Northern Kentucky's most famous teacher won't return to the classroom this fall.

        Former Survivor contestant Rodger Bingham, who has hired a Los Angeles publicity agent, instead will be busy traveling the nation for promotional and personal appearances.

        “I'm taking a leave of absence for about a year, and then I think it will slow down. The next one (Survivor 3)will be on in September,” says the Grant County High School industrial arts teacher.

        Mr. Bingham, who turns 54 next Thursday, has been scheduled for events into November, says Sherry Spillaine, who represents the Crittenden native and nine others from the two Survivor shows.

Bingham

        “He's extremely popular. He's doing a lot of personal appearances and TV shows, and has been offered some commercial endorsements,” she says.

        Mr. Bingham, who wore his favorite green John Deere hat (minus the logo) on Survivor: The Australian Outback,says he has “not really heard from those John Deere people” about endorsements. He has removed the John Deere logo from another hat to wear in public.

        “I just started wearing a green cap like I wore in the Outback,” he says.

        Mr. Bingham's Survivor contract restricts his activities until September, the one-year anniversary of being cast on the show, Ms. Spillaine says. She also represents Maralyn “Mad Dog” Hershey, Jeff Varner and Kimmi Kappenberg from Survivor 2 and Rudy Boesch, Susan Hawk, Gervas Peterson, Joel Klug, Sonja Christopher and B.B. Andersen from the first Survivor.

        “Until Sept. 4, they can't do anything to endorse any competitor to advertisers on the show,” she says.

        Mr. Bingham signed with an agent after his daughter, Angela Hedenberg, was flooded with calls from people wanting her dad for various events. She was spending three hours a day responding to requests left on her telephone answering machine.

        “It was just nuts,” Mrs. Hedenberg says.

        Mr. Bingham, who visited WUBE-FM (105.1) Tuesday, posed for more than a dozen photographs with fans. “The hardest part is smiling,” he says.

        He has kept in touch with former castaways. He has talked to runner-up Colby Donaldson and burn victim Michael Skupin this week, while Elisabeth Filarski called his daughter's home. Ms. Filarski, who called Rodger her “Outback daddy,” and Mr. Bingham will make appearances together this weekend in Rhode Island.

        Reluctant Rodger: You remember the big deal when Mr. Bingham, who doesn't swim, had to jump from a steep cliff into a river on the first episode of Survivor: The Australian Outback?

        Well now, as Paul Harvey would say, here's the rest of the story:

        Producers originally wanted Survivor contestants to parachute from a plane over Australia. They sent finalists for the show to various cities for sky diving training. (The plan was canceled after Mr. Bingham completed training, before his first jump.)

        Mr. Bingham, who had never jumped before, was a nervous wreck about it, says his wife, Pat. He stayed up many nights pacing their home in Crittenden.

        “He won't even ride a ride at Kings Island. Nowhere will he ride a ride. He won't even ride the merry-go-round,” she says.

        The sky dive might have been scrubbed because producers learned that ABC's The Mole reality show would open with the contestants parachuting.

        Mole on the mound: Kate Pahls, the Columbia Township resident from The Mole, will throw the first pitch before the Reds-Cubs game 1:15 p.m. Sunday at Cinergy Field.

        Last HomeTown: The farewell episode of HomeTown,a “goodbye piece” by reporter Joe Webb andphotographer Richard Schuldlos, airs at 6:25 p.m. today on Channel 9. It repeats Friday at 6:55 a.m. and 12:25 p.m.

        Channel 9 has canceled the daily “good news” feature, which will be repackaged as monthly one-hour specials through December.

       Contact John Kiesewetter by phone: 768-8519; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: jkiesewetter@enquirer.com.
       

Looking good, seeing well
Sopranos on singing
Arts events to honor African-American experience
Concert reviews
Knip's Eye View
'Survivor' Rodger to go on tour
The Early Word
Top 10s
Get to it