The past seven days or so have witnessed the end, or potential end of two Music City "landmarks".
Early last (calendar) week it was announced on local broadcast news -- doubtless also in the Tennessean newspaper -- that the iconic and beloved Elliston Place Soda Shop would close its doors for good after business on Saturday, 23 July. It seems the management of this landmark could not come to agreement with the landlord concerning rent.
But hooray for us soda-shop aficionados! A third party stepped in and averted the shut-down!
And then Sunday evening late news included a touching tribute to "landmark" Channel 5 sportscaster Hope Hines. You see, dear reader, he was fixin' to retire brom his broadcast position. His final reporting for Ch. 5 was on Wednesday (yesterday).
When I began following local TV news in 1983, I had no preference among the local TV sports guys. But Hope sort of grew on me, especially after I heard him speak at the Clarksville funeral of legendary Olympian runner Wilma Rudolph as the turn of the century and millennium approached. And altho' I found it odd that Mr. Hines was the only Hope I knew of who was not of the female persuasion, I certainly didn't doubt his masculinity nor his sports-reporting acumen.
Even tho' we will no longer see Hope's face on the Ch. 5 newscasts -- unless he does a Brett Favre-style (multiple) un-retiring! -- we who love him haven't heard the last of him. He will be writing his memoirs, due to be printed next Spring. Can't wait to "read all about it!"
No comments:
Post a Comment