Submitted by Arcadia Publishing

Since 1893, a light has been shining from Patos Island, the northernmost island in Puget Sound. Built to guide ships through treacherous waters, the lighthouse was also a happy home for many, including Edward Durgan and his family in the early 1900s.

Boundary waters smugglers and rumrunners once visited the island to stash their contraband, and it was a front-line guard for the nation during World War II. Manned for 81 years by the U.S. government, the light was automated in 1974 and is now maintained by the Coast Guard. Join authors Edrie Vinson and Terri Vinson, members of the Keepers of the Patos Light, as they explore the history of this unique Washington landmark in their new book, Patos Island Lighthouse, available on March 29.

Edrie Lee Vinson holds a Bachelor of Arts in history and English from Carroll College and a Masters in history and archaeology from Montana State University. She has worked in historic preservation and environmental sciences. Since retirement, she has volunteered at the Orcas Island Historical Museum as the first vice-president of the board of directors and museum archivist. Currently, she serves as president of the Keepers of the Patos Light, an all-volunteer organization.

Terri Vinson holds a degree in Asian studies from The Evergreen State College. She attended graduate studies at the University of Hawaii. Her interest in local history was inspired by her grandmother, Edrie Vinson. She began volunteering at the Orcas Island Historical Museum doing archival organization and research, and she eventually became the program director for the oral history program. Terri Vinson now serves as the secretary for the Keepers of the Patos Light.

Read more:

New book focus on history of Patos Island... - Journal of the San Juan Islands

With the signing of Trevor Bauer on Friday, plus the expected return of David Price, the 2021 Dodgers rotation that includes Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler will, on paper, be one of the franchises best ever. How will it compare with great Dodgers rotations of the past?

A good way to compare rotations from different periods in baseball history is to use the ERA+ stat. What that does is compare an ERA to the league average ERA that season and convert it into a number. If a pitcher or team has an ERA+ of 100, then they are exactly the league average. If it is 110, then they are 10% better than average, 90 is 10% worse, and so on.

If you added Trevor Bauer to last seasons Dodgers rotation, their top four starters of Bauer (276), Kershaw (196), Buehler (124) and Dustin May (165) would have an approximate ERA+ of 180. Last season was only 60 games, so that number is more than likely deceptively high. Heres a look at some other top Dodgers rotations, using the ERA+ for the top four starters:

1916 Brooklyn Robins: Jeff Pfeffer (141), Larry Cheney (140), Sherry Smith (115), Rube Marquard (171). The first Dodgers team to advance to the World Series, where they lost to the Boston Red Sox and their star pitcher, Babe Ruth.

1930 Brooklyn Robins: Dazzy Vance (189), Watty Clark (118), Jumbo Elliott (125), Ray Phelps (120). Vance is the most overlooked great pitcher in team history. This team led the National League until August, when it faded to a fourth-place finish.

1955 Brooklyn Dodgers: Don Newcombe (128), Billy Loes (114), Carl Erskine (108), Johnny Podres (103). Won the first World Series title in team history.

1965: Sandy Koufax (160), Don Drysdale (118), Claude Osteen (117), Johnny Podres (95). The last World Series title for the Koufax-Drysdale duo.

1977: Burt Hooton (147), Tommy John (138), Don Sutton (121), Doug Rau (112). You could also go with the 1976 team, which had the same four. The 1977 team advanced to the World Series, where they lost to the New York Yankees.

1985: Orel Hershiser (171), Fernando Valenzuela (141), Bob Welch (150), Jerry Reuss (119). Valenzuela was near the end of his prime, and Hershiser was at the start of his. It resulted in a loss in the NLCS to Jack Clark and the St. Louis Cardinals.

1996: Hideo Nomo (122), Ismael Valdez (117), Ramon Martinez (114), Pedro Astacio (113). Wild-card team lost to Atlanta in the NLDS.

2015: Zack Greinke (222), Clayton Kershaw (173), Mike Bolsinger (102), Brett Anderson (100). Granted, Bolsinger and Anderson arent standouts, but its hard to leave out a rotation featuring two Cy Young candidates.

2019: Hyun-Jin Ryu (179), Rich Hill (169), Clayton Kershaw (137), Walker Buehler (127). Just two seasons ago, and this team lost to Washington in the NLDS.

Read more:

A look at the top rotations in Dodgers history - Los Angeles Times

What started as a socialist parable turned into a capitalist dream, thanks to a little light theft, repackaging, and some brisk sales at Wanamaker's.

In the wake of the Great GameStop Rebellion, which pitted the proletariat against their hedge-fund oppressors, its worth hitting pause to reflect on the peculiar origins of what may be the worlds favorite board game: Monopoly, brainchild of an unemployed Germantown native, Charles Darrow, who would become the first game inventor ever to become a millionaire. Shades of Rich Uncle Pennybags!

Except oh shucks, not. The history of the ultimate capitalist pastime is a lot more complicated than that rags-to-riches tale. Heres a quick breakdown, in honor of February 7th, the date on which the first game was sold more than 85 years ago.

1. Darrows game is generally considered a successor to one invented by Elizabeth Magie, a typist at the Dead Letter Office in Washington, D.C., and patented in 1903 when less than one percent of all patent applicants were female. Hers, known as The Landlord Game, came with two sets of rules, intended to instruct players in the theories of anti-monopolist Henry George, who advocated for the wealthy to pay more taxes (sound familiar?). Played by one rule set, the game rewarded all the players when wealth was created; played by the other, one winner crushed all other comers. Naturally, the second set proved more fun.

2. The Landlord Game became popular among certain progressive groups, including college students (at the Wharton School, professor Scott Nearing used it to indoctrinate his students into socialism) and a group of Quakers living in Atlantic City. Players would create homemade versions based on their own surroundings; the Jersey Quaker board featured Atlantic City sights like the Boardwalk and Park Place. And Atlantic City was where Charles Darrow first played The Landlord Game, at the home of friends. The unemployed engineer asked for a copy of the rules, took them home, and set about tinkering with the layout of the board, though he did retain the A.C. street names including a misspelling of Marven Gardens.

3. With the help of a son and his wife, Darrow hand-drew and hand-painted the oilcloth boards and drawing cards for his game, then hired a graphic artist to design some of the famous elements, like the Go arrow and the Water Works faucet. He packaged these games in flat white boxes and offered them for sale at John Wanamakers department store, where they did well enough that other emporia took notice.

4. Darrow dangled the game in front of Parker Brothers in 1933, but the company famously rejected it, declaring that it was too complicated, too technical and took too long to play, which you know, whos gonna argue with that? Armed with bang-up Christmas-season sales, though, he offered it again in 1935, and this time, the game maker bit. Darrows capitalist version of The Landlord Game sold 278,000 copies in its first year and almost two million the next. (Increased leisure time and newfangled electric lighting had spurred the popularity of board games nationwide.) Parker Brothers bought out the rights to several similar games, including that of Elizabeth Magie, who was paid $500, with no royalties. She hoped the new game would disseminate Georges theories more widely. Oops.

5. Marvin Gardens and all, the game has become a worldwide best-seller, with versions marketed in Russian, Cantonese, Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish and many more languages, with boards tailored to foreign locales. (Parker Brothers was bought in 1991 by Hasbro.) Neiman Marcus sold a chocolate version of the game for $600 in 1978; an iPhone version debuted in 2008. Interesting note: During World War II, the British intelligence service secreted money, maps, and metal escape instruments inside Monopoly games sent to prisoners of war.

6. In the 1990s, Jerome P. Jacobson, chief security officer for the company that made game pieces for McDonalds promotions, engineered a scam in which he sneaked into airport mens rooms to avoid a woman auditor assigned to guard him, switched out winning pieces for regular ones, passed the winners on to friends and acquaintances (and, in one case, Judes Childrens Research Hospital), and netted a cool $24 million before the FBI finally caught up with him. His story was made into the HBO documentary McMillion$, which premiered last year. Karmas a bitch.

See the article here:

The Strange Philly History of the Monopoly Board Game - Philadelphia magazine

Buffalo River's 50th anniversary commemorated with oral history project | KTLO

Rain: 7am to 7am: 0.18 Month: 0.23 Year: 3.72 | Recorded temps: High: 41 Low: 25

Photo: Two environmental history students from the University of Central Arkansas conduct an oral history interview with Brenda Brown and her mother, Wanda. (NPS, Feb. 2020)

To commemorate the Buffalo National Rivers 50th anniversary as a national park, stories and memories are being collected about the area. The information about the Buffalo River and its gateway communities will be archived on a publicity accessible online portal.

If you know someone who loves to share stories about the Buffalo River, you can help preserve those stories for generations to come by participating in the oral history crowdsourcing project through StoryCorps.

Learn how to get started at nps.gov/articles/000/oral-history-at-buffalo-national-river.

Previously recorded interviews in the Buffalo National River StoryCorps Community may be accessed and listened to at archive.storycorps.org/communities/buffalo-national-river-oral-history/.

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Buffalo River's 50th anniversary commemorated with oral history project - ktlo.com

From the filthy, narrow confines of a Birmingham jail in 1963, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

As we celebrate Black History Month, I encourage each of you to read the text of Rev. Kings Letter from the Birmingham Jail. The letter contains as many powerful and relevant messages today as in 1963.

While much progress has been made, the expanse of shocking events witnessed throughout 2020 and January 2021 sends a clear message that much work remains to be done. In fact, I will take it a step further. We are kidding ourselves if we dont come to terms with the fact we are headed in a troubling direction.

By the measure of years, we have moved past the memory of historic and horrific events such as the lynching of more than 3,446 Black and 1,297 white Americans between 1882 and 1968, the 1955 murder of 14-year old Emmett Till and the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham that took the lives of four little Black girls and injured more than 20 other people. Current events suggest we should invest resources toward a better understanding of our past to avoid the senseless deaths and acts of brutality that has resulted in lost lives, stolen treasure and the hopeful promise of people like Trayvon Martin, Botham Jean, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

Like many, I watched in shock and disbelief at the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. I cannot pray away my belief that had I been introduced to any number of these people on Jan. 5, I would have thought it impossible for any of them to carry a rage that burns so hot it would lead them to participate in a destructive assault on our nation.

It is shattering to the spirit of America to believe the America that President Reagan once described as The Shining City on a Hill is now Exhibit No. 1 in the arrests and indictments of those who came to destroy the democracy they helped to create. The once peaceful protests led by Rev. King have in a few short years been replaced by the raging fires of anger, distrust and violence, and social media has shown us the most dangerous thing we now do is talk to each other. Still, we have within our reach the power and ability to at least start a healing.

Chief Justice Earl Warren once said he would begin each day by first reading the sports pages. The sports page records mans accomplishments, the front page speaks only of mans failures.

I can speak to the healing power of witnessing the accomplishments of those who served as the inspiration for my own athletic achievements.

To a Black kid born in a poor rural community in Oklahoma, I was able to see inspiration and hope in my own backyard watching the Selmon brothers move with grace and brilliance on both the Eufaula High School football field and the gridiron of the University of Oklahoma. Their undeniable talent gave me hope I might one day be able to forge my own future to play on Saturday for the Oklahoma Sooners.

No one can deny the hope and pride African Americans carry in their soul as they watch one of their own break a color barrier. Althea Gibson, Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Jack Johnson, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, Hank Aaron, Serena Williams and Tiger Woods are several who have given rise to hope and healing. As barrier after barrier fall, all aspects of American life and liberty seem possible.

The elixir of healing and progress can be witnessed in the heavens when the scientific and mathematical genius of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson shine so brightly that it makes a way for Mae C. Jemison and Jeanette Epps as both rise to the top of NASAs astronaut program.

In spite of 2020 and Jan. 6, America is still a special place. I remain hopeful my grandkids will walk into a future where the road has been widened to accommodate Americans of all creeds and colors to join as one body in the journey of America.

J.C. Watts is a Republican politician from Oklahoma and a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was a University of Oklahoma football star and became Oklahomas first African American to hold statewide office. He currently is the co-founder and chairman of the Black News Channel, the nations only provider of 24/7 cable news programming dedicated to covering the unique perspective of African American communities.

Link:

Black History Month: Were in a troubling direction, but theres hope for healing - Deseret News

History and Hope: A conversation with Seaside's John Nash

Nash grew up in the segregated south and has lived in Seaside for 66 years

Updated: 4:52 PM PST Feb 5, 2021

John Nash grew up in the segregated south before he moved to Seaside, California, where he's lived for more than six decades. KSBW 8's Alani Letang sat down with Nash to talk about his history and his hope for Black equality in the future. In addition, Nash talked about finding hope in the new Biden-Harris administration, while also putting importance on Black History education and Black equality for the future. The conversation also touched on points of strong Black leadership, Nash specifically highlighting Stacey Abrams in the work she's done with elections in Georgia.John Nash is an 88-year-old man who has lived in Seaside for 66 years."So, Mr. Nash, you are from North Carolina," asked KSBW's Alani Letang. "It's Pelham, North Carolina, it's a farm town. And what we did back there, my parents was a sharecropper, you know what a sharecropper is?" asked Nash. "We raised tobacco. What happened, we didn't own the land, somebody else on the land. And we supplied labor to, you know, to do the tobacco farming. So most of us, all of us really, when we got old enough, we moved away and I went to go into the army. They drafted me. I was drafted in 1952, November the fifth. I'll never forget it. 1952." "It really wasn't that bad because it was a lot of soldiers here and the school wasn't segregated here," Nash said. Letang said, "You look back into history, you've grown up in the 30s, 40s and 50s up until you moved here. And you take a look at segregation, you take a look at the racism that I feel still like this here. I know the history back then, but you lived it. And to me, it doesn't seem that things are very far off from what they are. I still feel that the systemic racism is deeply rooted in that. As a black man, as black people. What do you think we stand now?""Well, we just had a vice president elected for the highest office in the country," Nash started off saying. "We can't sit back and wait. Somebody do it for us. We've got to do it like Abrams did that in Georgia. We got to get out and push. And I think we wouldn't be pushing hard enough because we get little. We got too comfortable. We get a little ways and we get comfortable. OK," Nash said. "And I see that a lot, too, when I see all the protests across the country. I see them right here in our Seaside backyard," Letang added. "And just knowing that we haven't arrived yet. Right. I mean, I don't think we've arrived yet to the point where we can say we are the majority and we're listened to or even the minority and we listen."Nash said, "You just don't suppose to just let it happen, you supposed to fight about it. You got to fight for it. It shouldn't have to, you know, it's America. You supposed everybody's supposed to be, you know, the creed that everybody should be treated alike. But it's not happening. Martin Luther King did a wonderful job. You know, that was in the 60s. For it to come, fifty years later, come back like that, it's awful." "You're taking a step back, not a step forward," Letang noted. Speaking from experience, "There's not a week, or even a month, can pass when I'm not getting an email about my hair, about something else that's discriminating against me," Letang said. "And so I think that when you know, when I still look at from the past and look at now again, I just don't feel that way or that far off. And I always question myself, where do we get to the point where we can scrub that prejudice thought and get to the point where we can understand people, we can love people.""I think we've got to be educated," Nash answered. "It's really going to take time. And just like I said, we need to be educated. And, you know, I was in the army. I retired from the Army. And I learned stuff that I didn't know was happening. They had black soldiers training the people at West Point, how to ride and shoot. I didn't know that until, I don't know when," Nash said. The veteran added, "That wasn't in the history book that I read. That's another thing. A lot of stuff was left out when I was going to school too. It was left out the history books." "It's still left out," Letang responded. Nash said, "Well, yeah, I think I'll think about Biden and Kamala are going to do a lot, a good job." "We need hope and hope in this country," Letang said. "Well, they need help, too, you know, they can't do it alone," Nash said.Alani profiled Mr. Nash's Seaside community back in September, click here.And you can read more about it here: blackpast.org/african-american-history/race-and-color-california-coastal-community-seaside-story/

John Nash grew up in the segregated south before he moved to Seaside, California, where he's lived for more than six decades.

KSBW 8's Alani Letang sat down with Nash to talk about his history and his hope for Black equality in the future. In addition, Nash talked about finding hope in the new Biden-Harris administration, while also putting importance on Black History education and Black equality for the future. The conversation also touched on points of strong Black leadership, Nash specifically highlighting Stacey Abrams in the work she's done with elections in Georgia.

John Nash is an 88-year-old man who has lived in Seaside for 66 years.

"So, Mr. Nash, you are from North Carolina," asked KSBW's Alani Letang.

"It's Pelham, North Carolina, it's a farm town. And what we did back there, my parents was a sharecropper, you know what a sharecropper is?" asked Nash. "We raised tobacco. What happened, we didn't own the land, somebody else on the land. And we supplied labor to, you know, to do the tobacco farming. So most of us, all of us really, when we got old enough, we moved away and I went to go into the army. They drafted me. I was drafted in 1952, November the fifth. I'll never forget it. 1952."

"It really wasn't that bad [in Seaside] because it was a lot of soldiers here and the school wasn't segregated here," Nash said.

Letang said, "You look back into history, you've grown up in the 30s, 40s and 50s up until you moved here. And you take a look at segregation, you take a look at the racism that I feel still like this here. I know the history back then, but you lived it. And to me, it doesn't seem that things are very far off from what they are. I still feel that the systemic racism is deeply rooted in that. As a black man, as black people. What do you think we stand now?"

"Well, we just had a vice president elected for the highest office in the country," Nash started off saying. "We can't sit back and wait. Somebody do it for us. We've got to do it like Abrams did that in Georgia. We got to get out and push. And I think we wouldn't be pushing hard enough because we get little. We got too comfortable. We get a little ways and we get comfortable. OK," Nash said.

"And I see that a lot, too, when I see all the protests across the country. I see them right here in our Seaside backyard," Letang added. "And just knowing that we haven't arrived yet. Right. I mean, I don't think we've arrived yet to the point where we can say we are the majority and we're listened to or even the minority and we listen."

Nash said, "You just don't suppose to just let it happen, you supposed to fight about it. You got to fight for it. It shouldn't have to, you know, it's America. You supposed everybody's supposed to be, you know, the creed that everybody should be treated alike. But it's not happening. Martin Luther King did a wonderful job. You know, that was in the 60s. For it to come, fifty years later, come back like that, it's awful."

"You're taking a step back, not a step forward," Letang noted. Speaking from experience, "There's not a week, or even a month, can pass when I'm not getting an email about my hair, about something else that's discriminating against me," Letang said. "And so I think that when you know, when I still look at from the past and look at now again, I just don't feel that way or that far off. And I always question myself, where do we get to the point where we can scrub that prejudice thought and get to the point where we can understand people, we can love people."

"I think we've got to be educated," Nash answered. "It's really going to take time. And just like I said, we need to be educated. And, you know, I was in the army. I retired from the Army. And I learned stuff that I didn't know was happening. They had black soldiers training the people at West Point, how to ride and shoot. I didn't know that until, I don't know when," Nash said.

The veteran added, "That wasn't in the history book that I read. That's another thing. A lot of stuff was left out when I was going to school too. It was left out the history books."

"It's still left out," Letang responded.

Nash said, "Well, yeah, I think I'll think about Biden and Kamala are going to do a lot, a good job."

"We need hope and hope in this country," Letang said.

"Well, they need help, too, you know, they can't do it alone," Nash said.

Alani profiled Mr. Nash's Seaside community back in September, click here.

And you can read more about it here: blackpast.org/african-american-history/race-and-color-california-coastal-community-seaside-story/

See the rest here:

History and Hope: A conversation with Seaside's John Nash - KSBW Monterey

Shawn Southwick, Larry Kings widow and the only one of his seven wives to stay married to him, isnt bitter but could have been.

Southwick married the legendary broadcaster in 1997, 43 years after Kings first marriage, at age 20, to Frada Miller, a girlfriend from his native Brooklyn when he was still Larry Zeiger. Miller and King lasted less than a year; their marriage was annulled and King once said he wouldnt know Miller if he ran into her on the street.

Southwick, in contrast, had staying power, and, her friends say, the steeliness needed when going up against the iconic interviewer whose genial on-air persona belied an often difficult, verbally abusive and unfaithful side.

Throughout their 23-year marriage, the 61-year-old former singer and actress who was 26 years Kings junior was often painted as a trophy wife who cheated on King, Southwick told The Post.

My son went to school once and one of his classmates said his mother was a gold digger, Southwick told The Post. If only. Ive spent 23 years looking for those nuggets.

Instead, say friends of Southwick, it was King who cheated on her, uncontrollably and for years. One of those other women was reportedly Southwicks own younger sister, Shannon. Rumors of the affair were published by TMZ and Huffington Post in 2010. (Shannon denied that she was ever more than friends with King, who she called a father figure.)

In the latter years of their marriage they filed for divorce twice in 2010 and 2019 but neither was ever finalized Southwick had to contend with smear campaigns.

His people tried to polish Larry up and dirty me down, Southwick said. There were so many lies about me. I do admit to one affair and Im ashamed of it, but there was only one and it was after many years.

That Larry King was unfaithful and ethically challenged is not a revelation. A devastating 1997 Vanity Fair profile detailed Kings compulsive womanizing, as well as his bankruptcies, larceny arrest, and how he scammed loans from banks.

Shawn was a saint, Southwicks longtime friend told The Post. Shawn just wanted to keep the family together but shes been dragged through the mud. And deep down I know Larry loved Shawn.

The feeling was mutual, at least some of the time.

We had some spectacular, otherworldly experiences but they were juxtaposed with very painful moments, Southwick told The Post. Even so, I still loved him. I could have left him but I felt like a woman warrior battling for my family, for my boys. Larry was a good father and my boys loved him. But I knew if I left Larry, hed probably marry again right away and have more babies. And my sons would be pushed to the back of the line.

Unlike Frada Miller, who probably got nothing when her marriage to King ended, Southwick is the executrix of Kings estate. Though its been reported he had a $150 million fortune, insiders say King was notoriously bad with money and left well under $50 million. Southwick will probably walk away with about $10 million. Her two sons with King, Chance, 21, and Cannon, 20, as well as Kings son Larry Jr., 59, by his third wife Alene Akins, are well provided for according to the trust, sources told The Post.

Southwick, a longtime TV entertainer and the daughter of a record executive, met King when they bumped into each other at Tiffanys in LA. He asked her out after a few minutes of conversation. Southwick said yes, but added she was not looking for a relationship.

That was like waving a red flag in front of a bull, she recalled.

From that point on, Larry was relentless. He would not stop calling. He had Colin Powell call me when he was interviewing him. During our first date he arranged to have his friend Al Pacino stop by our table. When Larry wanted you, he brought out the big guns.

Longtime Washington reporter Sandra McElwaine gave an idea of some of Kings moves when she told Vanity Fair about visiting his apartment to interview him.

And hes sitting at one end of this big glass coffee table, and Im sitting at the other end, and were doing this interview, she recounted. At the end, I said, Is there something you want to do with your life that you havent done? At which point, he says Yes! and the next thing I know this creature in a jumpsuit has flung himself across a glass coffee table filled with sort of spiky objects. And I hear in my ear, I want to kiss you.'

I have dined out on it for years, she said. But it wasnt funny when it was happening.

Kings antics with women were watercooler fodder in Washington DC during the heyday of his CNN show in the 1990s.

There are women in Washington who can bring each other to weeping laughter by reciting their favorite Larry King pickup lines, Vanity Fair reported. I think theres real chemistry here,' he is apt to say on a first date. Do you feel the chemistry? Or Do you believe in love at first sight?'

But once he had you, said Southwick and others, he was less attentive.

We had such amazing times in the beginning, Southwick said. I remember standing in his apartment in Arlington, Virginia, with its view of the Capitol and feeling like the luckiest woman in the world. But that feeling didnt last. It was hard to be Larrys priority.

His many wives and friends said work always came first. King himself liked to say that if he got an urgent call from his wife and CNN at the same time, hed take the CNN call.

Work truly is his only life, the only thing that matters to him, Chuck Conconi, a Washington journalist who was once a close friend of King, told Vanity Fair. Once, I said to [fourth wife] Sharon Lepore that I didnt know what to get Larry for his birthday. And Sharon said, Get him an ON THE AIR sign for his bedroom.'

Herb Cohen, the author and famed professional negotiator who called King his best friend, first met Larry when they were 10-year-olds at elementary school in Bensonhurst. He said he talked to him every day almost up to the moment he died.

In spite of the fact that he got married so much, Larry had a lot of respect for women, Cohen told The Post. Back in those days, if you wanted to sleep with a woman, you married her. It was way before the pill and also people were very worried about getting a venereal disease. You didnt just shack up with people.

Cohen is one of the few people alive who can say they knew Kings first wife. King wrote in his 2009 book, My Remarkable Journey, that he and Frada got an apartment in Queens with a white couch. But it never amounted to anything. We were together for maybe six months.

Frada was a nice person but Larry was adventurous, lets just say, so it didnt work out, Cohen said. She was not his high school sweetheart. He married her when I was in the Army. She was conservative and stable. The last I knew of her she was working in a Brooklyn bakery.

King married Annette Kaye in 1961, but divorced her after just one year. He did not meet their son, Larry Jr., now 59, until he was in his 30s.

Next came former Playboy Bunny Alene Akins, who King married in 1961, divorced in 1963, remarried in 1967, and divorced again in 1972. They had a daughter, Chaia, and King adopted her son, Andy.

Cohen said never met Mickey Sutphin, an environmental biologist who was married to King briefly in the narrow gap between his marriages to Akins. They met when King and Sutphin worked together at a Miami radio station.

Larry started getting into a lot of difficulty during that time with these wives, Cohen recalled.

Sutphin, who married King in April 1963 and divorced him in December 1966, does not remember King fondly. The couple had a daughter, Elyssa Kelly, who was born in 1964.

I was not pregnant when we married despite what has been reported, Sutphin, 82, told The Post. At divorce, Larry was supposed to provide child support and health insurance. He did not. [Our daughter] needed two operations. When she was 9, she was adopted by my husband. Larry didnt deserve her.He sent lots of dolls and giant pandas. After filing for adoption, investigations showed he was living the high life in Miami.

Next up was Lepore, a math teacher and former TV production assistant, who married King in 1976.

Larry had two loves, Cohen told the Post. One was Sharon Lepore and one was Shawn Southwick. Sharon was very intelligent, attractive and ambitious and Larry was very much in love with her. And he really loved Shawn. Shawn is not only nice, she is exceptionally stunning. She and Larry had a very close relationship and they really loved their boys.

Great love or not, Lepore only got $160,000 in alimony when their divorce finalized in 1984, court papers obtained by The Post show.

Her successor was Julie Alexander, a businesswoman King met at a charity event and married in 1989. They separated just a year later and divorced in 1992. Alexander told Inside Edition in 2010 that she suspected King cheated on her.

Its just been a story with Larry that the hardest thing for him to do was remain constant in a relationship, Rama Fox, who was briefly engaged to King, told The Post. He always had that need to prove that he was wanted.

Fox, now 80 and living in Santa Barbara, Calif., met Larry in 1968 and they stayed friends for decades. They were romantically linked in the 1990s. She also became close to Julie Alexander.

Fox said King and Alexander never really moved in together, and that King would often seek out flings with a former wife. At one point both Fox and King were involved in bitter litigation and King showed his angry side in the deposition when he described Fox as a greedy, money-grabbing hooker.

Shes bullst, King said during the deposition in reference to Fox. Shes bullst when she smiles to you.

The marriage to Alexander, 73, ended bitterly. After Kings death on Jan. 23, Alexander told The Post that King gave her a sexually transmitted disease.

I then couldnt have children, she said by phone from Florida. That led to our separation.

Southwick said Alexander is lying about the STD. She said she made King get tests prior to their 1997 wedding and he was clean as a whistle.

Details of the allegations remain sealed at the Arlington, Va., Circuit Court where the divorce was finalized, but the STD story leaked out at the time in a 1994 Washingtonian Magazine story. Kings lawyer at the time called the claim outrageous, false.

Alexander came out better in the financial settlement than Lepore. Reports at the time suggest she took home at least $1.1 million in alimony.

King stayed close to many of his exes. Both Alexander and Fox claimed they spoke with him in the weeks before his death.

King filed to divorce Southwick in 2019, three months after having a stroke, and it was apparently pending at the time of his death. King was vague as to why he decided to divorce her, citing only their age difference and how they had eventually become ships passing in the night. The move totally blindsided Southwick, she said.

Even so, the pair remained close up until he died, she said. King often FaceTimed her from Cedars Sinai Medical Center where he was being treated for Covid since early January. She said Larry had a great fear of death because he was agnostic, but gave Southwick instructions for his remains once he was gone.

He wanted me to put an urn with his ashes over our bed, she said. With his voice broadcasting from them all night so Id never forget him or sleep with anyone else.

View original post here:

The long history of Larry King's women and the money he left them - New York Post

By Frank Tomaino| Special to the Observer-Dispatch

1891, 130 years ago

Popular lecture

Henry Morton Stanleys lecture in Jacobs Opera House in Utica attracts more than a thousand people from Utica and vicinity. Stanley, a journalist and explorer of Central Africa, is best known for supposedly uttering the words, Doctor Livingstone, I presume.

Utica Mayor Alexander T. Goodwin introduces Stanley to the crowd in the opera house, on the northeast corner of Lafayette and Washington streets. Stanleys long-awaited lecture details his thrilling adventures in Africa, including the discovery of the course of the Congo River in interior Africa. He is liberally applauded throughout his talk.

David Livingston (1813-1873) was a Scottish missionary and explorer in Africa. In the early 1870s, many thought he was dead, but James Gordon Bennett, publisher of the New York Herald, was convinced that Livingstone was alive. He commissioned Stanley to go in search of him. He found him in the town of Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika and when he did, supposedly said his now famous words.

1916, 105 years ago

Valley View

Maria and Thomas Proctor once again give tangible evidence of their great love for Utica. They give seven acres in the heart of Roscoe Conkling Park to the city to be used as a public golf course. They had planned to build a summer home on the land the highest point in the park at about 800 feet above sea level but after meeting with Mayor James D. Smith decided to make it possible for all Uticans to enjoy playing golf, a game fast growing in popularity. (In August 1916, a nine-hole course was laid out by well-known golfer Walter Travis and became known as Valley View. Years later, Robert Trent Jones, famous golf course architect, improved the course, now an 18-hole course.)

1946, 75 years ago

Police, fire bureaus

Three World War II veterans are appointed to Uticas police and fire bureaus Patrolman Joseph A. Cittadino, to succeed Henry Looft who has retired; Firefighter Hugh W. Evans, to succeed William Spatuzzi who has been promoted to lieutenant, and Firefighter Raymond J. Curley, to succeed Howard E. Rice who has resigned.

1971, 50 years ago

Winter festival

Uticapades begins its three-day winter festival with fireworks and torchlight skiing at the Val Bialas Ski Center on the Parkway and by selecting a prince and a princess -- six-year-old Frank Broccoli and five-year-old Lucinda Baldof. There also is ice skating at the Parkways outdoor McBride Rink.

In area bowling, Roy Marley fires a 686 series on games of 206, 233 and 247 in the Suburban League on the Riverside lanes. Peg McMahan has a 612 series on games of 241, 167 and 204 in the Rainbow Girls League at the Aurora Bowlaway.

The Mohawk Valley Electrical League begins to plan its annual dinner-dance, Raymond Kulow is entertainment chairman and Leo Rahn is ticket chairman. Richard Dunn is league president and John Hennessey is secretary-treasurer.

1996, 25 years ago

Appointments, promotions

Utica and Rome fill positions and promote others in their police and fire departments. Uticas new police officers are: David L. Kuhn, George V. De Angelo, Jeffrey A. Foley, Laurie Garner and Camlee M. Gianotti. New Utica firefighters are: Francis P. Giglio, Jeffrey R. DeSarro, Philip DeSimone and John Nole. Promotions in Rome Fire Department: Joseph Gualtieri to deputy chief; captains Glenn Hand, Paul C. Matwijec and James Zielinski; lieutenants Patsy DiNardo, Allen J. Johnson, Gary W. Millington, Mark Kohlbrenner and Brad Warren. New Rome firefighters are: Mathew J. Reilly and David P. Zakala.

In high school basketball, West Canada Valley defeats Dolgeville, 71 to 48. The winners are led by Will Davidsons 22 points and 13 each by Dan Petkovsek and Jay Colburn. Chris Swartz has 20 points for Dolgeville. Meanwhile, Clinton defeats Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, 81 to 69, and is led by Colin Hubbells 27 points, Edwin Irizarrys 18, Steve Crawfords 14 and Ryan Finns 10. VVS is led by Scott Knapps 30 points.

The Holland Patent Teachers Association presents The Sunshine Boys in the high school auditorium. The cast includes Brian Ure, Doug Churcher and Lisa Mlynarski.

2011, 10 years ago

Hospital officers

The medical staff at the St. Elizabeth Medical Center has new officers, including President Timothy E. Page, medical director of the Emergency Department; Vice President Dr. Fred L. Talarico, a cardiologist, and Secretary-Treasurer Dr. Sudershan Dang, an internist.

The New Hartford Volunteer Fire Department elects its 110thslate of officers. They include: Thomas A. Bolanowski, chief; Scott L. Nicotera Jr., first assistant chief; David P. Mazzetti, second assistant chief, and James H. Monahan, third assistant chief.

Trivia quiz

This is a tough one. Who was the first U.S. president whose parents were both alive when he was sworn in on Inauguration Day? (a) Franklin Pierce, (b) Ulysses S. Grant, (c) Theodore Roosevelt or (d) John F. Kennedy. (Answer will appear here next week.)

Answer to last weeks question: Four retiring presidents did not attend the swearing-in ceremonies of the new president. John Adams did not attend Thomas Jeffersons inauguration on March 4, 1801. John Quincy Adams was not at Andrew Jacksons inauguration on March 4, 1829. Andrew Johnson was not at Ulysses S. Grants ceremonies on March 4, 1869. Richard Nixon, who had resigned, was not there when Gerald Ford was sworn in on August 9, 1974.

This Week in History is researched and written by Frank Tomaino. E-mail him atftomaino221@gmail.com.

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This Week in History: Famous explorer of Africa visits Utica - Utica Observer Dispatch

Chess sets across the internet have been selling out for maybe the first time ever. Why? Because Netflix's The Queen's Gambit has captured the popular imagination and reignited an interest in the ancient board game. Like other pursuits, chess can go in and out of fashion. It is steadily more popular in some countriesincluding Russia and India. Its popularity in other regions such as the United States waxes and wanes with the times.

The Queen's Gambitwith an edgy-yet-charming female chess prodigyis fictional and based on the 1983 book by Walter Tevis. However, with the mod '60s fashion and Cold War rivalries, many Americans suddenly find chess both fascinating and approachable. Read on to explore a brief history of this fascinating, ancient board game.

Some of the earliest pieces known to have been produced in Europerather than importedare the Lewis Chessmen. In 1831, a farmer on the Scottish Isle of Lewis discovered a medieval horde of 78 chess pieces, in addition to others for backgammon. Experts believe the exquisite figural pieces were crafted in Norway, which controlled the northern Scottish islands at the time.

Knights Templar paying a game of chess in a manuscript from 1283. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])

The rules were also evolving: around 1500, the role of the queen and bishops changed and made them more powerful. Known as alla rabiosa in Italian (with the madwoman, or queen), this new style of chess changed the strategies necessary to win. This is typically regarded as the birth of modern chess.

If you watch The Queen's Gambit, you will notice that Beth confronts both sexism and surprisethe perils of being a female chess player. The first chess grandmaster title awarded to a woman was in 1978, to Georgian player and Woman's World Chess Champion Nona Gaprindashvili. In 1998, Judit Polgrwho became a grandmaster at 15was the first woman to take the lead in a US Open, tying for the win. The record for the youngest female grandmaster to date is held by Hou Yifan, who gained the title at 14. The Chinese prodigy is only 26, and she is the top-ranked female player globally. She is only the third woman to be ranked in the top 100 players globally, reflecting a world that is hostile to women in chess.

An essay for Slate by Wei Ji Maa professor of neuroscience at NYU who is also a chess masterexplains the difficulties women face in entering and remaining in competitive chess. To this day, many male players (and even a few female players) will claim biological differences. The current head of the Commission for Womens Chess suggested women are more naturally suited to music and arranging flowers. Professor Ji Ma sets the record straightno evidence indicates biology is the answer to women's absence in the absolute top echelon of chess. Instead, gender bias from an early age, lower prize money, and sexist comments by male players all have been documented. For all the young girls out there who may dream of beating the best players in the world like Beth in The Queen's Gambit, keep playing. In a more equal world, we can hope to see a female World Chess Champion in the open competition.

Classic Chess Pieces Redesigned as Iconic New York City Buildings

3D-Printed Chess Pieces Double as Stylish Planters for Tiny Air Plants

28 Gifts for Board Game Lovers To Have Hours of Wholesome Fun

6 Unique Card Games Played in Different Countries Around the World

Continued here:

Explore the History of Chess From Ancient India to the Cold War Rivalries - My Modern Met

An extremist who objected to Gandhis tolerance for all religions shot him on Jan 30, 1948. (History Guider pic)

National leaders, whose decisions affect the everyday lives of citizens, are important. However, these decisions may upset certain people, enough to push them to express their displeasure through violent means.

That being said, the death of a political leader is a shocking event for a country, but it is even more so when the death was a brutal one.

Assassinations have taken place throughout recorded history, and some have had long-lasting impacts on the years that would follow.

Here are five assassinations that shocked people and countries alike.

1. Julius Caesar, 44 BC

At the time of his death, Julius Caesar was probably the most powerful man in Rome, a successful military leader and a beloved populist. His surging popularity led to fears among conservative Roman politicians that Caesar wished to crown himself king and end the Roman republic.

Hence, a plot was hatched among his political enemies to kill him when he visited the Senate, during which he was stabbed 23 times.

He is famously believed to have said, You too, my son? when he saw his godson, Marcus Junius Brutus, among his killers.

In any case, the successful plot backfired as his death would ultimately pave the way for his adopted son, Octavian, to transform the republic into the Roman Empire.

2. Abraham Lincoln, 1865

With the American Civil War finally concluded, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, had hoped to rebuild the divided country.

But, many people were still outraged at the Confederate loss. One of them was an actor named John Wilkes Booth.

A member of a pro-slavery white supremacist group, Booth sought to avenge the south by killing Lincoln and members of his Cabinet. He carried out the deed when Lincoln was watching a performance at Fords Theatre in Washington, DC.

Booth shot Lincoln in the back of the head and fled the scene, shouting that the south was avenged. Booth would eventually be killed in a shootout with his pursuers.

But Lincolns death would have dire consequences for the recently liberated slaves. Lincolns successor was ultimately sympathetic to the southern states and began imposing racist legislation that would last into the mid-20th century.

3. Franz Ferdinand, 1914

Who knew that a single bullet could cause the death of millions in a global war? Well, the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, at the hands of a Serbian assassin ultimately set World War I in motion.

At the time, Austria was still a major European power, with the Habsburg family ruling since the 13th century.

While Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia, they were targeted by multiple assassination attempts, all of which failed.

But when they were on their way to the hospital to visit victims of a failed bombing attempt, they happened to pass one last assassin who shot them both.

The mortally wounded archduke begged his wife to stay alive for their children in his final moments, but unfortunately, she had died on the spot.

4. Mahatma Gandhi, 1948

Probably the most famous son of India, his violent death was in contradiction to the life of peace that he led. Mahatma Gandhi was the face of the Indian independence movement, and he gained international recognition for his belief in a non-violent struggle against the British Empire.

When British India was divided into India and Pakistan, violent sectarian riots broke out much to Gandhis horror. While Gandhi was opposed to partition, he saw the need for peace and compromise, even managing to calm an angry mob in Calcutta on one occasion.

However, not everyone agreed with his message, with certain Hindu hardliners accusing Gandhi of betraying his people.

One of these hardliners was Nathuram Godse, who shot Gandhi when he was on his way to a peace mission on Jan 30, 1948.

Gandhis death was greatly mourned in India and remains the sad end of a man who had advocated for peace throughout his life.

5. Benazir Bhutto, 2007

The first and only woman prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto was also the first woman leader in the modern Muslim world, which made her an inspiring figure for women.

The eldest child of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, she founded the Pakistan Peoples Party and served as prime minister from 1988 to 1990.

The Harvard and Oxford scholar largely advocated liberalism and secularism, and was an ardent supporter of womens rights.

After going into self-exile following political troubles, she hoped to make her political comeback in 2007 to participate in the following years elections, promising to reduce the militarys involvement in national politics and to counter religious extremism and violence in Pakistan.

Unfortunately, her ambitions would never be realised. On Dec 27, 2007, her life came to an end when she was fatally wounded in an attack later claimed by al-Qaeda.

Read more from the original source:

5 assassinations that changed the course of history | Free Malaysia Today - Free Malaysia Today

For decades, American children have been leaving out cookies and milk for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, but few people know how and when the holiday tradition began.

In a special Christmas episode ofFox Nation's"At Home With Paula Deen,"the celebrity chefbreaks down the fascinating history behind the sweet tradition and how it inspired countries across the globe in a new episode of a"Cookie Cutter Christmas."

"We can thank the Dutch along with other Northern Europeans for bringing cookies to America in the 17th century," Dean said. "After a change in import laws, inexpensive kitchen items like cookie cutters were finally allowed to be imported from Europe into the American market. From there, a bunch of new recipes started to appear and the cookies and traditions we knew from the Middle Ages began to evolve."

According to one theory, the milk-cookiescustom can be traced back to the1930s, during the Great Depression. During that time of economic hardship, many parents tried to teach their children that it was important to give to others and to show gratitude for the gifts they received over the holiday.

THE SURPRISING HISTORY OF THE UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER

The custom eventually stuck, serving as an inspiration to countries across the globe who embraced their own versions of the popular Christmastradition.

British and Australian children leave mince pies and a glass of sherry. Children in Denmark leave a bowl of rice pudding, while those in Ireland leave Santa a good old cup of Guinness, explained Dean.

"Hopefully one of Santa's elves are leading the sleigh after that stuff," she joked.

"In America, it's estimated that Santa eats more than 300 million cookies on Christmas Eve each year," Dean said, adding, "no wonder he's got a little punch to him."

To watch the full episode of Paula Deen's "Cookie Cutter Christmas" and for more exclusive holiday content,visit Fox Nation and join today.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN FOX NATION AND GET 35% OFFWITH CODE 35OFF AT CHECKOUT PLUS A FREE COPY OF PETE HEGSETH'S NEW BOOK 'MODERN WARRIORS'

Fox Nationprograms are viewable on-demand and from your mobile device app, but only for Fox Nation subscribers.Go to Fox Nationto start a free trial and watch the extensive library from Tomi Lahren, Pete Hegseth, Abby Hornacek, Laura Ingraham, Ainsley Earhardt, Greg Gutfeld,and many more of your favorite Fox News personalities.

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Santa's milk and cookies: The surprising history behind the popular Christmas tradition - Fox News

A doctor in Boston with a history of allergies had a severe allergic reaction to Modernas coronavirus vaccine.

Hossein Sadrzadehtold CNN that after he was vaccinated at Boston Medical Center on Thursday, he felt his heart rate spike to 150 beats per minute.

Sadrzadeh also told the news outlet that within minutes he felt in my tongue and also my throat having, like, some weird sensation of tingling and numbness, the same reaction that I had before to my shellfish allergy. He alsosaid his blood pressure dropped so low a monitor couldnt detect it.

Sadrzadeh used his EpiPen and was rushed to the emergency room where he was given medications, according to a statement issued by the medical center to The Hill.

"The employee received the Moderna vaccine Thursday and as is our standard practice was being observed post vaccination by trained nurses," the statement read.

"He felt he was developing an allergic reaction and was allowed to self-administer his personal epi-pen," the statement continued. "He was taken to the Emergency Department, evaluated, treated, observed and discharged."

The Hill has reached out to Moderna, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for comment.

The incident is the first of its kind reportedafter Modernas vaccine was approved by federal health agencies and distributed and comes as theFDA investigated several reports of allergic reactions into Pfizer and BioNTechs vaccine.

Peter Marks, who leads the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said last weekend a chemical called polyethylene glycol, which is present in both vaccines, could be the culprit.

At the time, the agency advised those whove had severe reactions to any component of Modernas vaccine in the past not to get that shot.

In light of the allergic reactions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)issued guidance advising those who have severeresponses after the first dose not to get a second shot. The agency also says people who are allergic to vaccines or injectable therapies should consult their doctors before getting vaccinated.

However, the CDC notes that those who have a history of severe allergic reactions unrelated to vaccines or injectable medicines such as food, pet or environmental allergies may still get vaccinated.

More than 1.94 million people have received their first dose of either Pfizer's or Modernas coronavirus vaccine as of Saturday afternoon, according to a count from the CDC.

Updated 5:25 p.m.

Read more here:

Boston doctor with history of allergies has severe reaction to Moderna vaccine | TheHill - The Hill

UNION, NJ - Celebrate the New Year with virtual programs at Union Public Library. While the buildings remain closed, virtual programs, audio and eBooks, movies, music and magazines, and curbside book delivery are all available.

If you love Netflix & Chill, then try Library & Chill at Union Public Library. This six week reading program for all ages will be starting on Tuesday, January 19. Virtually explore all the library has to offer this winter and have a chance to win prizes. Be on the lookout for more information and registration information!

Heres Whats Happening Virtually at UPL:

Sign Up for Union Newsletter

Our newsletter delivers the local news that you can trust.

You have successfully signed up for the TAPinto Union Newsletter.

(Register for all programs by going to https://uplnj.org/events/list/)

Do You Dream of Sleep?

Wed., Jan. 6 at 2:00pm

Presented by Atlantic Health System

If you toss, turn, or snore or know someone who does this program is for you. Find out how to improve your sleep experience and understand when its time to get professional help.

Your 2021 Career: Be a Victor Not a Victim

Thur., Jan. 7 @ 4:00pm

Abby Kohut shows you how to network and become a video interview expert, inspiring you to stay motivated in your quest during the Pandemic. All attendees will receive a FREE 28-page COVID-19 Job Search Resource Guide available online. Learn more about Abby at AbsolutelyAbby.com.

Does Duct Tape Cure Warts?

Tues., Jan. 12 at 2:00pm

Presented by Dana Abbey, National Library of Medicine

Rumors about miracle cures and solutions are everywhere. Learn how to evaluate health websites, and avoid bad science found on the Internet or in the news.

Author Visit: Kathleen Rooney

Thurs., Jan. 14 @ 4:00pm

Kathleen Rooney is a founding editor of Rose Metal Press, and of Poems While You Wait in addition to her best-selling novels Miss Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey. Ask her about writing, poetry, memoir, publishing, and how she came to write a book about a pigeon!

Black Women and the Long Struggle for Freedom: MLK Commemoration

Fri., Jan.15, @ 1:00pm

Presented by Dr. Hettie V. Williams

Discover how Black women in NJ were pioneers in activism before, during, and after the Civil Rights Era. Dr. Hettie V. Williams is a Professor at Monmouth University and co-author of Race and the Obama Phenomenon: The Vision of a More Perfect Multiracial Union.

What is Jeopardy? Author Visit with Claire McNear

Tues., Jan. 19 @ 4:00 pm

Claire McNear, author of Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insiders Guide to Jeopardy!, dives deep behind the scenes with Alex Trebek, shares how producers put the show together, and offers tips on how to become a contestant and win. In addition McNear writes about sports and culture at The Ringer.

Mediterranean Diet: Start the New Year Right!

Wed., Jan. 20 @ 2:00 pm

Presented by Karen Ensle, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County

Learn about the Mediterranean diet, share recipes, and get inspired by this livable and delicious eating plan.

Off the Shelf Book Club

Thursday, Jan. 21 @ 7:00pm

Members discuss American Duchess by Karen Harper available for free download with your Union library card on Hoopla! New members are always welcome. If you dont know about Hoopla and have a Union Library card, call 908-851-5450 x3.

Vision Board: Use the Power of Intention and Visualization to Achieve Your Dream

Friday, January 22 @ 6:30 - 8:00 pm

A Vision Board is a collage representing things you would like to manifest in your life. This workshop will help you identify specific, measurable, achievable, and realistic short-term and long-term goals to redefine your future. Supply kits will be available through curbside pickup at the Vauxhall Branch. After registering call 908-851-5451 to reserve a kit. MAX 15 patrons

Hilton Readers Book Discussion Group

Monday, January 25 @ 6:00 - 7:00 pm

Members discuss their favorite books and authors. This month is Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. New members are always welcome.

Build Your Emotional Toolbox

Tues., Jan. 26 @ 2:00 pm

Presented by Diane Lang, M.A. Counseling

Learn how to cope effectively with stress, retrain thoughts from negative to positive, deal with and manage anger, forgive and more.

Meditation

Thurs., Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28 @ 11:30 am

Join Bindu Bhatt for a virtual meditation session. No experience necessary. Bindu has practiced meditation for over 30 years and would like to share her insight with you.

Beginners Flow Yoga

Thursdays, January 7, 14, 21, 28 @ 6:00 - 6:30 pm

This class will lead you through the foundations of yoga postures, body awareness and alignment, relaxation of the mind and a connection with the breath. You will learn how to improve muscle strength, promote flexibility, and build your own yoga program specific for your mind and body.

***

Union Public Library is located at 1980 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083, with a Vauxhall Branch located at 123 Hilton Avenue, Vauxhall, NJ 07088.

For additional information, see the Librarys Facebook page, website, email unionpl@uplnj.org, or call (908) 851-5450. If you are a Union resident without a library card, they can provide access to our digital resources by emailing us at the address above.

Excerpt from:

Union Public Library with Virtual Programs on Jeopardy, Health, History, Writing and More - TAPinto.net

Its no question that 2020 has been a historic year for the U.S., but how it will affect the future remains to be seen.

In an effort to take stock of where this year fits into history so far, TIME asked historians nationwide to pick a moment in 2020 that stands out to them. We asked them what future historians willor at least shouldwrite about when they study the momentous year that is drawing to a close, and whether it signals a new chapter or turning point for America and the world.

Below is what the historians who spoke with TIME, as of early December, identified as the major milestones of 2020:

U.S. President Donald Trump holds up the front page of USA Today that displays a headline "Acquitted" as he arrives to speak at the 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast on February 6, 2020.

Nicholas Kamm/AFPGetty Images

Trumps acquittal in his impeachment trial by the Senate on Feb. 5, 2020, is a really important moment both within American history and for what it says about Trumps success at imposing an authoritarian style political culture on the Republican party. With only one contrary vote by [Utah Sen. Mitt] Romney, everyone else unanimous. You couldnt ask for a greater legitimation of his political style.

Sen. Sherrod Brown wrote a really interesting op-ed in the New York Times saying his Republican colleagues were afraid and told him that they acquitted Trump out of fear, not because they really believed he should be acquitted. If you compare it to what happened to Nixon, the difference is you have this authoritarian personality that has managed to take hold.

For historical comparison, some of the other rulers who have done this successfully created their own parties or had leadership roles within their parties for years before they became head of state. Mussolini created his own party. Berlusconi was able to do this, he created his own party. But Trumps achievement is even greater because the GOP has a very long history, and we only have two parties, and yet he was able to tame it and make it his own.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University

Medical staff members check on a patient at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas, on Nov. 8, 2020.

Go Nakamura/BloombergGetty Images

For me the critical turning point in this pandemic was its very early days, when we still didnt know whether this would turn into a full-blown pandemic. My last 20 years spent reading, writing and teaching about the history of pandemics had taught me what to expect. Since day one, when news about a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan started circulating, I was intellectually, practically and emotionally prepared to face a pandemic. That was almost a year ago. I religiously followed Johns Hopkins Universitys COVID-19 dashboard to track the number of cases and deaths worldwide, and already in late January knew we were in for a global pandemic of historic proportions.

Ironically enough, I was then teaching a course on the history of pandemics. In that class, my students and I declared COVID-19 a global pandemic long before WHO did (March 11), because we could clearly see all the signs in that direction. I prepared my students and myself for what was to come. But despite obsessive caution, I was infected as a result of travel in early March, even when there was a total of about 250 reported cases across the U.S. Premodern plague treatises, written about an unfamiliar and far deadlier disease, taught me that good food, good rest and good thoughts were critical for recovery. I was lucky to have both historical and contemporary knowledge for guidance.

That was more than eight months ago. Since then, Ive been reading, writing and teaching about this pandemic, constantly stressing the importance of historical knowledge for its modern management.

Nkhet Varlk, Associate Professor of History at the University of South Carolina and Rutgers University-Newark.

The historic May 30, 2020, launch of the manned SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

SpaceXGetty Images

Two astronauts, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, were launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in a commercially-developed spacecraft, the Crew Dragon, atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 3:22 ET. The Crew Dragon achieved earth orbit in 12 minutes, and docked less than 19 hours later at the International Space Station. The lift-off was watched by an estimated 10 million people worldwide. Although both Behnken and Hurley were veterans of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the flight was the first joint public-private crewed space mission under NASAs Commercial Crew Program. The Crew Dragon was funded and created by Elon Musks Space Exploration Technologies Company (SpaceX). It was also the first crewed American lift-off since the cancellation of the space shuttle program in 2011, and was seen as the presage of a new era of private investment and development in space flight, including commercial and passenger traffic in space.

Allen C. Guelzo, Director of the James Madison Program Initiative on Politics and Statesmanship at Princeton University

Thousands of protesters walk across the Brooklyn Bridge on "Juneteenth," June 19, 2020, as part of one of the many protests against police brutality and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement that have taken place in 2020.

Ira L. Black/CorbisGetty Images

When historians reflect on 2020, they will recognize it as a pivotal year for several reasons: a global pandemic, a historic presidential election and a year of protest against racial injustice.

After the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, and (too) many others, people took to the streets demanding an end to police violence against African Americans. They showed up in large cities and small towns across America, with chants of Black Lives Matter or Justice for Breonna Taylor. Motivated after witnessing Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin choke the life out of Floyd by kneeling on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, people marched. This was a key turning point.

Just like the water hoses and police dogs of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, Floyds death presented evidence of senseless violence by law enforcement. It became a record-breaking year of protest against police violence. And, COVID-19 did not stop people from marching, chanting, singing, speaking and demanding justice and reform. These events represent the largest protest movement in United States history as experts say by midsummer, 15-26 million people had marched.

Daina Ramey Berry, Chair of the Department of History at the University of Texas at Austin

U.S. President Donald Trump poses with a Bible outside St. John's Church near the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 1, 2020.

Shawn Thew/EPA/BloombergGetty Images

In 2020 we witnessed protests all over the country against racism and police brutality. In Washington D.C., the White House was surrounded by crowds. A couple of days before, the Secret Service had taken the President to an underground bunker as a precaution. On June 1, 2020, the Park police and National Guard cleared the way for Trump to walk to St. Johns Church to have his picture taken while holding a Bible, as one would hold a brick to gauge its weight.

The performance was intended to send a signal to his supporters, linking religion and a strong presidential hand against forces they defined as anti-American. In fact, the Presidents authority shifted to an increasingly authoritarian and violent stance. Trump would continue during the rest of that year to encourage the use of violence against Black Lives Matter protesters. As it became clear that his followers did not control the streets, however, the rest of his presidency became one protracted attempt to build a dictatorial authority that was eventually frustrated by the elections. In historical perspective, the St. Johns Church gesture had exactly the opposite significance of its intended meaning: it represented a withdrawal from which Trump would not be able to return.

Pablo Piccato, Professor of History at Columbia University

The image of George Floyd along with the Black Lives Matter letters are projected onto the Robert E. Lee Statue on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, on June 10, 2020.

John McDonnell/The Washington PostGetty Images

The reclamation of the Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, Va., and the creative way in which the protesters associated with and led by BLM movement were protesting police brutality against Black Americans. The statues meaning was ultimately subverted because it was spray-painted, images were projected on it of George Floyd and historical figures, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass. It refocused the conversation towards the continuity of this historical struggle that Black Americans have faced both in Richmond and the commonwealth of Virginia, but also nationally as well. It became a site of black joy, almost a pilgrimage site. There were many stories about families driving hours to show their children this new location. A sterile middle-of-the-road thing that nobody ever actually used became a place of BBQs and parties and protest and civic involvement.

When monumental spaces have been reclaimed in the past, the structures have been pulled down. Theyve been destroyed. Thats not what happened here, it was repurposed, and I think that shows how monuments function as public signs of power and centers of civic responsibility. The defenders of Confederate monuments have always said theyre just part of the landscape. This shows that thats really absolutely not the case. They time travel in a way. These monuments were constructed in the past and exist in the present. They are physical manifestations of this long history, that goes back in this particular case to the early 20th century, nostalgia for the Lost Cause and the Confederacy.

I see the reclamation of the Robert E. Lee statue as a piece of what the 1619 Project has done too. Both have made us talk about American History in a very different way now.

Matthew Gabriele, Professor of Medieval Studies and the Chair of the Department of Religion and Culture at Virginia Tech.

The court and benches are empty after the scheduled start of game five between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 26, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Ashley Landis-PoolGetty Images

Amid an unprecedented national movement for racial justice in the summer of 2020, we witnessed one of the most important political statements in the history of American sport. On Aug. 26, three days after police in Kenosha, Wisc., shot 29-year old Jacob Blake in the back seven times in front of his three young sons, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to participate in a scheduled playoff game to draw national attention to the issue of police brutality and to push state authorities to hold officers accountable for Blakes shooting.

The NBA and the WNBA had been among the most visible and vocal public supporters of the Black Lives Matter Movement since the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in late May, and soon other mens and womens teams refused to play in the playoffs, defying their collective bargaining agreements and leading to the largest wildcat strike in recent history. These protests against racism and police violence soon inspired similar actions in the majority-white Major League Baseball and National Hockey Leagues. The sports demonstrations are profound expressions of a new, multiracial coalition of Americans calling for racial justice and an end to inequality. 2020 will be remembered as one of the most challenging years in modern history, but also one when new conversations about systemic racism and new forms of collective action, arising in unexpected places, may help put the nation on the path toward meaningful change.

Elizabeth Hinton, Professor of History, African American Studies, and Law at Yale University

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris takes the stage before President-elect Biden addresses the nation from the Chase Center on November 7, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware.

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A century after the 19th Amendment, Kamala Harris finally broke the glass ceiling. As the first woman of African and South Asian descent to serve as vice President of the U.S., Harriss election evokes past trailblazers in womens history.

Along with Shirley Chisholmthe first African American Congresswomanwe should also remember Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color in the House of Representatives and the namesake for Title IX. Mink and Chisholm both ran for the U.S. presidency in 1972, and both women traced their family connections to islands, located off the continental mainland of the U.S. Mink was a third-generation Japanese American, born on the territory of Hawaii before the islands became the 50th state. Growing up in a plantation society, located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, deeply shaped Minks commitment to advocating for worker rights, womens rights, racial equality and environmental protection, particularly against military uses of islands as test sites for nuclear and conventional weapons. Like Mink, Harriss parents originated from former colonies (Jamaica and India), which brought them together out of concern for racial justice. We should recognize Harris as a woman whose personal and political lineage stems from anti-imperial circuits of migration and activism. Along with Mink and Chisholm, Harris is a first. And as she promised, she wont be the last.

Judy Tzu-Chun Wu, Director of the Humanities Center and Professor of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Irvine

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) takes questions as he speaks during a news conference with other Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol on December 15, 2020, in Washington, D.C.

Tom Brenner/PoolGetty Images

For the first time, the majority of a partys elected officials refused to accept the results of the election and some openly called for ignoring the will of the voters to maintain power. Even in 1860, secessionists acknowledged Lincoln had won the election as they tried to break the nation in two. Ever since the defeated John Adams gave up power willingly in 1800, no American President has refused to acknowledge defeat. While Trump appears to have failed in his effort to subvert democracy (whether we call it a failed coup or an autogolpe matters less than the impact), the lack of repercussions for undermining democracy is a continuation of the Republican Partys abandonment of principles and democratic norms. Trumps ignoring of norms isnt new, Senator Mitch McConnell eroded them during President Barack Obamas administration, and while perhaps the 2000 election foreshadowed, 2020, now the pretense is gone. The subtext is text; a radical acceleration of the antidemocratic impulse means power is all that matters to the GOP and there is not even lip service given to the will of the voters. With baseless claims of fraud, our democratic system has been further eroded even after the election is over. The GOP has abandoned a strategy of attracting some voters while disenfranchising others and moved to undermining democracy as a system entirely. I fear what happens as the party continues to abandon a fundamental bedrock of democracy in new and more dangerous ways. While our system appears to be stronger than some feared, it also remains far weaker than others claim.

One key question for 2021 is whether Trump and those who enabled him are held accountable for all of his corruption. If not, I fear for democracys future. As next time around, kleptocrats may feel empowered to take and hold onto power, and they might succeed.

Adam H. Domby, Assistant Professor of History at the College of Charleston

American Indians of the Navajo Nation pick up supplies at a food bank set up at the Navajo Nation town of Casamero Lake in New Mexico on May 20, 2020.

Mark Ralston/AFPGetty Images

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 represents a crucial moment in American Indian history that future historians must address. The pandemic touched off unprecedented responses in Indian Country to mitigate the deadly effects of that viral scourge. Conditions including underlying health issues, inadequate healthcare, poverty, overcrowded housing, a lack of indoor plumbing, shorter life expectancies than other Americans, high rates of uninsurance, unresolved historical grief, and reckless federal and state responses to the pandemic that left them more at risk to become ill and die than other Americans. Carrying oral histories about devastating past pandemics and rejecting COVID-19 conspiracy theories, American Indian and Native Alaskan governments started to exercise their sovereignty in significant ways in hopes of stopping the viruss spread and saving lives. Their proactive measures included blocking non-residents from entering reservation lands, shutting down non-critical services, establishing work at home initiatives, setting curfews, mandating mask wearing, closing and reopening casinos with new health protocols in place, successfully suing the Trump administration to release federal funds designated for Indian Country for COVID relief, and lobbying the federal government to uphold its trust obligations to protect Indian nations from harm.

James Riding In, Associate Professor at Arizona State University and a citizen of the Pawnee Nation

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Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com.

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How 2020 Will Go Down in the History Books, According to Historians - TIME

Posted: Dec 26, 2020 / 12:14 PM EST / Updated: Dec 26, 2020 / 03:59 PM EST

ORLANDO, FL (WBTW) Tonight is a big night for the Coastal Carolina football team as they face an opportunity to cap off their history-making season with a first bowl game victory.

Not many gave the Coastal Carolina team much of a chance to be successful in 2020, but boy did they prove all those doubters wrong by going 11-0 and making it to their first-ever bowl game.

Ninth-ranked and unbeaten Coastal Carolina faces No. 23 Liberty in the FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl in Orlando tonight at 7:30 p.m.

You know this game here, to our alumni and university, probably means more than any other game, says Head Coach Jamey Chadwell, And probably means more than the Sun Belt championship, to a lot of people, to be honest with you.

A pair of strong running offenses will be on display. Running back CJ Marable has rushed for 844 yards and 12 touchdowns for Coastal Carolina.

And the Teal Nation will rally with Sun Belt player of the week, Grayson McCall, who has taken the college football world by storm with his play.

Hes just got this presence about him that the team rallies around its an intangible piece that you want your quarterback to have and theres nothing I have seen thats ruffled his feathers as a young guy, Coach Chadwell said. He might make a mistake. but he forgets it and just moves onto the next play.

McCall has plenty of talent at the running back position, but two key receivers have made life quite easy in the passing game Isaiah Likely and Jaivon Heiligh. Those two guys specifically, Grayson McCall said, Im really close to. I have a really good relationship with them even when we are off the field.

Fans will get to watch this rivalry between the Chanticleersand Liberty Flames renewed for one more night.

The game could come down to which defense has the most success controlling the line of scrimmage. Liberty is eighth in the nation in rushing. Coastal Carolina is 15th.

Liberty features former Auburn quarterback Malik Willis, who has thrown for 2,040 yards while also gaining a team-leading 807 yards on the ground.

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Coastal Carolina football will fight to cap off history-making season with first-ever bowl victory tonight - WBTW

By Sammi Katz and Olivia McGiff

It is an unquestionably difficult time for the hospitality industry. Every day, another restaurant shutters, one more bar pulls its steel gate down for good. Since its invention, one kind of watering hole has seen America through its most grueling times: the tiki bar.

Decorated with bamboo and beach-y lights, with bartenders in Aloha shirts serving up mai tais, tiki bars were a booming part of Americas hospitality industry. Put down your phone and put on this lei, say the tiki bars. Heres something delicious in a silly mug. They offer an intoxicating escape from the weight of the world.

But the roots of tiki are far from the Pacific Islands. A Maori word for the carved image of a god or ancestor, tiki became synonymous in the United States and elsewhere for gimmicky souvenirs and dcor. Now a new generation of beverage-industry professionals are shining a light on the genres history of racial inequity and cultural appropriation, which has long been ignored because it clashes with the carefree aesthetic. Lets peel back the pineapple leaves to examine the choices that created a marketing mainstay.

Ernest Gantt, better known as Donn Beach, opened Don the Beachcomber in Southern California in 1933. He became known for his Rhum Rhapsodies, the first tiki drinks. They were elaborate and theatrical, featuring fresh juices and housemade syrups and could have upward of 10 ingredients.

Donn had four Filipino bartenders, whom he called the Four Boys, making all these drinks behind the scenes.

Victor Bergeron, inspired by his visits to Don the Beachcomber, opened his own tiki restaurant in Northern California in 1937. He included a gift shop and incorporated nautical accents and shipwreck dcor. He even offered guests free food and drink in exchange for decorative items, earning his moniker and the name of his bar, Trader Vics.

Both restaurants served Chinese food, because it was considered exotic yet was identifiable to American palates. Both became chains as well. There were 25 Trader Vics in the world by the 1960s, and 16 Don the Beachcombers.

After World War II, tiki took off and joined the trend of themed restaurants that flourished in the late 1950s and early 60s. They created an idyllic setting that evoked island living, employing images of palm trees, tribal masks and topless native women in grass skirts.

Restaurants transformed religious idols into kitschy artifacts and even drinking vessels, known as tiki mugs.

By the 1990s, tiki was just about dead, as the Zombie and Painkiller gave way to the Appletini and Cosmo. But all trends eventually become retro, and soon nostalgic amateurs began to uncover relics and recipes of this midcentury phenomenon.

The craft cocktail revolution of the 2000s paved the way for the modern tiki renaissance. Americans were reintroduced to classic drinks (like gimlets and French 75s), upscale spirits and high-quality ingredients. For the better half of the decade, cocktail bars and bartenders had no tolerance for paper parasols and tiki drinks were unable to lose their bad reputation as sickly sweet slushies.

Business & Economy

Dec. 23, 2020, 8:59 a.m. ET

Around the 2008 recession, tiki bars began sprouting up all over the country and the cocktails were restored to the caliber of their Rhum Rhapsody forebears. Just like their predecessors, modern tiki bars seek to evoke a sense of escape.

But tiki bars can often reinforce the idea that Oceania is just a place to vacation, which belies Americas history with the region. In 1960 when the Mai-Kai, a tiki restaurant in Florida, sold 10,000 Mystery Drinks presented by half-dressed Mystery Girls, the U.S. military was using the Pacific Islands to test nuclear bombs. Fantasy was a far cry from reality.

At its heart, tiki is about fun, creative drinks in a transportive environment. A new wave of industry professionals is reimagining these delicious contributions to cocktail culture, looking to shed the appropriation and racism that have accompanied tiki since its inception. We spoke to a few of them about the ways theyre working to shake up the biz for the better.

I have to give it to Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic because their daring approach to mixology was over the top. I dont know if we would still have American cocktails were it not for them, Mustipher says.

In describing a new wave of tiki bars, Mustipher notes, Its not about thatch and bamboo or dancing girls. Its about the level of craft and hospitality, the attention to detail. Tiki, she adds, is a deeply considered, well-executed, high production value cocktail experience.

The region has higher rates of poverty, lack of access to essential services and more burden from climate change, Kunkel adds.

A recent movement aims to shift from the word tiki to tropical and Kunkel is on board. I just dont think its necessary to use stereotypes or appropriate cultural elements to transport folks. She says, however, that tiki can lead people to learn about the culture of Pacific Islanders.

We started working with bartenders from different backgrounds who take their culture and share it in a way that creates appreciation and exchange, which is a different power dynamic from appropriation. It involves consent and equality.

Tom also reinvests in the groups whose cultures have been historically appropriated. Theres a beautiful opportunity to use what drew people to the aesthetic to help some of these communities, Tom says. Frankly, if youve been profiting off their imagery, it really is time to give back.

To go into a bar and see mostly white guys in Hawaiian shirts presenting this fetishization of a culture, when the people of that country cant even escape whats happening to them. Thats dark, he said. But, he added, I just had a Mai Tai last night, thats a good drink!

Education is at the core of Uffres work. I think the next education that the consumer is craving is on the sociopolitical and cultural aspects of spirits.

Its not last call for tiki. But the work for those in the industry is just beginning to make these tropical oases inclusive to all, which will benefit both businesses and consumers.

If we continue to educate ourselves, itll invite more conversation, more discourse. I also think that it will bring better drinks, says Uffre. When you learn about these things and understand the complexities, you will want to make better drinks because youll want to honor what youre doing.

Sammi Katz is a writer, bartender and the founder of the site, A Girls Guide to Drinking Alone. Olivia McGiff is an interdisciplinary illustrator and designer living in Brooklyn.

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History of Tiki Bars and Cultural Appropriation - The New York Times

Jon Ossoff, the Georgia Democrat embattled in the heated runoff race against Republican Sen. David Perdue, the incumbent, has become the highest-funded senatorial candidate of all time, The New York Times first reported Friday.

The news comes following the release of the latest round of fundraising data from the Federal Elections Commission, covering the period between October 15 and December 16. During that period, Ossoff raised $106.7 million. Perdue raised $68 million during the same period, according to the FEC data.

Reverend Raphael Warnock, who is also embattled in a heated Georgia runoff race against incumbent Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler raised $103.3 million during the same period, according to the data. Loeffler raised approximately$64 million during the fundraising period, according to the FEC.

In both races during the general election, neither candidate received enough of the vote to be declared the winner, triggering a runoff election scheduled for January 5. The Georgia runoff races have captured nationwide attention because the winner of the races determines which party will control the US Senate.

If Ossoff and Warnock win both of their races, the Senate majority will be split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. But, if either Perdue or Loeffler wins, the GOP will continue to hold the power in the Senate, creating a roadblock for the Democrat-controlled House and president-elect Joe Biden, also a Democrat.

Biden flipped the state of Georgia blue during the general election, which was one of the states that proved key to his victory over President Donald Trump.

Nearly half of the donations to Warnock and Ossoff were under $200, The New York Times noted. Just about 30% of donations to Perdue and Loeffler were from small donors, according to the data.

Both Ossoff and Warnock's fundraising during the quarter surpassed the previous record broken by Jaime Harrison, who raised $57 million in a single quarter in his failed campaign against South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.

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Ossoff has raised more money than any Senate candidate in history - Business Insider - Business Insider

Herschel Walker was a stud. He won the Heisman Trophy with Georgia, and rushed for 5,562 yards in three seasons as running back for Donald Trumps New Jersey Generals. In the NFL, Walker led the league in combined yards in 1987 and had a better year in 1988, rushing for 1,514 yards and adding on another 503 yards receiving. The problem was his Dallas Cowboys were terrible. The team had new ownership in Jerry Jones and a new coach in Jimmy Johnson. They needed to rebuild.

My offensive coaches said, Sheesh, if you trade Herschel, we wont ever score a point, Johnson told the Dallas Morning News on the 30th anniversary of the trade. I said, Well, Im not really concerned with scoring points this year. Im concerned with getting good here in a couple of years.

The Minnesota Vikings felt they were just one running back away from competing. So they sent the Cowboys five players:

Jesse Solomon, Issiac Holt, RB Darrin Nelson, David Howard and Alex Stewart. None of them had much of an impact. But the Vikings also included six draft picks.

One of those picks became Emmitt Smith, who alone would have made the trade lopsided, as he became the leagues all-time rushing leader. Smith led the league in rushing four times and was named Super Bowl MVP twice.

But another pick became safety Darren Woodson, who played 12 years for the Cowboys and made five Pro Bowls. Other players drafted with those picks included multi-year starters CB Kevin Smith and DT Russell Maryland.

Walker was mediocre in Minnesota, rushing for just 2,284 yards in 42 games. They lost their only playoff game with Walker.

The Cowboys went on to win three Super Bowls in four years.

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Deadspin puts the biggest 'gift' deals in sports history under your tree (Aww, we shouldn't have!) - Deadspin

Editors note: This is the second of a three-part series looking at Montanas 1995 national championship football team for its 25th anniversary. Part one ran in Friday's paper and part three runs Sunday.

MISSOULAMike Bouchee still thinks back to Montana's 1995 national championship football game whenever he hears Kool & the Gang's song "Celebration."

The Griz linebacker and his teammates were at a banquet with Marshall, their opponent for that game 25 years ago, when the Thundering Herd's players sang that celebratory song during the karaoke portion of their two-team event. Some Marshall players wore T-shirts proclaiming themselves 1995 national champions the next day at an awards luncheon.

It didn't sit well with Montana's players, who were regularly told by coach Don Read to be "vanilla." Read's approach was all about staying humble and not giving the opponent bulletin-board material.

Montana already was eager to try to win a national title, but the disrespect added to the motivation. The Griz got the last laugh and were the ones who got to sing "celebrate good times" when they emerged on Dec. 16, 1995, with a 22-20 victory that still resonates with Montana fans.

Mick Dennehy, then-offensive coordinator: A day or two prior, we had a banquet for both teams, and our kids were so pissed. They felt like Marshall was big-timing us and there wasnt any respect. They were fighting mad. We had to escort Yohance Manzanarez out of that banquet. He was ready to kill somebody.

Yohanse Manzanarez, then-senior defensive end: These guys from Marshall were so cocky, and everything was mocking Montana, and theyre singing celebrate good times. I would have been just fine if we had the football game right there. I was OK to go to the parking lot and find out who the best team was that night. I had a hard time sleeping. If you didnt have any fire up to that point, it lit a flame.

Mike Bouchee, then-junior linebacker: In our minds, they were already celebrating their victory in the game yet to come. We felt like they were taunting us and pointing at us. We went into there with an edge and we came out of there angry and couldnt wait to play.

Dave Dickenson, then-senior quarterback: The guys were making fun of our country bumpkins and trying to sing country songs on karaoke. They were doing it in jest and trying to stereotype us. Our guys took offense to it. I felt really excited to play that game and created my own motivation.

Matt Wells, then-senior wide receiver: It definitely motivated us. They really did believe that this was going to be a walk in the park and wed gotten lucky to be there and they were going to win the game.

Blaine McElmurry, then-junior safety: We felt they were insulting us. I remember walking away from the banquet with a sour taste in my mouth. It really amped up the motivation. It was a weird experience and not vanilla by any means.

Montana had been slowly climbing the ladder of respect on the national stage under Read andwas making the program's first trip to the title game in 1995 while Marshall was there for the fourth time in five years. Read's hiring in 1986 and the opening of Washington-Grizzly Stadium that same season were pivot points in the rise of the football program, while the 1989 run to the semifinals taught them about the type of player they needed to recruit.

The Griz felt they had something special brewing by the time they suffered a 49-48 loss to Delaware in the first round of the 1993 playoffs and were bounced from the semifinals in 1994 after an injury to quarterback Dave Dickenson. The expectations were ramped up as did the potential recognized within the team, even as Read preached remaining vanilla. The Griz went into the 1995 playoffs with a 9-2 record and No. 6 seed and caught some breaks with teams being upset to give them three home games.

Dennehy: Our goal in 1993 was to win the Big Sky championship, and we did, and we got a taste of the playoffs and knew we were going to get better and we better start thinking bigger than Big Sky championship.

Bouchee: Coach Read got the whole team on the field after a practice and talked to us about what he thought our team could achieve and he pointed up at the press box and said up there the press box is empty, we have nothing written on that, weve been saving that to write national champions, I want this team to be up there.

McElmurry: It was on our radar that this is something we can do. Coach Read put it out there for us and said this is what we think we can do. The first goals were always Big Sky championship, beat the Bobcats.

Wells: 93 we were new to being good and didnt know how to handle it. 94 was an outstanding team with great players across the board, but we had injuries. 95 was really when we knew we could do it, but people didnt think we could do it because we lost some talented seniors, so that was some extra incentive.

Eric Simonson, then-senior O-lineman: We should have sealed the deal in 94. We had such a great team with some seniors who graduated, but Dave got hurt, and that hurt us. I felt we left a trophy on the table that year.

Andy Larson, then-junior kicker: I think the 94 team was extremely talented. I think our defense was better in 95. In 94, we had the talent offensively and defensively, the awesome leaders. We just had that one injury to our best player. 95 it worked out really perfectly. Our 96 team was better; we were housing everybody but ran into a team that was loaded.

McElmurry: The 96 team, we returned a lot of good players. I thought in a lot of respects we were better than 95, but that Marshall team was better too.

Brian Toone, then-junior D-lineman: I have not watched the 96 championship game again. To win a title and go 14 games untested, we were handling people and were confident and wanted a second one so bad. It kind of showed me how elusive that national title is. I think thats what resonates about 95 is they had seen sparks of magic in 93 and in 94, and it all came together in 95. We had an incredible junior class and senior class that wouldnt stop and some underclassmen who contributed huge.

Crebo, then-sophomore linebacker: We knew the senior class and juniors were going to be with us and knew we had a special team. I dont think we were overconfident that we had it in the bag, but we knew we had a good team, the guys dedicated themselves in the offseason that this is our chance and this is Daves last year. We felt we had the pieces and the team. That 95 team is just sandwiched between some really good teams.

Dickenson: We werent riding our laurels going into the playoffs because we got our butts handed to us by Idaho and had a dogfight vs. the Cats. There was nobody slacking. Nobody was overconfident. We wanted an opportunity. We got the games at Washington-Grizzly and the confidence grew.

Wayne Hogan, then-athletic director: Were at practice Thanksgiving week heading into the playoffs, and Don Read calls the whole team together and says our new AD came out to practice and I thought Id bring him over to see what he wants to say. Im all jacked up about being there, and so I get in the middle and say Ive seen great football teams at Florida State where we won a national championship in 1993 with Charlie Ward and Warrick Dunn, and Im going to tell you, Ive seen you guys play and this team looks like a national championship team. That was not what Don wanted me to say. Next time I saw him, he said thats the last time Ill ever ask you to speak to the team.

Simonson: At times, it felt like we were unbeatable because of the way things were coming together. Coach Read harped on walking up and down the stretching lines day after day preaching vanilla, vanilla, vanilla. It was his mantra.

Montana opened the playoffs with a 48-0 win over Eastern Kentucky, pitched a 45-0 shutout against Georgia Southern and blasted Stephen F. Austin, 70-14, to advance past the semifinals, the place where the 1994 season ended against Youngstown State. That sent the Griz to the title game in Huntington, West Virginia, a predetermined site that happened to be the home of the other title-game participant, Marshall.

Montana's defense rose to the occasion in the title game after not having to be relied upon in the playoffs. McElmurry had the tone-setting hit early, and the Griz held standout running back Chris Parker to 94 rushing yards.Grizzly cornerback Mike Temple picked off future NFL quarterback Chad Pennington, who was held to 246 yards passing. Pennington was called for intentional grounding in the end zone as Butte natives Brian Toone and Randy Riley combined for the safety, the margin in the 22-20 victory, which had two ties and two lead changes.

Bouchee: Losing at Youngstown in 94, we knew coming back in 95 that somehow we were going to have to pick up the pace on defense. We watched a ton of film on Youngstowns defense and watched the speed and intensity and discipline with which Youngstown played, and we knew we had to replicate that speed and intensity. By the time we got to the playoffs, we really were playing our best defense.

McElmurry: At the championship, I thought we were going to be after them. I didnt think it would be as close as it was. I was nave. That team was better than I realized. Its hard because youre watching film and the teams we played before that looked really tough too, but we had been unstoppable.

Toone: I think that toughness that our defense watched our offense perform with made the defense want to play even tougher and even harder.

Bouchee: In seven on sevens, wed be going against Dave (Dickenson) every day in skeleton period. You couldnt imagine a better training for our defense than to chase around our receivers.

Dickenson: Give (defensive coordinator) Jerome (Souers) some credit because being a spread offense, we scored quite a bit and werent shortening the clock. They found that groove on defense to turn the tides for us.

Wells: Our defense played so well, and one of the biggest turning points was when Blaine McElmurry hits that running back. In todays world, he probably would have been thrown out for targeting. Our touchdowns, safety or field goals, that was at that point as big a play as any.

Manzanarez: The McElmurry hit set the tone. I love how that encapsulated Montana. Heres your tough-nosed Montana kid who runs through their running back, and the cocky Marshall guy does a dance and gets a penalty. No showboating or swagger for us. Coach Read preached you just do your job and you do it well.

Bouchee: Blaines big hit established the tempo that we wanted to play with, that we were going to play hard, play fast and play smart. I think it let them know how we were going to be playing that day. The safety by the two Butte guys ended up being the difference in the game.

Toone: I had broken my arm in the Idaho game, so I played that game with a club on and two rods in my forearm. That was pretty awesome. Not being a young kid now, you start looking at the level of work and coaching that went into that. The safety was incredible play calling on the line to give us players the opportunity.

McElmurry: We wanted to show the rest of the country that our defense was there too and we were part of the team too. It was fun for us to step up and make plays.

After Montana blew a 19-10 lead, Dickenson and the offense rose to the occasion running Reads pass-heavy offense that featured Matt Wells, Mike Erhardt and transfer Joe Douglass. They put together a 12-play, 72-yard, game-winning drive in the waning minutes, keyed by a fourth-and-2 conversion on a slant pass to Erhardt.

Dickenson, who won the 1995 Walter Payton Award, threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns to Matt Wells in the win despite being sacked 10 times. He finished with 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns in four playoff games, giving him 5,676 yards and 51 passing touchdowns in 15 games that season.

Simonson: The first time I became aware of our offense was when we were running the scout-team offense against the first-team defense and Dickenson and myself and some phenomenal kids on the scout-team offense would march down the field and score on the first-team defense. Dickenson would be working his magic and Souers would yell at the scout team coaches to pull us back a little bit: You cant let those guys run roughshod over us, youre ruining our defenses confidence.

Dickenson: My two biggest fourth-down throws were my first start and my last, South Dakota State and Marshall. One to (Scott) Gurnsey on fourth down and the slant to Erhardt on fourth down. I never felt any pressure being behind but felt pressure when youre ahead because you dont want to screw it up. For me, thats why I never felt any pressure on those fourth-down throws because Im going for it. Thats how Ive lived my life as well.

Simonson: One of the big hurdles was against Boise in 1994. They opened a blitz package that confounded us and they put it on us. That hurt our pride as an offense and cast doubt and were not invincible. Thats the game Dave got hurt. The following year in 95, we had Boise for homecoming, my son was born that week, and that was a paramount moment to overcome that obstacle that had cast some doubt, and it acted as a springboard for our offense.

Brent Pease, then-QBs/RBs coach: I have been fortunate to coach some good players and guys in the NFL, and I look at two guys, (Boise State quarterback) Kellen Moore and Dave Dickenson. Something they had other kids dont is the awareness, the anticipation. They know the movements of the defense and knew their assignments, but to know what the other 10 are doing, it takes a pretty football-intelligent guy. I went along on my career, and Dave set a standard of what to look for in a player. Some of that is not something you can develop. Thats something I appreciate about him.

Simonson: Coach Read was an offensive genius and wrote a book on the subject. What made everything gel was Dave and his acumen. Its hard to put a specific quality on his intangibles. The difference between Dave Dickenson and Drew Brees is 2 inches, 20 pounds and $200 million dollars. His attention to detail and ability to translate it in high-pressure situations, Ive never seen anybody else be able to do that. Not only did he have the X-factor in games but a calming effect on the offense.

Dickenson: I was always nervous for every single game. In my younger years and in the pros, Id get myself so worked up and throw up and off Id go. I had a bit of a shoulder separation, and I didnt get hit that much in the playoffs, but that game started and they were faster than any team wed played. They were on me so damn fast that it did feel like, Wow, we had played Washington State that year, but they were fast and confident and on that AstroTurf. I think we all knew this isnt going to be like the rest of the playoff games.

Dennehy: Poor ol David got the crap beat out of him. And yet he still was a tough son of a gun. He persevered. We persevered and found a way.

Wells: If you would have told us before the game we could get the ball with 4 or 5 minutes left where a score wins the game and put the ball in Daves hands, wed sign up for that. I know a lot of people like to talk about how talented Marshall was and David vs. Goliath coach Reads mantra was always vanilla, we dont give anybody any bulletin board material, but I can drop vanilla now and say we were a very good team too.

Larson put the finishing touches on the championship with a field goal after making a 48-yarder and missing a 37-yard earlier in the game. It was the ultimate conversion for the eventual four-year starter whose missed extra point in 1993 against Delaware bounced the Griz from the playoffs.

The celebration was on after Marshall missed a 63-yard field goal as time expired. The party that began on the east coast didnt prepare the players for what was to come when they returned to Missoula.

Larson: Delaware, that was a tough one my freshman year, but I got to learn from my mistakes. I missed kicks throughout my sophomore year, which was pretty rough year to be honest. The McNeese State game, which was the end of my sophomore year, I had a really up and down year, but I made a kick against McNeese State 37 yards in the mud and won the game, so that was kind of helping to heal and let me get things rolling again. It helped me hitting the game winner against Northern Arizona in 95, so I was continuing to build.

Dickenson: When its over, instead of elation, theres a feeling of relief that weve done this. I felt it was one of those where Im just exhausted. I dont think people realize how much it takes to play that many games and go to school and take care of grades and grow up and everyone still has to make time for girlfriends and family.

Crebo: I hated flying, so I wasnt looking forward do that flight back. That plane was so weighted down, its amazing we made it back. We got back late and saw the crowd at the airport and the streets lined up, it was a neat thing to be a part of it. You were sort of celebrity status for a night.

Bouchee: We landed in Missoula and didnt know what was going on back in town. There was no internet back then, so we could only imagine. When we landed, this is late at night, pitch black and just hundreds and hundreds of people to greet us at the airport. At that point, it hit us: this is really something huge for the university, the community, the state.

Manzanarez: You feel like a true rock star, and to go downtown that night and be in the environment where people still were partying, we had a hard time navigating through the bars. You go somewhere with Dave Dickenson, it was a circus. That was the mountaintop for our division, for Griz football, and to be on that mountain is pretty euphoric.

Bouchee: We had these goofy blue track suits on, so the Griz football players had a blue track suit on, and if you had one on, it was the life of the party, free drinks at the bar, pats on the back. The ride didnt really stop. We had the celebration at the fieldhouse, retired Daves number, played his call with President (Bill) Clinton. This is huge, this is major stuff.

Dickenson: I do remember the post assembly. Bill Clinton gave me a holler. Don retired my jersey; I didnt want it then. I didnt even think about it because other things were going on. When I went back in 2018 for the College Football Hall of Fame, I was able to soak it in and feel the love of the people and the fans. That was one of my top experiences in my life.

Larson: I remember Dave saying something like, 'Yeah, I set a bunch of records, but records are there to be broken. A championship is in stone and nobodys going to take that away from you.' Its pretty awesome to be the first and to always have that.

Excerpt from:

From vanilla to victorious: An oral history of Montana's rise to winning the 1995 national championship - 406mtsports.com

With Sen. Kamala Harris about to become Vice President Kamala Harris, California is getting a new U.S. senator for only the second time in 25 years. On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he would appoint Democratic Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Harriss soon-to-be vacant seat.

For months, Padilla has been seen as a logical choice for the job. Hes got plenty of experience in California politics Los Angeles city councilor (1999-2006), state senator (2006-2015) and secretary of state (2015-present). Hes a close ally of the governor, and like Newsom he is more of a technocrat than someone who identifies clearly with either the progressive or moderate wing of the party. He also brings geographical balance to the California delegation as the first senator from Southern California since John Seymour left office in 1992.

Most notably, though, the son of Mexican immigrants will be Californias first senator of Hispanic descent pretty surprising given that California has the third-highest share of Hispanic residents of any state in the country. In fact, a plurality of California residents are Hispanic (39 percent, compared with 37 percent who are non-Hispanic white, 14 percent who are Asian and 6 percent who are Black), making Padillas appointment a long overdue milestone.

Nevertheless, Newsoms decision wont please everyone. The governor has been under pressure from virtually every constituency and interest group in the Democratic Party to pick a senator who represents them. For instance, many civil-rights leaders and womens groups were pressuring Newsom to choose a Black woman, such as Rep. Karen Bass or Rep. Barbara Lee. With Harriss departure, there will be no Black women in the next Senate, and there have been only two in all of American history (there are four current senators, and five former senators, of Hispanic descent).

[Democrats And Republicans Should Argue More Not Less]

So there is potential downside here for Newsoms own political prospects as well. This is not something that I wish even on my worst enemy, because you create enemies in this process, he lamented last month. (Its also a terrible time for Newsom to alienate potential allies; hes recently been raked over the coals for attending a crowded dinner party at a posh Napa Valley restaurant in violation of his own COVID-19 protocols.) On the bright side for him (and other ambitious California politicians), though, he does have more chances to placate these groups: He will also be tasked with appointing a replacement for Padilla as secretary of state, as well as a replacement for California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who has been nominated to be Joe Bidens secretary of health and human services. (There may yet be another Senate vacancy from California, too, as 87-year-old Dianne Feinstein is stepping down from her leadership position on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and some liberals have called on her to resign from the Senate entirely.) So regardless of the health of Newsoms own political career, he has the enviable and extremely rare opportunity to shape California politics for years to come.

How many years, though, is an open question. Padilla will have to face the voters in 2022, when Harriss Senate seat is up for election, and appointed incumbents do not enjoy the electoral advantage that elected incumbents do. Being a senator from California is also an extremely desirable job: Its one of the most powerful positions in the most populous state in the union, and given Californias strong Democratic lean (Biden just won it by 29 percentage points), its Democratic senators have quite a bit of job security. So Padilla can probably expect to face a stiff challenge for his seat from some of the states other ambitious Democrats. For example, many progressives would love to see Rep. Katie Porter, a protge of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, seek a promotion, and Rep. Adam Schiff has $13.7 million in his campaign bank account despite his congressional district not being even remotely competitive.

[What The Stimulus Tells Us About Compromise In D.C.]

Padilla also probably wont be helped by Californias unusual top-two primary system, whereby all candidates run on the same ballot in the primary, and the top two finishers regardless of party advance to the general election. That means a potential Democratic challenger wouldnt have to get more votes than the incumbent, as in most states; instead, he or she would simply need to get more votes than the leading Republican (or third-party) candidate. Again, given how blue California is, thats an easy scenario to imagine: Indeed, two of Californias three Senate elections since the top-two primary was implemented have gone to a Democrat-on-Democrat general election. So while Democrats probably arent in danger of losing Californias Senate seat to Republicans in 2022, it might still be a competitive election worth watching all the way until November.

Originally posted here:

Californias New Senator Will Make History. But Can He Win A Full Term In 2022? - FiveThirtyEight