HOWARD’S DAILY CHRONICLE
NUMBER 2 VOL 6
JANUARY 5TH 2008
WEATHER; COOL, LOW HUMIDITY, 30/57 DEGREES
MOM AND I ARE DOING FINE AND SURE WILL WELCOME THE WARM WEATHER THAT’S BEEN FORCAST FOR THE NEXT WEEK OR TEN DAYS! I TALKED TO MY BROTHER JERRY TONIGHT AND ASKED IF THEY WERE GETTING HIT WITH THAT PACIFIC STORM THAT IS DUMPIMG UP TO 8FT. OF SNOW ON THE SIERRA NEVADAS? HE LIVES IN GARDNERVILLE, NEVADA WHICH IS JUST OVER THE HILL FROM LAKE TAHOE AND SAID THEY WERE GETTING 6” OF SNOW AN HOUR! THE WEATHER PEOPLE SAID LAKE TAHOE WAS EXPERIENCING 6-8 FT. OF SNOW AND 163 MPH WINDS!
I SURE THANK GOD I DON’T LIVE OUT THERE ANYMORE OF COURSE WE GET SOME HEAVY WINDS AND SNOW AND ICE OCCASSIONALLY BUT IT’S USUALLY GONE IN ABOUT A WEEK! NOW RAIN IS ANOTHER STORY AS YOU PROBABLY HEARD WE GOT UPWARDS OF 32 INCHES OF RAIN LAST FEBRUARY, MARCH AND APRIL WHICH CAUSED LAKE TEXOMA TO GO OVER THE SPILLWAY FOR THE 3RD TIME IN LESS THAN 100 YEARS! THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS WHO BUILT THE DAM IN 1943-44-45 CLAIMED IT WOULDN’T GO OVER BUT MAYBE ONCE IN 100 YEARS
ACTUALLY LAKE TEXOMA IS MAINLY FOR FLOOD CONTROL TO PROTCET THE PEOPLE DOWN STREAM! IT WAS RUMORED THAT THE CORPS WERE READY TO BLOW THE NORTH END OF THE DAM IF THE HEAVY RAINS DIDN’T STOP! IF THEY OPEN ALL THE FLOOD GATES IT WILL LET OUT SOMETHING LIKE 200,000 CUBIC FEET OF WATER A SECOND BUT, FROM THE WATER SHED UP STREAM FOR 1000 SQ. MILES THERE WAS ESTIMATED OVER 300,000 CUBIC FEET A SECOND COMING IN! ALL I CAN SAY IS; THANK THE LORD THE RAINS SUBSIDED IN TIME TO LET WATER GO OVER THE SPILLWAY BUT IT JUST REACHED ABOUT A FOOT ABOVE THE CONCRETE WALL AND DIDN’T DO TO MUCH DAMAGE DOWN STREAM, ONLY TO THE RIVER BANKS AND SOME OF THE LOW LYING LAND!
ALL IN ALL THE LAKE IS FINE FOR BOATING AND MANY FAMILY ACTIVITIES! IF MY COUNT IS CORRECT THERE ARE OVER 2500 BOATS RANGING FROM 12 FT. SKIFFS THE 120 FT SAILING SHIPS AND MOTOR LAUNCHES (YACHTS) REGISTERED WITH THE COAST GUARD ON THE LAKE IN THE AT LEAST 100 MARINAS AND ANOTHER 200 PRIVATE DOCKS WITH COVERS PLUS ANOTHER 500 TRAILERED BOATS WITHIN A 100 MILE RADIUS! ON ANY GOOD WEATHER DAY YOU WILL SEE SHORE TO SHORE BOATS OF ALL SHAPES AND FORMS! THERE IS TALK ABOUT BRING A SQUADRON OF COAST GUARD CUTTER UP FROM THE GULF! THEY’LL RANGE FROM 25FT LAUNCHES TO 100 FT CRUISERS AND YES THE LAKE CAN HANDLE THEM! AT HIGH WATER THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 1700 MILES OF SHORE LINE! IT IS A BIG USEABLE BODY OF WATER! WE HAD A 25 FT CHRIS CRAFT CABIN CRUISER FOR A COULPLE OF YEARS BUT THE SLIP RENT GOT TOO MUCH SO I PULLED IT OUT AND SOLD IT! THE PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT IT USE IT FOR A DAY FISHING BOAT! THERE IS ALSO RUMORES ABOUT PUTTING A CASINO ON THE LAKE BUT THE DO GOODERS ARE FIGHTING IT! IT WOULD BE RUN BY THE CHICKASAW INDIANS AND WOULD PUT UPWARDS OF $20,000,OOO IN THE ECONOMY A YEAR! WE’LL VOTE YES IF IT COMES UP ON A BALLOTT!
I USED TO GO TO THE MIDGET RACES EVERY THURSDAY AT GILMORE STADIUM WITH A FRIEND OF MINE WHO WORKED FOR HIGHLAND PLATING ON HIGHLAND AVE JUST NORTH OF SANTA MONICA BLVD. IN HOLLYWOOD. WE WENT IN THE COMPANY PICK UP FOR THE ADVERTISING. IN ORDER TO START THE MIDGETS WE WOULD HOOK A ROPE ON THE FRONT OF THE CHASSIS AND WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED MY JOB BEING IN THE BED OF THE PICK UP WAS TO WHIP THE ROPE TO UNHOOK IT FROM THE CAR! ON HIS ONE NIGHT I WHIPPED THE ROPE AND THE END WHENT OVER AND GOT TANGLED IN THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AND I WAS LYING ON THE ROPE IN THE BACK OF THE PICK UP! WELL, LET ME TELL YOU, WHEN THE SLACK GOT TAKEN UP BETWEEN THE PICK UP AND THE MIDGET IT SNAPPED ME RIGHT OUT OF THE TRUCK AND I HIT THE TRACK RUNNING TRYING TO MISS THE MIDGET THAT WAS CLOSING REAL FAST AND GATHER UP AS MUCH ROPE AS I COULD SO IT DIDN’T WRAP ANY TIGHTER ON THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL! LUCKLY THE DRIVER DANNY OAKS MY FAVORITE DRIVER SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND PULLED ON THE HAND BRAKE AND STOPPED ABOUT 5 FT FROM ME WHICH GAVE ME TIME TO UNWRAP THE ROPE FROM THE WHEEL AND HOOK IT BACK UP SO WHEN MY BUDDY CAME AROUND WITH THE PICK UP I COULD JUMP IN THE BED AND FEED THE ROPE OUT AND PULL DANNY OAKS TO GET HIM RE-STARTED! THAT WAS SCARY AND IF THE OTHER MIDGETS WOULDN’T HAVE MOVED OVER TO THE WALL IT COULD HAVE GOTTEN REAL SERIOUS IN A SHORT TIME! I DID THAT FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON THEN GOT A RIDE IN A MIDGET FOR A MAN NAMED JACK FRESCHOLDT! THE CAR WAS BUIT FOR GORDON REED WHO WAS 6’ TALL AND I FIT RIGHT IN ALTHOUGHT WITH MY HELMET ON I STUCK A LITTLE ABOVE THE HEAD REST! GORDON WAS KILLED THE FOLLOWING SEASM AT THE MILLWAUKEE FAIR GROUND TRACK! PRACTICED AT CULVER CITY RACE TRACK BUT MY FIRST RACE WAS AT CARROLL CITY SPEEDWAY! I QUALIFIED IN 7TH PLACE WHICH PUT ME RIGHT BEHING ED HADDAD ON THE INSIDE! AFTER THE PARADE OF MIDGETS THAT IS REALLY SOMETHING TO SEE UNDER THE LIGHTS WE FELL INTO POSITION AND TWO LAPS LATER GOT THE GREEN FLAG! DANNY OAKS WAS ON THE OUT SIDE NEXT TO ME AND BOBBY BALL WAS IN FRONT OF HIM! DANNY GOT A SLOT TO MOVE UP INTO AND I MOVED INTO DANNYS SPOT AND HADDAD MOVED INTO MY SPOT. WELL THERE WAS SOMETHING GO WRONG WITH THE LEADERS AND THE FENCE CREWS WERE MOTIONING US TO MOVE TO THE OUTSIDE, WE WERE UNDER THE YELLOW FLAG SO WE COULDN’T CHANGE POSITIONS BUT ED HADDAD DECIDED HE WAS GOING TO MOVE BACK INTO HIS SPOT AND FORCED ME UP INTO BOBBY BALL! MY RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WENT OVER BALLS LEFT REAR AND SPUN HIM OUT AND HE WENT THROUGH THE FENCE AND BURST INTO FLAMES! I STOPPED AND JUMPED THE FENCE AND GRABBED HIM UNDER THE ARMS AND BROKE HIS SEAT BELT PULLING HIM OUT! HE WAS BURNED ON THE BACK AND THE BACK OF HIS HEAD SINCE THE FUEL TANK WAS IN THE TAIL FIN! HIS HELMET HAD BEEN RIPPD OFF WHEN HE WENT THROUGH THE FENCE! HE WAS IN A COMA FOR ABOUT 18 MONTH THEN DIED! THE FAMILY NEVER BLAMED ME AND MRS BALL CAME UP TO ME AT THE FUNERAL AND KISSED ME ON THE CHEEK SAYING YOU DID EVERYHING YOU COULD AND WE THANK YOU! I NEVER GOT BACK IN A MIDGET AFTER THAT! I DID MEET ED HADDAD AT A BAR OUTSIDE OF GILMORE STADIUM AND WALKED UP AND PUNCHED HIM IN THE MOUTH THEN WALKED OUT! HE FOLLOWED ME OUT AND I ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED SOMEMORE AND THE OTHER DRIVERS TOOK HIM BACK INSIDE! THAT’S WHEN I FOUND OUT HIS NICK NAME WAS “DIRTY ED HADDAD”
THAT’S “30” FOR THIS ISSSUE.
HOWARD
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