Bobby Tribble

Just got a note from Frank Clontz...who received a note from a
genealogist informing us of the death of Bobby Tribble on December 7, 2003 in California.

 For more, click HERE

Apparently, Bobby was an officer with the Charlotte Police Department.

I remember him as a fine trumpet player in the CHS orchestra.

-Ed

On the Road Again

World Traveler and CHS54 ace “Foreign ” correspondent Warren Sparrow and wife Becky headed north again, this time to the nation's capitol, also known as “Disneyland East.” 

 After visiting their money, the intrepid journalist and his trusty companion went searching Washington for celebrities and interesting people. Not being able to find any, they called me and we had lunch at Clyde's just over the DC line on the Maryland side.

Lee Smith       Becky Sparrow    Ed Myers        Warren Sparrow

Joining us was Becky's late brother's long time “number one,” the charming Lee Smith who actually WAS a genuine celebrity, having founded “Women Thrive” a national organization helping women overcome poverty worldwide.

Senator Forehand

 Following a delightful lunch, the dynamic duo drove off to continue  their celebrity quest. And they hit pay dirt when they got to Annapolis and were welcomed by one of Maryland's biggest celebrities, Senator Jennie Forehand (our own Jennie Margaret!) Warren reports that not only was Jennie “most gracious,” but they got to see one of the longest serving legislators in Maryland's history (Jennie) in action!

 “I was so proud of her," Warren reported.  "As we walked with her through the corridors of the Maryland Capitol, folks would greet her in the traditional way: "Hello, Senator."

 "You could tell there was nothing perfunctory about it. The folks who work with her truly admire her.  We do too.”

To top it all off, Warren and Becky also had dinner that evening with Jennie and Bill in nearby Rockville, Maryland.

Being the old salt that he is, Sparrow couldn't resist a side trip to the famous Naval Academy, founded in 1845. (Note the Anchor on top of the wall behind Warren and Becky in the picture on the left.)
The picture on the right was taken inside the Chapel showing the  restoration currently being undertaken.


 As the sun sank slowly in the West, our intrepid correspondents bid farewell to the charming "Free State."

The state with many mottos:

Maryland:

"A THINKING MAN'S DELAWARE"


"IF IT WEREN'T FOR WASHINGTON, YOU WOULDN'T FIND US."


and 

"IF YOU CAN DREAM IT,  WE CAN TAX IT."

-Ed

Grand Kids

Anon is my favorite author and he's at it again!

"A grandchild fills a space in your heart that you never knew was empty." -Anon

What made me think of that was an email I got today from Bob Ellis containing a couple of pictures of his grand kids. Since most of us have grand kids, I proposed at last night's CHS54 bored meeting that we begin a new feature here on the website to highlight our grand kids...and yes, our great grand kids when they start showing up.

The rules are simple: email up to 2 pictures (no more at a time please...or they may not fit in my mail box) The best address to use is shephard@gmail.com

That's it. They're not all going to be young and cuddly like this one:

This is my granddaughter Danielle Nicole Hines. Can you look in those blue eyes, check out that hat and tell me she is NOT a true Southern Belle ???  -Bob Ellis

Or, smart as a whip, like this one:

This is my grandson David Lee Hines. Those glasses make him look NEARLY as smart as his grandfather.. -Bob Ellis


And some may need a bit of explanation:

This is one of those pictures "that's worth a thousand words." These are our two youngest grand kids, Jason Myers, who is serious and studious and his brother Randy who should be wearing clown shoes most of the time.  -Ed Myers

So, this is the chance for all of us proud grand parents to show off our fantastic grand kids!

Attach the pictures and send them to:

shephard@gmail.com

If the pictures don't show up in a day or two after you've sent them, email me again to make sure I received them!   -Ed

Soaring with the Eagles

(The Eagle Scout Rank is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scout program of the Boy Scouts of America. It was begun in 1911. A few of the notables who were once Eagle Scouts are Ronald Reagan, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford.)


By Obie Oakley

    Last month, Al Selby and I participated in an Eagle Scout Recognition Banquet.  Al is a longtime Boy Scout volunteer here in the Hornets Nest Council and is on the steering committee that sets up this event each year.  In 2011 there were 237 Scouts who earned their Eagle award in Mecklenburg County.  Becoming an Eagle this day and time is a significant achievement with all the distractions and activities that are around that makes it hard for them to stay focused and accomplish all the requirements to qualify for this honor.  It certainly requires encouragement from parents, peers and adults within the community so it is not something done without this team effort.


The Recognition Banquet brought together the Scouts and their parents.  In addition, leaders within the community were also asked to be on hand as sponsors for the Eagles.  Al asked me if I would be one of the sponsors and sit with a scout during the evening.  He also asked, and I agreed, to be an Event Sponsor to help underwrite the overall event.

  I must report that it was an evening that renewed your faith in the youth of the community.  What a fine group of young men recognized that evening.  Most were either high school juniors or seniors.  Their involvement in their schools, communities and churches was inspirational. 

  I am attaching a couple of photos taken that evening of Al and myself with two scouts we sponsored.  I think you will agree, the scouts far out shined those two 75 year olds in the photos.

  I think the Central High School Class of 1954 only had three classmates to earn their Eagle.  In addition to Al and myself, there was John Talbutt.  (Billy Housholder who would have graduated with us earned his rank while still a student at Central).

  Bonson Hobson and Jake Barnhart got as far as earning their Life Scout badge which is just below  
Eagle.     -OO




(Note from the editor:
Personally. I have been in awe of Eagle Scouts ever since I was 9 years old. I spent a couple of weeks at some camp or other in the North Carolina mountains where our counselors were all Eagle Scouts. One night we kids were throwing rocks up at an apple tree trying to knock the apples down and eat them.  No apples came down, but one of the rocks did...right on my head...causing me to bleed like never before.  


One of the Scouts stopped the bleeding almost immediately and saw that I was driven down the mountain and to a doctor. He stayed with me the whole way.


Eagle scouts were known for things like that:

-Ed )

Irv Edelman Passes

From the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER 3/25/12

Coach Edelman 1954 annual

TEMPLE TERRACE, FL -- Dr. Irving J. Edelman, a leading innovator in education for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools from 1947-1990, has passed away.
A native of Cleveland, OH, Irv graduated from his beloved Duke University with an AB in 1943 and an MA in 1947, both in History. He received his Ed.D. from UNC-CH in 1991.
Irv served during WWII in the US Army from 1943-1946 with the 197th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group. He saw combat in New Guinea and the Philippines.

Irv was teacher and mentor to countless students and staff, and coach to athletes in basketball, football, baseball and track during his 43-year career with CMS. In 1963, as a part-time coach, Irv established the UNCC 49ers basketball program. He led the then Charlotte College team to the Suncoast Classic Tournament Title in 1964 and the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship in 1965, after which he was named the Conference Basketball Coach of the Year. Irv launched the country's first ongoing new broadcast for the classroom via educational TV, directed the state's first advanced placement program, established CMS's first humanities program, and co-chaired the noted Jefferson Convocation Series. He was distinguished for his leadership integrating the CMS schools in 1957. A classically trained pianist, Irv's great loves were his family, friends, music, history, sports and Duke University. A lifelong learner himself, Irv constantly strove to broaden and nurture the intellect of all those close to him.

Irv is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ruth; and his children, Samuel Edelman, Susan Edelman, Becky Ford and Stacey Flur. 

The family has established a tribute website at: www.irvingedelman.muchloved.com. Friends and family are welcome to share their personal stories of Irv and take comfort in the collective loss of a man who inspired us all.

Please direct memorial donations to: Temple Ohev Shalom, PO Box 46155, Tampa, FL 33646-0102, (813) 632-9900 Operation Smile, https://secure.operationsmile.org 888-377-2289.
Published in Charlotte Observer on March 25, 2012

Funeral in Maryland

Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Chevy Chase, MD

Jim Schoettler's (Ellouise's husband) funeral was held Saturday at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

The CHS Class of 54 was represented by Jennie Margaret Forehand, Betsy (Villas) White, and yours truly.

I'm not sure what the proper way to describe a funeral is, but it was a beautiful and very touching ceremony.. Seeing Jim and Ellouise's children and grandchildren reminded me that a part of us lives on after we're gone, and how proud Jim surely was of his wonderful family.

How Ellouise coordinated such a fine and impressive ceremony, in spite of her overwhelming grief, is no doubt a mystery to those who don't know Ellouise as well as we do.

Jim and Ellouise in 1956

However, having known this super lady since the first grade at Elizabeth School, even I was amazed that she was able to pay a final tribute to her husband and read a very touching letter from Jim's sister, who because of illness was unable to attend.

I don't "do" funerals well.  I melt down as soon as they start singing "Amazing Grace." but usually regain my composure shortly afterward.

 However, toward the end, when Ellouise got up and delivered  her tribute, I realized that this one was going to be a "two-fer." 

  -Ed

By the Numbers

About 20 years ago, I was assigned to do a story about the largest gathering of computer programmers ever held.

Wardman Park Hotel

The most memorable thing to me about that conference in the Wardman Park Hotel (now the Marriott Wardman Park) was the fifteen minute coffee break half way through the morning session. There were about 300 people gathered in the ballroom drinking coffee.....and if it hadn't been for the clinking of spoons and chinaware, there would have been almost no sound at all. And there was absolutely NO LAUGHTER whatsoever during the entire 15 minutes.

A couple of weeks later, I was scheduled to cover the finals of the Nationwide Math contest, featuring the nation's top high school math students. As I drove to the hotel where the conference was being held, I was wondering if I might see that same pattern of “seriousness“ among the young mental geniuses as well.

I was also wondering which executive at the TV station I had ticked off enough to get such choice assignments.

Well, the young mathematicians turned out to act just like average kids, lots of goofing off, lots of laughter.

Scott Flansburg

One of the speakers that day was a fellow named Scott Flansburg. He was billed as “The Human Calculator.” He became pretty famous a few years later, but at the time was known only to the mathematics community. After I had interviewed him for my feature, he said that if I told him the date of my birth, he could figure up in his head....on what DAY I was born.


So, I gave him the date......and he began to calculate. I could almost hear the wheels turning in his brain.

After about 20 seconds, he announced, “You were born on a MONDAY!”

“Nope,” I replied. I was born on a SUNDAY.

But, he was close.

Sunday's Child

I knew I had been born on a Sunday because my  Mom had told me many times that it had happened at exactly 6:15 am that day in 1936.   “Yes, Ed, you were a Sunday Child.”

"But the child born on the Sabbath Day,
is fair and wise and good and gay.”
-Nursery Rhyme


And, three out of four ain't bad.

A few weeks later I was visiting my Mom in Charlotte and told her that story. Again, she confirmed that I was born on a Sunday. She would never forget something like that. She said that my father was off from work because of the weekend and it was shortly after they had returned from church that day when the labor pains began.

“Then you must be mistaken about the time of my birth.”

“No, absolutely not. I think it's even on your birth certificate....you were born at 6:15 am.”

At that point we both realized that nature, as if often does, erases the memory of intense pain;
Otherwise, it's said that there would never be families with more than one child.

So, the human calculator had been right. I was born on a Monday.

It wasn't the same as a kid learning that he's adopted or anything like that, but...

Well, all these years I was thinking I was fair and wise...and good...and ”happy “ (before the word gay was stolen from us.)

"Monday's Child is fair of face,
Tuesday's Child is full of grace,
Wednesday's Child is full of woe,
Thursday's Child has far to go,
Friday's Child is loving and giving,
Saturday's Child works hard for a living,
But the child born on the Sabbath Day,
Is fair and wise and good and gay."

Monday's Child

                                                       -Nursery Rhyme

...and now, at age 55,  I found out that I was just “fair of face!”


And what the heck does fair of face mean? No pimples? Who ever heard of a good looking man or woman being called fair of face?

What a come down!  I was devastated. I even considered changing my name.

But I had already done that.    -Ed

From Ellouise's Blog

 (Ellouise's husband's funeral will be held Saturday in the Washington, DC area.
This post is from her blog,)


These are strange days.

Jim died March 6. His funeral Mass is this coming Saturday - March 24 at 11 am at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Chevy Chase, DC.

His Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery when ever we are scheduled - which could be anytime up to months away.

My days are strange - filled with tears and event planning while caught in a limbo of waiting.

People are wonderfully kind and I deeply appreciate the beautiful flowers, food, calls, cards and emails.
I know now that its not the words you send that matter - its the fact that you thought to reach out that is the comfort. Deepest thanks.

Our family has drawn close - which is such a gift.
But underneath the closeness I feel such an aloneness - missing Jim. I now have to learn how to navigate the world on my own.

Many have offered suggestions - all good hearted and kind - - - but I remember meeting a woman on a train from Venice to Munich 25 years ago who told me her story as she wept in the seat next to me:
"My husband died a few weeks ago. We had planned this trip to Europe - our first - and when he died - my niece convinced me to come with them as we had planned. That's why I am here. Making the trip without him - but it was a mistake to come. I should have waited... until I was ready."

Jim Schoettler

The one thing I am sure of -- is that I will be telling stories. Jim wanted that for me - because I love it.
But more, he believed in me and in the value of my stories. A storyteller friend told me recently, " Ellouise, he told me how much he believed your stories are important and that they touch the people who hear them."

I will take time now to sort myself out.

-Ellouise

"Some Beach"

Freeze this moment
A little bit longer
Make each sensation
A little bit stronger


Song, Time Stands Still


Making time stand still is impossible of course, but Lord knows I tried.

In our house those last precious minutes of “freedom” on Sunday nights were signaled by the voice of Drew Pearson with his radio version of The Washington Merry-Go-Round which he closed each week with his “predictions.” I can hear the announcer now, “...finally, here's Mr. Pearson with his PREDICTIONS OF THINGS TO COME.”

Now, as far as I know, the clocks never slowed, even though millions of us kids were practicing synchronized telepathy with the universe each week at that time. However, that voice on the radio was permanently engraved on my mind.

Imagine the thrill that 12 ...going on 27 year old Ed Myers felt when he introduced Drew Pearson as his guest on the morning TV show he hosted in the late 60's on channel 9 in Washington.

"Predictions of Things to come."

As the leading “muckraker” (a name he was very proud of) in the country and the man who had been called an SOB by Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon, began to talk, my mind wandered back to those Sunday nights in Charlotte. The first thought that came to me was that I might have to go to school the next day....then that voice in my head that always appears during moments like this began shouting “What are YOU doing here?”

The interview went well. Pearson seemed to like me,  perhaps because I was one of the few people in Washington who wasn't trying to sue him, I don't know, but as I got to know him, I considered him a friend. Several times when a scheduled guest would cancel an appearance on my show, which was LIVE in those days, Drew would delay his plans and rush over to the studio and fill in for the absent guest. He gave me several of his books and several bags of his prized fertilizer from his farm. (Drew Pearson's Fertilizer. All cow, no bull.)

Drew Pearson 1967

 He also saved two highly sought tickets for a major Washington event in 1967; a Frank Sinatra concert that Drew had arranged for his favorite charity, THE BOYS CLUB.

He reminded me of an English Squire, or some one's kindly grandfather. However there has never been anyone who ever exposed corruption in Congress like Drew Pearson. He sent four congressmen to jail and ended the political careers of many others. Pearson liked to say that he had more enemies per square inch than anyone in Washington. Senator Joseph McCarthy made him his number one target in the 1950's.

When Lyndon Johnson was the Majority Leader in the Senate, Pearson referred to him as “Lyin' down Johnson" for his refusal to challenge to Joe McCarthy.

But there was one crime, or mystery that seemed to elude even the nation's number one muckraker:
It was a lottery called The Irish Sweepstakes, which was established in Ireland in 1930 to finance hospitals.

Pearson's Farm in Potomac, MD

The winner was determined based on the outcome of several horse races.

The United States has always been a bit ambivalent about gambling. Some types were allowed and some weren't.. For years, horse racing was OK but lotteries weren't.
The Irish Sweepstakes was a very popular lottery “worldwide” but was illegal in the United States.  In fact, it was technically illegal to even report the winners and how much they received in the nation's  press at the time.

Irish Sweepstakes Ticket

However, the Irish Sweepstakes had more Americans purchasing tickets than Irishmen.
All the sweepstakes tickets were printed in Ireland so just how so many  got into this country was a huge unsolved mystery. The postal service took extreme measures to insure that no tickets got into the country by mail. Airlines and cargo ships were searched by authorities in an effort to keep Americans free of the gambling scourge.

A legend about a "man in a dark cloak" grew out of the mystery of just who it was who was smuggling all those tickets into the USA.

The mystery was never solved.

At least not until many years later when lotteries were commonplace in the US and nobody really cared anymore.

It was one “prediction” or scoop that the old Muckraker never made.

No doubt, the reason was that the “man in the dark cloak"...was him.

-Ed

(In 1930 Drew accepted an offer to be the secret Director of the Irish Sweepstakes for the Western hemisphere at $30,000 a year, a chauffeur-driven Lincoln Continental plus legal and other expenses.
Not everyone at the time condemned gambling for worthy purposes, and many considered it no worse than taking a drink (which was also illegal.)

LDL #41

By Jerry Gaudet


The Central High Class of 1954 held it's 41st "LDL" (Let's Do Lunch) gathering at Jimmies Restaurant in Mint Hill today. Mary Sue had cheerfully decorated for St. Patrick's Day Welcoming table...

Table decorations were ready for us...

Above and left to right: Gayle Barrier Austin, Ronnie Rallis Pourlos, Jimmie Pourlos, Lou Palomba, Betty Rose Templeton Palomba, and Karol Broadwell Welch. At the background table are Sylvia Brawley, Vic Brawley, Anne Andrews, Mike Andrews, Anthony Burnett (Mary Sue's grandson and decoration helper) and Mary Sue Banks Burnett.

Below are Anne and Mike Andrews who came to town to be with us... Up from Florida.

Mike tells us he has retired, but continues as an interim pastor until Anne will retire in a year. How good to seem them in our neck of the woods.

There were expressions of concern for Ellouise Diggle Schoettler following the recent death of her husband, Jim, and Shirlene McGill Yeargins who will have a visit to the hospital Friday.

Betty Palomba informs us that she will miss next month's "LDL". Something about having to take a Easter cruise. Well, somebody has got to do it. Lou suggested that we all come along. Not a bad idea, huh?

We are missing a lot of you of late...as a matter of fact, we miss all of you who have not made it to an "LDL" lately. Maybe next month will be a time you can, and will, come.  -JG

***End of "LDL" report #41***

....

LETTER FROM ELLOUISE

According to her website this is a letter from Ellouise written a couple of days ago:

"We have just finalized the arrangements for Jim’s funeral, and I wanted to let you know what we are planning.
We will be holding a funeral mass followed by a simple reception on Saturday, March 24th at 11 am at our parish,church, the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, in Chevy Chase (http://www.blessedsacramentdc.org/). At the end of the mass before the reception there will be a short opportunity for sharing remembrances.


The death notice will be published in the Washington Post the week of the funeral.


It will be several months until Jim’s ashes can be interred at Arlington National Cemetery where he will have a full military honors ceremony.
As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for our family. We knew that Jim's cancer was winning this battle but we never expected he would go so quickly -- within only 2 weeks of coming home from the hospital. We are very grateful that we could care for him so that he could pass away in his own home, which is what he so wanted.


Jim and I appreciated all your prayers and well wishes throughout his illness, and we hope you will continue to pray for him.


Love,
Ellouise"

GLORY HALLELUJAH !

That headline is surely “over the top” for the small victory that I learned about from the Rush Limbaugh Show on Friday.

A caller said there was a company that redesigned the manufacturing process used to make incandescent light bulbs....enabling it to legally keep on selling Thomas Edison's invention to the American public...thereby landing the first good punch to the jaw of our out of control nanny state.

Nanny

I was saving that headline for November, but the squiggly mercury bulb mandate got under my skin something awful.
Besides, there's no law (yet) that says I can't shout the GH words more than once.

Larry Birnbaum, Founder

I went to the company's website, and found that the genius behind this is a New Jersey businessman named Larry Birnbaum who has founded a company called Epic Light Bulb.

He calls his bulbs, which are ALL made in the USA, Newcandescent bulbs.

On the other hand, the Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) are  manufactured in China and if dropped and burst require you to leave the room for at least 15 minutes or so because of the mercury they contain. They can be very dangerous.




I heard someone say that having a CFL bulb in your house is like "having a snake in there. It gets rid of the rodents, but...you still have a snake in your house."


Birnbaum says his U.S. Made newcandescent bulbs are just as efficient and long-lasting as CFLs.

10 Million Dollar Prize

Meanwhile, five years ago the brilliant people who banned the incandescent bulbs offered a 10 million dollar prize for the first person or company who came up with an inexpensive replacement for the incandescent bulb.

The winner of the L Prize was a Dutch Company, Phillips, whose prize winning bulbs will be in hardware stores this Spring and are priced at only $50 each.

Please note, these geniuses in charge of the Nanny Bureau in Washington are the same ones who will be in charge of your health care next year....

Unless...

Meanwhile I'll have my GH headline available.

-Ed

Jim Schoeteller Passes

 -From Ellouise's website

Ellouise and Jim at LDL      2/8/2011

Ellouise Diggle Schoeteller's husband Jim has died. March 6 at 4:15 pm. In his bed at home with Ellouise holding him.
Ellouise and her closest family had time at home with him afterwards - I heard Ellouise saying, "this is one of the rewards of being with Hospice and staying at home."


 Watching them I can tell you it was loving, beautiful and a very special time.

Ellouise told the Hospice Chaplin that she will write about this experience later but right now she is very busy
with arrangements for his Memorial Mass. "I want it to celebrate his life and to be something he would love."

There is a little time. Robin and her family will return from California. Jim will be buried later at Arlington National Cemetery.

Jim and Ellouise in 1956

How is Ellouise? Incredibly sad --- but making it through with help from her family and from her "tribe"... some close by and some from far away who come and wash the dishes, make Ratatouille, sing songs, send cards, call, write - or post.
She sends love to all.

Shazam !

 I almost forgot that this Tuesday is the day for this month's LDL extravaganza! And  next Saturday is St. Patrick's Day! 
This social life is making my head spin!

By Jerry Gaudet

This month's "LDL" (Let's do lunch) will be held on

Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 11:30 AM

at "Jimmies" in Mint Hill.

We hope you'll join us. Spread the word! Invite other classmates to come! Even better, bring someone with you! Be sure YOU, come!

This link may help you find your way.

For answers to any conceivable lunch questions, please contact Mary (Sue Banks) Burnett, marysburnett@yahoo.com.

Plan to join us. You'll be glad you did!  -JG

####

(EDITOR"S NOTE:   And remember Wildcats,

Happy Saint Pat's Day on Saturday!- Ed )

"A Span of Stone"

 
 Being a card carrying member of the NEVER THROW ANYTHING AWAY Club, I harbor the thought that one of these days my slothfulness will finally pay off...BIG!

For example, just the other day I came across a piece of sheet music that was given to me sometime ago that I barely remember receiving. It would not surprise me to discover that it is the only sheet music copy still in existence!

Imagine my excitement when I noticed that it was also autographed by the author!

I immediately began thinking of buying a new suit for my appearance on Antiques Road Show and how I should react when they announce at the end how much money it's worth.

I decided that I would “stay cool” and act like 40 or 50 thousand dollars was no big deal for someone as sophisticated as me.

As I was looking up the phone number of the host of the Roadshow, Mark Walberg. I was practicing in my head what I would be telling him:

ED... Hello Mark, I have something for the show that will amaze your viewers.

MARK...“Yes, what is it.?'

Official American Legion Memorial Bridge

ED...“Well, 225,000 cars run over it every day.

MARK...Good grief, it must be in terrible shape.

ED...No, it's a bridge.

MARK...A what?

ED...Actually, it's a SONG about a bridge. A bridge that is part of Washington's Beltway that goes from Virginia to Cabin John Maryland.

MARK...Oh yes, I'm familiar with Washington's infamous beltway. That's the Cabin John Bridge.”

ED...Yes, but no. It really isn't.”

MARK...Makes sense to me, but what do I know, I'm just a TV show host?

ED...I'm glad you asked. When the structure was built in 1962 it was named the Cabin John Bridge. In fact, it replaced an old bridge by the same name at almost the exact spot.

 Cabin John Bridge  (formally Arch Bridge)

But in 1969 someone in the government discovered that there was another bridge by that name in nearby Maryland. Actually though,  its name was really the Union Arch Bridge, but everyone in Cabin John, Maryland called it the Cabin John Bridge because it crossed the Cabin John creek.

That bridge was designed by Alfred L. Rives and built in 1864 and although Rives later joined the Confederate Army, the ruling class decided that seniority trumped politics in this case so it was decreed that the one hundred or so households in Cabin John Maryland would now be the owners of the official Cabin John Bridge

And, come Hell or High Water, the rest of the population of Virginia and Maryland would be required to call the beltway's Cabin John Bridge, by its  new name, THE AMERICAN LEGION MEMORIAL BRIDGE.

The government found that was easier said than done. At first they tried issuing some kind of decree (a favorite word of the ruling class).

But the people kept on calling it the CABIN JOHN BRIDGE.

So, the next tactic they tried was to commission a song about the bridge that they hoped would be played on all the radio stations in Washington and become so popular that the entire city would be humming along and promoting the new name.

And that explains the reason I called. Your viewers will be astounded to know  that I have probably  the only existing sheet music copy remaining of that song.

MARK...So the song worked and it got everybody calling the Cabin John Bridge the AMERICAN LEGION MEMORIAL BRIDGE?”

ED...Not exactly. As far as I know, no radio station ever played the song, because, try as they might, I don't believe they could  get anyone to record it.

MARK...How did they get people to finally start calling it the American Legion Bridge?”

ED...They wrote letters to all the radio stations in Washington kindly requesting they have their traffic reporters not call it the Cabin John Bridge anymore and subtly included a few buzz letters and words like...FCC and license renewal...and stuff like that.

MARK...And you want to be on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW with this crap?
Who is this again?

ED...This is Lee Shephard. Well, that's what they call me in Washington, but in Charlotte, North Carolina they call me by my official name, Ed Myers.

“What time should  I be at the studio?

Hello.....hello....”

We must have been disconnected.

Damm, I hate it when I try to explain what politicians and bureaucrats do...and I'm the one who winds up sounding like a lunatic! 

 -Ed

From Maryland across Potomac's welling breast

To soil that crowns Virginia's bustling shore

Stands a bridge that must withstand the test 
of passing time for now and forevermore

O bridge that spans Potomac's constant flow

You honor us because you bear our name

We pledge our hearts and hands in service true

To keep alive America's shining flame

A span of stone across a span of time

That leads us forth each day beyond the ridge

Reaching out to aid us on our way

Our proud American Legion Memorial Bridge

                           -The American Legion Memorial Bridge Song