Lexington Herald-Leader from Lexington, Kentucky • 15

TV Classified Section Lexington Ky Tuesday July 21 1SS1 Wheelchair marathoners see the USA the hard way 1 By PETER PANYCH Leader Uafl writer cus Title in 1076 and in 1961 the World Wheelchair Marathon Championship in Miami The two marathoners escorted by a van and car carrying their supplies and five-member crew came through Fayette County on noon Monday -They rode in their wheelchairs to Vine and Main streets before loading up their van and going to the Continental Inn mm To Phil Carpenter and George Murray the height of adventure is flying down 10230 foot-high LaManga Pass in Southeastern Colorado with a par-achute strapped to the backs of their wheelchairs "Oh you should have seen the reaction of some of the truckers who were coming up the opposite way" said Murray the muscular mustachioed wheelchair marathon racer The Maine native laughed uproariously as he recalled the scene When they reach New York City they'll be the first two men ever to cross the United States manually in a wheelchair -pushing by hand for more than 3400 miles of desert mountain and prairie Why all this blisterraising tendon-stretching and arm-wearying effort? Carpenter who is from Holiday Fla and Murray who now lives in Tampa Fla are celebrating the International Year of Disabled Persons proclaimed by the United Nations The two are pushing their way across the continent as a Joint project of die International Wheelchair Road Racers Club (IWRRC) and the UJ5 Council to the International Year of Disabled A' 'Vi 1 1 v- They needed the drogue parachutes to slow their wheelchairs to a manageable 4045 miles per hour on the long slope Phil and me this Continental Quest is like climbing ML Everest or sailing around the world" Murray says that type of adventure also torture The two men have excellent credentials to undertake their adventure Carpenter a Viet Nam veteran is president of the IWRRC and has competed in wheelchair sports since recovering from a 1972 water skiing accident that left him paralyzed Before leaving Lexington the two men will return to the exact spot they stopped and then continue their quest gone every inch id the Carpenter said resting far his hotel room were some hills where bicyclists have to get off There were never any hills so steep that we couldn't get up- there's been some so steep that gone up an inch at a time and we had to do everything we could to get Carpenter said done some five-minute quarter miles up a hill and one-minute quarter miles on the other Carpenter said Getting to the top offered only a brief respite he said because after a short heart-in-the-throat descent another hill waited at the bottom Carpenter said the two favor any particular terrain geographical area posts prob- Please see WHEELCHAIR Page 2 this section 1 Often training more than 100 miles a week Carpenter won his division of the 1980 Boston Murray 34 and Carpenter 33 are both paralyzed from the waist down They have been pushing their wheelchairs to more than a miles) a since setting out from Los Angeles April 11 Murray said They've kept up a furious 40-mileday pace in an effort to reach New York City by Aug 26 The two reached Lexington Monday and will stay for a formday rest at the expense of the Continental Inn before heading east Murray is vice president of the IWRRC He was paralyzed in a hunting accident at age 14 when his gun discharged into his back as he stumbled George Murray Phil Carpenter An inch at a timq Murray has competed in wheelchair sports since then winning the National Wheelchair Dis- 'Like climbing ML Everest Susan White Leader TV WTVQ cutting early newscast bringing back Dan Rather goes one-on-one with anchors from all over hundreds of times in 2V6 days By MARILYN BAILEY Leader aUfl writer i when the two sat down in front of the camera someone asked jokingly if Rather wanted some pillows Lindgren foutid Rather (who accept the pillow by the way) to be congenial a real delighL" But still Lindgren admitted to being a little nervous about working with one of the in his industry If seen those commercials to Channel 27s news featuring anchorman John Lindgren chatting with Dan Rather probably wondered if their conversation was real or if tapes of tire two men had simply been spliced together After all who would expect a celebrity like Rather to find time to shoot a commercial with a Lexington boy? Well Lindgren did actually interview Rather but their arrangement exactly exclusive WKYT was just one of the many CBS affiliate stations to send anchormen to New York City one weekend last February where they all taped promotional spots with Rather and another famous CBS newsman Charles Kuralt Beginning Aug 17 WTVQ-TV (Channel 36) will literally be first and last with the news among Lexington television stations According to Bill Service general manager the evening local newscast win then begin at 5 The newscast will also last only one half hour Instead of the full hour that Channel 36 and the other local stations carry presently On that same date Channel 36 wiU also renew its coverageuf Nightline the late-night half hour network news show hosted by Ted KoppeL Nightline was canceled by Channel 36 in early June Service said the station had received about 25 letters and 75 phone calls protesting the move Nightline will air at midnight after All ia the Family way we please both says Service of the fluff that other station offer in their hourtong news programs well offer a solid 30 minutes of action-packed says Service had an awful lot of phone calls and letters asking to go earlier with the news A lot of people got upset when we moved the ABC network news to 6:30 pm about a year ago We said that we wanted a year to see how things would shake down and this is what decided to go At 5:30 pm Channel 36 will show what Service calls entertainmenL such as AH to the Family That will be switched to The Jeffersoos when it becomes available to the station in the September ABC network news will be shown at 6 you want to get in there and Mow he said quickly adding that once the tape and the Tele-Prompter started rolling all his jitters went away on camera it matter if talking to Dan Rather or he said Before the taping session Lindren got a small taste of what it must be like to be a network star when he was professionally courtesy of CBS Lexington I put my makeup on he said jut use one tirade all over my face and neck and then use a little powder to keep dry CBS had a delightful lady who did it to me She explained everything she was doing saying going to use this to thin out your cheeks and this to make your nose And you know she really did make my nose look In the 20 minutes allotted to WKYT Lindgren and Rather did two promotional spots and then Rather did one alone Lindgren also discussed news philosophy with Rather in a five-minute interview to be pared down to more promotional spots The next morning Lindgren followed the same format with Kuralt who he said is homey a guy as ever want to meet a real down-to earth Over 600 promos were taped far just 2 days And when the whole thing was over a CBS spokesman said could have wrung them (Rather and Kuralt) out and hung them up to This is the third year tor the CBS marathon toping session It's an expensive gathering astronomical as the CBS spokesman put iL with the network footing the bill for two studios and full technical crews who received overtime pay But to CBS an the expense and all the handshaking and backstopping that goes on during such a weekend adds up to a very wise investment "We're conscious of the fact that we're only as good as our explained Peter Herford director id CBS affiliate services affiliates are vital to us after all we inherit their local news WKYT was lucky enough to be the first affiliate to tape with both Rather and KuralL Or perhaps really the word to it Before May of last year WTVQ decided to go up with the by ex pawling its local news coverage and moving the network news to 6:30 pro got an awful lot of phone calls when we moved the network says Service people were awfully upset News audiences are very loyal And it takes a long time to people to change their Both Rather and Kuralt went out of their way to talk with wife aime who went along on the trip And this coupled with their general friendliness left Lindgren with some very pleasant memories unlikely -thoqgh that Rather and Kuralt had enough stamina to maintain that same genuine friendliness through all 600 promotional spots sincerely yes they enjoy said Herford it is sheer hard work tough to remain alert attentive alive through that many WKYTs executive vice president and general manager Ralph Gabbard thinks his station was first because one of very favorites" He says WKYT earned that statu by ranking at the top of the CBS affiliates when it comes to delivering the best overall ratings titans against all Not only was WKYTs Lindgren the first anchorman to tape with Rather and Kuralt but he also had the distinction of being the tallest At S-foot-8 at least eight or nine inches taller than Rather And Channel 36 plans to broadcast Happy Days at 6:30 pm Service says that when Channel 36 aired the show earlier in this same time period it drew more viewers than the NBC network news John Lindgren and CBS's Dan Rather in news promo WTVQ-TV is owned by Los Shamrock Broadcasting Policemen speak in support of bill to require auto safety seats for kids 7 pro It's free Today Impact an improvisational group of the Lexington Children's Theatre performs at 7 pro at Ecton Park on Turkeyfoot Road There's no charge Safety seat loaner programs coming up here Page C-2 According to Mrs Hiatt 18 children 4 years old or younger died tar Kentucky last year hr car accidents More than 1000 were injured All she said were riding Interested In airplanes? John Charles and Steve Musa of the Lexington Senior Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol will talk about the history of aviation at 730 pro at the Southland Branch of the public library 521 Southland Drive it's free and you can find out more by calling 277-5719 It's story time at the Lansdowne Branch of the public library 3317 Tates Creek Road Mary Kane and Suzy Powers present Told by at By JACK BRAMMER Leader Fiaoktort Buren FRANKFORT Policemen supposed to be emotional says Lexington police officer Steve BryanL I help from getting that way when I see a young child killed in a car Bryant with fellow officer Larry BaH were at a legislative subcommittee here this morning to encourage a prefiled MU that would require automobile child-safety restraint seats told the legislators desperately need your help to protect the lives of throe young children The solution to the problem lies in the passage id a mandatory child-restraint law The Impact group performs at 2 pm Wednesday at Southend Park and at 7 pro at Idle Hour Park Both performances are free have a law to immunize our children against preventable infectious disease Why not a law to immunize than against the Nil 1 killer of children passenger vehicle she asked the legislative paneL Dr William Underwood a pediatrician at tire Lexington Clinic testified that education has been dismal in trying to persuade people to restrain young Children far cars Wednesday Parents who have a child entering school for the first time this fall can get some free advice on preparing the child tar the experience at 7 pro at the Lansdowne branch of the public library 3317 Tates Creek Road Can 269-6605 for more information They said they were representing the Lexington police department and police Chief John McFadden Youngsters of all ages can see a puppet show at 2 pro at the Eastland branch of the public library 1054 Eastland Shopping Center It's free the passage of the law many Kentuckians of all ages will become more aware of vehicle safety and the important role safety restraints Paula Wheeler Hiatt a Lexington mother of two and cochairman of Kentuckians to Automotive Safety also endorsed passage id the prefifed MIL August 1980 after reading of the deaths of three unrestrained children in Lexington I realized the problem wps much more severe than I had ever she said law is needed to prevent further he said The doctor noted that 54 young children have been killed in Tennnes- The bill prefiled by Sen Helen Garrett D-Paducah primarily would require parents and legal guardians to restrain children up to age 4 in car seats A 325 fine would be imposed to violators police are charged with the protection of the motoring public on the highways of Bryant Champion watermelon seed spitters are invited to show off their talents at a watermelon eating and seed spitting contest at 7 pm at Johnson Heights Prk ITS free Youngsters ages 9 to 14 can sharpen theft basketball skills at a clinic at 3 pm at Castlewood Park on Bryan Avenue no charge Please see POLICE Page this section sal.