leenorman Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 Attended last evening, with great Lucille Ball fans, and customers , since 2005, by the thousands of dollars, from Shrewsburg PA, a family of three great friends, the McCulloughs, Marsha, Greg and Gregg, who venture here, 6-hour drive, at LEAST 4 times a year; - $99/couple, for cocktails, dinner and showing of Forever, Darling, 1956, and introducing ourselves to Journey Gunderson, the new Executive Director. Journey turns out to be a beautiful, statuesque, blond, easily approachable, present, with husband; and sorry, have forgotten his name. The cocktail table was well appointed, with many different 'nibbles', and held in the screening room of the Museum. There was a 'musical duo', as well. All attending were greeted nicely entering the Museum Gift Shop, just about 6 o'clock p.m., with a showing of at least one board member, Bill Stephenson, I believe his name is. It was a casual small grouping of perhaps 30 people; which included the Lucy-Desi Center 'officials'/volunteers, one couple, of five couples, who are vying for the Wedding Honeymoon up-coming; sadly, it was overlooked in introducing them during the festivities; and the 'rest of us'; as well as, reportedly, a couple who are related to Lucy, he personally, and his wife, who were, likewise, not introduced [but, I believe his name is Bob Ball, or is Bob Ball's son - I, having grown up with probably his nephews, Roger and Dennis Ball - graduated with Denny]; so, would probably be somewhere in their late 70's, still living around this area]; but, they/we obviously enjoyed all. Dinner was held in the Tropicana Room, after liberal (due to the small grouping) amounts of finger foods, soda pop, juice, and wine. I think I saw a case of beer there, as well; but, I drank wine, as we all did in our group of four. Dinner was a catered affair; we had reservation name tags on the tables, which were very nicely decorated; more wine; a silent auction for a 'donated, special label bottle of wine' (didn't catch the winery name donating same; which went for $26, I believe, and went to the McCulloughs).... Dinner was chicken or roast beef, plus one other choice which I've also forgotten, baked potato, spicy green beans, and salad, with rolls; as well as a lovely, chocolate/red cake, very moist, with cream cheese frosting. Very nice. The waitresses were actually friendly (tip was included in the $99/couple entry fee). Then, it was with full tummies we lumbered back down to Museum screening room for the film; believe it or not, someone was making fresh popcorn, which filled the room of 'full'-tummied folks, with tantalizing odor. Well, it's a theater, after all!!!! This is lengthy, I know; but, read between the lines here; more fans need to become involved in these events, or they, too, will disappear; the Museum gift shop seemed to me to be very sparsely appointed with 'mementoes'/'product' of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, compared to days gone by (2002-2007), when it was filled to the rafters - but, the Desilu Playhouse Gift Shop, which 'houses' the Tropicana Room, was more generously appointed with 'for sales'.... The mail order room (and I mean room) is down to an 'office-type' setting; years ago, we had at least a 30-foot long 6-foot wide area, staffed with 3 or 4, ALWAYS BUSY, with barely enough room to house everything; back-room, on-the-shelf product, and many employees to 'make it happen', as the former Ex. Dir. was repeatedly saying.... I fear for our future if the fans don't recognize that Lucille's home town attraction needs $$$$ uplifting it to its former money-making status; join, as members, order product on-line, please. Michael Karol's and Elisabeth Edwards' current books are on the shelves; hopefully, mine will be there sometime this year, as well. I have shared Journey's 'first day on duty' at the Center, January 10, with her, from the chronology, trying to get her to consider putting excerpts back on the Center Website, where the genesis reasoning for the project occurred, way back in Feb. 2005; she is impressed; we'll see.... Promises were made for the Birthday Event, by Journey Gunderson; and plans are in the works for a 're-creation' of the homecoming event in 1956, (with Lucille and Desi, arriving by helicopter to Jamestown, in 3 helicopters, and their Desilu Entourage and luggage for the two-day event), and Journey mentioned she wants all who were actually there, and have memories of same, to get them to her so she can get a more clear picture of needs for August! I, of course, told her I had donated my own 'childish' scrapbook (since I was in middle school at the time) of all articles of the 'time' to the Center (in early 2003). She will be searching for same.... Hope you get an idea of what a nice evening, though minimally attended, even the limit of 25 couples, went unfulfilled. Oh, yes, last, but certainly not, least - each woman was given a long-stemmed beautiful (not 1/2 dead) red rose; and we had commemorative 'photos' taken of each couple personally delivered to us at dinner, having been taken on entry, and before the cocktail hour. Fondly submitted, Joyce Kellogg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryJaneFan Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 What a wonderful recap, Joyce! Thanks so much for sharing. It's a shame more fans and Museum members didn't attend. There are so many of us who enjoy going to Jamestown. Hopefully they'll keep doing events like this between festival and promote them well in advance. Mary Jane Fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 Yes, thanks so much Joyce, for giving us the feeling we actually attended this event, you are a great Lucy reporter for this site, thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 So, they got thirty people but expected fifty at most, certainly not a failure when you consider that you expect couples to trek to Jamestown in grisly February as Lucy would call it, not the best time for an event in that winter area. Can you still see her monument in the snow at the cemetary or is it completely covered at this time of year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leenorman Posted February 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 So, they got thirty people but expected fifty at most, certainly not a failure when you consider that you expect couples to trek to Jamestown in grisly February as Lucy would call it, not the best time for an event in that winter area. Can you still see her monument in the snow at the cemetary or is it completely covered at this time of year? Checking, as we speak; but, I suspect not, Claude - too much work, and WWWWWAAAAAYYYYY too many other 'notable' graves which would have to be uncovered, as well, as to be 'fair to all'... LAKEVIEW is a HUGE Cemetery; and sad to think why; but, a HUGE 'industry' for our area, as is SUNSET HILL CEMETERY, in the Lakewood/Busti area...... Then, too, we have had the mother of all winters this year; once it started, it NEVER quit in terms of snow on the ground. We'll be lucky it melts before April!!!! At least, the farmers will have a good year; last spring and summer were exceptionally dry; that hurts, too; though, we sun-lovers appreciate it. Back to the EVENT; we don't always have a snow-covered Valentine's Day.... The three who attended with me, however, braved the weather from Shrewsbury, PA, about a six-hour drive, just to come to the event; they are working folk, and had a 'very quick' weekend; having to leave bright and early Sunday. They venture to Jamestown AT LEAST four times a year for ALL LUCY events. All three are members of the Museum; which memberships are what we need to keep it afloat. You are correct, though, about the 'event' - we DO HAVE TO DEPEND on the 'out-of-towners' for Lucy events, as the out-of-towners are FAR more dedicated fans that locals. I KNOW I Loved it, as did all who attended it seemingly did. Hope it put a little money into the coffers.... I would have liked to see more turn out to meet Journey; she's a keeper, in my humble opinion. JK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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