Forty Years Ago
A one-inch insert on page 8 read, “A Bell Telephone coin box was stolen from a pay phone at 7229 Roosevelt. It contained $35,000.” Two comments: A good day’s work for the dastardly act and … why not make more frequent coin collections?
There’s entertainment now and there was entertainment then. With Liberace scheduled to appear soon at a McCormick Place concert, Fred Caserio was giving the local establishment a chance to see and hear the flamboyant joy boy by purchasing a block of tickets. The Owner of Caserio’s Olde Town West on Madison offered a pre-concert party at his establishment, transportation there and back, then a post-concert Christmas stop at radio station WOPA to round out the evening.
From the Nov./Dec. 1965 issues of the Forest Park Review.
Thirty Years Ago
Another of Forest Park’s “sons” died, Oct. 20. Homer Bale, 70, owner of Homer’s Restaurant and Lounge on Madison St., was a standout participant in community activities. During the depression he opened a hamburger stand here called “Wimpy’s,” which was later enlarged into the present site. Except for Otto’s, his place more than any other restaurant served as a magnet for local citizenry and for business people, organizations and banquet get-togethers. He was a longtime member of the village’s Fraternal Order of Police and a fixture at the West Suburban Juvenile Officers Association.
To commemorate the country’s Bicentennial the Heritage Committee of Forest Park amassed the 100 most notable events touching on village history. An (excerpted) continuing report of some of these milestones will appear in chronological order.
1. For thousands of years prior to 1830 the Pottawatomie Indians lived on the ground we walk today.
2. Illinois entered the Union as the 21st state.
3. Desplaines Avenue was an Indian trail and surrounding its elevation were woods, prairie, swamps and marshlands.
4.The first person known to have owned land within the present limits was Joseph Kettlestrings. (More to come.)
From the Nov./Dec./ 1975 issue of the Forest Park Review.
Twenty Years Ago
From the police reports: A Forest Park woman reported her 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass had been stolen from its assigned parking lot space in the 300 block of Circle Avenue. Editor Bob Haeger reported this was only half the story; that the real slant should have been centered on the season’s “meanest thief.”
“The car belonged to Pat Carey,” said Bob, “the spunkiest paraplegic in town, whose record of doing good for others is known by many. Pat’s car is equipped with customized hand controls, and one couldn’t help noticing this upon entering her car. She’s sidelined for awhile” concluded Heager,” but she’s got a track record for coming from behind.”
From the Nov./Dec. 1985 issues of the Forest Park Review.
Ten Years Ago
Connie Robey”the name is synonymous with local involvement and, in particular, Neighborhood Watch. Her successful monitoring of crime and drug-trafficking led to her recent receipt of the TRIAD Senior Citizens’ Volunteer Award. Back in the early and mid-nineties, she pretty much held the fort by herself. Recently, she’s been less active and could use a few concerned people to keep her efforts going.
In an attempt to appease residents complaining about late night unruly bar patrons, Mayor Lorraine Popelka tried to prohibit all liquor license holders from playing music or television sets after midnight on weekends. In part, her proposed ordinance stated that “No liquor licensee to whom an amusement license has been issued … shall permit any amusement on the premises after the hours of 11 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.” When the meaning of the operative word, “amusement” couldn’t be agreed on, the ordinance died on the council floor for want of a second.
Who Remembers?C.Z. (Cuddles) Sakall (lovable ’40s film character actor) … Bud Cort … Chuck Mangione … Count Bernadotte … Bernadette Peters … Peter Ustinov … Kato Kailan … Henry Morgan … Arnold Stang … Pete Best … liverwurst … Ramsey Clark … Clark Kent … Kent State …Immanual Kant … mincemeat … Eartha Kitt … Tufts University.
From the 1995 issues of the Forest Park Review.
