Eastertime Remembered

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Jim

The countdown to Easter Sunday has begun. Somehow, the excitement of this week was more evident as I was growing up than it is now.  Perhaps it was the excitement of being a child and anticipating a visit from the Eastern Bunny.  Perhaps it was the progression through Holy Week as a student at Holy Name. Whatever added to the excitement of the Easter Season, as a child, I felt it in abundance.

It wasn’t until I was looking through early issues of The Duquesne Times at the Mifflin Township Historical Society that I remembered a part of the Easter season that I always got excited about. I remember always participating in The Duquesne Times Easter Coloring Contest whenever it was run. I don’t remember ever winning, but I know I gave it a good try. If I didn’t know better, I would swear that the contest was sponsored by the local dentists since the prizes were always those 1 pound fruit and nut chocolate Easter eggs.

Since I was an altar boy at Holy Name, during Holy Week, I often was excused from class in order to serve at whatever Easter Rite would be happening. I remember carrying one of the candles that accompanied the crucifix as we moved in unison from each Station of the Cross. It seemed like forever until I was old enough to be trusted to carry the crucifix. I think I was in 5th or 6th grade before that rite of passage occurred. I remember how the good sisters struck fear in our hearts for the sanctity of the hours of Noon until 3 p.m. on Good Friday. I remember how I would watch the sky during that timeframe to see if it darkened in remembrance of the hours when Jesus hung on the cross and died. To this day, I still honor  those special hours in silence and reverence. “Old habits die hard.”  When you think of it, there is irony in that statement as it pertains to the good sisters.

Aside from the very busy schedule I kept during Holy Week, there were also all types of preparations going on at home as well. The biggest preparation event would be dying the Easter Eggs! It’s funny how certain smells are associated with different events in your life. The smell of vinegar immediately makes me think of Easter. Since vinegar had to be added to active the Paas Easter Egg Dye pellets, the sensory association is understandable. My mother would prepared at least 3 or 4 dozen hard boiled eggs to be dyed. I swear that she never cracked an egg when she boiled them. She would watch the pot so intently while they cooked, they wouldn’t dare to crack! Once the perfect amount of time had elapsed, Mom would drain the boiling water and begin rinsing off the eggs to stop the cooking process and to keep the yolks from turning that grayish color on the outside. It always seemed to work as she managed to prepared the perfect hard boiled egg each time.

Now, it may seem that I am dwelling on this hard boiled issue, however I do have a very good reason. It is a misconception to think that every hunky mom has an innate ability to prepare any type of meal and have it turn out perfect. Not the case, I assure you! The proof came out each Easter as we all exchanged Easter eggs with each of our relatives. As we would gather at our grandparents on Easter Sunday, we would bring along eggs for each aunt, uncle and cousin. I have always loved hard boiled eggs and looked forward to Eastertime to enjoy them to my heart’s content. The concern about cholesterol had not surfaced, so we used to eat them whenever we wanted. After the eggs were exchanged came the defining moment. I recall cracking the colorful eggs and being able to easily peel off the shell with ease. That would elevate that particular aunt into the “good cook” category in my mind. Then there were those eggs that required you pick off the cracked shell in tiny pieces until the egg was finally ready to eat. It was like an archeological dig as we picked away trying to unearth the egg. It took forever in many cases, but always from the same aunts. Let me just call them the “culinary challenged.”

Back to the egg dying. When the time actually came for us to begin dying the eggs, Mom would completely cover the kitchen table with layers and layers of newspaper. She would line up a row of teacups to hold the various colors of dye. My brother and I would drop the dye pellets into each of the cups after which Mom would carefully measure a spoonful of vinegar into the cup, covering the tablet. Nothing much occurred at that point until she began pouring cups of boiling water into the cups. Before we began to dunk the eggs, we would first write the name of the family member who would receive the egg on the shell. Mom would usually do this since it was a wax crayon and the egg was very hot. After identifying the eggs by name, we would perch each of them of the wire egg holder and begin to dye each one. We would get creative as we could by combining colors, etc. The big thrill would come when Mom would add at spoonful of cooking oil to each cup after we had all of the solid colored eggs we wanted. By adding the oil, the dye would only adhere to parts of the shell, producing a tie-dyed effect when all was said and done. Of course, we would have to pick our favorite after we were done, and this egg would be the last one we would consume and would NEVER be exchanged with relatives.

As I look back at old family photos taken on Easter, it was clear that it was a VERY special day in our hunky family. Just like Judy Garland and Fred Astaire walking down the avenue in the 1948 movie “Easter Parade,” the entire family would dress to the nines on that special day. Each Easter we would have to line up and be photographed as a group. Of course, the most memorable pictures were the candid shots of the kids enjoying their Easter treats.

I vaguely remember hearing about Easter in the “old country.” I did a bit of research and thought you might enjoy reading how our ancestors celebrated this special holiday. In addition, just to help you get into the mood, enjoy the trailer from Easter Parade. Just click on the picture below.

http://swedanmar.blogspot.com/2007/04/easter-traditions-in-croatia.html

Friday, April 06, 2007

Easter Traditions in Croatia

Just in case you’re curious, here are some of Croatia’s Easter traditions….

The Holy Week is called the Big Week (“Veliki tjedan”) in Croatia. On Palm Sunday (“Cvjetnica”), Croatians traditionally go to church and take a small olive twig to be blessed. On Friday, different kinds of fish are eaten. Saturday is the customary day to dye eggs. Easter Sunday involves going to the early morning mass with small baskets filled with food to be blessed; eating a breakfast of ham, eggs, grated horse radish, spring onion and home-made bread; and a dinner of turkey. Little children might also get candy from the Easter Bunny. Easter Monday is for visiting relatives.

One of the oldest traditions is making “klepetaljke” and “cegrtaljke” (very similar to rattles and clappers), particularly popular in central Dalmatia and the Konavle region. Those on the island of Krk are especially interesting: metal plates that hang at the end of a 12 inch board produce strong sounds when the device is shaken. In other regions, “klepetaljke” were made differently: small wheels were attached to wooden boards and connected to metal sprockets; the whole device made a rattling noise when pulled.

People used to believe that wine transformed into blood in the body and made people stronger and healthier, and therefore drank it as much as possible for Easter. Documents from the island of Brac show that housewives used to prepare, among other dishes, cod and cabbage — food that makes people thirsty so that they could drink as much as possible.

Since palms can rarely be found on the Adriatic, people mostly use olive or rosemary branches and flowers. Nevertheless, chronicles from the city of Split show that people used to gather on Easter at the only palm tree in the city, located in the garden of a certain inhabitant, in order to collect palm branches. The inhabitants of Brac used to ship palm branches from the island of Vis, where palm trees can be found in abundance, and distribute them to the islanders. The branches were decorated with crosses or wreaths made of ribbons and flowers. This skill was so respected that one decorated branch could be exchanged for Easter bread and 20 colorfully decorated eggs. On the island of Korcula and in the surroundings of Sibenik, olive branches were woven into plaits, while branches were woven into wreaths with crosses in Istria.

Sweet bread (sirnica) is another Easter tradition in Croatia. Made with lots of eggs and sugar, rosewater or orange peel is also added for a sweet smell. Often people dip this sweet bread into a sweet wine called “prosec” to make it taste better. One type of sirnica looks like a baby, and the head is created by a decorated egg. It’s called “garitula.”

Coloring and decorating Easter eggs, called “pisanice” (“to write”), is among the oldest Croatian Easter traditions. There are several ways of decorating Easter eggs. The best known method is to use hot liquid wax with the help of pencil-like instruments. After coloring, the wax is removed, revealing the splendid decorations. Before artificial coloring, eggs were colored by being boiled in water with onions, walnuts, roots and herbs. In order to get their shine they were polished with oil before being placed in the basket. Another method of decorating, popular in continental Croatia, was to use a knife, as well as threads of silk and wool, while the third method was to use formic acid. Eggs in the southern part of Croatia are traditionally colored in red and have white star or rosette shaped decorations, while decorations such as pine branches, flowers, circles and spirals are more common in other parts of the country.

Finally, there is one more custom related to Easter eggs – the so-called “tuca” (egg fight). Everyone would choose an egg from the basket and would hit it against their adversary’s egg. The winner would be the person whose egg remained intact throughout the “fight.”

Written by Marla

http://blog.javorek.net/czech-slovak-easter-customs-yes-we-really-beat-girls/

Czech & Slovak Easter Customs: Yes, We Really Beat Girls!

Today I have met many people, who couldn’t believe me my stories about Czech and Slovak Easter customs, especially when I said we beat girls. But let’s start from the beginning, there are more surviving pagan customs in our brother countries. The most popular one is definitely the colouring and decorating of eggs.

Decoration of eggs

Professionals in the art of egg-decorating can turn eggs into genuine works of art, decorating them with straw, wax or bobbin lace. They usually use egg shells from which the raw yolk is blown through two opposite holes poked in the top and bottom. Normal people, especially families with children, prefer to decorate hard-boiled eggs, which are less fragile. The most common method of decorating is dying the eggs with onion skins, which makes their colour deep brown. During the communist days, it was also common to use fabric dye. Nowadays, children have a vast variety of colours and stickers to choose from.

Whipping of women and dousing them with water

Another popular pagan tradition surviving to these days is the whipping of women and girls. The whip or „pomlázka“ is braided from three or more willow rods. Actually, in every region of our two states it’s called in a different way – „švihačka“, „mrskačka“, „čagan“, „karabina“, „korbáč“, „tatar“, „žíla“… Pagan Slavs believed that whipping brought good luck, wealth and a rich harvest for the whole year. Its original purpose and symbolic meaning is to chase away illness and bad spirits and to bring health and youth for the rest of the year to everyone who is whipped with the young pussywillow twigs. B.oys would whip girls lightly on the legs and possibly douse them with water.

Easter carols and Christian traditions

Traditional whipping should be accompanied by the singing of Easter carols. Unlike Christmas carols, they are not that well-known. Carolling is also accompanied by the sound of the clapper and rattle, an activity definitely more enjoyed by children than by their parents. According to the Christian tradition, all the bells are rung on Green Thursday and then they are silenced until White Saturday. Meanwhile, their toll is replaced by the clapper and rattle.

Eggs, candy, lamb cake and shots of home brew

Girls and women present the carollers with eggs, the pagan symbol of life and fertility. But apart from eggs – real and chocolate ones, Easter is also associated with other foods, mainly with lamb. These days lamb is rarely eaten in the Czech Republic but it still appears on Easter tables – in the form of a cake – with eyes made of raisins or cloves and a green twig in its mouth… It’s also very usual to present whipping men by shots of home brew.

Posted in Church and School - Holy Name, Food and Restaurants, Holidays - Non-Christmas and New Years, My Hunky Family, Springtime, Stores and Businesses | 2 Comments

Sure Signs of Springtime in Duquesne

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Jim

Springtime has finally arrived and evidence of it was everywhere when I visited Duquesne last week.  There is a display that has become a Springtime tradition in the area that wasn’t even in existence when we were growing up. While I was visiting, I treated myself to lunch at Jim’s Hot Dogs on Skyline Drive in West Mifflin. As I sat in my car enjoying two of the fantastic memory provoking hot dogs, I remembered about an Easter display that my kids would always enjoy when we visited during the Spring. Just a bit down Jim’s Hot Dogs on Skyline Drive towards Dravosburg, an Easter enthusiast has taken seasonal décor to a whole different level. I really don’t need to try to describe the impact since sometimes a picture is really work a thousand words and/or rabbits!

 

I began to think about other signs of Springtime in Duquesne and one obvious clue was that Kennywood was open! OK, stop snickering! I know that “Kennywood’s open” was and still is a local idiom. So before you begin to imagine half of the population of Duquesne running around with their fly down, let me clarify! I have looked through many issues of The Duquesne Times from the month of April. As far back as the 1930’s, Kennywood started their season with weekend openings. It was usually not until the beginning of May that the park would be open seven days a week. I was amazed at how much coverage Kennywood would get in local papers. Any event that occurred, no matter how trivial, made the paper. As we trek closer and closer to summer, I will be sure to include examples of these articles for your amusement.  For instance, in 1956, The Duquesne Times announce the 59th Year opening of Kennywood and the “newest sensation” in rides. By the way, I clearly remember this ride and how I convinced Fr. Turner from Holy Name to ride it with me one time. This was quite an interesting experience especially when he departed the caged seat after the ride and proceeded to throw-up! I think that transgression cost me at least 5 Our Fathers and 5 Hail Marys at confession!

 

As I looked through the photographic gems that I garnered at the Historical Society, one in particular still evoked the same dread that I experienced in my youth. Let me explain. One of the most exciting aspects of living in the Duquesne area was its proximity to Kennywood. While other kids in Western Pennsylvania were only able to enjoy the park only once or twice each summer, WE were able to enjoy it whenever we would like. Although it was not until I go older that I increased the frequency of park visits, even as a child, my parents would indulge us whenever we begged enough.

 

By the time I was 12 years old, my mom allowed me to visit some of my Duquesne Place friends during the summer. Part of the time visiting was spent at Kennywood. Back then, admission was free and the only cost was if we decided to ride. The scariest part of Kennywood trips from Duquesne Place was crossing the old bridge. I would have sworn it was constructed of wood, but Jim Hartman from the Mifflin Township Historical Society informed me that it was metal construction. I just remember how tense we all were as we walk across that bridge! As cars and trucks passed, you could feel the bridge shake under your feet. I often thought that the bridge was going to fall apart and we were going to fall into the underlying gorge! We all quickly learned that the best way to cross the bridge was to run like hell from the Duquesne to West Mifflin side! When we got even smarter, we learned that we could cross into West Mifflin from Clonmel Street and avoid any bridge altogether!

I have so many more good memories, articles and stories about Kennywood to write about as we head into the Summer months. Please be sure to check back and most importantly, please, please, please……. Share your stories with us as well!

Posted in Holidays - Non-Christmas and New Years, Kennywood, Springtime | 7 Comments

Home Again – Let the Good Times Roll!

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Jim

Well, I have made it home! I had a wonderful trip to Duquesne and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Between visits with my family, meeting new friends, reconnecting with old friends, photographing old haunts as well as new views AND finally, meeting with Jim Hartman at the Mifflin Township Historical Society, my 5 days were quite jammed!

My trip was not without its dramas. It seems nothing that I do ever is! I had spent the entire day on Friday at the Mifflin Township Historical Society gathering data and photos that I thought that you might enjoy. I had come totally equipped for the task by bringing an external hard drive storage apparatus for my computer. By the end of the day, and with Jim Hartman’s help, I had managed to obtain an incredible amount of information. I was so excited as I began to sift through all of the information later that evening.

After only 30 minutes or so, I heard a thud and realized that I had knocked my external hard drive off of the table it was resting on. Fortunately, when I picked it up and check to see if it was still working, I was relieved that no damage had occurred. All went well after that for about five minutes. At that time, I heard that familiar thud once again. Yes, not content for only being a klutz the first time, I managed to knock the external hard drive that contained all of the information from the Historical Society, off of the same darn table yet one more time! Expecting the same results as the first time it occurred, I merely placed it back on the table and went back to my computer, fully expecting nothing to be damaged. WRONG! This time I wasn’t as fortunate. It appeared that I had managed to damage the unit AND was not longer able to retrieve ANY of the files off of the drive!

In an effort to correct the problem, I began to plug and unplug the unit from my computer… no luck, still dead. I then tried to restart the unit itself… no luck, still dead! I began to restart my computer several times….again, no luck! Panic had set in by that time and I decided to take of course of repair that desperate men and hunkies have used for years…. I began to furiously shake the unit! I guess I thought that this would somehow awake the sleeping drive…… no luck. Since that approach didn’t work, I decided that a mere shaking was too subtle. It was time for the big guns! I ever so gently began to nudge the unit toward the edge of the table until it teetered on the end and plummeted to the floor, landing with yet another thud. You see, in my mind, I felt the gods would be with me and would somehow reverse the problem and self-correct the problem. In my panicked state-of-mind, this last attempt made total sense. But alas, it didn’t solve the problem. I was defeated. Fortunately, Jim Hartman came to my rescue and recopied the files to a new device for me and I was good to go by Monday afternoon. THANK YOU JIM!

This whole incident reminded me of the many “gifts” that are innate to hunkys versus the rest of the world. Allow me to elaborate:

    • Hunkys can make soup out of anything! Also, they have never met a soup they didn’t like. I remember my grandmother always had a pot of soup on the stove. Brimming with vegetables and wonderful flavor. My dad was able to make the most interesting soups. Once on a family vacation, he managed to create a hamburger and hot dog soup! We were vacationing with our own family of 4, but also with my grandfather, 3 aunts, 1 uncle and 5 cousins. In retrospect, his ability to create and then stretch the concoction to feed everyone was like the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
    • Hunky moms firmly believe in the theory of “don’t go empty-handed.” Early in life, my mom told me never to climb the steps to the second floor of our house without taking something up with me. It could be a load of laundry she had just finished, some toy I had brought down from my room or anything that might be waiting for a “lift” at the bottom of the steps. This early discipline was drilled into my head at a very early age.
    • I firmly believe that the “never go empty-handed” philosophy was the root of yet another hunky “gift” that I continue to exhibit to this day. I loving call this the “Hunky Handful.” As I continued to carry items up the steps of our home throughout my childhood, I honed my skills at carrying more and more items on each trip. My father was the same way. To this day, I would rather try to carry everything in one trip rather than make several trips up and down the steps. What can I say…. “It’s a gift!”

Speaking of a gift…… as I continue to sort through all of the treasures I acquired from the Mifflin Township Historical Society, I thought it appropriate to whet your appetite with a few tasty tidbits of Duquesne memorabilia. They are unrelated, but still great to see and read…

This picture is for Barry Long. Barry, I wasn’t able top find a picture of the fountain when it was in City Park, but I think this is the monument when it first stood at the top of Library Place circa 1915.

A moment in time captured in 1960. This view was taken from N. 1st St. facing toward S. 1st St. I don’t recall Sally Fashions in this location, but I remember Isaly’s. Johnston the Florist (not shown) was to the left of Isaly’s on the corner of S. 1st and Grant.

Here are a few snips from The Duquesne Times. As I continue with future posts, I will always try to include a few to provoke a few memories…….

Posted in Duquesne History, Food and Restaurants, Historic Events, Sports, Springtime, Visits to Duquesne | 4 Comments

Finding Dorothy’s Slippers

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Jim

Just to catch you up on what has been happening these past two days, I decided to do a quick post about my adventures thus far …..

Friday really seemed that I had  found the Emerald City, complete with Dorothy’s ruby slippers. I spent the day visiting the Mifflin Township Historical Societyin the  company of Jim Hartman, President of the Society.

I met Jim at the local McDonald’s for coffee that morning. We sat and talked about “all things historical” and got to know one another. We sat in the midst of the morning “regulars” at that McDonalds, and I was introduced to each one. As Jim and I continued to talk, one of the regulars placed two homebaked “goodies” in front of us to enjoy. She explained that her friend who was sitting with her (another regular), had baked them that morning and wanted to share them with us. You know, that just doesn’t happen anymore. Once this occured, I knew I was “home” and “the village” was still there to care for one another.

After talking for an hour or so, Jim and I departed for the Historical Society’s Office and Reference Room which is located across from the Allegheny County Airport on Lebanon Church Road in the West Mifflin Borough Building. The Society chose this space since it was a central location for all of the communities it embraces on a historical basis. The communities included are:

As Jim explained, Allegheny County was carved from Westmoreland and Washington counties in 1788. At that time seven townships were created in Allegheny County;  Elizabeth Township, Mifflin Township, Moon Township, Pitt Township, Plum Township, St. Clair Township and Versailles Township. Within each “Township” communities were formed and seperate towns, villages and boroughs were incorporated. Once Jim explained this to me, I completely understood that the “Mifflin Township” Historical Society did NOT just archive historical data for the West Mifflin area, but rather for ALL the communities that are part of the original area known as Mifflin Township in 1788.

So, back to my day and my visit. When I entered the Society’s Office and Reading Room, my eyes grew wide, I drew a deep breath and uttered the most awe inspired “Oh my God” I could muster. The best way to describe how I felt, would be if you could imagine your mom or dad handing you a $20 bill as a child, and you being told to go and treat yourself to whatever you would like from either Murphy’s 5&10 Store or Sidneys Candy Store at the corner of 5th and Kennedy!! There were literally shelf after shelf of old documents, maps, yearbooks, school books, etc. that lay before me. Aside from the immediately tangible items, what I found most exciting were the 3 or 4 data banks that were available. Newspapers, photographs, directories and countless other pieces of documentation have been meticulously archived by Jim and Society members into PDF and other types of computer files. Truely, being able to access this information was very much like clicking the heels of Dorothy’s slippers together and being transported home!

I have so much to share with you now and I cannot wait to take you on the journey back to our youth. I would be remise if I didn’t put in a plug for Jim and the Historical Society. Without question, every penny contributed to the Society by becoming a member is worth it. It pays for the equipment, the materials, the website and everything that is needed to maintain this wonderful “memory bank.” The cost to join the Society as a non-voting member is a mere $17.00 a year if you are 62 years of age or older; $20.00 if you are under 62 years old. To read more and understand membership options more, CLICK HERE!

I spent the greater part of the day at the Historical Society, but I did manage to venture out and photograph some familiar places throughout Duquesne. For instance:

Gallaghers Pharmacy – Now Vacant

View of South First and Grant

Schinks Hardware

Stay tuned for more my friends. There is a lot more coming you way!!

Posted in Duquesne History, Duquesne's Special Citizens, Visits to Duquesne | 3 Comments

The Fun Begins

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Jim

Well, I made it to the Emerald City! It was a long drive, over 8 1/2 hours. I had a relaxing break when I stopped at Lookout Point atop of Mt. Ararat in the Allegheny Mountains. This as the spot where the Grand View Hotel once stood. At an elevation of 2464 ft., the view was quite spectacular! There are just vague “relics” remaining of the hotel. The walls have crumbled but the foundation piers still provide a rough idea of where the building jutted out from the mountainside. Just west of where I stopped, I was mesmerized by the sight of a “wind farm” that had sprung up on both sides of Rt. 30. Although one might be immediately upset about the intrusion of technology to the pristine mountaintops, those thoughts were quickly dispelled. What an ideal place to help to save the planet. The actual structures were beautiful. The blades weren’t frantically whirling at top speed, but rather very slowly turning as they captured the wind and converted it into needed energy.

I am posting a few shots that I took from Grand View as well as one of the wind farm. I am off to meet with Jim Hartman from the Mifflin Historical Society. I hope to find some treasured photos from Duquesne that I’ll share with you in future posts. I can’t wait to see what I can dig up. By the way, I awoke this morning to KDKA news reporting that there had been another murder in Duquesne last night. This time at the “Sportsman Bar” on Crawford Ave.  God help me. Wish me luck!

Posted in Visits to Duquesne | 2 Comments

Following the Yellow Brick Road

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Jim

Well Gang, I’m off to see the Emerald City of Duquesne! It is Thursday morning around 9 a.m. and I am itching to get started on my trek back to Duquesne.  The trip will take about 8 hours or so, but I know it will be well worth it! I’m planning to use my regular route via Route 30 after I reach Breezewood.

The trip from Bedford until about Ligonier was always an “adventure” when my dad was driving. For those of you who had the pleasure of taking that route back in “the day,” one of the highlights would be stopping at the “Ship!” Perched on the highest point between Bedford and Duquesne, stood Grand View Point Hotel. Its name said it all. I recall stopping there everytime we would visit my Uncle Mike and Aunt Ann in Maryland. The view was spectacular and it always meant that we would get a “treat” to enjoy during the remainder of the trip. Unfortunately, the building is gone, but the view still remains as one of the most spectacular! I still stop there and photograph the vistas.

www.brianbutko.com

More later my friends!

Posted in Visits to Duquesne | 2 Comments

The “Green” Hunky

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Jim

I think it is safe to say, that most of our parents were either born before or during The Great Depression. So that you aren’t confused, I am talking about the Depression
that started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s, not the one that feels like its going on today! I remember how my parents would often refer to that time period and how difficult things were for them. In fact, it was an annual tradition for my Uncle Lou to tell us that Santa Claus died during the depression or that he shot the Easter Bunny for Sunday dinner!
As a result of either their parents or their own Depression experiences, my parents were
“green” before being “green” was considered cool. Of course, the reason for their recycling efforts was due to thriftiness as opposed to a concern for the environment and saving our planet. As an example:

  • Shortly after the milkman became extinct, we began buying our milk in ½ gallon cartons that were made of heavy paper that was coated with wax on the inside and outside. The ones I would get for Mom at Kroger’s on Texas Ave. were sold as a pair of ½ gallon cartons joined together at the top with a cardboard strip with two carrying holes in it. Whenever the cartons were empty, my dad would rinse them out and save them in the garage for use during the summer. We had a built in barbeque pit in the backyard that we used quite a lot during the summer. Dad would take the milk cartons and fill them with charcoal briquettes and then place about three of them in the barbeque. He’d then just simply light the carton and allow them to act as kindling for the charcoal inside. By the time the cartons burned up, the charcoal was red hot and ready for grilling!
  • During the holidays, a carton or two would be put to good use as a form for a holiday candle. It would be filled with crushed ice cubes laced around a long wick. Hot melted wax would then be poured into the carton. The wax would seep down through the ice and ultimately form a very pretty square candle with a lacy kind of pattern. We’d cut away the carton, pour out the melted ice and let it dry out.
  • Of course, my Grandpa had quite a different use for the cartons. He had a
    home at 3334  Duquesne Ave. in West Mifflin. He would spend a great deal of
    time sitting in his rocking chair on his porch just watching cards go by. Ol’
    George chewed mail pouch chewin’ tobacco, and by his side was his spittoon
    which, in a former life, was a milk carton. Waste not, want not!
  • When most of us were kids growing up in Duquesne, the question “paper or plastic” wasn’t part of the normal dialog that went on at grocery stores. Purchases were normally packed into brown paper bags or into corrugated boxes in which the products were originally packed. I’m sure the “recycling” that occurred to the bags was not unique to Duquesne alone, but since they’re our memories, who cares!
  • I’m sure you all made use of the brown bags to make school bookcovers to protect your text books. It was always the first thing Mom and I would do at the start of the school year at Holy Name. Since the cost to attend Holy  Name School was only a $5 “book bill,” it was very important to protect the textbooks as much as possible. During the first few days of each school year, our books never looked better. Couple that with the fact that we were allowed to buy a brand new Pee Chee folder, boy, were we stylin’! Usually, within a week or two, our pristine book covers began to show the ravages of wear from being stuffed into bookbags and desks, as well as being the target of countless doodles. By Christmas vacation, our book covers began to rival an Andy Worhal or Jason Pollack work of art! Along with taking down the Christmas tree and ringing in the New Year, my Christmas vacation usually ended with having to recover my school books with new brown paper bag bookcovers!   Of course, I preferred to think of them as blank canvas ready for my masterpieces!
  • Back when I was growing up, if someone mentioned a “hefty bag,” you’d probably think they might be talking about a rather plump cranky old woman. Paper grocery bags were everyone’s garbage can. I’m sure all of your homes used them as trash can liners or just stand-alone trash containers. Some habits die hard, and as a result of those habits, the paper grocery bag is still hanging around in grocery stores around Duquesne. I live in Maryland, and you couldn’t find a paper sack if your life depended on it. Shoppers in Duquesne however, can usually be seen exiting the stores carrying a plastic grocery bag by its handles AND inside each one, is a paper grocery bag being used as a liner. So much for saving the planet!
  • I clearly recall one of my favorite smells growing up was the wonderful aroma whenever my mom would open a fresh can of coffee. She and my dad were Maxwell House devotees. I remember how the cans of coffee came with little keys attached to the top that you would have to breakoff and use to unwind a strip of tin around the lid to open the can. Of course, the edges of that tin strip were so sharp that that could probably have cut through a 2 x 4!
  • Once a coffee can was emptied, it would instantly be put into use in some way. Often, workbenches would be lined with old coffee cans used to store miscellaneous nuts, bolts, nails and screws. Cans would be filled with turpentine and brushes would soak in them in order to dissolve the oil based paint they had just be used to apply. Our neighbors, Adam and Eve Oravich would use the cans to nurture tomato plants prior to the planting season. And in the absence of decorative units, the cans would sometimes serve as kitchen storage canisters for flour or sugar.
  • I recall my Aunt Helen and Aunt Peggy using an empty coffee can to hold Christmas cards. They would open both ends of the can and then wrap brightly colored yarn vertically round the can until it was completely covered. Then, as cards were received they would insert the cards around one of the strands of yarn until the entire can was full.

 

Truly, our parents were quite resourceful and very diligent about repurposing items:

  • On our patio, my dad had made an outdoor floor lamp out of spare auto parts and
    some pipe.
  • When my father was forced to close his garage on 1st Street during  Duquesne’s Redevelopment, Dad took the overhead garage doors from the  building and remade them to fit the garage at our home on Thomas Street.
  • Today, in order to accomplish the simple act of dusting furniture, there are  dozens of products that are made. Swiffer “this”, “micro” that, etc., etc.  I am sure none of us will forget the humiliation we felt as our mothers  would pull out our “tightie whities” that we had outgrown and use them to  clean windows in front of God and the world! Of course, Windex was out of  the question when there was vinegar and water to use.
  • The life cycle of a simple coffee cup was always extended for hunkys as well.  After it lost its usefulness as a coffee cup due to a broken handle or to a chip that could sever your upper lip, the cup did not get discarded. I  think every one of my aunts had a broken cup in the back of their fridge  that was used to collect bacon grease and any other frying “runoff” that  occurred.
  • Speaking of bacon grease, Mom would use the grease for cooking any number of  wonderful things. Today of course, we all understand the dangers of  cholesterol, and we take precautions. Bacon grease is out of the question  to save or use, but oh, it was SO good!

I am sure I have only touched the surface of our parent’s resourcefulness, and I hope you have even more examples of “hunky recycling” to share with us. Please add your comments and your own recollections, we all love reading them.

In the meantime, I’m heading back to Duquesne in a few days. Be sure to let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to snap a photo of while I’m there. I will be sure to
fill you in on all of the treasures I uncover!!

Posted in Life in General, Parents | 8 Comments

Capturing Memories

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Jim

I just confirmed some travel arrangements for a trip back to the West Mifflin-Duquesne area. I will be spending 5 days in the area next week. April 7th through April 11th. During that time, I will be visiting some familiar haunts in Duquesne and the surrounding areas.

I am hoping to be able to spend some time with Jim Hartman at the Mifflin Township Historical Society and hopefully, a visit with Rosemary Denne at Duquesne’s City Hall. For the remainder of the time, I plan on trying to dig up some artifacts from around the town that will relate to my childhood in Duquesne.  Undoubtedly, The Daily News building in McKeesport will be on my “must visit” short list!

A good part of the time that I am visiting will be spent trying to capture some photos of special places and special things. I have already thought of a number of places, homes, and buildings that I’d like to photograph, but I am sure there are a lot more. For that reason, I would like to invite you to give me your suggestions for places you’d like to see on my blog. If you have any ideas, just click on the camera below and send me your thoughts. On the form, be sure to let me your name and in the comment section, let me know what you’d like to specifically see! Be sure to click the “submit” button at the bottom of the form. I will do my best when I’m in Duquesne to try to photograph your suggestion. Be as specific as possible when you tell me what you’d like to see.

In closing, I wanted to share the lyrics of a very special song from the musical “The Wiz.” It puts into words, some of the feelings that I am sure we all have about our hometown.  

 

 

Home

When I think of home
I think of a place where there’s love overflowing
I wish I was home
I wish I was back there with the things I been knowing

Wind that makes the tall trees bend into leaning
Suddenly the snowflakes that fall have a meaning
Sprinklin’ the scene, makes it all clean

Maybe there’s a chance for me to go back there
Now that I have some direction
It would sure be nice to be back home
Where there’s love and affection
And just maybe I can convince time to slow up
Giving me enough time in my life to grow up
Time be my friend, let me start again

Suddenly my world has changed it’s face
But I still know where I’m going
I have had my mind spun around in space
And yet I’ve watched it growing

If you’re list’ning God
Please don’t make it hard to know
If we should believe in the things that we see
Tell us, should we run away
Should we try and stay
Or would it be better just to let things be?

Living here, in this brand new world
Might be a fantasy
But it taught me to love
So it’s real, real to me

And I’ve learned
That we must look inside our hearts
To find a world full of love
Like yours
Like me

Like home…

Posted in Visits to Duquesne | 3 Comments

Homage to Duquesne High School Sports!

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Jim

In 2007, a dramatic decision was made regarding Duquesne High School. After much debate and consideration it was decided that Duquesne’s Schools would no longer include high school level grades. The following article appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette –

Duquesne High School Will Be Shut Down

DUQUESNE, Pa. — For the first time in Pennsylvania history, the state secretary of education is recommending that a high school be shut down — and a state-run control board has agreed.

Despite emotional pleas from parents and residents on Tuesday night, the board of control that governs the Duquesne City School District voted to close Duquesne High School at the end of the current school year.

The board said students would be better off in other school districts because Duquesne High has no advanced placement classes, no extracurricular activities, no music or band, poor test scores and mounting financial problems.

Now, the state Legislature must pass a bill to determine which neighboring school districts Duquesne High School students will attend.

Neighbors who spoke at the Tuesday night meeting wanted Duquesne High to stay open, saying more students would drop out if they don’t have their own high school to attend.

The school board said it will have a plan by the end of June to determine where the high school students will attend classes in the fall.

A devoted fan of the Duquesne High School sports teams, Ms. Rosemary Denne, has followed and cheered for Duquesne High School for over 70 years! A few months ago, Ms. Denne sent in some information about herself:

Rosemary Denne

Maiden Name = Curran, my dad was a Dentist here

Years in Duquesne = I have lived here since 1936 and still do

Comments = I am so excited about this [blog].  I am the city Treasurer and Tax Collector for the City of Duquesne and use my computer here at city hall.  I am very busy now, since the Real Estate taxes have just gone out, but I want to keep getting these pictures and comments.  I don’t know whether anybody still remembers me, as I am 83 years old.

Ms. Denne has graciously allowed me to post the article that she wrote that was published in the local newspapers:

FAREWELL TO DUQUESNE HIGH SPORTS

Farewell faithful followers of the red and white! From John Donelli to Pat Monroe, from Bill Lemmer to Montel Staples, from Alex Medich and the hundreds in between, to Elijah Fields, the Dunn brothers and all of the Washingtons, I have been here cheering you on and I have loved every minute of it.

Because you did your best for Duquesne High, I have stood a little bit taller all of my life as I have stood right there beside you.

My dad played football and baseball in 1916 and 1917. Among our most treasured family heirlooms are team photos of my father and his teammates on the front steps of our alma mater. The 1917 team finished their season without a coach since Vance Allshouse (a Duquesne dentist) was called away to World War I in midseason.

From 1936 to the present, I have been there. When I was a child, we didn’t have an automobile, but my father, my brothers and I walked to every home game. We took the streetcar and walked up Cardiac Hill in Oakland for playoff basketball games. Powerful, positive memories of those bygone days and those of the ’90s and 2005 don’t fade with the passage of the decades. I am grateful!’ Following Duquesne athletic teams was our main form of entertainment.

After I got married, I turned my husband into a Duquesne fan and he was one of the most faithful and loyal of them all. Our marriage was strengthened through our mutual devotion to “our Dukes.” Our oldest child played football under the firm direction of Mike Kopolovich, who was instrumental in securing a. fine football scholarship for him. One of our daughters played basketball and two others were cheerleaders. Our grandson scored the first three points in our beautiful new gym and another grandson received the John Phillip Sousa Award for his talents in the band. We worked in the refreshment stand, arranged fan buses and helped organize banquets.

During the past 20 years, if anything, our support for Duquesne athletes only became more important to us. The dedicated coaches, as well, as the cheerleaders and athletes, treated us like family When my husband’s health started to fail, Montel Staples made sure that we could ride on the cheerleader or team bus to playoff games. I am convinced that my husband lived longer because of his anticipation of the 2002 playoff run. On some of those days, when his heart was so weak that he slept for 16 hours a day, his first waking words were, invariably, “What about the Dukes? Call Montel.”

Since my husband died five years ago, Duquesne coaches and fans have made sure that my life’s best form of entertainment has continued. I am so grateful! My grandson holds the record for the most three-pointers scored in any game by a DHS player.

As of the last home basketball game, I was still selling 50/50 tickets and I really enjoyed it. I will miss all of the good friends I have made and love. I will miss the thrill of winning and the painful important lessons of losing. We won so many more times than we lost. Between 1941 and 2005, I attended seven state championship games with my Dukes.

During the last 40 years and particularly during the last 20 (since our steel mill closed), we reveled in the role of underdogs, consistently finding ways to demonstrate excellence while competing against bigger, stronger, and much larger (in population) opponents. We were survivors! We were champions! We consistently overcame the odds. With the deck stacked against us, we. never blinked. What a glorious ride!

I went from a little girl fan to a surrogate grandmother. I worked hard to support the athletes through the years. But they gave me so much more than I gave them. We are told to “Bloom where you are planted.” I was planted in Duquesne arid I thank God for the opportunities provided to me as a DHS fan over the past decades.

I will remain a high school sports fan, but the thrill will be gone forever. I’ll never again holler “Let’s go Dukes.” Thanks for the memories and may the Lord go with all of you.

Rosemary Denne is the current City
Treasurer of Duquesne and longtime
Duquesne High School fan.

Posted in Duquesne Public Schools, Duquesne's Special Citizens, Feedback From Our Friends, Sports | 12 Comments

Emptying the Ketchup Bottle

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Jim

My wife Judy makes the best chili I have ever tasted, bar none. My daughters, Megan and Abby, have asked her for the recipe several times. Unfortunately, she has never been able to be very specific with the instructions or the ingredients. You see, once she begins her ingredient list, things get a bit convoluted.

The problem lies in the fact that Judy makes chili using what I call, the ‘Hunky Technique.” The basic premise of this method is that she will start the recipe with the basic ingredients such as ground meat, onions, kidney beans, etc.; HOWEVER, she then proceeds to clean out all of those near empty bottles of compatible condiments that have been hanging out in the fridge. An assortment of nearly empty ketchup bottles, a bit of left over spaghetti sauce, and even the last couple dips of salsa that someone couldn’t quite finish end up in the chili. As a result of using these additional ingredients, the chili is always slightly different each time she makes it, BUT, it is ALWAYS very, very tasty.

Since I began writing this blog, I have kept a small composition book where I write down different ideas, memories, etc. that I intend to use for some future posting. However, just like my wife will create an occasional pot of chili to empty those nearly empty ketchup bottles and to use up odds and ends in our fridge, I feel compelled to occasionally write a post that will use up some of those literary odds and ends I have hanging around in my little notebook. Although the thoughts are not connected in any way, when mixed together, I hopefully will be able to offer you a tasty post for you to enjoy. So, here goes:

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM – When I was teenager, the telephone was my lifeline. It was my modern day “social network” to connect to friends. Like most homes in Duquesne, we had only one phone in the house. It was located in our dining room atop my mother’s sewing machine. It was one of those heavy black desktop black phones. My dad never sprang for the long line from the wall to the phone, so my mobility was somewhat limited.  I WAS able to stretch the phone around the corner so that I could sit on the sofa or a chair and talk, but that was about it.

The reason why I bring all of this up, is because I remembered a rather obscure detail from my youth in Duquesne. Back in the 60’s, we had the predecessor of today’s Facebook and Match.com all rolled into one. Before the days of digital dialing with touch-tone phones, telephones operated on a much less complicated basis. As a result, the teenagers in the area were able to find a glitch in the phone system that we used to our advantage to randomly talk to each other. We discovered that if we would dial “111” from our phones and wait a few seconds, we would begin to hear this warning signal that sounded very much like the siren that used to go off at the fire station at the top of Mellon St. The signal on the phone would pause every few seconds however. In those very few seconds when the signal paused, you would be able to talk SCREAM to anyone else who had dialed in. You could hear people randomly YELLING out names, numbers, etc. You never had any idea who was “out there,” but it was thrilling, nonetheless, that you were part of this “secret” network. I’ve often wondered if anyone else remembered this crazy party line?

CHAINS OF LOVE – There was a fad that sprang up in the early 60’s that I always scratched my head over. It seemed that every girl in grade school and high school had begun creating and nurturing a gum wrapper chain. I remember my cousin Paula religiously lengthened her chain with a steady supply of used chewing gum wrappers. Although I don’t know all the details and reasons behind the chain, I remember that Paula used to tell me that if it would be broken, that bad things would happen to her and her love life. Now, she probably was only 14 or 15 when she began her chain, so a “damaged love life” probably wouldn’t have been an issue, but, she never took a chance. I recall her carefully carrying her chain around with her from room to room, not unlike Jacob Marley and his chains when visiting Scrooge.

As dedicated as Paula was to her creation, I ran across a guy on the internet that started his on March 11, 1965. He has continually maintained and added to his wrapper chain since that 1965 date. As a point of reference, two major events happed during the same week that he began his chain in 1965; Alabama state troopers & 600 black protestors clashed in Selma, Alabama, and the first US combat forces arrived in Vietnam (3,500 Marines.) He has a website dedicated to his gum wrapper chain which as of March 11, 2011, is 66,835 feet in length and contains 1,581,150 Gum Wrappers! Some other interesting facts about the chain are:

Began on March 11, 1965
$110,680 Worth of Gum
Weight – 930 lbs
Volume – 78 Cubic Feet
Contains WRIGLEY Wrappers Only
Record Holder for 16 Years
Over 25,000 Hours of Work

The current length is equal to the following:
12.66 Miles
222 Football Fields
334 Hockey Rinks
202 Soccer Fields
46 Empire State Buildings
12.7 Minutes by Car at 60 mph
5 Hours to Walk the Length

Eat Chew your heart out Paula!

CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY – Here’s a memory jolt. I remember back in the days before the focus on controlling littering, just about anything would be thrown out of passing car windows.  Long before the Surgeon General published his findings about the dangers of smoking; it seemed that the streets were always littered with empty cigarette packages. As we would walk along the streets, we were always on the lookout for empty packs of Lucky Strike cigarettes. If you were the first to come across a pack on the ground, you would quickly place your foot on the pack and then punch what ever friend was walking next to you as hard as you could on the arm. As you did this, you had to announce “Lucky Strike, no strike back!” Your friend, of course, was not permitted to hit you back unless they also discovered another pack. I have NO idea where that practice started, but it seemed everyone knew it and practiced it!

A SUMMERTIME RESPICE – One of my favorite places to go to near my home was the playground that was located behind the Hungarian Reform Church on Kennedy Ave and down the hill. It was accessible from Hudson Ave, the road that ran adjacent to the mobile home area on the Duquesne side of Mifflin Street. I think there were two sets of swings, one for babies and a larger one for the older kids. There was a sliding board, a merry-go-round (aka – vomit comet) and a few picnic tables. The best part of the playground was the summer programs they would run. I remember creating countless potholders, plastic woven key chains and painted chalkware plaques for my mom. I remember having to pay for the supplies, but it never was above 25¢ for any of the items. We would spend hours painting, weaving or creating while sitting at one of the tables. It was usually the table located under a large shade tree, so it never seemed too hot.

I believe the playground was staffed by teenagers that the City of Duquesne hired as part of their parks and recreation department. They were there each day during the summer and they kept us in line. Sort of like “nuns in training.” Of course, we were pretty obedient kids and never really pushed our luck too much.

I only recall a few city playgrounds throughout Duquesne, but I am sure there are more. I hope you fill us in on any others you remember. I think there was one at Polish Hill, another at a school on N 3rd St., one by City Hall (?) and one other by the high school football field in Duquesne Place, Oh, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer!

POUR A COLD ONE – OK, here’s one for the records. Who remembers the beer bottle billboard at the end of the Duquesne-McKeesport Bridge?  Currently, as you near the end of the bridge as you are driving from the Duquesne side of the bridge, you can either turn right and head toward McKeesport, continue straight ahead and ultimately head toward White Oak or take an off ramp and head up toward East McKeesport past the old Vienna Baking Company and Great Valley Beer Distributors on your way to where Eastland Mall once stood (Yeah, its gone!)

In our youth, before the road was opened up, you were only able to turn right or left. Straight ahead was a very large bank of billboards. Centermost, and directly at the end of the bridge, was a billboard which featured a very large bottle which had a strip of canvas, the color of beer, that would continuously twist to create the illusion of beer being poured into a glass. Who would have thought that the residents of Duquesne and McKeesport would have such a technological wonder! Does anyone remember who beer it was?

And so my friends, it appears that I have managed to use up all of the ketchup and empty the bottle. Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to purge! Until later, be well!

Posted in Food and Restaurants, Life in General, Miscellaneous, Playing and Games | 14 Comments