40 years ago

Claude (Ye Olde Editor) Walker did a column on how to register a complaint during a village hall meeting. He said that some aroused citizens, god bless them, state their case, provide an example, express an opinion or two, then sit.

Other irate attendees, according to Walker, either empty their bag of emotions or become hardened dissidents with three or four axes to grind. Invariably, a shouting match ignites. He once encountered an argumentative type who punished the Toledos at 300 lbs. that had to be frog-marched out of the room by a couple of swarthy police officers – to the cackle and glee of the crowd.

The previous village hall meeting saw two women – Janet Scianto and Joan Cube – restore order and preserve decorum. Representing 130 signers of a petition against a neighborhood nuisance, they overcame a questionable quorum argument and played a key role in resolving the issue. If nobody else can handle it, leave it to the women.

From the Feb. 18, 1970, Forest Park Review

30 years ago

Triton College offered at least three courses probably not offered today. You determine which might still be offered. Back in February, 1980, candidates for self-improvement could choose from the following mini-courses made available by the Student Association Program Board: The Art of Quilting (with age-old and new techniques), once a week class for three weeks … Assertiveness Training (one-day practice of), expressiveness without aggressiveness … and Using Refunds and Coupons (one-day practice of), developing frugality in challenging economic times. Like now.

From the Feb. 27, 1980, Forest Park Review

20 years ago

Came across an interesting life in the obits early in 1990. Carmelo Parfume died, age 100, at West Suburban Hospital. He and his pre-deceased wife, Minnie, had a retinue of relatives – two sons, their wives, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In him you could picture the stereotype immigrant arriving at Liberty (Bedloe’s) Island in New York Harbor at the beginning of the 20th century. Born in Sicily in 1890 and carrying an over-stuffed bag, he underwent tortuous immigrant processing and gradually assimilated into a new country and culture. After marrying Minnie on June 24, 1917, they came to Forest Park and he found work at Western Electric in Cicero, retiring from “Hello, Charley” at age 70 in 1960.

Shortly before their marriage Mr. Parfume had become a survivor of one of the worst maritime disasters in U.S. history, the capsizing of the excursion ship, Eastland. Some 812 Western Electric employees drowned in the 1915 accident.

From the Feb 7, 1990, Forest Park Review

10 years ago

Many things to remember this time of year: daylight savings time … income tax … maybe your vehicle emission test and St. Pat’s Day. This year it’s also catch-up time with the U.S. Census’ 10-year countdown. Some census forms have been mailed, and all are due out by month’s end. The point is that 250 heads were under-countered in 1990. Result? Lost money.

That year, resident bean counter Mike McCabe and his five-person committee, put it this way: “It’s hard to emphasize the importance of returning fully completed forms. Every person in every household must be counted. The more people counted, the more funds we get from the federal government, and the more benefits accrue to us all.”

So if you were skipped in 2000, or it seems like you may be overlooked this year, call the village hall at 366-2425. The appropriate census form will be sent, and no one will call.

From the Feb. 2, 2000, Forest Park Review