The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 45

Gary Coleman's mom wants court to name guardian for him, 2F. 6F COMICS PI SECTION 7F HOROSCOPE px 1 -pi TheTENNESSEAN WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1989 inwik tk ft 1 The game of "tracing the Natchez Trace" will also show how "in war and peace the Natchez Trace played an Important role in the development of the Old Southwest However, there was never any real peace on the Trace, because of robbers, swamps, rivers, Insects, malaria, yellow fever, small pox, Indians, etc, but you will find this out soon enough as you land on the 'Hazards of the Trace and The game Is for 2-8 players age 1 0-adult "but we really designed It for adults," McConncll said. However, he's finding a great demand for it in middle schools and high schools. It is being used as part of historysocial studies classes In about 20 public and private schools In Nashville and Davidson County, and is In schools in Natchez, Jackson and Vicksburg In Mississippi. 'Teachers who are teaching the history of the old southwest say it's better than a history book because students become frontiersmen.

They travel the route and face the hazards on the board," McConnell said. McConnell will give the game, free of charge, to any school that requests it It is also for sale at several Nashville locations. Including The Hermitage, Checkwood, Belle-vue Bookstore, Mills Bookstores, and Phillips Toy Mart. It has aiso been approved for sale at stations on the Natchez Trace Parkway. McConnell said a portion of all proceeds will be donated to the parkway and to the Natchez National Park.

For more Information, call 1-S0O-274-4008. UNDAOIIGIFV Staff Writer If you thought growing up meant never again fighting pirates, fending off Indian attacks or sneaking through winding, wooded trails, you were wrong. You can do it all again, and learn a bit of history along the way, when you play Breaking the Devil's Backbone, a game of "tracing the Natchez Trace" created by Joe McConncll and his wife, Jean, of Natchez, Miss. They developed the board game to create interest in the Natchez Trace known in its early years as the Devil's Backbone because of Its hazards and the history of the region that surrounds it McConncll, a retired Presbyterian minister, and his wife, senior hostess at the Natchez Garden Club's historic headquarters, Magnolia Ilall, found that "eight out of 10 tourists we'd ask if they'd driven the Trace would say, 'no, we've never heard of The McConnells have frequently urged visitors to take time to explore the historic 450-mile route of travel that was used perhaps as early as the time of Spanish explorer Hernando deSoto, and later for people like Tom Lincoln (and still later for his son, Abe) and for Andrew Jackson and other frontier heroes. (The path of the Trace stretches from Natchez to Nashville.

The long-term highway project is now completed to Columbia and will eventually reach Nashville.) "As we realized how much we loved the Trace and how little some people knew about it, we wanted to share that," McConncll said. "We began to toy with the II wt-va Tl AIM Modd tnd Talent Agency Cay K. Smith Start With or without a coonskin cap, game players take on the role of frontiersmen like Bill Dobbs as they try to "break the Devil's Backbone" by moving the length of the Natchez Trace without being stopped by hazards. The game was created by Joe McConncll and his wife, Jean, of Natchez, Miss. Idea of making a game out of the Trace." In their own historic home, Bedford Plantation, they pursued the idea even before Joe retired.

"After you finish a long, tension-filled day dealing with other people's problems, you like the country. It's a job turning Presbyterians into Christians," he joked. "We've both The game they created will introduce you to the original settlers of the Western Hemisphere, now known as the American Indian, and also to the early southwestern history of our young republic, when our western boundary was the Mississippi River, and how the French, English and Spanish explored and fought over it" always loved history." To relax, they'd work on ideas for a game with some historic significance. They not only love history, but also Natchez, their home for the past 25 years. "I feel In love with Natchez and with the Natchez Trace.

You can't live in Natchez for a quarter of a century and not love history." 'South Africa Now to air on CATV starting next week ROBERT OERMANN Capitol, WarnerBros. battle it out 2 EH22SE Riders off WPLN; head to Cincinnati ROBFRT K. OFRM ANN Staff Wntrr Nashville is losing its only national public radio series; WPLN didn't renew Riders in the Sky's contract, so the cowboy trio is saddling up for Gncinnatl. The Tennessean learned yesterday that the Ohio metropolis' WVXU public station Is set to become the new home of Riders Radio Theater, the program that was once the centerpiece of WPLNs big plans for regular satellite-fed national broadcasting. "We're just too poor," said WPLN-FM (90.3) publicist Brenda Loftis yesterday.

"You know, we had a budget cut "We just couldn't do it anymore. That'sjustthewayit is." "I have to commend the Cincinnati operation," said Bruce Ilinton, the MCA Records chief who has produced the group's last two LPs. "but as a Nashvillian I'm extremely disappointed that WPLN did not find a way to continue the series, that a Nashville act has to go to Cincinnati. "It reflects badly. I think.

That kind of radio syndication being based in Nashville Is good for our community." Riders Radio Theater won two Corporation for Public Broadcasting awards last May. But three months later the Grand Ole Opry singing cowboy act with the offbeat sense of humor got its notice of termination from Nashville's public station. "It was in August," recalled Riders member Fred LaBour yesterday. "A cancellation letter, no phone call no going away luncheon, no fruit basket "I have mixed feelings about it Fm a longtime loyal WPLN supporter and I'm gonna miss working with those guys. But on the other hand I'm elated about getting up there to CincinnatL" That city has offered Riders Radio Theater things the show never had in Nashville.

In Music City, the tapings bounced from venue to venue. Cincinnati Is giving the program a permanent home in Its historic Emery Theater downtown, the home of the famed Midwestern Hayride country barn dance radio show which thrived 1948-1972. The theater is a twin of New York's Carnegie Hall. When WVXU learned the program was going to be available it did an on-air funding appeal. Cincinnati supporters contributed $60,500 in 10 days.

The station is now offering season tickets to the tapings and has established a Buck-aroo Club for fans. The WVXU-FM (91.7) signal reaches 3.5 million in southern Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana The station Is also the flagship of a mini network that includes three other stations in Ohio. "We're excited about this," said WVXU executive Jim King yesterday. "I think we have good Instincts about what's marketable. "I hope to acquire national sponsorship for the second season.

"To be able to have good family programming in this day and age is rare. This has even more cross-generational appeal than the Prairie Home Companion. People here fell for it Instantly, as we have." WVXU has already taped a Riders Christmas special. Episodes for the new 39-show season will begin taping next month. "We've found a home," said Riders manager David Skepner.

"It's the town that saved a radio show," said Riders member Doug Green. "They're ready for good beef and we're the cowboys to bring it to 'era "We'd gotten inquiries from other stations, even before WPLN dropped us. And we'd done fund raisers at various public radio stations that were all howling successes." Adds LaBour, "The show was just 'getting its We were seeing results all over the country, crowds sometimes doubling because of It "I think there were people down there at WPLN who didn't know what to make of us. And we sometimes didn't know what to make of them." Riders Radio Theater will continue to be offered to all 100 National Public Radio stations, as well as to national networks in Australia and Canada. Loftis said the Christmas special won't be broadcast on WPLN.

The station is currently airing Riders in the Sky reruns from last season. "I imagine we'll runthefWVXUJse-ries," Loftis said, a SANDY SMITH Staff Writer Nashvillians will get a chance to see the controversial South Africa Now when It airs weekly on cable's Community Access channel beginning Dec 11 Public television station WDCN-Channel 8 earlier refused to air the program, because it didn't "fit within the guidelines set out by the board of education, which say that controversial topics will be balanced," WDCN program director Gaylord Ayers told The Tennessam in October. Though South Africa Now has found a Nashville outlet In CATV-Channel 35, it has sparked a controversy about how programming is handled at WDCN. Nashville attorney Richard H. Din-kins has asked the Metro school board, which holds the broadcast license for the station, to overrule Ayers decision Metro school board vice chairman Edward T.

Klndall said he will bring the Issue before the board "hopefully at the next meeting." That meeting has not yet been scheduled. Tm not sure why it was turned down," Kindall said yesterday. "I'm not in argument with the policy. I have not seen the program. But I do yesterday.

"We are journalists who advocate and we advocate more coverage. People obviously feel the show has journalistic Integrity." Ayers also said money was a factor. "I don't have any money to buy shows," he said in October. CATV said the tab for the show, about 1 00 a week, will be funded through private donations. Schecter said yesterday that if WDCN cant afford South Africa Now, "we will make the additional sacrifice and give it to him." Kindall said he would like to see the formation of a board which would decide whether or not a controversial program Is balanced and objective.

The board would not deal with general station programming, Kindall said. Still Kindall doesnt "think the school board should be placed in a situation where we have to review every program." In a meeting yesterday of the Nashville Public Television Council board of directors, executive vice president and general manager Robert Shepherd suggested the board "take another look" at the policy, which was written in 1970. In the meantime, South Africa Now will be shown at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays beginning next week on CATV. not believe this decision should be made by a single Individual A program of this nature needs more attention than just one person's." South Africa Now, a weekly half-hour show, covers apartheid by using videotape shot inside the country, footage from foreign programs and material from the state-owned South African Broadcasting Company.

The South African government is asked to respond and contribute to stories airing on South Africa Now, but they almost always decline, the show's producer Danny Schecter told The Tennessam In October. The series recently won an Excellence In Television award from Channel magazine. In a letter to The Tennessean, published In yesterday's Nashville Eye column, WDCN's Ayers defended his assessment of South Africa Now. He said that notes supplied by the program's distributor described the series as "advocacy journalism at an intense This series Is not balanced In the classic sense. It seeks, Instead, to bring balance to what its producers perceive as diminishing attention to the fight against apartheid in South Africa." "We are not advocacy journalism," the show's producer Schecter said Capitol Records and Warner Bros.

Records compete on Music Row all year long tomorrow night they're making it official with a Battle of the Bands at Ace of Clubs. Staffers are forming two rock bands to "slug it out" on stage and it's all for a good cause. The show benefits the policemen's Christmas fund that provides baskets of goods to the needy. Capitol has dubbed its band, what Capitol Punishment and is so sure of its musical prowess that it Is already predicting a record contract "This group will positively not be receptive to any offers from Warner Bros, until RCA, CBS, MCA and Po-lyGram have all had an opportunity to bid on it" says Capitol's Jerry "Crusher" Crutchfield. Capitol initially called its group John, Paul, George and Ringo after the label's most famous act in history.

But by the time of last night's rehearsal the nine-member act had settled on Capitol Punishment In addition to keyboardist Crutch-field, the lineup is Terry "Shorty" Choate (steel guitar), Ralph "Black-ie" Black (piano), George Collier (bass), Abbe "Malicious" Medic (guitar) and Keith "Hot Sticks" Standi (drums). Jim "Ferocious" Foglesong and Georgia "Miss North Dakota" Mock will sing. The Warners staff was rehearsing furiously last night, too. Dubbed Bad Art, the band has nine pieces. Harmonica man Bob Saporiti and guitarist Eddie Cochran will sing.

The other members are Jack Purcell (drums), Gregg Brown (guitar), Gene Dries (bass), DougGrau (keyboards) and Bill Mays (guitar). Pete Fisher (trumpet) and Scott Heuerman (trombone) have dubbed themselves The White Boy Horns for the occasion. "This will be their second public appearance," cautions Warner publicist Ronna Rubin, "as they were the featured band at our Christmas party last year, Joined on stage by Hank Williams Jr. for a rousing Louie, Louie." The Radio Records staff Is "presenting" this Battle of the Bands. Watching big-time label execs ing fools of themselves sounds like a I Turn to PAGE 2F, Column 5 'Christmas Memories' captured at TPAC i Tennessee Repertory Theatre's Christmas Memories, an original production by this professional company, will open tomorrow and continue through Dec 23 in TPACs Polk Theater.

Filled with music and merriment typical of the season, it's a festive collage of traditional and new holiday music, some hilarious skits the children can enjoy along with their elders, and a variety of heartwarming scenes for all ages. Christmas Memories has a spirited show-closing number in which the audience can sing along with the cast In favorite carols; and both Rudolph (of red-nose fame) and Santa Claus will be present Much of the show, which premiered last year at this time, has been revised, with new skits and musical numbers added. Many of the Southeast's top talents are in Its actingsinging cast, Including Actor's Equity performers Kim Fleming, Nan Guriey, Myke Mueller, Ginger Newman, Shelean Newman, Mac Plrkle, Ricky Russell and Barry Scott Also featured in the production are Tim Fudge and Robert Whor-ton, as well as TRT Theatre Training Program members, Janet owes, Evans Donnell and Jamie Farmer. The musical is staged by TRT artistic director Mac Pirkle, with the company's music director Stan Tucker conducting the orchestra. In the show is a new song by Grammy Award-winner Mike Reid.

Performance dates are Dec 7-8, 14-16, 20-23; showtime Is 8 p.m., with family matinees at 2:30 p.m. Dec 10, 17 and 23. Tickets are with discounts available to students, seniors, military personnel and groups of 15 or more. Discount coupons are available at Kroger stores. Tickets are on sale at all Centra-Tik and Ticketmaster locations, Dillards, Sound Shop Records, Turtle Records, and Tower Books and Tapes on West End.

They may also be reserved by phone, 320-7171. For group reservations call 244-4878. Richard Connors The ladies of Tennessee Repertory Theatre's Christmas Memories prepare to stuff the turkey in this scene from the holiday family musical, tomorrow through Dec. 23 at TPAC. From left are Kim Fleming, Nan Guriey, Shelean Newman and Ginger Newman.

Myke Mueller is the big bird caught in a ticklish situation..