1980

Sobering decision
February 6
Let's see, there's death, taxes, and debating the right to drink. Russell Olivo served up the facts.

The Rhode Island House is currently considering legislation to raise the legal drinking age from 18 to 20 . . . At the end of the Vietnam era, the conventional wisdom held that 18-year-olds were not only eligible for the Draft, but also for the Drink. But now, in the absence of any Vietnams, the conventional wisdom no longer seems so wise.

Fear and loathing in New Hampshire
March 5
Bill Flanagan filed the following item from the campaign trail in the Granite State.

As Dr. Howard, John and I walked down the main street of Manchester, we saw a guy, with obviously healthy legs, vaulting along on a pair of crutches. We passed a weird looking boneless bizarro ecstatically rubbing his back against the corner of a building. We passed all these ugly Popeye lookalikes frozen at attention with Lyndon LaRouche stickers pasted all over them. Of course there were political posters everywhere, but I screamed out loud when a bus pulled out in front of us with a poster showing a familiar soldier and the inscription: "William Calley:He gets the tough job done!"

I swear this is all true.

Gentle Giant
August 13
You've seen him on T-shirts and on walls and utility poles throughout the city. He's Andre the Giant. Chip Young met the legend at the Rocky Hill State Fair.

Prior to the interview, the promoter had told me that if I wanted to end things up real quickly, I should ask Andre how it felt to "be big." Well, I'm no Oriana Fallaci, but I wasn't about to be that ignorant, especially when it turned out I was practically sitting in the guy's lap. But to answer the obvious question, yes, Andre would certainly qualify for the title "Giant" in my book. Though probably not seven-four, he's a solid seven-footer, and I wasn't about to argue over a few pounds unless someone had a highway truck scale handy . . .

Wrestling has been good to Andre, and he has been good to it, appearing in small, one-shot matches like the one at Rocky Hill, and he acknowledged his debt to the fans who continue to make the sport one of the most popular spectator events in the country. He takes it so seriously that I was almost tempted to believe it when, asked about the funniest thing that he's had occur to him in wrestling, he replied, "There is nothing funny in the ring."

Jive tawkin'
September 17
Chip Young wrote the definitive piece about talkin' the talk in Vo Dilun.

It's potty time! No, nothing scatological here, officer, just having a wing-ding of a time with my friends. Now before any of you get the idear that people from Rhode Island have a way of speaking that is unintelligible to the average American, you can disremember that notion. Actually, joining the proud folk of Little Rhody in attempting basic communication is a memorable experience the first time out, and you'll find that like Space Invaders, a lot of practice goes a long way . . . .

Don't get me wrong, I love the way people speak in this state, even if I don't have any desire to imitate the style. It can be pervasive, though, and since I've made my nest in Cvanston, it seems to me that I'm starting to agree with people by saying "shoo-ah, that's vight." . . . .

In fact, when I'm traveling, sometimes people will pick up the New England tint in my language, and ask me where I'm from. When I proudly tell them, "Rhode Island," and, as usual, the rube comes back either "Isn't that part of New York?" or, "Where's that?," it makes me feel tremendous to square my shoulders, throw back my head, and with an air of superiority, reply with the Rhode Island State Motto -- "Watta you, an asshole?"

A haunting cover
Dececmber 10
In the early days, the NewSection of the NewPaper was printed on Monday, the first section was printed Tuesday morning, the paper was collated (by hand), and distributed on Wednesday. So on the night of Monday, December 8, when John Lennon was killed by Mark David Chapman, 20,000 copies of "The Case of the Boston-Bound Beatle" were already printed, and Lennon's image was on the cover of the paper. "Winston Hard" had written about the rumors that Lennon was planning to move to Boston. A whimsical detective caper suddenly wasn't funny anymore. Ty Davis offered the explanation.

We had planned to use a spritely green, holiday border around the cover photo of John Lennon for our December 10 issue featuring an article on the former Beatle . . . .

With profound melancholy, we placed an "In Memoriam" on the cover instead, and dedicated this issue to the man who affected the lives of so many.

Words faill.

Thankfully, John Lennon's music bears better testimony to his memory than anybody's eulogy will.

1978 | 1979 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |