Smiley Anders for Nov. 2, 2012

Roy Pitchford, of Monroe, a former reporter at newspapers around the state, says, “Your recent mention of New Orleans radio sports talkers Hap Glaudi and Buddy Diliberto and their unique voices and vocabulary reminds me of the time about 25 years ago when a Times-Picayune reporter was visited by a lady friend from the Northwest.

“She took a cab from the airport to his apartment, and during the trip the cab driver was listening to the afternoon sports report on WWL.

“She later told the T-P reporter that she thought it was great that the radio station satirized the sports news.

“She couldn’t believe people actually talked that way all the time.”

Wait, there’s more!

Roy Pitchford adds, “And we must never forget Crescent City sports writer N. Charles Wicker, who wrote ‘the Styron twins, who are brothers;’ who told of Jesuit’s baseball team scoring on a squeeze play to win 1-0 in ‘a game that was closer than the score indicated;’ and wrote of ‘genial Joe Rummel, prominent local archbishop.’

“Those were the days.”

First Wave

Mention of the Bantam Club, a Prairieville night spot in the late ’50s and early ’60s, reminded “Olde Guy” of this tale:

“I can tell you without a doubt that ‘The Wave’ originated at the Bantam Club one night when a fight broke out in the far corner of the packed club and people stood to either get away from the fight or to see what was happening.

“Many years later I was watching the national news and they were showing The Wave, the newest rage, being done all over the country.

“It verified what I already suspected — that even in the ’50s and ’60s we were ahead of the rest of the country.”

Happy returns

“I hope The Advocate never stops publishing!” says Brenda Atkinson. (So do we, Brenda.)

“Without it, I wouldn’t be able to thank the strangers who turned in my iPad at Lowe’s when I left it in my basket, nor the employees who held it until I returned for it.”

A special house

Brenda Atkinson was also pleased to see in The Advocate a photo of the “Zachary House” with Froma Harrop’s syndicated column about small houses.

Says Brenda, “Some astute editor realized that this little house, designed by our son Stephen and built by his father, John, had been featured in The Advocate in 2001.

“The house now is the property of Father Tom Ranzino and was moved to St. Francisville where it is nestled in the woods.

“Incidentally, the Zachary House, a little house with ‘nine lives,’ was featured in a three-page spread in the New York Times on Oct. 4 — it’s being rebuilt in Ramseur, N.C.”

Nice People Dept.

Doris Melancon, of Prairieville, thanks the person who picked up the tab when she had lunch with two friends at Country Kitchen in Gonzales:

“This act of kindness was very special to us, especially since one of the ladies was having a birthday the next day. It’s good to know that there are still nice people in this world.”

Amazing maze

On Sunday from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., you can learn how to build a labyrinth at The Red Shoes, 2303 Government St.

But there’s a catch …

Bring canned food for the Greater Baton Rouge Food bank, and Maida Owens will use the cans to teach you to design and build your own temporary labyrinth on your lawn or driveway, using rocks, sticks, etc.

Special People Dept.

• Brother Willie Johnson celebrates his 97th birthday Sunday.
• Wille Roubique Sr., of Fordoche, celebrates his 94th birthday Saturday. He’s an Army veteran of World War II.
• Virgil Woodard Sr., of Kentwood, celebrates his 92nd birthday Friday. A World War II veteran, he served in Europe in Gen. George S. Patton’s 3rd Army.
• Mary Louise Montagnino celebrates her 90th birthday Friday.
• Kathleen Bowman, of The Haven, celebrates her 90th birthday Saturday.
• Murphy and Sweet Blanchard celebrated their 60th anniversary Thursday.

Of pecans and pigs

Thomas Murrel, of Church Point, says his wife, Annette, has been busy harvesting pecans from their trees and seeking the best price for them:

“She’s on a pecan picker network. She and her friends call each other and tell of where the best prices are, whether local or away from Church Point.

“I told her to be careful and not let a good price escape, and reminded her of the old story of the two elderly farmers from the greater Church Point area.

“One of them told his old friend that he was going to the nearby sale barn and sell his three hogs.

“‘Are you crazy?’ his friend remarked. ‘I read in the paper that you can get 15 cents a pound more at the sales barns around Chicago.’

“ ‘Chicago?’ the farmer said. ‘That’s a long way. Just think about the time to get there.’

“His friend shrugged. ‘Ah vieux frère, what’s time to a hog?’ ”

Write Smiley at [e-mail]. He can also be reached by fax at [phone] or mail at P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.