Can't Someone Pull Some Strings To Save Puppetworks?

Well, this is a total bummer. The Daily News is reporting that the school bus strike may close down Park Slope's legendary marionette theater, Puppetworks, which has been entertaining neighborhood kids for 30 plus years. 

More than half of the income at Puppetworks, on Sixth Avenue, comes from the 10-15 weekly trips by public school students, aged 6-8 — but last week, there were only three school trips because of the strike that began Jan. 18.

"At first I thought (the strike) would go for two weeks at most," said Michael Leach, 48, the lead puppeteer. "Now I see this successfully killing us.

"There was a time when we had to turn away schools because we were so overbooked,” Leach added.

Personally, I've always found marionettes to be a little creepy -- admit it, Pinocchio gave you nightmares, too -- but my kids always loved going there when they were toddlers. Maybe with CBSNews also covering this story, some arts benefactor will come to the rescue.