Carnival

NEW YORK - Carnival Cruise Lines prices have taken a dip this spring, according to pricing data, and some industry observers blame headlines about problems on several Carnival ships. Todd Elliott, owner of Cruise Vacation Outlet, said his agents had seen a drop in price of 20 percent or more for equivalent cruises. "Rates are far lower than I have seen in a while; for example, the Carnival Dream, seven nights, Eastern Caribbean out of Port Canaveral, May 4 is $299 per person," he said.

The teenage Reithoffer sisters of Montoursville, Pa., already knew tragedy too well. Tricia and Krystal Reithoffer were friends with many of the 16 French club students who died two years ago this month when TWA Flight 800 exploded off Long Island, killing all aboard. Vocally talented Krystal sang at several funerals of her Montoursville High School classmates, a family spokesman said yesterday. Tragedy struck the sisters again - this time in the most direct way possible - on Thursday evening in Levittown at a traveling carnival show operated by their father.

In December, Pennsylvania Ballet debuted its splendidly refurbished Nutcracker. Six months later, it has staged the local premiere of another ballet that, while much shorter than the holiday classic, is equally whimsical. The delightfully witty Carnival of the Animals, first performed Friday night at the Academy of Music, was choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon (who choreographed Swan Lake for the Pennsylvania Ballet in 2004) and set to a story written by actor John Lithgow. Lithgow appeared on stage to narrate the first three performances.

A traveling carnival packed up its roller coaster, ferris wheel and petting zoo yesterday after city officials told them to move from a city-owned parking lot that will be needed this week for graduation and trade-show activities at the Civic Center. The carnival, Goodings' Million Dollar Midways, was scheduled to open May 29 at the lot on Civic Center Boulevard - the former site of Philadelphia General Hospital - but it arrived in town early May 13, according to Bob Boris, the Civic Center's executive director.

The Medford Lakes Council was so pleased with the success of police in keeping down crime during the borough's annual canoe carnival that it presented Police Chief Roger N. Smith with a special commendation. "Chief Smith did an excellent job of coordinating the police to handle the crowds and ensure the safety of our residents and guests," Mayor Michael Levinsky said. "So many people told me afterward how much nicer this year's carnival was. . . . The rowdy crowds weren't present this year.

A day-long carnival to benefit a former Laurel Springs girl who needs a liver transplant was announced at Borough Council's work session last week. Councilman Joseph D. DiDonato said at Monday session that the event for 18-month-old Sherri Warner would be held Saturday, Oct. 3, under the sponsorship of Laurel Springs civic groups. He said the estimated cost of the liver transplant was $400,000. Mayor Jack Hagen added that family members were contributing toward the $200 weekly bill for the child's medication.

The Rev. Steve Aiken thought that a carnival - complete with rides and cotton candy - would be a good way to raise money for his work with troubled teens. But officials in Towamencin last week said there would be hoops to jump through before he could bring a Ferris wheel and carnival announcer to town. Towamencin's Zoning Hearing Board would have to approve Mr. Aiken's proposal to hold a Youth Quest carnival from April 27 through May 1 in the parking lot of the Lansdale Village shopping center, just past the western edge of Lansdale.

It was Henry Clay Loudenslager Day Thursday in Paulsboro, and 300 children at the Loudenslager Elementary School played beneath parachutes, ran obstacle courses, painted their faces, and just plain had fun. The carnival at the school was held for about two hours in observance of Loudenslager Day, which was proclaimed by the Borough Council on March 4. May 22, the day of the carnival, was the 134th anniversary of Loudenslager's birth. Loudenslager was the subject of three months of biographical research last year by seven of the school's fifth graders: John Woodard, Nicole Ruffin, Mary Lou Jones, Robin Montgomery, Marquishia Campbell, Scott Raively and Amy Foster.

A Tacony teen on trial for stabbing a popular student athlete to death last spring will worry another day as a Common Pleas jury ponders whether she is guilty of a crime that could put her in prison for life. The jury resumes deliberations today after Judge James A. Lineberger answers the panel's request to again explain the legal definitions of first-degree murder, third-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. The prosecution contends Diedre Frazer, 19, is guilty of first-degree murder for the premeditated, malicious murder of Christa Lewis during a brawl in Russo Park, at Torresdale and Cottman avenues.

Two Chester County synagogues will hold carnivals on Sunday to celebrate Purim, a lighthearted holiday on the Jewish calendar. The carnival at Or Shalom Synagogue, 835 Darby-Paoli Rd., Berwyn, will be from 10 a.m. until noon, and parents as well as children are invited to come in costumes and compete for prizes. Tickets for carnival games will be a quarter each; there will be several booths and plenty of treats. Proceeds go to the synagogue's religious school. The carnival at Congregation B'nai Jacob, Starr and Manavon Streets, Phoenixville, will begin at 11 a.m. and last about 90 minutes.

Pennsylvania Ballet revived Carnival of the Animals on Thursday at the Academy of Music, and it continues to be a delightful, colorful piece that, like ballet, transforms characters into other beings. Written and narrated on stage by John Lithgow, and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon to music by Camille Saint-Saëns, Carnival is the story of a boy, Oliver Pendleton Percy the Third (the personable Lucas Tischler, notable in winters past as both Fritz and the Nutcracker Prince)

ACTOR John Lithgow 's next role? Ballerina. Lithgow, the Tony Award-winning actor known for his time on sitcom "Third Rock," is the narrator of the Pennsylvania Ballet's performance of "Carnival of the Animals," running May 9-12 at the Academy of the Music. Lithgow collaborated with choreographer Christopher Wheeldon on the story of a little boy who hides in the Museum of Natural History and imagines all of his friends as animals. "It's a wonderful notion, being locked-in," Lithgow said, adding that when he films in museums, he'll often wander off so he can experience the exhibits in peace and quiet.

NEW YORK - Carnival Cruise Lines prices have taken a dip this spring, according to pricing data, and some industry observers blame headlines about problems on several Carnival ships. Todd Elliott, owner of Cruise Vacation Outlet, said his agents had seen a drop in price of 20 percent or more for equivalent cruises. "Rates are far lower than I have seen in a while; for example, the Carnival Dream, seven nights, Eastern Caribbean out of Port Canaveral, May 4 is $299 per person," he said.

A traveling carnival operation that was supposed to open Thursday to raise money for NAACP scholarships is still looking for a venue, after losing a bid to set up on city land in Hunting Park. "We don't allow carnivals," said Michael DiBerardinis, the deputy mayor in charge of parks and recreation. "Historically they've presented problems to us - there was a homicide attached to one at Russo Playground in the early 2000s . . .. No matter how well they're run, there's a lot of wear and tear and usually damage to the facilities, with all this heavy equipment and the crowds.

THE FLYERS WIVES Fight for Lives Carnival is unlike any other event in the NHL. Families from all over the Delaware Valley were enjoying themselves Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center at the 36th annual event. They interacted with current players and Flyers legends such as Bernie Parent. Flyers captain Claude Giroux is happy to be a part of the carnival, which raises money for local charities. "We weren't sure if we were going to have one this year [because of the lockout], so to be able to do this in no time is pretty unreal," Giroux said.

HOUSTON - Carnival Cruise Lines has canceled a dozen more planned voyages aboard the Triumph and acknowledged that the crippled ship had been plagued by other mechanical problems in the weeks before an engine-room fire left it powerless in the Gulf of Mexico. The company's announcement on Wednesday came as the Triumph was being towed to a port in Mobile, Ala., with more than 4,000 people on board, some of whom have complained to relatives that conditions on the ship are dismal and that they have limited access to food and bathrooms.

NEW ORLEANS - Christmas wreaths and holiday parties gave way to king cakes and street parades as Carnival kicked off this month along the Gulf Coast. In New Orleans, the noisy and colorful streetcar ride of the Phunny Phorty Phellows troupe marked the first street appearance of Carnival on Jan. 6. The costumed revelers boarded a St. Charles Avenue streetcar on Twelfth Night, the traditional start of the Carnival season that for many Christians also marks the end of the Christmas season.

It's going to be a most unusual funeral. But it's going to be what Sheila Marie Gaffin wanted. Well, almost. She wanted a carnival. There won't be a carnival, but it's going to be close. What's important, and what Sheila had in mind when she told friends about her wishes, is that it's going to be fun. Fun amid the tears. Sheila Marie Gaffin, a clinical psychologist who earned the title of doctor but didn't want to be called "doctor," died May 27 of a massive heart attack.

Penn's Maalik Reynolds thrilled the home crowd at Franklin Field last year by winning the Penn Relays high jump to highlight a successful freshman season. Now Reynolds is aiming for the next level by working on his technique and improving his body while casting an eye to a repeat victory next week and beyond - possibly to the U.S. Olympic trials. "To make an Olympic team, you have to be great and then you have to be lucky," interim Penn head coach Robin Martin said Wednesday at a media luncheon.