stomping ground #LucilleBall #IloveLucy T.J. Pignataro Updated Sat, Oct 11, 2014 09:41 PM EDT JAMESTOWN – There would be no “pooping out” at this record-breaking party. For three straight minutes Saturday afternoon, some 1,232 admirers of hometown legend Lucille Ball vigorously stomped their way through more than 60 tons of Concord grapes on a downtown city block en route to a new world record. The participants re-created one of the most famous scenes in television history – from “Lucy’s Italian Movie” – in which Ball and an Italian woman stomp grapes in a barrel before the two wind up throwing grapes at one another and then engage in “grape wrestling” at the bottom of the barrel. Kim Osborn, like many grape stompers, donned a red-haired wig and a polka-dot blouse like Ball’s to do her part. “It was cold, and it was very squishy,” said Osborn, a Lutheran pastor from Lincoln, Neb., who came to take part in the event. Participants traveled from 31 states, including Missouri, Florida and Alaska, to stomp grapes. Others came from other countries, including Italy, to re-create Lucy’s skit near the 63rd anniversary of the first-ever “I Love Lucy” episode. The pungent and sweet scent of Concord grapes hung in the air on West Second Street as juice from the squashed grapes flowed across the sidewalks. Osborn wore flip-flops. Some took a more traditional route, going barefoot. Others wore sandals, sneakers or boots. The stompers included children and some Lucy fans well into their 80s. By the time the stomping ended, just about everyone was stained purple from their kneecaps down to their toes. Gladys Peterson of Jamestown wore a blue denim jacket with a red “I Love Lucy” heart on the back. She coaxed her neighbor Bill Michalski to join her for the event. At 87, they ranked as the oldest grape stompers. “We wanted to be a part of this. It was great,” Peterson said. Saturday’s event eclipsed a Guinness World Record set in northern Spain in 2010 by 977 grape stompers. Most of the grapes were provided by Silver Creek farmer Eric Huddy and his business partner at AgriAmerica, Richard Jozwiak. “We had a very good crop this year,” said Huddy, who delivered the grapes with three semi tractor-trailers. “They went to a good cause.” With Concords selling at market for about $250 a ton, the value of the grapes reached roughly $15,000. Far from being wasted, the surplus grapes furthered agritourism in Chautauqua County, Huddy said. “I’m never going to be in the Olympics,” Huddy quipped, “but it was really kind of fun setting a world record.” When the stomping was over, large tractors scooped up the detritus from the street and piled it into dump trucks to be hauled away. Journey Gunderson, the executive director of the Lucy-Desi Museum and National Comedy Center, helped emcee the record-breaking grape stomp and hailed it as an unqualified success. “What a better way to celebrate the most iconic scene in television comedy than to stomp grapes here on the streets in the city of Jamestown and set a Guinness World Record,” Gunderson said. “There’s something about Lucille Ball’s comedy that brought Americans together when the show ‘I Love Lucy’ first arrived, and something that continues to bring Americans together.” Decades after her show, Lucy still draws attention – especially in Jamestown. “She was absolutely gorgeous. She was so pretty, and what a talent,” said Kathy Stravato, a Jamestown resident. Stravato’s husband, John, proudly proclaimed Lucy belonged to a distant branch on his family tree. “Lucy was my aunt’s first cousin,” Stravato said. Everyone here Saturday seemed to have a story – and a favorite episode. Besides the grape stomping, Lucy’s episodes about the chocolate factory and “Vitameatavegamin” easily came to the minds of most. For Osborn, though, it’s “The Publicity Agent” – an obscure episode from Lucy’s first season – in which she plays the “Maharincess of Franistan” to save some publicity for Ricky Ricardo. “She had her own mind and her own heart,” Osborn said. “When she knew what she wanted, she went after it, and never let anyone stand in her way. “Her comedy is classic,” Osborn said. “It withstands the ages.” mobile.buffalonews/?articleRedirect=1#PhotoSwipe1413081350099
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 02:40:04 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015