Uh, oh! Wayne is in for it once again on this one! Wayne...people are still pioneering out west...most of them merge right back to Maine...nothing changes. But instead of jackasses to ride out there...they go by car today. They still return, albeit delirious, the same condition as Mr. Mullin was in when the (legal) Mexican found him. I don't understand, Wayne...if there were three dead men found by other prospector's...and they had no identifiction with them and then again, how did Titus' father know his son was one of the dead? Unless Titus' father already contacted the Telluride newspaper and they knew the boy disappeared, according to the father, and the newspaper "presumed" one of the dead was Titus and contacted the father. Who knew where Titus' father lived and his relation to Titus...unless the Mexican got the information somehow from Titus, after he recovered...if he ever did...and before he died wandering off into the mountains again; as another theory went, maybe. Yeah, I will bet you a dime-to-a-dollar that it were the Mexicans that killed the men in the second story. We have to blame the Mexicans! They knew they had just been paid. Things never do change, do they? Your turn, Mainelyme!

I'll pass on this one.

Having personally solved two actual homicides for the Central Park Police, and being busy on a screen treatment of same my eyes are now being murdered by computer glare.

Ok. I understand. I know about computer glare...but do like I did, I bought one of those "glare screens" for the monitor on my Mac. That helps a lot. Now I can see much better the monitor and all those comments about Sarah Palin. I guess, it is a love/hate relationship some people in the Pine Tree State have with her. Like I said in my postings...I did not vote for McCain, nor Obama. I voted for Hillary Clinton...just like you did, bu absentee ballot; out of Texas. But, back to Wayne's story. The first story is not all that confusing...the issue is just in trying to get through the "older" writing style of the news reporters back then, and from the information they had at the time, it is staccato information. Your apartment must be across from Central Park someplace. If your windows could talk...

i''m on First-What's on Second and Who's on Third........"

Seriously folks;

I live six avenues away from Central Park so I either have to take the city bus or walk in order to get involved in homicides.

Of course, I could just walk over to East End Avenue in back of the Mayor's Mansion but, Carl Shultz Park just specializes in violent assaults and stabbing muggings.

We have a choice areawise as to what kind of crime we wish to become a witness/victim of.

As for the windows talking.

One of my neighbors in the building to the right told me several years ago that he can watch me while I'm talking on the phone, and that I have a very nice body.

Rather than putting some clothes on I just moved the telephone!

Perly, I had to get off the "Sarah Palin's 'Comin to Town" song. ("you better watch out...you better not cry...you better not pout...I'm 'tellin you why...Sarah Palin's 'comin to town...."). And so the song goes. When I left it, there were almost 130 comments...and now they are getting silly. So, tell me, true...who goes to Carl Schultz Park? Those who want to get mugged, stabbed, shot or killed? That's funny about The Big Apple...depends on where you go...different strokes for different folks, they say. Ha, ha, ha...how come you moved the telephone? Just "vamp" this character in the building next to yours! Drop something...and don't face the window.

These are both 25 story buildings with 12 apartments to each floor. That's half of the other building that could see me in all my glory.

You wanna hear about all of us "young" guys sun tanning nude in Central Park?

The cops didn't, either so they used to just look the other way.

What do you expect from a precinct that lets people get away with murder?

And you wonder why I'm writing a screenplay/book?

Maybe I should come back to Bangor and civilize Kenduskeag Stream Park.

They had a murder there, also.

You mentioned the Silver Dollar on Exchange Street.

Were you in town when Morris the Tailor and his son were robbed and killed?

One of the Bangor cops caught the perp in the (was it Smiley's) Silver Dollar because the damned fool was throwing a lot of money around.

Talk about following the money trail.

Wayne doesn't have to write about murders in the Wild West, as there have been a few right there in the old home town.

Ha, ha, ha...Perly...after you left bangor, and "Went West", somehow you did not get too far. New York City was it. You must live in an area with lots of funny people in it...I mean, I knew a guy who lived in the Bronx with his moeher. His name was Shelly something. I had so much fun in the Big Apple on my excursions into the city. Never forget those memories. You must have been down near the water, near the bridges to be able to lay out in the sunshine and tan yourselves in the buff. The NYC cops are probably used to it all by now. Yeah...man...I guess with all the decorating Kenduskeag Stream area for Bangor, Brewer, now, is doing their thing over there along the riverway...on the north end, I think. I did not know a murder was committed at Kenduskeag Stream parkway. To Bangor we go...but I heard that Morris and his son were killed. I don't know what year it was...I left in 1964, and returned only sporadically now and then to see the old place. Too bad about them. They did some clothes for me. Wasn't Smileys a clothing store or something? Maybe it was prior to '64. Possible that Wayne will do something on Bangor's criminal past...lots to talk about. Please, I hope he does not mention the Brady Bunch, either. You are up late...12am your time...noon, my time, next day. Remember Harry...or was it another name? He used to sell the Commercial then the BDN along the streets of downtown Bangor years ago. He had a limp. People always teased him about his brother...he didn't want to hear his name...he hated him. Guess he put him through college, and then rejected Harry. Last, look at the picture in the ad for Manna of Maine sometime. See that little guy eating? I remember him years ago in Bangor, too. His family was always poor...and he got teased by the kids all the time. Poor guy...he never "made it". We are so lucky.

Harry Hall.

His family lived on York Street between Boyd and Carr Street in a grey house with a long side porch that extended backward to ward Hancock Street.

Harry was another victim of the hard times that Bangor people saw during the depression when the oldest boy of the family had to go to work when they were 9 or 10 years old, to help support the family, and didn't have a chance to get any kind of an education.They were a Jewish family.

Poor Harry was emotionally disturbed, but I think I would be if I too had to sell papers on the cold streets of Bangor back then.

I can see his brother in front of me with a round smiling face but, I just can't think of his name. Was it Max (Maxie) ie Hall? I think so. He was in the grocery store or candy distribution business.

No, when Dick Curless was on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts his wife, one of the Green family (Mother Gladys Crocker) called it Smiley's Silver Dollar on Exchange Street, or maybe it was Lucky's Silver Dollar. That sounds more like it.

I never went to the Silver Dollar. I was always busy putting on shows and the people who did that used to go to the upstairs Coral Room of the Brass Rail, and also to he Dining Room and Fiesta Room of the Bangor House.

Everybody stopped using the upstairs second floor room of the Bangor House for organizational meetings that John and Marcia Chapman provided when the maid Effie ( Forgot last name) was found killed in a nearby room. That was another killing in Bangor that took on the personae of the bizzare with all the wild stories of the condition of the corpse and the rumoured fact that the killer was a prominent business man at the time. Even though we heard from a member of a Bangor Police family that the police knew who did it, the killer was never arrested. It sounds to me like the authorties panicked and just walked all over any clues.The killer was never caught.

The chief police crime reporter for the New York Times is answering reader's questions this week, so I'm getting a few questions and digs in about the two crimes I became involved with investigative wise.

All in all, I'd say I could comment on murders involving Bangor people, and New York City isn't the only municipality that doesn't get them solved!

Wayne-John.

II'm going to have to borrow this thread to post a message from a previous thread.

First off, I hope everyone in the greater Bangor Area and beyond appreciates and uses the Bangor Public Library.

The area is so lucky to have such a first class convenience such as this and should support it whole heartedly.

That having been restated;

John; I got a regular letter today from the library in regard to my query about that picture you mentioned of Norm Lambert, my sister in law, and the Maine Central Railroad Radio Show.

They sent me a black and white photostated copy of the picture, and (sadly) it wasn't of my sister in law Anne Spellman.

I didn't recognize the girl in the photo and I got the feeling from the show's title that it was an amateur participant show, and not "The Maine Central Railroad Hour" that had played in earlier years.

Which ofc ourse, brings to mind the night that Eddie Driscoll appeared on the televised amateur hour on WABI wasn't it?

He wore brown and white saddle shoes, white socks, a plaid wool skirt, wig and nicely stuffed sweater.

I was going to insist that Eddie have an introduction in the nightclub scene of my first movie script if it ever got filmed.

Never mind Dialing for Dollars" "Mason Mutt," "Kraddock of Weird" and all the other wonderful characters that Eddie played. The fact remains that he did his original act singing in drag at the height of the homophobic early fifties, and he was professional enough not to play it for cheap laughs.

Eddie should have a permanent display in any museum that has displays of old Bangor.

He was better known and more loved than Paul Bunyon, himself!

Yeah...Harry Hall! Now I recall it. Harry would always get so mad when people asked how his brother was...and Harry would always say..."Don't call me ------, my name's Harry. ------'s a son-of-a-b****". People would then laugh, and walk away. It was mean to do to old Harry. He was a great old-time streetside paper-seller, though. Lucky's Silver Dollar...that's right. Maybe Wayne could do something in his articles sometime on Exchange Street, sometime...at any year, for that matter. I was in the Silver Dollar, frequented by Air Force guys and whomever else drifted in there. Drank a soda and promptly left. Often enough, no matter where you go, the police "cannot" solve crimes, simply because someone in the city management has them by the "nads". Oh, too bad about that photo the BPL sent to you. At least they had the "Woodsmen & Whigs". Well, you tried, anyway. Eddie Driscoll was at WLBZ-TV, Channel 2..."Mighty 2". It could have been, that prior to 1957 or so...Eddie was on the amatuer hour at 'ABI. Eddie was quite a guy, though. I worked at WLBZ-TV one time, as an apprentice. Eddie was so funny, on and off screen. He could be quite liberal in his ways, as well. Yup...Eddie was real, but old Paul with Blue-Balls...or whatever the name of his ox was...was not real.

Good morning, John.

The show was around 1952 and it was on WABI T.V., and called "Spotlight on Youth."I almost think it was sponsored by Sleepers Clothing Store that had a little hole in wall store on Broad Street near the second Dakin's Sporting Goods Store.

I wish I had the money now that I spent over the years at Sleepers. I still have a three piece off white Saturday Night Fever suit I bought there two months befor John Travolta wore his. I could never fit into it now.

There was a girl who performed a lip sync to Betty Hutton's song about kicking a lightbulb, but she couldn't have been from the area because she never showed up again.

You gotta give Eddie credit, radio and television announcers were the lowest pay scale but there was nothing else in Bangor, and he stuck to it.

I was in bed in sick bay on Parris Island in January 1957, and a young medical corpsman/nurse came up to my bed. He asked my where in Maine I was from and I told him Bangor. He then excidedly asked me if I knew Eddie Driscoll. I told him Eddie had a couple of television shows in Bangor, and he laughed saying that was Eddie, alright. He then said he had been on a navy ship with Eddie and he was always organizing and putting on shows for the guys.

When I taped a show for Weird 11 for WLBZ (WTWO: MIGHTY tWO) just before I left town in May of 1985 Eddie was in the studio. We got into a conversation and I told him the story. Eddie was all smiles and wanted to know what the guy's name was. I could only describe him and, of course Eddie couldn't place him because there had been thousands of guys on each ship, and they were like floating cities!

Harry Hall's brother's name was Charlie because Harry always used to get upset and holler," Don't call me Charilie!"

Relatives can be very cruel. It's almost as if it's thought to be a birthright that comes with the certificate.

I told God long ago that I don't want to be with my relatives when I die, I want to be with my friends!

I will text later...I just remembered that Harry's brothers name was Charlie.

Yes...I'am back now. I had a couple of friends of mine who are city councilmembers drop over for breakfast. I almost forgot we had invited them. Back now. Yes...that was exactly what Harry would alyays yell at people. One time I saw him pick up something from the sidewalk and was about to throw it at some guy teasing him about his brother, Charlie. Some cop stopped Harry, though. Harry went wild every time! Oh...Pearly...my sentiments exactly about the relatives! Mine were always jealous of me; my parents, too. They both were into music...both were in local bands, but time, fortunately, drifted us apart. One is a janitor in some church in some small town south of Bangor, now, and the other has arthritis so bad, he is on medication all the time...but I cannot say much more. All I know is I live my life, and live it quite happily without any of my "relatives". They each poisoned the minds of each other, so I let them alone to suffer in their own mental swill.

Yes...I do remember, "Spotlight on Youth". We got it on our 21" Admiral black-and-white set. Yup...I bought all my clothing at Sleepers (I think Tucker McAloon worked there on/off), Henry Segal's and at The Boston Store, where "Les" would be the one to always wait on me. Did the girl who sang Betty Hutton's song, pantomime it, too? That would be one I'd love to see! I never knew Eddie was in the Navy. Interesting. But, Eddie was made for entertainment, anyway. Sometimes, when the news was on, and Al Raleigh was announcing, sometimes Eddie would walk in front of the cameras, knees bent down so people could only see his head, and as he walked by, his head going back and forth like a walking pigeon, cracked us up. They had to break for commercials, even though it was not on the format and program log, because Al got so excited and began laughing.

I can see that Eddie is still giving us laughs from beyond the grave, and that has to be called a life well lived.

I was assured back when that there were a lot of people in Bangor who had their ways but, people of Bangor never really condemned anyone for who or what they were. I certainly was much too busy socializing and putting on shows for charity to pay much attention to the personal lives of others.

Yes, Tucker McAloon did work for Sleepers on/off. Being young at the time I was shocked at the two different people that he could be. I've since gotten older and unfortunately more experienced in knowledge and I can understand what the situation was. I had the very sweet grandaughter of a local old time lumber baron tell me that he had a very nice mother., and I had every reason to believe her.

Harry Hall disintergrated even further as he went on. He used to walk around with that flop[py overcoat on puttinga folded newspaper up to people and asking them if they read the item he was supposedly pointing at.

As for a former quote, I didn't go west by coming to New York the first and second times buit, it was wild.

I had several opportunies to go out to Hollywood and work for Warner Brothers Pictures there also, but show business is even worse than the gossip columns now paint it, and I had just a little too much respect for my body, mind and hence self to allow living the demeaning existance that I would have had to live in order to keep gwtting parts in pictures.

Like you, I've done everything that a movie star could do and, I don't have to avert my eyes when I'm shaving in a mirror.i can live with myself, and also hopefully face God while doing it.

As I often say: "Show business is so bad now a days it won't be long before the announcer for the late night television movie will say," And now tonight, ladies and gentlemen we have a first time rare treat in store for our regular viewers. Stay tuned as we'll be showing Perley J. Thibodeau's Medical X Rays!

Yeah, Tucker was a duel personality, that's for sure. He would get into the bottle, and stay there for a while, then get off...stay there for awhile. He was a good-looking, guy, too...reminded me of Joe Palooka. I guess he went outside his house in the dead of winter, slipped on ice in his driveway, fell down and died from exposure. They said he was loaded at the time, and could not get up, as he hit his head on the ice. Ya, my mother knew his mother...she had only nice things to say about her. Times changed in Bangor over the years, with people. Not the same mindset as Bangor was, that we once knew. Harry passed-on...but he always had that trademark overcoat and slouch hat on. Never forget him, either. Walking around with that limp, with a bundle of papers under his arm, selling his backside off. You mentioned Warner Brothers. I worked for that firm, too, but in Newhall, California. Warner Brothers just purchased a large business from Bally Corporation at the time, and I was in on the transition...and stayed on for a little while until my contract ran out. Ha, haaa! If they show your medical X-Rays...what next...those pictures that were taken in Park Central while tanning? Now, that would be something to see! For those folks who have never been to Central Park, I would suggest staying on the sidewalks and then, be careful of those around you. I never had any problems, though. It's Carl Schultz you want to stay away from. What ever happened to Bobby Goodreau? The last time I saw him, I was in my car, passing Franks Bake Shop, and he was beating the hell out of some old man in front of Frank's. Timmy O'Connel was anaother one...he had an accident, I guess, hurt his head...stayed nuts the rest of his life. Where are they now?

Sorry, Perly...but I just had an afterthought! In Freese's, downtown, I remember two employees there. I would buy shirts and some clothes there sometimes. There was this very nice petite lady working there. That was the period of the Freeses yellow stamps, remember? She was always dressed nicely, was very pretty, I thought. Always made-up well, high heels, nice hairdo...lipstick, jewelry...and every Sunday, I would see her at the 9:00 mass at Saint John's. I cannot quite remember, but I think she may have sung in the choir, also. The little lady with the humpy back played the organ. The other person at Freeses, was this guy in the mens and boys department. He was always looking at me when I came in there, and after Freese's relocated to the Airport Mall, he went there; same department. I always thought he was a little on the feminine side. He had brown hair, sort of nice-looking guy. Anyway...maybe you knew who I am talking about with a little thought.

Was it Wilma at Freeses?

Sweet flirtatious smile, dark hair and always wore red lipstick?

I knew the guy in the men's department. He got married to a girl who had several childen and he joined Buddy Frankle's Church. It was only after he joined Frankel's Church that I felt uncomfortable with him.

I knew the Goodreau family. Blonde hair and blue eyes, but i went to school with Judy. Sweet pretty little girl. Was Bobby a brother to Judy ad Mike?

I don't think I knew Timmy O'Connel.

Are you talking about Warner Brothers Pictures that has also morphed into Time-Warner Books and Time Warner Cable Company?

I must be getting old because I tell the young cable guys to stay with the company. I was with the Music Division ion Madison Avenue in 1961 when they first started profit sharing, and I could have been worth a fortune today.

I haven't been over to the rock in Central Park days since I started stalking the strangler nights in May to October 1999. I'm assured the same old....is still going on. There were a lot of nice guys of all ages, and I used to learn all their names and introduce each of them to each other. We really had a great time.

As for the pictures, it was a slightly chilly day and so I didn't look like I had too much to brag about.

Yup. I think it was Wilma. Sexy as hell...even at my tender and young age back then, I wanted that woman! This guy at Freese's actually got married? Maybe he got tired of himself. Who was Buddy Frankle? What happened to make you uncomfortable with this guy...did he try to get you to join the church and put his holiness upon your soul or what? I hate that when someone does that to me. I found my God, I tell them. Oh, yeah...Judy. Judy Goodreau. I began to make-out with and date Judy a lot when they lived on Pearl Street, near Garland Street. I used to take her for rides and go parking down by Grotto Cascade Park in my 1952 Buick I bought at Rapaport's. Bobby was a brother of Mike and Judy. They lived across the street from Martha Gross. I have a photo from the Bangor Daily News of our First Communion...Bobby and Mike were in it with me, in front of St. John's with our little hands raised in a prayer gesture and all in white. Timmy O'Connell was a son of a Bangor Fire Department fireman. Timmy had another brother, a younger one...he's a very nice guy. Lived on Birch Street, near Garland. Yes, I'am speaking directly of the Warner Brothers Pictures division. They bought out Bally's at Magic Mountain in Newhall, California when I worked there. Oh...I see it now...you, like the US, were in a recession at the time, reference to your last comment. I envy you, though, Perly, because you are able to cook and fend for yourself. I hate to cook...even spaghetti. I'am so helpless, I cannot even open a wrapper of a candy bar by myself. My wife and maid spoiled the heck out of me. Perly...either Wayne Reilly is allowing us to blog like this to get information secretely out of us for his nostalgic articles...or that he does not know we write back and forth. Anyway, this is fun, we will try to keep it up without him knowing much about it.

John; As I said at my mother's funeral after several years of personally nursing her on her death bed, " It's amazing what we can do when we have to do it!

So true, Perly. Most of my life was established in crisis management, and that is why I always tell my wife, that some people work and think best with immediate deadlines and thought process. When faced with situations, there is no time to diddle-around and worry about this or that...just take care of business.

How did the name Perley lose an e in crossing the International Dateline?

It got caught in a typhoon in Guam.

Perley...do you ever remember a Vicky Nowak...and Stanley Galuza...or a John Demski? They came off some side street near you in the 1950's, and rented an apartment my mother had available. I called Stanley..."Galuza-The-Boozer". Vicky and Stanley; well, I never knew if they were married or not...and I don't know the relation John (old Polock) was to them. Stanley was a carpenter or a plumber. He drove a 1955 Chevrolet...salmon and grey, I recall.

I lived on Pearl Street between Hancock and State Street after February 11th 1956.

Just down around the corner from where you lived on Otis Street.

Like the Earth and its mythical twin star both on the complete opposite side of the sun we were both traveling at the same speed so we never saw each other or even met.

You must have known Dottie Brennen Kelly- Charlie Kelly's second wife in the mansion on the corner of Otis and State Street.

Dottie was the nicest person. She was the sister to Bob Brennen at the post office who was married to Terry Brennen in Bangor voter registration, , and the mother to Joe and Ed Kelly, the Kelly Twins.

A friend and I were eating in Cap Morrill's in South Brewer one night and I suddenly heard, "Yoo hoo, Perley, yoo hoo!"

I turned around to see that the lush green philodendrons in the raised room divider/planter were talking to me. Suddenly they parted and there was Dottie's smiling face saying, Yoo hoo, yoo hoo!

I did know Dotty. But on the corner of Otis and State? All I recall on that corner (Otis and State) was a Shell filling station on one side, and at the other corner, an Esso filling station. Next to the Esso, on Otis was a home owned by a Meade family...the husband was a Bangor policeman...had two kids, Polly and Michael. Across from them on Otis was a rooming house with now a history. That's all I remember, Father. So, you must have known the sister of the wife of Lou Gonya...she lived in a nice, quaint little white home on Pearl; or could it be Fruit, on the right, heading to Garland. Jayleen and Carol were the daughters of the Gonya's. I used to ride my bike down your "way" quite often...and I must have seen you at some time...never knew what the future would be in September - October 2008...that's for sure. I could not have even dreamed of living this long! When we were young, just the distance of a bike ride around the block was an excursion. I did frequent the large field between Fruit and Pearl along Garland Street. Us kids would play ball, "Red Rover" (Red Rover, Red Rover...send Perley right over", and other games. Summers were wonderful back then with the "nighthawks" chirping and the warm sun going down into the oaks in the mist and dust of the area we lived in. Those you mentioned, I have heard of, but were not familiar with.

Oh now I remember...how did you recall the date and year you moved? You DID tell me about that convertible you bought at B&C. And that the neighbor across the yard in back of you had another one just like it. Ok...you were on the OTHER side of State. But, I still peddaled down your way, just the same.

Remember Tuck's Store on the corner of Pearl and State Street? Charles Kelly had a mansion on the left beyond that on the corner of Otis and State Street walking toward Veazie. I think it was big and grey. The gas station was on the next corner toward Veazie just before you got to the big gray Wing Estate and Estelle Robinsons' sprawling house on the built up lawn. Estelle was Robinson Kenny Oil, and she always left the front glass door open winter and summer with a bouquet of flowers displayed there.Was that on the corner of Bellevue Avenue?

Across from Tuck's Store on State was Freida Murray's house on the corner of Pearl and State. She rented the downstairs to Bob Duddy who had Duddy's Grocery Store there. His father was Captain Duddy of the Bangor Police, and his sister was Dottie Duddy who, believe it or not was in the Republican Party.

Walking up State Street toward the Eastern Maine General Hospital on your right was a big grey apartment house that the Braley's lived in for a while.it was a large family and there was a girl named Brenda.Beyond that was Spruce Street that went down over the hill the kids used to slide on toward Hancock Street, and skirted "Cassidy's Field" on the left. At the top of the hillon State Street was Eileen Cassidy's house, another filling station, and a small grocery store named Judy's Lunch that was named after Judy Viola by her father. Just beyond that was the big yellow Getchell IBrother's iautomatic ice dispenser. Then the hospital and eventually the Bangor Dam.

Yes, I've often said that Bangor was the best place in the world to be raised, but it just didn't have Broadway and Times Square.

I'd say from the sounds of it that everything worked out well for the two of us. Both we and God wanted us in other places for other reasons and that's where we landed.

As far as living this long........................Isn't it wonderful?

My mistake.

The Kellys lived on the corner of "Fruit Street" and State Street.

Otis Street was just north and had the Meadow Brook Gully beyond.

Yes, I do remember Tuck's. Ok. Now I remember the mansion. Comes back to me now. Estelle's home was a large, contemporary home, set up on a beautiful lawn, across from the Eastern Maine General. Yes, she always had a beautiful display of flowers inside the glass front door...and the bouse was at the corner of State and Howard Streets. The Duddy's were good friends of my mom and dad. I remember the Duddy's. All those places, as you take me through the history excursion was now coming back to me in memories; but I do remember these places, and those who lived in them. Bangor did have it's "mini" Broadway and "Times Square"...but in the way only Bangor could have made it. It is lost now, gone to the ages. Many people in Bangor today, do not realize the historical, cultural, social, and overall clime Bangor had as we were growing up, during and after World War Two. Ambiance. Bangor's own feelings, heartbeats, smells, people, businesses,...everything about it had it's particular kind of environment. Nobody could understand if they did not live there back then. Last time I was in Bangor, 1995, as I drove around, walked around, people shouted to me in anger, blasted their car horns in anger, were "pushy and shovie" in stores, acted like Magnus Revisited as they walked about with cell phones stuck in their ears, were snobby in restaurants and even the clerks in restaurants and stores were follishly snobby. Lots of girls acted like entertainment stars and opted to make some riduculous overt display of talking like "California Valley Girls", instead of speaking naturally. What is the matter up there, nowadays? Another culture moved in? Guess so. They may or may not hold any attachments to the originating families we knew and interfaced with in our time. But, Perley...I could not stand it in Bangor any longer...and that wass even back in the 1960's, after "getting out" and visiting the world. It's not comparing...it's distraught dissatisfaction seeing how plastic it all seemed to me. Bangor is a wonderful place, and still has the most wonderful people in the world there...literally...but most now, seem to be unattached to real, honest, society as we knew it. By the way...Meadow Brook Gully...I think it was also known as "Car's Hill", was where I would go after school as a child, and spend up to 9:00pm, under the stars, sliding down the snowy little hill on my taboggan or my sled. What a time. God's been good to my little life.

Now you've gone and made me cry.

The great messages from these posts are telling about the people like ourselves who were lucky enough to have grown up in the Bangor that is now gone, and who are now spread around the world and are telling others about the previous beautiful Bangor and the wonderful place that used to be.

I just got a message from my newly acquired script management company telling me that they feel confident that they will be able to get production companies interested in my movie script that takes place in the new Bangor.

Although the script tries to aim Bangor and its new citizens into what will hopefully be a bright and understanding city of the 21st century, most of the knowledge was gleaned by me from the people who made Bangor such a great place to live in the past.

A young married couple who were friends from New Jersey took me to see the original Broadway production of Camelot at the Old Majestic Theater here in New York.on my 21st birthday in July 1961.

The final scene when the entire backdrop was blazing firery red with the final destruction of dreamer King Arthur's perfect world was hightened in its emotional drama when old and defeated King Arthur sang a refrain of the harmony and order that had been his well ordered realm named Camelot to a young squire and told him not to stay and fight but to escape behind the enemies lines and to spread the magical stories far and wide..

The final curtain descended with the young boy escaping off stage to fullfill his mission, and as the music crescendoed King Arthur stood amid the rubble of war shouting, "Run . Run, Run."

It was a great moment in theater that enriched the viewer's lives, and it showed me that as long as we keep telling younger people who haven't heard the story of how liiving used to be, then there's a possibility that it will all come back to life again.

"Run . Run, Run."

Very true, Pearley. The "e" made it this time. I had to reminise about King Arthur for a minute...as I had a college (law) thesis to do on him, (contrary to law itself, but in respect to legal military historics). I remember he was a legend as a Romano-British warleader who led British resistance against the Saxons and the Scots about the 6th Century. He was more of a warlord, rather than a King, though. He had a big victory over the Saxons at Mount Badon. Camelot is credited, if I remember right, as a hill fort at South Cadbury in Somerset. I recall your relationship to the production. I relate it even more, as you do, as we "ran...ran...ran" from what we knew to be as comfort, into our more established and more mature future. As it were. As it is. I will pray that your success with the production you produced is wrought with high praise from the critics. If they realize culture in Maine, and the reasoning you are trying to purvey, it should be well-understood and acclaimed. If it gets to video, I want to see it. Let me know if it is on major television, as I could get it on satellite from the US. Generally, it takes time to work through. You know that...start to finish...then editing...possibly re-shooting again...you know how it works. I don't know at what point you will "start" in the "New Bangor"...but whatever it will be, break a leg on this one, sweetheart!

Very strange this time warp and what it does to names that are fairly common in Maine.

There's no A in PERLEY!

Uh, ho! Goofed again! Picked that "A" up somewhere along the line. Actually, at almost 3pm, yesterday afternoon, my tired eyes, full of pool water and chlorine bother me so much, it is hard to even proofread my postings. I sometimes miss a letter or two. I'm up early today. I have to go to Manila (by plane) for a day or so, but I'am taking my son's laptop with me. I have the same blog name as I do on this Mac compuer in my library room at home, so I can be in touch, somehow. It's 1:30 in the morning right now, Saturday. My wife will take our son, Adrian, to the dentist in Ilagan (Isabela Province)...just a 30-minute drive from ur home. He has to get his monthly checkup on his braces and change the "bumpers", again. Ester goes shopping in that city, and will come back with cakes, fruits, vegetables and other goodies. I did not drive to Manila...never do. I hate to drive there. No patterns to road respect. People actually drive in the center of the lines painted on the damned roads, Perly! Then they get frustrated with me driving between the lines. When they pass, and see me driving, they understand and just give me a "wave" and a smile...passing at 80mph or so. Hardly ever, do we get "road rage" here. My plane (out of Tuguegarao City) leaves at 6:30am. It's only a 45 minute trip by jet to get to the "Domestic Airport"...attached to the large airport, Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Paranaque (Manila). I have investment business to handle...and my broker firm out of Dubai, has a sub-office in Manila, We meet on weekends, and then there is less traffic (not really), they tell me. Manila runs like Las Vegas...24/7. No letup. Text you later ("mamaya; cige, ingat na") = (later...ok and take care now.) Stay away from that "window".

Thanks for the history of King Arthur.

What are you going to tell me next, that Lancelot was gay, Merlin was a child molester, and the Lady of The Lake wasn't one?

Your colorful description of driving into Manilla reminds me of the last time I drove in Bangor back in 1985 and sat in the middle of the Hogan Road trying to figure out how to turn left, cross the median strip and drive into the Bangor Shopping Center.

Some change from the time it was a dark unpaved path surrounded by cow pastures, and a place where lovers secretly conceived babies.

Never mind, I already know about Lancelot.

Yeah...I remember when, back in 1953, my dad took me out to Hogan Road to begin to learn to drive. I was about 9 years old. I sat on a pillow behind the wheel of dad's 1953 Chevrolet Bel-Aire 4-door he bought from Jack Warren. Toes touching the brake, the clutch pedal and the accellerator. It was that sparkly-green and cream color that was popular then. Dad had a 1952 Cadillac, but he was not going to let me drive that...it was mom's car. Traveling along the Hogan Road, (heading towards where the shopping center is now) about only 200 feet or so from Mount Hope avenue, we saw another car coming along the road. It wa a 1952 Ford 4-door. The car belonged to Mary-Ellen Ford's father. They lived on lower Otis Street at the time. He was alone driving toward us. I misjudged the distance on my left, and scraped the damned entire sides of each of our cars, ripping off the long, metal chromized strips off the sides of each car, and creating beautiful, lined, even scrapes along the left side of dad's new Chev, and Mr. Fords, '52 Ford. My father was so mad at me. He paid for the damage to the Ford's car, okay, but I was back on my green Raleigh bicycle for a couple of months thereafter...feeling happy just to drive the Chev around the yard whenenever dad was asleep Sunday afternoons. By the way...later, when I was a little older, I used to sneak into the "ticket house" back of Garland Street Junior High School and do the deed with my girlfriends in that place, speaking of "lovers secretely.....". Hard on the knees, but it was worth it, getting into the little "ticket house". I had many a girlfriend accompany me into that little place. I know you already knew the lesson on King Art. I don't know if Lancelot was gay or not. His name surely alludes to something!

You were very lucky you never got pregnant!

My brother Joe used to let me drive his old 1941 Packard out on Eastern Avenue in Holden.

I was a terrific dancer, WLBZ T.V. dance parties after school at Garland Street, but I could never coordinate my foot movement enough to go from the clutch to the gas pedal and would stall that damned thing everytime.Of course, Joe who couldn't dance didn't have any trouble at all.

He and my brother Paul both got 49 Mercurys, one blue, one grey and Joe used to let me drive his.

The Mercurys and the Lincolns looked just a like that year and I was practicing backing up in Viner's Parking lot that surrounded our house on Church Lane and I came inches from backing Joe's dark blue Mercury right into Jim Viner's dark blue Lincoln.new Lincoln.

I guess I've always been a Socialist!

That grounded me until papa sold the house on Church Lane and built a new one and we moved to Pearl Street on February 11th 1956.

Joe bought a black '54 Buick and let me drive that. I felt like Jimmy Dean in Rebel Without a Cause with my jacket collar tunred up and the radio blasting Bill Halley's "Rock Around The Clock." if I made a mistake he'd turn the radio off.

One day we were turning right from North Main Street in Brewer onto the old Brewer Bridge. I was driving, Joe was sitting next to me and our friend and neighbor Eddy Whalen was on the far right. I got distracted right in the middle of the turn when Eddie cupped his hands and made a sound like a police siren, and suddenly we were heading straight toward the cement retaining wall that held the banking leading up to Phillip Christmas' House on the Hill at about ten miles an hour.

Joe was big and coud be slow moving but, he was fast action that time. He almost broke my foot when slammed his foot on top of my foot that was already on the brake, the car stopped inches from the concrete wall, and red faced Joe said quietly, "Get out!"

I can't remember if he let me drive his car after that or not. He got married and I went onto live my life. If we hadn't I don't think either one of us would have survived the brotherhood that flowed between us!

I'll tell you about my eventually putting 500 dollars down on a brand new 1967 Chevrolet white and gold convertible costing 3,400 dollars, and driving it home up State Street in the pouring rain during 12 oclock rush hour traffic with just a learner's permit, sometime.

Like the Johnny Cash song about the guy all bruised, bloodied and teeth missing from a fight-I like to think that when t came to life; I'm the winner!

Me? Get pregnant? No way, Jose! I had trouble shooting my Red Ryder BB gun. I just was successful in pumping it. Packards...we had a neighbor, Bill Gehgan (sp) who was our neighbor. I think he worked for the News back some years ago. He had this big, black Packard. His wife was Maude. I loved that Packard. It was a great auto. Yes...WLBZ held "Dance Party". I remember that. So, you almost hit Jim Viner's Lincoln? (Jew-hater). Not really...kidding. My wife was learning to drive, as I had to leave Bangor one time. So, teaching her in the parking lot at Marden's in Brewer one early morning at 8:00 am, we had my solid white 1988 Mercury (brand-new) with that carriage-top. Ester was backing up, and instead of lightly tapping the brake, she hit the accellerator. Someone had a beautiful blue Rolls Royce in that parking lot...I don't know who owned it...but the same thing happened to us...as to you and Joe. I hurt Ester's toe, scratched her toe paint, and stopped that Mercury just a foot from the front grille of that Rolls. I have lots of "car" stories to tell you. The Johnny Cash song you ar alluding to, goes like..."kickin and a-gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer". It was because Dad named him a girls name. One time, I was at a record hop at the old Bangor City Hall. I had a guy named Dickie Shaunessey in the backseat trying to make out with his girl, and I had a girl I picked up at the hop with me in the front seat. We had my Dad's 1955 Buick Roadmaster. Driving slow on the street beside the City Hall, this cop jumped in the car and ordered me to drive after some guy running down the street. I did, That Buick took off like a rocket, throwing Shaunessey and his girl on the floor, and the cop fell over my chick. I followed the guy into a small alleyway, and then the cop got out and got this dude. Quite and evening. We got my cousin to buy us beer and we had quite a lovers night after the excitement. Car stories. You told me about the time you bought the convertible. Then your neighbor had it...you ordered another one...twin Chevy's. I laughed about that one. Okay...I have to go, because I need to take a taki to a dinner meeting with my broker's representative. I'll catch up with you tomorrow.

"A Boy Named Sue" and " I'm The Wnner' are two different Johnny Cash songs.

I just got up after a night of "writing" and I'm bleary eyed without the coffee that hasn't been made yet.

I'll tell you about my neighbor Bill Deering (Psychologist) leanding me his car one time and how I came to have an adventure with a "Welfare Cadillac," at a later date. It does get involved.

Manilla sounds beautiful. I'm sure I'd eat myself to death!

Come to think of it, I now believe the song "I'm the Winner" was Bobby Bear.

Hey...I knew Bill Deering. He worked at the nut house...had an office there, and also had a small home on Hancock Street, near to the Medical Center. Email me if you can. I don't know if Wayne is enjoying or getting mad at our web use of his space. I'am still in Manila and have my son's laptop with me. I'am leaving about 2:00 this afternoon to go back to Tumauini. I had my meeting with my financial planner, and things are looking very good this year. my wife and I are going to buy about 3 acres of land in a new subdivision that is being surveyed right now in Tumauini, at Camp Samal mountain and resort. We plan to put up another new home out there where the land elevation is much higher than here in the "bowl" of Tumauini. We will use both homes at once, anyway. I also bought another 20 units of land stock in Bahrain and Qatar (10 of each) yesterday. Now, lt's see what the returns will be in 14 months or so will be. This was an expensive trip to Manila, but I have not lost anything yet.

Any pythons on that land?

John;

This e mail didn't work!

king827432000@yahoo.com.

That is my email address, Perley. No, there were no pythons on the land, as it's industrial hotel and high-rise structures going up, along with banks and a financial center. I'am being edged-out by these Saudi's...they have the millions...what can I do with just one or two of them? But, at least, I get my foot in the door and survive in that world. I almost had to sell my soul to get these deals! Oh, you may mean the pythons in the Philippines...not in the Middle East...no. This land is cleared and there are no wildlife over there. The area is only two miles from where we are now. But on a hilly and mountainous area...the Sierra Madre's are just behind us...no fear of landslides at all. Keep trying the email address...it is heavy internet time, and the satellites may be jammed up coming to the other side of the earth. Keep trying, Perley. My son used my computer at home today...as I have his right now...I'am almost home in 30 minutes from the airport. He said internets are jammed-up today.

It still didn't work!

Givve me a clue to what yours is...I try to send on this end.

I hold another one, also.

therleyt@msn.com