UFO Over Yala's – April 1967

Courtesy Craiyon.com

You're probably familiar with Yala's Pizza, Lorain's longtime westside favorite since the 1950s (rebranded a few years ago as Fran's Pizza).

But did you know that there was a UFO sighted over the iconic pizza parlor back in April 1967? Read all about it below in this article that appeared in the Journal on April 28, 1967. (I'm betting Alan Hopewell remembers this.)

I couldn't find a follow-up story in the weeks after the sighting, so I'm assuming that the report went into Project Blue Book, along with a grease-stained Yala's carryout menu.

Appropriately enough, the following "Our Space Age" comic panel appeared in the Journal a little more than a week later on May 9, 1967.

UFOs in our area have been a regular topic on this blog for some time. There were so many articles and reports of sightings in the Journal when I was growing up that flying saucers were always on my mind (and something else for me to worry about besides trying to achieve all A's).

On Area Movie Screens – April 14, 1956

Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall were starring in
"Crashing Las Vegas" at the Ohio

Seventy years ago today – April 14, 1956 – was a Saturday. And since Lorain was a real Saturday night town back then, no doubt many of the residents were thinking about going out to see a movie. As usual, there were a lot of choices, and judging by the incredible selection on the Lorain Journal entertainment page below, there was something for everyone. Perhaps you'll recognize one of your favorite movies or stars.

The one that leaps out at me of course is Crashing Las Vegas – the last Bowery Boys movie featuring Leo Gorcey as Slip Mahoney, the leader of the gang. Gorcey would retire from the movies after this, as he was struggling with personal issues and still mourning the untimely death of his father (who had starred in the Bowery Boys films as Louie, the proprietor of the ice cream shop where they hang out). 

I have this film on DVD, and it's a funny finale for Gorcey. It's somewhat appropriate that Leo Gorcey is in the back seat of the car driven by Huntz Hall in the movie poster. With Gorcey's exit, Hall became the star of the series, which would limp along for another six films with Stanley "Duke" Clements as the leader of the gang.

The big film of the Journal page is probably Pic-a-Nic Picnic, starring William Holden and Kim Novak and showing at the Tivoli. I've seen it a couple times and enjoyed it. It's a nice look at how various lives in a small town are disrupted by the arrival of, well, a handsome bum played by William Holden. 

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were starring in Artists and Models, which was about to begin a run at Tower Drive-in on Lake Avenue. Martin and Lewis would break up only a couple of months later.

I looked for a big Western on the page, and one of the few that I've seen is Destry (1955) with Audie Murphy, showing at Lorain Drive-in. It's a pretty good movie, a remake of Destry Rides Again with James Stewart. I liked Audie's version better.

Perhaps the most interesting thing on the page is not a movie; it's the Hot From Harlem Revue, featuring "Kings & Queens of Swing • Boogie • Bebop and Jazz" live on stage at the Palace. 

Here's a great poster from a similar appearance in Oakville, Ontario that same year, providing a clearer look at the night's entertainment. It looks like it was quite a production, with exotic costumed dancers.

Topsy Hartsel, Baseball Great

Did you know that one of Major League Baseball's greats was born in tiny Polk, Ohio – the little blink-and-you-miss-it village on State Route 89 in Ashland County, south of US 224? Topsy Hartsel of the Philadelphia Athletics was born there in 1875.

I wasn't aware of it either until I read the following account in Looking Back on Lorain County by Ernie Henes, which should be of interest to baseball fans. Hartsel's achievements in professional baseball shouldn't be forgotten, and I present Mr. Henes' informative article here in the hopes of spurring some local interest.

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Topsy Hartsel, One of Baseball’s Greats

Lorain County has given baseball several outstanding players, but few if any as colorful as Tully Frederick (Topsy) Hartsel (1875-1944), an 1895 graduate of Wellington High School. One of baseball’s most diminutive stars (he was only five feet, four inches tall and weighed 125 pounds), he was one of the best bunters in baseball. A superb leadoff man, he was unusually fast in getting down to first, and he could also whack the ball when he took a toe hold at a fast pitch.

His professional career started in 1898 with the Louisville club where he attracted attention by batting .324. In 1900 he was with the Cincinnati Nationals and hit .335. From 1902-11 he was with Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics.

In his very first year with the A’s he won the hearts of Philadelphia fans by batting .283 and leading the league in runs scored (109), bases on balls (87), and stolen bases (47). He had a lifetime record of 837 bases on balls and led the league in this department in five of the 10 years he was with the A’s. An outfielder throughout his 14-year career, he played in 1,354 games, was at bat 4,843 times, garnering 1,335 hits for a lifetime average of .276.

Clifford Kachline, librarian of the National Baseball Library at Cooperstown N.Y., reported on June 30, 1975: “As far as records go, he still shares the record for the most putouts in left field in a nine-inning game at 11. He performed this feat on Sept. 10, 1901.

Hartsel played a prominent role in winning the A’s first American League pennant in 1902, and according to Connie Mack “was the man who won our fifth and final World Series game from the Chicago Cubs in 1910. Hartsel was on the bench in the first three games, which we won. In the fourth the Cubs beat us 4-3 in 12 innings. For the fifth game I decided to bring Hartsel back into the game and put him in his customary leadoff position. Well, Topsy played with every bit of dash and fire that he showed in earlier years. He came up five times, scored twice, got a hit and stole two bases. He actually bewildered the Cubs by his play. It was a great showing for a man who was through as a regular.”

Hartsel also played a lead role in one of the longest games in American League History, the 24-inning victory of the Athletics in 1906 over the Boston Red Sox. He finished his baseball career as manager of the Toledo Mudhens.

Grafton Heals From Palm Sunday Tornado – April 11, 1966

Those of us who grew up in the area during the 1960s probably remember the 1965 Palm Sunday Tornado. My parents talking about it left quite an impression on me. Along with the Lorain Tornado, it made me pretty aware (and scared) of tornadoes in general for some time.

I devoted several posts to the Palm Sunday Tornadoes, with front page news coverage here; news of the damage in Pittsfield here; and the 50th Anniversary of the tornado as observed in Pittsfield here. 

Anyway, a year after the disaster, the Journal paid a visit to Grafton, another city devastated by the tornado. The goal was to capture photos of  a few homes that were wrecked by the tornado and then restored. Above you see the result from the April 11, 1966 Journal.

The article by Staff Writer Molly Cutts also includes some thoughts about the disaster by a few community members. They reveal that the healing was still ongoing, and would be for some time.

Rice Krispies Ad – April 9, 1936

Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal has been a regular topic on this blog for some time. 

One of the reasons is that I once traded some emails with Nels Winkless, who is the son of the advertising executive who composed the classic Rice Krispies song (Snap! Crackle! Pop! Rice Krispies!). His reminisce about how his father N. B. Winkless came up with the melody was the subject of this post, and is now the generally accepted explanation found all over the internet. I'm kind of proud of that.

I've also written about Rice Krispies Marshmallow Treats, as well as the special retro Rice Krispies box sold at Target in 2013 (featuring the 1960s version of Snap, Crackle and Pop). 

Anyway, ninety years ago today the ad for Rice Krispies at the top of this post ran in the Lorain Journal on April 9, 1936. It's part of a series that do not include the famous elfin trio. 

I wasn't a big fan of the original version of Snap, Crackle and Pop. Here's what they looked like in a Journal ad from three years earlier.

It's kind of interesting that at some point the three elves each received new headgear: Snap, a baker's hat; Crackle, a stocking cap; and Pop, a military hat.

Over the decades, the three cereal hucksters have been redesigned countless times, usually improving them to make them more appealing. I'm still partial to how they looked on the box when I was growing up in the 1960s and 70s.

When they started appearing in those great TV commercials with the Rice Krispies song, they were simplified (below) and I liked that version too. They looked like that on the box for several decades and for me, that was their definitive look. 

They've been redesigned many times since then, probably to freshen up the package. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of the current design of the lovable threesome. Their heavy-lidded eyes and glazed look to me says 'stoned' (which coincides nicely with the legalization of recreational marijuana).

Note how the severely pointed ears 'pop' out on one side of their noggins, without a trace of a corresponding ear on the other side. 

However, their Canadian counterparts look pretty good – energetic, with a lot of personality. (I just finished a box a few weeks ago, eh.)

Now if Kellogg's could only remove those hard-as-rock grain nuggets that sometimes make their way into the cereal. In the past few years, I've sent Kellogg's several samples of these little pieces of cereal shrapnel in small, labeled plastic bags, providing lot information, date, etc. Never heard back.

Nevertheless, I still can't resist buying a box of Rice Krispies every now and then. I just chew it carefully to avoid the 'crackle' coming from one of my aging molars.

Skippy Peanut Butter Ad – April 6, 1966

I don't remember Peter Pan as being a redheaded
woman in a miniskirt! But that sure looks like
Captain Hook from the Disney film.

What's your favorite peanut butter?

It's a topic that I explored somewhat back on this post in 2022, where I recalled that Mom always bought Jif, which made her a choosy mother according to the ad campaign. I was aware of some of the other peanut butter brands – such as Peter Pan and Skippy – but Mom never bought them. She did buy Koogle Peanut Butter when it first came out, but it disappeared off the shelves of the store eventually, and our pantry shelf as well.

These days, I buy Peter Pan Honey Roast Creamy Peanut & Honey Spread. I guess for some reason they can't call it peanut butter. By the way, for decades Peter Pan was depicted as a woman on the namesake peanut butter label and in advertising. But the Disney suits apparently got involved and a silhouette of the Disney version is in the label today. (I posted some vintage Peter Pan Peanut Butter advertising back here).

Anyway, today's post is about an ad for Skippy Peanut Butter (below) that I found in the pages of the April 6, 1966 Journal.

It's a product ahead of its time in these bacon-crazy days. As the ad copy notes, "Until now, when you wanted a peanut butter and bacon sandwich you had to fry the bacon until it crisped, drain off the fat, blot up excess drippings with paper towels, crumble the bacon in a mixing bowl, and add a generous amount of Skippy® Peanut Butter. Then you got a large spoon and stirred until it was well mixed and reasonably easy to spread."

Did anyone really do that? I'm not sure. Elvis, maybe.

It's interesting that the product is called 'Peanut Butter with Smoky Crisps." I guess they had to call it something else in England; over there, crisps are potato chips. (How do I know? I'm a big fan of Andy Capp.)

Not surprisingly, there's an old jar and lid on eBay.

Anyway, while I'd never heard of a peanut butter and bacon sandwich before, I had heard of a Scabana Nut Sandwich: a sandwich made with Skippy Peanut Butter and slices of banana. It's pretty good.

The only problem is finding a good-tasting banana these days.

Big Four Railroad Publicity Stunt – April 1930

Every so often I like to thumb through my dog-eared copy of Looking Back on Lorain County by Ernie Henes for an interesting story that I could use on my blog.

Here's one from April 1930. It's about Lorain County's first railroad – the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati line, better known as the "Big Four" – and a record-breaking run it undertook 96 years ago this month. Ernie tells the story:

Big Four Publicity Run of 1930

To show that the Big Four has been a railroad of contrasts, we recall an incident that occurred in the summer of 1930, eighty years after the maiden run, when train No. 6474 roared through Wellington at 97 miles per hour, making the 138-mile run from Columbus to Cleveland in 115 minutes.

The reason, strange as it may seem, was 50 gorgeous girlies in the “Rarin’ To Go” burlesque troupe which had become stranded in Columbus and was due at 2 o’clock in Buffalo for a matinee performance.

The Big Four arranged a six-car special as a publicity stunt. It was fun for everybody except Fireman Switzer. His wife reported that even the money in his trouser pocket was soaked with perspiration. But he kept up steam.

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So how did this get covered in the Lorain Journal? Unfortunately in just two news briefs (below). The first one appeared on April 14, 1930 and the second one ran a day later.

The story was also picked up by United Press. Here's its version that ran in the Indianapolis Times on April 14, 1930. Note that the engineer's name is spelled differently than it was in the Associated Press report. Apparently one of the two news agencies mangled it!

So what about the burlesque troupe of "50 gorgeous girlies?" It seems that "Rarin' To Go" was really more of a Broadway show that was on the road. Google's AI Overview noted, "Rarin' to Go was a Broadway production featured in the 1920s-1930s era, known for showcasing artists like Edith Spencer."

So it's not like it was a strip show or anything like that.

Anyway, it must have been something to see the Big Four six-car special fly through Wellington at 97 miles per hour. And less than two hours from Columbus to Cleveland is pretty good, it slightly edges the same trip today via I-71.