Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 23

DETROIT FREE PRESSTHURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1989 3D Smokeout is Nov. 16; here's help 1 'j Gave Boy Stephen advokat A vti 0 ft Portable, hand-held video game system. Black and white, lV-inch square LCD screen. Includes stereo earphones. Includes cable to link two Game Boys for two-player competition.

Includes four double-A batteries. Tetris video cartridge included in system. Price: Game cartridges, $19.99. 'Batman' puts other videos on hold he release of "Batman" on Nov. Forget the nasty comments if you want to convince someone to stop smoking, says the American Cancer Society, which is promoting its annual Great American Smokeout, scheduled this year for Nov.

16. Instead, nudge your smoking pal or loved one with the society's free buttons, stickers and "adoption papers," in which you pledge to assist a smoker kick the habit by hiding cigarettes, taking him or her to lunch, whatever. Smokers usually don't resent the help. "It's like nudging them with a carrot instead of a cupcake," says Susan Soltis, communications director for the society's Michigan division. And it might keep them healthy.

Research has shown that 83 percent of all lung cancers could be eliminated if people stopped using tobacco, Soltis says. About a third of the people who stop on smokeout day will be smoke-free 90 pays later, she said, and 20 to 30 percent who quit within the year consider themselves smoke-free a year later, she said. To get the free items, contact a local American Cancer Society office. Every Michigan county has one. They are listed in the phone book.

15 incidentally, there'll be a shortage because of production problems has affected the release of at least two nthpr Ml -I CS. i'Z Buttons and other items for smokeout participants are available at American Cancer Society offices. In the Detroit area, the numbers, answered between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, are: Wayne County 425-6830 Macomb County 758-7800 Oakland County 557-5353 The items are free but donations are welcome.

ByPatAnstett IP 1 Nowyoult pbytog with portftbl power! How to survive autumn's multitude of mid -leaf crises 4 A.W ST. videos. RCAColumbia has moved back the release of "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor and Terry Gilliam's "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" until Dec. 7. The films were originally scheduled to come out the same week as "Batman," but the studio reportedly did not want to compete with that title for video store owners' dollars.

By moving it back, they feel store owners will have enough money to order all three titles in quantity. Disney, reportedly, is working under a similar theory. Some of its summer hits, including "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," won't come out until next year, once the effects of Batmania have subsided. NEW KID: Add Sony to the list of companies getting involved in making arcade-style video games for the home. The CBSSony Group has just introduced "Super Dodge Ball" a form of soccer in which Team USA takes on various other nationalities until it finally challenges the Russians in the World Cup of Dodgeball.

CBSSony has been around for 20 years, primarily marketing records, tapes and entertainment software. This year, the group is expecting sales of about $530 million. And its that sales strength that last year made it feek and rightly so, that it could buy CBS Records. So far, Sony has sold more than 500,000 copies of "Super Dodge Ball." Its next title will be "Super Sushi Pinball." Hazel Park resident Gail Moreland shops for a Game Boy for her son at Children's Palace in Troy. The games from Nintendo are available now, but will likely be sold out by the December holidays.

HUGH GRANNUMDetroR Free Press If Hand-held video games hot by Stephen advokat Free Presa Conimunicitiont Writer Survive, from Page IB to corral their fall harvest are under fire for clogging landfills and not being biodegradable. The next step may be community compost programs. Environmentalists have heaps of good things to say about the idea, and mulch to their delight, Gov. James Blanchard is backing bills that would require statewide public or private composting by 1993. The 14-city Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority began a pilot composting program this spring.

Residents separate grass, leaves and other garden refuse from the rest of their trash, then put it in specially marked trash containers or biodegradable trash bags. Collected material winds up at a Rochester Hills landfill, where it turns from trash to rich, crumbly compost in about a year. Closer to home as in the backyard many gardeners make their Now Available icheal Aim hasn I bought all his Halloween candy yet, but he's already preparing for delay freezing, giving them a bit longer for root growth. Lastly, pull weeds, rake fallen leaves and remove any debris that might harbor insects. Loosen and cultivate the soil, leaving it soft and loose so moisture can penetrate and any insects in the soil will be exposed to the cold.

ROSES: Roses need special care. Rake fallen foliage, since it is apt to harbor fungus diseases, and spray the stems and soil around the base of the plants with fungicide and insecticide. Leave major pruning until spring. Just cut back stems that are too long on climbers so they won't whip around in the wind, and cut back long stems on bushes just enough that they look trim and tidy or so that they will fit under covers. After the ground freezes, cover the base, of hybrid tea roses and other tender roses with an 8- to 12-inch mound of compost or soil brought from another part of the garden.

Alternatively, cover plants with baskets, collars made of several layers of newspaper, or plastic foam cones. VEGETABLE GARDEN: Dispose of old vegetable plants, but not on the compost pile, since they are apt to harbor insects or diseases. Remove weeds and cut back tall grass around the edge of the garden. A spot check of toy stores in the Detroit area indicated that Game Boy is available now. The game system costs $89.99, which includes one game -cartridge.

Additional cartridges are $19.99 each. Nintendo expects to have nine cartridges available for Game Boy by Christmas, and 25 on the market by spring 1990. 2 million," said White. "It's impossible to say what the real demand is, but it's probably around 2 million to 2Vi million in the United States alone." If that's true, video-hungry Game Boy consumers may be disappointed this However, Game Boy isn't the only new video choice. NEC and Sega, two Nintendo competitors, have introduced new game systems that boast enhanced graphics and sound.

NEC's is called TurboGrafx-16; and Sega's system is called Genesis. Both cost a little under $200, both offer improved sound and graphics and neither will play Nintendo cartridges. Just as consumers once had to choose between Beta and VHS formats for videocassette recorders, video game enthusiasts will also have to consider whether it pays to buy a new system or stick with Nintendo and the game libraries they've already accumulated. Complicating the scene is speculation that Nintendo will introduce its own enhanced system sometime next year. No one knows how long the video game boon will last Some analysts have expected a bottoming out as the industry did in the early 1980s for a couple of years.

But others believe that through shrewd marketing that includes never fully meeting demand, video and particularly Nintendo will become a permanent part of the entertainment landscape. "Game play is one of the most elemental forms of entertainment there is," said Jim Willcox, senior editor of Consumer Electronics Christmas. As merchandising manager for Children's Palace in Troy, Aim is responsible for seeing that the right toys are ordered and sold. This year, it seems, that mix will include a heavy dose of video games. And one new entry from Nintendo Game Boy already is selling strong, even before the company's advertising campaign begins.

Game Boy is a portable video game system. Toy analysts say it could be the hottest thing since the Cabbage Patch doll. But you don't have to tell Aim that. "I just sold two more in the past five minutes," Aim said last week. "A lot of people are putting them in Christmas layaway.

On a good day we do about 35 layaways." Indeed, when Nintendo introduced its Game Boy system in Japan earlier this year, Pac-Man fanatics gobbled up 200,000 units in the first two weeks. And when Game Boy was introduced in the U.S. about a month ago without any advertising the company sold about 40,000 units within two weeks. Now Nintendo is launching a $10 million advertising campaign for the Christmas season and analysts say it's almost a certainty that the 1 million Game Boys that are being shipped to the U.S. will be snapped up before Christmas.

"It's definitely going to be the VCR STATS: Last month, an industry survey suggested that with videocassette recorders in 60-70 percent of U.S. homes, just about everyone who wanted a VCR had one. But that was last-month. This month, an Electronics Industries Association survey of 1,000 consumers suggests that the number one reason (38 percent) people buy a VCR is that they did not have one. The old VCR breaking "accounted for 11 percent of sales; discount sales accounted for 14 percent; gifts accounted for 10 percent; wanted latest features, 9 percent; needed one in another location, 8 percent; wanted a different type, 3 percent; old one stolen, 2 percent; didn't like the old one, 2 percent; other, 19 percent.

(Total equals more than 100 percent because some respondents listed more than one reason.) The organization also found that half use the VCR mostly to play back pre-recorded movies; 27 percent to record cable television; 20 percent to record regular television; 2 percent to edit from another VCR and 1 percent to use with a camcorder. VIDEO MARCHES ON: You might think that if anything would dampen an evening's plans to watch a videocassette, an earthquake would. But you might be wrong. Video Business, a weekly trade journal, reports that all Blockbuster Entertainment stores in the earthquake area came through relatively unscathed and stayed open for business. Apparently, one way to shake off a disaster's effects is to rent a flick assuming your electricity is on.

Says Video Business: "One of Blockbuster's three stores in Oakland reported it stayed open until around midnight on the night of the quake, to provide entertainment to shaken customers whose cable TV lines were down." What a country! own mulch. "We encourage individuals to do it," says Royal Oak public services director Jim Perry. "As far as I know, there aren't any places where there are restrictions prohibiting home composting. Anyone can do it." To make your own compost pile: Choose an easy-to-reach but out-of-sight-spot. If space is limited, make a simple enclosure to keep the pile compact perhaps a three-sided wire fence with boards laced through the fencing for a gate.

Put raked leaves, grass clippings, pulled weeds, vegetable peels and other plant refuse on the pUe. When the pile is a few feet deep, add sprinklings of garden soil and lawn fertilizer to help hasten decomposition. Because moisture is necessary, shape the top of the pile like a bowl, to catch rain. Leaves raked this fall will have turned into usable compost by next fall. To hasten the process, put the leaves through a shredder or run a lawn mower over them before adding them to the heap, and turn and mix the pile a few times over the summer.

Next fall, shovel the humus out of the enclosure to make room for a new collection of autumn leaves. By Betty Frankel Your Yard Says Thanks Nintendo isn' the only company that is producing a handheld, compact video game system. Atari also is getting involved with Lynx. Atari's version comes with a color LCD screen Game Boy is black and white. Neither of the two companies' cartridges can be played on the other's Video games have been strong sellers for the past several years, largely because of Nintendo's marketing techniques.

Nintendo, which is responsible for 80 percent of the market, also controls the quality of the games that work on its systems as well as the number of cartridges that are available. When the video game business plummeted in the early 1980s, the fall was blamed on the glut of poor quality games. But Nintendo will only have 1 million Game Boys available for Christmas in the U.S., less than half the number the company believes it could sell. "The trouble is, worldwide production capability is just under hottest toy this Christmas," said Dan Barry, an electronics industry analyst with the New York-based Kidder, Peabody Co. Monthly, an industry trade journal.

"I don't think video games will ever truly go away." Remove, clean and store stakes, cages and other supports. Rototill or dig and turn the soil so it will be ready for spring planting. Mix in compost, wood chips, leaves or other organic material, leaving the soil in rough clods so moisture and frost can penetrate more deeply. EVERGREENS: Be sure the ground around the plants is moist. If it seems dry) give the plants a good soaking before the ground freezes; they will look livelier all winter and be healthier next spring.

Snip off long, unkempt branches. Wait until December and the sprigs can be used for holiday decorations- If rhododendrons and other broad-leaf evergreens are in exposed locations, spray them with a plastic coating, such as Wilt-Pruf, to retard evaporation. Set stakes in the ground now so burlap can be fastened to them later in winter to screen sensitive plants from strong winds and sun. Deciduous Trees And Shrubs: This is a good time to plant these woody, leaf-losing plants. Roots continue to grow long after the tops are dormant.

Give all trees and shrubs planted this year a thorough watering. Feed established trees. They don't need to be fed every year, but a feeding at this time stimulates root growth. Use a lawn-type fertilizer. Tools, Equipment And Supplies: Put away patio furniture.

Clean tools and wipe metal blades and tines with a slightly oily rag to prevent rust. Drain and coil the garden hose, and hang it in the garage or basement. Clean the lawn mower and make sure the blades are sharp. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on power equipment; wrap it in a sheet of plastic to keep it clean. Store leftover fertilizer, weed killer and garden chemicals in their original containers in a dry, frost-free place out of reach of children and pets.

To prevent caking of granular products, put them in a plastic bag. If you don't know what is in the container or can't read the directions, dispose of the product. Wrap it securely and put it in the trash. By Betty Frankel Hi Hew releases VlDEOCASSETTES Video Top u.s. Sales Current week Previous week Q.

Several years ago, a film par- ody of the Beatles entitled aired on NBC. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Is it available on video from anyone? S.J., Ann Arbor Snow on the patio furniture is a hint that not even the most ardent gardener can ignore. It's time to put the garden to bed for the winter. The more lovingly you tuck it in this fall, the better your garden will be next year.

A good cleanup will result in fewer weeds, insect pests and funps diseases next year. LAWNS: Keep mowing as long as the grass continues to grow. For the final trim, set the blades for a IVi-inch buzz cut. Short grass is less likely to mat over the winter or develop snow mold and other fungi. Rake leaves.

A thick cover of leaves will smother and kill grass. Put raked leaves on a compost pile. Give the grass a light feeding around the first of November. For encouraging root growth and early" greening, a lawn fertilizer with a low nitrogen formula works best. FLOWER BEDS: Pull out dead annuals and cut back perennials, leaving just a few inches of stalk to indicate where plants are located.

But don't disturb the new green growth on Oriental poppies and others that retain a rosette of green leaves throughout the winter. Mark the location of special plants or varieties with a plastic or metal label The following films are available on home video: "Scandal" (1989; HBO Video; The. story of Christine Keeler, the British call girl whose affairs with British War Minister John Profumo and Soviet naval attache Eugene Ivanov led to the fall of Great Britain's government in 1963. "The Toxic Avenger Part II" (1989; Warner Home Video; Sequel to cult favorite from Troma Productions finds our sludge-created superhero on a trek to Japan to find his real father. "Leviathan" (1989; MGMUA; Underwater mining expedition stumbles upon a creature.

for The kids 1. The Wizard of Oz, MGMUA 1 2. The Land Before Time, Amblin 2 3. Bambi, Disney 4 4. The Best of Eddie Murphy, Paramount 3 5.

New Kids on the Block: Hangin Tough, CBS 5 6. Pink Floyd: Delicate Sound of Thunder (CBS) 7. Batman: The Movie, Playhouse 7 8. Beetferjuice, Warner Brother 8 9. Lethal Weapon, Warner Top U.S.

Rentals Current week Previous week 1. Rain Man, MGM-UA 1 2. Beaches, Touchstone 2 3. Tequila Sunrise, Warner 4 4. The Naked Gun, Paramount 3 6.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Orion 5 6. Her Alibi, Warner 6 7. Cousins, Paramount 7 9. Mississippi Burning, Orion 10 pgWoriong CBSPOX There's a tape called "The Rutles: All You Need is Cash," from Monty Python members Eric Idle and Michael Palin. The spoof, which also stars Gilda Radner, John Belushi, George Harrison and Bianca' Jagger, includes such songs as "Your Mother Should Go," "Tragical History Tour" and "The Fool On The Pill." Your local video store should be able to order it for you.

Otherwise, write to Movies Unlimited (6736 Castor Philadelphia, Pa. 19149), a mail order video outlet in Pennsylvania, Their voluminous video catalog lists this tape for $59.95. "The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Franken-stone" (1989; Hanna-Barbera; $29.95. 75 minutes): Animated Halloween fun, Stone-Age style, as Fred and Barney scare up some laughs in a haunted castle. "Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School" (1989; Hanna-Barbera; $29.95.

90 minutes): Full-length animated "Scooby Doo" feature with Scoob and the gang tracking a monster haunting a secluded schoolhouse. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Case of The Killer Pizzas" (1988; FHE; 48 minutes): In the title episode, the evil Shredder's latest threat is monster meatballs that attack the city. "Enter the Fly" features more radioactive adventure. so you won disturb them when working in the beds before they come up. Dig up any tender bulbs, such as dahlias, glads or tuberous begonias, and store them for the winter in a cool but frost-free place.

Finish planting tulips, lilies and other hardy bulb). Mulch them with a layer of wood chips or compost to help CAMERA VIDEO mUhfiitiiOfittn NIKON CANON CAMCORDERS VIDEO TRIPODS VIDEO LIGHTS 284-5444 i 3017 N. Wdward, Royal OsV.