Forty Years Ago
Worthwhile accomplishments can be made while you’re young. An example is Jayne Triebes of 936 Hannah Ave. and St. Bernardine School. The young lady won a 15-volume set of the Britannica Junior Encyclopedia for reading 60 books in a national contest sponsored by the Pius X Bookmaster Club. See photo of Jayne and a satiric shot of one who never learned to read.
The son of Ye Olde Editor, Claude Walker Jr., got the paper out whenever Ye Olde Editor himself was cavorting or lobbying in Springfield in the state senate. What a town we’ve had. Maybe the only one that had a state senator who was also a mayor-and another state senator who was its local newspaper publisher. Both must’ve followed the dictum, “Don’t give up your day job.”
From the June 15, 1967, Forest Park Review
Thirty Years Ago
A man entered the Liebovitz Cemetery Co. office at 1203 Desplaines Ave. spraying tear gas at clerk Elizabeth Vandenburg. Continuing to menace her, he tied her hands and forced her to a back room, then searched for cash. Finding $250, he left with an accomplice. When her supervisor returned he untied her hands and called 911. Officer Joe Byrnes, on patrol nearby, was contacted by radio soon after he had seen two men walking north. He returned to his car, overtook the subjects and arrested both.
From the May 11 & May 18, 1977, Forest Park Review
Twenty Years Ago
On balance, Review Editor and Publisher Bob Haeger had a pretty good time of it. Maybe “made” is a better verb than “had” because he seemed to manufacture his own joy. He knew what thought to go with, and the attitude matched. Invariably, he’d go for the cheerful, the light or the ironic. If it was serious business he’d try to keep it fair and, if not funny, accurate. Good newspaperman.
He once started a column about something called National Goof-Off Day, which had its origin in tiny Clio, Mich., (population 2,400). In the spirit of the thing, he good-naturedly told of this semi-serious observance. It was spearheaded by a woman who signed herself off as Chairwoman. This was more than enough to set Haeger off on his own digression: “Somehow in this business, something has gotten out of hand,” he protested. “There is nothing wrong with a woman being called a chairman.” On a roll now, he let go the Goof-Off Day theme in place of the following:
“Some may disagree,” he generously allowed, “but [key point] everybody is some kind of a man. You say no to that? But you are a hu(man) aren’t you? A fe(male) is a wo(man) and a bunch of them are wo(men). And like it or not they’re part of (man)kind. Even store dummies are (Man)nequins.” Bob then interrupted himself to add, “My daughter just looked over my shoulder at this nonsense, and reminded me that those of us who lose our (men)tal processes are sometimes called (man)iacs.
These times could use another Bob Haeger.
From the April 8, 1987, Forest Park Review
Ten Years Ago
What a job! Never mind the contractor, it’s a job that no mayor or board of commissioners would want to appropriate funds for, yet it’s got to be done–stripping and repainting Forest Park’s two water towers. This time, the north tower. Bids coming from three companies ranged from $189,000 to $320,000. The board recognized that the project was overdue and the operation an unwelcome yet unavoidable expense. At $15,000 extra for repainting the smiley faces, they felt there must be other ways to bestow happiness.
From the April 30, 1997, Forest Park Review
