Forty Years Ago

A testimonial dinner for a longtime Proviso sports fixture was held when Andy Puplis had completed 25 years at Proviso High School. Friends, former students and some opponents honored him at the Elmhurst Country Club. A graduate of Harrison Tech High School in 1933, he was an All-City shortstop and an All-State quarterback. Four years later he graduated from Notre Dame where he started at shortstop and was first string quarterback in 1936 and ’37. Puplis came to Proviso in 1940, and in 1943 he coached at Proviso while playing with the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL.

After serving in the navy in WWII he returned as a coach at Proviso winning six championships. Some outstanding players of his who graduated to the pro ranks were Ray Nitschke, Ed O’Bradovich and Fred Custardo.

From the Dec. 1995 issues of the Forest Park Review.

Thirty Years Ago

A strong-arm robbery was quickly checked when Officer Joe Brynes, on foot patrol in the Zayre’s parking lot, came on the scene of a struggle between two women claiming ownership of a purse. As Byrnes approached, one of the women wrested the purse from the other and ran to a waiting car. With the officer in pursuit the woman managed to shut the car door on Byrnes. The waiting male driver took off with the policeman running after. A Maywood patrol car happened by and Byrnes got in. A high-speed chase led to the “Ike” and the two officers managed to curb and arrest the suspects at Central Avenue.

From the Nov. 1975 issues of the Forest Park Review.

Twenty Years Ago

This is the stuff of which bad television dramas are made. A gunman had been casing the Lee Mart Jewelry Store in the Forest Park Mall. Late in the morning he entered the store and made his way to the rear office. Once there, he pulled a gun and threatened to kill the manager, a female. Together, they remained in the office out of sight from normal mall traffic. The gunman told the manager and two other employees to empty the display cases of jewelry.

When two alarm buttons failed to work one of the employees managed to whisper to an elderly woman customer who had just entered,that a robbery was underway”and to use the phone of a nearby store to call the police.

As the robber, Darryl Jones, 24, of Chicago was about to leave with $250,000 in jewels, he spotted the police, grabbed the manager, held the gun to her head and emerged from the back office. The police, outside the store, were unable to get a clear shot, but when the hostage-manager tried to break free Sgt. Charles Whelpley seized the man and knocked the gun from his hand. The weapon turned out to be an “extremely authenic looking .38 snub-nosed revolver made out of wood,” said Whelpley.

From the Nov. 20 1985 issue of the Forest Park Review.

Ten Years Ago

Some of us remember certain policemen of a decade ago. Three of these officers had earned promotions from sergeant to lieutenant at about that time. The distinguished trio were Sgt. Steve Johnsen (currently a lieutenant), Sgt. Jeff Oswald and Sgt. Martin Moy, both of whom have since left the force as lieutenants.

If any controversy occurred, it probably had more to do with Oswald than the other two. While promoted to lieutenant, he had been engaged in a suit with the village dating back to 1991. He alleged that he (and others) had been unfairly passed over for consideration because state law mandated that for each three-year period, consideration must be given for promotion so long as an opening existed at the next level. The opening was unfilled; he charged the consideration wasn’t made. Oswalt’s winning argument: that he should have been considered three years earlier.

Who Remembers? Foster (muffled belch) Brooks … Boy George … Hee Seop Choi … ’50s fighter Ezzard Charles … Harmonicat Jerry Murad … Michael Medved … What do Dan Walker, Otto Kerner and William Stratton have in common? All three served time as governor of Illinois, and two out of three served time. Stratton was Mr. Clean in a photo finish. Two out of three ain’t bad in Illinois. Then there’s this from the great, late Mike Royko: “An honest politician in Chicago is a politician who, once he’s bought, stays bought.”

From the Dec. 20, 1995 issue of the Forest Park Review.