The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 25

th Doug Je' immortalized in song mm.rmrm. I is OT i i i named Rookie of the Year," there might be even more Interest in the record, says LeGary. Recording is not a new pastime for UGary. He's been a professional singer since 1970 and appears Friday and Saturday evenings at Turn of tho Century. He plays guitar and banjo and has performed at Shakey's Pl.za Parlor, Tobin's Restaurant, the Ramada Inn O'Hare In Chicago, Ivanhoo Theatre Catacombs Lounge In Chicngo and the Briar House in Chicago.

He's also dono some tlub work In Florida. LeGary Is a 1970 graduate of ISU with a B.S. degree In biology. Originally of Watscka, LeGary is a graduate of Bloomlngton High. Stieger-Collins announcements out Bloomington-Normal area residents have just received invitations to the wedding June IG in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, of Miss Kathy Ann Stieger of Cedar Rapids and Paul Douglas Collins of Benton and Normal.

The ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. in Central Park Presbyterian Church in Cedar Rapids, with a reception following the ceremony in the Montrose Hotel Ballroom. Illustrated, says LeGary. It means "I'm not lying to you." LeGary says he knows Collins "just well enough to say "hello'." He first met Collins during the Olympic exhibition games 'in Louisville, Ky. LeGnry and a friend were outside convention city when the bus was dropping off the Olympic players.

IicGary recounts the time he was performing at Tohin's mid Collins and several friends were about to leave. "I told him I'd watched him for two weeks, now he could listen to me." Collins and party took a ringside tabic for the performance. LeGary gave his first public presentation of the song for WJBC broadcaster Jim Durham. Performers on the record Include ISU freshmen, John Campbell on bass and David Ivnik on drums. LcGary's real name is Cheffer.

He uses "lieGary" as a professional name. "We could have gotten a major label," he says, "but it takes so long." They've recorded on their own "Pick" lalel. "We'd like to see what happens in this area." The record will be on sale at the ISU Horton Kieldhouse ticket office and at Turn of the Century. ISU athletic director Milt Welsbeckcr will take some of the records to Philadelphia. "If Doug does well this year and is By Marcla McConntll Doug Collins now has Ills own theme song thanks to singer, songwriter Michael LeGary.

LeGary, a graduate student In counseling psychology at Illinois State University, has written and recorded a song called the "Ballad of Doug Collins." If everything goes right, the record should be on sale early next week. LeGary of 304 Dewoy, says ho had been planning to write a song about the ISU basketball player but wanted to wait until Collins finished his college career. The dny Collins was drafted by the Philadelphia 7Ccrs of the National Basketball LeGary started the song. "At 1 a.m., I was thinking about Doug's nicknames, 'The Jet' and 'Old rick'," says LeGary. He worked on the words until a.m.

The next afternoon, he wrote the music. The ballad is in story sequence, tracing Doug from the time he left Benton until he was drafted. Chorus for the ballad is: Doug The Jet, Old Pick Collins Sliding through the trees He moves as quick as lightning As the defense seems to freeze He's shades of 1500 But you bet ho knows the score Now he'll put the round ball Through the hoop For a million bucks or more. This is the first song LeGary has recorded, although he's written others. He and a childhood friend, Steve Johnson, have formed a song-writing team.

Johnson's song, "As the Night Goes," will be on the flip side of the Collins record. Some of the words In the song seem a little confusing at first. The "trees" refers to tall basketball players, says LeGary. The phrase "I'm ain't selling you no wolf tickets" is one Collins used when he was pictured on the cover of Sports LIVING Today Songwriter LeGary, left, and Collins Former's ode to Collins about to be released SECTION Pantagraph, Bloomington-Normal, III. Sunday, May 27, 1973 intgrph Photo Wh garde OS Nearly everybody! Army Col.

(Ret.) Edward M. Wones, who is in his late 70s, is eating bibb lettuce and asparagus out of the garden in his back yard at 717 N. School, Normal, where he has gardened for 18 years. His produce this year will include CS tomatoes, Swiss chard, radishes, lettuce, cucumbers and pumpkins, r-hrl1 U- he lets ramble over the wood pile. com- a i-J A Col.

Wones is a firm believer in in his i 1 post and has a large compost pile the extent Redic has bought a new Roto-Tiller to cultivate all of this year's expansive garden soil. Gardening is a wonderful outlet for her office-bound husband and is real therapy, says his attractive wife, Carolyn. The never-say-die type of gardener could be well represented by Loren "Shorty" Andrus. Shorty and his wife, Stella, live at the Oaks Apartments and actually have no space. But they make their own with an 8 by 8 foot area in the ooct lourn rf iha inorlmnnlc of 9fl1 TP, yard.

He used it to cover each of his roses last fall. Twin City area growers and jobbers see such a demand for plants they are already running out. At Miller's Farm Store, seed potatoes have been una- By Lolita Driver Living Today Editor Whether it's our higher cost of living or a yen to work outdoors, 'gardeners are sprouting up all over the place, Sure proof is to talk with growers or dispensers of vegetable and flower plants. They say their sales are much higher than last year. Some of them report that the number of onion sets is double in demand over that in 1972.

One reason, probably, is that onions throughout the country have been so much more expensive in stores. A lot of the areas where they were being grown earlier this year were flooded, so not as many sets were available because of rot. Wholesale and retail growers also report they are seeing more first-lime gardeners this year. Most of them are younger and are growing vegetable gardens. There is no pattern to 1973 gardeners.

Their lifestyles can, vary widely as to residence and occupations. A lot of room or a lack of it makes no difference. James Redic, executive assistant for State Farm Fire Insurance actually has two gardens on the 23 acres where he, his wife and their children live between Lexington and Lake Bloomington. The Redics moved to Illinois six years ago from Pennsylvania. They have a great variety in their parsnips, turnips, potatoes, summer and winter squash, asparagus, popcorn, beans and early garden produce like peas, onions, radishes.

They have even planted some salsify. They also grow strawberries and other berries. They started their gardening out modestly enough and now it's grown to VUOk JUUil V'l till C1U4 H4J.I1UJ ft it UV1 4J4ff Grove. They have' planted a half dozen vailable for three weeks and onion sets Big Boy tomato plants which will help are gone, says Miss fcuen Sweeney, one of the clerks. Cabbage and tomato plants are gone, too, she says.

Miss Sweeney and others notice more young gardeners in this year's buying public. Typical, she said, was one young man who said he hadn't gardened since supply many of the tenants at the Oaks. Shorty planted marigolds (Sen. Dirksen variety) in front of the tomatoes. Shorty and his wife both work at Carl's Shoe Store, where he is supervisor, and they have hved at the Oaks for 18 years.

He has planted red and white petunias was 10 but he is digging up some yard this year to go at it again. If not out in front of his little garden area. J) 11 la Apartment gardeners 'Shorty' Andrus, wife look for tomatoes on plants knowledgeable, the young gardener is eager to learn, she said. One major supplier among local ones is Wendell Niepagen of R. R.

3. In the business for nine years, he is a third generation grower. His grandfather, Charles, was originator of the greenhouse which Wendell now uses and his father, Walter, still operates a greenhouse a half mile west. His late uncle, Carl Niepagen, was also in the Niepagen says he sells more tomatoes, peppers and cabbages than any other plants but he notices an increase this year in such other plants as broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Hail is flie most damaging element weatherwise, he said even worse than frost.

Most popular floral plant he sells is petunia, in red and white, with impatiens next in rank. His greenhouse business will wind down right after Memorial Day and come the end of June he and his wife, Peggy, will head for walleyes and northerns in northern Minnesota. Their son, Lee, 14, also helps in the business. Another three-generation family greenhouse operation is Family Gardens, where three Sam Danenbergers help out. They grow most of their own annuals.

Mrs. Danenberger guesses their sales have increased at least a third and they have had to replant to meet demand. Onion sets have been the "big thing" this year, she said, and have been in shorter supply because of flooding. Homer "Mike" McCain and his son, Jeff, who operate A and Hatchery, notice earlier buying this year and also requests for a greater variety among vegetable plants. Mike guesses their a f- "u- a 4Jff i JH -)tN A pwtf wm mmmi tip1 Stf M'lA A i i plant business has doubled and they could have sold many more onion sets.

After Memorial Day, the business will wind down and they, also, will go fishing in Minnesota. Jeff Swan, manager of Casey's Market Basket Garden Store, echoes the demand for those plants other than simple garden variety. People really are digging up back yards to get into growing their own, said Jeff, who mentioned that long work weeks of such places can easily run into 84-85 hours. The above firms are among many who dispense plants here and were chosen at random for samoling of what people are buying. Big year for suppliers Big demand for plants, says Wendell Niepagen Executive James Redic, rural Lexington, has 2 gardens He's going all-out this year, even bought a new Roto-Tiller.