Like many newspaper reporters, Joan Vadeboncoeur met plenty of famous people. When her estate was auctioned off last weekend, autographs inscribed by entertainers such as Judy Garland and Erroll Flynn were among the items sold.
Like many women of means, Joan Vadeboncoeur had a fondness for fine jewelry and designer duds. Several pieces of 18-karat platinum necklaces, Gucci purses and Oleg Cassini dresses were also auctioned.
Like other single women living in a spacious family homestead, Joan Vadeboncoeur filled the big house at 1330 Owahgena Road, Cazenovia, with expensive collectibles including glass and pottery from Steuben, Hummel and Waterford. Those too were sold to high bidders last weekend.
Precious gems
Joan went for quality over quantity.
The estate sale’s jewelry comprised a relatively modest three dozen pieces, but the estimate worth of those 30-plus items totaled more than $225,000!
Two of the highest-priced pieces were two pairs of 14K gold earrings each valued at $40,000.
One featured drop earrings with four brilliant cut diamonds, two marquis diamonds and one pear-shaped diamond, all topped with a baguette and a brilliant cut diamond. The other 14K pair sported 14 pear-shaped emeralds, 12
oval diamonds and 76 baguettes.
Joan valued her ears. Whether listening to movie dialogue or a whispered news tip, her ears would receive and her typewriter would deliver. And so Joan adorned them.
All of her readers know Joan had style. Fewer folks know how she simply sparkled.
Curly’s VE discs
Joan E. Vadeboncoeur, who covered arts and entertainment for more than half a century for the Syracuse Newspapers, died Jan. 4 at her home. She was 78.
She was predeceased by her parents, E.R. “Curly” and Orletta Vadeboncoeur, and is survived by two cousins, Jayne Street and Faye Brooks. Services were private, and she was buried at Oakwood Cemetery.
One of the most interesting items auctioned last weekend was Curly Vadeboncoeur’s World War II correspondence files and 12 recordings made at WSYR-AM on VE Day in 1945.
Notable autographs in the Vadeboncoeur collection included those of Eleanor Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, J. Edgar Hoover, Ray Milland and many movie and TV stars from 1941 to 2000.Besides the signatures, photographs, press kits and other ephemera were also sold on Sunday.
The auctions were conducted by Bill Magee Auction Services of Cazenovia. He can be reached by phone at 655-8155. To check out some 1,000 photos of the items for sale, visit auctionzip.com and use auctioneer number 12958.
Germano’s gem
It was just another Tuesday-night ballgame on July 26 out at Alliance Bank Stadium as some 3,000 fans — relieved that the heat wave had finally lifted — turned out to see if the hapless hometown Chiefs might finally turn the tables on International League opponents who have beaten them six out of every ten games this season. While the Chiefs remained true to their sad standings’ stats that Tuesday night, the 3,000 faithful were nevertheless rewarded with a marvelous and memorable game.
Columbus Clippers righty Justin Germano, a 28-year-old journeyman from Claremont, Calif., threw a perfect game against the Chiefs as the Ohians cruised to a 3-0 victory. A perfect game — that’s 27 batters up and 27 batters down. No hits, no walks, no errors.
Germano has pitched for three major-league teams — the San Diego Padres, the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians, the Clippers’ parent-club. He spent the 2009 season in Japanese Pacific League with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.
Seven strikeouts
On July 26, his command of a particularly hard curve helped him chalk up seven strikeouts, Germano said after the game. “I got a lot of swings and misses on my curve.”
The pitcher credited his infielders for stealing hits from Chiefs batters like Mike Aubrey and Chris Marrero who each sent frozen ropes into warm gloves.
“My defense was there,” Germano said, “and I was able to get the ground ball outs.’’
Germano’s gem was the first no-hitter in Syracuse since a couple of Ottawa Lynx hurlers — Shayne Bennett and Jayson Durocher — dealt a combined no-no against the SkyChiefs in 1999. Germano’s gem was just the fifth perfect game in the entire history of the International League, which dates back to 1884.
A rare night indeed.
Music and martinis
Check out singer-songwriter Zach Kline as he shares his newest tunes from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays at World Lounge and Martini Bar, 134 E. Genesee St., downtown; 422-3404.
Hey, music always sounds better with a martini!
