Ahh, Halloween on Saturday!
The perfect day of the week for
spotting black cats (there is a
stray one in the neighborhood)
and treating costumed visitors.
A Quiet Halloween Nightfall.
FROM AI, With Modifications by John Fray
John Fray's Halloween Post: Tunnel Legends
Local lore and alumni memories in Ellwood City often reference tunnels or underground steam/utility corridors connected to the Lincoln Junior/Senior High School
building located at 501 Crescent Ave, Ellwood City, Pennsylvania.
What the Tunnels Are: Older school buildings like Lincoln High feature historic basement, utility, or steam tunnel networks built to route heating, plumbing, and electrical infrastructure between sections of the campus.
Alumni & Local Lore: Generations of students have shared stories, rumors, or memories of old tunnels beneath or around the school grounds, sometimes tied to old heating systems or campus folklore.
Paranormal & Urban Legends: The school's older architecture and subterranean spaces have occasionally attracted local interest, urban legends, and independent paranormal investigations (such as local group explorations of the building's hidden or off-limits areas).
Safety & Access: Underground utility and maintenance tunnels are strictly off-limits to students, alumni, and the general public. Old subterranean service corridors typically pose serious safety risks, including confined-space hazards, poor air circulation, extreme heat from steam pipes, and historical building materials like asbestos or lead.
John Fray's Comment: Years ago, I heard the legend that a tunnel crisscrosses the earth beneath the lovely upper front lawn of the high
school. That lawn is located at the east side of the auditorium along Crescent Avenue. As I reminder, I will note that construction of
the high school commenced in the year 1925, as evidenced by its cornerstone which bears the inscription of that year.
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"TOY SOLDIERS" (1989) IS A POWERFUL SONG
WARNING OF THE DANGER OF ADDICTION
The song was recorded by Martika, who also co-wrote it.
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Elke Sommer
1940 - 2016
Elke Sommer and Peter Sellers in
"A Shot In The Dark" (1964)
German born Elke Sommer dazzled the cinema in the 1960s
with her glamorous appearance and gentle demeanor.
In the 1970s, she was part of the revolving three-celebrity
panels of "The Gong Show" where her beauty stole
the show.
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The rock and roll world mourns the passing of Donnie Iris, a
native of Ellwood City, who died today, October 26, at age 83.
Dominic Ierace was born February 28, 1943, in New Castle,
and he was raised in Ellwood City in a modest household wherein
his mother, who was a singer in a local orchestra, encouraged
young Dominic to develop his singing talent.
By age nine, he was singing before audiences at the Sons of Italy
Club and the Workingman's Social Club. His numbers were from
the Big Band Era, and his accompaniment was from both local
and visiting orchestras. In the 1960s, he and a few Beaver Valley
musicians formed The Jaggerz which released a few albums.
The group's biggest hit came in 1970 when it reached the top of the
Cashbox chart with "The Rapper" for which he
was the credited writer. He left The Jaggerz in 1976 and
delved into associations with other musicians, producers and performers.
He eventually settled on a harder rock style, as evidenced with the
second album of the band Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. That album
was released in 1980, and it included the cut "Ah! Leaha!" which
became an international hit in 1981. (The song's video,
produced at the beginning of the age for that craft,
is joyfully quaint by today's standards.)
His follow up hit
"Love is Like a Rock" was from the band's next album.
Donnie's talent was cemented in the minds of rock music aficionados,
but he had no hits after the early 1980s. For the remainder of his life, he focused on live
performances in the Pittsburgh area and surrounding regions, although
he put out occasional albums on small labels.
He worked with both established and start-up local bands
to produce recordings. He fostered many rock music careers.
Beyond being recognized for his musical talent, Donnie was
highly regarded for his modest demeanor.
He was lauded for his immense influence on the local
rock and roll scene, but
he always humbly gave ample praise to his contemporaries.
Pittsburgh sort of claimed him as one of their own, which is okay.
Ellwood City knew from the early 1950s, when young Dominic was
performing at local clubs, that he was going to make it to the big time.
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A Railroad Tale:
The Ellwood City "Spur Line"
From AI (with slight modification by John Fray):
The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE) Ellwood City Branch (often referred to as a spur route) connected the P&LE main line to the industrial heart of Ellwood City.
(a) The Junction Point: The spur route broke away from the P&LE main line at West Ellwood Junction (located across the Beaver River, near Koppel).
(b) River Crossing: From West Ellwood Junction, the route crossed the Beaver River heading northeast into Ellwood City.
The iron railroad bridge still stands. John Fray and his father walked across it in 1972. The wooden flooring for pedestrians
was badly deteriorated at that time. More than ten years ago, the current railroad owner petitioned the PA PUC to allow the
bridge to be demolished.
(c) City Alignment: The tracks ran eastward through Ellwood City, heavily mirroring Commercial Avenue.
(d) The Stations:
(i) The original 1885 P&LE combination and freight station sat on the west side of 6th Street, directly south of the tracks.
(ii) In 1912, a shared brick Union Station opened on the west side of 5th Street (south of the tracks), which was operated jointly by the P&LE and the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad.
History and Current Status:
The history of the spur line intersects with the development of "Beaver & Ellwood Railroad" and the "Ellwood Connecting Railroad" which were conceived in the 1880s. The purpose of those railroads was to link the burgeoning Ellwood City steel mills to the P&LE network. Those railroads sometimes utilized portions of other railroads' tracks to accomplish their goals.
Regular passenger operations along the spur ceased in 1933, after which P&LE offered bus transfers out of the main line station in Wampum. The Union Station building was eventually torn down in 1956. The P&LE itself was eventually absorbed into CSX. The spur line was abandoned sometime in the 1980s.
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"Eyes of Blue" (1995)
Artist: Paul Carrack
Beautiful Fall Images in Video
Click Image to Play Video:
John Fray is visited by a
stray cat on October 13.
The cat is young and sleek.
It is not a feisty large black
cat which is typical for
Halloween, but it will
suit the bill.
JOHN FRAY'S OPINION:
VOTE FOR JUSTIN WAGNER
Justin Wagner is seeking to unseat
U.S. House of Representatives member
Mike Kelly who has represented the PA-16
Congressional District since 2019.
Justin Wagner is opposed to data centers. He
would vote to abolish ICE. He would seek
guardrails on the amount of private investing
a member of congress may achieve.
He is for abortion rights. He does not
accept money from pro-Isreal PACs
as does Mike Kelly. Justin spent
eight years in the Army service at
which time he met his wife. They are
the parents of four daughters. Justin
works as systems controls supervisor.
He is from a union household. He
belonged to two unions in his
working career. He understands trades
such a welding. He wants to bring more
apprentices into that occupation.
He has articulated
his views in townhalls, both of the
physical and virtual types. His answers
on a Reddit townhall are crisp and
informative. Having him serve
the district would be a refreshing
change.
The opponent, Mike Kelly, has been
in congress too long. Before representing
PA-16, Kelly represented the former PA-13
from 2011 to 2019. He appears to have
amassed a tidy nest egg through investing
while serving as a member of congress.
His campaign receives most of its donations
from out-of-state sources. He was involved
in Trump's January 2021 plan to submit an
alternate slate of electors to Congress in
order to override the 2020 presidential
election results. It is time for Mike Kelly
to be voted out of congress.
Justin Wagner
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JOHN FRAY'S POST ABOUT A 1956
ELLWOOD CITY UFO REPORT
Previously, I have posted about this subject.
In the national archives, there appear a
few pages about a September 21, 1956,
sighting of a UFO over Ellwood City.
The page about the raw report
is difficult to follow, and I will not
display the image of that report here. What I am displaying
in this post is bare-bones summary
page which was generated a few
days (I think)
after the September 21, 1956,
sighting.
To cut to the chase, I will simply
state that I think a "civilian sighting"
was fabricated by the Air Force.
I think it served to bookmark, or track,
the result of the flight of a military balloon.
From my interpretation of the images of
the raw report,
the object was first observed at
military time 1854z, which I believe corresponds
to 2:31 PM EDT.
The object was observed for 0.61 hours (not 61
minutes as the image displayed below would seemingly
indicate). The object was viewed until military
time 1915z, which I believe corresponds to
3:09 PM EDT. Four F-84F Thunderstreak bombers
were in the area at the time, as per the image of
the aforesaid confusing raw report document
which I am not displaying here.
This is one of a few pages from
the government archives
regarding the sighting.
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ONE DAY SHORT OF TEN
YEARS PRIOR TO THE
JFK ASSASSINATION,
THIS OCCURRED:
At 6:45 PM on Monday, November 23, 1953,
a U.S. Air Force fighter jet, an F-89C Scorpion,
disappeared over Lake Superior while in
pursuit of a UFO. The two-man crew consisted
of pilot Felix Eugene Moncla (First Lieutenant)
and radar operator Robert Wilson (Second Lieutenant).
The Scorpion was scrambled from Kinross Air Force
Base (since decommissioned) which was near the
city of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The area is the
location of the Soo Locks which connects
Lake Superior with Lake Huron. Cold War tensions
caused the location to be of a high security interest
to the U.S. military.
The weather over Lake Superior was miserable.
Snow and sleet reared up. The flight approached
the UFO, as seen on a land-based radar screen.
Suddenly, the blip which represented both the
scorpion and the UFO disappeared from the screen.
Search parties scoured the lake over the following two
days. No confirmed trace of wreckage of the Scorpion
has ever been found.
UFO lore holds that an extraterrestrial
spacecraft snatched the Scorpion, or at least
downed it into Lake Superior. I do not
believe that is true. I think the Scorpion
crashed due to a combination of pilot error and
bad weather, or perhaps because of mechanical
failure. Regardless, the intriguing part
of the mystery is: "What was the UFO?"
The Canadian Air Force denies that one of
its flights in the general area that evening
was in close proximity to the Scorpion.
Sadly, the mystery will likely never be solved.
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MARGARET HAMILTON,
NASA SOFTWARE ENGINEER,
HAS DIED AT AGE 90.
Ms. Hamilton oversaw the creation
on the software programs which
guided Apolo 11 and other space
flights. She averted disaster on
the Apollo 11 flight. See foresaw
the occurrence of a software
malfunction and wrote a side
program to work around it. Without
her foresight, the Lunar Expeditionary
Module would have crashed into
the moon, killing astronauts
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
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R&B SINGER FREEDIE JACKSON
HAS DIED AT AGE 70.
Mr. Jackson's steamy vocals on 1980s hits such
as "You are my Lady" provided romantic
atmosphere for millions of couples enjoying the pleasure
of the moment.
Being only a month younger than I am,
Mr. Jackson proved that us later-year
boomers, too, appreciate R&B music.
Mr. Jackson was born in Harlem and grew
up singing in church choirs. He listened to
recordings of Sam Cook and Johnny Mathis.
He felt a passion to perform at venues
such as the legendary Apollo Theater.
He signed on with Motown promotors
who started him out providing background
vocals for solo female recording artists.
He gained his footing in the industry in the
late 1970s when the harmonies of the
Temptation and the Four Tops were no
longer in vogue. The producers were looking
for artists who could provide a more
intimate-sounding approach to the R&B
style. By this time, fellow artists such as
Jeffrey Osborne and James Ingrahm
were also emerging to prominence.
Mr. Jackson scored mightily with
"You're my Lady" in 1985. In this love
ballad, the singer is speaking to his
cherished love interest. The formula
is simple
and to the point. The unconditional,
fully raptured feeling of devotion
is emphatically expressed. No
insinuation of carnal desire is
required. Rather, the amorous
connection is mental. There are no
confusions such as those expressed
in James Ingrahm's "Just Once."
Mr. Jackson takes us for a deep dive
into the swirl of romance in its
most enveloping sense.
Freddie Jackson
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ACTRESS EVA MARIE SAINT
HAS DIED AT AGE 102.
Ms. Marie Saint turned in in some memorable acting
performances in the 1970s. By starring opposite of
Cary Grant in "North by Northwest" (1957), she
cemented
here status as a member of royalty of the golden
era of Hollywood. It was about at that time that a
new era of movies was ushered in. Ms. Marie Saint
showed that she could adapt. She delighted audiences
with her performance of a wife capable of handling
a crisis of an unprecedented nature in the poignant
comedy "The Russians Are Coming! The Russians
Are Coming!" (1966). That movie remains one of
my favorites. First-time movie actor
Alan Arkin was surprisingly good in
his role as a Soviet submarine officer "out of water."
Carl Reiner was outstanding, in a subtle way, as the
husband-screenplay writer whose effort to
settle into a serene retreat goes
bizarrely off track.
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The Australian
Duo, Savage Garden,
Hit No. 1
In 1997 With
"Truly Madly Deeply."
Click image for music video.
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QUESTION: What led Senator Eric Schmitt's team to believe that then-Special Prosecutor Jack Smith attended the February 3, 2024, Atlanta Hawks
basketball game?
ANSWER: It may have been the only MEN's basketball game that evening with a 7:30 PM tipoff time. Texts exchanged by Jack Smith in the relevant time interval
indicate that he was attending a game with that tipoff time. Of course, Schmitt's team did not take into account that the game which Jack Smith
was referring to in his texts was a WOMEN's basketball game.
I loathe Schmitt for not apologizing for his action in the September 30 hearing of calling Jack Smith a "total dirtbag" when there was no cause to do so.
Schmitt thought he had caught Jack Smith in a lie. The truth is that Jack Smith did not lie when he testified to the effect that he did not attend the February 3, 2024,
Atlanta Hawks game.
John Fray, October 2.
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JOHN FRAY SAYS THAT
SEN. ERIC SCHMITT (R)
IS A DISGRACE.
At a hearing on Capitol Hill,
Schmitt called former Special Prosecutor
Jack Smith a "total dirtbag." The reason for
that surly slur was that Attorney Smith would not
acknowledge that he attended an Atlanta Hawks NBA
game, in Atlanta, on February 3, 2024.
The truth is that, on said date, Attorney Smith
attended a University of Indiana Hawkeyes women's
basketball game in Maryland. After the hearing, when
Schmitt's flub became well known throughout the web,
Schmitt refused to apologize. Instead, he issued
a crass statement suggesting that real men do not
attend women's basketball games. I believe that
Schmitt is a disgrace to the Senate and to every
American who identifies as being a Catholic.
Click the image below to hear Senator Amy Klobuchar (D)
offer her wise comment that one should get their facts
straight before accusing someone else of being a dirtbag.
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ON THE CALENDAR OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH, THE
DATE OF SEPTEMBER 29
IS SET ASIDE TO HONOR
THREE ARCHANGELS.
Three archangels are mentioned in Bible.
They are Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
I recall, from first grade in Catholic School,
a striking image in the religion class materials of
Michael vanquishing the evil entity from Heaven.
I hope to find that image again someday. For
now, here is a montage of the three protectors:
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Monday evening, Sept. 28,
offered overcast skies which
concealed the moon, which
was two days after the full
moon. Because Saturday's
moon was the particular
full moon closest to the
autumnal equinox, it was
the "Harvest Moon."
Here is a stock photo:
Steelers' Running Back
Jaylen Warren Is Racking
Up Yardage Through
The First Three Games
Of The 2026 Season.
SEPT. 29 MISFIRE IN
HEARING AT CAPITOL
Here is a sadly pathetic attempt
by a U.S. Senator to discredit a
witness on Capitol Hill. The attempt
was based on a scurrilous conspiracy
theory to the effect that Special Prosecutor
Jack Smith met with others in Atlanta, GA, on
a specific date to plan a multi-facetted
prosecution of Donald Trump, who at the
time was between his first and second terms
as President. The discrediting attempt
fell apart at the hearing
when it was revealed that the
so-called evidence that Jack Smith had been
in Atlanta that day was a mashup of two different
basketball games: one in Atlanta which Jack Smith
did not attend, and one in Maryland which Jack Smith
in fact attended.
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THE EVERLASTING SONG THAT
KEEPS COMING BACK!
The song, "Everlasting Love" was written in 1967 and was
recorded that year by Robert Knight. It was a soulful tune,
and decidedly middle-of-the-road considering the
turbulent times. The release was a modest success.
In the following five years, a few other artists covered it.
In late 1973, R&B-Disco singer Carl Carlton decided that
he wanted lend his interpretative talent to the song.
His cover, which appeared on an album of his,
was more upbeat than Robert Knight's 1967 original.
Mr. Carlton's version of the song made the "B" side
of a 45 rpm which was
released from the album.
Fortunately for music lovers, record producers realized that
the Carl Carlton recording had more potential than that which
was achieved by the late 1973 release. The producers arranged
for peppy female background vocals to be recorded. An orchestra was brought
in to provide tracks with a disco flavor. The result was an "A" side
masterpiece which
was released in September 1973. It was a smash hit which remains
played by broadcast stations and in web music feeds to this day.
Over the years since 1974, the song has been covered by various artists.
Yesterday, I heard a snippet of the song in a television commercial.
The singer and musical accompaniment were mellow. The feel-good nature
of the song was an asset to the commercial.
For me, the September 1974 Carl Carlton release will everlastingly
remain one of my favorite musical recordings.
John Fray, Sept. 27.
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The class of 1974 enjoyed
birthday anniversary
celebration!
Click the image
for photos.
Sandy Duncan is a beautiful woman,
inside and out. She became popular
in the late 1960s and early 1970s
because of her cute, engaging
presence in a number of television
commercials. Click the image below
to watch her in a delightful ad.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2026,
ELLWOOD CITY CAR CRUISE
A SHORT SUMMARY OF THE
CAREER OF SOUPY SALES
Soupy Sales became a household name in the early 1960s
as the host of a
nationally syndicated television "children's" show, which was actually
an adult vaudeville show. Soupy drew on his 1950s experiences as a
radio D.J. and concert emcee to pull in famous pop stars for guest
appearances on his show.
Dialing back a bit, I will mention that
Soupy's antics on his 1950s Detroit show are legendary. Sadly, next-to-no
video exists of them. Among the lost
antics is a 1958 spot whereby the crew got Soupy to believe that a naked
lady was being shown in the live broadcast feed. The gag was recreated
about five years later during a videotape session (see third image below) in Los Angeles during
the national run of the show.
By all accounts, Soupy was a kind man. He is said to have liked smoking
pot. He served honorably in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He
entertained crew members aboard ship with comedy routines over the loudspeaker.
After his military, he DJed in Detroit, which led to opportunities
at a local television station. He had excellent working relationships with
his stage crews, particularly with the puppeteer who animated the
dog puppets on the show. The episodes were not scripted. Soupy had
comedic instincts a la Jerome Howard of The Three Stooges. He could fill
showtime with improvisations, including dancing and mugging to the
camera. The signature pie-in-the-face shtick was popular. (I did not like it.)
It may have derived, in part, from the famous The Stooges short wherein
a pie fight erupted at a formal dinner party.
In the 1970s, Soupy was a panelist of various game shows. (I enjoyed his
presence on The Gong Show wherein he appeared sober-minded while
show host Chuck Baris
presented the perpetual pot-influenced demeanor.) He also reprised
The Soupy Sales Show for a while.
Mr. Sales lived a long life, leaving us in 2009 at age 83. His grave
marker cites his service in World War II and his contribution to early
television broadcasting. He worked tirelessly in the entertainment
industry for more than twenty years before slowing down in the 1970s
to a level more in line to that of a entertainer living an even-paced
lifestyle. During his 1960s heyday, he emceed East Coast
concert appearances by pop stars. Mr. Sales indeed
carved his niche in television history and remains in the
hearts of those who grew up watching his antics.
Summary Written by John Fray on Sept. 22, 2026
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TIMEX VINTAGE WRISTWATCH
MECHANICAL COMPONENTS
CAN INDEED BE REPAIRED
AND REPLACED.
To collectors of Timex mechanical wristwatches from
the 1960s and 1970s, the designations M24 and M25
are familiar. Those designations pertain to two
sequences of movements (works) of many Timex
watches of that era. They were the workhorses for
the lines of watches which Timex offered in the medium and
large sizes. Those movements do not contain gems.
Rather, they rely on steel-to-steel pivoting of
rods in bores. Many watch enthusiasts regard watches
of those two sequences impossible to repair. However,
with the proper tools, an experienced, patient repair
person can tear down the movement, replace the
damaged components, oil the works, and reassemble
the unit to a condition as good as new.
Click the image below to view a repair video.
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SCOTT BAKULA AND
SHANLEY CASWELL
PLAYING THE PIANO AND
SINGING "PRESSURE" ON
"NCIS NEW ORLEANS"
Click the image below to view the video.
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John Fray says,
"Visit Barkenz Gold and
Jewelry Exchange for
the best deals in
buying and
selling jewelry."
The 1968 recording
"Nothing But a Heartache"
is cited as an example
of "Northern Soul."
September 12, 1683:
King John III Sobieski
of Poland led a charge
against the Ottoman Turks
who had besieged Vienna.
Charging forces included
cavalry from Germany and
other Western Europe areas.
The Ottoman siege was
broken, and the course
of European history was
changed enormously.
September 17, Thurs. Morning.
Coffee and Wi-Fi at McD's
This 1971 song by Bob Dylan
sounds great, whether it is
sung by Mr. Dylan,
George Harrison, or
Olivia Newton John.
1967 - 1968 Coke Bottle Caps:
Images of professional
baseball players appeared on
the underside of the caps.
Kids of that era collected them.
I still have mine.
Mr. Ray Aylesworth was
a latter-year officer of the
Pittsburgh Company which
was instrumental in the
founding of Ellwood City.
Its insurance company
branch was the Ellwood Agency
which Mr. Aylesworth operated
through the 1950s.
September 11, 1977:
On that date, the following
classic was audio-video recorded:
Beloved Local Broadcaster
Mike Romigh Has Passed.
Click Image for Report.
Billy Joel Sings "Allentown"
Click Image For Video
September 9, 1966:
the television series
"That Girl" debuted
on ABC television.
September 13
Friday, Sept. 4, 7:00 PM.
First Friday Mass
Holy Redeemer Church
Saturday, Sept. 5, 6:00 AM
Looking East on Park Ave.
The Historic 300 Block
The Great Lakes!
I think that "Lake Ontario"
should remain the name
of the easternmost lake.
John Fray, August 30
After three years, the
the west side yard of
the auditorium is clear
of construction trailers
and equipment. I hope
that it is restored to a
grassy green space,
and not converted to
a parking lot.
John Fray, August 30
Karaoke in the Community Plaza.
Thursday Evening, August 20.
r>
Actress Joanna Pettet passed
away on July 7 at age 83.
She was only 24 years old
when she lit up the screen
in Casino Royale (1967).
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Friday Evening, Aug. 7.
Wampum Car Cruise.
Entertainment By
Twelfth Street Band.
Station Auto (at the location
of the historically renowned
Allied Auto) is my favorite
auto parts store.
I think that Marc Mann
provided the glue to hold
together this legendary
2004 performance.
Standing Along Sixth Street,
Just North of the Tracks,
Looking West.
Saturday, July 13, 8:13 PM.
Tuesday, July 28, 9:00 PM.
Near Full Moon ("Buck Moon")
Block Party on Lawrence Avenue.
Wednesday, July 15. 7:00 PM
On Friday, July 17, the
Smoke Particulates in
The Upper Atmosphere
Caused the Sun to Cast
A "Spotlight" Effect.
Big Boy at Rock Point!
Sunday, July 12. 10:20 AM
Click to Watch the Video of Big Boy
Traveling Through Rock Point
Sunday, July 12, 5:15 AM
The yellow-highlighted railroad route shows where
Big Boy will be traveling. It is expected to roll through the Rock Point area at about 9:20 AM on Sunday, July 12.
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Seventy ago, July 1956,
the humorous doo-wop
"Stranded in the Jungle"
was rising in the charts.
The amusing spoken part was
performed by Will Dub Jones
who possessed a wonderful,
soothing bass voice.
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SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2026,
PURE GOLD and ELMOZE FIRE
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SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2026,
THE JAGGERZ!
SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2026,
EWING PARK FESTIVAL
FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2026,
EWING PARK FESTIVAL
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HAPPY
FOURTH
OF JULY!
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Street Artwork Near
The Government Center
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SATURDAY JUNE 13, 2026,
BEAVER FALLS CRUISE
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FROM 1975: Diplomacy in France
I can name half of these world leaders.
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JUNE 4 COMMENCEMENT
LINCOLN HIGH ASCHOOL
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Sunday, June 7, 2026.
Sunny warm weekend!
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TOASTING THE BLUE MOON
MAY 30, 2026, 10:10 PM
The blue moon is the higher light in the background.
The lower light is a Sheetz pole light.
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PARADE FOR THE ELLWOOD CITY
WOLVERINES BASEBALL TEAM
WHO WON THE 2026 WPIAL
CHAMPIONSHIP, MAY 27
It was a great parade which came through on Lawrence Avenue
at 5:30 PM. Several fire trucks added to the festivity.
The large coach bus was impressive, but I am not sure
who was on board. The ABC Transit bus carried some
male students, who (I believe) were members of the
the Junior Varsity squad. A few cheerleaders were
riding in cars with sunroofs. They were standing in
the vehicles with their heads, shoulders and arms
above the rooflines. Of course, they were
waiving enthusiastically.
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The Lincoln High School Marching Blue Band at the Ellwood City Memorial Day Parade, Monday, May 25:
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The sky is clear tonight. I snapped the following photo at 9:30 PM. It shows Jupiter, Gemini, the moon and Venus.
John Fray, May 19.
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On May 18 at 5:30 PM, the Goodyear blimp traveled over Ellwood
in an east-to-west direction. It seemed to follow a course above
Park Avenue. I was lucky to be outdoors and snap a few photos
of it. At first, I was startled. It looked like a giant shark in the sky.
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John M. Fray, Webmaster
Phone (724) 494-6569
Community News and Events
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MICHAEL STANLEY,
LEGENDARY MUSIC
TALENT HAILING
FROM CLEVELAND
Michael Stanley Gee was born
in Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1940s.
He never forgot his roots.
With various band configurations,
he recorded music in five decades.
He anchored a music hour on a
Cleveland radio station for most
of that time.
From his beginnings in the realm of
rock and roll music, he wrote many of the
songs his group recorded. He generously
shared the spotlight with bandmates
who performed lead vocals on some
of the group's biggest hits, such as
"He Can't love You Like I Love You."
His baritone, smokey voice lends
mystique to "Lover" from 1980. In
concert (I saw him in Youngstown
in 2006) he allowed the audience to
sing that song's famous line, "Thank
God for the man who put the
white lines on the highway."
In that twenty years of his career,
Mr. Stanley displayed creative genius
of the type which comes only from
years of studying the
structure and motivation behind
deep musical works.
His mashup of "Wichy Tai To" is an
example of that genius.
Mr. Stanley left us too soon in
his early seventies
in the year 2022. He was a personable
man. He gave generously, in a creative
sense, to those who appreciate the
combination of sleek rock chords,
intelligent lyrics, and poetic adventure.
John Fray, May 17.
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RECORDING ARTISTS
AND GROUPS OF
THE 1980s WE MAY
HAVE FORGOTTEN
Culturally, and especially musically, the 1980s
decade is sometimes referred to as "The Big Eighties"
or as "The Coolest Decade Ever." Some recording artists and
groups appeared on the scene, had big hits, and then
were forgotten by the masses. Fortunately, a few
soft rock stations, such as WMJY-MIX 98.9 on the FM dial,
keep those forgotten songs on their "Eighties Hour" playlists.
Here are a few of my favorite somewhat forgotten 1980s
artists and groups:
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Expose' had a Madonna-sounding hit with "Seasons Change"
Bananarama was chillin' with "Cool Summer"
The Motels gave me Norman Bates-like chills (in a good way)
with "Suddenly, Last Summer"
Debarge popped royally with the Michael Jackson-style "Rhythm of the Night"
Taylor Dane had hits in a style a la Madonna.
Quarterflash sounded like Heart with "Harden My Heart"
Also sounding like a Heart recording is Roxette's beautiful ballad
"Listen To You Heart"
which is my favorite in this listing of tracks.
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Seven Days in May
The Plot is Set in the
Runup to the Preakness
An alleged 1932 attempted coup may have been the inspiration,
in part, for the 1960s novel and movie, Seven Days in May,
in which a USMC Colonial uncovers a plot by military officers
to stage a coup to seize control of the United States government.
In the supposed 1932 coup conspiracy, wealthy industrialists and
bankers sought assistance from certain military leaders to depose
FDR and otherwise overthrow the government.
Retired Major General Smedley Butler, USMC, was a highly decorated
officer who had become disillusioned with the powerful entity which,
a few decades later, would be identified by President Eisenhower
as the "military-industrial complex." Supposedly, the plotters made
several overtures to Butler who played along for the purpose of
gathering information which he eventually revealed to friends
in the press and Congress in order to scuttle the plot.
The intrigue of those supposed 1930s events is chronicled in the book,
The Plot to Seize the White House (1973) by Jules Archer.
John Fray, May 15
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My appreciation for the 1983 TV movie
"Special Bulletin" remains, since it is as
good a production as it possibly could
have been. However, I am not a fan
of movies which present
a faux premise, such as a news report
or documentary which is fictional.
John Fray; May 3, 2026.
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FROM GOOGLE AI:
Astronaut Gordon Cooper maintained over the years that his camera crew photographed a saucer-shaped UFO, with
retractable landing gear,
landing at Edwards Air Force Base in 1957 where Cooper was head of a flight test team.
Cooper saw the negatives of the photographs which displayed a saucer-shaped aircraft unlike anything which, at the time, was known to exist in the
military arsenals of any country on earth. Cooper was instructed by the Pentagon to expedite the delivery of the negatives to Washington D.C. Following
orders, Cooper did just that. Ever since, the Government has not acknowledged the existence of the film
John Fray; May 10, 2026.
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I predict that the Steelers' first round draft pick, Max Iheanachor,
offensive tackle from Oklahoma State, will be a standout player
in the upcoming NFL season.
John Fray, April 24, 2026
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I remember watching Roy Orbison and background guitarists performing "Oh, Pretty Woman" on ABC's "Shindig."
The date would have been somewhere from September to December 1964.
"Shindig" featured performances of many artists and groups which went on to become highly regarded in rock and roll history. I do not know where the numbers were recorded. I think they were all recorded prior to their showing on the TV episodes. It seems that they were real, not lip-synced, and done in front of a live audience. The following performance of "Oh, Pretty Woman" includes female screams from the audience:
John Fray. April 23, 2026.
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"CASINO ROYALE" (1967)
There is a phrase which is going around the web.
It goes as follows, "If you know, you know."
That phrase applies whenever I submit my
opinion that the movie "Casino Royale" (1967)
contains a significant number of artistic achievements.
Unfortunately, there is an element on the web which
believes that it is chic to brand the film as
being one of the worst movies ever made. I realize
that the film is uneven, and that some parts,
especially the zany, madcap nonsense in the last
twenty minutes, may be a turnoff. However, on balance,
the impressive critical mass of talent which was
involved in the production of this film created
moments of movie magic.
In my opinion, if the film lacked any redeeming qualities other
than the four minute sequence of Dusty Springfield's vocals
over the scene with Ursula Andress and Peter Sellers, it would
still stand as a great cinematic achievement. The back story
of that element of the soundtrack is that music composer Burt Bacharach and
his lyrics-writing partner, Hal David, were made privy to the
filming at the time Mr. Bacharach was working on the soundtrack.
One day, Mr. Bacharach watched the preliminary footage of
Ursula Andress in the sultry scene in her character's
apartment. Her heart-stopping sexuality (revved up from
her smoldering erotic appearance in "Dr. No" five years
earlier) jolted the songwriter into composing the sensual
medley of "The Look of Love." Mr. Bacharach thought that a
graceful musical arrangement of that tune would be
enough to accent the scene. However, his song-writing
partner, Hal David, wisely
persuaded the producers to allow him to pen lyrics. For
good measure, Dusty Springfield was brought in to sing
in a whispering, pouting style. The extended saxophone
provided the creme de la creme.
Here is a link to a clip of a portion of that scene:
"The Look of Love"
from
"Casino Royale" (1967)
I believe other parts of the movie are brilliant
as well. I will try to put up additional posts
discussing them.
John Fray. April 17, 2026.
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1979.
For me, that is the greatest date in
Pittsburgh sports history on which
I was alive and have a recollection of.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, down three games
to one against the Baltimore Orioles, turned around
their course in the World Series with
7-1 victory at Three Rivers Stadium.
I was at the University of Pittsburgh
Towers Dining Hall when the pubic
address speakers streamed the singing
of the National Anthem by 1977 Miss
America Dorothy Anderson. Her
powerful vocals instilled in me a sense
that the Pirates were about to embark
on a path of victory in the series.
By the sixth inning, after the Pirates'
bats awakened and put the team up
by five runs, the mood of the stadium
was electric. The public address speakers
streamed "Beautiful Sunday" (1972) by
British recording artist Daniel Boone.
I recall that Pirates third baseman
Phil Garner was on deck at the time.
It is with sadness that I learned today
that Phil passed away at age seventy-six.
YouTube File of Game 5. October 14, 1979
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IN TRIBUTE TO KEN CURTIS:
Singer-actor Ken Curtis (1916-1991) was a national treasure.
In 1941, he was a singer with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
in which he filled in for lead singer Frank Sinatra when
Mr. Sinatra has other commitments. Mr. Curtis was a
co-star of the syndicated TV series "Ripcord" which
dramatized the adventures of a skydiving rescue team.
After that series concluded in 1963. Mr. Curtis took on
the permanent role of Festus in "Gunsmoke." I was
watching when Festus became a regular cast member
in January 1964. I was amazed with his transformation
from the skilled skydiver to the dusty farmer who spouted
entertaining down-to-earth witticisms.
Click the image below to access the YouTube file containing
the video of the Shep Fields Orchestra performing "Long
May We Love" in the 1940s. Mr. Curtis is the featured
soloist.
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IN PRAISE OF THE MOVIE CLASSIC
"THE MALTESE FALCON" (1941).
Some professional movie critics have labeled John Huston's "The Maltese Falcon" as the greatest movie of all time. I will not argue against that accolade. It is masterpiece of acting, mood conjuring, witty bantering, and psychological agonizing. As for story-telling, it is just okay, but that is to be expected from detective stories. The climatic scene of the big reveal of the statuette contains a goof (really, an omission) which the director tried to fix in post production. However, the botched scene is not of import, since the audience had already figured out the that statuette was going to turn out to be phony, anyway. I think the the last line, "It's the stuff dreams are made of" is okay, but not earth shaking. What amazes me the most are the acting performances of Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. When Mary is in the scene, Bogey is always in it as well. The subtlety which Ms. Astor displays in shifting between demeanors of feigned innocence and confessed duplicity are astounding. She rightfully maintained that the Oscar which was awarded to her for her 1941 film work should have been for "Falcon" rather than for the other movie which ushered her win. Bogey excels in all of his scenes, those with Ms. Astor and those with the other characters, which range from police officers, prosecuting attorneys, and, of course, the bad guys. His scene near the end wherein he basically performs a soliloquy and references a ledger with two columns, one for the merits of breaking the law and protecting Ms. Astor's character, and the other for turning her into the police, is soul crushing. As for the other actors, Lee Patrick as Bogey's secretary makes me smile. She is hot, especially because of her voice. Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet are quintessentially villainous. Elisha Cook, Jr., is given a fleshed-out hit man role which he aces, despite the fact his is given next-to-no dialog. The good cop - bad cop team of Ward Bond and Brandon MacLane hits the right notes. John Huston put together a quick-witted screenplay. Also, he executes brilliantly in what is his first directoral outing. The premise (taken from the novel) of hunting for a centuries-old jewel encrusted statuette is silly. Logically, the gems would have been pried off and sold long ago. However, audiences knew not to take this aspect of the plot seriously. As Alfred Hitchcock explained, such "McGuffin" devices are used simply to drive the rest of the movie, which is to be judged for merits much more impressive than the mediocre back story. In all, the movie is an essential component of American cinema heritage. The theme of conflict between love and duty holds up well. I have gone to sleep thinking of my affection for the movie. In that sense, it is indeed the stuff that dreams are made of.
John Fray, April 9, 2026
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If you are in the mood for a spoof of
1940s detective and adventure movies
such as "The Maltese Falcon" and
"Casablanca" you might want to
check out "The Cheap Detective" (1978).
The actresses around Peter Falk
are clockwise (starting from the lower left)
Stockard Channing, Louise Fletcher,
Madeline Kahn, Eileen Brennan,
Ann-Margaret and Marsha Mason.
The great three-minute jazz piece
in the opening credits is by Henry Mancini.
The remaining soundtrack is also fantastic.
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On a beautiful late afternoon this week,
the Ellwood City Lincoln High School
Junior Varsity
Wolverines baseball team hosted Laurel
at the Ewing Park Field.
The Wolverines had an off day,
and they went down to defeat.
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THE HIGH TEMPERATURE
TUESDAY, MARCH 31,
2026, WAS 79 DEGREES,
BREAKING THE PREVIOUS
RECORD OF 77 DEGREES
FOR ANY MARCH 31.
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April 4, 1968
(Fifty-Eight Years Ago)
The Reverend Martin Luther
King, Jr., Was Assassinated
In Memphis, Tennessee.
The Above Photo Shows Rev. King At
The March on Washington, D.C.,
On August 28, 1963.
March 21, 1965
Civil Rights March Begins
From Selma to Montgomery
Fifty-Four Miles
Thousands Participated
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JULIUS CAESAR'S ASSASSINATION OCCURRED 2,069 YEARS AGO
Yes, it can be confusing when calculating the number of years since his death.
Because the year "zero" is not recognized in any pertinent calendar system, the
number of years which have transpired from 44 BC to AD 2026 has been 2,069,
not 2,070 as might seem to be the answer on first blush.
John Fray, March 15, 2026.
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The opening credits to Season 1 of
"China Beach" constitute a great
music video. That season ran
from April 26 to June 8, 1988.
"Flim Flam Man"
Laura Nyro
Hands off the man
Flim flam man
His mind is up his sleeve
And his talk is make believe
Oh Lord, the man's a fraud
He's a flim flam man
He's so cagey
He's a flim flam man
Hands off the man
Flim flam man
He's the one in the Trojan horse
Makin' out like he's Santa Claus
Oh Lord, the man's a fraud
He's a flim flam man
He's a fox
He's a flim flam man
Everybody wants him
The people and the police
And all the pretty ladies disarm
Oh, oh yeah
The beautiful gent
To the hands on the ascent
He pays his monthly rent
With daily charm
Hands off the man
Flim flam man
His mind is up his sleeve
And his talk is make believe
Oh Lord, the man's a fraud
He's a flim flam man
He's so cagey
He's an artist
He's a fox
He's a flim flam man
Don't believe him
He's a flim flam man
Oh, run around
He's a flim flam man
Don't believe him
He's a flim flam man
Don't believe him
He's a flim flam man
Link to YouTube file of music video.
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Previously, I posted about the
Led Zeppelin song "D'yer Maker"
(also known as "D'yer Mak'er").
The sleeve for the 45 rpm of that
song makes a cryptic reference
the early 1960s vocal group
"Rosie and the Originals."
That group is best known for
the song "Angel Baby" which
contains a chord progression
similar to "D'yer Maker."
Click to hear "Angel Baby."
Led Zeppelan's "D'yer Maker" takes
its title from an old British joke.
The premises of the joke is that a
strong British accent will result
in the spoken name "Jamaica"
and the question "Did you make
make her?" sound exactly alike.
Click to hear "D'yer Maker."
.
Gene Pitney was a brilliant songwriter
and a talented singer. He passed away
in 2006 in Cardiff, England at age 66.
Click to hear "It Hurts to be in Love."
When I was a kid, my family's record collection
contained a 45 rpm phonograph record of
Paul Evans's 1960 version of
"The Midnight Special."
Click image to hear it.
Kate Bush Performing
Her 1978 Hit Song,
"Wuthering Heights."
A Masterpiece
Of Creativity.
Neil Sedaka has passed away at age 86. Mr. Sedaka wrote the music
for the numerous songs which he sang. With lyricist Howard Greenfield,
he created the clever "Calendar Girl" single which topped the charts
for a few weeks in 1960. The songwriting duo went on to top the charts
again in 1961 with the title them to the movie "Where the Boys Are" which
features the stunning vocal performance of Connie Francis absent backup vocals.
In the mid-1970s, Mr. Sedaka and his second song-writing partner, Phil
Cody, reached vast success with hits such as "Laughter in the Rain" and
"The Immigrant" which features the chorus containing the poignant line,
"There was a time when strangers were welcome here."
John Fray, Feb. 28
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LED Strobe Circuit
"Magic Town" (1966) by The Vogues
A Retro Link To An Old Blog
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Chris Deluzio is a member of the
U.S. House of Representatives.
His district encompasses Beaver
County and a portion of Allegheny
County on its northern tier. Rep.
Deluzio has been critical of U.S.
military personnel destroying
boats in the Caribbean. He
and a few other Democratic
House members have made
videos in which they suggest that
military personnel should not follow
orders to destroy the boats. A
U.S. Attorney attempted to get a
federal grand jury to indict
Rep. Deluzio and those few other Democratic
representatives on charges of
obstruction, sedition, etc., but the
grand jury refused to indict.
John Fray, Feb. 11
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The neighboring Saint Bernard
likes to lie on the snow. This photo
was snapped on Wednesday evening,
February 11, at 8:00 PM. The
temperature was 25 degrees.
A light snow was falling.
John Fray, Feb. 11
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Wed., Feb. 4, 2026.
Sunny Afternoon for
a Walk in Ellwood.
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Looking Southwest
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Looking East
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A Nice Building in the Third Ward.
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The "All Aboard Ellwood" Caboose.
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Fourth Street, Looking North.
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Soft Blue Sky.
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Untouched Snow.
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Track, Looking East.
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Track, Looking West.
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Snow Bank Along Curb.
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WATCH THIS SPACE for more
snips from the video stream of
the Groundhog Day festivities
at Punxsutawney this morning.
John Fray, February 2.
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Here is a screen snip of a page with the
temp. at minus seven on Monday, Feb. 2,
at 7:42 AM, minutes after Punxsutawney
Phil made his prediction of six more weeks
of winter weather:
John Fray, February 2.
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The Grammy Awards Ceremony
Held Sunday, February 1, 2026:
Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O'Connell,
won the award for 2025 Song of the Year.
The song is "Wildflower" which features
the stunning emotional vocals of Ms.
Eilish in her captivating style of
singing haunting love ballads.
John Fray, February 1.
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We have had so many consecutive days
of sustained, dangerously cold Siberian
air that I no longer care to report on
specific temperatures. I will
simply state that below-zero
overnight temps are now the rule.
John Fray, February 1.
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The Big Snow fell Sun. Jan. 25.
By night, sixteen inches lay.
Photos from Wed., Jan. 28:
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Tuesday, January 27, 2026, saw a low
temperature of zero degrees in the
3:00 AM hour. The record low for
all recorded January 27 dates
is minus eight degrees.
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The Town's Marquis:
A retro-thought about a music recording
from 54 years ago:
The recording "Joy" by the performer(s)
named "Apollo 100" was released in
January 1972. It is a modern version
of a baroque classical music piece
by Johann Bach from the 1720s.
It is a lively tune. Here is what
Wikipedia has to say:
"Joy" is a 1971 instrumental pop hit record by Apollo 100.
It is a contemporary rendition of a 1723 composition by
Johann Sebastian Bach entitled "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring",
shortened to simply "Joy".
It is ranked as the 71st biggest U.S. hit of 1972.
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January 1972: Story of Amazing Survival
A passenger jet operated by an
airline from then-Yugoslavia
violently came apart in mid-air.
Over two dozen souls were aboard.
Only one survived. She was flight
attendant Vesna Vulovic.
The official report is that
fragmentation of the jetliner
occurred at 22,000 feet. There
is a contrary theory (which is
generally discredited) that
fragmentation occurred at
3,000 feet.
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