As you might know, Amy had a snowboarding accident Saturday and spent the night in the hospital due to a concussion. No one saw the accident and she doesn't remember so it's hard to judge the severity of the concussion but she seems fine although a bit sore. We brought her home to Harpursville for the more official kind of observation (the Mom kind). The dorm just didn't seem like the optimum recovery location!! We hope she will be ready to go back to Kutztown before the weekend.
Thanks to all of you for your support. It was a very long day and pretty scary for a while but we are happy to report that she seems to be recovering as expected. Ryan, ever being the loyal brother, snuck a hospital picture of her on the cell phone but she is currently paying us not to share it.
She doesn't remember her first helicopter ride either and I figure she will wake up with a bad nightmare about crashing and helicopter noises in the next few days. I hope I'm better rested by then!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Dalpiaz Unsolved Mystery
A while back, one of your long lost cousins included some intriguing information about a great granduncle Ottilio Dalpiaz being murdered in Colorado after overhearing a Mafia murder plot. What self-respecting librarian/family historian wouldn't feel a great urge to research such a story??
Otillio (first name spelling varies greatly from source to source) probably immigrated from home in the late 1880's. Sal Romano's Trento website gives great information on some emigration patterns and I'm guessing Otillio followed this pattern. In 1900 he appears to have been a coal miner in Gray Creek Colorado. If you go to the Colorado Mines link on this website, you will see some Gray Creek mining pictures I think are very interesting. I haven't found him again until he was murdered in 1928.
I imagine it was a warm morning August 20 1928 in the Grand Hotel when Ottilio was shot to death after an apparent struggle in his room in the annex at the hotel. He'd been employed as their night dishwasher but had quit his job and collected his pay very shortly before he was attacked. Witnesses heard some discussion in his room, a struggle, crashing noise and shots. Seven bullet wounds from a .38 were found in his body. SEVEN!!
Otillio was probably around 54 years old when he died. It appears he had no friends or family in the area and was described as "a quiet fellow who did not talk much" . The reports from the coroner's inquest made no mention of any Mafia involvement and the murder was apparently never solved.
For me, this is a sad story of dying alone but perhaps sharing his story bring some justice to the great injustice of an unsolved murder.
Otillio (first name spelling varies greatly from source to source) probably immigrated from home in the late 1880's. Sal Romano's Trento website gives great information on some emigration patterns and I'm guessing Otillio followed this pattern. In 1900 he appears to have been a coal miner in Gray Creek Colorado. If you go to the Colorado Mines link on this website, you will see some Gray Creek mining pictures I think are very interesting. I haven't found him again until he was murdered in 1928.
I imagine it was a warm morning August 20 1928 in the Grand Hotel when Ottilio was shot to death after an apparent struggle in his room in the annex at the hotel. He'd been employed as their night dishwasher but had quit his job and collected his pay very shortly before he was attacked. Witnesses heard some discussion in his room, a struggle, crashing noise and shots. Seven bullet wounds from a .38 were found in his body. SEVEN!!
Otillio was probably around 54 years old when he died. It appears he had no friends or family in the area and was described as "a quiet fellow who did not talk much" . The reports from the coroner's inquest made no mention of any Mafia involvement and the murder was apparently never solved.
For me, this is a sad story of dying alone but perhaps sharing his story bring some justice to the great injustice of an unsolved murder.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The Latest from H'ville
Nothing is simple around here!! I think most of you already know that. Oscar came home from the vet after passing a kidney stone and having a chiropractic treatment. Yes, you read it right (I even spell checked it). Hard to believe ins omany ways!
Amy went back to school this week and the house was pretty lonely feeling for a couple of days but now we are used to having the computer back! Ryan has a game today so that will probably delay taking down the Christmas lights. The windstorm blew James' tent covering the Mustang into the woods and it's going to take the entire basketball team to haul it back up.
How are those New Year's Resolutions coming along for everyone??
Amy went back to school this week and the house was pretty lonely feeling for a couple of days but now we are used to having the computer back! Ryan has a game today so that will probably delay taking down the Christmas lights. The windstorm blew James' tent covering the Mustang into the woods and it's going to take the entire basketball team to haul it back up.
How are those New Year's Resolutions coming along for everyone??
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Postscript to the Christmas Cat Story
Well, I know you have all been wondering how things are up here with the cat since we left you on Christmas Day. The adventure continues. If you can believe it, Oscar is at this very moment being treated for another blockage. (I'm getting ready to block something myself and it involves your brother James). This time, at least, James took him to the local cow vet and it looks like this will not cost very much more than filling up your gas tank these days. Jeez.
Funny what kinds of things we actually find comforting--paying as much for a tank of gas as for feline "septic pumping".
Hope things are nice and calm with you all. Aunt Josie called last night just to say hi, but neither James nor I were here to speak with her. We will probably try to get caught up with her over the weekend.
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