This & That By Jack Coll

This & That

A Little Bit of This, and a Little Bit of That

By Jack Coll

Welcome to another edition of This & That, if you’re not familiar with this column it’s made up of tid-bits I’ve come across while researching other projects.  I find some of them informative, some of them funny, but all of them somewhat interesting.  Most of the segments come from the old Conshohocken Recorder Newspapers, when I use a piece from the Recorder or other publications I’ll date the piece and typically re-print it word for word unless other-wise stated.  Sometimes something will hit me and I’ll share a memory, I also throw in a few thoughts on this or that along the way, you can agree or disagree with me that’s fine but if you disagree with one or two or three of my thoughts don’t bother to write, I’m not interested in debating my thoughts.  Enjoy

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     Back in June of 2014, (sorry, I write some of these columns  a couple of months in advance before we post them.) I saw an obituary and I wondered if anybody in Conshohocken noticed or remembered Robert E. Cain of Norristown.  Bob was a pretty unique guy, he graduated from Norristown High School back in 1949, he was a pretty good athlete and was inducted into the Norristown Area High School Hall of Champions back in 2003, and he became a very good business man.  Bob owned and operated the Samson Paper Company and served as the company’s CEO.  Bob purchased the former Conshohocken Recorder Newspaper building at 100 West Hector Street and operated the business from that building from 1963 until 1980 when it was time for demolition with Conshohocken’s Urban Redevelopment.

     Bob wrote a book about the Sampson Paper Company back around 2008, I gave him a little help with the project and keep a copy of his autographed book close to me in my office.

     I just hate it when we lose one of the good guys.

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Just wondering if anyone out there remembers when Carmadas Bakery was located at 618 Maple Street?

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1948

I ran across a couple of ads from a CORSAIRS Club Athletic Association First Anniversary Program.

Thought you might enjoy, even if most of them are gone.

Hager’s Studio

Photographer

37 Fayette Street

M. Phillips

Furniture Store—Hector and Harry

Gift Shop

117 Fayette Street

O’Donnell’s Sporting Goods

125 Fayette Street

Bridge Grille

Joseph Wyrwas Prop.

15-17 Fayette Street

John Brothers

Firestone Distributors

8-12 Second Avenue

James M. Bowe

Used Cars Bought & Sold

North Lane & Fayette Street

Kehoe Brothers Hardware

Sherwin-Williams Paint

109 Fayette Street

Flocco’s Shoe-Rebuilders

103 Fayette Street

Norris Cambell’s Modern Uptown Barber Shop

8^th Avenue and Forrest Street

Ray’s Electrical Appliances

113 Fayette Street

The Highland Shop

Apparel For Men

1081/2 Fayette Street

A. Warell

Tire Accessories and Auto Supplies

2^nd and Fayette Street

Frank Allen Service Station

West Conshohocken

Jacobson’s Men’s Wear

Fayette Street

Thomas F. McCoy-Druggist

Fourth Avenue and Fayette Street

1. E. Coder ESSO Station

North Lane

Whitey Mellor Sporting Goods

Norristown

Gabin’s Hardware

Elm and Fayette

Rafferty’s Pharmacy

Fayette Street

Benny & Reds Barber shop

Lower Fayette Street

S. Irwin Jewelers

308 Fayette Street

Wm C. Koch

Sunoco Service Station

601 Fayette Street

A few members of the 1948 Conshohocken Corsairs Athletic Association included:

Ray Borzelleca, Harlok Campbell, Lou Cappelli, Ed Czarnecki

Bob Ehlinger, John Gavin, Joe Golas, Jack Graham, Jack Irwin,

Vince Improto, Walt Kurkowski, Joe Leddy, Joe Martinelli,

Joe Mashett, Alex Milewski, Joe Purcell, Bob Rowe, George Snear,

Harvey Borzelleca, Whitey Mellor, and Jerry Richardson.

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(Okay, this is a little off the beaten path butJ)

I was just wondering how many of these shows you recognize,

And/or how many of these shows you were a fan of:

20 MOST POPULAR TV SHOWS OF 1967-68

Bonanza

The Red Skelton Hour

The Andy Griffith Show

The Lucy Show

The Jackie Gleason Show

Green Acres

Daktari

Bewitched

The Beverly Hillbillies

Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.

The Virginian

The Lawrence Welk Show

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Dean Martin Show

Family Affair

Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

The CBS Friday Night Movie

Hogan’s Heroes

Walt Disney’s Wonder World of Color

Saturday Night at the Movies

     And that’s what we were watching 47 years ago, an interesting nugget, not that anybody cares but CBS had 14 of the top 20 shows that year, NBC had four, and ABC only had two shows in the top 20 including Bewitched, and The Lawrence Welk Show.  The only cop show on TV in the top twenty was The Andy Griffith Show and I don’t remember Andy investigating any murders in Mayberry.  I was panning over the list to find a violent show, blood, guts murder, rape, it seems the closest thing I could find with a little drama was The Beverly Hillbillies and Hogan’s Heroes. I was wondering if any of the shows had anybody carrying on with a little sex on the side, certainly not The Lucy Show, Green Acres, Gomer Pyle, or Family Affair, even though the title might indicate an affair, no dice.

      I think it’s safe to say that we are not likely to ever go back to the days when our children could turn on any channel on the television and not be concerned with violence, foul language, drugs, sex, shootings and murder, no, the days of innocence on TV are long gone.  Although thinking back I think I remember Andy Griffith dropping the “F” Bomb a few times during the course of the show, no maybe it was Gomer Pyle, let’s hold all bets while I think about this.

July 8, 1964

Eagles Trade Clarence Peaks

     The Philadelphia Eagles traded fullback Clarence Peaks and linebacker Bob Harrison to the Pittsburgh Steelers today for flanker back Bill (Red) Mark and defensive halfback Glenn Glass.

     Eagles Coach Joe Kuharich said the Eagles sixth major deal since he became head coach of the National Football League Team last March was a straight two for two trade designed to strengthen the club’s defense and provide a backup man for first string flanker Ron Goodwin.

     Departure of the 29 year old Peaks, who was drafted No. 1 by the Eagles in 1957, had been rumored for some time.  It was thought however that the big fullback might remain after Kuharich recently dealt another fullback Ted Dean to Minnesota.

(And that’s the way it was 50 years ago)

Eagles trivia question, who scored the winning touchdown in the Eagles 1960 championship victory over the Green Bay Packers? Ted Dean!!

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April 6, 1930

Guest at Beach

     John Herron, Keith MacKenzie, William Woodward, Eber Lobb, Jesse Stemple and Alan Worth, all members of the Washington Fire Company, formed a party that motored to Brigantine Beach yesterday.  They were entertained as guest of Robert Peacock, assistant attorney general of New Jersey a former resident of this borough.

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July 17, 1964

Permit Is Issued To Build Mall For Plymouth Center

Township Receives $6,015 Fee For $3 Million Project For Shopping Area

     A building permit has been granted the Commercial, Research and Development Corporation for the construction of a $3 million Plymouth Meeting Regional Shopping Center.

     Park A. Beckley, Plymouth Township building inspector, said today the fee paid for the permit was $6,015.

     The large mall will be a feature of the regional shopping center, which reportedly will be one of the largest to be built in the Eastern United States.

     The shopping center will be built on an 80-acre site situated near the Plymouth Meeting Interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike along Germantown Pike to Hickory Rd.

     The enclosed mall will be air-conditioned and heated and will feature fountains and shrubbery.

     The center which will be dominated by a $4 million Strawbridge and Clothier Store reportedly will contain 100 stores employing about 2,000 persons.

(And once again, that’s the way it was a half a century ago)

“Memories”

Memories for a lot of us

School’s out and school’s gone, (remember, I write these columns in advance, I must have written this back in the summer, probably a hot day, in the 90’s, is anyone complaining about the heat right now?)    I was just getting around to filing a stack of papers sitting on the edge of my desk, I’m sure a lot of you know how that goes.  One of the pieces to file was the 2012 Graduation program from Conshohocken Catholic School, the final commencement exercises.  A little more than a year ago the ten final graduates included Kyle Angelilli, Mark Bernstiel, Connor Berry, S. Jordan Courtney, Ronald Fry, Andrew Giannone, Christian Jones, Kaeleigh Natale, Domenic Ochal and Douglas Stanish.  I was there as the kids walked out of St. Matthew’s Church as students for the final time, lots of tears, lots of hugs.  I remember standing on the sidewalk and looking over to Conshohocken Elementary School, the former Hervey Walker School, remembering when my kids had attended the school so many years ago.

     I remember thinking about this teacher Dennis Goodman, who taught both my kids in kindergarten, he was really a neat guy.  Dennis had a way of taking control of a class, and teaching children without them even realizing the lessons learned.

     Ain’t it funny that when I picked up the Graduation booklet a few nights ago to finally file it under Catholic Schools, that Dennis Goodman once again came into my mind?

     I miss Dennis Goodman, he passed away in February of 1996, may God rest his soul.

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I’m sure I knew this

I just don’t remember knowing this!

     I was recently in Atlantic City for a night of recreation and picked up one of the many free magazines the city provides in an effort to sway you to the different restaurants and shows and so on.  In one of the magazines there was a “Fun Fact” page, noting 130 miles of white sandy beaches along the Jersey coast of the Atlantic Ocean, 4,100 freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers and streams in New Jersey, 50 State Parks, there were 54 million pounds of blueberries produced in 2012 which is the state’s fruit by the way.  46 Wineries are located throughout New Jersey and New Jersey is home to 730,000 acres of farmland noting this is why Jersey is known as the Garden State.  As stated, all fun stuff.

     Then off to the right hand side of the page is a paragraph on Salt Water Taffy, if I have to explain what a salt water taffy is you can stop reading now.  So here’s the story on the salt water taffy as printed in this little fun fact page:

     “The Jersey Shore was first to produce salt water taffy.  In 1880, candy store owner David Bradley had a stand on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.  After the storm of 1880, the next morning Bradley came to work to find his candy soaked.  Later that day, a child came and asked for some taffy.  He replied sarcastically, “You mean Salt Water Taffy, don’t you?”  And just like taffy to teeth, the name stuck.  Salt water taffy became popular being sold as a souvenir.  Throughout the Jersey Shore, salt water taffy can be found.”

     And now you know!

 I didn’t know this either

Ya wanna make a hit record, here’s the recipe on how to do so!

     I’m simply reproducing this from the January 2015 Real Simple Magazine.  This piece was written by Elizabeth Passarella, and it goes like this!

2,480…How many songs from the history of Billboard’s Hot 100 that were analyzed to determine what makes a hit—or a flop.  Researchers at the University of Southern California compared Number One songs from 1958 (When Billboard began its rankings) to 2012, as well as songs that had never climbed higher than Number 90.

Turns out that backup singers greatly increased a track’s chances of topping the charts.  It’s even better to use a combination of background vocals synthesizer, and guitars heard in songs like Prince’s “Kiss” (No. 1 in 1986) and Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around” (No 1 in 2007).  Songs that lacked backup singers and relied heavily on acoustic guitar or piano tended to fall, um, flat.

And now ya know how to make a hit record, it’s in the backup singers.

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 So let’s review this week, we reminded you of the top 20 television shows of the late 1960’s, recalled Robert Cain and Dennis Goodman, explained the name of salt water taffy’s and gave you instructions on making a hit record, that about sums it up.

This week’s This & That was brought to you by:

Dom Coccia, for all your tax needs

Mike Sroka

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