I’ll probably vote, but for whom? I’m thinking of leaving some races blank. There is no one to vote for. If I could I’d write in Bozo or any other reasonable clown that would at least give us some laughs, than what we have today.

Neither side has the answer because they don’t have the foggiest idea of what the question is. Republicans, Democrats, Tea Party; It’s all the same. It’s rhetoric instead of solutions. It all style instead of substance. I’d rather watch a Ball Game than follow an election. It’s sad and a shame. Meet the new boos, same as the old boss.

Of course there was the Paramount Theater on Hohman, right across the hospital. As a kid I went there often to see movies. Nearby, there was the Karmol Korn store. We used to go ther before the movie to get some Karmol Korn and enjoy the movie.

Paramount Theater used to have a midnight movie toward the end of it’s time in operation. A few times some of us went to a midnight movie after getting out after the PM shift at the hospital. Some of the movies there was MASH and Rocky Horror Picture Show, always a blast to participate in.

Two stores nearby that I used to visit a lot was S&J Record Shop, which had moved from State Street. It was a great place to get some records and later, when you got home from the 4 to 8 shift in the kitchen, you finally got a chance to play them. The price was right and the atmosphere was right too.

Wayne’s Trick Shop was also nearby. I didn’t go there as much as S an J’s. However, it was an interesting place to browse around. I sometimes did that before I went in to work.

As far as food there was nothing like Kwik Kee Snack ( I think I got that right). The had the greasiest hamburger there, just the right thing to hit the spot. We went there after work on occasion. They also had a great chocolate malt. Those I miss these days ans I can taste how good they were as I write this..

There are things I missed here, I’m sure. Now, all of these places are gone, Replaced by the Federal Courthouse and the expansion of St Margaret Hospital. It may be better, but I miss the old days. They were fun and in the place of Kwik Kee Snack, filling.

I, myself would watch the semi-state onTV (usually WTTW) and cheer for the region teams, no matter who they were. It was a big deal. Everyone would listen to the draw to see who their high school team would play in the opening round in the sectional. We would moan when your team got paired with a powerhouse; that meant an early exit from the tournament. If you beat the powerhouse, then dreams of a state championship would dance through your mind.

Today, there is no getting around it. Class basketball has hurt the tournament. The gyms are not filled anymore, there is still TV for the finals, but it no longer is a big thing. Who remembers the class champions from last year. Many of youremember the champs of 1970, Gary Roosevelt or 1971, EC Washington.

Yep, there’s little interest in basketball as it is played today. I understand the reason for class tournaments. But, still, I’d rather see a single class tournament in basketball. It was fun, it had interest, and perhaps a small school can still pull it off.

One is Planet Hammond on Facebook.  It seems to be a fairly popular site as there are over 6.ooo fans of the site. It has a number of topics, like sharing where you live or once lived in Hammond and what you do or did for fun in the city.  If you want to interact with people who love the city, this is truly a place to go. You will have to sign on to Facebook to be a part of the page, but it is worth the hassle. The politicians ought to like the site, also, especially next year when the Mayoral race starts to heat up.

The other site is dedicated to the late Jean Sheppard of Christmas Story fame. One part of the site is Shep Talk. Here you can talk of anything Jean Sheppard or Hammond. It has a small following and is friendly to all the Region folks.  Be getting an account on the Sheppard site, you can become part of the Shep Talk site. It’s worth the effort, as far as I am concerned.

Wateh out for the snow coming to Hammond this Sunday and Monday Feb. 21 and 22. Hopefully it won’t be as bad as the last one in late January. Personally, I’m getting cabin fever. Spring Training for Baseball has started, I’m ready for the warm weather.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.