AP 3510 01 TD gcassets.matchbin.com/sites/975/assets/DQVS_090110ap.pdfwith a new album, Greatest Hits? 1993-2010, which includes the song “Let’s Get the Band Back Together” and

// C E L E B R A T I N G T H E A M E R I C A N S P I R I T //

ASK AMERICAN PROFILEAnswers to Your

Celebrity Questions!>>> SEE PAGE 2

+

A U G U S T 2 9 - S E P T E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 0

AFTER KATRINAArtist carves a gift for

the Gulf Coast

CraftingCarouselsin Ohio

BROILEDTOMATOESRECIPE

// Florida sculptor Marlin Miller shapes hurricane-toppled trees in Biloxi, Miss.

S O U T H E A S T E D I T I O N

A T T O R N E Y A D V E R T I S I N G

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

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We are also investigating• JANUVIA/JANUMET INJURIES• SEROQUEL YOUTH INJURIES• ZIMMER DUROM CUP HIPS

Bandmates Christian Taylor and Wally Kurth have stageda comeback with an album about their middle-age lives.

ASK AMERICAN PROFILE

Q What happened to Michael Dunn, who played Dr. Miguelito Loveless on the 1960s series The Wild Wild West? —Susan G., Fries, Va.

Born Gary Neil Miller in Shattuck, Okla., the 3-foot-10-inch Dunn was a popular actor in the 1960s in movies, but he will be best remem-bered for his work in 10 episodes of TVs The Wild Wild West as the diabolical Dr. Love-less. Dunn tried to avoid the stereotypi-cal roles given to lit-tle people at the time and landed some plum guest roles on Get Smart, Star Trek, Bonanza and Night Gallery during his brief career. He died in his sleep in 1973, at age 38. An autopsy revealed he suffered from a lung ailment common to his type of dwarfism that led to heart failure.

* COVER PHOTO BY DOUG KEESE

E-mail us at [email protected] or mail to: Ask American Profile, 341 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067. The volume of mail received prohib-its us from giving personal replies—through e-mail or other means.

AmericanProfi leAmerican Profile is published by: Publishing Group of America, 341 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, Tennessee 37067 Phone: 1-800-720-6323. Mail editorial queries and contributions to Editor, American Profile, 341 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067. Publishing Group of America, Inc. will not be responsible for unsolicited materials, and cannot guarantee the return of any materials submitted to it. ©2010 Publishing Group of America, Inc. American Profile™ is a trademark of Publishing Group of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any article, photograph, or other portion of this magazine without the express written permission of Publishing Group of America, Inc. is prohibited.

Send us your questions

Q Is it true that Wally Kurth, who plays Jus-tin Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives, has a band?—Carly Thomas, Andover, N.Y.

Yes. Kurth, 52, and pal Christian Taylor formed a duo in 1992, which lasted until 2005. After a five-year break, Kurth & Taylor have returned with a new album, Greatest Hits? 1993-2010, which includes the song “Let’s Get the Band Back Together” and its comedic video. The song, Kurth says, is about “a couple of middle-age guys who have taken a leave of absence from the music business, living our domestic, middle-age lives with kids.”

to ed

ss s sssssssss sssssss

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ASK AMERICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN PROFQ Could you tell me what’s next for Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar for her role in The Queen and was marvel-ous as Detective Jane Tennison in the Prime Suspect mysteries?—Rick Parker, Topeka, Kan.

Mirren, 65, has several films hitting theaters before the end of the year, including Love Ranch (directed by her husband, Taylor Hackford), The Debt and The Tempest. On Sept. 7, the release of Prime Sus-pect: The Complete Collection will include the nine feature-length mysteries with Mirren in her TV role as Tennison, who rises through the ranks of Britain’s Metropolitan Police.

Q Has Wipeout co-

host Jill Wagner ever

tried to play the games

featured on the TV show?—Megan Murphy, Colorado Springs, Colo.

A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Wagner, 31, admits that she has never run the Wipeout course, a gauntlet of whimsically named obstacles including Big Balls, Sucker Punch and Dreadmill. “When I first got the job, I thought, ‘I am going to do this tomorrow before everybody starts.’ Then I saw the first couple of people go through it and I said, ‘I am never doing that.’ But before

the show goes off the air, I want to jump on the big balls.”

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Use withthe FlowerBaskets during theSummermonths –removethem or fillwith sprigsof spruceduring theWintermonths.

Broiled Tomatoes in Basil VinaigretteBroiling tomatoes concentrates their natural sugars, making summer tomatoes even better.

Vegetable oil for broiler pan 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil 3 bay leaves 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 tomatoes, cut into halves horizontally

1. Preheat broiler. Brush vegetable oil on a broiler pan.2. Combine olive oil, vinegar, basil, bay leaves, garlic and salt in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Stir until well combined. 3. Place tomato halves cut-sides down directly on broiler pan. Broil until they start to char and blister, about 4 minutes. Using tongs or a spatula and spoon, carefully turn tomatoes over and broil 2 minutes longer. 4. Remove tomatoes from heat and place cut-sides up in the dish with oil and vin-egar mixture. Spoon some of the mixture over tomatoes. Set aside to marinate at least 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 6.

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Nutritional facts per serving: 80 calories, 5g fat, 1g protein, 7g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 55mg sodium.

RECIPEAmericanProfi le

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Celebrates artist

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PAGE 6 • AMER ICANPROFILE .COM

ARKANSAS—BPW Barn Sale—Camden, Sept. 25. Shop for arts & crafts at Oakland Farms and view an antique & classic car show at Camden Fairview High School during this Camden Business & Professional Women’s Organization event. (870) 231-6244.

FLORIDA—The Mystery of Irma Vep—St. Petersburg, Sept. 15-Oct. 10. The American Stage Theatre Company presents this Gothic spoof that satirizes several films and plays and features two actors play-ing a dozen roles. Raymond James Theatre. (727) 823-7529.

GEORGIA—Shrimp & Grits: The Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival—Jekyll Island, Sept. 17-19. A shrimp and grits cookoff, shrimp boat tours, cooking demonstrations, book signings, arts & crafts, entertain-ment and a kids zone highlight this event. (877) 453-5955.

KENTUCKY—World Chicken Festival—London, Sept. 23-26. Enter the wing-eating contest, enjoy the Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Col. Harlan Sanders look-alike contest, and watch chicken fried in the world’s largest known stainless steel skillet. (606) 878-6900.

LOUISIANA—Good Ole Days Festival—Marthaville, Sept. 17-18. Delight in Southern gospel music on Sept. 17, and family and school class reunions, a kids area, a parade, school performance groups, a youth music show and country music on Sept. 18. (800) 259-1714.

MISSISSIPPI—Seafood Festival—Biloxi, Sept. 11-12. Sample a variety of seafood dishes, and enjoy arts & crafts, a kids village, games, a gumbo contest and live entertainment at the Biloxi Town Green. (228) 604-0014.

NORTH CAROLINA—Grandfather Mountain Kidfest—Linville, Sept. 11. Bring your kids to explore the nature and culture of the area, with guided hikes, games, storytellers and music at Grand-father Mountain. (800) 468-7325.

SOUTH CAROLINA—Fall Tour of Homes and Gardens—

Charleston, Sept. 23-Oct. 24. Take a tour of gardens and private homes, churches and public buildings in neighborhoods dating from the Colonial era to the present. (843) 722-4630.

TENNESSEE—Peavine Arts & Crafts Festival—Parsons, Sept. 17-18. Buy arts & crafts, plus enjoy an old-fashioned tent show and dog, art and quilt shows in the downtown area. (731) 847-6358.

VIRGINIA—Virginia Air Show—Front Royal, Sept. 11-12. Watch the renowned Flying Circus air show, hot air balloons, and military aircraft and gliders, plus enjoy antique auto and aircraft displays, crafts, food and airplane rides at Front Royal-Warren County Airport. (540) 635-3570.

WEST VIRGINIA—AutumnFest—Princeton, Sept. 25. Celebrate the season with live music, a 5K run, a car show, a chili cookoff, carnival rides, children’s activities and food in the downtown area. (304) 487-1502.

ALABAMA—Harvest of Quilts—Athens, Sept. 17-19. View handmade quilts, shop for quilting supplies and bid in a silent auction during this Piece Makers Guild event at Athens State University ballroom. (256) 777-3218.

No inhumane shock collars orother painful methods! The BarkStopper emits a harmless, high-pitched pulse that is inaudible tohuman ears, but extremely irritat-ing to dogs. The dog soon learnsto avoid the unwanted behavior!Train your own dog or even yourneighbor’s. Features two sensitivitylevels. Comes with a stand for easyportability – or slides into the wall

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TIM GORKA, 54, chisels the finishing touches into a carving of an African mountain gorilla, cutting intricate lines into the animal’s wooden body at The Carousel Works in Mansfield, Ohio (pop. 49,346).

“There’s a lot of creative free-dom with the figures,” Gorka says of his job with the largest manu-facturer of wooden carousels in the world. “It’s a lot of fun.”

At a nearby workstation, carver Donna Grantham shapes the back of a 4-foot caterpillar, digging into the soft basswood with a metal tool, periodically brushing away wood chips with her hand.

“Each one comes out a little different, because they’re all carved by hand,” says Grantham, 42, who has worked for the company for 12 years. “Each carver comes up with their own idea, unless the client knows exactly what they want.”

Founded in 1986 by woodcarver Arthur Ritchie, 57, and construction worker Dan Jones, 61, Carousel Works today employs 28 carvers, painters, carpenters, machinists and electrical specialists who build or restore up to five merry-go-rounds each year for amusement parks, ball-parks, zoos and even cruise ships.

While half of the revolving rides feature tradi-tional horses, the other half showcase a menager-ie of saddled animals, insects and reptiles, includ-ing anteaters and elephants, frogs and flamingos, ladybugs and leopards, puffins and polar bears.

The Carousel Works originally specialized in carousel restorations, and transitioned into build-ing new ones as word of its craftsmanship and expertise spread. The company built its first car-ousel, featuring endangered species from South-east Asia, in 1994 for the Children’s Zoo in Fort Wayne, Ind., and since has built 41 others, includ-ing rides for the Bronx (N.Y.) Zoo and Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals.

“I love what we’re doing,” says Jones, the company’s co-owner. “I love everything about it. How often do you get to do something that no one else does?”

Carousel figures begin as blocks of basswood, which are glued together and cut into basic shapes with a machine. These shapes are turned into works of art by Gorka, Gran-tham, Ritchie and their fellow carvers. The carved figures then are sanded, primed, paint-ed and coated with protective varnish before being mounted on a metal pole and positioned on a platform, which is sur-rounded by colorful murals, mirrors and lights and pow-

ered by an electric motor.A carousel can take up to a year to build and

can cost as much as $1 million, depending on its size and complexity of design. Usually, company employees are working on several carousels and restorations simultaneously.

Ritchie and Jones both have children who

grew up around the business and now work for the company. “As a child you don’t realize how unique it is,” says Kate Blakley, 33, Ritchie’s daughter, who markets the company’s custom-ized carousels. “It’s just what your parents do.”

Now, Blakley’s daughter, Alexa, 6, likes to hang around the workshop and watch the design process. “I like it,” she says. “They have a whole bunch of different animals.”

“She likes to paint,” says Blakley of her daugh-ter. “She says to me, ‘Mom, I’m not going to be on the computer like you. I’m going to paint.”

The final test of carousels comes from cus-tomers who ride them, and invariably, Carousel Works’ beautiful handcrafted rides are a time-less amusement.

J.C. “Buzz” Brenton, a Des Moines, Iowa, businessman, was instrumental in bringing a Carousel Works creation to his city’s Heritage Park. He finds joy in seeing streams of people rid-ing the carousel, with children paying 50 cents and adults a dollar for the simple pleasure of tak-ing a spin on an old-fashioned merry-go-round.

“It’s affordable where many things aren’t,” Brenton says. “Children delight in carousels.” ★

Visit www.carouselworks.com for more information.

PAGE 8 • A M E R I C A N P R O F I L E .CO M

MADE IN AMERICABy Vivian Wagner • PHOTOS BY TODD YARRINGTON

Making Merry-Go-RoundsAn Ohio company builds revolving works of art

Carver Tim Gorka chisels detail into a figure for the world’s largest wooden carousel manufacturer.

The Carousel Works crew builds and restores up to five merry-go-rounds each year for amusement parks and zoos.

As Santa and his reindeer joyously fly into the Christmas

night, the Wonderland Express slowly chug, chug, chugs

its way ‘round and ‘round the peaceful little village nestled

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This token gesture from me represents a

rebuilding of the spirit.—Marlin Miller“Thi

f

cover story[ ]

// BY SHARON H. FITZGERALD

The muscles in Miller’s arms bulge from the weight of the roaring saw, which sends wood chips flying and sawdust blossoming into fine clouds, cov-ering the sculptor from head to toe and even dusting the teeth behind his smiling face.

Despite the strain of his task and the concentra-tion required, a smile is never far from Miller’s lips, especially when the woodcarver is shaping the battered trees along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast into lasting works of art.

Ravaged in August 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, the coastline is dotted with fallen trees that once were towering cedars and centuries-old live oaks. The stark trunks that remain are grim reminders of Katrina’s wrath, but to Miller, 49, they are blank canvases. Since 2007, he has transformed nearly 50 tree trunks into dramatic carvings of coastal marine life and, in the process, transformed the spirits of Mississippians.

“What I have gotten out of this ride has just been incredible,” says Miller, who donated his time and talents to create an outdoor gallery along a 25-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 90. “It hasn’t been about money.”

Rebuilding spiritsWhile he works, Miller frequently is approached

by coastal residents who offer their thanks on behalf of their communities. Their words often dis-solve into tears, however, while trying to describe what the sculptures represent to a region working to rebuild. “The emotion, it’s still so strong here, and then I get all emotional, too,” Miller confides.

BEHIND PROTECTIVE goggles, Marlin Miller’s eyes focus on the tip of his chain saw cut-ting a groove into the trunk of a 500-year-old oak tree in Biloxi, Miss. (pop. 50,644).

// With his chain saw, Marlin Miller has turned trees ravaged by Hurricane Katrina into works of art in Biloxi, Miss.”spirit.

Sculptor Marlin

PAGE 10 • A M E R I C A N P R O F I L E .CO M

PHOTOS BY DOUG KEESE

AMER ICANPROFILE .COM • PAGE 11

Some strangers try to give him money to help pay his expenses, but when Miller refuses to accept cash, he ends up with gifts of homemade jellies, ceramics, Christmas cards and even a prayer shawl. “I do all this for free,” he says. “I don’t want to mess with the integrity of this project.”

The project’s purpose, he says, is to give back to the people of Mississippi during a time of need, just as they were present for his hometown of Fort Walton Beach (pop. 19,973) when Hurricane Ivan pounded the Florida Panhandle in 2004.

“Most generations in Mississippi go eight or nine generations deep,” he explains. “When these people lost a giant tree, it wasn’t just theirs. It was something that their great-great-great grandpar-ents played under as children. This token gesture from me represents a rebuilding of the spirit.”

Love of the seaRaised on a family farm in Manson, Iowa

(pop. 1,893), Miller is a fourth-generation artist. His grandfather painted wild-life scenes, as well as most of the business signs in their county. Miller was introduced to the Gulf Coast while stationed in the early 1980s at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi. There, he developed his love of the sea and, after military service that took him to Hawaii, Europe and the Middle East, settled in Fort Walton Beach. The artist and his wife, Rene, have five chil-dren and two grandchildren.

Miller’s carvings cap-ture his love of marine life, and his works are on display in galleries, res-taurants and the homes of private collectors around the world. In recent years, however, his passion has been to salvage hurricane-whipped trees tagged for removal. Nearly every week, Miller and his truck, loaded with chain saws,

grinders, chisels and wooden mallets, have made the three-hour drive from his home to Biloxi to carve for a few days. Occasionally, the truck tows a hydraulic lift to hoist Miller to the top of the trunks, some of which tower three stories high.

A surprising journeyIn late April, Miller put the finishing touches on

the last Katrina carving—a sprawling sculpture of dolphin fish, a marlin, turtle and crab, fashioned from a live-oak trunk on Biloxi’s Town Green.

“What Marlin has done for this community is just a godsend,” says city spokesman Vincent Creel, 49. “It’s a gift that’s going to give for generations.”

Visitors to Biloxi rank Miller’s sculptures as the city’s top tourist attraction. “When we told friends we were coming to Biloxi, everyone said not to miss these carvings,” says Holly Orgeron, 28, of Crown Point, La., during her

family’s visit.While each carving has mean-

ing, one is a source of special pride for the artist. Miller’s rendering of a 17-foot eagle was dedicated last spring at Keesler Air Force Base, fashioned from a large oak trunk. The sculpture adorns the entrance of the base’s new commissary, where Brig. Gen. Ian Dickinson lauds Miller’s work as a method of conservation.

“We recover, we replant, and we renew, but not everything that passed out of life should be cut down and moved on,” Dickinson says. “Let’s celebrate what’s been left inside those majestic trees that have been here for so very long.”

For Miller, his Katrina tree project has been a surprising journey that began with a single carving in Biloxi and kept draw-ing him back. “I’m along for

the ride,” says the artist, his eyes welling with tears. “I have been driven by something much bigger than me.” ★

Visit www.marlinmillergallery.com for more information.

Miller transforms toppled trees and wounded spirits

// Miller’s sculptures dot U.S. Highway 90 (above and below) and adorn the grounds of Keesler Air Force Base (right).

“They fi t and fl atter.”

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