The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 17

INSIDE PAT DENATO, features editor, 515-284-8029 TV listings 2T Comics 3T Classifieds 4T Monday, August 1,1988 lowans aglow over lights at Wrigley DAVE RHEIN BOB NANDELLThe Register Cub fans basking in Aug. 8 glare TOM By MARIE McCARTAN Register Staff Wrltir The faithful have always made their pilgrimages. There's Lourdes, Mecca, the Holy Land, Wrigley Field. Iowa pilgrims are taking to the road to witness, if not a holy cle, a piece of major league baseball history. Next Monday, after 74 years of darkness, Chi- cago's Wrigley Field will see the light.

"It's history," says Jeff Bratkiewicz, 15, of Sioux City, who will be going to the ballpark with his dad, uncles and cousin. While the number of lowans trekking to see the Chicago Cubs' first-ever home night game cannot be verified, many are reported to be scrambling to get their gear in order. It took a Des Moines real estate salesman two days to get through to the Cub's Sport Shop in Chicago and order his $15 commemorative T-shirt. So many have been ordered that shipments are going to take a month, he was told. But for another $14 you can get next-day delivery.

To a faithful Cubs fan, that's a love offering. "We had to re-order the shirt," said John Doncrank, general manager for ARA Leisure Services, the concessionarie for food, beverages and souvenirs for the Chicago Cubs. Don-crank said the shirt is printed with a special six-color process that takes longer to produce. The T-shirt is just one of the hot items com- memorating next Monday's game with the Philadelphia Phillies. Already 5,000 copies of a special 68-page program have sold.

"Phones have been ringing off the hook," Doncrank said. And traffic at the downtown store has doubled. "Just think of what would happen if the Cubs would be winning." Tickets for the game are being hawked for as much as $200, fans report. Faced with that dark prospect, devout Cubbies whose funds come up light can still get a relic to cling to. An official Chicago Cubs "Lights" Collection offers souvenirs anointing the night.

In addition to the T-shirts and commemorative program, there is an opening-night cap, an "I Saw the Light" mug, pennant, lighter, key chain and night shirt. Installation of Wrigley's permanent lights began April 7. The $5 million project has been both booed and ballyhooed. What is there about the Cubs that causes grown men to chant and shout with the fervor of those at an old-time religious revival? "The Cubs epitomize what life is about," said Bob Ibach, director of publications for the team. "The Cubs have struggled over the years; there's a perseverance about the organization." Ibach said that by playing day baseball the Cubs "have become the long-distance standing soap opera.

You can watch the Cubs every day." i Ibach recalled one game years ago when he j. was in the press box and got a phone call from a man hi Havana, Cuba, who was watching a Cubs game when his cable reception was interrupted by a thunderstorm. "He called and said WRIGLEY Please turn to Page 4Ti, ffiUIffliiiHi-, hf -j i rr v- V- CrKi. Um U. Bestof'SNV'SCTV to debut on 'Nick at Nite' Two of the 1970's best late-night comedy series are coming to cable's "Nick at Nite" in September.

"The Best of Saturday Night Live" debuts Sept. 12 at 9 p.m. with 30-minute episodes. There will be 102 shows in all, taken from SNL's most memorable moments from its debut in 1975 through 1980. On the same night at 9:30 p.m., the maniacs from the mythical metropolis of Melonville will visit "Nick at Nite" each weeknight on "SCTV." The series will feature 156 episodes from the 1977-81 show that boosted John Candy, Martin Short, Andrea Martin and Eugene Levy to stardom.

Dick Clark, Arsenio Hall rule MTV music awards Dick Clark will be the producer and comedian Arsenio Hall will be a co-host of the revamped "MTV Video Awards" on Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. Clark, who has had his hand on the pulse of American rock music for nearly 40 years, promises two things: A bizarre set and a shorter show with fewer awards. "Our purpose is not to change that little off-center feel that MTV brings to all of its work, but to organize it and bring it in on time in 2Vi hours," said Clark. "Stevie Wonder cannot be on this show at all," joked Hall of the music superstar known for his long-winded acceptance speeches.

Among the musical stars on the guest list so far are The Fat Boys, Cher, Rod Stewart, Cyn-di Lauper and Jody Watley. VH-1 adds more comedy, news in a new format VH-l, which calls itself "the other music television channel," will introduce a new format on Aug. 15. Jeff Rowe, vice president of VH-1, said the format will feature videos interspersed with comedy segments and entertainment news each 30 minutes. New VH-1 programs for this fall include "Watch Bobby Rivers" (Sept.

6), an interview show, and "Flicks" (Sept. 7), a movie magazine show. Theismann promises ESPN changes Joe Theismann, who joins ESPN's National Football League telecast team with the pre-season game Aug. 7 between New Orleans and Minnesota, promises changes in the broadcast booth. "We're going to take some chances with our cameras," said Theismann.

"I'd like to try and take the cameras into the locker room and to position them in certain places in the stadium so we can bring even more of what goes on inside the stadium to people. "Having played the game, there are places it might be interesting for a fan to see the game from for instance, from a quarterback's viewpoint out of the pocket. "There must be a way we can set up a camera so you can get the feeling of having 6-foot 7-inch people in front of you and having those people falling all around and to see how difficult it is to see over these people. "I imagine there would be a lot of people who wouldn't want to be there after they see what it's like." Theismann will team with Mike Patrick in the ESPN booth. Roy Firestone, the third man in the booth last season, will handle halftime interviews.

3 musical specials set for cable's Showtime Showtime, the pay cable service, has three music specials on the schedule this fall. Sept. 10, "The Bishop Tutu World Peace Concert" will feature more than 70 musical acts in an effort to awaken international awareness about the conditions in South Africa. Quincy Jones will be the host of the 12-hour event from Los Angeles. "An All-Star Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly" will air Sept.

1 7 The special stars Arlo Guthrie, Little Richard, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen and others in a tribute to two folk music legends. Then in October, a benefit for AIDS titled, "That's What Friends Are For," will feature Dionne Warwick as host to Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Barry Mani-low and others in a 90-minute special. They said it Arsenio Hall, co-host of the MTV Video Music Awards, on the guest list: "Cher will be there, if she's not at the West Hollywood police station." Joe Theismann, whose football career ended when he suffered a broken leg during a game, on TVs tendency to show replays of players being injured over and over again: "As far as I'm concerned, my injury was probably one of the most graphic presentations of an injury. I only watched the replay once. It was downright disgusting." Cub fans are buying up this hot commemorative Wrigley Field T-shirt for a cool 15.

moan in summer heat Iff Mower men ByWALTSHOTWELL Rnltttr Staff Wrlttr The lonely Maytag repairman isn't alone in his solitude this summer; shed a tear for those who sharpen and repair lawn mowers. A profoundly unscientific survey suggests that their business is off at least 50 percent, and maybe 75 percent. Why? Because the lack of rain has kept lawns from growing at their usual back-breaking rate, so many mowers have been gathering cobwebs in garages. "Our business has been probably half of what it should be," lamented Dave Gerdes, owner of the Lawnmow-er Service and Equipment 3622 Beaver Ave. "We had a good spring, but before the end of May, it dried up.

"In a normal year we probably run 1,200 mowers through here, maybe his firm specializes in mower tune-ups, costing These usually are done at the of the season, then the business turns to sharpening and repair. estimated that the typical customer a bill of about $30. the number of mowers cut in down from about 2,000 it genius to figure that Hein's is suffering a $30,000 loss for summer. there is a ray of hope. Hein said rains have forced homeowners out their mowers.

Put to use some are breaking down, and up at the repair shop. positive note: Those who the mowers also are sitting idly, the grass not grow enjoying lonely lawn mower repairman's wind. 1,500. We normally try to make our money in April, May or June before it goes dry in July. This year we're counting on a snowy winter to make up for this dry summer." Gerdes said summertime income is important to his business, but the slump this summer "isn't going to kill us." Across town at the Hein Lawnmow-er Saw Service, 2 E.

Army Post Road, Craig Hein said every year is different, depending upon the weather, and this summer will go down as one of the worst for the lawn-mower maintenance business. "Everybody worries about the farmer, but the drought affects us quicker," Hein said. "The farmer won't know until he harvests in the fall how bad he's hurt, but we know right now." for the departure of Davis and MacKinnon, but he did outline what he was looking for to replace them: "We're looking for somebody who's going to be bright and cheerful. Positive. Involved in the market.

Homey." None of those words would have been used to describe what the sta Normally, complete $23.50. beginning He runs up With half takes no business the But recent to drag again, showing Another operate watching the ill BOB MODE RSOHNThe Register repairman Dave Gerdes. lit "Jutl helt thai baby In your arms a Ilttlo. I guarantee you, whether they're drawn Ink or pencil, that sucker will wipe out any charocters that come around." btct 'r ERASER wmmmmsm Davis-MacKinnon blast way JULIE GAMMACK Lawn mower out of jobs weather permitting. TV weatherman Willard Scott of the NBC "Today Show" will broadcast his morning weather reports Wednesday from the Indianola balloon launch site.

Music and other entertainment take place in the evening hours following competition. Iowa Cubs at home The I-Cubs tackle the Denver Zephyrs at 7:30 tonight at Sec Taylor Stadium. Call (515) 243-61 11. Friday "A Chorus Line" opens at at the Ingersoll Dinner Theater Dinner; dinner at 6:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m.; $21. Continuing through Sept.

1 1. Call (515) 274-4686. Cruzzin' America II The Byrds, Herman's Hermits, The Boxtops and Mark Lindsay. Veterans Auditorium. Tickets $12 in advance, $14 day of show.

Call (515) 288-4487. Pia Zadora and Norm Crosby, 8 p.m. at the Civic Center. Tickets $13.75 and $19.75. Call 288-4487.

ff" Shock radio doesn't work here. Veteran Des Moines dee jays Jimmy Don Davis and Doug MacKinnon tried to blast back into the Des Moines radio market by firing obscenities, hostilities and vicious remarks in that all-important morning "drive-time" slot on KFMD-FM radio. They bombed. They're out. Bye-bye blue team.

KFMD-FM station manager Paul Garvin confirmed that Friday was the last on-air day for the duo. Sources say the station dropped from a respectable spot in the middle of the ratings table to dead last in the latest overall Arbitroij report. Garvin would not comment on the reasons tion's approach has been since January, when the duo replaced Mike Pace and Chris Riedel. To do this week The U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship in Indianola continues all week.

Competitive events or mass ascensions take place at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. through Saturday, j-.