Ricki Wertz has touched Americans with kids' show, campaigns

When her groom asked Ricki Wertz what kind of wedding gift he could give her, Wertz said she wanted a dog.

The young bride's gift came from an animal shelter, a 9-month-old half whippet, half golden retriever with reddish hair. That is how Ruth Elizabeth Wertz, 68, "Ricki" to family, friends and generations of Pittsburgh television viewers, met Copper.

"My dream was to have my own dog. I could not have one growing up," Wertz says. "So I got one the first chance I got."

And by honing her broadcast skills working with the telegenic mutt, Wertz got the chance to create nationally televised public service programs she produced in Pittsburgh. And the chance to work with two first ladies.

"Life is a process," Wertz says. "She (Copper) helped me be a better TV person, to go on to other things. To use TV to address social ills. To do good."

It was the gift that kept on giving.

Wertz's first children's show, "Comedy Time," aired at noon weekdays on WTAE (Channel 4) from 1958 to 1959. But when Copper became co-host, it became "Ricki and Copper," airing at 9:30 a.m. weekdays. The ratings were phenomenal, she says. A star is born.

Many mistook Copper for an Irish setter because of her reddish color. Wertz can empathize. "People thought that I always was more of a redhead than I really was. My hair is reddish blond. On air, it looks more red."

Copper was the top dog, but never got top billing. "All the kids just loved that dog. Copper did the work and I took her money. All she wanted was dog food. She was quite an animal. I never trained her."

But Wertz had to train the mostly 4- to 8-year-olds on the set to head in a different direction.

The very young guest stars had to hold their heads up so their faces could be seen by viewers. Tom Borden, her director and husband of 48 years and counting, helped create Mr. Boom-Man.

A stagehand put a puppet on the boom microphone attached to a long pole overhead. A "ha-ha-ha" laugh track played whenever Mr. Boom-Man would swing by.

"It would swish back and forth," Wertz says. "The kids would look up at it when they would tell their jokes. We got tight close-ups to see their faces. The children never were aware of it."

Viewers at home never saw the stagehand giving Wertz the Hostess cupcakes she gave her little guests after Wertz chanted "Ala-ka-zaam, Ka-zaam, Ka-zoo!" Hiding that secret was a piece of cake.

It was no secret that news anchor Carl Ide always brought boxes of doughnuts. Copper would reach in and gently take a chocolate one with her teeth. Copper had table manners. "She never gobbled or grabbed," Wertz says.

"From the moment we got married, it was the three of us, 24 hours a day," Wertz says of Borden and Copper. "All of a sudden, our good buddy was gone. We really liked our baby." Copper was 12 years old when she had a stroke in 1967, leaving her partially paralyzed.

"We ended up putting her to sleep," Wertz says. "I could not do it. My husband took her. Three grown men -- the vet, his assistant and my husband -- sobbed. All three sat there and cried. She had brought so much joy."

A puppy viewers named Copper Penny inherited the role. She was a full-blooded golden retriever with reddish hair from Sewickley.

Wertz stopped doing the show in 1969 to devote more time to her premature newborn daughter. But there was time to host "Junior High Quiz" at 1 p.m. Sundays from 1965 to 1982. It pitted two teams from Pittsburgh-area schools. And it was parent-friendly.

"We always threw in one or two questions about the Korean War or World War II so Mom and Dad could come up with the answers to make them look smart."

After Wertz left WTAE for WQED (Channel 13) in 1982, she created "The Chemical People." It was a multi-part national public television series that also was an outreach program about the crisis of adolescent alcohol and other drug addiction. The Pittsburgh student had become America's teacher.

It was inspired by Wertz's master's thesis at La Roche College. Her hypothesis was that, given a short time frame, specific training and an identified outcome, people will volunteer around a social issue.

Wertz told America that the 2,000-pound elephant sitting in some family rooms is called adolescent addiction. Nancy Reagan was the host. That could have inspired the first lady to counsel America's children to "just say no" to alcohol and other drugs, Wertz says.

"Nancy came to Pittsburgh to videotape the segments. I received a personal thank you letter from her. She was a very nice lady."

Reagan invited her and Wertz's then-13-year-old daughter to a White House event. Since Wertz had taken time away from her child during the project, Reagan wanted both at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

"Now, there is a mother," Wertz says. "She understood I worked long, hard hours." But Wertz was not looking for recognition. "Places and things, I do not care, but inviting my daughter ..."

The show mobilized 125,000 town meetings across America. It resulted in 8,000 task forces focused on adolescent substance abuse. "Every person, given the opportunity, would do something good if someone would show them what to do, how to do it and give a short time frame," Wertz says. First lady Barbara Bush also helped confirm the hypothesis.

Bush hosted Wertz's "Project Literacy U.S." (PLUS), a four-year public broadcasting documentary series about the level of literacy in America. Then-Secretary of Education William Bennett told Wertz her program helped increase literacy nationally 14 percent.

"She is something," Wertz says of Bush. "She says it like it is. Barbara Bush really cares about literacy. She makes no bones about it."

And Wertz makes no bones about loving her husband, two grown children, dogs, cats, railroad rides and applying the feng shui concept to gardening.

She also admires John L. Lewis, former president of the United Mine Workers of America, who helped miners such as her beloved grandfather get an eight-hour day.

Grandfather taught granddaughter that "everybody is dealt a hand of cards. Deal with it. Don't wish to have somebody else's. It is how you play them. You make your own decisions."

Wertz came to realize that, "I can decide whether to be happy and do certain things."

Lots of things, actually.

CORNERSTONE TO TAKE OVER ORPHANAGE

The Cornerstone TeleVision Network formally takes control of the operations of the Caring Hearts orphanage in San Luis, Mexico, in a live broadcast from there at 8 p.m. Tuesday on WPCB (Channel 40). The orphanage had been run by Caring Hearts founder Harold McKamish, who says, "I'm getting older and I need to make sure that the right people are in place to continue care for these children. I really trust that Cornerstone will uphold the vision that Caring Hearts has worked toward for years."

Under the agreement, Cornerstone will oversee operations and guide future direction as part of the Caring Hearts advisory board. McKamish was one of the members of Cornerstone's first board of directors and founded Caring Hearts orphanage in 1987. Tim Burgan, Cornerstone vice president of ministry and director of missions, is overseeing the project for Cornerstone.

This is the latest in Cornerstone's Hope Connection outreach program, which is a global ministry partnership that links with more than 100 ministries throughout the United States and the world.

KEEPING KIDS SAFE

Children visiting Northway Mall from noon to 2 p.m. today will see "Pluggie the Fire Hydrant" and a search and rescue dog, learn to make a 911 call and practice escaping from a smoke-filled bedroom -- using simulated smoke -- as part of the Clear Channel Pittsburgh "Keeping Kids Safe" public service campaign.

DAZED AND CONFUSED

The Jimi Hendrix Touring Museum, sponsored by classic rock station WRRK (96.9 FM), will be at the Ikea store at Robinson Town Centre from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Sunday.

IN PITTSBURGH NOW

"Democracy Now!," a syndicated public radio program featuring interviews with newsmakers and reports from correspondents worldwide, airs at 10 a.m. Monday and Friday on WRCT (88.3 FM).