SOUTH
SHORE
NEWS SPOT March 2007 © 2007 by CMA Publishing
By Caryn Lazar Amster
Hello everyone - I appreciate all your comments and stories.
This newsletter is YOU. It is every one of you. Your stories
and memories keep this thread alive and make many
people happy. Keep them coming. Welcome new
subscribers.
I love doing this newsletter
even thought it was never meant to
be over 14 pages. It was just supposed to
be a one pager to tell people
where I would be speaking. But I received so many emails after the Pied
Piper book came out from former South Shoreites that I felt compelled
to
start reuniting old friends. It seems to
be working. Caryn
Word count for this issue is 8933 words. Total read time about 26
minutes. BIGGEST issue yet thanks to
all of you!
Thanks for all the well wishes on my dad’s yarzeit (anniversary of his
death in 1970). Mom’s is March 1st.
This month we feature even more reunions, stories,
people seeking old friends, updates on South Shoreites, a new public
television show not to be
missed about South Shore and much more!
Don’t just forward this newsletter. Your friends can get their own copy
by emailing me at
caryn@cmapublishing.net
MANY THANKS
-
I appreciate your nice comments on the
newsletter.
-
Thanks to
those who sent “gifts” to
assist me with the costs of keeping this newsletter coming
to
you.
If you have found it fun and
nostalgic, you have discovered someone from your past and it has
made you happy, contributions are much appreciated.
Gifts can be sent to
P.O. Box 366 Medinah, Ill 60157-0366 or call me
toll f*ree at 1-866-507-4737.
Include your email address please
and I will email donors the past eighteen month’s newsletters.
-
To Bob Levi for sending me the
South
Shore logo above.
FOR NEWSLETTER
NEWCOMERS
Many new requests are coming in for the
News Spot and I am really gratified. Some still do not know about my
South Shore
book that started it all. The Pied
Piper of South Shore, Toys and Tragedy in Chicago is my true
family, true crime Chicago social history
set in South Shore from the 1940’s -1970’s. My family owned Wee Folks
Toy Store for 25 years on
79th Street. The book takes
readers from Russian persecution to
American freedom, from murder to
trial, from hula hoops to hit
men. It is a story of my
parents, two children of immigrants, their American dream and their
richly diverse neighborhood in which each fell prey
to
the brutality of gangs. The foreword is by Tony and Emmy award winning
singer/actor and long time
customer Mandy Patinkin. The
cover is by Bowen graduate and artist Mitch
Markovitz
who also did the poster and prints of the cover.
The Pied Piper of South Shore, Toys and
Tragedy in Chicago has won several literary awards and rave
reviews.
You can check out the website
www.cmapublishing.net where
you can purchase books, posters and fine art limited edition prints of
the cover or call me direct toll
f*ree at 1-866-50-PIPER (74737). If you tried ordering on the website
and received an error message, just call me directly
toll f*ree at 1-866-507-4737
to order books, posters and prints. I will be glad
to
chat! PLEASE NEVER send your credit card number by email
to
me or anyone. This is a security issue for you and can cause you
identity problems.
“EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY SOMETIME”- SEEKING LOST FRIENDS
Looking for lost South Shoreites? Email
caryn120@comcast.net and I
will try to put you in
touch. If you want me to
use your request/memory in the newsletter, please include your
permission for me to use your
name & email address.
I have the Charles Celender book "Chicago's
South
Shore." Can anyone identify the ROTC cadet
in the picture on the counter, page #53. It looks like Constantine
Athanasuleas. My wife ran into
Connie when he worked at Kaiser
Hospital,
Oakland
CA, 20 years ago. He was a cardiac
or thoracic surgery resident. I think he went
to Atlanta
after that. I wonder if anyone recognizes themselves in any of the photos
in the book, or the photos of
the Celender Studio. Jeff Marienthal (South
Shore
63-65, Harvard-St.George class of 67)
addesigner@earthlink.net
Emily Stessman Kamber called
to
order books and mentioned that she would like
to
know the whereabouts of Larry Heck. You can contact her at
ekamber@watkinsludlam.com
Note from Caryn – Thanks Emily Kamber for
the great photo of you and
your special pet!
I lived at 7729 East
End from 1939-1956. I graduated Horace Mann 1953 and South
Shore HS in Jan 1957. I worked at McFadden Liquors on 79th while in High
School. I missed the 50th HS reunion last year due
to
some unexpected health problems. I have searched for Fred Sadowski
(l957) and Annette Schauert (1958) without any success. Even out here
in Washington
State, along with my
travels of 20+ years in the Marine Corps I meet folks from the old
neighborhood. One of the hardest names of places
to
remember was the Kickapoo Inn. I was sent over there often
to get corned beef sandwiches for the people at
McFadden’s Liquor Store. I
had to eat mine out in the
back parking lot because I drank an Old Dutch Orange Soda with it.
Phil Humble usmcwx@comcast.net
I wonder if you knew Richard Halperin. He
was a South Shoreite that was killed a couple of years ago when he was
hit by a train at the station in Deerfield.
He was not in our age group but was probably sixty-ish at the time. He
has sisters that were 20 or so years older. He lived south of 71st and
went I think he went to Bryn
Mawr and South
Shore. His mother moved
to that neighbor to
avoid Bradwell because it was an "experimental school. My fondest
recollections are of the Herzoff family (Bobby was a friend).
J. Leslie Rosenblum's, Donald Meth and
Mitchell's on 71st and White Castle, Cunis’ and Lotkas. As
to theatres I recall the Shore Theater on 75th,
the Jeffery and the Hamilton
on 71st and of course the Avalon. Until 5th grade we lived at various
addresses between 75th and 79th. Our father bought the three flat on
Paxton and we lived there
until we went to
College. I lived on Crandon until after my daughter and son were seven
and five years old when we moved to
a house we built just south of Pill Hill on Cregier. We have been in
the house we moved to in
Skokie
for 50 years or so. Jay Messinger
jaymjun@hotmail.com
Here's a question from a
Hyde Park, class of '58, friend of mine. Do any of your
readers remember the name of the Italian Restaurant across from the Hyde
Park YMCA? John Goldman (chcinc@echoes.net)
Inquiring minds want to know,
too.
Joyce Kelley Shoemaker joyceshoemaker@hotmail.com
I seem to
recognize many names in your news letter. My name was Margo Boruszak
I went to
Hyde Park
graduate in 58' I am looking for Paul Lieberman. He would have
graduated in 59. If anyone know where he is let him know I would love
to hear from him. H can contact me at
margo@qmail.com, as can anyone else who remembers me from school or
BBG Thank you and your news letter is wonderful. When I receive it I
put off everything else to
read it. Margo Boruszak Philbrick
The newsletter was forwarded
to me by my friend Marilyn Saletko (Shrago) and I
enjoyed reading it very much. I am a graduate of
South Shore
1960. I attended O' Keefe until 4th grade and lived at 6909 Merrill. I
remember ice skating at the field outside of the school and doing arts
and crafts at the shelter house. I graduated from Horace Mann June 1956.
I would like to get in
touch with old friends Elaine Weiss and Sheila Bercov.
I remember the Avalon and the restaurant across the street, Tally Ho. I
don’t remember the fish pond at the Avalon, but that doesn’t mean that
it wasn’t there! My maiden name was Karen Weintraub and my married name
is Press. bpress13@aol.com
I received your autographed
book from Mary and Oakey Dowling. I am THRILLED
to
have it and started reading it. Before I started at the beginning I was
browsing the pictures. I noticed that Wee Folks was near the Avalon
Theater but across the street. Do you remember a tuxedo rental store
that was next to
the theater? I believe it was just west of it. There was a dental
office upstairs. Also, I noticed that in '52 your dad was brought
to
Jackson
Park Hospital.
My dad, Dr. Leonard Peal was on staff there as a GP. His office had
been on 79th near Stony and
then moved to 71st and
Ridgeland (above Margolin Drugstore).
I was confirmed at Sinai
Temple. I liked Rabbi Roth and Rabbi
Hertz. Oakey knew me from 1st grade (the longest of anyone I've been
able to
locate!!) Isn't the INTERNET age GREAT? Sara Zaremberg SZaremberg@aol.com
Thanks for including our Bowen Class of
1960 65th Birthday Bash info in the newsletter! I would love
to
find a guy who went to
South Shore
and probably graduated in 1959. His name was Neal Politinsky, but
someone
told me his last name changed
to something like Polin or Polit. Can anyone help?
Linda Shlaes Schiffman,
lischiffman@aol.com
Myra Teplitz (Bowen June 1953) and I have
been married for 53 years; 2 children; 4 grandchildren. And, we still
live south of the river on the "New East Side." I have been looking for
an old friend, Lennie Stein, who was in the South Shore Class of June
1953. Any information would be appreciated. Keep up the good work.
Bill Weiner (South Shore Class of January 1952.) bweiner@ihra.org
My father’s cousin was Lou Wasserman. He
was the football coach at
Bowen High School
and he and his wife ran a day camp during the summer. I recall him well
from my year at Bowen and the few contacts with him through my father.
Does anyone have any information about him and stories
to tell? Also Herb Rosing, math
teacher at Bowen?
Jerry Lazar
lazaje@msu.edu
I graduated Bowen in 1968. We always liked
the guys from SSHS because we thought they were cuter than our Bowen
guys. I wonder if the SSHS girls liked the Bowen boys better than their
local guys. Hmmm. I now live in
Los Angeles and I am a Special Education teacher
working with deaf and autistic children. I have asked on the Bowen
website if anyone else wonders why so many of us have auto
immune diseases or cancers. I've always believed that the red in the sky
at night when the steel mills were working contributed
to
these abnormally high rates of cancers and other diseases. The Bowenites
are divided on this issue. What do the SSHS folk think?
I
know of friends and family members with diabetes, brain tumor, multiple
sclerosis, breast cancer, thyroid disease to
name just a few. I don't know what I'd do with the information if we
could consolidate/verify it. Where is Erin Brokovitch when you need her?
P.S. My father, George Sackheim taught chemistry and physical science at
the University of
Illinois
(Chicago
campus). I'm sure some of the Bowenites and SSHS folk remember him or
his textbook that we all used for our chemistry classes. I am looking
forward to our next reunion.
Jacki Sackheim, jacqueline.sackheim@lausd.net
I have spent months trying
to remember a
South Shore
High School graduate who I
was very friendly with in my preteens - Earl Hagberg. He grew up around
the 7500 block of Merrill
Ave.
He must have graduated from South Shore H.S. in 1954 or 1955. He was a
very strong guy and played football for South Shore H.S., although I
don't know what position. He went on to
be a star fullback for the
University
of Wisconsin. I
have heard nothing about him since. Maybe someone can bring me up
to date. Another fellow was named Smith, perhaps Phil.
He must have attended South Shore H.S. in 1947
to
1951. He played center on the football team and had a permanently
paralyzed arm (left, I believe) from the elbow
to
a tucked/over hand. He was an inspiration to
all who met him. Jim Gibbons, Sun City West, AZ
jim1936g@yahoo.com
I noticed, at the end of the
newsletter, directions as to
how to
unsubscribe
to it. Who in their right
South Shore
mind would do such a thing? Unless your life living in
South Shore
was horrible, something I cannot imagine, you are probably as hooked as
I am. Thank you, Caryn for connecting us all. Along those lines: I
knew a Florence Steinberg who along with her family lived in a house
east of South Shore Drive on 76th Street. It was a "hang-out" as well
as stopping off spot for
those of us who regularly walked to
Rainbow
Beach in the 50's. I have always wondered
what happened to
Florence and her family. Anybody know? Sandee
Levitt Holleb - SSHS Class of January 1954 -
LEARSI@aol.com
I was wondering if anyone out there
remembered my cousin Bill Bohlman. He went to
South Shore HS. He passed away a few years ago, at 55. He was my hero,
when I was a kid. He was enough older than me, that I didn't know any of
his friends. If anyone has good stories
or memories, I'd like to hear
them Also, I hope you know how much all of us Monaghans appreciate your
Book. The subject matter was of course captivating
to
us. But, may I say, we were raised to
be readers, much like all our childhood friends in south shore.
Reading was a given. Catholic, Protestant,
Jewish, it really didn't matter. You better have that head in a book.
Text books, of course, for school. But, the push from our parents
towards books and reading became a priceless
tool in our adult lives. I know this seems silly, but
it felt like it was sort of a theme in
South Shore.
All my friends’ parents were telling them the same thing. Read, read,
read. As kids, we began to
make it a competition. Who could read more, who could read faster, who
could find the most interesting book at the library. It all comes back
to
South
Shore, and how the many parents were giving
the same message to so many
kids, that their message became one. As we complained about the books we
were forced to read, we ended
up discussing them. Ah Ha! Our parents were not so dumb. What a
wonderful world we lived in. Tia Monaghan
tiamonaghan@gmail.com
Note from Caryn – Does anyone remember
that my mom would give a wooden bookcase to
young readers who completed reading all the Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys
Books?
My mother passed away
in 1966 and I have no photos
of her. My mother graduated
Hyde Park High School
in 1947. Her name was Marlene Frances Heier. Can anyone help me find
her high school graduation picture that year? Thank you, Aleta Slate
mgsals@bellsouth.net
Note from Caryn – Can anyone help this lady? Parents’ photos
are precious!
Your newsletter is great and informative bringing back a lot of
memories. Thanks for being a great communication link with our past.
With the websites I picked up from your letter, I can keep up with those
from South
Shore,
Hyde Park, and Camp Martin Johnson. CMJ gave
me some of the best times and memorable people. I was a counselor,
water ski instructor, and out
of camp director from 1955
to 1961, graduating from Hyde Park
in 1957. I sure would like to
hear from the old staff and campers from CMJ. Thanks for the connection
to Barb Arney's brother. He filled me in on her life.
I try to keep in
touch with many of the Hyde Parkers, and had many
friends at SS too. Keep up
the good work, and thanks. Bay Andreas leeandreas@aol.com
Our class had its 50
Reunion last July and because we were a January class, we
were quite small (relatively speaking)….only 108 kids. Unfortunately,
there are quite a few that we could not hunt down. If you can list
their names we would certainly appreciate your help. And, as an aside,
your book brought back many wonderful memories of
South Shore,
even though I lived on Essex, a little
bit east of your Dad’s store. If
you have any information, please contact me: Sonni Gordon Helmer, 4940
W. Foster #105, Skokie,
IL 60077
or
LeBouton@webtv.net (home) or
shelmer@bjbe.org (work) 847-679-3165 (home #). Thanks for your
time…and keep up the good work. Here are the names of our “missing”:
Judy Baskin Burchard, Robert Burke, Sandra Clarke Lambert, Edward Dale,
Donna Doughty, Patricia Drew Kowal, Sandra Glass, Ruth Katz Hirsch,
Ilene Hudak, Danny MacDonald, Judy Marcus Goldstein, Peggy Murray McKee,
Sharon Pulik, Robert Sabel, Erleen Sklar Cohen, Ronald Van Tuyl, Stuart
Watts, Dan Weiner, Pat Windebank Johnson.
Note from Caryn – Can anyone help Sonni
find these long lost classmates?
I'm looking for a lost friend who lived
next door to me on 72nd and
Coles during the late 50s and early 60s. Her name was Marge Toole
Thompson. She had been previously married to
Frank Thompson and had two sons, Bob and Jack. I don't believe she went
to either South
Shore
or Hyde Park
High Schools but had lived in the area all
her life and possibly went to
a girls' school. I moved to
Spain
in the late 60s and we lost track of each other and I would dearly love
to find her. Thanks so very much and keep up your
wonderful work with our newsletter. Dianne Berger If anyone can help
me, please e-mail me at
dtobyb@sbcglobal.net
GOOD TO MEET YOU
When we correspond through the newsletter I never know where you live.
I have met readers at stores
and movies. It makes me feel like a celebrity. Thanks so much.
QUOTES OF
THE MONTH
Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty ... but everything else starts
to
wear out, fall out, or spread out. -- Phyllis Diller
Inside every older person is
a younger person wondering what the hell happened.
Cora Harvey Armstrong
We are over 1,650 strong now! If you change your email address please
send me your new one. Once they bounce I take you off the list..
PIED PIPER SAYS BYE BYE
TO BOOKSTORES –You can no longer purchase
The Pied Piper of South Shore
book in bookstores or on
Amazon unless they already had them in stock.
But you can always get them at my website
www.cmapublishing.net or by
calling me direct toll f*ree
at 1-866-50-PIPER (74737) Note- If you experience a glitch in
ordering online please call me toll
f*ree at 1- 866-507-4737
LESS THAN 350 COPIES
REMAIN OF THE PIED PIPER –We are extending the BUY TWO
GET ONE F*REE offer until 3/31/07 for books and posters. BUY TWO
BOOKS AND GET ONE F*REE OR BUY TWO PIED PIPER POSTERS BY MITCH MARKOVITZ
AND GET ONE F*REE. This
offer will not be in stores
or on the Pied Piper website. The only way
to take advantage of this offer is
to call me toll
f*ree at 1-866-50-PIPER (74737) (any
day 9am to 7 pm Chicago time
please) or mail me at CMA Publishing, P.O. Box 366 Medinah,
Ill 60157-0366. I will autograph
copies, gift wrap and ship them to
you or your recipient. Shipping is $7 for three books
to one location. Or we can arrange
to ship one gift wrapped book
to each giftee. Poster shipping is $7.50 (for 1-3
posters sent together). Books
are $19.95 each & posters $29.95 each.
Illinois residents add 8.75% sales tax on the
merchandise only. You can place orders that do not involve this offer
from my website at
www.cmapublishing.net We take
Visa, Master Card and Discover.
WEBSITES/BLOGS OF THE
MONTH
OVERFLOW NEWS - Note
from Tim, moderator of The
Overflow - Google has modified the web interface
to Google Groups. This change is not optional and
affects all groups. What is new about this? Go
to
http://groups.google.com/intl/en/googlegroups/tour3/index.html?utm_source=en-blog-groups3&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=en
for a tour of the new
interface. There are many new features that will allow more customization,
web pages etc. Watch for more news.
If you want to
read messages on the website, just bookmark this link:
http://groups.google.com/group/Overflow/topics
Note! The Overflow added a new feature
to the discussion group web page. You can now look at a
list of profiles of the members. Of course this isn't much good unless
everyone adds some info to
their profile. Here is an example of mine:
http://tinyurl.com/ybvcl8
Notice that you can add a photo
to
the profile now. To keep this feature secure, it is only available
to members and your email address will still be
hidden. If you would like to
show your email address, just add it to
the 'About me' box in the profile.
STORIES AND MEMORIES TO
SHARE
Thanks
to whoever submitted this.
Black and White
– If you are under age 40 you won't understand.
You could hardly see for all the snow, spread the rabbit ears as far as
they go.
Pull a chair up to the TV
set, "Good Night, David. Good Night, Chet."
Depending on the channel you tuned, you got Rob and Laura - or Ward and
June.
It felt so good. It felt so right. Life looked better in black and
white.
I
Love Lucy, The Real McCoys, Dennis the Menace, the Cleaver boys,
Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Superman, Jimmy and Lois Lane.
Father Knows Best, Patty Duke, Rin Tin Tin and Lassie
too,
Donna Reed on Thursday night! Life looked better in black and white.
I
wanna go back to black and
white. Everything always turned out right.
Simple people, simple lives. Good guys always won the fights.
Now nothing is the way it seems, in living color on the TV screen.
Too many murders, too many
fights, I wanna go back to
black and white.
In God they trusted, alone in bed, they slept, (actually this hasn't
changed
for some of us) A promise made was a promise kept.
They never cussed or broke their vows. They'd never make the
network now.
But if I could, I'd rather be In a TV town
in '53.
It felt so good. It felt so right. Life looked better in black and
white.
I'd trade all the channels on the satellite, if I could just turn
back the clock tonight
to when everybody knew wrong from
right. Life was better in black and white!
Thank you so much for contacting me and thanks
to Al Telser for giving you my email. I saw Al,
Doug Malewicki, Denny Flanzer, Sharon Seaman Hofmann, and several
other class of "57 members, including MRS TUGENBERG, who was my
Algebra and Trigonometry teacher 1953-54 and "56-57. We had a mini
reunion arranged by Sara PEALE Zaremberg for 21 of us. We have a
group which meets 4-5 times a year now; I bring the wines out of
self preservation. I remember your family’s store:
I was in New York
@ College and Med school/residencies when your tragic loss
occurred. I never returned to
Chicago to
live (family was originally from NYC and they were "trapped by WWII"
so they stayed in Chicago
distant from all the other family so I could finish. I was saddened
to
learn of the loss of Mr. Boyajian. He was my biology teacher and
sponsor of my science fair projects for 2 years. Also I will greatly
miss Mitchell's Ice cream. NOTHING was as good as their Choc Chip or
Peppermint with hot fudge, and a $0.09 1/2 pint of lemon in the
summer. I lived on
70th Place and Oglesby when at O'Keeffe,
but we moved to 77th and
Phillips for H.S., as I acquired a baby brother and we needed a
bigger apartment. Tom Olesker and Lee Weiner (Yes, the
Chicago
7 one) were my two best friends and bowling league teammates at
Pla-mor. Thanks again for the contact. Richard (Dick) Snyder, MD -
SSHS June 1957 RNS22@CORNELL.EDU
Your book brought back so many memories. My parents had a men's
clothing store, Bob’s
Men’s Shop for big and tall men, and a sporting goods store
on 79th and Halsted. They were in business there for 48 years. B &
F Men's store was on the
corner; along with Blackman's Jewelers, Green's Jewelers and the
Frank’s Department Store
across the street. It was mostly an Irish/Catholic neighborhood in
those days. When the neighborhood started changing, my dad was
forced to
join the "Union". If he didn't
hire black employees, they would break his windows or rob him. He
was robbed at gunpoint, many times and windows were broken but he
still stayed in business till the 70's when he sold
to an Asian man who had a store
in Roseland. My mom worked at the store
as cashier for 48 years wrapping, cashiering and layaways. We
lived on 79th and Essex for many years and I remember Alpert's,
White Castle's
and Rosenblum’s Drug Store.
Every summer, after moving to
76th and Phillips, my friends walked to
Rainbow Beach.
I started going there the summer I graduated from Bradwell then all
the years until 1957 when I graduated from
South Shore.
There were many stores on
75th street and the South Shore Theatre
where we went to
on Saturdays. In the back of the theatre was a sloping concrete
walkway with the movie exit door at the end. We used
to
race down the slope on our bikes. I remember all the kids had Grais
leather jackets and my dad knew the Graise's personally. I got
marred around the same time as Buddy Grais and we were friendly with
him and his wife during the early years of our marriage.
I loved your book,
and wish that life wouldn't have changed so much so quickly. We
lived in the industrial age and thought that everything would stay
the same forever. How wrong we were! Thanks for the memories.
Sheila Klugman Whithead
sheilawmom@aol.com
We had a couple from down the street (here in
Florida) over for dinner last night. They
are Sandy and Karol Friedman.
Sandy is an "old" architect from Prude. The
point of interest is that he is the person who designed the twin
buildings the split 55th
Street near the I C tracks in
Hyde Park. He is an interesting guy well into
his 80s and still going strong. Jerry Lazar
jllazar@comcast.net
My contribution is to
confirm that the Avalon theatre did have gold fish on display in the
lobby beautifully displayed as a part of their Moorish architectural
mode. The Avalon was the most ornate of the Balaban & Katz theatre
chain. Jesse Iverson/Hilton
Head Island, SC
JWI265@aol.com
Note from Caryn - This is a letter from a friend of my daughter.
Dear Caryn - Thank you very much for the book you wrote. It brought
memories to the
forefront; both good and bad. I wish I could say I remember Wee
Folks but I can’t. What I can say is that I remember the
neighborhoods and the landscape, I remember the good solid folks of
those neighborhoods and the bad elements that moved in. I am black
and have family members of multiple races. We all lived within
neighboring boroughs of
Chicago. I do remember when things started
to change even though I was so young. People got
meaner and more defensive, gang activity grew violent and
unpredictable; my brother was jumped by a gang right in front of me.
My mother moved us out of
Chicago and eventually I met both of your
kids. Kim and I were in the same grade and I played soccer with
Ian. I am happy to see
your success, the book was very interesting and an easy read. Thank
you for the trip down memory lane, remembering the good and the bad
is the only way to
resolve our issues and heal old wounds. I wish you and your family
health and happiness. Sincerely, Kenneth S. Baugh
I grew up in the "Manor" attending
Luella Elementary School
and graduated from Bowen. While I was in high school, my family
moved to 81st and
Jeffrey. My brother attended elementary school and high school in
South Shore,
graduating from South Shore High. I student taught at CVS. Later,
I lived in Hyde Park. Later yet, my
parents moved to
6700 South Shore Blvd. Much later, and
at different times, several of my children, step-son, and
children-in-law lived in Hyde Park.
My father, son, his father, step-son, and daughter-in-law all
received degrees from the
University of Chicago,
and my daughter did post-doc work there. The south side of
Chicago has always loomed large in the history
of my family, where for so many years we lived, worked and
schooled. Now, of course, we are spread across the
United States, making it very
special that such a newsletter exists, reminding me of the special
neighborhoods in which I grew up. Adrienne (Silverman) Borisy
Gross. agross@tds.net
Hi Caryn: Just a quick note to
tell you Cunis’ is still in business. We were there yesterday and
the original owners were behind the counter. I went
to school with Kathy Kuybiak, she even waited on
us. Her mom was there, too.
Her brothers were not there. But it was nice
to
see Kathy *& her mom. Shelley Ritter friedmatzoh@sbcglobal.net
I was in the 1951 class at
South Shore.
I lived at the corner of 73rd and Luella, (not there now). I
remember the Avalon, the beautiful Marble tanks where the Very Large
Multicolored Goldfish were swimming. Don't let anyone tell you they
weren’t there. I KNOW I SAW
THEM. I was an usher at the
Hamilton.
Jack Linton
jsr33@verizon.net
Thanks to
Allen Rosenbloom, I say my first copy of your newsletter
today. I was trying to
find out about a Class of '59 reunion, and saw the appropriate
information in your newsletter. Reunion
organizers would have missed me because I only spent 3 years in high
school, the last 2 at SSHS, and graduated in August of 1959. Most of my
friends were in the Class of '59. I "played" the violin in the
orchestra, and the flute in the band, with Mr. Gorman as the director.
The band marched at the football games. I also remember synchronized
swimming with the Aqua Debs. We felt we were the equivalent of the
Ester Williams synchronized troupe. Geraldine Ruksza Baader
geraldinebaader@cs.com
I haven't read your book completely but as
sad as your story was, it was
a real joy getting a look at the old neighborhood. We moved
to 79th and Clyde
in 1955, but my memories of
79th street go back even further because my
father also owned a store on
79th street between Bennett and Constance on
the south side of the street, Jesselson's Fish Store.
My dad inherited the store
from his uncle that had opened the store
upon his return from WW2.Unlike your parent's store
with its loyal following, my dad's "stinky"
business closed in 53/54. Your father's store
was one of the reasons that at 8, I became a newspaper delivery boy for
Southeast Economist. If my memory serves me right, the newspaper's
office was a couple of doors east of your store
and I used to wander through
your store thinking about how
I could easily spend my hard earnings on all the great new
toys. In any case, there were several tidbits in your
newsletter that were of interest although, hearing about the passing of
people that I remember as young and vibrant, made me reflect on how
quickly time is passing us by. Thanks for taking the time
to
put together the newsletter.
I look forward to future
issues. Ron Jesselson
ron@rewardchoices.com
I received a copy of your South Shore News
Spot Newsletter - just wonderful. I am a graduate of the class of '58
from South Shore High (Anita Tracy). We moved
to Colorado
in 1968 and except for this nasty winter have loved every minute of our
life here. There seems to
have been an interest in a 50th class reunion - sure hope it can
happen. I'll have my bags packed and ready once the date and place are
decided. Can't count on too
many more years to
remember everyone and the experiences of high school!
Two classmates that I kept up with have
passed on - Barbara (Winters) Willis and Vina (McCallum) Stocks.
It really made me feel sad that I hadn't been able
to
see them in so many years. Sharon Swan has been living in CA the last I
heard from her. I really enjoyed reading about others from our
neighborhood - what exciting lives! Thanks for all your hard work!
Anita Lynd (Tracy)
anitalyndcm@comcast.net
This is from the manager of Max and
Benny’s Deli Restaurant in
Northbrook, Illinois.
I recently received the “South Shore News
Spot” for February. I am impressed at the scope of information that you
are able to
touch upon, and I am sure I am not alone. In
particular, as we all get on in years, we notice that some of our
friends from the “old days” have left us. In this issue, I noticed that
one of my friends has passed. I know that you probably get plenty of
input from your readership, and I would love
to help contribute to
your efforts. Max and Benny’s has seen a great many of South Shore High
School’s best walk through its doors, and a vast number of them have
become life-long friends as well as patrons. (We’ve even, on occasion,
let a few Bowen Alumni darken our doors, ha-hah… …as a matter of fact,
Bob Schlan, our General Manager is a Bowenite) I would like
to offer you the use of our Party Room for an informal
get together/networking
event. We would be happy to
provide complimentary snacks and soft drinks & coffee for a weeknight
gathering. Our room holds about 50-60 persons. We know how difficult it
is to “catch up”, so if our
Restaurant could help those who we care about have an opportunity
to
see each other, from one “Southsider” to
another we would be happy to
help. We would even post the event on our website for you. Lester and
Bob Schlan - Owners of Max and Benny’s. Thanks
to
the catering manager Paul Richards for making the connection.
paul@maxandbennys.com
Sherry Hartigan McGarry sent me your
address and I loved reading the newsletter. Mandy Patinkin was taught by
Mary Crossman at O'Keefe grammar school and remembers him as being very
"cheeky." (her words ). Kathi Novak Skytta,
South
Shore class of 1960. Kathi
Skytta
kathi.skytta@sothebysrealty.com
Mandy Patinkin was here in
Sarasota a few weeks ago. My wife and I went
to
see his show. First rate! There is no substitute for "Take Me Out
to the Ball Game" in Yiddish! Jan and I had a chance
to talk with him for a short time after his
performance. There were about 10 or 12 of us. Most folks just wanted his
autograph. I really
insinuated myself into the
mix first and got most of the time with him. He seemed happy
to
talk about the "old days". As is my case, he seemed
to miss the South Side, but he also seemed truly a part
of Manhattan.
Frankly I would enjoy having a chance to
really spend some time talking to
him. Jan would really like that since she spent 10 yeas as treasurer of
an equity theater company in
Lansing as a volunteer. Some of the conversation
included a chat about the "old South Side". He even talked a bit about
it on stage. One of the first things he asked was if we were related
to
you. He said that he has read the book and thought highly of it. If you
get a chance go see him. He turns in one Hell of a good show. He also
said that he sometimes reads your news letter. It seemed very strange
to
be sitting in Fl. hearing about my (our) past from a man on stage! Jerry
Lazar lazaje@msu.edu
I lived at
7319 East End Avenue. I believe the tuxedo
shop on 79th
Street was DOMINIC'S. I worked for the
dentist upstairs holding tools
and cleaning them, mixing fillings, etc. I wish I could remember his
name. I was probably 13 at the time. He lived in
Park Forest, a place that was relatively NEW at the time. I
would walk to and from work,
which is quite a bit different than what OUR kids do. I don't remember
ANYONE who had two cars in my area…we walked! I remember my mom walking
to
the Jewel store at 71st and
walking home with TWO large bags of groceries (one in each arm). OY!!
My dad was a fantastic doctor
and after he became an anesthesiologist he was GREAT in his field.
Sara Zaremberg SZaremberg@aol.com
Last night I had a dream -
the dentist above the bookie joint (Dominics Tuxedo Rental) was Dr.
Kane! You don't know how many nights' sleep I lost over trying
to
remember his name! Sara Zaremberg
SZaremberg@aol.com
BOOK/TV RECOMMENDATION
Don’t forget
to watch or set your tape or TIVO for this one!
Here's the info on the
forthcoming "Remembering Chicago: The Boomer Years" documentary on WTTW.
The show covers the 1950s and 1960s.
“Please set your TIVOs for Sunday, March
4th at 7pm when
REMEMBERING CHICAGO: The Boomer Years will premiere On Ch.
11! This is the Chicago
information. Other states should check their PBS listings
to see if it will be in your area.” This information
is from the show's producer:
The scheduled date/time is Sun. March 4th
at 7:00 pm and the show will be repeated at 9:30 pm that night.
Additional tentative play dates are Sat. 3/10 at 3:45 pm and Wed. 3/14
at 7:30 pm. The show runs about one hour and 20 minutes. Note that all
play dates are during the station's fund raising weeks so set your
recorder to
record for at least two and a half hours. A DVD of the show is going
to be a membership premium, so you can get a copy by
making a pledge during the show. Or else you can send a donation as
follows: "Remembering Chicago: The Boomer Years" will be available
through WTTW11 with a $60 donation. Donations can be made online at
www.wttw.com or by phone with a debit/credit card by calling Janie
at 773-509-5643. You may also send a check/money order
to Member and Viewer Service Department, WTTW 11,
5400 N. St Louis Ave, Chicago
IL 60625-4698
along with a note advising which premium you are requesting. If you
would like to receive a phone
call confirming they received your check, please address the envelope
to
Attn: Janie, Member Services and she will gladly call you
to confirm we received your donation.
Thanks to
Bob Levi for rounding up all this information. Bob says, “At the 30
minute segment screening last Monday, there were a few snippets from the
SSHS DVD film that his classmate shot in Jan. '54. Don't blink during
the show or you'll miss it.”
Bob Levi participated in this project. As
he learned they were looking for
photos,
home movies, memorabilia, etc. of local content from the 1950s and
1960s. “Besides taking my family 8mm films of various Kiddielands,
Santa's Village, zoos, etc., I also gave the producer a DVD related
to SSHS. One of our classmates had taken movies during
January 1954 of various graduating class functions. There were shots of
the school itself, the Senior Class Day, our prom and graduation night.
For our 50th reunion, we had the film converted
to
DVDs and gave them to our
classmates. I gave that DVD to
the Remembering Chicago producer.”
Note from Caryn – Remember
to
support your local public television station.
And there is another
program of interest to
Chicagoans on Tuesday March 6th at 7:30 pm on The Southwest
Suburbs including Joliet.
Many of you may also want to
view this memory-filled show.
SUCCESSES BY FORMER
SOUTH SHOREITES Anyone have a special event
showcasing them that is open to
the public, a new book launch or the scoop on famous people who were
former South Shoreites?
PRESS RELEASE - From Jerry
Frey on the SS High School Scholarship Fund
As a result of the donations
sent in to promote the
scholarship program for this year's graduates of South Shore High, I am
pleased to
report we met our goal of collecting approximately $2,000.00 from alumni
of many of the graduating classes of the 50's. The checks will now be
deposited and four separate American Express Gold Gift checks in the
amount of $500.00 each, will be prepared to
give the to the
top four graduates of each of the four schools at South
Shore High at their June 2007 graduation. We will ask the recipients
to
use these checks to further
their education or to use as
start-up money for their own business in
South
Shore. If any of the
donors would like to comprise
the committee to present the
checks at the commencement exercises in June 2007, please contact the
scholarship fund sponsor, Jerry R. Frey @
drcllc@msn.com. Jerry
wishes to thank all the
donors whose legacy will be left with the school in the form of their
names scribed on an engraved plaque to
be permanently displayed in the school's administrative office at SSHS.
Thanks again for your wonderful support. "Hail
to the Tars"
Jerry Frey
drcllc@msn.com
THE POWER OF KEEPING IN
TOUCH – REUNIONS - If your class is planning a
reunion please email me and I will include it in the newsletter. We
have lots of planning going on now. Add yours
to the list!
Late entry from Stan Levin -
I am a 1958 graduate of Hyde Park H.S. and wanted
to
let you know that Ann Schlensky (in
Chicago) is organizing a committee for our 50th
reunion to
be held around September, 2008. Ann can be contacted at
AS8340@aol.com and Stan
Levin at
houseofmontrose@msn.com
Bowen
High School
– Class of 1960 is having a 65th Birthday Bash on Saturday,
August 18, 2007 at the Fountain Blue in
Des Plaines (3 minutes from the airport). This is
to celebrate that the members of this class have all
reached the age of 65. If graduates have not heard from them yet,
please contact Linda Shlaes Schiffman at 847-251-7383 or
lischiffman@aol.com or Stanley
Cohen at Cohencpa@ix.netcom.com.
Even those who cannot attend will get updates on classmates and a
reunion book. Responses have been overwhelmingly enthusiastic, so
don't miss out.
Bowen
High School – Class of 1967 – July 7, 2007 is
the date for the 40th Bowen reunion at the Cubby Bear in
Chicago. The cost is $50. Email any questions
to
Adriane Bernstein at
surveylady@comcast.net or send your check
to “Class of ‘67’ Reunion Fund”, c/o Adriane Harris
Bernstein, 381 Kelburn
Road, #315, Deerfield,
Ill 60015
or email her at
surveylady@comcast.net.
Bradwell
Grammar School
– Class of “67” –
reunion for our 40th will occur in
summer of 2007. Anyone who has not connected with us moved or changed
e-mail addresses in the last couple of years e-mail Sheri at
skcjd2@aol.com, Thanks. Sheri Kessler
CVS
High School
– Class of 1957 - Your newsletter is amazing as it pertains
to putting people in touch
after a forty or fifty year gap. It helped me make contact with former
employers Ken & Shonnie Johnson after fifty-one years. Last week I
received a phone call from John Sanford, who found me in your
publication. He was a graduate from SSHS in class of June 1958. We
were roommates in freshman year at NIU in 1959 along with Gerald
Liebmann (January '58 SSHS). I feel that this will continue making more
reconnections as time goes along. I am now working on the 50 year
reunion of the 1957 classes from CVS to
be held in October, 2007. I
have built a database of 561 of the 752 classmates
to date. It keeps me out of trouble. I will have
to find a new hobby once they are all finished. Stan
Fish (scottdolph@kc.rr.com)
Note from Caryn -
You can reach Stan at his
cell number - 708-466-8566 or at his address -
6729 W. 126th Court, Overland Park,
KS 66209.
South
Shore High School
- Class of 1957 -. Doug Malewicki sent me some additional
information for the Chicago
reunion which will be on June 30, 2007. Contact Douglas J. Malewicki ·
President/Chief Scientist · AeroVisions, Inc.,
14962 Merced Circle, Irvine,
CA 92604
· Phone/ FAX: (949) 559-7113, email:
DMalewicki@cox.net - Fiftieth High School Reunion Invitation:
www.sshs57.com
South
Shore High School
– Class of June 1957 is holding its 50th reunion.
Al Telser and Allen Rosenston are working on setting up a low-key/casual
50th Reunion for either Saturday June
30 or Sunday July 1, the date dependent on facility availability at an
acceptable price. If classmates from the June 1957 class or friends of
June 1957 classmates did not receive an email letter and spreadsheet
please contact Al Telser, 1704 Cleveland, Evanston,
IL 60202, phone - 847-866-8466, Email:
agt@northwestern.edu – and Allen M Rosenston,
45 Prairie Park Dr. #409, Wheeling, IL 60090-2729 - Tel: 847-459-6527,
Fax: 847-459-6525, Cell: 847-347-8114
allen@rosenston.com
South
Shore High School
– Class of June 1958 – My name is Phyllis (Kramer) Witt,
class of June 1958. Arlene Freya Blitstein and I are in the process of
starting the 50th reunion of SSHS. Anyone who is interested in being on
the committee, please e-mail me at
pooksw77@sbcglobal.net. I am looking forward
to seeing everyone, talking about old times and having
a great reunion.
South
Shore High School
– Class of 1959 – A January and June Classes Reunion ~ Do you
know someone who graduated from SSHS in January or June 1959?
Calling all 1959 Graduates
of South Shore High School (January and June)! We are in the planning
phases of a 50th reunion in 2009. A “Steerage” (not steering)
committee is forming. If you or someone you know was a member of these
classes please have them email me at
caryn@cmapublishing.net or
the new class email at
SS59reunion@comcast.net
Ralph Parisi family
benefit – Don’t forget the benefit for Frank Parisi’s
brother’s family on April 28, 2007. They need silent auction items,
donations etc. The event will be at
115 Bourbon Street, Merrionette Park,
IL. (Around 115th & Pulaski) and will involve
a $20.00 donation per person. The family faces huge medical bills on all
fronts and increasing concerns about their survival in the future. They
have room for 1000 to
attend. Contact Frank Parisi for more information.
parisif@prodigy.net
REQUEST FOR YOUR
ASSISTANCE
I am trying to
get national exposure for The Pied
Pier of South Shore book. If you know an agent or publisher
in the memoir, social history
or true crime genre please let me know. Many thanks for your support of
my book and your encouragement for spreading the word on this story.
Caryn Amster
caryn@cmapublishing.net
Shameless nepotism –
help for my daughter, Illinois
house and motorcycle trailer
for sale
My daughter Kim is selling her house and a
large hardly used 26 foot long motorcycle
hauling/camping trailer. (trailer = $16,500) The house is in
Bartlett Illinois.
Right now it is for sale on
www.buyowner.com and she will co-operate with brokers. See it at
www.buyowner.com and use ID # Chi
12742 – the reduced asking price $384,500. You can call her at
630-776-3047 or email her at
rocz63@comcast.net
Stop
now and forward this newsletter to
friends. If you are reading someone else’s copy and want your own
emailed every month, email
caryn@cmapublishing.net.
CONDOLENCES …………and MY
FAVORIE TEACHER
Do you know of someone special who passed
away and you want to share
their memory and story with
my readers? Email me at
caryn@cmapublishing.net
This is from Mike Jakowski
jackowskme@aol.com. His cousin
is Lesley Johnson who attended SSHS. Her uncle Edward Safranski is
memorialized here. Mike says “My grandmother, Lena Jackowski became a
midwife in about 1915 when she was about 35 years old after having given
birth to her own five sons.
Many people in the South Shore/South Chicago area were delivered at home
by her. When I worked for a summer at U.S. Steel South Works, the first
two people that I met in the personnel department knew who she was and
had been delivered by her. She kept detailed records of the births which
include births of the parents of the
South Shore
students that you correspond with. Since many residents in
South Shore
were Jewish, I would add that she was close friends with every ethnic
group in the area. She was close with Judge Saul Epton
and Alderman Nick Bowling. She baby sat their children and was life
long friends with them”.
EDWARD VICTOR SAFRANSKI
was born on 1/19/1927 and died 5/3/2006 in Laguna Niguel, Orange Co. CA.
His father Edward Sr. was a
Chicago
fireman and then a policeman. After his father died Edward attended
Mt. Carmel
High school, but he always wanted
to attend
South Shore
where all his friends went. In later years by accident, he got on the
South Shore
alumni list. He wrote them several times that he didn’t attend South
Shore, but they left him on the list. He was
born and raised on Chicago's Southside.
He lived within a few blocks of Rainbow
Beach and Lake Michigan.
He grew up in a large Polish family. He graduated from
Mt. Carmel
High School. World War II broke out, and
Edward joined the Navy and served his country in
Europe
and the South Pacific. He returned from the war, attended college, and
also attended Maryknoll Seminary. On April 16, 1955, he married Candida
Ann Baker in Chicago.
He was a successful businessman.
DATES IN 2007!
Visit my website Calendar of Events for
more detailed information on my upcoming events.
www.cmapublishing.net –
I am now booking talks and book signings into
2007 at such places as libraries, business associations, chambers of
commerce and women’s groups. If you know a group that needs a speaker
in the greater Chicago
area, have them contact me.
ACCOLADES AND ATTA
GIRLS – These are some of the many emails I have
received about my book and newsletter. Many thanks!
Thanks for a great issue Caryn. This thing
is growing by leaps and bounds. My brief mentions have resulted in
e-mail connections with old friends from Florida,
Arizona, California
and Hawaii.
We are planning an e-reunion. Speaking of Ray Hanania please see the
article in Chicago Tribune of yesterday concerning him and Charlie
Warady. Their Israel
tour is doing well. Keep up the good
work. I also have noted Manny’s yahrzeit on my calendar and will
remember to say kaddish
(Jewish prayer for the dead) for him that day. Al Saper AS7250@aol.com
Hi Caryn - What a pleasant surprise
to hear from you. We have so much in common due
to
our parents being owners of two of the most prominent businesses along
79th Street. Wee Folks and Pla-Mor were very
popular and recognized by most people. I loved your story
about eating lunch at the snack shop and enjoying the bowlers and
old-timers hanging around. It was a daily ritual for the old guys to
gather in the spectator seats
behind the bowling area and spend the entire day talking
together. Occasionally you could find one or more of
them slumped over in the seats sound asleep. I know that our parents
knew each other and promoted our businesses. I just loved Wee Folks.
Your parents just treated everyone with kindness and respect. What a
great store it was. I
subscribe to and read your
monthly newsletter. You provide a great service
to
all of us from that great old neighborhood. If I can be of any service
to you please call on me. I might still have a few
more yarns to spin. Use any
of my stories or comments in
your newsletter. Thanks again Jerry Skovie
j.skovie@worldnet.att.net
Caryn, I am just starting
the book. I have been looking forward to
reading it. Thanks for your mention in the newsletter. I have gotten
several e-mails from people that saw my name, one whose parents were
friendly with my parents, others that went to
Hyde Park. Bill Multack bmultack@bellsouth.net
Dear Caryn - To date I have
responses from seven of your readers who have emailed
to
let me know that indeed there were goldfish in the lobby of the Avalon
Theatre. It has been such fun to
receive these assuring messages. Thank you for including my question in
your February newsletter. I am looking forward
to
the next issue. Barb Wotanek Barb
mrswo@sbcglobal.net
From Caryn – Thanks Al, Jerry, Bill and
Barb
J
Thank you all for forwarding copies of
this newsletter to
friends and family and thank you for your support of the South Shore
News Spot Newsletter and the Pied Piper book and art work.
Many thanks to
my husband Bill a non South Shoreite who diligently proof reads this
newsletter every month. He has heard ALL the stories
by now.
If you find typographical or grammatical
errors in this email, they're here for a purpose. Some people actually
enjoy looking for them and we strive to
please as many people as possible.
For those who have had problems accessing
my website – it is now Foxfire accessible!
Many
and More and More Happy Memories ………………Caryn
If you no longer wish to receive emails,
please unsubscribe by sending an email to
unsubscribe@chicagospiedpiper.com
********************************************
Caryn Lazar Amster,
(The Pied Piper's
Daughter) is the award
winning author of the
debut book
The Pied Piper of
South Shore,
Toys and Tragedy in
Chicago.
This true
family true crime
social history is set in
Chicago's
South Shore
in the 1950's and '60s. It
won the USA Book News
"Best of 2004" in the
True Crime category.
It garnered an
all "5" rating in 2004
from Writer's Digest
International Self
Publishers Contest in the Non-
Fiction category
and Honorable Mention in the
Family Stories
category from the same
magazine in 2005.
ISBN: 0-9758928-0 LOC:
4108342
CMA Publishing is a
divison of CMA Marketing
Group, Inc.
P.O. Box Sig366, Medinah,
Ill 60157
mailto:caryn@cmapublishing.net
1-866-50-
PIPER (74737)
To purchase books and
posters of cover
http://www.chicagospiedpiper.com
Amster is a
Chicago
area marketing
specialist, President
of CMA Marketing Group,
Inc. and a speaker and
trainer.
*********************************************