(Events, General Nonsense)
Alert Reader Jeff wants to know why I haven't mentioned that tomorrow marks the 25th annual Greater Pittsburgh Soap Box Derby on Eden Park Boulevard.
Well, there's a very simple and logical explanation.
And just as soon as I think of it, I'll let you know.
The soap box derby gets underway at 9 a.m. tomorrow, and the finish line is near the "Voke." Expect traffic disruptions around Renzie Park for most of the morning.
As my former cow-orker and fellow Serra grad Brian Krasman noted a few years ago in the News, the city's soap box derby actually dates back to 1956, and it continued for the next 16 years under the sponsorship of Deveraux Chevrolet.
("Devie," incidentally, was originally located on Sixth Avenue Downtown, in the building currently used by Tube City Appliances, before it moved out to Eden Park Boulevard, in the showroom recently vacated by Tri-Star Ford.)
The derby is open to kids ages 8 to 17, and you can find a list of this year's contestants online.
. . .
Now, appropos of nothing, we bring you Joe Cocker singing "A Little Help From My Friends," with the lyrics helpfully annotated underneath. It might just be the highlight of your weekend.
(Tip o' the Tube City Hard Hat: Mark Evanier.)
And after you're done watching that, go watch this, and you will never be able to take Joe Cocker seriously, ever again.
Assuming you took him seriously in the first place, that is.
I remember the Soap Box Derby in the early 60’s wherein a young man last named Lesko dominated the competition. He may have one a national race in addition to the local event. I remember the commercial “Get a Chevie from Devie” played on the local airwaves as well. Any progress on the sale of WEDO ?
Donn Nemchick - June 23, 2008
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