What’s in a name?
You have probably heard of Thiberville in Normandy in France. It has become very famous, in fact, it likely is the most famous Thiberville that has ever existed. This fame is based on its Magnificent name. The town of 1800 provincial French folks in the hill country has been awarded a gift of about $12 million just for being Thiberville. No one knew it was coming. In fact, no one in Thiberville even knew or heard of the gracious gentlemen from Paris that blessed this quaint village with about 5 years their annual budget, just for being Thiberville.
Roger Thiberville was a meteorologist in Paris and upon his death at the age of 91 he left his estate to his namesake town. Guy Paris, Thiberville’s mayor for nearly three decades, recounted the moment he received the life-changing news. “It’s an exceptional sum of money. Obviously, the amount is beyond imagination,” he shared during an interview with France Bleu radio.
Born in 1932 into a family of winegrowers in Mantes-la-Jolie, 50 kilometers west of Paris, Roger Thiberville inherited his wealth from his parents and later from his sister, who passed away without heirs. Roger lived his entire life in Paris and had no direct connection to Thiberville beyond sharing its name. The town’s benefactor had lived “humbly in Paris”, where he owned four apartments in the city’s south-western 15th arrondissement. Surprisingly, there are no known photographs of him. One condition was his final wish was for his ashes to rest in the town’s cemetery, accompanied by a plaque bearing his name. “Monsieur Thiberville did not demand anything in return for his legacy, but we owe him at least that,” the mayor said. Interestingly the mayor announced as a public entity, Thiberville will not be subject to inheritance tax on the windfall. (See! it is not just the Democrats in America.)
The town’s council is approaching this extraordinary gift with caution and responsibility. “We don’t yet know what we will do with it. We won’t spend it all.” (right away). “We are considering projects: a public garden with a play area, a boules ground with solar panels that will serve as shade, the renovation of the elementary school, and a synthetic football (Soccer) pitch … ” While Thiberville celebrated its good fortune, the neighboring villages of Le Planquay and La Chapelle-Hareng may be regretting a decision not to merge with the town so that all three could receive subsidies reserved for communities with more than 2,000 inhabitants. The plan was rejected by the neighboring councils, meaning Thiberville will not have to share its inheritance. If only they had the right name…
Willing humor
Blessed are the poor
For they pay no inheritance tax.
The wife of a prominent Englishman constantly declared that upon his death she would dance on his grave; and she repeated the jibe regularly throughout recurring attacks the poor man suffered, including his last. But in expiration he foiled her plan, for contained in his will was an irrevocable legal codicil directing that he be buried at sea.
Seems an elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and was able to have him fitted for a set of new hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100% clearly. The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, “Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.” To which the gentleman said, “Oh I haven’t told them yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I’ve changed my will three times.”
A bar regular walked dejectedly into the old pub and slumped down on the stool. His buddy asked, “You look terrible what happened to you?” “My mother died in March and left me $100,000”. The man explained “and then in April my father died and left me $200,000.” The sympathetic buddy offered, “That is tough losing both your parents in two months.” “Then last month my aunt passed away and left me $50,000.” “How sad,” came the response. “Tell me about it,” the depressed man continued, “So far this month nothing.”
January 20th Birthdays
1991 – Ciara Hanna, 1972 – Nikki Haley, 1967 – Kellyanne Conway, 1989 – Dena Kaplan
1987 – Evan Peters, 1930 – Buzz Aldrin, 1970 – Skeet Ulrich, 1956 – Bill Maher