So anyway, it was the winter of '70-'71, and I was hanging out with the notorious James St. gang at the ski center in Utica. Well these kind hearted thugs? had a tendency to beat people up who crossed their paths. Not a good thing for a public area. Might scare away the paying customers! SHEESH! Hey! What an idea! Let's hire some of these guys and we can kill two birds with one stone! Keep 'em from hanging around and find adequate workers. Can you believe it! I got my first job working for the city of Utica at the Val Bialas Ski Center in January of 1971! I wasn't no thug! HAHAHA And I loved it! Ended up working there for six years! So, thank-you Nonnie Pensero and Bill Cusworth.
O.K. JB! There it is! Not quite how it looked in '71, but how sad to think it is gone! What is it one asks! SHEESH!!!!
As spring rolled around, I stayed with the city working with Bill in the Dept. of Recreation. We maintained the various parks in the city and it was an experience. Met a lot of people and....30 years later...Hey Mike-"Layla", Brian ,the Luke and Santo; How are ya! I was having fun. Making money and enjoying myself was a wondrous thing and the summer of '71 in James St park was idyllic! Let's meet some of the cast of characters.
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was taken July'71. That same week, Jim Morrison died. Wow. The Doors were the greatest American
band in my not so humble opinion. It was an incredible loss. 2001-The Doors volume of work has stood the test of time-unique and unmatched.
My sister asked me to go to Saratoga to see some rock'n'roll band. Aug.2, 1971 we drove 90 miles eastward. As we approached the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the traffic was backed up for miles on Rt. 50. We parked on the side of the road and started walking. Electricity absolutely filled the air in anticipation of an unparalleled happening. What was going on? Who was playing? Why the sense of urgency?
WOW! I was never the same after that!
Well, we must continue. I remember buying Who's Next the next day. I also bought the Carpenters first album also!!!!Don't tell any one!!! HAHA Won't Get Fooled Again Bargain Behind Blue Eyes BABA O'RILEY!!!! Some powerful tunes. Won me over. I saw the 'oo at their peak. The WHO'S NEXT tour in '71 set my rock'n'roll course for the rest of my life!
This is a midi file for Won't Get Fooled Again! Has me tapping my keyboard. Well, '71 was grooving along quite nicely. Hanging around the park with the gang and Michael Ross's shack(remember that!) and playing some football for the Utica-Rome Chiefs. First concert I ever saw in Utica! Oct.17 at the Aud....Blood Sweat and Tears with Don McLean opening. Kinda neat!And hey, that fall I flew to Kansas City to visit my old buddy, Anthony Caloguiro and my Aunt Nikki and Uncle Pete. First time on a plane! INCREDIBLE! I went for a month and it was a trip. Who would ever a thought today. KANSAS CITY!!!!
And then it was time to come home. It was at this time in late December that I first started hanging out with that notorious Nielson St gang. It was so bad the local policeman threatened to have me arrested if I ever set foot on that street again! What a clown! Scary to think that we were paying these people to terrorize innocent citizens! So introducing this new set of delinquents, in no particular order of mischievery( new word I created), Marty, Jimmy, E-man, Eddie. L, Yogi, Albert F., Lawrence, Johnathon Z., oh well, that's enough. I went back to work at the ski area and all in all, it had been a very good year. RIP JM
Now, if you want, you can go back HOME and continue THE AMAZING JOURNEY. Click on any Gooch and see what wonders are revealed! (Yeah, right!) Or if you want to continue chronologically....well, go to 1972