Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 37

TV LOG 2 2 4,5 UNWIND! COMICS mm HlL THE CLARION-LEDGER JACKSON DAILY NEWS I JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1988( 4 GARY PETTUS Columnist The Clarion-Ledger f- z' 'mn Mr. Wonderful apologizes to all he has offended Looking back over this past year's columns, it occurs to me that perhaps I have taken advantage of the First Amendment. So let me make this clear: As a columnist, I certainly don't take lightly my right to trash anyone I find annoying. But, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, thank you for not suing. And to show there are no hard feelings, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to those whose names I might have sullied, with special emphasis on my wife.

The following is a list of people, particularly i I-' Si ya--. num. ii i i Imni nmwi iMlttli imum imninimiiiMiiriiii mmmiirin -111 Tom Roster The Clarion-Ledger Jackson Daily News Retiring Alta Woods Baptist Church Day Care Center director Merle Crumpton helps a class of 3-year-olds make pigs in the blanket. Imu SO After 3 decades caring for toddlers, Merle Crumpton steps down as director of Alta Woods Baptist Church's day care. By Susan G.

Christensen Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer "She is just so special," said Kinsley, recalling a time; when Kim was critically ill and Crumpton went out of her way to care for Craig. I- "She would bring him in the office and give him some; special attention. And I've seen her many times with the bed babies who are crying or have colic. She'll go get the baby and sit in her office and hold it. Whichever ones are needy, she notices." On this day, the object of her attention is a little boy sit ting in the hall for misbehaving.

Stooping down to look into the eyes of the rebellious tyke, Crumpton gently tells him it makes her sad when he has to be punished. Later she describes him as a "special friend." She's trying to help him develop a better self-image. "Anytime I can see him doing anything right I say, 'My you're doing that well' I try to look for good in children and overlook the bad unless they hurt other children or are destructive." Focusing on the good usually is easy for Crumpton, for she genuinely enjoys children particularly preschoolers. "They're so innocent, so forgiving," she said. "They don't keep secrets from you.

Even if they have done something they shouldn't, they tell on themselves if you let them." They also have a delightful way of keeping grown-ups honest, said Crumpton. Take the time Crumpton and her kindergarten class planted a garden, and she used the opportunity to relate how God makes things grow. Encouraged by one child's See CRUMPTON, back page It I i 1 Wistful thinking. Weeks ago, it showed in Merle Crumpton's eyes as she watched a bevy of toddlers skip into view outside her office window. And it hollowed her laugh as she explained her approaching retirement by quipping, "I don't want to petrify" So now that it's here the day that marks an end to an almost 30-year attachment to Alta Woods Baptist Church Kindergarten and Day Care Center nostalgic musings surely must be making every last sight, sound and smell achingly poignant.

This, after all, is a day care director who rarely ever took her two weeks annual vacation because she couldn't bear being away from her charges. "If I could leave the children here when I took vacation But I always took them with me in my mind." And many would stay in her heart. Those who know her best say the tender-hearted 69-year-old always has had a soft spot for children. "She really truly portrays God's love in everything she does with those kids," says her sister, Nell Stanley of Jackson. "And kids come back grown to see her." Kids like Teresa Kinsley.

A former kindergarten student of Crumpton's, Kinsley, like many other Alta Woods alumni, came back to enroll her own children son Chris and twins Kim and Craig. my wife, or organizations, particularly any my wife might belong to, who might have construed my comments in 1988 as petty, trivial, gratuitous, narrow-minded, mean, ungenerous and self-indulgent. Sorry, you were right. On bended knee So, of my own free will, and, besides, my wife is tired of holding the gun, I offer my sincere apologies to: My wife. Fans of Geraldo Rivera, for implying that the No.

1 desire of everyone I know is that the garish talk-show host suffer horrible and unremitting pain. Some of us actually would prefer money. Pat Robertson, for comparing him to Pee-wee Herman. Pee-wee Herman, for comparing him to Pat Robertson. Rodney Frazier, the Moon Pie Eating Champion of the World.

By publishing the sordid details of Frazier's tragic defeat in Alabama, I exceeded all the bounds of common decency. Also, the phrase, "glamour's plaything," was totally uncalled for. To the person I saw driving my old beloved Toyota station wagon, which, unfortunately, I traded in, only to see it on the road a few months later, much the worse for wear. I did not mean to imply that the driver was "unworthy." "Trash" would have done nicely. J'BMywife.

iB All women everywhere, especially One Very Important One. (Honey, you really can put that gun down now.) The House of Humour and Satire, located in the hilarious communist nation of Bulgaria. You are tickling my funny bone. I am swearing. The beautiful actress Mary Steenburgen, to whom I once referred flippantly.

No one should ever refer to Mary Steenburgen flippantly. Kathleen Turner, for dreaming about her. No man should dream about Kathleen Turner and then admit it in print, especially if he has a wife. My wife. And I really mean that.

My children. All my relatives, especially the Republicans. My dogs, Old Dan and Jethro de Bodine. The Beverly Hillbillies. Eternal apologies Edgar C.

Whisenant, who wrote the ominous religious pamphlet, 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988. For everything I wrote, I really am sorry. In two days, we'll know just how much. Disney World, for calling it Stand In Line Land. Daddy's Nervous Breakdown Land would have been more like it.

The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling TV show. Disgusting entertainment. On a personal note, call me here at the paper if you would like more information on my Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling Video Library; discounts for truckers. i I The Monster Truck Super Nationals, for implying that attending this Festival of the Gratuitous Hearing Loss wasn't just the most fun I've had in ages. Book banners and self-appointed censors.

I was wrong; they have every right to remain std. As you can see, I am just prostrate with contrition. Happy New Year to you all. Especially to you, honey. What? What do you mean it's not loaded? Scott BoydThe Clarion-Ledger Jackson Daily News Merle Crumpton did for Teresa Kinsley's children (Chris, 9, and 6-year-old twins Craig and Kim) what she did for Teresa care for them at Alta Woods.

WHY continues domination Sweet 'Mystic Pizza' is a well-spiced slice of life Here's a sleeper of a movie that'll wake you up and put a seasoned smile on your face. By Sherry Lucas Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer Imagine a Mystic Pizza. It's got to be saucy. With much spice. Warm to the touch.

Definitely tasty. As a movie, that's the level this hits: right in the gut. Once there, it tickles. Unmercifully. How else can you explain its opening? There, as tender a scene as ever graced celluloid a young girl's wedding.

See the bmmb grinning guests through a fuzzy white cloud of bridal DClICUf veil (her view). See the bride (your view). She's not liCWICff grinning. She looks fuzzy herself. Tranqued on Valium or terror, it's tough to tell.

We barely get through "We are gathered here today before the bride keels over backward in a dead faint. It was terror. Her bridesmaids can barely suppress a giggle. The movie's audience doesn't bother. They're on the floor already.

Mystic Pizza is a dear little movie, and as funny and fun as dear little movies are apt to get. See MYSTIC, back page The WLBT news at 10 p.m. was far ahead of the pack in both books, pleasing Brad Streit, WLBT station manager. WLBT scored 2242 in Arbitron to 1529 for WJTV and 713 for WAPT. Channel 3 led the Nielsen survey at 10 with 2039 to 1631 for Channel 12 and 611 for Channel 16.

A rating is the percentage of all sets turned in to a particular program; a share is the percentage of sets in use. Streit said, "The most important thing for us was, with our lead-in and lead-out disadvantages, that people consciously changed channels to watch our news. As long as we can keep them doing that, the other guys can spend as much as they want on outside programs, and it won't do them any good. "We get some kind of satisfaction, knowing we somehow developed loyalty in our viewers. Our goal is to continue to build on that kind of loyalty." WJTV general manager William Dilday did not return phone calls.

Jackson's other two station managers also pointed to the strong performance of Cosby, and the poor performance of WJTV's news, as the major stories in the November ratings. See TV RATINGS, back page Channel 3 news overcomes WJTV's lead-in lead-out advantages to win big in Arbitron and Nielsen. By Jeff Edwards Clarion-Ledger Jackson Daily News TV Editor Station officials at WLBT-Channel 3 are sighing a collective "Whew!" The NBC affiliate's 6 p.m. newscast withstood WJTV-Channel 12's Cosby and Oprah onslaught in the November ratings. As the important lead-out program of WJTV's 6 p.m.

news, the syndicated and expensive The Cosby SAowperformed admirably. So did the syndicated The Oprah Winfrey Show (4-5 p.m.) and Divorce Court p.m.) as lead-ins to the news. But The CBS Evening News With Dan Rather and WJTV's Newscenter 12 couldn't take advantage. At 6 p.m. in the Arbitron book, the WLBT newscast received a 2135, followed by WJTV, 1525; WAPT (Wheel of Fortune), 1016; and WDBD Three's Company), 58.

Nielsen recorded a 2541 for WLBT and 1728 for WJTV. Channel 16 sports director Bob Burks is fired; weekend news dropped Tonight's TV The best: The tube is alive with The Sound of Music (7 p.m., NBC). The make a change in the sports department. WAPT-Channel 16 sports anchor Bob Burks has been dismissed, and the ABC affiliate will eliminate its 15-minute local and ABC newscasts on weekends, station officials announced Thursday. Burks will stay on until mid-January, news director Jim Roberts said.

Sports reporterweekend sports anchor Mike Rowe 1965 Oscar-winner stars Julie Andrews and memorable Rodgers and Ham-merstein tunes. This version is not ideal for taping, I see it as an expense measure. I tend to think, at least for the time being, they will be operating with a one-man sports department." Burks came to WAPT from Memphis in February 1984. He worked as a reporter and news co-anchor before becoming Weekend's best bets Ah, yes, friends, New Year's Eve, Saturday night. Old 1988 will leave Jackson to the sounds of screaming guitars.

Lillian Axe, mega-metal Southern rockers, blow the walls off the Old Armory across from the coliseum at 8 p.m. The Tinsley Ellis Band spends the New Year's weekend at George Street, playing at 9 tonight and Saturday. Texas blues rockers Anson Funder-burgh and the Rockets, featuring Sam Myers, team with The Tangents and special guest Greg "Fingers" Taylor at Hal Mai's at 9 Saturday. For more on what's happening, see Calendar on 2D and Unwind! on 3D. ity of the news product, sports more so than anything else." Roberts said the weekend reports 15 minutes of local news at 10 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday are being eliminated due to "economic realities we're facing here. We're eliminating our weakness so we can concentrate on our strength the weekday newscast." Roberts and general manager Gary Powers said they plan to come back before next summer with a full half-hour news report on Saturdays and Sunday. The syndicated Night Court will replace the local and ABC (10:15 p.m.) news this weekend. sports director in early 1986. He has no job will take over when Burks leaves and is a candidate for the nosition.

Roberts said. lined up at present. however, since 29 minutes have been cut from the fdm's original length of 174 minutes. On CBS at 8 p.m., Walter Cronkite hosts The Kennedy Center Honors. Five new honorees, including George Burns, will be toasted by the likes of Cicely Tyson, Bob Hope, John Denver, Kathleen Turner and Helen Hayes.

"But we may lose a position. I just don't' I- "I have mixed feelings," he said. "Once know at this point," Roberts said. IJyou put three years of your life into some-Roberts said he couldn't discuss the thing, it's always a little hard to walk away reasons for Burks' dismissal. The vaca- from it.

You also have to wonder, if given tioning Burks, 39, said from home, "Basi- the opportunity, how they can function for cally, they indicated to me they wanted to only five days. It will damage the credibil-.