DAVID ADAMS looks at the odder side of life…
• A man in the US state of Illinois is celebrating the 60th birthday – of a sandwich. Not just any sandwich, but a buffalo barbecue sandwich that was half-eaten by then-US Vice President Richard Nixon when he and wife Pat visited the small city of Sullivan on 22nd September, 1960. Steven Jenne, who was at the time a 14-year-old Boy Scout and one of a troop which served as an honour guard during Nixon’s visit, reportedly picked up the souvenir after Nixon left the half-eaten sandwich and took it home to his mother, who placed it in a glass jar in the freezer. Jenne took custody of the sandwich when he moved out of home and, over the years since, word of his treasure had spread leading to it (and Jenne) making an appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson show in 1988 (see the video above). Jenne, who plans to keep the sandwich in his freezer as long as he’s alive, hopes the sandwich will focus attention on a plaque commmemorating Nixon’s visit to Sullivan during this anniversary year.
• Asbestos – and its association with cancer – isn’t something any town would paricularly want to be linked with so spare a thought for the Canadian town that bears the word as its official moniker. Located in Quebec, the mining town of Asbestos – once the site of a large asbestos mine – is trying to do something about it with a vote on a new name but its suggested alternatives have apparently received a less than enthusiatic response. They include Phenix (French for the mythical firebird known in English as the Phoenix), Apalone (a species of turtle), Trois-Lacs (French for “Three Lakes”) and Jeffery (the name of the man who operated the town’s first abestos mine). The names were originally scheduled to be voted upon in mid-October but there’s been word that might now be delayed so new names can be proffered. Not all residents even believe a name change is necessary. “I was born in Asbestos and I want to die in Asbestos,” one resident, Ginette Frichette, told CNN.
• Social distancing took a heavy toll on an amateur football team in Germany recently. Forced to play or face a €200 fine despite their concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, SG Ripdorf/Molzen II fielded a team of seven with all players maintaining social distancing from their opponents during the game. The result was fairly predicatable – a 37-0 loss to SG Ripdorf/Molzen II with rival club Holdenstedt given free reign as long as they maintained control of the ball. SG Ripdorf/Molzen II has defended their decision, saying they were eager to avoid the fine: “That’s a lot of money for us, especially amid the pandemic,” club co-chair Patrick Ristow reportedly told ESPN.
