Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 72

12F DETROIT FREE PRESSTHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25. 1997 Auto mishap nicks Spielberg rr i I teven Spielberg missed the premiere of his new studio's first feature film when he was slightly injured in an auto accident on the way to the theater, LA police said Wednesday. The limousine Eastern Michigan University biology professor Allen Kurta, right, studies a bat in a man-made cave below the Tippy Dam on the Manistee River. Masters student Susan Murray is assisting Kurta in cataloging the bats by species and gender. carrying the director collided with a car as Spielberg headed to Tuesday premiere of The Peacemaker." Spielberg, whose Dreamworks SKG studio produced the 1 II -VS.

film, was treated for a shoulder sprain at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and released. Spielberg was in a rear seat of the limo when the collision occurred. A passenger in the other car also had minor scrapes. MILDRED CADDIS, for years wa sum A lien Kurta, a biology professor from fi Eastern Michigan University, regularly A climbs into a cavelike room under the JL il Tippy Dam to monitor creatures that 1 flit through the night like wraiths, bats whose true story is far more fascinating and incredible than the myths that surround them. Nine species are seen regularly in Michigan, but Kurta's interest here is the endangered Indiana bat, which can fly like a swallow, gobbles thousands of bugs every hour, and has a built-in sonar system that can detect flying insects an eighth-inch long.

Perhaps what's most amazing is that these incredible abilities are packaged in a creature that weighs about a quarter-ounce. A handful of Indiana bats are among the roughly 20,000 that hibernate each winter in this man-made cave on the Manistee River. Consumers Energy, which owns the dam, is required by federal law to monitor endangered species that may be affected by its facilities. So every other year, Kurta does a survey to count the bats and see how many of them are the endangered Indianas, which are at the extreme northern end of their range in Michigan. "We're seeing a major decline in Indiana bats nationally, mosdy because so many bat caves were closed, vandalized or disturbed," Kurta said.

"They're protected now, but their numbers are still going down, and that may be the result of pesticides." By Eric Sharp Spielberg: the popular morning news Missed show reader on top-rated WJLB-FM (97.9), has landed like so many other ex-'JLBers elsewhere. Gaddis, who disappeared without much notice early last summer, has been named director of corporate affairs for PMA Consultants, with responsibility for directing PMA's community investment and involvement programs. She'll keep her hand in radio, too, by hosting specials and daily motivational vignettes on try not to be surprised WCHB-AM (1200) and FM (105.9), WJLB's arch-rival. JEFF DANIELS' aromatic comedy about deer hunters in an Upper Peninsula cabin, "Escanaba in da Moonlight," again is a door-buster at Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea. The revival of the 1995 smash, which opens Friday, quickly sold out its originally scheduled 10 weeks.

It added four more weeks, through Dec. 20, and sold that out too. Escanaba invitee, Mayor Jeanne Rose, expressed sadness that she could not be present on opening night. AND NOW an answer to a major mystery: Ever wonder why a coot like Tony Randall seems to be on David Letterman's "The Late Show" three times a week? Randall says it's because he's breathing. "I live five minutes away from the theater where David does his show so whenever they have some crazy kind of stunt in mind, I can just walk over and do it" If he's not changing diapers for his daughter, that is.

FORMER J. Simpson prosecutor Christopher Darden has wed and it's not to his prosecutorial sidekick, Marcia Clark. His bride is entertainment executive Marcia Carter, Aug. 31 in Vienna, Va. Who's she? Vice-president and corporate controller of Rysher Entertainment.

Briefly Returning: The "Crook Chase" talk-variety show, to The Nashville Network next week at 3 p.m. weekdays. Doubled: WJBK-TVs (Channel 2) daily dose of Geraldo Rivera. Rivera's show will air at 9 a.m. weekdays starting Monday, replacing the just-canceled "Vicki Lawrence Show," starting Oct.

6. He's also on at 2 p.m. weekdays. On tap: The American Cancer Society's 6th annual Relay for Life fund-raiser, at 6 p.m. Friday at the University of Michigan Dearborn.

Entertainment, cancer survivor testimony and fun. Call 1-248-557-5353 for details. i Staged: Today from 4-7 p.m. on WDFN-AM (1130), this month's "Stoney Wojo" Invitational to pick the best comedian. Bill (Big Fun) Thomas failed to make the field.

Compiled by John Smyntek, who can be reached at 1-313-222-5169 or by E-mailing SmintyCompuserve.com. -rrt'i-'-' At 11 Salmon anglers fish below Tippy Dam on the Manistee River, between Manistee and Cadillac. The bat hibernaculum is inside the spillway on the left side of the dam. 1 This is one of the estimated 20,000 bats that winter in the Tippy Dam hibernaculum. PHOTOGRAPHS BY CRAIG PORTER DETROIT FREE PRESS 1 1 1 I rr V-f Uj Ouch! David Seymour, of Bremerton, -A -mA tumbles into the football players they have been making for years.

The old action figures stood about 5 inches, but the new ones will be 12 inches tall. Why the big growth spurt for the toy NFL players? It's all part of a new contract the NFL recentfy signed with Hasbro. But these dolls might be hard to get your hands on. Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman dolls are available only in the JC Penney catalog. And you can find Joe Montana in Target stores starting in October.

By next February, you'll also see new board games, handheld computer games and other toys based on pro football. A place where young readers read, write and yak. www.yakscorner.com bleachers as he tries to grab the football during pee-wee football practice. It's a good thing he's wearing a helmet and shoulder pads. MICHAEL S.

GREEN Associated Press Hugs of congratulations Singer Deana Carter hugs presenter Ricky Skaggs as she accepts her award Wednesday night for single of the year at the 3 1 st Country Music Association Awards show in Nashville. Carter won for "Strawberry Wine," a song about a teenager's first love affair. Garth Brooks, who didn't attend the ceremony, was named best entertainer. George Strait was named best male vocalist, and his "Carrying Your Love With Me" was named best album. Industry voters finally acknowledged two of country music's best-selling female singers: Trisha Yearwood, named best female vocalist, and LeAnn Rimes.

Rimes won her first nod from the association, the Horizon Award for career progress. Some of your favorite NFL stars, including Emmitt Smith and Dan Marino, just got a whole lot taller. Seven inches taller, to be exact. But don't expect to notice the difference when you turn on the television to watch them play this weekend. The real players didn't get any taller their toy action figures did.

All just in time for the holidays! Hasbro, the giant toy company, is making bigger versions of the toy AssociateiJ Pnsss Interactive booYe called Extra Smart Pages that include two "Hercules" etorlee. look for "Disney's Hercules: Zero to Hero," and "Disney's Hercules: The Heart of a Hero" The books are filled with real voices and sounds and have lots of cool games to play. The books sell for $16.99 each. By Stan Dorsey and Jan is Campbell, Yak's Corner staffers merchandise last through the year. If you like the movie, yoill jike "Disney's Animated Storybook, Hercules." The interactive storybook borrowe from the movie.

It got the same cool tunes and actors' vpices. It's also got lots of activities: You can fight the Hydra or make you way to Mt. Olympus, in a maze game. It sells for abouf 35l Golden Books has a new line' of 'i I And speaking of muscle men, Hercules is still going strong. Most of you have heard the myth of Hercules, thanks to Disney's huge summer movie, named for the man himself.

His legend has lasted a couple of thousand years, so it's only fitting that Here toys and '(c i.