The COFFEY BLOGNEW ‘JUST THINKING’
Greg Roberts has been thinking about the Biltmore Estate and what it represents. My wife and I journeyed to Asheville, NC about eight years ago to see it and check it off of our bucket list. I’ll agree with Greg that great wealth was required to create America’s largest house and leave it at that. You can catch up on Greg’s opinion by clicking HERE. RETIRED AT LAST!!! Whew! It’s been a busy five years or so serving as Greenfield city manager. I’m grateful to Greenfield Village Council for proclaiming March 30 as “Ronald Coffey Appreciation Day”, and to the staff, my family and many friends for helping me to go out in style. I’ll fondly remember that day for a long time to come! Below are some links to some excellent newspaper stories about the event. Thanks to Gary Abernathy of the Times-Gazette and Rory Ryan and Jimmy Jones of the Highland County Press for the coverage, kind words and great photos, and thanks to everyone who has helped to make this an enjoyable adventure. http://www.timesgazette.com/news/25706/coffeys-tenure-good-to-the-last-drop http://www.highlandcountypress.com/Content/Default/Rotator-Articles-/Article/Greenfield-honors-former-city-manager-Ron-Coffey/-3/546/43583 SPRING ‘HAPPENINGS’ NOW AVAILABLE Thanks to Janny and Boonie Brizius, the Spring 2018 edition of “Happenings in the Hills” is now available at selected local businesses and online. The new edition carries a story called “Trusting Robbie” by frequent contributor Dave Shoemaker, plus a piece by longtime coach Joe Stewart on “Lessons Learned in a Lifetime of Athletics.” The publication features lots of information about things to see and do in our beautiful region of southern Ohio. Check it out by clicking HERE. NEW JUST THINKING FROM GREG ROBERTS After a long hiatus, Greg Roberts is back with another edition of Just Thinking. It seems Greg is fed up with all the “stuff” he’s accumulated and all the cold weather that this winter has given us. I too yearn for a warmer climate and a simpler lifestyle, and am grateful that at least February is a short month! If you’re feeling that way too, check out Greg’s latest offering by clicking HERE. SOMETHING ELSE TO WORRY ABOUT If you’re a chocolate lover -- and most of us certainly seem to be -- there’s a report that chocolate may become a thing of the past within 40 years! However, scientists are working to save the plant that gives the cacao plant. Read the scary scenario here: http://www.ibtimes.com/chocolate-shortage-may-lead-disappearance-within-40-years-scientists-say-2635577 APPLE APOLOGIZES Got a slow iPhone? You may need a new battery. Apple, by way of apologizing, will offer $29 battery replacements that should speed things up again, through 2018. https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-sorry-iphone-battery-slowdown-ios-update-official/?ftag=CAD-03-10aaj8j RALPH MAY CHRISTMAS SHOW, 1969! How cool is this? Someone has posted audio of Ralph May’s Christmas show from December 1969 at the Ohio Theatre in Columbus. According to the post on youtube, the show featured the Columbus Pops Orchestra, directed by Robert Anderson. I was a guitarist in Ralph’s band now and then when going to college, and the Dead End often performed at Mr. B’s in Wilmington (now a VFW post with much the same layout as back in the day). I even got to perform in the Ralph May Show in Washington C.H., which I think was kind of a prelude to the Ohio Theatre show. If I recall correctly, the rock band did not make the trip to Columbus -- the youtube performance is all orchestral and very professional. Anyway, it’s great to hear Ralph in top form. He has been one of the most talented singers to come from the Greenfield area, and obviously knew his way around ballads and Christmas classics. Great show, Ralph! You can listen by clicking the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TDZuwhO0R8&feature=youtu.be FOUR-MEMBER HANDBELL CHOIR PLAYS HALLELUJAH CHORUS! This looks like a good workout -- and the music is nice too! http://www.classicfm.com/composers/handel/music/handbell-hallelujah-chorus/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral CHARLES MANSON SPENT TIME IN CHILLICOTHE PRISON
The infamous cult leader Charles Manson, who died Nov. 19 at the age of 83, was born in the Cincinnati/Greater Kentucky area and spent most of his life in prison. In 2012, I had the opportunity to take a tour of CCI in Chillicothe, including Death Row, which was quite interesting. During the visit, the staff mentioned that some of the more well-known inmates who had spent time at CCI included Charles Manson and Johnny Paycheck. Everyone from Greenfield knows about Paycheck’s brushes with the law, but I was unfamiliar with Manson’s connection to the area. He was born in Cincinnati in 1934 and given the name Charles Maddox, later taking the last name of his then-stepfather William Manson. The young Manson spent much of his early years in reform schools, jails and prison before bursting on the national scene in 1969 as the mastermind of the Tate/LaBianca murders in California. For more about Charles Manson, click on the link below: http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/20/us/charles-manson-dead/index.html EXPERIMENTAL THERAPY ALLOWS GENE EDITING Scientists in the United States have attempted to edit a person’s DNA inside his own body -- permanently altering his genetic code -- according to the Associated Press. Genetic edits have been done outside of the body, but this is a first and could lead to the development of gene therapies to treat or prevent diseases. More info: https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/15/16656140/gene-editing-therapy-hunter-syndrome-sangamo-clinical-trials-zinc-finger-nucleases SCI-FI FILMMAKER ONCE LIVED IN GREENFIELD A movie written and directed by a former Greenfield resident will premier Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Murphy Theatre in Wilmington. “From Gettysburg to Baghdad” was written by Artie Knapp, who was a young child when his father coached football and taught English at McClain High School for three years beginning in the fall of 1972. Knapp, a 1991 graduate of Wilmington High School currently living in Cincinnati, loves science fiction and his film is about how a time machine leads to the intersection of two soldiers from different periods of history. The film features a cameo appearance by former world heavyweight boxing champion Buster Douglas, best known for his stunning defeat of then-undefeated Mike Tyson on Feb. 11, 1990. Prior to the premiere of “From Gettysburg to Baghdad,” Douglas will hold a meet and greet session with fans from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. when Knapp said Douglas will be signing autographs. Knapp will introduce the film at 3 p.m. and it will start at 3:15 p.m. More info: http://www.timesgazette.com/news/20470/author-of-science-fiction-film-lived-in-greenfield 'TALES FROM THE TOUR BUS' PREMIERES WITH LOOK AT PAYCHECK Episode 1 of Mike Judge’s “Tales from the Tour Bus” has aired on Cinemax and can be viewed at the link below. The subject of the first show in the animated series is none other than Greenfield’s Johnny Paycheck, with former band mates Don, Gary and Arnie Adams sharing their memories of some of Paycheck’s wilder moments. The show is animated in the style of “Beavis and Butt-head,” another Mike Judge production, and airs at 10 p.m. on Fridays on Cinemax. Here’s the link: https://www.cinemax.com/mike-judge-presents-tales-from-the-tour-bus RIP, WALTER BECKER One of the founders of Steely Dan has passed away at age 67. Steely Dan gave us amazing guitar playing, clever lyrics and a host of great songs. One of their early hits from my college days, “Reelin’ in the Years,” is still among my all-time favorites. More info from Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/walter-becker-steely-dan-co-founder-dead-at-67-w500956 FORTY YEARS AGO, JOHNNY PAYCHECK RECORDED ‘SHOVE IT’ Greenfield native Johnny Paycheck hit paydirt, and connected with frustrated workers, with the 1978 hit “Take This Job and Shove It” -- recorded 40 years ago on August 24, 1977. The song, penned by David Allan Coe, touched something in the hearts of hard-working men and women and became a huge hit for Paycheck. Rolling Stone noted the anniversary of the recording in the story at the link below: http://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/johnny-paycheck-records-take-this-job-and-shove-it-w499402 GREENFIELD’S INDUSTRIAL PARK FEATURED ON APEG SITE Greenfield’s South Central Ohio Industrial Park is featured on a website about commercial sites for industrial parks that is maintained by the Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth (APEG) and provides many details of interest to companies looking to expand or relocate. Our industrial park offers approximately 180 acres of land located near a four-lane highway and a railroad, and features high-speed fiber optics, electricity via Dayton Power & Light, natural gas from Vectren, plus excess water and sewer capacity thanks to the Village of Greenfield. A link to that website can be found at www.greenfieldohio.net on the “Industry” page. STORY OF SGT. PEPPER, SONG BY SONG
Fifty years ago, the Beatles released what is considered by many to be their masterpiece, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Thanks to 21st century technology, the album has been reissued with a new stereo mix and a selection of unreleased session recordings. I listened to it on Spotify recently and must say it’s holding up well! Maybe that explains why the box set of “Sgt. Pepper’s” is a top seller even at nearly $130! In commemoration of the golden anniversary, there are lots of articles about the making of “Sgt. Pepper’s” and how the songs came to be. One such link can be found below: http://ultimateclassicrock.com/tags/the-beatles/ HEAR BOB DYLAN’S NOBEL PRIZE LECTURE ABOUT LITERATURE As most of you know, Bob Dylan is the most recent Nobel Prize winner in literature, and though he did not attend the ceremony, he sent a speech that was read by the U.S. Ambassador to Sweden. However, in order to receive the $900,000 award, Dylan also had to deliver a lecture about literature to the Swedish Academy, and he did just that on a tour stop in Sweden. I listened to it the other evening and thought it was pretty interesting. Dylan weaves stories of Buddy Holly and Leadbelly into his talk and references three books he greatly admires: “Moby Dick,” “All Quiet on the Western Front” and Homer’s “The Odyssey.” If you would care to listen, check out the link below: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-bob-dylan-recite-his-nobel-prize-in-literature-lecture-w485839 GREENFIELD’S PRESIDENTIAL DOG
From Larry Chapman’s website, an interesting tale about President Harry S. Truman’s dog, Feller, who through a chain of events, ended up living out his golden years just outside of Greenfield: http://www.lechap.com/2017/03/greenfields-presidential-dog/ HIGHEST POINT IN HIGHLAND COUNTY? During a recent car ride with friends, someone pointed out a hillside between Hillsboro and Greenfield and asked me if this was the highest point in Highland County. I had to confess I had no idea. I always kind of assumed that the highest point might be near the village of Highland, where I used to live (and where lightning once struck so close by that our electric furnace caught on fire!). That was in the days before the Internet, which research was much harder to do. Once in front of my computer, I typed in the query “highest point in Highland County” and several web links came up. According to a site called PeakBagger, the highest point in Highland County is known as Washburn Hill, and it’s the 19th highest spot in Ohio, apparently 1,343 feet above sea level. Washburn Hill is located in the southern part of Highland County, sort of on the way to Fort Hill. You can click on that listing, or 87 others indicating the highest points in every Ohio county, by visiting the link below: http://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=13401 Some other high points of note include: No. 1, Campbell Hill (1,549 feet above sea level), Logan County. No. 17, Farrell Hill (1,358), Ross County. No. 54, Dumpling Hill (1,134), Fayette County. HEE HAW MEMORIES
Rory Ryan waxes poetic about that groundbreaking TV show “Hee Haw” in the Highland County Press and you can read it HERE. Or, watch and listen to Archie Campbell’s tongue-twisting story of Cinderella told backwards in “Rindercella” by clicking HERE. INVENTOR OF THE BIG MAC LIVED TO AGE 98 I saw on the news where the inventor of the Big Mac sandwich died in 2016 at the age of 98. Jim Delligatti came up with the idea in 1965 and produced the first Big Mac in 1967 at his McDonald’s franchise in Uniontown, PA at a price of 45 cents. The jazzed up double decker sandwich with sesame seeds and special sauce was a hit, and McDonald’s put the item on its national menu in 1968. For more on this historic milepost in the annals of hamburger making, check out the link below: http://www.wsj.com/articles/jim-delligatti-who-invented-the-big-mac-dies-at-age-98-1480522190 WILBUR WRIGHT AND THE HOCKEY STICK
Here’s a fascinating account of an incident that changed the life of aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright, and a look at the bully who wielded the hockey stick. Oliver Crook Haugh also became a well-known figure for a time — but for all the wrong reasons: http://www.highlandcountypress.com/Content/Opinions/Opinion/Article/Wilbur-Wright-and-the-hockey-stick/4/22/34122 ‘HOOSIERS,’ SHEB WOOLEY AND THE WILHELM SCREAM Recently my wife and I found ourselves with a rare free evening together and nothing to watch on TV. Our Netflix allocation for the month was used up, and I suggested we put in “Hoosiers,” one of my all-time favorite movies that I had not seen in quite a long time. Dianna found the DVD and we watched this great account of Indiana basketball that’s loosely based on a true story. Aside from the obvious enjoyment of watching a bunch of kids from a small town win the state title, I discovered some new things in watching the closing credits. I saw that Sheb Wooley played the part of the principal that brought the coach (played by Gene Hackman) to Hickory High School. I told Dianna that Sheb Wooley was a singer or songwriter, too. So I consulted Wikipedia and was rewarded with the information that Sheb Wooley had a big hit record in 1958 called “Purple People Eater,” a song I remember well from my youth. He also recorded some humorous songs under the name Ben Colder, and I was familiar with a few of them too. Then, Sheb’s bio got a little murky. It said that in addition to appearing in such classic films as “High Noon” and “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” the actor did some voice work, including what has become known the Wilhelm Scream in a 1951 “Florida Western” called "Distant Drums". Wooley's scream was used in a scene where a man is torn apart by an alligator. Sheb’s brief vocalization of the victim’s agony has become a stock sound effect used in some 225 films and TV episodes. Apparently the Wilhelm Scream (so named because one of the characters killed off in the 1953 film “The Charge at Feather River” was Private Wilhelm) has quite a following and has become kind of an in-joke among the sound effects/filmmaking community. It surely must have resonated with George Lucas — If you have seen the “Star Wars” or “Indiana Jones” series you have definitely heard the Wilhelm Scream! The scream is featured in lots of Disney cartoons and shows up on television shows and in video games. I found the history of the Wilhelm Scream somewhat fascinating, if difficult to describe. Fortunately there’s no need to describe it. You can watch a brief history of the scream (2:58) and after that should be able to recognize it next time it shows up on your big or small screen. A compilation showcasing the Wilhelm Scream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdbYsoEasio Sheb Wooley info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheb_Wooley
IF DONALD TRUMP GRACED EVERY NFL TEAM’S LOGO…
In an interesting exercise, some creative folks have incorporated Donald Trump’s likeness into all 32 NFL team logos. I had to check this out to see how he would look in Bengals’ stripes…(not too inspiring in my opinion). However, there are some pretty good ones, created in good fun: http://uproxx.com/sports/2015/12/donald-trump-nfl-logos/9/ SOME GREENFIELD HISTORY BY WAY OF VIRGINIA
I am always amazed at the reach of Greenfield and her people through the years. Products from our community turn up in a lot of places, and the latest evidence of this happened in September while we were in Harrisonburg, VA. There in the municipal building can be found the Harrisonburg Fire Department Museum, which features a rich display of historic firefighting apparatus, uniforms and memorabilia. As we explored the museum, my wife Dianna noticed one of the nets that people used to jump into as a group of firemen held the net in place. The net was in pristine condition, and Dianna noted that it might have been made in Greenfield. I dutifully got down on my hands and knees and looked up, finding the words that provided one of the highlights of our trip: Browder Life Saving Machine Mfd by Cory-Patterson Mfg. Co. Greenfield Ohio USA We were pumped up at this discovery, and as luck would have it soon ran into the Fire Chief, Larry Shifflett and told him about the connection between our towns. The chief, who looked to be roughly my age, said he had jumped from a third story window into that net as part of his training around the late 1970s, and indicated that it had come to Harrisonburg in 1954 with a new fire truck. He estimated that the net was manufactured in 1953, probably because that was the year the order was placed for the new fire truck. Chief Shifflett mentioned that his father had also been fire chief in Harrisonburg, and it was evident that he was pretty enthusiastic about firefighting and the museum. There were several large bells on display, and I did my best to look for a Bell’s Foundry inscription on them but to no avail. Nevertheless we enjoyed our journey through the history of firefighting, and Chief Shifflett explained a little about the workings of early fire extinguishers. Some of them were filled with carbon tetrachloride, which did a pretty good job of snuffing out flames but also gave off poisonous fumes. The substance was stored in glass balls which could be thrown at the fire by hurlers who made a hasty retreat when the glass broke. Other devices had heat-triggered devices that released the carbon tetrachloride. Later, soda-acid extinguishers replaced their older counterparts and were much safer to operate. So, if you’re ever in Harrisonburg, VA you may want to stop by the Public Safety Building at 101 North Main Street, 3rd Floor and check out the museum. Admission is free, and you might even get to meet Chief Shifflett. To see more photos from the museum, click the link below for a nice slideshow: http://www.harrisonburgva.gov/hfd-museum I saw Harold Schmidt, president of the Greenfield Historical Society, soon after returning to Greenfield and told him about our encounter with the Browder Life Saving Machine. Harold was glad to receive the news and said other communities sometimes contact the Greenfield Historical Society to learn more about the fire nets which were once so popular with fire departments. He mentioned several places GHS has heard from, including Maryland and California. The local Historical Society does have one of the Browder Life Saving Machines and it can be seen at events such as the History Day that just took place on Oct. 3. I’m glad to see how much effort GHS puts into preserving our rich and amazing history. More info about the Browder Life Saving Machine can be found at these links: Why they went away: http://my.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/fire-department-safety-nets-did-they-go-away-and-why?id=889755%3ATopic%3A5984841&page=3 Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_net This Facebook page includes a video of a demo from the 1960s: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=160648347314270&story_fbid=843373795708385 Memories from Larry Chapman: http://www.highland-ohio.com/browder%20life%20saving%20net.htm Patent info: https://www.google.com/patents/US952871 Listing from ebay (sorry, it’s been sold): http://www.ebay.com/itm/321044431463 And more… http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/browder-firemans-firefighter-life-430858076 LIVE FROM DARYL’S HOUSE!
John Adams told me about this interesting website featuring top entertainers in a relaxed setting, which happens to be Daryl Hall’s house. Daryl is the Hall of the singing duo Hall & Oates. Daryl Hall started Live From Daryl's House, the free monthly web show in late 2007, after having the idea of "playing with my friends and putting it up on the Internet," and the show has since garnered acclaim from Rolling Stone, SPIN, Daily Variety, CNN, BBC, Yahoo! Music and influential blogger Bob Lefsetz, who cited Live From Daryl's House as a perfect example of a veteran artist reinventing himself in the digital age by collaborating with both established colleagues and newer performers. Check it out here: http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/ GREENFIELD SLIDE SHOW
I’ve been dabbling trying to create a slide show about the village of Greenfield that captures some of the history, character and enjoyable aspects of living here. It’s taken far too much time but I’ve had fun learning, and the latest draft can be found by clicking on the YouTube image above. |
CALENDARSunday, April 15: Spring Tea, 2 p.m. at Konneker Education Museum, sponsored by Greenfield Historical Society. Refreshments will include finger foods, tea, coffee and water. Tickets will be on sale for $10 at the Community Savings Bank in Greenfield. With limited seating there is no guarantee that tickets will be available on the day of the tea so it is recommend that tickets be purchased early. For more information, call 937 981 2905.
July 20-22: Greene Countrie Towne Festival, sponsored by Greenfield Rotary Club. Saturday, Oct. 6: History Day, sponsored by Greenfield Historical Society. Saturday, Dec. 1: Greenfield Christmas Parade, 6 p.m., sponsored by Greenfield Eagles Aerie. Sunday, Dec. 2: Greenfield Historical Society Tour of Homes, 12:30-4:30 p.m. |
AMISH/MENNONITE TRAIL
Larry Chapman has been busy, as always. His latest project is a map of Amish and Mennonite business locations in greater Highland County. By visiting the Google map below and clicking on one of the business names, you will activate a pointer showing just where the business is located. Pretty cool! Good work Larry!
http://mapalist.com/Public/pm.aspx?mapid=378317
ABBEY ROAD: THE HISTORY OF AN ICONIC ALBUM COVER
Even if you are a not a Beatles fan, you are probably familiar with the iconic cover photo of their final studio album, “Abbey Road,” considered one of their best albums. The cover photo has sparked countless parodies, but considering all the rumors and buzz from back in the day about Paul McCartney being dead, probably the best is his use of the same background for his “live” album decades later. Here’s the link to an interesting article for trivia buffs, Beatles fans and curiosity seekers:
http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/abbey-road-cover-art-strolling-back-rock-most-190720943.html
WIT & WISDOM
To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible. - Thomas Aquinas
We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics. - Bill Vaughan
An army of deer led by a lion is more feared than an army of lions led by a deer. - Philip of Macedonia
Larry Chapman has been busy, as always. His latest project is a map of Amish and Mennonite business locations in greater Highland County. By visiting the Google map below and clicking on one of the business names, you will activate a pointer showing just where the business is located. Pretty cool! Good work Larry!
http://mapalist.com/Public/pm.aspx?mapid=378317
ABBEY ROAD: THE HISTORY OF AN ICONIC ALBUM COVER
Even if you are a not a Beatles fan, you are probably familiar with the iconic cover photo of their final studio album, “Abbey Road,” considered one of their best albums. The cover photo has sparked countless parodies, but considering all the rumors and buzz from back in the day about Paul McCartney being dead, probably the best is his use of the same background for his “live” album decades later. Here’s the link to an interesting article for trivia buffs, Beatles fans and curiosity seekers:
http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/abbey-road-cover-art-strolling-back-rock-most-190720943.html
WIT & WISDOM
To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible. - Thomas Aquinas
We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics. - Bill Vaughan
An army of deer led by a lion is more feared than an army of lions led by a deer. - Philip of Macedonia
