THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO MY TWIN BROTHER, BILL DYKES (1943-1995). WE WERE NOT ONLY BROTHERS BUT PARTNERS IN BUSINESS AND BEST FRIENDS! AND TO ALL THE "BUTCHERS" THAT HAVE PASSED ON TO THE BIG LOT IN THE SKY!


CIRCUS NOW OPEN!

2014 Convention

SAVE THE DATES

SAVE THE DATES



Friday, August 14, 2009




KING ROYAL CIRCUS 1995 #1

King Royal Circus was a Gopher Davenport Extravaganza.
It no longer tours, at least under that name.










KING ROYAL CIRCUS 1995 #2

Sorry the above foto is a mistake!










KING ROYAL CIRCUS 1995 #3











KING ROYAL CIRCUS 1995 #4




Tuesday, August 11, 2009

BENTLEY BROS CIRCUS

Not sure of the year.
I do beleive this was after Tommy Bentley sold the show
to the Moyer's.

There were only two pictures.


STERLING-REID BROS CIRCUS #1

I beleive these shots were taken the last tour that Sterling and Reid made.
Or tried to make!
Probably taken in Brandon, FL
Someone help me out with the year.
Another Dickie Garden extravaganza!





STERLING-REID BROS CIRCUS #2
















STERLING-REID BROS CIRCUS #3











Sunday, August 9, 2009

CIRCUS RETURNS TO KELLY'S ISLAND (NEWS HERALD)

Isla, a 33-year-old elephant, is led by Armando Loyal, the Animal Supervisor of the Kelly Miller Circus, as she raises the main support beams while crews work to construct the tent at Kelley's Island on Monday. (Jonathon Bird/News Herald)
. BY CATHARINE HADLEY • News Herald • August 3, 2009
KELLEYS ISLAND — Each year, residents of Kelleys Island look forward to the Kelly Miller Circus coming to town.The circus employees are just as excited to come to the island.“What they don’t know is we spend the whole year going ‘Is it August yet?’ ” ringmaster John Moss said.The circus has been coming to the island for years, and Moss has met several local people. “I think we’ve all developed friendships over the years,” he said. “There’s no one town on the route that we look forward to as much as Kelleys Island.”Edgar “Lucky Eddie” Strafer, the music director for the circus, agreed. “Kelleys Island is like the apex of our season,” he said.The visit signals the halfway point of the circus season, when the performers begin to head back toward Oklahoma. It also signals a warm, friendly welcome.“We’re here for two days. That’s a big deal for us,” he said.On Sunday night, 65 employees and dozens of animals in 36 vehicles crossed from Marblehead on the Kelleys Island Ferry. “They will come out at night and we get off the ferry,” Strafer said.The entertainment began the next morning, when hundreds of people watched the employees get ready for the circus.The clanging of spikes being driven into the ground rang through the air. Visitors wandered by temporary pens, looking at the riding ponies, the draft horses and the elephants.One elephant lay on her side while her handler, Armando Loyal, removed hay from her back with a leaf-blower.Another elephant nibbled grass, keeping her eyes on the spectators.Nearby, another animal handler brought a young tiger out of a trailer, down a ramp and into a temporary pen. The pair romped and cuddled for a moment before the handler left the pen.The big cat tried to climb the fence, trying to get to some nearby tree branches. Circus employees moved the pen, leaving him to peruse the sidewalk.The tent canvas lay on the ground until workers began erecting short poles along the perimeter. “See, there go the quarter-poles,” Strafer said.The employees need about three hours to assemble the tent.“Coming down, it comes down like, ‘Bam!’” Strafer said. One employee climbed up a side rope to adjust lines from the top of the partially-assembled tent.“Usually at this time they’re hanging the side wall, but they’re leaving it off today so the crowd can see in,” Strafer said.The crowd was invited inside the tent to watch Lisa the elephant do her part.Wearing a harness attached to a chain that went around the base of a “king pole,” Lisa pulled until the pole stood upright. The audience applauded as she gave the same treatment to three more poles, leaving the tent nearly ready.“It’s probably the second largest event we do here on Kelleys Island. The largest would be Islandfest, but it’s a close second,” said Marvin Robinson, director of the Kelleys Island Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.About 2,000 people attend the circus each day it is in town, no matter what the weather brings, he said. “Each show is pretty much sold out,” Robinson said. “It’s rain or shine, so people still come.”The circus began coming to town about five years ago. “It’s just been a community hit ever since,” the director said.Maria Fischer and her daughter, Rachel Fischer-Hahn, scheduled their trip from Lexington, Ky., to coincide with the circus. They came to visit island residents Doug and Susie Klimkowski, and the group went to watch ferries arrive Sunday night.Susie Klimkowski said it was fun and exciting to watch the circus preparations.

VERY INTERESTING!

VINCENT VON DUKE

July 29, 2009
Vincent Von Duke gives two of his big cats, Mofasa, left, and Narnia, some attention. Von Duke will be presenting a show at the Bushkill Township Volunteer Fire Co. Carnival, which runs from 6 to 10 o'clock tonight; 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday; and 4:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday.
Click on Post Title for link to Vincent's Web Site!

Nik Wallenda sets his personal high wire record by walking 1,084 feet along a wire suspended 200 feet above Pittsburgh's Allegheny River.

NIK WALLENDA AT CEDAR POINT

CONEY ISLAND RINGLING SHOW (Tape produced by Elizabeth Naughton)


Elizabeth Naughton



Elizabeth is 15 and our youngest daughter. This is her first "big" project and her "first" circus video. She used a low end camcorder and the iMovie application and came up with this 8 1/2 minute tape.
I am planning to buy her professional quality equipment very soon.
I have created a monster. LOLs, Mike Naughton

AND YOU THINK YOUR RENT IS HIGH! (MIKE NAUGHTON)

A worker at one of the carts who was hanging up his tongs Friday night said it brought in just $1,000 to $1,500 a day - not enough to cover the sky-high rent.

Saturday, August 8th 2009, 4:00 AM Parks Department evicts hot dog vendor from pricey spot near Metropolitan Museum of Art over rent. Hot dog vendor is getting the bun's rush from a Grade-A spot near the Metropolitan Museum of Art for failure to pay his $50K-a-month rent!


WAYNE COUNTY FAIR--HONESDALE, PA


Welcome to the Wayne County Fair!
By Tammy Compton, Wayne Independent, Sat Aug 08, 2009
DYBERRY TWP. - Hot, homemade pretzels with cinnamon and butter, garlic and butter or new this year, sesame flavored, are all the rave at Paula’s Pretzels on the midway at the 147th Annual Wayne County Fair. Pictured is Paula Swika of Montdale, PA, who’s had a stand at the fair for eight years, five years serving pizza and three serving pretzels.
What’s up at the FairFriday was the first day of the 147th Wayne County Fair, which runs through August 15. The fairgrounds are one mile north of Honesdale off Route 191. Saturday highlights include the Woodsmen’s Competition, 3 p.m.; and a country music concert at 8 p.m. with Ricky Lee. Sunday: Farm Tractor Pull at 10 a.m.; Kid’s Pedal Pull at 12 noon; Imperial Stunt Show, 8 p.m. Monday: Imperial Stunt Show, 2 p.m.; Street Stock Semi & Tri Axle show, 7 p.m.The pay-one-price is $8. For the full schedule and more details, pick up a brochure or go on-line at www.waynecountyfair.com.

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