News and Observations from Wapella, Illinois: Home of the Wildcats.

Facebook Activity for Wapella

Friday, October 30, 2009

More Pies: C'Mon Phillies, Serve it up to the Yankees

Nothing better in October than not having a horse in the race for the World Series. I have really enjoyed the first 2 games pitting the Yankee's vs. the Phillies. Well played, competitive, and looking like the two best teams in baseball, its worth watching for the sake of being a good sportsman.

To more juvenile things, the Yankees are incredibly irritating with such a bunch of buffoons for fans that the entire rest of the country including Queens, Brooklyn, and 1/2 of Manhattan should be rooting against the Bronx Bombers. The Phillies are no prize either, with images of Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams still in my head from 20 years ago, but they do not have a supine press cheering for them either (Joe Buck and Tim McCarver aside..they have been at the top of their game).

I'll pull for the Phillies to serve up some Humble Pie to the Yanks, and start it off right here with some Humble Pie featuring Steve Marriott and company doing Eddie Cochrane's "C'Mon Everybody". Two points for the second (I think lead) guitarist on this cut.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Pie-splattered comedian Soupy Sales dies at 83

Soupy Sales, a pioneer of slapstick television comedy who once estimated he had taken 20,000 pies in the face, died on Thursday night in a New York hospice, the Detroit Free Press reported. He was 83.

Born Milton Supman in Franklinton, North Carolina, Sales began his TV career in Detroit in 1953 as the host of the goofball "Lunch with Soupy," a half-hour show that featured a cast of imagined characters including a dog named White Fang, who communicated through a string of guttural noises.

Sales also conjured up Hippy the Hippo, Willy the Worm and Black Tooth, a sloppily affectionate dog -- characters that carried over to a late-night comedy-variety show, "Soupy's On," which aired five nights a week in Detroit in the 1950s.

The program, which aired on ABC-owned affiliate Channel 7, broke new ground in the pre-civil rights era by regularly featuring some of the top black jazz performers of the 1950s, including Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk.

Sales left Detroit in 1959 for an ABC-affiliate in Los Angeles and later hosted nationally syndicated children's shows in New York and Los Angeles.

He stirred up a hornet's nest with his show on New York's WNEW-TV in the mid-60s by asking kids to go into Mommy's purse, pull out the paper money and mail it to him at the station.

He was suspended for that stunt but reinstated after huge demonstrations in front of the New York studio.

The comedian never lost his contempt for TV executives, contending they had ruined television. He has said most station managers wouldn't "know a tap dancer from a trombone player" and their main contribution to TV was "getting drunk on their six-martini lunches," the Free Press reported.

Sales, survived by his wife, Trudy, and two sons, Hunt and Tony, had been in ill health for several years.

Here's Soup doing his Hi-Energy Rock and Roll Shtick Hit "The Mouse"

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Wapella.com Mourns the Passing of June Thomas


June Harmon Thomas, 103, of Clinton died 4:30 a.m. Monday (Oct. 19, 2009) in Manor Court, Clinton. Services will be 11 a.m. Friday in Calvert Funeral Home, Clinton, with the Revs. Leah Pogemiller, Burt McIntosh and C. Don Ferrill officiating. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Clinton Mausoleum. Memorials: Clinton United Methodist Church, Cancer Fund, Diabetes Foundation or donor's choice. June was born June 5, 1906, in Crookston, Minn., the son of H.D.K. and Alice E. McKinney Thomas. He was a member of Clinton United Methodist Church and DeWitt County Farm Bureau. He was a retired farmer and leader of the Tabor Young Farmers 4-H Club for many years. He married Helen L. Burwell on Aug. 4, 1932, in Waynesville. She preceded him in death Dec. 20, 1992.

Surviving are his children, Robert J. (Barbara) Thomas and Ronald D. (Jane Ann) Thomas, all of Clinton; Reva K. Stillman of Frankfort; Rachel L. (Lester) Woolridge of Clinton; grandchildren, Kathy Lynn Sullivan; Karen Ann Ferguson; Kristy Jean Aikin; Karol Lee Wilson; Bradley Dean Thomas (WHS '81); Sarah K. Holt (WHS '83); Bruce E. Thomas (WHS '90); Susan R. Thomas (WHS '92); Michael A. Stillman; Bryan D. Stillman; Todd A. Stillman; Angela L. Adducci; Becky Ann Perry; Rodney L. Woolridge; Randy T. Woolridge; step-great-grandchldren, Eric Sullivan; Blake Holt; Brooke Holt; and 20 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; son-in-law, Jerry A. Stillman; grandson, Mark A. Stillman; brother, John Thomas.

Online guest book at www. legacy.com/herald-review/ Obituaries.asp

Mr. Thomas will be sadly missed by the residents of the Village of Wapella, where his family spent many years. Our condolences to the Thomas, Stillman and Woolridge families.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Policy Violation...Sort of Cute Joke Published

"American Indians Work to Break Stereotypes at Pow Wow"--headline, Jackson (Mich.) Citizen-Patriot, Oct. 19
Step 1: Cancel Powwow

Monday, October 19, 2009

Wapella.com Mourns the Passing of Darline Lane

Darline M. Lane, 76, of Wapella died at 12:30 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 17, 2009) at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington.

Her memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the VFW Post 4168 in Clinton. Carmody-Flynn Williamsburg Funeral Home, Bloomington, is in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to the VFW Post 4168 Ladies Auxiliary.

Darline was born May 11, 1933, in Los BaƱos, the daughter of Frank and Dorothy Russell Smith. She married Mark W. Lane on Dec. 3, 1967. He survives.

Also surviving are her children, Robert (Debby), Washington state; William, Wapella; Jonni (WHS '74), Bloomington; Tracy (Bill), Washington state; and Lon (WHS '77), Wapella; her grandchildren, Cara, John, Heather, Nick, Gary, Rusty, Billy, Natalie, Lynn (WHS '90), Jason (WHS '92), John, Brandon, Mark, Tim and Kevin; 12 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Barbara Herrick and Colleen Sullivan, both of California; and her father-in-law, Daryl E. Lane, Wapella.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Kathleen; and her mother-in-law, Dorothy A. Lane.

Darline was the former owner of Computer Solutions in Wapella. She was a lifetime member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary and was very active with the ASPCA when she lived in California. Darline loved Harleys, crafting, shopping, computers, her kitties, Sugar and her coffee.

Our condolences to the Lane, Stamps, and Karr families.

Friday, October 16, 2009

An Evening with Brooks Robinson



Just got this invitation in the mail. Looks great. When I read that Ross Grimsley was going to be there, I bought my ticket. Anyone want to carpool in a 1977 Ford Granada from Wapella to Baltimore for this one?

Babe Ruth Museum Annual Gala
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
October 26th, 2009

The Babe Ruth Museum’s annual gala celebrates a significant figure or crowning achievement in Maryland sports history. The 2009 event, “An Evening with Brooks,” will celebrate legendary Baltimore Orioles third baseman and National Baseball Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson.

The evening at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall will begin with a VIP/Cocktail reception, followed by a program honoring Robinson. The event will include tributes to Robinson from some special guests, heavy passed hors d'oeuvres, food stations, an open premium bar and silent auction.

Known as “The Human Vacuum Cleaner,” Robinson established a standard of excellence for modern-day third basemen. He played 23 seasons for the Orioles, setting Major League career records for games, putouts, assists, chances, double plays and fielding percentage. A clutch hitter, Robinson totaled 268 career home runs, at one time an American League record for third basemen. Robinson earned the league's MVP Award in 1964 and the World Series MVP in 1970, when he hit .429 and made a collection of defensive gems.

He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983 after receiving 344 votes of 374 cast (91.98%) and was named as the third baseman for the Rawlings 50th Anniversary All-Time Gold Glove Team. He won 16 Gold Gloves over his career.

The event benefits The Babe Ruth Birthplace Foundation. In addition, $5.00 from each ticket sold will be donated to the American Cancer Society in honor of Brooks & Constance Robinson.

VIP/Cocktail Reception
6:00pm to 7:30pm

Program
7:30pm to 9:30pm

Tickets
VIP/Cocktail Reception & Program: $105.00
Program only: $55.00


Our VIP Guests
CAL RIPKEN
Baseball Hall of Fame, 2007
EARL WEAVER
Baseball Hall of Fame, 1996
JIM PALMER

Baseball Hall of Fame, 1990
LENNY MOORE
Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1975
ART DONOVAN
Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1968
WES UNSELD
Basketball Hall of Fame, 1988

PAUL BLAIR
DAVE BOSWELL
JOE DURHAM
BOB FERRY
MIKE FLANAGAN
ROSS GRIMSLEY
DICK HALL
RON HANSEN
CHRIS HOILES
BILLY HUNTER
ANDY MACPHAIL
TIPPY MARTINEZ
TOM MATTE
SCOTT MCGREGOR
JIM MUTSCHELLER
TIM NORDBROOK
"BOOG" POWELL
LOU SLEATER

with
FRANK DEFORD
JEFF IDELSON
(President, Baseball Hall of Fame)
MICHAEL OLESKER
JOHN MARTIN SOMMERS
(Composer of "Thank God I'm a Country Boy")

And Some Rock for a Wet Friday

Here is a new supergroup, Tinted Windows, starring a guy from Rockford on drums.

Two points if you can identify the rest of the band members, and yes one of them is a former teen star.

Firefighting in Wapella


Here is a good shot from the Pantagraph from a recent fire in Wapella.

Sorry to hear about the Fire. Are those Wapella Volunteers fighting the fire?

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Two Points if you Can Identify

I never really thought I needed one of these till recently when I started to install a canvas roof on my kids' playhouse.

Two points if you can identify this tool. My guess is over 50% of the population of Wapella has two or more of these benchmounted presses, or if not, they would like to.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Posting the Post Office: DeWitt County Goes to Town



If you were going to sell one of the largest office buildings in the world, who would you call? Well, the US General Accounting Office played it smart and called DeWitt County's own Harlan Powers to drum up bids for the old Chicago Post Office on Van Buren.

That's Harlan with Liverpool developer Bill Davies, looking rather stoic (despite my 9th cousin's best efforts) as pictured in the Chicago Tribune this morning.

The building is simply huge, 14 stories straddling the Eisenhower (Congress) Expressway (I-290) on one of the major entrances to the Loop. I think this is Martin Auction services doing the auction here, or else someone of great wisdom just pulled in some locals to make the sale . No job is too big for the good people from Martin's, no job.

NBC says the $40 Million sale may not be going through, but there may be a $4 Million bond in play on this one. Could it be that Martin's will have to drum up some more interest?

A couple of questions linger...

1) How much could Martin's drum up for the Wapella post office? Would celebrity appearances by Kent Harris or Goldie Hedrick increase the price?

2) When was the last time Harlan Powers put on a tuxedo? Was it for an auction or another procedure?

Blog Archive