Welcome to the SALections!

We hope you find this newsletter inspiring and just maybe it will make you laugh out loud. Here we go.

January 2025

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HEROES

The Hero we are profiling this month is SAM WORLEY.

I met Sam ten years ago at a local government conference in Hershey, PA. There was a little time before the conference began, so I took a walk to see some of the other booths and bumped into Sam.

Our conversation flowed easily. He was 93 then and still doing some work for PLGIT (PA Local Government Investment Trust).

As a former Bank Vice President, this was right up Sam's alley. Everybody at the conference knew him. Sam is one of those guys who has done so much in his lifetime that people are in awe of his accomplishments. I didn't know much about that yet, but found him to be intelligent, funny and a straight-shooter. We made an immediate connection.

We kept in touch and I saw him at a few more conferences. We talked about getting together again, but as often happens, somehow life always seems to get in the way.

About a month ago, I reached out to Sam and he was doing great. Still active going to his social club daily and still sharp as a tack at 103 years young. With a "no time like the present" mindset, I told Sam I'd come out to see him. Don't think he believed I would, but I had some time on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and we talked about catching up while watching the Penn State football game.

Sam gets up at 630 AM and plays 5 rounds of pool at his club. He is a World War II Veteran and the embodiment of The GREATEST GENERATION, a book by Tom Brokaw. He was in military intelligence for the Army helping their pilots set off on their missions. Sam had a top secret classification so he was also involved in strategy sessions for the pilots.

Sam in his younger days with President Gerald Ford.

Sam receiving a personal note from President Bush and first lady, Laura Bush.

He has been involved with nearly 50 organizations in Pennsylvania for decades in Franklin County and the Chamberburg area, where he also served on the Borough Council as well as Mayor of the town.

While his wife passed a few years back, Sam spent 64 wonderful years with his high school sweetheart, June. Isn't she lovely?

I have met some incredible people on this planet, but getting to know Sam has been a blessing.

It all started by just spending a couple minutes saying hello at a conference. Sam is a big fan of the USA and wears his red, white and blue often. One year I picked up a tie for him, and don't you know that the following year I see him and he's wearing the tie. Sam comes over and says Sal, "doesn't this tie look good" and winks at me. What a guy!

We had a terrific visit this past Thanksgiving weekend. He has just stopped driving 6 weeks ago, which was his decision as he doesn't want to cause anyone harm.

He's not much for sitting down and is always on the go but I was able to get him to share some of thoughts on his longevity and his amazing accomplishments over the years.

Sam is so astute and intelligent with that memory at 103 years young. The visit wasn't long enough, but it was really good for both of us. He has a son in the area who looks after him and all of his neighbors also keep a close eye on him.

He will be 104 in mid-June and I am committed to being there to celebrate his latest accomplishment!

When he turned 100 they had a huge party in his honor and people just kept driving by his house, honking the horn to and dropping off gifts.

Sam is so much more than a typical HERO - he is a TREASURE. God Bless you Sam!

Be well, be good and look forward to seeing you in June, my friend.

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Heroes – Footnotes

We all have heroes. It’s really important to let our heroes know how much they mean to us. Write them a letter, pick up the phone or go see them.

Let them know that they have made an impact on you. You will gain so much more in that conversation, while making them feel appreciated. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

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SAX SOLOS – MARC RUSSO

Marc is a 2-time Grammy award winner who has played for quite a list of groups. He started with the Yellow Jackets, then moved onto the Tower Of Power. Later he played for Kenny Loggins and also for The Doobie Brothers.

Marc is so gifted on the Saxophone and this maybe one of the greatest sax solo's you will ever hear. It's from "Celebrate Me Home".

Kudu's to Kenny Loggins. as not many artists would give one of their musicians a three minute solo. Kenny gladly did it for Marc.

SAX SOLO - CELEBRATE ME HOME

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CINEMA LOU

Cinema Lou is an entertainment enthusiast with a vast knowledge of films and the streaming world. He is also a featured guest on the Arch Campbell Podcast.

We are delighted at the SALections to have Cinema Lou share his thoughts with us as a Special Contributor.

CINEMA LOU - Real or Reel?

That is the question. Why do films alter the truth when the truth is often more compelling?

There is a really good movie in theaters that you will probably be able to stream soon. It’s called The Order, and it is based on a true story. But how much of it is true? That’s the question I always ask when I see a movie based on reality. In this case, the movie is true to its source material, a book chronicling a Neo-Nazi group in the 80’s. But some of the characters are fictional, including an FBI Agent played by Jude Law, who helps take the group down.

A recent film, Saturday Night, based on the popular SNL was well- received by both critics and audiences- but not by me. The movie was presented as a 90 minute countdown to the first show. But it was anything but. Some of the stories in the film really happened, but not the day of the show's premier. Milton Berle didn’t show up and cause havoc. He hosted later in the first season, and yes he was a pain, but not on day one.

Writer Alan Zweibel wasn’t discovered at a comedy club minutes before the first episode, and as a former producer, I can guarantee you Lorne Michaels did not walk the streets of Manhattan 10 minutes before the show went live. I can forgive The Fabelmans, one of my favorite films, for using a 1955 car in a scene that was supposed to be 1952, but the liberties taken in Saturday Night were too much for me.

I was in Las Vegas recently and visited the Mob Museum. A fabulous history museum and on the day I visited, a gentleman named Frank Calabrese Jr, a former mobster turned government informant, gave a lecture. It was compelling. But in his talk, he spoke about the movie Casino. He spoke about a character in the film who was killed in a field. In reality, he told us, the mobster was killed in a basement and dumped in a field. Small alteration of the truth. But why? Why change the reality? Does it make the story better?

Many films are more egregious in spinning the truth, but I am a stickler for telling a story as it really happened. And if the characters are based on real people, tell me what happened to them, and show me what they really looked like.

Two movies about Babe Ruth come to mind. The Babe Ruth Story starring William Bendix. I’ll be nice- it was a disaster, an awful movie. Fast forward a few decades and the movie The Babe tried to right the wrong. In truth, it was a joke. Another non athlete, John Goodman, played the baseball legend. They played with the truth. Babe Ruth was such a colorful character. Why did the folks who created these films have to alter the truth?

There are so many movies based on reality stories. I urge you to seek the “real” story, before believing everything in the “reel” story. Don’t always believe what you see. A google search will usually help you find the truth. But If you want to see a movie that is “real”, check out a good documentary. Of note, the Gene Wilder documentary that came out earlier this year, or Super/Man, a documentary on Christopher Reeve that is currently streaming and is one of my top 10 this year.

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CONCERTS

Who are you planning to see this year?

TOWER OF POWER

Have always wanted to see the Tower of Power but it never lined up. A few weeks ago a friend mentioned they were coming to the area and tickets were available.

So the Tower of Power have been together for 56 years playing their unique version of soul and funk.

They are known for having the best horn section in the business: three sax players and two trumpets.

Well, I finally learned why people go so crazy for this band. Their music is so off the charts good. Their hits just keep on coming - "You Oughta Be Having Fun, I am Hip & I'm Still a Young Man" to name just a few.

Check out the note their lead singer Jordan John hits at the top of this clip. Son of a Beyonce, this guy is so good! Jordan was also Aretha Franklin's favorite opening act.

TOWER OF POWER -

YOU'RE STILL A YOUNG MAN

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GRATITUDE

As we begin a New Year, what are you grateful for and why?

GIVING THANKS

So what sprinkles your donuts as we move into 2025?

Are you grateful for your family - your kids - your health? For shelter, heat and having a roof over your head? For good friends and sweet potato pie?

Whatever floats your boat - here's wishing you a healthy, happy & prosperous New Year! Let's make 2025 a good one.

My resolution is to lose 10 pounds and only 30 more to go - LOL.

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HUMOR

One of the all-time great comedians was John Pinette. Sadly, he passed way too soon, at just 50 years young, leaving a legacy of comedy that is hard to beat.

This segment from John on his craving some Italian food is as good as it gets. This guy had a gift and we lost him way too soon.

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MUSICAL TRIBUTE

When I worked at the CBS affiliate in Norfolk, our weather man was Andy Roberts. For quite a while, I had no idea just how good he clould sing. Back in his heyday, Andy was the lead singer for some orchestras.

How good was he? Well when Frank Sinatra left the Dorsey band, Andy Roberts became their lead singer. The first time I saw Andy sing with a big band in Norfolk, he sang, "On a Clear Day" and the crowd went crazy giving him a standing ovation.

He left the music business because of the constant travel and his desire to settle down with the love of his life, Dottie.

We traded Christmas cards for a number of years until I didn't get a card back in 2017 and sadly learned that he had passed. In the twillight of his career he did commercials. They played all over the world as Andy could deliver all kinds of accents...sounding like a German native or a Brit. He was so talented and just a wonderful man.

One of the memorable highlights is a year the station sponsored Harborfest, (a 3 day music and food festival right on the water in Norfolk). They always had great musical guests. I was asked to introduce Ramsey Lewis. Ramsey was a jazz pianist who had won 3 Grammys and was with Columbia. In his storied career, Ramsey recorded 80 albums. Can you believe that? Yes, he recorded 80 albums of jazz.

It was fitting that year for Andy to introduce the headliner, Ray Charles. We were fortunate to watch Ray Charles perform from about 10 feet away. I will never forget that day or my friend & weather buddy Andy Roberts. God rest his soul!

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THANK YOU – GRAZIE – MERCI – OBRIGADO

That wraps up the January Edition of the SALections.

So what did you think? We have thick skin so good or bad comments are all welcome. That's how we'll get better, so thanks in advance.

Before we close it out, we have one last item - what we could all use a little more of as we enter the new year. That is a -

"HARVEST FOR THE WORLD"

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Gather every man

Gather every woman

Celebrate our lives

Be thankful for your children

Special thanks to Barb Berlin, a great friend and my former weekend news anchor & work wife in Richmond for her amazing proofreading skills. Thank you Barb!

Best wishes to all for a Very Happy, Healthy & Prosperous 2025?

See you in February when our SALections will feature all LOVE SONGS. 14 of them for obvious reasons that you can figure out.

#SALections

#Heroes, #OldPhotos, #Traditions, #LoveSongs, #Movies, #Gratitude, #SaxSolos, #Humor, #FavoriteDishes, #DayTrips #Confessions, #PlacestoVisit, #BadGirls, #Playlists, #Secrets,

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#SALectionsJanuary2025

#Humor, #TowerofPower, #SamWorley, #AndyRoberts, #CinemaLou, #Gratitude, #GivingThanks, #PlacestoVisit, #JohnPinette, #Concerts, #LoveSongs, #Confessions, #MarcRusso, #PaulCarrack, #BarbBerlin, #SaxSolos

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