Naperville Nostalgia Continued... October 2007
October 2007 Naperville Nostalgia: Loved the Naperville Nostalgia!!! That picutre is of the very beginnings of Kidz Kabaret - that wonderful youth theatre troupe that is taking Naperville by a
storm (and growing in leaps and bounds!). And, of course, Crossroads is where the now Comedy Shrine exists!! So fun to see the old photos!
---Lynn Hodak
Create memories and impact with Naperville Exchange Club
This is a message I received last week from a fellow Exchange Club member from the St. Petersburg Exchange Club who recently met the brother of Richard Wistocki at one of their Exchange Club meetings. She said he was so inspired by how we honored his brother at our Police Officer of the Year ceremony that he went on an Internet search for Exchange Clubs in the Florida area and found their club just to tell his story. We have no idea how much of an impact we have on the community and the guests who come to our club meetings. It made my day. Keep up the good work!
----Dave Wentz, Lincolnland District President
I wanted to share this memory with you and also please share it with your club. I had a wonderful opportunity recently because of the impact that was left on this person from the Naperville Exchange Club. We were contacted by a person that works for Prudential and asked to speak about getting involved in our community and sharing Exchange with them as well as our local center, Help A Child, Inc. This gentleman was in Naperville visiting his family. While he was there he went to your meeting where you honored the Police Officer of the Year---which was his brother.
He was so impressed that when he came home he looked up clubs in our area. This has turned out to be a wonderful working relationship and one that continues to grow. Again, ......thank you to the Naperville Exchange Club for making such an impact!
---Kathy Mize, St. Petersburg Exchange Club
Posted Oct. 2, 2007
I remember when I was a little kid, the comic book store on the corner of Washinton and Chicago (where Barnes & Noble is now) and I also remember the record store were Features Grill is now as well as the bowling alley. Oh, how Naperville (downtown) has changed and is continually changing!
---Mike Krumlauf
Submitted October 1, 2007
I loved reading the nostalgia about Seager Park; my boys once found an old glass soda pop bottle there for Yoohoo chocolate soda. They were fascinated!
---Becky Simon
Submitted September 11, 2007
NCHS freshman opened Celebration Peace Month 2007 with memorable thoughts
Mayor Pradel, distinguished guests, dear friends and family, I am very honored for this opportunity to be here tonight for the inauguration of Naperville’s month-long celebration of peace. I would like to thank Mrs. Natesan for inviting me to speak, and for all her hard work in the past years for compiling this exhibit on the life and vision of Mahatma Gandhi. As a 14 yr-old freshman at Naperville Central, I am delighted to have been invited here for my work on a peace poster contest for Lions International. Under the theme of “Celebrate Peace,” my work was chosen as one of the 23 merit award winners among approximately 350,000 posters from 75 countries around the world.
My poster depicts a dove perched upon a globe of flags, carrying joyous children upon its feathery wings. The children each represent different ethnicities and backgrounds, but despite their differences, they share an aura of ecstasy under the same ebony sky. The dove is surrounded by symbols or methods of celebration in various countries, from a child’s birthday piñata to various dances. Fireworks sprinkle down from the top, as in a typical New Year’s celebration, just as how each passing bit of time brings promise to a change in the world.
“Peace” is a somewhat ambiguous word, one pertaining to an abstract thought and interpretation. Upon hearing the word “peace”, some people immediately take the idealistic stance, thinking of peace on a global magnitude, a day when everyone will get along. Still for others, this word “peace” evokes graphic images of the 60s with the hippie era, war protestors singing songs claiming that all the world needed was love. In general, the most common definition of peace is the state of absence of worry, conflict, or sorrow. Quite often, especially just at the click of a television remote, we see so many famous peoples of this age claim that their sole dream in life is to achieve world peace. No matter how people perceive peace, it seems as if nearly everyone wants to achieve some idea of perfection, an ultimate halo of serenity.
Often, amid the clutter and clamor to seek peace, there’s a question that I pose to myself, is peace on such a grand scale truly possible, or is it really just some utopian hope, a figment of our wistfully well-wishing imaginations?
The answer that I have found is that peace in a grander perspective can only come about if we, as individuals, have a peace of mind. As stated by the Roman 1st century philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca, “The mind is never right but when it is at peace with itself.”
In other words, we cannot hope to teach others about peace if we do not understand its works in ourselves. Gandhi’s calm crusade for Indian rights through non-violent protests was part of his hope to see a brighter future in his country. Had Gandhi been irrational, carrying an unsettled soul, the effectual change he had helped to bring would probably have been too hard to attain. Even at the end of his life, finding a calm within his own spirit, he made a sign of forgiveness to his assassin.
Peace, like many other things, needs an element of determination, as a driving force to urge on. Our own American hero, Martin Luther King Jr., drew inspiration from Gandhi, with a similar stratagem of passive resistance and inner hope during the Civil Rights Movement. Both Gandhi and Dr. King continued on their path for equal rights, despite the obstacles and hardships imposed upon them by government. Inner peace also involves an essence of sacrifice and an embodiment of virtue for others to follow. Mother Teresa strove to help the poor, giving up a more comfortable life in a convent to live with the less fortunate in Calcutta. In a similar way, Gandhi was a strong role model for his followers, leading them on long journeys to show defiance in the collection of salt, or spinning his own clothes to boycott British monopolies. As in each of these three people, all aspects of life start with a small, but willful fire, carrying full potential to be shaped into a bigger possibility.
So, dear friends, tonight we are going to celebrate peace together regardless of who we are or where we come from, just as the Plains Native Americans state in their phrase, “Miakuye oyasin,” which means “we are all related.” I hope that later tonight, after watching the movie on Gandhi’s life, we may be able to feel some sort of peaceful quietude in our hearts. With humble honor, I would like to present the opening of Naperville’s celebration of peace.
---Krystle Yueng, Freshman at Naperville Central High School
Presented in City Council Chambers on Sept. 7, 2007 / Posted on Sept. 8, 2007
I know Del Jay Kinney. He was a friend of my parents and a long time Naperville resident, as well as went to my church (well, I went to his I guess :-) ). He has moved to Lebanon, Ohio ... to a Methodist retirement "village" that a lot of Naperville Methodists move to. He did work for the YMCA, but not the Naperville YMCA or any local Y .... but the larger organization. Very nice guy.
---Rick Spencer, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, North Central College
For years, people have mentioned Del Jay Kinney ... I believe he was with the YMCA ... No relation to me, though.
---Ray Kinney, President, MinuteMan Press
I knew Del at George Williams. He was a professor as I recall. That is why he lived here.
---Tom Beerntsen, President/CEO, Heritage YMCA Group
Many years ago, in the 1940s, I would attend a church camp each summer at Camp Seager in Naperville.
One my fondest memories is of swimming sessions at a pool in town that had a beach. At the time it was immense for a 10 to 13-year-old. I had never heard of a pool with a beach, either before or since.
I was born and raised in Sterling, just west of Naperville and went to college in Chicago. I was headed for North Central College, but changed goals.
Now many years later, I have stumbled onto your Web site and enjoy it immensely. In between years, I was very active in the YMCA movement in Chicago, Sterling and eventually in California. In the '70s or '80s, I became acquainted with Del Jay Kinney, a Naperville citizen.
I would like to thank Naperville for the hours of pleasure given to me during those many summers so long ago.
---Irvin F. Tretteen, yumard@verizon.net
Submitted on Sept. 5, 2007
(Ed Channell writes a monthly column in the PN publication. In August 2007, he used his space for a little reminiscing about old Naperville, a good fit for our Naperville Nostalgia Blog.)
Some of my younger readers have mentioned that my column seems to be sliding toward the senior crowd. Helllloooo-------- I’m a senior!
I take pride in remembering. I’ll talk for hours about Last Fling in an unpaved lot at Centennial Beach, Naper Theater, the Intermission Restaurant, burgers at Fidlers, Midway Lounge, Elbow Room, Wheel-O-Meal, Ivanhoe, and an all-male Jaycees club that met in the basement of the old Nichols Library.
Or how about the time Brand Bobosky proposed putting art on the walls downtown? Graffiti, if you will.
I think we live in the best of times right now, today. Being on the backside of 60 sure has its advantages in realizing how lucky we are to be living in a wonderful city, in an amazing country at this time in history.
I think of things younger people take for granted today and wonder how they would have handled the '40s, '50s '60s today much less no electricity, no car, no phone, no running water, no TV and so many other things that have been introduced into my short life.
It’s hard to pinpoint one thing as being the most important advancement over my years. A two, three, four-car garage? A TV and phone in every room, including the bathroom?
Looking back to 1966 when I started my business, I realize how hard it was compared to today. The hardest part back then was communicating. My days were spent either making sales calls or actually installing systems that I had previously sold. I had to make a point of being back into my office by 3PM to return all the calls I received that day.
Today cell phones make it so much easier. With a Blue Tooth blinking in my ear, I could answer and return my calls between sales stops or while I was installing a speaker above Ken Small’s desk. I could actually be on vacation and still conduct business from wherever I wandered---even on a golf course.
See that, many of you didn’t even know Ken Small was Naperville’s Mayor before Chet Rybicki, Peg Price, Sam Macrane and George Pradel.
Yes, in some ways, I feel sorry for today’s younger generation today. So much is taken for granted and so many complain. If you mention how you had to walk two miles to school each day and both ways were uphill, they look at you as though to say, “I wonder how old that old feller is?”
As I slide down the backside of 60, I pat myself on the back and wonder “Was the drawing at the Midway on Friday or Saturday night?”
---Ed Channell, August 1, 2007
PN Nostalgia Editors asked Lorraine Freed Kunkel, "What were your grandparents' names and where did they live in Naperville?"
Thanks for your reply. My Grandparents names - Edwill and Vinnie Freed. Edwill was the station master. Vinnie was a homemaker. Edwill is a Charter Member of Naperville United Methodist Church. They lived for years on Ellsworth Street. Don't know the number, but know my brother, Bob Freed, would.
My 50th High School Reunion is in Naperville this year. If you got involved with this at all I know many comments could be added to your list.
---Lorraine Freed Kunkel
MEMORIES RING ON...
My sister, Jean Freed Fabian has the same phone number my Grandfather and Grandmother had only with more numbers. There number was 39M, which I believe means they were the 39th family with a phone in Naperville. -
--Lorraine Freed Kunkel, Posted July 6, 2007
JUST A FUNNY SIDE LINE!
We have had the SAME telephone number since 1951, now for 56 years. We have
moved around in Naperville six times. Honestly, we have always paid our rent and bills! We just always stayed in the 355 telephone area, and had always been in the 60540,
address area, UNTIL this past year. When we moved to 60563, everyone said you'll have to get a new number, BUT now with so many people having cell phones, there isn't the shortage of the old numbers and we got to keep ours! We'll take it to our grave barring any big changes even tho Bill Gates says within three years things will be so different we'll have to adjust again and again! Sounds exciting to me!!!
---Dee Schumacher, Posted June 5, 2007
Memories of the NCHS Redhawks 2003 and 2004
Championship Seasons
There are so many wonderful memories of the Redhawks' back-to-back championships, it would take up far too much space to even make a partial list. My daughter, Lauren
Grochowski, is one of the girls in the photograph.
For me, the fondest memories are the ones that never made the paper or the 10 O'Clock news. I loved when it was our turn to host the team pasta dinners. It is hard to fill a house with that much food, noise, and laughter any other time. The annual team sleepover prior to the start of the season was also at our house.
I can still see the mountain of basketball shoes piled up by the front door and hear the Karaoke machine going full blast until the wee hours of the morning. Just like lots of the average homes with teenagers around Naperville.
On the court is where this group of girls really showed they weren't your average teenagers. Volumes have been written about Candace Parker, but I can summarize the two years Lauren and Candace were teammates this way. The best player on the team and in the nation was also the best teammate. She is incredibly gifted as an athlete, but she is equally gifted in filtering her celebrity through her sense of humanity. Everyone was important to her beginning with her teammates and schoolmates, through the
hordes of autograph seekers, media members, well-wishers, and on-lookers.
When talk centers on the championship seasons it is common for people to say that Naperville Central won because nobody else had Candace Parker. I simply reply that they won the championship because the Redhawks had Rachel Crissy and Tiffany Hudson. I will always admire how these two girls were such complete players, both willing to accept less in the way of stats and personal glory in exchange for two rings.
In today's "me-first" world of athletics, they understood that the team would be successful if they complimented Candace's immense talents rather than competed with them. On just about any other team in the state, either girl would have been a big star and their team's "go-to" player. On the two title teams, they were simply the heart and the soul of the group, each willing to sacrifice personal gain for team success. Rachel and Tiffany were easily the best two players at Central, outside of Candace Parker, since at least the year 2000. The three of them together provided the talent and veteran leadership needed to go all the way. The rest of the girls were vital parts to the engine.
I can also look at the photograph in Positively Naperville and remember how incredibly hard the girls worked in the off-season to push themselves to get better and better. Each gave up a lot of freedom and activities with their friends and family to spend their summers playing on the club circuit and with each other in summer high school leagues.
Larry Parker, his friend Mike Henry, and club coaches Glenn Earl and Mike Seeberger spent hundreds of hours working with Lauren. I know her teammates in the picture had some of these same summer coaches, plus others, schooling them on the fine skills that would raise their game to championship levels. All five girls pictured are on athletic scholarships in Division 1 today---their reward for the hard work and sacrifices.
The one other thing that stands out for me as I look at the picture is the fact that 10 of their teammates are missing. While the picture doesn't show their faces, I remember their individual contributions on and off the court. My favorite memories are of all of the girls who comprised the 2003 and 2004 IHSA Class AA state basketball champions.
It sure has a nice ring... make that two nice rings.
Jay Grochowski, Naperville
Response to Naperville Nostalgia, April 7, 2007
Naperville's Cow Tunnel
I'm not sending anything in or requesting anything, but I wasn't quite sure how else to contact you. For a school-related assignment, I am supposed to find where the old cow tunnel is located. I know that its near the train station and I think it might be at 12th and Main, and given your Naper Nostalgia site, I think maybe you could help me out. Thanks. ---Yuan
Answer: The cow tunnel is still there, but somewhat diminished in size and use. I think mostly raccoons and opossums travel through it now.
Animals do need our help when changes to the landscape affect their patterns. When the railroad came through Naperville in the 1860s its path split a farmer's pasture in two. The railroad compromised and built a tunnel under the tracks so the cows could walk freely on the property.
The cow tunnel is located at Webster Street and the tracks. There is also another tunnel further east, south of Seager Park, but when the locals refer to the cow tunnel, the Webster Street tunnel is the one they are thinking about.
In the 1970s the cow tunnel was fenced off from human use because Mayor Rybicki felt there could be "hanky-panky" going on. As a young person who used the tunnel to get from my grandparent's home to my cousin's home it was a safe way through a dangerous line. I personally think it should be reopened.
Thank you for your interest! ---Mary Lou Wehrli for Positively Naperville
Former resident visits after 25 years:
My name is Amy Goleb-Kimmel. I lived in Naperville from 1953 to 1971. I attended Ss. Peter and Paul Elementary School and graduated high school from Naperville Central in 1971. My favorite teachers were David Gaydos (English) and my Russian language teacher (I can’t remember her name.)
I visited Naperville in October 2006 after 25 years. One of the most beautiful sights was a lovely painting in a walkway depicting old Naperville. It showed town hall, the movie theater, etc. The mural was signed by Lisson-Kuhn and Netzley. Thank you for this lovely memory. Please do more!
I visited my old house at 324 S. Sleight Street and found it still there. To the right of my old house, Mrs. Raymond's house had been taken down and a HUGE new home is now in its place. I drove to Ss. Peter and Paul School and saw that many of the streets in that area are now walkways. Al's Candy Shoppe on the corner is empty.
One of the purposes of my visit to Naperville was to locate the grave site of my infant sister, Ann. Before my visit, I worked with the director of cemeteries for the archdiocese who was most helpful. I discovered that the grave locations back in the 1950's were not recorded well. The infant grave sites at the Ss. Peter and Paul Cemetery were not recorded officially at all! Even though I had a receipt for a infant grave site for Ann ($20 back in 1959), nothing on the easement of burial certificate indicated a lot location.
Working to locate Ann's location from my present home in New Market, Maryland, it appeared that I had reached a dead end. However, I thought a physical visit to the cemetery might yield some clues and it did.
Using my father's cryptic notes and meeting with the director of cemeteries at the cemetery, we were able to locate Ann. I saw many familiar names near her including Ferrero (Is this a relative of a fellow student, Rich Ferrero?). I looked for Madam Sicre in the cemetery---she was the French teacher we had at Ss. Peter and Paul.
It was an interesting journey locating my sister. Someone I spoke with at Ss. Peter and Paul rectory told me that the priests sometimes wrote the location of where people were buried on the back of a window shade. Back then, Naperville and our community was so small that a note on a window shade was official record keeping and was all that was needed.
---Amy Goleb-Kimmel
Posted Dec. 26, 2006
I lived in Naperville from the time I was born--1928--till 1957. I remember downtown: Mydad was the owner of RIFE CLEANERS, and he used to give a Tootsie Roll or a stick of Beeman's gum to every child who came into the shop. Next door to us was LAURA ROETTIG'S CORSET SHOP, and on the other side of her, SCHERER'S HARDWARE (later Soukup's). I remember the old men who used to sit around the stove in Scherer's and talk and spit tobacco.
When I was young, Broeker's store had two sides to it: Dry goods and groceries, and that was a place where everybody went to get the latest news. Teresa and Louise waited on you, and when you were buying gifts, they knew everyone's size and preference.In a very small shop near the Naper Theater, Maggie Herbert sold "notions"--supplies for sewing, knitting, crocheting, and also lovely little toys: tiny china dolls for a penny, tin motorboats with small water tanks for a nickel. (You'd light a little candle under the tank and the steam would propel the boat for a few feet.)
Across the street was FAULHABER'S MEAT MARKET. Around the corner on Main Street was REICHE'S FIVE-AND-DIME STORE, where we used to buy penny valentines to put in the Valentine boxes in our classroom. On Washington Street, near Jefferson, there was a nice cozy restaurant called THE GYPSY TEAROOM, featuring entertainment by the ORRIN TUCKER BAND, which later became famous, especially for singer WEE BONNIE BAKER's rendition of "Oh Johnny Oh!"
At NAPER THEATER, we watched weekend movies featuring Shirley Temple, Jane Withers, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, and Roy Rogers. They ran serials once a week: "Flash Gordon," "Buck Rogers," and the preposterous "Son of the Guardsman," which was a pathetically low-budget film about valiant knights who rode endlessly around the countryside in rickety armor and engaged the evil enemy in battle for no very good reason. And I wonder how many people remember the OTTERPOHL DAIRY ad that ran before the main feature? It showed a large empty milk bottle that filled the entire screen, and after the message had been delivered, the bottle mysteriously filled up from the bottom with milk. When we came to that part, the audience provided a loud sound effect: WHOOOOP!
I also remember: THE YELLOW SHEET, which was a small advertising giveaway that came out once a week and featured trivial and funny local news. KROEHLER FURNITURE FACTORY, which used to blow a noon whistle to signal lunch time, and a one o'clock whistle to indicate that lunch time was over. I remember when we all gathered at the depot to watch the amazing race between two CALIFORNIA ZEPHYRS, the proud new additions to the Burlington Line. I also remember the tragic train wreck, when two zephyrs collided just short of the Naperville Depot. And: Sledding down INDIAN HILL, the CHRISTMAS CONCERT of the Naperville Band at PFEIFFER HALL, the incomparable MEMORIAL DAY PARADE, which included a number of bands led by a spectacular male baton twirler, elementary school children marching with their teachers, fire trucks, and veterans, including one frail veteran of the Civil War who rode in an open car.
So many good memories, and we old-timers thank all the new people who have preserved the memories of Old Naperville so well!
---Marj Rife Hart , Posted July 17, 2006
Remember the old Moose Lodge?
Every Friday night, the Moose Lodge (on Ogden near Columbia) had a fish fry (with hamburgers for those opposed to seafood). We kids would drink about 10 bottles of 10 oz. cokes and play the sliding puck bowling machine. Everyone was there at the long,
communal tables. There was an organist playing the Hammond (unmistakable sound) Organ--- old standards.
And at Christmas time, they'd have a gift grab bag.
I was told there was a roulette wheel in a back room but only had second hand info on that. It was a great place and the Moose did great work for orphaned children at Mooseheart in Batavia. They always sponsored good Little League teams, although I played
against them on Wilbert Hageman's Kiwanis team.
---Mitch Eales
Submitted June 10, 2006
I'm a native Napervillian and I remember all those things being written about in this column. The asparagus farm in Goosepimple Heights belonged to Mr. Lance. who hated our dog. We lived at the corner of 12th and Main and the land to the south was one of his asparagus patches. We lost our dog to poison and we all thought we knew who did it. Goosepimple Heights is so named because the land north of Ogden was fairly flat except for one small hill on the Fry farm and from a distance it looked like a goosepimple, hence the name. It was actually an old Indian mound. We used to walk over to Fry's Farm and buy milk right out of the milk house with cream still on the top. Mom would skim off that cream and we'd have strawberry shortcake with real whipped cream.
There was a taxi stand at the back of the Kroger store which was located at the northeast corner of Main and Jefferson.
The Red Top Tavern was owned by Mr. Staffeldt and when we were kids, my sister Kay and I would play behind the fence with JoAnn Staffeldt.
The organist in the window at the Midway Lounge was, I believe, Bonnie Hageman. She played beautifully.
Remember when Officer Fairbanks walked Washington Street between Nelson's gas station (Van Buren and Washington) and Jefferson Ave.? He would always help all the kids across the street.
We used to walk through the cow tunnel to Naper School from 12th and Main. How many kids walk that far today?
How many of you remember the "witch" who lived on the northeast corner of VanBuren and Main? (Never did know her name).
I remember walking downtown and everyone you met you were either related to or they were Catholic or Protestant, whichever you weren't.
I also remember in or about 1949-50, Budge Givler and a few of his friends, skipped school and put Ronnie Berlin's car in the middle of the river at the Eagle Street bridge where cars could ford the river.
It wasn't Reidy's Dime Store, but Reiche's Store at the northeast corner of Main and Jackson. They had everything imaginable in that store. I think I ranked them right up there with Soukups.
---Mary Fraley (Givler), submitted June 1, 2006
PN was there when Kidz Kabaret first started performing on stage a Crossroads Theater in 2003! Now watch how they're creating wonderful memories at Center Stage on Quincy Ave.!
Kidz Kabaret prepares to make history with summer lineup for its stage in August 2010
Local children’s theater group Kidz Kabaret has just announced its summer show lineup, promising plenty of singing, dancing and laughing for local kids and their families this summer.
Children in kindergarten through 3rd grade can star in the family-favorite Disney musical The Jungle Book. Youngsters in 4th- 6th grades can try their hand in a little magic with Disney’s Aladdin. Meanwhile, older kids, 7th grade and up, will be challenged with a stage version of the movie hit Fame.
Registration is open to the public. Rehearsals begin mid- to late-June with performances in Kidz Kabaret’s brand new, 180-seat Center Stage Theater in August.
Summer Camp, too! Kidz Kabaret will also offer week-long summer theater camps with the ever-popular High School Musical 2. Camp runs half-days for kindergarten through third graders and full-days for fourth through seventh graders. Students will spend the week learning theatrical terms, developing costumes and props, memorizing lines and rehearsing scenes from HSM2. On the final day, students will showcase what they have learned in a performance on Kidz Kabaret's main stage.
For prices, registration and/or for more information, call (630) 355-9212.
Remember PN's first logo? Click on it to remember the 2002 Memorial Day Parade. God Bless America!
