119 Clowns this year?

Will There Be CLOWNS This Halloween?

Halloween! The holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. The word Halloween is a shortening of All Hallow’s Eve. Traditional activities included trick-or-treating, bonfires, costume parties, jack-o-lanterns, and haunted houses. These activities were carried to America by the Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 19th century.

The origins of Halloween, of course, go back much further. The ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced sah –win) was a celebration of the fall harvest. The ancient pagans also thought, it is said, that October 31 was the dividing line between the worlds of the living and dead. Bonfires were necessary to prevent the dead from coming back to destroy crops. The pagans also wore masks and costumes to frighten the dead from coming back.

Actually, I think you and I knew most of this history. Growing up, however, I don’t think we gave a single thought to the idea of keeping the dead away or celebrating harvest time. Maybe we should have asked more about jack-o-lanterns and thought less about our candy!

Hanging out with friends and getting a free stash of candy was the Halloween goal in my trick-or-treat days. Jeez, I think I was a ghost in the same sheet about four years in a row! Just out for the sugar!!

As I contemplate this year’s Halloween, I am interested in what costumes the trick-or-treaters will chose. Always there are ninja turtles, Disney characters, hobos, witches, ghosts, and whatever else is popular on TV. I guess Dora the Explorer and Sponge Bob will still make appearances as will nurses, doctors, and ballerinas and little girls with tiaras. 

I wonder this year if there will be CLOWNS?

Social-psychology has coined a new term. I think it will last: COULROPHOBIA – the fear of clowns. With the recent news posts of clowns stalking towns from east coast to west coast, clowns are out of favor with the general public. And, I should think, out of favor with parents. There are now both an ihateclownbs.com forum and a Facebook I Hate Clowns page. Circuses in Florida are holding workshops for children and adults to help them get over their fear of clowns. A BBC report recently said that “very few children really like clowns. They are unfamiliar and from a different era. They are not funny; they are odd.”

Clarabell on Howdy Doody

When did clowns change from being innocuous entertainment to a picture of the dark side. I am thinking maybe they always had a dark side and we were too naïve to see it! Take a look at some of the early clown pictures. They’re not really too fun looking.

McDonald’s has put Ronald on sabbatical!

Bozo was around from 1959 to 2001 with over 200 actors playing the TV role. One, in fact, was weatherman and newscaster Willard Scott.

Except for Ronald McDonald, the early clowns were a bit frightening to me. I didn’t like them in the circus. I figured they were to distract viewers from watching riggings being changed and for roustabouts to set up for Act II of the circus. Clowns in the circus ring were a good time to go to the bathroom or whine for

We have Stephen King and IT
with his clown Pennywise.

Then, bad clowns become popular! Crossing the line between funny and scary is Krusty the Klown on the Simpsons.

In real life there was John Wayne Gacy who killed more than 35 men in the Chicago area but was also a registered clown who entertained as Pogo at community events. He is now referred to as the KILLER CLOWN. Frankly, I am not sure I would have hired him for any event.

The Batman movies with Joker have
added to frightening clown looks.

And now we have the police keeping
 an eye out for the current stalker
clowns. This one is from Georgia. 

Okay, I don’t like clowns. I don’t think I ever liked clowns. They are weird and frightening. There are enough scary things in life without them. I think I need to eat another mini Snickers bar!!!

BE SAFE on Halloween. 

Glenne           

118 Book geek

A book geek for sure!

“The Boxcar Children” was absolutely my favorite book as a child. I have no idea why, but there was something enticing and intriguing to me about living in a train car. I definitely have a great love of trains to this day that could have started with the attraction to this book.





I was first introduced to this book on one of my weekly trips to the public library (located in a stately old house the women’s club operated). It was a magical setting with books strategically placed on shelves in the nooks and crannies on the first floor of this dignified structure. The interior of the house is etched in my mind as I can still visualize walking around the rooms looking for special tomes to take home.

The library was a few doors down the street from our church so trips were part of the routine to catechism classes, confession, or any other church-related events. Trips to the library had to be accomplished quickly and efficiently. Since my mom didn’t drive, visits to town had to be multi-purposed. My dad or uncles (or their delivery drivers for the grocery stores our family operated) carted us around town, so time was precious and every second at the library was valuable. There was no dilly-dallying around in our family.

The majestic structure with high ceilings was a calling card of huge proportions for me. I always wanted a few more minutes, but I learned to take what I could get and make the most of it. I quickly learned where my favorites were displayed and would made a beeline to that area. I worked my way through the shelves, checking out as many as I could each time I managed a visit.

My parents always encouraged reading and had books around the house, but the library books added a dimension and depth we couldn’t possibly amass at home. But heaven forbid ever keeping a book past the due date--my parents were sticklers for following to the rules and of course never paying a fine. That was not a problem for me as I read the books right away and got them back as soon as I could to get more.

My sisters and I were so into reading that in addition to heading to the public library for books, we started a lending library of our own books in the neighborhood with friends and family members participating. Ever one chipped in with favorites books, including many Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden volumes. We made sure we got those books back in time too. Boy, we were a bunch of book geeks for sure.

Years later when I had moved away, my mom was so pleased when a new library was built, and she could leisurely walk there to check out what she wanted to read. My dad was gone by then so her transportation opportunities were limited -- walking to the library was a real plus. The new library just didn’t have the attraction that the old house did for me, but I could certainly understand her delight in the new facility.




A recent post on Facebook was a blast from the past as it showed the old library house from my youth and how it needs some tender, loving care. Known as the Chafin house, it was built in the early 1900s and served as the public library from the 1940s to the 1990s. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Non-profit, Southern Coalition of the ARTS received a grant to help start the restoration process. Hopefully, it will be back to it majestic grandeur some day soon.

Because of my experiences, I worked diligently to instill in my children this love of books and libraries that I had developed as a child. It was made much easier while living in Winchester because of the amazing public library. Built in 1913, the structure is an architectural wonder beckoning the public to come in. Built in the shape of an open book, it graces a busy corner in the historic district.

I made sure my son and daughter rarely missed a children’s activity. My daughter recently reminded me of the noon concerts we attended when she was a toddler. I take my grandchildren as often I can to pass down to them the wonderment of the written page.

No matter what format you use now--paper or electronic--the result is the same. A world of adventure awaits whether reading about boxcar living or any topic that comes to mind, It is only a few clicks or steps away.

Savvy Reader Frances

117 Faithfully yours

Faithfully Yours, C. Vernon Eddy

Every so often, one of us reflects on a Winchester notable who was important to us. C. Vernon Eddy, who held the position as Handley Library Director for forty-six years, is someone I greatly admire. When preparing the centennial history of the library, we talked to a few library users who remembered him. 

No one had fond memories of him.

It does make sense. He was not well during his last years on the job  He did not seem to get along with children--at least not when most of those who remembered him were children. But every one of them loved the library that he created.

Judge John Handley died February 15, 1895, leaving $250,000, to purchase land and erect a “public library for the free use of the people of Winchester.” Eighteen years later in 1913, C. Vernon Eddy, at age 35, began as the first library director. He was a Winchester native, but when he applied for the position, he was working as an assistant manager at a printing company in Philadelphia.

In fact, he had been in the printing business since he was 14. He and his 16-year-old brother, J. Frank Eddy, while they were school students in 1892, decided to buy a printing press. They earned money to buy a press by sawing wood for a penny a piece. They earned the $3.46 necessary to buy a small press to print labels. It arrived and they discovered that their purchase did not include type or ink. The brothers went back to sawing wood! The Eddy Press grew, and the brothers, now out of school, went professional. They bought bigger and bigger presses, moved several times to larger quarters, and hired workers.

The citizens of Winchester were impatiently waiting for
their library to open, as this Winchester Star cartoon shows.

The Handley Board of Trustees elected him as Librarian in June 1912. He went back to Philadelphia and received library training at the Free Library of Philadelphia. He began at Handley in January 1913.

Eddy described the library when he entered it in January 1913:

“There was no furniture whatever in the building; no books, nothing but an empty building.” He purchased everything after January in time for an August opening. That would be a difficult task today even with the resources of the internet and printed catalogs. 

It is interesting to note some of the remarks that Eddy made at the August 31, 1913, grand opening. He pointed out that Winchester was singularly fortunate that the people of Winchester received a

a free library without any obligation to pay for its continuing operating costs. He stated that Andrew Carnegie gave libraries to cities and towns upon the condition that the community benefited furnish the site and maintain the library, but Judge Handley imposed no conditions upon his bequest to Winchester. I wonder if Eddy ever regretted that optimistic forecast.

His reports in subsequent years did lament not enough money to purchase books, pay salaries, or maintain the building. In 1929, Winchester City Council appropriated $1,000 to purchase books—that brought the budget up to around $10,000. Much lobbying by civic groups and the Handley Board of Trustees brought about this first government appropriation to the library. However, the library mainly scraped by on the interest from the Handley Trust Library fund.

Eddy frequently discussed the antiquated plumbing and other library maintenance issues. He once reported this need in a unique manner: 

“There is one service that The Handley Library provides in the matter of Civic Service and that is the fact that the building is kept open most of the time during the two days of the Apple Blossom Festival. We are proud of the fact that we aid so much by providing rest rooms and a drinking fountain to help make our guests to the City welcome: 
     Our plumbing is a comfort but certainly not our pride.” 

That report made in 1956 was the last one signed by C. Vernon Eddy. He retired before there were any plumbing or lighting repairs.

One extraordinary story about Eddy is that of his pursuit and discovery of the papers and maps of Jedediah Hotchkiss. During the Civil War, Hotchkiss served as mapmaker for both Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee. Eddy learned in 1928 that the maps were located in Staunton at the house where Hotchkiss had lived. 

Eddy spent the next twenty years working to make certain that researchers would have access to these maps and papers that were vital to the study of campaigns of the Civil War. He arranged a detailed listing of the large collection. Eddy also made many trips and engaged in extensive correspondence with anxious heirs and prospective buyers until the Library of Congress purchased the collection in 1948. In gratitude for all of Eddy’s endeavors, Ellen Christian, granddaughter of Hotchkiss, held three maps back from the sale and gave them to Handley Library.

Eddy signed his correspondence, "Faithfully yours," and he was also a faithful servant to the community. He was a Mason for sixty-four years, a Grand Master of Masons of Virginia in 1937, secretary to the local lodge for thirty-seven years, and held many other Masonic posts and honors. He was twice president of the Virginia Library Association and a founding member of the Winchester Rotary Club. He also gave service to the First Presbyterian Church, the Salvation Army, the Boy Scouts, the American Red Cross, and the Historical Society. During both world wars, he was a leader in collecting books for distribution to the armed forces.

Eddy retired in 1960. From many accounts, his last years at the library were difficult. His wife died in 1953. Staff members frequently provided him with meals. Although the City contributed funds to the library, the library did not come under the City’s administration until after Eddy left. The library lacked the means to provide retirement funds. Eddy “retired” in 1960 when he could no longer physically make it into the library. He died in 1963.

The Handley Board of Trustees’ Tribute of Respect to Charles Vernon Eddy reads in part: “For many years, he literally lived for The Handley Library, and seemingly his greatest desire was to see the Library grow in usefulness. He was a man of outstanding character and reflected honor on this institution. His memory is a glowing example of long continued devotion to the public needs of his home community. . . Only the shortage of financial assistance limited the advancement which he envisioned for this Library.”

Eddy kept the library open for long hours with minimum staff. Beyond his work on the Hotchkiss maps, his efforts in collecting rare historical materials formed the beginnings of the library archives. He kept the library in the public eye through constant publicity and community activities. 

In other ways, his career as a librarian was typical of the time. He did not have a professional degree in Library Science; he did not have a college degree of any kind. He kept Tom Jones in a locked case and the Kinsey Report under the desk. But he was the man for his times—his record of service and achievements will never be matched.

Trish  

For fuller information on Eddy's life and career, see the entry I wrote for the online Dictionary of Virginia Biography:

  http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Eddy_C_Vernon_1877-1963#start_entry

116 There is a season

“To Everything There Is A Season . . . "

Reader alert: please don’t be disappointed that this Ecclesiastes/Pete Seeger reference is not about fall and the change in the weather, but rather about what’s missing in my beloved New York City. 

 See, here’s my favorite Chrysler building. I love its mythology. The 1928 shiny art-deco-period edifice once had apartments, a car showroom, a private club, and a water bottling plant inside. And the spire itself was assembled inside the building and then hoisted up and hooked on in less than two hours. The spire itself is over 1000 feet while the building is about 900 feet tall. It’s my favorite view. If it goes, my NYC is a goner. But other little treasures are gone.

What I am trying to tell myself is that to everything there is a season--birth, life, death. Get over yourself, Glenne. Be a bit more savvy. Change is inevitable. Like my hair turning grey. I am feeling the losses, though, in my city. A few pictures and a “why I loved a particular site” should suffice for you to understand why I am melancholy.

Carnegie Deli is closing on New Year’s Eve after 79 years. Although the Levines own the building, they lost the rental space next door, a bad divorce with alleged embezzlement, a gas line problem, etc., etc., etc. 

Yes, it is a touristy kind of place but maybe once a year I would visit for a four-inch- high BLT that could last for at least two meals. It is a landmark less than a half block from our timeshare building. I liked knowing it was there! Oh, according to their marketing the best cheese cake in NYC and shipped anywhere!

Big Nick’s! (YES, this is an over-sized picture but I wanted you to see the poignant sign.) This “we are open 24-hours” dive was two blocks from daughter Mary’s apartment. Great breakfasts, pizzas, burgers, and Cobb salads. Probably ate there twice a week when I was in the city. One of Nick’s waiters who knew me as “Mary’s mama come to town” told me that Nick’s rent hike was $200,000 per year. I guess Nick did have to close! Fifty years of business. Losing this iconic local joint broke my heart. I was in the city when it closed on July 28, 2013.

FAO Schwarz for about 150 years was the landmark spot for children and their parents (and grandparents) and anyone who wanted to visit a behemoth toy store. We have Barbie dolls and party supplies from there, but more often we just wandered around looking at everything any child could ever want. 

 Mary did want that electric MB convertible when she was about four years old. She did not, however, get it! Thank you, I say ironically, to Toys ‘R’ Us who had purchased the store, then opened a flagship store of their own in Times Square (which is – ironically – now closed). Toys ‘R’ Us said Schwarz’s rent was too high. It probably was, but this 2015 closing was not a happy one!

The Four Seasons in the midtown Seagram’s Building closed in July. This was the power lunch spot. I only went there once, but the Hermes ties and Savile Row suits and BIG gold bracelets and Birkin bags were evident. Deals, BIG deals, were made in this dining room with its indoor pool.

But their lease was up and the owners, according to a Bloomberg report, want to open a trendier spot. Where will the powerbrokers of NYC be found now? 

It really had an “I’ve got the world on a string” vibe of a club for the discreet movers and shakers. I felt out-classed (certainly my wallet did), but I am glad I went once. 

I tried to select one more closed icon to make this a list of five. I just couldn’t decide. So – here is a list of other places I really, really miss.

Fishs Eddy – if you never went to this discount store on the upper west side you missed great shopping. It was a mishmash of vintage dishes and cutlery from ocean liners, closed restaurants and hotels and clubs. Starting at a $1 each, I often did my Christmas shopping there. We use daily some of the eight green soup bowls (match nothing else in our cupboard) that I bought there. 

Tower Records--gone, not forgotten. Spent many an hour browsing. Big, big Barnes & Noble on the upper west side near the AMC theatre (13 screens) closed, too. It had a great coffee shop in the magazine department (maybe not a smart idea – buy a $3 cup of coffee and read a half dozen magazines for free?!) and it stayed open until 2 a.m. A great place to linger after a movie. Rent was the reason it closed its doors here. The store had 60,000 sq. ft. and the rent was upped to $300/sq.ft. [60 x 3 = 180! You put the zeroes on.]

And this fall, a new season in the city, without some of my favorite spots makes me sad. I will find new treasures in NYC. I’ll let you know when I do. It’s 3 o’clock and I have not had lunch. I wish I could have a spinach omelet from Nick’s while I read the gossip on Page 6 of the New York Post. Oh, well! 

Glenne         

115 One Book

For the last 14 years, the community has rallied for carefully crafted activities of the area One Book One Community program. From star gazing to movies, musical selections, speakers and much, much more, the events never seem to disappoint.

It is amazing when people file in to attend a program and then leave with high praise and lots of thank yous. Even more exciting when a capacity crowd fills the venue --- people are actually reading!

A casual conversation resulted in the 14-year One Book One Community project coming to life in the Winchester area. A superintendent of schools and the public library director discussed the possibility of the community reading the same book at the same time, and the idea grew.

Representatives of local organizations, including a literacy group, local newspaper, school divisions, higher education institutions, and library officials met to decide if it was plausible, and the overwhelming answer was yes.

The first U.S. community to sponsor such a project was Seattle in 1998. Since then, community-wide reading programs have been introduced across the county and around the world.

The wheels began to turn for the local group in 2002, when a subgroup was formed to come up with possibilities for a first read. About six people read like maniacs for several months. A list was compiled and taken to the main group.

The discussion was fast and furious as readers defended the choices put before the committee. That list of books provided the first selections of the committee for the next several years.

Choosing a book is not easy and often will result in heated discussions. Criteria for selection include easy to read, not too thick or controversial, not violent or frightening, wide audience appeal, available in paperback and in Spanish (if possible), and currently in print.

It is especially exciting when the author comes to speak as the culminating event. That has occurred several times for the Winchester group who has hosted Homer Hickam, David Baldacci, Lee Smith, Logan Ward, Sharyn McCrumb, James McPherson, the editors of “This I Believe,” Paul Bogard, and Beth Macy. 

Mary Badham and Gregory Peck

If the author is not available (deceased, too expensive, or doesn’t make appearances), alternative speakers can sometimes be effective. Actress Mary Badham (Scout) visited Winchester when a showing of To Kill a Mockingbird was held at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. The book was very popular as a community read, and her appearance was to a capacity crowd in two theaters.

In one instance the author and the main character of the book both visited the area John Bassett, the main character of Beth Macy’s Factory Man, spoke recently to a sold-out crowd about how he kept his furniture company alive and well in the United States instead of moving it to China. The author followed Bassett's talk the following week with a presentation to the community.

Attendance is definitely higher when the author visits. It is amazing how avid some of the fans are about their favorite authors. Book signings are usually held after the author speaks and often continue late into the evening.

Events are usually free to include all the citizens but sometimes a fee is charged to cover costs of a special event. Badham’s visit resulted in a great fundraiser for the group but that is rarely the case. Financial backers, including several local businesses, have kept the program afloat.

David Baldacci

Many of the authors charge a nominal fee --- $2,000 and expenses while others (Baldacci) don’t charge for this type of organization. Promoting reading and getting their books out to the public is important to the authors so a One Book selection is often desirable. Also, student groups are invited to hear the author speak and often attend a special program.

We tried to get the author, Robert Edsel of The Monuments Men, to come one year, but his fees were way beyond our budget. Instead, we had a special showing of the movie.

It has been an inspiring and exciting 14 years, bringing books, activities, and authors to the general public. Many original members of the core group remain on the committee and are devoted to keep it going. Others have come and gone due to job changes and schedule conflicts but still continue to support the efforts of the group.

After a recent meeting, I contacted two new representatives on the committee and apologized for our rather rambunctious gathering. Both said how they loved being on the committee and how productive a group it is. We don’t meet often so we make sure we get the job done when we do. One of the new ones vowed to be on the committee the rest of her life!

Visit our Facebook page One Book One Community-Winchester, Frederick County, Clarke County.