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Awards and Accomplishments.


Here is an article that ran in my local newspapers.

 

Copyright "The Chronicle" October 24th 2004 by Siusanne Nichols

Scooby-Dooby Doo, where are you?

He's in Coplay, of course

 
By Siusanne Nichols
Of The Chronicle

Jack Daniels, who was three-years-old when “Scooby Doo, Where Are You?” premiered in 1969, might be that cartoon’s biggest fan. As a child, he fell in love with the mystery-solving teenagers and their perpetually spooked dog and he has been obsessed with Shaggy, Fred, Velma, Daphne and Scooby Doo ever since.

“I was the kid going to school on the first day with the Scooby Doo lunch box and thermos,” he said. He still has an old Scooby Doo lunch box and thermos, along with a huge collection of toys and other Scooby memorabilia, but what really reveals Daniels’ obsession is his van and his dog.

Daniels is the proud owner of his very own “Mystery Machine” and a living, breathing Scooby Doo.

“The family is convinced now that I’ve completely lost my mind,” said Daniels, who recently moved to Coplay from Catasauqua with his wife Trisha and their three children. He said that his son Jack Jr., 7, and daughter Tye, 11, get a kick out of the van, but daughter Tia, 14, is “so embarrassed by it.”

Daniels’ Mystery Machine is a little taller, a little wider and a little shorter than the original, but green and yellow paint and orange flower detailing make it instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever seen an episode of Scooby Doo.

And people do recognize it. Everywhere Daniels takes the van, people flock to it, posing for pictures and asking questions.

One of the questions he used to hear a lot is “Where’s Scooby Doo?” He had never planned to have a Great Dane, but once he had the Mystery Machine, it seemed like the right thing to do. He got Scooby as a puppy from Ohio breeder Wanda Tyree. Now 11 months old and weighing in at 120 pounds, Scooby is a horse of a dog – and still growing.

He has a lot in common with his namesake, Daniels said. “He’s just like the cartoon … all he worries about is food and sleeping and he’s scared of his own shadow.” The real dog doesn’t seem to realize his connection to the cartoon supersleuth, though. When Scooby Doo episodes are playing on TV, Scooby doesn’t even twitch an ear when Shaggy, Fred, Velma and Daphne call his name.

Scooby is in obedience training now and will soon begin pet therapy training with an organization named “Paws for Serotoma.”

Daniels is interested in starting a non-profit charity that would use Scooby and the Mystery Machine for therapy work. He has noticed that they immediately put people in a good mood, so he thinks they can brighten the spirits of sick children. He would like to hear from anyone who is interested in lending financial help his cause.
Daniels explains his mission on his Web site,
www.angelfire.com/ultra/scoobyvan. “Scooby Doo is a great cartoon,” Daniels writes there. “The bad guys never get away. The violence is funny and nobody ever gets hurt even when things go wrong for the gang. I don’t ever recall hearing or seeing any sexual references, drug use … or foul language. This makes this cartoon a little dated and campy, but worth my kids’ time. Scooby just makes kids feel great and they love him. If I could bring some of this to life for kids that have disabilities, it would be great!”

He also does special appearances with the Mystery Machine and Scooby. On Oct. 19 they will be in the Coplay Halloween parade for the second time. Last year, the parade was brought to a halt when spectators swarmed the Mystery Machine and sang the Scooby Doo theme song. “They just wanted to converge on it and touch it. That pretty much happens wherever I go,” he said.

Once the van got more attention than Daniels would have liked. While it was parked at the Giant in Coplay, someone broke into it, apparently just to see the inside. Daniels said he is happy to show the Mystery Machine to anyone who is interested, but he is saddened that anyone would vandalize it.

Daniels bought the van about a year ago from Hank Bagrowski, a Boston-area custom vehicle fabricator, after an Internet search for “Scooby Doo” led to Bagrowski’s Web site. Bagrowski had transformed a 1978 GMC full size van into a near-replica of the Mystery Machine that was driven by the gang in the Scooby Doo cartoons.
When Daniels first contacted Bagrowski about buying the van, it wasn’t for sale. Not long after, Bagrowski called, saying he was giving Daniels the first opportunity to purchase it, although he had plenty of other potential buyers.

“He just knew I was the right guy for the van,” Daniels said.

Within hours of that call, Daniels and his family were on the road to Boston, where they picked up the van late that night.

Daniels did not want to reveal how much he paid for the Mystery Machine but would only say that he got a good deal on it – not that price would have deterred him once he saw the van. “I would have sold my house to get it,” he said.

Since acquiring the van, Daniels has made several improvements. He replaced the front seats and added shoulder harnesses, put in a back seat, and installed new interior lighting and a new sound system. There are Scooby-themed seat covers and floor mats, and a decal across the top of the windshield says, “Scooby Doo, where are you?”
One of the more difficult projects was the installation of a miniature TV and DVD player for passengers to watch Scooby Doo cartoons on the ride.
Eventually, he will add shelves inside the van to display his collection of Scooby Doo memorabilia.

siusanne.nichols@mcall.com 610-740-3134
 

 

A big "RANKS!" to
 Siusanne Nichols
Reporter
Chronicle Newspapers
Whitehall

It was a pleasure meeting you!

l be there 11:00 am - 4:00 p.m.


Here is Scoob's Certificate of Achievement. 

 

Special "Ranks" to Corrine Fields Class Instructor Extraordinar
PETsMART
2180 MacArthur Boulevard, PA 18052
(610) 437-7197
For pet training Info: 1-800-465-7387 Ext. 5911

Like click here to see a pic of me and Scoob on Graduation Night. (He's the one with the hat)

Like click the hats above to see a pic of me and Scoob on Graduation Night.....He's the one wit da hat on!