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THE REGULAR JOE
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Bugsy Goes to Cleveland (and we tag along!) Jay Kerner Publisher/Accidental Tourist
A lot of our readers know about our friendship with blues legend Charles “Bugsy” Maugh. We spent a lot of time together over a couple of years, working on a book about his amazing life. I was so honored to be the one to share his stories of life on the road playing with some of the biggest names in music history. No doubt, the most recognizable credit on his resume’ is the time he spent as bass player for the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. If you’re under say 40 or so and know their work, pardon the grammar, but kiss your mama and daddy cuz they raised you up good. If you aren’t familiar with their music but the name sounds familiar, that’s probably because it’s been in the news a lot lately. On Saturday, April 18th, the PBBB was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In a class with Joan Jett, Green Day, Bill Withers, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Lou Reed, Ringo Starr and the 5 Royales. Talk about a diverse cross section of the genre. We were so excited when the announcement first came down last winter. We’d been optimistic since they barely missed last year. A national music magazine (you know who) labeled them a favorite for this year’s class, accompanied by a picture of the band from their heyday. A picture by the way, including St.Joe, boy, Bugsy Maugh. I marked my calendar for the day tickets to the event went on sale. On the prescribed day I had my finger poised over the “order tickets now” button as their online digital clock turned over from 8:59 to 9am eastern time. I pressed it immediately and was greeted by the news that the event that went on sale a micro-second before was completely sold out. Crap! Bugsy was going in to the Rock Hall of Fame and I needed to see it. I decided to see if anything was available through the secondary ticket market. There were some on there already. At a price at least twice the face value of an already expensive ticket. I found a single ducat in the next to the last row, at the top of the very back of the arena. I cringed at the price but when you’re faced with once in a lifetime opportunities you cash in your pop bottles and pull the trigger. Then the induction committee pulled the rug out from under us. Turns out they were only inducting the original 5 members. Bugsy was the replacement after the original bass player dropped out. So even though our guy was there for their two best-selling albums, even though he wrote and sang lead on some of their signature songs, the committee in their wisdom decided to instead include the guy that left. The one who chose not to be involved in the ceremony. We were pissed! In our earlier years we might have attempted some grand stupid gesture, heavy on pyrotechnics and fueled by revenge. These days we started a change.org petition. Thanks to the hundreds that logged on and supported it. Bugsy for his part, kept his mouth shut. But I know how hurt he was at the snub. And if he wasn’t going, I wasn’t either. We shared the same thoughts for the committee but decorum prevents us from expressing them in this forum. Let’s just say the same wishes were also extended to the horses they rode in on and leave it at that.
From that point, my mission was to make sure Bugsy got whatever spillover recognition he could out of the situation. When we first started working on the book project, we were surprised there wasn’t more info about him on the internet. We found references to him on other artist’s sites. We found diskographies listing all his work. We found his name on Wikipedia, but no page of his own. Because any Joe-Blow can contribute to it, the online encyclopedia has a well-deserved reputation for inaccuracies. But apparently they’re trying to clean up their act. Just try to get something on there now! I wrote up an entry in their format and submitted it. It was rejected in hours for no sources listed. I listed myself and the book I wrote about him as the source and resubmitted. No dice. I went to their help line and was told I needed more reputable sources like newspaper articles. I questioned the logic of accepting a source that spent ten minutes interviewing him long ago, while turning down someone who has spent years on the subject. I added a couple and resubmitted. Nope. I finally decided to bombard them with every damn thing I could find. I copied and pasted a big list together of all kinds of references and submitted yet again. As I write this piece it still hasn’t been accepted or rejected, however, some of the references now show up when you search his name. And if you do, look at the top of the page for a button that says “Everything”. If you push it, you can read the draft we sent them. It may finally be accepted, but at least it’s findable with a little work. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Dear Joe, Dear Joe, The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art (AKMA) is pleased to once again partner with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., (BIVI) for the Business + Art = Inspired Workplaces program. AKMA and BIVI invite interested artists 16 years of age and up to submit artwork to the VAB Gallery, a quarterly juried art gallery, located at the BIVI VAB facility. The theme for the exhibition that starts the 2015 series for artists’ submissions will be “COMMUNITY”. The gallery offers exhibition space to artists free of charge with the opportunity to sell works of art. Entry deadline is Monday, May 11, 2015 at midnight. See the list of important dates on the attached page. All the information for entry can be found on the AKMA website http://albrechtkemper.org/ and Facebook page. Dear Joe, During the time of the Gold Rush, more people were leaving from St. Joseph to head west than from any other location. With thousands passing through, the City was a major hub of communication and transportation. Why did emigrants choose to jump off from St. Joseph? Why did they say “St. Joseph is a very flourishin’ place…”? What roles did the Missouri River, the roads to the west, and the railroads play in the early growth of St. Joseph? During the “Let’s Go to St. Joe by River, Roads, and Rails” day camp, students will find the answers to these questions and much more. The camp will be held for students entering the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades from July 27 through July 30. Camp will begin at 12:30 p.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. except for the field trip on July 30, which will take place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lunch is included on the field trip. Snacks will be provided
each day of camp. Space is limited and paid reservations are required for the camp by July 10. The cost of the camp is $95, which includes snacks, the camp t-shirt, all activities, supplies, and the field trip. Transportation by Heartland Trailways, museum admission, water, and a pizza lunch will be provided for the field trip on July 30. Adults are welcome to join us on the field trip! The fee for adults going on the field trip is $38, which covers museum admission, lunch, and transportation. Children can be registered for the camp at the St. Joseph Museum, 3406 Frederick Avenue, or the registration form can be printed from the Museum website at www.stjosephmuseum.org. The completed form should be mailed to the St. Joseph Museum, P.O. Box 8096, St. Joseph, Missouri, 64508. For more information, call the St. Joseph Museum at 816-232-8471. Dear Joe, Book clubs are more than just sharing ideas on interesting authors and their works – they help promote community, stimulate the intellect, serve as a conduit for meeting new people, and they establish a positive and refreshing break in the normal routine. Dan Danford, founder and CEO of Family Investment Center, is hosting one book club event per month in St. Joseph and North Kansas City beginning in May. The theme will follow Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s book club, “A Year of Books.” The club will have its first meeting in St. Joseph
at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 28 at the East Hills Library in the Conference Room. The Kansas City club members will meet at 7 p.m. on May 14 at Barnes and Noble at Zona Rosa. Danford’s book club is called “You, Me and Zuck: A Community Book Club Based on Mark Zuckerberg’s Year of Books.” Zuckerberg established a lofty goal for 2015 – read a new book every other week with the emphasis on “learning about different cultures, beliefs, histories and technologies,” says Danford. The first book the club will read is The End of Power by Moisés Naím. The book discusses the shift in power from West to East and North to South, and from traditional power platforms like presidential houses and palaces to public squares.
The Regular Joe
phone 816-617-5850 read us online at www.theregularjoepaper.com email us at email@theregularjoepaper.com snail mail us at The Regular Joe P.O. Box 1304 St. Joseph, Mo. 64502
Bugsy
continued from page 2
I knew this was kind of a big deal, because with the induction ceremony coming up, there was at least a chance that Bugsy’s name and image would be involved in the production. We couldn’t see how any retrospective of the band could leave him out completely. And with the HBO special coming out on the event, we knew out of the millions who would see it, would be hundreds if not thousands of people looking up his name, right after. That’s what I was working on when I got the call from Bugsy’s brother Gary. Everybody should have a brother like Gary. He told me that he’d been in contact with Butterfield keyboardist, Mark Naftalin, and that the guys wanted Bugsy there. They were sending VIP tickets and insisted he come. Gary and others in the family made all the arrangements on short notice, and convinced Bugsy to go in support of his guys. But Bugsy’s not well. I know. I know. You’ve heard that before. The man’s been at death’s door so long, he’s worn a hole in the welcome mat. But he knows his time is short, and those close to him can see he’s winding down. He’s on oxygen full time now, and can’t walk very far without stopping to rest. I went to see him and make sure he was up for the trip. He didn’t look good but insisted he could make it. Talked about the trip as a final hurrah. Well if he was going, so was I. I still had my ticket. Last minute arrangements are the worst. The flights he was on were full and so was the hotel he was staying at. I booked a flight leaving an hour after his, so I could get he and his wife on the plane with the wheelchair and the oxygen first. But while they had a short layover in Nashville, I was going through Charlotte with a much longer wait. I wouldn’t get to Cleveland till late Friday night, but no big deal. Bugsy’s family would be there to get him where he needed to go. I booked the closest available hotel room, over a mile away from the event. It wasn’t a chain but I couldn’t afford to be picky. Then we got the next curveball. The induction ceremony was at the Public Auditorium Saturday night. But now we hear that there’s a VIP party Friday night at the Rock Hall of Fame, and there’s a pass for me if I can get there.
Holy Crap! This would be the time where I normally would share the experience of making last minute changes to air travel. But I think I won’t. However, if you run in to me in the next few weeks and notice me walking funny, you’ll know why. But now my new flight has me leaving before Bugsy, with no way to help them get situated. I called my buddies at Joe Cab and solved the problem. (Kind of their deal.) They picked up the Maughs and the traveling wheelchair we borrowed, (thanks, K.B!) and delivered them to KCI. Gary and his wife along with her sister and husband met them there, and got everybody onboard. Meanwhile, I’m landing in Cleveland, heading for my fabulous hotel. I would share the name so you could avoid it, but I can’t imagine the health department will allow it to stay open much longer anyway. My cab driver, a recent immigrant from a war-torn African country warned me about it before he let me out. Probably not a good sign. I went through the doors and was met with the smell. The best descriptor I can come up with, is to close your eyes and imagine dirty gym socks in an overflowing ashtray. The room was just plain nasty. The coating of dirt, smoke and who knows what else on the windows turned day into night. But my favorite thing about room 720 was the football sized bloodstain in the carpet. I decided I didn’t want to contribute any new ones of my own, and spent no more time there than I had to. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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JoeStock6 Sign-Ups Begin May 1 Applications for a chance to participate in St. Joseph’s very own celebration of Live Local Music, JoeStock6, will begin the same weekend as Apple Blossom, First Saturdays and Discover Downtown! Sponsored by 99.3 KFOH FM, St. Joseph’s own local radio station, KFOH, will be featured on Felix Street amidst the pop-up businesses, vendors and live music during the Discover Downtown event on May 1st from 10 am to 5:30 pm and again on May 2nd from 10 am to 5:30 pm. Applications on May 1st and 2nd will only be available at the Discover Downtown event. If you cannot make it to Discover Downtown, you may apply from May 3rd through May 16th. Applications will be available on-line at www.StJosephMusicFoundation.org or at the St. Joseph Music Foundation offices, 2601 Frederick Avenue, 10 am – 6 pm, Monday thru Saturday. So, follow the Apple Blossom parade down Frederick Avenue, pick up some BBQ at Civic Center Park, head towards Felix Street, look and listen for the 99.3 KFOH booth, and find yourself in Downtown St. Joseph Missouri for an explosion of activities! JoeStock6 is September 4, 5 and
6 over Labor Day weekend 2015. Located in Downtown Felix Street Square, Coleman Hawkins Park, St. Joseph, Missouri plays host for the 6th annual JoeStock Music Festival. The festival is a three-day celebration of the art of Heartland music, culminating with the best of our regions musicians. It is a free admission festival. This artist list always reflects a cross-
roads of sound and influences with a continued strengthening of the local music scene. The final JoeStock6 line-up will be announced June 1st 2015. Event links are; JoeStock6 page : https://www.facebook. com/JoeStock.Festival Discover Downtown : https://www. facebook.com/events/912168462167848/ First Saturdays : https://www.facebook. com/downtownstj?fref=ts Please, come and join us.
Bugsy
Bugsy’s accommodations on the other hand were all La-Di-Da! I met his party at check-in and helped them to their rooms. He was wiped out from the trip and wanted to rest up for the party. We left him covered in a plush hotel robe and went on ahead. The Rock Hall for those who haven’t been there is a work of art. Sort of a modified glass pyramid overlooking Lake Erie. And this is their big night of the year. We’re talking red carpet, spotlights, the whole deal. And fans, everywhere outside. Wearing the concert t’s. Holding signs and album covers. Packed on both sides of the red carpet as we made our way in. Blinded by flashbulbs, I now knew why so many celebrities wear sunglasses at night. We walked in and those magic passes got us every kind of Rock Star treatment. Open bars stocked with exotic choices. Food tables in every direction, with famous chefs all trying to outdo each other. And beautiful people everywhere, dressed to the nines. I myself, wore my ugliest sport coat which turned out to be a perfect rock and roll move. I spent the evening posing for selfies with people I couldn’t place, but who sure looked familiar. It wasn’t me, it was the jacket. I could have had it there on a hanger, and it would have garnered the same attention. The only one I could identify for sure was “Little Steven” Van Zant from Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band and the Sopranos series. There was talk of a swap for his do-rag but we never closed the deal. We ate and drank and schmoozed till Bugsy and his wife showed up. We hooked up with original Butterfield members Elvin Bishop and Mark Naftalin in front of the band’s new exhibit in the hall. The love these guys still have for Bugsy was obvious and so good to see. The committee may have snubbed him, but these guys sure didn’t. They went way out of their way to make him feel part of the event, and they all spent the next hour or so, smiling and posing for pictures. Not their first rodeo. Other celebs came to pay homage. I was on a beer run when Alice Cooper stopped by. I missed him completely but the rest of the group got pics with him. Bugsy was wearing out, so the family got him out of there and back to the hotel, but I wasn’t in any hurry to get back to mine. So I did my best to put the hurt on the bar and the buffet. I woke up late the next morning feeling exactly as my behavior would suggest. Checked in with Bugsy, but he was still wiped out. He was going to rest up for the big event, but the rest of us went back to the hall to see what we missed from the night before. The red carpet was gone, but the
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place was still packed with fans, hoping to get a pic with their heroes. We met a few, but realized after a bit, that the ones there, were mostly people like Bugsy. Part of the bands at some point, but not in the ceremony. But the hard-core fans still knew them and most of them seemed happy with the attention. I took my aching head back to my luxurious accommodations to take a nap and get ready for the evening. I got to the auditorium and found it ringed by fans. The fact that there were no tickets to be had didn’t seem to discourage them. They were happy to catch a glimpse as the limousines dropped off the famous. I talked my way in early to scout a place for Bugsy’s wheelchair and an outlet for his oxygen machine. They ushered me in as Joan Jett was rehearsing her opening number with Miley Cyrus. It sounded god-awful till they turned down Miley’s mic. Technology can do amazing things in the studio, but sorry, live, the kid can’t carry a tune. It was about that time that Gary called and said Bugsy wasn’t coming. I can’t say I was surprised. Friday wore him out and I was already concerned about the ramps and stairs involved in getting him to his seat, not to mention the crowds. As much as I hate to say it, he made the right call. So I had the privilege of sitting in his seat instead of mine in nosebleed city. It wasn’t till the flight home that I realized I still had that unused ticket in my pocket. A ticket that would have gotten me a thousand bucks outside the arena before the show. Didn’t think of it. Damn it! The place was magic. The lights, the linen covered tables with champagne everywhere. It was incredible. Then the show started. I could spend a paragraph or two on the insipid opening comments by the twerking twerp, Miley Cyrus, but you’ll see them for yourself on the HBO special. I’ll let her stupidity speak for itself. Joan Jett deserved better. But then it was time for Butterfield. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Downtown in May Each year, the people of Saint Joseph can always count on a wide variety of live music at Coleman Hawkins Park. From weekend long festivals to the Friday night Sounds of Summer concert series, to Imagine 11’s Sunday night shows, there’s something for music lovers of every age. With a fresh coat of paint on the gazebo and a full schedule of events that are booked through the end of September, downtown businesses are ready for the influx of people that will be attending the dozens of shows that feature scores of bands. Kicking off the outdoor concert season in the park is Discover Downtown, a two day event that takes place on May 1st and 2nd. While live music is not the only focus of the event, Discover Downtown offers 17 bands between Friday and Saturday, not including all of the live music that will be taking place in the businesses during First Saturdays. The outdoor music is set to happen in two locations; Paradox Theatre’s parking lot on 107 South 6th and the gazebo at Coleman Hawkins Park. Friday the live music begins at 3pm, featuring Money For Nothin’, Ben Johnson’s Elvis Experience, Caleb Myers, Seth Mason, Ryan Lombard, and Missouri Homegrown. On Saturday, the music begins at the Paradox lot at 11:45am, beginning with Kristin Hamilton, Stephanie Gummelt, Center State, open mic poetry/spoken word, Drew Ames and Friends, Public Disturbance, and A Greater Tomorrow. The park will begin their music at 3:30pm on Saturday, immediately following St. Joseph’s Passport and Ethnic Food Festival. Foxlin will take the stage first, followed by Scruffy and the Janitors. Dreamgirl wraps up the music at the gazebo, with a set beginning at 5:30. Elsewhere downtown, businesses will be hosting live music as part of First Saturdays. Clarity Yoga will be featuring Black the Buffalo at 1pm at 124 N. 8th Street. Around the corner at 718 Francis, The Lucky Tiger has booked Brent Isom at 2:00, Ryan Lombard at 3:00, and The Coterie at 4:00. Foster’s Martini Bar on 8th and Felix is having an open jam, hosted by Torrin Myers. Discover Downtown has also organized vendors to be in vacant storefronts along Felix Street all day Friday and Saturday, beginning at 10:00 am each day. Merchants selling wares ranging from homemade soaps and essential oils to vintage clothing, jewelry, and art will be helping add to the array of activity
over the weekend. The newly formed Griffey School For the Arts will be setting up at 617 Felix, boasting an art gallery on Friday and Saturday, and an array of art classes and demonstrations all day on Saturday. Immediately following the Apple Blossom Parade, Coleman Hawkins Park will feature a kids are, complete with face painters, balloon animals, vendors, food trucks, and an assortment of lawn games. For more than fifteen years, the Saint Joseph Downtown Association has organized the annual “Sounds of Summer” concert series, held on Friday nights all summer long. May 29th is the first show for the organization of 2015, and will feature local favorite “Friends and Family,” who begin playing at 6:00 pm. Later that weekend, Imagine 11 will start their third year of Sunday night shows, with a musical lineup to be announced. As Spring turns in to summer, be sure to make your way downtown as live music and festivals fill the park nearly every weekend!
Mother’s Day at the Mansion Museum Hill Neighborhood is hosting its second annual fundraiser, “Mothers Day at the Mansion”. It will again be hosted at the WyethTootle Mansion at 11th and Charles Street. Museum Hill Neighborhood members and friends dress in turn of the century costumes and host two gourmet buffets. One is at 11:30 and the second begins at 1 pm. This year Two Carols Catering will be providing the main brunch. Many have enjoyed Two Carols Catering at the Albrecht Kemper and Museum Hill is delighted to have secured them for Mothers Day. Unique to this year is a combined menu that features scones and lemon curd from The Gothic House Tea and Eatery as an appetizer and a delightful dessert provided by the Shakespeare Chateau. Simply Tea is providing their “Downton Abbey English Rose Tea” as our featured drink. Museum Hill is delighted to feature these four local private businesses who each add a flavor of history and elegance to a special day. More than just a luncheon,Mothers Day at the Mansion is an event. Duncan Carriages will be pro-
Woods & Bruce Electric “No job too small!” David Bruce, Master Electrician 816-617-1152
viding free carriage rides around the block. A free and updated tour book of the surrounding historic homes is also available. Patrons are welcome to stroll the lawn, visit the gardens, play croquet and hopefully….enjoy a perfect Mothers Day. Tickets for adults are $50.00 each and children 12 and under are $30.00. You can register on line at the Museum Hill webiste.”www.museumhillneighborhood.com or call 816-262-9853.
Live Music Hi-Lites Cafe’ Acoustic 2605 Frederick
ALL SHOWS @9:30pm unless listed otherwise. May 1 Gastown Lamps + The Westerners May 2 BBQTIONERS @10pm May 5 Scott Shipley@9;30pm May 6 OPEN MIC hosted by Lory Lacy w/Haunting Heathers May 8 DREAMGIRL & CUPCAKE May 9 Spastic A**holes May 13 OPEN MIC hosted by Lory Lacy May 15 If You Nasteee and The Perverts Presents The Quiet Storm Variety Show @10pm May 16 Biff Tannens & Scruffy and the Janitors May 20 OPEN MIC hosted by Lory Lacy w/ Saturday Giants May 27 OPEN MIC hosted by Lory Lacy May 29 The Royal Absinthe Company @10pm May 30 OCCUPY A VENUE w/ Ben Constable, Danny Irish Jason Osborn & Tyler Harman
Amnesia Too St. Joseph Ave.
May 1st Rock Band 9 Penny 9-close May 15th Hemlock Rock Band 9-Close May 16th Kingfisher Rock Band 9-Close May 22nd Fuller & Fuller Acoustic Show 7-10pm
Eagles Lodge North Belt
Saturday, May 4th - Friends From 8:00 -12:00. Friday, May 10th - SWIFT KICK Saturday, May 11th - Ranger 8:00 -12:00. Saturday, May 18th - Rev’d Up 8:00 -12:00. Saturday, May 25th - Dixie Cadillac 8:00 -12:00
Magoon’s Famous Deli 8th & Locust
Fri 5/1 The Motors Sat 5/2 Mushroom Fest 12 Noon Leveetown 9pm Mon 5/4 Amalgam Jazz Wed 5/6 Tracey Colonel Gibber Thurs 5/7 Brody Buster Fri 5/8 TBA Sat 5/9 Barry’s Bday Bash w/ the Souveneers Thurs 5/14 Jason Riley Fri 5/15 Outlaw Jake Sat 5/16 Jamazon Cloud Thurs 5/21 Jeff Lux Fri 5/22 Kyle Reid & the Swinging Charriots Sat 5/23 Gastown Lamps Thurs 5/28 Jason Riley Fri 5/29 Hector Anchondo Sat 5/30 Bugsy Maugh’s Hall of Fame Watch Party 8pm.
The Lucky Tiger 718 Francis
Sat 5/2 First Saturday with live music all afternoon.
Bugsy continued from page 6
I had prepared our section of the crowd. Mark Naftalin had promised a shout-out from the stage, and I’d asked all those sitting around us to holler when he did. Silly me. When it came, it was far more than we expected. Nafty poured on the praise for Bugsy , and when he asked the crowd to give him a round of applause, boy did they! It thundered! That’s when the emotion hit me like a slap in the face and the tears started. No way to stop them. As the stage was re-set for Stevie Ray Vaughn I went to the restroom to mop up. The rest of the evening went by in a blur. There were a number of highlights but you’ll see them on the TV special when it comes out. When the event finally ended, the crowd worked their way out. I made my way to a ramp, but was met by a large group coming back up. Someone said this was reserved for people going to the VIP after party. What? Hadn’t heard about that. I fished my lanyard out of my pocket and made my way in like I was supposed to be there. It was everything the night before was and more. I found Mark Naftalin and thanked him profusely for all he did for Bugsy. He warned me that HBO was turning a 5+ hour event into a 3 hour tv special and the Bugsy stuff could end up on the cutting room floor. Either way, we appreciated the effort and made sure he knew it. He and his lovely wife couldn’t have been nicer or more gracious. I got out of there at 3am with the party still raging. I hit the nasty sheets at 4 with a wake-up call for 5. I was on a flight at 7am and back in KC by 11. Picked up Bugsy and Carolyn when they got in at 3 and got all of us safely back to the Joe. We’d been gone barely over 2 days but it seemed like a week. I was wrecked so I knew Bugsy had to be barely hanging on. I slept like the dead, and woke up ready to get this story down while it was all fresh. I was also gratified to learn that somebody had already put the Butterfield induction speeches on Youtube, including the wonderful Bugsy comments which come about 3 minutes in. I shared it to my facebook page and lots of his friends and family have already seen it there. We’re working on a watch party for the premier on May 30th at Magoon’s. It will be shown several times over the following months, but we’d
Elvin Bishop, Mark Naftalin, seated, Bugsy Maugh love to watch it the first time, together with a big group of the people that care about him.. In the end, our friend Bugsy Maugh didn’t get everything he deserved from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but he got way more than we expected. He got one more go round in the spotlight with the guys he had a part in putting there. He knows his contributions to their achievements and we’re proud to see that they do too. We hope Bugsy sticks around for a long time, and proves all the doctors wrong yet again. But whenever his time comes, he can go with the knowledge that he was a part of history, and his life’s work will live on, long after he’s gone. I am so, so grateful to everyone who helped make this trip possible for him, and humbled beyond words to have been there to see it.
Are Vitamins Worthless and Dangerous? You might be led to believe so by the mainstream media’s widespread reporting of an editorial that appears in an issue of The Annals of Internal Medicine. But as with most news reports of a sensationalistic nature, you’ve got to read between the lines to get at the truth.... The editorial, based on three research papers/studies concerning multiple vitamins, leaves a lot of details out necessary to obtain a clear picture. For one thing, the editorial is published in a professional medical journal funded primarily by the pharmaceutical industry which has a vested interest in discrediting vitamins and supplements because they directly compete for profits. Second, the studies on which the editorial is based, involved synthetic vitamins, not whole-food based vitamins, and the parameters of the studies simply did not warrant such a generalized conclusion about the efficacy of vitamin supplementation. To cite just one example, the second study involved vitamins given to people who had suffered a heart attack to see if vitamin supplementation would prevent another one.This ignored the fact that vitamins provide nutritional insurance and are not designed to cure any disease. Moreover, this study was flawed from the very outset because 50 percent of the people studied were non-compliant--in other words, they neglected to take their vitamins! This prompted the author of the study to admit, that “any interpretation would be difficult.” What’s not difficult to understand is that a shocking 98 percent of the American population does not eat a nutritionally adequate diet, according to a 2012 study by the NPD Group. We’re eating junk food, fast food and processed food, all of which deprive our bodies of the vitamins, minerals and enzymes they need to function optimally. A good multivitamin, while not a perfect answer, can fill in the nutrient gaps. Let’s face it, even for people dedicated to eating well, the pressures of modern life prevent us from always consuming the “perfect diet.” Added to this is the depeletion of our topsoil by modern Agribusiness and the sobering reality that aging adults simply don’t absorb as many nutrients from food as they did when they were younger.
And as far as “dangerous” is concerned, nobody died of a taking a multiple vitamin last year, but 800,000 people died from iatrogenic causes (medical interventions including prescription drugs). For several years we have offered a top-quality whole-food based multiple vitamin called Life’s Fortune. Commendably, the company is so confident in their product that they provide a detailed brochure of every substance they put in their vitamin and what each one supports in the body.Not only that, but they also provide free samples that you can try to see if you feel a difference. Many of our customers have reported that they do, indeed feel a positive difference when taking Life’s Fortune. I invite you to come down to the store for a three-day supply. You might even make taking a multiple vitamin one of your New Year’s health resolutions! Yours in good health, Jim Fly Certified Health Coach
Farewell to a Toe - 1975-2015 Danny R. Phillips Regular Joe Music Guy
Being born with Cerebral Palsy has filled my life with less than common challenges, posed to me every day I wake up. Will I fall today? How long before my legs, start hurting? Can I get my coffee to the couch without spilling half of it on the floor? Anyone that knows me knows that these things are all legitimate concerns to be addressed in my life. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that my life is harder than anyone else on Earth, such a statement would be the height of vanity and self-importance. Millions have it worse than me every second of every day. My problems, in the Grand Scheme of Things are but a speck of crap on life’s windshield. Therefore, as I write this, a wave of confused excitement comes over me: On April 30th Dr. Shannon Engel at Mosaic will be excising my troublesome little toe. That’s right, my pinkie toe is getting lobbed off, never to give me pain again. Unless of course I get Phantom Limb Syndrome, feeling the pain though its gone, then the bugger will never leave me alone. This isn’t a big deal. Just another surgery in my collection that began at aged four. Multiple heel cord lengthening, neck surgeries, bone reductions, knee surgery, hamstring work, painful therapy and rehab, leg braces of all types, etc.
I’ve been under the knife more than butter. This surgery, that my surgeon assures me will last all of three minutes, gives me pause. What will it be like having only nine toes? Will I walk differently? Will my balance be even more allusive? Will my shoes fit weird? Is this just the beginning of missing parts? Will I ever be able to count to twenty again? All of this doesn’t matter, does it? I’ll still be the contrary, sometimes difficult curmudgeon that I’ve been for what seems to be the entirety of my 40 years. It won’t change who I am for better or worse and after what I saw Friday, it means even less. I picked up a friend at United Cerebral Palsy in St. Joseph, whose motto is “Life Without Limits for People with Disabilities,” my worries meant nothing. I am lucky to have control (mostly) of my body, to be able to move under my own power and to articulate the thoughts in my head. The “consumers” as they are called come in all ages, races and genders. Some cannot speak for themselves, cannot walk, live in constant pain or spend an existence unaware of the challenges around them. Nevertheless, in spite of hardship, all I see on their faces is happiness, true joy and purity. They don’t see themselves as disabled for the most part; they live in their world, their reality, some free of the worries of everyday life. They don’t concern themselves with bills, a job they loathe, relationships gone sour or what
people think of them. They just want to be with their friends, do crafts, sing songs and smile, to just be. As I sat in the parking lot rubbing my legs and lamenting my soon to be fallen brother, the toe, I felt both peaceful and ashamed. Why do I complain so much when I have so much? Why do I whine about limitations when I have so few? It’s all ridiculous; it’s just Cerebral Palsy, it’s just a stupid toe. They can take it and all I will do is smile.
Mug Shots
We caught these Regular Joe’s on the always wacky streets of our city. If you know any of these folks, tell ‘em you saw their mugs in The Regular Joe!
2015 UPTOWN HOMES TOUR SUNDAY, MAY 3rd In a neighborhood ripe with history, there may be no better example of Uptown’s past grandeur than the homes of Hall Street. Built in the late 1800s, they offer a magnificent, awe-inspiring glimpse into St. Joseph’s past. So as year eleven of the Uptown Homes Tour neared, the tour’s organizers thought it was time to properly honor this history. While past tours have included a variety of housing types throughout the neighborhood, this year’s version will focus almost entirely on the large estates of Hall Street. Participants will have the unique opportunity to explore several of these beautiful homes, free of charge, in a way that few can. Tour guides will even be present at some of the homes, offering detailed histories of the estates. The homes tour serves to raise awareness for the Uptown St. Joseph Redevelopment Corporation (USJRC) by celebrating its progress toward revitalization of the neighborhood. The redevelopment corporation, founded in 2004 and funded by Mosaic Life Care, offers tax abatement, tax increment financing and other economic incentives to owners looking to improve their properties. These incentive can be especially advantageous to homeowners looking to make improvement to their property. In addition, Uptown identifies and implements planning and development strategies aimed at revitalizing the neighborhood in a way that preserves and celebrates its rich history. Past and ongoing projects include the demonstration block streetscape improvements along 10th, 11th, and Church Streets, as well as the development of the Robidoux District. Most recently, USJRC spearheaded a successful rezoning effort aimed at preserving the historic, single-family homes of Uptown. In the eleven years that the USJRC has existed, it is estimated that over $25 million has been invested in the area. This year’s tour is being co-hosted by Isobel McGowan, Chairwoman of St. Joseph’s Landmark Commission. Her Shakespeare Chateau Bed & Breakfast at 809 Hall Street will serve as the headquarters for the event. Built in 1885, this Queen-Ann style house is a breathtaking classic designed by architect Edmond J. Eckel. The Shakespeare Chateau is also a prime example of a historic property in the neighborhood that took advantage of the incentives offered by Uptown. The tour, which usually attracts 250-300 attendees, will take place from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. on May 3rd. Participants will be asked to sign in at the Chateau before embarking on their journey through history. Maps, brochures, and refreshments will also be made available. In addition to the tour, a “History of Hall Street” quiz will be offered to anyone wishing to participate. The quiz will test participants’ historical knowledge of the homes on the route, and clues will be provided along the way. Those who answer all the questions correctly will be entered in a raffle to be drawn at the conclusion
of the event. The winner of the raffle will receive a $200 Visa card provided by Commerce Bank. For more information about the homes tour or the incentives offered by Uptown, please contact Uptown Housing Specialist Joe Ann Brott at (816) 232-1829. Interested parties can also visit Uptown’s neighborhood office at 501 Francis Street in downtown St. Joseph. The office is typically open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
18 Joe Western
Students Win State College Media Awards Missouri Western State University students were honored with more than two dozen awards at the Missouri College Media Association’s Awards Banquet on April 11. The Griffon Yearbook won nine awards: First Place · Hardy Ho, Sports Design · Christina Wade, Personality Sketch Second Place · Hardy Ho, Sports Design · John Ellis, Sports Photography Third Place · Griffon Yearbook Staff, Theme Development Honorable Mention · Christina Wade, Personality Sketch, · Jodi Stamback, Personality Sketch · Blake Haynes, Feature Writing · Gilbert Imbiri, Feature Photography The Griffon News student newspaper won 18 awards:
First place · Nat Larsen, News Photography · Daniel Cobb, Entertainment Review Second Place · Jessica Kopp, Column · Katelyn Canon, Editorial Writing · Mika Cummins, Sports Writing Third Place · Daniel Cobb, Entertainment Review · Nat Larsen, Information Graphic · Daniel Cobb/Brooke Anderson/Nat Larsen, Feature Page · Katelyn Canon/Nat Larsen/Nick Ingram/Adina Ogle, Photo Page Honorable Mention · Daniel Cobb, Multimedia Element · Nat Larsen, Editorial Cartoon · Katelyn Canon, Front Page Design · Nick Ingram, Feature Photography · Nick Ingram, Sports Photography · Mason Marshall, Sports Writing
Missouri Western Presents ‘La Tragédie de Carmen’ May 1-3 The Opera Workshop at Missouri Western State University presents “La Tragédie de Carmen” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 1 and 2, and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 3 at the Restoration Church, 117 Francis Street in downtown St. Joseph. Suggested donations for admission are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. “La Tragédie de Carmen” is a 90-minute version of Bizet’s famous “Carmen,” adapted by famed stage director Peter Brook. It will be presented without intermission and in its original French, with English surtitles. “‘Carmen’ is a very big opera, with a huge cast and chorus, and Brook was looking for a way to do the show in his small, intimate theater in Paris,” said Dr. Susan Carter, associate professor of music and director of the production. “So he went back to the novella on which Bizet based his opera and stripped it down to its essentials, with a cast of four singers and three actors. All of the famous music that people recognize even if they’ve never been to the opera remain, but ‘La Tragédie de Carmen’ is more intimate, challenging and direct.” When it was presented in New York, “La Tragédie de Carmen” won the 1984 Tony Special Award for outstanding achievement in musical theatre and the Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. The venue for Missouri Western’s production will provide its own “unique theatrical experience,” Dr. Carter said. Restoration Church meets in a former warehouse and natatorium (indoor swimming pool) that church members are restoring to a public space where people can experience and appreciate the city’s unique history.
· D’vonta Richard, News Writing · Noah Green, Editorial Writing · Jacob Dowell, Sports Column In addition, Brendan Welch of the Griffon News was elected as secretary and the Jodi Stamback of the Griffon Yearbook’s as vice president for the 2015-2016 Missouri College Media Conference executive board.
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