Forest Park’s Zimmerman Cleaners at Roosevelt and Circle celebrated Andy Collis as the “Good Guy” of the week, back to school savings abounded as lead pencils were 12 for 39 cents at Forest Park Gift and Stationers, Foremost Liquors had Hamm’s Draft beer on sale, 24 12 oz cans for $3.77, and Circle Lanes offered two free games when kids 8 thru 17 registered for the supervised Jr. League.
It was editor Claude A. Walker Jr. who marked the changing times in his column: Personal Observations in the Forest Park Review, Sept. 1, 1966, reprinted here:
Can I join the Senior Citizen’s club at age 36?
Do they have a Junior Auxiliary for guys in my age bracket?
These questions are prompted by the fact that I “aged” over the weekend. Saturday night I attended a wedding reception, and I haven’t been to a wedding since my own, 15 years ago. It started out with the routine receiving line and the usual exchange of age-old pleasantries.
This was followed by the regular roast beef dinner. But as the dessert was being served, all bedlam broke loose! It seems that the band was told to start playing at 9 p.m. and they were right on time with a wild watusi (or whatever today’s jungle music is called.)
The bridesmaids all kicked off their shoes and went into contortions, which reminded me of being covered with poison ivy, plus having an itchy back. They “swam,” hit imaginary golf balls and convulsed.
We old-timers (ages 30-40) stood against the wall and gaped. Sure, we’ve seen this on TV, but here it was for real (and in living color). This madness was interrupted by the announcement that the newlyweds would now cut the cake, and in walked two bakers carrying a big CHOCOLATE CAKE! It just so happens that the bride likes chocolate cake, and it’s her wedding, so why not?
We then returned to pandemonium, as my ear drums popped and my ancient wife took me home. I took my Geritol and went to bed.
Jill Wagner