The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 1

Coming-out party social scene debuts I TempoB-3 Pryor wins by a knockout 0 Building a better Bengal Winfield to join Angels Schroeder dispute Group wants charges reflled MetroD-l Circle in the hole Store chain files Chapter 1 1 BusinessC-10 Outdoorsrecreation page If child's play TV for kids on Channel 19 I TempoB-l Section Aaron Pryor fights MM AT EN CINQ IRER 1N1NXM.1 JU MMO FINAL35C SAMMY DAVIS JR. 'He was my inspiration' ENQUIRER NEWS SERVICES BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. Sammy Davis Jr. died of throat cancer Wednesday. He was 64.

Davis was diagnosed with cancer eight months ago, and his health had deteriorated steadily since March 13. "I am numb with pain," said Liza Minnelli, who toured with Davis and Frank Sinatra last year. "He was my inspiration. He's the performer we all strived to live up to. I never saw anyone give so much." (Please see DAVIS, back page, this section) Story, Page B-1.

JIM HENSON Brought Muppets to life ENQUIRER NEWS SERVICES NEW YORK Puppeteer Jim Henson, who gave his voice to Kermit the Frog and his elfin spirit to a multitude of Muppets, died unexpectedly Wednesday. He was 53. Henson died 20 hours after arriving Tuesday at New York Hospital with advanced pneumonia. Doctors said he was beyond medical help by the time he was brought in. He was given antibiotics, but his heart and kidneys failed, he went into shock and died at 1:21 a.m.

EDT. Henson had been told a week ago that he had the flu, said Dr. (Please see HENSON, back page, this section) Remembrances, Page B-1. .1. 1925 -1990 1936-1990 May's rains leave Tristate soggy Rainfall this month is far above average Foreign aid threatened by 'gridlock' Nicaragua, Panama need help, Bush says RAINFALL DATE 1.

.48" life8: is- 3i.or -7 i I 1 2. Trac 3. .08" I 5. U.11" 6. Q.26" 7.

Norw 8. Non 9. Tract 10. CI3-27" 11. Norf 12.

Crl.46" 13. rl.56" 14. Non 15. CZ THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER April showers brought May flowers, but May's showers are bringing only misery. The rain became especially heavy early this morning as Hamilton and Clermont counties came under a severe thunderstorm warning.

Quarter-sized hail and high winds were reported in western Hamilton County. Downpours also were particularly heavy in Northern Kentucky. Cincinnati police closed Columbia Parkway about 11:30 p.m. between Tuscu-lum and Beechmont avenues because of high water. Hamilton County dispatchers also were checking reports late Wednesday that water had covered a small bridge on Eight Mile Road at Bridle Road in the Newtown area.

The steady rain over the past few days has caused land 1.10" I tS i Normal May 1-16 rainfall Is 1.92 inches. This year, S.07 inches of rain has fallen in the same period (as of 5 p.m. Wednesday). 1 'At'-1' I AT Other topics On other issues, Bush said: His staff was working with Congress on a new civil rights act he can sign. Bush objects to a provision he says would require affirmative action quotas in the workplace.

"I've got some real problems" with a bill requiring employers to provide unpaid leave time to pregnant women and other people with family emergencies. Bush favors voluntary leave policies and has threatened to veto mandatory leave legislation. Maintaining U.S. military bases in the Philippines wasn't essential to U.S. security, and he was prepared to move the bases elsewhere in the Pacific after the lease expires next year.

He saw no reason to be encouraged that more U.S. hostages in Lebanon would be released anytime soon. ENQUIRER NEWS SERVICES WASHINGTON President Bush appealed to Congress Wednesday to end delay in approving $300 million in economic aid to Nicaragua, and House-Senate conferees indicated agreement on the measure might be reached soon. At a news conference several hours before a scheduled meeting of the conferees, Bush said Nicaragua was desperate for help and that the administration was powerless to grant President Violeta Chamorro's request for a $40 million emergency "bridge loan" until Congress approves the aid bill. Bush said he would call on Congress to remain in session until it completes action, even if it has to work through its Memorial Day weekend recess, which is scheduled to begin late next week and end June 4.

"We must not let this procedural gridlock in the Congress destroy the hopes for freedom in these two fledgling democracies," he said. Bush requested the aid two months ago, and had urged approval by Easter. His appeal came as strikes and unrest rocked the three-week-old government of Chamorro. (Please see BUSH, back page, this section) Jit ir jk 1 1 -n. If slides, high water on roads, kept boaters and fishermen off nearly all county lakes, and wiped out countless golf matches and softball games.

Through 8 p.m. Wednesday, 5.07 inches of rain has fallen in the first 16 days of May, 3.27 inches above normal. The average total for the month is 3.84 inches. Only four days this month have been without rain, according to the National Weather Service. And rain remains in the forecast.

Consider that a year ago, 4.84 inches of rain fell in May. Flood warnings were posted Wednesday for both the Little Miami River in eastern Greater Cincinnati and the Great Miami River in western Hamilton County. The covered bridge at Miles and Mills roads in Springfield Township was closed Wednesday because of an overflow from Winton Woods Lake. Hamilton County Engineer Donald Schramm said he expected more lowland flooding in the county, landslides and closed roads if the rain continued. His staff Wednesday kept a close eye on four areas: Ragland Road in Newtown, Muddy Creek Road near Devil's Backbone Road in Green Township, and Yeatman Road near Dunlap Road and Sheits Road, both in Colerain Township.

High water forced Glendale-Milford Road (Ohio 126), east (Please see RAIN, back page, this section) ti i The Cincinnati EnquirerJim Callaway Jack Kiefer, left, and his daughter Shelley. cross Vine Street near Fountain Square Wednesday. They were downtown to see a zoo show, but it was rained out. Lithuania agrees to transition period Offer aimed at easing Soviet embargo I Five sections 150th year, No. 38 Copyright, 1990 The Cincinnati Enquirer 111 NationWorld I Nation A-3-4 World Healthscience A-8-9 Tempo Advice B-2 RadioTV B-8 Comics B-1 4 Scoreboard C-2 Baseball C-4-5 Basketball C-4 Business NYSE C-ll NASDAQ C-12 Mutual funds C-13 1 Metro Howard D-l Obituaries D-6 Classified D-7-16 1 Underachieving Bart gets boot at Taylor Mill BY KELLY LEWIS The Cincinnati Enquirer Taylor Mill Elementary School has bolted its doors to the wisecracking TV star with the spiked hair and sharp tongue.

Bart Simpson an underachiever and proud of it sets a poor example for students, Principal Lonnie Watts said. And T-shirts glorifying the 10-year-old cartoon brat no longer are permitted in the Kentucky elementary school. Bart, best known for his quips on The Simpsons, and emblazoned across millions of T-shirt fronts, is the star of Fox Television's No. 1 show. Fans are buying more than a million T-shirts a week, said Linda Brown, publicist for the show.

But Watts said the banned shirts, with slogans like "Underachiever and proud of it!" violate the student dressing code. Children wearing the shirts will be asked to turn them inside out or will be sent (Please see BART, back page, this section) ft BY BILL KELLER The New York Times MOSCOW The Lithuanian government formally agreed Wednesday to suspend all laws it has passed since its declaration of independence March 11 and to discuss a transition period to full separation from the Soviet Union, officials of the republic said Wednesday night. The offer, prepared in a closed-door session of the Parliament and Cabinet, was the Lithuanians' most concerted attempt so far to persuade President Mikhail Gorbachev to lift his partial economic embargo and begin negotiations. The Lithuanian premier, Kazim-iera Prunskiene, was to fly to Moscow today bearing the government declaration and a letter to Gorbachev. It was not clear whether she would be met by Kremlin officials, nor whether Moscow would accept the gesture as an opportunity to end the standoff.

Gorbachev presumably would welcome a chance to end the economic sanctions against Lithuania, which could cast a pall over his meeting with President Bush in Washington. That meeting is to begin May 30, about the time that Lithuania (Please see LITHUANIA, back page, this section) Russians demand power, Page A-4. Baker, Shevardnadze meet, Page A-4. 1 J65 1 The Cincinnati EnquirerTony Jones Jared Combs flashes his Bart pin Wednesday at Taylor Mill. The school has banned T-shirts with the same Weather: Rain clearing by afternoon.

High 73, low 46. Details on Page A-2..