Thursday, October 14, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
A note from Ed Rowe re:Benton grade school
Bob, can you put this out to as many as possible class alumns?
I’m not sure if any of you attended Benton grade school at 31st & Benton Blvd., but I did, 1st grade thru
6th grade. Reflecting back I recalled two large murals, approx 15’ X 3’ one of which was mounted above the urinal trough in the boys bathroom and I presume the other in the girls bathroom. I had forgotten about these until some time in the late 60’s when working for Brink’s as a sales representative and I called on a business which sold commercial kitchen equipment and was located on the north side of the City Market. I met the owner of the business and during our conversation I found out he too had attended Benton, prior to me by about 10 years (estimate). We talked about themurals and he said they were presented when he was there and they were hung in the upper, 1st floor halls (obviously they had been demoted later). Well, that was the end of that until I began thinking about them more recently when I heard Benton (since, D. A. Holmes) was being sold by the district.
Then last week there was an article in the Kansas City Star about artifacts, etc and I made e-mail contact with a gentleman who gave me phone numbers (neither of them worked and he is on vacation now). However, I went back to Disney Enterprises. Com and found a name, Dave Smith who is Chief Archivist for Disney and after e-mailing him today he responded that he maintains the history for Disney and doesn’t know anything about the murals but that Walt Disney attended Benton from 1911 to 1917, something I was unaware of.
I thought I would pass this on in the event anyone else attended Benton or knows anything about the murals. Thanks for your patience, Ed
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Pinball Wizards - Nu Way Drive-In
Don Guinn and I recently shared some pinball memories, sparked by a visit I made to the Pinball Hall of Fame, right here in Vegas. Where else to find a place like that, but Vegas?
(It is actually outlasting the Liberace Museum, across the street, which is closing next month because of a lack of paying visitors.)
My response to Don's suggestion that I find the place:
Last night I was a bit early for our pool league that plays in a joint on the corner of Spencer and Flamingo. So I drove around a bit and saw the Pinball Hall of Fame on the north side of Flamingo, about a block west.
Big place. Must have 250 pinball machines dating back to the 40's, all in working condition (for.25) Not really a Hall of Fame, since there were no posted descriptions of the machines - it's really just a massive pinball hall.
No admission fee and 10-12 folks in there playing various vintage machines.
I didn't have the time for a careful tour, but saw a Gottlieb machine from the 50's that I used to play on, so plopped in a quarter. Won a free game on a match, so got to play two before I had to leave.
To that, Don reminded me of the Nu Way Drive-in, 47th and Prospect, where I used to spend my .50 weekly allowance.
Right; 6 plays for a quarter.
I was thinking about that place last night. Only one pinball machine and 5 or 6 of us would be there waiting to play, with our nickels lined up on the glass. Nu Way had a special hamburger sandwich: crumbled meat instead of a patty. Pretty good, but I never had enough to spare in order to have one.
One afternoon, there were more of us than usual around the Royal Flush. One guy playing was a big kid, but had some sort of developmental issues; a bit crazy and the kind today who would be in a special school.
Anyway, he got pissed at the machine and started slamming it viciously. The manager called the police. A couple of cars with two cops apiece arrived.
When they approached the kid, one of them placed his hand on his shoulder. The kid went nuts, cold cocked him and ran outside. He only got about halfway to Crown Drugs on the corner when he was tackled by one of the cops.
The police were really worked up over the whole deal and called a paddy wagon. Hauled every kid in the place to the 63rd street station. We were in a room together and could hear the cops in another room working the kid over. "Don't hit me again!"
My father came to get me; he knew the sergeant who had called him; they had formerly worked together at Lake City. They had a big laugh over the whole thing. I was really mad for a long time over the arbitrariness of the cops - but now I'm a law and order guy.
(It is actually outlasting the Liberace Museum, across the street, which is closing next month because of a lack of paying visitors.)
My response to Don's suggestion that I find the place:
Last night I was a bit early for our pool league that plays in a joint on the corner of Spencer and Flamingo. So I drove around a bit and saw the Pinball Hall of Fame on the north side of Flamingo, about a block west.
Big place. Must have 250 pinball machines dating back to the 40's, all in working condition (for.25) Not really a Hall of Fame, since there were no posted descriptions of the machines - it's really just a massive pinball hall.
No admission fee and 10-12 folks in there playing various vintage machines.
I didn't have the time for a careful tour, but saw a Gottlieb machine from the 50's that I used to play on, so plopped in a quarter. Won a free game on a match, so got to play two before I had to leave.
To that, Don reminded me of the Nu Way Drive-in, 47th and Prospect, where I used to spend my .50 weekly allowance.
Right; 6 plays for a quarter.
I was thinking about that place last night. Only one pinball machine and 5 or 6 of us would be there waiting to play, with our nickels lined up on the glass. Nu Way had a special hamburger sandwich: crumbled meat instead of a patty. Pretty good, but I never had enough to spare in order to have one.
One afternoon, there were more of us than usual around the Royal Flush. One guy playing was a big kid, but had some sort of developmental issues; a bit crazy and the kind today who would be in a special school.
Anyway, he got pissed at the machine and started slamming it viciously. The manager called the police. A couple of cars with two cops apiece arrived.
When they approached the kid, one of them placed his hand on his shoulder. The kid went nuts, cold cocked him and ran outside. He only got about halfway to Crown Drugs on the corner when he was tackled by one of the cops.
The police were really worked up over the whole deal and called a paddy wagon. Hauled every kid in the place to the 63rd street station. We were in a room together and could hear the cops in another room working the kid over. "Don't hit me again!"
My father came to get me; he knew the sergeant who had called him; they had formerly worked together at Lake City. They had a big laugh over the whole thing. I was really mad for a long time over the arbitrariness of the cops - but now I'm a law and order guy.
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