Looking back in time………………..
Down The Road with the Original Buffalo Dale
Welcome back. The recent death of my friend George Worten has brought back many memories. He and I both graduated from high school in 1970 and I’ll start this week with a few of the many significant historical events that occurred during that year:
It was big news when four students at Kent State University were killed by the Ohio National Guard during a protest against the Cambodian Campaign.
On the cultural front, The Beatles broke up and the movie Love Story won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
American began to turn when the first Earth Day was held, beginning widespread awareness of environmental issues.
Closer to home, the Kansas City Chiefs shook the sports world when they won Super Bowl IV.
And in Oklahoma tragedy struck when a prominent Osage County rancher was murdered in his own home. Books would be written and many high profile people became involved but the crime was never solved. Now approaching 45 years later,
September 26, 1970 is a date that many Oklahomans will never forget.
1970 was also the year that computer floppy disks were first introduced. To learn more about the murder of E.C. Mullendore III or any of the other events I’ve mentioned visit my website www.originalbuffalodale.com.
Moving forward, now in the aftermath of last year’s Boston bombing, I am planning a return visit to cover the trial of Dzhokhor Tsarnav whose jury selection begins on January 5th. I am expecting to find the city changed by this event and security will be tight to say the least.
You longtime readers may remember that I was there in June 2013 when Whitey Bulger, the leader of the notoriously brutal Winter Hill Gang in Boston, was on trial. Bulger had been apprehended after years as a fugitive and he happened to be arrested in Santa Monica, CA on June 20, 2011 while I was staying there. The time I spent attending his trial was worth every minute. Hanging out with big time news personalities along with the opportunity for a rare interview with Whitey’s brother I hope brought the tragic story to life for my readers.
Of course one can’t go to Boston without making a stop in the town of New York. Yes, with a population of 8,310,212 in five boroughs, town is not the right word for New York City but to me it is America’s biggest town. With so many people living in such a small area, it is amazing how well the city operates. Over the past year I have been lucky enough to visit three times for several weeks at a time and had nothing but great days there. Contrary to many news reports, I didn’t witness any crime or see any bodies in the street. People are friendly, the cops are cool and there is an electrifying sense of energy in the air.
I also have my eye on the January jury selection process in the trial of James Eagen Holmes who was arrested for the mass shooting in an Aurora, Co. movie theater two years ago. Of course there will be lots of press coverage for that trial as well and if you’ve never been to Denver in the winter, it’s a treat so I may be headed that way as well. Lots of miles and lots of stories. Till next time I’ll see ya down the road….
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my kickstarter.com campaign for Footprints in the Dew– follow the link from the homepage of this website!
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