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The Seattle Studs won't win games or impress fans based on roster recognition. The Studs are studs from local community colleges and small schools.

Maybe that is their edge.

Seattle is in the NBC World Series championship game for the first time in 10 trips to Wichita. The Studs, led by a 19-year-old pitcher from Everett (Wash.) Community College, defeated Beatrice (Neb.) 4-1 in Thursday's semifinal at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

"We're doing it with smoke and mirrors, and the boys believe they can," Seattle manager Barry Aden said. "Our starting nine has three (NCAA) Division III kids, three NAIA kids and three community college kids."

Seattle meets the unbeaten Santa Barbara (Calif.) Foresters tonight in the championship round and the Studs must win twice. They will be underdogs, and that role seems to work for them.

The Sept. 7 season opener in New England, just a dot on the horizon three weeks ago, is now looming large for the Chiefs as they break training camp today.

They leave their summer home in Wisconsin still very much a work in progress but also with a few reasons to believe they can somehow be competitive against the defending AFC champion Patriots.

"We got a lot accomplished with a lot of the young guys that are going to play for us," coach Herm Edwards said. "That was the whole key coming up here. We wanted to find out about a lot of young guys, and we've learned a lot about their strengths and their weaknesses.

"We knew we had some athletes. The physical part of it we didn't know about until we got here. We established that. We established that we're going to be a physical football team. That's something we have to be."

This year's camp was all about their many young players who for better or for worse will either start or get significant playing time. With the significant exception of their two injured first-round draft picks, Glenn Dorsey and Branden Albert, all received valuable practice time and return to Kansas City with more experience than when they left.

Santa Barbara (Calif.) pitcher Austin Fleet walked off the mound after the first inning with his shutout intact.

Meaningless in most cases, yes. Not after the Foresters gave up five runs in the first inning Sunday, two runs Monday and five more on Tuesday. They won all three, but wearied of the comeback trail.

"Coach (Bill) Pintard told me he couldn't handle that anymore," Fleet said. "That was the focus going in."

Wednesday, the Foresters led by three runs after the first on their way to a 5-3 win over the Havasu (Ariz.) Heat in the quarterfinals of the NBC World Series at Lawrence-Dumont.

Santa Barbara, the tournament's lone unbeaten, advances to Friday's championship game needing one more win to take its second NBC title in the past three seasons. Havasu, the defending champion, is eliminated.

Whenever Kansas senior linebackers Joe Mortensen, Mike Rivera and James Holt make a bone-crushing hit, force a fumble or make drive-stopping tackles, reflect on the past and look to the future.

Hard work, steady improvement and results have made Mortensen, Rivera and Holt the key unit for the 2008 Jayhawks.

"That's a veteran group. I have very high expectations for that group," KU coach Mark Mangino said. "They are the anchor of our defense. Those guys are tested. They are (high-) quality players who have been in the program a long time.

"We expect nothing but a stellar year out of the linebacker crew. Anything less than that would be very disappointing. "

Back in 2005, Mangino probably felt the same about another group of senior linebackers. KU fans remember the contributions of Nick Reid, Banks Floodman and Kevin Kane.

Lesa France Kennedy, president of International Speedway Corporation, should have the votes to bring a second NASCAR Sprint Cup race to Kansas City.

All she needs now is for the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission to approve a $700 million hotel and casino plan proposed by Kansas Speedway and The Cordish Company.

Kennedy told the commission on Wednesday at Kansas City Kansas Community College that if it selects the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino over three other casino proposals for Wyandotte County, she would ask the ISC Board of Directors for a second Sprint Cup weekend at Kansas Speedway.

And who comprises the five-person board of directors? Kennedy; her brother, NASCAR chairman of the board Brian France; her uncle, NASCAR vice-chairman Jim France; and two of their trusted executives, NASCAR president Mike Helton and NASCAR secretary/general counsel Gary Crotty.

You do the math.

All Elon University quarterback Scott Riddle initially cares to admit is that the news of his offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero leaving to be the quarterbacks coach at Kansas State, in his words, "shook him."

With a bit of nudging, he clarified, somewhat sheepishly.

"You could say I shed a few tears," Riddle said.

Last year, Riddle was named Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, setting school and conference records in completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns.

According to Riddle, who questioned his future at the private school located in Elon, N.C., the credit goes to Ruggiero.

The PBA's national tour is coming back to Wichita after a four-year absence. And this time it's a major.

Northrock Lanes will host the first stop on the Denny's PBA Tour schedule from Oct. 19-26. The final day will be televised by ESPN.

It's the World Championship, which is the first of four majors, and it's a kickoff to a 20-stop tour.

"On the PBA side, we've never held anything this big," Northrock Lanes general manager Mike Light said. "We've probably had 18 PBA events over the years, but never one, never a PBA event as large as this."

Northrock Lanes has hosted the women's U.S. Open, the women's national open tournament and collegiate championships.

Cameron Rupp hit three curveballs into the ground Monday night and didn't accomplish what he wanted.

He hit a fourth one into the air and erased all that frustration. Rupp's solo home run in the eighth inning gave the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Foresters a 6-5 win over the Ozark (Mo.) Generals in a winners bracket semifinal in the NBC World Series at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

"All night, I hadn't seen one fastball, so I went up there staying back and waiting for my pitch," Rupp said. "I stayed back on that last at-bat and I hit it out of the ballpark."

Sort of like Sunday, when Rupp's home run in the sixth inning broke a 6-all tie against Vienna (Va.) and sent the Foresters on their way to an 11-6 win. The Foresters, 4-0 in the NBC, play in the winners bracket final 7:30 tonight against the Seattle Studs-Beatrice (Neb.) winner from Monday's late game.

"We're swinging the bat real well," Rupp said. "I like what we're doing out on the field, playing great defense. You couldn't ask for a better team to come out there and play with."

The thing that hurts most is that Devard Darling's twin brother died doing this.

He died running around a football field, playing the game the twins from the Bahamas promised themselves they'd someday play in the NFL. He died because of shoulder pads and heat and the exhaustion of running until someone else says it's time to stop.

Darling is standing in the afternoon heat. His head is sweating, and the Chiefs receiver keeps patting the left side of his chest pads when he talks about his twin, Devaughn Darling, who died in February 2001 after collapsing during a mat drill at Florida State.

"You go through every day your whole life with someone," Darling says, still patting his chest, "and all of a sudden, you wake up and they're not there anymore. That was the harsh reality, not being able to see him, hear him and talk to him."

Devard wants you to see what he keeps patting. He pulls back his white practice jersey and reaches inside his chest pad. He pulls out a sepia-toned photograph of Devaughn in his Florida State uniform. He wore No. 53.

Annuity or lump sum?

It's essentially the question Scott Piercy was asked Sunday after his two-shot victory in the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open at Crestview Country Club.

In golfing terms, the 29-year-old Las Vegas native is now qualified to answer. After winning $2 million in a gut wrencher called the Ultimate Game last summer, Piercy pocketed $94,500 on a water-logged afternoon at Crestview. His latest win also provided job security on the Nationwide Tour through the end of 2009.

"It's about one-tenth," Piercy said when comparing Sunday's prize money to what he netted after taxes 14 months ago. "It could be worth more than that because they play for that every week on tour."

Piercy was referring to a typical winner's check on the PGA Tour. But Sunday, that was a long way off as he was grinding to the finish line for his first tour victory.

Vienna would have needed to do better than a five-run first inning to worry Santa Barbara.

After scoring 32 runs in their first two games of the National Baseball Congress World Series, the offensive capabilities of the Forresters weren't in question. Neither was their confidence.

Santa Barbara responded to Vienna's five-run first with four runs in the bottom half, then went on to win 11-6 behind a strong pitching performance from Mike Ford and big nights from several hitters.

Foresters starter Mike Ojala didn't record an out and allowed five runs, but Ford virtually shut down the Senators and gave his offense time to get back in it. He lasted eight innings and allowed one run.

"I relieve on this team, but I usually start," Ford said. "So the long innings are nothing unfamiliar to me. My mindset was that we gave up five runs early and we needed somebody to hold them. I figured I'd be that guy and I got lucky, I guess."

Javier Vazquez threw eight scoreless innings, and Jermaine Dye hit a two-run homer to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 9-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Vazquez (9-10) matched his season-high with 10 strikeouts, gave up five hits and walked one to win for the second time in nine starts. Vazquez hadn't won at home since beating Pittsburgh on June 17, and was 1-5 since, with the victory coming against the Royals on Aug. 1.

Adam Russell completed the White Sox's first shutout since beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 on June 26.

Brian Bannister (7-11) lost his fifth straight decision. He gave up four hits, three home runs. He struck out seven and walked two in seven innings. Bannister is winless in his last eight starts since beating Colorado on June 23.

Dye's 28th homer came in the first inning, scoring Orlando Cabrera. Nick Swisher added a solo shot, his 17th, in the fifth, and A.J. Pierzynski hit his 10th homer in the sixth.

The NBC World Series routinely asks teams to do the unusual in order to play off 42 teams in 15 days.

So Tuesday's schedule didn't seem to bother Hays Larks manager Frank Leo much. After all, Leo is making his 28th trip to the tournament.

The Larks stayed alive with a 6-4 win over Vienna (Va.) in an elimination game at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. The reward was a date sometime after midnight with Liberal in another elimination game.

"These guys played doubleheaders this year, so this is just a weird doubleheader," Leo said. "We played a game at 4 a.m., so nothing else is going to faze us."

The Larks took a 4-0 lead. Then they let the Senators tie it. Then they scored two in the bottom of the eighth to win it. Cameron Monger, a tournament-addition to the Larks roster, doubled in the go-ahead run.

Eliminated -- Wichita 18-under Sluggers (0-2), Park City Cowboys (0-2), San Antonio Phantoms (0-2), Houston Apollos (0-2), Austin Gold Sox (0-2), South Tulsa Diamond Jaxx (1-2), Rock City (N.C.) Red Sox (0-2), El Dorado Broncos (1-2), Community Bank Cowboys (1-2), West Texas Outlaws (1-2), Newton Rebels (1-2), San Diego Stars (0-2), San Diego Waves (1-2), Casa Grande (Ariz.) Cotton Kings (2-2), Wichita Wild Wings (0-2), Southern California Bombers (1-2), Seguin (Texas) CMC Steelers (1-2), Derby Twins (0-2), Colorado Sox (2-2), Gunnison (Colo.) Colts (2-2), Oklahoma A's (1-2), Game Time (La.) Rockies (2-2), Wichita Sluggers (4-2), Nevada (Mo.) Griffons (1-2), Park City Rangers (2-2), Conejo (Calif.) Oaks (2-2), Clarinda (Iowa) A's (2-2), Junction City Generals (3-2), Crestwood (Ill.) Panthers (2-2), Plaza Tire (Mo.) Capahas (3-2), Southern California Fire (2-2), Kenai Peninsula (Alaska) Oilers (3-2), Anchorage (Alaska) Glacier Pilots (2-2), Vienna (Va.) Senators (2-2).

Staying power

By August, many players are ready for the summer season to end so they can go home for a break before school.

Liberal pitcher Thomas Keeling is not one of those secretly hoping for an exit from Wichita. The lefty from Oklahoma State owns two impressive performances in the NBC and would love to get back on the mound later this week.

"I've thrown a lot this summer, but this is a big deal here and I'm glad to have this opportunity to play here," he said. "I want to be here until the end."

Keeling carried Liberal past Anchorage in an elimination game Tuesday afternoon with seven strong innings. He allowed five hits and two runs and struck out six. He took a shutout into the eighth.

Plenty of pitching

Defending champion Havasu (Ariz.) must win twice today to stay alive. Seven other teams are in the same situation, which was caused by the weekend rains that delayed the schedule.

The Heat plays the Southern California Fire at 10:30 a.m. The winner plays at 10 p.m. against the Maxim (Calif.)-Kenai (Alaska) winner in a losers bracket semifinal.

That's a possible three games in less than 24 hours for the Heat. Maxim also played Monday. The Fire and the Oilers lost late Sunday night. In the other side of the bracket, Hays-Vienna (Va.) and Liberal-Anchorage (Alaska) will decide who moves on.

Somebody is going to survive, and the Heat may have the pitching to do it. Bret Montgomery, Havasu's No. 4 starter, didn't give up an earned run in eight innings on Monday in a 5-3 win over Plaza Tire (Mo.). No. 3 starter Joe Zeller shut out Derby 2-0 on four hits Friday.

Red Sox 5, White Sox 1 -- Josh Beckett pitched eight strong innings as Boston won despite being no-hit until the seventh.

• Kevin Youkilis' broken-bat single with one out ended the John Danks' no-hit bid and J.D. Drew's two-run double put Boston ahead 2-1. Jed Lowrie added a two-run double in the ninth as the Red Sox gained a four-game split and moved within four games of first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East.

Twins 4, Yankees 0 -- Brand new papa Glen Perkins pitched eight outstanding innings, and light-hitting Adam Everett hit a two-run homer for Minnesota.

• Perkins (9-3) allowed four hits and three walks while striking out four. He induced two inning-ending double plays and got a standing ovation when he left after the eighth.... Joe Nathan fanned Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Xavier Nady in the ninth to complete the first shutout of the Yankees at the Metrodome since June 24, 1996.

Indians 13, Orioles 8 -- Asdrubal Cabrera homered, then doubled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, and Cleveland earned its fourth straight victory.

Arizona acquired slugging outfielder Adam Dunn from Cincinnati for a minor-league pitcher and two players to be named later on Monday.

The 28-year-old Dunn was batting .233 this season for the Reds with 32 homers, tied for tops in the majors.

The trade gives the first-place Diamondbacks, who entered the day with a 1 ½-game lead over the Dodgers in the NL West, a boost to an anemic offense. The Diamondbacks rank 20th in the majors in runs scored.

The Diamondbacks sent right-hander Dallas Buck to the Reds in Monday's trade.

Jays release Stewart

Tony Pena Jr. --designated hitter Tony Pena Jr. --had the game-ending hit, and, honestly, can you think of a more unlikely way for the Royals to win?

It happened here at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday, a line drive through the middle that almost took down Twins pitcher Craig Breslow and gave the Royals a 5-4 win in 12 innings, and there were 23,163 here to see it firsthand.

"It's refreshing," manager Trey Hillman said. "Very refreshing. I think he might've been half-expecting to get pinch hit for."

Pena entered in the eighth as a pinch runner for DH Billy Butler. He singled in the 10th and again in the 12th, raising his average to .157.

It has been a nightmare season for Pena, going from opening-day shortstop to fan whipping boy, so you understand why his teammates rushed out of the dugout so fast to celebrate with him, and why they stayed just a touch longer than they otherwise may have.

Kevin Hooper went 4 for 5 with three stolen bases and drove in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning Thursday as the Wingnuts defeated the St. Paul Saints 8-5 to snap a four-game losing streak.

Dustan Mohr capped visiting Wichita's four-run 11th with a two-run double against St. Paul reliever Josh Regits. Mohr finished 2 for 5 with three RBIs.

Byron Embry (3-1) pitched the final two innings for the victory for Wichita.

The Wingnuts scored just six runs in a four-game series sweep by Sioux Falls, which ended Wednesday. On Thursday, Wichita had two four-run innings. Mohr also had an RBI double in the fifth.

St. Paul hit three home runs.

Patrick Reilly hit a three-run homer and former major leaguer Pat Mahomes struck out 11 as the Sioux Falls Canaries completed a four-game sweep of the visiting Wingnuts with a 4-1 victory on Wednesday.

Wichita's offense offered little support for starter Brad Davis, getting a season-low three hits. Mahomes yielded only one unearned run in eight innings. Kris Regas struck out the side in the ninth for his 26th save.

Michael Thompson drove in the Wingnuts' lone run.

The Wingnuts found some early offense Monday night. Unfortunately, it was the only offense.

Vic Davila's first-inning home run turned out to be Wichita's only run in a 3-1 loss Monday at Sioux Falls, S.D.

The Canaries pieced together single runs in the first and third innings and added a solo homer by Paul Smyth in the eighth to beat the Wingnuts for the second consecutive day.

Blake Gailen, starting for the second time in four days, pitched 7 2/3 innings and took the loss. It was the second start on the mound this season for Gailen, the team's normal starting left fielder.

Mario Chalmers, the former Kansas player who was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, will autograph copies of "Kansas Jayhawks: A Year to Remember" by Jason King from 1:30-4 p.m. Sunday at Dick's Sports Goods in Towne West Square.

FOOTBALL

The University of Kansas football team will host its annual Fan Appreciation Day at Memorial Stadium on August 20 at 5:30 p.m. Fans will be admitted to the stadium to watch the conclusion of the team's practic and check out the revitalized Campanile Hill and the new location of the Kansas Football Family Fun Zone, located just south of the new Anderson Family Football Complex.

SOCCER

Friends' men's soccer team has been picked to finish first in the KCAC in the preseason coaches rankings.

Good health news has been rare for Wichita State men's basketball over the past year.

Maybe that will change with the clearance of senior forward Ramon Clemente to resume conditioning and basketball. Clemente collapsed during conditioning drills at Cessna Stadium on July 14. Doctors restricted him from everything except yoga while they did tests.

"No restrictions," coach Gregg Marshall said. "That certainly is good news, and it certainly beats the alternative for Ramon and us."

Clemente is WSU's lone returning starter. He averaged 7.0 points and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds last season.

Tennis teams honored _ WSU women's tennis team was named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic team for the fourth straight season.

Wyndham Championship

At Greensboro, N.C.

Canadian Women's Open

At Ottawa

Tee-Fore-Two

At Crestwood C.C., Pittsburg

Second round

Championship flight

Low gross: 1. Letty Watt-Lee Ann Penick 74-69--143; 2. Jayne Clarke-Terri Albers 72-77--149; 3. Melissa Brown-Krista Yaktine 73-77--150. Low net: 1. Debbie Christiansen-Marci Williams 63-64--127; 2. MaryLee Evans-Sidney Garrett 65-65--130 and Vicky Hiebsch-Susan Mueller 65-65--130.

Thursday's results

Cruiser Driver

A Feature--1. Brian Russell, Wichita; 2. Jason Dickey, Wichita; 3. Chester Kralicek, Wichita. Heat 1 --1. Nick Biggs, Park City; 2. Harry Prewitt, Wichita; 3. Chester Kralicek, Wichita. Heat 2--1. Brian Russell, Wichita; 2. Daniel Richey, Wichita; 3. Michael Santos, Wichita.

Cruiser Gas

A Feature --1. Derek Kreager, Park City; 2. June Dickey, Wichita; 3. John Ludlow, Wichita. Heat 1 --1. Duane Zwickl, Wichita; 2. Gene Gresty, Derby; 3. John Ludlow, Wichita. Heat 2 --1. Derek Kreager, Park City; 2. Coby Lamb, Wichita; 3. Justin White, Wichita.

Track and field

• Jordan Birch, 11, won the pentathlon in his age division of the AAU Junior Olympics last week in Ypsilanti, Mich.

• Amari Lipscomb, 8, won the 400 meters in her age division of the AAU Junior Olympics last week in Ypsilanti, Mich.

Calendar

Space precludes us from running all listings. To see all listings, go to Kansas.com/sports and click on "Other Sports."

Baseball

• Saturday: Wichita Bucs 14-U Westurban/tournament team tryouts at Wichita Trinity, 9-10:30 a.m. Go to wichitabucs.com or call 316-771-8636.

• Saturday: Wichita Bucs 13-U Westurban/tournament team tryouts at Wichita Trinity, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Go to wichitabucs.com or call 316-640-8413.

Seneca

Men--Paul Campa 278, Kyle McCauley 709. Women--Lisa Black 236, 638. Senior men--John Ayres 257, Jim Hull 592. Senior women--Joan Meyers 218, 585. Boys--Davis Fischer 216, William Paul 575. Girls--Nesa Hubbard 203, 551.

Thunderbird

Men--Will Barnes 299, John Kay 758. Women--Debbie Christiansen 221, Sheryl Austin 601. Boys--Josh Wattman 245, Drew Wattman 647. Girls -- Ashley Hare 200, Christina Heston 545.

Derby

It seems almost unfair: North Wichita has another really good Mexican restaurant.

Frida's Mexican Grill opened in the Thai Binh plaza on West 21st Street in April, specializing in the style of food popular in the owners' native Monterey, in northern Mexico.

Unique offerings, reasonable prices and convenient hours leave little to complain about. And Spanish-challenged diners shouldn't worry: The food is authentic but the owners have been in the restaurant business in this country for 14 years (they also own La Mesa).

ON THE MENU: Tacos (corn or flour), piratas (large flour tacos), burritos and tortas come with a choice of chicken, beef or pork fillings. In addition to the usual sides of rice and beans, Frida's offers elote (corn kernels smothered in cheese, lime juice and chile powder), lime-and-salt chips and stuffed baked potatoes.

DON'T-MISS DISHES: Frida's features at least three addictive items we haven't seen anywhere else in Wichita, which is pretty good for any restaurant.

The new-and-improved Tanganyika Wildlife Park has the feel of an upscale suburban neighborhood park -- if that neighborhood park decided to set a few primates and marsupials loose.

Everything is new, color-coordinated and neatly landscaped. There's an impressive, three-story playground set and lots of kids running around.

There's also a pair of white-handed gibbons swinging around on a cageless island, a bunch of wide-eyed lemurs roaming free and eating cranberries out of visitors' hands, and a red kangaroo named Violet sprawled out on the ground for a belly rub from a group of children.

The park, which sits on 30 acres near Goddard, recently reopened after undergoing a $6 million makeover that included the addition of 10 new buildings and a 50-foot waterfall.

The park has technically been open for a preview since late June, offering a reduced admission while finishing touches were being added.

The new 1950s-style diner, owned by Kevin and Jennifer Bishop, opened July 1 at 1530 S. Webb Road (316-691-4000), serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Among the menu attractions:

Kansas style Eggs Benedict: Fresh-baked biscuits are topped with sausage and two eggs any style then smothered with sausage gravy and served with a side of hash browns for $6.99.

The burger: This massive concoction is called simply "The Burger" and features a half-pound patty topped with mustard, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and American cheese plus homemade chili, a ¼-pound hot dog and barbecue sauce (and hopefully a substantial bun). It's served with unlimited fries for $8.99.

The chicken-fried steak: The Diner's version is a classic fried tenderloin topped with sausage gravy and served with choice of two sides and biscuits for $9.99.

A GOOD DEAL

Writer/director Jonathan Levine is a lifelong New Yorker, and his love for the city shines in his coming-of-age tale "The Wackness," which opens in Wichita today after playing in larger markets since July.

The film was a festival favorite, and won the audience choice award at Sundance earlier this year.

The story takes place in the summer of 1994, when hip-hop was permeating mainstream white culture and Mayor Rudy Giuliani was cleaning up New York's gritty streets.

We follow 18-year-old Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck of Nickelodeon's "Drake & Josh," wildly broadening his range here), a rebellious loner who has just graduated from high school.

He's also a drug dealer, and trades weed for wisdom with Dr. Squires (a long-haired Ben Kingsley), a mid-50s psychiatrist who regularly tokes up during his sessions, and who is going through a re-examination of his own life (his marriage is crumbling, his practice feels stale).

You'll know you're in a different galaxy within the first seconds of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," which substitutes the Warner Bros. logo and theme music for the familiar 20th Century Fox searchlight and fanfare.

While anything remotely "Star Wars" potentially is a welcome trek for hard-core fans, however, it will be a mixed thrill given that the saga returns to the big screen as a cartoon.

George Lucas' prequel trilogy was so overloaded with computer-generated imagery that the digital animation of "Clone Wars" isn't much of a leap. The somber tone of those three movies -- chronicling the downfall of Anakin Skywalker from snotty, brooding teen to black-hearted Darth Vader -- is gone, replaced with a variation of the campy humor and camaraderie that characterized the original trilogy.

Still, a "Star Wars" movie should be an event. But whether because of its cartoony format or its relatively lightweight story, "Clone Wars" definitely is not an event.

For fans, it serves as a fairly promising introduction to the "Clone Wars" animated series debuting on Cartoon Network this fall. The movie centers on a fresh adventure of Anakin and his Jedi knight elder Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Clone Wars that have been so pivotal to "Star Wars" since the beginning -- but about which we've heard so little.

Anime Festival Wichita 4 will be held this weekend at the Best Western, 915 E. 53rd St. North. Festival organizers expect about 1,500 people to attend festivities to be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Here are highlights:

• World premiere of comic book "Saga" -- Created by Black Raven Comics, a local comic book publisher made up of Wichitans Randall Aviks and Richard Cathea (who also is the anime festival director), the second issue of their original comic "Saga" will be released at the festival and featured in a panel discussion Sunday.

• Cosplay contest -- Cosplay, which is short for costume play, is an event in which fans dress as their favorite manga, anime, comic book or video game character. They perform five-minute skits to be judged in competition throughout the festival. There will also be a Cosplay fashion show. Registration is required for both events.

• Special guests -- Voice actors from several video games will attend and sign autographs, including Jen Taylor (Cortana from "Halo"), Sonny Strait (Krillion from "Dragonball Z"), Kate Bristol (Kisa from "Fruits Basket") and emcee Peter Pixie.

• Artists' alley -- Comic book and original anime art will be on display, including work by Nicole Pelham, Tina Ho and NDP comics.

It's the middle of the afternoon, and Clif Major is -- let's face it -- a night person.

He looks frail, though younger than his 59 years. He says he's beat the cancer that's afflicted him the past three years, during which he's undergone chemotherapy and radiation and used a feeding tube.

"I guess you might say it's been a fun struggle," Major said, but he's definitely not talking about cancer now.

He's talking about C-Major's Rockin' Daddy's, the unusual venue he runs at Hillside and Douglas. It's where Major, a part of Wichita's music scene since 1964, can still be found on weekends, rocking out on a flying V guitar, lap steel or banjo.

And it's where hundreds of other musicians have joined him since he went out of the music store business -- but refused to give up music.

It's summer school for Harry Potter.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment in the blockbuster film franchise about boy wizard Harry, is moving from its planned Nov. 21 release to July 17, 2009, distributor Warner Bros. said Thursday.

The move was made to take advantage of an open weekend in Hollywood's busy summer season, said Alan Horn, Warner Bros. president and chief operating officer. The film had been on schedule, and the change was not due to any production snags, he said.

"The picture is completely, absolutely, 100 percent on schedule, on time. There were no delays," Horn told the Associated Press.

Horn said the studio has had success with past summer "Harry Potter" releases, including the fifth movie, which was released in 2007 and became the second-highest grossing in the franchise.

Eye candy and ear candy. That's how Pat Preboth describes Three Ring Circus, the band he helped start seven years ago.

Tonight, Three Ring closes the free summer concert series in Old Town's Farm & Art Market Plaza.

"It's very visual," said Preboth, who's the band's drummer and who leaves little doubt that his day job is in public relations. "We have three very talented, gorgeous girls that come and go out front. Every song has a new set of clothes or new set of girls or something."

Not to mention a three-person horn section and six more musicians. Preboth calls the outfit a "show and dance" band, playing everything from the Rolling Stones and Rascal Flatts to Maroon 5, Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire.

"We do nothing but hits."

Musicians and guitar enthusiasts can be found mingling with history buffs at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum these days.

Through Oct. 31, the museum is featuring an exhibit on the earliest electric guitars and their origin.

The exhibit, called "Campaign for Volts! Wichita and the Electric Guitar," highlights Wichita's connection to an instrument that makes rock 'n' roll what it is today.

"The comprehensive nature of the exhibit is amazing," said Eric Cale, museum director. "The exhibit documents the very first use of the electric guitar in Wichita and looks at the development of the first electric guitars."

Electric guitars date to 1931, when an electrical music company in Los Angeles called Ro-Pat-in began experimenting with applying electronic technology to guitars. The company would later become known as Rickenbacker and produce the first modern electric guitars.

At this point in his career, it's practically impossible to separate Woody Allen the artist from Woody Allen the Guy Who Can Convince Really Big Movie Stars to Appear in His Little Films.

Years ago, you could argue that Allen's fussy and singular big-screen vision was the key to his success.

Now his greatest talent seems to have become the ability to parlay his reputation into an almost unlimited amount of creative freedom. He's able to talk A-list stars into appearing in his films practically sight unread.

Such casting prowess is a key to the success of Allen's latest film, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," which he wrote and directed. This funny yet surly ensemble piece, featuring Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson in a wacky love triangle, is a well-crafted and prickly platform for Allen to muse on the vagaries and complications of love.

Though the film is filled with some of the quirks and affectations that drive some anti-Allen folks bonkers (including a chatty narrator who keeps popping up and various characters madly spending money without any visible means of support), this latest Allen outing has a restrained, even simplistic, structure that relies on the chemistry of its talented performers rather than melodramatic gimmicks.