Dear Smiley: We moved to the Left Coast almost three years ago to be with our grandchildren, having spent the first 69 years in South Louisiana and the last 48 of those in Baton Rouge.
We really enjoy it here, but the things I really miss are:
1. My camp in Cocodrie.
2. Boiled crawfish.
3. LSU football and other LSU sports.
4. The Advocate!
We are a suburb of Tacoma and the Tacoma News Tribune is a good paper, but not up to the quality of The Advocate.
The people of Baton Rouge do not appreciate The Advocate until they move away.
We’ve traveled a lot around the U.S. and have read many daily newspapers, and believe me, The Advocate is the best newspaper in the nation.
Be proud of your paper …
KARL J. PIZZOLATTO, M.D.
Lakewood, Wash.
Dear Smiley: In your recent item titled “Explosive Topic,” you quoted an Aggie joke by a William Lewis.
I want to go on record to say that this was not submitted by me.
I am a loyal Tiger who enjoys Aggie jokes but no longer tells them.
The reason for this is that my grandson, William C. Lewis, is a dedicated Texas Aggie student, cadet and band member.
It became clear, soon after he became an Aggie, that he saw no humor in such jokes.
He has this attitude even though he is a descendent of three generations of LSU Tigers.
I guess his Texas high school must have brainwashed him.
WILLIAM H. LEWIS
Baton Rouge
Dear Smiley: I am a new vendor at the Red Stick Farmer’s Market in downtown Baton Rouge, and I was amazed by the high volume of traffic lights in that area.
I was also impressed that the synchronization process allowed me to spend a little time with each one.
KENNY GREIG
New Iberia
Dear Kenny: Yes, that’s our city’s “See Baton Rouge” program, which allows visitors to view our attractions as they wait for the traffic light to change.
Dear Smiley: I was an orthopedic resident at Charity Hospital in the ’50s.
One of our clinical instructors was Dr. Nick Accardo.
During World War II, he had just completed his internship at Charity when he entered the Army.
He was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division as a battalion surgeon.
On D-Day, he was with his troops in the first wave to land on Utah Beach.
Nick was the first physician on the beach.
Later, he was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action.
As they were crossing the English Channel in an LST landing craft, a Catholic chaplain held Mass.
Nick said, “Not all of the guys were Catholic, but everybody went to Mass.”
BILL SMITH, M.D.
Baton Rouge
Dear Smiley: We just returned from a relatively new train trip through the wilds of British Columbia and Alberta.
I guess the best story we heard concerned the owner of a remote farm.
Seems he didn’t appreciate the train blowing its whistle as it passed the edge of his property.
So he indicated his displeasure by standing at the tracks — in the buff.
Now, in fairness to the train engineer, the farm was at the end of a blind curve with tunnel, and the whistle was simply a warning to anything on the tracks ahead.
But the nudist marauder was causing quite a row in the clientele, so the engineer eventually decided to slow down enough to eliminate the need for his whistle.
I guess you could classify this as the power of wireless communication.
CLAUDE CULROSS
Baton Rouge
Dear Smiley: I got retired way before I wanted to, so I had my eye open for another job.
I saw a sign at a south Louisiana drive-in restaurant that said, “If you are over 16 and know how to skate, we have a job for you.”
They lied.
HARRY CLARK
Lafayette
Dear Smiley: No matter how far we travel, its seems we always run into an LSU fan.
My wife and I just returned from our first trip to Yellowstone National Park.
As we were watching Old Faithful, I noticed a lady next to me with an LSU jacket.
I immediately asked her where in Louisiana was she from.
Her response was that she was not from Louisiana, but that she loves purple and gold and the jacket was on sale.
Does that count as an LSU fan?
JODY THIBAUT
New Roads
Dear Jody: Only if she hates crimson and white. (Do I really have to tell you who has those colors?)
Write Smiley at Smiley@theadvocate.com. He can also be reached by fax at (225) 388-0351 or mail at P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.
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