EAST FAREWELL
NEWS
Thursday, July
12, 1956 Vol. C576
LOCAL
NEWS
THE BIGGEST AND BEST FIREWORKS
EVER
East Farewell- There is only one word to describe the fireworks
display put on by Fireworks International last weekend. Spectacular! The clear,
warm summer night was perfect for the show and an estimated 5,000 people filled
the Lakefront Plaza and overflowed onto Main Street and Lakeshore Drive. All of
the lakefront properties were packed with visitors and the parties started
early and continued on late into the night. The show started at 8:00PM with a
stirring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner played by the Regional High
School Band and sung by the full (57 member) school chorus. The display started
precisely at 8:10PM with a huge, multiple carnations with several reports and
secondary flares. The show continued in gloriously loud and beautiful fashion.
The entire show was accompanied by patriotic music played by the High School
band. Every group of missiles seemed bigger than the last and when there was
any lull in the firing a ground show set up 100 yards out in the lake on temporary
floating platforms. Roman Candles, spinning wheels and for the big ground show
finale a sparkling tank blasted what could only be described as a pillbox with
a Chinese hat on top of it. As the tank repeatedly fired into the pillbox the
hat finally flipped up and the entire piece exploded into a shower of sparks
much to the delight of the crowds.
The overhead
show continued for almost 45 minutes and ended in an incredible multi-phased,
multi-blast finale that almost turned the night into day. The collective oos
and ahs could be heard across the lake and with each fiery explosion. The
multi-colored blooms, jets and spirals delighted all.
Many shops and
restaurants had set up al fresco shopping and dining areas around the edges of
the Lakeshore Plaza. Many of the spectators camped out early in the evening,
coming straight from the Travelers win at the ball field and enjoyed the
wonderful summer sunset across the Lake while dining on sumptuous selections
from very accommodating vendors. The event ran well beyond the last blast and
the final strains of the band. Many people stayed on the Plaza enjoying the
warm night air and watching the impromptu fireworks set off by many of the
private lakeside parties.
Fireworks
and ground show at Lake Charles
SPORTS
TRAVELERS SET OFF THEIR OWN FIREWORKS
East Farewell - The Erie Eagles came to town expecting to see
fireworks after the game but were surprised to be blasted by the Travelers with
fireworks on the playing field. It started in the second inning with a two run
blast by Johnny Cloos. Then in the fourth both Tony Dimero, Joey Brown and Art
Archibald hit back to back to back homers. That was a first in the league and
has only been done once before all the way in 1940. Finally in the eighth pitcher
Billy Green got into the act with his first homer of the season sending a low,
slow curve just over the right field wall. The Eagles were able to get on the
board in the fourth with two runs. Two doubles by Dowd and Branch and a walk by
Thomas got the score tied but that was all they could do and in the bottom of
the fourth the Travelers unleashed their big blasts.
It was a
beautiful afternoon and the sold out crowd was very pleased by the outcome of
the game and almost all made their way over to the Lakefront Plaza after the
game for more fun and fireworks.
Next week the Travelers are on the road for a meeting with their
arch-rivals, the Slate Mountain Miners. The game begins in Slate Mountain at
1:30 on Saturday.
NATIONAL NEWS
NO MORE BIG TOP FOR CIRCUS – NEW BENEFITS
FOR DISABLED – GOVERNMENT SURPLUS HOORAY – DISNEYLAND CELEBRATES ONE YEAR OLD
No more circus tent - Ringling Bros
Barnum & Bailey Circus - America’s “greatest show on earth” does its last
tent show in Pittsburgh this week. John Ringling North says the circus was
folding its mammoth tent for the last time after a performance at Heidelberg
track. “The tented circus as it now exists is, in my opinion, a thing of the
past. We are considering plans for the future which may involve an almost
completely mechanically controlled exhibition.” North stressed the circus will
continue, but in a different form. “The all-new 78th presentation of Ringling
Bros-Barnum & Bailey combined shows will open as usual on April 3, 1957, at
Madison Square Garden in New York and will play the 1957 season in other
air-conditioned arenas all over the United States.” Labor troubles, bad weather and rising costs
sounded the death knell for the road show under the giant umbrella of canvas.
The Senate passes a Social Security
Bill carrying a trail-breaking program of benefits for disabled persons
starting at age 50 and lowering the retirement age for women from 65 to 62.
The government reports a budget surplus
of $1,754,357, 066 for the fiscal year 1956 which ended June 30. It was the
first surplus in five years and the fourth since 1930.
Disneyland - a year old, says
attendance was 3,642,597 for the past 12 months. There were Presidents like President
Sukarno of Indonesia and Vice-Presidents like Richard M. Nixon plus visitors
from 64 different countries. The average amount spent was $2.37 per person.
This included parking, admission, rides, amusements and souvenirs. There are
now 21 free exhibits as compared with 11 available last July. There are a total
of 33 rides and amusements - seven more than when Disneyland was opened. A
$2,000,000 expansion program recently completed includes the Disneyland Skyway,
the Rainbow Caverns, Mine Train Ride, the Indian Village and War Canoes,
Storybook Land and Tom Sawyer’s Island.
Harold Lloyd (63) says comedy is
different today and not an easy business: “Comedy is different today because
comedians use different tactics. Back in my days on the screen, I used the
pantomime. It was the same vehicle used by Charlie Chaplin and others. It got
laughs in those days. But, today, comedy and comedians seem to rely on
dialogue. Sometimes they get a good vehicle from it. When they do, everybody
laughs. Comedy is a tough business. You’re up one day and down the next. Lloyd
says that during the early days of silent movies the actors did the acting,
including the stunts. There were few if any stand-ins: “I hung from the hands of a
clock in ‘Safety First’ three stories above the street.”
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