Easter Bunny

Just in time for the holidays, here's the last installment in a fanciful look at how the current economic woes might affect North Pole Toys LLC. WASHINGTON - The proposed Santa Claus congressional bailout hearings took a surprising turn yesterday as the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny appeared and testified. Claus, longtime president of North Pole Toys LLC, had begged Washington for an $18 billion bailout to keep his sinking holiday enterprise afloat. By day's end, Claus unexpectedly accepted a significantly smaller bailout.

In a rescue that would have made the Easter Bunny proud, dozens of rabbits were removed from an Atlantic County residence after they were found living in deplorable conditions, officials said. The rabbits were being bred and sold by an elderly Egg Harbor Township man - not Mr. McGregor - who apparently became overwhelmed with the responsibilities of caring for so many animals, officials said. The Atlantic County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals removed 57 rabbits from the home on Saturday, but the man did not receive any summonses.

At Memorial Hall yesterday there were 1-year-olds in strollers, 3-year-olds in overalls, 12-year-olds in denim jackets, all united in a single cause: the pursuit of the Easter egg. A record 500 children took part in the city's second annual Easter Egg hunt. Other egg hunts were held in the Wissahickon section of Fairmount Park, Exton Square Mall, the Cherry Hill Inn, and the Physick Estate in Cape May. The Memorial Hall hunt was a big success, said city special-events manager Tom Doyle, who organized the event and spent most of the afternoon practicing high-decibel crowd control.

With all due respect to Pasadena and New York, no town does a parade like Philadelphia. On Jan. 1, the Mummers Parade draws fans from all over to watch outrageously dressed people strut along a city street while carrying parasols. On Easter Sunday, the Easter Promenade on South Street draws fans from all over to watch outrageously dressed people stroll along a city street while eating chocolate. Sunday's Easter Promenade on South Street is a mixture of finery and funk. It's one of the few places around that you'll find the Easter bunny with major-league ear-piercing - hopping next to a formally clad couple in their Easter best.

The environment is the centerpiece of Earth Day activities Friday at the Academy of Natural Sciences. The Earth Day Festival, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., will allow visitors to participate in activities that include the chance for guests to become Academy scientists by conducting water-testing experiments. Visitors can dissect fish during the Fish Filet event, play games, and also learn how to keep habitats healthy. At 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., there will be an 11-minute episode of "Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That," followed by a live animal show.

Egg hunts, basket-making, bunny stories, concerts of sacred music and a road rally will take place in the coming weeks to welcome spring and Easter. And one of the biggest heroes of the season - the Easter Bunny - will again demonstrate his magical powers by being in five locations at the same time. A schedule of events follows. TODAY. An Easter Cantata titled The Seven Last Words of Christ will be presented by various area church choirs at 4 p.m. in Grace Episcopal Church, 7 E. Maple Ave., Merchantville.

Reprinted from Wednesday's editions. Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny don't merely know one another. According to Rise of the Guardians , Mr. North Pole, Ms. Molar, and the Rabbit are in league with Sandman and relative newcomer Jack Frost to protect and serve the imaginations of children everywhere. Which is a good thing. Because the sepulchral Bogeyman, called Pitch, is dispatching nightmares (literally, black horses) to disrupt the rugrats' sleep. The last line of defense is the cabal of jolly night visitors.

It's a busy time of year for the Easter Bunny, so why just hop along the bunny trail when you can ride the rails? The furry, friendly one will visit with children on the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad this weekend and next. Riders will get a treat from Mr. Bunny as the steam engine leads 50-minute nonstop rides from New Hope to Lahaska and back. Pictures with the whiskery celeb, along with refreshments, will be available for purchase on the 1920s locomotive. Even if your kids are past the Easter Bunny stage, not to worry, says Suzy Rigby, the railroad's passenger agent.

The TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce will host its annual dinner at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Sunnybrook Ballroom on East High Street in Pottstown. Art Buchwald, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and political satirist, is scheduled to speak. The cost is $75 per person. For additional information and reservations, call 215-326-2900. TAXES, TAXES, TAXES April 15 is closing in, but it's not too late to save money on your 1993 taxes. The Horsham Township Chamber of Commerce has planned a seminar from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at which tax experts will talk about retirement planning and tax savings.

By all estimations, it was a problem not even the Easter Bunny - with all her years in the business - could have planned for. But her timely appearance on the scene saved the day. Certainly everyone involved expected a big turnout. But when an estimated 1,000 children, some from as far away as Delaware, descended on Linvilla Orchards in Middletown for the township's fourth annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, demand far exceeded supply. "You could say that a lot more people showed up than we expected," said W. Bruce Clark, township manager, who attended the event with his 3-year-old daughter, Alison.