12/29/1955

 

EAST FAREWELL NEWS

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Thursday, December 29, 1955   Vol. C548

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LOCAL NEWS

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1955: EAST FAREWELL THE YEAR IN REVIEW

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East Farewell- As 1955 draws to a close we will take a look back on a wonderful year in East Farewell. There were many highlights, a couple of sad events and many great traditions continued. Last January saw a new Public Arts exhibition with the huge snow sculptures on Lakefront Plaza. The Valentine’s Day Dance has become a much loved and anticipated yearly event and did not disappoint this year. One of the biggest public events was the opening of the Public Transit System. The Highway Commission has still not settled the highway exit issue which has been on again off again and is currently off. On the cultural side, the East Farewell Playhouse enjoyed its fourth immensely successful season in 1955. The Robert Tent designed golf course opened this year and has been drawing celebrities and world famous golfers since its debut.  The Easter Parade was another success. Strange sightings over Lake Charles in the early summer caused quite a stir. The 5^th annual “Race Around the Lake” was a real crowd pleaser all around the Lake. The Fourth of July was a blast. The “informal” sailboat race on the lake will almost certainly become a tradition as will the hot-dog eating contest. The 10^th Annual Music, Art and Country Fair was everything everyone expected and the Remote Radio Broadcast put the town in a national spotlight for an evening. Was all the fuss about Lake Charles’ own “Nessie” just Big Charlie? The Circus came back to town. Oktoberfest ran a bit long but no one complained. Who can forget the beloved Travelers clinching another championship, the third in five years. Is anyone saying dynasty? One of the biggest events of the year was the Thanksgiving Day Parade which gets bigger and better every year. The parade brought Santa and the snow has fallen on East Farewell. We at the East Farewell News thank all our readers for their continued support throughout the entire year and look forward to serving you next year and for many years in the future.

East Farewell Main Street

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SPORTS

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COUGARS SCRATCH WILDCATS

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East Farewell – The Cougars were able to scratch out a solid win against a tough Riverview squad on Friday. The team worked together and was able to put their first notch in the win column with a 48-40 margin. It was a refreshing performance when compared to the mediocre performances in the previous outings. Center, Wilson Watson, picked up where he left off last week and took command of the center and scored a game high 22 points. He also was able to sweep the boards with 9 rebounds and even showed his teamwork skills by assisting in 8 points. “Willie was very good tonight,” said Coach Wilson, “I think he is starting to come into his own. You just wait and see, this kid is going to be good.”

            The Cougars took command early with a quick 10-4 lead and went on to end the first half leading 26-22. The Wildcats were only able to pull ahead once in the first half went they slipped by lagging Cougars, 18-15, with four minutes left in the first. The Cougars perked up and scored the next 7 points to regain the lead. The Cougar backcourt of Green and Conner showed some sparks and showed they were beginning to understand game control. The forwards, O’Hare and Reilly contributed a total of 16 points, 8 each, and were able to contain the Wildcats offense.

            The Wildcats did not roll over. They played an extremely strong game and their lead scorer, Hal Vogel, led the Wildcats with 20 but that was not enough to stop the suddenly hot Cougars. The Wildcats noted defense seemed off during the game and the team did not help themselves by committing 12 turnovers, a team and season high. “We couldn’t get on track tonight,” said Wildcat coach, Frank Gold, “we need to get back to basics. This wasn’t the team that usually shows up, we are much better than this. Those guys played a great game, I was very surprised. They caught us off guard and we couldn’t recover. It was a good win for them.”

            The Cougars host the 4^th Annual Winter Tournament next week and stay at home the following week when they host the Slate Mountain Canaries. The 4^th Annual Winter Tournament starts Friday at 3:05PM in the school gymnasium.

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 NATIONAL NEWS

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IKE & MAMMIE HAVE AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS – POPE PIUS XII SENDS PEACE MESSAGE – AT THE MOVIES

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The President and Mrs. Eisenhower spend their first old-fashioned family Christmas in the White House. The President started the day playing Santa for his grandchildren and ended it with a turkey dinner in the newly decorated State Dining Room. 

In his annual Christmas message - Pope Pius XII proposes a ban on all nuclear tests and an international agreement on disarmament to save the world from a man-made catastrophe.

At the movies -

The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell - Gary Cooper, Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy

Artists and Models - Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

Gentlemen Marry Brunettes - Jane Russell, Jeanne Crain

The Desperate Hours - Humphrey Bogart

I Died A Thousand Times - Jack Palance, Shelley Winters

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Many, many thanks to www.mrpopculture.com for contributing to this section of the East Farewell News.

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12/22/1955

 

EAST FAREWELL NEWS

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Thursday, December 22, 1955   Vol. C762

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LOCAL NEWS

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NUDIST COLONY APPLIES FOR PERMIT ON LAKE CHARLES

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East Farewell- An eye-raising application came across the permit desk in City Hall this week.  The “Nothing Until Democracy Evolves” organization filed for a land use permit on the north end of Lake Charles.  They are requesting a permit to build a camp on 25 acres of land that is bordered by the lake, North Shore Drive and two wooded tracts on either side.  The permit did not attract any undue attention until the organization’s board and finances were investigated, which is normal for all out of town permit requests.  As it turns out the Nothing Until Democracy Evolves is a bona-fide nudist organization.  The President, Frank Logan, seemed genuinely amused when he was asked to appear at a hearing for the permit.  “You know, we believe in not encumbering our bodies with any excessive or extraneous accessories, like clothes.  I would be glad to attend the review but I must inform you that that I strictly follow our rules of behavior.”

            After a brief consultation the Permit Board decided to do the interview over the telephone.  Board member Alice Stockman conducted the interview and asked Mr. Logan the usual questions about the intended land use, what type of improvements are to be expected, how the waste and sanitation will be handled and what is the mission of the camp.  Mr. Logan was very open and congenial during the questioning and answered every question without hesitation.  He sent a full business plan over to the office that outlined the intent of the camp as well as an entire section on the organization’s finances and backers.  The documents were reviewed by the whole board and some interesting details were allowed to be released to the public.

            The organization, N.U.D.E., was founded in 1935 in Florida as a recreational group.  The founders believed in full exposure as a way of getting closer to nature and connecting with other people.  They claim to have a nationwide membership of over 5,000 people.  The Lake Charles parcel will be designed to accommodate approximately 150 people with a maximum of around 200.  The plan calls for a buildings to be built around a central circle and preliminary plans call for a mess hall, administration building men’s and woman’s cabins and a community hall.  Behind the residence cabins will be separate showers and latrine building.  Docks on the lake are planned for swimming and boating.  The plan also calls for a very wide, wooded “buffer” zone around the entire parcel.  “We understand that some people do not share our open ideas about expressing our oneness with nature,” said Mr. Logan in his conversation with Mrs. Stockman.

            The Permit Board is taking the request very seriously considering the explosive nature of the request.  “We on the board feel we have a responsibility to the community to not only evaluate this request but also get input and opinions from the general public,” said Mrs. Stockman.  Hearings have been set for Wednesday of next week.  Anyone wishing to voice their opinion will be heard.  The meeting will start at 7:30 PM in the main room of the Bough Hall.

Some folks have already their opinions.  This paper ran an informal and random survey yesterday asking passersby how they would feel if a nudist colony were to open.   The results were surprisingly even.  Surveying 50 people from East Farewell it was found that 23 were opposed to it completely, 11 thought the idea was acceptable and a surprising 16 didn’t care one way or the other.  “If they want to be naked on the other side of the lake, it’s OK with me,” said Leo (last name withheld).  That was the general middle of the road opinion.  But the most anti-nudist comment came from Earnest Bunch, “I can see it all now, they set up this nudie beach on the lake right down past that beatnik colony and over past all those arty galleries, why they should just change Lake Shore Drive to the Road to Perdition.”   On the positive side, Natalie Mallard had this comment, “I’m all for it, as long as the guys look like Tony Curtis and the girls look like Janet Leigh.”  It is a pretty safe bet to believe that won’t come to pass.   

No pictures were taken for this story although Mr. Logan offered to pose.

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SPORTS

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DEVILS BEDEVIL COUGARS 30-38

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Corning- The Cougars season has started off on a bad foot. First they lost to the Central Bears 40-44 in their opener and last week they lost again to the Corning Devils, 30-38. While both the Bears and the Devils are picked to be leaders in the league this year, the Cougars expected to do better. “We never expected to be 0 and 2, but we are. Those other kids are very good but so are we. We should have played a lot better especially against those doggone Devils,” said Coach Wilson after the game. “Our kids are very good. I think we really have a chance at the title this year. We have to start playing better though.”

            The Devils came out hot, scoring the first 18 points putting the Cougars back on their heels and forced to play catch up for the entire first half. They were finally able to match the Devils with only three minutes left in the half when they tied, 20-20. The second half was much more balanced. The Cougars looked like a different team. They were able to match up defensively and center Wilson Watson took command of the lane and under the basket. He was able to end the game with eight points but more importantly he grabbed 15 rebounds in the second half while only gathering up only 5 in the first half. Along with Wilson’s eight the guards were instrumental in keeping the Devils at bay in the second half. Guards Timmy Green and Fergal Conner showed some ball control and added 12 points together (4 for Green and 8 for Conner). Forward Billy Reilly added 4 and the other forward, Tom O’Hare put in 4. The Devils leading scorer was last year’s scoring leader, Ben Grant with 20 points followed by Thomas with 8, Emerson with 7 and Walker with 3.

            The Cougars come home next week to play the always tough Riverview Wildcats. The Cougars are going to be hungry for that first win when the game starts next Friday in the gymnasium at 4:30.

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 NATIONAL NEWS

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AIR TRAFFIC UP 19% - COMMIES WRECK BERLINS CHRISTMAS – RKO SOLD FOR 15 MILLION

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American air traffic breaks all growth records in 1955 according to the civil Aeronautics Administration. Airlines carried nearly 42 million passengers - 19% more than 1954.

Communists knock the spirit out of East Berlin’s Christmas and order border police to enforce a ban on shopping in West Berlin’s shops filled with delicacies unavailable in the drab and empty government-run stores of the Soviet sector. In addition, the Communists forbade possession of West marks by East Berliners, and help up for inspection thousands of Christmas packages mailed by West Germans to friends and kin in the East.

Nikita Khrushchev makes a bristling attack on all major aspects of American foreign policy and at one point, accused President Eisenhower of “crude interference” in Communist nations’ affairs.

President Eisenhower serves notice on Russia that peaceful liberation of captive peoples in Red satellite nations “will continue to be a major goal of U.S. foreign policy.”

RKO Radio Pictures entire movie output over a 30-year period is sold for $15,200,000 for use on television stations.

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Many, many thanks to www.mrpopculture.com for contributing to this section of the East Farewell News.

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12/15/1955

 

EAST FAREWELL NEWS

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Thursday, December 15, 1955 Vol. C546

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LOCAL NEWS

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‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ CHARMS EAST FAREWELL

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East Farewell- The Christmas tradition of the presentation of Dickens’s classic “A Christmas Carol” opened last week to a sold out crowd and has enjoyed a sell out every night and expected to continue to pack the house until closing January 2^nd. The play is being presented for the third year and has attained a bit of magical holiday status in town. This year is special due to the return Leo G Carroll as Scrooge. He is reprising his lead role that he first played two years ago in the first presentation. The audience loved him as he growled, scolded, cried and in the end laughed with joy. The entire cast was superb taking the audience off on a wonderful trip through the beloved tale. This year again playing the role of Belle is East Farewell’s own Natalie Mallard and has grown in the role she has played for all three years. The East Farewell Playhouse staged an exquisite set and the scenes were very authentic. The final show tops off another spectacular season for the Playhouse and its main producer Jed Bernstein. Owners Rick and Julie Davidson have worked extremely hard to continue upgrading the Playhouse and building the ever increasing support member base.

            The show itself was a straightforward interpretation of the story. Carroll plays an excellent Scrooge, gruff and callous at the start and through reflection and self-evaluation becoming a kind, giving and even boisterous member of the town. Other members of the cast do an admirable job with Fred Marshall playing a humble but proud Bob Cratchit again. 14 year old Billy Grahmn plays Tiny Tim and is endearing. The other cast members due a superb job with one special note, Thomas Durance, reprises the Ghost of Christmas Present and brings a smile to your face with his off the cuff, seemingly improvised humor. Everyone has fun in this family event but the audience seems to have the most fun. Don’t miss this show.

Scrooge & the Spirit of Christmas Present

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SPORTS

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BEARS GROWL AND SWIPE AT COUGARS IN OPENER

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East Farewell- The Cougars basketball season started last week with loss to a very strong Central Bears team, 40-44. The Bears caught the Cougars by surprise by showing a very steady offense and a rigid defense. Last year the Bears finished next to last in the league standings and the Cougars were not expecting the vastly improved Bears who obviously worked very hard and if this game was any indication, the Bears will be contenders for the league crown. The Cougars on the other hand who are defending league champs looked like they were playing one step behind most of the game. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Cougars seemed to get on track. They had trailed the Bears the entire game except for briefly at the end of the first half.

    The game started with a surprise from the Bears by showing up with what amounted to two centers, Donny Doyle and Frank Williams, both over 6’7”. This completely threw off the Cougars defense whose only player over 6’5” is center, Wilson Watson. The Cougars struggled in the first half to contain the ‘Twin Towers’ as Cougars point guard, Timmy Green, cynically named Doyle and Williams. “Those guys were unstoppable in the first half, we were working as hard as we could just to keep up with them. We started to figure them out towards the end of the first half but they played a very good game,” said Cougars coach, Charles Wilson, “They are going to be a force this season, we will have to figure out something to do about them.”

     The Bears were able to rattle off ten unanswered points before the Cougars were able to get on the board. The Cougars answered with six straight but the tone had been set and it wasn’t until two minutes remaining in the first half were the Cougars able to take a slim two point lead. In the second half the Bears regained the lead to stay at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Cougars did display flashes of last year’s championship play but the ‘Twin Towers’ were too much for them. The Cougars face another difficult opponent next week when they take on the Corning Devils in Corning. The game begins at 4:30 in the Corning High gymnasium.

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 NATIONAL NEWS

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BIG LINEUP FOR NBC RADIO ON NEW YEARS – DIDDLEY ON ED SULLIVAN – CHESS LAUNCHES NEW LABLE – FREED BRANCHES OUT

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For New Year’s Eve - NBC radio’s “Monitor” will spotlight remote pick-ups by the Billy Taylor Trio from London House in Chicago; Jerry Gray at the Moulin Rouge, Hollywood; Tex Beneke at the Statler Hotel, New York; Duke Ellington at the Blue Note in Chicago; Sarah Vaughan at Birdland in New York; Les Brown at the Hollywood Palladium, Bobby Troup at the Huntington Sheraton, Pasadena (CA) and Stan Kenton at Zardies in Los Angeles.

Bo Diddley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show this week. Ed wanted Diddley to perform “16 Tons” but what came out was “Bo Diddley.” They had to rehearse over and over again, because Diddley didn’t know diddley about the song. Ed and crew got the surprise of their lives when it came to the actual live airing.  When asked to comment, the singer said, “Man, maybe that was ’16 Tons’ on those (cue) cards, but all I saw was ‘Bo Diddley.”

DJ Murray Kaufman has been busy the last few summers staging open-air shows (featuring top recording stars) at Palisades Park. Last year, Kaufman of WMCA New York drew some 125,000 when he emceed Eddie Fisher and Sammy Davis Jr. at Palisades Amusement Park. His fan club now numbers 108,000. He’s involved in a cut-rate record store at the park, where hit singles will sell for 55 cents. Singles wholesale for 54 cents, and the other penny will go for operating the store, located at Palisades Park.

Rhythm and Blues label Chess-Checker launches a label for pop. “Marterry” will feature artists heard on the firm’s established labels as well as new artists. The move was made because R&B hits such as Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene” have crossed over into pop.

WINS DJ Alan Freed is branching out into the nightclub and movie fields next year. He’s scheduled to take his own 18-piece band into Birdland in February.  Freed will front and play trombone on the bill which will also feature Sam The Man Taylor and Al Sears.

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Many, many thanks to www.mrpopculture.com for contributing to this section of the East Farewell News.

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