ALICE'S ARCHIVES 2

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

"S.S. A.B.C." - THE CONNABLE BARGE

Al Connable and party guests at the Connable cottage, Gull Lake, Michigan, 1964.
Large snapshot, upper left hand corner:
Front row, left to right: Alice, Roma Connable (Al's daughter-in-law), H.P. Connable
(Al's brother) and his wife Geno, C.H. in his signature teeth and glasses.
Back row, left to right: Ann Cain, Al Connable (The Admiral), Bob Cain, Roslyn Frantz
Millar (wife of Kalamazoo Symphony Music Director Gregory Millar).
On tuba: Fred Ashby.
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For a slide show of all images, click on a photograph to get to a new page.

Alfred B. Connable, Kalamazoo Symphony board member, benefactor, and Kalamazoo's
most enthusiastic booster, played host to many friends at the family cottage on the
north end of Gull Lake. It was a simple yet elegant white house set under spreading
oak and maple trees with an expanse of lawn going right down to the water's edge.

In the early-1960s, Al acquired a pontoon boat, which was christened the "S.S. A.B.C.".
As soon as it found its home on the waters of Gull Lake, Al became the self-proclaimed
"Admiral". He dubbed chosen friends "Honorary Captain".

S.S. A.B.C. Official Document designed by "Commodore" Fred Ashby,
a talented graphic artist who was married to Al's niece.

The Barge became a floating party platform, the center of Connable capers of all kinds.
Hats were de rigeur, and zaniness ruled the waves...

The S.S. A.B.C. had annual "ports of call" at a number of cottages on Gull Lake, whose
inhabitants would come out to greet the Barge and its merry crew, sometimes in
costume. Dori and Bill Lawrence served them tea and crumpets on their dock! Harold
Jacobson welcomed them in Hawaiian attire, banging a tin drum. "We made him the
official harbor master, awarding him a certificate. Hell, just about everybody had a
certificate or ranking..."

"Strange things happened when people were caught up in the 'Spirit of the Barge'. To be
a barger, one had to be partially nuts. Nobody knows how it all started. It just did.
There was no formal process. We played it by ear."

-Al Connable, as told to Tom Thinnes in A MICHIGAN MAN:
The Life & Times of Kalamazoo's Al Connable, Priscilla Press,
Allegan Forest, Michigan, 1998, p. 302.

Here are photos from two memorable events aboard the S.S. A.B.C. ~
The Mermaid Party, and a Barge Launch & Barbeque.

~MERMAID PARTY, 1964

The mermaids arrive on dry land after hearing the clarion call of the Barge tuba.
A seaworthy Chris-Craft transports the maidens and Neptune himself to the moorings
at the Connable cottage... just in time for cocktails!

~BARGE LAUNCH & BARBEQUE, 1964

These Barge Barbeques were an annual event. Pictured in this montage clockwise:
Ned Woolley, C.H., Joe Brogger, standing on dry land; Gregory Millar with Fauvette,
Al's standard poodle; The Admiral (with cigar), H.P. Connable (in striped jacket),
Ned Woolley (in beret).

Joe was an avid sailor who also had a cottage on Gull Lake. He credits Al Connable
with saving his life one Sunday morning when a storm blew up. Joe was in his sailboat
which was badly damaged and taking on water. The Admiral happened to be cruising
in the vicinity and heard Joe's S.O.S. With a couple of strong lines attached to the
damaged vessel, the S.S. A.B.C. towed it safely to shore.

"Joe still remembers that I saved his life. At least, he said I did. At any rate, I awarded
myself The Connable Cross." -Al Connable, A MICHIGAN MAN, p. 300.

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OFFICIAL BARGE LAUNCHING EXECUTIVE ORDER, 1964

Barge Badge worn by Honorary Captain Mullen

Al and family moved away from Gull Lake in the 1970s, but fond memories remain
with the people who attended his parties aboard the S.S. A.B.C. Al sent copies of
snapshots from those years to friends long after he had established summer quarters
elsewhere. What became of the Barge itself? It was returned to Pine Lake-- a gift
to a veterans' rehab center located there.

Al Connable on the S.S. A.B.C. with Gregory Millar (seated), 1965.

"Present mirth hath present laughter..." -Shakespeare
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MORE ABOUT AL CONNABLE...

Wonderful stories abound in Al's book, A MICHIGAN MAN: The Life & Times
of Kalamazoo's Al Connable, as told to Tom Thinnes, Priscilla Press, Allegan
Forest, Michigan, 1998, 338 pages, with over 100 photos, and an extensive index.

Read about Al Connable in the main blog, ALICE'S ARCHIVES: 50 Years of
Kalamazoo Symphony Memorabilia. Just click on the link to find three articles:

~ Gilmore and the Gruen Plan (Title Tab)
Scroll down for:
~ Boulevardiers and Benefactors: Al Connable and Irving Gilmore "On the Mall"
~ Michigan Man: Al Connable, Kalamazoo's boulevardier par excellence.

www.alicesarchives.blogspot.com
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Saturday, July 2, 2011

CONCERT IN THE PARK WITH YOSHIMI

   KALAMAZOO SYMPHONY MAESTRO YOSHIMI TAKEDA, Bronson Park, 1995

   Maestro Takeda welcomes you to the 1995 Summer Park Concert Series!
   This series was in place a year before Yoshimi Takeda took the helm of the
   Kalamazoo Symphony in 1974. Under his 25-year tenure as Music Director
   of the KSO, he greatly expanded the size and scope of the programs offered.
   Bronson Park, the verdant heart of downtown Kalamazoo, became the center
   of the summer concert scene.

   He took the Kalamazoo Symphony "on the road" to perform the Summer
   Park Concert series in towns around Southwest Michigan. Maestro Takeda
   saw this as an opportunity for valuable community outreach, and had lots of
   fun too! Everyone had fun.

   The KSO always featured a singer or ensemble in a solo appearance with the
   orchestra. It was a wonderful way to showcase new talent in a "star turn"
   with the Kalamazoo Symphony.

   "Guest conductors" (age 12 and under) were invited to come up and
   lead the orchestra from the conductor's podium, under Takeda's guidance,
   in the final bars of Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever or other familiar classics.
   This part of the program was an audience favorite, and a great way to end the
   evening.

   'These popular concerts, jointly sponsored by the Department of Parks and Recreation
   and the Rotary Club, began what has become a stable feature of the summer season."
   -Zaide Pixley, GREAT ENSEMBLE: The Story of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra,
   1997, p. 66.

   Takeda took the KSO's Bronson Park program to parks in other communities. By the
   1990s, the Kalamazoo Symphony had expanded the series to include Three Rivers,
   Vicksburg and Plainwell, in addition to their annual appearances in Portage,
   Parchment, and Bronson Park in downtown Kalamazoo.

Fountain of the Pioneers, Bronson Park, downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan- photo by
John Penrod; postcard c. 1960; copyright Penrod/Hiawatha Co., Berrien Center, MI
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Sunday, May 22, 2011

ROUGHING IT

   Snapshot of C.H. and Kalamazoo Symphony Maestro
   Pierre Hétu roughing it at Alice and C.H.'s fishing cabin
   along the banks of the Boardman River, Grand Traverse
   County, 1970. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Alice and C.H. built "The Cabin" as a weekend getaway from their busy lives in
Kalamazoo. It's nice to see Pierre sporting a silk polka dot shirt for his visit--
casual attire for this suave Montrealer!

The Cabin was a destination for friends from "downstate" (Kalamazoo). Alice and
C.H. entertained "up north" style: Scrabble on the deck, fishing, nature study, naps
on the couch, cookouts, and cocktails at 5 (or whenever). A relaxing time with much
conviviality was the order of the day.

Alice and C.H. were inspired to build their own cabin when they visited the fishing cabin
belonging to KSO trumpeter Jim Shumaker, and Kalamazoo men's clothier, Stan Weber.

   C.H. contemplates the task at hand, gets the job done beautifully, 1969-70.
   The Cabin, located somewhere off the Supply Road, Grand Traverse County,
   along the banks of the South Branch of the Boardman River. (click on to enlarge)

Let the entertaining begin! C.H. and Alice on the deck of The Cabin, early 1970s.

   C.H.'s Reward: The South Branch of the Boardman River, Grand Traverse County.
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Scroll down to read TROUT SEASON, an earlier blog entry. A snapshot shows Alice
with Stan Weber and their catch of the day, after wading in the Boardman River, in 1959.

Want to learn more about Pierre Hétu and his tenure as Music Director of the Kalamazoo
Symphony? Click on this link to get to the main blog, ALICE'S ARCHIVES: 50 Years
of Kalamazoo Symphony Memorabilia.   www.alicesarchives.blogspot.com

Once there, click on the Title Tab: 1960s-70s/ HETU/ Bienvenue à Kalamazoo.
_______________________________________________________________________

Monday, April 25, 2011

TROUT SEASON

   Boardman River, Grand Traverse County, late 1950s.
   Alice and family friend Stan Weber, avid trout fisherman.

Stan Weber was a good friend of Alice and C.H. who introduced them
to the simple pleasures of trout fishing "up north". Stan and Kalamazoo
Symphony trumpeter Jim Shumaker owned a log cabin along the banks
of the Boardman River where they hosted weekends of fishing and morel
mushroom hunting. It was a good chance for Alice and C.H. to take a break
from their high profile life in Kalamazoo.

Stan was an astute businessman and part owner of Lew Hubbard's men's
clothing store on the Mall in downtown Kalamazoo. He was also an
enthusiastic Kalamazoo Symphony supporter.

Stan was a longtime member of the Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
When he died in 1998, he bequeathed his estate to KVCTU. A Stanley Weber
Projects Fund was established to help organizations with conservation projects
related to coldwater fisheries.

   www.kvctu.org/index.php?P=weber

And now, for your listening and viewing pleasure, here is baritone Dietrich
Fischer-Dieskau and pianist Gerald Moore in a performance of Die Forelle
(The Trout), by Franz Schubert:

   www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF9DrUXowBo
   _____________________________________
   ALICE'S ARCHIVES 2 is the companion blog to ALICE'S ARCHIVES:
   50 Years of Kalamazoo Symphony Memorabilia:

   www.alicesarchives.blogspot.com

   Après Ski-- other Up-North adventures for Alice and C.H.,
   pictured here with Kalamazoo Symphony trumpeter Jim Shumaker,
   late-1950s, Grand Traverse County. -Snapshot taken by Stan Weber.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

SPRING FASHIONS

Kalamazoo Symphony Women's Symphony Association Annual Fashion Show
"Sunlight to Starlight"

   (click on photo to enlarge)
   Psychedelic and multi-colored is this silk print
   with a long tie-back scarf. Mrs C.H. Mullen
   is the model. (1967)
   -Gazette photo by Jerry Campbell

The Kalamazoo Women's Symphony Association was formed in 1930 by Symphony
founder Leta Snow to support the KSO through a number of fund-raising and
educational projects. It is now called the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra League.

April 22, 1968 (click on image to enlarge)

The Women's Symphony annual style show was an excellent fund-raiser for
the KSO, and always sold out. (This event continues to this day.) It got its
start in the 1960s and was held every April.

Working tirelessly behind the scenes was Irving Gilmore, owner of Gilmore
Brothers Department Store. He would support this event by underwriting
many of the costs. Clothing lines from his store were seen on the catwalk.
One year, Irving arranged to have some fashions sent directly from Paris!

The spotlight was also shared by merchandise from other downtown stores.

_______________________________________________

   (click on image to enlarge)

   BARBARA WALTERS, noted television personality, will speak
   on "The World's Most Appealing Women" at the WSA show-brunch.

Luminaries from the entertainment world were featured as commentators. As
well as Ms. Walters, Alan J. Lerner, Leslie Uggams, Eva Gabor and Rosalind Russell
were among the special guests invited by the WSA over the years to emcee the show.
WSA members, orchestra players such as Georgiana Smith, Grace Field, Alice and
others acted as models.

On Sunday, April 13, 1969, the Kalamazoo Gazette's Staff Writer Margaret Charlton
did a full page article on the upcoming "Sunlight to Starlight" brunch-style show.
The photo montage was by Rick Campbell.

   (click on image to enlarge)
   MODELING a black sleeveless knit evening dress is Mrs. L. Lee Stryker.
   Symphony conductor Pierre Hétu is at the piano.

(click on image to enlarge)
IN AFTERNOON WEAR are Mrs. C.H. Mullen, who shows a two-piece silk and worsted
outfit, and Mrs. Jeffrey Weisman, modeling a mint green wool knit dress and matching coat.

(click on image to enlarge)
MRS. CHARLES MARTELL wears an oatmeal linen ensemble with tangerine
polka-dot blouse. James Schumaker is on trumpet.

(click on image to enlarge)
CASUAL ATTIRE is shown by Mrs. Judson Knapper in an orange bell-bottom
pantsuit; Mrs. Gene C. Bahls in a three-piece striped ensemble, and Mrs. Weimer
K. Hicks in a print golf "short". Lambert Kroon is on bass.

(click on image to enlarge)
HOSTESS CULOTTES are worn by Mrs. John M. Jarboe in black and white
print and Mrs. F.W. Sassaman in lime green. Donald Stevenson is on tympani.

   (click on image to enlarge)
   Alice on the catwalk, April 20, 1970.
   Photo by Rick Campbell, Kalamazoo Gazette
_________________________________________________________________________

Scroll down to enjoy earlier posts on this blog.

They are right out of Alice's "Miscellaneous Files"-- eclectic, off-beat, fun!

   ALICE'S ARCHIVES 2 is the companion blog to:
   ALICE'S ARCHIVES: 50 Years of Kalamazoo Symphony Memorabilia
   Click on this link to get to ALICE'S ARCHIVES

for longer articles. Check back for new postings on both blogs!

www.alicesarchives.blogspot.com

Saturday, March 19, 2011

MARCH MADNESS

   I'm a Jay-Jay-J-J-Jayhawk! (3/6/89)

   The month of March would always bring out the basketball fan in Alice!
   To pay homage to her Alma Mater, here is the University of Kansas Men's
   Basketball Schedule. Just click on the link:

   www.kuathletics.com

   Alice and C.H. were Jayhawks at heart, even though they lived in Michigan
   and considered Kalamazoo their home.