Petals From Roseland

In this past year, I’ve met up with many former St. Anthony parishioners and when we’ve gotten deep into conversations about Roseland, the topic of “The Ave” always comes up. When we make our way to Gately’s Peoples Store, we invariably begin talking about the memorable shopping experiences that became the hallmark of many of our lives. From shopping to working there, Gately’s made a major deposit in our memory banks. When conversation turned to Christmas on the Ave, someone usually describes the 9th Ward workers in a bucket truck going up and down the street hanging the huge red-and-white …

This is the time of year when we look back at what we can be thankful for. Of course, there are the material things that we can see and touch. In the case of the Roseland, Pullman and Kensington neighborhoods, many of those things can only be view in our mind’s eye. Living in Pullman, I can still visit many of the locations where businesses and family homes from my early years in the area were located, although I do sometimes have to visualize what you used to stand on what is now an empty lot. For instance, at one …

Summer is definitely behind us but, as we head into fall, the season has left us with some wonderful memories. Those include some great events presented by the Pullman National Historical Park Rangers and their staff, the beginning of the construction of a Chick-fil-A on 111th Street, the opening of the Pullman Club Café, the transformation of the off-track betting facility into offices for Chicago’s Red Line extension project, and the clearing of houses on 116th Street to make way for the project. St. Anthony’s Parish has seen the ordination of its new deaconate couple, Mario and Graciela Delgado and …

We can spend countless hours talking about our memories of Roseland because our youth there was wonderful. We can read about someone else’s life and experiences and immediately recall similar events in our lives. That’s what life in an ideal community is all about: the shared experiences. For us Roselandites, those experiences centered on the “The Ave.” The Michigan Avenue shopping area, otherwise known as “The Ave,” ran from about 110th Street south to 115th Street. All of us Roselandites remember going into the stores on “The Ave” as children when we were shopping with our parents. Another part of …

At this time of year, my thoughts begin to focus on what I have done this summer and what I’ve yet to do. I also look back at the summers of years gone and some of the more memorable events from those happy days. There were Roseland’s July Sidewalk Sale, St. Anthony’s Carnival and St. Willibrord’s Carnival and Talent Show, and more recently the joining of Roseland’s Catholic parishes, culminating with the merging of Holy Rosary with St. Anthony’s. Hopefully, my memories will kickstart yours to help you recall highlights of your Roseland summers. Being a teenager in Roseland provided …

When the middle of summer arrived, there was little going on at St. Anthony’s. However, there were always the Friday night bingo games to look forward to. Of course, the most exciting part of Friday night bingo was “Bingo Pizza”! Since bingo was a fundraiser for the school, women of the parish would volunteer to make pizza for the Friday night sessions. I dubbed it “Bingo Pizza” in one of my previous columns and the name stuck. Bingo Pizza was different from the pizza sold at our local pizzerias, which all served the round, Neapolitan shape. Bingo Pizza was brought …

June always meant a break from school when we were growing up. There was always something to do and, most of the time, we kids were in charge of filling our days. Roseland will forever be remembered for “The Ave” — Michigan Avenue — which was the shopping strip mainly from 111th to 115th Street. All you’d have to say is “I’m going down the Ave” and people would know where you were heading. That little sentence covered a lot of territory: were you meeting friends or were taking a solo stroll down the Ave? Maybe, you were going to …

In March, my sister Rosie proudly turned 80 and, at the same time, I happened to review some of my Roseland memorabilia. I came across a great many nostalgic newspapers, letters, photos and yearbooks that have been given to me for safekeeping. What caught my eye was a couple of notebooks that St. Anthony’s Fr. Mark Krylowicz shared with me quite a few years ago. Fr. Mark has been a part of St. Anthony’s for more than 18 years and knows and honors the parish history. The notebooks he shared contain copies of St. Anthony’s newsletter, Broadcast, and the thought …

The Pullman National Historical Park (PNHP) has become a focal point of the Pullman community. In the beginning, Pullman residents worried that the National Parks, as a government agency, would be too stodgy and hung up on rules and regulations. As community activists evolved from their grassroots beginnings to become professional organizers, they found that many government agencies put up the hurdles to jump, climb or claw their way over. But the passage of time has provided nothing but positive results from the PNHP, with the programs, presentations, exhibits and displays created by the park rangers adding immensely to Pullman’s …

I’m sure many of you recall the movie “The French Connection.” Well, I’m about to discuss “The Roseland Connection!” The “French Connection” was all about a bad habit. But the “Roseland Connection” involves a good habit: Roseland pizza! In the ’60s, there were plenty of smaller pizza places scattered throughout the area. Whenever Facebook conversations have centered on the neighborhood over the years, local pizzerias would always pop up. They were a popular weekend treat, a lively place to hang out or a good bet for a first job. These were the neighborhood spots, but what if you were shopping …