Forty Years Ago
A ‘Go-Go’ was a ‘No-No’ in Forest Park … so ruled Mayor Mohr and the four commissioners at a village hall meeting. Chi Chi Go-Go had applied for a license to offer this entertainment to the public at 7711 Roosevelt Road.
Commissioner Ed Lambke reported he had visited clubs on Ontario and Rush Streets in Chicago and on Austin Boulevard. He said, “The music would drive you batty, but you see the same things in stage shows.” Commissioner Vernon Reich, who confined his research to “an article in a national magazine,” said he felt well-informed on Go-Go’s and would oppose the presence of one in the village. Commissioners Paul Berlin and Earl Witt said they would vote no.
Mohr echoed the majority ruling, adding, “We have 58 taverns with no problems. It’s big business and they’re well run and follow the rules and regulations.”
From the May 6, 1965 issue of the Forest Park Review.
Thirty Years Ago
“Dear Sally: I’m a girl who doesn’t drink. This puts me in an embarrassing position every time I attend a social function with my boyfriend. I feel so foolish and inept standing around with a cocktail in my hand, just pretending to sip at it, and doubtless making others wonder how long one person could nurse a drink throughout the evening. Any advice?”Sober Sides.” “Dear Sober: Good Heavens to Betsy! There’s no rule of society that compels you to accept an alcoholic beverage when it’s offered to you, and there’s nothing to prevent your asking for a soft drink of some kind. So stop your silly pretending and exhibit the courage of your convictions.”
The RUSTLER Steak House at Harlem and Franklin ran a neat little illustrated one-column by 8-inch ad offering such tasty, economical and LDL-inducing breakfasts as: RIB-EYE STEAK & SCRAMBLED EGGS, $2.39 (includes potatoes); RUSTLER STEAK & SCRAMBLED EGGS, $2.59; T-BONE STEAK & SCRAMBED EGGS $3.29 (With chifaffa on the side?) .
The toughest part about moving for the Martin Kaufman family was that they had to give up Willie. Willie, registered as G. Willikerswith the AKC, was their fully grown, pure-bred German Shepherd, and the Kaufman’s new quarters were simply not suitable for a dog his size. He was 2 and 1/2 years old with black and tan colors. An easy dog for children to get along with, said the Kaufmans.
From the April/May 1975 issues of the Forest Park Review.
Twenty Years Ago
A photo in this column last April, showed two enormous beer bellies with their owners standing behind them. Fred Ehringer and Denis Moran, members of the local Lions and Kiwanis clubs respectively, thought they could lose weight for a charity cause. The Great Weight-Off Contest garnered nearly $1,000 from weight-guessers betting one dollar a ticket. Columnist Bob Haeger got himself into big trouble when he had the effrontery to report that “neither man went overboard in this effort to lose pounds.” Both contestants took offense to this remark and contended that the act of reducing weight was often hellishly hard. After three months of this cruel and unusual self-affliction, the total score was 56, with minus 37 credited to Moran and minus 19 to Ehringer. One wonders how Bubba would have fared in this contest.
A final sip from the wine goblet, courtesy of Jo Ann Miner’s column: “Pungent cheeses like sharp cheddar and bleu cheese should not be served with older wines, but are best paired with a young, aggressive wine such as a Zinfandel. This kind of match creates a better balance of flavor and texture.”
From the May/June 1985 issue of the Forest Park Review.
Ten Years Ago
Our new public library was entrenched in the “during” phase. With a little imagination a passerby could picture the outline of the completed structure, and maybe some of the detail. Even in hit-or-miss weather the job remained on target for a late summer opening.
Library director John Sayers said “the budget is fine and it’s beginning to look like a finished building. This lookback also reminds us of the temporary library”all on one floor”located in the basement of the Mall. It served well for a year and rented out for one dollar.”
While the library business was taking place, another longtime institution was shutting down: Golden Drugs. After 72 years, Forest Park’s neighborhood pharmacy had filled its last prescription. The business first opened as Latsis Drugs and retained that name until Phil Golden purchased it in 1950.
“If I could have it any other way I would,” Golden said. Adding that two forces contributed to the decline of this landmark pharmacy, he said, the health insurance industry and the F&M store at 215 Harlem.
