Attention, Organists

The real sadness in Chicago this weekend is not the end of the baseball season, even though the Infidel Chicago White Sox have our beloved Cleveland Indians to kick around Friday through Sunday. It's the imminent retirement of Nancy Faust, the organist at U. S. Cellular Field, and previously at the demised Comiskey Park. Nancy was the life of the party, as she chose songs to reflect action on the field. She's been there for 41 years, the last few playing only day games. Some Chicagoans say she's more popular than the team.

Organists give me a hard time because they claim I don't play enough organ music on WCLV. However, the team is taking applications for a new organist, so brush up your resumes.

How do YOU say "Slow?"

Clevelanders were "transportationally challenged" this morning with power outages knocking out traffic signals and obliging drivers to test their four-way stop manners. Fog obscured the view everywhere, particularly in the I-271 corridor on the east side.

It's an art form to deliver the traffic reports in a creative way. People want to hear the latest update quickly so they can decide what roads and exits to avoid. Synonyms for "slow" are helpful. This morning it was "Riding a geriatric yak would be faster than..."

Ann Rutherford Visits WCLV

Your announcer with actress Ann Rutherford, who visited WCLV Friday, September 24th in connection with the Kent State University Museum exhibit of "Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen," opening October 2nd.

We chatted so much that both her 7-minute on-air interview and a special "web extra" interview will be posted on the WCLV website (wclv.com) shortly.

Miss Rutherford, smartly dressed in a David Hayes ensemble, told how she lied about her age to snag a radio job while she was in her teens. She appeared as Polly Benedict to Mickey Rooney's Andy Hardy in a dozen films beginning in the mid-1930s. She was an experienced film actress by the time David O. Selznick cast her as Carreen O'Hara, Scarlett's youngest sister in "Gone With the Wind," without a screen test. As she explained in the interview, she also tried to tell Mr. Selznick a thing or two about economizing on costumes.

She chatted with fans and signed autographs at the Kent State Museum on Saturday the 25th along with Robert Osborne from Turner Classic Movies.

In the "web extra," the 89-year-old actress explains her admiration for Katharine Hepburn, and how radio is her "first love."

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About "The Rite of Spring" But Were Afraid to Ask

Debuting today at 3 Eastern is "Quick Insights," a new feature on WCLV 104.9 designed to inform listeners about music the Cleveland Orchestra will perform each week. It's intended to be brief, informative and humorous, and it will include excerpts of Cleveland Orchestra performances. Today: Igor Stravinsky's ballet "The Rite of Spring."

The feature will be repeated several times before each week's concerts. The exact schedule has yet to be worked out, so stay tuned.

"Femming Up" the Men's Room

Early this morning, before the staff arrived, I placed a small vase of orange zinnias on the counter in the Radio Ranch men's room. I'm waiting for the guys to complain that I'm femming up their lavatory.

These zinnias were photographed this morning in the office kitchen. Earlier in the summer, the orange and magenta zinnias prevailed. Now the pink-hued flowers bloom in profusion. Faded sunflowers are forming seed heads, tomato plants are spent, and basil leaves are smaller and narrower as the herb sets seeds.

Since WCLV will be moving downtown to a plant-less office, this is the last summer I'll be tending the garden. I'll dig up the snowdrop and squill bulbs from under the trees and plant them at home. Ditto with lily-of-the-valley, chives and sea pinks. I may take some mint home, where I can keep it properly restrained in a pot.

I don't normally photograph with a flash or in the dark, but in this case, the colors were much truer than the result using available light.

El Rodento Strikes Again

Our corpulent groundhog, "El Rodento," helps himself to my tomatoes at the Radio Ranch garden. His Wideness has been spotted lumbering to the under-the-fence exit when the proprietor of the garden makes an appearance and shakes her fist at the varmint.

Last year, he chewed my radicchio plants to the ground. This year, vegetable larceny.

Sleeping in Until 5 a.m.

Darlings, what a divine residency I had in Slacker City until this morning, when the mattress ejector button propelled me back into morning drive reality. During my break, I endured 10 days of domestic archaeology, armed with a pith helmet and flame thrower.

You radio guys know that in the seconds it takes to walk from the car to the control room, you accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. It's hardly Mach 1, but I could swear the after effects are similar.