PALMDALE BLVD

Volume I No: 5 “Where every story is a positive story.” February 2018

The Merrin Family: The Path to the Stars

Story Page 5

MAN IS NOT
CONTROLLING
THE TEMPERATURE
Interview with Apollo 7 Astronaut Walt Cunningham Gary O’Neal
American Warrior
Story Page 3 Story Page 7

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Serving Palmdale Water District since 2011.
2 PALMDALE BLVD
PALMDALE BLVD
“Where every story is a positive story.”
Hobalong@adelphia.net
661.618.3301
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
Larry Hobson
661.618.3301
Publisher Assistant
Amanda Hobson
Office Manager
Ashleigh Hobson
Managing Editor & Copy Editor
Thomas Fitzgerald
S t a f f Wr i t e r
Thomas Fitzgerald
Advertising
661.618.3301
Layout & Design
Thomas Fitzgerald
Distribution Manager
Kelsey Hobson
Palmdale Blvd is a First Amendment Free Press.
In compliance with federal Civil Rights legislation,
we do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed,
color, national origin, ancestry, religion or lack of,
sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orienta-
tion(s) or veteran status in our employment.
Palmdale Blvd has not investigated any service or
product advertised in this newspaper and publica-
tion of advertising does not imply endorsement of
any product or service by this newspaper.
Palmdale Blvd is a free newspaper published
monthly and is distributed to Palmdale residents ,
businesses and public school district staff.
PALMDALE FIN & FEATHER CLUB
ACCEPTING NEW MEMBERS
FOR NEW SEASON
The Palmdale Fin and Feather Club’s opening day
is Saturday, February 3 and we are accepting new
members.
We are stocking loads of Trout from two different
Trout farms this year, Mt. Lassen in Northern Califor-
nia and West Haven Trout Ranch in Utah.
The Palmdale Fin and Feather Club is a non-profit,
member’s only fishing and hunting club. We are locat-
ed off the 14 freeway in sunny Palmdale.
With 48 fishing docks surrounding our lake, the Fin
and Feather is the perfect place to get away and relax.
The Fin and Feather Club stocks healthy Rainbow
Trout during the colder months of our fishing season.
This year we are set to stock 70,000 pounds.
After the weather starts to warm, the Catfish, Bass,
Bluegill, Crappie and Perch start to bite, which ensures
productive fishing all season long.
The membership pricing for the Fin and Feather Club
is based on the city you live in. See our website for
more details: www.palmdalefinandfeatherclub.com.
PALMDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT
LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN
SHOWING RESULTS
By DANNY KANGA
Director of LCAP
Contributing Writer
California’s 2013 school funding model, the Local
Control Funding Formula (LCFF), provides extra
funding for school districts serving students from lim-
ited income households, students who are classified as
English Learners, and students who are Foster Youth.
To ensure that schools are served equitably, each dis-
trict must develop a Local Control Accountability Plan
(LCAP) that highlights the needs of their school dis-
trict’s students as well as the actions and services that
best serve their students.
The Palmdale School District LCAP has created doz-
ens of actions and services that are geared toward the
students and families of the district.
Increasing student achievement, creating robust op-
portunities for student engagement, and implementing
programs that help build positive relationships between
staff and students are just a few of the actions that will
prepare students for success in our changing world.
In one action, for example, Palmdale School Dis-
trict decided to extend the school day to not only give
students more time in class, but to enable all middle
school students from 6th – 8th grade to have a sev-
en-period day.
Combined with choices of over 30 different electives,
our middle school students will be able to explore a
wide variety of non-traditional academic subjects
during their day.
This will help them to be engaged in classes which
will have the effect of helping them to explore possible
options for high school, college, and beyond.
Another LCAP-funded action supports the work of
the district with an organization called Capturing Kids
Hearts (CKH).
Through CKH, teachers and administrators are given
the tools to help establish strong positive relationships
among students and faculty. The net effect of this im-
portant work is an increase in well-being, engagement
and student performance.
The LCAP supports the overarching district initia-
tive known as the Palmdale Promise. As stated in the
vision of the Palmdale Promise, “Every Student Grad-
uates Ready for Success in High School and Beyond:
College, Career, the Global World.”
It’s a Raven! Or is it a Crow?
By MARILYN DALRYMPLE
Contributing Writer
So how do we tell apart these two members, crows and
ravens, both abundant in the Antelope Valley? If you
know the differences, it’s not so difficult.
Ravens are larger and travel in pairs. The raven’s beak
is chunky, bigger and curvier than the crow, and has a
tuft of hair atop the bill.
Ravens have shaggy throat feathers and their tails
are wedge-shaped. Their pointed wings spread from
46 to 54 inches, and feathers are shiny with a blue or
purple tint.
Crows travel in large groups. Their tail feathers are
close to the same length and form a fan when opened.
Their bills are smaller and flat, and lack the tuft of hair
Warning Signs for a Heart Attack…in My Case
By LARRY HOBSON
Publisher
I recently went through a Coronary Angiogram. Look for
the warning signs. My warning signs were walking about
100 feet and breathing hard, and I had a small chest pain
that I didn’t think much about.
It didn’t really hurt that much and was in the center and
top of my chest. I went on like this for about eight months.
About three months of that was caused by doctors.
One doctor didn’t turn in the right paper work, which
delayed things, so I got rid of him and went to urgent care
and they gave me what I needed to go to a cardiologist.
That took about a month to get to see him. He ordered
a stress test and an ultrasound. Everything came back
good; they couldn’t find anything wrong.
I reminded the doctor he said the stress test stressed my
heart and my chest would hurt because of the test. My
heart felt the same after the test when walking about 100
feet.
So he said those test are only 85 percent accurate. He
really didn’t want to give me an angiogram if he didn’t
have to because the dye wasn’t good on my kidneys.
Since I’m a diabetic, my kidneys were stressed already.
A Coronary Angiogram was scheduled. These are done
in the hospital, in an operating room. My procedure was
done at Palmdale Medical Center and was set for 7:30am
on January 5.
I had to be there at 5:30 in the morning. As soon as I
got there, they took me right in to get me prepped and
wheeled me right into the operating room. At around
7:20, a little more prep, and at 7:30, I had the doctor there
doing the Angiogram.
It was done in about 45 minutes. No pain at all and I was
awake while they did it.
They then showed me the “before” picture of my heart
where one of the major arteries was clogged 85 percent.
It was a heart attack waiting to happen.
The Left Anterior Descending artery (LAD) is called
the “Widow-maker.” This term is used because the LAD
supplies blood to large areas of the heart.
The LAD typically supplies over half of the heart mus-
cle with blood, which is twice as much as the other coro-
nary arteries. They then placed me in ICU to recover and
watch me overnight, and I was out of the hospital around
12:30pm on January 6 – the very next day.
I never experienced any pain while placing the stent to
open the artery, and none the next day, or now.
I guess since it took 72 years to clog that artery, I must
be good to go for the rest of my life.
the raven’s bill has. Their blunt and splayed wings span
from 32 to 40 inches and have a purple with green tint.
Crows vocalize with a caw-caw and high-pitched call.
Ravens have a raspy gronk-gronk, and low and raspy
croak.
Wikipedia tells us, “Crows and ravens often score very
highly on intelligence tests. Certain species top the avi-
an IQ scale. Wild hooded crows in Israel have learned
to use bread crumbs for bait-fishing. Crows engage in
a kind of mid-air jousting, or air-”chicken” to estab-
lish pecking order. They have been found to engage in
activities such as sports, tool use, ability to hide and
store food across seasons, episodic-like memory, and
the ability to use individual experience in predicting the
behavior of environmental conspecifics.”

CLIMATE CHANGE HOAX
An Interview with Apollo 7 Astronaut Walter Cunningham
By THOMAS FITZGERALD
Staff Writer
Global cooling. Global warming. Climate change. The
sky is falling, the sky is falling! Or is it?
Earth is either in a cooling trend or heating trend, and
average global temperatures are never constant when
measured over a significant period of time.
When meteorologists tell of record high or low tempera-
tures, it must be kept in mind figures are since an “official
record” has been kept.
The 92 degree high temperature for downtown Los An-
geles on Thanksgiving Day 2017 was the hottest turkey
day temperature for downtown since at least 1876.
This is because temperature recordkeeping for down-
town began in 1877, making Thanksgiving 2017 the hot-
test turkey day for downtown Los Angeles on record.
There is no way to accurately ascertain if the high tem-
perature for the downtown Los Angeles region eclipsed
the 92 degree mark any other last Thursday in November
the preceding 1,000 years.
Maybe it did. Maybe it didn’t. We’ll never know.
But science is advanced enough to measure changes in
general climate in times past.
Three particularly cold periods occurred within the past
400 years, according to the NASA Earth Observatory.
One began about 1650, another about 1770, and the last
in 1850, all separated by intervals of slight warming.
The intervening warming periods were not brought
about by mankind and its activity.
Because man’s activity did not contribute to warming
then does not mean man does not have an impact on cli-
mate and temperature today, because we do.
The correct question is: How does man impact tempera-
ture, and, how much of an impact has he?
To discuss the verisimilitude of the man-made global
warming theory, or, “anthropogenic global warming”
(AGW), Palmdale Blvd newspaper spoke with retired as-
tronaut, Walter Cunningham.
He was a Marine Corps fighter pilot and the Lunar Mod-
ule pilot on 1968’s Apollo 7 mission, Cunningham was
NASA’s third civilian astronaut, following Neil Arm-
strong and Elliot See.
He earned his B.A. with honors in 1960, and his M.A.
with distinction in 1961, both in physics, from the Uni-
versity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
“I need to make sure you understand,” began Cunning-
ham. “I am not a climate scientist. I’m a physicist.”
Climate change is not in question, according to Cun-
ningham. “The question is, ‘Are human activities con-
trolling the temperature of the planet?’”
Reflective heat caused by urban and suburban sprawl
deserves greater scrutiny and may be more a culprit than
carbon emissions when measuring man’s impact on ris-
ing atmospheric temperature, Cunningham suggested.
Citing Los Angeles air pollution in the summer of 1948,
when not one day’s sky was clear of smog, according
to Cunningham’s memory, he said, “A lot of that’s been
fixed now by a variety of different things. But as Los
Angeles expanded, now we’ve got almost wall-to-wall
people from Santa Barbara down to San Diego. We’ve
changed the surface of the earth in that area from green-
ery and stuff like that, to concrete and material like that.”
FEBRUARY 2018
Cunningham said there is no question the sun’s reflection
off man-made material slightly increases the temperature
of any given region - a heat island.
He recalled flying out of El Toro in Orange County when
he was a Marine Corps pilot and noticing the rapid growth
below over a relatively short span of time.
“Do humans have some impact on climate? Yes. But is
it significant? No,” said Cunningham. “It’s very, very mi-
nor. Historically, rising C02 levels followed temperature
increases. Today, we are asked to believe the opposite is
occurring.”
Because man’s activity did
not contribute to warming in
the past does not mean man
does not have an impact on
climate and temperature to-
day, because we do.
AGW suggests man’s emitting of greenhouse gases into
the atmosphere, primarily from the burning of fossil fu-
els, is the main factor responsible for the current global
warming trend.
When it comes to the carbon question, Cunningham is
a skeptic who believes the impact is overstated to better
sell the public on, and garner greater support for, wind
and solar energy.
“There’s no question humans have an impact. The ques-
tions is: do we have enough impact to control the tempera-
ture of our planet?” said Cunningham. “Which they’re
now claiming we are, though they don’t characterize that
word-wise these days. That’s the real issue going on here
because that’s how they justify spending billions of dol-
lars for wind power, or solar power, to make that look
more attractive.”
Cunningham served five years on the National Renewal
Energy Laboratory advisory board in Denver, Colorado.
The correct question is: How
does man impact temperature,
and, how much of an impact
has he?
“I’m familiar with renewable energies. I’m not against
renewable energies where it makes some sense for them,”
said Cunningham. “I am definitely against them to replace
our normal energy, our hydrocarbon stuff [and] the ridic-
ulous idea that we’re controlling the temperature with it.
We’re not.”
According to Space.com, by volume, dry air is made
of 78.09 percent nitrogen, 20.95 percent oxygen, 0.93
percent argon, 0.04 percent carbon dioxide, and small
amounts of other gases.
Cunningham explained that of the less than 1 percent of
atmosphere that is greenhouse gas, about 3.6 percent of
that roughly 1 percent is CO2.
And 3.4 percent of the 3.6 percent of 1 percent is green-
house gas emissions caused by human activity.
“Human responsible CO2 is 0.001 percent,” said Cun-
ningham. “I’m not saying that we aren’t doing something
in the make-up, up or down over the years, but that is a
trivial amount to try to claim that that’s controlling the
3
temperature.”
Cunningham does not foresee technology advancing
enough to replace the hydrocarbon within the next 100
years, at least, and is in favor of renewable energy – wind
and solar – where it is the best option.
“I’m in favor of wind power if that’s the only way they
can get some power,” said Cunningham. “Solar power,
there are places around the world, in Africa, where the
only way they can get power there is to use renewables.”
Scientific consensus does not equate with correct sci-
ence, as history shows.
Even Einstein took scientific issue, and was wrong, with
some aspects of quantum mechanics later proven to be
true.
Nearing the end of a mini-cooling trend in the 1970s,
climate scientists accurately reported the global cooling,
but not all foresaw the ensuing warming we’re experi-
encing now.
Besides being blamed on human activity – burning fos-
sil fuels – this warming trend has been predicted to result
in calamity, most notably by former US vice president, Al
Gore in his Inconvenient Truth documentary.
Many major catastrophic environmental events predict-
ed in the movie have not come to pass, resulting in those
promoting gloom and doom being labeled “alarmist.”
On the scientific front, the
alarmists are now losing. But
they do not appear to be losing
with the public’s perception,
or with politicians, educators,
or the media.
Gore’s 2006 claim that Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro – that
continent’s tallest peak – will be snow-free “within the
decade” to his 2008 warning the Artic will be ice-free by
2013, proved false.
Only time can determine who and what predictions are
correct and in doing so, time will also expose those pre-
dictions wildly off the mark.
In the meantime, the fight to eliminate the carbon-based
economy and burning of fossil fuels is intensifying.
Continued on Page 4
4 PALMDALE BLVD
CLIMATE CHANGE HOAX
Continued From Page 3
The one thing those supporting the elimination have
against them is time itself if the current stabilization of
global temperatures are correct.
Gore’s 2006 claim that Africa’s
Mount Kilimanjaro – that con-
tinent’s tallest peak – will be
snow-free “within the decade”
to his 2008 warning the Artic
will be ice-free by 2013, proved
false.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
reports a warming rate slowdown with no significant in-
crease in surface temperature since about the year 2000.
This warming pause or, “hiatus,” as is the academic
term, is not giving pause to the anti-carbon movement’s
lobbying efforts or momentum.
“This is an argument that’s being fought on the scien-
tific front, the public perception front, the political front,
in education, in the media, all these areas, this has been
going on,” said Cunningham. “On the scientific front, the
alarmists are now losing. But they do not appear to be
losing with the public’s perception, or with politicians,
educators, or the media.”
Only time can determine who
and what predictions are cor-
rect and in doing so, time will
also expose those predictions
wildly off the mark.
Cunningham said too many within the political, educa-
tion and media class, “are not informed and do not go and
look at the data themselves.”
Among these groups, Cunningham has most faith in the
public, whose perception is, “slowly improving.”
He has the least amount of faith in politicians.
As an academic exercise, not a disingenuous ploy, Cun-
ningham insists people not just buy his conclusions ei-
ther.
Rather, they should review the data themselves to un-
cover historical facts.
“It’s discouraging that we have evolved to the point
where people are not naturally skeptical,” said Cun-
ningham.
“My message is: quit believ-
ing what you’re being told.
Even by me,” cautioned Cun-
ningham. “Go look at the data.
We’re in an interglacial period
right now.
Cunningham does not suggest this period of interglacial
warming will not meet or exceed the warming of the pre-
vious four before peaking and then cyclically receding
toward cooling, but does know the answer will only come
with time.
The sun is a major factor in global warming and cooling
cycles as well. Cunningham said, according to science,
solar activity is in a minimum phase.
“My message is: quit believing what you’re being told.
Even by me,” cautioned Cunningham. “Go look at the
data. We’re in an interglacial period right now, and it’s
the longest interglacial period we’ve ever had historically
that we’ve been able to figure out. Our temperature in this
interglacial period is lower than it was in the last four.”
Following are questions from Palmdale Blvd newspaper
publisher, Larry Hobson, and answers by Cunningham.
PB: “Are humans causing or contributing a lot to global
warming?”
WC: “We are not.”
PB: “Do humans also exert a cooling influence on
Earth’s climate?”
WC: “No.”
PB: “Couldn’t the sun be the cause of the recent global
warming?”
WC: “The sun is the most significant factor, period.”
PB: “Don’t volcanoes emit more carbon dioxide than
humans?”
WC: “Much, much more, and they have throughout
history.”
PB: “Is the current global warming trend any different
than previous warming periods in Earth’s history?”
WC: “It’s not any different. But we have a public that
has become less and less concerned about the details of
anything. They buy what they’re told.”
PB: “What harm will global warming cause?”
WC: “It won’t cause any harm.”
PB: “Is global warming a threat to humans? If so how?”
WC: “Global warming is not a threat to humans.”
PB: “Are there positive benefits from global warming?”
WC: “The regions of the earth that are available to be
used for agriculture will get larger.”
PB: “Can we slow or even reverse global warming?”
WC: “No.”
PB: “What can I do to help reduce global warming?”
WC: “Nothing.”
PB: “What can businesses and business leaders do about
global warming?
WC: “Nothing.”
PB: “What can people do about the expected impacts
caused by global warming?
WC: “Adjust. We’ve adjusted to climate change through-
out history and we’ll continue to do so.”
Fore Play
PAUL MATTSON
Contributing Writer
Nothing can be more rewarding or unsettling than a
sudden personality change in your opponent. If you are
finally starting to pull away in the stretch, do not pull
back on the reins. Your opponent may be wearing a sour
face or a look of uncharacteristic sadness, but it’s only a
feint. He’s trying to take advantage of your sympathetic
nature hoping you’ll rush a few putts as charity for one
of your less fortunate brethren.
Don’t let up! You must keep the momentum as long
as possible because it can change faster than a political
alliance. Just when you think the game is in the bag a
momentary loss of intensity can create a vicious mud-
slide causing you to lose the round. Keep the pressure
on with ruthless intensity and don’t fall prey to an op-
ponent of many faces. KEEP SWINGING EASY!
Lancaster School District Schools
Receive National Showcase Recognition
By FLIPPEN GROUP &
LANCASTER SCHOOL DISTRICT
Contributed
Three schools in Lancaster School District have been
nominated for a Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Show-
case SchoolsTM Award for the 2017-2018 school year.
The proud schools to achieve this honor are Monte Vista
Elementary School, New Vista Middle School and Sierra
Elementary School.
The nominations come from the Flippen Group, a com-
pany that is dedicated to building positive campus cli-
mate and classroom success for students.
Three years ago, the Lancaster School District commit-
ted to transforming our campuses into emotionally safe
and positive places for students, staff, and parents to
come together with a love for learning.
This commitment has resulted in a dramatic decrease in
suspensions, as well as improvement in attendance and
academic achievement for our students at the three Show-
case nominated schools. A primary component of this suc-
cess has been a program called Capturing Kids’ Hearts.
According to DeeDee Anderson, principal of Monte
Vista Elementary School, “I can honestly say that in 25
years of education, I have never experienced a better,
more child-centered, meaningful, and useful training. I
have watched my teachers make amazing changes toward
connecting with their students. As we raise and educate
our students to be model citizens as adults, Capturing
Kids’ Hearts lays an amazing foundation in social norms,
responsibilities and ownership.”
At a recent School Board meeting, Janice Forte’-Wat-
son, principal of Sierra Elementary School, stated that
many of her students have achieved over twice the ex-
pected growth in reading scores since implementing the
Flippen Group processes, and that on state tests, growth
has been particularly strong for African-American stu-
dents and those who are English Language Learners, as
well as for students who are in the foster system or iden-
tified as homeless.
Through the Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase
Schools awards, Flippen Group seeks to recognize and
celebrate schools that go the extra mile each day, build-
ing an environment where students and staff feel safe and
connected.
As Kym Cochran, principal at New Vista Middle School
says, “Capturing Kids’ Hearts has made a tremendous
positive impact on how all adults on campus interact with
students and with each other. Students love being a part
of the process as they feel it gives them a voice about
how they want to be treated by everyone in the classroom
and across the campus. Students feel a greater sense of
connectedness with everyone on the site.”
Lancaster School District is proud to partner with the
Flippen Group to recognize the outstanding teachers, ad-
ministrators and school staff who have dedicated them-
selves to making a difference in the lives of our children.
BRUCE MERRIN’S
Celebrity Speakers
Las Vegas, NV 89103
702.367.0331

One Man’s Galaxy of Stars
By THOMAS FITZGERALD
Staff Writer
Dan Merrin’s stellar career spans back
decades and is linked to legendary stars of
stage, screen, sports and politics.
Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Frank
Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, Elvis Presley,
Alec Guiness (in Cuba!), revolutionary
sex siren Mae West and dramatist Tennes-
see Williams.
He has remarkable insights and personal
stories with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt,
Pearl Bailey, Lena Horne, Elizabeth Tay-
lor, Ava Gardner, Kim Novak and Lana
Turner.
Merrin had a relationship with producers
and directors such as John Ford, Vicente
Minelli, Hal Wallis and Norman Lear.
Over 300 Hall of Fame athletes from
all fields of sport appeared on his shows,
“The Way it Was” and “Sports Chal-
lenge.” These sport shows won four
Emmy awards.
He has booked legendary UCLA basket-
ball coach John Wooden, Ed McMahon,
Dusty Baker, Muhammad Ali, Marie Os-
mond, President Gerald Ford, Jamaal Silk
Wilkes, immortal superstars Joe DiMag-
gio, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams,
Mickey Mantle, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry
West and Olympic gold medal winner Jes-
se Owens.
Merrin was production coordinator of
the stage musical, “Man of La Mancha”
which won six Tony Awards. The show
ran successfully in 54 countries in 34 lan-
guages, worldwide.
Merrin served as Hollywood Bureau
Chief of Hugh Hefner’s, “Show Business
Illustrated.”
He worked eleven years as a magazine
editor, including New York City picture
magazine, “Eye & Foto Parade.”
Palmdale Blvd newspaper visited with
the legend in Las Vegas and listened to
marvelous stories told by a fascinating
man.
The old-timer may not be actively en-
gaged in the entertainment world today,
but he has recently authored a book titled,
One Man’s Galaxy of Stars, about his ex-
periences working with many legends of
yesteryear.
In it, Merrin shares never before re-
vealed, fascinating anecdotes and experi-
ences with a host of the celebrities.
His amazing exploits include a private
audience with a Pope in Vatican City,
and many Cardinals, where he gained the
support of the Holy Father for a film ven-
ture, and received an invitation from the
Pope to attend a rare Requiem Mass in the
Sistine Chapel adorned with the frescoes
of Michelangelo.
FEBRUARY 2018
On keeping company with two Popes,
Merrin made a point of adding, “And I’m
not Catholic.”
One Man’s Galaxy of Stars is available in
E-Book, or in Apple parlance, an I-Book.
It was written by “hunt and peck” over a
four month period. “I began with a Roy-
al typewriter when I was about 9 years of
age and I never got out of the habit, even
with a computer,” said Merrin, now 95,
explaining his two-fingered typing style.
Motivation to write the book came from
family and friends who listened to his sto-
ries over the years and suggested he share
his life’s experiences.
Humble, Merrin explained, “I’ve just had
the good fortune to be in the right place at
the right time so that I met, and become
close to, a tremendously varied group of
worldwide known celebrities.”
Nearly a full decade prior to ESPN com-
ing into existence in September 1979,
Merrin produced two sport-focused pro-
grams. Hosted by Curt Gowdy, The Way it
Was ran from 1974 to 1978 on PBS.
In 1976, the show was nominated for
an Emmy Award in the category of “Out-
standing Edited Sports Series” and reruns
air on ESPN Classic channel.
Sports Challenge, hosted by Dick En-
berg, ran in syndication weekly from 1971
to 1979.
When Merrin booked former Dodgers
Jackie Robinson, Duke Snyder and Carl
Eskine, Merrin gave the privilege of greet-
ing Robinson at the airport to his son,
Bruce Merrin, who picked-up Jackie and
his wife at LAX and then had dinner with
them at the Brown Derby.
Living life “was realizing a kid’s dream,”
said the elder Merrin. “Meeting and know-
ing these people, and when they became
close friends, it was something out of gen-
uine warmth, not just because they were
on a show.”
His two, half-hour sport shows earned
Merrin four Emmy Awards at a time when
his main competition was the 90 minute,
weekly Wide World of Sports on ABC.
“For any small enterprise to compete
with a major network, it was outstanding,”
said Merrin.
Merrin’s interest in sports and news be-
gan when he was a boy growing up in New
York City.
He placed carbon paper between sheets
of blank paper and made newspaper-style,
thin, vertical columns, within which he
wrote his stories.
While in elementary school, Merrin said
he developed, “aspirations about being
the next great newspaperman. Of course
always enterprising, wildly successful, do-
ing all kinds of daredevil things in order to
get my story.”
Merrin attended college at the University
of Missouri where he and other journalism
students started a non-campus newspaper
that competed with the town newspaper.
Dan Merrin worked on The Missourian,
a daily newspaper, which was published
by the School of Journalism editorial staff
and commercially competed with the town
newspaper, the Columbian Tribune.
One story in particular remains vivid in
Merrin’s memory, 75 years after the fact.
Merrin wanted to cover a lynching that
occurred in the town of Sikeston, Missou-
ri, but was denied by the faculty editor.
“I was from New York City, so I was la-
beled, of course, a ‘Northern Radical,’”
explained Merrin, as a contributing factor
on not getting assigned the story.
Merrin’s ability to make things happen
became evident while in college when
Eleanor Roosevelt accepted his invita-
tion to attend a meeting of a group he
belonged to.
Self-described as a “muckraking group”
that fought for social progress primarily,
and operated under the name “Campus
Parlay,” Merrin and associates sent a let-
ter to the White House inviting the first
lady to attend one of the group’s weekend
meetings.
“To our great shock and pleasure, she
came, armed with a coterie of newspaper
people and photographers,” said Merrin.
“She became someone who made herself
so important in our lives. And for over 20
years, she remained a good confidence,
someone I could talk to.”
After World War II, Merrin wanted to
become a foreign news correspondent for
the U.S. State Department and consulted
Eleanor Roosevelt, at that time, the former
first lady.
Mrs. Roosevelt was head of an organi-
zation called, “The American Association
for the United Nations,” and told Merrin
the congressman from his New York City
district must give his recommendation be-
fore the State Department would accept
his application.
Roosevelt reminded Merrin his congress-
man was a Republican, and considering
Merrin’s political views, the odds of a
Republican signing off on his application
was zilch.
In 1956, Dan Merrin and his family
moved to Las Vegas where he became
general manager and executive vice pres-
ident of the Flamingo Hotel and Casino.
The Flamingo was first opened and once
owned by mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Sie-
gel.
The establishment opened for business
on December 26, 1946, and is known for
bringing style and class to the Las Vegas
strip in the early years.
Prior to becoming general manager and
vice president of the Flamingo, Merrin’s
5
only experience in the hospitality industry
was working summers as a waiter in up-
scale hotels in Upstate New York to earn
the money to pay for college.
Hired by Al Parvin to run the Flamin-
go Hotel, Merrin described his conference
room introduction to Flamingo manage-
ment as “incredible.”
Merrin wanted to
cover a lynching that
occurred in the town
of Sikeston, Missou-
ri, but was denied by
the faculty editor. “I
was from New York
City, so I was labeled,
of course, a ‘Northern
Radical,’” explained
Merrin, as a contrib-
uting factor on not
getting assigned the
story.
“Al stood up and said, ‘I want you to
meet Dan Merrin. He’s coming here to run
the hotel. When I’m away, he runs it. And
when I’m here, he runs it,’” recalled Mer-
rin.
With that, Parvin told the assembled
management he was leaving the room and
now was their opportunity to become ac-
quainted with Merrin.
At that moment, Merrin said he, “felt like
I had egg all over my face. I can see these
faces looking at me and a lot of them were
hostile looks,” Merrin reminisced.
Merrin said he acknowledged to man-
agement they knew more about operating
a hotel than he, but then reminded them
Parvin chose him to run the Flamingo.
He also promised to cooperate with any
reasonable proposal put forth by manage-
ment, if it made things better.
Spending one week immersed in every
department from morning to evening –
coming home to eat dinner with his fam-
ily and then going back to work – Merrin
quickly learned the ropes.
When Merrin took over, the Flamingo
was virtually empty Monday thru Thurs-
days with all the action taking place begin-
ning Friday and lasting over the weekend.
“Between Monday and Thursday, you
could put a canon in the lobby and fire it
and it wouldn’t be heard,” said Merrin. “I
knew convention business was the whole
answer to our problem.”
The first group to hold a conference at
Continued on Page 6
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6 PALMDALE BLVD
One Man’s Galaxy of Stars
Continued From Page 5
the Flamingo under Merrin’s stewardship was the Jewish
Funeral Directors of America.
“They came, they were wonderful guests and they were
gamblers. All was well,” said Merrin.
The second group convening at the Flamingo was the
Contract Bridge Players of America (CBPA), an organi-
zation that traveled from city to city to hold tournaments
and play for points.
“Money wasn’t a factor,” said Merrin of CBPA mem-
bers. “Most of them had columns in newspapers and
magazines and so forth that kept them affluent.”
Early in Merrin’s tenure as Flamingo general manager,
he was paid a visit by a gentleman there to tell Merrin his
conventions will not book with the Flamingo, but rather,
The Desert Inn.
Merrin then got the skinny on
Dalitz from Parvin, who de-
scribed Dalitz as, “a member of
‘Murder Incorporated,’ and ma-
fia chief of Cleveland, Ohio.”
Not intimidated, Merrin held his ground. Before walking
away, the man told Merrin he had earned his respect and
if he was ever in need of something, to call on him.
That man, unbeknownst to Merrin at the time, was
philanthropist, gangster, casino owner and businessman,
Moe Dalitz, AKA: “Mr. Las Vegas.”
Dalitz owned the Desert Inn and later, for a brief period,
Stardust Resort & Casino. Dalitz entry into the crime un-
derworld began during the federal government’s first war
on drugs in the early 20th century – alcohol prohibition.
Dalitz transported booze using trucks owned by his
family’s laundry business. When the nation regained its
senses in 1933 and re-legalized liquor, Dalitz was forced
to turn to a new revenue-making, illegal enterprise – ca-
sinos.
“They gave Russian Louie
a lift to a place in the desert
where there was a deep hole.
He was placed there, and the
sand was put up to his chin.
They didn’t kill him. They just
left him where he couldn’t
move so that the sun and the
red ants would do their work.”
When the Flamingo owner made one of his infrequent
visits to his property to meet with Merrin to get updated
on business, Merrin told him the story of his conversa-
tion with Dalitz, referring to him as “Moe” because he
couldn’t remember his last name.
When Parvin mentioned the last name “Dalitz” it rang
a bell inside Merrin’s head, prompting him to confirm to
Parvin it was indeed Moe Dalitz that paid him a visit.
Merrin then got the skinny on Dalitz from Parvin, who
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described Dalitz as, “a member of ‘Murder Incorporated,’
and mafia chief of Cleveland, Ohio.”
Parvin told Merrin that Dalitz “runs this town [Las Vegas].”
“At that moment, I got cold sweat running down my
back,” said Merrin. “I stared at him. He wore these big,
circular glasses, and I see his eyes have come alive. He
then asked me, ‘Do you know what you did with this
guy?’ I said, I replied, I didn’t know. I reminded Parvin,
‘You told me conventions. That’s what we need, so that’s
what I went after. And this guy [Dalitz] wanted to steal it.
He had nothing to do with it.’”
Parvin told Merrin, since Dalitz left complimenting him
for his guts with an offer to provide assistance, if need-
ed, he should, “grab it” because Dalitz can be “of help in
anything you want.”
When Las Vegas casino owners held a meeting, Merrrin
attended representing the Flamingo. Merrin recalled one
specific meeting where a few of the owners were brag-
ging about “knocking off” a bank and blowing the ill-got-
ten gains in six weeks.
Merrin said he pleaded with them not to tell him about
their unlawful exploits, but was told not to worry because,
as he was told by an unnamed person at the meeting, “It’s
OK. We know that you’ll dummy-up. You’re too smart
anyway. And don’t worry. You only know this as hearsay,
and it would be unacceptable in court.”
Over the years listening to casino owners speak, Merrin
said he heard stories of people’s “amazing absence and
demise.”
Merrin shared one story of a man – known as “Russian
Louie” – who attempted to cheat some casino owners in
poker. A cheater was known as a “mechanic” due to their
skill in arranging cards in such a way to ensure they win.
“This one guy always won, and always left early, maybe
two o’clock,” began Merrin. “But these guys are used to
playing until sunrise. One time, he just said, ‘Well, I got-
ta’ leave,’ claiming he had to meet someone.”
Russian Louie did not stay gone long. He returned to the
card game shortly thereafter after and asked for jumper
cables, because his car wouldn’t start.
A few of the men playing cards stopped playing to help
Russian Louie with a jump start, but to no avail. Russian
Louie’s car just wouldn’t turn over.
Of Russian Louie, Merrin said, “He was really nervous.
He said he had to meet somebody.” Someone suggested
that someone else, “give him a lift,” so Russian Louie
wouldn’t miss his appointment.
“They gave him a lift,” said Merrin. “To a place in the
desert where there was a deep hole. He was placed there,
and the sand was put up to his chin. They didn’t kill him.
They just left him where he couldn’t move so that the sun
and the red ants would do their work.”
About 20 years later, when Merrin was living in Los
Angeles, Russian Louie’s skeleton was found, verified by
the business cards found with the bones.
“I would hear stories like this and say, ‘Oh, my,’” added
Merrin.
As time passed, Merrin decided Las Vegas was no place
to raise a child and moved to Los Angeles. He had no
plan and told himself he’ll figure out what it is he’ll do for
living once he got there.
From the temperate climate to the lush mountains near-
Toyota of Lancaster
661.948.0731
by, Merrin found Southern California to be paradise; a
slice of heaven.
Merrin made contact with an old business acquaintance
from the publishing world who himself had many con-
tacts, one of them being Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner.
Hefner was interested in starting a magazine called Show
Business Illustrated, and opening a hotel in Los Angeles;
both two areas of expertise dovetailing nicely with Mer-
rin’s experience.
Hefner offered Merrin a job in Chicago, but he declined,
citing the climate – too much like New York City (cold
winter, humid summers) – and settled for the magazine
bureau chief assignment based in Hollywood.
A tremendously avid reader, Merrin came across a book
that fascinated him. The book was the story of the life of
Pope Pious XII.
Merrin was especially impressed with the Pope’s post
World War I assignment representing the Roman Cath-
olic Church in Germany – a nation reeling under severe
economic penalties imposed by the Allies as a condition
of peace.
During a miners’ strike, Pious visited the mines to see
working conditions firsthand. “I have pictures of him in
a miner’s uniform with the headgear and the lamp,” said
Merrin. “He wanted to see what the conditions were so
the church would have an opinion on it. This was the time
of chaos in Germany.”
Merrin recalled a story where a band of thugs went to
Pious’ residence to let him know his interest in working
conditions of the German was not appreciated.
Pious questioned the intruders’ wisdom by reminding
them they were at God’s house and telling them the lo-
cation was no place for violence and no place for threats.
One of the interlopers then threw his revolver at Pious,
missed, and hit the crucifix behind him, leaving a dent.
“I know this story because when I went to Rome, the
person who accompanied me was Cardinal Spellman.
The New York Cardinal known as ‘the powerhouse’ in
the Vatican,” said Merrin. “He was the one who repre-
sented the church in America.”
Merrin continued, “How do I know about that crucifix
and that incident? Spellman told me. When I was given
the red cap, the Pope gave me an additional gift: the cru-
cifix. It was dented in and he went like this: ‘You see the
dent in here?’”
Before that point in his life, Merrin explained he had
never thought about producing a motion picture. But
once he heard that story, Merrin decided it was a story
that must be told.
“I would end that story the day that he becomes elected
as Pope, and he refuses, forcing them to vote again, and
again, until elected unanimously,” said Merrin.
Dan Merrin’s son, Bruce Merrin, is ensuring the fam-
ily business stays alive and is himself, today, a booking
agent, following in the footsteps of his father.
~ Story to be continued ~
Read about the entertainment exploits of wife, Lee, and
son Bruce in the March Palmdale Blvd newspaper.
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Moe Knows Entertainment!
Nandar Providing
Filmmakers
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By MOE KOLTUN
Nandar Pictures
Contributing Writer
In 2017 we learned one thing for sure
about the future of content distribution:
streaming services are here to stay.
Netflix remains a juggernaut, now valued
at nearly 100 billion dollars on the stock
market.
Smart premium cable channels made
the transition to streaming years ago, and
HBO Go/HBO Now are flourishing be-
cause of it.
Showtime (Anytime) wisely partnered
with Hulu, which had its first break-
through awards smash in The Handmaid’s
Tale.
Amazon Prime is still searching for its
own Game of Thrones and perhaps will
find one in a recently-announced Lord of
the Rings series, though I feel the Peter
Jackson films are far too fresh and well-
made to surpass.
And 2017 saw The Walt Disney Compa-
ny not only acquire a huge library of films
and other properties from Fox, but also
announce its plans to launch two stream-
ing services – one attached to ESPN for
sports, and one encompassing its incom-
parable catalogue of movies that include
powerhouse properties like Lucasfilm,
Pixar, Marvel, and Disney animation.
And, as always, Apple is waiting in the
wings, with rumors swirling about the
tech-giant making a preliminary $5 bil-
lion investment into producing scripted
content.
(Meanwhile, NBC/Universal’s attempt at
a streaming service, Seeso, is out of busi-
ness and literally no longer exists.)
In this emerging landscape of streaming
services, where does the little guy fit in?
Nandar.TV, a streaming service launched
by Nandar Entertainment, hopes to be the
answer to that question.
The service costs only $14.97 per year
(less than $1.25 a month, or about a month
and a half of what a service like Netflix
costs), and on it you’ll find a curated li-
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ries, and full-length films of all genres.
One thing that differentiates Nandar.TV
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They will review films or TV series of
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By way of a non-exclusive contract,
filmmakers will benefit from Nandar.TV,
as it’s an avenue for artists and producers
to produce revenue from their films while
they submit them to festivals or seek other
distribution.
For all of 2018, Nandar.TV will review
submitted films for free, and beginning in
2019 they plan on accepting a nominal fee
for review.
One thing that differ-
entiates Nandar.TV is
their inclusivity policy
– just as old seasons
of Star Trek would re-
view any spec script
sent in, any filmmak-
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their work to Nandar.
TV, and that includes
student filmmakers.
Again, for less than the cost of a single
movie, just $14.97, you can subscribe to
Nandar.TV at Nandar.TV.
Like the boom of cable channels in the
80s and 90s, there are dozens more stream-
ing services sure to crop up over the next
few years.
Nandar.TV is ahead of the curve in its
pricing and abundance of content suitable
for all ages.
The service plans on adding dozens of
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Subscribe and submit your work today!
Follow Moe on Twitter @moeproblems
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Gary O’Neal: American Warrior in the Highest Sioux Tradition
By THOMAS FITZGERALD
Staff Writer
Over a four decade period, from Vietnam
to Nicaragua, Gary O’Neal has been shot,
stabbed and riddled with shrapnel while in
service to this country.
He has no Purple Heart awards for being
wounded in combat because he refused to
accept them.
“In my view the Purple Heart is an award
in the enemy’s favor,” said O’Neal, of the
award that in his view signified he, “had
been had by the enemy.”
Retired Special Forces Chief Warrant
Officer Gary O’Neal spoke with Palmdale
Blvd newspaper about his extraordinary
life – a life dedicated to serving this nation
as one of its most distinguished warriors.
As a child growing up in the “Kansas,
Nebraska and South Dakota area,” O’Neal
did not fit in well. He didn’t like school
and desired only to be outside tracking,
ranching and horseback riding.
“I was always doing things. I was a dare-
devil,” said O’Neal. “There wasn’t too
much I wouldn’t do.”
O’Neal participated in 4H, young rodeo,
loved sports and excelled at running. “I
liked the country life. I like cowboying,”
said O’Neal. “I wasn’t big on cities.”
His father, an Irish-American, was a
rancher and farmer, and taught O’Neal
mechanics at a young age. His grandfather
taught him Blacksmith skills and how to
care for and handle horses – from shoeing
to riding.
“When I was 13, I was doing a man’s job
on the ranch,” said O’Neal. “I was like a
ranch foreman.”
O’Neal’s mother was Sioux – First Na-
tion. Growing up being mixed race pre-
sented challenges for a young O’Neal.
“Whites didn’t want anything to do with
me because I was Indian, and Indians
didn’t want nothing to do with me because
I was white,” said O’Neal. “I didn’t like
nobody.”
Though O’Neal did not grow up on a
Reservation, he did spend time visiting his
maternal grandparents on Reservation and
taught about his native culture.
O’Neal successfully completed the
Sundance – a four day, four night dance
“You dance all day in the sun without
food or water,” said O’Neal. “The war-
riors dance for the people, and it’s all in
prayer. It’s so the people don’t have to suf-
fer. They don’t have to go through pain.
They don’t have to go through hunger. The
warriors take that away from them.”
O’Neal’s four day Vision Quest took
place on the same hallowed ground as
done by Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Fool’s
Crow and Black Elk – the historic and leg-
endary warrior chiefs of the Sioux Nation.
7
Spirituality is central to native lore, ex-
plained O’Neal. “You never did anything
that you didn’t give back. You didn’t
pick up a stone without replacing it with
something.”
The warrior tradition is to protect chil-
dren and secure their future by also
protecting the elderly who pass down
knowledge.
O’Neal’s warrior heritage on his father’s
side of the family can be traced back to
the home country and “Irish Rangers” in
the time of William Wallace days in the
late 13th century.
O’Neal said his great grandfathers at the
fourth and fifth generation back served
in the Frontier Rangers – the oldest U.S.
military unit.
“My fifth great grandfather and his two
sons signed the oath of allegiance and
fought in the Revolutionary War and the
War of 1812,” said O’Neal. “So I’ve had
a relation on my dad’s side, all the way
down to me, serve in different wars that
America has been in since the creation of
America in 1776.”
O’Neal is a founding member of the
pentagon’s first antiterrorist team, was a
member of the Golden Knights Parachut-
ing Team and has been inducted into the
U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort
Benning, Georgia.
He has authored a book – American
Warrior: The True Story of a Legendary
Ranger. “When I was in Central Ameri-
ca, South America, working down there
we had our enemies we was fighting,”
began O’Neal. “They gave me that name,
‘Guerrero Americano,’ which means,
‘American Warrior.’ So that’s where I got
that nickname. It kind of stuck with me.”
In his book, O’Neal tells about the time
when still too young to join the military
at 16 years old, so he steals his cous-
in’s birth certificate to enlist, only to be
caught when the Army notices two sol-
diers with same identification numbers
receiving pay.
This story, and more about O’Neal, con-
tinud in the March newspaper.
8 PALMDALE BLVD

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Real Archaeology
A Pelican Stone from Crystalaire Country Club
find certainly worthy of publication and presentation at professional meetings.
But wait! There is a problem – and here is the life lesson regarding true archaeology:
how do we know it came from out of the ground at Crystalaire?

By DR. BRUCE LOVE

Real Archaeology
Contributing Writer

In the 1980s, while I was president of Antelope Valley Archaeological Society

(AVAS), a woman from Cristalaire Country Club called me to report an unusu-
al find, a stone carving she said came out of the ground at the golf course. Did
I want to see it?
I am very skeptical about such calls, having been on so many wild goose chases, yet
I almost always respond because you never know when something truly significant
might show up. I went to Crystalaire with some other AVAS members and she brought
out an unusual carved stone object, carved from soapstone, a very soft schist with high
talc content that gives a soapy feeling.
Native peoples around the world have been carving utilitarian and ceremonial objects
from soapstone for millennia. It was a slender piece about nine inches long with a
globular base and a sharply curved hook on one end. I had never seen anything like it
and wondered if it was even archaeological. I handled it, discussed it, took pictures,
Pelican Stone seen at Crystalaire Country Club. Cover CSUF museum catalog.
thanked our hostess, and left.
By a remarkable coincidence, within a few months I happened to see a booklet de- How do we know it wasn’t looted from a sacred Chumash or Gabrielino grave site
scribing an exhibit at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), curated by Dr. on the islands? Maybe the person who showed us the object did not want to admit
Constance Cameron, an archaeologist with deep experience on the Channel Islands of where it really came from. In archaeology, provenience is everything. All finds must
Southern California; and there on the cover was a piece just like the stone I had seen be carefully documented with photographs, notes, and measurements before they are
at Crystalaire. removed from their original context; otherwise they lose all historical and archaeo-
It was a Pelican Stone, one of several types of stone effigies made by Channel Island logical value.
Indians, sacred carvings of sea birds and other ocean-related objects found in associa- The Crystalaire Pelican Stone was intriguing, but in the end it held little scientific
tion with ancient burials. The implications were profound. Here was solid evidence of worth; being unprovenienced, it did not add to our understanding of past lifeways,
Native American trade between the Channel Islands and the Western Mojave Desert, a which is the goal of real archaeology.