Volume 18: The Further Saga of Alemany '66:

As revealed by The Shadow with minor assistance from F.J. Bonaccorso

Special Dedication to the Pioneers of American Sports: Abner Doubleday, Dr. James Naismith, and Dick Fosbery



Do the flop and doobly-do-bop.Dick Fosbery, Oregon State University, pioneer of the Fosbery Flop.Fosbery won the high jump gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.Can any reader tell us what person from Alemany '66 secretly practiced a forbidden head first belly-flop style high jump? The Shadow Knows.

Flashback to 19 March 1956, La Festa di San Giuseppe, Los Angeles

On this feast day of St Joseph (San Giuseppe), Italian-American communities give special thanks to St. Joseph ("San Giuseppe") for preventing a famine in Sicily way back during the Middle Ages. The fava bean crop saved the population from starvation while all other crops withered in the fields. Giving food to the needy is a St. Joseph's Day tradition. In many Italian and Italian-American communities it is traditional to wear red clothing and eat a Sicilian pastry known as a Zeppole on March 19th. Everyone named Joseph and Josephine get their ears pinched for good luck.

After celebrating the mass, Italians feast at St Joseph's tables where endless food is served. As a seven year old, I was dressed in a sport coat and a red bow tie for mass. Following mass there was an outdoor feast with the large Italian community in downtown Los Angeles. Once it was learned that my middle name was Joseph, my ears were pinched until they turned red and I ran around and even under the tables laden with food to escape pinches. I kept saying, "My name is Frank not Joseph" but that did not seem to stop the pinching. The only thing worse than having your ears pinched is having all the old ladies come up and kiss you cause you were a cute little kid. So my ears were red from pinching and my face red with the lipstick of countless ladies wearing black shawls. When I wasn't being chased by old ladies, I hung out at the pastry table with the zeppoles and the canoles ---mmm, good. I kept asking if the swallows were going to show up at the church, but my grandpa, Salvatore, told me that was only at the Mission San Juan Capistrano. I think I must have met my first Mafia members that day. There were lots of mean looking guys with their hair slicked back and wearing black coats, ties, and felt hats. An accordion played the tarantella and all the old folks danced as if they were teens, at least for awhile. Then they would pull out white handkerchiefs and mop their brows while collapsing into a folding chair. The cigar smoke was thick and the vino was flowing from a big wooden cask. Some of the wine was donated by my grandfather who had a huge wine press in a barn back at his ranch. The wine press was huge in the eyes of a small seven year-old and grandpa always threatened he would throw me in the vat to press the grapes with my feet if I did not behave. All in all, it was an interesting day and I ate about 13 zeppoles. Just wish I could have seen some swallows. So remember my pisanos, take it easy on March 17 for St. Paddy's Day. Pace yourself for the feast day of San Giuseppe. And wear red on March 19th. I am sure that if your wander to the mission in San Juan Capistrano that Father Holquin will be happy to show you a flock of swallows. Tell him Frank sent you and ask if he has any zeppoles to feast St. Giuseppe.

The day before St. Joseph's Day, Mission San Juan Capistrano

Father Larry Neumeier: Why so glum today Art? You are ahead of schedule for the dedication of the new basilica.

Father Art Holquin: Larry, tomorrow is St. Joseph's Day. There are usually a few swallows that act as lead scouts that are in Capistrano by now. But I have not seen a single swallow at the Mission. I am worried that something has happened to our beloved birds.

Larry: Maybe there was a storm delay somewhere between Argentina and California. It's what 8,000 miles from Argentina?Art: That's about right. Larry: Well, any number of things can delay them. Art, let's take a moment and pray. I am sure that St. Joseph and St. Francis are looking after the swallows.

Watch for Cliff Swallows returning to SoCal from Argentina any day now.If you see some, give Father Art a call and ease his mind.

Ruby, The African Elephant, Heads for Green Acres

(That's the Place to Be!)

Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Park

Los AngelesThe Shadow Press.

Reported by Patricia DeSantis Wyatt.

Ruby, the 46 year-old elephant retiring from the Los Angles Zoo refused to go into a crate to be hauled by a truck to her new open plains home in San Andreas, California. Zoo officials were at a loss over what to do. "We have a wonderful 75 acre retirement location in rolling hills for Ruby, complete with luscious browse plantings, ponds for bathing, and mudholes, the joy of every elephant", said Ruby's chief keeper of 20 years, Kathleen Cota Hunter. Sooooo, I have volunteered to walk Ruby over the 300 plus mile journey to San Andreas. It will be the experience of a lifetime traveling with Ruby along country roads.

Ruby, don't take your love to town and don't get in that truck.

Walking a large African animal to a distant location is not without precedent. In the early 1800's, Etienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire walked the first giraffe to be exhibited in Paris from the Mediterranean port of Marseilles all the way to Paris. Zafra, the giraffe was a gift from a North African potentate to the French government. It was a most remarkable publicity stunt and endeared Saint-Hilaire and Zafra to tens of thousands of French citizens who turned out enroute to see an animal never before seen in France. Cota Hunter has enlisted friends from Alemany High School, Class of 1966, to join her for segments of the walk. Famed jockey, high school classmate, and close friend, Mary Chris Checkie Kincaid will join Kathy on the first leg of the journey from Los Angeles to Lancaster. The second leg, beginning at Lancaster will have twins Ron and Don Turkal, the former of Dancing with The Stars fame, join the epic elephantine march. By the time Ruby and entourage reach Bakersfield, "Ruby will be ready for a couple days of rest in my backyard", said Don Turkal. "Besides, my grass really can use some fertilizer. I understand that elephant dung is second only to bat guano in nutritional quality for plants." Among the other Alemanians joining the elephant walk are the Willadsen twins, Patricia and Karen Jean, both of whom worked with Ruby long ago when Ruby was a member of the Circus Vargas. Ruby moved from the circus to the LA Zoo in 1987. Patricia was quoted as saying that she and Karen Jean "plan to ride Ruby together, mahout style, just as they did in the circus". Los Angeles Mayor, Antonia Villaraigosa, commended long-time city employee, Kathy Cota for her devotion to Ruby and to the city of Los Angeles. The Mayor promised to walk the first mile with Ruby, Mary Chris, and Kathy. He also promised to walk the last mile to San Andreas to see Ruby to her new home. Villaraigosa offered a challenge to Governor Swartzenegger to walk or ride with Ruby for the last mile to the PAWS Sanctuary.

The Great Forlorn Swamp, 65,000,000 million years ago.

The Monarchs were excited to see pterodactyls flying and feeding over the Great Forlorn Swamp. But they still had to find the nesting cliffs so they could steal some eggs.

And then, from the platform of the Monarch II, Frank Bonaccorso looked in the other direction with his new Bushnell zoom spotting-scope and saw:

Dueling T. rex!!! Gadzooks.

Frank: Pliny, have a look at this. (Pliny the Elder looked through the spotting scope).

Pliny: I never saw anything like that before, even in the Circus Maximus. What are they?

Dave Nehen: Tyrannosaur rex, the biggest, baddest, land carnivore ever to walk this planet, Pliny, my friend.

Pliny: I would have loved to have given one of those to Nero.

John Barriero: Do you think we dare get closer for some photographs?

Alan Shows: Dare what you will John, I am going back inside the Monarch for lunch. Pat Dolan and Art Fonseca are steaming some Cretaceous clams with skunk cabbage.

Peggy Jones: I will go with you, John. Dinosaurs don't scare me.

Bill Danaher: Take a couple canisters of nitrous oxide with you just in case those rexes get more interested in you than fighting each other. (A gyrocopter is heard approaching and lands near the Monarch.)

Kathy Gordon: Looks like Tim is back from his scouting flight.

Tim Jordan: (Shuts down the gyro motor. And he runs toward the group.) Hey, I found cliffs with nesting Pterodactyls.

Chris Gilmore: Let's have lunch and then I will be ready to climb.(And so the dauntless photographer, John, and brave Peggy set off to ogle the two T. rex up close and personal while everyone else goes in for the steamed clams).

Douglas, Alaska

Ann Turner Olson: (Ann stomps on wooden wharf deck three times) Here Seymore. Annie has some nice King Crab for you. Your new playmate is going to be here soon, Seymour. (Seymour the giant squid pops out of the water at some distance and then turns on the jet propulsion underwater. Three large tentacles rise up and reach out on the wharf to be caressed by Ann). Aren't you precious? You behave yourself and you soon will be in the tentacles of love, because I just got an email that your new bride has been found in New Zealand.

Ann Turner Olson offering a snack to Seymour the Squid

Kaikoura, New Zealand

Captain Paul Pichotta: Deck lines are secure, all engines stop.

First Mate, Ron Phipps: Engines are stop, capt'n. Looks like a few members of the press corps are on the wharf to greet you, Capt'n.

Paul: Someone leaked the news about our catch, Ron. I had to radio back to port to have enough fish on had to offer Henrietta a good meal once we got to port. Ok, I will handle the press.

First reporter: Hello, Captain Pichotta, I am Sheri Richards, Los Angeles Times. How is the giant squid that you captured alive doing?

Paul: Henrietta, or Hennie as we now call her, is quite frisky. Jim Poltl, the world's most renowned squid expert and Smithsonian Natural History Museum collection manager is tending to her every need. She measures 33 feet from head to tip of her longest tentacle. She fed a little on the voyage, but we want to get her acclimated to her sea pen and have her eating full meals soon.

Second reporter: Captain, this is Randall Jensen, San Francisco Chronicle. How long will the squid remain in New Zealand before you ship it Alaska to meet its new playmate, Seymour?

Paul: Oh, I should think a couple of weeks to get her used to a routine and feeding well. If she shows any signs of not feeding we will release her.

Sheri: Who is funding this expensive enterprise?

Paul: The Dick Carvotta Show and CBS will pay all expenses for a mate for Seymour the Squid. Carvotta's ratings went sky high on the night that Seymour took a nip out of his nose on live TV. CBS figures that two squid are better ratings on future shows. Now, one last question and then I have to see about feeding, Hennie.

Randall: Is it true that you are planning an expedition to capture an individual of the even larger Colossal Squid which has never been taken alive?

Paul: We are planning for such an expedition, Randall. How would you and Sheri like to go to sea with us and have the exclusive rights for your newspapers?

Randall and Sheri: Yes!

Paul: Good, maybe we can do some negotiation. Partial sponsorship from your newspapers in return for exclusive news releases from sea.

Henrietta the Giant Squid soon after capture beside the Maori Cutter.

Smithsonian scientist, Jim Poltl caresses Hennie and shows her mouth.

Spring Training Home of the Chicago Cubs, Scottsdale, Arizona

Ron Santo (Voice of the Chicago Cubs): Thanks again, Jim, I appreciate your support for the Hall of Fame. Maybe next year.

Batting Coach, Jim Dantona: It's a real shame that committee left you 5 votes shy of what every baseball fan knows you deserve, Ron. I will tell you one thing though.

Ron: What is that, Jim?

Jim: This is the year the Cubs go to the World Series. No more next year. I guarantee it.

Ron: I'm with you there, partner. How is Sammy Sosa looking?

Jim: His mind is willing, but his body is aching. He has his old swing back, but he has bad tendonitis in his knees.

Ron: You look pretty good in the cage, Jimmy. Thinking of DH role for yourself?

Jim: Dream on, Ron. Gotta, go to work, there are some rookies waiting for me to toss batting practice.

Dick Fosbery and friends in 2007 on his ranch in Idaho.

Although Dick Fosbery did not set a world record in winning his Olympic Gold, his team mate, Bob Beamon, did. Many sports fanatics claim that Beamon's world record long jump was the greatest single improvement ever in a sporting world record. Some sports moments defy all reasonable comprehension-Mickey Mantle blasting a 565-foot home run, Secretariat winning the 1973 Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, and Ron West, errr I mean Ken Medock, errrr, I mean, Tiger Woods, winning the U.S. Open by 15 strokes. But the feat that may top them all came on Oct. 18, 1968, at the Olympic Games in Mexico City. Between 1935 and 1968, the world long jump record increased exactly eight and one-half inches. Coming into the Olympics, the world record was 27 feet, 43/4 inches, shared by American Ralph Boston and Soviet Igor Ter-Ovanesyan. In the qualifying round at Mexico, Beamon fouled on two attempts, but finally got a legal jump to qualify for the finals. The next day, he took 19 loping strides, hit the board perfectly, stretched his legs and flew through the air like no one ever had. And finally, six seconds after his first step, he hit the sand in the pit-29 feet, 21/2 inches! In one jump he became the first man to jump over 28 feet as well as the first man to jump over 29 feet. He broke the world record by an amazing 21and 3/4 inches. In a footnote, I ran the Jacksonville (Florida) River Run 15K (9.3 miles) in just over 59 minutes in 1988. It was my personal best at this distance and because I was among the top 10% of all finishers for the 3,000 plus runners, I was handed a Top 10% Plaque in the finish chute - by none other than my hero and Jacksonville resident - Olympian Bob Beamon. (FJB)

The "great leap", Bob Beamon at Mexico City, 1968.

The Shadow is pleased to welcome new members ofThe Shadow Super Fan Hall of Fame

Leonard DiTrappani

Charmaine Haley Coimbra