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Dan Boerger

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Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #25 on: June 12, 2008, 09:51:17 AM »

Aronimink's "new" course opened for member play on Memorial Day in 1928.
"Man should practice moderation in all things, including moderation."  Mark Twain

Mike_Cirba

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #26 on: June 12, 2008, 11:04:48 AM »
Tom,

After the advent of the Haskell Ball, and before the creation of Merion and Pine Valley, (say 1910) the top Philly courses from a tournament perspective would have been;

Huntingdon Valley
Philadelphia Cricket (the original course)
Whitemarsh Valley (MT. Airy), only because it was longer than most..not because of any architectural sophistication.
Atlantic City


Then Merion opened in 1912, and around the same time and shortly after existing courses were being Markedly improved and strengthened at Aronimink (Tillinghast, Klauder, & Calvert), at Philmont (Hugh Wilson and Herman Strouse), at Huntingdon Valley (Ab Smith), at North Hills (Meehan, Hugh Wilson, & Ab Smith), Philly Cricket (Donald Ross & Sam Heebner), Olde York Road (Tillnighast) and other new courses began to open such as Seaview (Hugh Wilson), LuLu (Meehan, and then Ross), Merion West (Wilson) and Cobb's Creek (Hugh Wilson & a cast of thousands). 

Then, from my perspective, a few things happened.   First, Wilson's youngest daughter tragically died at age 6 in the latter part of 1916 as Wilson and Flynn worked on strengthening Merion East for the US Amateur, and America shortly after went to war.   

Pine Valley finally opened all 18 holes during that timeframe, and was instantly in the top two.

After the war, places such as Cricket, Philly Country Club, HVGC started to look to move because of limitations of their existing land.   

By 1922 however, I can't think of another course mentioned that would figure prominently...with the exception of Sunnybrook.   

It was frankly, just at the inception of a huge course building boom that would continue through the rest of the decade.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2008, 11:25:01 AM by MikeCirba »

Rich Goodale

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #27 on: June 12, 2008, 12:53:44 PM »
Tom MacW

Why 1922?  Any particular significance to that year?

Rich

Thomas MacWood

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #28 on: June 12, 2008, 01:18:16 PM »
I've made a few changes. Any other changes needed?

Merion East
Merion West
Gulph Mills
Huntingdon Valley
Pine Valley
Whitemarsh Valley
Torresdale-Frankford
Llanerch CC
Cobb's Creek
Lulu
Sunnybrook
Old York Road
CC of Atlantic City
Cedarbrook
Philmont
Bala
Philadelphia Cricket
DuPont
Overbrook
Seaview
Lancaster
Ashbourne
North Hills

Rich
I chose 1922 for a couple of reasons. The archive of the Phila Inquirer runs to 1922 and Tilly & Thomas had flown the coop by then.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2008, 01:23:21 PM by Tom MacWood »

Thomas MacWood

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #29 on: June 12, 2008, 03:48:42 PM »
Now that we identified the courses can we identify the architect or architects? I've started it, please correct any mistakes.

Merion East (XXX)
Merion West (Wilson/Flynn?)
Gulph Mills (Ross)
Huntingdon Valley
Pine Valley (Crump/Colt)
Whitemarsh Valley (Thomas)
Torresdale-Frankford
Llanerch CC (Findlay)
Cobb's Creek (Wilson et al)
Lulu (Ross)
Sunnybrook (Ross)
Old York Road (Tilly)
CC of Atlantic City
Cedarbrook (Ross)
Philmont
Bala (W Dunn)
Philadelphia Cricket
DuPont (Ross)
Overbrook (Ross)
Seaview (Wilson)
Lancaster (Flynn)
Ashbourne
North Hills
 
« Last Edit: June 12, 2008, 07:46:35 PM by Tom MacWood »

Kyle Harris

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #30 on: June 12, 2008, 03:56:25 PM »
Huntingdon Valley was, at one time, an H.S. Colt routing? I know Ab Smith did significant work to one of the iterations.

Tom, the course existed as Baederwood Country Club into the 1950s, and it is covered in one of Dan Wexler's books.

Whitemarsh Valley is George Thomas at that time. Llanerch is Alex Findlay. Old York Road is Tillinghast, as is Cederbrook.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2008, 04:02:14 PM by Kyle Harris »

David Stamm

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Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #31 on: June 12, 2008, 04:03:13 PM »
Bala I believe at this time was still a Willie Dunn.
"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Thomas MacWood

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #32 on: June 12, 2008, 07:48:29 PM »
Kyle
According to Wexler Baederwood is from 1927. Is that you understanding?

Who was responsible for Atlantic City in 1922?

Kyle Harris

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #33 on: June 12, 2008, 08:11:35 PM »
Kyle
According to Wexler Baederwood is from 1927. Is that you understanding?

Who was responsible for Atlantic City in 1922?

That would correspond to the date that Huntingdon Valley moved from that course to the present Flynn site. So "Baederwood," as the entity, would exist from 1927, but the course was once Huntingdon Valley's Noble Course.

Thomas MacWood

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #34 on: June 12, 2008, 08:53:13 PM »
Kyle
There is a photo of punchbowl green from Huntingdon Valley in Geo Thomas' book. Is that the course you are speaking of? It has an interesting attribution: Committee, Smith Chairman, with advice from Low and Colt.

Wayne_Freedman

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Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #35 on: June 12, 2008, 09:08:17 PM »
This is an excellent post.

Perfect timing.
I have just tweaked my 'Wayback Machine',  dialed in 1922, and will be leaving in  a moment...

Wait...I see it.

Ohhh...IT'S IN BLACK AND WHITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike_Cirba

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #36 on: June 12, 2008, 09:25:33 PM »
Tom MacWood,

Here is what I have in my files re: attribution of each up to 1922;

Merion East (Wilson/Committee 1912, Wilson/Flynn 1916)

Merion West (Wilson 1913)

Gulph Mills (Ross 1916)

Huntingdon Valley (Original?, Ab Smith 1909-1916 and probably before and possibly beyond).   The Baederwood course attributed to Colt/Allison was largely already there prior to their arrival.

Pine Valley (Crump/Colt 1913-1918)

Whitemarsh Valley (George Thomas & Samuel Heebner 1908, internal changes through teens, likely by Heebner...still trying to pin down Ross revision dates)

Torresdale-Frankford - George Sayers 1915 (9), Donald Ross 1922

Llanerch CC (Findlay)  - B.F. Lewis/George Lindsay 1901, Alex Findlay 1916 and again in 1928

Cobb's Creek (Wilson, Smith, Klauder, Crump, Meehan 1916)

Lulu (J. Franklin Meehan/Warren Webb 1912 (9),  Donald Ross 1919

Sunnybrook (Ross but built by Samuel Heebner and George Thomas)

Old York Road - Jimmy Laing 1910,  Tillinghast revisions 1914

CC of Atlantic City - John Reid/HJ Tweedie 1897, Willie Park 1899...I believe Flynn's work was 1923

Cedarbrook (Tillinghast 1921)

Philmont (South) - John Reid 1907-08, Hugh Wilson/Henry Strouse 1914

Bala - Willie Dunn 1901, Willie Tucker 1903

Philadelphia Cricket - Sanders Handford 1895 (9), Willie Tucker/Samuel Heebner 1898, Donald Ross 1915

DuPont (Ross) - I don't believe this course existed in 1922.

Overbrook (Ross)??? I don't believe I've heard this attribution prior.

Seaview - Hugh Wilson 1913 (18 - same as today's routing), Donald Ross/Wilfred Reid/William Connellan 1916 (additional bunkering)

Lancaster - Not verified but I believe J. Harold Wickersham/George Franklin 1913, followed by Flynn 1919 through the rest of his life.

Ashbourne - J. Franklin Meehan  1922

North Hills - J. Franklin Meehan 1913, Hugh Wilson/Ab Smith/William Flynn 1916

Aroninmink - Tillinghast/Klauder/Calvert 1913-15 with a hole or two advised by Vardon/Ray during a visit.


Not sure what you're driving at but hope this helps.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2008, 10:47:08 PM by MikeCirba »

Joe Bausch

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Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #37 on: June 12, 2008, 09:46:12 PM »
Mike, you might find this March 31, 1919 article from the Philly Inquirer to be of interest:



And this one from April 22, 1919 by Perry Lewis might be of even more interest:



« Last Edit: June 12, 2008, 09:51:14 PM by Joe Bausch »
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Mike_Cirba

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #38 on: June 12, 2008, 10:12:47 PM »
Joe,

That's a wonderful article.  As usual, you're the Man!

I believed the original course at Overbrook was unattributed...probably members, and it does seem that Ross modified an existing nine hole course there.

That also helps to lock down Whitemarsh Valley....I knew the original George Thomas course was not nearly as good as it/he later became, and that a lot of changed happened in the first 15 years, but didn't know all the details.

Thanks!
« Last Edit: June 12, 2008, 10:15:16 PM by MikeCirba »

Thomas MacWood

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #39 on: June 12, 2008, 10:46:43 PM »
Who is J. Franklin Meehan?

Mike_Cirba

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #40 on: June 12, 2008, 10:59:36 PM »
Who is J. Franklin Meehan?

Tom,

I'm not sure how well this will cut and paste...I'm guessing the images won't make the trip, but the following is from the book we wrote based on our Cobb's Creek research.   I believe I sent you a copy a few months back...I'd be happy to re-send if you have interest.



 

John Franklin Meehan (aka J. Franklin Meehan, Frank Meehan) – Meehan’s father Thomas came from England to become a famed landscape horticulturalist, author, and businessman and son “Frank” soon followed in his father’s footsteps and became a partner in the family business during his late teens.  His father’s fame led him to be selected to create the Landscape Plans and Horticultural Exhibit at the United States Centennial celebration in 1876 and after his death, even had a plant named after him, Meehania Cordata.  During his life, he was heavily involved in the effort to create city parks, and was on the City of Philadelphia advisory board that was responsible for the creation of Fairmount Park.   

During the 1880’s, Meehan stated, perhaps somewhat prophetically;

“I once looked upon these breathing-places for the poor in large cities with the eye of an artist, valuing them primarily as spots of beauty and ornament to the city. I look upon them now as playgrounds and places where all kinds of physical recreation can be enjoyed, and I leave the details of garden beauty and the ornamentation of the city to take a subordinate place.”

After his father’s death in 1901, Frank Meehan grew his father’s successful business into the areas of city planning, land planning, and agronomy.   He was also quite the sportsman, spending much of his time hunting and fishing in the outdoors.  Owner of a sprawling turf nursery just outside the city, it wasn’t long before Meehan took to golf…with fervor.

Meehan was one of the better amateur golfers in the Philadelphia area (another of the “amateur architects”), and although he wasn’t at quite the top echelon with fellows like Crump and Ab Smith, he did compete well and often in regional tournaments. 


While we don’t know exactly how and when Meehan began his love affair with the game, we know that in 1907 Meehan and some businessmen friends started a golf club called Edge Hill Country Club.   The nine-hole course was on land that Meehan owned, and he designed and constructed the course personally.   He also served as the Club President from 1907 until 1915, by which time the club had moved to a new site and was now known as North Hills Country Club.

In 1911, the club outgrew the modest original course and voted to move and build a new course, first of nine holes, then a year or so later one of 18 holes, both which Meehan also designed.   In May of 1911, A.W. Tillinghast wrote;

The baby member of the Golf Association of Philadelphia—the North Hills Country Club—gives promise of great development.   The club is a little over a year old and is situated in the famous Whitemarsh Valley at Remlu, which is the first village north of Edge Hill. The entire property consists of 240 acres of beautiful, rolling land, through which a stream of clear spring water runs practically the entire length of the course, and which is made use of continually.  The course measures 3,117 yards, and the nine holes par at 36. Most of the land was under farm cultivation, but much wild growth had to be cleared away.

Mr. J. Franklin Meehan is president of the club and his great knowledge of turf and grasses will prove of immense value to the new course.
According to the North Hills Country Club history;
Moving to the new club house necessitated the re-design of the golf course and forced the club to negotiate for additional land. Some ground was dropped (the old 6th and 7th holes were transferred back to the association) and new acreage was acquired and Meehan designed a new 9 hole golf course to accommodate the new club house location.
 
________________________________________
The next year, on February 6, 1912, the club now having 100 restless members who were each paying $25.00 per year dues, it was voted that North Hills should be an 18 hole course. Some additional acreage, the present 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and parts of the 2nd and 8th holes were acquired from the Land Association and a new lease was negotiated
Meehan, who was now in his third year as president contracted to design and build the present golf course for the sum of $1,625.00.  An attempt was made to keep the old nine in use while the new layout was being constructed but the financial burden was too much. Meehan opened the new course for play on July 12, 1913, admittedly before it was ready for use.
While we don’t know much about Meehan’s golf architectural talents or design acumen at this stage of his career, we do know that it wasn’t long before he brought in some help with North Hills in the form of Hugh Wilson and Ab Smith in 1916.  Tillinghast alluded to the fact that Meehan was just learning when he wrote in August 1916;

“North Hills plan a number of changes on their course, which although possessing great natural advantages, always has been rather crude.   The clubhouse, too, will be improved considerably.”

Given Hugh Wilson’s keen interest in all things agronomic, it is certain that he and Meehan had much to discuss in that area, and it is likely to assume that Wilson shared design concepts with Meehan, as well.  What we do know is that they built a very enjoyable, challenging course at North Hills that still stands today much as it did in 1916.

We also know that Meehan went on to practice golf course architecture largely on his own for at least the next fifteen or so years.   Although he worked primarily in Eastern Pennsylvania, he also built courses in upstate New York, and as far south as Tampa, Florida.   His latter effort still exists today in the form of the “Babe Zaharias Golf Course” which was originally known as Forest Hills Country Club when Meehan designed it in 1925. 

In Eastern Pennsylvania, we know that Meehan’s architectural resume included;

LuLu Country Club (first nine holes with Warren Webb) - 1915
Ashbourne Country Club – 1923
Sandy Run Country Club – 1923
Spring-Ford Country Club – 1924
Paxon Hollow (with Francis Warner) – 1926
Berwick Country Club - 1926
Brookside Country Club (Allentown) – 1929

While none of these courses are of the status of the top echelon of Philadelphia-area clubs, they are all fun to play, with sound, very natural golf holes, and all are challenging with some degree of quirkiness created by the imaginative use of natural landforms.   For instance, at both LuLu and Brookside, Meehan created short, dangerous par threes inside of quarry walls.   

Meehan was dynamic, outgoing, and seemingly always energetically active.   This brief description from James Finegan in his “Centennial Tribute to Golf in Philadelphia” certainly provides some insight into the man. 

“J. Franklin Meehan was a born entrepreneur   He dearly loved to start something from scratch.   In some instances, as at Ashbourne and Spring-Ford, a new golf cub that had aquired ground would call him in to lay out the course, a rewarding assignment that enabled him to put his personal imprint on the raw land.   But it was not quite so satisfying as conceiving the idea for a club, finding the property, laying out the course, bringing together a number of kindred souls, and actually running the club during its formative years.   This he did at North Hills.   And now, more than 15 years later and virtually next door, he undertook to do it again (at Sandy Run).”

We also know that John Franklin Meehan was a lifelong advocate of junior golf and largely responsible for the creation of the “Junior” division of the Golf Association of Philadelphia, as well as associated junior tournaments for both boys and girls   Perhaps it was partially due to his own children’s involvement in the game that served as his stimulus and motivation, which was reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer in January, 1917;

 


Still, Mrs. Meehan could not have been playing the game for very long given this February, 1915 account and when one sees the next story, which has lived on through the subsequent ages, Mrs. Meehan may have retrospectively wished that she’d remained a golf widow for life!
;

 


















Prominent golfer though she may have been, it appears Mrs. Meehan did have at least one nemesis hole, as described in this humorous story by Tillinghast in 1915.  It appears that she was nothing if not persistent, although it must have been quite the delay for the groups following her;

 












The following report from the 1922 Golf Association of Philadelphia annual meeting gives some idea of the passion and idealistic zeal that Meehan exhibited in his quest for promoting and growing the game through junior golf.   It should be noted that these visionary men were quite aware that the real growth in junior golf could only come in earnest through making the game available through the creation and support of public courses like Cobb’s Creek.   It is therefore hardly surprising to find that he was such an advocate and volunteered his time to help with the creation of the first public courses in the city.

   




 

It seems likely that his passion for junior golf, for growing the game he loved, as well as his direct family involvement with the Fairmount Park Commission would have been prime motivators leading to Meehan’s involvement with the Cobb’s Creek project.   The extent of Meehan’s actual involvement in the design and construction efforts at Cobb’s Creek is somewhat uncertain, only because there were no contemporaneous accounts of his work.  This is perhaps due to the fact that it wasn’t until the mid-20s that Meehan was actually known in the region as a “golf architect”, and probably earlier in his career was viewed simply as a successful businessman and sportsman with an expert agronomic, planning, and horticultural background who had established a thriving golf club in the suburbs.   It seems possible that perhaps Hugh Wilson brought him over to help with the agronomic efforts, especially as planned timetables for opening in the fall of 1915 were not met due to “grow-in” issues, but that is purely speculative.   

In any case we know that by August, 1924, when work began in earnest to build additional public courses in Philadelphia at Juniata (Tacony) as well as a second eighteen at Cobb’s Creek (Karakung), the following news item appeared in the Philadelphia Evening Ledger;

The city will be saved a big fee for a golf architect, in the program for the erection of a course in Tacony, Mr. Corson said (Corson is the Chief Engineer at this time of Fairmount Park and had been assistant to Jesse Vogdes in 1916).  He announced that he himself, a golfer, and Frank Meehan, Hugh Wilson and A. H. Smith, all members of the Philadelphia Golf Association, would probably design the course.

"Mr. Meehan, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Smith gave their aid in laying out the course at Cobbs Creek," stated the chief engineer, "and I am sure that they will help us with the Tacony links."

While we may never know the true extent of his involvement, it is clear that his relationship with Wilson and Smith was a close one and it seems that he was simply another of the “experts” who helped the city with the design, construction, and agronomic work necessary to build Cobb’s Creek.


DMoriarty

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Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #41 on: June 13, 2008, 01:32:27 AM »
Kyle
There is a photo of punchbowl green from Huntingdon Valley in Geo Thomas' book. Is that the course you are speaking of? It has an interesting attribution: Committee, Smith Chairman, with advice from Low and Colt.

Thanks, Tom.  I had been racking my brain trying to figure out where I saw that, but could not come up with this.
Golf history can be quite interesting if you just let your favorite legends go and allow the truth to take you where it will.
--Tom MacWood (1958-2012)

Thomas MacWood

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #42 on: June 13, 2008, 06:41:44 AM »
Mike
That is a very interesting report on Meehan. During this period did he continue to opporate a Landscape Arch/City Planning firm? If so, how successful was it?

Would you say the Huntingdon Valley attribution is a little misleading in Thomas' book? Shouldn't Colt's name be replaced by Alison? I also wonder if the Low attribution may be a little misleading as well. Tilly partnered with George Low ~ if I'm not mistaken Wexler's book shows the existance of a Hells Half Acre.

I also believe Herbert Barker was involved at Whitemarsh Valley at some point. Either in the original design or some time shortly after. It had a replica of the infamous 12th hole at GCGC.

I'm surprised Findlay wasn't more active. Perhaps he picked it up after 1922.

Are you certain Willie Park was at Atlantic City in 1899? To my knowledge he wasn't in the States at that time.
« Last Edit: June 13, 2008, 07:06:13 AM by Tom MacWood »

Mike_Cirba

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #43 on: June 13, 2008, 07:03:07 AM »
Mike
That is a very interesting report on Meehan. During this period did he continue to opporate a Landscape Arch/City Planning firm? If so, how successful was it?

Would you say the Huntingdon Valley attribution is a little misleading in Thomas' book? Shouldn't Colt's name be replaced by Alison? I also wonder if the Low attribution may be a little misleading as well. Tilly partnered with George Low ~ if I'm not mistaken Wexler's book shows the existance of a Hells Half Acre.

I also believe Herbert Barker was involved at Whitemarsh Valley at some point. Either in the original design or some time shortly after. It had a replica of the infamous 12th hole at GCGC.

I'm surprised Findlay wasn't more active. Perhaps he picked it up after 1922.

Are you certain Willie Park was at Atlantic City in 1899? To my knowledge he wasn't in the States at that time.

Tom,

I'm going to be away from the computer today but I'll check on all of your questions this weekend.    Hope to have answers soon.

The Park one strikes me as strange, as well, and I'm going to have to see where that came from.

You're right...Findlay really started picking up early 20s.

Thomas MacWood

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #44 on: June 13, 2008, 07:07:14 AM »
Another question: The Ross Association lists Cedarbrook as a Ross design. But that should actually be a Tilly design that was redesigned by Ross at some later date. Correct?

Mike_Cirba

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #45 on: June 13, 2008, 07:08:16 AM »
Another question: The Ross Association lists Cedarbrook as a Ross design. But that should actually be a Tilly design that was redesigned by Ross at some later date. Correct?

Tom,

Yes, that's my understanding as well.

Thomas MacWood

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #46 on: June 13, 2008, 07:45:24 AM »
When Tilly design the new Philadlephia Cricket? Didn't the club have two 18-hole courses for some period?

Mike_Cirba

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #47 on: June 13, 2008, 08:21:47 AM »
When Tilly design the new Philadlephia Cricket? Didn't the club have two 18-hole courses for some period?

Tom,

PCricket opened in 1922.   He drew 36, but the club only built 18.   Unfortunately, the 18 they built was a different design entirely, so it was never possible to "restore" the original 36, as some believed.


by the way..my Park attribution 1899 for ACC is from C&W so is suspect.   

If you have additional info about that course I'm most interested.

Dan Boerger

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Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #48 on: June 13, 2008, 08:22:06 AM »
Mike/Joe --

Great stuff ...

I'm also surprised to hear about any Ross stamp on Overbrook. I assume we're referring to the original course on City Line Avenue? The current course, according to club website, was created by JB McGovern and XG Hassenplug. Those of you who've played the course will probably agree with me: If there is a Ross influence, it's unlike any other Ross course I've played. I find it VERY challenging, with little room for error throughout, and it's no surprise to me that there are so many excellent golfers at Overbrook.

I also agree with your comment (Mike) about the enjoyment and playability of other Meehan courses. I played Brookside (Allentown) in a GAP match this year and really enjoyed it. I thought a number of holes were just fantastic.
"Man should practice moderation in all things, including moderation."  Mark Twain

Mike_Cirba

Re: Philadelphia 1922
« Reply #49 on: June 13, 2008, 08:25:16 AM »
Dan,

Thanks a lot..

I wholly agree about Meehan...he did some really nice, intuitive stuff for an "amateur" architect.

Tom MacWood,

Meehan's business flourished, and he also did some work in Florida.

I'm off for the day but looking forward to picking up here this weekend.

Nice to see a thread with cooperation.  :D

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