Mickey Mouse

"Fantasia 2000" is what Walt Disney had in mind all along. In the late 1930s, when he and maestro Leopold Stokowski began formulating plans for what would become the original "Fantasia," Disney's thought was to create a marriage of animation and music that would be updated annually, with new pieces replacing old. If nothing else, he thought, such an effort would introduce more and more of the public to more and more of the music Disney so loved....

WHAT DO Mickey Mouse, Snow White, "Rhapsody in Blue," "The Great Gatsby" and "Gone With the Wind" have in common? They all faced expiration of their copyrights.But Congress has ridden to the rescue of entertainers, Hollywood conglomerates and heirs to literary and recorded works. It passed a bill extending the current 75-year copyright protection to 95 years. So Mickey Mouse's clock won't run out in 2003 -- followed by Snow White, Goofy and Dumbo -- but in 2023 instead.That aligns U.S. copyrights with European standards.

Piney Run Park will again offer pontoon rides on the lake during the summer. Programs are available for all age groups.Registration is required for all rides, and payment is due within one week of registration.The park's policy is to notify participants as soon as possible in the event of a cancellation. If inclement weather appears suddenly, participants will be notified at the park.If a program is canceled because of bad weather or lack of people, credit will be given. Registrants who cancel at least 24 hours in advance will be given credit for another program.

Sharon Lee Kaiser, 56, a former Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer, died Jan. 6 in Long Beach, Calif., after a battle with cancer. Her path to fame was paved by her mother, who answered a casting call for Disney's "The Mickey Mouse Club." Winning over hundreds of children, Ms. Kaiser became one of 39 Mouseketeers on the show between 1955 and 1959.Pub Date: 1/14/98

NEW YORK - Not so long ago, a skinny kid who used to be me would walk these neon-soaked streets at 3 a.m. - mind racing, heart thumping, eyes darting, pointed finger jammed into coat pocket, as if packing more than a pen.And muttering, to no one in particular.Maybe, I reasoned then, if the psychos at the crossroads of depravity sized me up as one of them, they would leave me alone.When in New York, especially Times Square . . .On good nights, the journey lasted just long enough for me to scamper from the West 43rd Street newspaper building, where I interned, to a cab on Seventh Avenue.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- If you've been with ESPN for any length of time, you know that it's not the quaint little all-sports channel it started out to be.What was once a place to grab the latest highlights, a few out-of-the-way college basketball games and an Australian rules football contest or two is now a global behemoth, with its tentacles spread among radio, television, publishing and, soon, food, with an ESPN Grill restaurant to open in Baltimore next summer.So,...

Mickey Mouse is said to be one of the best known "faces" in the world.But Mickey has changed through the years. His eyes are no longer huge circles as they were in 1928, or pie-cut as they were in 1934. His nose is shorter, and his teeth have disappeared.Some things haven't changed. For instance, the cartoon Mickey still has four fingers on each hand.Mickey Mouse was such a hit when introduced in 1928 that he was featured on toys made the next year in the United States and abroad. European toy makers did not pay for rights and made many unauthorized toys featuring a five-fingered Mickey with teeth.

No need to travel to Disneyland to see Mickey Mouse or his lovable, larger-than-life friends. Some of them will be at a nearby park this weekend.Four Disney feature films will be the highlight of "Disney Channel PremEARS in the Park" at Gunpowder Falls State Park in Chase tonight through Sunday. Park visitors will view each film on a 30- by 40-foot screen equipped with Mickey Mouse ears. Pack a picnic for the family, participate in activities and events like the Crayola coloring tent and Disney's Dance-Along.

ONE MAN'S SINNER is, apparently, another man's savior. Just a week before the Southern Baptists declared moral war on Walt Disney Co. for its "gay-friendly" policies, New Yorkers were giddy that Disney had transported its "electric parade" from Disney World to Central Park to promote its new animated kids' movie, "Hercules." In New York's view, Disney helped clean up notorious Times Square with its retail and theater projects.Family values, like beauty, are obviously in the eye of the beholder.

Piney Run Park will again offer pontoon rides on the lake during the summer. Programs are available for all age groups.Pontoon programs for children and an adult are:Mickey Mouse Pontoon. Bring a favorite Mickey Mouse or wear a Mickey outfit. 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. June 13, 20, 27; July 11, 18, 25; Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29. Fee is $2.Animal Friends Pontoon Picnic, with a favorite stuffed animal and story, at noon and 1 p.m. June 20, July 18 and Aug. 1, 15, 29. Fee is $2.FYI Cruise for all ages offers information about the park, lake and wildlife during a 90-minute ride.