Cleaning out the Inbox- Non-Sports Passings

     As we finish up clearing out the various passings from the inbox as we near 2021, today's sad news adds another sad log on the pile of a year that has been just plain horrid.

Let's all hope together for a better year in 2021...

Goodbye to Dawn Wells at the age of 82.

Wells, who is best remembered as "Mary Ann" from the 60s TV program "Gilligan's Island" and one of the protagonists of the question considered by so many people since the show began- Mary Ann or Ginger?

Wells didn't have another starring vehicle after Gilligan's Island, but always stayed busy in guest roles on television shows, many theatre productions, and stayed very involved with the Gilligan franchise and its various reunion films and specials along with voice work on the cartoon show of the early 80s, Gilligan's Planet where Wells voiced both Mary Ann AND Ginger.

Wells wrote a memoir and Gilligan's themed cookbook and worked in recent years as an ambassador for MeTV, which currently runs Gilligan's Island in syndication.

Wells also was very busy on the convention and paid appearances circuit and was regarded as one of the nicer celebrities to meet in those situations.

Wells also owned and operated "Wishing Wells", a collection that catered to making clothing for those with limited mobility and has difficulty finding things that are easy to put on and take off.

Goodbye to Chad Stuart at the age of 79.

Stuart was one half of the British pop duo "Chad and Jeremy" in the 60s with hits such as "Yesterday's Gone" and "A Summer Song", which is still used on commercials occasionally and as recently as last year by Coors Light.

While "A Summer Song" reached number two in the United States in 1964, Chad and Jeremy are even more remembered for their television appearances as "The Redcoats" on The Dick Van Dyke Show and as themselves on Batman when their voices are stolen by Catwoman as well as an appearance on "The Patty Duke Show" and others.

Chad and Jeremy were the rare act of the British Invasion that was a bigger hit in the United States than in their native Great Britain. notched eleven top 100 hits in the U.S. from 1964-66, while not even "A Summer Song" reached the charts in the U.K.

My best guess is that Chad and Jeremy were bigger in the States than at home because of those television appearances and because of those guest roles, Chad and Jeremy are remembered by generations that may not have noticed them.

Goodbye to David Lander at the age of 73.

Lander was best known for his portrayal of "Squiggy" on the 70s television program "Laverne and Shirley" with Squiggy's constant companion "Lenny" played by Michael Mckean.

The gimmick with Lenny and Squiggy was usually this- Laverne or Shirley would be talking amongst themselves and describing it as disgusting, slimy, or something like that with Lenny and Squiggy then bursting through the door with Squiggy bellowing "hello!".

Lander was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1984 and transitioned to voice work, but also served was connected to baseball in two ways.

It was Lander who played the radio commentator in the baseball film "A League of Their Own" and Lander also worked as a scout for the Angels and Mariners in their personnel departments.

Goodbye to Warren Berlinger at the age of 83.

The character actor worked often in from the 50s-80s and you'll see him in many films and television shows of the age.

Berlinger had a co-starring rule in an Elvis Presley flick "Spinout" and a brief TV series of his own entitled "Warren" that starred Berlinger as an Archie Bunker-type character.

Berlinger also guested on "Happy Days" in an episode where the army attempted to draft Fonzie, a small part in "Cannonball Run", and a cameo in the last role that I remember him "That Thing You Do".

Goodbye to Paul Sarbanes at the age of 87.

Sarbanes served in the House of Representatives for three terms and was part of the judiciary committee to impeach Richard Nixon before winning five terms as Maryland Senator.

Sarbanes was known locally as the "Stealth Senator" because the word in Maryland was that Sarbanes was invisible until it was time to be re-elected and then he re-emerged.

Sarbanes likely would have won re-election in 2006 for another term, but he was frustrated with the "Stealth Senator" term and he wasn't getting to chair committees despite his long-term service.

The inbox still has plenty left and I was busy today, so I didn't have a chance to write about the Cavaliers first loss to the Knicks.

Back soon with more...

Return to the Best Day...

If you've been with me for much of this ride, you may remember a post from almost five years ago, where Rachel said that day was the best day of her life.

I asked Rachel if she came close last Saturday at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention outside of Baltimore and she said that it was different but just as good.

Cherie and I had gone to last year's convention for the first time, and even though I didn't get the main reason that I wanted to go (Robert Conrad of Wild Wild West fame) with our friend Denise, and had a really good time, so we planned on returning this year-if the right guests were attending.

The guests were interesting enough -Patrick Duffy of Dallas and Step by Step fame, Morgan Fairchild (canceled for a job, it's in all contracts for these events, that the guests can leave if they have an acting job) Dawn Wells (Mary Ann of Gilligan's Island) and the big interest for Rachel-Shirley Jones of the Partridge Family.
The Partridge Family is Rachel's all-time favorite job and when I told her that Shirley Jones was scheduled, she was thrilled and immediately signed up for coming to this year's convention.
These things are pretty fun and even though in the two times that I have been there, I've spent a grand total of zero on anything for my collection, it still has been a blast going to the convention.

I was going to go and try to get Dawn Wells since Rachel getting Shirley Jones was more important than getting her for myself, but I decided to pass.
Half the fun is getting to see the stars of the past and since I took care of all of Rachel's Shirley Jones items to be signed and her picture, I decided to keep some of the money that I brought in my wallet!

Rachel rarely gets this excited about anything and the last time that I saw her like this was the day above with Adam Henrique in Hershey.
She was shaking with excitement and she managed to keep things together as she chatted briefly and had the above picture taken.
That lasted for a short period as she moved out of the line and began to cry!

That's the type of thing that makes doing things for your children feel pretty good -I know Rachel's almost 21, but still, anytime that I can do something for someone that I care about, I'm always willing to try!
Denise had a pretty good time too as she was able to get both stars of CHIPS to sign and take pictures with her Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox were both reported to be very gracious in dealing with their fans.
In the two years that I have attended the convention, I haven't seen one person be really nasty to a fan, although Robert Conrad seemed to be a bit salty, I think that's just Bob Conrad!
Coming from the sports world, that's far from always the case with celebrity star athletes!

I was able to catch up with Mike Roseberry for a few minutes there.
Mike is part of the York contingent that graphs games and I always have a good time with Mike, Lefty, and Denny when they come to the Muni or Frederick or when I hit Harrisburg.
Mike must have one terrific collection, I tell you what in my best Hank Hill impersonation!

After we were finished and left the convention, I decided to stop for lunch in Mt.Airy at the Greene Turtle.
We have a Turtle in Hagerstown, but I've only eaten there twice.
It's in an area of town that I rarely get to, but both times I was there, the food was fine.
As I'm sure you know, I try to take pictures when I go out to give Trip Advisor reviews.
The food was decent enough, but the highlight came when I took a picture of some of the jerseys hanging in the restaurant and was treated with a guy picking his nose!
I'm not sure, but maybe that was the reason that Trip Advisor didn't use that one?

I hurried up and got home as I had worked all night and then went to Baltimore so I had not had any sleep and still had one more stop on this evening.
I was able to get a little over 2 hours of rest before setting the timer for Ohio State-Army and getting in the care for the Golovkin-Alvarez party with the Landucci's.

After a one-hour and change drive, I was there for the card and had a good time meeting some friends of theirs and the irrepressible Miguelito and some great food!
Roast Beef  (and other meats too) sandwiches with all the fixings, tons of side items, the lovely Cherie's "Magic Bars" which are generally a hit wherever they travel, and the other star?
My man Fred made sure to order a Key Lime pie from Cootie Brown's!!
I noted how awesome that was on our trip and it was just as awesome in Pennsylvania!
I wrote about the fight already, but I enjoyed my visit to Fred and Linda's home.
Perhaps next time, I won't be so tired before the fights and I'll be better company!

It was a long day, but a fun one, and thanks to everyone that I saw and visited with!