Spring 2014
Van Wyck Gazette Finally, a magazine with personality!
A Walk Down Memory Lane Susan M. Bourret
Voices of the Valley Michael Jurkovic
Big Dan Brouthers Peter Rae
Rhinebeck • Poughkeepsie • Wappingers Falls • Fishkill • Beacon • Newburgh
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Spring 2014 Issue
Contents
Publisher/Editor Joseph H. Caplan
Joseph publishes Van Wyck Gazette authentic community magazine and admins our website which features local personalities and business entrepreneurs. Joseph started the magazine in 2007.
3 We are a Full Service Realtor
Scenic Hudson Parks Alecia Lynn Eberhardt
Alecia is a writer and editor based in Woodstock, NY. She works with Luna Luna Magazine, Architizer, Huffington Post, xoJane, DinerPorn,and Green Door Magazine. Alecia joined our group of writers in 2014.
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Hot Coffee Cases Charles N. Rock, Esq.
Charles is a personal injury lawyer who pursues restitution and compensation for injured clients. http://www.rocklaw.net Charles joined our group of writers in 2012.
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Voices of the Valley Michael Jurkovic
Michael is a poet and music writer whose latest chapbook is Eve’s Venom (Post Traumatic Press). Live readings from the series are available online www.mikejurkovic.com. Senior Writer Michael Jurkovic joined our group in 2011.
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Berlin
Thor & Arlene Larsen
The Larsens are both Senior Travel Writers. Their photographs of exotic foreign geographies have featured China, Mexico, Balkans, Egypt, South Africa, India and Germany. They joined our group of writers in 2007..
10 To schedule an appointment call
Down Memory Lane Susan M. Bourret
Susan is our Entertainment Writer and built her reputation with highly detailed and brilliant interviews of musician Corey Stevens and 1960’s Chicago based pop group The Buckinghams. Susan joined our group of writers in 2013.
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Big Dan Brouthers Peter Rae
Peter is our Heritage Writer and built his reputation with pieces about the Dutchess Rail Trail, Danbury Hat Industry and Hall of Fame Baseball legend Big Dan Brouthers. Peter joined our group in 2013.
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Scenic Hudson Parks Hudson Valley
by Alecia Lynn Eberhardt
Scenic Hudson’s Parks Offer Scenery can be accessed in and Activity This Spring Highland on the west It was a long winter in the Hudson Valley, side and Poughkeepsie but the perfect antidote to cabin fever is to on the east. get outside. The Valley has no shortage of exciting outdoor activities, thanks to organizations like Scenic Hudson - the name may be new to some readers, but their work is probably not.
The organization, which celebrated 50 years of environmental activism in 2013, is responsible for the conservation of over 30,000 acres of the Hudson riverfront. Their top priority is the preservation of the natural beauty and vital ecosystems of the Hudson shores, but they also focus on increasing public access to the river through the creation of over 60 parks between Westchester and Columbia counties.
Scenic Hudson was a key player in the creation of the stunning Walkway Over The Hudson, a 1.28-mile converted railroad bridge that offers breathtaking river views and the ability to explore both shores on foot. The Walkway, which opened in 2009,
However, their most recent project is also their most ambitious. The West Point Foundry Preserve in Cold Spring, completed last autumn, is a beautiful restoration of a 19thcentury ironworks site. The Foundry is a fascinating site. After the Ironworks closed in 1911, the area was abandoned for nearly a century. Now, in addition to the historical significance of the ironworks, which played an important role in the Civil War, the area is ecologically interesting as well - an example of the way that nature, left untamed, can reclaim man-made space. Scenic Hudson developed an innovative multimedia tour, accessible via smart phones, that allows visitors to guide themselves through 87 acres of trails, brooks, and historical ruins.
ecology. For those who want to get outside with the whole family (including leashed pets!), nature activity guides for children can also be printed from their site. Hiking and biking the parks is always an option, but for those looking to meet other nature lovers, Jay Burgess, Director of Communications for Scenic Hudson, recommends volunteering. There are a variety of opportunities - from clearing and maintaining trails to becoming an “ambassador” for the park - and in addition to giving Hudson Valley residents a “sense of contributing to the parks,” the volunteer program also ensures that the parks remain “top-notch.” The parks also hold occasional events, such as educational workshops on native Valley flora - another option for those who want to get more involved. This spring, get outside, get active, and take advantage of all that the Hudson Valley has to offer!
This tour is just one of the ways in which the organization is “plugged in.” Their For more information on parks, events, website, www.scenichudson.org, offers and volunteer opportunities, visit www. downloadable maps and “Nature Notes,” scenichudson.org or call 845-473-4440. booklets that detail the parks’ history and
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Spring 2014 Issue
Legal
Hot Coffee Cases
by Charles N. Rock, Esq. The coffee is still steaming as I lift the plastic lid off the Styrofoam cup. The rich, but they’d not hear of it. She hired an to 2 days of the chain’s coffee sales, 2.7 dark aroma stimulates and relaxes me as attorney who tried to resolve her complaint million dollars, which the judge reduced to against the chain store for twenty thousand four hundred eighty thousand ($480,000.00) I begin my workday. Ah, hot coffee. ($20,000.00) dollars but the chain wanted dollars, even though the judge agreed that Ever so gently I try to take my first sip - as to go to trial. At first one juror wondered the chain’s conduct was reckless, callous I do, I draw the air over the steaming brew, why they needed to convene a jury to settle and willful. Subsequent to the reduction, in trying to cool it down to a drinkable a coffee spill but by the end of the case the end the customer and the chain settled temperature. the claim for an undisclosed compromise. But as the coffee touches the skin on the But the story was not over. The insurance roof of my mouth I feel the blister forming industry and others who want to dismantle immediately. I have to let it cool down before our civil justice system and who do not want I try sipping again. Eventually it cools accountability to a jury, spun this story into enough so I enjoy the brew as I get down a mockery of the civil justice system and to work. made a mockery of Ms. Liebeck, the This reminds me of a story that made customer. In fact, their spin was so headlines several years ago – when a fast successful that it is still studied today in food chain kept selling their coffee at a colleges and the folklore surrounding the temperature of 185 degrees, so scalding case still lingers. Just ask someone if they that human skin would suffer full thickness know the “McDonald’s coffee case.” burns (3rd degree burns) within 2 to 7 Chances are they will tell a story that is far, seconds! That chain store had received far removed from what was heard in that more than 700 complaints by customers courtroom all those years ago. who had been burned in the 10 previous The sad story here is that because we years. The chain felt that the relatively few are quick to accept a story that aligns with numbers of people who had been scalded our beliefs and the rich and powerful are was “statistically insignificant” compared to able to manipulate us to suit their own the billions of cups the chain serves each agendas. Be wary when companies ask year. Their position was that there were you to sign mandatory arbitration agreement, more important things to worry about. Even there’s a reason they don’t want you to have though they had never consulted with a another juror said in an interview with the access to the civil justice system. burn expert, they had no plans to change Wall Street Journal, “the facts were so overwhelmingly against the company they For more information visit my website their procedures. were not taking care of their customers.” www.rocklaw.com or call me at (845) 566The burns to the customer were severe The jury in turn compensated the customer 9200. – full thickness (3rd degree) burns over 6% two hundred thousand ($200,000.00) dollars of her body – burn to her inner thighs, but reduced it by 20% because it was perineum, genital and groin areas. During determined that it was in part her own fault, the customer’s 8 day hospitalization, so her compensation was one hundred and surgeons performed debridement treatments sixty thousand ($160,000.00) dollars. But Cover Picture - The Buckinghams (surgical removal of the dead skin) and skin the jury wasn’t done – they wanted to punish Carl Giammarese (left) Nick Fortuna grafting. the chain for their callousness, so they gave The customer complained to the store an additional verdict that was the equivalent
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Spring 2014 Issue
Poetry
Voices of the Valley by Mike Jurkovic
“Poetry in the Hudson Valley is as important to American culture in the 21st century as the Hudson River School of poet and friend, Robert Milby. Robert remembers our first meeting to be Middletown’s long-gone Green’s Café on North, but you know Painting was in the 19th century.” memory – it keeps you guessing. – Barbara Adams, poet, author, Professor Emerita, Pace “Some communities have talented poets, but no event organizers. University1981-2001 Some have organizers, but not much talent. In the Valley we’re Venues and word troupes past blend seamlessly with the blessed with both. The dedicated people who create our poetry scene present and future. Rip’s, Creations Coffeehouse, Sleeping are themselves wonderful writers. Thanks to their unflagging efforts, Turtle, Painted Word, Fiddler’s Green, Rosa’s Cantina, readings, cds, chapbooks, marathons and anthologies have sprung Valentine’s, Tess Trueheart’s, Noble Coffee Roaster’s, Mudd up on both sides of the river for almost twenty years. My own journey Puddle, Widow Jane Mine Omnisicient Omnibus, great weather from open-mike poet to Off-Broadway playwright was due in large for media, Bowery part to the ongoing opportunities and warmth provided by my fellow Poetry Club, The poets. I’ll always be grateful.” Café Espresso, - Irene O’Garden,Pushcart award winning poet, author, playwright, Voices of the Women On Fire Valley . . . I don’t recall the tipping I met Irene O’Garden, point or where this whose support and friendship fellowship was have been invaluable, at forged. Was it the Barnes and Noble in QE2 and 8th Step Poughkeepsie. It was a dark open mics in and stormy, fateful open mic Albany, ‘88-‘89? at Air Studios in Kingston St. Marks or the where Cheryl A Rice and I Telephone Bar in began our life-long kinship Robert Milby New York? I swear and from where I gave the it was Beatnik Hollow, funky ‘n drunk with dreamers, where I Werewolf a ride back to New first encountered the hardest working poetry host in the Valley, Paltz. Irene O’Garden “Thanks to both the many hardworking poetry hosts and the scores of poets who come out to share their work it sometimes seems one could attend a reading every day. And the truly wonderful thing is that the region is home to a number of extremely gifted poets who can leave an audience wishing their reading would never end.”
- Matthew J. Spireng, poet, and three time Pushcart nominee It sure seems that way. Which is why Will Nixon, sly son (My Late Mother as a Ruffled Grouse) and co-author of The Walking Guide To Woodstock, insists “You have to stay for the open mic. You never known when you’ll be blown away.” “A few years ago I heard or read somewhere that Ulster County had more published authors per capita than any other county in the country. I don’t know if it’s true, but I imagine it’s pretty damn close.” Guy Reed, poet, The Effort To Hold Light I think it was at Bill Seaton’s Poetry-On-The-Loose (two decades strong, now in Sugar Loaf) where I first knew I could stand and dialogue with these folks. Then it was a cluttered little bookshop on the Strand with Roberta Gould, a grand lady of lettres, and Teresa Marta Costa, who tells of readings in Rosendale and Woodstock back in ’74 with George Montgomery, Ed Sanders and, who today, hosts readings at The Bohemian Book Bin in Kingston. Having participated in readings coast-to-coast throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, Seaton, (Spoor of Desire: Selected Poems, among others) and co-founder of the Northeast Poetry Center in Warwick, quickly intones “It is undeniable that the quality of work varies wildly, but the accessibility is, I think, democratizing and healthy.”
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“The Hudson Valley boasts a plethora of fascinating poets whose - Cheryl A. Rice, poet, My Minnesota Boyhood, Moses active participation in readings and local events makes them a reliable Parts The Tulips source of wisdom and inspiration.” Truth be told, because of this creative and supportive - Dr. Lucia Cherci, poet, Lepădarea de Limbă (The Abandonment community, very few of us can imagine the Valley without poetry. of Language) Yes the voices of democracy, all featured regularly at Calling All Poets in Beacon are many, and in person they draw from a fascinating palette: Kenaya Massaline’s slam r‘n’b. Chris Wheeling’s surrealist everyman. Janet Hamill’s music/voice Beat mix. Mary Panza’s woman unbounded. Dan Wilcox’s street scholar justice. Rebecca Schumedja’s extra wry ‘n bawdy poolroom poems. Ken Holland & G.W Werner’s multi-layered, finely nuanced narratives. Raphael Kosek’s quiet classicism. Terence Chiesa’s one man theater.
“The Hudson Valley is one of the most vibrant and exciting poetry regions in the country and Calling All Poets at the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon is a centerpiece for the power of words. I feel fortunate to be part of this creative current and to be able to share the art of language with the hundreds of writLarry Carr ers I’ve met and whose works I’ve been able to read and hear over the years.”
“Though my poetry base is Long Island and Manhattan, over the past decade or so I’ve been fortunate to share work - Laurence Carr, author, Pancake Hollow Primer; editor Terence Chiesa with HV poets regularly. Riverine, co-editor of WaterWrites and A Slant of Light (Codhill The venues are great, the range of voices impressive, and the sense Press) of community is something that I appreciate personally and Part Two: Calling All Poets, bringing the future, respecting professionally.” the past. - George Wallace,poet, First Poet Laureate, Suffolk County You’ll find these voices, and the heart they bring with them, at Café Mezzeluna in Saugerties and in Woodstock, where Mike Platsky’s Club Harmony – nestled in the Wok‘n Roll Cafe, open ranges every Monday night. Hoping to continue the success of the Stone Ridge Poetry Society, the Woodstock Poetry Society, founded in 1996, still meets every second Saturday. In Albany, poetry crackles seven nights a week Albany Poets also hosts the annual week-long Wordfest every April. Speaking of Albany, Thom Francis, el presidente of Albany Poets (www.albanypoets.net) wants you to know that “Our website calendar is one of the biggest and comprehensive resources for poets and spoken word artists in the Northeast with information on open mics, readings, special events and poetry slams.” “I can’t imagine living anywhere else in the world. Where else could I find the variety, the devotion, the matter-of-fact respect for poetry not just as an art but a fact of life? From the poetry gangs of Albany to the lost souls of Orange County, I believe the Hudson Valley provides a unique climate for poets of all inclinations to Cheryl Rice share their work in a supportive environment, a gift not always available to other creators.”
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Spring 2014 Issue
Travel Berlin has developed a reputation as a well-run modern city where other Northern Europeans come to spend money in ultra-modern shopping malls known for high-end designer boutiques and peruse the pervasive art galleries. So many worldfamous artists have established footholds in this popular world capital it has become a mecca for the arts with expanding art schools promoting experimentation and a culture of forwardthinking youth.
Berlin
by Arlene and Thor Larsen
Germans destroyed damaged buildings or totally rebuilt historical buildings and churches adhering to the original designs in every detail. Berlin is a beautiful city filled with tree-shaded wide boulevards interspaced with large plazas displaying sculptures, fountains, buildings of historical significance and the ubiquitous cafes. Berliners love to sit in a café, have a wine or beer and indulge in lively debate. A perfect example of a great place to meet would be the most elegant Gendarmenmarkt Platz that incorporates three enormous historical buildings, a concert hall, twin churches and several cafes. Anyone having read WW2 spy books set in Berlin is familiar with the Tiergarten, Europe’s largest metropolitan park. It runs two miles from the Brandenburg Gate to the Bahnhof Zoo. Originally the hunting grounds of the elite Prussian royalty, today Berliners use the park for picnics, jogging, biking and entertaining children. This bucolic setting of meadows, lakes and paths lined with large, leafy trees provides Berliners with the perfect respite.
Reichstag
Gendarmenmarkt Platz The first reality that hits you upon arrival in this very attractive Northern European city is its “newness”. It is not in any way, “old world”. There was so much destruction from WW2 that the
As you approach the eastern end of the Tiergarten, you are taken aback by the sight of the infamous Reichstag building because of its enormity and its unusual design. Originally built in 1894, the Reichstag has been involved in many momentous occasions in German history. In 1991 (after the Wall came down) it was determined that the government would be moved from Bonn to Berlin and the Reichstag would be the seat of the German Parliament (Bundestag). The building was redesigned to include a very contemporary glass dome at its top. When you leave the Reichstag and walk a long city block, you reach one of the most iconic sights of Berlin, the impressive Brandenburg Gate. Originally built in 18th Century, it was the most beautiful of Berlin’s gates. Today it has become a symbol of German re-unification and peace, but no one can forget that during the Cold War, the Gate symbolized division and suppression. As you walk through the Brandenburg Gate you find yourself on the historic and attractive Unter den Linden Boulevard, which is, of course, lined with Linden trees. This boulevard at the Spree canal is where you can catch a boat to Museum Island.
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Brandenburg Gate
Spree Canal Cruise
All of the guide books agree that the museums of Berlin are not to be missed and their collections are some of the best in the world. Five of the best museums are conveniently located on Museum Island in the middle of the Spree Canal that flows through the middle of Berlin.
After you are overwhelmed by the Greeks and Romans you come to the amazing Ishtar Gate that is sheathed in cobalt blue tiles, built during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (500 BC).
No trip to Berlin is complete without a look at the infamous “Wall’ and “Checkpoint Charlie” so we had our look as well. Along with being an island of incredible treasures, Museum Although most of it is gone, they retained small segments for Island is an important historical venue as well. This island is the historical purposes. One long segment of the Wall is the East very spot where the city was founded in the Middle Ages. The Side Gallery where artists from all over the world were invited to Pergamon Museum was built to house reconstructed monumen- express their reactions. tal buildings from various parts of the world. Berlin is a modern, vital, and beautiful city that makes you feel The massive Pergamon Altar from Asia Minor, built by the comfortable and safe while offering a wide range of entertainment. Greeks in the 2nd Century BC, is over 120 feet wide and 110 feet Photos: By Thor and Arlene Larsen deep. The Gate of Miletus built in 2nd Century AD by Romans (Hadrian) stands over 100 ft. wide and 50 ft. high.
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Entertainment
Spring 2014 Issue
A Walk Down Memory Lane by Susan M. Bourret
Having graced the music industry since the 60’s with a style all their own and a sound that brings any music lover to their feet, the Buckinghams continue to delight their audiences and fill the hearts of so many music lovers even today. The Chicago group, a definite crowd pleasing band, has been recognized throughout the decades for their powerful pop rock performances along with their playful crowd pleasing personalities. The band’s accomplishments have been many throughout the years and one of their most outstanding triumphs, one they referred to as “an opportunity of a lifetime event”, would be their 2005 presence and performance at the 55th Presidential Inauguration. The evening was beyond memorable as the Buckinghams were joined on stage by multiple politicians for a truly magical performance of “Susan” one of their greatest hits of all times; all singing in harmony “I love you, yes I do, I do”. The performance and the energy it ignited in the room would be talked about for years to come. The Buckinghams’
accomplishments continued year after year and again in 2009, the still very magnetic band, was recognized when they were inducted into the 2009 Hit Parade Hall of Fame; an honor beyond deserving to the highly respected and talented gentlemen from The Windy City. Having charmed the hearts of so many audiences in decades past with their record setting performances on The Ed Sullivan Show, the Smothers Brothers Show and American Bandstand to name a few, The Buckinghams, with their refreshing, high energy stage presence continue to delight their audiences today. Hailed as one of America’s most beloved bands, their performances reach the hearts of every concert goer, not just the longtime fans, captivating all in attendance, and leaving them with treasured memories of the pop rock dancing music of the 60’s and yesteryear. While in concert, the highly-regarded, playful gentlemen from Chicago truly touch the souls of their foot stomping, sing along fans reminding all of us of what “fun is truly all about.” All of those in attendance will agree that the music and the energy is tantalizing, delightful and shy of mesmerizing. The love, fun and excitement fills the air as everyone sings the lyrics, claps their hands and finds themselves dancing in their seats. What a favorable indescribable way to spend an evening – getting lost in the memories and the music so pleasingly delivered by the band. Throughout the 2000’s the Buckinghams have highlighted such successful tours as the “Solid Gold 60s Tour” in 2001, the “Sixties Pop Rock Reunion” in 2004, and the “Happy Together Tour” in 2012. They have performed with such artists as Tommy James
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Va n Wyck Ga ze tte and the Shondells, the Turtles, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, and the Grass Roots and some of their most recognized and cherished hits are: “Don’t You Care”, “Hey Baby They’re Playing Our Song”, “Susan”, “Back In Love Again” and their greatest number one hit seller of all times “Kind Of A Drag.” Today original Buckinghams’ members Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna and their band, (consisting of Dave Zane, Bruce Soboroff and Rocky Penn), continue to deliver memorable performances in arenas, concert halls, and casinos across the country and the music of the Buckinghams can be heard consistently today on the oldies and rock radio stations, satellite radio and can also be viewed on You Tube and other internet channels as well. Those of us from the baby boomer generation can’t help but sing along, remember, and continue to love the songs of the Buckinghams - none of which are in any way a ‘kind of a drag’ to us but rather beyond engaging, cheerful and exhilarating to say the least. Whether it be our yesteryear we look back at, our today we embrace, or our tomorrow that we dream about, there is always a place in our lives, and primarily in our hearts, for the very enchanting and bewitching Chicago band that never delivers anything less than a Gold Award Winning Performance to their audiences, concert after concert after concert. Those of us who make up that baby boomer audience still agree today with Billboard Magazine who, decades ago, named the Buckinghams “The Most Listened to Band in America” and with American Entertainment Magazine who today highlights the Buckinghams in their list of top 10 bands. Is it any wonder that in a world so filled with challenges, hardships and uncertainty that many of us will find ourselves dancing and singing along to this magical band in concert every chance we get in the mere hopes of embracing our own trip down memory lane and, for a brief couple of hours,
simply “make the world go away.” As a part of this heartwarming article I am writing, I was blessed to interview, my personal friend and the band’s leader, Carl Giammarese with a handful of intriguing questions: Carl, share with the readers the most cherished moments that come to mind for you on that infamous night in 2005 when you graced the stage at the 55th Presidential Inauguration. We actually performed for both George W. Bush’s second inauguration and President Obama’s first inauguration; both times were very exciting. We have also performed at the presidential agricultural ball as well; an honor afforded to us by my dear friend Terry Duffy who is the President of CME Group, Inc. and the Executive Chairman for the Board of Trade for the City of Chicago. Continued on page 12
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Entertainment
Spring 2014 Issue
A Walk Down Memory Lane
by Susan M. Bourret - continued I recall getting into DC during a snow storm for the Bush inauguration and that we were quite lucky to indicated, there are just too too many to name them all. even make it in. This was an exciting time for DC; a very upbeat And what about today, is there any one band or artist that party mood and indeed we were treated to a magnificent time. the Buckinghams would like to share the stage with somewhere My wife and I actually arrived the day before and much to our in the band’s future? surprise, were invited to a private dinner that evening with Mr. Well, quite honestly, there are a lot of new contemporary artists Duffy along with several congressmen and senators. We all had such an incredible time and even found ourselves at one point that we love but we probably would not have the opportunity to in the evening, all together singing the lyrics to our song “Susan”. play with. I love the music of Bruno Mars, Pink, Michael Buble’ What an absolute thrill that was. Also on the agenda that evening and the list just goes on. I’m a truly big fan of Stevie Wonder as were several speakers who addressed those in attendance, one well and would most definitely love to open for Paul McCartney. of which was a young senator from Illinois who I found myself And lastly Carl, tell us all what we can expect from the quite impressed with. The young Senator’s name was Barack Buckinghams in 2014 and going forward. Obama and ironically several years later we would find ourselves In 2014, we will primarily be playing varied concerts around performing for President Obama’s inauguration as well; a time the country. The Buckinghams have a new album coming out in well celebrated and well-remembered. the summer of 2014 called “Flashback” which is a collection of Those of us in your baby boomer audience have a defined all of our hits along with the early recordings prior to “Kind of a love of the Buckinghams and your music, but many of us Drag”. We actually recently performed these hits, accompanied would admit that “Kind of a Drag” was the “crème brule” of by a full symphony orchestra, and alongside the one and only all your songs. Tell us a bit about the history of Kind of a Gary Puckett and a fabulous Vegas singer, Christi Copeland, on Drag and what prompted the song. the recent “Groovin’ the 60’s” tour. What a successful fun filled Well actually before Kind of a Drag came along, we were a tour it was taking our audiences back through the great music of talented local Chicago cover band. We played night after night the 60’s. Also in 2014, I hope to finalize my autobiography that I in various nightclubs until our big break came along. We auditioned have been working on with a 2014 release date. for a syndicated TV show on WGN TV called “All Time Hits” and Further down the road in January, 2015 we are scheduled to we won. We next recorded and released several cover songs on perform on Paul Revere’s “Where the Action Is” cruise. the USA record label with only moderate success. We then decided Thank you Carl for taking the time to answer my interview to put our focus on finding an original song in the hopes of making questions and for sharing with our readers some insight to a highly recognized name for ourselves and with the help of our the band’s leader and the ever enchanting group of gentlemen manager, Carl Bonafede and Chicago songwriter, Jim Holvay from Chicago. along came “Kind of a Drag.” We recorded it at Chess Studio and when it was finally released it just shot right up the national charts. To my readers I say: Check out the Buckinghams website at By January of 1967 it was a #1 hit and, as you know, the rest www.thebuckinghams.com or visit them on Facebook at www. was history. facebook.com/thebuckinghams to view their schedule and read In a perfect world, share with all of us the one artist or more about the fabulous band from Chicago. If you find that they band that you would have loved to perform or tour with in are coming in concert to your town or city then take it from this “baby boomer” Buckinghams’ fan, it is a concert you won’t want years past. to miss and a “magical trip down memory lane” that will stay with Well, of course first and foremost would be the Beatles above you for years and years to come. all and even though there are so many to actually name them and to the Buckinghams: “WE LOVE YOU, YES WE DO, all, I can certainly mention a couple of our all-time favorites. First I would mention the Everly Brothers, who we actually played a WE DO”… date with in Boston and secondly the Hollies. But again as I
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Page 14
Spring 2014 Issue
Baseball
Big Dan Brouthers
by Peter Rae Hall of Fame Slugger from Wappingers Falls years later, in 1904, he played in two games his big league career, the newspapers with the New York Giants, giving him a total carrying game accounts generally settled of nineteen seasons in the “bigs”. on Dan Brouthers – AKA “Big Dan”.) At six foot two and 207 pounds, Brouthers clearly earned his most prominent nickname, “Big Dan”. A first baseman of average ability, what set him apart was his hitting. Big Dan was a five-time league batting champion with a career batting average of .349, seventh highest ever from 1876 to the present. He led the league in home runs twice, and his career total of 107 homers, while modest compared to today, puts him in second place for all players in the 19th century. He also led in doubles three times, triples once, and slugging percentage seven times, hence the title of Roy Kerr’s excellent 2013 biography: Big Dan Brouthers, Baseball’s first great slugger. Sportswriters of the day were given to hyperbole, as reflected in the wide range nicknames given to Brouthers. They included “Gigantic” and “Jumbo” Brouthers, plus “The Goliath of the League”. They recognized his batting prowess, such as the “The Big Brother with the Stick” and “The Terror of All Pitchers”. They honored personal characteristics, such as “Honest” and “Redoubtable”, and ethnic pride, such as “The Mighty Irish King.” And they pointed with pride to his local heritage, such as “The Wappingerian”, “The Wappingers Falls Terror” and “The Sage of Wappingers Falls.”
The New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter is expected to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019, just five years after his announced retirement following the 2014 Season. It took Dutchess County native “Big Dan” Brouthers a lot longer – forty-nine years – to be similarly elected after his last full season in 1896, even though his baseball “stats” were even greater than those of the Yankees captain. Indeed, Brouthers is generally considered to be one of the top The Wappingerian. Born in 1858 in two or three batsmen to play during major Sylvan Lake in the Town of Beekman, league baseball’s formative years in the Brouthers was third of five children of 19th century. Michael Brooder, an Irish immigrant working Brouthers’ major league career began in at the iron ore mines and foundries in that 1879 with the Troy Trojans of the newly village, and his wife Annie. Named Dennis formed National League and initially ended at birth, both his given name and surname in 1896 with the Philadelphia Phillies. Eight gradually morphed until, several years into
Iron mining was tough, and the family moved to Fishkill Plains and then to Wappingers Falls for less demanding work. Michael’s new job was at the Dutchess Print Works on Market Street, which produced cloth for clothing. The business was quite successful, employing more than 1000 workers by the early 1900s. As a teenager, Dennis left school for a job at Dutchess, working a 60-hour week over five and a half days and earning $10.00 – for the week! Dennis soon moved to the Sweet-Orr Company on Mill Street, which used cloth produced by Dutchess to become the nation’s first manufacturer of overalls. Sweet-Orr overalls were nationally famous for their strength. Indeed, a 1921 photograph shows Big Dan Brouthers having a tug-ofwar over Sweet-Orr overalls with four young ladies from the plant. And it was while working at Sweet-Orr that Brouthers met an Irish immigrant lass called Mary Ellen Croak, who later became Mrs. Brouthers. When he wasn’t working or courting Mary Ellen, Dennis was playing baseball. At the time, the sport of baseball was experiencing tremendous growth on all levels, from the formation of the National League in 1876 to organized ball in towns and villages throughout the country. Wappingers Falls was no different, and its team, the Actives, played semi-professional teams from other cities and towns in the Hudson Valley. Brouthers soon made a name for himself with the Actives, primarily as a pitcher. But it was as a base runner that he was involved in an incident that haunted him for life. In a July 1877 game against a team from
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Page 15
Va n Wyck Ga ze tte Stottsville, a small town about fifty miles to the north near Hudson, N.Y., collided with catcher John Quigley while trying to score, striking his knee on the side of Quigley’s head. Quigley left the game with blood streaming from his forehead. Doctors diagnosed a concussion and found a skull fracture, and Quigley died a month later. Both towns were shocked, and Brouthers was ready to quit baseball altogether. However, an inquest determined that the tragedy was an accident, and Brouthers rejoined the Actives in 1878. Actually, the Stottsville team liked what it saw about Brouthers and by August 1878 had hired him away. Little is known of Brouthers’ performance at Stottsville but it must have been good because by 1879, he began to appear on the roster of the nearby Troy Haymakers. The National League’s Troy Trojans saw him play for the Haymakers, and he soon began to appear in their games. Indeed, at age 21, Dennis Brouthers had reached the major leagues. During his major league career, Brouthers played for eleven big league teams. But when the seasons were done, Brouthers always came home to Wappingers Falls. There, on December 31, 1884, he married Mary Ellen, a marriage that lasted until his death 48 years later. The couple had five children, four of whom reached adulthood.
pursuits. One was running a semi-pro team in Brooklyn for two years. His personal highlight was playing first base while his son, Addison, played right field. The team failed financially, but the friendship between the two ex-Orioles was such that McGraw rehired Brouthers in 1912, saying he could have a job with the Giants “for life”.
During that time Brouthers was a part of village life, owning properties as investments, serving as a member of the village Board of Trustees, and owning a saloon. After Wappingers. The family moved to New York City in 1907 so Brouthers could be closer to his new job in the front office of the New York Giants, where he had been named chief scout. Dan had met Giants’ manager John McGraw when the two played for the National League champion Baltimore Orioles in 1894. Early on, Brouthers signed two players who went on to stardom for the Giants, but the bloom didn’t last and within two years, he left the Giants for other
And he so did. Brouthers stayed with the Giants for twenty years. His jobs ranged from night watchman to press box attendant to ticket-taker. On a hot Sunday in 1932, the Giants played a doubleheader at the Polo Grounds and Brouthers, now 74, worked both ends of it at the turnstiles. He and Mary Ellen were now living in East Orange, New Jersey, and the next day, an off-day for the team, Brouthers complained of not feeling well but went to work anyway to catch up on other tasks. The day after that, Brouthers felt even more ill. A doctor was called, but Brouthers died four hours later of a heart attack. Following services in East Orange, he was buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Wappingers Falls. Two weeks later, Mary Ellen, age 73, also passed. Thirteen years later, in 1945, Big Dan Brouthers was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. All said, “The Wappingerian” proved to be a fitting companion for Derek Jeter.
Scott Russinoff, M.D.
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