Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, January 22, 1994                   TAG: 9401220223
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: B-9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PEOPLE

The groom is a death-row inmate.

The bride is an ex-con once known as "Wicked Wanda."

There was no cake, no champagne. There'll be no honeymoon. The couple's only physical contact was a ring exchange through a hole cut in the plastic glass barrier separating them.

Wanda Eads, 51, married condemned inmate Frank Valdes, 32, Friday at Florida State Prison in Starke.

They met 15 years ago when Valdes was serving time as a juvenile with his future bride's son.

When asked why the couple was marrying, attorney Joseph Karp, who is handling Valdes' appeal, said: "No. 1, she believes he is not guilty of murder and, No. 2, she cares about him."

Only Karp's intense lobbying won them the right to make the ring exchange. It was the third marriage for Eads, who served five years in prison for robbery 10 years ago. She was dubbed "Wicked Wanda" by the media.

Valdes paid for the couple's gold wedding bands with his canteen money.

There is no guarantee she'll ever be permitted physical contact with Valdes. If the state gets its way, Valdes will die in Florida's electric chair. The date of the execution hasn't been set.

Valdes was sentenced to death in 1990 for his part in the killing of a prison guard during an escape attempt.

George Burns, taking a puff on his constant companion, a big cigar, told the sellout crowd at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas for his 98th birthday:

"It's nice to be here. At 98, it's nice to be anywhere."

Burns, who is booked to celebrate No. 100 on the same stage, received several standing ovations Thursday night as he traced his 91-year career, recalling vaudeville days and his years with soul mate Gracie Allen.

Burns drew laughs as he recounted his start in show business on the streets of his native New York City at age 7 and teen-age years in vaudeville when he continually changed his stage name because his acts were so bad.

He joked about going out with younger women, then offered an explanation: "I'd go out with women my age, but there are no women my age."

At the end of the birthday show, he was presented a large cake by longtime friend and actress Carol Channing, who was joined by actress Lisa Hartman and singer Clint Black. The audience stood and joined the entertainers in singing "Happy Birthday."

David Letterman's Top 10 list of favorite co-workers has a new entry at No. 1: Phyllis McQuillan.

When Dave came up short for the $1.50 toll on the Henry Hudson Bridge, McQuillan, a CBS Radio employee taking the same route to work, came up with the cash Thursday to get Letterman through the toll.

CBS' $14 million man was heading to work when he realized his money was in a different jacket, Letterman spokeswoman Rosemary Keenan said.

After filling out some paperwork, Dave cleared the first 25-cent toll. At the second booth, he was asked to turn over his license and registration because he didn't have the $1.50 toll. "I was nearly trampled by automobile traffic," he told viewers Thursday.

McQuillan noticed Letterman stuck at the toll booth and paid both their ways. Dave was quick to reimburse her, sending along a bouquet of pink roses and a thank-you note with his $1.50.

Sen. Bob Dole would love to do "Saturday Night Live." As long as he wouldn't have to do Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights, too.

The Senate minority leader said he can't spare the four days needed to rehearse the NBC show.

Dole said he has told "SNL" producer Lorne Michaels that he would be willing to make a cameo appearance, but Michaels is angling to get Dole as a guest host.