The COFFEY BLOG
SPARK EVENTS SET APRIL 24
The SPARK! Creative Artspace group is having a couple of nice events on Friday, April 24. First up is a fish fry (5-7 p.m.), followed by some good bluegrass/roots music (7-10:30 p.m.). It’s all at the VFW Ranch on Watt Road. Check the flyer for more details. NEWS FROM THE ‘CRADLE OF COACHES’
I got a nice note from my cousin, Don Taylor of Grand Rapids, MI recently mentioning that he attended a ceremony at Miami University honoring John Harbaugh, the 2013 Super Bowl winning coach of the Baltimore Ravens, on his achievements as a football coach. John, who played football for Miami, now has a statue honoring his coaching exploits. Miami of Ohio proudly calls itself the “Cradle of Coaches” as numerous outstanding coaches are alumni, including Bo Schembechler, Paul Brown, Weeb Ewbank and Ara Parseghian. John Harbaugh’s father Jack was a pretty good coach in his own right, and his brother is the volatile Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49‘ers (a Michigan man). Don said the banter between the brothers and their father was quite entertaining and he provided a link to coverage of the event. Thanks, Cousin Don! Harbaugh article KENNY GUITON’S NFL FUTURE Braxton Miller’s longtime backup Kenny Guiton distinguished himself when he got opportunities to play quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Now he’s hoping for a chance at the next level. On May 9 or 10, could we be hearing something like this: “With the 244th pick in the NFL draft, the New England Patriots select Ohio State quarterback Kenny Guiton”? After all, in 2005 the Pats drafted Matt Cassel from USC, who never started a game in his college career as he backed up Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. When Tom Brady went down with a knee injury in the first game of the 2008 season, Cassel took over and led the Patriots to an 11-win season and subsequently got the franchise tag from New England, earning a cool $14 million for one season . After that he signed a big free agent contract. Maybe Guiton could do the same thing! Personally, I’d love to see the Cincinnati Bengals or the Cleveland Browns take Guiton in the sixth or seventh round. But it’s all the speculation about the draft that makes it interesting in the first place. If you’re interested in some educated guessing about Kenny Guiton’s future, read on: http://thelantern.com/2014/03/former-ohio-state-quarterback-kenny-guiton-nfl-draft-just-want-shot/ http://blog.masslive.com/patriots/2014/03/new_england_patriots_2014_nfl_6.html Matt Cassel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Cassel BUBBLE FOOTBALL? While on the subject of football, I noticed that Neil Decker had some video on his Facebook page of Bubble Football. It is easier watched than described! Basically people in “bubble suits” play soccer -- but the real thrill seems to be crashing into one another while protected by a plastic bubble. Here are a few clips if you’re curious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl98-HwR15s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIl45f6i1PU AMAZING KAYAKING VIDEO It’s impressive what a trip down a river in the mountains can look like when the crew has great scenery, quality cameras and drone aircraft to take video from on high! Maybe we can get some video like this at the Paddle on the Paint event June 1! Thanks to Heath Fettro for sending me the link below (there are also some other interesting videos on this site, like Lance Armstrong showing how to fix a flat tire on a bicycle -- hey, the guy’s got to earn a living somehow...): http://www.outsideonline.com/featured-videos/adventure-videos/water-activities/Kayaks--Waterfalls--and-RC-Helicopters.html#ooid=xzOHB1bDrfFAf1vM6zz7Bn-RTeA7FZRV NEW MARTINSBURG CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP The New Martinsburg Christian Fellowship has a couple of announcements they wanted to get out. Click on the words below for more information. EASTER SERVICES APRIL 20 THE STORY APRIL 27 OHIO FORESTRY & WILDLIFE CAMP My favorite urban forester, Wendi VanBuren, sent out some information about the Ohio Forestry and Wildlife Camp that might be of interest to area high school students. Here’s the scoop: SW Ohio Folks, I wanted to make sure you were aware of a great opportunity for high school kids interested in the outdoors. The Ohio Forestry and Wildlife Conservation Camp will be held June 8-13, 2014 at FFA Camp Muskingum, which is situated on beautiful Leesville Lake in Carroll County. The Camp is sponsored by the Ohio Forestry Association Foundation, a private, not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to promote the wise management ofOhio’s forests and natural resources. It is also supported heavily by the Divisions of Wildlife and Forestry, Ohio State University Extension, and county SWCD’s all of which provide over 30 natural resource professionals who teach on a variety of subjects throughout the week. The Ohio Forestry & Wildlife Conservation Camp is a week-long resident camp that combines fun with learning about natural resources. Its goal is to reach the next generation of caretakers of our State’s valuable assets. Programs at this year’s camp include dendrology (tree identification), ecology, wildlife management, silviculture (forest management), wildlife identification, woodland survival, orienteering, and forest industries, along with many others. Campers spend the week learning about these subjects, making new friends, participating in fun camp activities, and learning more about the environment around us. The end of the week culminates with a comprehensive exam including multiple choice questions and a tree identification section. Many campers work hard all week preparing for the test as they are competing for college scholarships to The Ohio State University, Hocking College and OhioUniversity! Do you have children who may be interested in attending camp? Any neighbors who would? Do you work with youth through your work or personal life? If so, please take a moment to pass this wonderful opportunity on to them. Many of the returning campers (we see about a 50% return rate) tell us that Forestry and Wildlife Conservation Camp is their favorite week of the summer! Camp is open to all youth who have completed the 8th grade and are at least 15 years of age. Attached is a .pdf brochure and poster about Camp. We would greatly appreciate it if you would pass this information on to someone you know and encourage them to attend this opportunity of a lifetime. There are many sponsorships available to assist interested students in paying for camp as well. These are offered through the local SWCD offices, sportsmen’s clubs, forestry groups, and many private forestry-sector businesses. For more information, please feel free to give Jeremy Scherf a call or email, or visit the OFA website at www.ohioforest.org. Early Bird Registration is $325 and ends May 1. After that the fee is $375. Thanks for your time and for helping share this wonderful opportunity! Sincerely, Wendi Van Buren Regional Urban Forester  L-R: Larry Campbell, Happy Traum, John Sebastian, Jorma Kaukonen.
ADVENTURES AT THE FUR PEACE RANCH
On April 12 I visited the Fur Peace Ranch near Pomeroy, Ohio to enjoy a concert by John Sebastian, late of the Lovin’ Spoonful and the writer of the “Welcome Back Kotter” theme, from the TV show that put Sweathogs into the American language and helped launch the career of actor John Travolta. John Sebastian put on a nice show, accompanying himself on guitar and also acquitting himself well on the harmonica (he is reported to have played harmonica on the Doors' song "Roadhouse Blues"). Turns out he’s a pretty good fingerstylist and an even better storyteller! At other times he had some musical help from guitarist Happy Traum, mandolinist and fiddler Larry Campbell, and even Jorma Kaukonen, the owner of Fur Peace Ranch and one of the founding members of the Jefferson Airplane. The occasion also happened to be the 70th birthday of Jorma’s friend from Jefferson Airplane, Jack Casady, who has enjoyed a long collaboration with Jorma as the bassist for Hot Tuna. Since Casady was on the West Coast, Jorma’s wife Vanessa and the show’s emcee John Hurlburt phoned Casady and invited those of us in the audience to sing “Happy Birthday” over the phone. Posted here is a not-very-high-quality photo from the concert at the lovely, intimate concert venue known as FPR where I have had the pleasure of seeing great guitarists and entertainers including Phil Keaggy and Glass Harp, G.E. Smith, Tommy Emmanuel, Hot Tuna and others. It’s about two hours from Greenfield (roughly 20 minutes south of Athens) and tickets are usually in the $25-35 range with free parking and no hidden handling fees. FPR offers guitar camps (more costly than the concerts but said to be great) and the Psylodelic Gallery, which features art, guitars, video and other interesting looks at the world through the eyes of Sixties era icons such as Jorma Kaukonen and Grace Slick. I have no financial interest in the FPR, but have come to appreciate it a great deal. If you would like more information, check out the website: http://furpeaceranch.com/index.html HIGHLAND COUNTY HEALTH RANKING NOT SO GREAT
Highland County ranks near the bottom among Ohio counties as far as health outcomes and health factors, according to a recent study examining a variety of factors that can affect longevity and quality of life. It’s not a new story, as the county has held similar positions in previous studies, along with its Appalachian counterparts. Read more at: http://www.timesgazette.com/news/home_top-news/4475844/Despite-ranking-Highland-County-has-made-tremendous-strides-in-health 
EDWARD LEE McCLAIN OBITUARY
The obit of local industrialist Edward Lee McClain is one of several interesting features found on the Atco, Georgia Facebook page. The obituary was published May 1, 1934 in the Newark Advocate. McClain founded Atco as a “company town” in order to provide textile products for his business empire. While Atco the town exists exists primarily in memory since the demolition of the mill that was the centerpiece of the community, it is alive and well in the minds of the “Atco kids” who grew up there and created the Facebook page. I’ve posted the obituary here for convenience. If you are a Facebook regular, you should be able to access the following link from the Atco page offering more information about Mr. McClain and life in Atco: http://www.atcogeorgia.com/search/label/E.L.%20McClain THE DAVE CLARK FIVE
I wanted to watch the PBS documentary on the Dave Clark Five but missed the scheduled broadcast Tuesday on Channel 16. However, a visit to pbs.com revealed that the show can be watched online, at least for a few more days until the link expires. As one who initially felt that the Dave Clark Five were as good as that other upstart English import, the Beatles, I enjoyed learning more about this excellent pop music group! It’s also interesting to learn what icons like Elton John, Paul McCartney, Gene Simmons, Bruce Springsteen, Whoopi Goldberg, Stevie Wonder and Ozzy Osbourne have to say about the influence of the DC5 on them. http://video.pbs.org/video/2365217224/ BURNING CALORIES IN FRANCE Sole Blog Reader found this interesting and clever video -- really a commercial for a bottled water company -- and sent me the link. The email reads, “This is way cute… and it’s short, so take 90 seconds for this smile -- How Women Burn Calories in France!” Thanks Sole! https://www.youtube.com/embed/yEH4Yum4nN4 REMEMBERING THE KILLER TORNADOES OF 1974 Remember April 3 and 4, 1974? A “Super Outbreak” of storm activity affected 13 states from the eastern U.S. to the Deep South. Most notable in our part of the world was the tragic Xenia tornado, which resulted in 34 deaths and millions of dollars in property damage. I was working at the Greenfield Times then, and Jeff Pollard and I visited Xenia a few days after the storm had hit to deliver a truckload of foodstuffs and other items to help out the victims. The goods had been donated by Greenfield area residents. It was quite a memorable experience for me, and those memories were revived when I watched a 14-minute documentary, "Day of the Killer Tornadoes" that examines the unusual storm activity that took place 40 years ago. You can see it too, or read some area newspaper accounts, at the National Weather Service website link below: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/iln/events/19740403/ ABOUT THAT UNION RULING FOR COLLEGE ATHLETES Jim Thompson thinks the recent NLRB decision allowing Northwestern University football players to unionize is a good idea. In the process of explaining his views, he shares some interesting thoughts on the role of sports in our society. Read more at the link below: http://www.highlandcountypress.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=328&ArticleID=22102 ‘THUMBS UP’ MOVIE CLASSICS Some PhotoShop genius with time on his/her hands took classic movie scenes and replaced weapons with the “thumbs up” sign. Have a look at: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2013/20-movie-stills-hilariously-replacing-guns-with-thumbs-ups/ PUCO TO HOST ENERGY CHOICE WORKSHOP MARCH 24 Have you been approached by door-to-door energy marketers or received literature in the mail about shopping for your electricity or natural gas? Have you been asked to join a government aggregation? Want to learn more and feel confident that the decision you make is right for you, your family or business? On Monday, March 24, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) will be educating Greenfield residents about energy choice. The event will take place from 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. in the Greenfield Council Chambers, 300 Jefferson St., Greenfield. The chambers are located on the first floor. Erin MacLellan, from the PUCO’s Office of Retail Competition, will discuss your rights in choosing an electric or natural gas supplier. Topics that will be covered include:
For more information about energy choice, visit the PUCO’s website at www.energychoice.ohio.gov. The PUCO Office of Retail Competition With a number of legislative changes in the electric utility industry in Ohio over the past 14 years, the PUCO recognizes the need to educate consumers on the retail competition of utility services. With this recognition the PUCO created the Office of Retail Competition (ORC) in July of 2012. The mission of the Office of Retail Competition is to improve awareness, trust and understanding of market-based utility service in Ohio. ADVENTURES WITH MEALS ON WHEELS
On March 17 I enjoyed a new adventure helping to deliver meals to seniors in Highland County, courtesy of an invitation from the Community Action Organization. Meals on Wheels provides hot, nutritious meals to adults 60 years of age or older who are homebound. While I was riding with the Meals on Wheels van, the invitation to take part as a community official was informally known as “Mayors for Meals,” if I remember correctly (I did not take any notes, so please forgive any inaccuracies). It seems the idea was to help local officials learn about the program that provides a lifeline of not only nutrition but also relationships -- one of many such programs offered by Community Action. I reported to the kitchen facilities at Greenhills Village in Greenfield where five ladies from Community Action were preparing a large number of meals to be delivered that day. The menu included chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. Plastic plates were sealed with cellophane and I helped carry trays of lunches into the back of the Meals on Wheels van driven by Linda Meyers of Community Action. Linda and I then visited approximately 50 seniors in and around Greenfield, Leesburg, Samantha and Hillsboro. At each stop, I pulled lunches from the warmer in the back of the van while Linda took sacks of other items to the residents. Some of the seniors were quite frail, but most enjoyed the chance to chat as Linda made introductions. Linda is very efficient at her job, and I felt that I probably slowed her down in the delivery of the meals, but I enjoyed the conversations. "Have you lived around here all your life?" I asked one of the clients. "Well, so far," she laughed. She said she was 80 and did not take any prescription medications -- a remarkable achievement in our modern, treat-everything-with-a-drug culture. It turned out she and I had some mutual acquaintances, as often happens in beautiful Highland County. This happened several times during my time as a delivery man. Other conversations followed. Linda reminded clients that she would bring a hot meal and a cold meal on Tuesday so that they would have something to eat on Wednesday when the Meals on Wheels vans don't go out. My two-hour stint delivering meals went quickly. Back at Greenhills Village I thanked Linda for taking me along for the ride. Some photos are posted here, but I didn’t try to take any pictures of Meals on Wheels clients. Nevertheless, I came away with a better understanding of how Community Action provides a lifeline of nutrition and valuable personal contact. Meals for seniors also are served at Greenhills Village, and Community Action offers a host of other programs to help people with housing issues, emergency services, health services, preschool (Head Start) and more. For additional information about Highland County Community Action, pay a visit to the website at the link below: http://hccao.org/ GOSPEL HARMONY BOYS SUNDAY The Gospel Harmony Boys are putting on a concert at Good Shepherd Church this Sunday, March 23 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. https://www.facebook.com/goodshepherdgreenfield ATTENTION BRACKETOLOGISTS! March Madness is underway, with the teams having been selected and a chance to will a billion dollars for a perfect bracket! While I don’t expect to win the billion, it is still a fun diversion to try and pick the winners and root for favorite teams. Xavier is one of the “First Four” with a play-in game Tuesday evening, and Ohio State does not look to be around more than a game or two, but it’s always interesting to tune in to the games. If you can’t find a printable bracket for some reason, here’s a link to the NCAA’s version: http://i.turner.ncaa.com/dr/ncaa/ncaa7/release/sites/default/files/external/printable-bracket/2014/bracket-ncaa.pdf If you want to go for the billion dollars -- and why not? -- here’s where you can make your picks: https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/quickenloansbracket NICHOLAS CAGE INTERNET FUN For some reason, Nicholas Cage is beloved or dissed as an actor, but is a darling of the people who come up with all sorts of fun with PhotoShop. And thus, Nick ends up crossing the finish line ahead of Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, or appears in a takeoff of the Oscar selfie with Nick’s face on the neck of each celebrity. You get the idea. Here are links to a few sites that enjoy Mr. Cage: http://xaxor.com/funny-pics/funny-nicolas-cage-can-be-anyone.html/attachment/nicolas-cage-can-be-anyone9 http://www.complex.com/art-design/2013/07/the-30-funniest-nicolas-cage-memes/ http://elitedaily.com/humor/king-memes-50-best-nicholas-cage-memes-50th-birthday/ RE-USE COMPETITION DEADLINE IS MARCH 14 Could you or your organization use an extra $3,000? Here’s a chance to make some money while taking part in a fun and creative activity. ReUse Industries, an Athens-based non-profit organization, recently launched a ReUse Competition with a total of $3,000 in cash prizes to support and promote creative ideas for artistic and functional products made from used or recycled materials. There are competition categories for youth and adults - individuals or teams - throughout the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio. Friday, March 14 is the Intent to Enter deadline for the 2014 Appalachian Ohio ReUse Competition. Entries due April 1. Exhibition and Awards Ceremony on Earth Day, April 22. See details and Intent to Enter form at: https://sites.google.com/site/reuseathensohio/competition "If you like us on Facebook you will receive notice about other great activities we will be launching this year," says Zachary Holl, executive director of ReUse Industries. https://www.facebook.com/reuseind MARK HAMILL SHARES MEMORIES OF MAKING ‘STAR WARS’ Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, is good at keeping secrets. Recently he opened up on a number of subjects that fans of the films should enjoy, like how his white pants were just bleached-out Levis and the fact that he was one of a select few to know that the evil Darth Vader was his father. Here’s a link: http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-news/safeguarding-that-darth-vader-spoiler-and-9-more-mark-hamill--star-wars--revelations-010001742.html STAR WARS EPISODE VII It’s rumored that Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) will return in the new “Star Wars Episode VII” scheduled to be released in late 2015. Here’s what is known -- or alleged -- so far: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Star-Wars-Episode-7-What-We-Know-So-Far-36488.html REMBRANDT’S ‘NIGHT WATCH’ BROUGHT TO LIFE! Sole Blog Reader sent me this information about a reenactment of a Rembrandt painting in a Holland mall. Here’s what his email said: “The Rijksmuseum museum in Holland had an idea: Let's bring the art to the people and then, hopefully, they will come to see more --- at the museum. They took one Rembrandt painting from 1642, Night Watch and brought to life the characters in it, placed them in a busy mall and the rest you can see for yourself!" Thanks Sole! http://www.youtube.com/embed/a6W2ZMpsxhg?feature=player_embedded%C2%A0%3b 
FAT TUESDAY IN GREENFIELD
Had a nice dinner and a fun evening Tuesday at the Three Spoons, as local Mardi Gras aficionado Larry Chapman helped the restaurant to serve up some delicious dishes such as Po’ Boy sandwiches, Dooky Mae’s Creole Gumbo over rice, Avery’s Sweet Potato Salad and even Mardi Gras King Cake! Some people were decked out in outfits that would do N’awlins proud, and all customers were offered beads as we celebrated the big feast the immediately precedes Ash Wednesday. I snapped a few photos (see above and below) and even attempted a selfie with Chapman and some of the SPARK! ladies. (Larry, sorry that I cropped you out. I am no Bradley Cooper!) Some of the proceeds will help the fledgeling organization known as SPARK! Creative Artspace. Good times! MOST FAMOUS SELFIE -- SO FAR! Speaking of selfies, here's the best known to date, from the Academy Awards Sunday night: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2572822/Bradley-Cooper-owns-right-famous-selfie-history-took-photo.html GARY MOORE
The late guitarist performs “The Messiah Will Come Again” and gets extra credit for some excellent “guitar face”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k07j7LcLqw BLUES, BREWS & STEWS!
What a nice evening we had Saturday as several hundred people turned out for the second annual Blues, Brews & Stews winter festival. There was excellent chili, stew, soup, dessert, hot and cold drinks and the Back Talk Blues Band from the Dayton area gave us some great blues music. The event was sponsored by Greening Greater Greenfield (G3) and proceeds will not only help G3 but also the new SPARK! Creative Artspace project. The winners of the chili and stew cooking contest are listed below: CHILIS: first place, Denise Shope, Adena Greenfield Medical Center (Bountiful Chili); second place, Holly Ellinger (Washington’s White Chili) -- who happens to work for the village of Greenfield!; and third place, Deana Cox & Shari Bellar (Hoochie Coochi Chili). STEWS: first place, Deana Cox & Shari Bellar (Chicken Gnochi Fnochi Soup); Roberta Karnes (Navajo Lamb Stew) -- who happens to work for the village of Greenfield!; and third place, Sonya Curren, MHS Class of 1984 (Shrimp & Corn Chowder). I’ve posted some photos here, including those of the winning cooks, the band and various action shots taken during the evening. HAPPENINGS 20 YEARS AGO I had forgotten some of the big events that took place 20 years ago in 1994. That year might go down as the year the 24-hour news cycle was born. A couple of events that year certainly turned up the media attention as the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan drama unfolded prior to and during the Olympics. That same year, the brutal murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman occurred, resulting in murder charges against legendary NFL running back O.J. Simpson. Locally, a couple of less dramatic but much more positive stories unfolded. The medical building built by Wilson and Mary Moon, now known as Adena Family Medicine - Greenfield, opened on Valentine’s Day 1994. To this day Dr. Rick Mizer still practices there, and the foresight of the Moon family has left a lasting legacy for our community. Also in 1994, a new radio station known as WVNU Lite 97.5 FM opened in Greenfield. Thanks to Pat and Elaine Hays and their staff for providing this valuable service to Greenfield and area. That year I took my first cruise as well -- a trip to the eastern Caribbean that was a great experience for the Coffey family! Any other special memories from 1994? Let me know if you would like to share... ANOTHER SURE SIGN OF SPRING! It was good to receive the Spring 2014 edition of “Happenings in the Hills” on Monday, another sign that the Wicked Winter of 2013-14 will soon be history. As I spent a good part of my Presidents Day trying to dig my car out of the driveway, the coming of spring is something that I will relish! But I digress... Boonie and Janny Brizius have put together another great issue telling about things to see and do in the hills and valleys of beautiful southern Ohio, and you can read all about it by clicking HERE. NEW JUST THINKING Greg Roberts has been thinking about marriage. Not sure I want to go there, but I don’t tell him what to think about! At least I waited until after Valentine’s Day! Read it HERE. GREENFIELD GUITARIST IS TALENTED SHREDDER Recently Earlene Scott told me about a guy known as Izzy Batio, who is not only quite an amazing guitarist but also a resident of Greenfield! I did find some of the man’s music online, and it’s way above my head! Fans of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani or Yngwie Malmsteen will appreciate the fact that a neoclassical shredder lives in our Greene Countrie Towne. Below are links to a nice article Earlene wrote about Izzy, and links where some of his music can be heard. It’s obvious he has some serious chops! http://www.timesgazette.com/news/home_top-news/3661117/Greenfield-guitarist-a-rocker-at-heart Izzy Batio links: http://www.last.fm/music/Izzy+Batio/Over+The+Rainbow/Over+the+Rainbow http://www.last.fm/music/Izzy+Batio/Shield+Us+All/Run+To+The+Light MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO Izzy Batio’s hero, Michael Angelo Batio, is an amazing guitarist who can play right- or left-handed -- or play two guitars simultaneously! When I first heard about Michael Angelo from my guitarist son Colin, that’s when I decided I’d better stick with classic rock... Below is a link to Michael Angelo playing a medley of songs as only he can perform them. Please stick with it, as the video starts a little slowly and looks a bit hokey, like he might be doing the guitar equivalent of lip synching. At about 3 minutes in, he plays some “Pipeline” that guys like me can appreciate before moving on to a host of other segments from classic rock, hard rock and shred. Did I mention that at one point he flips his two guitars over and plays them in upside down position? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ8ml7eENuI Michael's tribute to Randy Rhoads (played conventionally -- still amazing): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFfj-em-hJo WIT & WISDOM Everybody can be great ... because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need to have a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. - Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. - Potter Stewart A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. - Winston Churchill When we are born we get a ticket to the freak show. When we are born in America, we get a front row seat. - George Carlin A LOVE AFFAIR WITH CHOCOLATE Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Gary Abernathy has written a truly inspiring column about a longtime love. As he so eloquently puts it, “Chocolate loves me. And I love chocolate back.” Read all about it: http://www.timesgazette.com/news/opinion-opinion_columns/3608847/Celebrating-a-long-lasting-relationship ‘PAUL IS DEAD’ THEORY REVISITED All the Beatles coverage re: their 50th anniversary since appearing on “The Ed Sullivan Show” has sparked some commemoration of the “Paul is Dead” rumors from many years ago. While Paul looks great for a guy in his 70s (if that really is Paul), it's more likely that the Beatles were the best in the business at planting little seeds in their songs and album covers that led to even greater sales for their records! So, for the sake of fun, or to learn more about this amazing hoax or coincidence or whatever, visit the “Paul is Dead” gallery at the link below: http://www.trutv.com/conspiracy/celebs/paul-is-dead/gallery.all.html BEATLES TRIBUTE My wife and I gave up the Olympics and “Downtown Abbey” to join the 50-year celebration of the Beatles’ appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964. While the main draws were Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, I enjoyed the other performers and the house band. Among the latter were guitarists Steve Lukather of Toto fame and Peter Frampton, who long ago lost his long locks but as a player has just kept getting better since “Frampton Comes Alive” dominated the charts in 1976. I caught a glimpse of a bearded bass player wearing a hat and for a moment thought it was Hank Williams Jr., which would have been a most unlikely sighting at such an event, so I had to surf the ‘net to discover the bassman was really Don Was, a musician and producer of some note (no one made it to this gig without being very accomplished!). While I recognized and enjoyed most of the performers, and especially enjoyed the guitar pyrotechnics of Joe Walsh, Gary Clark Jr., Keith Urban and John Mayer, I had never heard of acoustic guitarist/singer Ed Sheeran, who rendered a wonderful version of “In My Life” as Sir Paul and Ringo and millions looked on, and Imagine Dragons’ creative version of “Revolution”. If you missed the show, here’s a nice recap: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/11/arts/television/cbs-grammy-salute-belongs-to-mccartney-and-starr.html?_r=0 MY MEDIA SPLASH I have enjoyed a more modest media splash than the Beatles, but a splash nevertheless. A while back, a young Greenfield Middle School student named Miles McMurry asked to interview me for the school newspaper, Tiger Pride News. Here’s the story that he hand-delivered to me Monday: Who’s in Charge? by Miles McMurry Do you think you know everything about our city manager? I’ll bet you didn’t know this. Mr. Ron Coffey loves playing guitar in his free time and used to be the clerk of the Highland County court. He was also a journalist for the Greenfield Daily Times. He was sworn into office on January 27, 2013. He has plans to attract jobs to Greenfield. He also wants citizens to take pride in their community, keep properties clean, and get involved. He said that the thing he enjoys most about being city manager is having a chance to help the community. Thanks Miles! By the way, the entire publication is very nice and gives students a chance to work on their writing skills. There are nice articles about a variety of subjects, including a story about Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lee McClain and the local schools; a report that the majority of students at Greenfield Middle School don’t want a dress code; items about coming events and craft ideas, and a feature about Mrs. Eikenberry, a new sixth grade teacher. There’s even a piece about the “secret tunnels” under the school grounds. Thanks to Mrs. Angie Johnson for coordinating the Tiger Pride News, and to all those future journalists who contributed to the publication. SALT My second brush with fame occurred in the latest issue of SALT, the bimonthly magazine “adding flavor for everyday life.” Lora Abernathy called out of the blue one day and talked me into a light-hearted interview with no chance to prepare. The result is published on page 4 of the January/February 2014 issue on the “Front Porch Profile”. There were no questions about plowing snow, the salt shortage, or broken water lines. In other words, it was fun! Thanks, Lora. Here’ are links to the current issue and the main website: http://issuu.com/thesaltmagazine/docs/salt_january_eedition http://www.thesaltmagazine.com/ CREATION VS. EVOLUTION Ken Ham of Creation Museum Fame and Bill Nye "the Science Guy" made news recently with a debate over how we came to be here. I haven’t had a chance to watch yet, but I found the debate online. Here’s the link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/02/04/271648691/watch-the-creationism-vs-evolution-debate-bill-nye-and-ken-ham CCW PERMITS ON THE INCREASE The Highland County Sheriff’s Department issued its annual report for 2013 recently, and it looks like the crime rate was down -- as it was in Greenfield compared to the previous year. One of the more interesting statistics was the number of concealed carry permits issued, renewed, denied, etc., which indicates that more than 1,500 folks in the county have CCW permits. CCW data for 2013: New, 1,114; Renewed, 410; Revoked, 3; Suspended, 7; Denied, 2 Data for 2012: New, 561; Renewed, 109; Revoked, 1; Suspended, 4; Denied, N/A More info from the sheriff’s department can be found here: http://www.highlandcountypress.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=73&ArticleID=21421 MEN’S CONFERENCE IS A HIT! The No Regrets Men’s Conference Feb. 1, 2014, streamed to the Greenfield First United Methodist Church from the Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, WI, received rave reviews from some 10,000 men at the host church and thousands more at satellite locations around the country. Sixty of those men watched from the Greenfield First United Methodist Church and came away inspired and changed, empowered to become better husbands, fathers, grandfathers and sons. I really enjoyed the conference -- especially the message by Dr. Rick Rigsby on Saturday afternoon. He had us laughing, thinking, and even crying -- very powerful! If you would like to see and hear Dr. Rigsby, or wish to share with anyone else, here is a link: http://www.menwithnoregrets.org/?page_id=59302 Also, some photos from the conference have been posted on the Greenfield First United Methodist Church website. Just click on the link below and go to the Events page: http://greenfieldfumc.org/ ‘THE JESUS GUY’ SUBJECT OF DOCUMENTARY Carl Joseph, probably better known as “the Jesus Guy,” has been trekking the globe for years, physically resembling the popular image of Jesus Christ and dressing in a “what would Jesus wear?” style. Many will remember him from a late 1990s tangle with the local constabulary in Greenfield as he attracted quite a following of listeners and curiosity seekers. I have googled Mr. Joseph from time to time, but only recently did I become aware that there is a documentary about the man. It’s about an hour in length, and if you would like to tune in, click on the link below: http://video.answers.com/the-jesus-guy-517355797 |
CALENDARApril 25: Celebrate Earth Day week with “Roots in the Field,” a tribute to roots music/bluegrass/Americana at the VFW Ranch being sponsored by SPARK! Creative Artspace. There will be a cover charge. Check the SPARK! Facebook page for more details.
April 26: MHS Show Choir "Spectacular," 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 each. April 27: Greenfield Historical Society Spring Tea, 2 p.m. featuring Danny Long as F.R. Harris. Tickets available at Home Building and Loan for $10 each. May 8: Job Fair at Greenfield Library, 1-4 p.m. June 1: Paddle on the Paint kayaking event sponsored by G3. Event starts at Felson Park. June 6-7: Greenfield Community Wide Yard Sale. June 7: Daryle Unger & Peanut Fishing Derby, Mitchell Park. |
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
