Tag Archives: kennett

Michael Spooner

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A Google search led Mike Spooner (he goes by Michael these day) to this blog. I grew up with Mike, er, Michael, in Kennett, Missouri. He moved to Flint, Michigan, in 1964, did “some” college before getting drafted in 1969. Not a good year to get drafted. Following service he attended art college in Los Angeles and stayed for 28 years. From Michael’s bio:

“Michael Spooner has worked in the animation industry for twenty-five years with such notable studios as Walt Disney, Warner Brothers and DreamWorks. Michael’s professional career in art began in 1976, when he was invited to join the faculty at Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, after graduating with distinction.  He taught for twelve years, simultaneously working as a freelance illustrator for clients that included the Public Broadcasting System, Zondervan Publishing House, Masda Motors, the National Football League, NBC Television, Paramount Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox.”

This sounds like a Brush with Near Greatness to me and I’ve asked Michael for an interview. Stay tuned.

He got lost for a couple of hours in our Flickr photostream and shares some photos from his stash. A couple of his Cub Scout pack; one of the KHS swim team; and one of the KHS junior high track team.

The swim team photo brought back fond memories of Diane West (far left). We dated a few times. She was 16 –and could drive– and I was still 15. She lived at the municipal swimming pool and exuded the intoxicating fragrance of chlorine.

It’s nice to hear from Mike and see a few long, lost photos from my youth.

Bill and Sheryl

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Billsheryl200Friend and photog Bill Greenblatt is kind enough to share a few of the photos he took of Sheryl Crow this week at an event in Kennett, MO (her hometown and mine). Bill and Sheryl are pals which helps him get nice a close for the great shots he always provides.

SC fan and smays.com pen pall, Ann, points out how happy and relaxed Ms. Crow appears in these latest photos. Hey, she’s just a former twirler from KHS.

Sheryl Crow back in Kennett for ribbon cutting

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Charles and Sheryl CrowThe old Ely & Walker shirt factory, just off the downtown square in Kennett, Missouri, has been converted to nice new apartments and today was the ribbon cutting. On hand for the dedication was Kennett’s favorite daughter, Sheryl Crow. And smays.com’s Kennett Bureau Chief, Charles Jolliff was there as well and shares his photos.

“I missed the money shot, going to the top of the roof and looking down while the ribbon cutting was going on… but, I can only be in one place at one time for the moment.” [Note to self: send Charles latest draft of Bilocation and You. And You.]

Charles says he didn’t spot anyone that looked like Ms. Crow’s new Friend, so he moved in for this quick shot. Well done, CJ.

The Trump Tower of Kennett, MO

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Our Man in Kennett, Charles Jolliff forward this digital clip:

“Jan McElwrath, executive director of the Kennett Chamber of Commerce, announced there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at 2 p.m., Monday, May 19, 2008, at the new Ely Walker Apartments. “Although I’m sad to say that Gov. Matt Blunt will be unable to attend, I’m very pleased to say that Ms. Sheryl Crow will make an appearance,” McElwrath said. “So we are expecting a wonderful turnout for this event.”

So, Sheryl Crow is second-choice after the governor? Uh huh.

Before being converted to posh loft apartments, the old Ely Walker building was a shirt factory. I remember walking by on a hot summer day and peering in to watch row upon row of women making shirts. No air conditioning back then and the work looked damned hot. But these were probably pretty good jobs that –like so many others– have moved off-shore. I’m sure my old hometown would like to have them back.

Let’s hope Charles is feeling fit enough to get some pix of SC holding those big scissors.

Where are all the black kids?

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When I was in the first grade (1954) we lived a few blocks from the city park, the centerpiece of which was the municipal swimming pool. You could swim from open till close for 10 cents. I don’t know this for a fact, but I don’t think most small towns in southeast Missouri had a pool. Come to think of it, Kennett had another pool. At the country club, although I’m not sure it had been built in ’54.

I never noticed that the city pool was segregated, until it wasn’t. That happened in the sixties due in no small parts to the efforts of Sol Astrachan, Kennett’s first Jewish mayor. No connection implied. It was a big deal. I seem to recall some white families forbidding their children going to the pool once “anyone” could swim there.

Barack Obama’s speech today started me thinking about growing up in a segregated community. I don’t think most of us were even aware there were no black kids in our classes. We just didn’t think about them. They had their own school somewhere, didn’t they?

It was called Willoughby School and it was located in what most white people in Kennet called “colored town.” Did the kids sitting in those classrooms wonder where all the white kids were, or –like us– did it never come to mind?

Growing up, I never had a black friend close enough to ask. We just didn’t talk about those things back then. Props to Obama for talking about them today.