The Billings Gazette from Billings, Montana • 9

I The Billings Gazette Tuesday, June 9. 1981 9-A Who wants Sen. Melcher's job? Names are plentiful By ROGER CLAWSON Of The Gazette Staff John Melcher's hold on his U.S. Senate seat is akin to the weather. Everyone talks about it but no one seems to do anything.

i When Melcher, a Democrat, began running for reelec tion with a fund raiser in Washington, D.C. in May, 20 months before the election, poll watchers began to ask, Nordtvedt will test the air at the June GOP state convention in Billings. "Who is he running against?" The possibilites aren't endless. They only seem so. Republican Al Bishop, the maverick former Fish and Game Commissioner, said he told Republican Larry Williams he might take a crack at the race if Williams doesn't.

Williams, who ran a close but unsuccessful race against Sen. Max Baucus, in 1978 has attacked Melcher through the press but says he is not a candidate. "I spoke out because the senator was saying things about wheat that were not based on fact," he said. Williams is a commodities broker who was upset when Melcher said there was a shortage of wheat. He said he has watched July wheat futures plunge $1.40 per bushel.

Williams said he wasn't acting politically, but was merely long in wheat and short of patience with Melcher's representation. Another Williams, Rep. Pat Williams, a Democrat from the Western District, has often been mentioned as a potential candidate. But he says he wouldn't consider it. A third Williams, political strategist for conservative Republicans, Herb Williams, has suggested perhaps no one should consider it.

"Melcher," he said, "would be very difficult to beat" The National Conservative Political Action Committee contends that Melcher is too liberal to merit re-election. Liberals in western Montana contend Melcher isn't enough of a conservationist to merit re-election and have told Bill Cunningham, director of the Montana Wilderness Society, he should run against the incumbent. Cunningham says he wants to quash that rumor but notes that Joe Roberts, unsuccessful Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor in 1980, may be a candidate. Roberts is in Europe, unable to quash the rumors circulating in both Helena and Washington, D.C. Republican legislator Rep.

Ken Nordtvedt isn't in Europe but plans to go there. There are rumors circulating about him, too. And he has no intention of quashing them. Told that his name had been mentioned as a possible challenger to both Sen. Melcher and Rep.

Williams, Nordtvedt said: "Yes, I am considering it." Asked which race he was considering, he said, "Both." Melcher, who has a good deal of support from Eastern Congressional District Republicans, would be hard to beat, he said. Rep. Williams, a Democrat in the traditionally Democratic Western District, would be hard to beat, he added. But Nordtvedt, the author of the tax-indexing inititia-tive passed in 1980, sees possibilities. Rep.

Williams, he said, is less likely than Melcher to support President Reagan's proposals. "This could open the door for a campaign based on conservative issues," he said. However, beating Melcher would land the victor a U.S. Bishop has said he may enter the ring if Larry Williams decides against running. Senate seat a job that would last at least six years.

"I don't relish having to run every two years the way congressmen have to," he said. Nordtvedt said he would make up his mind after testing the air at the Republican State Convention in Billings later this month. Others potential Melcher opponents are numerous simply too numerous to mention. a cock closes its doors to moviegoers for now By CHRISTENE MEYERS Of the Gazette Staff The Babcock Theatre an early-day vaudeville house house." The city presently supports 12 indoor movie screens: four in Rimrock Four, three (soon to be four) in Cine 3, two each in World West and Crossroads Twin and the Fox in downtown Billings. The outdoor Sage 4 Drive-In is doing an excellent business since its extensive additions.

Edwards said another chain was interested in the Babcock. It is not, he said, Theatre Operators which owns Rimrock Four, Crossroads Twin and World West. He said he hoped to have "some positive information" in a couple of weeks. which later served as a movie house closed over the weekend and may be re-rented as a "family movie" theatre. The Carisch Theatre lease expired June 1 and Carisch 1 tf iniru Mciiift THE BILLINGS CLINIC does not wish to continue his operation at the Babcock.

But present owner, Ruth Moss of Chicago, is interested in seeing that the downtown doesn't lose The Babcock with its ornate interior and its history. Mrs. Moss agent, Barry Edwards of First Trust Com pany of Montana, said Monday afternoon that Mrs. Moss and her husband, Dr. Bertram Moss, are hoping to refurbish the building and open it as a "family film" theatre.

They are also interested in foreign and art films but ward the suburban screen and convenience center mall. Old theatres of the Babcock's vintage are being remodeled and converted to live arts halls in many parts of the country. The Babcock, which opened in 1907 with the live production, "Blue Moon," was partially burned in 1935 then restored and reopened in August of 1935. It was also partially burned (mostly the basement) and again restored in the 1950s Billings realtor Paul Ducharme said that Carisch owns the building's screen, chairs and carpet all interior "film related" possessions. It is simply not turning a profit for Carisch, Ducharme said, with the competition from so many other movie screens in town.

Owner Mrs. Moss, a daughter of the late Frieda Lipsker, also inherited the rest of the Babcock Building offices and apartments. They are not affected by this latest development, Edwards said, "and there are no plans at all to in any way destroy the building or alter its use." The building, adorned in the popular art deco style of the early 1900s, pre-dates the larger Fox Theatre, which a coalition of citizens are working to restore and renovate as a live arts music hall and theatre center. The size of the Babcock's present stage and lack of wing space prevents its use as a live arts theatre. But because of its fascinating history and the well preserved nature of the interior, Edwards said, "it will be preserved." Carisch is not particularly interested in seeing a competing chain lease the building, but, Edwards said, "we are trying to buy his equipment and if we can't manage that, we'll buy our own.

We don't intend to let it die as a movie are not interested in continuing the string of R-rated, horror-type pictures which have composed the bulk of the Babcock film fare lately. HEIGHTS OFFICE 100 Wicks Lane 252-8287 Beginning July 6, 1981, services in Obstetrics and Gynecology will be available at The Billings Clinic, Heights Office, in addition to Marion A. Jones, M.D., Pediatrician, and Barry M. Hochstadt, M.D., Internist. OBGYN services will be offered Monday through Thursday, afternoons only.

Appointments by phone are necessary. WWIIM IVIbVhIII Friday-Saturday-Sunday jo 8 June 12-13-14 8 Iftlll CARPET i 10 BARN I 8 CARNIVAL vkiix CARPET 2032 Grand AvejS vw cr Gene Homer, who manages the Fox and Babcock for the Minneapolis-based Carisch firm, said his instructions were to close the building after last Thursday evening's feature film. "The main reason is that we don't want to compete with ourselves," Homer said, alluding to the new Sage 4 Drive-In (also Carisch operated) which recently added 540 new speaker boxes and is doing a successful summer Carisch also owns Cine 3 and is in the process of con verting that to "Cine 4," making two smaller auditoriums out of the present large auditorium Many theatre companies believe that the trend is to I MWftl II LZ3 DiSfSiyTORCLpRANg! 1 mil WE MADE A SPECIAL PURCHASE OF DISTRIBUTOR'S INVENTORY OF ONE-OF-A-KIND AND DISCONTINUED MODELS OF GIBSON APPLIANCES. THESE UNITS ARE PRICED TO SA VE YOU Tho High Coot of Monoy Forcoo Poivoll'o To Consolidate Their Operation and To Sell A Factory Building til GIBSON LAUNDRY PAIR Reg. $609.90 1 HI: WAREHOUSE; 559'i DE18A4Y Built-in DISHWASHER Model SU24C4 1 WA16D4Y Reg.

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