BOOK REPORTS--

Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff

This is a true story of three American service people who survive a plane crash deep in the mountainous, interior jungle of New Guinea in 1945.  Twenty one of their companions died in the crash.  Their crash site put them between the enemy Japanese and head-hunting jungle tribes, the latter living like they had in the Stone Age.  This is a marvelous, historical narrative, the story of their adventure and the most incredible rescue mission of World War II.  Do yourself a favor and read this one.  It will not take long.


Red on Red by Edward Conlon

This, the author's debut novel, is an articulate and penetrating look at life as a New York City detective--which he is.  Joseph Wambaugh, a seasoned and successful "cop story" author said, "...this is the cop novel for everyone who reads books."  I whole-heartily agree!


Jihad Joe by J. M. Berger

The sub-title describes this offering thusly:  "Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam."  Frankly, I got about 100 pages into this book and quit.  It is a distressing topic about Americans who have volunteered for battle in the name of Islam but it trundled through the topic like that history teacher whose class it has been easy for you to forget.


Up Country by Nelson DeMille

I have yet to encounter a DeMille offering I did not like.  A lot.  This one takes you back to the Viet Nam War with a veteran who later became a career military cop and is assigned a clandestine investigation that romps from Saigon to Hanoi.  Some reads are hard to put down.  This is one of them.

MY HYPOTHESIS--
Today's Standard of Excellence is Mediocrity

Ford Motor Company in late September put out a recall notice for their 2000, F-150 pick-up trucks. 

They advised us one or both fuel tank straps could fail due to corrosion.

They warned us the tank could fall to the ground and there is a potential for fire.

They went on to say, "Please call your dealer without delay and request a service date."

The local dealer said the parts involved are not available.

"Call back in November sometime," the lady chirped on the phone.

LOUIE--
The Play at Malabar Farm

Phoebe (Wise) coaches Louie (Bromfield) into a collective after-life (above) where they present a lively review of the famous, local author's storied life.  They shared snippets of on-stage conversation then drifted into the shadows (of death) and witnessed the portrayal of the scene they just discussed.  Repeatedly and masterfully.

Carl Hunnell was riotous as George, Bromfield's secretary.

Stunning theater tradition was upheld by Amy Stoner, Gabriella Sanchez, Mary Ann Calhoun and Ryan Glass; all of whom stepped-in to their roles after the program was printed--Stoner (as Bromfield's wife) with barely a day's notice.

Imagine that!

The play was punctuated by film-clips of Bromfield's life including one outstanding creation where the play's cast portrayed itself in the "antique aged" black and white film.

Kudos by the bushel to local Author and Director Mark Sebastian Jordan for bringing this bubbling evening of entertainment to the neighborhood stage.

The play will continue tonight, and October 14. 15 and 16th in the barn at Malabar Farm.  It is a fund-raising event and your $36 ticket includes a BBQ dinner, house tour and the 2-act play.

You will get more than your money's worth!  A lot more.
______________
Malabar Farm

Lady friend Sue Brooks (above) enjoys an excursion thru the Smucker Brand Showcase Store just south of the company's factory in Orville, OH.  To get there take US 30 east from Wooster about 8 miles, turn north in Riceland on State route 57 and the store is about 1/4 mile north on the east side. 

THE SMUCKER JELLY STORE--
Treat yourself to a treat

The Smucker company got its start about the time the Lincoln Highway was headed toward the drawing board.  In 1897 Jerome Smucker opened a cider mill in Orville and soon produced a by-product; apple butter.

By 1900 he and his son were selling apple butter from the back of a horse drawn wagon.  The production and sale of jellies and preserves began in 1923 and by 1942 they did their first shipment to a national customer on the west coast.

Those yummy toppings we like to spoon on our ice cream arrived in 1948.

Today, their spiffy retail outlet which opened in 1999 is chock full of Smucker products as well as samples of other brands they have acquired, like Jif peanut butter, for example. 

See their web site here!

This photo was done of a display of colorful jars on their retail store's rear wall, visible in the top photo under the corporate banner.  The geometric streaks were caused by zooming the lens during a modestly long exposure of 1/10 second, f/22, ISO 400.

MY HYPOTHESIS—

Today’s standard of excellence is mediocrity.

 

We encountered this dilly of a road construction sign while on our Lincoln Highway excursion recently.  It was located on a Wayne County road project just east of Dalton, OH.

Someone ordered this sign and likely sent a written request to their sign shop where someone processed that request then sent it on to the shop floor where some supervisor likely assigned the job to a worker who made the sign then sent it back to the office for distribution to the ordering department where it was received and placed into inventory for the shop supervisor to distribute to the road repair supervisor who gave it to a worker to install on this road project.

How is it possible that many people missed this glaring error...

...unless, of course, mediocrity truly is today's standard of performance.

THE PINE TREE BARN--

For years I wondered how the Wooster area was able to support two nifty, barn-style eateries; this one and The Barn Restaurant between Wooster and Smithville.

Now I know that isn't the case.

I made that discovery as we turned toward home from our recent excursion on the Lincoln Highway in the eastern part of Ohio.

This particular barn, while it has a gourmet lunch "Granary",  is mostly a barn-sized shop of fine furnishings and gifts....unique gifts sufficient for your lifetime of presents-pleasure.  ...with a staff of five interior designers  ...and multiple levels of display space in their fully restored 1868 barn.  ...and a year 'round Christmas shop.   ...and a floral shop located in the barn's atrium.

Can you tell I liked the place?

Curious, click here for their web site. 

 

TRAVELING ACROSS OHIO--
On the Lincoln Highway

My sense of history tingled as Sue and I pondered the above stretch of the Lincoln Highway (LH) about mid-way between East Canton and Minerva.  Notice both the original brick pavers and the width of the "highway" compared to the modern automobiles.

The current highway seems to exist in three phases. the earliest being the brick pavers, the second being the old routing which has turned into secondary back roads and the third being modern, four lane highway which often has been built on top of the original alignment.

There are only short and fragmented sections of the original brick surface remaining.  Some of the old alignment even has reverted to private ownership.

Imagine!  About 100 years ago there was no paved road across the United States.

A vehicle trip across the country then would take about 60 days; 90 days if difficulties were encountered.

The first cross country drive was done in 1903.  In 1911 the president of the Packard Motor Car Company, Henry Joy, and his chief engineer decided to drive west from Detroit to test his new automobile.  At Omaha they asked a Packard dealer for directions west.

The dealer got in a car and led them a bit west where they encountered a wire, ranch fence.  "Just take the fence down and drive on," he said.  "When you get to the next fence take that down and go on again."

"A little further," Joy said, "...there were no fences...nothing but two ruts across the prairie."

The proclamation honoring Lincoln and launching the new route was released in September 1913.

One history describes the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1940 becoming the ultimate by-pass of the original LH; "...the original roads becoming faint traces in the woods, their secrets fading into the bramble."

Following the original highway alignment today is a challenge.  The nifty red, white and blue markers with the big "L" in the middle are only as prominent and numerous as local volunteers have the capacity to maintain them.

In our area they are abundant.  Over near East Liverpool they are virtually non existent.

We drove the oldest alignment we could find; route 430 and County Road 30 to Wooster, for example.  From there to east of Canton it was a combination of four lane highway and old segments like Lincoln Way East from Wooster for awhile.

There is an original segment through Dalton but even part of it was under construction when we passed by.  A little east of there you can take route 172 through Massillon, Canton and East Canton where you will rejoin the old, 2 lane US 30.

That alternates with old segments and modern 4 lanes on to East Liverpool.  We managed to cross the Newell Bridge over the Ohio River in E. Liverpool (toll 75 cents) which was one of two ways the highway arrived in Ohio from the east.

The other headed north in West Virginia crossing into Pennsylvania where it joined State Route 39 back into Ohio.  We tried that but were baffled by the absence of adequate signs and wound up recrossing the Ohio River via US 30.

We bounced through East Liverpool's version of streets and headed back on Ohio 267, the old alignment toward Lisbon where we unloaded at our motel, had dinner at a marvelous local restaurant, Pondi's, then waited for darkness so we could do the photos of the diner in the original story of this series.

Pondi's, by the way, was established in 1916 at this very same location with Aunt Anne Pondi selling burgers on the front porch of her home.  Today's restaurant is an addition to that very house and still is going strong.  Stop there for a bite and you will know why.

We returned to Mansfield the following day mostly via the modern US 30 with a stop at Smucker's retail shop south of Orville, lunch in Wooster, then the Pine Tree Barn, not on the LH but certainly worth a peek.

The bronze casting in the small photo above right is on a building being refurbished in downtown Lisbon.  Note it tells of Lincoln's secretary of war having a law practice in this very building. (Remember to click on that image for a larger view).  The LH route through downtown Canton is shown above.

While preparing to launch our exploration of the highway in western Ohio we poked around the Mansfield area a bit more and made the delightful discovery of this segment of original brick pavement on Windsor Rd.  Windsor Rd., wyes off US 42 near Laver Rd., northeast of Mansfield and rejoins US 42 about one mile northeast of the Richland/Ashland county line.  This small section of brick surface is in Ashland County.

Note the sign shows the dates of 1913-1928.  The original alignment of the LH left Wooster and went to Ashland via what is now US 250 then rejoined route 30 via US 42 in Mansfield.  Windsor Rd., was route 42 in those days, likely bypassing the swampy area near the county line.

Today's LH alignment between Mansfield and Wooster began after 1928 and followed what we now know as route 430 and County Rd., 30 A through Mifflin, Hayesville, Jeromesville, etc. until it was replaced by the modern US 30; now a four-lane highway.