The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 78

Sunday, May 20,1990 The Sallna Journal Tattletales Mare Winningham, the actress who was so good opposite Peter O'Toole in the recent TV movie "Crossing to Freedom," looks like a fascinating personality. Can you tell me something about her? L.O. "Fascinating" is not the word that jumps to mind when I chat with Mare, a 31-year-old mother of five who hails from Phoenix, Ariz. She's been married for seven years, drives a big suburban truck at her Monterey Bay, home, and would love to teach the tots "to quit whacking one another." In addition to being a fine actress, Mare is a real working mother who describes herself as a "loud, whinymom." Mara Winningham Someone said that Vanna White, although a fixture on television, is painfully shy in private and rarely goes out in Perish the thought. I've met Vanna on several very public occasions and can assure you that the "Wheel of Fortune" star is no shrinking violet.

The last time one of my spies spotted her, for example, was at a big gambling spot in Atlantic City. Vanna was in front of the hotel, posing in succession with some individual fans, engaged in something called the "Meet Vanna Sweepstakes." What was top prize? No, not a date with the super- outgoing TV personality, but a Caribbean vacation. Vanna Whlta Jamas Woods Since his marriage broke up, has James Woods been quietly dating his old romantic nemesis, Sean Highly unlikely. Yes, Woods is at odds after his marriage fell apart in a matter of months. But bitterness lingers over 1'affaire with Young during the filming of "The Boost," about a couple zonked, out on cocaine.

You'll recall that he claimed she was harassing him remember those hoodoo-voodoo antics? after he broke off the affair. No, Sean says she has long since dismissed Woods and has for some time been seeing new boyfriend Robert Lujan. Kim Alexis As a mom and frequent cable TV watcher, I'm a fan of "Healthy Kids" on the Family Channel. Can you tell me about Kim Alexis, the gorgeous actress who is the show's host? O.M. Kim Alexis is certainly a looker, but supersexiness is not what this particular TV genre is all about.

The 29-year-old Kim, in fact, considers herself normal, healthy and balanced. A top fashion model, she's been married to the same real estate developer for six years, has two boys, reads the Bible, loves cooking and homemaking and loves to pig out on ice milk. Her only regret? She never went to college. What's this about Kathleen Turner planning to phase out of movie and stage acting to become a rock star? Anything to At a woman who looks her age and is proud of it Turner is a bit long in the tooth to begin a second career in rock 'n' roll. Her boyish-looking husband, New York realtor Jay Weiss, is a frustrated rock guitarist.

On an occasional night at downtown New York clubs, when Weiss' band is playing an infrequent amateur date, Turner jons them for a few vocals. I've heard her singing, and it's good she's an actress. Why was actor Lou Diamond Phillips hospitalized recently without the press being informed? Was it Phillips was indeed hospitalized, in New Mexico. It was for an injury sustained during movie- making, not AIDS or any other disease. The young actor was thrown from a horse and dragged his foot in the stirrup 200 yards.

He suffered cuts and a broken elbow. Lou Diamond Phillips Kathlaan Turner Got a question Write to Robin Adams Sloan at King Features Syndicate, 235E. 45thStreet, New York, N.Y. 10017. Tele-puzzle ACROSS 1 Shown, with 12 Down, she's 44 Across on 23 Down 7 Kind of hound 13 Slir up 14 Monstrous 15 See 44 Across 16 Anchored: 2 wds.

17 Jackson or Meara 18 Turnpike take 20 Misdo 21 Seeks to know 22 Graceful dive 23 Metal dish 27 Sparse 26 Put to rights 29 "Key 30 Charters 31 She was Connie Brooks 32 Mars' counterpart 33 Thank you 36 Ill-lit 37 "The Ones" 38 Dessert choice 42 "The Cometh" 44 With 15 Across, role for 1 Across 46 Least loco 47 Actress Henner 48 Main course 49 Musical combo DOWN 1 Casa room 2 Where Qom is 3 Ball wear 4 Red herring 5 Same as equi- 6 Fender-bender sequel 7 Cotton plant pod 8 got in Kalamazoo" 9 Lanka 10 Laterally 11 Alienate 12 See 1 Across 19 AM right 21 Ifs, or buts 22 Cicatrix 23 Series for 1 Across 24 "Love Style" 25 Slum building 26 Tolkien's trees 27 Hit hard 33 Carlo 34 Mr. Paclno 35 Doc on "Gunsmoke" 37 Infield Item 38 Maryland athlete 39 Got off 40 Tick off 41 Under tension 43 Mai de 45 West or Murray Puzzle solution OD Page 19.