The fish inhabit ponds as small as large puddles and lakes as big as small states. Their range is from Canada to South Florida. Personally I can attest: even from muddy ponds, they taste good!


Because they and their even more feisty fast water cousins, the Small Mouth Bass are tough little fighters, they are pursued by hundreds of thousands of American Sportsmen and Sportswomen. And little kids too. ​

Likely you have passed Bass Pro Shops along I-95. These mega stores service the great American Angler.  Founded by a sports man Johnny Morris, this chain of Recreation shops are themselves an 8 billion dollar business. They made a guy from Missouri who sold fishing gear from the back of a truck into a billionaire.  Mister Johnny Morris today is worth around 6 Billion bucks.   ​​

Starting from a single shop along a well travelled Missouri road, Johnny Morris now not only owns Bass Pro but he recently bought the hunting fishing superstore chain, Cabela’s. ​

On top of being a sportsman the  Springfield Missouri father of 4 is also a conservationist, which only makes sense when you consider there is no sportsmen if the eco systems are depleted. In fact in February 2019, no less than the Audubon Society honored Johnny Morris with its Audubon Medal for Conservation.      ​

Why is that? Well, consider the joy fishing brings.  I quote here a David verses Goliath Story from famed Fishing Guide Jim Porter…


…about a kid and his first fishing adventure. ​

From 1855 to 1962 there were Hudson County penal and charitable institutions on Snake Hill, which was essentially a self-contained city in which hundreds of people lived at any given time. The grounds had its own support facilities that included a sewer system, reservoir, electricity plant and incinerator. The on-site institutions included two almshouses, which provided shelter for the poor and elderly, a penitentiary, quarry and a number of medical facilities, all grouped on the north side of Snake Hill.


In an era of wholesale quarantining, the medical facilities included a Contagious Diseases Hospital, a Tuberculosis Sanatorium, and the Hudson County Lunatic Asylum. The Asylum existed from 1873  to 1939. ​

In 2003, more than 4,500 bodies of poor people, prisoners and patients were moved from the grounds to make way for the Turnpike's Exit 15X ramp.  You may take that Exit now. And do not worry about aggravating avenging angels: all the cadavers of the poor unfortunate inmates of the Snake Hill Asylum have been moved.


Or have they?


#SnakeHill #SnakeHillAsylum #PottersField #Insane #InsaneAsylum #Meadowlands #Secaucus #HudsonCounty ​

Here this HERE... along I-95
​

"OK Road Crew, now it is time for a Road Test.  The Road Test is brought to you by Walmart and if you stop into Walmart any time in the next 30 days we will give you  a free coffee at the instore Dunkin Donuts. ​

"Ok. Time for the Road Test.  So here now are the Fast Facts.


Back in 1945, a former J. C. Penney employee opened his first store in north west Arkansas.  Sam Walton’s focus was to sell products at lower prices to get high volume sales, portraying it as a crusade for the consumer. He was able to find lower-cost suppliers than other stores. Sales increased 45 percent in his first year of ownership to $105,000. The lease then expired so Sam opened up a new store on North Main Street in Bentonville, naming it "Walton's Five and Dime”. ​

​By offering always low prices, always, within its first five years, the company expanded to 24 stores in Arkansas. Sam did not expand outside of Arkansas till 1968 -- some 23 years later.  Bad Business? Well consider this...

Today, Walmart is the world’s Largest Retailer with 11,000 stores in 27 countries and Growing!  It is also the largest employer in the world with over 2 million employees and growing. Each week, over 275 million customers shop at Walmart or its other outlets like Sam’s Clubs. ​

​Other superlatives include many environmental initiatives like using wind turbines, biofuel boilers, and solar panels.  In fact, it is the biggest commercial producer of solar power in the United States.

So what happened to that first Walton Five and Dime in Bentonville? Well, That store is now the Walmart Museum.


Now for the Road Test:  where did Sam Walton work before he started his own company? You have 3 seconds. Three… and two… and one. If you said JC Penney, you would be correct.


#Walmart #SamWalton #Walmart Trucks #Bentonville #JCPenney #LargestRetailer #LargestEmployer #BetterTogether #Alwayslowpricesalways ​

Hear This right.... HERE!

Onramp to I-278s; New Jersey, Goethals across I-95 to Elizabeth, NJ & Staten Island NY


"You are driving through the salt-water marsh that made a Hollywood Studio millions of dollars and set the bar for modern TV dramas. In fact if you tap Deal Radar now we will offer you 3 free months of HBO Membership so you can see this drama in the next year. Speaking of years and drama....    As opposed to the northern neighbors which were the British owned colonies of New England, way back in the 1600's, the Dutch were first to settle both New York and New Jersey. And while New England was composed of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, the 2 states of New Jersey and New York were a very separate country called New Holland.  This large swamp-land area was therefore named by the Dutch.   In the Dutch language, a stream or a brook is known as a Kill.  The English translation for the huge marsh hereabouts is  “fresh-water streams”.  Today these meadowlands are still known by their Dutch name: the area is known as Fresh Kills.


New Jersey Mafia boss, Tony Soprano knows something about Fresh Kills.   Tony Soprano is in the waste removal business. A lot of Tony Soprano's garbage ended up in these wetlands. ​

“The Sopranos” television show made much use of the wetlands in and around Staten Island and  North Jersey.  Utilizing the bleak beauty and the gritty industrial patches of these wetlands, scenes were shot showing recyclables being dumped,  hijacked trucks getting offloaded, and dead bodies being disappeared. ​

​In reality, believe it or not, there are many mob bodies buried out there since much of the show's inspiration derived from true life. Just look around. How hard is it to hide a dead guy in all that swamp?


The Sopranos is a crime drama television series created by David Chase.

The story revolves around the fictional character, New Jersey-based mobster Tony Soprano  played by the late great James Gandolfini.  The series portrays the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflict of his family life with his well,   family life.


Drawing heavily from his personal experiences growing up in New Jersey, David Chase says he tried to "apply his own family dynamic to mobsters.” ​

For instance, the tumultuous relationship between Tony Soprano and his mother, Livia, is partially based on Chase's relationship with his own mother.  Chase was also in therapy at the time and modeled the character of Doctor Jennifer Melfi after his own psychiatrist. ​

​The TV show is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time. The series also won a multitude of awards, including Peabody Awards for its first two seasons, 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards. A staple of 2000s American popular culture, the series has been the subject of controversy and parody.  It has spawned books, a video game, high-charting soundtrack albums, and a large amount of assorted merchandise.

EXIT OF THE DAY: Exit 26  I-95n  to Spiney Bluff, GA.
Hear this here:

On your right, you're passing the Sanctuary Golf Club.  What with the all year climate, the varied terrain and the presence of The Master’s Tournament up at Augusta, it’s no surprise that Golf is huge all over Georgia.  Locally several Pro golfers have hung up their woods and called the region home. 

The Golf Icon had reason to fear the less famous Zach Johnson.  An Iowa native, Zach maybe naturally gravitated to Georgia since he won his first Pro Championship here. Zach won his first Tour event at the 2004 BellSouth Classic outside of Atlanta.  He followed that up with another major win on Georgia greens. On Easter Sunday April eight, 2008, Johnson won his first major title. He put on the green blazer at the Masters Tournament in Augusta. He won the tournament by a margin of two strokes over the runner up. That contender was Tiger Woods.  


After winning, Zach thanked God, saying: "This being Easter, I cannot help but believe my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was walking with me. I owe this to Him.”   


Zach must feel closer to God in Georgia; he, his wife, their daughter and their two boys now live on the coastal island of Saint Simon’s. ​

​But Zach is not the only pro golfer in the neighborhood. Therefore he does not lack for competition in his daily rounds. Other notable professional golfers owning Saint Simons  real estate include Davis Love III, Matt Kuchar, and Jonathan Byrd.


With practice rounds with players like that, much less Phil Michelson and Tiger Woods --  plus a little boost from the Man upstairs, Zach Johnson is sure to win again -- Tiger Woods notwithstanding.


#TigerWoods #ZachJohnson #Bellclassic #TheMasters #PGATour
#Augusta #DesMoinesRegister

​If you had the RoadSpoke app you would hear this here:
EXIT 15E I-95n in Port Newark–Elizabeth Marine Terminal to Holland Tunnel to NYC


Of his presidency, George Washington himself said, “I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn in precedent.”

First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen. In 1789, on the steps of the Federal Hall on Wall Street in Manhattan, George Washington was inaugurated as the first nationally elected President of the United States. It marked the beginnings of the first modern democracy in the world.


The concept of democracy was utterly unique. It required wholly new and invented protocols.  A man of great civility and a student of The Liberal Enlightenment, Washington believed dignity, and admiration of the truth were tantamount to the character of a leader.


At the same time, he had always been ambitious — perhaps since he was not born into Virginia’s aristocracy, the so-called “Planter Elite”. So while not immodest,  he was not a naif.  In fact, on the day the Continental Congress was to choose the Supreme Leader of the Continental Army in open revolt against British Overlords, Washington was the only Delegate to show up in his old military Uniform from the French and Indian War.   Supposedly, no less than Ben Franklin and Tom Jefferson chuckled at that not-so-subtle suggestion.


Needless to say, he got the job!   ​

Fast forward 10 years to Federal Hall in Manhattan.  After swearing a solemn oath to uphold the US Constitution, the world’s first President  retired indoors to read Congress his inaugural address. With not a little trepidation, he spoke of “the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”


No one in the room was certain democracy would work. Many even hoped that Washington would take over as King.


But Washington did not seek to be a tyrant.  Years earlier in the throes of the Revolution, on a sub-zero day  in icebound Newburgh, New York, a coterie of his officers had even proposed that he seize power from Congress.  Their pay was late. Their rations thin. They had no winter uniforms. Some had no shoes. Even Washington had to sleep in the frozen elements.


But Washington was aghast. He angrily disavowed any desire to create another tyranny. That was precisely the purpose of the American English Revolution: to throw off the yoke of monarchy and give power to the people.


Washington threatened to arrest any officer who spoke further of such treason. ​

History would remember this incident as the Newburgh Conspiracy.


Still, at Federal Hall, Congress was certainly aware that Washington was close to ideal as the first president. Not only was he a man of law, but he had no children which meant no dynastic aspirations.  And then there was his huge personal bravery and honesty.  He would not destroy the Constitution for personal gain. ​

MILESTONE:
Today, we just crossed 246,000 page views for our SINGLE post about Jimi Hendrix and  Woodstock.


Will RoadSpoke pass a quarter million Views? Stay Tuned!


Question: What does Mark Zuckerberg and hip hop group Cypress Hill have in common?


You choose:


Answer #1:  Both came from Scarsdale, New York and were the children of dentists?
Answer #2: Both headlined at Woodstock 94 — the 25th Anniversary of Woodstock?
Answer #3: Both are advocates of the legalization of weed?
Answer #4: Both joined over space and time to reach nearly a quarter million viewers on RoadSpoke’ Facebook Page?


If you selected Answer 4, you would be correct. Mark Zuckerberg and Cypress Hill both provided generous service for RoadSpoke to reach so many thousands of people without RoadSpoke paying a nickel!  

While Zuckerberg provided the platform, Cypress Hill no doubt shared the RoadSpoke’s Post and as of today we have …
…reached 246,260 people!

WOW!

Thank you CYPRESS HILL!  Thanks Marky Mark!​

Hear this right… >Here!
EXIT of the Day
Exit 75 I-95s,in Richmond Virginia To: I-64

Arthur Ashe was born in segregated Richmond Virginia in 1943. When Arthur was seven his mom died. This left Arthur’s father to have to care for him and his sister. The future professional player was discovered and taught by a local tennis star named Ron Charity.  Ron was also black. ​

Ron encouraged Arthur to compete locally, despite not being allowed to even walk on the court in certain racially segregated tennis clubs.
​
Ron Charity then brought young Arthur to a fellow tennis coach named Doctor Robert Walter Johnson. ​

A Lynchburg, Virginia native, Dr Johnson, was already famous for coaching the first African American tennis great. That tennis great was a woman named Althea Gibson.
​
In the 1950’s Althea Gibson had won Wimbledon, the US Open and several other so-called Grand Slam events.  The five foot eleven New Jersey phenom was the first Black tennis player to shatter the color barrier. ​

​Yet she was not widely known beyond tennis. That distinction would be left for Arthur Ashe, Dr Johnson’s next big tennis ingenue.
​
Johnson helped tweak Ashe’s game making him better. In 1963, Ashe became the first African- American tennis player to be part of the United States’ Davis Cup Team. He accepted the trophy insisting his father stand beside him.They were a team — on and off the court.

Ashe then received a tennis scholarship to University of California Los Angeles. This was after Ashe was awarded many awards such as being featured in Sports Illustrated and winning the National Junior Indoor Tennis title. Again, he was the first African-American to win that title. ​

During his pro career, Arthur won multiple awards and received endless recognition for his game.  Arthur Ashe’s career consisted of multiple victories in the Grand Slams. His first win in a Grand Slam was in 1968 while still in the Army.  That victory happened at a little thing called the United States Open. Two years later he won again. This time in the Australian Open. ​

​After two defeats in following two years he was crowned champion again at the US Open. This was in 1975.

Ashe also had multiple other awards over his career. Many of the awards occurred while being the first African-American in the sport to accomplish them.  This gave him the stature to speak out about racial injustice. He became friends and advocated with many of the towering Civil Rights leaders of his day.

​By the end of his career, Ashe had an amazing  winning percentage of 75%.  Arthur was victor in 75% of all tennis meets which include winning innumerable elimination rounds to become the event champion.
​
In 1977,  Arthur married Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe.

Jeanne is a photographer and activist. She is best known for her work in magazines, newspapers, and several photography books.  She later became a leading AIDS advocate.
​
During retirement, Arthur was outspoken about racial inequality and became a well -respected journalist and editorial writer in his own right.  He also was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.  He and wife Jeanne adopted a daughter and in 1988, mourned the death of his father. ​

A few years later Arthur Ashe very publicly announced he had AIDS.  Ashe had contracted HIV years earlier in a tainted blood transfusion from a heart operation.

Arthur Ashe died in 1993 in New York Hospital from pneumonia and complications due to AIDS.  In an era where people concealed their HIV affliction, Arthur represented the wider heterosexual threat from the deadly scourge.

At his request, Arthur was buried in Richmond, Virginia. He is buried there beside his Mom, Eliza — a Mom who will share eternity with her son… but a Mom who missed in life seeing all her remarkable son would accomplish.  And all he would give. 
​
#ArthurAshe #AltheaGibson #JeanneMoutoussamyAshe #Tennis #WoodlandCemetery #Richmond #UCLA #USArmy #AIDS

All Right Road Crew,  now it is time for a deal and a very charitable deal at that. Do you love pasta?  I mean who does not love pasta?  Every kitchen cabinet is stocked with pasta and pasta sauce.   If you tap the Deal Radar button on your smart phone... ...and  say "Deal Radar get me the Deal," you can get 1 free pasta sauce from Newman's Own, with every 2 Newman's Own products purchased.  ​

 This socially conscious product line is in every supermarket. So stock up on "Newman's Own" because no other company gives its profits to kids in need. And that is what Newman's Own does.  ​

During World War Two back in the spring of 1945, shortly before the Battle of Okinawa, as an aerial gunner on a torpedo dive bomber, the young Paul Newman was ordered aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill. But his pilot was sick. The pilot's ear infection kept their two man plane grounded at base while the rest of their squadron continued onto the aircraft carrier. Days later a kamikaze blasted the ship. All their unit died.  No doubt Paul Newman's story would have died that day as well. 

​​In the 1950’s Paul became a major movie star co-starring opposite such greats as Jackie Gleason and Elizabeth Taylor.  

Another major milestone was that he met then married actress Joanne Woodward. As movie stars, their's was a union unique in its breadth and depth. They shared 3 daughters and 50 plus years together. Once when asked about the secret to his marriage’s success, Newman famously answered, “Why would I go out for hamburger when I have steak at home?” ​

In 1982, along with author AE Hotchner and wife actress Joanne Woodward, Paul founded Newman's Own, a food company from which Newman donates all post-tax profits and royalties to charity.  These donations totaled  about five hundred million dollars by 2016. ​

​​Paul was also a co-founder of Safe Water Network and the SeriousFun Children's Network.. Serious Fun is a global family of camps and programs for children with serious illness. The camps are seriously altruistic:  it has served over three hundred thousand kids. 

The Westport Country Playhouse is a world famous theater right here in Westport.  Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman's wife, was artistic director from 2000-2006.  Liza Minnelli, Eartha Kitt, Gene Wilder, James Earl Jones, Jane Curtin, Henry Fonda, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Olivia de Havilland, Eva Gabor, Jane Fonda, and of course both Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman are among the actors having performed there. ​

Back in 1915, when a majority of the workers peacefully walked out, Standard Oil called Bayonne's mayor who also happened to be on the company's payroll as a lawyer.  The mayor immediately employed the police to squash the walkout.  Strikers fought with hired thugs as well as police as they sought improved pay and working conditions. Primary of their demands was to reduce the 12 hour work day to 8 hours.


As tensions rose and strikers started fires,  strikebreakers opened up and fired bullets into a crowd. ​

Four striking workers were killed and many wounded.


After the strike was quelled, bad publicity plagued Standard Oil. The Rockefeller clan became a bad name.  John D Rockefeller Junior decided to instigate much trumpeted Labor Relation Improvements including even adopting a pension plan for its workers — one of the country’s first. This went a long way to rehabbing the Rockefeller's image. ​

​Work days were eventually reduced to the now standard 8 hour day.


Fast Fact: The Rockefeller family in about 1900 became the first billionaires anywhere in the world and today are leaders in forward thinking philanthropy and they still own significant chunks of the old standard oil plus they are large owners in JP Morgan Chase Bank -- which David Rockefeller led as CEO for many years.   But I digress...

The New Jersey city of Bayonne is connected to New York City’s fifth borough,  Staten Island, by the Bayonne Bridge. Separating Staten Island from the other four New York City boroughs of Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, Bayonne, New Jersey is actually closer to the Big Apple than Staten Island which makes it a quick commute.   

Hear this here:
I-95 Exit 25 in FL To: FL 84, Marina Mile Boulevard

Earth, wind, and fire. Since it was recently Earth Day, as we drive through the tropical breezes toward the Fort Lauderdale Airport, we will discuss another element that is equally important to the area’s thriving economy, namely the proximity of the ocean to a booming city.  And as for fire, well we are discussing some local stars -- stars that attract a lot of tourism to the beaches even at night. 


Sensitive creatures from the sea often collide with humans on Fort Lauderdale’s coastlines. So the tourist city tries hard to accommodate all visitors.   Increasingly, the interactions between rare sea turtles and people are not harmful -- thanks to enlightened policies of both beachgoers and the local government. ​

Volunteers can even participate in conservation efforts. Accredited groups organize watches and walks along the beaches here. So you can actually stay up late or get up early to monitor mother Turtles laying eggs and then mark off the sites so beach goers do not tread on the nesting site. ​

According to the City of Fort Lauderdale’s website and the Florida’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:


“The Florida coast is the second most popular nesting area in the world for Loggerhead Sea Turtles. Nesting season in Broward County and on Fort Lauderdale's beaches begins in early March with Leatherbacks, followed by Loggerheads in April, and Green Sea Turtles in May and June. Females come up from the water to make their nests and deposit over 100 eggs on average in the sand. Approximately six to eight weeks later, the hatchlings will make their way from those nests to the ocean using the reflection of the moon on the water as a guide. Therefore, a common threat to sea turtles is disorientation caused by other sources of light. The City of Fort Lauderdale has adopted laws in its Code of Ordinances to help protect  sea turtles that nest and hatch on the beach. This ordinance is designed to reduce the impact of artificial lighting on sea turtles by restricting it during both the nesting and hatching season (March 1 - October 31)." ​

“The City works diligently to map sea turtle nests, set up protective barriers where necessary, post lighting guidelines and to support night walks to watch over hatchlings as they make their way to the water. We also rake our beaches each day, capturing debris such as cigarette butts and plastic items which can be harmful to sea turtles and all marine wildlife. There is a lot that our neighbors can do to keep these lovely stars of our seas healthy and happy in our City.” ​

#BrowardCounty #Seaturtles #Earthday #FortLauderdale #Loggerheads #NatGeo #CityofFortLauderdale #Florida #Snorkel ​

EXIT of the DAY:
EXIT 52 ab I-95n To: NC 24, Fayetteville near Fort Bragg, NC



As you drive north past Fayetteville we kindly suggest that you should reconsider. Consider taking the upcoming Interstate 95 Business route back to Fayetteville and spend an hour or two checking out these 2 unique sites.  One is peaceful and the other is about peacemakers.
 


If you are into plants and horticulture, the Cape Fear Botanical Garden offers a peaceful interlude.  It conserves and displays plant species and the plant communities of the Cape Fear River basin. The 80 acre garden contains nature trails, a natural rock amphitheater, steep ravines with unusual plants, and a varied riparian terrain ranging from pine forest through hardwood hills to river banks. They have numerous  educational programs at the Gardens that will help you, well, grow. ​

They are the guys and gals who save ammo by killing you in one shot.  And as witnessed in movies like Black Hawk Down they tend to wipe out small armies even as they rarely take cover from hoards of shooters with remarkably poor aim. ​

Speaking of Black Hawk Down, in October 2013 the Ass Off My Gun Museum opened the "Task Force Ranger and the Battle of Mogadishu Exhibit." The exhibit features immersive dioramas and artifacts from the battle including the wreckage of Super 6-1, the first Black Hawk helicopter shot down during the battle. ​

The downing of the Blackhawk is widely considered to be a turning point in the Conflict and is chronicled in the book by Mark Bowden and movie “Black Hawk Down” produced by Ridley Scott. ​

Hear this Here!


EXIT OF THE DAY: I-287 Exit 4 To: Hartsdale, New York


"Okay Road Crew, since you are driving by Hartsdale New York, you are entitled to something sweet. See what I did there... I correlated Heart with being sweet... yes? No? Ok. Sorry. Moving on then. 

This Flash Deal is only good for next 2 Hours. Buy One get one free!   But First you must answer the Road Test. Yes. Nothing is that easy, right?

Now for the Fast Facts. So listen up.


Fast Fact One:  the next roadspoke was written and submitted to us by Jeanie and Stephen Cho.   Steve and Jeanie are newly weds who live and run a business in Hartsdale. So that is extra sweet. Thanks Mr and Mrs Cho.

Ok so speaking about hot and cold, mix a hot summer day, a broken down truck, and a load of melting ice cream and what do you get?  Answer: an empire!


In upcoming  Hartsdale New York, a  twenty-eight year old Greek immigrant's  truck broke down on Memorial Day Weekend in 1934. He pulled into the parking lot of a pottery store. He was in big trouble since his load was all ice cream and it was melting. So instead of freaking out, he threw open the back and  he started to sell.  In a few minutes he sold his entire load.


He knew he was on to something. Later that year, he developed a secret soft-serve recipe, and concocted the “buy one, get one” promotional tactic. Funny coincidence huh? 

​Two years later, the Greek immigrant incorporated his business and bought the Hartsdale pottery store, which became the first  location of his iconic Ice cream empire. His ice cream featured ice cream cakes and funny whales. And he himself became famous for his rough voice in radio and later in TV ads. He then anglicized his greek name. Who do you think that certain Athanassios Karvelas is better known as? Maybe you will recognize him better by the ice cream shop's name, Carvel!


Founder Tom Carvel was born in in Greece in 1906.

In the 1930's he invented a machine to dispense soft ice cream (which was also known as “frozen custard”). The machine would be the first of some 300 ice-cream related patents, trademarks, and copyrights held by Tom Carvel who incidentally, is also considered to be one of the founding fathers of the franchise system in America. He created characters and wedding cakes from ice cream. He even invented Fudgie the whale.

Talk about turning lemons into lemonade! Or rather turning a broken down truck into a sweet fortune!


Now for the Test.  If you get right to Exit at the Next Exit and bear right  to get you to the nearby Carvel ’s Ice cream and you buy one ice cream, what do you get free?


That’s right! So bear right now and in 2 minutes you will be enjoying a free carvel Ice cream. You will save money.  And guess what? Your valentine will like it too!  And also guess what?  Jeanie and Stephen Cho will like it to, because super guess what? They own the Franchise. and look forward to seeing you at the Carvels in Hartsdale!


Thanks Mr and Mrs Cho… Happy Heat wave and Flash Deal. Wishing you many more. Fl;ash deals that is... not heat waves. You see what i did there. Oh, ok. Sorry. Let's chat at the next exit. 
   
RoadSpoke out!"

#Carvel #TomCarvel #Hartsdale #Fudgie #StephenCho #JiniCho

And despite it being New York City, yes Alan from Newnan Georgia wore his signature ten gallon hat... which was no less weird than AeroSmith's Steven Tyler wearing spectacles! ​

​She supported the family as a flight attendant back in the days when the penniless Star struggled to break out. When asked about his evolution as a song writer, and whether he wrote poetry or short stories back in school Alan replied simply, “It must just be a gift from heaven. I don’t know where it came from. I never wrote a song in my life until I was in my early 20s.”


But no doubt the marriage and daughters with Denise is a recurring theme. And a country singer’s dream. It embodied the very themes of the singer’s own hits—a rags-to-riches story of high-school sweethearts who find superstardom without sacrificing true love.

In the days leading up to his induction into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame the keeper of 35 “Number #1” Country Hits is still sharing his stories — cowboy hat and all."  


We at RoadSpoke look forward to many more hits to come.    


#9/11 #AlanJackson #DeniseandAlanJackson #Countrywestern #NewnanGeorgia #RagstoRiches #SongwritersHallofFame #Billboard100 #BillboardMagazine​

Growing seafood, or aquaculture,  is booming business in New England. Aqua-cultured shellfish in Rhode Island include various oyster, mussel, and clam species. These bivalves are filter feeders. This means they rely on what’s called  “ambient primary production” rather than feeding on inputs of fish, or meal, or other feed. In other words, they filter water for tiny food like plankton and organic material. ​

As such, shellfish aquaculture is generally perceived as benign or even beneficial. On top of creating great seafood, this type of Aquaculture actually cleans the water. Pretty cool huh? ​

​Depending on the species and local conditions, bivalve molluscs are either grown on the beach, on longlines, or suspended from rafts and harvested by hand.  Here in Rhode Island most are grown in salt ponds where tides flush the estuaries twice a day.

If you have a time for a meal, why not get off I-95 at the next exit and drop by some of the local clam shacks on Route 4 and Scenic Route 1.  You will not find fresher or more delicious seafood anywhere in the world! 


#aquaculture #RhodeIslandAquaculture #oysters #Oysterfarms #Oysterfarming #Greenwich #EastGreenwichRhodeIsland #Bivalves #Seafood #JacquesCousteau ​

​EXIT of the DAY:
I-95n Exit 26 in FL To: I-595 , FL 736, Davie Blvd


Despite crusading against the Ivy League east coast elites, Ron DeSantis shares many characteristics of those so-called Washington Insiders. Perhaps some back story could help understand if he is any different and if he will take a different road as a politician.  

After graduating from Yale College and then Harvard Law School, the future Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis served as a Navy officer and attorney in the Judge Advocate General's Corps.  Yes, TV fans... Judge Advocate General stands for JAG, and JAG is the subject of the popular CBS TV series now in syndication.  But a JAG officer’s life  is not half as exciting as shown on TV.  While the original TV series was pitched in 1995 as “Top Gun” meets “A Few Good Men”  actual JAG work is legal work by attorneys — albeit lawyers in spotless Navy uniforms.

In his early 40’s, DeSantis is today the youngest governor of any state.  While being a vocal supporter of President Trump, he has supported locally enlightened policies. An apt snapshot for Ron DeSantis’ policies is his hosting a Python Super Bowl.  

Hunters were invited to the Everglades to hunt the invasive Burmese Python species which are wiping out local wildlife on an unprecedented level. In doing so, he appeals to conservative hunters as well as aligns himself with left leaning conservation groups.   The Governor posed for photographs in front of a huge snake. He hoisted a python skin football.  ​

​Following his inauguration, DeSantis increased bipartisanship with State Democrats. In stark contrast to Trump policy, he even started progressive reforms to environment and drug policies.  DeSantis allocated $2.5 billion for water resource projects including $360 million for the Everglades National Park. He also supported legislation to support marijuana legalization not to mention, appointed several Democrats to positions in his cabinet — moves that drew praise from liberal pundits.   DeSantis casually  told the Tampa Bay Times that he was "basically doing what I said I was going to do.”


Still DeSantis usually defers to President Trump’s base.  DeSantis attacked Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia’s support in the 2016 election. He urged Trump to shut down the investigation. This keeps him tops in the Trump sphere even while he creates a workable environment to do horse trading on a local level.

Never one to be easily pigeonholed, back in 2007, DeSantis was assigned to SEAL Team One and deployed to Iraq .


Did that mean he was a SEAL?… Well not Really but…


During the so-called Surge in Iraq, according to the Miami Herald,  DeSantis served as a senior legal advisor. The young lawyer was assigned to give legal advice to the SEAL Commander of Special Operations in Task Force-West in Fallujah. From his desk in an air conditioned office,  DeSantis helped ensure that the missions of both Navy SEALs as well as Army Special Forces were planned according to the rule of military law.  At the time, a lot of prisoners were picked up and transferred to Iraqi Authorities. Lawyer DeSantis was responsible for overseeing that this process was done legally.

​According to the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs, there are more than 1.5 million veterans living in Florida.  Clerk or SEAL, every Veteran counts.   That said, we are not sure how many paralegals live in Florida.  Governor De Santis has not touted images of him working behind piles of books — even if it was his actual role in the military.

​Lawyer or soldier it may not matter much since hopefully, today he now wears a uniform with snake boots.


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