Clairton Connections

If Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right, Try Three

First order of business: One of my all-time favorite movies is “Lawrence of Arabia.” One of my favorite lines in that movie was uttered by an Arab chief to Lawrence, “You lied! You’re NOT perfect.” In that spirit I must say that I heard from several readers last week regarding my reflections of Clairton. In one Jean Jordan writes: “Enjoyed reading your blog - you mentioned the 1960 football team but forgot about the great marching band & Honeybears. It was one of the best in the tri-state area with Ben E. Benack & Mr. Rotili, who once in a while would direct - even in his advancing years. Then, there was Audrey Smith who choreographed our routines - who could forget those giant dice & our routine to Peter Gunn. It was great fun. Still to this day I get teary-eyed every time I hear ‘When the Saints Go Marching In?’ I just want to get up & march!!!” Well, Jean, you are absolutely right. How could I have overlooked the Honeybears and the excellent staff of musicians and music teachers who taught us? I must admit, however, that their teaching was pretty well lost on me. The only instrument I ever played was the radio, and that was usually off key.

My parents decided that they would pay to have a piano teacher come to the house each Saturday to teach the basics to us. My three sisters were able to master the blasted instrument but after my second lesson the piano teacher pulled my mother aside and, nodding toward me trying to play a scale said, “Save your money with that one.”

Next order of business: Reverend Abe Allende helped me remember two doctors whom I did not mention, He writes, “You were right in that there were ‘at least’ five (physicians in Clairton). Two other very significant omissions were Dr. Booker and Dr. Sessions, both African-American doctors who, of course, treated African-American patients not only from Clairton, but from the surrounding area. That era in which you and I lived in Clairton pre-dated the age of "cultural competency" and, quite frankly, white doctors did not have a significant clientele of African-American patients. This was not due to intentional prejudice, but I'm guessing they may not have felt comfortable treating black patients and I'm certain black patients, to be quite candid, felt more comfortable with a black doctor.”

Over my shoulder a backward glance: Clairton residents had little else if not a strong work ethic. Nearly everybody of my era did something outside the home to help the family income. Some scooped ice cream at Isaly’s, others checked grocery items, delivered papers, pumped gas, baby sat, or did one of a myriad of activities. My outside activities included working as Haines Super Market on Route 51 and delivering The Daily News. When I was 14 my father became the Daily News distributor in Clairton and 2,000 papers were delivered each day to our garage, counted, repackaged, and distributed to paperboys (and a few girls) and stores. Most of the stores that sold individual papers were drug stores and they included Thrift Drug, Livingston’s, Webb’s, and others. Webb’ was one of the more difficult stores to deliver as it was on the corner of Maple Avenue and State Street and in front of the mill gate, so there was always traffic. It was necessary to stop for as long as it took somebody to hop out of the blue Jeep, run the papers in, and run back out to the Jeep. If you happened to catch the red light just right it was ok, but most of the time that did not happen. The proprietor and pharmacist was an African American gentleman named Benny Webb.

Fast forward 40 years: I worked at a university in Las Vegas for about three decades. During that time I was a professor and an administrator at the school. My duties also included marketing and overseeing their Doctoral program in Organizational Leadership and one in Educational Administration. As I was reviewing an application preparing to interview a potential Doctoral candidate I noticed he was from Greensburg, PA. We began to chat about Western PA and I told him I had grown up in Clairton. He said, “My uncle owned a pharmacy in Clairton. Perhaps you remember Benny Webb.” Small world.

More Clairton Stuff: Readers of this blog frequently ask me where and how I uncover the trivia and other items for the Clairton blog posts. Many suggestions come from readers who tell me about Clairtonians they remember or accomplishments of those with whom they’ve gone to CHS. Others have been kind enough to forward resumes, news clips, and photos of current and former Clairton citizens. A few have access to certain research programs that scour the internet, and they are kind enough to forward any information a “Clairton” search yields. There are also several generally available websites that include Clairton history and current topics. http://imfromclairton.com includes many photos and discussion topics. http://mifflintownship.org/CLAIRTON/ is an active site maintained by Jim Hartman and includes a wealth of information about the area including Clairton. Jim has also converted many editions of the Clairton Progress and made them available. Old photos and interesting facts abound at their site. Current news stories and forums can be found at another interesting website, http://www.topix.net/city/clairton-pa. The City, School District, and Library all have their own websites. There is lots of neat stuff about Clairton floating around in cyberspace.

Don’t forget: The CHS Class of 1960 will celebrate their 50th reunion this June and a multi-year get together will be held at Clairton Park Saturday September 4. This is a great opportunity to renew old acquaintances. Further information can be found at http://chsreunionpicnic.com


A little blogging music Maestro... “My Hometown” by Bruce Springsteen.


Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Unions and Reunions

The Tie that Binds

Reader comments: We get regular feedback from readers. Sometimes the blog misbehaves and refuses to accept the comments. Fortunately, when that happens I often get an email, such as the one recently from my editor in chief and occasional guest blogger Jill Urso. In response to a previous week’s blog on Easter traditions she writes, “My mother was the organist for the Lutheran church on Walnut Avenue in Wilson. I remember sunrise services on Memorial Hill at Clairton Park. They would rent her a portable organ and she would have to pump it with her feet to keep it going!!! We never missed a year even though sometimes it was freezing!”

Reunions and other ties: I’m not sure how unique Clairton residents and former residents are about keeping in touch with their roots. If Mrs. Dr. Forgot’s high school is any indication, Clairton is unique. Her graduating class, which got their diplomas a few years and a couple of thousand miles away from mine has had exactly one formal reunion in the decades that followed graduation. They also had a recent brunch with a couple dozen classmates getting together one morning at a local country club. But Clairton denizens, past and present seem to have a proclivity to get together more often.

Bears across the years: Each year at Clairton Park a multi-year reunion is held at the Lodge. This year it will be held Saturday, September 4 starting at 11:00 a.m. Although the focus is on graduating classes between 1934 and 1970, members of other classes have never been turned away. It is a casual, multi-family affair with folks bringing their own lawn chairs, drinks, and spouses. It is said that a class reunion is the true measure of the love of a spouse or partner, as it can be their most boring experience ever. Not so the multi-year CHS reunions. So many families, spouses, colleagues and friends stop by that being bored simply is not an option. The sponsors of the Multi-year Reunion Picnic have a web site: http://chsreunionpicnic.com.

Bears across the miles: So many ex-pat Clairtonians have migrated to the Sunshine State that a Clairton reunion is held annually in Ft. Desoto Park, Florida. This one is held when the chill is on in Clairton – the third Saturday in February every year. For photos, directions, and other information, see the website that discusses the CHS Florida Reunion: http://www.chsreunionpicnic.com/florida2009pics.html

Golden Bears to meet this summer: The Clairton High School class of 1960 was unique in a variety of ways. Students came from Finleyville, Elrama, West Mifflin, Jefferson Borough, Pleasant Hills and other parts of the globe to attend CHS in the closing days of the 1950s. As sophomores the Class of 1960 was so large that the school administration had to resort to creative scheduling to accommodate the huge number of World War II babies. This was accomplished by opening the theater up for use as a study hall. The theater had wooden floors that slanted toward the stage, that also doubled as gym class (then called “phys ed”) as well as serving as the basketball floor for high school basketball games. A few ne’er-do-well lads would sit in the back rows during study hall and roll marbles down the wooden floors, disrupting the few studies that actually occurred.

To alleviate the CHS overcrowding a brand new school was built out in the sticks. It was named Thomas Jefferson High School and the inaugural class was carved out of the sophomore CHS Class of 1960.

A half century in the blink of an eye: This June the CHS class of 1960 will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their graduation with a reunion. This class is both unique and special in that starting with the 10th anniversary the class has held a reunion every five years. Every reunion was well planned by a core of hard working class officers and well attended by alums who had roamed the globe – from California to France to Africa, and even a core group of locals who stayed nearby but attend each reunion. In the interest of full disclosure we must confess that we are a member of this class, but we also have a mailing list of well over 200 CHS alumni who read this blog regularly and we hear from others who have received the blog in an email. To those CHS classmates from 1960 who have not yet made plans to attend I encourage you to make your reservation soon. This one promises to be the best yet. Information can be found on the 1960 CHS website: http://www.clairton1960.com/

A Clairton Bear Football Legacy: Back in the “good old days” when men were men and women were glad of it, and you could tell one from the other even at a quick glance, Clairton was an athletic powerhouse. Swimming, track, basketball, football, and other sports were consistent winners in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) but none were ever state champs. That was only because there were no state championships until recently. The Bears football team came close a couple of times, getting knocked out in the semis or finals, but fame did not elude them long. The week before Christmas saw the Bears, which had previously won six WPIAL championships, win it all against Bishop McCourt. They are keeping up a rich tradition. So will the 1960 graduates reflect on the wins, losses, cheers, and tears this June. Hope to see you there.

A little blogging music Maestro… “Be True to Your School” by the Beach Boys.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Test Your Clairton/Pittsburgh IQ

A Closed Mind is a Good Thing to Lose

Mostly Personal: It is a safe bet that many blog readers are either current or former residents of Clairton, PA and the Greater Pittsburgh area and their families. We always appreciate hearing from Clairtonians whether current or expatriate. Reader Jill Urso sent us a Pittsburgh IQ quiz. While not exactly Clairton, Pittsburgh is that little town down the Monongahela. Or if you’re not up for a swim, that little village can be reached by driving the River Road (aka Route 837) or the more modern, more congested Route 51. Once you arrive “dawntawn” you are to look around and see how many of these questions you can answer. In the spirit of final exams, which will be coming up soon, here is a Pittsburgh practice test:

1) Newscaster Bill Burns used to end his newscasts with what phrase?

2) Name 2 members of the Rooney family.

3) Pittsburgh once had a bridge to ______________.

4) Name Ricki Wertz dog.

5) Captain Jim sailed on the ship____________.

6) Famous Pittsburgh DJ, Clark _____________.

7) Bill Cardille's nickname was___________________.

8) What pro wrestling champ was from Pittsburgh ?

9) Paul Long's news partner was Don ________________.

10) "It's 11 pm. Do you know where ______________________?”

11) Name the parts of a Primanti sandwhich.

12) Bob Prince's nickname was ______________?

13) Myron Cope invented the Terrible _____________.

14) What tunnels are on the Parkway West?

15) What tunnels are on the Parkway East?

16) What are the former call letters of WPXI Channel 11.

17) What is the Pittsburgh subway system called?

18) Paul Shannon hosted _________________.

19) Nosmo King was played by ___________________.

20) What was Bob Prince's call after a Bucco's win?

21) What famous Market Square Restaurant can a street person eat at the same table as a business executive?

22) In what part of Pittsburgh was Forbes Field located?

23) Where is Forbes Field's home plate now?

24) In what part of Pittsburgh was Three Rivers Stadium?

25) Name the 3 rivers whose confluence is in Pittsburgh .

26) What was the popular hamburger joint in Pittsburgh prior to McDonald's?

27) What number did Roberto Clemente wear?

28) What number did Joe Greene wear?

29) Where will the UP Incline take you?

30) What state park is located in downtown Pittsburgh?

31) What was the name of the local 11:30 pm Saturday show in 60's & 70's?

32) Name the 1st radio station in Pittsburgh .

33) During the 70's, what radio station encouraged listeners to answer their phones with, "I listen to the new sound of _________."

34) What was the nickname of KQV during the groovy 60's & 70's?

35) The host of Dialing for Dollars was Del ______________.

36) The host of Bowling for Dollars was Nick________________?

37) What would you receive if you answered a question incorrectly on Dialing/Bowling for Dollars?

38) Name the late night KDKA radio talk show host.

39) The host of Popeye and Knish was Hank ______________?

40) Jack Lambert said quarterbacks should wear _________________.

41) A Saturday morning Tarzan Theater was hosted by Don ________________?

42) The minor league hockey team in Pittsburgh was the _________________.

43) The 2 ABA franchises in Pittsburgh were _____________ & _______________?

44) Chicken on the Hill with _______________?

45) Who had to "leave town" in April after advising Pittsburghers to remove their snow tires the same week Pittsburgh received a 12" snowfall?

46) Name the show that was on every Sunday at 1 pm with
Ricki Wertz and competing students.

47) What was the name of the "Castle Prankster" on Chiller Theater?

48) Where could you send your letters to Santa where they would be loaded on a rocket ship and sent to the North Pole?

49) Name the tart sold by KDKA radio morning DJ's during Christmas season.

50) Who was Bill Burn's co-host before his daughter Patty?

51) Who can?

52) Ring-a-ling-a-ling give ______ a ring.

53) Century Three Cheverolet.

54) Eat and Park, the place for ______________?

55) What cabaret type showroom was located in Monroeville ?

56) Name 4 quaterbacks from the Pittsburgh area who played in the Super Bowl (there are more than 4).

57) Who played Handy Man Negri on Mister Rogers Neighborhood?

58) What section of Pittsburgh would you go to buy fruits and vegetables?

59) The Civic Arena is located just below what area of Pittsburgh ?

60) What 3 Pittsburgh colleges play Division 1 basketball?

61) Wholey's is known for ___________________.

62) What hotel is famous for its dancers?

63) The 1st owner of the Steelers was _______________________.

64) The paddle boats of the rivers are the _________ Fleet.

65) The Pittsburgh USFL team was the _______________.

66) Pittsburgh railroad workers did a dance while they worked. It became known as the __________.

67) "John Naretto __________________."

68) In an early book about the Steel Mills, Pittsburgh was described as “________ with the lid off.”

69) Who hit the home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Pirates a World Series victory in 1960?

70) Who did the Pirates beat in that World Series?

Ok, now exchange papers and let’s check your answers:

1) Goodnight, Good Luck & Good News tomorrow.
2) Dan & Art
3) Nowhere
4) Copper
5) Nancy Bee
6) Race
7) Chilly Billy
8) Bruno Samartino
9) Cannon
10) Your children are?
11) Italian bread, meat, cheese, tomato,coleslaw & french frie
12) The Gunner
13) Towel
14) Fort Pitt
15) Squirrel Hill
16) WIIC (The Ones to Watch)
17) T
18) Adventure Time
19) Paul Shannon
20) We had 'em all the way!
21) The Oyster House
22) Oakland
23) Forbes Quad - Univ of Pgh
24) North Side
25) Allegheny, Monongahela meet to form the Ohio
26) Winky's
27) 21
28) 75
29) Mt Washington
30) Point State Park
31) Chiller Theater
32) KDKA
33) 13Q or Keen, Quick, Vital
34) 14K
35) Del Taylor
36) Nick Perry
37) BD gallon Islay 's Ice Cream
38) Perry Marshall
39) Hank Stohl
40) Skirts
41) Don Riggs
42) Hornets
43) Pipers & Condors
44 Willie Stargell
45) Bob Kudzma
46) Junior High Quiz
47) Stefan
48) Paul Shannon at Adventure Time
49) Farkleberry Frump
50) Marie Torre
51) Ameri-can (Heating Company...spokesman Pie Traynor)
52) Roth
53) Lebanon Church Road
54) Smiles
55) Holiday House
56) John Unitas, Joe Montana, Terry Hanratty, Jim Kelly,
George Blanda, Scott Zolak, Joe Namath
57) Joe Negri
58) The Strip
59) Hill District
60) Pitt, Duquesne & Robert Morris
61) Seafood
62) Edison
63) Art Rooney
64) Gateway Clipper Fleet
65) Maulers
66) Gandy Dancer
67) Cares
68) Hell
68) Bill Mazeroski
70) New York Yankees
We are grading on the curve so if if you missed fewer than 10 give yourself an A. If you missed more than 30 you have to visit the old Burgh more often.

A little blogging music Maestro… Guy Mitchell’s “Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”

And just in case you’ve forgotten, the melody was hijacked by Malvina Reynolds who did “Little Boxes.” As a bonus, the words to the song are:

There's a pawnshop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
And I walk up and down 'neath the clock
By the pawnshop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
But I ain't got a thing left to hock

She was peaches, she was honey, and she cost me all my money
'cause a whirl 'round the town was her dream (was her dream)
Took her dancin', took her dinin' till her blue eyes were shinin'
With the sights that they never had seen (never seen)
If you should run into a golden-haired angel
And ask her tonight for a date
She'll tell you somewhere there's a rich millionaire
Who is calling again about eight

(There's a pawnshop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
And I've just gotta get five or ten (five or ten)
(From the pawnshop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Gotta be with my angel again

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Easter in Clairton

Reflections of Easter in Clairton

As mentioned in this space previously, I was born in Clairton, PA during World War II. I was born at home (not some fancy McKeesport Hospital) because I wanted to be near my mother when it happened. I therefore grew up in 1950s Clairton and most of my memories of my hometown are from that era. It was a wonderful time and place to grow up. My family was bilingual as were so many families who were children and grandchildren of European immigrants.

All four of my grandparents migrated from an area of Europe that during their lifetime was called Austria-Hungary, The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, and after the conclusion of World War I, Yugoslavia. In the 1990s, after all grandparents had passed, Yugoslavia encountered a civil war that resulted in each state therein becoming its own sovereign country. Serbia retained the name Yugoslavia but Croatia, Bosnia, et al became individual countries.

Clairton was made up of a wealth of diverse people and nearly two dozen different churches. My maternal grandparents attended the Serbian Orthodox Church and my paternal grandparents attended the Roman Catholic Church so as children we attended both. As we got older we were encouraged to attend church with our peers and I attended the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches with my friends and classmates.

Eventually the church attended by all my siblings that became our primary place of worship was First Presbyterian on Mitchell Avenue. During my teen years our entire family officially joined and became active in that church.

Easter Sunrise services were a part of many Clairton churches including the Methodist and Presbyterian. I recall attending those services with my family as well as with my high school buddy Jay who attended the Methodist church. Once we got drivers licenses a group of peers would attend various Easter Sunrise Services together.

As a family we visited our grandparents on holidays. My memory includes vivid reflections of the Serbian Orthodox grandparents who always prepared holiday dinners for the extended family. Delicacies included dishes that I am unable to spell as well as lamb, a staple of their homeland.

Religious pictures and icons decorated the walls of my grandparents’ homes and we would occasionally attend services at their respective churches. I must admit that as a lad this was not my first preference as the Serbian priest had a long beard which was kind of scary to a kid and he swung a container of incense back and forth which trailed smoke and whose odor did not do good things to my stomach. Ditto the Catholic Church where the priest spoke in Latin and it seemed we were kneeling, sitting and standing so often that my knees ached. The Presbyterian and Methodist services were much less traumatic for a youngster.

Regardless of the churches attended I loved the beautiful musical oratorios of Hayden, Bach, and of course Handel’s Hallelujah played on an organ. Every church I attended had a choir that was simply outstanding. Those were some of the fondest memories of my Clairton church days at Easter.

Eggs were always a part of Easter. Easter egg hunts and rolls were part of every child’s ritual. But before such activities other rituals took place. The family gathered around the kitchen table to dye Easter eggs. Mine lacked any sort of artistic flair but those of my siblings were often creative. Other Easter activities were held. One is a Serbian Orthodox custom. In Serbia, the first dyed egg is kept until next Easter, guaranteeing family security and health. All the rest hard boiled dyed eggs are used in a traditional game, known as egg dumping, where each player hits the other players’ egg with their own. The winner is the holder of the last intact egg. The losers get to eat their eggs. This is a common practice in all Christian Orthodox countries on Easter Sunday.

Whether it was sunrise services, visits to grandparents or attending church to the strains of beautiful Easter music, Easter in Clairton was a very pleasant time.

A little blogging music Maestro: Handel’s “Messiah.”

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Comment by reader Jill: My mother was the organist for the Lutheran church on Walnut Avenue in Wilson. I remember sunrise services on Memorial Hill at Clairton Park. They would rent her a portable organ and she would have to pump it with her feet to keep it going!!! We never missed a year even though sometimes it was freezing!

Cats and Home Depot

A two-part blog today

Dogs come when called. Cats take a message and get back to you:

MEMO TO MY CAT

Dear Casanova: You have lived in this house for several years now and I have tolerated your little idiosyncrasies. I admit I’ve been a little lax on rules enforcement, but now it is time to review the HOUSE RULES:

1. Nighttime is when big people sleep. It is most difficult to sleep when a cat is curled up on your head with his tail brushing across your nose.

2. The bed is a King size. That is the largest one they make. It should easily sleep two adults and a cat. You weigh about 15 pounds, a fraction of what either of your two human bedmates weigh, so there should not be a problem here. I could not buy a bigger bed even if I wanted to and I refuse to move to the couch again to accommodate you.

3. The bowl that says “Cat Man” is yours. The food in that bowl is cat food. The food on the counter is human food. Placing your paw in the middle of the human food or poking around it with your nose does not make it cat food. Dining on cat hair is not my idea of an epicurean delight. Stay away from my food.

4. The hallway from the living room to the bedroom was not designed by NASCAR. I know that some of your cat relatives can reach a top speed of 60 mph. Racing me to the bedroom, even with a head start, is not a fair game. Tripping me offers you no advantage because you can already beat me fair and square.

5. Let’s revisit the bedroom for a moment. I have lived up to my end of the bargain by not taking you to a groomer to have you washed and trimmed, and you’ve kept your end by grooming yourself daily. But MUST you groom yourself just as I’m drifting off to sleep? And the occasional hairball… must you cough it where I step when I get up from bed? I think not.

6. You have an entire room with a fine potty box filled with kitty litter. I do not bother you when you go in to do your business. So why, when I enter my human bathroom, do you feel compelled to claw, cry, meow, and otherwise try to turn the door knob and even to crawl under the door? Just as you prefer privacy in your potty box, so do I in mine.

7. Then there is the kissing thing. Even though your tongue is a bit like steel wool, I appreciate your affectionateness and desire to kiss me. Given my preference, however, I would prefer you kiss me BEFORE you clean yourself.

8. I know you have several uncanny abilities. When we have visitors you have the ability to identify the one who likes cats least and rub against that person’s leg, climb on their lap, and muss their hair. It would be better if you did not do that.

9. Many people do not understand that you are just a pet to them but to us, you are our kids. We adopted you and you’re welcome here as long as you choose to stay.

10. Finally, don’t get all uppity when you read this one, but having a cat is better than having a kid around the house for the following reasons: you eat less, you don’t ask for money, you won’t wreck my car, you don’t smoke, I won’t have to pay for your college, and you will not come home pregnant, and even if you do we can sell your offspring.

PART II: A LUNCH CRUNCH

Ok, so I sneak off for a quickie lunch with Mrs. Dr. Forgot. It was at one of our usual Mexican Cantina lunches with food you can’t pronounce and shouldn’t trust. Pedro (real name Skippy) took our order and disappeared. The food was good - a little spicy, not AIEEEE CARRUMBA!!

On the way back my date said, “Let’s stop at Home Depot. I have to pick up some plant food.” How innocent is that? Ok, no problem

Once we got there she reminded me that the grates on the BBQ were getting awfully greasy and maybe it is time to replace them. In fact the entire BBQ is about 10 years old and getting pretty grungy. Hey! Guess what! Home Depot is having a sale. Half off on selected BBQ grilles! What a deal! The conversation was as follows:

HOME DEPOT ASSOCIATE: “Can I help you, sir?”
She: “Can we see the BBQs that are on sale?”
ME: Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

HDA: “Right over here.”
SHE: “Look, Honey, by the time we buy new grilles, for just a little more we can have a whole new BBQ.”
ME: I am NOT putting another (Joe Biden word)ing BBQ together.

HDA: Sir, we can assemble one for you. In fact we have three already assembled on display outside.:
SHE: “Be still my heart!”
ME: “Right. How much extra for assembly?”

HDA: Nothing, Sir, they come either assembled or unassembled, same low price.”
SHE: “Be still my heart.”
ME: Ok, help me load the 5 bags of caca (she calls it plant food), and the 50 lb. bag of sand she bought (don’t ask me why – we have lots of sand in the desert for free), and the three other items and the BBQ into the car.

(Pay for caca, sand, BBQ, and misc.)

HDA: “Car, sir? Is that your PT Cruiser?” (begins to snigger)
SHE: Oh, I’m sure it will all fit. We don’t live far.” (Not sure what not living far has to do with whether or not it will fit)
ME: “Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

HDA: (Sniggering as he measures the car then the assembled BBQ) “No way, sir, the BBQ is 60” and your rear door is 43” Yes, sir, that is WITH the seats down. We do have a truck you can rent.”
ME: Let’s get the (Joe Biden word)ing truck.”

Fast forward to loading the BBQ onto the truck. The HDA is not permitted to help much lest HD be liable so I had to climb up into the truck bed. When was the last time you saw an overweight man who was never that well coordinated and now well on the other side of a half century in age, try to climb up into a truck bed? Not a pretty sight. HDA giggled but did not help. Neither did it help when I finally got into the truck bed and stood up, cracking my head on the corner of the BBQ.

For those of you who have never been Moms, or who flunked First Aid 101, a head or scalp wound bleeds “like a studded pig.” Not only did I not get sympathy because by this time both SHE and the HDA were laughing raucously, but blood was streaming down my forehead and I was demonstrating language skills usually possessed only by the saltiest of sailors.

I finally got the BBQ secured and drove the 6 blocks or so to my house. We got the BBQ unloaded and applied a band aid to my wound. The HDA said he was putting me in for a Purple Heart.

Next to unload were the five 40lb. bags of sweet smelling stuff that is there after the cow has gone, along with the sand and other odds and ends. I went to my tool shed and pulled out my dolly (Hello, Dolly!) so I did not have to lug all that stuff around to the back yard. But the weight of the bags popped one of the tires on the dolly rendering her useless. That was my noon run.

So that is my story and I’m sticking to it. Next time she coos, “Honey, I’ll buy lunch,” I plan to make myself a sandwich and write Thoughts blogs

A little blogging music Maestro… Johnny Cash, “Home of the Blues.”

Dr. Forgot

Clairton's Rich Heritage

Clairton History

Today’s blog holds dual significance for me. It is the 400th post on this blog and the 66th post about Clairton. It is also significant because a dear, longtime friend and blog reader has agreed to share a bit of her family’s heritage.

We have written dozens of blogs about our hometown, Clairton, PA. Part of the richness of Clairton came from the amalgamation of individuals from varied backgrounds into one community. There were Catholics, Protestants, Baptists, Mormons, and all manner of religions, as well as Anglos, Middle and Eastern Europeans, African Americans, Arabs, Jews, and all manner of ethnicities. They worked side by side in the mills and operated businesses that served the community. Sometimes they married into one another’s culture. They established and built many of Clairton’s landmarks and when their adopted country went to war they served with honor.

Today’s blog is written by Donna Lancianese Lajcack whose family was so typical of so many World War II era Clairtonians. Read and enjoy.

When my Dad, Roman Lancianese, was nine years old, he immigrated from Abruzzo province in Italy with his mother, Inocenzza, and his brothers during the 1918 World Flu Epidemic. My grandfather, Pierino, had come to America and worked for two years to pay his family's passage. As they sailed into the New York City harbor, with his name pinned to his coat, my Dad stepped onto his new homeland at Ellis Island and began his new life of opportunity. In 1990, I had his name placed on a plaque. On a bus tour to Ellis Island that year, he found his name. ALL his friends and my Mother took a photo as they all pointed to his name. My Dad was so PROUD!

His family came to Clairton, PA; my dad loved his adopted country. Always curious and engaging, he worked as a "water boy" when the Glassport, PA bridge was being built in the Wilson area of Clairton. Like others, he helped to build the St. Paulinus Church, as he had lived nearby and worked in his dad's businesses. Eventually, he owned/worked in a bowling alley, bar/restaurant, flower shop, hair salon, barber, beautician and more. His smile was extraordinary and he had a passion for life and new adventures. He captured my Mother's attention (Rose Marie) when she happened to meet him at St. Paulinus Church when she was 17; he always called her, "his beautiful Rose." They married on Feb. 2, 1942 and had four children---Donna, Ramon, Gloria and Perry.

During World War II my Dad could not serve in our USA Armed Forces because of his eyesight. He stayed behind and helped others at home. One was his cousin who also emigrated from Italy. After becoming an American citizen his cousin was drafted into the US Army at age 37 and was shipped overseas to Italy, to fight in his former homeland! He became a POW within six months and remained there until the war had ended. During this period, my Dad had not only worked in his own business, but he also worked in his cousin's business. When his cousin returned, my Dad gave him ALL the money he had earned from his cousin's business during those war years....in order to help his cousin to begin his life anew. How many of us today would have made all those same sacrifices, even for a relative?!

My Dad was always aware of historical significance. He traveled to the "Chicago's World Fair," standing in front of Admiral Byrd's boat for a classic photo. He walked the ten miles from Clairton to the Allegheny County airport as a young man to see Lindbergh's stop on his way into history. Years later at that same airport, he carried my 18 month old brother, Ray, in his arms and held my hand when President Harry S. Truman came out and stood on the plane's top step and waved vigorously to the crowd. In my yellow dress and a large yellow ribbon in my long hair of curls, I remember looking up to my Dad as he told me to smile and wave to our President; I was almost three years old. I clearly remember how President Truman waved his hand back and forth over his hat to the small crowd. I then looked upwards to my Dad; his smile was always so extraordinary and captivating. It was "a moment in time" that was burned into my memory as a young child and never forgotten. My Dad always continued forever to show his respect and pride for HIS adopted and beloved country...the United States of America. He loved and lived life so large.

My Dad worked long business hours, but he continued to assist others in need throughout his life, by loaning them money in their need. He learned to play golf at 40, and he taught everyone he knew how to play golf, including his children and my husband, Denis. My brothers, Ray and Perry, became golf professionals. When my Dad celebrated his 90th birthday in 2000 on a Pittsburgh golf course with friends, he hit "his third life-time hole in one!" His golf-mates were celebrating ALL the way to the clubhouse! The Pittsburgh Press noted this special birthday event the next day in their newspaper. My Dad passed away in 2004

His vision in teaching others through kindness, a friend to all, a "hands up" to those in need, his wonderful sense of humor, a willingness to work hard to give his family the best that he could, his graciousness to everyone he met, and his extraordinary smile to bring loving joy to so many people, made my Italian immigrant Dad, Roman Lancianese, this wonderful, respectful and hard-working immigrant Citizen of his beloved...."America the Beautiful!"

Donna Lancianese Lajcak

A little blogging music Maestro… “That’s Amore,” by Dean Martin.

Baby You Can Drive My Car

Mostly Personal

A small departure: Today’s blog will talk a little about the author, Dr. Forgot as I am called. That is a moniker I picked up from colleagues at a school where I worked. It is in reference to my being an absent-minded professor. I won’t go through the specifics or the defining incident, but suffice it to say that one Sunday morning en route to catch a plane to go to a conference on Gifted Children, I stopped by the school first to pick up some notes and in the process locked myself in. But that’s another story for another time.

Cars, cars, cars: I’ve always been a car guy. My first was a used 1949 Willys Station Wagon that my father bought for me so I could deliver The Daily News to local paperboys and stores. I was 14 at the time and drove the streets of Clairton, PA without incident for two years until I was legally old enough to get a driver’s license. When the old used Willys petered out after a year or so we invested in a brand new 1957 Willys panel truck. It looked almost exactly like the old one.

In college my first car was a 1949 Packard. My roommate Geno, also a Clairton boy, and I bought the car from a Utah farmer for $80. Except that we didn’t have $80 between us, we only had $20 each, so the farmer took our $40 and a verbal promise to send him the other $40 the following month – which we did. No contracts, no lawyers, just a handshake. During college I bought and sold several cars, making small profits by cleaning them up. After college I bought many – probably a total of 70 or 75 cars over the years. But my pride and joy came to me in 2000.

A new dealership: A Jaguar dealership opened near my house in 2000. I knew the family who owned it and had purchased cars from their other dealerships over the years. As I drove by the newly opened dealership I spied a gorgeous top of the line Jaguar Vanden Plas. Of course I knew I could not afford such a car so I stopped in to do a little window shopping. Turns out that the car was not new but had just been returned from a lease. A local casino executive leased a luxury car for his girlfriend regularly. It was pristine (the car, not the girlfriend). About 16,000 miles and looked brand new. The owner said he would sell it to me at a rock bottom price which was still a little rich for my blood, but this was, after all, my dream car. I went home to think about it and picked up the daily mail which included an advertisement from the new dealership with a $5,000 certificate that said, “Make your best deal and then take $5,000 off.” I took it as a sign. This was providence. I raced back down to the dealership, certificate in hand, and purchased the car. From that moment onward it has been my pride and joy. I’ve kept it in pristine condition and receive compliments every time I drive it.

Fast forward 10 years: In two weeks it will be 10 years to the day that I purchased the Jaguar and that means the car is nearing its 14th birthday. Yes, it has been expensive to maintain over the years, more so than most, but this was my combination hobby and fun car. Still, things were wearing out. The power steering worked most of the time, and several other things were getting ready for replacement to the tune of several thousands of dollars. So I probably should not have driven it to San Diego last week but I did.

In the middle of the desert, about 100 miles from nowhere the engine sputtered then caught again. It happened a few more times as we limped into San Diego. The local Jaguar dealership was unable to provide an accurate estimate but was certain that repairs would likely cost more than the value of the car. So I drove around the area looking at possibilities while Mrs. Dr. Forgot roamed the shopping malls. I eventually arrived at a dealership that was very aggressive in providing a deal on a new car. The car was plain vanilla on the outside (well, the color was actually pearlized white) but the interior was loaded with all the bells and whistles. The price was a very good one and when we finally got to discussing the Jaguar the manager offered me an excellent price. Turns out he is a tinkerer and would but the car himself and do whatever repairs needed. So I drove home in a new car. It was not planned that way. The new car does not elicit gasps from onlookers the way the Jaguar did and people do not start conversation with me about the new car. But it is a highly rated car with excellent gas mileage, 50% better than the Jaguar, and it runs on regular. My cat is a little miffed about it. He used to love to go into the garage and stretch out on the roof of the Jag. I think he thought they were related, both being cats. But I’m sure he’ll get used to the new car just as I will.

A little blogging music Maestro… An oldie from 1967 by The Who…“Jaguar”

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com