Thursday, August 17, 2017

8/15/1957

EAST FAREWELL NEWS

Thursday, August 15, 1957   Vol. C633

LOCAL NEWS

3RD ANNUAL HOTDOG EATING CONTEST

East Farewell – The 3rd Annual Hotdog Eating Contest sponsored by local meat packer L. Myers and Sons and Nathan’s from New York City was held over the weekend on the Lakefront Plaza. Like the previous contests the event was boisterous, loud and rowdy. The sound track was provided by a local band, the Blackjacks, who played spirited music throughout the whole contest and played after the contest was over for the large crowd that remained after the final ceremony when the winner was awarded the giant hotdog trophy by lead judge, Tom Conally. There were 30 contestants this year cheered on by almost two hundred fans.  The total number of entries was capped at 30, last year’s total, because it was felt by planners that any more would be unmanageable. Last year’s winner was the first on the stage.  Allen Heart jumped up on the stage and waved to the crowd. As the other contestants in the first round followed each was introduced and got a bit of a fanfare from the Blackjacks. All fifteen took their seats and after the rules were read the horn was sounded and the contestants started wolfing down the dogs. The three minutes were counted down on a large clock that had been supplied by local watchmaker, Jerry Kunzel. The second round of contestants were lead on the sage by 1955’s winner, Bernie Wilson, he said his new wife, the former Sue Logan, gave him the go ahead to compete this year. After the second round the top six winners were chosen from both rounds and they took the stage. The final contestants were announced, along with Heart and Logan, Willie Ranch, Big Burt Brown, Dave O’Hara and Sam Fannelli were on the stage. The horn was sounded and the six heavyweights dug in. As the Blackjacks played a spirited version of Turkey in the Straw the contestants munched, stuffed and gulped their way through a mountain of hotdogs. When the clock hit zero and the band wrapped their final note the contestants all stood and proclaimed victory. Alas, there could only be one winner and the judges conferred. After a brief conference top judge, Tom Conally walked over to Dave O’Hara, a 220 pound wrestler from Regional High and raised his arm in victory. O’Hara was able to eat 50 hotdogs total, one shy of last year’s record 51 by Heart. Heart came in second with a total 48. Third place went to local favorite Bernie Wilson with 45 dogs.

            The contest is growing in popularity each year and draws more fans each year. It started out as a grudge match between four big eaters and has developed into a very popular mid-summer event. This year was the first year L. Myers Meatpackers sponsored the contest by supplying the hotdogs. Local baker Dunlap Farms supplied the buns and Nathans from New York City supplied promotional banners and an additional supply of dogs. The left over hotdogs and buns were given away to the fans after the event. The free dogs went very quickly but local restaurants had set up small outlets where they were able to serve snacks and beverages. The music went on until 8:00PM and everyone enjoyed themselves greatly.

Dave O’Hara showing his winning style

SPORTS

TRAVELERS SWIPE THE CUBS

Bear Creek – The Travelers entered the Bear Creek Den ballpark with a bit of apprehension on Saturday. The newly refurbished ballpark boasted of the newest stadium accessories highlighted by a beautifully manicure playing field recently reopened and the Bear Creek Cubs immediately won their first five games there. The Cubs have only recently lost in their den and have always played well. The Travelers have been on a small winning streak of their own and went the Bear Creek with cautious expectations. The game was sold out, as most of the Cubs games are, and the weather was perfect, not too hot a mild breeze headed out to center.
            The first three innings were a pitcher’s battle with the Cub’s ace, Richie Ralston, pitching lights out innings striking out seven in the first three innings. The Travelers were not going to be swatted up by the Cubs though, their ace, Joe Nagy, matched Ralston one for one but only struck out six. After the third, though, things started to change. In the top of the fourth the Travelers were able to connect on a couple of doubles by Tony Dimero and Joey Brown scoring one run and breaking Ralston’s stranglehold. The Cubs were able to break through in the fifth with two runs off a slight lapse in Nagy’s routine. The Travelers were able to put one on in the sixth and the seventh but they couldn’t get them around. Finally in the ninth Dale Dunham slipped a single by first Cubs baseman, Felix Campos and Bobby Watson was able to move him to second on Ralston’s only walk then Johnny Cloos came up and the Den went silent. Cloos took the first pitch which was a strike. Ralston decided to go with the heat and try to overpower Cloos. That had worked in the second and fourth but this was well into the game and perhaps Ralston’s fastball wasn’t quite as fast as it was then. He tried to put one right down the middle but it drifted down and Cloos picked it up and drove it over the center fields fence. Nagy went into the bottom of the ninth with a one run lead but that was all he needed. He was able to strike out Johnson but then Grover singled and Conner came up. Conner had been batting well over .300 lately but Nagy had his number. Conner was able to work to a 3-2 count and then Nagy gave him a low inside strike that Conner had to swing at. He got a solid piece of the bat on it but it shot to Dunham at short, who scooped it up, tossed it to Archibald who fired it to Watson for a game ending double play.
            The Travelers were able to leave the Den with a win and will come home next week to host the Ondita Cougars and their ace Sam ‘Cat’ Caterno. Next week’s game will be played after the Bar-B-Que Cookoff in which both Johnny Cloos and Joe Nagy will be honorary judges. Nagy will not be pitching but Johnny may be too full from the Cookoff to play. We will see. The game is an evening game beginning at 5:00PM at the ballpark.



 NATIONAL NEWS

IKE UNDER FIRE BUT STILL ANNOUNCES ARMS CONTROL – HOFFA TESTIFIES – LEVITTOWN SEES RACIAL STRIFE – DUMONT WANTS TO PROGRAM – ROCK & ROLL BIG IN BRITAIN – ELVIS HERE TO STAY

In an open revolt against President Eisenhower’s leadership, the House passes a foreign aid appropriation slashed almost $810 million below what he called a rock-bottom minimum.

President Eisenhower announces the western powers’ proposal to Russia that nuclear weapons tests be suspended for as much as two years in order to reach a “sound and safeguarded first-step arms control agreement.

Testifying in Washington - James A. Hoffa, prospective president of the Teamsters Union, testifies he had borrowed about $120,000 since 1952, including interest free loans from union finds. Much of the money was borrowed without notes or collateral and some of it was used for purposes he could not remember.

Stones are hurled in an eruption of new violence after a Negro family moves into a home in Levittown, PA - an all white community.

DuMont, wants to get back into programming, but on a limited basis. It already has some minor network offerings, primarily news specials from its New York and Washington stations. For example, WABD-TV in New York has long fed the Monday night fights to stations across eastern U.S. And WTTG-TV in Washington is offering the senate labor and management investigation four hours a day to other stations.

Rock ‘n’ Roll in Britain is more popular than ever. Now at the top is Elvis Presley with “All Shook Up.” Next in line comes skiffler Lonnie Donegan with “Puttin’ On the Style,” followed by Elvis Presley’s “Teddy Bear.” Others on the bestseller list are the Everly Brothers “Bye Bye Love,” Pat Boone’s “Loveletters In The Sand,” Tommy Steele’s “Butterfingers” and Little Richard’s “Lucille.”

Arthur Berg, president of the National Association of Dance and Aaffiliated Artists predicts that rock ‘n’ roll and Elvis Presley are here to stay; “Sure, some of that rock ‘n’ roll stuff is sort of savage. But people like it. They want it. And they want Elvis Presley. They’ll want rock ‘n’ roll and Elvis for many years to come.” Berg believes Presley will be around for a while, “But he’ll change his style. Before long, I think you’ll find he’ll swing to ballad style stuff. If he does that, he’ll be around for years and years”



No comments:

Post a Comment