Harvey started out as a hurricane, and although it was downgraded to a tropical storm, the deluge descended on Texas twice with a vengeance.
Hey, we Upstate New Yorkers justifiably complain about our harsh winter weather, including blizzards, mountainous snow drifts and ice storms, but at least when it melts, our houses are still there. Along the Gulf Coast, hurricanes and resulting floods literally wash away hearth and home.
Liverpool’s First Presbyterian Church is sending help to Houston.
Harvey made landfall late Friday and early Saturday morning, Aug. 25 to 26, as a Category 4 hurricane and though downgraded to tropical storm status, it continued to churn inland into Texas. Damage in and near Rockport and Port Lavaca, where the storm made landfall, was catastrophic. Drowning deaths and massive damage have been reported, and the floodwaters steadily rose as the storm dumped heavy rains in South Texas into the middle of last week.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is staying in touch with presbytery leadership in New Covenant, Mission, and South Louisiana Presbyteries, reports Old First’s Pastor Garrett Anderson. “National Response Teams are being deployed into the affected regions when it is safe to do so,” he said.
To donate, visit pda.pcusa.org/situation/tropical-storm-harvey and please designate gifts to DR000169-Harvey.
Ballplayers have a heart
The Syracuse Chiefs International League baseball team also lent Harvey victims a helping hand by donating proceeds from Aug. 29’s 50/50 raffle to the Houston Food Bank in their relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
Multiple Chiefs players pledged their support, and players are donating clothes and shoes that will be sent to Houston. Bins set up outside the main entrance to NBT Bank Stadium allowed fans to drop off clothes and other items to be donated to those in need in the Lone Star State.
Chiefs players may be thinking of their former teammate, Caleb Ramsey, who was released in late July before joining the Sugar Land Skeeters in the independent Atlantic League on Aug. 2. Sugar Land is located near Ramsey’s boyhood hometown of Houston.
Rockin’ on Electronics Pkwy.
Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of Fame guitarist Dave Novak will lead the History of Syracuse Music All-Star Band this Sunday at the Holiday Inn, on Electronics Parkway. The rock and roll rings out from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, at the Holiday Inn.
Novak’s Party Nuts band was rained out this summer at Johnson Park, but Sunday’s show is indoors.
According to Ron Wray, the Syracuse Music Authority, the History of Syracuse Music All-Star Band has included Novak, Buke Babikian, Ted Boileau, Mike Ferrante, Mark Hoffmann, Ed McBarron, Frank Rhodes, Steve Schad, Don Shoudy, Curt Smith, Shane Storto, Ted Storto, Scotty Trudell, Bill Weiss, Mark Wildrick and Skip Murphy.
By the way, hyperkinetic bandleader Skip Murphy brings his Merry Pranksters to the Liverpool Public Library at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, to play a free fall concert in the Carman Community Room. See you there!
Bad beat jackpot
The “bad beat” at the Turning Stone Casino Poker Room stood at an all-time high of $408,600, as of Aug. 30. That princely amount will be split among the players at a table at which a player holding a hand of aces full of kings or better is beaten by a stronger hand, such as four-of-a-kind or a straight flush.
Since Nov. 1, 2014, the Poker Room has paid out $1,146,894 in bad beat jackpot payouts. Buena suerte!
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