The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 16

16 Monday, September 10,1990 The Salina Journal Disney premieres daily quality TV animation for children By SCOTT WILLIAMS NEW YORK (AP) The remarkable resurgence of quality TV animation for children reaches a culmination of sorts this fall with the premiere of "The Disney Afternoon," a daily two-hour block of shows. Disney rolls out the block of funny-animal cartoons today in 146 television markets covering 93 percent of the country. And Disney is not alone in its efforts to attract young viewers. On Saturday, Fox Broadcasting Fox Children's Network rolled out six new Saturday morning shows three hours of cartoons. Its animated "Fox's Peter Pan the Pirates," a daily half-hour, premieres Sept.

17. Warner syndicated "Tiny Toon Adventures," produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, debuts with an unprecedented CBS special Friday showcasing the all-new cast of teen-age cartoon characters. Buster Bunny, Babs Bunny, Plucky Duck and Hamton J. Pig begin their 65-episode syndication run the following Monday. In some markets, they will be teamed with a half-hour of repackaged "Merrie Melodies." Credit for this cartoon renaissance goes to Disney, which simultaneously revived a dying industry and upped the stakes for TV cartoons in 1987 with "DuckTales," the adventures of Uncle Scrooge and newphews Huey, Dewey and Louie.

Until "DuckTales," programmers wondered whether children's cartoons could survive on TV at all. The medium was artistically bankrupt, a violent, sexist marketplace for 22-minute commercials wrapped around ads for candy, toys and breakfast cereals. The producers were willing to take heat from critics as long as they were moving the goods, but once every girl owned My Little Pony and every boy a set of Transformers, the fads faded. Kids stopped watching and panic set in. "DuckTales," syndicated by Disney's Buena Vista Television, immediately became the highest-rated children's TV show.

It was luxuriously animated, with rich backgrounds, depth and detail. And it was story- driven, not toy-driven. "DuckTales" stayed No. 1 until 1989, when it was supplanted by Disney's own "Chip 'n' Dale's Rescue Rangers," starring the aforesaid chipmunks, which is the second component of "The Disney Afternoon." The third show is "Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears" which moves from Sat- urday morning, where it has been the No! I show in its time period for five years. I The final half-hour, and perhaps the mdst accessible to older children (and certain JV writers) is "Tale Spin," a delightful, fltew, funny-animal adventure that brings back Baloo the Bear, Louie the Ape and Sfore Khan the Tiger from Disney's theatricaftfiit "The Jungle Book." Big, burly Baloo operates the Higher lor Hire air cargo service owned by cute bear Rebecca.

She, her daughter Molly, Baloo and the orphaned cub Kit Cloudkicker face a wonderful band of funny, villainous air pit- Briefly Oakley set for Balloon Festival OAKLEY Fourteen balloons are expected for the 4th annual Western Kansas Hot Air Balloon Festival, set for Friday through Sunday at Oakley. The festival begins Friday with a "balloon glow" at Irwin Field following the Oakley-Atwood football game. Lighted propane makes a balloon glow like a giant Chinese lantern. A dance will follow at Weaver's, with music by "Double Shot." Advance tickets for the dance are $2 from the sponsors (Pat's Country Expressions and Weaver's Bar Grill) and $3 at the door. Balloon launches are scheduled at the airport at 7:30 a.m.

and in the evening following a 5:30 p.m. aerobatics show by Mark Hemmert and a parachute jump by Robert and Debbie Grace. The second launch will include a competition in which balloonists try to drop a marker on a target. An ice cream social will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday at the Oakley Eagles Lodge. Balloonists will appear at the sponsors' businesses to answer questions and display equipment from 1 to 2 p.m. Another dance to "Double Shot" at Weaver's will follow the evening launch. The final flight is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Sunday, along with a ribbon tether competition in which two balloons are tethered by crepe paper to see how far they can fly without breaking the ribbon.

There is no admission fee for festival events. A concession stand will open at 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Harvest Festival at McPherson McPHERSON An "Old-Fashioned Harvest Festival" will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Sept.

22 on the grounds of the McPherson Museum. Artisans will demonstrate more than 30 crafts and activities from days gone by. Among crafts to be demonstrated are spinning, quilting, bobbin lace-making, china painting and natural dyeing. There will also be rope-making, leatherwork, rock-collecting and a display of antique tools. Visitors can observe such early-day activities as laundry day and soap-making, candle-making, home canning and even root beer bottling.

There also will be bread-baking, butter-churning, sausage- smoking and other food processing methods, with free samples. Apple cider will be sold by the glass. There is no admission charge, but donations will be accepted. Should it rain, the festival will be cancelled. Fort Hays Pioneer Days are set HAYS Native Americans from Haskell Indian Junior College will present a variety of songs and dances during the 8th annual Fort Hays Pioneer Days, Sept.

22-23, at Historic Fort Hays. The Miss Haskell Singers and Dancers are a group of 10 students who perform American Indian music and dances in traditional dress. The 30-minute performances are scheduled for noon, 2 and 4 p.m. Sept. 23.

Al Nocktonic of Hays, a Pottowatomie Indian, will also perform dances at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 22 and at 10 a.m. on Sept.

23. Sonia Domsch, a bobbin lace-maker, and Charlene Weigel, who produces Kraslice (Czech egg decorating) will give demonstrations both days. The High Plains Barbershop Chorus will perform at 3 p.m. Sept: 23. Interpreters dressed as soldiers, scouts and ladies of the 1860s will present demonstrations throughout the weekend.

The 4th U.S. Artillery from Denver will fire an 1860s model 12-pound mountain howitzer and a 6-pound bronze field cannon at 9:30,10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and at 1,2,3 and 4 p.m. on Sept. 22, and at 9:30,10:30 and 11:30 a.m., and 1 p.m.

on Sept. 23. About 200 area Boy Scouts will demonstrate bridge and tower building, cooking and other scouting activities. Concessions will be available. A pancake and sausage breakfast is scheduled for 8 to 10 a.m.

Sept. 23. Classical harpist turns to rock and turns on the lunch crowds CHICAGO (AP) It's only rock 'n' roll, but she plays it on a harp. "I hate to play classical," says Amy Lee, who entertains lunch crowds at The Art Institute of Chicago with hits by the likes of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. "But when people request it, I get out my bag of Bach and my music stand and sit there, pluck, pluck, plucking." Lee, 34, got tired of black-tie formats, Bach and lounge-lizard pop tunes like "Feelings" when she got hooked on rock as a teen-ager.

She has worked as a disc jockey and symphony musician, but her solo career took off after she performed rock 'n' roll during a 1981 jazz festival in Chicago. She was dubbed "The Angel of Rock." "I remember I got a standing ovation for playing 'Stairway to "shesaid. Lee looks the part of a rock angel. Decked out in bright colors, a short skirt, bold earrings and dark sunglasses, she taps her feet and sways as her fingers speed across the 6-foot, 47-string antique harp her father gave her when she was 7. "The kind of music she makes should be paid attention to," said Alek Jakich, an inspector for the city of Chicago and a regular at the Art Institute's outdoor restaurant, where Lee has worked the last eight summers.

"When was the last time your heard Pink Floyd on the harp?" Jakich asked. "And it's great." Playing rock is a switch from when Lee performed with the Northwest Indiana Symphony and the Twin City Symphony of St. Joseph, Mich. Being alone on stage is also a switch. Amy Lee plays for lunch crowd.

"I'm usually background music," she said. "So I decided, 'Why not play something I This day, her songs by the Eurythmics, the Kinks and The Police got her a complimentary glass of wine from two women having lunch, praise from a mother visiting the gallery with her toddler, and applause after nearly every song. Waiters came up to whisper sev- ral requests during her performance in the outdoor atrium scattered with white tables and matching parasols. "Once they hear the rock songs, then they want to request them," said Lee, who also performs in lounges and has her own jazz group. "I've gotten requests for Tom Petty and the Grateful Dead.

But I also get requests for'Lady of MOVIE HOTLINE 826.9105 I JtMticthasa I Sombicsstattft be crossed CHARLIE SHEEN EMILIO ESTEVEZ MOORE GHOST I 8:15 8:30 J'OO Mere they QRCMUMS2 $1 25 THU 9 rowa 9 aln TH Newman film panned, praised VENICE, Italy (AP) "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge," a film about an affluent family in the 1930s and '40s which brought Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward to Kansas City, for the first time, premiered Friday at the Venice Film Festival. Critics gave the film mixed reviews, but the public applauded. Directed by James Ivory, an Oscar-winner for "Room With a View," the film is competing with 20 others for the Golden Lion award at festival, which runs through Sept.

15. "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge" follows the typical course of an American upper middle class couple, from the early days of fulfillment with high school proms and Boy Scout round-ups for their children, to their natural decline after the departure of their three offspring. Newman, who hates film festivals, and his wife, who avoids flying, skipped the world premiere, but will travel by train to New York, Kansas City and Los Angeles for the U.S.

opening in November. Some Italian critics at the projections called the film boring and banal, and a news conference degenerated into a verbal sparring match be-' tween the journalists and the film's director. Events 10 Monday Santa Fe Days Committee: 9 a.m., Room 202, City-County Building, SOOW.Ash. City commission: 4 p.m., Room 200, City-County Building, 300 W. Ash.

Contemporary Literature Group: Discussion of "The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver, 7 p.m., Campbell Room, Salina Public Library, 301 W. Elm. Ell-Saline School Board: 7 p.m., high school library, Brookville. Smoky Valley School Board: 7:30 p.m., central off ice, 126 S. Main, Lindsborg.

Southeast of Saline School board room, 5056 E. K-4 Highway. JL1 Tuesday Sports Cor Club of America. National Solo II Championships: All day, Salina Municipal Airport. Business Improvement District No.

1: Board of advisors, plus board of directors of Salina Downtown, 11:45 a.m., Community Room, Smoky Hill Museum, 211 W. Iron. Lecture: "Legends and Humorous Stories You Gotta Hear!" by storyteller Carol Cole, 12:15 p.m., Technology Center Commons Area, Kansas College of Technology, 2409 Scanlan. Business Improvement District No. 1: Design review board, 4 p.m., Planning and Inspections Department conference room, City-County Building SOOW.Ash.

Community Housing Resource Board: 4 p.m., Room200, City-County Building, 300 W. Ash. Kansas State University Alumni-Student Dinner: Social hour, dinner, 7:15 p.m., Salina Country Club, 2101 E. Country Club Road. Tickets: $11 (no charge for prospective students).

Information: 825-1298. Salina Eisenhower Centennial Committee: Ike Concert sub-committee, 7p.m., Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, 120 W. Ash. TBTJournal TRIVIA More than 113 million American adults read a daily newspaper every weekday and some 119 million read a newspaper, Call KSKG and be the 9th caller after the cue with the correct daily information. Call The Salina Journal Recorded by KSAL JOS JOS JOS sqUeStlons All $-150 Jess Jos WHERE: Bar Grill and Outdoor Patio WHEN: Tuesday, September TIME: Imports All Day, Specialist 7 pm-close Don't miss this Beer Tasting Partyl 2030 Ohio 823-8549 JIGS J.cs Monday, Wednesday Thursday Feed-A-Friend For Price Order your choice of these great meals at regular price and' get the same meal for a friend for price.

Sizzlin Sirloin Chicken Fried Steak Salad, Hot Food and Dessert; Bar Dinners include All-You-Can-Eat Salad, Hot Food and Dessert Bar. Nnt good with any other offer or coupon. 2351S. 9th Salina, KS 823-2787 I990 Sirloin Stockade International Enjoy all the exciting rides on the Royal American Midway from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm Monday at The Kansas State Fair. Ride any or all the rides as many times as you want.

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