MUSIC TONIGHT * MILPITAS MONSTER * LIVE TV * TURKEY CAROLS * BROWNIES ARE BACK * Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter

MUSIC TONIGHT AT

THE COFFEE HOUSE

Big Tree, a terrific folk/pop band, plays tonight (Monday, 7 pm) at Uptown Bill's: infectious pop music splashed with colorful harmonies, driven by pulsing rhythms, unique time signatures, group vocals, and poetic quirky imagery. Check out their music at: www.bigtreesings.com. You can also find the band on Facebook. 

 

ALSO COMING

UP THIS WEEK

Tuesday, Oct. 25

Live broadcast of Tom's Guitar Show at 6 pm. Poetry reading by Todd Jackson at 7 pm.

Wednesday, Oct. 26

Spoken Word Open Mic at 7 pm. (Readers and Writers Group beforehand. Starts around 6:15 pm)

Thursday, Oct. 27

Art Night (Halloween projects) at 6 pm. Open Mic at 7 pm

Friday, Oct. 28

Chess Club at 4 pm.

Saturday, Oct. 29

Artvaark at 3 pm (Halloween activities. Wear your costume!)

Showing of "Milpitas Monster" movie at 3 pm

Saturday Night Music with Dave Moore at 7 pm.

'MILPITAS MONSTER' COMING

ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Uptown Bill's is hosting another showing of the film "Milpitas Monster" this coming Saturday. Oct. 29 at 3 pm. This is a homegrown classic, a monster movie which began as a high school class project and eventually involved an entire community. The story revolves around a monster who emerges from the city garbage dump and terrorizes the townspeople. We first showed the film last Friday evening as part of an evening on film monsters co-sponsored by PATV. 

HOW ABOUT A FEW

TURKEY CAROLS

I was working at the weekly San Jose Sun newspaper back then. It was just a few days before Thanksgiving. We were asked to come up with something to fill a few extra inches in the paper. We came up with Turkey Carols, Thanksgiving versions of Christmas Carols. They went into the paper and have continued to circulate among family, friends and others for more than 30 years. 

If you'd like to sing them with other friends of Uptown Bill's, come to the live broadcast of Tom's Guitar Show on Tuesday, Oct. 25. Starts at 6 pm. A sing-a-long session is planned during the show. For more details, visit the Facebook page for Uptown Bill's.

Turkey Tracks (Sing to Jingle Bells)

Dashing through the streets 

Kids and dads and mom

Seeing feathers fly

Chasing after tom

He'll hide behind the barn

Sneak up behind our backs

What fun it is to laugh and sing

And follow turkey tracks

Refrain:

O, turkey tracks, wings and backs 

Drumsticks all the way

Oh what fun it is to chase 

Tum turkey night and day

_______________________________________________________________

O Pumpkin Pie (sing to O Christmas tree)

O pumpkin pie, O pumpkin pie 

How lovely is your custard

O pumpkin pie, O pumpkin pie 

How lovely is your custard

The whipping cream -- those snowy peaks

Or ala mode for ice cream freaks

O pumpkin pie O pumpkin pie

If you only came with mustard 

______________________________________________________________ 

Turkey in the Tummy (Sing to Deck the Halls)

Deck the table with roast turkey

Gobble, Gobble, Go-bble, Gobble, Gob

Put away the old beef jerky 

Gobble...

Someone say the family blessing

Gobble... 

And pass along the wild rice dressing

Gobble...

See the feast before us

Gobble...

Alka-Seltzer will restore us

Gobble...

Meanwhile pass the berry jelly 

Gobble...

And fill the old Thanksgiving belly 

Gobble...

LIVE MUSIC EVERY

SATURDAY NIGHT

Enjoy live music every Saturday night at the coffee house. 7 pm. Here's a schedule of upcoming performers:

October 22:  Patrick Bloom & Ghosts of Radio

October 29:  Dave Moore

November 5: Kol Shira

November 12:  Nic Arp with Dave Rozassa and Jim Rossen

November 19:  Benj & Nicole Upchurch with Stacy Webster

November 26:  Thanksgiving Weekend. No concert.

December 3:  The Mayflies

December 10:  Pigs & Clover

PLAY CHESS 

ON FRIDAYS

Like to play chess? Like to learn to play? Come to Uptown Bill's on Friday afternoon to play chess and talk with others who like to play. 4 pm. All ages and abilities are welcome. Bring a friend.

WE THOUGHT YOU'D

BE INTERESTED IN...

....DOROTHY NEWMIRE. A memorial for Dorothy Newmire, a longtime friend of Wild Bill's and Uptown Bill's, is planned Saturday, Nov. 5 at the coffee house. 2-4 pm. Donations in her memory have been suggested for the coffee house.

...LIVE TV. Uptown Bill's collaborates with PATV on two or three live television broadcasts each month. On Tuesday, Oct. 25, Tom's Guitar Show will be broadcast live from the coffee house at 6 pm. Last Friday evening, we collaborated with PATV on "Monster Bash," which included two hours of live television following by a screening of "The Milpitas Monster." 

...FRIDAY NIGHT JAZZ. A series of Friday night jazz concerts begins Friday, Nov. 4 in the coffee house. 5-7 pm. The concerts are planned for two Fridays a month.

...CHANGES COMING. Hours for Uptown Bill's will be changing after Thanksgiving. The new hours will begin Monday, Nov. 28. Also ahead: Changes in the menu. More details soon. 

HERE'S THAT RECIPE FOR
WILD BILL'S BROWNIES
A request came in recently for the Wild Bill's brownies, the ones served

at special events both at Wild Bill's potlucks and at Uptown Bill's  Those

brownies have a long history. The recipe was given to Tom Gilsenan
about 40 years ago by the late Shirley Suske. Shirley and Tom met in an
introductory social work course at the University of Minnesota in the fall
of 1968. (Tom Walz, retired UI professor and founder of the Uptown Bill's
project, was the instructor for the course.)

Shirley went on to become the director of a Minneapolis senior center
located just a short distance from the block where Bill Sackter grew up.

The  brownies have been part of many a potluck over the years. For some time, they were called "Pig Brownies." A look at the ingredients explains that name. But several years ago, someone in the coffeeshop referred to them as Wild Bill's Brownies and the name stuck.

Here's the recipe: 

                       WILD BILL'S BROWNIES
                       2 cups sugar
                       3 eggs
                       1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter
                       1 tsp. vanilla
                       1 1/2 cups flour
                       1/2 cup cocoa (Ghirardelli)

Mix sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla. Add flour and cocoa. Mix.
Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30
minutes. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's Coffee House. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. You can write to him at tomgilsenan@gmail.com

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for more than 35 years. Located in North Hall, the coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8 am. For more information, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook. You can call the coffeeshop at (319) 335-1281. Donations to support the work of the coffeeshop may be sent to: Bill's Coffeeshop Fund, University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244. Contributions are tax deductible.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of Wild Bill's. Now in its 11th year, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Located at 730 S. Dubuque, Uptown Bill's is open Monday through Saturday from 7 am. For more information, check the Uptown Bill's website or Facebook page. You can call Uptown Bill's at (319) 339-0401. Donations to support the work of Uptown Bill's may be sent to: Extend the Dream Foundation, Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Contributions are tax deductible.

--

In the spirit of Bill Sackter, Uptown Bill's strives to nurture and encourage a gathering place where people of all abilities are welcome. Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Watch us on You Tube: www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PLEE41220297F8D82C

Visit our web page: www.uptownbills.org

FAMOUS IOWANS * FRIDAY NIGHT MONSTER * LOOKING BACK * Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter * Vol 12 * October 15, 2011

BILL SACKTER IS ONE

OF 'FAMOUS' IOWANS

Bill Sackter is one of the "Famous Iowans" in an online archive created by the Des Moines Register. Bill was added as a "Role model for the handicapped." He's included along with such notable Iowans as Donna Reed, Ronald Reagan, Lillian Russell, Russell & Clara Stover, Annie Wittenmyer and Grant Wood. 

Here's what the entry for Bill says:

Bill Sackter was unfairly placed in an institution for the mentally ill for 44 years, and then inspired the nation as a man trying to regain a normal life. Sackter was born in St. Paul, Minn., the son of Sam and Mary Sackter, Russian immigrants who ran a grocery store. Sackter's father died of a heart attack when the boy was 6, and his mother struggled to keep her family intact. 

Sackter had troubles at school, and in 1920 his mother placed him in the Faribault State School for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic. Sackter was 7, and he never saw his mother or two sisters again. He was diagnosed as retarded, although diagnoses performed decades later would prove his intelligence was near normal. He was never taught to read or write or even how to use a telephone. 

In 1964, when new light was being shed on the treatment of the mentally ill, Sackter was moved to a halfway house and worked odd jobs to support himself. He became a handyman at a country club, where Barry Morrow, a filmmaker, and his wife, Bev, befriended him. Morrow became his guardian, and when he took a post at the University of Iowa, 

Sackter followed him and worked at a coffee shop at the university's School of Social Work. Sackter was named Handicapped Iowan of the Year in 1976, attending a ceremony in Washington, D.C. President Carter gave him special recognition in 1979. 

Sackter's story was told in two television movies. "Bill" was presented in December 1981, with Sackter portrayed by Mickey Rooney in a role that brought him an Emmy Award and Golden Globe. The movie also won an Emmy as outstanding drama special. A sequel, "Bill: On His Own," came out two years later. Sackter died in his sleep in 1983.

You can see this entry about Bill Sackter and the others by going to the Des Moines Register web page (www.desmoinesregister.com) and searching for 'Famous Iowans.' (Note: The Bill entry mistakenly refers to Barry Morrow as 'Bill.')

SINGER/SONGWRITER

HERE ON TUESDAY

Dustin Burley, a singer and songwriter, performs Tuesday, Oct. 18 at the coffee house. 4-7 pm. He plays acoustic guitar, adding a generous helping of looping in each performance. From Western Pennsylvania, he's now on tour of the Midwest and West. Here's more about his music and some of his songs: www.dustinburley.com  Also, here's a video excerpt from a recent performance at a coffee house in Laramie, Wyoming: http://www.youtube.com/dustinburley#p/a/u/2/FXG7MVDKReQ

FOR FRIDAY NIGHT:

SOMETHING SCARY

PATV and Uptown Bill's are hosting a showing of "Milpitas Monster" on Friday, July 21. 10 pm at Uptown Bill's. It's a homegrown classic, a monster movie which began as a high school class project and eventually involved an entire community. The story revolves around a monster who emerges from the city garbage dump and terrorizes the townspeople. It's part of a monster evening organized by PATV. Check the website for details: www.patv.tv. Just in time for Halloween. Don't miss this chance to be frightened (sort of).

OTHER EVENTS

THIS WEEK...

...Spoken Word Open Mic on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 7 pm. Ten minutes for poetry and readings. (Readers & Writers Group meets at 6 pm)

...Art Night on Thursday, Oct. 20, 6 pm. We'll be making Halloween decorations. 

...Open Mic also on Thursday. Starts at 7 pm. You can sign up any time during the week. You have ten minutes for your performance. 

LIVE MUSIC EVERY

SATURDAY NIGHT

Enjoy live music every Saturday night at the coffee house. 7 pm. Here's a schedule of upcoming performers:

October 22:  Patrick Bloom & Ghosts of Radio

October 29:  Dave Moore

November 5:  Kol Shira

November 12:  (To be announced)

November 19:  Benj & Nicole Upchurch with Stacy Webster

November 26:  (To be announced)

December 3:  The Mayflies

December 10:  Pigs & Clover

December 17:  Bree Nettie & Marty Lentz

NEW CHESS CLUB

MEETS FRIDAYS

Like to play chess? Like to learn to play? Come to Uptown Bill's on Friday afternoon to play chess and talk with others who like to play. 4 pm. All ages and abilities are welcome. Bring a friend.

DRINKING TOO

MUCH COFFEE?

You know you're drinking too much coffee when:

• You think CPR stands for "coffee provides resuscitation.
• You name your cats cream and sugar
• You're offended when people use the word brew to refer to beer

LOOKING BACK IN THE

BILL'S NEWSLETTER

Eight years ago (2003): Another Mother for Peace has come back to life. Donna Reed

and other mothers originally founded this group to oppose the Vietnam War.

Nine years ago (2002): Here and there a song of fall can be heard around campus

Ten years ago (2001): Barry Morrow, Bill Sackter's friend and screenwriter

for the Bill movies, returns to Bill's Coffeeshop this week.

Eleven years ago (2000): Hull House in Chicago had a coffeeshop, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's Coffee House. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. You can write to him at tomgilsenan@gmail.com

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for more than 35 years. Located in North Hall, the coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8 am. For more information, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook. You can call the coffeeshop at (319) 335-1281. Donations to support the work of the coffeeshop may be sent to: Bill's Coffeeshop Fund, University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244. Contributions are tax deductible.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of Wild Bill's. Now in its 11th year, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Located at 730 S. Dubuque, Uptown Bill's is open Monday through Saturday from 7 am. For more information, check the Uptown Bill's website or Facebook page. You can call Uptown Bill's at (319) 339-0401. Donations to support the work of Uptown Bill's may be sent to: Extend the Dream Foundation, Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Contributions are tax deductible.

MUSIC ON THURSDAY NIGHT, TOO * NEW CHESS CLUB * FALLING LEAVES MOON * Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter * Vol. 12 * October 10, 2011

THIS IS THE MONTH OF

FALLING LEAVES MOON

OCTOBER is the month of the Falling Leaves Moon (Binaakwe-giizis) according to the Ojibwe calendar. (You can find the calendar on the wall in the meeting room at Uptown Bill's.) Perhaps most noticeable is the shortening of the days. Each day, the daylight shrinks lengthens by a few minutes. Perhaps you have noticed this as you come and go around town. In the coffee HOUSE, the mornings come a little later and the evenings a little sooner.

MORE quickly now, autumn is nudging aside the summer. The days have still been warm, but the nights are much cooler. This past week, the harvest moon has been shining over us each evening. In the early morning, it is still there, though it has shifted from the east to the west side of the sky.

Outside the coffeeshop windows, the leaves continue to turn and fall. We recently collected some of those leaves and wrote messages on them as part of an Art & Music Night. We'll probably do that again this week. Why not join us on Thursday evening. Art Night starts at 6 pm.

OPEN MIC & MORE

THIS THURSDAY

A special performance by Mutiny in the Parlor follows Open Mic this Thursday, Oct. 12. Open Mic is at 7 pm; music at 7:30 pm. Come early for Art Night at 6 pm.

CONCERTS EVERY

SATURDAY NIGHT

Live music continues every Saturday night at the coffee house. 7 pm. Here's a schedule of upcoming performers:

October 15:  Slewgrass

October 22:  Patrick Bloom & Ghosts of Radio

October 29:  Dave Moore

November 5:  Kol Shira

November 12:  (To be announced)

November 19:  Benj & Nicole Upchurch with Stacy Webster

November 26:  (To be announced)

December 3:  The Mayflies

December 10:  Pigs & Clover

December 17:  Bree Nettie & Marty Lentz

CHESS CLUB

ON FRIDAYS

Like to play chess? Come to Uptown Bill's this Friday, Oct. 14 at 4 pm for the first meeting of a new chess club. Bring a friend.

WE THOUGHT YOU'D

BE INTERESTED IN...

...Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival, begins Wednesday, Oct. 12 at sundown. For more details, visit the Judaism 101website: www.jewfaq.org/holiday5.htm.

...Friday, Oct. 14 is National Dessert Day. Stop in and have one of our treats. 

...Monday, Oct. 24 is United Nations Day, the anniversary of the day in 1948 the UN charter was ratified. (www.un.org)

...Circle Friday, Dec. 2 on your calendar. That's the date for the annual Uptown Bill's Fall Fundraiser, a project coordinated by I-Envsion. 

...Have you checked out the Facebook page for Bill's Bookmart? Lots of information about books and publishing. Recently added: An interview with Maurice Sendak and a list of "Sports books that matter."

...Looking for something special in soda pop? Uptown Bill's has lots of varieties, including Spring Grove Soda from Spring Grove, Minnesota. 

HOW ABOUT A FEW
HALLOWEEN TUNES

Have you found a sincere pumpkin patch where you can wait for the Great
Pumpkin this year? While you're waiting for him to appear, you can sing
pumpkin carols. These were originally published in a Peanuts greeting card
shaped like a pumpkin. Excerpts from some of the carols appear below. 

I'm dreaming of the great pumpkin
I'm dreaming of the great pumpkin
with every pumpkin card I write
May your jack-o-lanterns burn bright
when the Great Pumpkin visits tonight

Pumpkin Wonderland
Screech owls hoot, are you listen'in
Beneath the moon, all is glistenin--
A real scary sight, we're happy tonight
Waitin' in a pumpkin wonderland

Pumpkin Bells
Dashing through the streets, in our costumes bright and gay
To each house we go, laughing all the way
Halloween is here, making spirits bright
What fun it is trick or treat
And sing pumpkin carols tonight

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's Coffee House. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. You can write to him at tomgilsenan@gmail.com

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for more than 35 years. Located in North Hall, the coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8 am. For more information, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook. You can call the coffeeshop at (319) 335-1281. Donations to support the work of the coffeeshop may be sent to: Bill's Coffeeshop Fund, University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244. Contributions are tax deductible.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of Wild Bill's. Now in its 11th year, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Located at 730 S. Dubuque, Uptown Bill's is open Monday through Saturday from 7 am. For more information, check the Uptown Bill's website or Facebook page. You can call Uptown Bill's at (319) 339-0401. Donations to support the work of Uptown Bill's may be sent to: Extend the Dream Foundation, Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Contributions are tax deductible.

--

In the spirit of Bill Sackter, Uptown Bill's strives to nurture and encourage a gathering place where people of all abilities are welcome. Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Watch us on You Tube: www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PLEE41220297F8D82C

Visit our web page: www.uptownbills.org