Bill, the Pittsfield Cafe, Andy Warhol, and Edie Sedgwick

 

Mike with Bill at the Pittsfield Cafe

   On Friday, December 13, 2019 Sherry and I boarded the South shore to The Chicago Institute of Art. Sherry had wanted to see the Andy Warhol exhibit and also did I.

We arrived early in the day and decided to have lunch before viewing the exhibit.

Yes, I will describe the Andy Warhol exhibit, but first I must talk about Bill.

Sherry and I had happened upon a very cool restaurant in the Pittsfield Building named “Pittsfield Café”. This restaurant is a delightful place to eat with tasty and generous servings of food. But my favorite attribute of the restaurant was Bill.

   Bill had immigrated from Greece in 1950 when he was 17. He had worked at night while going to school during the day to learn English. Bill had eventually opened a restaurant in Chicago. He worked hard developing business until he had, at one point, four restaurants in Chicago. Around 1977 he opened the Pittsfield Café. Yes, this restaurant has operated for 42 years (perhaps under different names, I did not ask). Bill is very engaging. Eager to tell his story, which is entertaining and inspirational, one feels as if Bill uses his story merely as a way to make new friends. He is healthy, energetic, and humorous. He does not want to stop working. Just talking to this fellow makes one want to become an entrepreneur of something. Imagine…happily running restaurants for sixty years!

   His son now owns and manages the Pittsfield Café while Bill works as a host and conversationalist extraordinaire.

    As much enjoyment as Sherry and I were to have at the Museum, for me, meeting Bill was the highlight of the day. He is one pleasant person for sure.

   I encourage you to visit Pittsfield Café while in Chicago. And tell Bill that Mike says “hello”.

The Pittsfield Café is located at: 55 E Washington St
Chicago, Illinois 60602

   And you can check them out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Pittsfield-Cafe-179465312135928/

On to the Andy Warhol exhibit;

Warhol self portrait

    I must confess, I have never been a fan of his art work. But I have always been a student of his iconic place in 1960s American culture. While living in Detroit as a kid I would read the “Tempo” section of the Detroit Free Press which covered art, music, theater and such. Always there was something about Andy and his work. Andy challenged prevailing notions of what art could be.

very early art display

   I experienced the exhibit much like going to a rock concert of some 1960s group. But, unlike the obvious aging of the personnel of those 1960s rock groups, Andy’s art has not aged at all. It comes across in person yet fresher than the photos I had seen in magazines, and Tempo.

   Walking through the voluminous display of his art made me feel as though I were back in the 1960s for a while.

   Andy also made films. There is a presentation of some of his films.

I watched one such film “Screen Test Edie Sedgwick” Edie, who I also remember reading about in Tempo, was a 1960s model and actress. She was a close associate of Andy’s. This screen test ran for four minutes and thirty-six seconds during which Edie sat motionless. Not moving her head, making only nearly imperceptible gestures, Edie stared into the camera with penetrating brown eyes that effervesced like the surface of a freshly poured Coca-Cola.

Edie

  Periodically during those four minutes and thirty-six seconds, you can see the slightest curvature of lips toward a smile being actively repressed.

   But mostly it was the blink I favor as art. As humans do, she would blink from time to time. Most blinks were half-blinks. Other blinks were full, deliberate, and ceremonious. It had come across to me that Edie had discovered a way to personalize the moment while being compliant to Andy’s instruction to remain still without facial gesture.

   Andy’s display was enjoyable. It was fun to be up close to these “bigger than life” works of art which even today seem revolutionary.

Sherry...it was her idea to visit.

You can experience Andy’s art at the Art Institute of Chicago.

It will be on display until January 26, 2020.

The St. Petersburg Syndrome

A humorous imagining of a supernatural moment.

And, of course, quite very fictional.

Copyright reserved

     Mick, the aging rock star looked pensively out the window to the roads and fields below. He took a drag from his near-spent Marlboro and flicked ashes casually, uncaring as to their landing. Landing, yes, he was deep in thought as to how to handle his meeting once he landed. The last time he visited Mahone Bay was during better times. The Learjet had been his first and most satisfying. Recently he had purchased a Vision jet but it lacked the sparkle which had been the Learjet, much like his aging self. He carried with him the tortured knowledge that the ignorance of youth was much more exciting than the wisdom of age. And yet it was the wisdom that he now had with which to negotiate. What was he to do? How would he handle this meeting?

    Arriving from the jet to Mahone Bay, the rock star exited the inconspicuous cab with a sense of self-absorbed conceit and narcissism that would cause envy to Satan himself.

     As he reached the steps to the pub two young, blond-haired and smiling women with unearthly attributes of twin similarity opened the doors greeting him. “Welcome Sir”, referring to his Knighted status rather than the gentlemanly. It was obvious to these cover-girl blonds, that he was the ultimate manifestation of wealth and taste. “Nice teeth” was his only verbal response to the blonds which he accompanied with a wide smile that seemed to indicate his sense of total and unchallenged control.

    While incognito to the outside world, the pub staff recognized him immediately, and with the butt-kiss humility he had grown to expect. One of those nice-toothed blonds, Barbara, seated him in an inconspicuous corner of the pub at an insignificant wooden table, scratched and worn. Upon this insignificant table rested a pack of his favorite Marlboro, hard pack, an ash tray, and a bottle of Glen Breton Whiskey, beside two very recently pressed shot glasses, still warm. Mick lit the cigarette with a match, his preferred method.

    He blew smoke rings as he watched the two blond-haired women close and lock the doors. They turned the “open” signs around such that they read “closed” to the outside world. Blond Millicent ceremoniously placed coins in a seriously ancient juke box. The vocal sounds of Muddy Waters accentuated a blues guitar, bursting forth from the musical artifact into an equally old pub. The sound and the surroundings comforted Mick.

Pulling his attention back to the table he noticed his guest had quietly, inconspicuously arrived.

    It had been aboard his Vision Jet that he had received a text message on his smart phone which was dedicated to this one, very special business associate. Only this associate had the number to this particular phone.

“Greetings Sir”, again the Knighted status.

“Have a drink.” Replied the rock star, flatly. Mick waited for his guest to continue.

The guest hesitantly reached for the shot glass, poured the whiskey, a bit of tremble to his hand, and also in his voice as he asked “May I have one?”, referring to the cigarettes.

With the same nod Mick signaled his permission and also prompted the guest’s awkward explanation. A tremble still in his voice, the guest began and then fell silent as if to reconsider within himself how to begin.

“Obviously the task is beyond your skills.” offered Mick.

“I need more time” as the guest poured another shot.

The cigarette dangling from his lips seemed to tremble with even greater frequency than did his syllables.

“You’ve had thousands of years.” replied Mick.

“I” began the guest.

“Be careful. Use all your well-learned politesse.” teased Mick.

The guest defended his failures. “I tempted him in the wilderness. I buddied up with Judas, I have confused generations of people with misinformation. But His presence seems to linger, unaffected.”

“You’ve failed me, Satan. I’m getting someone else to give it a try.”

     As Mick completed his judgment he snuffed out his cigarette, the smoke overwhelmed the dim light of the inconspicuous corner of the pub. Satan evaporated as if he had never existed.

    As the smoke of this supernatural session dissipated, the dim light revealed a woman sitting beside Mick. She was adorned in the richest black hair ever that graced the planet. Her jewelry was worthy of queens and pharaohs. Mick turned toward her and affectionately spoke “Cleopatra, my dear. It’s been a while.”

“I thought you’d never get rid of him. Never liked him, a bumbler without any redeeming charm. Who will you get to replace him?”

“I’ve been thinking Cleo, ever since I slithered out of the Garden of Eden and into your bedchamber…”

“Where I petitioned the gods to give you this form.” she interrupted.

“Yes, thank you.” Mick continued… “Anyway, maybe its time to take a break, after all, it is the Age of Aquarius; rather, it is just the dawning of the age. Let these simple creatures live in peace for a while.”

“Getting too old to strut your stuff on the stage of chaos, Mick?”

“It’s the St. Petersburg syndrome. I see its time for a change. I want to relax for a while. I say, you and me, let’s find that spot around here where we saw the total eclipse back in…” his voice trailed off as he tried to remember the year.

“Nineteen seventy, or thereabouts.” offered Cleopatra.

“Yeh, thereabouts. Let’s take a bottle, wear our bright clothes. Let’s forget all this “practicing the art of deception”. It has gotten old.”

    Mick and Cleopatra sat comfortably aboard the Vision. Having taken a shot of whiskey and puff of cigarette Cleopatra looked at Mick and declared pointedly”I miss the Learjet. It was the only chariot that ever satisfied me.”

With a mischievous smile, confident and narcissistic, Mick replied in a faux tone of ego-damage “I thought I was the only chariot that satisfied you!”

Cleopatra leaned forward. Affectionately touching her forehead to his, she blew smoke into his face.

The Brownie Camera, Haley Nemeth and her fetching smile

Haley Nemeth with fetching smile

Thanks to Haley Nemeth, I now know what a Brownie camera is (or was). Produced by Eastman Kodak as an inexpensive family or personal camera, the Brownie became quite a successful product in terms of sales and also of introducing young people to the art of photography.

inspiration

   Such is the case with Haley Nemeth. A gift from her father when she was young, the Brownie camera set Haley off onto a “never look back” journey of self-learning, experimentation, and formal education in the craft of pose, lighting, staging, and clicking of a moment in time. Haley preserves that unique, once in an eternity moment by the personal investment of her well-acquired and tested skill in the art of image-capture.

   Focusing her career on commercial art, product photography, Haley plans for a profession of working for a corporation or firm with need for a person of excellent photographic skill.

   Also, she will seek such a corporation that values it image, its legacy, and social regard that it occupies its place in the commercial world attending to the highest of ethical standards.

   Haley believes that reaching toward the highest of ethical, technical, and professional standards is the most effective and meaningful way to achieve personal, social, and commercial goals.

   Haley is currently set to acquire her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography in May of 2020. From there, she is considering a Master of Fine Arts.

   She wishes to have an impressive and irresistible portfolio of work to present a potential employer.

   Yes, I can see how grounded she is in excellence and integrity,

    And I thought the Brownie had something to do with Girl Scouts.

Thank you Haley for your information, for your inspirational discussion of ethics in the commercial world, and for your exciting plans for your future.

Advent...expect a surprise!

Isaiah 9: 2 The people walking in darkness

    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.

    Surprise! My high school friend Randy Hunter, most usually with a camera in possession, took a photo of me while in high school. It shows me in a state of surprise. Also, perhaps, as is my custom yet today, I was raising my eyebrows, wide-eyed, so as to silently say “yes?’ in response to his attempt to get my attention.

    As Advent, the beginning of a new Christian year happens this coming Sunday, I hope to get your attention. Surprise…Christ is coming!

The word “advent” is a joining of two Latin words “venie”, which can be translated as “coming”, and “ad” which is “to”. Christ is coming to us.

   Whether we look at it from the perspective of a second coming or as a prelude to Christmas, we have something to look forward to.

    We have a surprise to which we may give our attention.

   Let us allow ourselves to be surprised by the depth of Christ’s love for us. For it reaches deeper than previously known.

Of course, let us attend to our shopping, decorating of trees, and wrapping of gifts.

But also, like kids in high school, let us also be surprised during this season of Advent. Let our spirits be taken to places we never anticipated.

Allow this season to amaze us, raise our eye-brows, and widen our eyes as we discover new depths of Christ’s love.

Clisbee Park, Original High School, Cassopolis Michigan

Original Cassopolis High School built 1878

I regularly maintain a journal of my days. I record ideas that occur to me, movies I have seen, discussions I have had with people. I do so because I know that over time even very valued situations and events become obscured by the overgrowth of more recent developments to which my memory must attend.

   Much is the case with public or social memory. Things change over time and if no one records, photographs existing roads, buildings, events, then they become paved over by more recent constructions.

    Such is the case with the original Cassopolis High School in the beautiful village of Cassopolis Michigan.

    My friend, Pam Montgomery, a life-long resident of the village, provided me with many details about the school, the Cass Medical Clinic that then later occupied the location, and the park that exists on that site today.

   Pam proudly stated that her mom graduated from the original school. Pam noted that the school bell, which occupied the tower on roof of school, had been moved to what is now the Cassopolis Ross Beatty High School. That bell prominently stands outside the main entrance of that school and acts as an anchor to the wonderful legacy of the Village of Cassopolis.

   Following demolition of the original high school, the site became the home of the Cass Medical Clinic. I asked if that clinic is where high school students seeking to be involved in cheerleading (as was Pam), sports or other activities acquired their required physical examinations. She confirmed that was the case.

    The site is now the Clisbee Park which also is the home of the Dan Lee Memorial Basketball Court.

   I value history and legacy. I find meaning in knowing the details of our histories.

    Cassopolis is loaded with much history. A drive through town, a walk along the sidewalks will provide you with sights of beautiful old architecture. Cassopolis, while maintaining historical identity, also pulls itself forward into a contemporary relevance with its attention to public education and an inviting sense of community.

Long live Cassopolis!!!

Bob Dylan, Three Mannequins, and Frayed Bell-bottoms

“I should have memorized all the lyrics before we came.” Quipped Sherry as we listened to Bob Dylan vocalize his songs Friday, November 1^st at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.

   She said so because, unless one is particularly familiar with Bob Dylan’s lyrics, one will not be able to decipher them audibly.

   I am not being critical of Bob. I merely mean that, while he is indeed a poet worthy of Nobel Prize recognition, it is a stretch to affirm him as a singer. Furthermore, I do not mean to say that his vocalizations are without great value. Listening to his gravel-gargled voice reminded me that “all is well”, at least for the moment, as I am anchored to a 1960s cultural idea of song and performance. The concert made me feel as if I were still living the 1965 moment when I was ten and I heard his material performed by the Byrds, Johnny Cash, and Dylan himself (I declare no one, except me, can perform “Like A Rolling Stone” better). I often joke with my son that I perform Dylan’s material better than Bob. If ever you were to hear me sing, you would grasp the joke.

    I counted seventeen songs performed by the Nobel poet. And if historic significance is an attribute worthy of a ticket price to you, then you will be greatly satisfied. I now get to say, “Yes, I have been to a Bob Dylan concert!” My concert experience collection includes, Rolling Stones. Black Sabbath, Ringo Starr, MC5 (Detroit 1968), Melanie, John Denver, Eric Clapton, and so very many others. But this collection would have been incomplete with Dylan.

   I was hoping for the long-shot, “incidental” appearance of Joan Baez for a duet of “Blowing In the Wind”. No such appearance happened. But it would have been really groovy!

   During the concert three mannequins dressed in formal or party attire stood along the curtain like backstage guests on-looking friends in performance with whom they would party post show. They added a bit of mystique to the performance.

    Also adding mystique was the woman who wore 1960’s style frayed bell-bottom blue jeans. I commented on them and that she looked much too young to know the significance. She politely corrected me as if I were the younger of the two and that she was a truer participant of 1960’s culture.

I politely acquiesced.

   During the closing song of the concert I imagined Bob and his band, the three mannequins, and the woman in the bell-bottoms all having drinks at a local establishment and recalling their first visit to South Bend. Alas, much like my hope for an appearance of Joan Baez, I’m sure that scenario didn’t become reality either. But it would have been far-out!

My son, Eric, not knowing much about Dylan, as he is more of a Metallica/Black Sabbath sort, declared the concert to be “really good!”

Bob will never know it…but such an accolade from Eric carries an intensity of sincerity. “Really Good!” is his “A+”, 150%

Bob should feel proud!

Irvington United Methodist Church, Circuit Rider, and the Indiana National Road

Front of church and what was originally a home

   While in Irvington Indiana (an historic section of Indianapolis) for a dinner held by the Indiana National Road Association, Sherry and I discovered this very attractive and uniquely designed church building. It is the Irvington United Methodist Church.

  

Pastor Denise Robinson

The front of the building was originally the home of a President of Butler College. According to Pastor Denise Robinson, upon the gift of the home and its property to the Methodist Church, the stipulation was that the home would remain as a part of the new construction.

"circuit rider" sign

   The “Irvington Methodist Church” sign with man on horse refers to what was once known as a “circuit rider”. These were pastors who rode through a territory visiting local congregations on a schedule. Usually, Sunday to Sunday services were lead by lay persons while the “circuit rider” would periodically visit for Communion Service and to check in on the health of the church.

   While the man on the horse may be John Wesley, I think more probable is that it refers to any general “circuit rider”. The book being read may be the Bible. Or it may be the Course of Study which John Wesley required of his circuit riders.

   Most informed Methodists I know of the United Methodist and Free Methodist denominations hold a deep affection for the historic “circuit rider”.

 

German or Swiss influence?

   The Irvington United Methodist Church is a lovely building, invoking a sense of presence in a sacred space. Also, the structures of the wood beams in the ceiling seem to indicate the influence of German architecture.

If you live around Irvington Indiana and you do not have a home church...visit Irvington United Methodist Church. 

Check out their website...

http://www.irvingtonumc.org/

   The church sits along Washington Avenue, which also is US 40. More historically relevant is the fact that US40 runs atop what was originally the National Road in Indiana.

I invite you to learn more about the National Road at:

http://www.indiananationalroad.org/

"The Fraker" and a remodeled Student Union at Goshen College

display of historic photos at the Leaf Raker

   During the late 1970s as I was attending Goshen College in Goshen Indiana the students would affectionately refer to the snack shop in the Student Union as “the fraker”.

The formal name is “The Leaf Raker”.

Sherry and I had opportunity to visit the Fraker Monday, September 2, 2019 and have dinner there. I had a hamburger. Sherry had some soup and kale entre.

For those who attended Goshen College decades ago, the Union building is very much different now.

a seating area where for decades was a post office and mail boxes.

Gone is the post office and mailboxes. The gym has been converted to offices.

main hall of Student Union

But the Fraker remains, updated, remodeled, and refreshed, nonetheless, the Fraker remains.

The Fraker...new and improved! Table seating in area unseen in photo.

Wreathie Blanche Miller: Gone But Not Forgotten

Sherry and I were pleased to attend Stories of Elkhart: Union Center Cemetery program presented by Elkhart County Parks and the Elkhart County Historic Museum.

Sherry, always a good eye for the novel, rare, and vintage, noticed this grave stone of Wreathie Blanche Miller.

Having died so young, it must have been a traumatic experience for her parents.

In honor of this young life, I post a photo of her gravestone with the sentiment of carrying on her memory and her name in my humble way.

I am convinced that God does not let us leave this life until our purpose or purposes which God has ordained for us has been accomplished.

Wreathie…your purpose, your effect, must have been wonderful.

Wreathie rests in the Union Center Cemetery in the north- west corner of intersection of county road 11 and county road 50 in Nappanee Indiana.

Concord Junior High, Chibby Briscoe, Mr. Duell, and more.

May 1996 Library building of Concord Junior High

This photo was taken in May of 1996, from Harding road (CR 13). It shows the library building of the Concord Junior High School in a state of demolishment so as to rebuild.  The building was originally constructed as the high school in the 1920s.

    The center of the building, second story, is where, the library operated in 1969-1975.

It had originally been an auditorium. To the far left of picture was the stage. The center of room sat under a very beautiful stained glass sky-light. I did not realize in 1969, 1970, and 1971, as a student, just how beautiful it was. Working during the summer of 1973 as a student- custodian at the school, I set up a scaffold in that room, carried a vacuum up the ladder, opened the sky-light, and cleaned the outside of the glass. Decades of dirt gone, the light poured through highlighting the colors. Those colors in the glass seemed to take ordinary sunlight and transform it into majestic ambiance. I felt very accomplished!

   The first floor of that building is where the science classrooms were. Remember Arly Waggy?
    The entrance of this building was saved and relocated to what is now Concord Intermediate School.

original entrance to 2-story building

   This was my favorite building of the junior high. Back to second story…

   The far side of the building, facing the parking lot, is where we had algebra with Mr. Duell. Speaking of Mr. Duell…

During the springtime of 1970, convocation was called for all students. These convocations were often interesting and humorous.

One such convocation was about springtime.

I remember Chibby Briscoe inviting Mr. Duell out onto the gym floor where paper mache trees had been set up. She instructed him to run through them while she read from a script.

The script ended with “and if you listen very closely, you can hear the sap running through the trees!”

Just another fond memory from school years.

Neil Armstrong Moon Landing, My Dunlap Arrival July 20 1969

Last remaining structure at Cable Line Meat Market

    Sunday, July 20, 1969 in Detroit Michigan we “loaded up the truck and we moved” to Dunlap Indiana, Cable Line Road to be precise, to a vintage (dilapidated) mobile home beside Roy Stealy’s Cable Line Meat Market.

Yes, fifty years ago I moved from Detroit to Dunlap and began exploring, upon my green stingray bicycle, the surrounding area.

I explored Cable Line Road (County Road 26).

I looked upon growing stalks of corn beside which there was parked a green tractor. I rode my bicycle through arcs of chilled irrigation water as it splashed upon the road and then evaporated quickly in the 80 degree summer heat. Actual communications cable ran from pole to pole, slightly swaging in between. I viewed the rolling farmland as it reached into the Earthy distance periodically interrupted with a weather-worn red barn and sunlit steel silo as I listened to WLS on my transistor radio.

The openness of the Dunlap farmland in contrast to the congestion of Detroit streets was welcomed. It was spiritually refreshing to see rows of green corn meet the blue horizon in the distance.

   That evening, on the 20^th, I watched on tv as Neil Armstrong set foot upon the moon. I considered…there was Astronaut Armstrong walking someplace he had never been. He was in a new place to explore and appreciate. I was emotionally as far away from Detroit as Neil was physically from the Earth. The experience of Neil Armstrong on the moon encouraged me and inspired me all the more to explore and appreciate my new environment in Dunlap.

 The next day I ventured onto County Road 13 until it became Harding Road where I then discovered the school I would be attending.

Concord Junior High sat upon the corner of Mishawaka Road and US 33 much like a college campus having three buildings: The 2-story library building in which also was Principal Sweisberger’s office. The Central building which, with its various unpredictable landings, seemed to be an architect’s “freedom of creativity” assignment.

same gym area...new floor, bleachers and such. what was a stage is now classrooms

And the gym building completed the “college campus” feel. I was very impressed with the gym, freshly refinished and still carrying the aroma and the gloss of the maple wood. Of course I discovered the cafeteria in which dances would also be held. Milk was served in half-pint glass bottles from Cook’s dairy.

I still remember my 8^th grade class schedule:

1^st hour…History in the Central Building with Mr. Cassel (not sure of the proper spelling).

2^nd hour….P.E. with Mr. Culp

3^rd hour…math with Mr. Springer, Central building.

4^th hour…Shop class with Mr. Spicard ( Spicard and Cassel had previously been football players for either Green Bay or Chicago, they seemed proud of mentioning it periodically).

5^th hour…Study hall Library building.

6^th hour… English in Library building with Mr. George.

7^th hour…Science in Library building with Mr. Huff.

After school, and before riding my stingray back to Cable Line Road, I enjoyed ice cream at the Flavor Freeze. That too was a new experience for me. If Detroit had any such novelty, I never found it.

Flavor Freeze Dunlap Indiana

I am pleased that the Flavor Freeze still operates. Many things, such as the Minuteman Drive-in, have gone away with time.

Yes, I have lived in the Elkhart area for fifty years as of July 20.

I will take a drive along Cable Line road and then visit the Flavor Freeze as homage to my 14 year old self and celebration of Dunlap.

The property which once was Cable Line Meat Market is now a collection of rubble amidst a chaos of foliaceous overgrowth. No mobile homes remain. Only one structure still holds on as evidence that once this was a domestic property. It is a small wood shed of some kind. I remember Roy Stealy keeping a car within that shed.

The swaging cable no longer exists.

Center of photograph is were the Cable Line Monster Tree once stood

Oh yes, I forgot to mention the Cable Line Monster! That was at the intersection of County Road 11 and Cable Line. There was a tree with disturbed bark, which could have, with some imagination, appeared to be the imprint of a person.

Even that tree from my youth is now gone. Perhaps it was removed so as to terminate the awkward gawkings of passersby.

While the rest of the world will be remembering, celebrating, aggrandizing man’s first step on the moon, I will be appreciating Apollo 11’s inspirational encouragement upon me to take my own giant leap in Dunlap, Concord, and what has become fifty years of adventure-rich living!

Supplemental:

WLS Top Forty

                            JULY  14, 1969                             
 1. IN THE YEAR 2525                                Zager & Evans-R.C.A.  4
 2. CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION               Tommy James/Shondells-Roulette  1
 3. SPINNING WHEEL                         Blood, Sweat & Tears-Columbia  2
 4. GOOD MORNING STARSHINE                                Oliver-Jubilee  3
 5. RUBY DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE TO TOWN-Kenny Rogers/First Edition-Reprise  7
 6. ONE                                          Three Dog Night-Dunhill  5
 7. BABY I LOVE YOU                                       Andy Kim-Steed 10
 8. WHAT DOES R TAKE                      Jr. Walker & The Allstars-Soul 11
 9. QUENTINS THEME                 Charles Randolph Greane Sound-Ranwood 19
10. MY CHERIE AMOUR                                  Stevie Wonder-Tamla 17
11. MY PLEDGE OF LOVE                             Joe Jeffrey Group-Wand 12
12. PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART            Jackie DeShannon-Imperial 23
13. LOVE THEME FROM ROMEO & JULIET                  Henry Mancini-R.C.A.  8
14. COLOR HIM FATHER                                 Winstons-Metromedia  6
15. ISRAELITES                                   Desmond Decker/Aces-Uni  9
16. MOTHER POPCORN                                      James Brown-King 24
17. ALONG CAME JONES                                Ray Stevens-Monument 22
18. SWEET CAROLINE                                      Neil Diamond-Uni 28
19. LOVE ME TONIGHT                                     Tom Jones-Parrot 15
20. POLK SALAD ANNIE                             Tony Joe White-Monument 30
21. BAD MOON RISING                 Creedence Clearwater Revival-Fantasy 16
22. GOOD OLD ROCK & ROLL    Cat Mother & The All Night News Boys-Polydor 29
23. BLACK PEARL                             Sonny Charles/Checkmates-A&M 13
24. LET ME                                  Paul Revere/Raiders-Columbia 14
25. MRS. ROBINSON                                Booker T & The MGs-Stax 25
26. TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT MY BABY                    Marvin Gaye-Tamla 20
27. BIRTHDAY                               Underground Sunshine-Intrepid 40
28. YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS YOUNG                             Roy Clark-Dot 32
29. RECONSIDER ME                                 Johnny Adams-SSS Int'l 34
30. HONKY TONK WOMAN                               Rolling Stones-London --
31. DAYS OF SAND & SHOVELS                             Bobby Vinton-Epic 31
32. LAUGHING                                            Guess Who-R.C.A. 37
33. HURT SO BAD                                        Lettermen-Capitol --
34. BREAK AWAY                                        Beach Boys-Capitol 39
35. WE GOT MORE SOUL                    Dyke and the Blazers-Orig. Sound 35
36. SOUL DEEP                                              Box Tops-Mala --
37. ABERGAVENNY                                         Shannon-Heritage --
38. MARAKESH EXPRESS                      Crosby, Stills & Nash-Atlantic --
39. WORKIN' ON A GROOVY THING                  Fifth Dimension-Soul City --
40. A BOY NAMED SUE                                 Johnny Cash-Columbia --

Celebrate July 2nd as the True Independence Day

Sterling Watkins of Claypool United Methodist Church as Thomas Jefferson July 2nd, 2016

Independence Day is my favorite civic holiday. But I don’t wait to celebrate on July 4th. I observe American Independence on the day it actually happened…July 2nd. Yep. Please visit: https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/when-is-the-real-independence-day-july-2-or-july-4/

And you will discover this…

Officially, the Continental Congress declared our freedom from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, when it voted to approve a resolution submitted by delegate Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, declaring ““That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

It is understood that the original copy of the Declaration was sent to the King of England. I suppose so. But also consider…the Second Continental Congress, hoping to gain assistance from other countries such as France, sent original copies to them as well. My support for this argument is found in the Declaration…”a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

Right up front there, closing of first paragraph, just like they taught us in high school, we read the purpose of the document.

The Second Continental Congress wrote this document more to persuade other countries and gain their sympathy and support than to actually notify the King of England.

In any case, I proclaim July 2^nd as Independence Day.