Page A2 / The Joan De Arc Crusader / Sunday, April 1, 2018

Front Page A1 / 50th Birthday A3 / Best of Crusader A4 / Interview A5 / Easter Nostalgia A6 / Crossword A7

 

EDITORIAL PAGE

“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.” – Voltaire

Letter from the Editor

By J. Bueker

50 big ones

     The eternally wise Dr. Seuss is said to have advised us all, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” We like to think of the Joan De Arc Crusader as our way of smiling that it happened.
     The Joan De Arc years were a wonderful gift, and the notion of documenting them seemed like a worthwhile idea early on. Yet the true richness of that era has only become apparent in hindsight, and I believe the evolution of the Crusader over the years has reflected this growing awareness and documented it with an ever-increasing appreciation for the full scope and splendor of our years on the Avenue.
     Such was the bounty of that era that the potential supply of stories about Joan De Arc Avenue appears inexhaustible. I never despair of recalling a meaningful event or fond memory from 3219 to use as fodder for a new Crusader piece. Memories have the quality of becoming intertwined in such a fashion that one leads to another and then on to the next, and I often find myself musing over a future story idea as I’m completing the one in front of me.
     I’ve always been tickled by the idea of such an obscure publication as the Joan De Arc Crusader being available on the World Wide Web, where every soul on the face of the planet with an Internet connection can access and peruse our humble little street newspaper. If you had told Carl Bueker back in 1968 that one day the Crusader would be available on a world-wide basis and cited in the hallowed pages of the Wall Street Journal, he would have thought you had completely lost your mind. And yet here we are. ‘Tis an amazing world.
     Our sincerest thanks to all of our readers, contributors, friends, and supporters stretching back a full half century now. You are crusaders, one and all.


LETTERS

Congratulations, Crusader!

     So many of us aspiring writers dreamed of having our own newspapers when we were kids. John Bueker, being younger than me by the same difference as is his oldest sister Sue, was fortunate to be born after the invention of movable type. I remember trying to etch block letters on cut potatoes and dipping them in my father’s India ink which made printing a neighborhood newspaper unwieldy. I don’t think I ever got past “T”. But I was five.
     Thank goodness for progress. And in 1968, when budding journalist John introduced the first copy of the Joan de Arc Crusader, typewriters were just around the corner, and history was made. Now we celebrate the march of industry and the blessing of the writers’ tenacity with the 50th anniversary of the inimitable Joan de Arc Crusader, one-of-a-kind journalism nonpareil.
     What a chronicle of local history is the Crusader! And with such wit, humor, and, almost singularly today, integrity. Who knew there would be such a continuous wealth of local lore to be enjoyed by neighbors near and far over these years! Would that every neighborhood in America could enjoy the interminable reminiscing of the Bueker family and their friends. I know, for me, just the girl on the next street and the BFF of Sue Bueker Nolan, the Crusader has made it virtually impossible for me to forget my past.
     Much like social media, the prescient Crusader made it possible to recycle and recycle again all those fond memories. And with features such as puzzles and recipes, the wisdom of Chuck the Elder, and the wonderful art of Barbara Stewart, we all looked forward to the next issue with the anticipation of holidays at Sahuaro Elementary School.
     Congratulations to founder, editor, and brilliant wordsmith, John Bueker. And congratulations to Mr. Bueker for restraining himself from browbeating every member of the Arizona Memories group on Facebook when they ask, “Does anyone remember Legend City?” My goodness, people! How can we ever forget?

     Respectfully,

     Pattie Krohn
     Willow Avenue

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We welcome your letters at jdacrusader@aol.com. 


Chuck’s Corner
News from Around the Block & Around the World ©  

                                                                                                 By C.H. Bueker III                    

Is it “This n’ that?” I forget now

     Well folks, Chuck’s old brain is running on fumes today and you know what that means. Yup, another installment of Chuck’s This n’ That. Or is it Odds n’ Ends?  Potpourri?  Whatever…

 Having recently retired, one of the things I really miss about work is driving through the middle of Phoenix twice a day in miserable traffic. I particularly enjoyed sitting behind car brands that told me a little something about their drivers. After getting nearly sideswiped by some other driver’s brilliant maneuver, for example, I’d say “How big of a $#&@*!# idiot are you?” Maxima, sometimes. Or Infinity.

 I think we’re the only ones in our neighborhood getting a physical newspaper delivered to our house anymore. It used to be that early in the morning you could hear the “thwap… thwap… thwap…” of the papers as they sequentially landed on everyone’s driveway.  Now all I hear is “vrrrrooOOOOM… thwap… screeeech… VROOOooom”.

 The closure of the Toys “R” Us retail chain is very disturbing, not only to us as consumers but undoubtedly more so to the 64,000 company employees who are soon to be out of a job. I worry the most about their corporate mascot Geoffrey, though, because I would imagine career opportunities for cartoon giraffes to be extremely limited. Best of luck to you, Geoffrey.

 The U.S. Postal Service has started sending me daily emails to show me what the carriers will be delivering to my mailbox in the next few hours. It’s sort of cool because I can decide if it’s worth going out to the mailbox on a given day, but it definitely spoils the traditional thrill of discovery in sorting through the envelopes. “Yup, there it all is,” is about all you can say now.  If they could only open up my junk mail and send me pictures of the insides they wouldn’t have to deliver it at all.

     So, I think my word count is finally adequate for this column. Next issue I hope to have even more fascinating things to write about!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________JDA

Front Page A1 / 50th Birthday A3 / Best of Crusader A4 / Interview A5 / Easter Nostalgia A6 / Crossword A7