From The Troubled Spirits of John and Irene. While firmly convinced there are no ghosts, some strange activity has been noticed at the abandoned Groos farmhouse near the Brickyard Trail. Hmm, that pitchfork wasn’t there last time we looked.
Like millions of northern Californians, I live vicariously through Talker of the Town, the magazine Tweets richly woven into the fabric of our lives.
I am personally blessed to have a special relationship with Talker. I have know him my whole life. I am his sister. And I have known the magazine’s occasional contributors — Dean Tucker, doubling as staff photographer, and Bruce Kay, our foreign correspondent — for decades.
Leslie and David Kramer, Machu Picchu, Peru; August, 1997 [Photo: Bruce] From A 1997 trip to deep Peru retracing the Shining Path
From A 1997 trip to deep Peru retracing the Shining Path with Bruce (left), Cuzco, Peru, August 1997 [Photo: Robert Kay]
From “‘An early-season renewal of the spirit'” The 10,001st fungo! Dean in his Yale shirt. He spent thousands of fungos sending his daughter to New Haven, but did get the nice t-shirt. Xerox cap (from where he earned those fungos). Reifsteck Field, Brighton, Easter, 2016
David and Leslie Kramer, Narragansett, RI @1998
With a joy inexpressible in paltry words glowing on a computer screen, I and my beloved daughter Audrey were invited to visit some of the magazine’s haunts in my now immortalized home town — much like how Joyce made early 20th century Dublin a city of the ages.
Leslie and David Kramer @1995; Kingston, Rhode Island
Leslie and Justin’s wedding (L-R) David Kramer, Laura Nelson, Val Vojdik, Julie Everitt, Carol Kramer, Eugene Kramer, Leslie Kramer, Justin Boyce, Marian MacLennon, Tracy and Jackie Gayle, John Irwin. @21st century, Piedmont, California
My beloved husband Justin tearfully could not make the pilgrimage to Brighton. But he and members of his prestigious law firm — winnowing their client schedules down to the barest minimum — are following our every footstep.
From The Troubled Spirits of John and Irene Luckily I always walk the trail with the pitchfork found at the abandoned Groos farmhouse on Westfall [Photo: anonymous]
Of course, we had read the nostalgically-tinged account of the ground breaking of the Trail. And then about Brighton Memorial Librarian’s Matthew Bashore’s fascinating exhibit on a 1922 murder in Brighton and with it a harrowing and mysterious tale of misbegotten spirits roaming the Trail.
But Mamma, Audrey beseeched, is it true that the ghosts of the murderer and his victim still haunt the Trail and the old Groos Farmhouse?
As I am a scientist and a rationalist, I reassured Audrey. My dear, no. The magazine staff have merely created a suburban myth, much like when Orsen Welles pretended martians had invaded the New Jersey countryside. And in the process they hoodwinked the whole town of Brighton. There are no ghosts on the Brickyard Trail.
And when your uncle acted as Jack the Ripper at the Rochester Candle Light Ghost Walk, it was just a historical and theatrical re-enactment.
Audrey mending Yankee soldier’s wound, Gettysburg, PA 7/2/63 [Photo: Frances]
from Cruz supporters back the gold standard Interviewed at the Cruz rally at MCC by Channel 8’s Chris Amato (with beautiful sign made by Athesia) 4/15/16 [Photo: Jennifer Cherelin]
From The Ground Breaking of the Brickyard Trail At the Rockpile. 11/04/15 [Photo: Dean]
from The Ground Breaking of the Brickyard Trail Brighton-Pittsford Post (2000)
from Visiting a Talker haunt: the Brickyard Trail with Leslie Frances and Audrey
Next, we went to the very spot where my brother made his daring leap of faith across the creek. Herself containing some Talker DNA, Audrey — like a Flying Wallenda — never hesitated.
Leslie accepting the surrender of Rachel’s henchmen waving white flags. [Photo: either the ghost of Irene or John] Brickyard Trail, Brighton, NY 4/20/16
Audrey had long been a daredevil. Unfazed (unlike me) at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Stanford shirt provided by Leslie. 4/18/14 [photo: ghost] from Over “The Bridge”! Talker joins Instagram
But the noise grew louder and closer. Until . . .until . . . until . . .
Speedy Audrey outstripping the sheet Brickyard Trail, Brighton, NY [Photo: ghost] 4/20/16
We took the phone back to Talker headquarters. It was cleverly encrypted. But, Mama, it took the government’s team of scientists months to break Apple’s code?
Found: pitch fork and cell phone. Sadly, the sign placed by the ghosts has failed to hold back progress as the Brickyard Trail encroaches upon their fragile ecosystem. [Photo: anonymous]
Wearing her newly adopted “Gold Bug” outfit, Leslie dazzles us her with un-encrypting wizardry. Proving once again why Stanford hired Leslie. [l-r] Eugene, Leslie, Audrey Boyce, Carol [Photo: David] 4/20/16 Returning in a few minutes after inspecting the phone — I too have much Talker blood in me — the code was broken. As I examined the evidence, the case became clear. It was humans underneath those sheets. Humans hired as henchmen by our rival blog, Dear Rachel’s The Rochesterian. She wanted to spook Talker. And failed decidedly. There were no martians in the New Jersey countryside. And there are no ghosts on the Brickyard Trail. By Leslie Frances Kramer NOT A SINGLE WORD OF THIS IS GHOSTWRITTEN WITH BRUCE AND DEAN AND OTHERS BELOW THE FIRST SIGHTING OF THE GHOSTS
As I examined the evidence, the case became clear. It was humans underneath those sheets. Humans hired as henchmen by our rival blog, Dear Rachel’s The Rochesterian. She wanted to spook Talker. And failed decidedly.
There were no martians in the New Jersey countryside. And there are no ghosts on the Brickyard Trail.
By Leslie Frances Kramer
NOT A SINGLE WORD OF THIS IS GHOSTWRITTEN
WITH BRUCE AND DEAN AND OTHERS BELOW
THE FIRST SIGHTING OF THE GHOSTS
Local philatelist faults Talker’s Edgerton Park hoopla. Et tu,Tucker?
“An early-spring renewal of the spirit” over 10,000 fungos later
On a mound at Cobb’s Hill And how the City of Rochester handles its loose leaves.
OTHER BRIGHTON HIGH SCHOOL CONTRIBUTIONS Jonathon Caws-Elwitt, Stephen Shapiro, Justin Gastel, Ernie Clement, Brad Rosenbaum, Eric Kemperman, Michael Raff, Mary Brzustowicz, (the last three also magazine subscribers,
A poem from former Degrad Jonathan Caws-Elwitt, BHS ’80. And advice to young writers.
Brighton High School remembers its New Wave/retro punk/Art punk past: The De Grads
In search of Shirley Jackson and finding the Brighton High School Alumni author display case
Brighton fans celebrate hometown hero Ernie Clement in victory
At Young Woman’s College Prep, Brad Rosenbaum aiming to hit 1.000
ANOTHER GHOST WALK
Stalker of the Town plays Jack the Ripper at the Rochester Candlelight Ghost Walk
