Vintage

07-26-05
Leslie Jones McCloud
Copyright July 2005
GARY--Passersby grabbed for shirts and other promotional items Tuesday at a Soul 106.3 live remote held outside of Mercantile Bank on Melton Road.
The event, sponsored by Edgewater Systems for Balanced Living, was held to promote a concert Friday July 29 at Marquette Park Pavilion featuring artist Angela Bofill and an array of classic automobiles.
However, to get free tickets to "Vintage Night on the Lagoon" Bofill fans will have to listen to the radio.
James Ward, Director of Marketing for Edgewater, said 12 pairs of tickets to the event will be given away this week to listeners during 106.3 radio contests.
"Dr. Hughes is excellent at building relationships. (she) also likes music from the 70s and 80s," Ward said.
Tickets to the event are $50 and the attire is white, Ward said, because it promotes the idea of a summertime beach concert.
The event is being coordinated by the Ambassadors of Edgewater, a group of community members and business owners who are committed to supporting the non-profit behavioral health care company.
Roosevelt Haywood III, President and CEO of Haywood and Fleming Associates, is one of the many Ambassadors for Edgewater. He said their numbers swell and shrink but at least 12 members are working on the concert. Haywood specializes in insurance and risk
management and is helping to promote Vintage Night through his business.
"It is the prominent health care system in Gary and Northwest Indiana. Ambassadors support the mission of Edgewater and raise funds," Haywood said. He also said the concert gears community members up for the annual Ambassadors Ball held in October.
Ward said they have had as many as 21 Ambassadors at one point.
However many, CEO of Edgewater, Danita Johnson Hughes, Ph.D, is a fan of classic songs and the Ambassadors of Edgewater. She said she was thrilled to find out Bofill had been booked for the event.
"I love her. I remember her from back-in-the-day. The Ambassadors are extremely helpful because they have been in the community for a long time and they are very active," Johnson Hughes said.
Funds raised will be used for new and enhanced programs such as shelter and care for homeless teenagers and educational or prevention programs at Edgewater.
The concert, for the most part has become an annual event that the community as well as Edgewater employees have come to enjoy.
"Its a chance to mingle and get out and have a good time. Last year they had the Spaniels I believe and vintage cars. It's really a good time," Armelia Johnson, who works in the finance department for Edgewater, said.
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I'm Getting Old

It was a snowy day when I took this picture of myself several years ago. I had braids with strands of blonde intertwined with my off black and brown hair.
Sometimes I forget what my real haircolor looks like because it's been dyed so much.
Until recently.
I went to part my hair in the traditional down-the-middle-60s-look and there it was: a wirey patch of gray strands.
It was almost white.
Well, I haven't dyed my hair yet. I just find another area that is grayless in which to part my hair.
I am REALLY getting old...

WHATEVER

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-07-09-bloggingworld_x.htm?csp=N007&RM_Exclude=Juno

I Know Some Really (nice) People...

I Know Some Really nice People and They Act Like I don't Know.I don't want to have to write this blog but someone has to say it.And I'm only saying it because I really like you. Thank you for being so nice up but find some way to be humble.
Humility is God's gift to us. It prevents us from being insufferable know-it-all, pains-in-the-ass idiots to the rest of the human race.Humility stops other folks from disliking you.Humility brings knowledge and self discovery. I no longer avoid humbling experiences but welcome them. The single most important lesson learned: how to develop good news judgement.
Not every word, idea, is "fit to print," to quote the New York Times.But back to you. Do things the right way, damn.
Ask the Washington Post editor who was in charge during the Watergate Scandle. He's still a little skittish. (I know. I tried to congradulate him at an SPJ convention in Florida one year and he nearly jumped out of his skin. The man literally skittered away out of the crowd.)He don't want none--okay?Ask him why if you can catch up to him.
Okay, be the judge of this:I read in well-respected Florida newspaper about migrant workers who are beginning to have babies born with birth defects. However, this phenomena has been reported among Latina and Hispanic workers as far away as Ohio--or somewhere in the Midwest, thousands of miles away from Florida.
I guess knowing about it at all, is good. Thanks reporter in Florida for the series. I really had to search the Website to find it. (although, that ain't yo fault)
THIS BLOG POST HAS BEEN EDITED FOR CONTENT

Melnic's

PICTURED ARE ITEMS BOUGHT AT THE MELNIC'S AUCTION DURING MAY 2005
Copyright LJM 2005
Buy the auctioned items at ebay sometime in the near future:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8194925740&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3
AIT&rd=1
Upon first look, there was nothing exceptional about Melnic's.
A brief glance at the rows of candles, oils and incence inside the store at 3700 Arthur Street, may be lead customers to believe that they were just a mixture of colorful dyes,some oil and wax.

However, for George Christ, owner of Melnic Corporaton, the preparations he sold for the past 12
years were unique religious items. His customers came from near and far through the years
and most of those who attended an auction at Melnic's Tuesday came to buy the incence and

religious candles--although everything was on auction.Inside, there were bundled stacks of dream and lucky number books. Erby Tucker of Gary was
a faithful customer. He said the lucky numbers really work and credits the books for
winning a state lottery."If you have a certain number, stick with it," he said.There were shelves of candles and incense up for sale in the mix of items for auction. An
entire shelve of religious candles sold for as little as $5 to $8.Those candles may be
found for as much as $12 elsewhere.Amy Spencer bought some of the candles and said she planned to donate them to a social
organization.Some of the candles were labled,"Love Drawing Power Candles" and one read, "evil woman be
gone." Some had Spanish words on them. One candle was called a Tobacco candle and said to
aid in a person's release from jail or winning a court case.There were bottles of colored
powder called sachets, used to ward off evil spells, jinxes or confusion.Some of the chubby vials were labled "Stay Home" and "Do As I Say" but no one in the store
at the time wanted to discuss their purpose, in depth. Regular customers said they knew how
the more obscure items like, Mandrake root, could be used.An older gentleman, bidder number 50, bought some red and black "reverse" candles, that the
owner said customers used to reverse bad luck and spells. Highland resident, Tim McKenny bought two boxes and said he would give his candles to friends.Carey Andrews bought a display case and a pallet of products. He said he would share his
find with friends too.Some who were there made a habit of going to auctions and reselling
items.Margot Alfaro said she planned to sell the stacks of incense she bought at a flea
market."It's hard to watch your business being sold piece by piece," Hebron resident
Danielle Torkleson said.She figured, many of the items were specialty and not marketable to
a wide audience.Many of Melnic's customers were said to be appreciative of the advice they'd get from the Christ and the high-quality products. Christ said his father made all of the potions, oils, incense and candles himself.
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