Near South Memory: The Punch Story
Please enjoy this light-hearted story of Christmastime frivolity and NSNA history from one of NSNA’s founders, James Young:
James Young (far left in glasses) with Bob Kerrey (far right in white shirt and tie) a few years after the events of this story). Current board member, Marcie Young, is shaking Bob’s hand.
It was December 1986. Alice Lawhead was the administrative vice president of the Near South. She was a party girl; we called her the party vice president. She would have a party at the drop of a hat. We had our December board meeting at First-Plymouth Church for about 10 minutes and then we adjourned to Alice Lawhead’s house at 2645 C St. for a Christmas party. Alice made a punch. It took quarts of vodka. She made it in a big plastic Igloo cooler. It took a couple of weeks. It tasted like lemonade.
Kay Orr had defeated Helen Boosalis for the Governor’s Race. Bob Kerrey was the outgoing governor, so he was looking for a house. He had previously restored the house at 1955 C St. I showed him the house at 1709 C St. that we were working on, and also showed him the house at 1944 B St. Well, of course this was all the buzz at the Christmas party - to find a house for Bob Kerrey. Another person attending the party was David Hunter. He said, “I’ll sell him my house for $150,000.” His address was 2015 B St. Everybody heard Hunter say this. A little later in the evening a group of us got together, piled into a red Mustang convertible [the top was up] and we went out into the howling blizzard and we acquired a Realtors Sold sign and stuck it in David Hunter’s front yard. Then we went back to the party and promptly forgot about it.
Well, the next morning the newspaper editor was going to work and he saw that sign. He’d been at the party because his wife was on the NSNA board of directors. He got to work and put a reporter on the case to find out if David Hunter sold his house to Bob Kerrey. The reporter called the real estate company - they didn’t know anything about it. Then she called David Hunter - David Hunter didn’t know anything about it. He saw the sign but he wasn’t gonna wade through the snow and pull it up. Then the reporter called Bob Kerrey’s people - nobody there knew anything about it. She was convinced she was being stonewalled. Then I went home for lunch about noon and I got the message to call this reporter. She asked me flat out, “Did David Hunter sell his house to Bob Kerrey?” I replied, “It was the punch.”
-James E. Young
The following is a note from Alice, as well as her recipe for The Punch:
My involvement in the NSNA began in the early ‘80s soon after our family moved into a house on ‘C’ Street. A proposal to increase the zoning density of our block was fought, and defeated, by the NSNA and that introduced me to the interesting, energetic, and righteous neighborhood activists who were to become my mentors and friends. There were many battles with the city council, developers, and even churches and local businesses in those days. Some we won, some we lost. But the friendships prevailed.
A yearly Christmas party was often held in our home, and things would get off to a bang with what came to be known as ‘Near South Punch’, whose recipe is:
1 – 6 oz can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 – 6 oz can frozen grapefruit juice concentrate
1 quart light rum
Mix and chill 2 hours.
Pour over ice in a large punch bowl. Add 2 quarts club soda.
Serves 20 people twice.
-Alice Lawhead