Forty Years Ago

In his springtime mental meandering, Ye Olde Editor Claude Walker came upon a report from the Illinois Revenue Department stating that in just one month – September of ’67 – the sale of alcohol and spirits brought in $2,744,816 to the state coffers. That came from 1.8 million gallons of booze, 20.5 million gallons of beer and a whole bunch more in wine to top it all off.

Later in the same column, the Olde Scrivener noted being surprised at the number of synonyms, back then, for intemperance – fuddled, stoned, bombed, tipsy and plastered, among others. Now people entertain themselves with behavior like – hammered, blitzed, strafed, wasted, ripped, warped, declassified, lubed, nuked, gassed, hosed, totally zonked.

From the Feb. 8, 1968, Forest Park Review

Thirty Years Ago

Twenty car thefts were cleared from the books with the arrest of two men. The solution began with the recovery of a stolen car owned by Forest Park executive Michael Brown. It had been stripped and abandoned in a lot behind the old Zayer Store, at First Avenue and Roosevelt Road.

Sgt. Gary Doss, returning from the scene in an unmarked squad, spotted two suspicious male occupants driving ahead and tailed them in a zigzag pattern, Unable to shake the pursuing cop, they pulled into a River Forest driveway and turned their lights off. Doss blocked their exit and called for backup. The thieves, both 18, were arrested and charged with felony theft. A search of the abandoned car behind Zayer’s later revealed the two were driving with items that belonged to Brown.

From the Feb. 25, 1968, Forest Park Review

Twenty Years Ago

Former Mayor Fred Marunde and his daughter, Kimary, 28, were walking north after dark in an alley between the 200 blocks of Elgin and Harlem avenues, near the F&M Discount Store. Suddenly, only a block from their home, Kimary was grabbed by the neck, the offender holding a knife to her throat while demanding money from her father. A second man pushed Marunde to the ground, removed his wallet from his pants pocket and the two fled with $60. The ex-mayor and his daughter were able to furnish composite sketches of the two yet, unlike the stolen auto ring caper, this case wasn’t brought to a successful end.

Three residences damaged by fire in one day and all originating in the basement. Fire officials acknowledged the coincidence, but said the incidents were unrelated. At 12:50 p.m., the first call. Six people living in the first home had evacuated when firefighters arrived. The fire was quenched with moderate damage to the basement and some smoke damage upstairs. Almost immediately after returning to their quarters at 2 a.m., came a second call; this time an apartment in the 1400 block of Harlem. Flames escaping from basement windows proved this to be the most serious of the three blazes. Last, as well as least, came a call at 6:45 p.m. – a basement fire at 500 and 502 Beloit Ave., where 20 to 25 people were evacuated from a 39-unit apartment. It sounded worse than it was.

From the Feb. 17, 1988, Forest Park Review

Ten Years Ago

Altenheim social worker Brenda Matson said of the oldest resident at the home: “She knows what she wants.” ‘She’ being Amalia Kirsch, who was celebrating her 103rd birthday. Asked what she wanted most for her special day, she replied without hesitation, “I’d like a nice glass of German beer.” (As civil a request if ever one was made.)

Though her husband had passed away some years ago, her sons had often phoned, sent letters and packages – and visited – Amalia since she moved to the Altenheim in 1972. On her 100th birthday they had arranged, at her request, a T-bone steak dinner. It may be best to enjoy steak and beer together, but separately beats no steak and no suds at all.

From the Feb. 18, 1998, Forest Park Review