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Quote of the Week

"The future must belong to those who create, not those who destroy."

(Pres. Barack Obama)

And the SPORTS quote . . .

"LONG AGO WHEN MEN CURSED AND BEAT THE GROUND WITH STICKS, IT WAS CALLED WITCHCRAFT.

TODAY, IT'S CALLED GOLF."

(Unknown)

IN 1944, WHEN ARMY BEAT NOTRE DAME, WHO SAID '"I'VE JUST SEEN SUPERMAN IN THE FLESH. HE WEARS NO. 35 AND HIS NAME IS BLANCHARD"

Scroll down to find the answer . . .

Ed McKeever, coach of Notre Dame.

(Scott Blanchard died April 19,, 2009. He was 84)

April 13, 2009

AREA SPORTS FANS SADDENED TO HEAR OF THE DEATH

OF HARRY KALAS , THE VOICE OF THE PHILLIES.

David Montgomery,Phillies President: Today we lost our voice.

Hal Bodley: His legacy? He was just a super human being.

Dan Baker, Phillies P.A. Announcer: Baseball never “got old” to him.

Scott Franzke, fellow broadcaster: A sad day for Phila., and for baseball

John Slabotkin, Broadcast crew: You can’t replace a legend

Larry Schenk, Phillies PR for over 30 years: He IS the Phillies

Kalas came to Wilmington in January of this year to M.C. the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Banquet. While handing out awards, if the winner was 20 tables away and had a long walk to the podium, Kalas made the wait entertaining by recalling some of his famous “Whitey” Ashburn stories. The crowd loved him. And HE loved Philly.

“I love this town, he once said,” it’s the smartest move I ever made”

Hall of Fame Broadcaster Harry Kalas, dead at 73. It’s estimated he broadcast 6,000 games.

BECOMING AWARE OF DELAWARE

Just finished a wonderful book “BUILDINGS OF DELAWARE ” by W. Barksdale Maynard.

Some nuggets I remember:

The DuPont Building was almost named “The Wilmington Trust Building ”, to advertise the company’s new bank – but Pierre Dupont’s cousin, Alfred I, convinced him “duPont de Nemours was a better choice.

I always knew that Brandywine Springs Park was once a well-known amusement park – but never knew it was nationally known for its mineral springs. (The name should have been a good clue) Some said the springs were smelly, but healthful, rich in iron.

It wasn’t always Deer Park Tavern. Deer Park replaced a building known as St. Patrick’s Inn, built with logs, a headquarters for Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon during their famous survey in the 1760’s.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy paid a visit to the Newark , Delaware Toll Plaza, to dedicate the Maryland-Delaware turnpikes. Governor Elbert Carvel, who also spoke, is reported to have said to the president: “We look forward to your presence at the dedication of the second Delaware Memorial Bridge . “ Six days later, Kennedy flew to Dallas .

When the Trabant University Center was built, some people complained about the flashy interior, calling it a”carnival atmosphere.” Said the architects: It was designed to please students, not their parents.

NASCAR was far from the thoughts of the people who started Dover Downs . It would be for harness racing and thoroughbreds. Then John W. Rollins got involved and suggested a different kind of horsepower: the kind you find in cars. By 1982, though, it had lost millions. The growing popularity of NASCAR saved the day. It grew from 22,000 seats to to 140,000 by 2001.

When it comes to state capitols, Delaware ’s Legislative Hall is one of a kind. It is the only one of Colonial Revival style and the only capitol named a “Hall”.

My favorite story in the book involves the multi-million dollar broiler industry, which began in 1923. An Ocean View housewife, Cecile Steele, received a shipment of 500 chicks. (Ten times what she ordered.) She raised them to 2 pounds each, sold them and was amazed by the profits. By the third year, they were raising 10,000 chicks a year, and by 1997, 600 million broilers were being produced annually. Something else that helped, people started eating a lot more chicken.

The first WPA project in Delaware ? 100 men laid out the streets around the brand new PS DuPont High School in the early 1930’s.

Another notable WPA project: Workers installed the sewer system for Westover Hills. By 1929 there were about 61 millionaires in Delaware , many of them living in that very exclusive area.

Rodney Square . Plans called for a courthouse to be built there. but John J. Raskob of the DuPont Company suggested placing the courthouse farther east, to create the Square. (Now that’s creative thinking.) The next time you’re sun bathing there you might say a quiet “thank you” to John J.

Neighborhood associations in Union Park Gardens were responsible for preventing the construction of I-95 down Bancroft Parkway .

The book is a fascinating account of how buildings and different areas evolved through the years.

I moved to Delaware in 1940, and the book helped me do a lot of “catching up.”

PS du Pont School

For the fascinating story of how it began

click Memoirs and Musings

Dick Holmes

CHECK OUT . . .

Wilmington honors Police Officer and Firefighter

Click KIWANIS DAYS

and . . . . .

VOLUNTEERS AND CANCER SURVIVORS FIGHT BACK on

Fighting Cancer

Whoever put these together gets my thanks. They're at the entrance to Branmar Plaza, Marsh and Silverside Roads

What's your favorite hymn? For some of mine, click:

SILVERSIDE CHURCH

Breast Cancer Awareness Stamp marks 10th Annivesary.

Evelyn Burkle, long time volunteer for the American Cancer Society, holds an enlarged version of the stamp. Ms. Burkle was present when the stamp debuted in 1998, and again this year at the Talleyville Post Office on July 29 for the anniversary.

It's called The Breast Cancer Awareness stamp, but maybe a better name would be "The Little Stamp That Could - raise millions that is, to fund breast cancer research. Since its inception, 820 million of the stamps have been sold, generating $62.5 miillion dollars for breast cancer research.

The 1st Class stamp sells for 55 cents, the additional 13 cents going to The National Institutes of Health and the Medical Program of the US Department of Defense for research.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women between ages 35 and 54.

The stamps will remain on sale at all US Post Offices through February, 2011.

A great idea! Do something to fight cancer everytime you mail a letter.

LE COMPTE NAMED NEWS DIR. AT WILM

. . . . more details at Radio Days

HARRY AND BETSY ROGERSON

HONORED FOR WEB SITE

At the June 19th session of Wilmington City Council, Harry and Betsy Rogerson received high praise for a web site they started back in 1999.

OLD WILMINGTON.NET

If you would like to take a nostalgic journey back to the early days of Wilmington, put the above web address on your "Favorites" list. Fantastic photos and captions from 1935 to 1975 - even some that are more current - taken at the old Queen Theatre as its being renovated.

Councilman Samuel Prado, pictured above with Harry & Betsy, ssingled out the pair for what he called "a nostalgic, historical look at Wilmington, helping to preserve the city's rich history and diverse cultures through pictures, articles, maps and documents."

The Rogersons could be making another appearance before council later this siummer. Harry is publishing a book:

WILMINGTON, PICTURING CHANGE.

HARRY'S BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE

HERE HE IS PRESENTING ME WITH A COMPLIMENTARY COPY - FOR WRITING THE BOOK'S FOREWORD.

Desi and Rosa Carmina might enjoy seeing this photo from Harry's book: It shows the repair shop on 9th street when it was operated by the original owner, Mr. Caruso himself. And this was his delivery truck.

Be sure to look for WILMINGTON, PICTURING CHANGE at leading book stores. Great photos of Wilmington.

(Full disclosure: Harry and Betsy are relatives of mine.)

Harry and Betsy met while working at Wilmington Dry Goods back in 1960

ALSO HONORED BY THE COUNCIL AT THE JUNE 21 MEETING, ROSA AND DESI CAMINA, PICTURED ABOVE WITH RON MORRIS, DIR. OF FINANCE FOR THE CITY.

THE CAMINAS OPERATED 'CARUSO'S SHOE REPAIR SHOP' ON WEST 9TH STREET FOR OVER 30 YEARS. PEOPLE FOR MILES AROUND BROUGHT SHOES THERE - THEY APPRECIATED DESI'S EXCELLENT WORK, AND ROSA'S SINCERE FRIENDLINESS. IT WAS OUT OF THE WAY FOR MANY, BUT WELL WORTH THE TRIP.

Check out

new photos on TV Days!

as well as

the Songs I Have Sung page to hear Dick's recordings of

"You're Drivin' Me Crazy"

"Fools Rush In"

and

"Day In, Day Out"

and . . . on Radio Days . . .

WILM Remembered!

Listen to audio clips from John Watson's tribute show on the history of

WILM 1450AM Radio

Guests on the show include

Sally and E.B. Hawkins

Roy Sullivan

Dick Holmes

and

Hubcap!

Click here to see Dick's video on

FOR WEEKS NOW I'VE HEARD PEOPLE COMPLAIN THEY CAN'T FIND THINGS NOW THAT WALGREEN'S HAS TAKEN OVER HAPPY HARRYS.

WELL I VISITED WALGREENS NEW YEARS DAY AND COULD NOT FIND THE XEROX MACHINE. I WAS TOLD IT WAS REMOVED.

"REMOVED," I SAID, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT. THAT WAS MY OFFICE!

FOLLOWING THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNERS;

One man's opinion after Republican candidates debated US economic policies;

"It revealed a party that is not effectively speaking to people who handle the bags, and make the beds and serve the food - and who live so close to the edge that one shock can leave them in bankruptcy and ruin."

(Michael Gerson, Washington Post)

Fact checker Michael Dobbs, at the same paper, has a unique way of rating the candidates - using a small sketch of Pinocchio.

He gives One Pinocchio to a candidate who does some shading of the facts.

Two Pinocchios for significant omissions or exaggerations.

Three Pinocchios for significant factual errors

Four Pinocchios for whoppers.

For their significant claims, Dobbs gave Mitt Romney two Pinocchios, Giuliani got 3. Giulani lost by a nose. But it was a pretty big nose.

If Mark Twain were alive, he would probably say: Never vote for a candidate whose biggest asset is his lie-ability."

The friendly witch (I think her name is hazel) and her crew.

The Lamplighters and I entertain residents of Luther Towers II with our show "Golden Days of Radio"<

Met this lovely lady while entertaining at Luther Towers II - Mary Wilson - who was celebrating her 99th Brithday. She was given a beautiful bouqet to mark the occasion

A lot of residents attended the evening's entertainment - just about filling the dining hall.

The Delaware Advantage

Living near Longwood Gardens

After leaving the atrium, the first tree to catch your eye at Longwood is this glorious Elm. Red signifies strength and at one time the Elm was the strongest tree. Then Dutch Elm disease just about wiped out all of these beauties.
I've heard they're now cross-breeding our Elms with the Chinese Elm - it'll be a Hybrid Elm - able to run on oxygen, water and sunshine.

Longwood is a photographer's paradise.

Want to see some beautiful flowers? Drive over to this Good Hearing Center, at 7th and Clayton Streets, even if you don't have an appointment

A young lady who works at the center, has planted, and cares for, these beautiful plants, across from St. Francis Hospital.

Even the walkway into the center gets its share of beautiful blooms.

Even the attached parking lot got some attention.

Some of the individual flowers are enough to give an atheist second thoughts.

The parking lot also has this unusual treet. Well, it's really a telephone pole that wants to be a tree. Don't try pruning this baby. Could be shocking.

The Flower Show can be viewed daily, across from the entrance to St. Francis Hospital.

What a disappointment - when the News Journal decided to drop FAMILY CIRCUS from its comic page. I was amazed at how consistently funny it was - 365 days a year - year after year. The paper recently published a phone number to call if you objected to the decision - and you can bet I made the call, and I hope others did, too.

Bill Keane, the artist of FAMILY CIRCUS is a brother of Tom Keane, who for many years did a column on cars (KEANE ON WHEELS) for the News Journal.

Many years ago, Tom called me when I was working at WILM and said his brother was looking for old radio shows, Fibber Magee and Molly, Jack Benny, etc., and asked me to send him a few, if I had any. I put together a bunch of them, mailed them off, and Bill acknowledged the tapes with this beautiful "Thank You."

Quite a guy.

Kathy Fraczkowski, a teacher for 25 years, has been named Teacher of the Year at the Etta J. Wilson School in the Christina School District where she teaches 1st and 2nd Grade students.
Boyd Holmes, a teacher for 33 years was the winner of the Jesse Ball DuPont Music ducator of The Year Award given by the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. He teaches at the John G. Leach School for the handicapped in the Colonial District. Boyd and Kathy's husband David are cousins.

The cake sys it all: Congratulations Boyd and Kathy!

The Honorees, getting ready to slice the cake and share it with a proud family gathering.

June is the month for graduates, and even I got a diploma. Well, a certificate -showing that I completed 12 rigorous weeks of Cardiac Rehabilitation at St. Francis Hospital, where I underwent Open Heart surgery January 29th.

This lady, with the million dollar smile, made the time go by quickly. She is "Mia" Cirks, RN, Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse. I think "Mia" is the main reason why St. Francis Cardiac Re-hab patients recover faster than other patients nationwide. She makes sure that all the patients know each other on a first-name basis. There's George, the guy in the baseball hat, he can answer any question you have on computers; Mary, another patient, always impeccably dressed, seems to enjoy the time she spends there, and there's Joe, he 's retired from the construction business - but still goes to Union meetings - and he's a former barber shop singer. Manny's another regular - he and his wife Rose make the scene regularly. Rose makes it a point to record Manny's vital signs for review by his cardiologist. It's a wonderful group - all working on one goal: A healthy heart.

Wilmington's Best Kept Secret

Cardiac Re-Hab at St. Francis Hospital

If you have a Karaoke version of Strangers in The Night try out my new lyric

New words by Dick Holmes for Strangers In The Night

Dedicated to Mia Cirks, RN, who checks the vital signs of all of us, before, during, and after we exercise at St. Francis Hospital.

STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT Cardiac Re-Hab

EXCHANGING GLANCES I’m exercising

WONDERING IN THE NIGHT Taking off the flab

WHAT WERE THE CHANCES It’s agonizing

WE’D BE SHARING LOVE Hoping that my heart

BEFORE THE NIGHT WAS Gets better day by day

THROUGH

SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES Putting in my time

WAS SO EXCITING With Mia watching

SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES Isn’t it a crime?

WAS SO INVITING And so exhausting

SOMETHING IN MY HEART Wondering when they’ll say

TOLD ME I MUST HAVE YOU We think you’re doing fine

STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT , Meeting every week

TWO LONEY PEOPLE, WE We get to know each other

STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT Taking time to speak

UP TILL THAT MOMENT We started friendships

WHEN WE SAID OUR 1ST HELLO When we said our first Hello

LITTLE DID WE KNOW Little did we know

LOVE WAS JUST A GLANCE AWAY Health was just a step away

A WARM INVITING DANCE AWAY A grunting, groaning step away

EVER SINCE THAT NIGHT We will all survive

WE’VE BEEN TOGETHER And we’ll get stronger

LOVERS AT FIRST SIGHT If we stay alive

IN LOVE FOREVER A little longer

IT WORKED OUT SO RIGHT And our hearts will strive

FOR STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT To help us thru the night.

The kind of song I would record in a heartbeat .

For a new perspective on the price of gas, check out

"On The Road"

My friend Al Cartwright auditions an American Idol, Kermit the Frog.

Parrots and Pirates are big these days. I bought this from a Used Furniture and Antique Shop on Branywine Blvd. in Bellefonte. Paid 5 bucks for it. Hasn't spoken a word

This is where I bought the parrot, A charming place called "Blueberry Hill" on Brandywine Boulevard. I took stroll through the 4 or 5 rooms, filled with collectibles that will take you back to when you were a kid. I found myself wondering how long it would take to do an inventory, liisting the entire kitsch and kaboodle.

Here's a place to cool off. Longwood Gardens

McGhie has also penned a tune about The Robinson House, a Claymont landmark.

Another honoree was Charmaine Imburgia, a member of the Center's Board of Directors, who helped put together a video for the CCC - and supervised the Autumn Dinner.

At the end of every semester at the Academy of Lifelong Learning, our Circle Singers group do a Lobby Sing Along at Arsht Hall. Here I am trying to get the audience to join us.

The leader of our group, Ellie Munson, providing a little snare drum background for one of our songs - Battle Hymn of the Republic.

     Saw an interesting note on how Julia Ward Howe came to write the words to that song. Legend has it that she was visiting a Northern Army camp near Washington, D.C. during the Civil War and heard some soldiers singing "John Brown's Body" She thought it would be a great marching song - so she stayed up most of the night witing the new lyric She didn't want to go to sleep because she knew that if she did she would not remember her ideas for the new lyric They say she had an old stub of a pencil to work with, but she got it all down. Amazing. So, it started as a southern song, got some words from a northerner, and soon became a song for all people.

                 In the beauty of the lillies, Christ was born across the sea.

                 With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me.

                 As he strived to make men holy, let us live to make men free;

                 While God is marching on.

And, we have a harmonica player, Lee Rush.

Our son, Boyd Holmes, a teacher in the Colonial School District, made news this month, when he was named the Delaware Symphony Orchestra's Jessie Ball duPont Award Recipient for 2007. The award is given to an educator who has made a significant impact in the field of music education. The award was presented Saturday, March 31, 2007 at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware, during the Delaware Symphony's Educators Night, a Classical Series concert that honors the members of the teaching profession. Here he is with President of the Colonial Board of Education Kathleen H. Wilbur and Colonial District Superintendent Dr. George H. Meney

The Lamplighters last week entertained the residents of Maris Grove. This week, another Academy of Lifelong Learning group, The CIRCLE SINGERS, sang a lot of old favorites for an audience at Eden Rock, a retirement home in Arden. Had a wonderful time. Why is it called Eden Rock? Because the place is BUILT on a rock. That must be the Mother of all rocks.

Buffy, the resident dog at Eden Rock, begs for some of the free refreshments.
Then he left, even before we sang. Don't you hate music critics?

These lovely ladies laughed at all my corny jokes.

More scenes from a recent walk through Village of Fox Point: A bed of tulips nodding in the breeze. What a life, doing nodding all day.

I never saw tulips open quite so full, but I guess the sun can make it happen

A favaorite of mine. It's beautiful every year at about this time.

I see this this one on the way back, the Holmes-stretch

A lot of tree trunk formations, to me, are unsigned works of art.

I don't know who they've employed to do the landscaping and ground maintenance at The Village of Fox Point but they certainly know how to give their condos eye appeal.

Every home, neat as a pin.

And, after a twenty minute walk through the neighborhood, it's always nice to get back to our house.

The Lamplighters take their "Golden Days of Radio" show to Maris Grove, a beautiful retirement community just over the line in Penna. (L to R) Ellie Munson, Cynthia Miller, Doris Braunstein, yours truly, and Walt Bondar. Had a great audience of about 65-75 people.

Photo by Frank Bicking

When we arrived, we were picked up at their huge parking lot and transported to the Brinton Club House. I wasn't there 5 minutes before I ran into an good friend who had taken up residence a week ago. Quite a few Delawareans have moved in.

The Brinton Club House at Maris Grove, where we performed.

A lot of nice landscaping surrounds the club house, and they have kept many beautiful trees, and planted more.

Frank Bicking was a genial greeter when we arrived with all our sound equipment, and he had the wheels to move it inside. Frank also did the honors of introducing us to the audience.

One of three spacious dining rooms at Maris Grove.

Handy little shop at the club house, a combination convenience store, gift shop and pharmacy.

Theresa was on duty when we arrived to do our show. One of the first things I noticed was that everyone had a nice smile when they met you.

Maris Grove has about 400 resident right now, but there's lots of expansion plans, this nearby building for instance. Long range plans include a shopping center, and their own stage and theatre.

Had a nice chat with these ladiesat Maris Grove. On the left, a good friend from way, way back, Joann Anderson, and her sister Betty Anderson. Betty right now is excited about a new book on Wilmington's Riverview Cemetery written by her daughter. Details at www.timestonepress.com

Maris Grove, a beautiful plce, inside AND outside.

The Maris Grove address:

100 Maris Grove Way, Glen Mills, Pa. 19342. For information call 1-800-833-4152. It's located behind Styer's Nursery, on Baltimore Pike,(US Route 1), across from Brinton Lakes Shoppes.

Open Heart Surgery – Just what I really Needed

Heart Tomography doesn’t lie. At least it didn’t in my case. At the suggestion of our family doctor, I went to Philadelphia to have the procedure, and the results were not good. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being bad, my heart cam score was a dismal 9. I was told there was a significant calcium build-up, about 76%, in two of my coronary arteries.

The next move: Make an appointment with a cardiologist to discuss the findings and what I might consider doing about it. The cardiologist recommended a stress test for starters, which I apparently passed– the examining doctor told me everything looked fine. Next hurdle: Ultrasound of the two carotid arteries. Again, no problems there. Third step: Echo Cardiogram. That, too, showed nothing to worry about. Finally, catheterization of my heart, in which they enter a blood vessel in your groin and go right up into your heart and take photos after injecting a dye. It confirmed the heart cam study done in Philadelphia and, it showed exactly where the blockages were. Sometimes during a heart catheterization, the examining doctor will decide then and there to correct the problem with stents, widening the arteries to allow more blood to flow through. In my case, however, the plaque build-up occurred in spots that could prove difficult for using stents. The cardiologist suggested I make an appointment with Dr. Paul Davis, Chief of cardiac surgery at St. Francis Hospital ; I just might be a candidate for open heart surgery.

And ten minutes of pulleys that move weights.

So, about a week later I sat down with Dr. Davis and we discussed my options. He and the cardiologist agreed – stents might be risky, doing nothing was another choice –that was also risky with the kind of blockages I had. This left open-heart surgery, a double bypass. I went home and thought about it for a few hours and made up my mind: I called the surgeon’s secretary and told her I was ready for the bypass.

They scheduled the operation for Monday, January 29. A few days before that, January 24, I was asked to come to St. Francis and meet my “heart team”, to undergo a few tests, lungs, heart, etc., to make sure I was up to the rigors of the operation.

I failed the very first test they gave me – an EKG. It showed my heart rate at an unbelievable 29. Most people have heart rates of 60 or better. After seeing the 29, they put me on a gurney and rushed me to Cardiac Intensive Care for a pacemaker. That surgery, implanting the pacer, was done later that afternoon. I stayed in hospital for two more days then went home to rest up for the big event – the double bypass, now scheduled for January 30.

It’s now January 30 and I’m checking back in at the hospital – at the ungodly hour of 5:45 AM, for the operation.

I’m told the surgery lasted about 3 hours. Dr. Davis, unlike some other heart surgeons, does not put his patients on a heart-lung machine – but it is standing by just in case.

Now, it’s over – the surgery that is, and I’m recovering in the Cardiac Intensive Care unit. Fortunately, the nurses are quick to administer pain medicine – and what a relief it is to get it. I don’t know about others who have undergone heart surgery, but I found myself feeling that I was in the middle of what seemed like a Kafkaesque dream. They have cracked my chest to get to my heart, and they have installed two new – or maybe I should say two OLD vessels, one from my chest, and one from my leg, to get around the blockages. I later learned that these replacements are good for about 15 years. That would make me 99, so I’d be the first to call that a bargain. The 15-year warranty of course depends on taking the proper medicine every day, and changing a few things, like diet and exercise.

Now, it’s on to cardiac rehab, speaking of exercise – three days a week for abut an hour each day – until someone there says “Holmes, I think you’re ready for the Boston Marathon.”

Just thought of a much better headline for this story:

HOLMES GETS DOUBLE BYPASS.

SURGEON CHARGED WITH BREAKING AND ENTERING

At St. Francis Hospital's Cardiac Re-Hab unit, everyone starts with some warm up exercises - some modest weight lifting, stretching, a few deep knee bends and as you work out you're wearing a heart monitor so they can keep tabs on you.

The east side of the Carrizo plain, in the Temblor Range, about 50 miles due west of Bakersfield, California. Photo taken by Barbara Matthews, May 14, 2005, and e mailed to me by friend Bob Miller.

How about these blossoms? They're not growing - they fell from this cherry tree, putting a nice blanket of pink on a bed of mulch.

And . . . . .

Don't touch that dial!

Check out new behind-the-scene photos of

WILM Radio

on the Radio Days page

What people are saying about this web site:

"Longer than the confessions of St. Augustine." Etoin Shirdlu, critic

"Holmes had such a nefarious childhood, I'm surprised I never met him."

Warden Lewis E. Lawes, Sing Sing