Hello, everyone. Due to the upcoming holiday week, posting will be rather light. So, we leave you with a holiday-oriented Friday Facts and hope that all of you have a relaxing and happy holiday, with your friends and family.
:: The most recent volume of the city’s telephone directory features a Santos Klaussen, a Szandor Klausz, and a Mary O. Sannicola.
:: The city is home to three regionally produced egg nogs. The best-selling is that produced by Dobbins Farm Dairy, but the ‘micro-brewed’ GregNog (manufactured by radio personality Greg McMullen) was named the best nog three years in a row by Dairy Fare magazine.
:: Each year since 1958, editorial cartoonist Jack Belinsky has hidden the names of all eight of Santa’s reindeer in the art of comics he has drawn during December — except three years ago, when he inexplicably replaced “Blitzen” with “Buford” in a cartoon about SARS.
:: Due to poor planning, a runoff election for mayor in 1976 was scheduled for Christmas Eve, and resulted in the lowest voter turnout in civic history.
:: In 1985, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was belatedly chosen as the city’s “official” Christmas song. Only Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet and Pete Briquette of the Boomtown Rats were able to attend the ceremony.
:: Lanes are the most popular type of thoroughfare on the city’s east side, followed closely by streets and avenues. Boulevards, circles and ways are next; the entire area features only three terraces, and not a single row.
:: The International Jedi Ministry has recently announced a campaign to make ours the first large American city to officially recognize Life Day as a municipal holiday.
:: Number of lawsuits generated by WAIC Radio’s infamous 1983 “Christmas is Cancelled” stunt broadcast: 328
:: Citizens donated 850 fruitcakes to a holiday fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Two-thirds of them are reported by FEMA auditors as still uneaten.
:: One of the few musicians from the city to ever score a national hit was Henry ‘Hot-Rods’ Phelan, who hit the Top 40 in December of 1964 with his novelty number “We’ll Be Rocking in My Stocking Tonight.”
:: Number of people who jumped from the 86th street bridge in 2006: 14
:: Number in December: 9
:: Number successfully talked down by suicide counselors dressed as Santa: 4
:: Unsuccessful: 1
– L. Pierce, M. Vermeulen, R. White