Schulz scoops Larry the Mule

Knitting is back and better than ever! The library sponsored an introductory knitting class led by Susan Ross a few weeks ago and there was standing room only. The advanced knitters helped the beginners and everyone helped everyone else. Tuesday, September 07, 2010

'If it ain't one thing ...'

40 years ago No lives lost, but when 20 firefighters eat enough smoke to get treated at a nearby hospital it goes down as a pretty serious fire. The call came at 3:09 Sunday morning, August 9. The E.W. Kneip Corp. at 7501 Brown Ave. was ablaze. Tuesday, September 07, 2010

A life cut short, but a spirit that remains

40 years ago Karen Good Kolzow, or Karen Good, as she was known most of her short life. A human being, a person barely 19 and hardly into the ways of the world. Karen was born in Forest Park July 24, 1951, graduated Proviso East High School in June, 1969 and met her death Aug. 10, 1970. Tuesday, August 31, 2010

BBQ goes to Dwyer at CUinFP party

Sept. 8 will be Literacy Day at local libraries. Come and learn how easy and rewarding it is to tutor adults who have not learned to read English. Whole Foods Market will host a community support day in honor of the occasion by donating 5 percent of customers' grocery bills to the organization. Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Surviving an encounter with Edgar Allan Poe

May Bill got into another barroom brawl and fell off a barstool after some guy punched her in the eye. Well, anyway, that's what it looked like. Actually, she was walking big, black Edgar Allan Poe, her daughter Janet's shar pei "puppy" who weighs in at about 140 pounds. Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Higher priced food for thought

40 years ago Food. It was the subject of a 1970 Larry Kaercher editorial. Still around as a priority subject, it will remain so in the future. Actually, the theme was "Food ... the price of." Kaercher wrote his piece after reading a U.S. News & World Report interview with C.W. Cook, Chairman of General Foods. The Q's and A's still apply today. Tuesday, August 24, 2010

It's even too hot for the beekeeper

Are you still there? The heat didn't get you yet? Jodi Gianakopoulos, of The Old School Records, loves this heat and can't get enough work done before it goes away. Their little dog, Brandy, is gradually recovering the use of her legs. Big girl Evianna is doing very well on her 15-month-old legs. Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Back when 'Roy Mohr was Roy Mohr'

40 years ago The cyclical nature of this column - repeatedly going back 40, 30, 20 and 10 years - allows for the happy reappearance of the departed; in this case, that of esteemed former editor Bob Haeger and his "Once Over Lightly" weekly column. Included are these recollections: Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Finally, the first customers at McDonald's in Forest Park

Apologies to the first customers at McDonald's last week. Somehow the photo never made the paper. Here are customers number 1, 2, 3 and 4, Joshua Hill, Luke Hedges, Tony Wesley and Jack Sullivan happily anticipating their first hamburger on Aug 2nd. Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Sympathetic Howards discuss good will

40 years ago There used to be a Chicago radio personality named Howard Miller. He was as popular as the late Bob Collins. There used to be a Forest Park mayor named Howard Mohr. He had a community center named for him. The two Howards got together in an on-the-air telephone conversation on Miller's WGN morning show. Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Forest Park's flood not as bad as Iowa

If you read this column last week, you deserve an apology. The column went in before the flood, so no mention was made of it. Sorry for all who had water damage. Some blamed Tony Calderone. I'm not the president of his fan club, but certainly the flooding was not his fault. Tuesday, August 03, 2010

I am a woman, so treat me like one

40 years ago Larry Kaercher, along with editors of several thousand other newspapers, was mailed an open letter from Glen R. Fischer of the Solo Cup Foundation. It concerned an image of women versus women themselves, and read in part: Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Schauer's has a shiny new sign, Hanson a shiny Ranchero

Schauer Hardware has a brilliant new sign. Here are Don and Rich proudly posing in front of it. Soon there will be no one left in Forest Park who will call it "Peaslee's." Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Pranks, jokes, PCP and sausage down the pants

40 years ago There's larceny in the heart of us all; sometimes double larceny. Park District Director Jim Sarno was one of the celebrants at the Forest Park Annual Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament. Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Do you know where Tricoci and Collis streets are?

It was standing room only at Brown Cow Sunday. It was probably the same at Pasciugo but ... no parking space. Here are Meredith and Kasey Agnew cooling off with their parents Mindy and Rick. Meredith will be starting kindergarten at St. Bernardine in a few weeks. Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Past not far from the present

40 years ago Editor Larry Kaercher agreed to an interview with a college junior. The subject was journalism in small towns. In exchange he had a quid pro quo chat with the student on drug use and abuse. Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A celebratory birthday like any other

40 years ago Two Sundays ago we marked the 234th birthday anniversary of a pretty good country. Today any Forest Park parent age 45 or 50, might remember being a 5 or 10 year-old who celebrated the July 4th back in 1970. Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Finding solace in the basement

Here's Rebecca Leehey with her new friend, 1-year-old Marathon, acquired from the Oak Park Animal Care League. Marathon and Rebecca are happy to be together. The people at the Animal Care League are very fussy about who gets a pet. Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Birthdays bring cars and cupcakes

The Youth Jazz Ensemble from Kagan & Gaines will be performing around the area this summer. You may have heard them at Summerfest. The musicians are Jim Goelitz, Bjorn Vogen, Justin Young, Alex Scaramuzza, Vero Belinson and Alejandro Ibarra. Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Boom Boom no Hack, but daffy

40 years ago A syndicated sports feature carried stories of some daffy ballplayers of the past. Here are two examples: There was a pitcher named Boom Boom Beck. Whence the appellation Boom Boom? Tuesday, July 06, 2010