The COFFEY BLOG Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Burton (second from left) is pictured with several members of the Coffey clan.
NBA TRIES THE ‘ELAM ENDING’ AT 2020 ALL STAR GAME
I never heard of the Elam Ending before Feb. 16, and now I think it sounds very interesting after having read an article on how turning off the clock near the end of basketball games could reduce trips to the free throw line and make the conclusion exciting. Nick Elam talked with the National Basketball Association, and the NBA decided to try it in the All Star Game. Here’s a link to the article: https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/elam-ending-takes-center-stage-in-2020-nba-all-star-game-someday-its-going-to-be-everywhere-in-basketball/ R.I.P. KOBE BRYANT Another icon is gone far too soon. https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kobe-bryant-lakers-legend-and-nba-great-dies-at-41-in-helicopter-crash/ JUST THINKING RETURNS… It’s been about a year since Greg Roberts last graced this website with a “Just Thinking” opinion piece, but I understand. After all, I’m retired but I’ve been pretty busy too! But I was pleased to see a new “Just Thinking” in my inbox from the Thoreau of New Market and found it to be timely (concerning impeachment) but not political. To see what Greg’s been thinking about, visit the JUST THINKING PAGE. HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS AND BURSONS: NAMES SYNONYMOUS WITH BASKETBALL Recently I had the opportunity to treat some of my grandchildren to an evening with the Harlem Globetrotters. I had chanced to see an announcement that the Globetrotters would be performing at Muskingum University, not far from Zanesville where son Wade, his wife Susan and their children live. I checked with Wade, bought some tickets, and we were in for a fun evening. Though the names have changed since the days of Meadowlark Lemon, Marques Haynes and Curly Neal, the level of entertainment is still high with the current batch of Globetrotters. They are super-talented basketball players and the current lineup includes a lady who can handle the ball like nobody’s business and a Polish player with some gymnastics moves as well as basketball expertise. Names like “Bulldog” Mack head the current roster, and while I didn’t take any notes during the game, the Globetrotters had a sharpshooter who made seven consecutive shots from about 35 feet out (the team had taped down a “five-point line” about 10 feet behind the collegiate three-point line as a reference for the distance). The Washington Generals weren’t bad either. They had some legit players and both teams produced plenty of dunks. However, the Globetrotters were better and had a big lead late in the game when there was a timeout and the Generals somehow got the score rolled back to a tie! No worries. In the final minutes the Globetrotters pulled away once again to claim another victory. Best of all, the Globetrotters kept us laughing throughout the game. I had seen them on TV before and seen similar teams in person, but these modern Globetrotters offered up new tricks and gags to keep things fresh and entertaining. And the skill level of the passing, dribbling and dunking was off the charts. It was a very enjoyable evening for the grandkids, but we adults were entertained too. If that weren’t enough, we happened to sit near a man that Wade recognized from his undergraduate days at Muskingum. “Aren’t you Coach Burson?” he asked, and the man confirmed that he was indeed Jim Burson, longtime coach of the Muskingum Muskies men’s basketball team. During the evening, several tall men stopped by to shake his hand and greet their former coach. We could feel the love… We found Mr. Burson to be very personable and were happy when he consented to posing for a photo with us. In addition to being a Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Burson won 542 games over 38 years at Muskingum), Jim is the father of legendary high school phenom Jay Burson (he scored 2,958 points over four years at John Glenn High School, a high school record that stood for 22 years). Jay Burson also starred at Ohio State University from 1986-89. (Ironically, the high school player who broke Jay’s scoring record was Jon Diebler, who also attended Ohio State.) Altogether, I had a great evening that brought back many memories. My own love of basketball was sparked by seeing the Harlem Satellites (a team similar to the Globetrotters) who performed in Greenfield when I was probably in junior high school. I loved the fancy dribbling and behind-the-back passes, and soon found myself shooting baskets on cold winter days at my parents’ driveway. For the next 50 years or so, playing basketball was a big part of my life. I also fell in love with the Ohio State Buckeyes of the day (Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek, etc. – I think I can still name them all) and was crushed by those NCAA Finals defeats to Cincinnati on consecutive seasons in the early 1960s. I remember Jay Burson playing for the Buckeyes too, and think he played in a game in Greenfield as part of a fundraiser, perhaps in the 1990s. Ahh, good memories. Here are some links related to this post: Harlem Globetrotters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Globetrotters Jim Burson: https://ohiobasketballhalloffame.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/2007/jim-burson.html Jay Burson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Burson JOE BURROW: FROM BULLDOGS TO BUCKEYES TO TIGERS TO HEISMAN There’s a nice article in the Athens Messenger about quarterback Joe Burrow, the high school phenom who might have been the next big star at Ohio State but instead wound up at LSU with a Heisman Trophy and a National Championship. I’ve not met Joe Burrow, but he has impressed me with his abilities on the football field and his speech upon receiving the Heisman Trophy. Here’s a link to more about the guy who may be quarterbacking the Bengals next year: https://www.athensmessenger.com/spotlight/from-bulldogs-to-buckeyes-to-tigers-to-heisman/article_de549f6a-3116-5c9d-8407-fc58f2ddf1e4.html#tncms-source=infinity-scroll-summary-siderail-next 
NO REGRETS MEN’S CONFERENCE SET FOR SATURDAY, FEB. 1
The 2020 No Regrets Men’s Conference is scheduled Saturday, Feb. 1 featuring top Christian speakers addressing issues of interest to men. The following article was written by Rick Schluep and provides information about the conference, its local history, and how to get tickets: All men are invited to the 2020 No Regrets Men’s Conference that will be Saturday, Feb. 1, hosted at Good News Gathering, 6250 US 62, Hillsboro. The conference runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with check-in starting at 8:30 a.m. “This (conference) is a way to jump start what you really want to do in your life,” Greenfield’s Larry Hayes said. Hayes was instrumental in bringing the national conference to Highland County eight years ago. “If this doesn’t light your fire, nothing will,” he said. For $20, attendees receive the conference content (simulcast at more than 100 host sites across the country), lunch, snacks and coffee for the day. The speaker lineup includes renowned communicators Albert Tate, Carlos Whitaker, Gary Haugen, Skye Jethani, Brady Boyd and Jeff Manion. Hundreds of men in the area have attended the No Regrets Conference over the years with Greenfield United Methodist Church, Good News Gathering and Hillsboro Nazarene Church serving as alternating local host sites since 2013. “What sparks me over the years we have been doing this,” Hayes said, “is that every year…I come across someone who attended the conference and they share something like, ‘I want you to know it saved my marriage’ or ‘It gave me the courage I needed to pull my family back together.’” Hayes added that the conference is for all ages of men from all walks of life whether you are single, married, enjoying a time of peace or in a period of turmoil and trials. The content will motivate attendees to “have a better marriage, a stronger family, strengthen associations for work, church and the community." "It is for you if you want to energize your faith life and your life overall,” Hayes said. Registration is simple by clicking through this link: https://noregrets-gng.pushpayevents.com/ or you may call or text Larry Hayes at (937) 763-1382. To learn more about No Regrets and this year’s theme, Uncommon, go to https://goodnewsgathering.org/mens-no-regrets-conference/. Greenfield will again be hosting a breakfast prior to the conference. A kick-off breakfast will be served at 7:45 a.m. Feb. 1 at First United Methodist Church, 405 South St., Greenfield, prior to traveling to the conference at Good News Gathering. For more information, contact Good News Gathering at (937) 393-5383. NEW DIRECTIONS TELETHON MOVES TO FACEBOOK The New Directions telethon will be a little different in 2020. For the first time in 26 years, the annual telethon is changing platforms to social media. The fundraising event will take place on Facebook from Jan. 20-24, but viewers can watch at their convenience. Donations are still tax-deductible, and if made before the end of the year can be applied to 2019 taxes. For a more complete explanation of the new format as explained by Tonia McLanahan, director of youth ministries, click on the link below: https://www.timesgazette.com/news/44329/telethon-moves-platforms HOMEMADE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER A year or two ago I made some spray that quickly melts ice from my windshield when I don’t have time to let the car warm up, or don’t feel like scraping the windshield. It works well, but I forgot the recipe, so did an Internet search on the subject and found recipes and a video. I think what I made was from this recipe: Mix one part water to two parts rubbing alcohol. Apply to the window and watch ice peel right off! Recipe #2: Use a bottle of 70% isopropyl alcohol (50% works, too, but not as well) with a few drops of dish soap. You can spray this stuff on your windshield the night before and it helps prevent icy buildup. According to the video link below, you can also spray the bottom of your garage door and make it easier to open on icy mornings. Here’s the video link showing how to make your own. https://www.google.com/search?q=homemade+defrosting+spray&oq=homemade+defrost&aqs=chrome.3.0j69i57j0l4.10655j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1 I’m told that three parts vinegar with one part water also works. RALPH MAY CHRISTMAS SHOW 1969 Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to turn back the clock to 1969 and imagine that we’re in the Ohio Theatre for the Ralph May Christmas Show. The show was directed by Robert Anderson and featured the Columbus Pops Orchestra. The recorded version still sounds great! Just click on the link below, close your eyes and enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TDZuwhO0R8&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3UpZJjecLI9e3d2CAGe-pPW82WDkj6dXkM8EaY94LexH_WsAXkxs4RGhM GENETICIST SEES BIG OPPORTUNITIES FOR HUMANITY CBS “Sixty Minutes” had an interesting profile of Harvard geneticist George Church on Dec. 8. Church believes that science can protect humans from viruses, genetic diseases, and aging. Check it out at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/harvard-geneticist-george-church-goal-to-protect-humans-from-viruses-genetic-diseases-and-aging-60-minutes-2019-12-08/ EVERY ‘ABBEY ROAD’ SONG & EVERY PERSON ON SGT. PEPPER’S COVER I always liked the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album, which was the group’s final album (though the previously recorded “Let It Be” was released later). As often happens when browsing the Internet, I get sidetracked by an article such as the one on the link below that promised information about every song on “Abbey Road” and then morphed into an explanation of every person featured on the cover of the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” cover. I found all of this quite interesting, and did not know that Shirley Temple appears three times (!) on that iconic cover. So if you are up for some extensive reading, click the link and enjoy! https://ultimateclassicrock.com/beatles-abbey-road-songs/ REMEMBER ‘PAUL IS DEAD’ URBAN LEGEND? MEET THE MAN WHO HELPED POPULARIZE IT Fifty years ago, music lovers across the nation were fascinated to hear of a report that Beatles icon Paul McCartney had died and been replaced by a look-alike. I remember it well. I was a student at Ohio University, and just about everyone was talking about the “clues” to Paul’s death, including his appearance on the “Abbey Road” album cover walking barefoot (it was said the dead weren’t buried in shoes as you could not see their feet in the casket anyway), and lines from various Beatles songs (“He blew his mind out in a car,” “The walrus is Paul”) and the mysterious hints that could only be heard by playing a record backwards (“I buried Paul” from “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Turn me on dead man” from “Revolution #9” and “Paul is a dead man, miss him, miss him, miss him” from “I’m So Tired”). There were lots of other clues as well, and I had no idea how the rumors took off in such a big way until recently. It turns out that the man getting most of the credit for fueling this mystery trip of rumors and clues was a student at the University of Michigan named Fred LaBour, who is a musician of some prominence in his own right. LaBour heard the Oct. 12, 1969 broadcast on WKNR claiming that Paul McCartney had died. Almost immediately, LaBour and his friend John Gray wrote a satirical parody review of the Beatles’ album “Abbey Road” and started making up additional “clues” about McCartney’s demise. Their article, published in the Oct. 14, 1969 issue of the Michigan Daily, was entitled “McCartney Dead; New Evidence Brought to Light” and suddenly the whole Paul is Dead phenomenon kicked into high gear. The article claimed that the abbey Road cover depicted a funeral procession from a cemetery, with Paul the “deceased” being barefoot and holding a cigarette in his right hand (he was known to be left-handed). The article furthermore stated that Paul had died in a car crash three years earlier and that he was the subject of the crash described in “A Day in the Life” on the album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” LaBour and Gray were astonished when the story was picked up by major metropolitan newspapers, spreading the rumors far and wide. LaBour even participated in a mock trial featuring celebrity attorney F. Lee Bailey and examining the subject of McCartney’s supposed death -- though he told Bailey during the pre-show meeting that he had made the whole thing up. I mentioned that LaBour is a musician himself, and even plays bass -- the instrument Sir Paul was known for in the Beatles. LaBour’s music has more of a country and western flavor and he is a member of the Riders in the Sky, a group of talented singers and players of cowboy music. My wife and I saw them at the Murphy Theatre in Wilmington probably a good 20 years ago, and they are very talented and very funny. Initially there was a problem with the sound system, but the Riders in the Sky commenced to singing a capella without amplification and it sounded wonderful! They put on a hilarious show but it was impossible not to notice their formidable musical talents as well. Fred LaBour’s stage name in the Riders is Too Slim, and he’s been singing, playing and telling stories with them since 1977. The band has even been been featured on television in animated form. And one of his bandmates, Douglas B. “Ranger Doug” Green, was featured in the excellent Ken Burns documentary “Country Music” on PBS this year. So, that’s a little trip down Memory Lane about the Beatles and the Riders in the Sky. If you ever get a chance to see either of these groups, or any of the individual members, please do so. And thanks, Fred, for causing so many college students to work hard in 1969 looking for clues and trying to play records backwards. Here are some links to more information about the Paul rumors, the Riders in the Sky and Fred LaBour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_is_dead https://nationalpost.com/news/world/i-buried-paul-your-guide-to-the-convoluted-conspiracy-that-paul-mccartney-died-in-1966 http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1860997,00.html https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/paul-mccartney-is-dead-conspiracy-897189/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_LaBour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_in_the_Sky_(band) https://www.ridersinthesky.com/ SUPERINTENDENT GRAY SCHEDULES ‘COFFEE AND CRUMBS’ MEETINGS WITH PUBLIC New Greenfield Schools Supt. Quincey Gray has scheduled a series of breakfast meetings for anyone wishing to discuss school issues with her. The monthly breakfast “Coffee and Crumbs” sessions will take place at 7 a.m. at public restaurants according to the following schedule: Sept. 19 at McDonald’s Oct. 17 at the Pot Belly Pig Nov. 21 at Ranchers Roast Beef Dec. 19 at Cream-n-Sugar Cafe Jan. 23 at Subway Feb. 20 at Burger King March 19 at McDonald’s April 16 at the Pot Belly Pig May 21 at Ranchers Roast Beef WHY DID OVER-THE-AIR TV CHANNELS NEED TO BE RESCANNED OCTOBER 18? In case you missed it, your over-the-air channels needed to be rescanned on Friday, Oct. 18. In my neighborhood, the rescanning took place after 10 a.m. If you have cable, I think you’re okay without doing anything. But if you only have an antenna and a bit of streaming capability like my household, you’ll need to grab the remote and go through the rescanning process or you may not be able to find your favorite channels until you do so. The back story on this is that nearly 1,000 stations nationwide are changing their frequencies to comply with the spectrum reallocation mandated by the Federal Communications Commission. Mainly it’s being done to make additional airwaves available for wireless Internet services. Here’s a link to a story detailing how you can rescan and keep watching your favorite channels: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2019/10/04/fcc-reminder-tv-antenna-users-scan-avoid-losing-channels/3863815002/ Good luck! MEDICARE WARNS OF ‘FREE’ GENETIC TESTING SCAM Recently I received an email from Medicare warning of scam activity and thought I’d pass along: Have you heard about the latest scam? Scammers are offering “free” genetic tests and claiming Medicare will cover it — so they can get your Medicare Number and use it to commit fraud and identity theft. They’re targeting people through telemarketing calls, health fairs, and even knocking on doors. Only a doctor you know and trust should order and approve any requests for genetic testing. If Medicare is billed for a test or screening that wasn’t medically necessary and/or wasn’t ordered by your doctor, the claim could be denied. That means you could be responsible for the entire cost of the test, which could be thousands of dollars. Learn More Here’s how to protect yourself:
Sincerely, The Medicare Team 12-YEAR-OLD FINDS WOOLY MAMMOTH TOOTH ON VACATION IN OHIO I’ll have to tell my grandchildren about this! Interestingly, I think my wife and I stayed at the Inn at Honey Run in Millersburg. Seeing the photo of the tooth reminded me of the time we were coming home and decided to stop at Big Bone Lick in Kentucky. Our sons were quite young then, and I think the sights there made a big impression on Colin and Wade. Anyway, here’s a link to the Honey Run Creek discovery, plus information on efforts to recreate a wooly mammoth in modern times: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/12-year-old-discovers-apparent-woolly-mammoth-tooth-while-on-vacation-in-ohio/ BACK IN THE SADDLE, SORT OF
Just today (Aug. 13) I happened to see Fred Raike, who expressed disappointment that my blog hasn’t been updated in quite a while. This is a trend that started in early 2013 years ago when I became Greenfield city manager. I just didn’t have time to make daily updates, and the intervals between updates gradually got longer and longer. I retired last year, and gave serious thought to blogging more often. But life gets in the way of many of my grand schemes, and blogging chews up a lot of time. (I am frequently reminded that I spend too much time surfing the ‘Net as it is.) So I’ve been lazy and it’s hard to get motivated for a blog that wasn’t read by too many people even at its peak. Blogging is nice, but these days it’s all about the grandchildren. Nevertheless, since Fred asked so kindly, I am devoting a bit of time to writing so that he will have something to read while enjoying his morning coffee… The biggest news in my life lately has been the birth of our fifth grandchild. Nora Kathryn entered the world on Aug. 6, and like her four siblings (approximate ages 8, 7, 6 and 2), she is a joy to behold. Naturally, Papaw and Nanna like to be with the parents (Wade and Susan) and their children whenever we can, and we are usually available for babysitting. The older Coffey kids are avid fossil hunters and are interested in many of the wonders of nature and history. During strawberry season, we visited Barrett’s Strawberry Farm on consecutive days and the kids enjoyed picking the four different varieties that were available. Nanna provided some shortcake and we introduced the kids to the added flavor of cold ice cream with strawberries on a hot day. As I often tell them during such occasions, it doesn’t get much better than this! We made a “mystery trip” to Serpent Mound, just across the county line in Adams County, where we enjoyed a picnic and explored the amazing mound. We made not one, but two, trips up and down the observation tower where the shape of the serpent can be more fully appreciated. I pointed out that the area was also the site of a prehistoric meteorite impact (after reading it on a sign), which makes this is a doubly significant site. Perhaps best of all, the gift shop was loaded with fossils, semi-precious stones and other wonders. I gave each child a budget with which to buy a souvenir. In true Coffey fashion, they spent about an hour examining everything in the shop, deciding what to purchase, and then changing their minds. Finally we had to set a deadline, and souvenirs were purchased. Later this summer, we had some gravel delivered to our house. It’s needed periodicially to help maintain our ever-deteriorating driveway. The gravel legitimately contains some interesting fossils such as prehistoric plant stems, shells and the like, and the kids enjoy digging around and collecting them. As it turned out, this has been a particularly productive batch of gravel, for the kids have also discovered coins and interesting artifacts among the rocks. The look on Will’s face (the oldest) was priceless when he came running up to me and said, “Papaw, look! I found an arrowhead!” Some of the other kids found arrowheads too. I just scratch my head and wonder where Richard Tolle gets this special gravel. I’m grateful that the grandchildren like to dig around in it and can rejoice together when one of them finds an artifact or a nickel. I had hoped we would have them as guests during the Perseid Meteor Shower that is currently visible on dark, clear nights in these parts. I figure we can lie down on the concrete basketball court and look up at the sky, as we did with Colin and Wade when they were kids. To add interest, we can let our dogs out and try to keep them from licking our faces. For more about this August phenomenon check out the following: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-perseid-meteor-shower Back to fossil hunting for a moment: I have promised the grandkids a field trip to Caesar Creek after hearing about the program that is in place at the state park there. Basically it’s a free fossil hunt, but participants are required to register at the park office, where they also are said to have an outstanding fossil exhibit. I was unaware of this program until hearing about it from McKenzie Henson, and immediately I wanted to go. However, it has been so hot that I decided the Caesar Creek fossils could wait until cooler weather. Here are a couple of links that provide an explanation, plus a video of fossil hunters there: https://www.fossilguy.com/sites/caesar-creek/index.htm http://drydredgers.org/caesar_creek.htm https://www.facebook.com/CaesarCreekStatePark/videos/fossil-hunting-at-caesar-creek/1318854838190364/ THE COWS THAT ATE DYNAMITE! Thanks to Steve Roush, Highland County Press columnist, for sharing an interesting story from 1899 about some Highland County cows that tested their taste buds with fearless enthusiasm. How did it turn out? Read on at the link below: https://highlandcountypress.com/Content/Opinions/Opinion/Article/Dr-S-R-Howard-and-the-cows-that-ate-dynamite/4/22/51060 R.I.P. DR. JOHN Another musical icon has passed away. On June 6 Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., better known to his fans as Dr. John, died at age 77. A hitmaker in his own right as well as a respected studio musician, Dr. John brought a rich gumbo of New Orleans musical stylings into everything he did -- and he did enough to be enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I remember buying his “Going Back to New Orleans” album a few decades ago, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Here’s a link to a nice piece about Dr. John’s life and music: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/dr-john-essential-songs-845549/ R.I.P. EARL THOMAS CONLEY While watching “The Voice” recently I learned the sad news that Earl Thomas Conley had died this year. The Portsmouth native passed away on April 10, and “Voice” coach/judge Blake Shelton called Conley his all-time favorite singer. Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, “ETC” was riding high on the airwaves of country music radio. I loved his music, and appreciated that Conley organized a series of charity concerts in Portsmouth that Dianna and I attended through the years. In addition to his fine music, we got to see and hear some other amazing artists as well. Performers we saw at the ETC Homecoming events included Garth Brooks, Keith Whitley, Lorrie Morgan, Patty Loveless, Asleep at the Wheel, the Whites, George Strait and Tom Wopat (of “The Dukes of Hazzard” fame). Thanks to Jeff Graham, Adena CEO and Portsmouth area native who knew the country singer, I have a cap autographed by the great ETC. For more about the life and times of Earl Thomas Conley, click on the links below: https://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/news/37209/community-mourns-loss-of-etc https://tasteofcountry.com/earl-thomas-conley-dead/ REGGIE YOUNG One of my favorite guitarists that I didn’t know anything about was Reggie Young. The late guitarist was a fixture in Memphis, at Muscle Shoals and in Nashville and his work is all over hundreds of hit songs. Two that jumped out at me, way before I ever heard of Reggie, were “Drift Away” by Dobie Gray and “The Highwayman” as performed by The Highwaymen (Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson). Here are some links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_Young https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-6zd-z1qm8 Here’s an interesting interview with Reggie -- the first of three parts -- with a very knowledgeable interviewer, Zac Childs, if you really want to get to know Reggie’s story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cimXdMFczyA R.I.P. TIM CONWAY Comedian Tim Conway, a mainstay of “The Carol Burnett Show” and the “Apple Dumpling Gang” movies, passed away May 14 at the age of 85. Whenever I stumble across a rerun of the Carol Burnett Show on TV, I always take at least a few minutes to enjoy the interplay among Conway, Burnett and Harvey Korman. A lot has changed over the years, but Conway’s brand of comedy is timeless and always makes me laugh. Here’s a link to a story about the beloved comedian: https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-obits-tim-conway-dead-20190514-story.html WHAT A SINGLE SOUND SAYS ABOUT YOU Has anyone ever commented on your accent? Someone once asked me where I was from, and I responded that I was from southern Ohio. They countered by asking, “But where are you from ORIGINALLY?” Maybe it has to do with the way I speak certain “r” sounds. The “r” sound is one of the most difficult for children to master as they develop their ability to speak. I ran across this interesting article on the BBC website that sheds light on the way people speak those “r” sounds (what linguists call a rhotic) in different parts of the world: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20190315-what-a-single-sound-says-about-you APRIL FOOLS AND THE LEFT-HANDED WHOPPER Burger King surprised a lot of people back in 1998 by announcing the creation of the Left-Handed Whopper, featuring “all condiments rotated 180 degrees, thereby redistributing the weight of the sandwich so that the bulk of the condiments will skew to the left, thereby reducing the amount of lettuce and other toppings from spilling out the right side of the burger." The announcement was one of the better April Fool’s Day jokes I’ve heard of through the years. Some people bought it, hook, line and sinker based on the pseudo scientific explanation that accompanied the announcement. You can read all about it by clicking the link below, and enjoy the graphic explaining how the full 180 degree rotation of pickles, lettuce and condiments would create the perfect left-handed burger. There are also links to other April Fools hoaxes for your reading pleasure. http://hoaxes.org/af_database/permalink/the_left-handed_whopper/ R.I.P. DICK DALE, FATHER OF SURF GUITAR I was saddened to hear about the passing of Dick Dale, the “King of Surf Guitar,” on March 16. My son Colin posted something about it on social media, and my mind flashed back to a show we attended in Columbus around 2002. Dick was a master showman and had the audience in the palm of his hand. He had a very percussive style, developed partly because Dick first played drums and had a great sense of rhythm. At one point in the show, Dick took a walk through the audience and had everyone cheering. This may have been before the days of wireless guitar systems, or he had a very long cord -- can’t remember which. And when he broke a string (he attacked the strings with a lot of gusto), he simply stopped and changed the string while maintaining a connection with the audience. After the show, Colin and I hung around to meet Dick Dale and we got our photos taken with him. He loved entertaining and hanging out with his fans. Colin saw him on several other occasions, and left this comment on his Facebook page: “I was fortunate enough to see him in concert multiple times. The first of which, Dale dropped his guitar pick mid song, so I reached in my pocket and handed him a heavy gauge pick I had on me. He reached down from the stage, took the pick from my hand and proceeded to finish the song. When it was over he walked back over and gave it back to me along with some of his own guitar picks. The pick I had given him was brand new and he had completely worn the point of it down with his intense, lighting fast picking technique against his ultra heavy gauge guitar strings. Dick was a joy to talk with after each show and a wonderful guy. He will be missed.” Born Richard Anthony Monsour in May 1937, the guitarist developed his distinctive sound by adding to instrumental rock influences from his Middle Eastern heritage, along with a “wet” reverb sound and his rapid alternate picking style. In 2011, he told the Miami New Times that the hectic drumming of Gene Krupa, along with the “screams” of wild animals and the sound and sensation of being in the ocean inspired his sound. Dale’s fifth single, 1961’s “Let’s Go Trippin’,” is considered the first surf rock instrumental and has been credited with launching the early 1960s craze. The Beach Boys’ “vocal” surf pioneered the sound’s second wave. On the track “Misirlou,” Dale transformed the traditional Greek folk song into a sped-up, one-string performance, which became a national sensation after Dale performed it on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1962. In 1994, Quentin Tarantino used it as the opening music for the movie “Pulp Fiction.” For more about the life and times of Dick Dale, check out the links below: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/17/dick-dale-dies-aged-81-misirlou-pulp-fiction https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-dick-dale-obit-20190317-story.html AENEAS COFFEY & THE COFFEY STILL
By accident over the holidays, I discovered a possible ancestor who is known in some circles as a “whiskey hero.” While researching a particular brand of Irish whiskey I ran across mention of a “Coffey still” patented by an Irishman named Aeneas Coffey. A few clicks later, I found several interesting articles about Aeneas Coffey and his contributions to the distilling industry. The glowing tribute below appears on Wikipedia: “It is impossible to overestimate Aeneas Coffey's importance in the history of distilling. Analogies between industries are hard to make, but one can safely call him the 'Henry Ford of distilling', the 'father of Irish whiskey' or the 'man who put the 'e' into whiskey'. Just as Ford came from Irish stock but made his name, fame and fortune in America, so Aeneas Coffey was an Irishman whose invention changed the world. “Aeneas Coffey's contribution to the mechanisation of alcohol production is immense and his invention can be found today in almost every country on earth.” After reading the above words, how could I NOT claim Aeneas Coffey as a relative? If you would like to know more about this interesting character, click on the links below: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeneas_Coffey https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/whisky-heroes/20740/aeneas-coffey/ NATHAN COCKERILL HONORED BY CLEVELAND COMEDY FESTIVAL Greenfield native Nathan Cockerill was posthumously honored Nov. 17 with the creation of an award in his name at the Cleveland Comedy Festival at Playhouse Square in the Lincoln Theatre. The “Nate Cockerill Best Improv or Sketch Performer” Grant Award was chosen by judges of the Cleveland Comedy Festival. The judges are Shawn Eckert of Helium Comedy Club in Buffalo, Chris Ripetta from the Punchline in Atlanta, Ga. and Kate Sidley from the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Cockerill was an integral member of the improv community in Cleveland. He studied at the Second City Conservatory and later taught improv for the Second City of Cleveland. He was a mainstage performer for Second City Cleveland from 2002-04. Cockerill was also a founding member of the Ground Floor Comedy Club in the Coventry neighborhood, teaching and performing improv. After moving to Chicago to pursue his career, Cockerill passed away from cancer in 2016. This award honors his passion for making people laugh and his legacy as a comedian. It did my heart good to learn of this honor for Nathan. He was a close friend of our son Colin, and when they were younger they spent a lot of evenings at our house playing games and just hanging out together. Later they formed a fantasy football league, now named after Nathan. For more about the Cleveland Comedy Festival, here’s the link: https://www.clevelandcomedyfestival.com/ HANK GARLAND AND CHRISTMAS CLASSICS Through the miracle of the Internet I asked who played guitar on two Christmas classics that I enjoy a lot, “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee and “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms. There are some nice guitar flourishes on both songs that seemed similar, and I wondered if the same guitarist played on both sessions. Turns out I was right: it was Hank Garland, a big time player and studio musician who appeared on hits by Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, Mel Tillis, Marty Robbins, the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, Conway Twitty and many others. Garland’s guitar skills are showcased on Bobby Helms’ 1957 hit, “Jingle Bell Rock,” and the following year he played guitar on Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Both of those songs are all-time favorites and in the top ten of seasonal download lists. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” has sold more than 25 million copies. Hank Garland was known as one of the top guitarists in Nashville, and played jazz as well as country and rock. One of the best known songs recorded under his own name was “Sugarfoot Rag.” Sadly, he was injured in a 1961 automobile accident and comatose for a time. After regaining consciousness he recovered somewhat but was unable to return to the recording studio. Garland passed away in 2004. According to Wikipedia, when noted Nashville journalist Peter Cooper asked Chet Atkins a number of years ago who he thought the best guitar player to ever come to Nashville was, Atkins stated without hesitation, "Hank Garland." "Chet wasn't wrong," said Harold Bradley, an A-Teamer who followed Garland as the most recorded guitarist in Nashville. "I am very humble about my playing because Hank Garland is the standard." "I can't even imagine what he would have become had he not been in that accident," said Brad Paisley, a guitarist and contemporary country hit-maker who received a Grammy nomination for his own version of "Sugarfoot Rag". "You're talking about 40 years of lost innovation that could have come only from him." For more about Hank Garland check out the following link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Garland MACK SAUER, THE WILL ROGERS OF HIGHLAND COUNTY I never met Mack Sauer, but I heard a lot about him when I was a young journalist from Chuck Mowrey, former owner of the Leesburg Citizen where Mack once had a respected platform for his writings and his special sense of humor. I also got to read one or two of the books that Mack Sauer had written and enjoyed his stories, his style and his humorous outlook on life. I think Mack was pals with Lowell “Fizz” Wilkin of Greenfield, as both men were involved in local radio shows back in the day. Mack and Fizz were involved in local service organizations, were gifted speakers and always seemed to find the humorous aspect of any subject. Recently Steve Roush, columnist for the Highland County Press, posted an interesting piece about Mack Sauer with help from his cousin Ellen Roush, who had written a profile of the humorist in the 1990s. If you ever heard of Mack Sauer or are curious to learn more, click on the link below and enjoy: https://highlandcountypress.com/Content/Opinions/Opinion/Article/Mack-Sauer-The-Will-Rogers-of-Highland-County/4/22/47488 Other columns that mentions Mack Sauer: https://highlandcountypress.com/Content/Opinions/Steve-Roush/Article/Two-well-known-Highland-Countians-pass-away-the-very-same-day/4/400/47261 https://highlandcountypress.com/Content/Opinions/Opinion/Article/Mack-Sauer-left-his-mark-on-the-world/4/22/47741 THANKSGIVING TIDBITS I received the following in an email, so can’t take credit for writing it. Hope you find this slightly edited version as witty as I did... I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving; bringing people of all races and religions together to fight over discounted electronics. Count your blessings. And, if your live in Florida, recount them. As you hopefully enjoy the holiday with friends and family, here are some often forgotten Thanksgiving facts to ponder: Thanksgiving History: In 1939, Franklin Roosevelt declared Thanksgiving would take place on the third Thursday of November instead of the traditional last Thursday. FDR’s move outraged Congress who then got into the act by officially declaring that Thanksgiving would thenceforward fall on the fourth Thursday of November. Two weeks later FDR declared World War II. And you thought NIXON was a sore loser. Thanksgiving Editorial: Every year I like to remind everyone that the first Thanksgiving was a celebration of gratitude by a group of early English settlers known as the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were Separatists who came to the New World to practice their religion without government interference, and since the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms did not exist at that time they were allowed to do so. Thanksgiving Question: Francis, I am going to my grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving. What should I take with me? Answer: A wireless router. Thanksgiving Factoid: The first Thanksgiving was adopted as an annual holiday by New York State in 1817, marking the first official celebration of Thanksgiving as a regular event and the last time a New Yorker ever said thank you for anything. Thanksgiving Question: Francis, what did the Indians say to the Pilgrims after the first Thanksgiving dinner? Answer: “This has been fun, but we should leave now; we know you have a long voyage back to England.” Thanksgiving Op-ed: Men love deep-frying turkeys on Thanksgiving because it allows us to spend the day outside drinking beer and messing around with a device that could potentially destroy an entire neighborhood. In fact, I am now working on a recipe for mashed potatoes that will somehow involves a grenade launcher. Thanksgiving History: The Pilgrims found themselves in a harsh world and would have starved to death if not for the help of a friendly Native American named Squanto who told them to plant corn and when it was ripe to boil it and eat it, which they did. When Squanto returned to see how they were doing, he advised them that in the future, they should shuck the corn first. Thanksgiving History: The Pilgrims, being novice seamen, had a very difficult voyage to reach the New World. But finally, one morning after 18 weeks at sea, the fog lifted, and the lookout shouted the fateful words: “'Hey! We forgot to put up the sails!'” Thanksgiving FYI: Thawing your turkey correctly is very important. For best results you should have started thawing your turkey about three weeks ago, because your modern supermarket turkey is frozen to the hardness of state-capitol floors. In fact, thanks to genetic engineering, many modern turkeys are actually grown frozen. Thanksgiving Traditions: There is no Thanksgiving tradition more meaningful than the annual U.S. Department of Agriculture warning us not to cook your stuffing inside the turkey. I am frankly wondering if stuffing should be regulated like assault rifles, to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. Thanksgiving Reminder: If you are a vegetarian, Tofu can be used as a high-protein meat substitute, as well as a denture adhesive or tile grout. If you form it into a turkey-shaped lump, season it well, add gravy and bake it for two hours in a shallow pan at 350 degrees and you can also use it for minor driveway repairs. My Thanksgiving Thoughts: 1. Bambi started stuffing her turkey a week ago. It takes a lot of time because she stuffs it through the beak. 2. I am thankful I did not go through with my plans to invest in a new Internet soft drink called E-Cola. 3. I am thankful that my friends and family have never seen my Internet search history. 4. I am thankful my home address does not contain the words “Gaza” or “Strip.” 5. I am thankful for Facebook. Without it I would not have visual proof my friends are eating well. Thanksgiving Quote of the Year: “Hello Butterball help line? This is Tom Turkey. They’re gonna shove me in the oven! GET ME OUT OF HERE…. Yes, I'll hold.” REST IN PEACE ROY CLARK Roy Clark, the legendary co-host of “Hee-Haw,” was a gifted entertainer and amazing guitarist. He passed away Nov. 15 at age 85. Here are some links showing Roy Clark in action: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/roy-clark-jerry-reed-hee-haw-757610/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8YUwn27mjQ&list=RDQhiKgeJV3k0&index=2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxDQQDF6j0Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqSXLBqjHUw THE BEGINNING OF LED ZEPPELIN There are lots of books about Led Zeppelin, and I’ve read at least one and a bunch of magazine articles, but I didn’t know their first recording was made while backing up P.J. Proby until I read the following piece: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/how-led-zeppelin-formed-718697/ GREENFIELD CHANNEL 3 HAS A NEW HOME If you are one of the many folks who likes to listen to WVNU Lite 97.5 FM while watching local ads and announcements on local cable Channel 3, you may have wondered what happened to Channel 3. My mother mentioned it to me the other day that it was "gone" and replaced by something different, and a discussion subsequently ensued with some ladies of our church who are in the know on these matters. One offered the solution: Instead of going to Channel 3, use your digital tuner to go to Channel 1021. I was a bit skeptical, having grown up in an age when we basically had just three channels (4, 6 and 10), but we tried it at Mom’s house -- and it works! So if you want to watch the Greenfield Village Council meetings (7:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month), the next McClain High School graduation or check up on community events and bargains, set your Spectrum cable dial to 1021! HELEN BLACKBURN HOOVER TABBED FOR COUNTY HALL OF FAME Helen Blackburn Hoover, a native of Greenfield, achieved some fame in the 1950s and ‘60s after she and her husband moved to Minnesota to get away from it all and she wrote books and magazine articles about their lives in the wilderness. She authored seven books about their experiences, with her husband creating graphic art for those books. In recognition of her achievements as a writer and one who inspired future generations to appreciate the natural beauty of our world, on May 27 Helen Blackburn Hoover and several other accomplished Highland Countians will be inducted into the Highland County Historical Society Hall of Fame. I have read several of Mrs. Hoover’s books, including “The Long-Shadowed Forest” and “The Gift of the Deer,” and I can remember discussing with then-Superintendent of Schools Ronald E. Vaughan the possibility that she might be invited to speak at a McClain High School commencement. However, Mrs. Hoover was not in good health at the time, and she passed away in 1984. The other inductees into the Hall of Fame on May 27 will include Judge Richard Davis, the late Edwin Billingham Ayres, Moses Carothers and Wesley T. Roush. If you are curious to learn more about this interesting lady, click on the links below: http://www.timesgazette.com/news/27404/mcclain-graduate-wrote-about-outdoor-experiences http://www.highlandcountypress.com/Content/Opinions/Steve-Roush/Article/Helen-Hoover-and-the-great-outdoors/4/400/44273 THESE ROBOTS WILL BLOW YOUR MIND Robots keep making the news, and have the potential to make our lives much easier -- or perhaps to take over the world… I have no idea what lies ahead on the subject, but I found a link showcasing robots that already exist, and it’s fascinating. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ_-yb-TN9M 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 STORY OF SGT. PEPPER, SONG BY SONG
In 1967, 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/ |
CALENDARMonday, Feb. 24: Ag is Everyone's Business Breakfast at Southern State Community College. Cost is $20. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will be the featured speaker. Contact Chamber of Commerce at 937-393-1111 for more information.
MORE INFO Sunday, March 1: Sunday dinner at Grain & Hay building, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsored by Greenfield Historical Society. Cost is $10 per meal, no tipping. Click on the button for more area events from the Visitors Bureau of Highland County Facebook feed.
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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
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