News of the Week: Cleveland’s Guardians, New York’s Little Island, and a Big Glass of Vermontucky Lemonade

What’s in a Name?

I don’t know much about roller derby, but I hear the Cleveland Guardians have a really great team.

No, I haven’t gotten my sports mixed up. The Cleveland Guardians is the name of the men’s roller derby team in Cleveland, which might cause a problem for the city’s baseball team, which just changed their name from the Indians to the Guardians. Using the Guardians name is probably going to be legally okay, but there might be a problem online, as the roller derby Guardians already own the clevelandguardians.com domain and the @clevelandguardians Facebook and Instagram handles.

A lot of people find the switch to the Guardians to be a problem, either because there was nothing wrong with Indians or because the name is too boring. I didn’t have a problem with Indians, but I don’t see anything wrong with Guardians either. At least it wasn’t pulled out of thin air, something that makes no sense or has no connection to Cleveland. The name comes from the eight art deco statues that “guard” Cleveland’s Hope Memorial Bridge. Those are impressive and they’ll make for a great logo.

They could have gone with the Cleveland Amorys. He was one of the editors of the Post, from 1939 to 1941, and a columnist for TV Guide. But I guess that would have appealed to only a small fraction of baseball fans.

Little Island

Can someone explain how someone like me, who likes to think they keep track of what’s happening in the news every week (I do a column called “News of the Week” for The Saturday Evening Post) can completely miss a major new addition to New York City?

It’s called Little Island and it sits in the larger Hudson River Park. It’s an impressive creation, made possible by Barry Diller and Diller-Von Furstenberg Foundation, and a great rehab of an area that was damaged badly by Hurricane Sandy. It’s a green nature and art space with walking/running paths, supported by 132 structures that look like big concrete tulips. Besides the lawn space and trees and the various plantings that will change with each season, there’s even a 687-seat amphitheater for live performances.

I need to pay more attention to what’s going on in New York City.

–$7400

Congratulations to Stephanie Hull! She’s no longer the worst contestant in Jeopardy! history.

How to Draw Yourself as a Peanuts Character

Because who doesn’t want to know what they’d look like as a Peanuts character?

Uploaded to YouTube by Apple.

Headline of the Week

“Council Bluffs Park Hit by Repeat Bubble Vandals”

RIP Jackie Mason, Ron Popeil, Elliot Lawrence, Dusty Hill, Chuck E. Weiss, Clarence McDonald, Harry Rosenfeld, and Mike Enzi

Jackie Mason was a rabbi who became an influential stand-up comic. He won two Emmy awards and a special Tony award, and was twice nominated for a Grammy. He was a recurring character on The Simpsons, appeared in several other TV shows and movies, and was even banned from The Ed Sullivan Show for a gesture he says he never even made. He died Saturday at the age of 93.

Ron Popeil may have been the most famous infomercial pitchman of all time. He pretty much created the form in the 1950s and went on to invent and sell such “Ronco” products as Mr. Microphone, the Food Dehydrator, the Smokeless Ashtray, the Pocket Fisherman, the Buttoneer, the Bedazzler, and the Showtime Rotisserie. He also sold the Chop-o-Matic and Veg-o-Matic, which were invented by his dad. He died Wednesday at the age of 86.

Elliot Lawrence was a conductor and composer who headed the orchestra at the Tony Awards for a half century. He also had a big band of his own in his 20s, recorded several albums, conducted the orchestras of such big Broadway shows as Bye Bye Birdie and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (for which he won a Tony), and even did music for such TV shows as The Edge of Night, Search for Tomorrow, The Kennedy Center Honors, and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He died earlier this month at the age of 96.

Dusty Hill was the bassist for ZZ Top, known for such hits as “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’.” He died this week at the age of 72.

Chuck E. Weiss was a musician, bar owner, and a fixture on the L.A. music scene. He was also the subject of the Rickie Lee Jones song “Chuck E.’s in Love.” He died last week at the age of 76.

Clarence McDonald was a keyboardist and producer who played on such songs as “Movin’ On Up” (the theme to The Jeffersons) and James Taylor’s “How Sweet It Is.” He also played with Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, The Temptations, Barbra Streisand, the Jackson 5, Justin Timberlake, and Hall & Oates. He died Wednesday at the age of 76.

Harry Rosenfeld was the Washington Post editor who assigned Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to the Watergate story. He was played by Jack Warden in the film All the President’s Men. He died earlier this month at the age of 91.

Mike Enzi served four terms as a Republican senator from Wyoming. He died Monday at the age of 77.

This Week in History

O. Henry Released from Prison (July 24, 1901)

Going to jail was probably a plot twist he didn’t see coming. After he was released, O. Henry — real name William Sidney Porter — moved to New York City and wrote a short story every week for New York World Sunday Magazine. He died in 1910.

And yes, he wrote for the Post! His classic story “The Ransom of Red Chief” appeared in our July 6, 1907, issue.

Plane Crashes into Empire State Building (July 28, 1945)

The B-25 hit the 79th floor of the New York City landmark. Fourteen people were killed, including three crew members and 11 people in the building.

This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Golf Driving Range (July 26, 1952)

What I love about this John Falter cover is that every station at this driving range has something different going on. Everywhere you look there’s a little story.

A Trip to Vermontucky

I don’t know if summer has an official drink, but lemonade would be in the running for the honor. This recipe for Vemontucky Lemonade is from one of my favorite food blogs, The Smitten Kitchen, and “Vermont” is in the name because it has maple syrup in it.

Please note that this lemonade contains bourbon (that’s the “tucky” part). If you want something without it (or you want something for the kids), try this Best Lemonade Ever from AllRecipes.

Next Week’s Holidays and Events

International Clown Week (August 1-7)

It’s a real celebration that began as National Clown Month after a proclamation by President Nixon in 1971.

National Fresh Breath Day (August 6)

I try to make every day Fresh Breath Day.

Featured image: Vuelo Aerial Media / Shutterstock.com