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Datebook: June 11 - Escape from Alcatraz 50 Years Ago

The June 1962 Alcatraz escape was an attempt by Clarence Anglin, John Anglin, and Frank Morris to escape one of the United States' most famous prisons. 

How did they do it? Well, they burrowed out of their cells with cafeteria spoons (this took over a year). They constructed dummy heads out of soap, toilet paper and hair to put in their beds to fool the guards. Then they climbed a ventilation shaft onto the roof, climbed down and left the island on a rubber raft made out of raincoats and cement. The men were never seen or heard from again, but in the 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz, it's implied that they made it. The Anglins were bank robbers in Georgia, Frank Morris had a criminal history involving narcotics and armed robbery. In a 2009 story on NPR, the US Marshals Service is still investigating the case. In 2003, Mythbusters proved that escaping Alcatraz via a rubber raft was possible.

It’s Monday, June 11

The Ice House Gallery in Mayfield has a new exhibit opening tomorrow called “The End of the World as We Know It.”  Works range from serious to humorous, depicting destruction, Utopia, and everything in between.  There’s an opening reception this Friday evening from 6 to 8.  The exhibit will be on display through July 21. 

A regular monthly meeting of the Alzheimer’s Support Group will be held tomorrow morning at 10 at the Pennyrile Area Development District Office in Hopkinsville.  For more information, call James Patterson at 886-9484.

Tomorrow is the last day of an exhibit of contemporary fiber art from the United Kingdom at the National Quilt Museum.  The exhibit features abstract quilts as well as quilts exploring a variety of topics including politics, crime, and health concerns.  The National Quilt Museum is located at 215 Jefferson Street in downtown Paducah.  Find more at quiltmuseum.org.

Find community event details at wkms.org, where you can add your events to the calendar.  Thanks for listening.

Kala Dunn is a native of Princeton, Ky. She’s a 2006 graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy with a concentration in flute performance and a 2010 graduate of Murray State University with a B.M. in piano performance. She lives in Hamlin, Ky.
Matt Markgraf joined the WKMS team as a student in January 2007. He's served in a variety of roles over the years: as News Director March 2016-September 2019 and previously as the New Media & Promotions Coordinator beginning in 2011. Prior to that, he was a graduate and undergraduate assistant. He is currently the host of the international music show Imported on Sunday nights at 10 p.m.
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