Me, aboard Frosty the Brahma, Castaic, Calif., at Fess Reynolds' place
He died on Northbound Hwy 1 at Yerba Buena Street, Morro Bay in a single-vehicle mishap (motorcycle), in 1974 at age 32.
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Friday, July 18, 2025
I broke the story for the Californian newspaper about Chuck Roberson in Bakersfield. I believe they may have run it on the front page. It was one of the first uses of color photos in the newspaper. Later on, I was on the set of the film "The Shootist" in Carson City and that coverage was also in the Cal. After that first article was published, Bodie Thoene called me and asked how she could get in touch with Chuck. She followed up with a book, The Fall Guy, a phrase taken from my article because I found I was being too repetitive using the word "stuntman" and I chose "fall guy," since the article focused much on taking stunt falls. Shortly after came a TV series with that name and I believe a movie as well. "Where do you think they got the idea for that title?" Chuck asked me, knowing fully well the answer and which I would know as well. "We thought of suing but were advised it wouldn't stand up." So, in a circular trip I was the one who titled the TV series, The Fall Guy, starring Lee Majors.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Setting history straight
History can be approached in multiple ways — through religious texts like the Torah for Jews, the Bible for Christians and the Quran for Muslims. Even those who are atheists can look to history books for evidence of the deep-rooted connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel.
The Torah explicitly mentions the presence of Jews in Israel, tracing their presence back thousands of years. There's also Biblical reference to the birthplace of Jesus in Jewish Bethlehem, challenging the notion that Palestinian Muslims have a historical claim to the land before the Jews.
Jerusalem is never mentioned in the Quran, the term "sons of Israel" appears more than 43 times. Notably, "Palestine" was imposed by the Romans as a punishment for the Bar Kokhba revolt.
Arabs, in 1947, had the opportunity to establish a Palestinian state through the U.N. Partition Plan, which the Jews accepted despite receiving less land and fewer resources. However, the Arabs rejected the plan and opted to wage war. When the Jews emerged victorious, 156,000 Arabs remained within what became Israel.
Monday, July 14, 2025
Roy Tremble GHS Class of'64
CHESTERFIELD, IN – Roy W. Tremble, 76, met Jesus face to face in the early morning hours on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 from Northview Health and Living in Anderson following a brief illness.
Roy was born in Joplin, Missouri on September 28, 1946, to George and Lorena (Clark) Tremble. He graduated from Galena High School in Galena, Kansas-Class of 1964 and also attended Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio. He was a member of Villa Baptist Church in Indianapolis. Roy was a skilled and creative photographer. He had helped create the album cover artwork for various southern gospel music groups and was a recipient of several awards for his work. Kindness, gentleness, and being tenderhearted were all attributes of Roy’s journey on this earth. He loved serving His Lord in the genre of southern gospel music performance, starting his life journey at a young age. Please read about Roy’s career in the following article written by Philip Foster of Victory Promotions in 2012.
“If I were to say the name Roy Tremble, just about everyone associated with Southern Gospel Music would think of the Cathedral Quartet. Roy joined the Cathedral Quartet in 1971 and left in 1979 to form the Brothers Trio, along with George Amon Webster and Lorne Matthews.
Back in 1973, Bobby Clark returned to the Cathedrals briefly and persuaded the group to move then-baritone singer Roy Tremble to the tenor slot. By 1974, the Cathedrals consisted of George Younce and Glen Payne anchoring the quartet at bass and lead, baritone George Amon Webster, tenor Roy Tremble and piano player Haskel Cooley.
Long before his Cathedral days, Roy had wanted to sing gospel music ever since he heard Rozie Rozell sing, “Oh What A Savior.” He attended the Stamps School of Gospel Music in 1965 and won a talent contest there.
Tremble has sung with many other groups beside the prestigious Cathedrals. He has sung with such groups as the Weatherfords, the Lancers, the Jubilee Quartet, the Blackwood Quartet, the Heartland Quartet and as mentioned, the Brothers Trio. However, he achieved his fame when he became a member of the Cathedral Quartet in 1971.
George Younce spoke positively of Tremble’s move from baritone to tenor on the Cathedral Reunion DVD. Well, the change must have worked! During that time the Cathedrals won Four Dove awards and had three Grammy nominations. Many speak of this as one of the greatest Cathedral line-ups.
For the last decade or so, Roy Tremble has pursued a solo ministry. In 1995, he rejoined his former group members for the Cathedrals Reunion project performing on the songs “Yesterday”, “He Loves Me”, and “I’m Gonna Shout All Over Heaven.”
“If there ever were dreams, that were lofty and noble, they were my dreams at the start and the hopes for life’s best, were the hopes that I harbored, down deep in my heart. but my dreams turned to ashes, my castles all crumbled, my fortunes turned to loss, so I wrapped it up, in the rags of my life, and laid it at the cross, Something Beautiful, Something Good” words and music by Bill and Gloria Gaither, copyright 1971, Gaither Copyright Management.
Roy vividly remembers when Something Beautiful was pitched to the Cathedrals by Bill Gaither. He never realized that it would someday describe his life.
Shortly after leaving the Cathedrals in 1979, Roy began to see his dreams turn into ashes. He experienced the hardship of losing everything close to him and it affected him both professionally and personally. He experienced anger, bitterness and depression. He knows what it feels like to fail, and to make wrong choices that previously he would have never considered.
But thank God, Roy also experienced the healing power of God’s love and now spends his life singing and testifying about the amazing power of God, to those who have gone through similar circumstances.
I had the privilege of having Roy up for a concert back in the late 90s. I was like a little kid in a candy store when I met him. But to my great amazement, he turned out to be human! To this day, I still run across some person who remembers being at that concert, and who speaks about how much they enjoyed that evening and what a powerful singer Tremble was. I remember having Roy over to my house later, and we sat talking, listening to The Brothers Trio on cassette.
There are a lot of tenors in the Southern Gospel world. There are tenors who seem to scream to reach that high note and there are tenors who can sing, it seems, with little effort.
In my opinion, Roy Tremble is one of those tenors. Roy has a softness that almost fools you when you hear him. Yet, he can reach those high notes with ease! One of my favorite songs that Roy sings was written by none other than George Younce, “Yesterday.” Roy takes the lead on the second verse, and as they say, “he owns it.” You can find that song on You Tube, just type in Roy Tremble Intro/Yesterday-The Cathedrals.
For the last 16 years now, Roy continues to travel, singing and sharing the good news of the Lord Jesus. Roy and his wife of 12 years, Carolyn, live in Chesterfield Indiana.”
Survivors:
Wife-Carolyn (Martin) Tremble-married January 12, 2001
Son-Rob Tremble-Akron, Ohio
Daughter-Sara Tremble Wills-Akron, Ohio
4 Grandchildren
Several great-grandchildren
Sisters-in-law-Joyce (David) Miller, Ona (Tim) Shelton and Lanetta (Bob) Eastman all of Alexandria
Brother-in-law-Jim (Alberta) Martin-Alexandria
Several nieces and nephews.
Friday, July 11, 2025
The 11-man 50th Anniversary squad was selected in 1953 by PSU coaches Carnie Smith, Charley Morgan and Garfield Weede and lauded (excerpts below) in the
Collegio by writer Bob Friskel, the Gorillas’ 1953 starting quarterback. 
...
Duncan Banner, Wed., Dec. 5, 2007
CHARLES "BUDDY" BALL, 77, of Duncan, died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007.
Service will be at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in Immanuel Baptist Church, with the Rev. Buddy Hunt and the Rev. Tracy L. Wilson officiating. Arrangements are under direction of Don Grantham Funeral Home.
Bud was born June 19, 1930, in Galena, Kan., to Charles and Thelma Ball. He graduated and was a four-year football letterman at Pittsburgh (Kan.) State College. He was the most valuable player his junior and senior years, where he earned All-American honors at quarterback.
He married Jane Marie Williams on June 10, 1951. He began his coaching career in 1954 at Uniontown (Kan.) High School with the football, basketball, track and baseball teams. He moved on to coach basketball at Joplin (Mo.) Junior College from 1955-61. In 1962, he began coaching basketball at Coffeyville (Kan.) Junior College, where he stayed for eight years while the team captured seven conference championships.
He and his family moved to Portales, N.M., to continue coaching. While at Eastern New Mexico University, 1970-75, his team won two conference championships and a trip to the national tournament.
In 1975, he moved into the insurance business in Norman, only to return to the coaching arena in 1979-84 as head football recruiting coordinator for the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. In 1984, he continued his football coaching career at the University of Minnesota from 1984-86. Upon returning to Oklahoma, he and Jane settled in Duncan to own and operate the convenience store/carwash/lube, Bud's E-Z Shop, from 1986-95. In 1996, he and Jane retired in Duncan. In September 2006, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Pittsburgh State.
Survivors include his wife, Jane of the home; sons, Steve and Kay Ball of Edmond, and Stan and Mignon Ball of Topeka, Kan.; daughters, Barbara and Mark Spradlin of Duncan, and Amy and David Wilk of Dallas, Texas; grand-children, Stephanie, Sara and Samantha Ball of Edmond, Braxon, Patric, Hayden and Kemper Ball of Topeka, Haley, Jill and Taylor Spradlin of Duncan, and Cooper and Hudson Wilk of Dallas.
Condolences: www.granthamfuneralhomes.com
Bud was born June 19, 1930, in Galena, Kan., to Charles and Thelma Ball. He graduated and was a four-year football letterman at Pittsburgh (Kan.) State College. He was the most valuable player his junior and senior years, where he earned All-American honors at quarterback.
He married Jane Marie Williams on June 10, 1951. He began his coaching career in 1954 at Uniontown (Kan.) High School with the football, basketball, track and baseball teams. He moved on to coach basketball at Joplin (Mo.) Junior College from 1955-61. In 1962, he began coaching basketball at Coffeyville (Kan.) Junior College, where he stayed for eight years while the team captured seven conference championships.
He and his family moved to Portales, N.M., to continue coaching. While at Eastern New Mexico University, 1970-75, his team won two conference championships and a trip to the national tournament.
In 1975, he moved into the insurance business in Norman, only to return to the coaching arena in 1979-84 as head football recruiting coordinator for the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. In 1984, he continued his football coaching career at the University of Minnesota from 1984-86. Upon returning to Oklahoma, he and Jane settled in Duncan to own and operate the convenience store/carwash/lube, Bud's E-Z Shop, from 1986-95. In 1996, he and Jane retired in Duncan. In September 2006, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Pittsburgh State.
Survivors include his wife, Jane of the home; sons, Steve and Kay Ball of Edmond, and Stan and Mignon Ball of Topeka, Kan.; daughters, Barbara and Mark Spradlin of Duncan, and Amy and David Wilk of Dallas, Texas; grand-children, Stephanie, Sara and Samantha Ball of Edmond, Braxon, Patric, Hayden and Kemper Ball of Topeka, Haley, Jill and Taylor Spradlin of Duncan, and Cooper and Hudson Wilk of Dallas.
Condolences: www.granthamfuneralhomes.com
NOTE: I believe "Little Poss" Herrelson, my classmate, and I are both related to Buddy Ball. Also, Buddy Ball would have been the basketball coach at Coffeyville JC when Howard Mahanes was the head football coach in the same conference at Fort Scott.
...
Baxter Springs Whiz Kids, Junior League, 1948
Whiz Kids, the 1948 Cardinal Junior League championship team from Baxter Springs, Kansas. Rex Heavin (utility player), Jim Kenaga (pitcher), Bob Steele (pitcher), Ben Craig (pitcher), Billy Pace (outfield), Nick Ferguson (2nd base), Walter "Barney" Barnett (owner/manager), Mickey Mantle (shortstop), Buddy Ball (outfield), Willard "Billy" Johnson (3rd base), Jack Dorrell (outfield), Gene Lindeman (outfield), Delbert Lovelace (1st base), Leroy Bennett (catcher), Roger Yocom (bat boy) and Jim Goodwin (ball shagger)., Joe Becker, a former Joplin Miner baseball team executive, newspaper man, and Boston Red Sox "bird dog."
Wednesday, July 09, 2025
Fennec Fox
© ZME Science© ZME Science
Those enormous ears aren't just for show – fennec foxes have incredibly sensitive hearing that makes them jumpy and easily stressed in noisy households. These desert animals dig instinctively, creating destruction that no amount of training can eliminate.
Their high-pitched screams can reach deafening volumes, especially during their most active hours – midnight to dawn. Housetraining presents a nearly impossible challenge; their natural marking behaviors persist regardless of training efforts.
Finding veterinary care is difficult since most vets lack experience with exotic canids. Legal ownership requires permits in many areas, with some states banning them entirely. While undeniably adorable, their natural behaviors make them poorly suited to domestic life.
NOTE: The Fennec fox gets its funny name from a word in the Arabic language. In Arabic, the word "fanak" (فَنَك) means "fox." So, when people who spoke Arabic named this little animal, it became known as the "fennec fox. "The Fennec fox is a very small fox that lives in the deserts of North Africa. It is famous for its huge ears that are much bigger than most foxes. These big ears help the fennec fox stay cool in the hot desert and also hear tiny noises from far away.
Tuesday, July 08, 2025
Hello Mr. Sun
Santa Monica Beach -- 1905
No two-pieces, bikinis, no skin, in fact you are more likely to see suited men and well covered ladies taking in the rays. many under parasols, which seems to further defeat the purpose of being there in the first place. But, hey, it was California even back then. -- KBM, prop.
©California Historical Society/Public domain/Wikimedia Commons
Monday, July 07, 2025
The Little Red Hen
Galena Council Reviews Animal Ordinance
Galena, Kan. June 19, 2025 -- The Galena City Council discussed code changes that included allowing up to 10 hen chickens inside the city limits and increasing fines for dogs picked up by Animal Control to $100 for the first day and $35 for each additional day.
What 'bout dem roosters, hey?
