MAY LAFORCE BE WITH YOU: Normally I would pay zero attention to such things...but this is significant. A Vermilion teenager, Alexandra "Allie" LaForce, won the title of Miss Teen USA this week.
My basic assumption of such pageantry is that it is naught but frivoulous nonsense. It is akin to a livestock show. Ergo; my disdain is evident. However...
Cleveland "morning drive" radio hosts John Lanigan and Jimmy Malone (WMJI FM 105.7) interviewed her from New York on Friday, and I have to admit that I was positively impressed with the youngster.
First and foremost she is a teenage girl. She sounds like a teenage girl, and she has the aspirations of a teenage girl. She just doesn't look like one.
She is a Junior at Vermilion High School. She carries a 4.0 grade average. She's on both the volleyball and basketball teams. She also is a pitcher on their softball team.
She wants to go to college and play basketball. And she aspires to get into broadcasting and become a sports broadcaster.
It is my express hope that all the nonsense that goes with the title she has acquired won't deter her from following her dream(s).
1954: I thought this pic might cool some folks off a bit. It's been mighty hot in Vermilion for several weeks. A few good storms have some through but it's really not been the type of summer that has helped an average garderner out very much. The tomatoes are small, and many people are complaining of blossom end rot. Those with flower gardens have had to try to keep water on them. If not, they either died or became rather gaunt looking.
I remember the storm pictured above quite well. It came in May of 1954. The snow was wet and heavy. It was one of the few times that I can remember rail traffic being disrupted by snow. That may have been more a matter of things falling across the rails than a problem with the locomotives getting traction on them.
At the time my mother, Ella, was in New York City with a group of Vermilion Business and Professional Women ("Bee-an-Pee-dubya" is the name by which I knew the organization). What sticks in my mind (other than the storm in Vermilion) is my mother's story about meeting actor Morey Amsterdam face-to-face on the street in New York. What she actually meant was that she saw him walking down the street. But it was a big deal to her - and I find it to be rather amusing 51 years later. Morey wasn't exactly a major star. And in the great scheme of things she was most likely more important to him than he was to her. Hindsight is forever 20-20.
ROBBIE FARRELL: I was very surprised when I opened the Sunday Morning Lorain Journal and found this picture and article about Bob "Robbie" Farrell there. There should be more than a few "Viewers" who remember him and/or his family. His father's name was Oscar (I don't forget names like that), but I don't recall his mom's name. And I do believe he had an older sister.
Rob recently published a science fiction book titled Alien Log. Ironically, this is not a surprise to me. Nor should it be a surprise to anyone who, like myself, knew Rob when we were kids.
Robbie was one of the guys responisble for Vermilion's "Playhouse Kids" - an impromptu kid's theater/show that had a stage concocted from a garage behind the E&R Church on Grand and Ohio Streets (c. 1953). Every kid in Vermilion paid a penny or a nickle to sit on the grass and watch some of the other children sing, dance, and act on a summer afternoon. At the time Rob lived in the house (now gone) just to the north of the church on Grand Street.
Not too long thereafter the family moved to the house on Perry Street (in the middle of the block on the west side of the street between the tracks and Liberty Avenue) where Charles Trinter lived, and where later Doc, Helen, and Bill Ream lived.
It was at this house that several of us boys in the neighborhood reaped the benefits of Robbie's delightful imagination and early engineering skills.
One time he acquired several big appliance boxes, set them atop each other, and made a simulated rocket ship complete with dials and levers. Each of us took turns riding the rocket into space. Robb also was the first kid I know to put a go-cart together. He was just an amazing person.
Rob was about 5 years older than most of us. So as the years turned we went our separate ways and, I suppose, wondered what had become of one another.
Robb, as it turns out, became an engineer (no surprise there), and has obviously in retirement persued his interest in the world beyond our planet.
LSE CAR #64: Last week I made mention of my frustration with some new software I'm using. The software is called Adobe Photoshop CS2. It's dynamic stuff. And while I won't bore anyone with the mechanics here let it suffice for me to say that after about 200 trial and error attempts, and several communications with my NAAP friends I finally stumbled on the answer to the problem I was having and succeeded in doing that which I had set out to do.
My intent was to place some text on the LSE Car #64 in the above photograph and - to make it look as though it belonged there. It really doesn't seem like much of an accomplishment, but for me it was like discovering gold. My underlying motive/intent is to create some new webpages that are somewhat more creative and useful. To accomplish this I needed to know how to use this facet of the software.
When it comes to this software I'm like a very slow learner. What I do have is a ton and a half of patience. Maybe by the time I'm 90 I'll be able to do all the things I want to do with this digital medium.
LSE CAR #38:Some weeks ago I wrote an article for the Vermilion Photojournal about several of the old Lake Shore Electric cars that were scattered about town after the untimely demise of the electric rail service. It was an "okay" essay - about all anyone could possibly get in 500 or less words. And then my friend, Frank Homitz reminded me that I had missed one of the cars. So I quickly turned to another friend, electric historian Dennis Lamont, and he immediately forwarded me this pic of LSE freight car #38. It now sits on the grounds of Vermilion's Fish and Game club just south of town.
I've no idea how long it's been there - and I wonder if this could be the car that Warren "Smitty" Smith used as a bait store along the river where Parsons Marine is now located? That's an interesting question, and I suppose that either Dennis or the other electric historian, Albert Doane, can probably answer it.
But a neat photo. I'm glad Frank reminded me.
REHASH AND THEN SOME: Right after Dennis Lamont (mentioned above) saw the old newspaper article that appeared here last week about the Kane girl from Amherst who lost her like on the electric rails at Beaver Creek he forwarded me this photo with this note "Attached is a shot of Stop 117, Kishmans where they charged 10 cents parking for Hole in the Wall Beach. The view is west so the accident happened behind the picture. As you can see the tracks are right next to the road and traffic noise could block the whisper of the interurban ... they were extremely quiet and on that stretch of track would have the car wound up to about 65 mph. The area would be near the new power plant."
That answers the question as to why the young lady may not have been immediately alarmed by the yells of her comrades (i.e. she didn't realise how fast the train was coming because she didn't hear it). And it also provides me with some information I'm sure he didn't conciously intend to provide me.
Until he mentined the Kishman farm in that area I was not sure as to the precise location of the the place. It's important because it was from the beaches in this area that the Kishman Fish Company was born. I was under the impressions that it was a bit west of this site (at Baumhart Road). But it makes more sense for it to have been in this location because they ran their fist boats off the beach.
Interesting.
AIR OVER VERMILION: This aerial photograph of Vermilion was purchased by a fellow who works at Vermilion Hardware at a garage sale. What, among other things, is very interesting about this particular picture is that the water-tower along the New York Central railroad tracks used to give water to the old steam engines is still there. Earlier in the week I had seen an aerial very similar to this that is part of the late Vermilion photographer Richard "Dick" Koontz collection, and another that my wife and I have on the wall of our cottage at the Olympic Club. I really didn't look too closely at the Koontz picture (some digital projectors just don't project well) so I don't know if this is a Koontz photo or not. It may very well be the same photo.
I also note that there are no cars in the new Kroger Store (now the Buyer's Fair) - so I'm guess that it must have been a Sunday afternoon in the summer of, perhaps, 1949. I would not date it much earlier nor later than that time.
While the fellow who owns the picture would not give the Vermilion Archival Society the photo he did, at least, allow me to scan it. And that's all I would ask.
WHAT'S A FOOT: The Vermilion Area Archival Society 2006 Historic Calendar is now available at several locations around Vermilion for $5.00. These are new calendars that feature Vermilion's fishing industry. Anyone interested in one of the calendars can also contact me. Shipping and handling costs run about $1.35.
Family day at Linwood Park, when a car load is $20. is now extended to Mondays through Thursdays June through August.
Also, visit (or re-visit) the Hope Children's Home site linked below because there are some additions there that you might find interesting. With all the bad things happening on the "dark continent" it's really nice to know that there are some places where the light does shine brightly.
CLASS REUNION UPDATES:
Ray Beursken tells me that the VHS class of 1955 has scheduled their 50th class reunion on September 10, 2005 at the Boat Club. Class members of 1955 should put this date on their calendar. They're hoping for a good turnout.
Bruce Eldridge tells me that: "We are planning the 45th at the AMvets Hall on route 60 in Vermilion. The date will be July 22, 2006. Bruce Eldridge, John Hunter and Bob Wolford will serve as chairmen with the committee consisting of Buzzy Young, Shirley Mayer, Sue Opperman, Judy Gutman, Denny Owen as well as Tom and Judy Williams." Their website can be found at the following link: Classes of '60 to '62.
From Roger Boughton comes the following note: Thanks to Gail Lyon and Pat and Glenn Owen we have some additional pictures of our reunion held last October. Take a visit to our website and see what's new. Memories of this October are only a click away. Enjoy and remember.....if you send pictures we'll share with others on our website. Mary Ann is busy writing stories for her Virginia paper. You'll want to visit the site and read her thoughts on Liberty. Keep the pictures coming as classmates who were not able to attend are enjoying seeing "old" school mates. Also, you might want to send us news from and about your family and we'll include it on our web site. Our survey clearly indicated that most wanted our reunion held in Vermilion in 2009. Thus, we'll be celebrating our "special" occasion (50th Reunion) in September of 2009. Put it on your calendar and plan to join the fun. Remember our web site is located at: Class of '59 and I'll update it as I receive enough new pictures and information from our classmates to make it worth reading. So send me any information that you would like to share with other classmates and we'll put it up for all to see and view.
This week I changed the URL for Roger's site as he requested. There were some minor problems with it. But now things should be okay.
Persons interested in having their VHS (and vicinity) reunion plans posted on this site are welcome to do so. I can't provide anyone with webpages to post their activities in depth, but I can provide a link to existing pages and/or post some activity items here. All anyone need do is contact me at my email address and pass along their material electronically.
I should add that some of the people who are noted in this part of the page are good resource folks for all types of information if one should be looking for some long lost friend. I won't give out contact information unless I have permission from those named, but I will contact them on your behalf if you desire.
As news regarding VHS reunion activities comes to my attention it will appear on this web page.
The Beat Goes On: The page is generated by the dreaded Macintosh Computer and is written and designed by (me) Rich Tarrant. It will change weekly ~ usually on Saturday. Bookmark the URL (Universal Resource Locater) and come back at your own leisure. Send the page to your friends (and enemies if you wish). If you have something to share with those who visit this page, pass it on. And if you see something that is in need of correction do the same. My sister, Nancy, is a great help in that respect. It only takes me a week to get things right. And follow the bookmarks. You might find something you like. If you experience a problem with them let me know. Also, if you want to see past editions of this eZine check the new archives links below.
Links to other sites on the Web
Vol.3, Issue 21, August 13, 2005
© 2005 Rich Tarrant