Q. My dad worked at Illinois Power Co. for more than 40 years and always wore OshKosh work pants. He is now retired but still loves his OshKosh. The problem is they are all wearing out and I have tried to find them for several years now with no luck. It would make my dad extremely happy to put on a new pair of these pants.
-- Sandy Lynn
A. In 1962, the Miles Kimball Co. advertised OshKosh bibs for kids, and, b'gosh, life was never the same in OshKosh, Wis.
By the 1990s, demand for the youngsters' clothing was soaring while the company started losing their shirts on the adult pants as demand fell. About four years ago, OshKosh, now part of the Carter's family, dropped the adult line entirely, I was told by a customer representative.
So, your dad can still wear the pants in your family, but they won't be OshKosh.
Q. What happened to Stone Phillips on NBC's "Dateline"?
-- C.F., of Edwardsville
A. It's frightening to think that a 15-year NBC news star would suddenly find himself at the mercy of the economy, but that's apparently what happened.
When his $7 million-a-year contract came up for renewal last summer, NBC decided to cut ties. It's the same thing that happened to John Siegenthaler, a former weekend news anchor. With most former must-see news magazines devolving into pedophile chases and murder mysteries, the network thought it was better off with people who would wear several hats like Ann Curry and Lester Holt.
With that size contract, though, Phillips, a former standout scholar-athlete at Parkway West in St. Louis, perhaps isn't in too desperate need of a new job as the 53-year-old hunk tries to eke out a living with his wife and 20-year-old son.
Q. One of my favorite TV shows is "Reba." I discovered it only a couple of months ago. I love it because it's funny and the characters are great. How long has it been on TV? I'm sure I'm watching repeats now, but I'm hoping to hear that it was not canceled.
-- Barbara Jean
A. Sorry, but you're another victim of Murphy's Law of TV: As soon as you find a show you like, they cancel it. But you can take some solace in the fact that in your case they had axed it long before.
Country superstar Reba McEntire showed she could make the crossover from singing to sitcom acting when "Reba" premiered on the WB Television Network in 2001. For those unfamiliar, she played a wisecracking single mother in Houston, whose ex-husband had run off to marry a ditzy dental hygienist named Barbara Jean.
It ran for five successful seasons, but as soon as the WB merged with UPN in 2006, the new CW Network announced plans to cancel the show. Now here's the crazy part: At the last minute, CW ordered 13 more episodes, and suddenly "Reba" blossomed into the CW's top sitcom. But the network stuck by its decision to end the show, and the final episode aired on Feb. 18, 2007.
One bit of good news: It's possible that Reba's kids may move to CBS this fall in a spinoff sitcom called "Van and Cheyenne."
Q. What happened to Cindy Collins and Jim Cox on KEZK?
-- Maggie Conley, of St. Louis, and Sue Newman, of Belleville
A. The economy happened. Apparently budget cutting led to the ouster of Collins, Cox and Mike Parnell from CBS-owned KEZK in mid-February, the same time Paul Harris disappeared from KMOX.
Periodic plea
Please include your name and address on your questions. I will use your initials if you ask, but I need your address to send you a personal reply to questions I've already answered. Otherwise, you'll think that I'm ignoring you, and I'd rather stay on your good side when I can.
Send your questions to Roger Schlueter, Belleville News-Democrat, 120 S. Illinois St., P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427 or rschlueter@bnd.com
