People

FARM AID 2002 PLAYS TO PACKED HOUSE

They rocked, sang and danced the day away outside Pittsburgh, as Willie Nelson and his band of helpers carried out FarmAid 2002. One of the workers, reached by telephone, told me that the response was overwhelming and that Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews (all members of the event's board of directors) performed before a standing-room-only crowd at the Post-Gazette Pavilion in suburban Burgettstown, Pa., over the weekend. The shows were carried live on the Country Music Television network, or CMT. Among the other stars participating were Lee Ann Womack, Keith Urban and Kid Rock. With an easy-to-remember phone number (1-800-FARM-AID ... which is still working for late-comers) the event has raised more than $25 million since the first show in Champaign, Ill., in 1985.

WELL KNOWN AMISH COOK DIES

For decades Elizabeth Coblentz was known around the world as "The Amish Cook." Her regular contributions to newspapers and magazines brought a little bit of rural, down-home America to millions. Now, according to published reports in Blue Springs, Mo., Coblentz has died. Her cooking columns appeared in papers around the world for more than a decade. The Independent Examiner first covered the story, saying that she may have suffered an aortic aneurysm before her death at St. Mary's Hospital in that city. She had been visiting there for a book-signing appearance, sponsored by the newspaper. Coblentz did her writing from a real Amish farm in northern Indiana. In keeping with the tradition about which she wrote, she transcribed her columns in pen and ink at a table in her farmhouse, with the help of light from a lantern. Her home was without electricity, a telephone, indoor plumbing or any modern-day conveniences. Elizabeth Coblentz wanted to preserve the past at a time when most of it has been forgotten. Her wishes and her wisdom live on in her columns and cookbooks. She was only 66.

BISON DELE'S FATE STILL A MYSTERY

With the disappearance at sea of former pro basketball player Bison Dele, a lot of questions remain unanswered. Dele, who was known as Brian Williams, was a standout at the University of Maryland before transferring to the University of Arizona in Tucson. Eventually he went to the pros, playing with five different NBA teams -- until 1999. He was on a cruise last month out of Tahiti when he went missing. Police now believe that Dele and two companions were murdered. And, according to the Washington Times, Dele's brother is a prime suspect. Several days ago there were published reports that his brother was posing as Dele, using some of his identification. Now the Times' Bob Cohn points out that this is not the first time a former pro player has vanished into thin air. John Brisker was never heard from again, possibly meeting the same fate as Dele. Brisker played for the American Basketball Association from 1969 through 1975. He went missing after moving to Liberia. He was declared legally dead in 1985. His body was never found. The investigation into the disappearance of Dele continues. Dele is the son of Eugene Williams, who was a member of the classic pop singing group the Platters.

TIGER ATTACKS BOY AT SCHOOL CONVOCATION

Police in Scotts Valley, Calif., about an hour from San Francisco, confirm that a kindergarten-age boy was bitten by a tiger during a school assembly there. Reports show that the tiger was being taken into the auditorium of the Baymonte Christian School by its trainer. It suddenly lurched at a row of seats, clamping its jaws on the head of the small boy. Although the animal had been de-clawed, it still had all its teeth. The boy was rescued by the school's principal and was rushed to a medical center. The tiger was brought to the school in a promotion to sell magazine subscriptions. The animal was making its second appearance at the school. It had been brought there some years ago while it was still a cub. According to bayarea.com, the boy was finally released from the hospital after doctors used 55 stitches to close the lacerations in his scalp. There are some questions as to whether all the cuts were caused by the animal or some were inflicted by a belt buckle worn by the animals trainer, as he tried to pull the tiger from the 6-year-old boy.

REBA AND 'AMERICAN IDOL' TEAM FOR TAPING

Back in 1993 one of the country music world's most eclectic stars, Reba McEntire, teamed with Linda Davis on the mega-hit song "Does He Love You?" Now McEntire has redone the song, before a live audience in Las Vegas. Her new singing partner was "American Idol" Kelly Clarkson. According to country.com, Clarkson and McEntire belted out the duet during the taping of a two-hour special that will air this week on the Fox Network. This is not the first time that Clarkson has sung the song before a live audience. It has been part of her repertoire since a concert when she was in seventh grade.

VALENTI TALKS TOUGH IN WASHINGTON

Jack Valenti, the man with the white hair and looming eyebrows, the man entrusted with the job of representing Hollywood and riding herd on its controversial movie-rating system, has presented his side of the story about the future of the movies to lawmakers in Washington. According to Dan Gilmor, a technology correspondent for the San Jose Mercury News, Valenti says he and Hollywood have no problems with movies being made available on the Internet. He just thinks that it's dangerous ground unless the systems are there to protect the movie-making companies and the people who took part in the films. Valenti is caught in the middle. As the supreme-high lobbyist for the movie industry he presents Tinseltown's point of view. But he is forced to make his statements in an increasing climate of distrust of Hollywood. This comes at a time when many people, particularly computer-savvy young people, say that the current movie distribution system is passé and that Hollywood studios are white elephants. Couple this with the increasing wave of new, short, cheap, independently produced movies being made with the use of video cameras and intended for showing directly to the Web, and the perception that Hollywood makes trash films, ruins the morals of kids and overpays its under-talented all-too-sexy stars ... and Valenti has a rough row to hoe.

UPI DAILY SURVEY QUESTION NO. 421

Here's today's survey question: "What is the worst mess you (or someone else) ever caused in your home or apartment?" Put MESS in the subject line and send to [email protected] via the Internet.

RESULTS OF QUESTION NO. 416 (TENURE)

Last week we asked about people who have been doing the same job or been in the same place for a long time. From a random sampling of the incoming e-mail box, here are some replies: Peggy says that she has a friend who has been working for United Airlines since he graduated from high school in 1960. She says that although they have lost touch with each other, she thinks he is a bigwig in maintenance. Pat in Ontario says she had a friend who worked for a steel company for 25 years and was fired five years shy of retirement. (Pat, that's a common scenario). But he landed on his feet, getting a job (at age 47) at Ford Canada. KeKe says she has been at the same job since 1971. One respondent (whose name fell from the system) remembers a "little white-haired old lady who worked as a secretary at my law firm. When she turned 70 she kept working. We all shook our heads. At 73 she had both knees replaced. She kept working; we again shook our heads. Finally, at age 80 she retired ... but then only because she needed to care for her husband." TOMORROW: A reminder. GBA.