Of Bears today and days gone by.

Bears Roll Continues

How ‘bout those Bears: Thanks to Jay Graft, Cal Sabo, Jim Hartman, and all who send me updates on our Clairton Bear Football team. The regular high school season is over in the WPIAL and post season play has begun. CHS played their second playoff game. Elizabeth-Forward Warrior field hosted the game between Clairton and Bishop Canevin and the bears won another squeaker, 47-0. That was the Bears 26th consecutive win and they move on to the semi-finals next week against Springdale.

Senior Josh Page used the game to demonstrate his skills, intercepting four passes on defense and while on offense catching four on offense for 95 yards and a touchdown. The score was 35-o at halftime! Halftime! In a playoff game! Pitt recruit Desimon Green didn’t do too badly either, rushing for two touchdowns and passing for two more.

The next opponent, Springdale (10-1), is no patsy. They are the last team to beat Clairton, 21-20 in a 2007 semifinals. The two teams have not played since. It should be a whale of a game, and of course we will bring you the results.

Those who stayed: Many readers of this blog are ex-patriot Clairtonians who moved away for school or work or service, and did not return. Others who have stayed include a core of hard workers whose desire is to male Clairton the best it can be. The Clairton Chamber of Commerce, under the direction of current leader Kathy Tachoir has been a key influence to that end. To that end, I encourage all who can make it to attend the CLAIRTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMUNITY MEETING which will take place MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2020 6:30PM at the CLAIRTON EDUCATION CENTER-AUDITORIUM

The plan will be presented to the Community for their knowledge and understanding.
There will be time for questions and answers.

The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee along with the City and School District have worked for many months to develop this plan. We listened to the residents comments from the first Community Meeting in January and incorporated the items the residents cited as concerns.

We ask you to contact your family and friends who can make it and invite them to join with us begin to: "MAKE CLAIRTON THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE".

Republicans sweep election: The election was a landslide in many parts of Pennsylvania including Clairton as Republicans swept the election two years after one of the most enigmatic presidents was elected on the Democrat ticket. Despite the popularity of the young, good looking president, many of the young people who supported him in the previous election simply did not turn out to vote in the mid-term. Still the election of a president with his background was groundbreaking. But Republicans constantly hammered away at issues such as the economy and the fact that he has not kept many of his campaign promises. The result is the new mayor and several councilmen were sworn in. The list included Mayor Bob Stokes, new councilmen James J. Daily and Ross Valvo, Controller Dr. George Wright and Congressman James G. Fulton. The year was 1962 and John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic to hold the presidency had been elected on the strength of the youth vote.

Tight budgets: The economic circumstances of 1962 caused the City Council to pass a smaller, more austere budget. That budget did not contain enough money to meet the payroll for City workers for the rest of the year. The previous year’s (1961) budget had been just over $1 million, but the new one came in at $958,870. Although the budget was reduced by just over $64,000, Councilman Bob Medvivovich complained that his department could not be run on the $86,000 allotted to it. There had been no tax increases the previous four years for Clairton residents.

More bad news on the doorstep, I couldn’t take one more step: A prominent family from Large, the Marion Batinich family, owners of Marion’s Tavern, was returning home from a holiday visit to Florida. The big car was loaded with six family members when the driver lost control on a state highway in Dillon, South Carolina. Killed in the crash was Marion Batinich, 62, believed to have been driving, his wife, Mary, 52, daughter Carol Ann, 20, and another daughter, Anna Mae Majernich. Frances Batinich and Mrs. Majernich’s one month old daughter were taken to a local hospital.


Things looking up in 1962 Clairton: Newly elected mayor Robert Stokes in his “State of the City” speech, predicted that Clairton would become “the most booming mill town in the valley” within the next four years. Speaking to a standing room only crowd in the Clairton High School auditorium, the mayor stated there will be a “tremendous effort to supply jobs to the jobless.” Among the other dignitaries on the stage were Congressman James G. Fulton, Commissioner John Walker, and former Clairton Mayor Robert W. Ostermayer. Mayor Stokes outlined several projects that would help the city get back on its feet, including the establishment of a new Housing Authority for Clairton and the release of some 400 lots in the city that could be used to build affordable housing.


In Summary: Republicans being swept in during a mid-term election two years after the election of a young dynamic Democrat president, budget woes in the city, a high jobless rate and the need for affordable housing. A review of the January 3, 1962 Clairton Progress, aside from its single copy price of seven cents and annual subscription rate of $3.00 suggest considerable truth to the old adage, “The more things change the more they stay the same.

Thanks to Jim Hartman and the Mifflin Historical Society for the copies of the Clairton Progress.


A little blogging Maestro: The number I hit song five weeks in a row in 1962, “Sherry,” by the Four Seasons.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com
www.mifflintownship.org

Clairton Happenings

Clairton Brothers, Good Cops, and Memories

Twins with different talents: The 1930s found Clairtonians as well as other Americans struggling through the Great Depression. However, life still went on. Old people died, folks fell in love and babies were born. Sometimes, as was the case with the Vujevich family, the babies came in pairs. Twin boys, Steve and Ed, grew up in the Croatian American Clairton household, both talented in different fields. Another brother, Marion, would become a doctor and profound leader in his field. Ed became an engineer. Steve’s gift was in music. His voice was something special and even as a youngster it was clear that he had a gift. Steve loved sports and politics as well, but it was clear that his musical talent would bring him and those who would listen to his rich baritone voice, pleasure.

While in high school his good looks and smooth voice earned him the nickname “Clairton’s Perry Como.” Steve’s football prowess earned him a scholarship to Carnegie Mellon University, nee Carnegie Tech, but he transferred across town to Duquesne University where he’d have more opportunity to hone his skills. He graduated with a degree in Music and became a teacher and coach at his alma mater, Clairton High School, and then a music teacher and choir director in West Mifflin. Steve also dabbled in politics, serving as police chief for Clairton and managed the campaign of fellow Clairtonian Sen. Ed Zemperelli as well as other successful candidates.

Steve Vujevich passed away earlier this month at age 80. Another stellar Clairton boy. Rest in peace, Steve.

Things not going smoothly in Clairton: A Clairton spy who wishes to remain anonymous tells me that the potholes in the streets of Clairton are alive and well. Since it will be a few months before the snow fills them in, the powers that be have decided to fill them in the old fashioned way – by paving. Victor Paving will reconstruct Boundary Way between Shaw and Kay Avenues, Crocus Way and Shaw Avenue from Maple Avenue to Miller Avenue. The cost will be a mere $81,000 more or less. Not quite sure how those particular Ways were selected, but somebody must have a way with the repavers.

Dirty politics: That smell that hangs over the heads of many of our national politicians and their wannabe replacements is not only a national stench. It’s tentacles reach far into the Clairton area. Whether it is the former football coach whose financial ethics are being questioned, or the former police chief – the first woman to hold that position, politics can be a filthy game. Take the case of Tracy Vitale. Born in Germany and adopted as an infant by an American military couple stationed there, she came to the U.S. with her parents as a 3-year old.

This sounds like the beginning of a great human interest story. Tracy’s military upbringing was a factor in her desire to pursue a career in law enforcement. She is certified by the Pennsylvania State Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission and during the past 14 years has worked for departments in Brownsville, Carroll, Clairton and Rostraver as well as the Washington County Sheriff's Department. All reports were that this groundbreaking police officer was an excellent cop and administrator.

The problem began when she was named Police Chief in the Washington County college town of California Borough. Former California Borough Police Chief Rick Encapera was demoted to patrolman and Chief Vitale became the first female Chief in the County. Some community members who opposed Encapera’s demotion staged a campaign to find a reason to replace former Clairton Chief Vitale and discovered she’d been born in Germany. They asked her to prove her American citizenship. Vitale’s father is elderly and remembers the adoption and citizenship process. Her mother is deceased. Immigration officials say it could take months to root out the paperwork, so her opponents seized on the doubt and suspended her, while hurriedly hiring a replacement – John Hartman of Monroeville.

When the job as Chief came open, Tracy Vitale beat out four other candidates. But her status remains in limbo until she is able to prove she is a citizen. To be certified as a police officer in Pennsylvania, a person must be a U.S. citizen, according to the law. I think we can safely claim Tracy Vitale as a Clairton gal. We wish her the best of luck.

Heroes of Yore: Many who read this blog can remember several historical components of Clairton in the 1950s. Among them are the Roll of Honor which sat in a park-like setting at the corner of St. Clair and Miller Avenues, caddy corner to the bank. Or perhaps you were one of the lucky ones who took the train from the Clairton Train station to Kennywood for the annual school picnic, or lived on a Clairton city street. All three photos today come from a source that has been extremely helpful. See below.



Thank you Jim Hartman: The Mifflin Township Historical Society houses a vast amount of historical data for many surrounding communities including Clairton. Jim is the president and operates out of an office near the County airport. He has done a Herculean job of gathering and assembling historical information, including decades of copies of the Clairton Progress. Jim has donated a ton of information about Clairton to us via electronic transactions, and continues to regularly forward information about our community. The pictures that grace today’s blog are courtesy of Jim and the MTHS. I encourage every Clairtonian who reads this space to visit his web site listed below or to Google the Mifflin Township Historical Society. But beware! Looking through the files can become addictive.

A little blogging music Maestro... “Bad Boys,” the theme song from the TV show COPS, done by Inner Circle.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com
www.mifflintownship.org

Clairton Across the Decades

Snippets of Clairton History

Reflections of the past: Wednesday was a slow day this week. Company is coming and the house was clean and ready for them. Food was all in and ready for cooking. I ran out of things to do. My options were, “Do I poison pigeons in the park, or do a little blog research?” So I did a little joggin’ of the noggin and came up with the following pearls of past and parables of the residents of the City of Clairton. Sit back and see if any stir up YOUR memories. We’ll start long before you were born and offer an incident or two per decade.

May 23, 1902: The Bruce and Clairton Railroad merged to form the West Side Belt Railroad.

July 20, 1902: Vera Daerr was born in Wilson. In 1929 she married schoolteacher Frank Buchanan. Frank became mayor of McKeesport and later was elected to Congress form Pennsylvania’s 33d District in 1946. Upon his death in 1951, Vera was nominated to replace him and won a special election later that year. She won two subsequent elections overwhelmingly. Vera Daerr Buchanan, Clairton native, died in 1955.

October 9, 1912: U.S. Steel Finance Committee resolves to build a 200 oven byproduct plant north of its Clairton Iron and Steel Works.

May 7, 1916: Land sales ad from the Gazette Times, “We have it – right in the heart of town – not an undeveloped spot plotted only for the exploitation of the boomer. Clairton now has complete train service, trolley lines, schools, churches, fine homes and paved streets. 5,000 people live in this flourishing community. HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET IN ON THE PROSPERITY. BUY CLAIRTON REAL ESTATE!” (Perhaps this ad should be rerun today…)

1918: Noble J. Dick Lines begin jitney operations. (NJD bus lines later became Clairton’s primary link to surrounding communities including “Dahntahn Pikksberg)

September 22, 1919: Rioting begins in Clairton steel strike. Pennsylvania State Police and laborers clashed during mass labor meetings. State troopers and mounted police charged a group of laborers and used their clubs vigorously, injuring a number in the crowd.

March 18, 1929: One building was destroyed and several others damaged when an explosion occurred in the business district of Clairton. The building next to the bank was destroyed and windows were blown out but nobody was fatally injured.

August 5, 1929: A plane with a student pilot landed safely in the Monongahela River after its landing gear was damaged.

October 31, 1921: A parade will take place as the new highway opens between Clairton and Pittsburgh. The parade will go from Hayes to Clairton and end with ceremonies held at the Clairton swimming pool. (This must have been Route 837 or “River Road.”)

September 5, 1937: Bishop Hugh C. Boyle blesses the newly opened St. Paulinas Church in Clairton. The church was designed by the parish priest and built by volunteers. (Still standing after all these years)

October 23, 1943: The undefeated, untied Clairton Bears football team won its 20th game in a row, beating Charleroi 18-0 before 5,000 fans. Lenny Kalcevich scored two touchdowns.

February 28, 1948: Ivan Bucar, a Yugoslav immigrant living in Clairton, disowned his 33-year old daughter Annabelle when she announced that she quit her job at the State Department’s United States Embassy in Moscow and married a Russian singer. The couple will reside in Russia where, the bride says she likes it better. The blonde ex-Clairton girl and Pitt grad made her letter of resignation public in the Russian newspapers. Bucar, a wealthy farmer and coal hauler who owns property in Jefferson Township has 12 children. He blames her decision on having too much education. (Fascinating. Had never heard this story. Will do more research expand it in future blogs)

February 1949: Several follow up articles were written about Annabelle Bucar, the Clairton woman and former U.S. Embassy employee in Moscow who married a Russian singer and chose to remain in Russia. According to a book she wrote, she charges that Embassy officials and U.S. Diplomats illegally profited by black market purchases and espionage. Her book was entitled, “The Truth about American Diplomats.” (We have ordered her book and will write more on this person in a future blog.)

February 10, 1951: Clairton resident Frank Orsini. Brother of police Chief Pete Orsini was among four people arrested in a raid on a suspected numbers operation.

August 23, 1952: Former Police Chief Pete Orsini who was demoted to patrolman July 22, asked that his salary be restored. Mayor John Mullen insisted that he had the authority to name his own police chief and Orsini was his man. (Here come da judge!)

March 21, 1953: The First Presbyterian Church marked its 50th anniversary with a week-long celebration. Three former ministers took part, Dr. Murray C. Reiter, Dr. John K. Bibby, and Rev. G. Karl Monroe. The current pastor is Rev. H.D. Hough. Keynote speaker was Dr. Edward Lee Roy Elson, former Clairtonian and current pastor of the Presbyterian church in Washington D.C. attended by President Eisenhower. (Will share excerpts from the 100th anniversary sermon by Clairtonian Rev. Robert Crilley in future blogs)

August 14, 1954: Dr. Karl Bohren, announced an anticipated 1,500 students will attend Clairton High School, the largest number in school history. (The growth continued until TJ was built to take many rural students)

January 21, 1956: Connie Kutsenkow, an architect from Clairton has many talents. She is a mother and an actress as well. This week she is starring in “The Cretan Woman” at the International Theater in Crafton Heights. During her studies at Carnegie Tech she acted at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. She is also working on a book that she calls “Women in Architecture.”

March 17, 1962: The Democratic Party began to track a worrisome trend in Clairton where 1,024 voters changed their registration from Democrat to Republican. Last year Clairton became one of 13 Pennsylvania cities that switched. Clairton voted in Republican mayor Robert Stokes. The Clairton picture will be studied by both parties for a clue to this year’s trend.

August 3, 1963: A freak tornado struck Clairton and Glassport and caused damage to the Irvin Works steel plant. (This writer was working my last shift as a summer worker at Irvin Works before returning for my senior year in college when the tornado hit, destroying the paint job and all the windows in my newly-purchased Rambler American)

June 22, 1968: The fourth annual Congress on Christian Education of the Allegheny Union Baptist Association will be held at the Morning Star Baptist Church on Shaw Avenue in Clairton. (Proving once more Clairton is the City of Prayer)

There you have 21 snippets of Clairton happenings, activities, and people up through the 1960s. Next week we will random items from the 1960s onward. Tune in.
A little blogging music Maestro… “Memories” by Sarah Brightman in The Phantom of the Opera.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

More Memories

Even More Memories of Clairton

Some very clever seniors: Not sure about your emailbox but mine is rife with reflections of the “good old days.” I’m sure they were more old than good but human memory being what it is we have a tendency to reflect mostly on good nostalgia rather than the bad. Thus, as I reflect on the halcyon days of the 1950s and 1960s I often reflect on my hometown of Clairton, PA which is still frozen in my mind as the ideal Norman Rockwell painting setting. Others have shared the setting and written me with their own reflections which stimulated some of my forgotten memories. So, if you can stand one more Reflections of Clairton and 50s era post, read on.

Bridges to the Moon: A small orb was launched from Russia in 1957. It contained two dogs and from that moment the term Suptnik struck terror into our hearts as we were told that Russia was now the dominant world force. The theme of our high school graduation class was “Bridges to the Moon” and a young charismatic president promised the American public that we would place a man on the moon before the end of the 1960s decade. Both were prophetic as on July 21, 1969, even as our lexicon was beginning to include the words “Viet Nam,” an American walked on the moon. Clairtonian Ron Trunzo reminded me that when the Eagle landed on the moon the astronauts discovered Alice Kramden. You have to have been a fan of The Honeymooners sitcom to get than one. Other reflections from readers touched home so with a few tweaks to localize them, read and enjoy:

More Memories – in Technicolor: Someone asked the other day, “What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up?” We didn't have fast food when I was growing up, all the food was slow. Where did we eat?

It was a place called home. Mom cooked every day and when Dad got home from work we sat down together at the kitchen table for dinner, and if we didn't like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until we did like it. My sister Kathy usually got to sit the longest because she didn't like much. Meals were called breakfast, dinner, and supper, not breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We had to have permission to leave the table.

Many parents NEVER owned their own house, wore Levis, set foot on a golf course, traveled out of the country or had a credit card. They had something called a revolving charge card. The card was good only at Monkey Ward (Montgomery Ward) or Sears Roebuck - or maybe it was Sears & Roebuck. Either way, Roebuck has gone the way of Monkey Ward.

Parents never drove their kids to soccer practice. This was mostly because we had never had heard of soccer. After a hard day at school, learning how to “Duck and Cover” in case the Russians bombed, we’d go home to family supper. I rode the neighborhood on a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed (slow). It was a “boy’s” bike and had a bar that ran from the seat to the handlebars, as opposed to a girl’s bike that had no such bar. We didn't have a television set in our house until I was ten. It was, of course, huge and black and white.

TV test patterns came on at night after the last show and the Star Spangled Banner - and stayed there until TV shows started again the next morning. There were only 3 channels – WDTV Channel 3 from Pittsburgh (The “W” was required by the FCC, and DTV stood for Dumont Television Network), channel 5 from Johnstown and channel 6 from Pittsburgh that later changed its location to channel 11 and call letters to WIIC with the clever slogan, “the ones to watch.”

I was 13 before I tasted my first pizza. It came from a local bar called Juliot's and was called 'pizza pie.' When I bit into it, I burned the roof of my mouth and the cheese slid off, swung down, plastered itself against my chin and burned that, too. It's still the best pizza I ever had. And Coke? Forget about it. We weren't allowed to drink it because according to my father, a neighbor girl almost died because she drank Coke. However, if we were very subtle about it we were able to sneak a drink of soda at our grandparents' house. My favorite was cream soda.

Pizzas were not delivered to our home but other things were.
The milk man from Keck’s or Aldrich’s dairy delivered milk in quart bottles with cardboard stoppers and cream that rose to the top. He’d leave the milk on the front porch early in the morning. Sometimes in cold weather the milk would freeze and pop the cardboard tops. Neighborhood cats loved that. The bakery man from Clairton Bakery, which is still in business, came three times a week. Mail came twice a day and stamps cost three cents.

Our grandparents did not speak English. Neither did the grandparents of nearly everybody I knew. But January 7 was a very special day for the Serbian, Greek, and other families who attended churches that had “Orthodox” in the name. It is Christmas day according to their calendar – exactly two weeks after the rest of the community celebrated Christmas. Kids lucky enough to attend those churches were often lucky enough to celebrate two Christmases.

I never had a telephone in my room. In fact, I didn't have my own room until I was almost a teen when the back porch was converted. The only phone in the house was in the living room and it was on a party line. Before you could dial, you had to listen to make sure some people you didn't know weren't already using the line. Many times they would listen in to our conversations. Later, since each house had only one phone line our father was able to get Buzzie, who knew about phones, to gerrymander a couple of extra hookups. Besides the one in the living room there was an extension at the top of the stairs, one in my parent’s bedroom, and one in the basement. But whenever the phone company repairman came by we had to hide all the phones except the one we were allowed to have. Our phone number was CL3-8054. Our neighbors was CL3-8654 and our grandparent's was CL3-7761, but our grandfather (Diedo), despite living more than 60 years in the U.S. never learned the English language and refused to learn how to use the phone.

All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers. My first route was 21 Pittsburgh Press papers delivered seven days a week. My route included only Halcomb and Mitchell Avenues to the end of Halcomb next to the Niklas Car Dealership - they sold Studebakers. Later I got a Daily News route with 56 papers but no Sundays. When I collected 60 cents every two weeks, Smokey Decarlo’s wife Gloria always gave me a nickel tip. The paper cost five cents, of which I got to keep a penny and 1/4. The Sunday Press cost 20 cents.

I didn't ride my bike to deliver papers, I slung the canvas Daily News bag of papers over my shoulder. Then I folded each paper as I walked so I could toss them. My aim was pretty good. I never remember breaking a window or knocking down a drain spout. My favorite day was Saturday because the papers were only 18 pages - very light and easy to carry.

Our street, St. Clair Avenue, was not paved beyond the intersection that included the Corner Store, Gumble's Chevrolet, and Vitori's Esso station. The part that wasn’t paved was called an ash road, as ashes or other residue from the nearby steel mills were placed on the roadway. With cars rolling over the ashes, they became pulverized and a cloud of dust would rise each time a car passed. To keep the dust down the City contracted to have tar spread over the dust a couple of times each summer. That kept the dust down but drove mothers crazy as their kids would track tar into their pristine homes, so moms would cut up large cardboard boxes and lay them across the street to allow the kids to cross with minimum tar on the shoes. Parents sometimes took a snapshot of their kids using the Brownie Hawkeye camera with blue flashbulbs that worked sometimes.

Our parents never missed a chance to remind us that they were "Depression babies" and had learned to make do. Mom would poke holes in the top of an empty soda or wine bottle and make a sprinkler to dampen the clothes before they were ironed.

A little blogging music Maestro… “Those Were the Days,” the theme song from the sitcom of the same name.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Those Oldies But Goodies

Mid-week Memories

A friend of mine, Nancy the principal sent me the reflection below. It is credited to that most famous of writers, Anonymous. Read, reflect, enjoy.

Long ago and far away, in a land that time forgot,
Before the days of Dylan, or the dawn of Camelot.

There lived a race of innocents, in the land of the free,
And they were simply simple folks, only you and me,

For Ike was in the White House in that land where we were born,
Where navels were for oranges, and Peyton Place was porn.

We learned to gut a muffler, we washed our hair at dawn,
We spread our crinolines to dry in circles on the lawn.

We longed for love and romance, and waited for our Prince,
And Eddie Fisher married Liz, and no one's seen him since.

We danced to 'Little Darlin,' and sang to 'Stagger Lee'
And cried for Buddy Holly in the Land That Made Me Me.

Only girls wore earrings then, and 3 was one too many,
And only boys wore flat-top cuts, except for Jean McKinney.

And only in our wildest dreams did we expect to see
A boy named George with Lipstick, in the Land That Made Me Me.

We fell for Frankie Avalon, Annette was oh, so nice,
And when they made a movie, they never made it twice.

We didn't have a Star Trek Five, or Psycho Two and Three,
Or Rocky-Rambo Twenty in the Land That Made Me Me.

Miss Kitty had a heart of gold, and Chester had a limp,
And Reagan was a Democrat whose co-star was a chimp.

We had a Mr. Wizard, but not a Mr. T,
And Oprah couldn't talk, yet, in the Land That Made Me Me.

We had our share of heroes, we never thought they'd go,
At least not Bobby Darin, or Marilyn Monroe.

For youth was still eternal, and life was yet to be,
And Elvis was forever in the Land That Made Me Me.

We'd never seen the rock band that was Grateful to be Dead,
And Airplanes weren't named Jefferson , and Zeppelins were not Led..

And Beatles lived in gardens then, and Monkees lived in trees,
Madonna was a virgin in the Land That Made Me Me.

We'd never heard of microwaves, or telephones in cars,
And babies might be bottle-fed, but they weren't grown in jars.

And pumping iron got wrinkles out, and 'gay' meant fancy-free,
And dorms were never coed in the Land That Made Me Me.

We hadn't seen enough of jets to talk about the lag,
And microchips were what was left at the bottom of the bag.

And Hardware was a box of nails, and bytes came from a flea,
And rocket ships were fiction in the Land That Made Me Me.

Buicks came with portholes, and side shows came with freaks,
And bathing suits came big enough to cover both your cheeks.

And Coke came just in bottles, and skirts below the knee,
And Castro came to power near the Land That Made Me Me.

We had no Crest with Fluoride, we had no Hill Street Blues,
We had no patterned pantyhose or Lipton herbal tea
Or prime-time ads for condoms in the Land That Made Me Me.

There were no golden arches, no Perrier to chill,
And fish were not called Wanda, and cats were not called Bill.

And middle-aged was 35 and old was forty-three,
And ancient were our parents in the Land That Made Me Me.

But all things have a seas on, or so we've heard them say,
And now instead of Maybelline we swear by Retin-A.

They send us invitations to join AARP,
We've come a long way, baby, from the Land That Made Me Me.

So now we face a brave new world in slightly larger jeans,
And wonder why they're using smaller print in magazines.

And we tell our children's children of the way it used to be,
Long ago and far away in the Land That Made Me Me.

A little blogging music Maestro… “Those Oldies but Goodies,” by Little Caesar and the Romans.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Read me also at http://vegasnews.squarespace.com/dr-forgot-andrew-r-nixon/

CHS Class of 1960

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

The 23d Psalm gets more meaningful: Today’s post is of a serious nature. No jokes, no satire, no politics or OJ. Just reflection of the journey we’re all taking and how that journey has ended sooner for some than for others. I’m talking about a fact of life – death. Whether we are religious, spiritual, agnostic, atheistic, or have beliefs that fit “none of the above,” we are all destined to make the same journey. The first time death slapped me in the face was on a cold winter morning when I was about 14. As I walked to school in the ankle-deep snow of Western Pennsylvania, a neighbor who was shoveling her walk looked up at me and asked, “Sonny, did you hear that Louie died last night?” I was immediately taken into a surreal trance-like state. Louie Benedetto was my best friend. He was a year or two my junior and attended Catholic school. He had not been ill. We’d just played soldier the previous weekend, hiding in the fort we’d build to keep out the enemy, girls, and parents. Louie? Died? The concept would not gel in my mind. But it had happened. He’d had gotten a headache at school and was gone by evening. It might have been a brain tumor or an aneurism or something else. It didn’t matter. My best friend had died.

Fast forward to High School: Eventually the numbness in my heart that came with Louie’s death hardened as scar tissue and I moved on to high school. A few days before graduation several of the senior boys “played hooky.” That was the nomenclature or the 1950s version of today’s Senior Ditch Day. The group went to an unofficial beach along the Monongahela River for a day of picnic, maybe a swig or two of alcohol, and a swim. Mickey Hrvacic did not make it back to shore. His body was eventually brought back and he became the first of our class to perish. The rest of us, about 250 in number, managed to graduate that June 1960.

Graduates full of promise: Our senior class theme was “Bridges to the Moon. Our new, young soon-to-be president promised that we would have a man on the moon before the next decade and we did, nine years later! For our generation, nothing was impossible. Our grandparents took part in the War to end All Wars, our parents had weathered the Great Depression and World War II, our uncles served in Korea and though we didn’t know it at the time, Viet Nam would become our war to fight or protest. We became flower children, attended Woodstock, became entrepreneurs, enjoyed color TV, portable radios, record players then 4-track tapes, 8-track tapes, and compact discs. Both spouses worked, we owned two or more cars, and our homes grew in size as did our families. Our class was also fortunate enough to have a cadre of people who stayed nearby and planned reunions every five years.

The numbers begin to decline: Each reunion one topic of conversation is always discussed – which of our classmates had passed away since our last get together. Some died of diseases, some in auto accidents, some died violently and others peacefully. In addition to Micky Hrvacic the Roll of Honor includes: Mary Rose Harris Milligan, Harry Martin, dates unknown and Juanita McFadden in 1967. Classmates lost in the 1970s included Connie Bindrum Tiffany, Kenny Papson, Lloyd Roberts, and Dan Brysh. The 1980s took Blond Cochran Taylor, Richard Pavlack, Ann Lewis Granados, Sam Colonna, and Margie Stoffa Wagner. The 1990s decade saw the demise of Alan Lancaster, David Mayfield, Dr. Paul Voelkel, Vivian East Carlson, Ron “Rollo” Richnafsky, Diane Campbell Knapp, Gerry Grunsky, and Ray Guffey. Passings in the 2000 decade were the most devastating on our class numbers. 2000 deaths included Barbara Pacinda O’Donnell, Bill Tillery, Edith Maxwell Stout, as well as Barbara Finney Sharbraugh and Ken Laughlin in 2001. Ron Galloway passed away in Utah in 2002. John Heidrick and Dare Mort in 2003, Sandra Briggs, Clarence Harris, Bob Potts in California and David Davis in 2004. In 2005 we lost Don Salvino and Charlie Rossi, and in 2006 the angels called Don Britton, Anna VanHorn Scruggs Cogley, Patty Veres Milas and Ray Foley. Last year we lost Mike Rothbauer, Christine Danko Selan, Sally Gilmore Rosche, Steve Dzubay (in Oregon), Sam Lauderbaugh, and Alex Ross (in Florida). This year class President Joe Ancrile, who was cited in this blog last month passed in May. A little more than a week ago word came that Jeanette D’Emidio Sgro, one who has contributed so much to keeping the class together and meeting regularly lost her battle with cancer. We grieve for her family and for the families of all classmates who are waiting for us on the other side. We apologize to the families if we missed anybody. We salute the keeper of our high school web page has listed the above 47 classmates, nearly 20% of the graduating class who are still with us in spirit. We look forward to meeting the rest of our classmates who are still in their shoddy bodies or classy chassis in two years when we’ll celebrate our half-century reunion.

A little blogging music Maestro... Something special for this special post – the top 100 songs of 1960:

1. Cathy's Clown, Everly Brothers
2. He'll Have To Go, Jim Reeves
3. Theme From "A Summer Place", Percy Faith
4. It's Now Or Never, Elvis Presley
5. Teen Angel, Mark Dinning
6. I'm Sorry, Brenda Lee
7. Running Bear, Johnny Preston
8. Handy Man, Jimmy Jones
9. Stuck On You, Elvis Presley
10. The Twist, Chubby Checker
11. Everybody's Somebody's Fool, Connie Francis
12. Alley-oop, Hollywood Argyles
13. Greenfields, Brothers Four
14. What In The World's Come Over You, Jack Scott
15. El Paso, Marty Robbins
16. Weld One, Bobby Rydell
17. My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own, Connie Francis
18. Sweet Nothin's, Brenda Lee
19. Only The Lonely, Roy Orbison
20. Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini, Brian Hyland
21. Where Or When, Dion and The Belmonts
22. Sixteen Reasons, Connie Stevens
23. Puppy Love, Paul Anka
24. Why, Frankie Avalon
25. Walk, Dont Run, Ventures
26. Save The Last Dance For Me, Drifters
27. Baby (You Got What It Takes), Brook Benton and Dinah Washington
28. Sink The Bismark, Johnny Horton
29. Chain Gang, Sam Cooke
30. Let It Be Me, Everly Brothers
31. Good Timin', Jimmy Jones
32. Beyond The Sea, Bobby Darin
33. Go Jimmy Go, Jimmy Clanton
34. Night, Jackie Wilson
35. Burning Bridges, Jack Scott
36. Because They're Young, Duane Eddy
37. Lonely Blue Boy, Conway Twitty
38. The Big Hurt, Toni Fisher
39. Pretty Blue Eyes, Steve Lawrence
40. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans, Freddie Cannon
41. Paper Roses, Anita Bryant
42. Mr. Custer, Larry Verne
43. I Want To Be Wanted, Brenda Lee
44. Mule Skinner Blues, Fendermen
45. Cradle Of Love, Johnny Preston
46. Please Help Me, I'm Falling, Hank Locklin
47. You've Got What It Takes, Marv Johnson
48. Love You So, Rod Holden
49. Finger Poppin' Time, Hank Ballard and The Midnighters
50. Harbor Lights, Platters
51. Let The Little Girl Dance, Bobby Bland
52. He'll Have To Stay, Jeanne Black
53. Theme From The Apartment, Ferrante and Teicher
54. Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu), Bobby Rydell
55. A Million To One, Jimmy Charles
56. The Village Of St. Bernadette, Andy Williams
57. White Silver Sands, Bill Black's Combo
58. The Old Lamplighter, Browns
59. Devil Or Angel, Bobby Vee
60. Down By The Station, Four Preps
61. Forever, Little Dippers
62. Image Of A Girl, Safaris and The Phantom's Band
63. Kiddio, Brook Benton
64. Mission Bell, Donnie Brooks
65. I Love The Way You Love, Marv Johnson
66. It's Time To Cry, Paul Anka
67. Tell Laura I Love Her, Ray Peterson
68. Mama, Connie Francis
69. Footsteps, Steve Lawrence
70. So Sad, Everly Brothers
71. That's All You Gotta Do, Brenda Lee
72. Walking To New Orleans, Fats Domino
73. Among My Souvenirs, Connie Francis
74. Swingin' School, Bobby Rydell
75. A Rockin' Good Way, Dinah Washington and Brook Benton
76. Stairway To Heaven, Neil Sedaka
77. My Home Town, Paul Anka
78. Georgia On My Mind, Ray Charles
79. Cherry Pie, Skip and Flip
80. Wonderful World, Sam Cooke
81. O Dio Mio, Annette
82. Lady Luck, Lloyd Price
83. Step By Step, Crests
84. Beatnik Fly, Johnny and The Hurricanes
85. Young Emotions, Ricky Nelson
86. Dreamin', Johnny Burnette
87. Mule Bitty Girl, Bobby Rydell
88.Tracy's Theme, Spencer Ross
89. You Talk Too Much, Joe Jones
90. Happy-Go-Lucky Me, Paul Evans
91. When Will I Be Loved, Everly Brothers
92. Let's Think About Livin', Bob Luman
93. Heartaches By The Number, Guy Mitchell
94. In My Little Corner Of The World, Anita Bryant
95. Sandy, Larry Hall
96. Poetry In Motion, Johnny Tillotson
97. Money, Barret Strong
98. Stay, Maurice Williams
99. Lonely Weekends, Charlie Rich
100. Doggin' Around, Jackie Wilson

Dr. Forgot

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Is it real or Memorex?

Days of Wine and Roses and Runny Noses

Welcome to Clairton, City of Prayer: So says the sign that greets people as they enter Clairton from Large. No, Large is not a modifier, it is just Large, which is actually a small village outside Clairton. The City of Clairton, PA can also be accessed from the hill (Route 885), or the River Road, (Route 837), or even by crossing the Elizabeth or Glassport bridges. It is quite a different city today than it was during the 1950s and 1960s. The Clairton Works mill once belched smoke and boasted the manufacturing of more coke to make steel than any other mill in the world. In its heyday the city produced All-American football players, Military Academy graduates, and a host of young men and women who would make their mark in the bigger arenas. Clairton’s biggest export somehow changed from coke and steel to talent as its children went off to college and did not return.

The Clairton phenomenon: Clairton was the kind of town you left but it always stayed with you. I lived my first 17 years there and the past 40+ in Las Vegas but I still consider myself a Clairtonian. In 1962 I was in Hawaii and bumped into two fellows from Clairton who were stationed at Schofield Barracks. In 1964 I was in the small village of Oxford, PA near Delaware when I ran into a high school classmate. In 1965 while in Pocatello, Idaho pumping gas a fellow Clairtonian driving from Montana to California stopped to gas up at the same pump. In 1991 I ran into another CHS grad in Carlsbad, CA. And during my years in Las Vegas I’ve met dozens of current and former fellow Clairtonians.

Long term, short term memories: A well known radio talk show host wrote a book called, “The Way Things Ought To Be.” To those who grew up in Clairton in the mid 20th century, that’s the way things were. Whether one attended Shaw Avenue, Miller Avenue, Fifth Street, or Catholic school during their elementary grades, everybody coalesced as a single class upon reaching Clairton High School. We had all learned the “Pennsylvania” song as well as the “The Erie Canal.” We all had learned to duck and cover, wrote on Clearfield pencil tablets using No. 2 Ticonderoga pencils, and used Zaner-Blozer pens to make ovals to improve our penmanship. We were each given a pen nib to dip into the ink well and, yes, occasionally a pig-tailed girl got her hair dipped by the imp who sat behind her. When we stepped out of line we got the paddle from a female teacher whose swing was as good as any high school coach. All this was done before entering CHS.

Parents in the iron and steel business: The standard joke by anybody from Clairton or the greater Pittsburgh area was, “My parents are in the iron and steel business. My mother irons, my father steals.” But Clairton in the 1950s was an ideal place for a boy to grow up. It was the Boomer era so there were many children to play with. Two boys together meant a 1 on 1 basketball shootout. Six boys together meant a 3 on 3 football game. We played on the street and even designed sophisticated plays, “Go to the back bumper of the red Ford and cut over to the blue Desoto.” An odd number of kids meant a singing group, and that might have even included a girl. Every boy envisioned himself as an athlete and a singer. Occasionally the singing groups organized and sometimes even cut a record.

Sing along with the Holidays: Singing groups usually called themselves “The (something)”. Sometimes the “something” was a made up word like The Deltones, DelVikings, Shirrels, etc.” Other times “The” was followed by the plural of a word such as Four Tops, Playboys, Teenagers, or Holidays. The Holidays consisted of a group of Clairton high school kids who in 1959 had two hit records; “Lonely Summer” and “Who Knows?” Franny Grisnik and Frank Gori sang baritone bass, Charlie Hatfield sang tenor, Barbara Jo Lippzer sang alto and Ray Lancianese was the lead and played the piano. It was an innocent era. We were invincible. Our generation made the rules and changed the world. But then we grew up and had adult lives with adult issues and illnesses and adult heartbreaks. That fact was brought home a couple of weeks ago when I heard that one of the Holidays, Franny Grisnik, had passed away after years of fighting Multiple Sclerosis. He died peacefully in Clairton.

The legacy continues: The steel town of the ‘50s with 20,000 citizens had a dozen car dealerships, three movie theaters, a large, beautiful park, and a high school with a swimming pool. A bond among residents of every ethnic background developed that has lasted into the next century. A group of Clairton alumni celebrates a reunion each February in Florida. Several classes get together each year around Labor Day for a family picnic in Clairton Park. Individual classes have reunions every five years. Who needed Camelot? We had Clairton.

A little blogging music Maestro... “The Way We Were” by Barbara Streisand.

Dr. Forgot
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