, That Was Ellen’s Bro Visiting Cda

If you were in Coeur d’Alene last weekend and thought you saw Vinnie Barbarino, Tony Manero, Vincent Vega, Chili Palmer or George Malley hanging around town, you were wrong.

It was only John Travolta.

Only John Travolta? John Travolta, the guy who played all of those characters, caused bigtime screaming hysteria in the lobby of the Coeur d’Alene Resort on July 20. He was spotted walking that Travolta walk, heading for a party he was throwing in honor of his big sister, Ellen Travolta.

John and 17 other members of the famous Travolta extended family flew in last weekend to attend the closing night of “Gypsy” at the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre. Ellen was playing the lead role of Mama Rose, and her husband, Jack Bannon (“Lou Grant”), was playing Herbie.

Most people in the audience that night didn’t even know John was there. In order to minimize the distraction, John and the rest of the clan snuck into the back of the house after the lights went down.

“After the show, he came backstage and talked to all of the kids (in the cast) and signed autographs for them,” said Ellen, who lives in Coeur d’Alene.

And then he ushered Ellen and the rest of the family to the resort.

“He wanted to do a little party for us,” said Ellen.

Ellen was especially pleased because at one time, it appeared doubtful whether John could come at all. He was supposed to be in Paris filming “The Double.” But then he dropped out of that movie after a well-publicized dispute with director Roman Polanski.

“After the show, John said to me, ‘I knew there was a reason I didn’t do ‘The Double,’ ” said Ellen.

Olympic-watching gripes

I’ve found watching the Olympics to be especially painful this year, and apparently I’m not the only one. The problem lies not so much in Bob Costas or John Tesh but in KHQ-6’s irritating news updates and promos.

I have heard and seen nothing but the most fiercely negative comments on the radio, in other publications and from readers. One caller said the updates were “trash journalism” which “degrades the news” and is a “guaranteed way to make me change the channel.”

Wednesday’s issue of The Inlander asked, “Does anyone over there have even a remote sense of decency?”

The problem is, KHQ has inexplicably chosen to revive its ridiculous experiment in flashy MTV-style journalism. The camera refuses to hold still. Half the time, the anchors are tilted at an angle. A lowercase identifier, such as “news,” shimmers and shakes pointlessly in the upper left corner.

I could stand all of this if it weren’t for the music that plays underneath almost the entire newscast. To have Randy Shaw talking about the TWA disaster while upbeat rock music plays in the background is more than just annoying - it borders on the offensive.

KHQ did the same thing during the 1992 Olympics, and it was obnoxious then, too.

Why bring it back, or anything remotely like it?

Swingin’ Coeur d’Alene

Swing magazine (subtitle: Life in Your Twenties) has chosen Coeur d’Alene as one of its “10 Best Places to Live,” in company with places like Jacksonville, Fla., Portland, Ore., and Boston.

While some might dispute the rosy job outlook for 20-somethings in Coeur d’Alene (tourism isn’t exactly known for creating high-paying jobs), there is no arguing with the main premise of the story: Coeur d’Alene is a great place to be 25 years old and in love with the outdoors.

“The attraction is almost peerless natural beauty - the greatest concentration of lakes and streams in the West, towering fir trees, sandy shorelines and deep blue waters,” says the magazine.

Classy’s Love Whatever

KXLY-FM has backed down in the battle of the “Love Notes.”

Two weeks ago, Spotlight noted that KISC-FM (“98 KISS-FM”) and KXLY-FM (“Classy 99.9”) were engaged in a lover’s quarrel over the rights to the “Love Notes” name.

Host Terry Holiday moved his popular request-and-dedication show from KISC to KXLY on July 15 and said he was going to call it “Classy Love Notes.” However, the people at KISC pointed out that they hold the trademark on the name, and that they are continuing their own “Love Notes” with a new host.

This week, Mike Ellis of KXLY said his station has decided it “would be a great idea not to use the words ‘Love Notes.”’ Instead, Holiday’s listeners will select a new name. Over 300 suggestions have already been submitted. Aug. 1 is the deadline for suggestions.

Spotlight’s suggestion: Mash Notes.

To leave a message on Jim Kershner’s voice-mail, call 459-5493. Or send e-mail to jimk@spokesman.com, or regular mail to Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo