Petals From Roseland

What comes to mind when you first hear the phrase “Roseland groups”? If you’re in your late 70s and older, its’ probably Frankie Bortoli or Eddie Baldacci and their bands. If you’re from the generation before that, you’re probably thinking Styx or Chicago. If you so, you’d be way off the topic of this column. Many social groups were formed in Roseland based on school, church, sports, ethnic or military affiliation. The American Legion, VFW, Tornados A.C., Gano A.C., SFBI, and several bowling leagues and Holy Name societies come to mind. Unfortunately, times have changed. And with most people keeping …

We often find comfort in our memories! Fond memories are wonderful not just because they sustain us in life’s calm or rough waters, but because they are self-replenishing: Every day brings us new memories that we store in our mental Rolodex files. When the time is right, we just send that Rolodex spinning until we hit upon the memory that will bring a smile to our face right when we need it. Fortunately, through readers of my column, St. Anthony parishioners, Spaghetti-Os members and and Pullman residents, I am often presented with great material that brings up many memories. I’ve …

Fifty is a nice round number and since I possess a 1972 Greater Roseland Area Directory and a 1972 Calumet Index Ninth Edition Greater Roseland Area Annual Yearbook, I thought it would be great if we could review what was happening 50 years ago. Roseland’s service organizations were the main topic of the Annual Yearbook. As we’re all aware, Roseland had many charitable service organizations that we or our parents belonged to. I know as a student at St. Willibrord’s High School, I was involved with the Lions Club through the Key Club Program, which got us out on the …

Throughout the 13 years I’ve been writing this column I’ve heard many stories, and the fun part is I don’t have to seek them out! You readers are more than willing to talk about your Roseland days. At any of the many occasions that bring Roselandites together — whether it’s a gathering sponsored by St. Anthony’s, an event hosted by the Pullman National Monument or a chance encounter at a funeral — all anyone has to do is mention the old neighborhood and the stories begin to flow. Here are some of those stories that I can recall. Feel free …

As anyone who grew up in Kensington, Roseland and Pullman knows, all you have to do is mention one of the many names we all loved, and the memories come flooding back. Let’s start with a walk down “The Ave” (Michigan Avenue) from 111th Street. A few of the meaningful names are Giovanni’s and Nino’s for pizza and Thom McAn’s, Bovenkirks, Malings and Robert Hall for clothing of varied sorts. For real variety, the name that reigns supreme is Gately’s. Gately’s was basically our Marshall Fields, where we could find everything for we need for our school and social lives, …

This January marks a hopeful look ahead to a healthier year. COVID was with us all last year and most of the year before. Many of us some of us decided to deal with the challenges head on while others decided to contend with them from the shelter of our own homes. Some of us have been personally touched by loss over this year whether brought on by COVID or as the result of living life in general. For some, the loss of a companion pet affected us more than we anticipated and just as much as the loss of …

Christmas is a time for celebration, but how we celebrate has changed over the centuries. How do you celebrate Christmas? Do you embrace the more secular version embodied by Santa Claus with his big bag of presents, or the more religious one in which gifts are given in recognition of God’s gift to us of His Son Jesus Christ? One tradition I embrace is the Christmas story told by Mario Avignone, the founder of this column. Fr. Pierini asked him decades ago to start writing Petals as a way of keeping Roseland alive in our hearts. In my 13 years …

This is the month of Thanksgiving and there is much to be thankful for, but I’d like to focus my gratitude on the Pullman National Monument. If you’ve been paying attention to anything having to do with Pullman, you’re aware by now of the great news coverage of the grand opening that took place over Labor Day weekend. Two days of public festivities and one day of speeches by dignitaries gave everyone from near and far the opportunity to celebrate the new National Park Service Visitor Center. For those who may have missed the information or photos, what we’ve always …

Month in and month out, I’ve been telling people to visit Pullman for one event or another, but in this column, I have more than one happening to entice you with. Three events that were waylaid by the pandemic have either made their return this year or are slated to do so: the annual Pullman Picnic, the St. Anthony Dinner Dance and the Pullman House Tour. The Pullman Picnic was held in the beginning of August and those in attendance had a great time. It was one of those 90-degree days made just a bit cooler by the canopy I …

Labor Day has been a big deal in Pullman ever since the 1894 strike, which lead to the creation of the holiday. Each year, representatives of different labor groups convene in Pullman for a day of speeches and musical entertainment. There are also exhibits and oftentimes rides for children and displays for adults. Since 2015, when President Obama declared Pullman a National Monument, plans have been drawn up, contracts awarded, financing secured, National Park Rangers assigned, construction completed and landscaping installed. Each of these items have been checked off the “to do” list, and the time has finally come for …