Tsunami: a giant wave that
destroys everything in its path.” Ray
Smock
The
word tsunami is Japanese in origin and refers to a seismic tidal wave caused by
underwater volcanic eruptions, earthquakes or other explosions. The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami off
the coast of Japan triggered waves of well over 100 feet that left nearly
20,000 people dead and caused meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power
Plant complex.
Tsunamis,
to the best of my knowledge, do not occur on Lake Michigan, but there are
occasional seiches, sudden changes in water levels, such as the water receding
and then returning, often in the form of a wave. In my “Tales of Lake Michigan” Shavings (volume 28, 1998) I quoted Tom
Spychalski’s eyewitness description of one that resembled a miniature tidal
wave. He wrote:
The boats in the basin and along Trail
Creek rose and sank down very quickly.
It was almost like a whiplash effect.
Several boats were damaged, particularly those tied to fixed
piers rather than floating piers. It was rather frightening. The waves were only four to six feet in
actual height but really violent.
Former student Kass
Stone, whom I kept in touch with for years and
who currently lives in London, England, interviewed his mother Kathy, who described
seeing one on a spring day:
The entire lake started to just evaporate or
shrink up. I couldn’t believe it. It was like someone pulled the plug on a bath
tub. All of a sudden the lake went “Shoop!” It all just started to go away, maybe 30 feet
but probably more. It wasn’t a slow change; it suddenly started to grow small. It lasted 15 or 20 minutes. Everyone was staring; it was creepy, like a
thing from the movies. It made all the
TV newscasts from Chicago. It had to do
with the barometric pressure or currents.
Tsunami
can also refer to the occurrence of something overwhelming, such as the arrival
of a plague or, in the case of Native American tribes in Washington’s Puget
Sound, white settlers, whose rapacious desire for land and wanton brutality toward
those disinclined to surrender to American might signified the sudden disruption of a
rich culture dating back thousands of years.
David M. Buerge’s biography of Chief Seattle contains this description
of an atrocity that took place in 1855:
In December, volunteers in the Walla Walla
valley took the Walla Walla chief Yellow Bird and others prisoner during a
parley under a flag of truce. A running
battle ensued, and during the evening of December 6, the volunteers killed
their hostages, scalping and skinning the chief’s body and pickling his ears in
alcohol. Later they dug up his corpse to
collect more souvenirs.
above, Princess Angeline; below, Cecile Hansen
Chief
Seattle’s daughter Angeline (1820-1896) lived out her days in a small
waterfront cabin near where Pike Place Market now stands. A devout Catholic, she took in laundry and
sold handwoven baskets to eke out an existence.
Buerge dedicated “Chief Seattle and the Town That Took His Name” to
Duwamish tribal chairwoman Cecile Hansen, who for decades has been attempting
(fruitlessly so far) to gain federal recognition for her people, and included
this poem of hers:
Holy Seattle, thrice born and
Always among your
people;
Visit these words well
meant,
And greet us again,
birds
Homing under the eaves
In the house of your
name
Buerge
concluded:
Having grown rich on Duwamish land, the city
of Seattle has consistently made sure that not one square inch of it would be
reserved for the people who nurtured and protected settlers in their hour of
greatest need. That is the city’s
original sin. Chief Seattle’s request
that his people be treated with justice and kindness falls on deaf ears. The hand of friendship offered by the
Duwamish is met with blank stares and double-talk. Seattle is indeed a worthy eponym for the
city, but is it worthy of its eponym?
Chief Seattle’s claim upon our better nature has yet to be vindicated.
Ray
Smock’s “Trump Tsunami: A Historian’s Diary of the Trump Campaign and His First
Year in Office” just arrived in the mail.
Ray signed it, “For Jimbo and
Toni, our long friendship will endure even if the Republic falls! But let’s do what we can to save this country
from itself. With love, Ray.” It opens with a George Orwell quote from
“1984” (1949): “It was a bright, cold day
in April, and the clocks were striking 13.” I appear in “Trump Tsunami” in
reference to calling Ray on the eve of the 2016 election desperately hoping for
a landslide victory by Hillary Clinton to demonstrate that Americans rejected
what Trump stood for. Alas, it was not
to be. Ray still posts commentary about
Trump’s latest egregious antics and rancid policies. Worst
of all is his desire to rekindle the nuclear arms race. In this the bicentennial year of the
publication of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” some critics are
comparing atomic weapons to the horror novel’s monster. In an essay entitled “Don’t Turn Away from
Watching Trump Just because it’s Painful, Embarrassing, or Agonizing,” Ray
wrote:
We must pay close attention to Trump
whether we can stand it or not. This is no time to go soft because we don't
like what we see, or think we need a break from it. We must stay informed and
on top of his daily actions and keep letting our members of Congress know how
we feel about him and the policies of his administration. Someone asked me recently if I was “biased”
in my opinion about Trump. I said, no I am not biased. Bias means to prejudge,
to be prejudiced. Bias is a word often used to stop conversation. It is one of
those ON/OFF words. We dismiss people by saying, "Oh, he's biased." While
I am not biased. I am, however, highly critical of Trump. I have not prejudged
him; I have JUDGED him, based on his words, his conduct, and his policies. I am
not against Trump for something silly like his label as a Republican, when I am
a Democrat. My critique rests on almost 60 years of political study, most of it
in nonpartisan professional positions. Trump
is a disaster for this country, not because he is a Republican, not because he
is a billionaire, not because he is a TV celebrity, but because he is totally
incapable of governing this nation and uniting us. All else flows from this
objective fact.
I will continue to watch this
administration unfold. I will not turn away because my blood pressure goes up,
or because I get disgusted with the latest outrage. I will continue to place my
critique in as much historical context as I can muster. I do, however, reserve
the right to just throw up my hands on occasion and scream out loud. Sometimes
this is very good for the soul.
I have become more
partisan than at any other time in my 77 years on the planet. I am not used to
being partisan, except in the voting booth. Partisan means to be a dedicated
supporter of a particular party or a particular cause. What I am partisan about
is not simple party affiliation. I believe in a strong two-party system. I want
Republicans and Democrats to debate again and work together again. I am a partisan who is in favor of
maintaining the U.S. Constitution and three co-equal branches of government and
seeing that this president and the other amateurs he has selected to run the
country do not undermine the Constitution or the rule of law.
Ray
asked if I could write a review of “Trump Tsunami” for Good Reads and Amazon,
so here goes:
For two years, I eagerly followed Ray Smock’s
remarkably prescient Facebook dispatches about the phenomenon of Donald J.
Trump, and unlikely candidate who morphed into a truly dangerous president. His posts commonly engendered lively
commentary, including mine, and recommendations that he publish his essays in
book form. Rereading them reinforces my belief in the validity of their
perspective and their continued relevance. As Smock wrote in a recent post, entitled “Don’t Turn Away from Watching Trump Just because
it’s Painful, Embarrassing, or Agonizing,” Ray wrote:
Former
Senate Historian Don Ritchie, a fellow Marylander and Sam Merrill student,
wrote this review:
Having
spent years studying Congress, the Constitution, and American political
parties, and serving as the Historian of the House of Representatives, Ray
Smock is dismayed over the direction the country has taken since the election
of Donald Trump. Smock holds government to high standards and politicians
accountable for their words and actions. This book documents, in real time, his
indignation, incredulity, and alarm over developing events, and offers some
sound advice on putting the system back on track. Trump Tsunami also reflects
Smock’s eclectic interests, drawing from history, popular culture, and personal
experience, epitomized by his reflections on visiting Mount Rushmore and
comparing past presidents to the present.
Brenda
Ann Love often shares sardonic posts while on the South Shore to and from
work. Her latest: “A guy who just went into
the bathroom on the train looked like he regretted that decision as soon as he
opened the door,” Natasha Burkett commented: “There's another guy who's been in the bathroom since Hammond...the
conductors have informed him there's people waiting and they have been watching
to see if he comes out.” Brenda replied: “Do
they really want to go in there after he’s been in there so long?” Natasha responded: “Pretty sure he was in there trying to avoid paying for his fare...
probably succeeded too!” Paul
Capriglione agreed, adding: “It’s a
common trick, they can wait long enough in there to get a free ride. They don’t
want to stop the train for $7 and wait for the cops.”
Jimbo and Penelope Love; photo by Steve McShane
Cundiff's Boarding House in Aetna (circa 1890)
In the
Archives, I spoke with Aetna Manor community leader Penelope (Penney) Love
about her group’s efforts to revitalize her Gary neighborhood. I told her about the area’s early history
when the Aetna Powder Company operated a very hazardous operation there. Periodic explosions cost lives and rattled
windows miles away. During the postwar
decade, many present-day suburbanites had starter homes there. Penney was
particularly interested in former businesses along Aetna Street, so I showed
her how to make use of Gary city directories.
In the 1960 edition, for example, listed on the 900 block of Aetna
Street are Nowak’s Dancing School, Fifield Real Estate, Aetna Lounge, Aetna
Coin-O-Wash Laundry, Mike’s Barber Shop, and Aetna Snack Bar. On the next block were a Walgreen’s, a
Phillips gas station, a grocery, a radio and TV repair shop, and a hardware. In
the mid-70s, there was an Aetna outlet where I got my driver’s license renewed.
Due to
it being a position round, for the second straight week we bowled the Pin
Heads, who were out for revenge. We prevailed
in the first game by 11 pins, rolling an amazing combined 115 pins above our
average (I had a 191 for the second week in a row). Then they crushed us,
winning the third game, for instance, by 160 pins, Duke Caminsky reminded me as
I congratulated him and said, “Good
bowling with you.” He’s teammate Mel
Nelson’s buddy and a larger-than-life character. That evening I hosted a successful condo
board meeting, resolving snow removal and landscaping issues; Dave’s family
showed up due to having lost electricity; and Miranda and Sean drove through
the fog from Michigan for Toni’s birthday.
Betty Dominguez files for sheriff
Former
Lake County sheriff Roy Dominguez returned my called peetaining to my interviewing
him for IU’s Bicentennial project. A few
days ago, his wife Betty, a retired probation officer, filed to run for sheriff
in the upcoming Democratic primary. Some
claimed she was just acting as a spoiler to take votes away from Sheriff Oscar
Martinez and perhaps help Schererville Police Chief David Dowling, but Roy
assured me that she was in the race to win and that it was her decision, not
his. Veteran political columnist Rich
James wrote: “Betty Dominguez, who is almost as recognizable
as her husband, would be expected to pull a substantial vote.” I told Roy to let me
know how I could help.
For her
oral history assignment Salina Tejeda interviewed Dan Simon, who taught in
IUN’s Business Division (mainly Accounting) until 1989 before going to Loyola
briefly and then Notre Dame. Dan’s main bridge partners are wife Donna and
former IUN Business professor Ed d’Ouville.
Here are excerpts from their correspondence:
October
3: Dan: “Hi Salina, Jim Lane agrees it would
be a good idea if I started to keep you up to date on bridge games, successes
and failures, starting with a lucky success. On September 20 Donna and
I won an event in Gary with teammates Chuck and
Dave. This form of bridge differs from regular duplicate, where you
and partner compete against all other partnerships. In a team game you compete with other teams
of four. The method of scoring also differs. Looking forward to our meeting Tuesday. Good
luck in your studies.” I emailed Mr. Simon back and thanked him for the
information.
food break during Gary game; photo by Dan Simon
October
6: Dan: “Hi Salina, In my last email I could
report success at the game in Gary. Now I must report a
failure. Donna and I
played Wednesday and Thursday in the Fort Wayne regional tournament. Our
teammates were Ed d’Ouville and David Abraham from Canada. There are not too many large tournaments in
Canada, so David often comes to Indiana, Michigan or Ohio to play. All
four of us played poorly and we deserved our poor results. A regional tournament is a seven-day event with up to
three sessions a day, which if you played all three would amount to twelve
hours of bridge a day! Only a few fanatics will play in every
session. They were held in a big room with as many as 50 tables (200
players) each session. The next time I
will play will be in a pairs game (regular duplicate) on Monday in Michigan
City with Ed d’Ouville as my partner. A normal club session of this type
consists of about 25-28 hands and anywhere from 6 to 12 pairs of players.”
October 10 (Salina): Dan and I met in the library on the third
floor, in our classroom across from the Calumet Regional Archives. We first
started talking about his personal life. He grew up in East Chicago. We could
relate because my parents and grandparents are from there. He met Donna in
college and got married in 1964. She had played bridge as a little girl and
taught him the game. We talked about his education. Dan was drafted in 1966,
went to the army, and came back to the region to get a degree. They didn’t play much bridge at first because
he was in school and they had a child. He did his undergraduate classes at IUN
and received a scholarship from Northwestern to get his PhD. In the 1990s they
started to take bridge fairly seriously, traveling all over the country,
including Florida, Colorado, California, and elsewhere. His favorite place was
New Mexico because of the fascinating things to see. We joked about teaching high school, which is
my ambition, and how teenagers are stressful and not nice to teach. His wife
was a high school teacher, he said, and it took a big toll on her. He informed
that he played bridge against Bill Gates, got his autograph, and was really
surprised because there was virtually no security there. Dan told me most people take these games
seriously and people get into altercations.
Local games are more pleasant.
October 10: Dan: “Hi
Salina, Enjoyed
our meeting today. It also was good to meet someone with connections to Indiana
Harbor. Let me know if there is anything I can do to make your report
easier or better. Donna would be glad to answer any questions you might
have.
October 16: Dan: “On Saturday, we played in a team
game in Gary with Ed d’Ouville and Barbara Walczak. Results were fair,
winning 3 of 6 matches. In Northwest
Indiana, there are games in Gary, Highland, Chesterton,
Portage, Valparaiso,
Michigan City, and Long Beach. All of
these duplicate games last about four hours. Each location has one game
per week except Gary which has two.
November
4 (Salina): I received information I had requested from Donna Simon about growing
up in Gary. She wrote: “My
main memories of the fifties and sixties in Gary concern living in Tolleston.
My friends and I got great pleasure from Tolleston Park, where we would
often play tennis for many hours. We also enjoyed going downtown on the
bus, where there were many stores, such as Sears, Gordon's, and Goldblatts, as
well as movies theatres on Broadway. Unfortunately, all stores and movies
have left downtown areas for malls. As far as bridge is concerned, my father
taught me when I was nine. My husband had never played, but learned
quickly. We learned how to bid from a book by Howard Schenken called Better Bidding in 15 Minutes. Schenken
was considered the best player of his time and the Scenken system was popular
in the sixties. We played very little duplicate in the seventies and
eighties; but when we started again in the nineties, we continued to use the
old Schenken system even though few players still used it. We continue to use
the system, which starts the bidding on all strong hands with one club even if
you have no clubs!! Duplicate games in the sixties were held at Temple
Israel in Miller and at a hotel on US 20 which is now abandoned. There
was also a game at a Catholic school in Hobart.”
November
16: Dan:
“Hi Salina! Very little bridge to report. Played
the last two Mondays with Ed d’Ouville, doing very well once and so-so once.
Donna and I haven't played recently and probably won't for a while
due to a variety of family commitments and (alas) medical appointments. Take
heart. The semester is almost over and then you can relax for a couple of
weeks! Let us hear from you. Good luck on your finals!”
November
20: Dan: “Hi Salina, After I was
drafted in September 1966 we played little bridge of any kind until the mid
1990s. A few things I remember from the sixties. There were several good
players. One of the best was Dave Andrews, one of the few African
American duplicate players in the area. Dave was much in demand as a partner
because not only was he good, unlike many good players he was not critical of
his partners mistakes. Another good player whose name I don't remember
was often referred to as the Jays Potato Chip man. His job was delivering
potato chips to stores and he usually had on a Jays Potato chip uniform when he
played. Donna mentioned in her
email to you the games in Gary and Hobart. There was also strangely an
evening duplicate game played in the Michigan City South Shore station!”
November 27: (Salina) I thanked Dan and Donna for helping me with this
paper and how wonderful they were to me. They went beyond and above the call
for me. Many classmates were having many complications with their interviewee.
I was very fortunate to get kind-hearted people who were willing to really help
me out.
Kyleigh McCoy and Leah Tsiongas
interviewed bridge players Lori and Tom Rea for their Indiana History
assignment. Here are excerpts from
Kyleigh’s notes:
October
13: First Interview We are meeting Lori and Tom at Portillo’s in Merrillville
at 11am. Leah and I arrived at 10:30 a.m. to save a booth. Also, we sent them a
selfie to let them know what we look like; we had an idea of placing a balloon
where we sat but thought that might be too much. Sitting in the diner, Tom and Lori explained
that they met in college. Lori was
studying to be a teacher. Tom was in the Air Force and loved working with
planes. Lori became an elementary teacher in Gary; she loved working with
students in kindergarten, first grade, third grade and fifth grade. Learning
about her teaching methods helped Leah and I see how we’d like to teach. Lori left us with some great advice: “Do something that makes you feel like your
actions leave an impression.” We learned that Lori and Tom’s son-in-law was
still working the Gary community schools. “A
lot has changed,” Tom spoke, “we
definitely don’t see the same city we grew up in anymore.”
October 17: Bridge Game Tom
and Lori sent pictures of their bridge game that we could not attend due to
both being in class at the time of the games. They were an amazing way to see
how the games are being done. We loved how some people looked so intense!
October 18: Favorite Childhood Book: I asked
Lori and Tom about childhood favorite books. Tom liked Tom
Sawyer by Mark Twain because it was a great adventure. Lori mentioned Little Women by Louisa May Alcott,
writing, “I loved all the characters. I
was probably 11 or 12 when I first read the book.”
No comments:
Post a Comment