FOLLOW US Follow us on Twitter: @FallRiverSpirit @PhilDevittFRS Thursday, December 4, 2014 Fall River, Massachusetts FREE CITY BUZZ Fa la la Fall River The city goes all out for Christ- mas fun this weekend with the annual Children's Holiday THE SOUL OF Parade and Jingle Run happen- ing on Saturday followed by the Christmas Celebration at the Greater Fall River Re-Creation and a tree lighting ceremony at Government Center on Sunday. The parade, now in its 30th SESAME STREET year, steps o! from Kennedy Park at 1 p.m. Saturday, head- ing down South Main Street. There will be over 140 units and 30 fl oats, plus numerous giant infl atable balloons, march- ing bands, Clydesdale horses, and an appearance by Santa himself, fl ying in via helicopter. Free parking will be available at the 3rd Street and Pearl Street parking garages on Saturday, courtesy of Business for Better Parking. Also on Saturday, the Jingle Run starts at Kennedy Park at 12:30 p.m., ending at Government Center. Be sure to wear your bells and crazi- est Christmas outfi t. Then, on Sunday, join in the fun at the Christmas Celebration at the Greater Fall River Re-Creation site, 72 Bank St. from 2-4 p.m., after which head on over to the tree lighting at Govern- ment Center taking place at dusk, approximately 4 p.m. For more information on all events, visit www.gfrrec.org. Sound tradition The traditional sounds of Ameri- can folk music will brighten the lives of Fall River residents at a free show Thursday hosted by the Marine Museum. Award-win- ning folk duo Atwater-Donnelly will be at the museum playing their unique combination of American and Celtic folk music, interspersed with poetry and dance, from 7 to 9 p.m. In addi- tion to music, the duo delights audiences with dance, poetry Friends Jim Henson, Walter Cronkite, First Lady Rosalynn Carter, Big Bird (Caroll Spinney) and the U.S. Marine Band help Joe Raposo (right) perform and traditional puppetry and “Sing” at the White House Christmas concert in 1977. JOE RAPOSO MUSIC GROUP tap-percussion. A local Arts Lottery award is making the free show possible. Families of By Phil Devitt all sizes are welcome. While it's [email protected] Raposo started free to attend, reservations are required. Call 508-674-3533 Away from paper and pen and piano, the composer ‘Sesame Street’ to secure your spot. Visit www. sat perfectly still. His summer home, by the beach in marinemuseumfr.org for direc- tions and details. Chatham, was his getaway from a world in love with his music and hungry for more. White House visits Joe Raposo planted his feet in the sand and gazed First Friday at the Atlantic Ocean. Out there, 2,400 miles east of By Phil Devitt Fall River Spirit Editor Lafrance Hospitality patriarch the Cape Cod shore, was Sao Miguel, the Portuguese Richard Lafrance, son of White's island where his parents were born. of Westport founders Roland “Can you believe this?” he asked his cousin Noreen The most famous home on Pennsylvania Avenue 'Aime' and Rita Lafrance, will Avery, seated beside him. He sounded like a child has always been good to "Sesame Street." address the Fall River Area who had stolen from the cookie jar without getting The White House has hosted "Sesame Street" at Men’s First Friday Club on caught. “Can you believe we were born in Fall River? its annual Christmas party since the Nixon admin- Friday. Since that fateful Easter And look at us now.” istration, a tradition started by Joe Raposo, the Sunday in 1955 when White's This is the way Avery remembers her cousin, a man show's fi rst musical director, veteran Big Bird pup- fi rst opened, the Lafrances who never forgot his hometown and never took for peteer Caroll Spinney says. have grown both the company, granted the monumental success he achieved in the Raposo, a Fall River native, also got to work with adding and developing hotel two U.S. presidents on separate projects. Jimmy and restaurant properties, and entertainment business. the family, with four generations It has been 45 years since Raposo wrote the fi rst Carter, who enjoyed watching "Sesame Street" with now helping run the busi- of more than 3,000 songs for “Sesame Street,” the his daughter, asked Raposo to write his campaign ness. This special First Friday groundbreaking PBS children’s television show, and music. Raposo met Ronald and Nancy Reagan Club event is expected to be 25 years since cancer ended his life at 51, but Avery through mutual friend Frank Sinatra. He wrote a a gathering of old friends with still pictures him here, on the beach, content and number of pieces for the Reagans, including the many members having enjoyed refl ective and grateful. music for Nancy's foster grandparents campaign. Lafrance family hospitality since She grew up with Raposo in a North Main Street "For a poor kid from Fall River, hanging out at the club's founding just eight duplex where she watched him pound piano keys the White House was absolutely electrifying," says years before White's opened. Joe Raposo sits at the piano in his Bronxville, until he was sore. Then, she watched him rocket to Nick Raposo, the composer's son. The evening begins with a Mass N.Y., home. JOE RAPOSO MUSIC GROUP Spinney fondly recalls visiting Washington, D.C., at 6 p.m. at St Joseph Church, success, propelled by the right combination of hard N. Main St., Fall River, that is work, genius and musical genes. Why wouldn't she with Raposo and the cast. open to the public. Any gentle- believe? Jim Henson and writer/producer Jon Stone to craft “I’ve gotten to work with an awful lot of First man interested in attending the Avery had come to Chatham for rare quality a children’s program unlike any other on television. Ladies,” he says. dinner after the Mass should time with her lifelong pal, a man she considered “Joe was the king of them all,” says Caroll Spin- How did the distinguished women react to contact Daryl Gonyon at (508) a brother. Neither she nor Raposo had siblings, so ney, who has played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch working with an 8-foot puppet? Big Bird breaks 672-4822. they happily fi lled those roles for each other. They on “Sesame Street” since the beginning. “He was so it down: were "inseparable" as children, getting into and out prolifi c.” PAT NIXON: “I was standing for photos after More Spirit of trouble together, always able to make each other Raposo and Spinney, a fellow Massachusetts the performance with the children and cast. Often laugh, always loyal, always loving. Now their own native, met a few years before “Sesame Street” on with Big Bird, I’ll put my arm around the person ■ Page 2: Check our “Plug In” children were chasing each other on the beach, back the set of a children’s television show in Boston. After and bury them in feathers, but I thought with Mrs. feature for everything you need and forth, in circles, screaming and giggling under they reunited in 1969, Raposo often fondly recalled Nixon I better not do that since she was acting to know about The Fall River the summer sun. their fi rst encounter. rather formal. I just put my left arm and wing up Spirit’s online extras — web- “He was always impressed we had worked on her right shoulder. She reached up with her free exclusive stories, blogs, videos Avery tried to corral the little ones. “Away from the and more. water!” she shouted. together,” says Spinney. “He wrote so many of the hand, grabbed my wing, pulled it straight down ■ Coming next week: The story She turned to Raposo, but he was “completely fabulous songs of ‘Sesame Street’ and a lot of songs and never let go.” of Harley, a 15-year-old fresh- oblivious” to the chaos around him, on the beach but for me. Of course, you knew it was gonna be great BETTY FORD: “She was a hugger. She buried man at Diman Reg. Technical somewhere else, staring at the horizon but perhaps if he wrote it.” herself in my feathers.” H.S. who has equipped city seeing past it, fi lled with a boyhood wonder that had Raposo, leading a team of talented musicians, ROSALYNN CARTER: “She’s very quiet and shy, police cruisers with special never dimmed, and asking his cousin again: “Can produced songs at an astonishing pace for “Sesame very sweet.” custom-made kits for kids you believe it?” Street,” some seconds long, many minutes long. BARBARA BUSH: “She was fun, a very sweet, during emergencies. 'KING OF THEM ALL' He laid simple lyrics over deceptively complex and funny person, very outgoing.” If you’ve ever caught yourself humming the sophisticated instrumentals, always striving for per- HILLARY CLINTON: “Hillary was hilarious, a INDEX “Sesame Street” theme on a long drive, if you’ve ever fection. He put his voice on some tracks, including great joker with a wonderful sense of humor. She tearfully nodded to Kermit the Frog’s “Bein’ Green,” the ethereal “Flying” and matter-of-fact “Everybody got down on the fl oor and played with extra pup- if you’ve ever shamelessly swayed to The Carpenters’ Sleeps.” pets we had brought. She had fun pulling them Plug-In/Best Bets ..................A2 smooth cover of “Sing,” you know Joe Raposo.