TLC logo TLC #135  November 22, 2011


 
 
Dear Hearts & Gentle People:
 
Over the river and through the woods....Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! I hope Grandmother's house is in Lexington.
 
Right now we have charming Gingerbread Houses on display in a number of different shops, a contest among various community groups. That is a new event, but the popular traditional ones - the Festival of Lights, the Christmas Bazaar, Christmas at the Anderson House, etc. will go on as usual, most on the first weekend of December.
 
I should report that the 150th observation of the Battle of Lexington drew 12,000 people despite rain both days. That was such a disappointment, but most planned events went on despite it. The Parade was wonderful, the best your reporter can remember, and the Battle itself was a big success. The vendors and outdoor activities suffered, but overall Lexington got a lot of exposure to folks who weren't previously familiar with everything we have going here.
 
Guess we can hope for better weather during the Dodransbicentennial. (Look it up!)
 
On the other hand, the annual Apples, Arts & Antiques Fair, which followed right on the heels of the Sesquicentennial had gorgeous warm weather, and brought out a lot of people.
 
There is a move afoot to implement a 4-day school week locally, as a cost-saving measure. There are pluses and minuses, of course, and it is still in the talking stage.
 
Here's an idea for a great Christmas gift:  the Lexington 2012 calendar. It is available online and contains many beautiful photos from around town. There are two sites to check out: www.visitlexingtonmo.com and www.historiclexington.com 
 
Even if you are not interested in purchasing a calendar, there are more pretty pictures and lots more information about the old hometown.
 
And here are the web pages for this issue of TLC.
 
Now let's get to the news:
 
From Bette Phipps '59 Thomas:
 
Thanks for such an informative and absorbing letter.  Do wish I could attend all these exciting events; however, I've just made two trips to Wichita to visit my sister, Mary Lou, who's just retired and loving every minute of it.  ML's a kid sister, having graduated in 1963, a fact which she kindly does not throw in the face of her older sister. 

The trips: I was fleeing the bites of some insects (multiple large itchy bites) that didn't affect the rest of my family.  I could make this a very looong story but will just add that the bites were NOT from bedbugs. Yes, we had two fumigators but it was the tenting that seemed to have saved both body and mind. Now I know that what I'd read is true: it literally drives one insane.  Guess I "told" an untruth when I stated that I wouldn't make this a long story. 
Signed
Bette, who's not in the looney bin.
 
Hmmm....there's no brick and mortar address on an email.
 
Don Armbruster was in charge of the Social Garden (nee Beer Garden) for the 150th. Such a shame that rain  prevented it from being all it could be, but I'm sure the plan  he describes will be implemented sometime in the future.
 
Our Social Garden will have an internet connection with a large screen live video projection and with 'special light & sound production.' It is reported to be the first such venue in the State of Missouri (EVER) and it is also reported, for a town the size of Lexington, the first such production in the 8 States that border Missouri.

Do you suppose anyone in September 1861 could begin to conceive what we hold here in our hands? The possibilities beyond this week end for your work coupled with this type of live public large screen projection boggles my pea-brain. Just imagine what could be done.
 
John '58 Cross, who apparently has taken up meteorology, predicted the deluge:
 
Susan,  weather.com predicts a wet weekend for Lex, which would be bad for the festivities and anyone in period costume. I hope that proves not to be the case.  Best of luck.
 
Gary '63 Miller wrote about the coal mines:
 
In regards to the mention of abandoned coal mines in TLC #134, I remember that on 24 Hwy, about 2 miles of so east of Wellington, there was an area the smelled very bad, that was right next to the highway.  My father told me that it was an abandoned coal mine that was burning. I do remember seeing some smoke at times when driving by.  I don't know how accurate this is, but it was in a time frame of pre-1960 that my dad told me this.
 
Someone will let us know. And now, a question from another Miller boy, Ray '51 Miller
I played baseball on the Lexington Town Team for several years. I lost track of Louie Williams. Wonder if he has passed away or is still around Lex. 
 
And now, from a Miller girl!!! Shirley Briggle '53 Miller. Shirley's husband Bob Miller, Business News columnist for the Dallas Morning News, celebrated his 60th (!) anniversary, the longest period of time any employee has worked for the company. 
 
Of course many memorable events occurred in Dallas in those 60 years, but none so dramatic and tragic as the Kennedy assassination and the following murder of the assassin by local resident Jack Ruby.
 
One of the tributes paid to Bob was from the retired DMS police reporter. He told how Miller (with the help of Shirley, who also has a journalism degree) marshaled the newspaper's coverage on that Sunday when Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald. 
 
(Coincidentally, this is being written on the 48th anniversary of the assassination.)
 
Shirley said: "I didn't exactly command the place with Bob after the assassination.  I sat at a typewriter, answered the phone, and typed out the reporters' stories as they gave them to me.  Then I passed them to Bob.  I guess because I didn't work at The DMN, they all remember giving me their stories. 
 
This may be a good time to welcome the 16 new subscribers to TLC, many of whom are from the LHS Class of '71.  I don't have names, however, just email monikers. Please, you people from '71, tell me who you are.
 
And speaking of new subscribers, Franz Buddenberg of Grandview has joined the crowd. He writes:
 
It seems that I Googled the Peckerwood Club and low and behold, I ended up in your newsletter.  After reading a couple of them, I got hooked but for the life of me I couldn't find out how to subscribe.  Now I have spent several hours of my life that I will never get back (but don't want back) and I came across an email address from 10 years ago that may or may not be current.  If it reaches you, please add me to your list. 
 
I recently found out the Peckerwood Club was for sale again and it stimulated my interest but at my age, I should know better.  Maybe I could partner with that guy from Burlington that passes through and he could help me restore it to its original "glory."  While we are at it, we could restore the old filling station.
 
I wish!
 
I am a Hamiltonian and my exposure to Lexington includes (but not limited to) passing through twice a weekend while attending college in Warrensburg; buying my first new car at Mischon Pontiac upon graduation from college; boating the Missouri from the "marina" and most recently, spending the weekend in the rain at the 150th anniversary of the Battle. 
 
Great to hear from you, Franz. Welcome aboard.
 
And, finally, I had some recent correspondence with A. W. Sandring. Believe it or not, he requested some computer assistance. From me! More unbelievable, I was actually able to help him. Don't push it, A.W. It takes every smidgen of knowledge I have to produce this newsletter every once in a while.
 
 
That's it for this edition.
Meanwhile, I remain Your Devoted Scribe,
Susan



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