New Snow In Hammond

Well, today is certainly a snow day in Hammond, Indiana. We are expecting upwards to 12 inches of the white stuff over today and tomorrow. It’s our second snowstorm of the winter season in 2009-10. Once i get done with this blog I’ll get ready and go out and shovel a little. I don’t want to be shoveling the whole 12 inches tomorrow.

Still, I’m glad it’s not like 1967. When we had 23 inches of snow over 2 days. It’s still the grand winner of snowstorm in the area. We were off from school for 3 days. People couldn’t get to work or leave once their shift was finished in the steel mills or the end of the day. But it was a lot more fun then it is today as people worked together to get the cars dug out and the streets cleared.

These days, people help each other out less. They only work for themselves, forget about the other guy or gal.  It’s kind of sad, in a way. Hard to thoink of the ’60’s as the ‘good old days,’ when people helped out each other and had fun doing so. It’s kind of like my parents who longed for the good old days of the 1930’s qnd 40’s.

Every one has a period of time they think was the best. I guess it’s just human nature. Well of to shoveling!

Quiet Times

I haven’t been out much since the weather has not been cooperating much. With a heart -lung transplant, I tend to watch it during the cold weather ans with the snow. So, my main activity has been exercising on my stationary bike and watching a lot of tv between the work around the house.

I finally got my science fiction book out on Lulu.com. The book ‘Space Pirates’ has nothing to do with the Calumet Region,but you may want to read it as I don’t think there are too many science fiction writers in the area, not hat I know any. You can go on the Lulu site and pick it up and eventually it should be on Amazon.com

My nest book will have a Region flavor. It going to be a kind of a mystery book and I’m basing the story in the Hammond locale. One of these days, I’ll get started on my other Calumat Region book. I see how this book turns out before I start on that book. I’m hopeful that it will be well received.

The best things to see in the Region is basketball right now. After Christmas, things are quiet. This is especially with the cities having less money for special events and any celebrations. The economy has certainly toned down things for everyone. Hopefully, jobs woll pick up and then the cities will have more money to do some nice things for all of us in the Region. That’s it for now.

Big Snow In Northwest Indiana

It may not rival the Great Snowstorm of 1967, but, today we will have a significant snowfall today January 7th and January 8th. So far we are looking at 6 to 10 inches in the area.

Also, the lake shore area could get a few extra inches as we get some lake effect snow. It is rare for the area of Hammond and Whiting to get lake effect snow as the wind usually blows Northwest and hits the Michigan City and South Bend area. But once in a while a North or Northeast wind will blow and then, we get punished.

In 1967, I enjoyed the snow, but then I was 14 years old and in 8th gtade. Now I’m all of 57 and have a Heart-Lung transplant. I’m no longer thrilled ny the prospect of winter snow. If I didn’t have obligations here I’d move where it is warmer. This year that may be impossible. It’s cold and miserable all over. Texas-cold Florida-cold. Georgia-cold. Why go on vacation? You would be laving one cold place to visit another cold. area. Wait, there is Arizona. I don’t think it’s too bad there. Spring training, here I come!

I’ll report later on about the snow and it’s after affects.

Christmas In Hammond Past and Present

This past week I had some business in Downtown Hammond and had parked my car near St. Margaret Hospital and walked to where I was supposed to go. On the way I had a chance to observe Hammond as it is today, compared to the Downtown Hammond of yesteryear.

Today Downtown Hammond is a mere shadow of what it once was at Christmas Time. Way back when, I used to go into the downtown area and actually get all my Christmas shopping done.I would take my younger sister on the bus and and stop near Walgreens and we would go into Goldblats and do most of our shopping. We would check out the store windows of Goldblats, just like Ralphie Parker in ‘A Christmas Story,’ I swear that the showcase in that movie was once used in Goldblats, sometime in the 1950’s or 1960’s.

If we couldn’t find anything in Goldblats, we always had Penny’s or Woolworth’s to fall back on. If you wanted to there was Minas on State Street to hustle over to.

Lunch was eaten at Walgreens, since the store than had a cafe. If you wanted you could go to Quickie Snack on Hohman and Clinton (I think) They bad the most greasy hamburgers that I could remember. A real heart stopper, but oh so good!

After a few hours and all the shopping done, there was the bus ride back home. All of this done within a few miles from home.

These days Downtown Hammond is mostly business like lawyers, banks, and hospitals. There has been some efforts underfoot to try and revive downtown, but in this economy, it will be slow going. I doubt that it will ever be the same again, unfortunately. We need to think lo locally and find ways to bring commerce and visiters back to our downtown areas. It can only happen with each of us supporting those businesses that try to make it in those abandoned areas of our past.

Fantasy Ride-Towne House Bowling Alley

A few weeks ago I had to drive north into Whiting, Indiana and shop at Strach and Van Til’s, on 199th Street and Calumet Avenue. Somehow I remembered that the site of the store used to be the site of of Towne House Bowling Lanes back in the ’50’s and ’60’s into the ’70’s. I used to bowl there sometimes with friends as a diversion to being bored. I wasn’t a very good bowler, but at least it was a sport I could do without too much shame.

My dad, however, was a good bowler. In fact he once won a tournament at Towne House lanes in 1962, I believe. I don’t remember what his series score was, but he pretty proud of the achievement.

Over the years, my Dad developed a lot of friendships and such at that bowling alley. In the late ’70’s (1978, I believe) the bowling alley burned down one cold morning in late fall. When my Dad heard the news he rushed out to see the smoking ruins of the fabled bowling establishment. It was a total loss: nothing but ashes and twisted steel. His home away from home for him and his cronies gone forever.

He and his friends gathered aroud to mourn the loss of their old stomping grounds. They lost balls, shoes and other equipment in the lockers they rented at the place. Most of all they lost a place to meet and carry on their friendships. There are not many places where a guy could feel comfortable and enjoy the comraderie of their fellow bowlers.

Many scattered to other bowling places. I don’t know if all the friendships survived in the loss of the Townw House, but I kind of think of my Dad and his buddies when I’m shopping in the cereal section. It should be about the middle of the 15th lane. A lot of pins were knocked down there, now a lot of cereal is bought there.

Most important, a lot of friendships were made back then, You can still hear the pins falling and the conversations taking place if you havve an imagination and a vision of a time passed by.

Calumet College Grows Up

My old college sure is growing up. Calumet College just  added a Student/Athletic center to its Whiting Campus. With its six story academic building, it has come a long way from its storefront image back in the ’60’s and ’70’s.

graduated from Calumet College back then (1975). Whule the college these days has a better image then back when I studied on the East Chicago campus. I enjoyed my time at the old campus. It had an attitude as a rough place, sort like the area that it was located in. If you could survive there, you could survive anywhere, at any job.

For the most part, we did. Many of us made it in the working world. We had dedicated professors there and  tough as the campus.

It wasn’t much, just a little piece of hell turned into heaven. No basketball, soccer or baseball team. We didn’t have student athletes. Just working class stiffs that wanted to get a college education- and that’s what we did.

Calumet College is different. Better? Perhaps. I won’t knock it. It’s just different, that’s all.  Growing up today I still might like it. But I had a heck of a good time then and yes, I got educated too.

If You Build it They Will Come- St. Victor Parish Handicapped Lift

Usually I don’t mention anything religious on my blog. Not that I am not spiritual, but I tend to avoid it in a blog that is seen by many others who may not hold the same beliefs as myself.

This day I will deviate from that and mention what my parish is doing these days. St. Victor Parish in Calumet City, Illinois is becoming accessible. A lift is being built for those who are in wheelchairs and for those who cannot walk the many steps to the main part of the church. This lift will also make the churh hall accessible.

This has been a dream of many people, including myself, in the parish for many years. Finally and gladly their work and dreams are paying off. As one who has been involved in this project for much of that time, I am especially pleased that the church is being made accessible.

The project is slated to be in operation the weekend of June 27 and 28, according to Pastor Fr. Len Dubi.

Along the same line, after years of stalemate, the parish is in a midst of a small revival. Though it may not become the kind of large parish that it once was in the 1980’s, it has a small group of dedicated parishioners that are working hard to bring community to the area and parish.

If that is the kind if parish that you would like to be a part of, especially if you are Catholic, I would recommend that you go there and see what is happening there. You may be pleasantly surprised. I am just happy that the parish is getting beck to what it once was years ago. The lift was a part of that dream. I’m glad that it is being completed.

Saving What Is Left of the Masonic Temple

Last year, I wrote about the pending demolition of the Masonic Temple in Downtown Hammond. Seems like it never came to pass. The reason. Some wanted the highly decorated fresco preserved before the building would be torn down.

Finally, an agreement was reached that would save the artwork. Where it will go, once saved is anybodies guess, but I am glad it will be saved.

Maybe the Hammond Public Library will save it like it did to the old Goldblatts Clock that now hangs over the stairs in the library. Maybe the Jean Sheppard center could find a place for it. Or the Visitors Center off the expressway.

Anyway, it’s a valuable piece of Hammond’s past and I’m sure it will be saved and put in an appropriate place for all of us to enjoy, long after the rest of the building is torn down, later this year.

Another Fantasy Ride

I had to head out to Valporaiso, Indiana last week and took the easier but longer route down U. S. 30 to get to where I wanted to go. While it was cloudy, it wasn’t rainy and I sort of enjoyed the trip, despite the early hour.

It had been years since I had gone out that way. When I was younger, my family went out to Lake Eliza this way and it was interesting for me to see the area almost 40 years later.

I thought the whole way would be filed with stores and restaurants as I traveled the way. Yet, believe it or not, it wasn’t.  Sure, the area around the I-65 corridor was congested, but the nearer I got to Valpo, the less congested it became. Apparently it’s still the land that time, and progress has forgot. I’m glad in away. As I got to the open area, I became more relaxed and enjoyed the ride more.

I passed Lake Eliza. I would have stopped over and checked how things have changed in the nearly 40 years since I last was there. But this was March and I had a deadline to meet. The cold and dreary weather would not spark any summer memories of days gone by. The resort ws probably closed anyway.

Maybe I’ll take a ride this way again during the Summer and visit the area when it finally wakes up from the Winter Slumber. Maybe, I’ll be disapointed that the place hasn’t improved. Who knows what I’ll find. I only know now that the memories that I have will stay with me forever. That is something time cannot erase.

My New Book Is Out

OK! Listen Up! My newest book is out! It took a long time to do the editing on it as I have been busy over the last year. Mostly, taking care of my Mom who has not been well over the last year and all the changes that happened around that event. But finally I got the book put out on Lulu.com and it’s out for you to buy and enjoy.

The name of the book is ‘Space Pirates,’ and yes, it is a science fiction book. I wrote it for Nanowrimo back in 2007. Why science fiction, you ask? Well I always wanted to try my hand at writing something like that and decided to have some fun with the genre and write a book in that vein.

The story involves a scientist who once worked at SETI in search of contacting intelligent life in the galaxy. He never does until he meets a neighbor who lives next door to his parent’s farm in Iowa. If you want to know more, buy the book or download it at Lulu.com.

There are not too many from Northwest Indiana writing science fiction these days, as far as I know. So here’s your chance to help one if your own out.

Given the economy, I’ve tried to keep the price down on the book.

You can get my book here:

http://www.lulu.com/peaclver

Either that or just go to Lulu.com and search for ‘Space Pirates,’ and it will come up.

Hope you get a chance to pick it up!