Pat’s Big Surprise

Or

The Rest of the Story

 

 

My 1959 classmate from Rockland High School and good friend, Pat Graves Pendleton, has recently become a YouTube star. I’ll leave that story to her son who appears below in a video about Pat’s big Christmas surprise. What I would like to do here is introduce you to a friend who was among the circle of my high school friends who had the same classes and hung out in my Dad’s old Desoto “bombing the rotary” chasing boys on a Friday evening when we were in high school.

In case you are wondering, the car pictured above is close to the DeSoto I drove the girls around in. It is a DeSoto Firedome S-16. I don’t know what year it is, probably a 40 something. You will see why I included a picture of it after you see the video.

 

 

This is Pat’s 1959 “Cauldron” or yearbook picture. Under her name it says: “Live today for tomorrow may never come.”

Below is a picture of my classmates and good friends, also DeSoto occupants except for Ron, who took business classes from Miss Sherwood. We sometimes called her “Diddie” just to tease her. Where that nickname came from I don’t have a clue. Pictured here left to right are: Sandra Sleeper Zimmerman, Violet Carr Karl, Miss Sherwood, Ron Murray, and Pat.  I don’t know where this picture came from, but I think I must have taken it myself as I would ordinarily be in such a picture with my friends. The occasion was our high school graduation as you can see them all holding tight to their diplomas which they were recently endowed with.

 

 

This is a more recent picture of good friends and “sistahs” for over 50 years, Violet and Pat. The class is still very close and meets once a month at a local bakery and coffee shop to have a cup of coffee and sit and gab for a while. I always enjoy that time if I am home at that time of month.

This video and the type before it were posted by Pat’s son recently to “This Blew My Mind” and You Tube.

She’s Raised 2 Sets Of Kids Over 45 Years,

But Nothing Could Prepare Her For This.

My Mom has had a lot of trials and tribulations in her life. Her second son died of SIDS at the age of 2 months, on my sister’s first day of school. She would later go on to raise my brother, my sister, and I, pretty much by herself. When the last child was about to leave the house to strike out on his own, tragedy struck when my sister was murdered. My Mom would go on to adopt and raise my sister’s 2 children, once again taking on the role of Mother. Through all the sacrifices and struggles my Mom has endured over the years, there’s one thing she’s never had. Watch the video below, when, at 73, she finally gets something she’s never had. It was an emotional day for the both of us, and one we’ll never forget.

 

(Pat was interviewed in 2013 in relation to her daughter’s murder and also to reach out to people who have lost a family member to murder. She is a member of the Maine chapter of Parents of Murdered Children. See excerpts from that Bangor Daily News story below.)

This is what Pat had to say about taking care of her children:

“Taking care of the children, though, may have been a lifesaver for Pat, who is now 72 and lives in Rockport. I couldn’t have been any other way. People say they were lucky to have me. I say I was lucky to have them,” she said.

“Pat Pendleton is a member of the Maine chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, which is trying to reach the families of loved ones who have been killed, to place the victims’ names on a memorial.

The monument will be erected at Holy Family Cemetery on Townsend Road in Augusta and will be dedicated to the lives of murder victims with connections to Maine families.

The state chapter has a list of more than 450 known Maine-related homicides over the past few decades but has family contacts for fewer than half of them.

If families are interested in having their loved ones’ names added to the list, to be inscribed into the monument, they may contact Art Jette at 277-3518 or mainepomc@gmail.com.”

(I don’t know if this monument has been erected yet as the story comes from 2013. I will ask Pat and update you on that later.)

Friends are probably the greatest gift you will receive in your lifetime. Enjoying time with each other and helping each other along life’s way is what being friends are all about. The friends I have in Maine have always been there for me even after I left Maine. That was especially true when Nanci and I lost our home to a flood.  Thank you, friends and thanks for listening.

Update: Pat reports that the memorial was in fact dedicated last fall. “It is in Augusta in a lovely cemetery by the turn to Market Place Shopping Mall,” she says.

 

 

Sonny’s Sunshine Corner

 

Our Sonny in his later years.

 

 

So Nanci and I leave the 8^th for Savannah. Hotel reservations have been made…check. Tour arrangements for me while she’s doing her thing on the 9th done…check. Tour ticket bought online…check. My tour will stop at several historical places in Savannah including the Juliet Lowe house. I won’t be able to tour the Girl Scout founder’s house, however, because you have to make reservations way in advance. On the evening of the 8^th Nanci and I will dine at Lady and Sons, Paula Deen’s restaurant. I’m looking forward to some fried green tomatoes and some shrimp right out of the Savannah River. Yum.

Readership of the blog to date is 64,000 plus. The last four stories on the Village Soup site saw 848 views. Thanks, everyone. The most popular March story was “Maine Expressions…Mainespeak.”

Blogs this month include Ted’s Fish and Chips, Thomaston Library News, and a special story for recipe of the month and recipes to go along with it. Check the blog for that surprise. I also have already written a side bar story to go with Ted’s column, “The MGM Grand Fire of 1980.” You’ll have to read Ted’s column first to understand why I chose to write the side bar.

Kudos

Special kudos this month go to Lyman Pope of the home town area who has contributed $1 million to the Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County. I understand they plan to use the money to expand the facilities. I’m sure our lost and “waiting for a forever home” friends will really appreciate it.

Update on the Maine Report

Remember the special blog I do after I return home every summer called, “The Maine Report” in which I assess the state of the old home town through my eyes? Well in the past I have mentioned that the city didn’t have any podiatrists. Guess what, there is now a practice which includes more than one of those very necessary doctors, especially to the elderly. And then…I was reading the paper a while ago and saw where US Cellular is upgrading its system to include, I believe, more cell phone towers. It was one of my main gripes one summer. So…do you think someone up there is really listening to me?

Communications

It was nice to hear from Karl Henrikson. He is the men’s basketball coach at the University of Southern Maine and the son of Lars Henrikson, former deputy warden at the old Thomaston Maine State Prison. Karl said he had read my story on “James Lewisohn, the Prisoner Poet.” He appreciated the information in the story about James as he is working on a manuscript of his own about his growing up on the grounds of the prison.

Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors says goodbye

I have just finished reading the latest edition of Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors and noted that Peter Bass, who wrote “From the Front Porch” has left the magazine for “warmer waters.” I’ll miss reading his work in the magazine. Good luck, Peter, in your future endeavors. Look for a review of this edition in the blog this month.

Recommendation

I received a great feed from Facebook this month called, “26 of Maine’s most beautiful places to see.” I cannot bring it to you here because it would take too much room and I don’t want to infringe on any copyrights. It was done by Karen Beaudoin, Portland Press Herald web editor. I highly recommend it. You can find it at: http://mainetoday.com.

That’s it from Sonny’s Corner, now Butchie’s Corner, if he sees fit. He says, “Let me out, I have birds to pester.”

Bye till next time.

By TED SYLVESTER

(This column appeared in the Bangor Daily News on April 16, 1976)

A Rockland man has returned home after spending the winter in San Francisco, where he enjoyed a couple of unusual experiences – spending a day as a spectator at the Patty Hearst trial, and a weekend trip to Las Vegas, Nev., where he watched Dean Martin being roasted in a show at the MGM Grand Hotel. While our friend declined to be identified here, his experiences and observations are well worth sharing.

At the Hearst trial, the spectator section is limited to just 60 persons. This led some to stand in line all night outside the courthouse, and then “sell” their place in line the next morning for $20. Our friend got a chance to attend the trial through the acquaintance of a N.S. marshal. The day he attended, Defense Attorney F. Lee Bailey had prosecution witness Dr. Joel Fort under cross-examination. Our friend termed Bailey’s performance very impressive as he attempted to discredit the psychiatrist’s testimony.

The San Francisco press has engaged in considerable speculation over Bailey’s fee for defending Patty Hearst. One paper quoted Bailey as saying he was being paid $100,000 plus expenses by Randolph Hearst to defend his daughter. Other reports placed the fee at $8,000 a day, plus expenses. Included in the expenses were complete accommodations at San Francisco’s finest hotel, and a Cadillac purchased for Bailey by Hearst for the lawyer’s use.

Two paragraphs in a San Francisco Chronicle article by Jerry Carroll describe Bailey:

“Patricia Hearst is on trial, but it is the magnetic Bailey who dominates the 170-seat courtroom, his powerful baritone rising and falling like a cathedral organ. He moves in a jaunty strut, perilously near a swagger, the handsome leonine head with its tuffy sideburns seeming too large for the meaty 5-foot-8 frame.

“Bailey is dressed on this day in a beautifully tailored dark blue suit with vest and a violent orange and white tie that shouts in polka dots and stripes like an anarchist in a board room.”

Our friend termed his visit to the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas as “unbelievable.” A brochure lists the hotel as “a $100 million dollar fantasy.” It features 2,100 rooms and 376 suites. There are six restaurants, swimming pools, tennis courts with all the frills. Guests have their choice of six 18-hole golf courses. Our friend went to the show as a guest and didn’t know about the costs. An indication of what it costs might be compared with the price of two drinks our friend purchased - $15.

Ever wonder what questions kids would have for a judge? The student body of Rockland District Junior High School was given this opportunity following a presentation of a mock juvenile hearing designed to give the young teenagers an insight into the workings of the court. The judge was Paul A. MacDonald of Sixth District Court.

The first question asked was how long had he been a judge, which is 11 years. He was asked what qualifications were needed to become a judge, and how were they selected. The 12, 13 and 14-year-olds were told that one must first become a lawyer and then “lucky” enough to be appointed by a governor.

The students wanted to know what the maximum sentence one could receive to boys’ training center, what was the youngest age at which a person could be sent there? The answer was that terms to the center are indeterminate with the person’s behavior dictating his release. The state has the power to keep an offender there until he reaches the age of 18. The youngest an offender can be sent there is 11. The judge was then asked what about those under age 11? What does he do with them? He said in these cases it is usually a matter of parents unable to handle the child and in such circumstances he transfers the custody of such children to the state.

During the dramatization a youthful offender was stopped for suspected probation violation and searched by an officer. A package of marijuana was found in a pocket. The students questioned the judge afterward on the legality of such a search. In this particular instance, the judge said, where an officer has probable cause to suspect an offense has taken place (probation violation) he has the right to “pat down” a suspect to check for any weapons.

The judge was asked what was the most common crime committed in the Rockland area by juveniles. Judge MacDonald said he believed it was criminal larceny, many times involving breaking and entering. Also listed was shoplifting and vandalism.

A question was asked was it a crime for someone to “give” marijuana to a friend. The answer is yes. Even to give a friend marijuana is considered a sale.

Finally a student asked what would happen if someone tried to bribe a police officer. The judge advised that this was a very serious crime and that anyone brought before him for such a crime would be “sent away.”

The judge’s appearance at the school was one in a series of projects promoted by the Chamber of Commerce – sponsored CYC committee (Community and Youth Communications) where a group of concerned people are attempting to open up the line of communication with the youth of today and to stem the tide of an increasing crime rate in the coastal area.

Did you see it last Sunday during the televised Boston at Baltimore baseball game? It was during one of those periods when the TV camera scans the crowd. The camera zoomed in on one sign that read, “I am from Rockland, Maine.” The message was read over the arena speakers by Red Sox announcer Dick Stockton.

Have no idea who the two people were holding the sign. One was a young man who appeared to be in his 29s., wearing a baseball cap and red warm-up jacket. He was also sporting a “Luis Tiant” moustache. If anyone can shed any light on the identities of the displayers, we will be happy to pass it along.

The MGM Grand Fire of 1980

 

The MGM Grand today, with a sign promoting Las Vegas as “The City of Entertainment”

 Ted’s “Fish and Chips” column for this month comes from 1976 and mentions the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas. As I was typing the column, I remembered the fire that occurred at that hotel in 1980. Now this may not be a story that is related very much to “Beyond the South End,” but as we all know, the business of Las Vegas is to separate as much money from you as possible; so consider this an April Fool’s story then if you like. After all, as the old saw goes, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” I suspect some of you New Englanders have visited Las Vegas, including members of my own family. Therefore, you can also look at this story as an impending vacation lure. Don’t forget to check out the amazing YouTube video of the fire also, which I have included at the end of this piece.

A few facts about the MGM Grand

Let’s look at a few statistics of this grand old hotel. It was built in 1973, just three years before Ted’s friend visited the place. A mere three years from that, in 1980, the fire occurred. The hotel has 2,100 rooms and 376 suites. Those numbers come from Ted’s story and may have changed since 1976.

As far as the fire goes, don’t be afraid to visit Las Vegas. Many of the safety measures of today did not exist then as the video will show. 9/11 and other bad fires, including the MGM, served to help change safety measures for hotel visitors.

Fire Statistics

At the MGM fire, 85 people died and 700 were injured. As the video will mention, most of the hotel had no sprinklers. There was also no warning system in place. No one even went knocking on doors to alert visitors.

The 14^th Street Fire in Atlanta

I must mention another fire here which I was an actual witness to.

I was working at the Jewish Community Center on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. I think it was in the 90s.

We looked out the window of my office which faced Peachtree Street and saw smoke coming from the 14^th Street building which sat directly across from our building. Not long after that the fire department arrived along with every emergency vehicle in Atlanta I believe. The street was choked with vehicles and equipment as we watched the drama unfold.

We watched the hook and ladder truck extend their ladders up to the tenth floor, as far as they would go. Some people inside had broken out some of the windows. I watched one woman come down the ladder with a fireman. She had a death grip on her purse. Must have been something really important in that purse I thought at the time.

I believe one woman died because she jumped from about the 5^th floor. I believe that building is approximately 15 or so stories high. Another woman jumped and broke every bone in her body. I didn’t see either of these people jump as they were on the other side of the building.

I don’t remember what started the fire, but guess what? Whenever I stay in a high-rise hotel, I refuse to stay in a room above the 10^th floor. To be truthful, I don’t like heights very much and much prefer the charming inns of New England to mammoth hotels.

So that’s my April Fools’ story for this year. Be careful out there today. Here’s the video.