As I sit at my retiree desk writing this column, summer is still working its way into being a consistent season. My next-door neighbor Al Davis is burning some logs in his fire pit and the smell is wafting up through my barely open second floor window. The scent is playing time machine games with my mind and drawing me back to those days of burning leaves and other smells of the good old days. Those simpler days were full of memorable aromas and some smells that we’d like to forget. (Why is it that we always sniff again …

  Summer has begun for sure and once again, we’re all about making use of the season for which we’ve waited many months. When people describe Chicagoans, one adjective that always comes to mind is “resilient.” We always bounce back from the reality given to us to create a new reality for ourselves. That translates into us Roselandites and Pullmanites looking forward to the opportunity to get together at reunion opportunities that come our way. This year, with Pullman having been given the honor of being designated as the Pullman National Monument of the National Park Services, everyone has a …

  As of Thursday, February 19, 2015, I have been living within the boundaries of the Pullman National Monument! After many years of hard work and progressive effort by numerous residents and supporters, Pullman has become part of the country’s National Park System. As a voting member of the Executive Board of the Pullman Civic Organization (PCO) I received a ticket to attend the Presidential signing at the Gwendolyn Brooks Academy, (formerly Mendel and Pullman Tech). I did all the right planning to get myself a center seat in the sixth row, directly in front of the dais with all …

It seems that every family tree boasts an artist — whether near or far historically. Many of us have hidden talents that we’ve never explored, but some of us have offspring whose talents have flourished. When our children take part in an art exhibit at school and then carry on with that interest into their adult education we swell with pride. If those children of ours become successful commercial artists — whether they are actors, sculptors, musicians, singers, songwriters or performers – our joy knows no bounds. As we see our relatives persevere and endure through the hardships that are …

During this past holiday season I kept seeing ads and hearing stories about the holiday traditions that people maintain. Everything from when to put up the tree to how to decorate it were enthusiastically debated, along with what to serve on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. All this discussion got me to thinking about Roseland and the traditions its residents maintained. I’m sure one thing we can all agree on is that the good people of Roseland were all traditionalists. I easily recall the annual tradition of the Gately’s Peoples Store sponsoring the Michigan Avenue Christmas parade. I remember that …

“Valentine’s Day was met with the same excitement no matter which grade school you attended. St. Anthony’s, St. Louis, St. Salomea, Pullman, Poe, VV, Scanlon or Gompers — it didn’t matter — the exchanging of Valentine’s cards was always a big deal and for some, a terrifying ordeal. My guess is that it became less of an ordeal for those who rarely got a Valentine once the nuns/teachers made sure that the kids brought enough cards for each student. For me, there are only a couple of Valentine’s that I remember. I recall the time my sister Tootsie and I …

Looking back, it’s been a very busy, but pleasurable year. A number of people have stepped up throughout the year and given a boost to the nostalgic adventure that remembering all things Roseland has become. Dan Bovino continues to march forward with his ever improving photographic skills in piecing together the photographic puzzle of our varied Roseland experiences. It never ceases to amaze me that each of us has had such unique experiences in Roseland, but once shared, they conjure up related memories in our own lives. Dan’s many hours dedicated to the Roseland Roundtable represent a truly remarkable gift …

phe·nom·e·nal adjective: very remarkable; extraordinary This word comes to mind in describing the fantastic night enjoyed by all the attendees at the annual St. Anthony Alumni Dinner Dance. More than 200 people dined on sumptuous repast and were entertained by the musical stylings of the Dave Berger Quarter. Two St. Anthony classes used the occasion as a reunion: 1974 and 1969. Both were well attended and created a festive atmosphere. Almost everyone got up and walked around, talking to as many people as possible throughout the night. Best wishes for good health go out to Carmella Ryan and Ed. Also …

While attending the recent funeral of Erminia Frigo, I was viewing the photo boards on display when one of the pictures took me by surprise. The photo was of a few people standing across the street from the old St. Anthony’s church in front of Pat & Matt’s newsstand, soda shop and bar. There in the background stood Christi Silvestri. I had not seen or thought about Christi since the 1960s, when I graduated from St. Anthony’s. However, I do remember Christi from my many trips after 9:00 Mass to Pat & Matt’s, where Christi stood out at 6’3” and …

The end of summer is approaching but there’s still time to make up for the frigid winter we went through. That is, of course, if you weren’t able to make it to some of the summer festivals that took place in Chicago and suburbs. One of the summer events that was well attended is the St. Anthony Festa which took place on Sunday, June 8th. Fr. Mark Krilowicz, the pastor of St. Anthony’s for the past eight years, has kept the celebration alive with a strong parish St. Anthony’s Feast committee that meets year-round to come up with food, activities, …