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Results tagged ' Yasiel Puig '
Myers and Fernandez Win Rookie of the Year Award
The Rookie of the Year award was first handed out in 1947 to Jackie Robinson, after he broke baseball's color barrier and went on to have a great first season of what would become a Hall of Fame career. After the award was given out to a single player again 1948, it expanded in 1949 to include a player from each league, and has been that way ever since.
Renamed the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year award in 1987, fourteen players who have won the award have gone on to the Hall of Fame, up until this point, of the 128 players to win it — several of those players are still active, however.
Voting for the award is fairly straightforward.
Two writers from each city of both the American League and National League make up the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) voters for the Rookie of the Year award, making a total of thirty voters for each league (fifteen teams, with two voters per city). A first place vote earns a player five points, a second place vote gets three points, with a third place vote receiving one point. Once added up, the player with the highest overall total wins.
The 2013 Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year award winners for both the American League and National League were announced Monday night on MLB Network. Here are the winners, along with my thoughts on each:
Original Pick: Wil Myers
Finalists: Wil Myers, Chris Archer and Jose Iglesias
Winner: Wil Myers
Thoughts On Wil Myers Winning
It came as no surprise to myself or anyone else around the baseball world that Wil Myers won the 2013 American League Rookie of the Year award. Picking up 23 out of the 30 first-place votes, Myers' 131 points overall led him to a relatively easy win over his competition in Jose Iglesias, who picked up 80 points, and Chris Archer, with his 35 points.
Though all of the candidates had great inaugural seasons, Wil Myers was the best choice and the most deserving for Rookie of the Year. After beginning the season at Triple-A, struggling for a bit of time, Myers was called up to the Majors in June, never looking back.
Batting .293 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI's in just 88 games played, Myers becomes the third player in Rays' franchise history to win the Rookie of the Year award; joining Evan Longoria, from 2008, and Jeremy Hellickson, who won back in 2011.
Wil Myers will undoubtedly be a star player for the Rays for many years to come.
The BBWAA's vote had Jose Iglesias finishing second, with Chris Archer coming in third.
Original Pick: Jose Fernandez
Finalists: Jose Fernandez, Shelby Miller and Yasiel Puig
Winner: Jose Fernandez
Thoughts On Jose Fernandez Winning
Although Shelby Miller had a great season, it came down to Jose Fernandez and Yasiel Puig, in the minds of many, for 2013 National League Rookie of the Year. It the end, the writers' selected Jose Fernandez to win the award, doing so in overwhelming fashion. Fernandez received 26 of the 30 first-place votes, getting a total of 142 points, beating out Yasiel Puig's 95 points and Shelby Miller's mere 12 points.
I was really shocked by the dominance in which Fernandez won, however, he was very deserving.
Going 12-6 with a 2.19 ERA this past season — 9-0 with a 1.19 ERA in home starts — the original plan was for Fernandez to begin 2013 in Double-A, but a few injuries allowed him to make the roster in April. He excelled in his first start, and made the most of his opportunities this past season, truly placing himself over the other candidates.
Fernandez was with his mom and grandmother when he received the news that he had won the award, and it was an emotional scene.
Jose Fernandez is an humble guy who is sure to have a bright career.
The BBWAA's vote had Yasiel Puig finishing second, with Shelby Miller coming in third.
2013 BBWAA ROY, Cy Young and MVP Award Finalists
The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) award finalists for 2013 Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and Most Valuable Player were announced Tuesday night on MLB Network. For the most part, I agree with the finalists; but there are a few I'm surprised about.
Here are the finalists, with who I have winning (click their names to find out why):
American League: Chris Archer, Jose Iglesias and Wil Myers
National League: Jose Fernandez, Shelby Miller and Yasiel Puig
I have Wil Myers and Jose Fernandez winning the Rookie of the Year award.
American League: Yu Darvish, Hisashi Iwakuma and Max Scherzer
National League: Jose Fernandez, Clayton Kershaw and Adam Wainwright
I have Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw winning the Cy Young award.
American League: Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis and Mike Trout
National League: Paul Goldschmidt, Andrew McCutchen and Yadier Molina
I have Chris Davis and Paul Goldschmidt winning the Most Valuable Player award.
The winner of each award will be announced next week on MLB Network. Here's the schedule:
AL & NL Rookie of the Year: November 11th
AL & NL Cy Young: November 13th
AL & NL Most Valuable Player: November 14th
As stated in a previous blog post, I plan on posting a recap of each winner, along with a look at how well I did with my predictions, in a blog entry after each award is officially announced. So be sure to check back for that . . . .
Recapping My Votes for the Major MLB Awards
Over the past week, or so, I've been typing up posts on who I feel deserves the awards of American League and National League Most Valuable Player, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year. Some of them have been accepted by nearly everyone as the logical choice, however, a couple left several people disagreeing with me.
Nonetheless, it's the way I personally feel the awards should go. Will they go the way I'd like? Probably not. But that doesn't mean I don't feel strongly about my votes. (I imagine everyone feels that way about their picks.)
In case you missed a few, or all, of my MLB awards post, I wanted to do a brief recap. Here are my picks:
American League MVP: Chris Davis
National League MVP: Paul Goldschmidt
American League Cy Young: Max Scherzer
National League Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw
American League Rookie of the Year: Wil Myers
National League Rookie of the Year: Jose Fernandez
Feel free to click the links associated with each award to be taken to my post on it; giving the reasoning behind my picks.
I'm planning to post a blog entry covering the winners of each award when they're announced next month, comparing my original picks to the winners and giving my overall thoughts. So be sure to check back for that. I'll probably have a lot to say about a few of them.
Do you agree or disagree with my picks? Leave a comment below . . . .
My Vote for AL and NL Rookie of the Year
I decided to combine my vote for American League and National League Rookie of the Year (R.O.Y.) into one post, because as hard as I tried to think of a case for several American League players for the award, I couldn't. Though Jose Iglesias and a few other players had decent rookie seasons, I could only manage to make a strong case for the one player that truly deserves the award and will likely win it with overwhelming support: Wil Myers.
The season Myers was able to put together is truly remarkable. While Myers didn't lead all AL rookies in every category, as Mike Trout did last year, — several other players this season beat out Myers in average and home runs — when you combine it all together, no one else has the stats for the award.
Batting .293 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI's in 88 games played, Myers is certainly off to a fast start to his Major League career. A start that should see him receiving the first major award of his career — the Rookie of the Year award.
In the running for National League Rookie of the Year it's a far different story than the American League portion.
Matt Adams, Evan Gattis, Jedd Gyorko, Yasiel Puig, Julio Teheran, Hyu-Jin Ryu, Shelby Miller and Jose Fernandez are all in the mix for NL Rookie of the Year, in my opinion, but in the end, only a few of them made my final cut. Those players being Shelby Miller, Yasiel Puig and Jose Fernandez. (It's somewhat difficult to compare two pitchers to a hitter, but I'll try my best with each case.)
Shelby Miller had a great first season, going 15-9 with a 3.06 ERA. Although he had a decent rookie year, with all of the great candidates for NL Rookie of the Year, Miller didn't quite do enough to receive the award. But while he won't win the R.O.Y, Miller is very likely to win a Cy Young or two at some point down the road in his career.
Yasiel Puig came up in early June and helped turn around an awful Dodgers team. But while Puig was a big reason for their successful second half of the season, he began to slow down towards the end of the year. Therefore, despite batting .319 with 19 homers and 42 RBI's this season, Puig will come up just short of winning the award, in my mind.
Jose Fernandez is the only person standing in the way of a relatively easy win for Yasiel Puig. Able to dominate for the Marlins this season, Fernandez posted a 12-6 record with a 2.19 ERA and opponent batting average of .182 — going 9-0 with a 1.19 ERA in home starts this year.
Fernandez isn't the unanimous pick to win the award by everyone around the baseball world, but his overall dominance at such a young age (21) is enough for me to make him my vote for the National League Rookie of the Year.
My Vote for National League Most Valuable Player
As I stated in my American League MVP blog post, choosing the Most Valuable Player from each league is the most difficult decision of all the major baseball awards handed out at the conclusion of each season. With Rookie of the Year and Cy Young you can look solely at which player had the better stats, however, Most Valuable Player involves a bit more than just stats. While it's important that a MVP winner had a great statistical year, the best offensive player doesn't automatically become the most valuable, in my opinion.
The way I view things, MVP has to come from a team that had a decent year, but that doesn't necessarily mean their team had to make the playoffs. Contrary to what many believe, I feel the Most Valuable Player award needs to go to a player on a team that helped their team win the most, regardless of a postseason appearance. Remove them from the lineup and the team would be nowhere near the same.
Therefore, after considering the stats and going over a few other of my "requirements", I narrowed down my top candidates for National League MVP to Freddie Freeman, Paul Goldschmidt, Andrew McCutchen and Yasiel Puig.
Every single one of those players had a great season, however, I feel McCutchen can quickly be knocked off the list. While he had a good year, McCutchen wasn't the only reason the Pirates made the postseason for the first time in over twenty years. Other players on the team made a big impact as well. Last season McCutchen batted 10 points higher, blasted 10 more home runs and drove in 12 more runs than he did this year, yet the Pirates finished fourth in their division — further proving my point.
Of the three remaining candidates, in Goldschmidt, Freeman and Puig, as much as I feel Puig made an incredible impact, and initially had him as my vote up until a few days ago, I thought the better of picking him. But that's not to knock what he did this season. Batting .319 with 19 homers and 42 RBI's in 104 games, Puig came up in June and helped completely turn around a struggling Dodgers team, taking them from 7.5 games back of first upon his arrival, to winning their division by eleven games. The impact he made is vastly evident, but it wasn't quite enough, when you take the time to really think about it.
In the end, I went with Paul Goldschmidt for National League Most Valuable Player, despite the fact that the Diamondback's missed the playoffs.
Goldschmidt had an incredible year, leading all of the National League in home runs (36) and RBI's (125), to go along with a batting average of .302. The D-back's didn't make the postseason, but Goldschmidt came up big in key spots all throughout the entire season to give his team a great chance to win. Therefore, when choosing between Freddie Freeman — even though the Braves made it past the regular season — and Paul Goldschmidt, I had to go with the D-back's first baseman — the difficult but logical choice.
Story Lines Worth Watching In the Final Month
It's hard to believe but the 2013 MLB regular season is almost over. (Today marks exactly one month until the final games of the season, on September 29th.) Teams are making their final push for the post season, and every player is doing their best to finish out the season strong. With all of this going on, I thought I'd post an entry on the five main story lines I plan to keep an eye on throughout the final stretch.
American League Home Run Race
It's a two-man race, between the Orioles' Chris Davis and the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera, for who will receive the title of 2013 home run champion. But more importantly for Cabrera, he's not just chasing down Davis for that title alone; Cabrera is trying to do what no one in the history of the game has ever been able to do: Win back-to-back Triple Crowns.
Davis currently holds a four home run lead over Cabrera (who is day-to-day, after suffering an injury in Thursday's game) — Cabrera leads all of baseball in batting average and RBI's — and with a mere month left of the season, it's going to take a real display of power for Cabrera to overtake Davis. But if anyone can do it, Miguel Cabrera can.
Candidates for Rookie of the Year Award
The Rookie of the Year award is going to be a difficult award to decide, for both the American League and National League. Both leagues have several players that have strong cases, so it's going to be interesting to see which player will have a great final month to move themselves above the rest.
Currently, top candidates from the American League, for the R.O.Y. award, include Wil Myers, Chris Archer and David Lough, while the National League has quite a few more top candidates, in Yasiel Puig, Matt Adams, Nolan Arenado, Jedd Gyorko, Evan Gattis, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Jose Fernandez and Shelby Miller, among others. Making this a story line well worth watching.
National League Central Division
The National League Central is currently the closest of all the divisions in Major League Baseball. Less than four games separate the top three teams, being the Cardinals, Pirates and Reds. (This is the first season in 21 years that the Pirates will finish with a winning record.) With the Diamondback's slowly falling out of the race to catch up — though there's still a slight chance they could — it would appear to be between these three teams for who will win the division.
No matter which team is able to hold on in the final month of the season, to win the division, all three are likely to make the post season, with the extra Wild Card spot, that was added last season.
Max Scherzer's Cy Young Quest
Of all of the great pitchers in the American League none have been as dominant throughout the entire season as Max Scherzer. Having gone 19-1 — only the third pitcher to ever start a season winning 19 out of their first 20 decisions — with a 2.90 ERA, Scherzer is well on his way to winning the Cy Young award, if he can keep up the great performance.
Though I think Yu Darvish will get a lot of consideration for the award — rightfully so, currently sitting at 12-5, with a 2.68 ERA, leading all of baseball in strikeouts — the award is currently Scherzer's to lose, in the minds of many around the baseball world.
Houston Astros' Loss Record
With 30 games left to play, the Houston Astros hold a win-loss record of 44-88 — the worst record in all of baseball. They currently sit 33.5 games out of first place in their division, and look to have a losing record for the fifth straight season. Having lost 107 games in 2012, and 106 in 2011, it will be interesting to see if the Astros can finish with fewer than 100 losses this season.
They'll have to go 19-11, in their final 30 games, which isn't impossible, but with it being the Astros, it's not all that likely. It should be interesting to see if the Astros can at least finish out the year on a high note, after yet another disappointing season.
What're you looking forward to? Leave a comment below.
Derek Jeter Returns; All-Star Final Vote Announced
After rehabbing a broken ankle for nearly nine months, Derek Jeter received a standing ovation on Thursday, in his first major league plate appearance since October of 2012. Reaching first, in his first at-bat of the game, on an infield single, Jeter showed all of the baseball world what he's been hoping to show for a long time: His ankle is fully healed.
The Yankees finally have their Captain back.
But it's going to take a lot more than the return of Jeter, who went 1-4 in his 2013 debut, for the Yankees to turn around what has been a downhill slide as of late. While they won in their first game with Jeter back, he's not the player he used to be, and they could use even more help.
But help is coming, in the form of Alex Rodriguez, who is currently down in the minors, working his way back from hip surgery. How much help he will provide is yet to be seen, but the Yankees are hopeful that A-Rod can return to even a portion of his former self.
Either way, I'm not counting out the Yankees just yet. I've had them making the playoffs since the beginning of the season, despite the majority of baseball fans thinking otherwise. It will be interesting to see how things play out after the All-Star break.
The rosters for the 2013 All-Star game were announced late last week, however, fans around the country have been voting all week long for the player they feel most deserved to receive the final spot for each league.
The candidates for the American League included Joaquin Benoit, Steve Delabar, David Robertson, Tanner Scheppers and Koji Uehara. The National League had Ian Desmond, Freddie Freeman, Adrian Gonzalez, Hunter Pence and Yasiel Puig. I was hoping to see David Robertson and Yasiel Puig make it in, but neither did.
It was announced Thursday afternoon that the winners of the All-Star game final vote were Steve Delabar and Freddie Freeman. While I'm not all that upset with either of them getting voted in, I disagree with Freeman over Puig. There's no player in the major leagues at the moment with more hype around him than Puig. I don't understand why he didn't make it in, other than maybe the fact that he's been in the big leagues for merely a month, but I'm really looking forward to watching the game, nonetheless.
The All-Star game is set to take place on Tuesday, July 16th, at Citi Field.
Yasiel Puig Deserves To Be An All-Star This Year
There is currently a great debate going around the baseball world as to whether or not Yasiel Puig should be an All-Star this year. He certainly has the stats to warrant it, but some say he hasn't been in the major leagues long enough to receive the honor. I for one think Puig deserves to take part in the 2013 All-Star game at Citi Field, on July 16th.
Just taking a look at his insane stats makes it an easy decision for me. Puig is currently batting .440 with 8 home runs and 18 RBI's, including a .466 on base percentage. While that's only coming over the course of 28 games, that translates into 116 plate appearances; so it's not like it's an extremely small sample size. Puig has proven to be consistent, regardless of the amount of time he's been in the big leagues.
But it's not just the physical stats. Puig brings a level of intensity to the field that you don't find with many other players–it could be argued that he plays even harder than Bryce Harper. He give 110% every game, and never gives up on plays no matter how unlikely they seem. That's the kind of player I want to see as an All-Star. Just because he doesn't have a lot of experience, doesn't mean he doesn't have a lot of natural talent. That beats experience any day, in my book.
Having the ability to impact any team he's on–showing that presence by helping to turn around the Dodgers–Puig would be a vital asset to the National League team, in my opinion. As important as the All-Star game has become, I would think they'd want all the help they can get, and that includes a star like Puig.
Puig has been compared to guys such as Bo Jackson, and is coming off of the best first month to start a career since Joe DiMaggio. Anytime you're associated with names like that, then of course I feel you should be an All-Star. I truly don't get why some people don't think Puig should be. Time in the majors doesn't mean anything when you're as good as Puig is.
If Puig can keep up his hot start, he could possibly win rookie of the year; if the Dodgers make the playoffs, he stands a good shot to win MVP; but even before all of that, with the way he's playing, I think he should be an All-Star.
When Is Intentionally Hitting A Player Justafiable?
Whether it's Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks, Red Sox vs. Rays, or Reds vs. Pirates, more and more lately have pitchers been hitting opposing teams' star players for retaliation against what they feel a player, or the team as a whole, did to "show them up". While there are a few baseball fans who seem to enjoy this kind of baseball, I, along with many other baseball fans, am getting somewhat tired of it all. I have no problem with evening the score when necessary, but things have gone far beyond that recently.
To me, the only time it's "acceptable" to intentionally hit a batter is after you feel an opposing pitcher did the same to a player on your team, for whatever reason. Then, if you feel the need, after you plunk the batter, that should be the end of it. You evened the score. But all of this hitting a batter because he celebrated too much after a home run, or a great play, is absolutely ridiculous.
The best way to get back at that player is to get them out. That's your job anyway. I've never understood getting upset for excessive celebrating anyway. Are you supposed to just hold it all in after you hit a home run, or make a diving play? I don't think so.
But there's really not much that can be done to stop it. Some have suggested increasing the penalties for suspensions resulting from intentionally hitting a batter, especially when it's up around the head, but I don't think that would do a lot of good.
Like with performance enhancing drugs, you're going to have players who don't care about the consequences, no matter how great, and just do what they want. And while worsening suspension time might defer a few, there's no fair way to do it for a pitcher. If you suspend them for 5-10 games, it's usually only one start. But if you suspend them for 5-10 starts, they miss nearly two months. It's all very complicated. It's hard to say exactly what should be done.
So I guess what I'm saying is, I'm tired of what baseball is turning in to. It's time to go back to striking a guy out for his past antics, instead of throwing up around his head. It's time to stop all of this before it gets so far out of control that you'll never return things to the way they used to be. But unfortunately, it may already be at that point.
Puig and Bradley Jr. Blast First Career Home Runs
The biggest news of the day on Tuesday was the announcement that Major League Baseball plans to make an attempt to suspend approximately 20 players, with connections to the biogenesis clinic in Miami, for accused use of PED's; including stand out players such as Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, who could be forced to sit out up to 100 games. While this has been in the news since January, this "major development" certainly got people talking again.
A-Rod's situation is a bit different than many of the other players on the list of those with connections to use of PED's. Unlike most of them, Rodriguez doesn't have all that much time left in his career, if any at all. He's currently in the process of coming back from hip surgery, and if suspended, wouldn't be able to play in another game until the middle half of next season; assuming Rodriguez returns by August as expected.
In my opinion, if Alex Rodriguez does receive a 100-game suspension, we may have seen the last of him in a Major League uniform.
But despite all of this, Tuesday wasn't entirely fully of negative news stories. A couple of highly coveted prospects hit their first career home runs, which will likely be just the first of many to come once all is said and done.
Jackie Bradley Jr.–the number 29 overall ranked prospect in all of baseball, and number two prospect in the Red Sox' organization–cranked the first homer of his career to left field, over the bullpen, off of the Rangers' Justin Grimm, in last night's 17-run game by the Red Sox.
While Bradley doesn't possess all that much power, his first home run went over 400 feet, and he's sure to have plenty of chances to hit many more like that in his predicted long career in Boston.
Yasiel Puig–the number 70 overall ranked prospect in all of baseball, and number one prospect in the Dodgers' organization–hit both his first and second home runs, in his second career game, in which he went 3-4, with 5 RBI's.
Many thought Puig should've stuck with the Dodgers out of Spring Training, as he had one of the best performances of any Dodger, however, he has spent the year to this point at Double-A Chattanooga. But nonetheless, Puig is in the big leagues now, and he's fitting right in.
Puig has been extremely impressive so far in the majors. Though he's only had eight at-bats, Puig has gotten a hit in five of them, and has also been able to show off his other tools, including his rocket arm as well as his above average speed. Both of which have the potential to develop even more.
Though you can tell Puig is still figuring things out, as is to be expected with a player this new to the big leagues, he's been able to show a decent amount of his overall potential. Puig just might end up being what the struggling Dodgers need to help get their disappointing season back on track.


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The Walker Guest House text and photos by Pam VanderPloeg, copyright 2015 West Michigan Modern.
The Walker Guest House was designed by Paul Rudolph for Minnesotan Walt Walker in 1952 on Sanibel Island and is still owned by the Walker family. Now it has been reconstructed next the Arthur F. and Ulla R. Searing Wing of the Museum of Art on the grounds of The Ringling in Sarasota, Florida.
Sarasota on Florida's Gulf Coast is the epicenter of the Sarasota Modern School of Architecture where a concentration of mid-century architects including Rudolph and partner Ralph Twitchell designed innovative, stylish and iconic modern homes in an area of great natural beauty. The idea for reconstructing the Walker Guest House came from the Sarasota Modern Foundation and the project was led by local architect Joe King.
While we watched the painter put on the third coat of white paint, we studied this stylish 1950's "tiny house." Of wood frame construction, it has delicate 2 x 4 "outrigger columns" that make it "physically light and delicate" according to Joe King. Sarasota Architect Replicates Iconic Paul Rudolph Structure .
The Walker Guest House is also an early green house with floor to ceiling glass window walls that dissolve the barrier between inside and outside. The large wooden panels covering the glass can be raised to bring in sun and the breeze and create a roof for in King's words "an extended porch." The panels can also be lowered to keep the house shady and cool and work on a rope and pulley system with decorative red cannonball counterweights today reproduced in steel for the reconstruction.
The new old kitchen is visible through the glass.
When the house opens November 6 we were told that whenever possible local architects will act as docents for guided tours. Beginning in October 2016, the Walker Guest House will travel to other locations around the country.
Also on display inside the Searing Wing: Rudolph drawings of the Walker and other guest houses, newly recreated models and black and white photographs by Rudolph photographer Ezra Stoller. Included is the Healy Cocoon House (1950) Cocoon House image famous for the sprayed on cocoon plastic roofing material. The Cocoon House was "selected in 1953 by the New York Museum of Modern Art as one of the 19 examples of houses built since World War II as a pioneer design foreshadowing the future." Florida Memory Project.
The guest houses received a lot of attention at the time and were featured in many magazines including House Beautiful, McCalls and Architectural Forum. These are also displayed in the exhibit.
Further Reading:
Sarasota Modern by Andrew Weaving, 2006
The Sarasota School of Architecture, 1941-1966 by John Howey and Richard Guy Wilson, 1997
Florida Modern: Residential Architecture, 1945 – 1967 by Jan Hochslim and Stephen Brooke, 2005
The Architecture of Paul Rudolph by TImothy M. Rohan, 2014
Richard Neutra's List House: Lessons from Significant Architecture
Editor's Note. Richard Neutra's List House: Lessons from Significant Architecture by Steve Romkema looks at one of Metropolitan Grand Rapids' prized architectural treasures and addresses some of the issues faced by owners of iconic mid-century modern buildings. Will it provide for the needs of owners as the house and owners age?
A little bit here about Architect Richard Neutra. According to Barbara Lamprecht in her book Neutra published in 2006 by Taschien, Richard Neutra was referred to as "America's best known architect" in Progressive Contractor magazine, November 1934. Neutra was born in Vienna in 1879, came to the United States in 1923. He worked for acclaimed architect Erich Mendelsohn in Europe and later for Frank Lloyd Wright in the US before he settled in California where in 1927-1929 he designed the Lovell Health House in Los Angeles, recognized according to Lamprecht as "one of the most important houses of the 20th century" due to its revolutionary steel frame structure. Neutra is also known for the Kaufman house in Palm Springs. Julius Shulman noted architectural photographer became famous photographing the buildings designed by Richard Neutra. And Neutra designed only one home in Michigan and that was for Dr. and Mrs. Carl List on Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids in 1962, the subject of this paper. Neutra died in 1970 after a prolific career. Citation: Neutra by Barbara Lamprecht. Taschien, 2006
Richard Neutra's List House: Lessons from Significant Architecture with Text and Photos by Steve Romkema.
How will the needs of a rapidly aging baby boomer generation affect the current housing stock in the United States? This is the question that I, along with several of my classmates, set out to answer in a graduate level architecture studio at Lawrence Technical University. For over four month, we explored and researched single family residential architecture through the lens of aging in place. One aspect of our work is a firsthand examination of a significant work of mid-century modern architecture. The following is a combination of that work and a general review of the List House in East Grand Rapids.
Built in 1962 for Grand Rapids' first neurosurgeon, the List House is a prime example of the leading edge of architecture of the time. Designed by renowned architect Richard Neutra, the home is modest in size.
Originally built for retirement, the home consists of three bedrooms and three baths. It's situated on a sloping site along Reed's Lake, and as a result the main living space is elevated a full story above street level.
That's not to say, however, that the home is two stories. When occupying the main living floor the house has the feel of being a single level, with the exception of a slight elevation change when moving to the second and third bedrooms. Additionally, the street level is dominated by the garage and unfinished utility spaces. As a result of the elevated living areas the home is fairly nondescript and intimidating from the street.
The front door is not readily apparent, like many homes of the era. It's only revealed once you traverse up the natural slope to the main living level and turn a corner. This journey does however take you past a small reflecting pond and reveals the exterior materials of Philippine Mahogany, vertical brick, and glass; all while staging your first view of the interior.
When the front door opens, you're greeted with a view through the house to the nearly floor to ceiling windows overlooking the lake that line the southwest side of the home.
There are multiple directions one can go upon entering the foyer. To the left is the kitchen, complete with minimalistic cabinets and built-ins.
Turning right takes you to one of the baths and a short flight of stairs leading to the second and third bedrooms. If you take a few steps forward and turn right, you're greeted with a long, closet lined corridor that leads to the master suit.
The most natural path is to head straight to the main living area. The space is long and skinny, allowing natural light to pour through the full height windows and flood the entire room. At one end, adjacent to the kitchen, is the dining area with an adjacent screened in porch.
Anchoring the other end is a large fireplace that serves as the focal point of what is typically referred to today as the living room. Tucked behind the fireplace is the office with a direct connection to the master suite.
In recent years the home has been occupied by a family of three, bringing into question the ability of the home to support a wider range of occupants. As a result, concern is created when evaluating the house not based on its original intent, but through the lens of aging in place. In doing so the home needs to be seen as a lifelong partner that not just meets needs of a particular moment, but also has the ability to support its occupants over the course of time.
The List House is an excellent example of mid-century modern architecture. It's challenges as a lifelong partner highlight issues around culture, maintenance, and climate that can be addressed with a new approach to residential architecture.
Culture plays a significant role in how homes are utilized.
The original construction documents call for separate beds and headboards in the master bedroom, something the current owners have no interest in.
The solution here is relatively simple: remove the headboards. However, this is not always the case. While the home is large enough to handle the larger number of occupants, space allotted to individual rooms has created some desires. The ability to find furniture that fits the home has proven to be difficult for the current owners, even though they own their own furniture store.
The biggest culprit is the living room even though it has some furniture built in.
In a perfect world the current owners would extend the room a couple of feet to allow the space to function with the larger furniture available today. Similar issues extend to other areas like the kitchen, which has limited sitting space and appliances that have outgrown their intended spots.
If homes are to serve in the long term they need adapt not just to their occupants, but also to the items that come with them.
As the home ages it, like all buildings, will require a certain level of maintenance. The issue is that materials used in the original construction may not be available today. This is often the result of new discoveries associated with these materials. Take for example materials like asbestos and lead, which are now prohibited. Recent painting at the List House brought this issue to the forefront. The window frames, which appear to be aluminum, are actually wood coated with an aluminum paint no longer being manufactured.
Fortunately, after an extensive search, the homeowners found a painter who just happened to have some leftover from a past job. This situation brings to question the materials used in long-term homes. If a house is to adapt to changing needs it must provide everything needed to adapt from the start.
While the current owners are happy with the home and don't have intentions of making significant changes, they do feel the pressure from the outside not to change anything, given the 53 year-old house is one of the few Neutra designed outside of Southern California. As a result, features typical of Southern California homes have been incorporated into the List House, proving to be problematic in the local climate.
For instance, the owners reluctantly replaced a few windows that would ice over in the Michigan winters with the best match available today. Even though the new window frames were only a fraction of an inch larger than the non-functioning originals, the owners received criticism for this. There are other issues associated with the design of the house, most notably insufficient overhangs which allow driving rain to infiltrate, creating problems. Regardless of their intention to alter these, the owners feel they are limited with what they're able to do with their home, given its status as a prized work of architecture. Even if the issues arise from poor design decisions.
The owners possess massive amounts of documentation around the design of the home, but even so, it's difficult to understand why specific decisions were made.
What is apparent, however, is the home was designed to fulfill the needs of a specific set of occupants. As such, the home creates what are fairly simplistic issues surrounding furniture, materials, and a sense of destruction in altering the current house. However, these issues can be addressed through a new architectural typology; one that provides the occupants the ability to easily manipulate space to fit the needs of any moment.
About the Author
Steven Romkema recently completed his Master of Architecture at Lawrence Technological University. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and also studied at Michigan State University. Born and raised in Saint Joseph, MI, Steven and his wife, Andria, have strong family ties to the Grand Rapids area. Recently they relocated to Rockford after previously spending time in Lansing, Detroit and Ann Arbor.
Saturday, September 12 Pop-Up Tour of the Eppstein House by Frank Lloyd Wright 2-4pm
West Michigan Modern invites you to hit the road for a tour of the Eppstein House in "The Acres" in Galesburg, Michigan from 2-4pm Saturday, September 12. The house is currently for sale and vacant and in need of a good owner. It is located at 11090 Hawthorne Dr, Galesburg, MI 49053. A link to the home listing is found at the end of this article.
The Eppstein. Photos and text (excepting identified source material) by Pam VanderPloeg, West Michigan Modern. The Eppstein house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in The Acres, also known as the Galesburg Country Homes, established as a co-op in 1949 by a group of scientists from the Upjohn pharmaceutical company. They retained Frank Lloyd Wright to design the four FLW Usonian homes in the neighborhood:
- David Weisblat Residence
- Eric and Pat Pratt Residence
- Samuel and Dorothy Eppstein Residence
- Curtis Meyer Residence
A fifth house, the Günther and Anne Fonken House was designed by Taliesin School fellow Francis "Will" Willsey. One unique feature of these homes is that each is sited on a 1-acre circular lot.
The Acres owners were originally partnered with their colleagues, a group of scientists (also from Upjohn) who founded the Parkwyn Village settlement of Frank Lloyd Wright homes on Asylum Lake in Kalamazoo. The homes were all to be built in the Acres but some of the scientists believed that the Galesburg site east of Kalamazoo was too far to commute and created Parkwyn Village. (Source: Parkwyn Village.)
Homes in The Acres are the Usonian style based on Wright's recognition that there was a need for a moderately priced house with 'a pattern for more simplified and…more gracious living.'
Wright was involved with every detail from master site plans, house plans, furniture and landscape designs. "Upon receiving Wright's plans for their house, the Eppsteins reviewed them, and made several suggestions they felt made the house more livable,including enlarging the children's bedrooms, and both enlarging the kitchen and including a window (the initial plans had no window) and a desk. Wright agreed to these suggestions, and construction soon began." Eppstein House – Michigan Modern Website
The finished house was constructed of textile blocks, big windows and skylights, built-in furniture, and a mix of shallow and grand sloping ceilings. The floors were of polished concrete that you see above and were stained a dark red. The Eppsteins scored the concrete in four foot squares using a circular saw.
Wright designed the house to be connected closely to nature." Parkwyn Village – Kalamazoo Public Library The original owner of the Eppstein House wrote a wonderful description of the work she and her husband did on this house ("Why we lived in a Frank Lloyd Wright House" by Dorothy Eppstein Why we lived in a Frank Lloyd Wright House .
They formed all of the blocks at Asylum Lake in a community effort with the owners of the Parkwyn Village owners. They cured all of the patterns blocks used in the house. Interestingly they are cut-out to look like the letter F.
Mr. Eppstein built much of the furniture himself. According to Mrs. Eppstein, he did it all with a radial saw set up in the open carport. They took carpentry classes at Galesburg High school and they sewed drapes of tan burlap bag material costing .50 per yard. The house was move in ready by 1953 but Mrs. Eppstein said it took twenty years to complete the house including the bedroom wing and the last section was a family room with fireplace. Over the past few years, the Eppstein House has undergone extensive repairs including new structural beams, and restoration of the mahogany fascia. There is a new kitchen
but the home is in original condition with the polished concrete floors, fireplace, and the hand built furniture. The living room is a wonderful room with fireplace and a lot of light. Although it sits low behind a semi-circle block wall, it overlooks the community property and beautiful grounds. For many summers all of the residents of The Acres enjoyed swimming in the lovely built-in swimming pool on the property. This house is for sale and needs a new owner. Link here for listing: Eppstein House for Sale . Come and see for yourself West Michigan Modern Pop-Up Tour of The Eppstein House on Saturday, September 12 between 2 and 4pm. Walk through this interesting Frank LLoyd Wright Usonian home.
THE LOVELL-LARAMY HOUSE. Text and photos by Pam VanderPloeg copyright 2015. The Lovell-Laramy house, 1958, was designed for Mary Laramy and Ida Lovell by E. John Knapp and built by Lovell's brother Paul. Current owners VIcky and Bruce became the second owners after they purchased it from Mary Laramy.
This mid-century home is furnished with a mix of antiques and eclectic furnishings. It has gracefully survived what my friend calls "re-muddling." The structural and design details are intact and cherished by the current owners. As with many modern homes, the street side masks the full impact of the architect's vision – the lovely transparent feeling of the floor to ceiling windows in the main living area. On one side of the house larger windows are visible but a sense of privacy is retained.
On the street side shown below, high front windows let in light but shield the rooms from the road.
When I stopped by the first time, it was just on a feeling that the owners might be there. Bruce was in the driveway and the open garage door gave me a glimpse of his beautiful hand-built canoe nearing completion. Although I had given them no advance warning, they graciously invited me in to see their home. I was absolutely thrilled to discover how lovely this home is inside and out.
The changes Bruce and Vicky made have increased the home's livability such as a third bedroom in the basement. They enhanced the openness of the living area by removing what I understand was a sort of small partition wall/storage unit. Other changes were inevitable like new flooring in certain areas of the house and for safety a new stair railing shown below.
You enter at the street level and leave your shoes beneath the bench Japanese style before entering up the stairs with their colorful slate finish. At the top is one of Knapp's trademark built-in units, this one for books. During his student days, Knapp attended a Detroit Institute of Arts exhibit with a replica of a Japanese living room. Knapp shared his enthusiasm with his professor who loaned him a book on Japanese design which greatly influenced his later work along with the works of Frank Lloyd Wright.
The second visit was arranged when architect E. John Knapp's daughter Marcia was visiting from Missouri. On this pre-arranged visit, Bruce and Vicky brought out the architect's plans and drawings that came with the house.
When Knapp had completed his first preliminary sketches, he asked the two women to meet him on the site so he could show them the location of the house on the lot and the views from different parts of the house. Knapp recalled that he brought a large stepladder to the site and set it where the top step matched the floor of the main living area. Ida Lovell was the head of the art department of the GR public schools. He had her go up the ladder first because he felt she was sensitive to the atmosphere he was aiming for.
Laramie was the principal of Stocking Elementary School. She caught on that Dad was teaching them about their new house. From the ladder they could see in all three directions. Their first reaction was how beautiful the views were including the mowed lawn of the golf course with all the trees they had planted. That golf course is gone now but at that time, 1957 about, they made the decision to put windows on 3 sides to take advantage of the view.
Lovell and Laramy wanted a window wall but they didn't want to see the house next door so Knapp suggested using a cost-effective colored glass system that he had used in one of his church designs where colored plastic was sandwiched in between clear glass in the large windows that faced toward the neighboring house! Also when they were on the ladder they realized, they didn't want the fireplace to block the view. So Knapp put the chimney in the middle of the house with the fireplace part of an expansive brick wall.
On the kitchen side they had a big brick grill which the current owners decommissioned after a particularly unsafe adventure with it involving a lot of smoke.
The roof was held up by a center beam in the living room. Knapp described doing his own engineering for the beam so that no posts were needed in the center of the room. Although Knapp remembered that his plan had been to use 2 x 6 lumber for the beam, 20 footers glued & nailed together (20 ft. wasn't long enough), the homeowners report that close inspection shows the beam to be constructed of 2 x 4 lumber. Knapp also recalled that they used nails to clamp them together because they didn't have clamps that were big enough.
After Lovell and Laramy lived in the house for 6 months, they called Knapp and told him they were having a party at their house for teachers. They wanted him to come and give a talk about architecture, art, design, fabric. He described to the audience how he designed the house and the influence of Japanese design and Frank Lloyd Wright had on his work.
At one point he projected slides of drawings he'd had daughters Laura and Marcia do of vertical and horizontal lines on paper with some of the boxes colored in with their crayons and according to Knapp the teachers really enjoyed that part. For his part Knapp considered Laramy and Lovell two of his favorite clients and loved how the two educators were using their new house. To have parties and meetings and share that spectacular view. This the architect called "life After Construction."
Another memory shared by Knapp is that during construction, he assured Lovell and Laramy that they would not need drapes for their wall of windows. They disagreed and went about picking out drapes from a company called Infinity Fabrics (this company has a story that will be shared in another post). When Knapp visited, much to his surprise, he found no drapes. The women told him he was right after all. The drapes would have ruined their spectacular view! Bruce and Vicky said those drapes were probably the ones that were still on the windows when they bought the house.
The two bedrooms are cottage-like with post and beam ceiling and wood floors.
New bamboo screens replaced the original wood folding doors on closets.
The bathroom's original tiles and sink are framed as are other rooms in house with Frank lloyd Wright style piano hinged doors.
Hallway flooring is the original cork
and the kitchen features the vaulted ceiling, original cabinets and door pulls
Shown below is the original light fixture and built-in storage units.
It is evident that the owners treasure their beautiful home. They did not approach the home as mid-century modern enthusiasts. However, as many others have done, they fell in love with the house immediately and made it their own. They have maximized the site by retaining some original plantings, creating new gardens and restoring an original overgrown water feature.
Here Bruce and Vicky pose with Marcia as we wandered through the large yard with its flower and vegetable gardens, pergola and pleasant seating areas where resident chickens wander.
Rarely do you have the chance to tour a house so beautifully preserved in the context of the stories of the home's beginnings. We thank Bruce and Vicky for welcoming us into their home. And we thank Knapp for sharing his memories of the design process. And one last fun detail. Bruce showed us the corner of the garage where just barely visible are the names the owner, architect and builder etched in concrete so that this information would never be forgotten.
West Michigan Modern Free Pop-Up Summer Gathering July 16 – Ticket Required Due to Limited Space
West Michigan Modern Pop-Up Summer Gathering Thursday, July 16 – 6:30-8:30 pm at the Varsity Grill at 400 Franklin SE, Grand Rapids (SE corner of Franklin at Madison). Join West Michigan Modern at this free event. Free – Ticket Required RSVP WMM Pop-Up Summer Gathering
The Varsity Grill was designed by E. John Knapp, AIA architect, who started his career with experiences in the Eero Saarinen Office working on the GM Tech Center following his education at Lawrence Tech in the Detroit area. Built in 1954, the Varsity Grill has been handsomely restored by the ICCF as a community gathering space. Knapp designed hundreds of popular developer homes for Albert Builders and many unique and beautiful custom mid-century homes and commercial buildings in West Michigan. Join West Michigan Modern, mid-century modern enthusiasts, homeowners and special guests including E. John Knapp's daughter at a Summer Pop-Up Gathering at the old Varsity Grill from 6:30-8:30 pm – the first public event here. Stop by to say hello, see this cool little building, view a slide show of beautiful modern buildings by our favorite mid-century architects and builders and enjoy vintage vinyl tunes. Free but limited space – so ticket required. RSVP WMM Pop-Up Summer Gathering
THE SURF HOUSE OVERLOOKING MUSKEGON LAKE BY CARL ZILLMER, AIA, OBRYON & KNAPP. Text and photos by Pam VanderPloeg copyright 2015, West Michigan Modern. With summer around the corner, it's time to think about warm sunshine, Lake Michigan breezes, sand dunes and beach houses. This late 1950's Muskegon home was designed to take maximum advantage of sunlight and lake views in true California Contemporary style. I'm calling it the Surf House because the owners make a surfing pilgrimage to Costa Rica every winter, and years ago, owned a surf shop in Muskegon. The home is located in Muskegon's Bluffton neighborhood near Muskegon Lake and Pere Marquette State Park on Lake Michigan. Driving up to the Surf House for the first time felt like stumbling upon a lovely driftwood sculpture with its weathered board and batten siding.
As you approach the front door of the Surf House you are greeted by a large Charlie Chaplin print visible in the foyer beyond the bright orange door. This is a theatre rich area and Larry shared some of the local Buster Keaton lore with us as we entered the main living space of the house.
The Bluffton neighborhood was the summer home for actor Buster Keaton's family. The area was home to a Pigeon Hill, a large dune gone today due to sand mining for industrial uses from the 1930's on. This dune was a landmark and the summer backdrop for Buster Keaton's family performers at the Lake Michigan Park Theatre built in 1898 to compliment the beach pavilion owned by the Muskegon Traction and Lighting Company, the city's trolley service. The Keatons returned annually, built a cottage and established an Actor's Colony http://actorscolony.com/ that lasted until about 1938. Buster Keaton's father at least once rode an elephant around the streets. Today the dune is gone, the theatre is gone but Pere Marquette Park is there for all to enjoy.
The Surf House is built on an extraordinary site perfect for outdoor living with its generous deck and breathtaking view of Muskegon Lake clearly visible inside and out.
Larry and Lynne can also enjoy a glass of wine and the Lake Michigan sunset from adirondack chairs on an unobtrusive deck nestled into the dunes on the other side of the house.
Mid-century homes are often referred to as California contemporary and that was actually the inspiration. In the late 1950's, the original owner, Larry's uncle, moved back to Muskegon from the California coast and brought back with him his appreciation for the Eichler homes and a dream to recreate the style in West Michigan. Larry and Lynne bought the home from Larry's uncle and made it their own. The Surf House has a classic combination of horizontal design and post and beam construction. The hopper windows shown here ventilate the living area with lake breezes.
The Surf house, which would look just as comfortable on the Pacific Coast, has floor to ceiling windows guaranteed to make you forget you are actually inside in a room enclosed by walls. Dining and living come together here in this light filled space with amazing views during all four seasons.
This is a good time to mention that the house has been beautifully and faithfully maintained. Improvements and renovations have been completed gently over the years in the spirit of the original design which can be challenging at times.
When the house was built, in order to maximize the open space but keep it flexible, the architects implemented a unique solution. They created massive, decorative and utilitarian movable shelving units to allow for rearrangement of the main living area to suit the owners needs.
The shelves can be used to define a more private setting as in the seating area shown here.
From the vantage point of the original kitchen, you can see the harmony of the structure — beams, brick, and glass create a unified and pleasing image framed by the original wood cabinetry.
The home has a convenient and efficient galley kitchen open on one side to the dining area and including a view of the lake to make it feel more expansive.The kitchen is original but for a few practical changes for example re-working the counter and cabinets to accommodate a new larger refrigerator.
Past the kitchen and laundry room is the bedroom wing. In both bedrooms newer drawer units replace older built-ins and shoji screen doors are a good compliment to the beautifully maintained paneled walls and beams.
Note the panels that pull out to expose fresh air vents. These are necessary as the windows with their scenic views do not open.
The beautiful turquoise bathroom tile is also original.
On our first visit, Larry described his plan to refinish the beautiful decking. He had done a lot of research! On our second visit the deck planking had a beautiful new finish.
On that visit as on the first visit Larry wanted to show us more area modern houses. In Muskegon you need a guide to find them because they are usually singletons in more traditional neighborhoods. He surprised us with an additional "tour" in his Lyman power boat on Muskegon and Bear Lake to see some beautiful homes that show their best sides to the water.
On our first visit Larry brought out blueprints and that enabled us to identify both the Grand Rapids architectural firm of Obryon and Knapp and the design architect Carl Zillmer, an AIA architect working as an associate with the firm. Former partner with the firm, E. John Knapp remembered hiring Carl Zillmer after Knapp met him at the Grand Rapids Art Museum and discovered Zillmer was looking for work. Knapp invited Zillmer to come over to the office to meet the other partner OB (Obryon's nickname). They hired him on the spot. Zillmer's wife remembered driving to Muskegon so Carl could show her the house. And Zillmer's son Eric, reminiscing about his father, recalled his image of his father, the architect, who was a vision of true classic mid-mod style: "gingham short sleeve button-front shirts, casual-dress slacks, and always a knit, square-end tie." Carl Zillmer was the son of Grand Rapids architect Emil Zillmer who designed the International style home featured on West Michigan Modern in February 2015. https://westmichiganmodern.com/2015/01/26/international-style-house-designed-by-emil-zilmer-1937/.
We looked at the original landscape plans drawn up for the Surf House conceived by Willard Gebhart.
Gebbart also designed the Muskegon Causeway Memorial Park. He graduated from Cornell's Architecture School and developed a national reputation with his designs for various Washington DC sites such as the British Embassy and the Folger Shakespeare Library and a number of private homes for governmental officials. Even with national success, Gebhart continued to live on his farm in Hart, Michigan about 35 miles north of Muskegon.
We can't express adequately our appreciation to Larry and Lynne for sharing the Surf House and guiding us through the neighborhoods. The close knit neighborhood is appropriately protective of the natural beauty of the area. There is an eclectic mix of homes in this area including some mid-century modern gems. In fact there are a significant number of beautiful midcentury modern homes in a variety of styles in Muskegon and they are well worth seeking out. Happy approaching summer to all!

subset: commoncrawl


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You readers are so good to me! The response I received from the Easter column was so rewarding! I noticed there were so many write-ups about Jesus. Each one was different and yet the same. Great!
My write-ups on Sixto you thought were very impressive. It blows my mind when I think he has taken so many boys off the streets and is changing lives. What could be more worthwhile?
Then Thursday a strange thing happened to me. I got a call saying I had won $2.5 million and a Mercedes. I've received over 30 calls similar to this, but this one was different. He didn't ask me to go to Walmart and wire them X number of dollars, nor did he ask me informational questions so that he could exploit me. He said he would see me tomorrow at 11:30. That was Good Friday. Boy, what a good Friday that would be! Then I immediately called the police station. I told them the whole story and asked them if they came, could I call the police station and ask for two policemen in regular clothes to come over? They said yes, and we were set.
I thought, "Wouldn't it be great! I could pay for the new gym Sixto needs!" You guessed it - nobody came, but I did get something out of it. I didn't want them to find any papers around that would give them any information they could use to steal from me, so I cleaned out the whole apartment and hid the papers. Anyway, we still need philanthropists for the gym.
Today I have chosen Josie Costa Christopher as my heroine of the day. I know you have seen her picture in the paper often showing some of the good things she is doing for people and with people. Remember, a leader is as good as her followers. If the followers are good, the leader will be a good leader. Josie gives a big "thank you" to all the volunteers who have helped her so much!
Now I'm going to get personal and tell you a bit of Josie's family history. It's fascinating. For example, her mother Cali was born in Jamestown. When she was 5 years old, her father and family had to go back to Sicily to help take care of the grandmother and allow the grandfather to go to work. He was an itinerant farmer who needed a horse to get to work. Josie's job was to clean out the barn. Their house was about as big as my living room. They had no toilet, no running water, no electricity, only kerosene lamps. They were so poor! I forgot to mention that while her mother was growing up, World War I took place, and they were stuck there, so Cali married a man by the name of Costa. Josie was born into this family.
When Josie was 12 years old, they received a letter from Aunt Grace and Uncle Anthony Mistretti telling them that they would pay all expenses to Jamestown and vouch for them. In those days, an immigrant had to have somebody vouch for them, meaning if the immigrants couldn't find work, the voucher would take care of them. No welfare for them! (What happened? I wonder).
As they left Sicily, Josie vowed she would never be poor again. She would make something of herself! By the time she was 16, Josie had mastered the English language and was in eighth grade. Josie was always trying for self-improvement. While still in high school, Josie became a nurse after school hours. Josie graduated from Jamestown High School in 1955. Then she graduated from Jamestown School of Practical Nursing and began working in Brooks Hospital in Dunkirk. While there she attended hospital in-hours lectures. In 1956, she became a licensed practicing nurse.
Dr. Damania noticed her way with the patients, and he asked her to work with him. He was an oncologist. Cancer patients have very specific needs. They needed breast prostheses and mastectomy bras, and they sometimes could use turbans, wigs and pillows.
The list of patients grew, and Josie had to start her own business. It was called "Women's Perfection." She worked out of Dr. Damania's office and at home.
A group of volunteers started to sew turbans and pillows. The group used to talk about being a wonderful circle and how much love there was among them. Listening to them, Josie decided the club's name would be "Circle of Love."
Theresa Millazzo, who was a cancer patient and a member of the circle, one day recommended that they make prayer shawls. The group loved the idea, and so the shawls became a part of their package.
After Theresa passed away, the family decided the memorials should go to the Circle of Love. They needed material stuffing, threads, et cetera.
You have no idea how many people contribute to this work! School children stuff pillows. Some are public schools, and even the Christian Academy helps. These projects give so many youngsters opportunities to feel good about themselves. It provides a start to form habits to help others. They will be better mothers, too!
During the past 15 years, Josie has received many awards. Last year, she received the "Rising Star" award for all the improvements and art work she has done in her home and yard. She has received awards for her work as a nurse, for being the citizen of the year, for community services from the Chamber of Commerce, and for outstanding contributions to the community (Grace Stearns Award). I'm sure there are many more. I mention these to show you how a 12-year-old immigrant girl can make a difference in many lives!
She vowed she would never be poor, but she is rich because of her big heart. She cares less about money. She knows what real riches are!
I think this is a beautiful story. It should encourage everyone! If Josie Christopher can make a difference, why can't you?
I have a little personal story to add. My sister Josephine is "Jo Christopher" of Fredonia. They are mistaken for each other often, but they are two fine people, so they don't mind.
Another thing Josie asked me not to forget her boss Mike Cave of the Care Center. He often comes to her rescue. The circle meets there on Mondays, and he's always doing extra things for her. So you see, God has blessed her and him in many ways!
Happy birthday, Josie! I won't say how many! Thank you for the ricotta cheese cookies I found behind my door!
Margaret Valone is a Fredonia resident. Send comments on this column to firstname.lastname@example.com


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Thought about your USB security?
According to security and privacy software company Steganos, companies are at risk as employees store data on unencrypted USB keys.
This Article Covers
Business applications
According to security and privacy software company Steganos, companies are at risk as employees store data on unencrypted USB keys.
In an admittedly small 'street survey' of 100 users commissioned by the company, 41% of people admitted storing company data on USB keys. Of those, 83% do not use any encryption, so anyone with access to the physical key is able to extract, copy, edit and distribute its data.
How businesses can win talent war with mobile apps, HR data analytics and cloud technology
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While laptop users were slightly more likely to use encryption, 76% of USB keys being used by laptop owners to store company data were unencrypted.
Steganos, of course, has a solution, a portable safe, Safe 8, that enables data to be encrypted on USB keys and accessed on any computer
using the password without any need for additional software.
Now such a small survey is hardly enough to provide conclusive evidence, but you might ask yourself what security procedures you have in place to prevent vital corporate data disappearing on USB keys?
Enjoy the benefits of CW+ membership, learn more and join.
Read more on Business applications
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'Considerable risk' if Post Office replaced Horizon system, says chairman
SuiteWorld 2016: Focusing on customer experience dragged us away from the call centre, says Aspect
European IT buyers prioritise BI and data management over ERP and CRM


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10 things your guitar teacher never told you
Six-string life lessons you need to learn
The latest guitar news from the experts at MusicRadar, including electric, acoustic, bass, amplifiers, fx and accessories
Updated: The oddest instruments and greatest performancess
Get your hands on strings, straps, books, beer and more!
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Gary Alton Asberry was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder.
Asberry, 20 at the time, along with two other gang members, shot brothers Andrew and Christopher Gonzales after a verbal altercation near the Fastrip store on 34th Street. Christopher Gonzales died.
The Kern County prosecutor's office didn't say what the status is for the other gang members involved in the shooting.
Asberry is slated for sentencing in August and faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.


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Subcategory: Mowers
Model: X534
Combines/Accessories, John Deere (4178) in Birch hills, SK
single spd. cylinders, lots of upgrades, kept in heated shop year round, very well maintained. They c/w 24'straight cut headers and transports.
View on Western Producer
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like new, 2 sets of discs, tine harrows and rolling baskets, disc type: fluted, $47,000 OBO.
Autos/Trucks/Trailers, Specialized Trucks (1680) in Nanton, AB
2008 Dodge 3500, Deweze bale deck, Laramie, diesel, 4x4, dually, loaded, extendable arms, wireless remote, EGR/DPF del., 148,000 kms, exc. cond., $39,900.
Machinery/Equipment, Snowblowers/Snowplows (4226) in Winnipeg, MB
Mini Duke snowblower, 1800 hrs. on Cummins eng., 4 WD, $25,500. 204-792-5780, Winnipeg, MB.


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U of M runner feels liberated by becoming a regular studentNatasha Moore plans to graduate from the University of Minnesota this December with her African American Studies degree. She is considering attending graduate school, possibly somewhere down South, her years at the U of M not what she'd hoped for when she was recruited.Moore came to the U of M in 2013 to … [Read more...]
Offensive comments drive athlete from U of M track team
Last year, an independent review found that University of Minnesota athletics did not have a "sexual harassment climate." But is there a racist climate in U of M athletics? A former Black female track athlete believes so, and she says that school officials aren't taking it very seriously."As to whether or not there is a pattern or problem about how Black student … [Read more...]


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realmagick.com The shrine of knowledge.
Echidna Conservation Status
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>> Body Mysteries
- The Earthmind Material
- Part 1 | Part 2 Author's Note All references made in the first person(s) herein, are grammatical conveniences created for the sake of the reader. Such words as "I", "OUR", and "I/WE" are therefore not meant to be taken as literal...
Mind >> World Mind
- A History Of Dreaming - From Ancient Egypt To Modern Day
- Dreams have been an important part of the human experince since time immemorial. Fragments of the earliest books come from Egypt, where dreams were considered to be the messages sent from the gods. The Egyptians divided their dreams into three categories: 1....
Parapsychology >> Dreams
- Ritual - Expression of Will, Art and Creativity
- Most of our lives involve traditions, regular observances. These might relate to annual or seasonal holiday, it might just be meeting a friend every year at a particular time to go shopping, or have a beer and catch up. The main thing these informal...
Paganism & Wicca >> Ritual
Echidna Conservation Status is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Echidna Conservation Status books and related discussion.
Suggested News Resources
- The good, the bad and the ugly: research funding flows to big and beautiful
- Echidnas and platypus are of great interest biologically because they are the only extant monotremes: they lay eggs and feed their babies with milk. There is nothing like them anywhere else on the planet, so it ...
- Australia's 'Ugly' Mammals Get Little Love From Science
- That has left "ugly" animals, such as Australia's native bats and rodents, disproportionately unstudied and neglected in conservation efforts, according to a new study released Monday in the journal Mammal Review. ...
- Meet The World's Oldest Wild Platypus
- They are not endangered—their conservation status is listed as "least concern." But ecologists worry about the fact that these semi-aquatic animals require healthy rivers to survive.
Great care has been taken to prepare the information on this page. Elements of the content come from factual and lexical knowledge databases, realmagick.com library and third-party sources. We appreciate your suggestions and comments on further improvements of the site.
Echidna Conservation Status Topics
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'Ozymadias' ratings set 'Breaking Bad' series highs
Look on these ratings, other scripted programs, and despair
Sunday (September 15) night's episode of "Breaking Bad" was titled "Ozymandias" and now AMC can look at its ratings, ye mighty, and despair. In a good way.
The show's ante-penultimate episode, being hailed by critics and viewers as a series peak, drew 6.4 million viewers on Sunday night, setting a series high.
That 6.4 million figure includes 4.05 million viewers among adults 18-49 and 3.585 million among adults 25-54.
The episode also attracted 604,765 total tweets, ranking as the top TV show of the night in social activity. The episode hit a peak of 16,329 tweets-per-minute at 9:50 ET.
For the season, "Breaking Bad" is averaging 5.2 million viewers Live+SD, up 102 percent over last summer's half-season average.