Thursday, September 8, 2016

9/6/1956

EAST FAREWELL NEWS


Thursday, September 6, 1956   Vol. C584


LOCAL NEWS


11th ANNUAL MUSIC, ARTS & COUNTRY FAIR RENAMED BUT SILL A BIG HIT


East Farewell – The name has been changed but the fun is still the same. The Annual Music, Arts & Country Fair has been renamed to simply ‘The Fair’. The Fair opened on Friday with a musical extravaganza on the stage of the Fairgrounds as the Regional High Jazz Band kicked things off with a spirited set of patriotic and popular tunes. Led by music teacher Ben Grant the 15 member band, most beginning their senior year in school, showed great talent and musical understanding as they romped through their set beginning appropriately with the National Anthem and ending with America the Beautiful. The Fair continued around the music as the midway was opened as well as many of the local artist stalls where many local craftsmen and women exhibited, took orders and sold their wonderful creations. Great food was also available as most of the local restaurants set up shop, most with table service but some with just a counter and some stools. One new addition this year was an Ice Cream Truck sponsored by Hagan Farms. The music continued until the first night closing at midnight on Friday. The lineup of bands spanned the spectrum of musical interest from high school jazz through country, blues, swing and even some rock and roll. The bands were both local support and national fame. Jerry Tabor’s Swing Band was very popular and people called them back for several encores. Gus Sloan’s Quintet did jazz numbers and drew a huge response from the crowd when they invited some of the members of the High School Jazz Band to sit in for a couple of numbers. Country star Charlie Green had people square dancing and two-stepping in style. A local group of kids who could not have been older than their teens called themselves the Blackjacks played some of that new sound, rock and roll, and they were pretty good. The kids loved them and there was a lot of jitterbugging going on during their set. Big Roy and the Magnificents who were, well, magnificent was the last band on the roster. Their rhythm and blues numbers were both raucous and smooth and their slow numbers were captivating and had the entire crowd swaying to the sound.  The evening was closed by an all on the stage get together with most of the bands joining together to play a couple of late night songs and close the evening. “Good Night Irene” was a fitting ending to a wonderful first day.
            Saturday started early with the livestock auction beginning at 6:30AM. Surprisingly, the event was very well attended considering most of the non farmers who were there had just left the fairgrounds a few hours before. The auction is a holdover from the original Country Fair and dates back to the first County Fair. It was almost dropped from the event list a couple of years ago but the committee was petitioned by both local famers and locals in general to keep it and it has been very well attended ever since. It adds a lot of flavor to the Fair. The rest of Saturday was open for artists and craftspeople to show their creations and for people to taste some of the great food available. Many carnival type games along with some small rides for the little children made the whole event seem very carnival-like. Pony and wagon rides were also offered. More music played throughout the day. Some of the Friday night headliners made repeat appearances. Saturday night had a fireworks display over the lake and more music, mostly from local musicians and a standout performance by local boy who made it to the national stage, Jerry Tabor and his swing band.

            On Sunday the expected rains came but they did not dampen the enthusiasm as people slogged around the midway, visited the many crafts booths and dined and socialized under the canopies. The rain continued throughout the day and into the evening but almost miraculously cleared just in time for the closing band numbers on the stage. Charlie Green teamed up with Gus Sloan and his quintet for a fantastic closing set which was a mix of country and jazz and is a surprise appearance Big Roy sang the lead on Traveling Salesman’s Blues and added a little swing to his blues repertoire. As the final fireworks exploded over Lake Charles the Fair came to a spectacular close, a huge success and another great summer event for the town.

The Midway at the Fair 1956


SPORTS


HOGAN WINS 1ST REESE CUP – TRAVELERS WIN AGAIN


East Farewell – Ben Hogan easily won the 1st Invitational Reese Cup with a record setting 86 on his final round. Rain had postponed the second round but it was played along with the third round on Thursday. Many of the players were dissatisfied with the perceived rush in the play. It was thought that the tournament was hurried to finish because of the Fair that was opening on Friday. Both Reese Cup and Fair officials denied any such action. Hogan had no comment on the issue. He just played a great round and was only complimentary about the course and the event. “It was a wonderful inauguration for what I hope is a yearly tournament,” said Hogan after the event.
            Hogan, fresh off his win at the Masters made this a cherry on the top of his most successful season. Coming in second was Doug Ford followed by Sam Snead and local Art Fox came in third. There is a lot of talk about next year’s tournament most of which centered on changing the date so there would be no conflict with the Fair. General consensus was that the Fair took some of the spotlight off the Tournament or visa-versa, depending on who you talked to.


Youngstown – The Travelers made it three in a row as they beat a weakened Youngstown Steelers, 5-1 on Saturday. The Steelers have been hit with a string of bad luck lately, losing their best hitter to a broken wrist during an over the wall catch and then two days later their ace pitcher was hit in shin with a line drive that put him out for at least two weeks. Ralph Morton, Steelers leading slugger and currently third in the league’s batting average standings, jumped up against the left field fence in Corning, reached over the top of the wall and made what appeared to be a spectacular home run robbing grab against CGW’s Dean Guest. Morton hung onto the ball but smacked his wrist against the rail. After he came down and threw the ball back in he called for a timeout and the trainers came out to look at him. The great catch came at a price. Morton is out probably for the rest of the season. As for their ace pitcher, Frank Jones, he was pitching a one hitter until the sixth when Slate Mountain’s catcher, Bernie Doyle, connected with Jones fastball and hit it straight back and hit Jones in the shin knocking him down. Jones, ever the gamer, was able to recover and throw Doyle out at first but was unable to finish the game. He has a severely bruised left shin and will be out for two weeks.
            The Travelers were able to take advantage of the Steelers bad luck by jumping on newly activated pitcher, Phil Horn, by scoring three runs in the first inning. Watson, Cloos and Dimero all hit singles and catcher, Joey Brown hit a well placed double in between the fielders that rolled all the to the wall scoring all three runners. Horn was able to settle down and was able to keep the Travelers in check until the seventh when Johnny Cloos continued his extra base hitting streak with a two run triple scoring Francis and Watson. The Steelers were finally able to get on the board with a single by Thompson and a double by Reston in the eighth. That was the end of the Steelers offense as Travelers pitcher, Joey Alfred, had a very strong game only allowing five hits and five walks.
            The Travelers finally come home next week when they host the Erie Eagles at 1:30. 


 NATIONAL NEWS


COMMIES ADMIT SHOOTING DOWN PLANE – 11 MARINES DROWN IN OKINAWA – THIS WEEK AT THE MOVIES


Communist China admits attacking an American plane shot down last month, but says it will throw-out U.S demands for compensation as “unjustified.” Instead, they shot back, demanding, “the United States stop its provocative activities” in relation to Far East air and naval operations.

Some 11 Marines drown in Okinawa after being swept by a strong undertow. A Marine company out on a field exercise decided to take a break and go for a swim in what seemed like calm water. One witness said, “Before they got waist deep, the men were in trouble. They were knocked from their feet by a vicious undercurrent and tumbled seaward.”

At the movies - Bus Stop - Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray
                           High Society - Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra
                           Trapeze - Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Gina Lollobrigida
                           The Eddy Duchin Story - Tyrone power, Kim Novak




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