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2003
- The 40th Annual Cable Car Bell-Ringing Contest |
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Muni’s
2003 Cable Car Bell Ringing contest was held at its traditional
location – Union Square, Geary & Powell Streets,
San Francisco. Like last year’s contest, this year’s
contest was held in October – the 16th – instead
of the traditional July Thursday. Unlike 2002, when the
weather was on the chilly-side; this year it was unseasonably
warm. Former Cal Cable Jones Street Shuttle dinky No.
62 (ex-No. 61) as always housed the bell used in the contest.
Lloyd
Gregory and the Cable Car Blues Band, a Muni
employee group performed. Deb and Will Durst co-emceed
and Police Chief Alex Fagan presented the awards. The
Friends of the Cable Museum provided buttons with a 40th
cable car bell-ringing logo designed by the Friend’s
Jose Godoy. |
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Cal
Cable No. 61, a former Jones Street shuttle, is shown out-of-service
after the Muni takeover at the Hyde & California
cable car barn, circa 1953. Muni soon renumbered 61 to 62,
and motorized on truck chassis for parades and the annual
Cable Car Bell-Ringing contest. Walter Rice Collection. |
The non-profit organization results:
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Third Place - Huckleberry House.
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First
Place Tie – Cameron House and Operation Dream.
Muni
gripman and conductors contest results:
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Third Place – Walter L Scott III, Second Place 1997,
26 years with Muni, 24 on the cables.
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Second
Place - Ken Lunardi, 1997 and 2002 champ, 23½ years
with Muni and 18½ on the cables.
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First
Place - Ronald East, Third place 2002, third time performer,
Three years with Muni and on the cables.
Ron
East received $1,000 and $1,000 from the Friends of the Cable
Car Museum a gripman’s cable car bell valued at over $1,
000. Gilberto Godoy, who presented the bell, handcrafted the
bell for the Friends at his United Brass Foundry. The other
major prizes were $750 for Second place and $500 for Third.
Other
professional finalists: Leonard Oates, Second time performer,
4 years with Muni, 3 on the cables; Patrick G "Doc"
Ledbetter Sr.,Third place in 2000, 19 years with Muni, 12 on
the cables; Tommy Strickland, First time performer, 3 years
with Muni, 3 on the cables; Charles Jones, First time performer,
2 years with Muni, 1½ on the cables.
The
Cable Car Museum thanks Joe Thompson “The Cable Car Guy”
for his input.
Walter
Scott III, third place, holds up his trophy in
front of the official Cable Car Contest Bell-Ringing cable
car, motorized cable car now Muni No. 62, formerly Cal Cable
Jones Street Shuttle dingy. Click
on the photograph to hear the bell-ringing sounds of Walter
Scott III.
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Ken
Lunardi, second place, holds his trophy while Michael
Burns, Executive Director, San Francisco Municipal Transportation
Agency, looks on. Ken was last year’s champion and
also 1997. Click on the photograph
to hear the bell-ringing sounds of Ken Lunardi
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Ron
East, 2003 Cable Car Bell-Ringing Champion, holds
high the champion trophy as Michael Burns, Executive Director,
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, applauds
his accomplishment. This was Ron East’s first championship.
Click on the photograph to
hear the champion bell-ringing sounds of Ron East.
The
Cable Car Museum thanks Thad McKinney for the cable car
bell-ringing sounds used above, and Dawn Cox for her photograph.
Click
here
to view a short video of the finalists performing at the
contest and the announcement of East's win. (Internet
Explorer browsers only)
The
Cable Car Museum thanks Nick Tomizawa and gripman Patrick
G "Doc" Ledbetter Sr. for providing video of
the contest.
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| Friends’
board member Gilberto Godoy is about
to present to Ronald East, the 40th Annual
bell ringing champion, a cable car gripman’s bell
on behalf of the Friends of the Cable Car Museum. The
bell is valued at over $1,000 and is handcrafted for the
Friends at San Francisco’s United Brass Foundry. |
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