Woodlands Toasts Liquor License Renewal 
The Night Spot Will Receive A Warning From The State To Address The Problem Of 
Fights And Assaults

2 Men Accused Of $600 Million Bank Scheme 
Named Are Theodore Graino, 
70, Who Listed His Address As East 
Diamond Avenue, Hazleton, And 
Wilbur Arthur Stile, 54, Of Harrisburg

Wednesday, January 29, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Say it isn't so, Cos; just say it isn't so &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How sad we were as kids back then, when Toto exposed the hapless Professor &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Marvel in the control booth, and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz was revealed to
be merely a man"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 How sad we are as grown-ups today. On Tuesday, the curtain of Bill Cosby
the superstar lifted to show a glimpse of Bill Cosby the man. And we feel a
childlike regret that the curtain never will drop back down. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Cosby is a wizard indeed -- or at least he was, before the events of last
few weeks. He not only crossed the color line. He erased it: His "Cosby Show"
dominated network ratings for eight years running, and helped people see the
word "family" in the phrase "black family" before they saw the word "black." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 His good-natured humor had won audiences' hearts for decades before. "To
Russell, My Brother," ranks among the funniest recordings of all time; its
subject, the jokes and fights and havoc that results when kid brothers share a
bed. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Then there were the Jell-O commercials, the Fat Albert routines, the
stories of Cos going back to school and getting his Ph.D. Of course no one
really believed the whole media-myth. Most Americans are too savvy for that.
They know a Professor Marvel lurks somewhere behind all the curtains of all
the wonderful Wizards of Oz. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But in some naive corner of our minds, we wanted to believe. It's the same
corner that brings a smile at the sight of a shopping-mall Santa Claus. And
that makes us recoil when we see that Santa on break, with a fake beard in one
hand and a cigarette in the other. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bill Cosby confessed on national TV to an affair the other day. The affair
happened decades ago. Such skeletons lurk in the backs of millions of closets.
This one took on significance only because Bill Cosby is a superstar with a
wholesome image. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 We know that, of course. We also know he's only human. We know everyone
makes mistakes. We respect his wife for her steadfast loyalty, and his family
for their grace, in the face of both this revelation and the recent murder of
young Ennis Cosby. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 We might even admit we admire Bill Cosby as much today as we ever did. Even
while publicly confessing, the man showed dignity and class. His conduct makes
us respect even more how well he has handled the enormous pressures of
celebrity. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Still.... &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Darn it, it's sad to see the curtain lifted, and one more icon fall. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Another great line in another great movie comes at the end of the classic
western, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." The editor of the Shinbone Star
in Shinbone, Ariz., has finished interviewing U.S. Sen. Ransom Stoddard -- a
legendary elder statesman who, as a young man, had shot the outlaw Liberty
Valance in Shinbone. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But Stoddard, played by Jimmy Stewart, just confessed to the editor that he
hadn't shot Valance at all. Another man had done the deed, as the movie
reveals. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The editor considers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Senator," he says. "I'm a newspaperman." People expect the whole truth and
nothing but the truth from the Star, and of course they get it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But at times there comes a story whose revelation can produce only pity and
regret with no corresponding gain. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And that's why the Star won't run the senator's story, the editor declares. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The editor closes his notebook and stands up. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "When the legend becomes fact," he says, "print the legend." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ethics, the marketplace, and journalism's modern norms make that choice
impossible today. But when Bill Cosby's extramarital affair made the headlines
yesterday, we found ourselves half-wishing we could have printed the legend
after all. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Say It Isn't So, Cos; Just Say It Isn't So 
``pay No Attention To That Man Behind The Curtain!'' 
How Sad We Were As Kids Back Then, When Toto Exposed The Hapless Professor 
Marvel In The Control Booth, And The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz Was Revealed To Be 
Merely A Man.

Say It Isn't So, Cos; Just Say It Isn't So ``pay No Attention To That Man Behind The Curtain!'' How Sad We Were As Kids Back Then, When Toto Exposed The Hapless Professor Marvel In The Control Booth, And The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz Was Revealed To Be Merely A Man.