Hammond and The Christmas Story

The Christmas Season is upon us. With snow on the ground, Hammond looks a lot like the movie “A Christmas Story,” which our city is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the movie this year.

The movie, based on the stories of Jean Sheppard, a well know personality of the ’60’s and ’70’s, had Hammond as the town where he grew up in. Although the movie portrayed the late ’30’s and early ’40’s, I always identified with the movie. It has a special place in my heart and mind.

I remember the first time I saw the movie. I was on a date in 1983 and I knew about the local legend of Jean Sheppard. I didn’t realize how much the movie reminded me of Hammond that I grew up in. I really got into the movie and I’m sure my date was both amused and maybe a little shocked at my behavior during a movie. But to me it is a part of history.

This year, Hammond is celebrating the movie with showings at the Towle Theater in Downtown Hammond as well as an exhibit at the Tourist Center on Kennedy Ave,, near I94.

I hope I”ll be able to see the exhibit at least. With my Mom still in the nursing home and so many things I have to do, I may not get the chance. But don’t let it stop you if you have the opportunity. Go and enjoy something Hammond can be proud of. Have a chance to remember the past and enjoy the exhibit. Let me know how you like it!

Some News Of Late

Sorry for not being on the blogs lately. Most of my time has been spent visiting my mother, who has been ill of late and is presently in a nursing home/rehabilitation center trying to recover. It has been a difficult process for her and it may be awhile before I can get back to writing more often.

One thing I can note of late was that an icon of the Calumet Region will be torn down, if not torn down already. Bowl-Ara Lanes on Calumet Avenue, near 165th Street has been scheduled for demolition. The two story bowling establishment has been in disrepair ever since it closed down in the 1990’s. The last rainstorm caved in the roof and because of that it was in danger of falling down and closing traffic on the busy Calumet Avenue road.

While it is sad that the place will be demolished. It has to be done. One note: the bowling alley was the first in the area to use the AMF automatic pin setters back in 1951, eliminating pin boys.

I spent a lot of time bowling there in the 1970’s, both with friends and just practicing after taking driving lessons at a nearby driving school, now also closed. It was a great place to bowl and the unique two atory setting was a novelty at almost any time.

Another landmark has also bit the dust. The Roller Dome on Gostlin Avenue near Calumet Avenue has also closed. With inline skating all the rage, it no longer able to keep up with the times and fell on hard times for the owners.

I didn’t skate there much, I was a lousy skater. But many people in the area did. It was a neighborhood fixture and another place that will be sadly missed in the time to come,

The Floods Of NorthWest Indiana

The last few days have brought floods here in Northwest Indiaana, especially in Munster, Indiana. With a record amount of rain the totaled around 9 inches, a good part of the Region has suffered flood damage.

Many homes in the area had either sewer or seepage in their basement. Almost everyone I talked to had some story to tell. We had seepage, that comtinues because of the high water plain underneath the house and a crack around the furnace. With no rain in the next few days, I hope to see it dry out.

The North Hammond streets have not been bad. However parts of Calumet Avenue, around Hammond High have had some flooding, including homes. There were some evacuations.

Munster has been hit hard, especially around the LIttle Calumet River. Many people have been evacuated and the river has finally crested around 17 feet, I am told.

It will be a while until things get back to normal. Luckily, the next week or so should be dry.

Look What Thet Done To My Paper, Ma

Today, I went out and pick up the paper as I always do. I noticed that as I picked up the paper, that it was lighter than usual. I wondered about it at first. Maybe it was a slow news day. With the election? I don’t think so. Still, I wondered.

Looking down at the bottom of of the front page, I noticed an article in the Times that they again revamped the paper. Seems like they made the special sections smaller and combined them with other sections. Their excuse? To make it easier for the busy people to read the paper.

The real reason? the cost of newsprint and paper has gone up and the advertising revenue has gone down. So now, the Calumet Region has a thiner, paper with smaller articles.

My verdict? I don’t like it. There’s nothing I can do about it. But just one time I wish the Times would just admit that the paper has become a costly item to put out. Don’t tell me that the paper is being made easier and more condensed to read. Just tell me the truth, It’s getting costly to put out.

Besides, I enjoyed reading a good newspaper article that was insightful and had some details in it. Today the articles are almost the headlines and nothing more. At least it seems that way to me these days.

Again, it nothing like the old days, these days.

Roll ‘Em!

One of my more fond memories of Hammond, Indiana in the 1950’s and ‘60’s are the two movie theaters in Downtown Hammond. One, just near the corner of Sibley and Hohman was the Parthenon Theater. The other theater was on Hohman Avenue, just across from St. Margaret Hospital, where the new Federal Courthouse now stands. That was the Paramount Theater.

Both places had the ambiance of the old movie theaters: Nothing like the new ones that we see today.  Both had weekend matinees, which was great for us kids as well as for out parents. They got us out of their hair for a couple of hours and gave us kids the chance to be away from home for awhile.

I can’t tell you what movies I saw where, bit I can tell you that I saw such movies as The Alamo, the Disney flicks at that time and of course my favorite afternoon matinee, the horror or monster flicks.

I enjoyed watching Godzilla or King Kong destroy Tokyo or New York. I also wondered why they didn’t eat up the Calumet Region. Then again, after looking at the smoke stacks of out steel mills and oil refineries, I guess gulping them down would have caused real heart -burn. It would have left the monsters in a bad mood and really destroy us all.

As far as what to eat at these theaters besides the regular things there was having a pickle at the Parthenon. Nothing like sucking on a pickle while watching a city gets destroyed and looking at the goofy teenagers making out in the balcony.

When I went to the Paramount, my tastes were a little more refined. Next door to the theater was a Karmlecorn shop. Which sold snacks, especially Carmel corn. The whole box would last half the movie and ruin your supper: But what a way to suffer.

Both theaters eventually were torn down: A victim of progress and changing tastes. Hammond has only one legitimate movie theater: the Kennedy in Hessiville.  It was known that Hammond had 5 theaters in it’s hey-day.  It’s progress, I suppose, bit it is something that I could do without.

Masonic Temple Is Still Standing!

I was going past the area where the Masonic Temple is located in Hammond and it’s still standing. I guess like anything, the process of getting it torn down is taking longer than planned.

I’m partly glad see that it is still standing. Although I have heard and reported that it is in bad shape, it’s nuce to see downtown Hammond with out another scar on it face. So much seems to be a feeble reminder of what Hammond once was, To have the Temple stand a little while longer is a good thing. I hope that it isn’t toen down until something useful is ready to be put in it’s place.

I also hope that some part of the artwork can be preserved, much like the Goldblats clock now inside the Hammond Public Library.

Fantasy Motor Ride

I had to ride out toward Highland, Indiana a little bit ago and took the same route the bus used to take when I needed to go to the Doctor and my family didn’t have a car. It sort of became a fantasy ride into the past for me.

As some of you might remember, we used to have the Shore Line Bus Company, which had routes throughout the Calumet Region. The buses were painted a yellow orange and green and was dominent way to travel if you didn’t have a car. They lasted until the mid 1970’s and I still remember them.

Since I was the sick one in the family, I often went to see the doctor with my mother and took the buses to Highland, where the office was. We took the 5 or 5b bus that dropped us off in downtown Hammond and transfered to the number 2 bus that traveled to Highland and beyond.

Riding into downtown Hammond, I remember the old bridge with the steel overhead canopy that existed over the river, near American Steel Foundry. Did you know that the site of the foundry was also the site of the first settlement in Hammond? There’s a plaque on the side of the building that says so. I read it one day walking to downtown Hammond from Calumet College in the 1970’s.

Anyway, once we got on the #2 bus to get into Highland we traveled down Hohman Avenue to Ridge Road. Most ofthat is pretty much the same, except if you look at Downtown Hammond. It’s Ghosttown Hammond these days. Goldbaltts is gone; the other stores are just a memory, now. The streets echo the footsteps of people no longer there.

Ridge Road is also different. When I used to go to the Doctor, then, it was all farms and open area. You could actually see barns ans animals grazing in the fields. Today it’s all stores and businesses. Traffic is congested and driving or riding is like being in a smokestack. I suppose you could call it the price of progress these  days. But we just traded one old sameness for another one.

After the doctor visit. My mother used to splurge and get me a chocolate malt at the Ken-Ridge drug store, which had a soda fountain in the store. I didn’t get a chance to notice if the place still exists, but I’m sure the soda fountain is gone. It’s not very cost efficient. But the malt and the atmosphere sure was great.

I never know how far that bus traveled from the time it left us off in Highland and returned. I suppose it went into Gary and returned to pick us up later. It was a long trip. Maybe a good half day. But it was cheap and for a kid, a chance to see a world beyond North Hammond.

Post Election Hangover?

The day after an election day is one of numbness and tiredness, especially if your candidate lost. Obama headquarters probably felt that way after a long hard day getting out the vote. Although they lost in Indiana, the decisive win in North Carolina blunted some of the sadness. It was a thrill to work with them and I hope to be able to  do more in the months to come during the general election in November.

Northwest Indiana got a lot of airplay nationally this time, although it wasn’t all good. At least it wasn’t for being murder city as Gary has been called in the past.

I didn’t get a chance to see the discussion that the Mayors of Hammond and Gary had on late night TV. I wish I could have seen that. Jeffry Toobin (sp?) called the delay a disgrace about 9pm central on CNN. I winced at that one. But it was true.

They hust have to get the vote results out earlier. We can’t be the bedrock of corruption and the Murder Capital at the same time.  That’s a heavy guilt trip to lay on us good citizens of Northwest Indiana. Believe me, there are a lot of them here.

Obamaboy Strikes Back

I had a day off today and with such a beautiful day, I went out and did some errands. First, I filed a request to the EEOC concerning my lay off and refusal to rehire me at my old employer. I want to see if they discriminated against me by age or disability. I think I have a good case, but I’ll wait and see. There’s no loss either way, I figure.

That’s strikeback #1.

Strikeback #2 occurred when I found and walked into the Obama headquarters here in Hammond, Indiana. I’m glad they have a headquarters here and I hope to work there a little as the campaign heats up in Indiana. If I claim to be Obamaboy, I ought to act like one. With a new job, I don’t know how much I can do. But, I’ll give it a try and give Barack a little help.

It’s 73 degrees outside. The first 70 -degree day in about 6 months. I’m loving it. I only wish there was a ballgame on right now. It would make the day complete. But no matter, I think I’ll get a hot dog meal from Johnnies Red Hots on Chicago Ave. near Bishop Noll. Not very healthy, bit it will hit the spot as I think about baseball, campaigns and things that are meant to be.

Remembering Another Political Visit

This past week Hillary Clinton visited the Calumet Region with a visit to Hammond. I had heard that the crowd wasn’t as big as was advertised. Also, Obama is planning a visit to the area in April.

But all these visits reminded my of one visit of another political giant years ago. That was Robert Kennedy.

In 1968, Robert Kennedy visited Hammond and had dinner with all the political big whigs at the Holiday Inn on Calumet Avenue in North Hammond. The hotel  was just a few blocks form my home.  It was evening in late April, before the Indiana Primary, an important one at that time, also. I rode my bike to the hotel and with about a couple of hundred other people in the area. waited for Kennedy to come out and perhaps shake a few hands.

Around 7  pm he did emerge and  did shake a few hands. Being small, as I am to this day, I was able to wedge myself to the first two rows of people and get a good look at the hero of the times. He was smaller that I thought and seemed to be sadder than I imagined he would look. With the history of his family, I guess that would be understandable.

Kennedy was nearest the side I was on and shook hands there. I put my hand out and believe it or not he took it. It was only a one pump hand shake, bit for a moment I came to be a part of history.

It only lasted a moment and six weeks later Kennedy was shot down in California. To this day I wonder how history would have changed if he would have been elected.

Thus is a little known piece of history, one I can say I was a very small part of.