They’re making a movie about Lance Armstrong. You know the amazing cyclist who won the grueling Tour de France a record seven times and then was disqualified for allegedly using chemicals, or doping as it’s called. The movie will star actor Ben Foster as Lance Armstrong. So far, so good. Now you’re asking how does this movie connect with Peoria? The connection comes with Academy award winner Tami Lane, the Woodruff High School and Bradley University graduate who has earned honors and recognition as an outstanding makeup artist. According to her father, former teacher and coach, Roger Lane, Tami was recruited to make Ben Foster look like Lance Armstrong. Appearing on WOAM’s “Breakfast with Royce and Roger,” Coach Lane described his daughter’s role in the movie’s production taking place in the French Alps. He said, “Tami worked hard to make the transformation of Ben Foster into Lance Armstrong. At one point Foster was not convinced he looked like Armstrong,” Lane said. “However, the next day when Foster walked on the set for filming, crew members thought Lance Armstrong had arrived to watch the filming. That convinced Foster that Tami knew what she was doing.”

The proud father said his daughter has the responsibility to turn Foster into Lance Armstrong each day for filming amidst the scenic Alps of France. “She’s thrilled by the beauty of her surroundings while living in a French chalet.” He added, “They’re moving around quite a bit as they shoot the actual route of the Tour de France so she’s really taking in the beauty of the country, and the French people have been wonderful.” Lane said some of the cyclists who competed with and against Armstrong are in the movie. “They’ve not only been wonderful to Tami, but helpful.” He explained that one cyclist, after seeing Foster as Armstrong, told Tami that Armstrong did not wear short socks when competing.

So, Tami replaced them with the right style.

Tami was planning to fly back to Peoria in October to receive the “Outstanding Young Graduate Award” from Bradley University during Founder’s Day ceremonies. Unfortunately, filming/shooting schedules prevented her appearance. “She was disappointed,” said Roger. He said after the shooting in France the crew will fly to London for work inside and then move for final shots in Texas. No date for the movie’s release has been set. Lane told the WOAM audience the movie is being done without the support or approval of Armstrong.

IS IT TRUE?

You’ll recall Kent State University dropped its demand for reimbursement from Bradley University for luring basketball coach, Geno Ford, to Peoria. A date for the awarding of actual damages was set for jury trial, October 7. This column predicted the suit would be settled out of court. And it was with no cash awarded to Bradley. Now a rumor is floating around the city and Hilltop that there was a settlement with Bradley paying Kent State an unknown amount to keep the suit from continuing. Is it true? I don’t know. Do you?

GLITCH?

No word has ever been more misused and abused than “glitch.” First uttered by President Obama in an effort to minimize the failure of his healthcare plan, the word has been repeated and repeated, used and used thousands of times in newspapers, radio and TV stations across the country and the world. Let’s look up the definition, something no one, not even Fox News, has done. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary says, “glitch, a minor malfunction ‘and/or’ a minor problem that causes a temporary setback.” Yes, a “minor” malfunction or problem. The first week the administration bragged that 51,000 people had signed up. Heck, the Home Shopping Network records more sales in six hours. So far, it’s been chaos and a disaster, but the liberal media will never admit it and neither will Obama. Glitch?

I don’t think so.

THE OTHER SIDE

While Democrats and their media cronies blame Republicans for shutting down the government, Thomas Sowell, that African-American educational genius the Journal Star refuses to print, provided a factual analysis. Sowell says, “The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted all the money required to keep all government activities going except ObamaCare.” Sowell adds that it is the right of the House to decide whether or not they want to spend money on a particular government activity, and “the whole point of having a division of powers within the federal government is that each branch can decide independently what it wants to do or not do, regardless of what the other branches do, when exercising the powers granted to that branch by the Constitution.” He points out that the decision to idle government employees wasn’t based on a lack of money because the House had appropriated the funds. “If Senator Reid and President Obama refuse to accept the money required to run the government because it leaves out the money they want to run ObamaCare, that is their right. You cannot blame other people for not giving you everything you want. And it is a fraud to blame them when you refuse to use the money they did vote even when it is ample to pay for everything else in government.”

Sowell went on to write, “When Barack Obama keeps claiming that it is some new outrage for those who control the money to try to change government policy by granting or withholding money, that is a bald-faced lie. You can check the history of other examples of ‘legislation by appropriation’ as it used to be called.”

Sowell adds, “Perhaps the biggest of the big lies is that the government will not be able to pay what it owes on the national debt, creating a danger of default. Tax money keeps coming into the Treasury during the shutdown and it vastly exceeds the interest that has to be paid on the national debt.” He concludes “None of this is rocket science.” Sadly, while it isn’t rocket science, none of this was reported by the national and local media.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

November 11 is Jonathan Winter’s birthday. Born in Bellbrook, Ohio, in 1925, Jonathan became the funniest and greatest comedian to ever entertain the world with his creative and innovative clean humor. I had the pleasure of becoming a close friend thanks to our morning radio show. Though we never met personally, we had long phone conversations lasting, sometimes, an hour and a half. When his wife Eileen was in her final hours of life, Jonathan called me before and after her passing to talk about their life and marriage. Jonathan was proud of his military service. He joined the Marines at the age of 17 and spent World War II in the South Pacific on the aircraft carrier, USS Bon Homme Richard. He bragged that the aircraft carrier was the only one never to have been hit by enemy aircraft, though there were some close calls. On his birthdays and for Christmas, I usually sent a Marine shirt or a cap since I knew he had just about everything anyone needed or wanted. Jonathan was nominated 11 times for Grammy Awards and also for an Emmy. He was not only a brilliant improvisational stand-up comedian; he was an artist and an author. His book, “Winter’s Tales,” became a best seller in 1988. Jonathan sent me an autographed copy which I cherish. I also proudly display four of his pencil sketches that sell for $1,000. I bought one and he gave me the others as gifts over the years. His oil paintings sell for $10,000 to $15,000.

Jonathan also appeared in numerous films and on a variety of television shows during his successful career. Earlier this year he completed work as a voice on “Smurfs 2,” which is dedicated in his memory.

Jonathan died this past April 11 at his home in Montecito, California, at the age of 87. I assumed he died of heart failure since he once mentioned he was wearing his 7th pacemaker. I regret never meeting him in person though he invited me to his home several times. He even suggested coming to Peoria/Morton by train. He didn’t like flying.

I was invited by his daughter to attend memorial services in Santa Barbara. As mentioned in my column, I flew out with my son Zack, for the service. It was more of a celebration of his life with lots of laughs as they played excerpts from movies and TV shows. His daughter, Lucinda, and son, Jay, gave moving remembrances of their father as did some celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Jr., and Bonnie Hunt.

We’ll celebrate the life and friendship of Jonathan Winters the week of November 11 on our morning show on WOAM. It’ll include some of our radio interviews and hopefully, phone conversations with Lucinda and Jay. Of course, we’ll also commemorate Veterans Day as we do every year. We can never thank our veterans enough for their service, especially those who made the supreme sacrifice.

GIVING THANKS

November is a special month of the year as we observe Thanksgiving with family gatherings. According to James W. Baker in his book, “Thanksgiving: The Biography of An American Holiday,” “the three day event in Plymouth in the fall of 1621 was the historical birth of the Thanksgiving holiday. That was the gathering of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians.” The Continental Congress proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving in 1777. The holiday eventually fell out of favor, but found new life in 1863 by President Lincoln. Lincoln resurrected the holiday celebration by proclaiming two Thanksgiving Days, August 8, to celebrate the victory at Gettysburg, and the second on the fourth Thursday of November. But it was Congress in 1941 that permanently established the fourth Thursday as Thanksgiving.

Like others, I appreciate Thanksgiving because it reminds me to thank God for His gifts and family and friends for their love and support. Too often, we take each for granted. In our circumstances, we have much to be thankful for. Diagnosed with an inoperable, but benign brain tumor in the 1990’s, my wife has fought the daily battle, first with 28 life-saving radiation treatments, and then later dealing with the inability to stand or walk. Bound to a wheelchair, she struggles with other long-term side effects of the radiation.

She has never complained. She has never asked, “Why me God?” Nancy smiles and even laughs when unable to think of a word or two when communicating. Thank God for her positive attitude.

This Thanksgiving, we give thanks for the angels God has brought into our lives to cope with our challenges, people like her morning caregiver, Gloria. Of course, family support has been as crucial to me as for Nancy. Our sons and their families have been a source of strength as have our siblings. There are friends to thank, too. I won’t mention who they are for fear I’ll miss someone. They know who they are and how thankful we are as they call, visit, send encouraging cards and letters. They’re angels, God’s gift to us. And there have been special angels, people who’ve come into my life, unannounced, without any fanfare, and strengthened my sometimes needy spirits, with a smile, encouraging words, or just listened. Some angels come and go, but memories of who they are and what they did for me, for us, remain. Every Thanksgiving has been special, but as the window of life becomes smaller, we have greater appreciation for the love of God and the love of friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“He who thanks but with the lips Thanks but in part; The full, true Thanksgiving Comes from the heart.” —J.A. Shedd