January 3
We returned to work yesterday after the holidays and it’s a Friday so the consolation prize of returning to the Shop is a short week. We had some work on the books when we got back, some from our regulars and one for the HBO television show, “The Wire.” I get a kick out of the jobs for TV or films. It’s certainly more interesting than rolled angle rings or pipe railings. I drive down and pick up turkey clubs from Haussner’s for lunch and we discuss the idea of moving from Central Avenue. We’ve all thought about it and though interested, we’re all a little hesitant. It’s been a busy two days back at the Shop so we decide to keep thinking about it for a bit then make a decision.
January 14
Winter is truly here with temperatures staying below freezing today but the Shop is busy. We’ve got a mix of work for our fabrication customers and one for a new customer, Manuel Bartolo. Manuel is originally from Portugal and is a talented welder. He needs a railing curved and he came to the right place. He’s a nice guy and after this job, he’ll become a semi-regular for us. Meanwhile, Ann, Jack and I have decided to keep thinking about moving.
I’m talking to Kim about it after work. “We’re still not sure it’s the right time but we’re gonna look into it. It’s definitely something we need to consider seriously.”
“What do you do first? Do you call a realtor?” Kim asks as she smiles at A.J. bobbing around in his walker.
“Ann’s going to research the process and see if she can figure out how much the building might be worth. Jack’s going to think about what kind of place would be best for our type of work and what we specifically need. What’s necessary and what we would like and then we’ll find an agent to handle it. We’re thinking of calling Adrian Sushko.” I answer as my eyes move from Kim to A.J. then to Joe who is attentively watching Spongebob Squarepants.
Kim nods and says. “That’s the guy you went to school with and he helped sell a house for Jack before. Right?”
“Yes. We went to elementary school together and he did help Jack before. We also have to consider which areas would be good for us to move to that would keep us close enough to our customers. It’s pretty complicated. I can’t believe we’re actually thinking about doing this. It’s been almost 100 years so the time might be right. I don’t know but it’s worth checking out the process before we decide. It could be good for us to get to a building that’s better for what we do. A bigger room would allow us to roll longer pieces for one thing but there are many reasons to leave this old building. A parking lot. This all started because we had parking issues.” I pause. “Of course, it is home. So that’s something.” For a moment, the room is quiet but for the sounds of Spongebob.
“I’m sure the three of you will figure it out and make the right decision.” Kim is confident. “It will work out. Don’t worry.”
“I’ll try.” I give her a weak grin. “Worrying is one of my specialties and it’s part of my job.”
January 24
A frigid January continues in Baltimore but fortunately, no snow so far. We’ve stayed quite busy for this time of year. Today some playground parts are picked up and we finish some parts for sets for Center Stage.
January 26
I’m watching the Super Bowl tonight and the Tampa Buccaneers defeat the Oakland Raiders 48 – 21. I have both my boys with me and I’m making clear to them how superior baseball is to football. The game is a blowout but I have a good time with my sons. Joe is still receiving occupational therapy and speech therapy at school. The progress is slow but it’s there. AJ is still a baby but I think they both enjoy the game on some level. As Kim and I get the boys to bed, I’m thinking of the Shop. We’ve got more playground stuff to do this week and a channel job for a Hindu Temple in DC. That’s a new one but we’re happy to work for any and all denominations. We even give them a break on the price because it’s a good idea to cover all your bases.
February 14
It’s Valentine’s Day and a Friday. I look forward to a nice romantic evening with Kim that will likely be interrupted by our baby and five year old. We’ll enjoy it either way though there is talk of snow this weekend. At the Shop, Rooster from American Iron picks up an order. I don’t know his real name just Rooster but he’s a good guy and my crew likes him a lot. He’s been driving for AIW for years.
February 16
It’s a cold and snowy Sunday, snowing since last night with no signs of stopping. It’s a full blown blizzard and the stuff is piling up. Tomorrow is President’s Day and I’ve already been in touch with my brother and sister. We’re definitely closed tomorrow but we’ll have to see where we are when it stops though I already have two feet in my backyard.
February 20
After several days, we’re back to work on Central Avenue. That’s assuming shoveling snow counts as work because that’s what we do first. There are a couple of feet of snow all over the sidewalk. The morning is spent entirely on snow removal or rather piling of snow. In the afternoon, we begin some jobs for EM Systems and American Iron Works.
February 27
The snow is finally gone and that’s a relief. I’m glad it’s the end of February and this year, I’m particularly anxious for Spring. It’s a busy day in the Shop with quite a few orders completed including some work for the Johns Hopkins Chemistry Building.
March 13
It’s a nice mild day at the corner of Pratt and Central today with temperatures reaching the low 60’s. We open the front garage door and let the sun and warmth in. The crew work on some playground parts and a few other items for our regular customers. At home, A.J is getting around in his walker more but no signs of walking on his own as yet. Joe continues his speech and occupational therapy. He speaks a little clearer and can grasp a pencil and things of that nature better. Small incremental progress and we are glad for it. We’d love some sudden radical advancement but we’ve learned that’s not how it works.
March 19
The US begins bombing Baghdad this evening and tomorrow the Iraq War will officially begin. The United States and its allies believe Saddam Hussein and his regime have weapons of mass destruction and are connected to the terrorist group, al-Qaeda. After threatening military action if Hussein did not leave Iraq, President Bush orders bombing and then a land assault. The US is joined by the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland in a coalition against Iraq and Hussein. I watch the news coverage from home and tomorrow I’ll do so on our small television in the office. As far as the Shop goes, we are busy but not swamped. A couple jobs were completed today including a rolled pipe order for sculptor Rodney Carroll.
March 28
Rain falls steadily but slowly through lunch today. The crew are sitting on stools or buckets and eating. I’m walking among them discussing a job we’re rolling. It’s for a film called “Ladder 49” which is being filmed locally. I don’t always know when our work is being included in a television program or a movie but it’s even more rare that I know the name of the film. This time the production company fills me in. It’s a movie about firefighters and my workers are excited to hear all about it. It makes the job a bit more interesting. Everyone agrees to go see it when it’s released.
March 31
It’s Opening Day and the Baltimore Orioles defeat the Cleveland Indians 6 – 5 walking it off in 13 innings. Per tradition, we sneak out of work a little early to get home and watch. It’s a great way to end a game with Gary Matthews lining an RBI single to center and the Birds and fans celebrate. The big surprise was the brief snow squall that occurred during the game. You don’t see that on Opening Day often. Unfortunately, the Orioles will lose the next 3 games but for today, we are in first place.
April 4
Today we meet with my former schoolmate Adrian Sushko and John Moore from Long and Foster Realty. We sign a contract with them to begin the process of selling our building and finding us a new one. One that’s big enough to roll 40 ft. long material, has a parking lot and high enough ceilings for our crane system. It’s a bit overwhelming but Adrian and John are confident they can sell this place for a fair price and they can find a new home for the Joseph Kavanagh Company.
April 9
It’s an unseasonably chilly April morning and the crew are working on orders for Bouchat Industries, Capital Welding and Irongate. Irongate is one of Jack’s customers and a new one. Most of the customers would be labeled as my customers because I spend more time in the office and on the phone. In this case, Dave from Irongate spoke to Jack first and that’s one less for me. I’m more than okay with that. I handle enough phone calls. In fact, today I get a call about an order from Gable Signs for a sign for a new Modell’s Sporting Goods Store. Meanwhile in Iraq, the Battle of Baghdad has begun. Taking the capital of Iraq is one of the final hurdles in this war. The US and its coalition have met with sparse but stiff resistance and today the capital of Iraq falls.
April 20
It’s a Sunday and I’m watching the hockey playoffs. The Washington Capitals are eliminated in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Caps won the first two games then lost four in a row to be ousted. The last game is a 2 -1 loss in the third overtime period. A long long time to watch them lose. It’s a heart breaker but the Caps have been there before and so have their fans. Earlier this week, the US declared victory in the Iraq War though there is a great deal still unsettled. I am assuming American involvement will continue for some time.
April 30
It’s a pleasant Spring day at the Shop and the crew remain busy. We finish another job for “Ladder 49” and two orders for Codd Fabricators. We also receive some surprising news about Codd. They are going out of business. The Kauffmans are selling the building and they will be closed before the end of the year. Ann, Jack and I are pretty shocked. Codd Fabricators has been a customer for a hundred years and one of our biggest for as long as I have worked here. It’s strange to think they are closing and we are considering moving. An odd coincidence that shows how much things are changing in our industry and in Baltimore.
May 1
Jack and Ann visit the first potential new building with Adrian. They aren’t too keen on it. It’s located on Quad Avenue which is close to my house but it’s for lease not for sale. We’re open to leasing but prefer to buy. The space also has limited parking and another bathroom would have to be added at our cost. It’s a no but we knew this was not going to be a quick search. We will move on to the next one.
May 7
It’s hump day at the Shop and we are making some more playground parts as well as finishing a heat exchanger for Carroll County General Hospital. A heat exchanger means copper tubes which means some torch work. It also reminds me of the old days as we do less and less exchangers every year. Modern heating technology has made them unnecessary. The older units still need to be repaired and serviced but those will eventually be replaced too. We also do some tube work for Codd and I’m still getting accustomed to the idea they will be gone in a few months.
May 31
It’s a Saturday night and I’m watching the Birds beat the Rangers on TV. I play with my boys a bit and talk to them about baseball throughout the game. You can never get them started early enough. The Orioles win 7-1 and that leaves them with an even record of 27-27. That’s not bad but not particularly good either. All it would take is a hot streak to move them up in the standings. After my boys are asleep and the game is done, Kim reads and I sit and think. I’m going over the last week or so at the Shop. The volume of work has picked up as it should with summer approaching. We did some more work for my friends at Codd, a job for the Brown Center at the Maryland Institute for the Arts and then a few pieces for a company called Equine Architectural Products. They make a wide range of items for stables and for horse care in general. It’s another new thing for us but at the Joseph Kavanagh Company, we always run into new things. It’s interesting stuff and hopefully, they become a regular or at least an occasional customer.
June 2
A new week begins with Adrian Sushko picking my brother and sister up and taking them to check out another building. This one is an old theater on Patapsco Avenue and it seems impractical from the start according to Ann and Jack. As soon as they walked in, they saw it had high ceilings which we need but there were balconies. It would take a lot of rehabbing and work to make it into our kind of building. In addition, there was no parking lot and there were residential houses close enough to inhibit trucks moving in and out. They return at lunchtime and fill me in but this one is also a no.
June 12
It’s a sunny day on Central Avenue and the summer has brought its typical uptick of work. The boys in the Shop are banging out a wide range of jobs mostly for our regulars. One of them, Turnbull Enterprises has some new samples for us to bend. They are ovular tubes and they furnish tools to bend them but I’m skeptical. Oval shapes have a lot of spots where marks or damage can appear in the bend. My brother Jack though takes it as a challenge. He works on them himself and surprisingly, they look good. Jack really knows his stuff and he handles any of the particularly challenging jobs. Turnbull picks them up and we’ll see what they say about them.
June 16
Jack’s oldest son Paul returns to the Shop for his second summer of work. He’s welcomed back with enthusiasm by both family and co-workers. The guys in the Shop took a liking to Paul and are glad to see him. He’s gotten taller and now has last summer’s experience under his belt. He’s back to work helping Mike Glenn roll on the R-3-S first thing in the morning. Paul fits in well which is important. My father always told me that’s one of the most important things as far as any crew goes, fitting in. Paul will also be the last Kavanagh to start his trade at the corner of Pratt and Central.
June 27
I’m up very late on this Friday night watching the Orioles play the Phillies. It takes 17 innings but the Birds lose. June has been a disaster for the team and they are 7 games under .500 now. The chances for a good season are dwindling. The Shop has had a better month with more work coming in than going out the door. We did quite a bit of structural work this week for our customers and one ornamental job for a new customer, Art Display. They are a company that makes displays for museums and events. We have a few customers in this field and hopefully, we’ll get more from these folks.
July 2
It’s a drizzly Wednesday afternoon in Baltimore. Ann and Jack checked out another potential building this morning and this one was an absolute no. It was located on O’Donnell Street and was in great disrepair. The roof leaked and there seemed to be water issues. We shall keep looking but it’s getting frustrating. After tomorrow, we have the four day Independence Day holiday and I look forward to the time off. We did have a nice visit with Larry Shindledecker from Colonial Iron Works today right after lunch. Larry is a fire fighter/welder. When not at the fire station, he makes railings and such for his customers. He’s a good guy and my brother, sister and I liked him from the start. We’ve done a job or two for a couple of years for him. The crew are working on some angle rings for Smitty’s Welding and a channel ring for McShane Bell. McShane is one of our older customers and the channels we roll are used to suspend bells for churches and such.
July 11
Another week ends and it’s been a busy one. The Shop finished some parts for a rigging company and some for Tools for Bending. TFB is a company which sells the tools for our Pines Bender and it’s unusual to bend something for them but they needed some samples. We also roll some aluminum angles for Antenna Research. These are recurring parts and we do them every year or so.
July 31
We are getting close to our vacation in August and the flow of work has stayed pretty high. This week it was more structural stuff but we also finished a set of 320 copper u-bends for Eddy and Stambaugh. They are making a big heat exchanger and that’s a lot of copper so it’s a good job for us. In addition to these jobs, we gather our scrap in hampers and take it to Landsman. Landsman is a couple doors down on Central and they buy all our scrap. It’s a good thing to get done with vacation coming on. It cleans the Shop out a bit.
August 9
It’s the last day before our summer vacation and everyone is in a good mood. Nothing like some promised time away from work to lift your spirits. We have pickups today for a few of our regulars including a job for Baltimore Steel for the Johns Hopkins Chemistry building. It’s a day full of loading trucks and then we are out the door and ready for a week of relaxation and possibly home repairs.
August 29
I’m driving down Eastern Avenue on the way home in the rain. Today’s a Friday and I’m looking forward to the weekend. Since returning from vacation, we’ve been very busy at the Shop. In my mind, I’m going over a few jobs that went out the door this week. We did a set of oval tubes for Turnbull. Clearly, they liked the samples. The boys also finished a job for the Maryland Science Center and that takes me back to being a kid or even a teenager and going there. We could hop on the bus and spend the day at the harbor. The Science Center was always a highlight.
September 7
The Baltimore Ravens open their season in Pittsburgh and lose 34-15 to the Steelers. Any loss to a team from Pittsburgh stings a little more but this is only game one. It’s a long season. Kim and I are excited but nervous as Joe starts Kindergarten tomorrow. He’ll be in a classroom with kids like him. Kids with Special Needs such as autism. We’re hoping this will increase his progress. He will receive Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy through the school now so this will be simpler at the least. He’s a sweet boy and we do see positive things in his behavior but it all is happening so slowly.
September 9
Jack and the boys in the Shop are discussing the Ravens’ loss as they take their morning break. I join them with a few job cards which I distribute. We have more work for Codd who are closing in November and that’s going to be an adjustment. They’ve been one of our best and most regular customers for decades but all things come to an end. The crew also bend some boiler tubes and some sculptural parts for Mary Ann Mears. She sent us a small maquette or model of the piece and we work from that.
September 12
It’s a rainy Friday at the Shop and a somber one. My Uncle Ed has died. We find out from Mike Glenn, one of our employees and a very good friend to Ed. If Ed had had a son, it would have been Mike. That’s how close they were. Ed’s been retired for about 15 years and his death is sudden despite his age. Ed was a real character. He was a skilled coppersmith and a good worker and in his youth, he was a jitterbug champion dancer. At the Shop, he was the guy who kept the crew in stitches a lot. He always had a story or a joke to tell. I’ll always remember him as simply “Ed.” He didn’t like being called uncle which is a somewhat Kavanagh thing to do especially at the Shop. While working together, such titles seem unnecessary and overly formal. One thing about my uncle, he treated me right and with respect from Day 1. When my father started spending more time in Ocean City and Jack or I were in charge, Ed had no issues with it at all. He was a working man and proud of it. He was predeceased by his wife and daughter. His son-in-law, Grant and his grandsons, Jeffrey and Michael are his remaining immediate family. I’ll miss Ed. He would still pop in to see everyone at the Shop periodically. Again, always with a smile and a joke or a funny tale. My Mom and Dad are in Ireland on vacation so they are unable to attend the funeral but they are well represented by us kids.
September 24
I make a few calls from my office today to arrange pickup for several orders. I speak to Donna Irish at Baltimore Steel. I let her know we have an order of flat bars ready for some bike racks at the Johns Hopkins Chemistry building. Baltimore Steel has sent several orders for Hopkins in this year and it’s contributed to a fairly strong year work wise so far. I also let Stanley at Landsman know we will have a load of scrap for him tomorrow. My brother and sister and I are trying to stay hopeful we’ll find a building suitable for our needs. Last week, another place was visited. This time on Kresson Street and it was another one that obviously would not work. There was no parking lot, the ceilings were too low and truck access would be problematic. We are keeping our fingers crossed but getting skeptical.
October 9
The Washington Capitals begin their season at home and beat the New York Islanders 6 – 1. We are all hoping for a good year from our hockey team this season and a deeper playoff run.
October 14
The Shop has received an order from CIANBRO for some stainless steel angles. They will be used for a set of water tanks. The full job will be in several phases and likely last several months. CIANBRO does work all over the East Coast but they are based out of Boston. I discuss the baseball playoffs with their rep who calls me, Chris Tibbets and he is in fact, a Red Sox fan. The Orioles finished in fourth place so no postseason for them. The Sox and the Yanks are squaring off in the American League Championship Series. I am an Orioles’ fan but I wish him luck as I can’t help but root for whoever is playing the Yankees.
October 16
Adrian Sushko calls me and tells me about a property on Lynhurst Road in Dundalk. He believes it’s pretty close to my house. I am in the middle of an estimate so I get the address from him and promise to check it out. I drive over after work and take a look. The gate is locked but it looks big enough, there’s a parking lot, room for trucks and it’s less than ten minutes from my house. I’m interested. When I get home, I call Ann then Jack and tell them how it looks.
October 23
We have received another stainless steel angle order from CIANBRO. The Red Sox lost to the Yankees in seven games so now New York is playing the underdog Florida Marlins in the World Series. As indicated on Chris’ fax, we are both pulling for the Marlins. We agree anybody but the Yankees. This is another good sized order but we also have a couple of smaller jobs in the works today including a small boat rail. After work, Jack and I meet Adrian at 8100 Lynhurst Road. Adrian has the keys to the gate and building and we walk through. It’s not perfect but it’s close enough. My brother and I like the building, the property and the location. It’s even about five minutes from the beltway. We’ll talk about it with Ann tomorrow then move forward with the realtors if she agrees.
October 25
The Florida Marlins defeat the New York Yankees to win the World Series in six games. I enjoy watching the Yanks lose and I think of Chris celebrating in Boston. Ann, Jack and I have agreed we want the Lynhurst property for the Shop. We begin that process with Adrian and John getting in touch with Schuster Concrete who owns it.
October 27
It’s a dreary Monday to start the week at the Joseph Kavanagh Company with rain falling most of the day. The crew are busy with work for some of our regulars like Lenderking Metal Products and Anchor Fence. We also roll some pipes for Atlantic Welders which will be used for the University of Maryland Green House.
October 31
Halloween is here and I am looking forward to spending it with my young sons. I will take Joe trick or treating while A.J. stays with Mom and helps hand out candy. He’ll help by staying in his chair and being cute. It’s also the end of the week so the day moves that much slower. I take a little pause as I fill out a delivery ticket for Codd Fabricators. This will be the last job we do for them as they are closing. I think of all the work we did for them just during my tenure. It’s immense and I only hope we don’t miss them too much.
November 3
Codd Fabricators has closed its doors. This company began six years before the Joseph Kavanagh Company in 1860. They’ve been customers since the early 1900’s and during my father’s time, they were our most regular and reliable customer. We have had work for them in the Shop if not every week, every other week. I will miss dealing with them. The Kauffman’s are good people and I enjoyed working with them. We wish them good luck but it is certainly a sign of changing times.
November 13
It’s a windy day and that makes it feel that much cooler in the Shop. We have expressed our interest in the Lynhurst property but we only want the center parcel that has the building. There are connected properties on both sides which we do not need. Initially Schuster wanted to sell the whole lot together but after some back and forth, we convince them to sell just the center property. Now price and process all need to be worked out. It’s a lot to negotiate and many details to sort out. While we continue to focus on acquiring the new building, the crew are hard at work. We have another set of angles to do for CIANBRO and we are gathering some material for another load of scrap for Landsman.
November 15
Today the Kavanagh’s gather for a wedding. My niece Rose Kavanagh O”Neill is marrying Jason Emerick. They are wed at St. Vincent De Paul’s and the reception is at the Savage Mill. My parents and Rose’s parents, Jim and Nancy, are very proud and it’s a beautiful wedding and a great party. My boys seem to have fun. A.J. gets passed around and held by many in the family. As an uncle, I’m very happy for Rose but it gives me pause to see this next generation grown up. I feel older but not at all in a bad way just in an old way. It’s a very nice day for all of the family and it’s always good to get us all together.
November 26
It’s the last day before Thanksgiving and our focus is loading trucks before the holiday. The final set of angles for CIANBRO is picked up along with some U bends for Martec-Stambaugh. Gary Stambaugh has moved from Eddy’s to Martec thus the name change. He was partnered with Eddy’s Welding for a few years but I suppose he needed to do things differently. As this Wednesday drags on, everyone’s mind is on the feast tomorrow and we manage to slip out a little early and head home.
November 27
Thanksgiving day on Woodall Street, Kim, the boys and I are over early to watch the parade and begin celebrating. Our Joe loves the parade with the big balloons and fancy floats. Afterward, the food is plentiful with all the Thanksgiving trimmings including parsnips for me. It’s a great day of family, food and some football.
December 5
It’s a cold Friday in Baltimore. There was even some mixed mess of precipitation overnight. The rush to the end of the year has begun and we have quite a bit of work. Today a small rail job is finished for Diamond Iron Works including some ornate brass moldings. Solomon from Diamond comes in to pick up. The talk at the Shop is about the Ravens who have gotten hot and are pushing for the playoffs. They are hosting the Bengals on Sunday and we need all the wins we can get.
December 11
I’m staring out at Central Avenue through the morning drizzle. The march to the holidays continues and we are working on a bunch of small jobs. Some pipe bending and sign work is completed and picked up. We have about a week and a half to go. I always wonder if we’ll get everything done but somehow we always do.
December 23
The last work day of the year is upon us and everyone is excited. Oddly enough, the day doesn’t drag. We’re too busy getting trucks in and out. Some structural angles are picked up along with some channels and an ornamental custom lighting fixture. When the last truck is gone, so are we. Everyone rides off to the holiday.
December 25
We celebrate Christmas on Woodall Street with Kim’s family. We give the boys some gifts at home. Joe is very much in the spirit of things but A.J. is just over one year old and the significance escapes him. His older brother is more than happy to rip open presents for him. What are older brothers for? Later in the morning, we drive to Casa Dalfonzo and the holiday begins in earnest. The boys have even more gifts to open and everyone is excited to watch them and exchange our own presents. Joe is older now and though he still has his autism issues, he has learned about Christmas. Wrapping paper is torn then balled up and tossed around as toy after toy is revealed. A.J. for his part, is mostly happy to be held by his Pop. Those two share much more than a name as they had a strong bond from day one. After the cacophony of presents, there is much food to eat and Christmas music on the radio. We have a great time celebrating with Kim’s family and the boys make out quite well on the toy scale.
December 28
The Ravens host the Steelers in the final regular season game and win in overtime 13-10. They take the division with a record of 10-6 and next stop is the playoffs in January.
December 31
It’s New Year’s Eve on Charlesmont Road and Kim and I spend a quiet night with our boys. It’s usually the only holiday where it’s just us. We watch some kids’ movies and play with Joe and A.J., then they are off to sleep. Kim and I stay up to midnight and toast the New Year but soon after we’re in bed too. I think through the year as I lay trying to sleep. A.J. is not walking or talking yet but he’s only a little over one. He’s young but of course, we worry due to Joe’s situation. We tend to watch A.J. like a hawk for any signs of change or growth. He babbles some but it’s really too soon to worry. Still, it’s what you do when you have one child on the spectrum. Joe is slowly progressing. He’s talking more but the advancement is slow. One mantra we keep hearing is to be patient. It takes time and we understand that now. It doesn’t make it any easier but we do understand it. No matter what happens, they are our boys and nothing will change that. As far as the Shop goes, it was a good and busy year. Some of the busyness was due to the search for a new building. It’s hard to believe but we are planning on moving. With any luck, we’ll sign a contract next month and then it starts. It will no doubt be a long and complicated move but Ann, Jack and I feel it’s the right thing to do and the right time. Of course, our building will have to be sold. I think back to the nearly hundred years at Central Avenue and the shear volume of work is staggering. Then again, change is good and sometimes necessary. We feel this change is both.
George W. Bush is the President of the United States. Sky marshals begin riding on airplanes for protection against hijackings. The Space Shuttle Columbia is destroyed on re-entry killing seven astronauts on board. The social media network “My Space” launches. Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes Governor of California. The films “Finding Nemo”,“School of Rock” and “The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King” are released. Bob Hope, Johnny Cash, Fred Rogers, Katherine Hepburn and Gregory Peck die.
There are 50 states in the Union.
To view prior posts, click on the link below:
The Shop - A History of the Joseph Kavanagh Company 