Retiring Guy's Digest: 2016

Friday, December 30, 2016

Epic resale value for these men's adventure magazines

Epic: A True Magazine for Men. Published sporadically from March 1957 to June 1961 -- 12 issues altogether. This is the March 1958 issue, which originally sold for a quarter. Allegheny Books and Collectibles now want $10 for it.

In March 1958, I was at probably a couple of years away from appreciating the salaciousness of an article like "Sex Needs of Single Men".

Man's Story enjoyed a much longer and more regular run, from January 1960 to December 1975. Published as many as 9 times a year into the mid-60s, it became a bi-monthly in 1967 and continued this frequency until its demise.

This is the June 1970 issue, which originally sold for 50 cents. Now it'll set you back a sawbuck, if the folks at Allegheny Books get their way.

At least a portion of a swastika is frequently found on the covers of Man's Story.

Men's adventure was a very successful magazine genre during the mid-20th century.

And the adventure continues here.

If you haven't noticed, downtown Warren has many great examples of turn-of-the-century commercial architecture.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Repurposing a five and dime in Warren PA

When people shopped downtown, they very likely visited a five and dime, a store that offered a wide variety of inexpensive household and personal goods. Up until the late 1950s, Warren PA offered shoppers 3 choices.

F. W. Woolworth, 212-214 Liberty Street, which was the first to go out of business.

S. S. Kresge, 200-204 Liberty Street, best known for its lunch counter/soda fountain that stretched most of the length of the Second Avenue side of the store.

G. C. Murphy, 306 Second Avenue, which also had a side entrance on Liberty Street.

Kresge's and Murphy's survived into the late 1970s.

In 1979, the opening of the Warren Mall, located about 4 miles north of the city limits on U.S. highway 62, marked a decisive end of downtown Warren's retail hegemony. One by one, the locally owned and operated businesses that flourished for decades closed their doors: Levinson Brothers department store, Betty Lee, Stein's (both specializing in women's clothing), Brown's Boot Shop, the Style Shop (men's clothing), B&B Smoke Shop (tobacco products, newspapers and magazines), James Jewelers. The list goes on and on.

By the end of the 20th century, the most successful new downtown businesses fell into the following 4 categories: crafts collectibles, used items of all kinds, and off-price merchandise. The Second Avenue Exchange is one of the most recent examples. It offers an abundance of items in the first 3 categories.

Monday, December 26, 2016

Students transferring from a Wisconsin to Pennsylvania college will be in for a big surprise

So much for those 30-packs of Natty Light

Washday Blues

Usually I never notice them until emptying the dryer. The ink stains. An ugly, clearly visible blotch on a pair of jeans. Speckled shirts and blouses, many of which don't register during an initial quick inspection.

Once again, I neglected to check pockets before tossing various items of clothing into the washer. Upon this discovery, I curse myself out mercilessly.

Fortunately, it's a relatively rare experience, once or twice a year out of a total of 365, figuring an average of one load of wash per day. But the week before my most recent misfortune, our 25-year-old son ignored the same cardinal rule of loading the washer and ended up with two permanently stained shirts, one of which practically served as his uniform while working at the Bubble Up Bar at the Avenue Bar.

As I get older, I find that making lists and posting reminder notices are increasingly helpful. I try not leave the house without a grocery list, although I'm not wholly consistent in this practice. If I make the discovery within a few blocks of home as I'm driving to Metcalfe's or Woodman's, I loop through our neighborhood to sweep it off the area of the kitchen counter where I left it. If I make the discovery as I start my sweep through the store, l feel momentarily lost. Since grocery shopping is a 3 or 4 times a week errand, the list I leave behind is never that long. And, at 67, I retain enough brain cells to reconstruct the list mentally, although at least one items usually escapes capture.

In an effort to keeps pens out of our washer and dryer, I have taped the reminder you see pictured above to the container of laundry detergent. After awhile, I fear, the index card may just blend into the rest of the contents of the cupboard. Maybe is should have used a red Sharpie.

Sunday, December 25, 2016

UPDATE. Lac du Flambeau Public Library: 2009-2015 annual circulation and program attendance

Source: Wisconsin Public Library Service Data.

2009-2015 comparisons

48% decrease in circulation
20 children's programs in 2015; no attendance provided

Lac du Flambeau Public Library

A member of the Northern Waters Library Service

Library hours of operation (no change)

Monday: 10 a.m to 4 p.m.
Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1;30 to 5 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

36 hours per week. (Compared to 38 hours per week, on average, in 2009.)

Other posts in the series:

Winchester Public Library. (12/12/2016)

Taylor Memorial Library.  (12/12/2016)
Lone Rock Community Library. (12/13/2016)
John Turgeson Public Library, Belmont.  (12/14/2016)
Wabeno Public Library. (12/15/2016)
Montfort Public Library.  (12/16/2016)
Hawkins Area Public Library. (12/17/2016)
Argyle Public Library.  (12/18/2016)
Neshkoro Public Library. (12/19/2016)
Lowell Public Library.  (12/20/2016)
Readstown Public Library. (12/21/2016)
Fairchild Public Library. (12/22/2016)
Allen-Dietzman Public Library. (12/23/2016)
Bloomington Public Library. (12/24/2016)

Related websites:

Small and Rural Library Resources (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)

"Small, but Mighty" Track. (Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference)

Small Public Libraries in Wisconsin. (Winnefox Library System; PowerPoint slides)

Wisconsin Small Libraries (WISL) on Facebook.

Wisconsin Small Libraries (Wisconsin Library Association)

Intro to original series:

Admittedly, Retiring Guy spends more time highlighting the statistics of Wisconsin's larger public libraries, which is one of the reasons that I initiated this alphabetical series and decided to temporarily suspend this top-down look at 2009-2014 annual circulation and program attendance.

This series features a bottoms-up look at 2009-2014 annual circulation and program attendance.

Eager Free Public Library (Evansville) holdings, 2011-2015

Source: Wisconsin Public Library Service Data

2011-2015 changes:

Books | +1,877
Audio | +44
Video | -15
Periodicals | no change
Expenditures | +$2,615 (+8%)

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Eager Free Public Library

Shared online catalog: RockCAT (Arrowhead Library System)
Collection development policy (not available online)

Other updates and additional entries to series:

Abbotsford Public Library. (9/20/2016)

Adams County Public Library. (9/20/2016)

Albertson Memorial Library. (9/20/2016)

Algoma Public Library. (9/21/2016)

Alma Public Library. (9/21/2016)

Altoona Public Library. (9/22/2016)

Amery Area Public Library. (9/22/2016)

Lettie W. Jensen Public Library. (9/23/2016)

Antigo Public Library. (9/23/2016)

>Appleton Public Library. (9/23/2016)

Arcadia Free Public Library. (9/24/2016)

Argyle Public Library. (9/24/2016)

Lester Public Library of Arpin. (9/25/2016)

Vaughn Public Library, Ashland. (9/25/2016)

Augusta Memorial Public Library. (9/26/2016)

Baldwin Public Library. (9/27/2016)

Balsam Lake Public Library. (9/28/2016)

Baraboo Public Library. (9/29/2016)

Barneveld Public Library. (9/30/2016)

Barron Public Library. (10/1/2016)

Bayfield Carnegie Library. (10/2/2016)

Beaver Dam Community Library. (10/3/2016)

Belleville Public Library. (10/4/2016)

John Turgeson Public Library, Belmont. (10/5/2016)

Beloit Public Library. (10/6/2016)

Benton Public Library. (10/7/2016)

Berlin Public Library. (10/9/2016)

Big Bend Village Library. (10/10/2016)

Black Creek Village Library,. (10/11/2016)

Black Earth Public Library. (10/12/2016)

Black River Falls Public Library. (10/13/2016)

Blair-Preston Public Library. (10/14/2016)

Blanchardville Public Library. (10/15/2016)

G. E. Bleskacek Memorial Family Library. (10/16/2016)

Bloomington Public Library. (10/17/2016)

Hildebrand Memorial Library, Boscobel. (10/18/2016)

Boulder Junction Public Library. (10/19/2016)

Boyceville Public Library. (10/20/2016)

Brandon Public Library. (10/21/2016)

Brillion Public Library. (10/22/2016)

Brodhead Memorial Public Library. (10/23/2016)

Brookfield Public Library. (10/24/2016)

Brown Deer Public Library. (10/25/2016)

Brownsville Public Library. (10/26/2016)

Bruce Area Library. (10/27/2016)

Burlington Public Library. (10/28/2016)

Butler Public Library. (10/29/2016)

Forest Lodge Public Library, Cable. (10/30/2016)

Cadott Community Library. (10/31/2016)

Jane Morgan Memorial Library, Cambria. (11/1/2016)

Cambridge Community Library. (11/2/2016)

Cameron Public Library. (11/3/2016)

Campbellsport Public Library. (11/4/2016)

Cashton Memorial Library. (11/5/2016)

Eckstein Memorial Library, Cassville. (11/6/2016)

Cedar Grove Public Library. (11/7/2016)

Cedarburg Public Library. (11/8/2016)

Centuria Public Library. (11/9/2016)

Calhoun Memorial Library, Chetek. (11/10/2016)

Chilton Public Library. (11/11/2016)

Chippewa Falls Public Library. (11/13/2016)

Clear Lake Public Library. (11/14/2016)

Clinton Public Library. (11/15/2016)

Clintonville Public Library. (11/16/2016)

Cobb Public Library. (11/17/2016)

Colby Public Library. (11/18/2016)

Colfax Public Library. (11/19/2016)

Coloma Public Library. (11/20/2016)

Columbus Public Library. (11/21/2016)

Cornell Public Library. (11/22/2016)

Crandon Public Library. (11/23/2016)

Rosemary Garfoot Public Library (Cross Plains). (11/24/2016)

Cuba City Public Library. (11/25/2016)

Cudahy Family Library. (11/26/2016)

Thomas St. Angelo Public Library, Cumberland. (11/27/2017)

Darien Public Library. (11/28/2016)

Johnson Public Library, Darlington. (11/29/2016)

Deer Park Public Library. (11/30/2016)

Deerfield Public Library. (12/1/2016)

DeForest Area Public Library. (12/2/2016)

Delafield Public Library. (12/4/2016)

Aram Public Library, Delavan. (12/5/2016)

De Soto Public Library. (12/6/2016)

Dodgeville Public Library. (12/7/2016)

Dorchestesr Public Library. (12/8/2016)

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Donald Trump sets the table for hate, intolerance and complete piggishness

Quoted in What do we want for 2017? We have a Lot of Different Opinions. (Artvoice, 12/23/2016)

Related reading:
Trump ‘friend’ and N.Y. campaign co-chair says he wants Obama dead of ‘mad cow disease’ in 2017. (Washington Post, 12/23/2016)

Uproar continues over Paladino comments on Obamas. (Buffalo News, 12/24/2016)

Larry Quinn, a current School Board member and friend of Paladino, said he wanted to keep his reaction brief until he spoke with Paladino about the episode, but disapproved of Paladino's language.

"I don't like the words he used," he said. "I don't want to speculate at this time about what may happen. I'm not ready to jump in that pool yet. Carl's a friend, and I will give him an opportunity to talk to me about this."

The many other tables that Trump has set.