JANUARY 12

JANUARY 12

1942 – FDR brings back the National War Labor Board. It was originally formed in 1918 by President Wilson, as twelve representatives from businesses and labor that intended to strengthen the position of labor. By 1920 15% of nonagricultural work was unionized. The board disbanded shortly after the end of WWI. When WWII hit, Roosevelt wanted to prevent labor union strikes, since there was no time for that in the middle of a war with two other countries. The NWLB’s goal was to mediate between parties involved in industrial disputes, to intercede and impose settlements in order to preempt any pause in production, and later would be able to control wages and prices by stipulating that any adjustment of wages had to be cleared through it.

1777 – Santa Clara de Asis is founded in Cali. While on the other side of the son-tobe American coast, as the Colonists were battling the British Redcoats in the American Revolution; here on the west coast, the 8th of 21 Franciscan missions led by Padre Junipero Serra set up an outpost near present day Highway 101. Let me just jump way back for a moment. In the 13th century, Saint Claire of Assisi was an Italian nun who, with St. Francis, cofounded the Clares. Meanwhile, back in Alta California, in south Bay Area, 40 tribes lived in small villages, the most prominent against European settlement being the Ohlones.

For thousands of years, these tribes were hunter-gatherers, eating fish, bear, wild berries and rabbit. They wove baskets and had spiritual dances. That all changed in 1769 when Spanish settlers transformed them into Catholic Christians. On the banks of the Guadelupe River, the native village of So-co-is-u-ka, which means Lauerlwood in Tamyen, on this day in 1777, while colonists were fighting the American Revolution on the east coast, the Franciscans mounted a cross and erected a church to bring Christianity to the Ohlones, and believe me they were baptized as such. In fact, this 8th mission had more baptisms from any of the other 21 missions. The natives built a road linking San Jose to Santa Clara, called the Alameda.

Later on in 1822, when Mexico gained independence from Spain, the missions were ignored, since California was too far from Mexico City, and as such, Mexico didn’t care about Alta California. It wouldn’t be until 1850 when Dominican Bishop Joseph Alemany sent Jesuit priest Fr. John Nobili from San Jose, to make Mission Santa Clara a college. These days, according to scu.edu, Sana Clara continus to serve asa a spiritual hub and the student chapel for the community at Santa Clara U. it’s right there at 500 El Camino Real! Check it out.

1915 — House of Representatives reject proposal to give women right to vote. U.S. Representative James Cotton Tom Heflin, a Klansman from Alabama was a leading proponent of white supremacy who wore a very flamboyant Prince Albert caboodle breasted vest, and flowing tie. He was one of the original supporters for Mother’s Day, because in his view, the woman belonged at home. They certainly shouldn’t be allowed to vote and he preached this to a southern Democratic room full of white men who agreed with him. In the end, Cotton Tom, as he was known for the bills he supported, by 1937 he was defeated in three more elections for the Senate seat of politics and took his ludicrous Prince Albert costume and retired Lafayette, Alabama.

2013 – Fred Garbutt takes over the International Banana Museum.

Let me unpeel this story here. The original big banana was Ken Banister from Hesperia CA, not to get all mushy, but to the core Bannister was a heckuva guy.

He described the banana as “a meal and a peel” that treats skin, hair, shoes and bushes. No bones, doesn’t squirt,squeak or leak and can be eaten like corn. Ken loved bananas so much he spent $150,000 building the International Banana Club, but by 2005 the city of Hesperia CA told him to close down the museum.

Yellow!

Bannister became unpeeled and lost his skin when he realized he had to sell his fortune to Fred Garbutt who expanded this International Banana Club.

I know, it’s a slippery slope.

1975 – Franco Harris and the Pittsburg Steelers beat the Minnesota Vikes in Super Bowl IX, and in Super Bowl III Broadway Joe keeps his word. No one thought the Jets would beat the unstoppable Baltimore Colts in 1969, especially a team from the lowly AFL. The Jets were 19 point underdogs for Super Bowl III, and Joe Namath told a heckler they would win. In fact, he guaranteed it. Tough talk But as the game got under way, the Jets drove 80 yards in the first quarter and drew first blood. Then the defense intercepted the Colts three times, keeping them from the end zone. After a few field goals, the score was 16-0. The Colts would score in the 4th quarter but didn’t matter. Now the AFL and NFL would have a legit rivalry, and Namath would go down as one of football’s greats.

2017 – Sean McVay, becomes the youngest NFL coach ever.

I was halfay done with high school when this cat was born.

He played for the Miami of Ohio Redhawks from 04-07graduated in 08, went to the Tampa Bay Buccs as an assistant coach, and through head coach Jon Gruden’s brother Jay who was a UFL coach in Florida, was hired as a tight end coach. Then McVay went back to the NFL and became tight end coach for the Redskins, Jay Gruden also went to the NFL where he became head coach of the Washington Redskins, and made McVay the offensive coordinator. The duo of Gruden and McVay turned around a lousy Redskins team and made them serious contenders, going from 26^th place in the NFL overall in 2014, to 10^th place a year later. That’s how McVay would become head coach of a very young Los Angeles Rams team.

There he  turned around the team from a horrible  start to serious NFL contenders. McVay  got the job just nine days before his 31^st birthday, he was even younger than Lane Kiffin by about a year and a half when Kiffin got the headcoaching job for the Raiders in 2007.

We’re used to seeing gray and white haired coaches in the NFL, and here he is, Sean McVay with some of the players actually older than him, got his fast start because so far he’s been a great head coach with tremendous potential.

1974—The Joker by Steve Miller debuted on the pop charts back in October the previous year, but inched its way to number one on this day in 1974.

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