Harley & Annabelle experience for Pain Walker January 25, 2006
Posted by Ron in People.add a comment
Dennis Kinch, the man who’s walking west on Route 66 for the National Pain Foundation, updated his Notes from the Road. He tells of his experiences in western Oklahoma and part of the Texas Panhandle, including his encounter with the proprieters of the Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick, Okla.
I moved on to Erick, which would have been an uneventful town, but then I met Annabelle Russell. Annabelle and her husband Harley play music and have been collecting Route 66 memorabilia for years. Every inch of their Sandhills Curiosity Shop is filled with Route 66 stuff, but nothing is for sale. They play music for tour groups that stop by from all over the world. Now my pain awareness walk memorabilia is included with all of their memorabilia. I was in the shop for at least three hours, looking at pictures and listening to Annabelle tell stories. Harley has a Gibson ES guitar that belonged to Roger Miller, the guy who wrote and sang “King of the Road� and who was born and raised in Erick. I really encourage people to stop in these little towns and get out of their cars and talk to people. These people are so warm and friendly, but if you don’t stay for a while, you don’t get to hear all these wonderful stories.
I’m surprised Kinch was able to extract himself from Harley and Annabelle’s goofy but lovable hospitality in just three hours.
Pictures and video from the recent portions of his trip can be seen here.
Don’t worry Disney buyout affecting “Cars” January 25, 2006
Posted by Ron in Movies.add a comment
A few Route 66 aficionados are fretting about Disney’s acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios and whether it will bring consequences to the Pixar’s Route 66-themed movie “Cars,” slated to be released in June.
One of the contributors of the Route 66 yahoogroup works for Disney, and he’s not worried at all. He’s allowed me to reprint some of his comments here:
I’d like to say that over the past few months since Robert Iger has taken over the helm, the company has been much more progressive in its business practices. Previously, the practice seemed to be cut back & trim wherever possible.
“The acquiring of Pixar will have no effect on the quality of the movie ‘Cars.’ The picture is pretty much ‘locked,’ and it is in the process of creating the final sound mix.
“We’re excited that John Lasseter & Steve Jobs are part of Disney. We have high hopes that this will allow the company (to) lead and grow and various types of entertainment.”
Here’s an interesting CNNMoney.com story about the merger. In short, the deal gives Pixar the awesome distribution network of Disney. In turn, Disney can reap the benefits of Pixar’s popular movies and forge a closer relationship with Apple’s multimedia division.
Will abandoned gas stations in Arizona will be razed? January 25, 2006
Posted by Ron in Businesses.2 comments
Swa Frantzen, who runs the Historic 66 Web site, advises roadies it might be wise to go to Arizona and start snapping pictures of old abandoned gas stations along the Mother Road.
Why? Because of this program, which has been reported here on this site and yesterday in the Business Journal of Phoenix. It’s run by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and is called a “redevelopment” program, which sounds a bit ominous for a buzzword. It’s co-sponsored by the federal EPA.
There’s going to be a meeting about the program on Thursday in Winslow and on Friday in Holbrook. More about the meetings can be found here.
I generally support the program. The issue of abandoned underground fuel tanks has dogged Route 66 for years and has kept entrepreneurs from starting new businesses. But I’d hate to see the remains of a Whiting Brothers station come down.
Railroad bridge already is being torn down January 25, 2006
Posted by Ron in History, Preservation.2 comments
This refers to the old railroad bridge the spanned old Illinois 157 in Edwardsville, which is an alignment of Route 66. The Belleville News-Democrat reports that the dismantling process of the bridge already has begun. I don’t know whether the road crews are finished, but it sure sounds like it:
On Tuesday, crews were hauling away the remains of the abandoned railroad corridor. Plans call for the area under the bridge to eventually be filled in with dirt, and a Madison County Transit trail will run over the former railroad crossing.
The planned dismantling of the bridge was learned only last week. There just wasn’t enough time to put a preservation effort together.
UPDATE: Roger of the Roger Kramer Cycling blog points out that “at least the railroad right-of-way is being used for a worthy purpose — connecting MCT’s [Madison County Transit] Watershed and Schoolhouse trails.”
The MCT trails Web site is here. A couple MCT trails shadow Route 66, and I support the Route 66 bike trail system that’s being set up in Illinois. Whether it’s by car or bicycle, the more travelers on Route 66, the better.
Disney buys Pixar January 25, 2006
Posted by Ron in Movies.add a comment
As expected, Disney announced a buyout of Pixar Animation Studios today. You can read about the merger here.
The deal shouldn’t affect the rollout of Pixar’s Route 66-themed movie, “Cars,” in June — except for heightening expectations. As ABC News reports, movie houses are counting on “Cars” to salvage a lackluster year in ticket sales.
