The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 24

THE COURIER-JOURNAL LOUISVILLE, KY. SUNDAY, MAY 17, 1987 METRO Republican candidates take shots at Brown, their expected opponent Ul1 "i I ,1 I-; 00 1 7 By AL CROSS Staff Writer BARDSTOWN, Ky. John Y. Brown the front-running Democratic candidate for governor, was the focus of attacks yesterday as the three active Republican hopefuls spoke to their party's state governing body. Joe Johnson, John Harper and Leonard "Buck" Beasley said or indicated in brief remarks to the Republican State Central Committee that Democrats will nominate the former governor on May 26.

"I can beat John Y. He is going to be the candidate," said Johnson, a former Fayette County judge and state legislator. "I've beaten John Y. Brown at a lot of games over the years." Asked later if those were games of chance, Johnson said they were, but declined to be more specific. Beasley, a Wlllisburg entrepreneur and horseman, also got in a dig at Brown who reportedly said at a campaign stop that he hoped to visit "all 125 counties." "I've had some people say, "At least you know there's 120 counties in One of the Democrats don't know that, and I think that's very important" The major talisman of the Brown administration, the state's $1.8 million Sikorsky helicopter, came in for another round of attacks from Harper, a state representative from Bullitt County who indicated that It will be a major topic of his campaign.

Noting his vow to sell the Sikorsky at auction the day after his inauguration, Harper said he plans to erect a sign in every county giving the number of days remaining until the sale. He distributed photographs of the first one, at Zoneton in Bullitt County. He indicated that his scheme is modeled after the occasional mentions in columns by the late Ed Ryan, Frankfort Bureau chief for The Courier-Journal during the Brown administration, of the number of days since Brown had promised to sell the helicopter. Harper said he had worked "quite bard and diligently" for five months to develop positions on issues, but had found that "even in academic groups, you see eyes glaze over" when the talk turns to subjects such as workers' compensation. "It's all very well and good to talk about those subjects and have plans for them," he said, "but you must capture the hearts and minds and the imagination of the voters." Harper dismissed suggestions that selling the Sikorsky at auction would be fiscally irresponsible and noted its operation and maintenance costs.

"It's a rathole which the commonwealth is pouring money down," he said. "In addition to being a symbol of the arrogance of power, it is a symbol of the self-serving, self-enriching, I'm-better-than-you attitude of our governors of at least the last four administrations." The last four governors have been Democrats, a point that Republicans should drive home, former state GOP Chairman Gordon Wade told the crowd. "We're not responsible for anything," he said. "Whatever's wrong, it's not our fault" Wade also implicitly conceded the Democratic nomination to Brown, then called him "a self-made man who worships his creator If he was so great the first time, why didn't he fix the problem the first time?" Wade added, "We must make him embrace bis record and we must make him responsible," in voters' eyes, for the state's problems. Harper's Sikorsky pitch sounds like a good attention-getter for the underdog Republican campaign, Cecy Hardin, Republi- See REPUBLICANS PAGE 3, col.

1, this section Daniel Garrett, 6, checked out his height at a measuring chart at Kentucky Kingdom as his sister Amanda, 7, watched. More than 6,000 Girl Scouts and their relatives previewed the new theme park yesterday. Scouts, relatives scurry up and wait at test run of new Kentucky Kingdom McConnell is held at bay when setter gets its Irish up 0 ft A Some of the youngsters at the park yesterday said they liked the rides, and several adults were pleased that the restrooms and grounds were clean. Also, comments generally were favorable about park employees, who were described as friendly and willing to help resolve problems. But everyone interviewed was unhappy about the long lines.

Sherrill Mattingly said she waited in line 45 minutes to an hour to buy a hot dog. Mattingly's mother, Maureen, said: "There was no line control. We didn't move because people crowded in." Parent Jill Wiggman said, "They're going to have to work out crowd control," and another mother, Paula Ball, said, "I didn't mind the lines, but I didn't like the cutting in." Johnson noted that the lines were long at food concessions largely because only three of the park's seven stands were open yesterday. She said the four others will be ready by Saturday and that food also will be sold from carts circulating throughout the park. Yesterday, one of Kentucky Kingdom's highly touted attractions, the Ohio River Adventure flume ride, wasn't open, and a ride called the Kentucky Whirl didn't open until later in the day.

Also yesterday, only one of park's four theaters was open. Musicians, who were practicing their routines, put on brief performances for the visitors. Richard Autry of Louisville stood guard the funeral of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall in 1835. "So it was with mixed emotions that I attended this event as a representative of the judiciary," he said.

"I hope I don't bring bad luck." Steve Clark, a local representative of the Buddhist organization, read a preamble that was written for the tour and based on the preamble to the U.S. Constitution: "We the people of the United States of America, in order to form a more peaceful and harmonious union the statement began. It went on to dedicate the bell to the i mmmmmr-J if The West Kentucky Bureau OWENSBORO, Ky. A dog came back to haunt U.S. Sen.

Mitch McConnell yesterday. McConnell, the Republican whose television commercials showing hounds searching for former Sen. Walter "Dee" Huddleston helped him upset the Democratic incumbent in 1984, was about to deliver the address for Kentucky Wesleyan College's 121st commencement when a dog began barking. Clay Hall, editor of the college's student newspaper, The Panogram, said an Irish setter began baying at a bird it sighted behind the graduation stage, on the grounds of college President Luther W. S1AM- PHOTO BY BEN VAN HOOK Parent Jim Bruenderman worried, as did others interviewed, about whether Kentucky Kingdom might be too small for the market it expects to serve.

"I would like to see them do well. They have a gold mine here," he said. "But the thing that hits you is that it is small." Kentucky Kingdom can comfortably accommodate about 6,000 people, said Johnson, who noted that there is potential for the park to be expanded to an additional five acres. She said, however, that the decision to expand would be determined by whether "there is enough community demand." In the meantime, Johnson said that, when the park is crowded, employees could post signs at fairgrounds entrances indicating as much and suggesting that patrons come back another day. Pattl Bruenderman's complaint was about what she said were inconsistencies in the way park employees determined who was tall enough to be allowed on some of scarier rides.

Johnson acknowledged that many of the park's 350 employees were inexperienced but said she expected them to improve. Overall, Johnson said she expected all Kentucky Kingdom's attractions to be open and operating properly by Saturday. Kentucky Kingdom will be open daily through Aug. 29 and then weekends only through Nov. 1 STAhF PHOTO BY BILL LUSTER around the New Freedom Bell yesterday.

"generations to come in the 21st century" and concluded with the hope for "No more Alamos, no more Pearl Harbors, no more Hiroshimas, no more war." The fact that Buddhists, who aren't ordinarily associated with the founding of the United States, is promoting the bicentennial Is not as odd as it might seem to some, Steve Clark said. "We're not projecting ourselves as Buddhists," he said. "We're just doing our part in promoting the heritage of our country. It has nothing to do with religion." Thousands hit their stride early to help two charities By CLAY RYCE Staff Writer Kentucky Kingdom got mixed reviews from some of the Girl Scouts and their relatives who were on hand yesterday for the new $12 million theme park's trial run. Park operators and the visitors agreed that there is room for improvement.

Most of yesterday's complaints were about long lines at rides and food stands; and some people worried that the I7-acre park might not be large enough to accommodate expected crowds. But the park's marketing director, Joy Johnson, was optimistic She said she expected many of the problems cited yesterday to be resolved by the time Kentucky Kingdom, on the grounds of the Kentucky Fair Exposition Center, has its grand opening Saturday. "Anytime you open a park, you have all sorts of bugs to work out," Johnson said. The Scouts, from Southern Indiana and the Louisville area, and their relatives were invited to Kentucky Kingdom in honor of the Girl Scouts' 75th anniversary this year. They were charged a reduced rate of $5.50 per person and given free passes for the coming season.

Regular admission will be $8.50, and senior citizens and children under 42 inches tall will get in for $7.50. Children 2 and under will be admitted free. Liberty Bell look-alike sounds off for world peace By BILL WERONKA Staff Writer A national group celebrating the bicentennial of the Constitution let freedom ring in Louisville's Jefferson Park yesterday. What rang, in fact, was the "New Freedom Bell," a replica of the Liberty Bell. The bell was made at the request of Ni-chiren Shoshu Soka Gakkai of America, a lay Buddhist group that claims more than 300,000 members nationwide.

The bell, cast in the same mold and pit as the original at the Whitechapel Foundry in London, is on a national tour of 30 cities that will conclude July 4 in Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell. The new bell will be given to the City of Philadelphia. The purpose of the national tour, according Ed Clark, a staff member of the Buddhist group, is to promote world peace by "rekindling the original spirit of liberty in this country and use it to help establish prosperity and peace through individual happiness." But, Clark added, "It is a remote goal. I think, though, we are making a sure step." The step the group took yesterday was to bring together state and local officials to address a crowd of about 150 about the meaning of the bicentennial before unveiling the bell and allowing the curious to ring it Speakers included Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Edwin Schroering, Kentucky Secretary of Tourism Wendell Combs and representatives of Louisville Mayor Jerry Ab-ramson and Jefferson County Judge-Executive Harvey Sloane. Schroering noted that the famous crack iq the original Liberty Bell occurred during White Ill's official residence, and continued for several minutes.

Meanwhile, McConnell stood smiling at the rostrum and the audience estimated at 1,500 erupted in laughter. "It was just a hoot," said Hall, a junior from Nashville, Tenn. "Here he was in (Democratic U.S. Sen.) Wendell Ford's hometown and even the dogs wouldn't cooperate with him." Academic Dean Robert E. Shimp said the noisy animal definitely "was a Democratic dog." McConnell dismissed the incident with a quip and recovered to give what both Shimp and Hall said was a good speech about the challenge of meeting foreign competition.

One of them, Glenn Johnston, said: "I usually do my long runs on the weekend, so I decided I would make some money ($35) for the kids." Another runner, Roy Jones, was just out for the exercise because he had no pledges. He said, however, that he had signed six pledge cards at Louisville Gas Electric where he works. Most participants in the walk belonged to 175 teams representing area companies, including Humana First Kentucky National Corp. and Citizens Fidelity Bank Trust Co. Janice Elmore, director of the walk, said teams not only compete to see who can raise the most money, but to enjoy themselves.

"This is a way for everyone to socialize," she said. After the walk, participants were treated to hot dogs, soft drinks and live music. One of the March of Dimes volunteers, caterer John Lundbom, said proudly: "This is my 10th year as a cook. I come back each year because I have a daughter who was born 2 Vi months premature and if it wasn't for research by the March of Dimes, my daughter wouldn't be alive." Heather Lundbom, 10, wrapped hot See THOUSANDS PAGE 3, col. 2, this section clarifications She was the former Rose Ella Downs.

The obituary for Lydia E. Barnes Wright yesterday gave incorrect last' names of two of her sisters, Grace Black- burn and Lillian Thomas. By CLAY RYCE Staff Writer About 3,800 walkers and runners enjoyed a cool morning jaunt yesterday and in the process helped raise just over $269,000 for two local charities. The Ohio Valley Chapter of the March of Dimes raised $239,071 in pledges from its WalkAmerica event through Cherokee and Seneca parks, and Wesley Community House received $30,000 in pledges from its walk through Butchertown and downtown. Frances Scbafer and her husband, Jim, were among the 3,227 people who participated in the March of Dimes walk.

They got an early start, beginning at 8 a.m., an hour before the official time. They completed the course a little over three hours later. "We were standing around waiting for it to start and the weather was so nice, we decided to go early," said Frances Schafer, 61. She and her 63-year-old husband had $105 in pledges. They were joined on the walk by Gertrude Waller, 65, who had $65 in pledges.

Most of the early finishers were runners who used the event for training. Some of the runners described the course as more like 12 miles rather than the announced 15 '2 miles. Corrections A map that accompanied a story yesterday on improvements at Iroquois Park incorrectly identified Kenwood Drive as Kenwood Way. Yesterday's obituary for Mrs. Henry Nelson listed her first name incorrectly,.