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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Zombie can’t handle skate park’s noise

From Wire Reports

The noise from a new skate park in Connecticut is too much for rocker Rob Zombie.

He and his wife have complained to the Litchfield County town of Woodbury that the park, which opened near their home in April, makes such a racket that it should be moved.

The town is looking into moving the park, but first it’s trying to muffle the noise by enclosing the sides of the metal skate ramps, stuffing the jumps with Styrofoam and putting up soundproofing fabric on a fence, First Selectman Gerald Stomski said. The park hours were also reduced and it is closed on Sundays.

“We do know the Zombies, on a side note, and they are just normal people like anyone else in our town,” Stomski said. About 10,000 people live in the well-to-do small town nestled in Litchfield Hills, known for antiquing.

Zombie, 48, began his career with the ’80s shock-rock band White Zombie and has reinvented himself as a contemporary horror film master with “House of 1000 Corpses,” its sequel, “The Devil’s Rejects,” and the recently released “The Lords of Salem.”

Roker sleeps through ‘Wake Up’ show

Al Roker might want to invest in a new alarm clock.

The “Today” weatherman overslept Tuesday, missing his early morning call for The Weather Channel’s “Wake Up With Al.”

“After 39 years, it happened. I overslept and missed a show. Missed #WUWA. But will be on time for @today,” Roker tweeted.

He fulfilled his promise, showing up at Rockefeller Center where colleagues Savannah Guthrie, Natalie Morales and Matt Lauer quizzed him.

“The alarm clock on my phone didn’t go off. Somebody asked, ‘What’s your back-up?’ For 39 years, I didn’t need one,” he said, joking he had changed the name of his show to “Al, Wake Up!”

Novelist Leonard suffers stroke

Acclaimed crime novelist Elmore Leonard is recovering at a hospital following a stroke last week.

Leonard’s longtime researcher, Gregg Sutter, said Tuesday that family members are guardedly optimistic about the 87-year-old author’s condition.

Leonard lives in suburban Detroit.

He has written 45 Westerns, crime novels and mysteries.

Sutter said Leonard has been at work on No. 46.

The birthday bunch

Former MLB pitcher Don Larsen is 84. Humorist Garrison Keillor is 71. Singer B.J. Thomas is 71. Actor David Duchovny is 53. Actress Charlize Theron is 38.