MARS-N-STARS - by John Herrington

MARS-N-STARS
by John Herrington
WMV Web News Cleveland
Story filed July 10, 1997

These are days when many of us are wrapped in warm, fuzzy feelings.

(Yeah, yeah, yeah! What a cornball beginning!

(Okay: don't scorn corn!)

There was "Canada Day" on the first of the month (and never mind that the Empire has shrunk a bit with the transfer of Hong Kong, "God Save the Queen). And then there was Independence Day for us, and didn't that event really shrink the Empire!?!

A passing trivia thought on that: the song, "America," was first sung on a July 4th--it was 1832 at a church in Boston--and the guy who wrote it--his name is Dr. Samuel Francis Smith--didn't even realize that the tune of "America" is the melody of the British national anthem; the story is that Dr. Smith borrowed the tune from a German songbook.)

Isn't it amazing what one can learn, reading this page?

Oh; a couple of other things:

1. July 1 also is "IRS Day." The Bureau of Internal Revenue (now the Internal Revenue Service) was established in 1862. But that's okay; we've gone well beyond April 15.

2. And just 34 years ago, July 1, the Post Office launched the five-digit Zip codes! And, lo and behold, on the same July 1, 34 years later--yep, folks, this past July 1--the U.S. Postal Service said it wants a penny increase in the price of a stamp! Is that timing, or what!!! Hey, analysts thought they would go for a two-cent hike, so we come out a penny ahead.......right?

On the brighter side: the local postal people have improved on-time delivery service markedly! Now, mail gets to you on time, 91 percent of the time! (Oh, "on time" means the mail is delivered within 24 hours of arrival at in the Cleveland postal system.)

How we doing with "warm and fuzzy feelings" so far?

It gets better:

Locally, these are days of all-stars and adrenalin-pumping performances in ballparks on race tracks and on Mars!

(On Mars? You bet! Check with the guys and gals at NASA's Lewis Research Center out by the airport on their pride in and their problems with the Pathfinder probe into that red rockpile in outer space! More about the Pathfinder/Mars efforts of the science-type all stars at Lewis is at http://lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/PAO/html/marspath.htm

Sandy Alomar's amazing swat really sent the adrenalin level soaring among All-Star Game fans and players alike at Jacobs Field...Local business folks were pretty hyped up, too, about the all-star dollars--nearly 40-million of 'em--that game-week visitors were expected to bring in...And more thrills with the all-star race car weekend where the downtown airport runways become the road course layout for the Medic Grand Prix of Cleveland.

On the subject of roads: (and folks, this is a far-cry from "warm and fuzzy") construction work has begun on the Inner Belt Bridge. Bridge repairs will be done in stages over the next three years, the highway people say. We are not permitted to print what motorists say.

But, hey! You want "warm and fuzzy?"

How's this: the Burma-Shave road signs are coming back! Is that good news, or what?

(And for those of you who are asking, "What's Burma-Shave and what signs?" ask someone over the age of 42; the ad people say 90 percent of men over that age know what it's all about.)

The first signs were in 1926...rhymes on signs 100 feet apart. They were on roadways in 45 states by the early '50s.

The last signs were in 1963. Among them:

	"Don't lose			 
	
	"Your head			   
	

	"To gain a minute	    
	

	"You need your head		 
	

	"Your brains are in it	   
	

	"Burma-Shave"

A new advertising campaign on television is expected to spread to a return of the signs to highways and into baseball parks.

Hey! Does it get any better than this?

And from roadway grease to theatrical "Grease": the touring classic plays the Palace (July 15-20; tickets: $23.50-$42.50 at the box office or Advantix, 241-6000)...Lyric Opera's Cleveland premiere of "Transformations" at Kulas Hall at the Cleveland Institute of Music in University Circle (July 16-19; tickets: $29-$37, 231-2910)...and at Berea Fairgrounds, the 15th annual Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival (July 18-20; admission: $7; information: 251-1711).

And out west, Cleveland Ballet's "Blue Suede Shoes" wrapped up another series of well-accepted performances in their "second home" of San Jose, and picked up some nice words in reviews of the show at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.

On a somber note that took a bit away from the joy of the rock-ballet, "Blue Suede Shoes" opened just a couple of days after the death of Dorothy Chandler, who is credited by many with putting new life into the cultural heritage of Los Angeles. The Pavilion named for her is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the L.A. Opera. Mrs. Chandler was 92.

The touring ballet troupe comes back to Cleveland and takes some time off.

The Cleveland-San Jose Ballet's new season of 26 performances of six ballets begins October 22 at the State Theatre. Ticket information and subscriptions: 621-3634.

And, of course, coming in August, the much-ballyhooed "Show Boat" (limited engagement begins Aug. 10 at the State; tickets: $15-$70 at the boxoffice or Advantix, 241-6000).

"Show Boat" won five Tony Awards on Broadway. The $10-million show is said to be the largest Broadway musical ever to tour North America. Cloris Leachman and Len Cariou head the 63-member cast.