JUNE 22

On this date in 1969, there was a big fire - a strange fire - an embarrassing fire.  Yes, very embarrassing for Cleveland better known as "The Mistake on the Lake".   Our fellow Ohioans to the north allowed their river to catch fire.  The Cuyahoga River was so full of chemicals that the fish were afraid to smoke.  Of course, one of the fishermen wasn't aware and sent the whole thing up in smoke.  Maybe the reasons that city hasn't had a sports champion for so long is they were all eating the fish.  

This wasn't the first time the river caught on fire.  Back in 1952, they had an enormous fire on the Cuyahoga but everyone who lived up there thought it was just 'normal'.  Not until the 1969 fire occurred did they decide to do anything about it.  It was a first big adventure for the Federal Government's newly established Environmental Pollution Agency (EPA).  The whole country finally started to worry about water quality. Now, our friends in California would take water of any quality.

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