The weekly news update featuring Moondog Coronation Ball - First Rock Concert
To all North Pole City Elves, those in Santa's Village, in the Lower 48 and all around the world, this is your weekly update for the week of March 20, 2023. I'm your host Walter "Mistletoe" Livingstone and I'm your co-host, Becky "Marshmallow" Livingstone, Let's go to press.
For the week of March 20, 2023 your sponsor will be Bill's Game Palace- Your one stop shop for all your recreational needs.
With the NP Snowball Games completed for another year, do you need a board game or other game to occupy your time? Bills is your one stop shop for all your recreational needs. Stop by 105 Tinsel Avenue today to have Bill help you pick out that game that will give you, your friends, and your family hours of fun. That's Bill's Game Palace.
Santa issued the order to shut-down all of the workshops and warehouses this past Saturday in hopes that all of the elves throughout the city would go and spend some time with friends and family for the parade and the Snowball Games Finals. About an hour after he issued the order for the shut-down, he took a walk through the workshop and found several of the craftsman elves still hard at work. After questioning these elves why they were not leaving their post they had stated that they did not have family or friends to spend time with, so they decided to just remain working. After hearing this, Santa called up to Mrs. Claus to let her know, he was taking all of these elves and they would all be spending the afternoon with him at the Snowball Games.
Mrs. Claus called down the Edward Hinkemeyer's office to ask if a special security detail would escort Santa to the Snowball Games with the explicit instructions to make sure he did not purchase and eat too much of the Maple Fudge that was being sold in the concession stands.
Edward also issued a notice to the security detail and Internet monitoring offices to be on alert for Monday this week since it is "Burning Snowman Day" in Michigan and he is concerned for Frosty that someone may interpret the title of this event incorrectly. This event was started by the "Unicorn Hunters" at Lake Superior University in Michigan where they build snowmen out of straw, wood, and other flammable items and set them on fire to commemorate the end of the cold chilly winter and welcome in the warmth of spring.
The department of WWW/PR has been working this week to get caught up on postings and resources on the website. They were able to get the worksheets from the Peppermint Post issues, 7-10 posted on the website throughout various pages. Check out the TAOLF.com website for more information.
This week in North Pole Weather, we expect temperatures between -18 and -20 with mostly sunny skies. Possibility of precipitation is only about 20% each day. Looks like very little chance of snow again this week.
WELF-NPC is glad to announce that the radio station connection to the lower 48 has been renewed again for the next fiscal year. If you are in or traveling to the lower 48, you can tune into the radio station live over the Internet by connecting to TAOLF.com and clicking on the "ON THE AIR" button at the top left of the screen or by going directly to the station's webpage. Check it out today.
The scene outside the Cleveland Arena on a chilly Friday night March 21, 1952, would look quite familiar to anyone who has ever attended a major rock concert. But no one on this particular night had ever even heard of a "rock concert." This, after all, was the night of an event now recognized as history's first major rock-and-roll show: the Moondog Coronation Ball.
The "Moondog" was the legendary disk jockey Alan Freed, the self-styled "father of rock and roll" who was then the host of the enormously popular "Moondog Show" on Cleveland AM radio station WJW. Cleveland record-store owner Leo Mintz, had noted with great interest the growing popularity, among young customers of all races, of rhythm-and-blues records. Mintz decided to sponsor three hours of late-night programming on WJW to showcase rhythm-and-blues music, and Alan Freed was the host. Freed quickly adopted a new, hip persona and vocabulary that included liberal use of the phrase "rock and roll" to describe the music he was now promoting. As the program grew in popularity, Mintz and Freed decided to do something that had never been done: hold a live dance event featuring some of the artists whose records were appearing on Freed’s show. The dance was dubbed "The Moondog Coronation Ball," the event was to feature headliners Paul Williams and his Hucklebuckers and Tiny Grimes and the Rocking Highlanders. Also on the bill were the Dominoes, Varetta Dillard and Danny Cobb. The "Coronation Ball" aspect of the event referred to scheduled intermission festivities- The midnight coronation of the two most popular teenagers. This part was never held though and in a minute, you will know why.
Advanced sale tickets were $1.50 and would be $1.75 at the door, but more tickets were printed than the arena's actual capacity, in part due to counterfeiting and a printing error. Even with the "extra tickets" the event tickets sold out in a single day. Thus an estimated 20,000-25,000 fans showed up for an event being held in an arena with a capacity of only 10,000. With the larger than allowable crowd, worries that a riot might break out as people tried to crowd in — the fire authorities shut down the concert after the first song by opening act Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams ended. However reports are that nearly two hours and 30 policemen later, Police Captain Zimmerman was the one to call it a night…. After ordering the ball ended, Capt. Zimmerman asked the crowd to leave and police stood by as they slowly and reluctantly filed out.
Journalist Valena Williams' first-person report also confirms that the musical performances lasted for some time: "Paul Williams and his Hucklebuckers left the stage and Tiny Grimes and his Highlanders took over. I thought the acoustics were poor because I couldn’t hear the music. But then I realized that the din was drowning out the orchestra. I looked back at the dance floor and more than three-quarters of it was filled so tightly that you couldn’t see anything of the floor itself."
On the radio the next evening, Alan Freed offered an apology to listeners who had tried to attend the canceled event. By way of explanation, Freed said: "If anyone…had told us that some 20 or 25,000 people would try to get into a dance—I suppose you would have been just like me. You would have laughed and said they were crazy." Cleveland rock radio station WMMS attempted a revival of the concert in 1986 with the name "Moondog Coronation Ball II"; as an oldies rock and roll tribute concert and part of the campaign to bring the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to Cleveland. The event never materialized though. In 1992, local oldies radio station WMJI successfully organized a 40th anniversary concert called "Moondog Coronation Ball '92". The concert has been held every year since, featuring oldies rock and roll acts.
For International Waffle Day on Saturday, the NPC Commerce is sponsoring a "Best Waffle Contest." Try out waffles from the local food establishments throughout North Pole City. Local eateries will be having booths available outside their shops all day long with mini waffles to taste test and have a sample. When you are all filled up, stop by the commerce association's offices to cast your vote on the best waffles in North Pole City. The winner will receive a "Best Waffle" plaque to hang in their establishment.
We have new North Pole Snowball Games Champions!
The Cocoa House took an early lead, but Noel's Cozy Corner pulled out ahead with just 4 games remaining and ended up pulling off the win with a score of 79 to 71.
Team captain for The Cocoa House, Alan "Jingle" Appleton said, "We had a bit of trouble with the Mini Snowmen. We just could not seem to get them very tall tonight. They were well shaped and had all the required features, but the Cozy Corners just somehow were beating us on height all night. After that we just were not able to make a comeback. Looks like we will have to wait until next year and try it again!"
Bob "Sleighbell" Yeardley, team captain for Noel's Cozy Corner said, "We are very excited to come out on top tonight. We struggled early on, but were holding on; then came the Mini Snowmen, which we crushed like a nut in a nutcracker, and that gave us that little push we needed to finish out strong. We are very excited about the win and look forward to displaying this trophy proudly in our cocoa pub! We do want to thank the Cocoa House for a great matchup though. They were a tough team to beat."
Everyone at the NPC Sports League would like to send an avalanche of congratulations to Noel's Cozy Corner- this year's NP Snowball Games Champion!
In community events this week we have Ravioli Day on the 20th. Be sure to stop by the NPC Hotel for their Ravioli Extravaganza.
Then it is World Forestry Day and National Flower Day on the 21st. The Forestry Division will be holding tours of their newest planted baby tree forests and the NPC Greenhouses will be offering free flowers to visitors to the greenhouses.
The 22nd is World Water Day. This year's theme is Accelerate Change. Help create a world where all have access to clean water and sanitation methods. The Water and Sewer Elves of the NPC Village Workers will be providing tours of our water filtration systems teach youngling elves about water and sanitation.
The 23rd is Chip and Dip Day. Mrs. Claus' Kitchen, the NPC Hotel, and all the cocoa pubs will be celebrating with multitudes of varieties of chips and dips for all to enjoy all day.
On the 25th is International Waffle day. All NPC food establishments will be having waffles available all day for the "Best Waffle Contest". It is also Earth Hour Day and all are asked to turn off all unnecessary lights and give an hour for Earth, spending 60 minutes doing something - anything - positive for our planet. What will you do?
WELF-NPC would like to wish a very happy 700th birthday to Loraine "Happy" Scarbough of the Gift Wrap and Decoration Division. She has been creating gift wrap designs for 200 years. We wish her many more happy years.
This is Walter "Mistletoe" Livingstone and Becky "Marshmallow" Livingstone with the reminder: “Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.” – Luther Burbank.
Have a good evening, and be sure to tune in next week for another WELF-NPC North Pole Radio News Update.
