many lawmakers perceived as overly generous tax cuts during the 1980s Here are highlights of the changes: Tobacco: Taxes are rising by 25 percent meaning the ldcent tax on a pack of cigarettes goes to 20 cents Taxes also will increase on cigars chewing tobacco and snuff Alcohol: The liquor tax goes up $1 to $1350 for a gallon of 100-proof (SO percent alcohol) an extra 20 cents a fifth for 100-proof 16 cents for 80-proof The beer tax is doubled to 32 cents a six-pack The tax on wine is rising depending on alcohol con-tenL Table wine now 17 cents a gallon goes to $157 the levy on artificially carbonated wine now $240 goes to $330 a gallon Luxuries: A new 10 percent tax applies to that portion of the Jrice above $30000 for cars 100000 for boats $250000 for aircraft and $10000 for furs and I jewelry Telephone service: The 3 I percent tax on local and longdistance telephone service scheduled to expire Dec 31 was murfo permanent Gas guzzlers: The penalty tax on fuel-thirsty cars is doubled Any new car bought in 1991 with an EPA rating under 22V4 miles per gallon is subject to' a 100 Financing 385-8485 HMBM F6DI5 By Howard Goldberg The Associated Pran New Year's Day brings new laws aimed at keeping criminals from buying rifles in California and lobbyists from lavishing gifts on politicians in Florida The tax burden will grow in some states particularly New Jersey which has a $15 billion income tax increase tied to a school financing overhaul New taxes on cigarettes or gasoline or both take effect Washington state Delaware Massachusetts Florida and California Indiana meanwhile will cut its motor vehicle excise tax Several new laws deal with crime corruption and drugs California becomes the first state to require a waiting period and a police background check to buy rifles and shotguns Another California law allows courts to suspend the license or future driving privilege of anyone older than 13 convicted of graffiti vandalism' New Hampshire and Illinois laws authorize longer sentences for such as those motivated by the religion race or sexual preference Florida is banning state legislators and some 30000 other public officials from soliciting or accepting any gift over $100 from a lobbyist a lobbyist's employer or a political action committee Maryland will try reducing the demand for drugs by suspending professional and business licenses New Hampshire will let tax ranging from $1000 (for a 21Vfr-mpg model) to $7700 (less than 12 mpg) Social Security taxes: The 10 million workers who earn more than $51500 a year will pay a higher Social Security tax Minimum tax: This 21 percent levy aimed at ensuring that higher-income people pay some tax regardless of how many legitimate deductions they have goes up to 24 percenL Home Equity Loans Business Loans Commerce Trust Co 795-6151 Fax 755-7978 Custom Sale ends 12691 Raleigh Springs Mall 388-1600 Mall of Memphis 794-1900 Regular prices ore offering prices only Sales may or may not have been made at regular prices Sale prices of custom draperies lop treatments and bedspreads include fabric labor lining and instollalion Instofaton of blinds shades and carpet available at regular low prices Percentages off represent savings from regularprices Sale prices do not apply to everyday priced merchandise Mast areas serviceable oy JCPenney Custom Decorating 1 1.