| ISSUE 31 |
 | February 2006 |
Dear LP-53 Classmates, Spouses, and Friends;
I am very happy to be able to send greetings at the close of another year. We have been sending this newsletter for ten years .... back when we were not yet "seasoned" citizens! This letter is a greeting from everyone to everyone, sending wishes and special prayers, for you and your family, for safe travel to gather together during the holiday season. Remember our friends who continue to struggle with health conditions; give thanks for those who have been treated and are recovering. Remember those who grieve. May God Bless Us All, and may we receive our blessings with thanksgiving, and our trials with faith and hope.
Some recent commercial advertisements caught my attention. One was a 30-second time slot during the US Open golf tournament. You know that TV commercials cost a lot to produce and show, trying to attract consumers to the advertised product. The reason one particular commercial caught my attention was that the product advertised was .... WATER! Isn't it amazing that there is money to be made in selling water? I can understand different brands of beer, but different brands of water? The other commercial was for a home use DNA testing kit. The commercial used the words that the kit would allow a mother to determine the father of a child. No kidding .... those were the words used!
Have you noticed that batteries are displayed for sale at the start of every checkout line in the supermarket, and at the end of several isles throughout the store? A couple of weeks ago, I needed one (1) AAA size battery for my desk clock. Off to Meijer's I went to buy a battery. I looked at a dozen different battery displays. The AAA's were packaged 8 or 12 to a pack ... no package with just two batteries (I didn't expect to find just one battery package). My little clock runs almost a year on one battery. If you need one (1) AAA battery, send me a note and I will mail you one (unless batteries are considered hazardous material).
We had just arrived for 10 days at Chautauqua, NY when hurricane Katrina hit. On the drive up, gas prices were around $1.90 per gallon. When we filled up to head home, it was $3.09 per gallon. It gets your attention when the pump reads $60.00! However, I'm not ready to consider a hybrid vehicle. My top-of- the-head systems analysis results are: Standard vehicle, 15,000 miles per year, overall 20 mpg, and gas $3.00 per gallon results in $2,250 annual gas cost. Hybrid vehicle, 15,000 miles per year, overall 30 mpg, and gas $3.00 per gallon results in $1,500 annual gas cost. A saving of $750. Considering the higher purchase price of a hybrid vehicle, you probably don't break even until the fifth year, IF maintenance costs are not higher for the hybrid (which they probably are).
In the last issue, I noted that road improvements were being made to St. Vincent's Ave. in La Salle. You will see in "Address Changes" that Norman Taylor has moved from his old address at 2358 St. Vincent's Ave. At our July gathering, Norman told me that the city had used "eminent domain" to take all but five feet of his front yard for the road improvement. Thus, reason for his move.
During my visit to LP, I drove through the parking lot of the Grand Bear Lodge in Utica ... it is grand. Esther (Curtis) was staying at Starved Rock Lodge to attend our gathering. She went inside the Grand Bear to inquire of prices, finding that rooms were $200, a Hamburger Platter $11.00, and Cocktails $7.50. I think this will be my last mention of the Grand Bear Lodge - no longer considered a option for our 2008 reunion.
The June 23, 2005 issue of the NewsTribune contained an article stating that the school had adopted a new athletic code (which our Don Haas helped to write). A picture accompanied the article showing LP football players working out in the "LP weight room" the day of the article. Seeing this, I thought, "Good for Don and his committee." Then I thought, "What are football players doing in a weight room when school is not in session? The place is probably air conditioned! If they are working out to keep in physical shape, they should be working on a farm baling hay, or doing some other physical labor, like on the rail road, or state road construction like our football players did." Please, LP ... don't pamper athletes, or any other students.
You probably don't remember that I wrote about having a good dinner a year ago at the Club 351 which occupied the old Vermillion Inn building (was it in Oglesby, Jonesville, or Piety Hill?). A few months later, I wrote that the place closed. Now I write, the place has re-opened with name "Vermillion Inn." Go figure!
You all know that the White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the 2005 World Series. All during the playoffs and the world series games, I thought of Kaye (Harl's) dad. I remember him being a White Sox fan when everyone else was a Cubs fan. For the boys visiting at Kaye's home, it helped your image to know something about the White Sox.
To set the record straight - in the last issue I wrote about being a patrol boy, and not remembering if we had patrol girls. Astrid (Jensen) wrote that, yes, we did have patrol girls, and she was one.
Jerry James sent me a new book titled, "Casino, Glitz, Glamour and Gambling in the Illinois Valley," by R. G. Bluemer, teacher at IVCC and resident of Granville. The book was published by Grand Village Press, Granville, IL 61326 (in case you want to inquire about getting a copy).
The book is a short read, with many pictures, and names of places familiar to us. Every tavern in La Salle county had gambling of some sort. Even the Igloo and Frank's Cigar Store had Lucky Number jars. I was surprised to learn how many establishments were owned by "Tinney" Cosgrove. Now I know why so many people checked in at the Kaskaskia Hotel on the weekend (I was a bell hop). I thought they came to visit relatives or see Starved Rock.
The book contains a picture of the main bar at South Bluff ... very interesting to me, as the camera angle is from the same position where I ordered my first mixed drink (Tom Collins) the night of our HS graduation. The book picture shows no patrons at the bar. My picture has my friends lined up three deep .. from the stools to the wall, if you recall the narrow passage. I wasn't in the place again, until our 20 th reunion. Also interesting that the place was opened as "Club South Bluff" (as in night club), and not, "South Bluff Country Club (as in golf club). In the early days, and up until Our Times, the draw at South Bluff was "glitz, glamour, and gambling," not golf.
If you would like to borrow the book, send me a note. I will send it to you, with a list of others who want to read it, and ask that you send it to next person on the list.
The book did bring back memories of the three hotels open in La Salle during Our Times - the Kaskaskia, the Vendome, and the Francis. Peru had the Peru Hotel, with the Royal Hawaiian Room (a Cosgrove operation) on lower floor. I don't remember any hotel in Oglesby, or Utica. Think about it .... how could four hotels be economically viable in La Salle - Peru? Answer - the gamblers coming to town from Peoria and Chicago.
Grandmothers
A six-year old was asked; "Where does your grandmother live?" His answer, "At the airport. When we want to see her, we go to the airport and get her. When we are done with our visit, we take her back to the airport."
In Memoriam
Classmates:
From the last newsletter 'til now, our count of deceased classmates climbs to 60.
James
Guenther died July 8, 2003 in Arkansas. I learned of Jim's death from Don Haas,
who was told by someone else. I verified info through the social security death
index. I don't have any information of surviving family. Picture from 1950 Ell
Ess Pe.
Arthur
Tadych died June 8, 2005. Art is survived by a brother and a sister. He was a
veteran of military service. Picture from 1952 Ell Ess Pe.
Family Members:
Nancy (Aitken) Trad's husband, Michael passed in May, 2004. Sorry I didn't know this until a recent note from Nancy.
Nancy (Nelson) Valesano's father, Oscar, died August 8, 2005 at age 104. Among Oscar's survivors is a sister, Signe Erb, age 102. Lots of long longevity genes in Nancy's family.
A friend of ours:
Charles
J. Beltramini, LP Maintenance Staff in Our Times, died October 23, 2005 at age
94 in the Spring Valley Nursing Center. He was a familiar face, with pleasing
manner, expressed in the halls of LP. Photo from 1953 Ell Ess Pe.
Class Information
A couple of months ago I received a nice letter from Francis Mrowicki, now living back in La Salle after a radio disk jockey career in Texas. On the air he was known as Frank Noren. Maybe there is a story there with the name change, but he didn't relate it. Francis is on his third heart defibrillator implant and doing well. He wrote that he misses the days at LP in the 1950s and his friends from that time. He took the time to write to say that keeping in touch via the newsletter makes him feel good. Meet him at Frank's Cigar Store on 8 th Street in La Salle for coffee.
A note from Joan (Terry) with new address (see below). Joan's husband Greg is almost retired ... got the place in the desert, now need to cut the ties to work in the city (Los Angeles). Joan and Greg hosted Bob Hughett when he was in Palm Springs for a golf tournament early this year. (Joan, I warn you, he will be back next year.) Joan wrote that whenever her husband meets someone from Illinois, he asks if they have heard of the Igloo? Greg doesn't realize that most people in Illinois have never even heard of Peru. Both, secret treasures for us natives.
A few weeks after writing the above paragraph, Don Mayszak sent me a copy of a two-page article from the Chicago News Tribune's Dining and Leisure section. The article, titled, "Love me, Tenderloin," described the making and ingredients of the breaded pork tenderloin (BPT) sandwich, calling it, "... the epitome of a classic Iowa dish." The writers of the article searched the "Chicago area" for restaurants serving quality BPTs, naming seven places found. The article included two pictures, showing the kitchen and two versions of a tenderloin platter, taken at a place known to us .... The Igloo, in Peru!! So, no longer a secret. Do you consider Peru to be in the "Chicago area?" Complete article is posted on our web site ... appropriately under Bob Kessel picture story.
We "golfists" congratulate Hughett for shooting his age, 70, this past August. Byczynski and I will have to still be playing golf at age 95 to do that.
Fred Paulicka has gotten $1 million in state funding to support a Community Services Programs curriculum in his Berea high school district. This is the first such curriculum in the country that will lead to a major in Community Services. Fred wrote that his "pitch" to the State Legislature highlighted his LP-53 experience and his classmates. The legislators had many questions about the career path of his class members, and the LPTHS community. I guess they were impressed with Fred, and wanted to know if any more like him came out of Our Times and place. (I say, YES).
Bob Carter sent me a note, dated June 1, 2005. He had been delayed, but that day was off to the Kenai in Alaska for the summer and fall (Bob's idea of going south for the winter is to return to Idaho). Earlier, he had sent me a golf cap from "Birch Ridge Golf Course, Soldotna, Alaska" which I proudly wore at our gathering. One of these days I am going to ask Bob what he does in Alaska. I suspect he is a fishing guide, or just fishes. Bob sends best wishes to everyone.
For this issue, I agonized over giving a class health report and decided not to write any details. The newsletter is not timely. What I learn first hand doesn't include all the class. It is better to relate new, immediate concerns by email or telephone. I will say that we have many good, faithful "pray-ers" amongst us. So, if you have a need for prayer support, let us know by phone or email. I love the email one of our classmates sent me a few months ago when I noted a concern; it read; "Prayers ascending." Whether one, few, or many, God's response we do not know; but we do know that our love for friends falls short if we do not pray for them.
Since the last newsletter, written at the end of May and mailed in June, these classmates have celebrated their 50th anniversary:
Rudy and Jeanette West, June 4.
Mary Jean (Brennan)and Jerry Stuart, June 11.
Joyce (Grubar) and Marlin Hoelzer, June 12.
Sandy (Zubowski) and Bill Perra, August 20.
Ron and Marion Senica, September 10.
Connie (Hylla) and Bob Marini, September 24.
Betty (Trillet) and Earl Ristau October 23.
Art and Vi Gatza, November 19.
On December 27, Carol (Piscitelli) and Paul Schweickert will celebrate their 50 th.
By the end of 2005, twenty seven (27) of our classmates will have had celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Sadly, since that occasion, four spouses have died.
During 2006, six more classmates will celebrate their 50th:
Kaye (Harl) & Bill Arkins, February 11
Forence (Adamski) & John Rodighiero, April 7
Darlene (Rigazio) & Al Piecha, April 7
Sharon (Petitte) & Don Rigazio, April 28
Rosemarie (Geraci) & Jerry Wolfe, July 14
Elaine (Lodi) & David Day, October 13
Noting these milestones motivated me to ask Jim to set up a page on our web site to collect classmate and spouse pictures. We call it, "Class of LP 1953 Marriage Album." It is a project-in-work for the next two years.
We are asking classmates to send two pictures for the Marriage Album; a "then" picture from the time of their marriage (wedding photo, honeymoon photo, dating photo, whatever), and a "now" picture (a recent ... maybe in last ten years). In the interim we are using photos from reunions in cases where we have them as place holders until receiving the genuine articles. If you don't have two, send one.
Your help will take some work, but please do it. When I started my help, I asked Carolyn, "Where is our wedding album?" She said, "Isn't it in your bookcase (I didn't know that the bookcase was my personal property)? Not there, so Carolyn looked around the house for a while, finally saying to me, "Maybe I burned it." I didn't know that somewhere along the road in the past 47 years she was ever upset with me. We found the album. I scanned the photo below to use as an example. I don't know if it will encourage or discourage you.
With your participation, I think we can produce something special. If you have a
graphic/digital image file to send, that's good. If not, send a photograph to
Jim or me, which we will scan for posting, and future printing. We promise to
return the original.
Several of our classmates are widows or widowers. I hope they will participate in this project by sending in pictures. This is to be a marriage album, containing pictures of classmates and spouses. We will remember to honor a deceased spouse.
I know that some ideas, like beauty, are only attractive in the eye of the beholder. Open our eyes to what we have not seen.
Did You Know?
As fall came upon us, I observed a near full moon rising in the east a evening with clear skies. It occurred to me, that I did not know if the moon was waxing or waning? So ... I sent my question to our LP53 Forum, receiving many replies and now I know how to tell if the moon is waxing or waning. Waxing is getting bigger (toward full) and waning is getting smaller (toward new). How do you tell the instantaneous direction ... toward full or new?
"If you see the moon at
the end of day,
A bright full moon is on the way.
If you see the moon in
the early dawn,
Look real quick, it will soon be gone."
The original village of Utica was established close to the north bank of the Illinois River. After the I&M Canal was built (1836 to 1848), merchants and residents located close to the canal which was north of the river, and away from flooding. You might recall that the I&M canal is about 50 yards south of Duffy's Tavern. The new area was called North Utica ... the village that exists today. The correct name for the village we know, is North Utica ... old Utica no longer exists. The I&M canal extends from Chicago to La Salle, where Lock #14 allows the canal to merge with the Illinois River. The Canal Corridor has become a popular recreational area, thanks to well-spent state and federal improvement funding grants. The original Little Vermilion Aqueduct, built for the canal to cross the Little Vermilion River has been restored. It would be something to see.
A group of Illinois Audubon societies organized to purchase Plum Island, in the Illinois River just downstream from the Starved Rock Lock. Environmental objections to planned development of the island allowed the purchase to take place. The island comprises 45 acres. In September, 2005 a group of volunteers gathered to plant 100 trees on the area of the island that used to be an airfield. The purpose of the planting is to provide future habitat for bald eagles. A high fence had to be erected around each tree, because the island is overpopulated with deer who would enjoy eating the new trees. I commend the group who purchased the island and wish success. I see a problem on the horizon - are the deer or the trees going to survive? Maybe, if we have a real cold winter, the river will freeze over and a group of volunteers will show up to drive the deer into Starved Rock Park.
Now you know.
Jerry James, P. O. Box 1071, 2605 Chartres St., La Salle, IL 60301 (I didn't have the PO Box No. in last issue, but that is where Jerry receives mail).
Sheldon Raizes, 24322 S. Lakestar Dr., Sun Lakes, AZ 85248. (Sheldon and Bonnie Kutter are now neighbors)
Joan (Terry) Antonovich, 73109 Desert Greens Dr. N, Palm Desert, CA 92260. Phone: (760) 340-5711.
Norman Taylor, 1308 Kentucky St., Edgewood, IL 62426. Phone: (618) 238-9993.
Jerry Weiden, 2728 Becker Dr., Peru, IL 61354.
Leah (Roush) Krevitz, 555 Front St., #303, San Diego, CA 92101. Phone: (619) 236-0733
John Schweickert, Golf Club of Wentzville, 1182 Silo Bend Drive, Wentzville, MO 63385. Phone: (636) 887-3495.
New Email Addresses:
Don Byczynski: glowworm5@sbcglobal.net
Art Gatza: gatza6@comcast.net
Darryl Lamps: darryl_lamps@msn.com
Kent Kain: kpkain@sbcglobal.net
Jim Brooks; james.r.brooks@lpths.org
Wayne Schultz; w.schult@insightbb.com
July, 2005 Gathering
Many thanks to Mary Jean and Jerry for making the detailed arrangements for our gathering, and hosting us. We had 20 golfers Friday afternoon, with several non-golfers joining in for lunch, and 12 golfers Saturday morning. A great cocktail party Friday evening at MJ's with 40-plus attending, and a good dinner following at John's. Twenty of us met for Saturday dinner. We intend to do it again in July, 2006 the weekend following the NASCAR race in Joliet - (if MJ and Jerry have a grandchild's wedding scheduled, we will pick another date).
Information & Stories
Please send information, retirement activities, stories, address changes to:
| Kaye Arkins | Alan Berry |
| 437 N. Woodland Ave. | 2358 Meadowgreen Dr. |
| Oglesby, IL 61348 | Beavercreek, OH 45431 |
| (815) 883-8818 | (937) 429-0092 |
| beansb@woh.rr.com |