News In Brief

super cheesehead

melvin knoke is not your ordinary booster. The nonagenarian has seen the Green Bay Packers football team play 450 games. But last week at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., Knoke himself was the center of attention. He became the first inductee in the Packers Fan Hall of Fame - chosen by fellow "cheeseheads" from a group of 10 finalists, who had submitted essays, photos and/or two-minute videos.

The crush of success

Speaking of cheese, if you've ordered some from monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Ky., be prepared for a delay. Since November, when they began accepting orders online and got a big plug in the media, the brothers have had more than 1,600 requests for their cheese, fudge, and fruitcake. They no longer take orders via the Internet or by fax - and are telling new customers not to expect delivery till April.

Ranking the theme parks on their '98 attendance

For the first time since 1991, attendance at North America's top theme parks decreased last year, the trade publication Amusement Business reports. Some parks don't release attendance figures, but Amusement Business calculates them, based on a variety of sources. Attendance this year at the 50 largest parks was estimated at 165.3 million, down almost 2 million from 1997. The top-10 and their estimated '98 attendance (in millions):

1. The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Florida 15.6

2. Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif. 13.7

3. Epcot at Disney World 10.6

4. Disney-MGM Studios at Disney World 9.5

5. Universal Studios Florida 8.9

6. Disney's Animal Kingdom at Disney World 6.0

7. Universal Studios Hollywood 5.1

8. SeaWorld Florida 4.9

9. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 4.2

10. SeaWorld California 3.7

- Associated Press

Compiled by Lance Carden and Caryn Coatney