Havre de Grace - Historic & Haunted

     Nestled at the point where the Susquehanna River meets the Chesapeake Bay, Havre de Grace is a small Maryland town with a French name (meaning harbor of grace).  Its history dates back to colonial days.  And anyone raised in the town can tell you that the city missed out on being the U.S. capital by one vote.  Instead it has had to make due with the title of decoy capital of the country.  To attest to this fact is the decoy museum and a Spring sponsored decoy event.

     The town offers the richness of small town life.  Its waterfront is beautiful.  Parks provide superb scenery that shift with the seasons. 

The town's waterfront promenade offers a spectacular view year round.

Parades mark various holidays, from Halloween to the Fourth of July.  Its quaint main street is brimming with antique shops designed to trap the interest of tourists.  The town has supposedly trapped numerous ghosts as well, if tales from its haunted tours are to be believed.

     An alley way which played host to a gangster's murder during the age of prohibition is supposedly marked by mysterious red blotches that will not fade away from the street's pavement.  The town's old Opera house still holds ghosts that make unexplained noises on the upper floor.

     Other historic links concern a resturaunt where Al Capone once dined during a visit to the town and Lafayette trip to the town during the Revolutionary War.

Terror's Taste

     Oh the splendid spooky chills offered by October amid falling leaves of brilliant colors.  My favorite thing about October has always been Halloween.  As a kid it was the appeal of dressing in costume and pillaging for yummy treats. As an adult I like to celebrate the holiday more simply by watching some frightening films or reading a good horror tale.

     I'm very proud that this Halloween I have out my own horror tale from DonnaInk Publications called Terror's Taste.  Between its covers readers encounter such classic mysteries as Jack the Ripper and the disappearence of Atlantis while the plot unfolds concerning a vampire feud that descends through the ages.  I hope you'll check it out and enjoy.  You can order it from amazon or directly from my publisher at DonnaInk.org

.     

Charlton Heston - An Actor for All Seasons!

     Today in 1923 actor Charlton Heston was born.  His roles tended toward that of the classical man of action in a wide variety of films.  You could most often find him in movies that looked to the past or future.  His acting resume included such historic characters as Moses, John the Baptist, El Cid, and Michelangelo. 
     Charlton Heston was the title character of the sound/color version of Ben Hur.  Heston brought humanity to a towering figure that fought through numerous challenges including an escape from a ship's rowing galley amidst an epic battle and a fierce chariot race that has taken its iconic place in film history.  It's impossible to think of any other actor in the role, but it is rumoured that the first choice to play Hur in that version was Rock Hudson.  Hudson passed and Heston got the best actor Oscar for Ben Hur.  Much of the movie's success can be placed on Heston's mighty shoulders.  The film is tied with Titanic and Return of the King for most Oscar wins.   
     For sci-fi fans, Heston entered a number of chilling futuristic scenerios.  Heston fought for man's dignity as an astronaught stranded on The Planet of the Apes in the 1968 classic version.  He was a scientist trying to survive in a city over run by the mutated survivors of war in The Omega Man based on the novel I Am Legend.  In Soylent Green, Heston was a police man who discovered a terrible secret in an overpopulated world.     
     Heston's work was primarily restricted to the cinematic big screen.  Yet later in his career Charlton Heston appeared in several TV productions including A Man for All Seasons and Treasure Island, which was directed by his son, Frazier Heston.
     Charlton Heston was no stranger to the political arena.  He was a staunch advocate of civil rights while being known for his conservative views.  However it his acting legacy that shines brightly and is ready to entertain countless new viewers via TV reruns or DVDS.      

Herrrrreeee's Johnny! (Remember when The Tonight Show was cool with interesting guests?)

September Conventions - Baltimore

Summer is winding to an end, and for fans of classic tv/films, Baltimore is the place to be!

September 19-21 is the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Hunt Valley Maryland. I’ve attended this con annually since it started in Aberdeen, MD. Now it has grown wonderfully to fit its current locale in Maryland at the Hunt Valley Wyndham. The convention’s relaxed atmosphere allows for fun panels ranging from classic characters to radio programs and chats with the celebrities. I remember talking with William Sanderson (Larry on Newhart) about our mutual affection for Jackie Gleason in The Honeymooners. It’s been cool seeing in person these iconic faces usually viewed on the TV or silver screen – Larry Storch (Agarn on F Troop), David Hedison (Capt. Crane on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea), Roy Thinnes (David Vincent on The Invaders), Ron Ely (Tv’s Tarzan), Davy Jones of The Monkees, legendary actress Celeste Holm. This year’s batch of celebrities prove to be equally entertaining – Ed Asner, Robert Loggia, Johnny Crawford, Elizabeth Shepherd, Margaret O’Brien and the return of one of my favorite stars – Larry Storch. A certain three stooges have even been known to show up. I love the cross section of genres and mediums. If there were one show whose cast I’d like to see finally represented at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention it would be a guest from the original Star Trek series. After all, that show did sort of create the con!
For more info – http://www.MidAtlanticNostalgiaConvention.com

September 27-29 is Monstermania. Monstermania has been going on in Cherry Hill New Jersey for some time, but the Baltimore incarnation (again at the Hunt Valley Wyndham) has only been running for a few years. This event will be celebrating a reunion of television’s Batman series, as well as other celebrity guests. I’m especially excited that it appears my publisher DonnaInk Publications, will have a table where you can get a copy of my vampire tale, Terror’s Taste. Of course you can always find the book at DonnaInk.org and for more info about Monstermania go to Monstermania.net.

Happy Memories!