Bob Crane, who is putting away his mop after 40 years as custodian, received a rousing sendoff from Garfield School. Bob found it a bit overwhelming. The gym was filled with family members he wasn't expecting, dozens of district retirees and the excited voices of students paying him tribute.

It only took fifteen years and $150,000 but Bob Cox is proud to say the renovation of his historic home at 419 Marengo is complete. Bob will be sharing the wisdom he acquired in a workshop called "Your Old House 101" May 19 at 4:00 p.m. The event is being hosted by the Historical Society of Forest Park at St. Peter's Church.

"It's the most emotional thing I've ever seen," WW II paratrooper Larry Miller said of the reception at Midway Airport when the 85 members of his Honor Flight returned from Washington, DC. The flight had taken him and fellow Forest Park vet Bob Maroney on a whirlwind trip to the nation's capitol.

Last week was certainly a topsy-turvy one, mostly turvy. On Monday, we got the distressing news about the Boston bombings. Our cold gray weather reinforced the general gloominess.

There was much to celebrate at the Chicago 16" Softball Hall of Fame awards dinner. Park Director Larry Piekarcz was inducted into the Hall as an "Organizer." Larry was recognized for his 35-year career as player, umpire, and "tournament director of the best softball tournament on the planet."

Anna Sloan was a speed demon on the football field and basketball court but didn't know how fast she was, until she stepped onto a track. The Trinity High School sophomore has run times in the 100 and 200 meter dashes that would qualify for the state meet. "I found a new talent inside me."

I see many signs that the economy is improving. For example: The guy who was stealing all the newspapers out of the box at Harvard and Beloit stopped doing it. A dropped dime remained on the floor of Ed's Way for a good ten minutes.

My bracket was in shambles. Who knew Harvard would win its first NCAA Tourney game in 377 years? I turned my bloodshot eyes from the TV, got off the couch and found a different kind of March Madness at the Chicago Area Alternative Education League (CAAEL) tournament.

Volunteers staff the Forest Park Historical Society four days a week, organizing the collection, assisting researchers and responding to inquiries. I'm part of the bunch that works Tuesday mornings. When we're not stumbling on such treasures as a striking photo of Liz Taylor attending Michael Todd's funeral, we're history detectives.