Dude...Let's Get The Newspaper Back Together

The Bosco Editor and Doug Vehle back in the 70's. Hint: I'm the one that looks like Bob Redford.

By Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

It probably has gone unnoticed. No I'm quite sure it has gone unnoticed. Because nobody else cares...quite frankly.

There has been a major reunion going on over the past few years. No, it's not like when Steely Dan got back together or it's not like the Beatles getting back together. But, in my universe it was just as important.

Doug Vehle has been sending me articles for this blog. Or I think it's Doug Vehle. Maybe it's all an elaborate hoax. Like when the real Paul McCartney died. Up until a few years ago I did not have any contact with Doug for over 30 years. I went looking for Bentley Little and Doug came forward. For the uninformed, Doug, Bentley, and I were the Beatles of High School Journalism. We were on the 1976-77 Fullerton High School Pleiades newspaper staff. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

In my senior year of high school, I became the editor of my high school newspaper. Except we were no ordinary high school newspaper. The Fullerton High Pleiades had a tradition of excellence dating back to the turn of the century. Every year I was there we won All American status...the highest achievement for a high school newspaper. One of the reasons for that was that we had the best Journalism adviser on the planet, Nell Guyette.

Ms. Guyette had two rules for working on the Pleiades. Rule number one... no girlfriends or boyfriends. She wanted your undivided attention. And number two... the Pleiades staff was not run by Democracy. It was a Theocracy and she was God. Everything she said was final. End of discussion.

It was probably no coincidence that seeing a sudden turn of direction and the lack of talent coming on to the Pleiades in my senior year, that Ms. Guyette decided to take a sabbatical that year. She said she was going on a sabbatical, but now that I think about it she was still teaching English at FUHS in my senior year and didn't go anywhere. Hmmm.

So the advisership fell to Mrs. Beverly Booth that year. Mrs. Booth was a great Drama and English teacher and the nicest and sweetest lady you could ever meet. But quite frankly, nothing could prepare her for running this high school newspaper. We might as well had no adviser. Especially when two bushy-haired radical kids in the form of Bentley Little and Doug Vehle showed up. It was like the inmates were running the asylum.

You have to remember this was the mid-70's and the Watergate scandal and All The President's Men were fresh in our brains and we all wanted to be Bob Woodard or Carl Bernstein. So the closest thing to the government in our world was the Associated Student Body and we had a field day looking for scandal and corruption. And since we had a puppet adviser, we were not very responsible. That was all good and well until we ran out of money and I had to go the ASB to ask for more funds. Fortunately the ASB President, as was the case with most people, never read the Pleiades and thus never read all the nasty things we wrote about him... so we were safe and they gave us our money.

Bentley and Doug thought I was the squarest thing since the invention of the geometric pattern. So they would always test my boundaries. One day they decided to go off and start their own underground newspaper... Aqualung. They did it primarily as a public service to let the kids know about the undercover narcs on campus and to be free from the restraints of a regular high school paper...which that year had no restraints. But that was beside the point. They were just punks. They told me about it I think to get a rise out of me but I thought it was cool. I said I wanted to write for them and they denied me. Doug's version is that I didn't want to write for them because I was the editor of the school newspaper and it wouldn't look good. I say I offered to write under a pseudonym, but Doug doesn't remember it that way. They just thought I was a bad writer.

Bentley went on to become a prolific horror novelist and Doug also wrote professionally and became a Television/Broadcast Instructor. I was quite frankly surprised and happy when he started sending me articles.

Then I got this wonderful idea. What if all the guys and gals from the old Pleiades started writing in or contributing. It would be great. It would be a great reunion. We would have the best political cartoonist...Gary Munson. We would have the best photographers... Russ Dobbie and Mike Vogl. And great sports editors who actually played the game like Brian McCarthy and Jim Merrill. And of course the best writer and editor, Cheryl Walker. And Bentley Little and Doug Vehle.

Apparently Bentley Little doesn't go on the internet...and writes all of his novels on an IBM Selectric. That could be a problem.

Of Dan, Danica, Bobby, and The Olsonite Eagle

Sports: The Indianapolis 500 Brings Back Memories of Some Great Races, Personalities, and the cars like Dan Gurney's car The Olsonite Eagle driven by Bobby Unser.

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

It's Indianapolis 500 week and this time of year always brings back some memories. I haven't had a chance to really enjoy the Indy 500 recently. Other things crowded out the space it used to occupy in my mind.

But I will be there somewhere close to a television come Sunday when Jim Nabors sings "My Indiana Home".  He still does that doesn't he?  I think I heard he died recently.  Oh, that was the guy who played "Goober" Pyle... "Gomer" is still alive. I think.

The fascination of the race was rekindled a few years ago when Danica Patrick came so close to winning. I was sitting by a television at Revolucion restaurant in Fullerton on race day and realized I may be witnessing history. Patrick was so close to being the first woman to win the Greatest Spectacle in Sport.

This was a far cry from when one of my Fullerton High School teachers Arlene Hiss or Janet Guthrie was in the race. I believe AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti got a little pissed because they kept on getting in their way when they would try to lap them at the Brickyard and they wanted them banned. But Danica can flat out race and I want her to win this year. Or some car David Letterman is sponsoring.

When I was a kid Dan Gurney and anything having to do with Dan Gurney was my favorite. I liked Dan Gurney because he was a Hotwheels guy. When you are a boy in the late 60's you're either a Johnny Lightning kid or a Hotwheels kid.

My brother Steve, our friend Tim, and I were Hotwheels guys. And Dan Gurney proudly displayed the Hotwheels logo on his cars. I even had the Olsonite Eagle replica Hotwheel and it was one of my prized possessions. To this day it remains in pristene condition tucked away in Dad's garage somewhere. Al Unser drove the Johnny Lightning Special to more than one win and we were heartbroken. When my Uncle Joe and Aunt Charlene went to Indianapolis to see the race and saw the great Mario Andretti win in that red STP Special we were also heartbroken. He beat Dan Gurney.

Dan Gurney would go on to have success as an owner and his American Eagle Racing shop was in Orange County. One year our good family friend John Sights was out visiting from Misssouri and staying with his family at our house. One day he packs up his son Gary, my dad, and my brother and I in his Buick and announces "I have a treat for you guys".

So we found ourselves a few moments later in heaven for a guy. We were in Dan Gurney's shop and there they were... two beautiful white Jorgenson Eagles Indy Cars. Fresh back from the Brickyard! With Bobby Unser and Dan Gurney walking around the shop talking strategy and John's friend, a machinist, talking shop...it was one of the most amazing days of my life.

The Indianapolis 500 will once again be on ABC television this weekend on Sunday. Check your local listings. You can also link through Bosco Radio: The Sports Channel on Sunday. It's in the sidebar.

Boys of Spring. Men of Summer. 1942

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

In Fullerton, California baseball is king. But in 1942 with war breaking out in Europe and our democracy being challenged, even baseball took a back seat in Fullerton to the war.

Almost forgotten that year in the events of the day, was the fact that Fullerton High School was busy working on another baseball championship and on the field was probably the best team ever assembled in Fullerton baseball history. That says a lot for a town that has produced the likes of hall of famers Walter Johnson, Arky Vaughan, Gary Carter, Willard Hershberger and a guy that should be in the hall of fame...Del Crandall.

During the backdrop of the war, the boys of Fullerton rolled on to a League championship and then were taking out opponents right and left in the post season. Anchored by a tall, lanky righthander Vaughan Jones and his battery mate Kenny Sullivan the team was virtually unstoppable. Except this story takes an unexpected turn.

In 1942 two things were happening. Number one, most of the interest was going toward the war effort and not on high school sports. In the CIF (California Intersholastic Federation) that year it was not like today with multiple divisions based on high school size, etc. There was only a major winner which was San Diego that year and a minor winner which was Fullerton. Fullerton was supposed to play San Diego that year to determine on the field which was the better team. That game never happened.

That's because all of the Fullerton High Senior boys and the popular coach of Fullerton High all went down before the season ended and enlisted in the military to serve their country. Most of those boys were in the battlefields by Summer. Most of the boys never got back home. Vaughan Jones the righthander was one of the 1942 Championship team that was killed in action that year.

Ken Sullivan, story was somewhat of a tragedy too. When you consider the fact that he was ticketed for the major leagues and could have added his name to the Hall of Famers from Fullerton. Ken took shrapnel to his leg and could barely walk. His baseball career was over. He was decorated for his service in World War II. He was a war hero.

Ken would go on to mentor the great Del Crandall as a catcher.

I met Ken eight years ago while I was organizing the annual Fullerton High School Baseball Alumni Game and Reunion. He was not bitter about his life. He couldn't be...he had a great family, great friends, a wonderful career, but one thing he told me was not setting well with him all these years. The CIF never recognized the 1942 team as CIF champions. The official winner that year for baseball was San Diego. I and some others tried to get the school to at least have a banner up with the other CIF Champions for the 1942 baseball team. They wouldn't do it.

Ken died a few years ago. It's strange how life is sometimes. I had started a community newspaper in Fullerton and one of the first stories I wanted to do was on Ken and the 1942 FUHS baseball team. I was going to make a phone call to interview Ken but before I made that call I decided to do some preliminary background research on the team and the year 1942. That's when I ran across Ken's obituary.

A good friend of Ken's, Tom Gregory, picked up the ball and ran with the CIF recoginition. Fortunately, with Tom's hard work CIF reversed their ruling and officially made Fullerton High 1942 baseball team CIF champions. The team even made it to the banner that hangs at the Fullerton High Baseball Field.

But because many of them made the ultimate sacrifice and were great men, they will always be our champions.

Re-Defining Hip

Gina Saputo
In Concert
Tonight, Friday, May 18; 8:30 PM
Steamers Jazz Cafe
Fullerton, CA

Gina Saputo, who performs tonight in Fullerton, California's Steamers Jazz Cafe has already built an impeccable reputation in the International jazz scene, as a professional jazz singer, arranger, composer and educator.

Driven to excel, she started performing at the age of 15 in jazz clubs in Eugene, Oregon. She has performed at the top venues in Los Angeles, as well as venues in Colorado, Oregon, California, Washington D.C., Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

She had the honor of studying vocals privately with Carmen Lundy, Tierney Sutton, Carmen Bradford and Jennifer Barnes-Shelton and studied piano with Alan Pasqua. Gina holds a Bachelors Degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Southern California, 2003.

In February of 2004, Gina released her debut self titled album featuring the incredible talents of Gerald Clayton on piano, Dan Lutz on bass, and Kevin Kanner on drums. 

Grammy nominated TelArc recording artist Tierney Sutton also brought her incredible wisdom to this album and was responsible for the vocal production. 

Gina's CD is available at www.ginasaputo.com, www.cdbaby.com and www.towerrecords.com. 

In 2005, Gina toured and studied with the Thelonious Monk Institute under jazz legends like Terri Lyn Carrington, Stefon Harris, Wallace Roney, Hal Crook, and Ron Carter. During her time with the institute she traveled to Washington D.C. to perform at the United States State department with Terence Blanchard and traveled to Vietnam to perform with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Nnenna Freelon.

Gina recently was conducting Master classes, performing and teaching as a guest professor in Gwangju University, Korea, 2008. 

She toured Japan April, 2008, with Annie Sellick and Nicole Henry and again in September with grammy nominated pianist, Bill Cunliffe, Tim Horner and Martin Wind. Gina counts as her influences Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, Herbie Hancock, Ella Fitzgerald, Elis Regina, Astrud Gilberto, Wayne Shorter, Regina Spektor, Lena Horne, and Bessie Smith.
Gina currently teaches at Encore Music Academy and Silverlake Conservatory. Gina conducts the Agape Choir, sings in the Trinity Baptist Choir and praise band, and sings/composes for Shakedown Lulu White. 

She is currently recording her next jazz album.

Memorial Day

By Rick Miranda, The Daily Bosco

I’m not particularly fond of holidays. Before you start throwing stones and calling me a nihilist I should qualify that. I don’t hate them...I just don’t find them particularly celebratory. An annual remembrance of some event or notion that is usually overshadowed by the celebration itself. It’s usually a reason to drag family and friends together for mirth and merriment but with the exception of a few religious holidays little time is actually spent in consideration of the actual reason for a day off with pay. An unfortunate by-product of the Monday holiday bill.

But Monday was a bit different for me. While many of the same rites and rituals were repeated across this great country of ours and many a family, including my own, hauled out the briquettes and lighter fluid, feasted on red meat and potato salad and listened to the latest family gossip, one extra detail set this holiday weekend aside; at least for me.

Some thirteen years ago my father passed from this world. Every year I mean to visit his grave, and like so many good intentions, time and circumstances seem to get in the way. None the less I do try to make it there when I can and since the anniversary of his death coincides with Memorial Day, I find those visits that I do make to be that much more emotional.

Like so many of his age, my dad spent his time in military service. For his time in uniform he was afforded the privilege of burial among his fellow servicemen in a special section of the cemetery. It moves me to visit this place of honor on a weekend such as this. Each grave adorned with a flag, some with flowers, a cross or the Magen David, it fills me with a sense of gratitude and pride that there is a collective recognition for the service that my father gave along with all these men and women.

Most buried here didn’t die in service to their country. They went on to live typical, some would say mundane, lives. To marry, work, pay taxes, raise children. To perpetuate and enjoy the society to which they had expressed their devotion through the military. Mundane, pedestrian, mediocre, perhaps to those who take it for granted, but so very precious to those who realize how blessed a life it truly is.

Some may have been heroes and some may have been clerks. For every warrior on the line there are ten behind helping to get the job done. Each performed their duties and no one of us afforded the pleasure of freedom can or should judge the depth or quality of their individual efforts. We leave that to our Creator and those that served with them. Whether draftee, volunteer, officer or enlisted these people gave a part of their lives to ensure our well being, that of our country and to a great extent that of the world.

While most were driven by a sense of duty I know not everyone serves for the same reason. I’m sure there are those here that joined for the benefits, financial help with college or simply had nowhere else to go at the time. To be sure some went unwillingly. But it’s their duty that we’re to remember, not their motivation. How many of us have done the greatest things in our lives for the noblest of reasons?

Since my father so loved his time in the service, I feel fortunate, grateful actually, that the occasion of his death coincided with this most appropriate day of national remembrance. It reminds me of his best qualities, qualities valued in any soldier, duty, reverence, integrity. And it reminds me of his hopes to not only instill those qualities within myself but that I pass that paternal obligation on to my sons as well.

In that respect, I can only hope to fulfill that obligation to him, to myself and to my children. So to all those that lay in this field of honor, all those that have served and to this, my first, best hero, I offer my gratitude an

The Coffee Cups Will Be Stacked Against Romney

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

Before you know it, my 7-eleven on Placentia Ave. will be rolling out their quadrennial coffee cup poll.

For the uninformed, this is where the home of the Slurpee has coffee cups printed with the two major presidential candidates names on it. As you buy your coffee (today mine was a house blend with sugar-free hazelnut syrup) you put the coffee in your candidate's cup. Blue will be for Obama. Red will be for Romney. Of course.

As last time, 7-eleven will keep track on how many people take Obama cups and how many people will take Romney cups. And, through this method they say that they have successfully predicted the outcome of the last three elections.

I have to say, kudos to the marketing department or some coffee cup maker in the midwest who came up with this idea. Sheer genius. But here are the problems.

First of all,  many of Romney's supporters don't drink coffee.  His Latter Day Saint supporters have a dietary restriction against coffee.

But come to think about it...there are a few things that may offset that fact.

Like the fact that Democrats usually drink some soothing herbal tea with honey in it.  And when Dems do drink coffee wouldn't they be doing the environmentally-responsible thing by drinking out of a reusable porcelain cup?

Other than the LDS supporters, Republicans drink coffee by the gallon. I see them coming in with their 62 oz. Big Gulp cups all the time and filling them up with coffee. So in most election years, Republicans are always going to win the coffee cup vote.

Also, where are the undecided cups? Or the Ron Paul cups? Or the Ralph Nader Cup? I think the Undecided cups should be purple. You know the color when you mix blue and red. The Ralph Nader cup of course would have a Chevette on it and be recycled. And be green. Or maybe the reason why you don't see undecided cups  is that they sell out really fast.

And what about the young voter? Isn't the average 18-25 year old chugging an energy drink? Shouldn't the cans of Throttle be counted as well?

Here in Republican country, AKA Orange County, the coffee cups are definitely stacked against the Democratic candidate. Last time, some wise guy or gal took a bunch of McCain cups and put them on top of the Obama cups. Which in coffee cup elections is the equivalent of ballot box stuffing or scare tactics at the voting booth. In this particular 7-eleven, after I sorted out the coffee cups (which made me look a lot like Tony Shaloub in Monk), it seemed to be like the national election...too close to call.

Life During War Time

Unrelenting Relaxation 
Stages Theater Fullerton 
400 E. Commonwealth, Fullerton 
Written by Amanda DeMaio 
Directed by Mike Martin 
Through May 27 
Five Scoops of Bosco  

Reviewed by Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

Taking In the play Unrelenting Relaxation, a tale of life during War Time could not have come at a better time.

I, as many people, have been thinking a lot about how war effects each and every one of us lately. Especially since my young nephew, a Marine, went to Afghanistan in his first tour of duty. I have witnessed the effects of war first hand as my brother and his wife and our family have spent many sleepless nights worrying about my nephew's safety. Every time we hear of a report of a death in Afghanistan we worry...until we get the phone call or email saying everything is ok.

And it doesn't get any better when my nephew tells us stories like the time he was driving his Commanding Officer when a live grenade landed on the top of their vehicle.

Unrelenting Relaxation, an original play currently running at Fullerton's Stages Theater, written by local Amanda DeMaio, tells the tale of five women who witness first hand the brutality of World War II. The story is told through a series of interviews.

The play starts out and ambles along easy and slow but as it progresses and you get more involved in the story, it builds in intensity until it is almost too much to listen. I personally at the end almost could not bear to hear the heartbreaking tale of these women, based on true events.

Excellent story telling by DeMaio who interweaves the interviews with extreme creativity. This jumping and interplay of stories between the five characters and the interviewer is a great device because it keeps you mentally in the story. It's not a dialogue... its a quintalogue, so to speak, used to great effect.

All the actresses (Arlyn McDonald, Elizabeth Serra, Nancy Tyler, Jill Cary Martin, and Jennifer Pearce) are wonderful. The performances are memorable and will stick with you. Each actress must speak with an accent based on where their character is from. There is German, British, French, Polish, and Dutch accents and all are done well.

Great minimal set design by Jon Gaw, Mike Martin, and Brian Fichtner that utilizes the whole area of the intimate theater. And the use of sound and music by David Chorley is understated, well done and does not interfere with the actors performances.

I highly recommend this play.

 It runs until May 27.