Tag Archives: CJ Martello

I find it interesting that everyone has a cellphone that can take pictures these days, but we haven’t solved a problem that has been around since the days of Brownie cameras. Many of us have photo albums that show us and our family members and friends at different stages of growing up and at various celebrations and events. The photos show the good times, the bad times and our lives from day to day. We love looking at and reminiscing over these photos because of they remind us of shared experiences with people we care about. Each photo is a …

February brings with it Valentine’s Day and conversations about love. Not being one to color outside the lines, that’s exactly where this column is going to go! That isn’t a challenging premise when we’re talking about our beloved Roseland. Anytime people get together and talk turns to Roseland the stories start to flow from the heart. All Roseland stories involve our love for the great memories we have. Given how much time we spent on “The Ave,” talking about Michigan Avenue brings up 100s of stories. If you’re reminiscing about going to a movie or seeing a show on The …

  We always talk with great fondness about the Roseland of decades past while we embrace the last vestiges of those glory days. Unfortunately, the pandemic has cast a dark shadow over these living reminders of our cherished past. In many ways, last year has been one of loss as we look forward to 2021 with hope for better times. Many of the places, events and organizations we’ve clung to in recent years have either gone temporarily or permanently dark. I think it is fitting to recall some of the great memories each of them has brought into our lives. …

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 12 years …

November is dedicated to the men and women of the armed services who have played a role in protecting our nation and safeguarding its future. On Memorial Day, we remember all of those service members who gave their lives for our country. On Veterans Day, we honor all those who served in any capacity. All veterans have stories about their time in service. I invited the readers to share those stories and I got numerous responses. This column is the perfect opportunity for me to present some of them. As you read these stories, I encourage you to think with …

The beauty of life in Roseland is that, as varied as it was, it had happenings that were so dependable as to be practically traditional. That memory endures even in a pandemic world where everyone’s events have been curtailed, cancelled, downplayed, postponed, simplified and placed in a downward spiral. Roseland’s traditions make reminiscing easy. Since this is my October column, we have plenty of events to recall. The Pullman House Tour, which has take place every year on Columbus Day weekend for the past 46 years, has been cancelled for the first time ever. I recall when I first bought …

As I’ve sat with a number of people over the years, discussions have often turned to who the people of Kensington, Pullman and Roseland are. As a child in St. Anthony’s Parish, the answer was clear: We’re all Italian. Of course, then I became more aware of the world around me. I came to realize that some of the last names called for attendance at school weren’t Italian: Knudson, Ramirez, Mrozowski, Clark, Timmerman, Vanderwahl, and a few more. Hitting the playground gave further proof of how diverse the entire community of Roseland was. The playgrounds of summer gave us ample …

As we grew up in Roseland, we would meet new people and our horizons would expand. When we were little, we would go from playing around our house to playing at our friends’ houses. When we went to grade school and met new friends, we couldn’t wait to go on adventures with them in the schoolyards, parks and prairies in our community. Our horizons really expanded when we went to high school, met a whole new circle of friends and learned to drive. Along the way, we made new discoveries and learned to deal with different situations. Imagine if you …

As I write this column, news continues to blare about the impact of the coronavirus on every aspect of our lives. We’re all aware of the cancellation of festivals, parties, get-togethers and organizational events. What’s a person to do? How’s this? I’m dedicating this month’s column to all those outdoor events that are so popular to Roselandites, whether or not they take place this year. Please, keep in mind that you should check for the current status of any events listed. At this point in time, I’d be telling you about the Pullman Family Picnic that would be coming up …

Throughout the more than 10 years I’ve been writing Petals from Roseland, I’ve been told many stories. I’ve also conducted many interviews with friends, family members and readers. These have yielded a treasure trove of random snippets, some of which I’d like to share with you now. The Pullman Tech All Class Reunion back on Oct, 14, 2016, was a special event for me because I finally got to meet accordion and keyboard player Frank Rossi in person. He, Michael Vittori and Bruce Meyer have been entertaining Roselandites for years but this was my first face-to-face encounter. We’ve been buddies …