#Connie Bollinger

[beautiful-noises]

after "say this"

I live a small life, barely bigger than a speck, barely more than a blip on the radar sweep though it is not nothing, as the garter snake climbs the rock rose shrub and the squirrel creeps on bramble thorns. Not nothing to the crows who heckle from the crowns of the last light’s trees winterstripped of green, except for the boles that ivy winds each hour round. See, the world is busy and the world is quick, barely time for a spider to suck the juice from a hawk moth’s head so it can use the moth as a spindle that it wraps in fiber while the moth constricts until it’s thin as a stick you might think was nothing, a random bit caught in a web coming loose from the window frame, in wind.

-lucia perillo

[listen here]

i. i have considered the lillies connie converse/ ii. i found out kate bollinger/ iii. waves norma tanega/ iv. liquid love - acapella billie marten/ v. kerina adrianne lenker & buck meek/ vi. paint the rain natalie bergman/ vii. the age of worry - live at electric lady yebba/ viii. a couple things kate bollinger/ ix. summer breeze the main ingredient/ x. don't let the good life pass you by cass elliot/

[thousandisthemaximum]

19 brani nuovi per colorare questa settimana

https://www.dlso.it/site/2020/07/15/brani-15-luglio-2020/

[sfaioffical]

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA:

Pete’s Café - SFAI In The 90’s In the 90s, many SFAI students worked for and exhibited artwork at Pete’s Café, which was situated on the roof of SFAI’s Chestnut Street Campus. On view January 10 through February 16, The Great Highway Gallery presents a group exhibition featuring several SFAI-affiliated artists, including John Lindsey, Dave Arnn, Daric Cheshire, Colin Chillag, Wren Coe, Diana Coopersmith, Adrienne Eberhardt, Connie Goldman, Jeremy Harper, Gerald Hawk, Cliff Hengst, Scott Hewicker, Johanna Jackson, Xylor Jane, Patricia Kavanaugh, Yasmin Lambie-Simpson, Mario Lemos, Ted Lincoln, Lydia Linker, Linton, Jennifer Locke, Sally Lundburg, Mads Lynnerup, Spencer Mack, J Matt, Alicia McCarthy, Barry McGee, Palmerin Merges, Karla Milosevich, Ruby Neri, Eamon Ore-Giron, Maurizzio Hector Pineda, Will Rogan, Cynthia Rojas, Rocio Santillana, Christian Spruell, Steven Starfas, Keith Tallett, Rafael Vieira, Benji Whalen, Mark Wilson, and more!

Lighting the Council Fire: Paintings of Suiko Betsy McCall (MFA 2009) On view through January 30 at San Francisco’s Zen Center, Suikos writes about Lighting the Council Fire: “Whether with a pencil or paint, these works on paper explore the interaction between a structure set up by an evolving, repeating system and the unpredictable chaos of the spill, smudge, or breath-initiated brushstroke. By engaging the repetitive rhythms of practice, my work also aims to reshape my life as an Artmonk.”

Image: April Martin, cali fantazies. © April Martin

Cali Fantazies – April Martin (MFA 2019) Cali Fantazies is a multimedia art installation on view at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) through March 3, 2020. On February 13, April Martin is curating a special event, Cali Fantazies: Righteous Ratchet Joy, where performers from the legendary underground black queer party “Cali Fantazies” will be performing at MoAD. Come witness the magic, allure, and stunts of performers in a not to be missed experience. This event will be a space where queer Black folks can enjoy the many talents of BADASS Black Women. We will shout with joy and make it shower with flowers as beautiful black women pole twerk and booty bounce in a celebration of Black Women. We welcome you to immerse yourself in MoAD’s latest exhibition, groove to the electrifying sounds of DJ Lady Ryan and laugh out loud at hilarious host Ms. Bleu Sugar from Coochieliscious Entertainment as she narrates the mesmerizing performances by Cali Fantazie’s dancers.

This event will be honoring the legacy of queer black club life and the closure Bench and Bar and Club 21, the last remaining black and brown queer clubs in Oakland.

Mind / Body / Spirit / Land – Susanne Siminger (MFA 1987) Please join Susanne for the artist reception on Friday, January 17 at the Gail Van Dyke Gallery in the MarinHealth Medical Center in Greenbrae for the opening of Mind / Body / Spirit / Land: Oils and Water Colors inspired by Our Beautiful Land.

Panel Discussion: Re-Imagining Equity in the Art World 2020, with Katherine Vetne (MFA 2015) On January 18, Katherine Vetne joins local artists Erica Deeman and Indira Allegra, as well as curators Heidi Rabben and James Voorhies to discuss their art practices, concerns and challenges, and where the equity movement might lead in the coming years. This panel is organized by ArtTable, which is celebrating 40 years of women's advocacy and professional development. Katherine will also have work on view at the Catherine Clark Gallery booth at Untitled San Francisco, July 17–19, 2020.

Image: Michael Jang, Ramones Free Concert, Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco, 1979, gelatin silver print. Courtesy the artist. © Michael Jang

In Conversation: Michael Jang (MFA 1977), Sandra S. Phillips, and Nion McEvoy For the closing of Michael Jang’s California, photographer Michael Jang and curator Sandra S. Phillips are joined by Nion McEvoy for a wide-ranging conversation about the resonances of place, person, and time in Jang’s work. This first retrospective exhibition presents a rare, immersive journey through Jang’s career, from the 1970s to the present, and is curated by Phillips, SFMOMA curator emerita of photography and Jang’s longtime collaborator.

Fresh Focus – Jordan Holms (MFA 2019) Join Jordan Holms on Wednesday, January 14, at 4pm for a meet and greet for Fresh Focus, an exhibition featuring small-size artworks by recent and current MFA artists of the Bay Area.

Spiders from Mars – Ben Venom (MFA 2007) Please join alum, Ben Venom for the opening reception for Spiders from Mars on January 15 at St. Joseph’s Art Society. On view January 17 – February 15, 2020.

Forbidden Illusions – Whitney Lynn (MFA 2007) Whitney Lynn invites you to "forbidden knowledge", anaglyph collages created while an Artist-in-Residence at LightSource SF. On view through February 1, 2020.

Displaced - Spencer Keeton Cunnigham (BFA 2010) Please join Spencer for the closing reception of Displaced at 6pm on February 9 at The Midway Gallery. He is consistently working on new ideas for art whether that is in the form of paintings, drawings, murals and installations that dive deep into topics relating to his personal relationship on Native American rights, cultural representation, social change and activsm. Spencer’s artwork has been on broadcast television, in motion pictures and exhibited throughout the U.S. and beyond. His art can currently be found on display in the Permanent Collection of the Berkeley Art museum, The Crocker Museum in Sacramento and in print form in the permanent book collection at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. Cunningham was also recently inducted into the World Congress of Art History in Bejing China by Art Historian Elaine O'Brien.

Video: A preview of Spencer Keeton Cunningham’s solo exhibition, Displaced, The Midway Gallery, San Francisco. Courtesy the artist.

“Rackets” and “Laminates” – Richard Goldberg (MFA 1987) Opening February 1 at 1pm at Far Out Gallery, this show will feature selections from two recent groups of work: “Rackets” and “laminates”.

The “Rackets” are an ongoing group of wall mounted, mixed media sculptural works. Theses sculptures are made with a variety of found objects and materials which take on new identities and meanings as they are synthesized into a single artwork of rhyming shapes, forms and imagery. Each “Racket” work has its own engaging identity, and story to tell.

Shown alongside of the “Rackets” will be collages that are called “Laminates” These works are 2 dimensional, irregular shaped collages of images, symbols, photographs and other visual material. These shaped collages are then laminated and cut out, to become a kind of flat sculpture with shapes and voids around the perimeter of each collage but also within and throughout the entire composition. They are floated in a shadow box frame which brings out their 3 dimensionality. The “Laminates” were a product of an evolution of ideas and impulses that lead the artist to move on to the more robust 3 dimensionality of the “Rackets”.

Mike Henderson: The Black Paintings + David Simpson: Interference On view through March 28, 2020 at Haines Gallery.

Mike Henderson: The Black Paintings (MFA 1970): Showcasing a body of related works made primarily in the 1990s by recent Artadia Award winner Mike Henderson, the paintings included in this exhibition feature a rich palette of lush blacks, steel grays, and ultramarine blues. Set against the darkness, small shapes of bright blues, yellows, and reds flicker like jewels. Henderson’s experimental films from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s will be shown in dialogue with the paintings. Politically charged and wickedly funny, these remarkable shorts have been screened at museums and festivals around the world. In addition to the exhibition, The Mike Henderson Band will be performing on January 17 as part of UNTITLED, ART San Francisco. Click here for tickets and more information!

David Simpson: Interference (BFA 1956): Acclaimed Bay Area painter David Simpson’s exhibition takes its title from his use of “interference” pigments, which shift in color with changes in light and the viewer’s perspective. Each canvas on view is the result of up to thirty coats of paint, meticulously layered to create a deep, lustrous surface. Now in his 90s, Simpson continues to delight with works of remarkable dynamism, evoking the movement of clouds, or the play of light across water, ultimately offering viewers a powerful space of contemplation.

Shaw & Co. - Richard Shaw (BFA 1965, Martha Shaw (BFA 1966), Alice Shaw (MFA 1999), Virgil Shaw & Friends (Extended through January 31, 2020!) Gallery 16’s exhibition “Shaw & Co.” presents a collection of work by members of the Richard and Martha Shaw Family, plus a plethora of SFAI-affiliated artists—faculty and alums—including Richard Shaw, Martha Shaw, Alice Shaw, Rebeca Bollinger, Mike Henderson, Don Ed Hardy, Bob Hudson, Sahar Khoury, Alicia McCarthy, Jim Melchert, Ruby Neri, Cornelia Schulz, Wanxin Zhang, and more!

BoundarySpan – Aaron Wilder (MFA 2017) A group exhibition curated by Aaron Wilder and featuring the work of alums Michael Arcega (BFA 1999), Jimin Lee (MFA 1997), Paula Levine (MFA 1988), Sherwin Rio (MA 2019), and Desiree Rios (MFA 2017), BoundarySpam reopens on January 27 at the Nathalie and James Thompson Art Gallery at San José State University and will continue through February 21.

Wikipedia:Meetup/San Francisco/Black History Month Wiki-a-thon at Prelinger Library – Niki Korth (MFA 2012) Niki Korth invites you to an afternoon of exploring, discussing, researching, writing, and working together to help improve Wikipedia articles. Attendees are welcome to work on whatever they like and are inspired to from the Library's holdings. For those interested, they will have a concerted focus on working toward closing the diversity gap of coverage on Wikipedia of notable persons of African descent and their achievements and related movements, organizations, events, ideas, projects, and more. Prelinger Library founders Megan and Rick will be present to help attendees find resources from the Library's collections, and there will be experienced Wikipedians present to help Wiki newcomers to get started and answer questions.  A Mediterranean lunch will be served, so please come with both hungry minds and stomachs.

Little Rock, Arkansas

American Veterans of Arkansas – Edward Drew (BFA 2014) The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas has commissioned a year-long exhibition from Edward Drew, American Veterans of Arkansas, which uses 5 x 7 tintypes to profile African-American military veterans who are also Arkansans. “African Americans are fairly underrepresented in most sectors, including veterans and veteran contributions to this country,” Drew said. “I thought it was important tthat I speak to the narrative. Then, being a state in the South, it’s important to show tha the rick history of the Southern states has always coincided with African American contributions.”

Wilmington, Delaware

Midnight Mass – Amie Potsic (MFA 1999) Opening Friday, February 7 at 5pm: The Delaware Contemporary has invited Amie to exhibit a large-scale installation on view January 24 through April with over 250 feet of silk. Amie will be working with the museum's gargantuan atrium space to create a fresh design approach to her work.

Miami, Florida

Image: Installation view of Self-preservation (with or without applause), a group exhibition featuring work (far right) by Christopher Culver. Courtesy Primary Gallery.

Self-preservation (with or without applause) – Christopher Culver (BFA 2008) On view through January 28, Primary Gallery is proud to present Self-preservation (with or without applause), a group exhibition featuring alum, Christopher Culver.

Chicago, Illinois

Performance - Norman Long (MFA 2001) Please join Norman Long at Elastic Arts on Friday, January 31, for a special performance featuring LONG/ZALEK DUO.

Massachusetts

"We the People" is a group exhibition featuring work from Aaron Wilder’s (MFA 2017) collaboration with Guta Galli (MFA 2017) entitled "Sugar & Snails," on view through January 31, 2020 at the Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Dancing In The Bardo and Human Impact: Stories of the Opioid Epidemic - John Christian Anderson (MFA 1972) Dancing In The Bardo is a solo show by alumnus John Christian Anderson, on view through January 26 at the Boston Sculptors Gallery. The group show Human Impact: Stories of the Opiod Epidemic is on view at Fullercraft Museum in Brockton, MA, through May 3, 2020.

Baltimore, Maryland

The Breath of Empty Space – Shaun Leonardo (MFA 2005) On view January 30 - March 15, 2020 at Maryland Institute College of Art: "For the last year I have been quietly finalizing plans for The Breath of Empty Space–a solo exhibition of 6 years of drawing concerning violence by the police and American legal system, being shown together for the first time and curated by the insightful and caring John Chaich. I am proud to finally announce this traveling exhibition for 2020 and hope you can join me to witness the work." —Shaun Leonardo

The Breath of Empty Space will also be on view at Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, June 5–September 6, 2020.

—INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS—

Budapest, Hungary

Untitled No. 20, From Series Room ‘32’ – Michael Naify (MFA 2017) SFAI alum Michael Naify’s work, Untitled No. 20, From Series Room ‘32’, is featured in PH21 Contemporary Photo Gallery’s upcoming international photography exhibition entitled The self(ie) and the other: Portraiture—on view January 16–February 8, 2020.

Hamburg, Germany

Mother Tongue - Mika Sperling (MFA 2018) Mika's practice is based in photography, and engages ideas and concepts of family. Created during the recommended Olympus Fellowship, "the current project [Mother Tongue] is born out of the idea to include my situation as a new mother into my work. I am using photography, writing and video to search for familiarities between my husband’s and my family. I am documenting the evolving bond to my daughter, the changing relationship to my mother-in-law and that to my own mother." —Mike Sperling Check out this video where Mika discusses Mother Tongue and its familial lineages. Soon on view: Deichtorhallen Hamburg, March 21–June 14, 2020; Fotografie Forum Frankfurt, August 7–September 27, 2020; Foam Museum in Amsterdam, October 23, 2020–January 17, 2021.

Cambridge, UK

The Art of Watching Art – Patricia K. Kelly (MFA 1999) On view January 14–26 at Motion Sickness Project Space, The Art of Watching Art is a group exhibition showcasing a broad range of artworks from artists involved in the invigilation of previous exhibitions in the project space since August 2019, including our very own Patricia K. Kelly.

Do you have an upcoming exhibition or event? If you’re an SFAI alum, please fill out this form to be featured in our next roundup of alumni exhibitions and events.

Top Image Credit: Whitney Lynn, Song of the Sirens, 2019 archival pigment print on Legacy Etching paper, 30 x 40 inches. © Whitney Lynn Studios.

[the-record-newspaper]

The killing of Rhonda Hinson Part 49

James "Flash" Pruett and his wife Rhonda, as they embark upon a trail conducting them to the petroglyphs discovered near their home at Pahvant Butte in Fillmore, Utah.  It was snapped in July, 2015 by Ruth Riddle Jones.  

 An Encomium

 By LARRY J. GRIFFIN

Special Investigative Reporter

For The Record

 Editor’s note: This is the continuation of a series on the Dec. 23, 1981, unsolved murder of Rhonda Hinson.

 To James “Flash” Pruett—a foremost champion of the law of his generation…whom I shall ever regard as one of the best and wisest men whom I have ever known.—Adapted from, “The Final Problem,” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

 As a tear trickled down his cheek, Detective James “Flash” Pruett silently slipped away into perpetuity on Saturday, March 14, 2020.  The time was 7:15 p.m.  

His wife, Rhonda, was by his side, as she has been over the last heart-rending months, weeks, and final days of her husband’s life struggle.  “I know he heard us,” Rhonda Pruett averred during conversation with this writer.  “He had been out of it the entire time. So yes, I talked to him and gave him jobs to do when he left….”

Ironically, the 69-year-old lawman died on the birthday of the Pruetts’ beloved dog, Paiute, that they lost just weeks ago.  “He died on her 14th birthday, Pi day,” Rhonda informed friends on her personal Facebook page.  

The former detective will be missed by a plethora of appreciative admirers for the impeccable, incomparable investigative work that he did relative to the Rhonda Hinson murder case—the proof of which can be found on the Remembering Rhonda Hinson Facebook page.  As of press time, over 9,400 friends and followers of the page have read the post announcing his demise, with over a hundred respondents offering their commiserations to Flash’s family and friends. And condolences continue to come.

Jill Turner-Mull—Rhonda Hinson’s best friend and lifelong activist for obtaining resolution for the 38-year-old murder case—was one of them. “This saddens me deeply but I do find comfort in knowing heaven gained an angel.  Big hugs and prayers sent to Rhonda and the family.”

Connie Barnes—Rhonda Hinson’s friend and indefatigable advocate for justice for the slain 19-year-old—agrees with Jill, “Heaven gained an angel for sure.”  Then she adds, “Thinking of his family and praying for their comfort in the days to follow.  You are our hero, Flash…your dedication to Rhonda’s case was the best.”

Mark Perrou—a friend of the Hinson family and activist for justice—directly addresses the detective who worked diligently to solve Rhonda’s case: “Thanks, Flash for being a loyal servant to the community.  Godspeed, Sir.”

Janis Mullis—a Hinson family friend and outspoken advocate for the resolving of Rhonda’s case—offers, “Many, many prayers for his family and much appreciation for his hard work that will live on!”

 Others write descriptively of Mr. Pruett’s professional prowess:

“--Absolutely the very best, trustworthy awesome intelligent detective I have ever known and I had the honorable luck of calling him and his equally precious beautiful and talented RN wife for my friends.”

“--I had the pleasure of working with Flash at BCSD.  He was a Great Detective and a very honorable man. This world needs more men like him. He will be missed greatly.”

“--So sad to hear this.  I met Flash and worked with him as an electrician.  A very smart and proficient individual not to mention a great guy.”

“--He was a very caring and kind officer, enjoyed working with him.”

“--I’m sorry to hear this.  He tried hard for Rhonda and her family to solve this murder.  God Bless you Flash—you were one of the good guys for sure!”

Still other respondents—far too numerous to enumerate—sent condolences, prayerful commiserations, and expressions of love to Detective Pruett’s wife, Rhonda, and the rest of his family.  

For Bobby and Judy Hinson, the detective was more than just a lifeline back to the investigation into the murder of their daughter, he was a friend.  Judy Hinson writes articulately about the man whom they felt cared the most:

“Flash was one of the finest people we have ever met.  There was never a time that he was too busy to talk to us.  He always answered any questions that we had.  He never made us feel like we were bothering him when we called the department and the times we called him at home.  Flash was always so kind and so caring.  Not only his family but all the people who knew him have lost someone that can never be replaced.”

Detective Pruett’s comprehensive investigation into the killing of Rhonda Hinson has become legendary.  As previously reported, Flash was officially assigned the case by Major Robert Lane and Lieutenant Greg Calloway on Friday Jan. 20, 1995, during the Richard Epley administration.  Gene Franklin was tasked with the responsibility to assist Detective Pruett in the continuation of the investigation.

Over the next five-years, Flash applied a systematic, logical approach to the conduction of his investigation—in contrast to the often inconsistent, inconstant efforts of most of his predecessors, as reflected in case documentation.  In an interview with News Herald staff writer, Jen Pilla, three-years after his assignment to the post of lead investigator for the Rhonda Hinson case, the detective articulated the course he would pursue throughout:  “When I was assigned to this case three-years ago, I decided it was time to go back to the basics and back to the crime scene itself.”

And back to the basics it was as he conducted interviews, tracked leads, and continuously examined and re-examined the totality of accrued evidence. Moreover, on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 15, 1997, he initiated and assisted in the performance of an SBI ballistics assessment for the expressed purpose of ascertaining the trajectory of the projectile that killed Rhonda Hinson on the early morning of Dec. 23, 1981. He, along with a team of SBI agents, utilized a 1982 Datsun 210—similar to the 1981 Datsun 210 driven by the decedent—that the Hinsons had acquired and ceded to BCSD to be used to perform whatever testing deemed necessary.  

The results obtained from the ballistics assessment, as reported in the summary, forever dismissed any possibility that the shooting was done from Interstate 40, from Elmer Buff’s property, or from either embankment along Eldred Street/Hwy 350.  The conclusion?  Only a person standing on ground level and behind Rhonda’s car could have fired a shot that matched the calculated trajectory of the missile that extinguished her brief life.

 There were some “firsts” accomplished by Detective Pruett:  the assignment of significance to the articles found in Rhonda Hinson’s Datsun 210 that were not present when she left her parents’ residence to attend a company Christmas party on Tuesday evening, Dec. 22, 1981, and the first-ever interview of Mark Turner—Jill Turner-Mull’s boyfriend and Greg McDowell’s friend—over fourteen-years after Rhonda’s murder. Flash seemed convinced that the gray-hooded sweatjacket, belonging to Miss Hinson—that she left in Turner’s automobile, yet managed to be prominently displayed on the sundeck of Rhonda’s Datsun 210 on the morning she was murdered—was as a key to cracking this case. Turner, however, told the detective that he could not remember how it got out of his car and into that of the slain 19-year-old—an asseveration that Flash clearly did not believe.  

Detective Pruett also applied surveillance equipment to the investigation, as he leveraged the relationships that Mark and Faith Turner and Jeff Hinkle had with Greg McDowell, in an effort to capture incriminating statements offered by Rhonda Hinson’s former boyfriend while engaged in casual conversation.

On Tuesday afternoon Dec. 23, 1997, Detective Pruett—along with Sheriff Richard Epley and an entourage of others—interviewed Greg McDowell in his engineering office in Hickory.  He noted that the 34-year-old engineer admitted—for the first time—that he knew that Rhonda had called him from Sherry Pittman Yoder’s house, in contrast to his statement to law enforcement, proffered immediately following the murder, in which he maintained that he thought Rhonda was at home.  McDowell also informed Flash and the others that a pink snake, acquired during a Myrtle Beach trip and among the items found in Rhonda’s Datsun 210 on the day of her death, “stayed on his dresser at home.”  

Unfortunately, subsequent to a near-fatal automobile accident that occurred during Winter 2000, Detective Pruett’s days as lead investigator and employee at the BCSD were numbered.  While he was having back surgery to repair damage sustained in the accident, Flash was supplanted by Sheriff John McDevitt when he hired former SBI agent, John Suttle to head his criminal investigations division.  It was News Herald staff writer Cheryl Moose Bollinger [Shuffler] who reported the action in a Nov. 19, 2000, article entitled, “Retired Agent Back in Law Enforcement.”

Shortly after his return to the BCSD and not completely rehabilitated, James Pruett was afforded the option to resign or face the prospect of termination, according to statements that Flash made to this writer across several interviews.  A similar scenario was recounted by former Sheriff McDevitt when he admitted to the Hinsons, at a local restaurant in the Fall 2019, that he had to get rid of Flash because he didn’t think that he could do the work any longer.

Though Mr. Pruett admitted to being treated badly under McDevitt’s administration, he refused to castigate his fellow law enforcement colleagues who were instrumental in effecting his departure from the BCSD.  

One singular feature of Detective Pruett’s investigation that distinguishes it from those conducted by others, was his detailed notes that he assiduously recorded at the conclusion of every day that he worked the Hinson case. They not only offer descriptions of actions, procedures, and factual summaries of interviews with principals, they also provide insight into the detective’s hypotheses and questions yet to be answered.

Whether intended or not, Flash’s notes are reflective of the measure of the man himself—his characteristic dedication and compassion; and his respect and caring concern for Bobby and Judy Hinson.  Sometimes they bespeak his own very human, personal feelings which were otherwise masked beneath the stoic façade of a seasoned law enforcement officer.  None illustrates his inherent character better than the final paragraph of his detailed description of activities on what would have been the day of Rhonda Hinson’s birthday –Wednesday Dec. 13, 1995:

“The last thing I did today was to go by Rhonda’s gravesite.  I spent about five minutes there in prayer.  I could see the pain in Judy and Bobby’s faces when I was with them today, Rhonda’s 33rd birthday.  I could feel the weight of that pain on me at the gravesite.  It was especially hard on all of us today.

Though he was criticized for his “obsessive” attachment to the “most investigated case in Burke County history,” Detective James “Flash” Pruett persevered.  Some of his last sentiments expressed to this writer indicated his desire to leave the rehabilitation facility and continue—on his own time—the investigation into the killing of Rhonda Hinson.  

“There are things that I should tell you,” Flash declared to me. “But I can’t tell you right now and not here.”

In his final two months of life, while in the throes of Parkinson’s Disease, the quintessential detective was ready to resume the work toward achieving resolution to the 38-year-old murder case and obtaining a modicum of peace for the Hinsons.  

This is the “stuff” of heroes.

James “Flash” Pruett

August 16, 1950—March 14, 2020

[stllimelight]

Actresses Golden in TWF's 'A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur'

Actresses Golden in TWF’s ‘A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur’

By Connie Bollinger Contributing Writer Set in 1930’s St. Louis, “A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur” tells the story of one afternoon in the lives of four women: Bodey, Dorothea, Helena and Miss Gluck.

The acting is wonderful: Kelley Weber as Bodey, Maggie Wininger as Dorothea, Julie Layton as Helena and Ellie Schwetye as Miss Gluck. They understood their characters and presented them beautifully.

[inafternoonair]

2019 shows

lol many fewer in 2019.

[Previously: 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011]

Jan. 18: Kacey Musgraves/Natalie Prass at The Fillmore, Philadelphia, Pa. June 2: Kevin Morby/Sam Cohen at Union Transfer, Philadelphia Pa. June 22: Jason Isbell/Jade Birds at The Met, Philadelphia, Pa. June 23: Frass Green/Computer Science/Icky Bricketts at Pie Shop DC, Washington, D.C. July 7: Colleen Green/Potty Mouth/Tact at Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, Pa.

July 17: Robyn at The Mann Centre, Philadelphia, Pa. July 28: Titus Andronicus/Jena and the Pups at PhilaMOCA, Philadelphia, Pa. Aug. 3: Scoville Unit/Disoriental/Yorkshire Tenth at Connie’s Ric Rac, Philadelphia Pa. Aug. 25: Oso Oso/Sidekicks at The Foundry, Philadelphia, Pa. Sept. 4: Vampire Weekend at The Mann Centre, Philadelphia, Pa.

Sept. 7: The Ergs!/Ramona at First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, Pa. Sept. 28: Whitney/Waxahatchee/Real Estate/Little Wings/Woods/Bonny Doon/Kevin Morby/Wet Tuna/Hand Habits/Anna St. Louis at Woodsist Fest at Arrowood Farms, Atwood, N.Y. Oct. 10: Hop Along at House of Vans, Philadelphia, Pa. Nov. 6: Clairo/beabadoobee at Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, N.Y. Nov. 14: Remember Sports/Lisa Prank at Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia Pa.

Nov. 16: Wild Nothing/Kate Bollinger at Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, Pa. Dec. 6: (Sandy) Alex G at World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, Pa.

[wutbju]

WEHNER, FLOYD R. Age 94, went to be with the Lord on Friday, August 31, 2018. Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, September 10, 2018 at Calvary Presbyterian Church, 6100 Richfield Road, Flint, Pastor Leroy Cole and Reverend Pete Scribner co-officiating. Burial in Great Lakes National Cemetery. Visitation 1-6 p.m. Sunday, September 9, 2018 at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road. Pastor Wehner will be at the church from 10 a.m. Monday until the time of the service. 

Born November 18, 1923 in St. Joseph, Illinois. He was the son of Edward and Grace Wehner and was raised in Plainwell, MI. He was brought up in the Baptist Church. He was working as a riveter on B-24's at Willow Run Bomber Plant, when he joined the Marine Corps. on December 8, 1942. He served in a Marine Guard Company at Pearl Harbor. As a guard, later as a typist, and then a Chaplain's Aid. The Chaplain insisted he take advantage of the GI Bill, as he was college material. He was accepted into college at Bob Jones University in Cleveland, TN and graduated with a BA in 1950. He then began working on his Seminary Degree at Northern Baptist Seminary in Chicago. 

He was soon offered a Mission Church at Orangeville, MI, where he continued for 6 years. May 11,1951 he married Cora Kiewiet of Kalamazoo. He was then called to Pastor the Baptist Church at Reading, MI for nearly 5 years. Finally, he received a call to the Beecher Baptist Church in 1960. in 1973, the property was sold and a new building named Colonial Hills Baptist Church was erected on West Mt. Morris Road. 

Cora died July 21, 1978. He married Irene Flannery Elliott April 18, 1982. A heart attack caused an early retirement in 1988. When good health returned he was asked to become the Visitation Pastor at Calvary Presbyterian Church in 1989 and worked part-time there for 21 years. In 2011, Floyd was presented to be Pastor of Visitation at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Otisville, MI, a church that he encouraged and supported in its planning in 1966. He served many years on the Board of Conservative Baptist Association of Michigan. He was a member of the Horatio Alger Society. He preached briefly on TRIX radio, and then had a 12 year ministry on WFDF radio. His hobbies were reading, stamp collecting and traveling. 

Surviving are wife, Irene; children, Marjorie (Ron) Wallace, Edward Wehner, Kay (Jeffrey) Gerstenberger and Paul Wehner; grandchildren, Benjamin (Lisa) Walker, Jennifer (William) McDermott, Robert Walker, Emily (Dan) Wilson, Andrew Wehner, Elizabeth Wehner, Eric Wehner, Justin Gerstenberger and Amy (Michael) Voiles; great-grandchildren, Chloe and Will Walker, Drew Wehner, Nicholas and Noah Voiles and Grace McDermott; special niece, Gail Boehm; second family, Sue Ann Hillman, Sharon (David) Knoodle, Sarah and Abbey Knoodle, Jefferson (Alyssa) Hillman, Mallory and (Michael) Bollinger; great-grandchildren, Benjamin and Charles Bollinger. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Connie; great-granddaughter, Ellie Rose McDermott; brothers, John and James and sister, Marjorie Breck. He loved them all. Thank you to Heartland Hospice, especially Emily Reynolds. Your condolences may be shared with the family at swartzfuneralhomeinc.com.

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Jekyll and Hyde Is Still Creepy After All These Years

Jekyll and Hyde Is Still Creepy After All These Years

By Connie Bollinger Contributing Writer At first glance, one might doubt the wisdom of making a musical out of a classic horror story, but Next Generation Theatre Company’s production of “Jekyll and Hyde” proves that “all” it takes is an uber-talented cast, some spooky lighting, a fine orchestra, a savvy director and a classically trained operatic tenor to sing the lead.

Based on the Gothic…

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A fierce, funny, fabulously naughty 'Avenue Q'

A fierce, funny, fabulously naughty ‘Avenue Q’

By Connie Bollinger Contributing Writer “Avenue Q”  is Sesame Street re-imagined. It has the same sly wit, the same hard look at human behavior, the same messages about acceptance and love, but for an adult audience. A very adult audience.

The Tony-winning musical takes a sometimes-shocking look at post-college age people struggling to be independent and responsible while being happy — kind of…

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Revitalized 'Fiddler' on tour at The Fox

Revitalized ‘Fiddler’ on tour at The Fox

By Connie Bollinger Contributing Writer The Fabulous Fox Theatre’s lush, lively production of “Fiddler on the Roof” is stunning — a celebration of the human condition wrapped in song, with some of the most incredible dancing ever.

Now 55 years old, the musical tells the evergreen story of Tevye the Dairyman and his family as they struggle to eek out a living in 1905 Imperial Russia.

Director…

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Church Basement Ladies' Comic Christmas Show Bursts with Comfort and Joy

Church Basement Ladies’ Comic Christmas Show Bursts with Comfort and Joy

By Connie Bollinger Contributing Writer In between its very funny, recognizable exchanges are heartfelt and sentimental moments that will result in eyes glistening and memories evoked in “Away in a Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas.”

A talented cast brings warmth and cheer to this musical comedy at the Playhouse at Westport through the Christmas season. You don’t need to be Lutheran or…

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'Hello Dolly' Showcases Talent as It Elevates Mood

‘Hello Dolly’ Showcases Talent as It Elevates Mood

By Connie Bollinger Contributing Writer Hey Buddy, you say your life is nothing but an endless stream of work and people you hate? You say you’re depressed about global climate change? You say your 12-year-old daughter stole your credit card and got her belly button pierced? Well buck up, sonny, ’cause I’ve got a show for you!

“Hello, Dolly!” runs at the Fabulous Fox Theatre Oct. 1 – Oct. 13.,…

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'I Now Pronounce': I Do, I Do, I Do Love This Production!

‘I Now Pronounce’: I Do, I Do, I Do Love This Production!

By Connie Bollinger Contributing Writer “I Now Pronounce,” directed by the New Jewish Theatre’s Edward Coffield, is a non-stop frenetic, frantic, hilarious piece of theatre.

If you’ve ever had a conversation with anyone who has participated in that emotional circus called “A Traditional Wedding,” you’re sure to hear tales of water damaged venues, vomiting grooms, rioting ring bearers and all…

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The Rep's 'Oslo' Pops With Personality, Sharp Dialogue

The Rep’s ‘Oslo’ Pops With Personality, Sharp Dialogue

By Connie Bollinger Contributing Writer On Sept. 13, 1993, the representatives of two warring countries, sworn and eternal enemies, stepped up to the podium in the White House Rose Garden and announced the first-ever binding peace agreement between the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. Few people had ever imagined that such an event would take place in their lifetime.

“Os…

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'Anastasia' Delivers Opulence, Tragedy and Political Intrigue at the Fox

‘Anastasia’ Delivers Opulence, Tragedy and Political Intrigue at the Fox

By Connie Bollinger Contributing Writer One of the most popular historical mysteries  of the 20th century is that Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov possibly survived the massacre of her entire family the winter of 1918 during the Russian Revolution.

A few years later, a young girl emerged, claiming to be Anastasia, the sole survivor of the Russian Royal Family and heir to the Romanov fortune.

In…

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George Bailey's Story Touches Hearts in Next Gen's Tech-Savvy Show

George Bailey’s Story Touches Hearts in Next Gen’s Tech-Savvy Show

By Connie Bollinger Contributing Writer “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a well-known redemption story, a decades-old peek into the soul of an ordinary man whose everyday acts of sacrifice and kindness enrich the lives of everyone around him.

When a financial discrepancy threatens to send George Bailey to prison, he ends up on a snowy bridge on Christmas Eve seriously contemplating suicide. George…