That’s Entertainment!

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Jim

Even through Duquesne is just about 11 miles from downtown Pittsburgh, to most of us when we were growing up, it might as well have been on the other side of the moon. The “Center of the Universe” for most of us, was Duquesne, and entertainment activities rarely went beyond a five mile radius from our home.

By today’s standards, people would have considered our sources of entertainment very limited within that five mile circle. To us however, we had EVERYTHING we could have ever wanted. Although I know that there were several movie theatres in Duquesne at one time, when I was growing up, the Plaza on First Street was the “only show in town.” I have to be honest and admit that I don’t remember much about the Plaza except seeing it boarded up when I happened to be on First St. near Woody’s catching the bus or with Mom at Karen’s Shoe Store. I researched issues of the Duquesne Times to try to find any information about when the theater closed, but was unsuccessful. What I did discover is that the ad for what was playing at the Plaza ran consistently each week until the week of May 23, 1957. After that date, I was unable to find another Plaza ad. I would have been five years old when the theater closed, explaining why I don’t have strong memories about the theater.

While searching for the information about the Plaza, I discovered information about another source of entertainment in the Duquesne area, Woodland Drive-In Theater. I found an ad for Woodland which had a headline “Now Open.” It was in the issue that run on Thursday, July 7, 1955. I’m posting the ad for you to enjoy. I wonder if the opening of Woodland had anything to do with the demise of the Plaza two years later?? I’m sure it had an impact.

I remember going to the drive-in with my parents. We usually went to Woodland, but driving to White Oak and the Rainbow Drive-in or to North Versailles to the Greater Pittsburgh Drive-In was an occasional treat. Whichever theater we went to, my brother and I, along with most other young children there would be wearing pj’s. There was a small playground at the base of the screen that was equipped with the standard swings, slides, monkey bars, etc. You would see dozens of kids wearing themselves out just before the movie began.

Just around the time that dusk was about to turn into evening, you could see the faint glimmers of lightening bugs that signaled the approach of nightfall and the beginning of the show. Moms would bribe their kids off of the playground with a promise to buy them candy or popcorn at the concession stand before the movie started. After a mad dash to the concession stand, we usually made it back to our car before the cartoons began. Compared to today’s surround sound, 3D, Imax theaters, the Woodland Drive-In paled by comparison. Yet somehow, as we all were shushed by our parents, the world opened up to wonder as the screen lit up and the sound of the Looney Tune’s theme song squeaking out of that tiny speaker that hung on the car’s window.

The theaters I remember more than any other were The Memorial, The Victor and the Liberty in McKeesport. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I was always sitting in a dark theater, but I don’t recall many details of the Victor or the Liberty other than the fact that I remember them as being smaller than The Memorial. I recall that The Memorial seemed to be larger and grander than the other two. I seem to remember décor similar to the Warner in downtown Pittsburgh.

Whenever we went to McKeesport for a movie, we’d take the bus. It would let us off in front of The Famous and I would tug at the end of Mom’s arm and drag her the whole way to the movies. Normally, there would be a line in front of the only ticket booth, and one by one, moms and kids would make their way to the window, plunk down their $2.00 and dash into the theater to get the “best seats!” A quick stop at the “peacorn and popnut stand” as my Aunt Mary called it was always in order before claiming our seats. To buy a box of popcorn, a box of candy and a drink may have cost 75¢ or $1 when I went in the late 50’s. Of course, one could have fed a family for a week for what those same items would cost today!!

I was always amazed at the huge red velvet curtains that covered the movie screen. I remember how dramatic it felt as they were opened as the movie began. It was like Charlton Heston raising his staff and parting the Red Sea in the movie “The Ten Commandments.” In perfect harmony, as the curtains opened, the lights would dim, the audience would “oooh and ahhh” and the screen would light up with the feature presentation. Unlike the Woodland Drive-in, the sound system was a bit more sophisticated and was normally loud enough to drown out all of the popcorn munching that was going on around you.

I don’t remember which specific movies I saw at The Memorial, but I do recall that they were usually in the “Hollywood Blockbuster” genre. When I was old enough to take the bus to McKeesport by myself (in my mother’s eyes), I’d get to the movies more often but my choice was a bit less “blockbuster” and more “trendy.” I knew that my mom would never have sat through movies like “The Three Stooges in Orbit,” “Tales of Terror,” or “Mouse Into Space” starring Tom and Jerry, so I was on my own. In 1962, a musical came out that I wanted to see. It was “Gypsy” starring Natalie Wood and I thought I could sneak the fact that it was a movie about a stripper pass my mother without her realizing it. Let’s just say that I didn’t and she did! I think she wanted to take me to Holy Name to have me re-baptized for even suggesting it!

On very special occasions, I would be treated to a movie and a trip to Pittsburgh by my two cousins Bobbie and Joanne Carr. Obviously, the trip to Pittsburgh was well beyond the five mile comfort zone around Duquesne that we were used to but was well worth it! I remember three specific movies they took me to. They were all shown at the Warner in downtown Pittsburgh and were definitely “blockbusters!” The first was “Ben-Hur “ in 1959, the second was 1960’s “Spartacus” and finally, 1961’s “King of Kings.”  You know, it wasn’t until now that I realized that there was a trend in their movie choices aside from a religious theme. I need to check with them to see if they used me as an excuse to see movies featuring bare chested gladiators in prehistoric diapers! Hmmmm. I wonder??

Posted in Movies, Music, Radio and TV, Stores and Businesses | 10 Comments

You CAN Go Home Again!

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Jim

 OK, I am about to get a bit dramatic here, so please forgive me in advance. This post is actually about Kennywood, but I wanted to set the tone prior to beginning my post. There IS actually a method to my madness, so hang in there and read on.

When I attended Serra Catholic High School in McKeesport, part of our required reading was a novel by Thomas Wolfe. Wolfe wrote the novel during the 1930’s. He died in 1938 after being diagnosed with diagnosed with miliary tuberculosis of the brain, just 18 days before his 38th birthday.  It’s somewhat ironic that Thomas Wolfe’s, You Can’t Go Home Again, one of his most celebrated novels, was published posthumously in 1940. Truly, the author’s window of opportunity to relive his childhood memories had passed him by. Of course, the intent of the title and the point Wolfe made in his writing was that “You can’t go back home to your family, back home to your childhood … back home to a young man’s dreams of glory and of fame … back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time — back home to the escapes of Time and Memory.”

Since I began this blog last year I have had over 600 comments from all of you. In many of the comments, it is obvious that you are aware of the extensive deterioration that has taken place in the City of Duquesne. Personally, so many of the places and people that were part of my childhood either no longer exist or have been abused beyond recognition.

  • Holy Name School – GONE
  • North First Street – GONE
  • My Dad’s business – GONE
  • The Library – GONE
  • My childhood home – UNRECOGNIZABLE
  • Grant Ave –  VIRTUALLY UNRECOGNIZABLE
  • My Grandfather’s Hamilton Ave. home – GONE

One would find it very difficult to feel “at home” in most of Duquesne. Although I love going to mass at my childhood church, it too has evolved both physically and by name as well. Three parishes have merged to become “Christ the Light of the World” Parish. Holy Name Church, St. Hedwig Church, and St. Joseph Church are now pastored by Reverend Dennis J. Colamarino, affectionately known as Fr. Dennis. The exterior structure of Holy Name is basically unchanged from the time I attended, but the interior has been updated in keeping with the evolution of the liturgy.

I need to put in a plug here for Fr. Dennis. In spite of the changes that have taken place around our beloved City of Duquesne, attending mass at Christ the Light of the World, when celebrated by Fr. Dennis, is like comfort food for the soul. I have yet to leave after one of his masses that I wasn’t blown away by the feeling of community, spirituality and love that his celebration creates. Not only is Fr. Dennis one of the most charismatic disciples of the word when he speaks, but the musical program he has created is unparalleled in my opinion. Debbie Walters, Ray Judy and Greg Lesko are the core of the Music Ministry and NEVER fail to exceed my expectations when attending mass on my visits. I only wish that I have an opportunity to attend Fr. Dennis’ Christmas Eve celebration on of these years. I am sure it is remarkable.

As much as I feel “at home” during mass at Holy Name, Kennywood evokes that same feeling of being home. There are certain sounds, sights and tastes that immediately bring me home again. Unlike Thomas Wolfe’s conjecture that “You Can’t Go Home Again,” I do feel like I’ve traveled back in time on certain attractions at Kennywood and even eating certain foods as well. As much as Holy Name is comfort food for the soul, Kennywood is comfort food for the heart.

Leading the way toward that sense of “home” and “belonging” has to be the coasters that Kennywood has been famous for throughout the years. The Racer, The Jack Rabbit and The Thunderbolt (formally The Pippen) are the catalysts for immediately evoking memories of days gone by. When you enter the Racer, you can’t help by having the feeling of indecision as you head to either the blue or the red cars. Will this be the winning train??? Even on the approach to the loading platform. It is hard to resist sitting on the bars that separate the approach lines. How thrilling is the roar of the trains as they pass overhead while you are waiting in line. At the top of the first hill, nothing says “welcome home” like the warmth of the sign that warns “DON’T STAND UP,” accented by a pair of matching skull and crossbones! Ahhh… good times. There has always been an urban legend that the train that loses the previous race will be the winning train on the next race. I never had much faith in that notion. Perhaps there is some operator first hand testimony out there that can validate or dispute that legend. Please, if you know, leave a comment!

For you trivia/history buffs out there, according to Wikipedia:

“The Racer is a wooden roller coaster located at Kennywood Park, in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. It is a racing, moebius loop coaster; one of only three in the world.

The first Kennywood Racer was first built in 1910 as a side friction roller coaster by Ingersoll Brothers. It was a twin-track racing coaster designed by John Miller that cost nearly $50,000. When it was built, it was the largest racing coaster in the world. The original Racer had two trains racing side by side on two separate tracks, but it didn’t have wheels under the track, so dips and curves were gentle. The trains consisted of three-seat cars with a seating capacity of 18. The Racer was torn down in 1926 and replaced by Kiddieland.

The second Racer was designed by John Miller in 1927 and built by Charlie Mach. Because they liked John Miller’s previous work, Kennywood hired him to build a new twin or racing coaster. Brady McSwigan wanted a “snappy ride that wasn’t too much for mothers and children to ride.” It cost more than $75,000, because Miller didn’t use the topography as effectively as he had with the Jack Rabbit and Pippin. The highest hill of the Racer was built in a ravine and much more lumber was required. The moebius layout is caused by the setup of the station, where the trains turn away from each other upon dispatch. When the trains meet again at the lift hill, they are already on opposite sides than they were in the station, and the tracks do not split for the remainder of the ride. The new Racer’s trains were locked onto the tracks, which permitted banked curves as well as curves on the dips. Andy Vettel took the final hill out of the coaster in 1949. The loading platform’s facade was redesigned in 1946 by Hindenach and in 1960 by architect Bernard Liff of Liff, Justh and Chetlin. The original front was restored in 1990.”

The Jack Rabbit evokes the same feeling of “virtual time travel” for former Duquesne citizens that The Racer does. I remember being more excited about riding the Jack Rabbit that I was the Racer. I never got over the thrill of the double dip, especially if I was able to capture the coveted “last seat” on the train. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t ridden the coaster since you were in your teens, you will still have the same wobbly legs when you get out of your train’s car after finishing a spin around the track. If you haven’t ever tried the last seat, put it on your “bucket list” of things to do before you die! Who needs to skydive when you have The Jack Rabbit?

Again, I defer to Wikipedia to give you the nitty-gritty facts about the Jack Rabbit:

Designed and built by John Miller in 1920, it is one of the oldest still-running roller coasters in the world, opening on June 18, 1920. The ride’s three trains were manufactured by Edward Vettel, Sr. in 1951 and contain three cars of six seats each. The aging cars are considered an essential part of the ride’s nostalgic experience but also lead to some young children being disallowed to enter the ride (36″ is the minimum), due to the use of only a small lapbar to hold in riders. A popular early feature of the ride was a tunnel which covered the turnaround section after the first drop, but this was removed in 1947 when the new cars were ordered. In 1991, the tunnel was restored, even though it’s a bit shorter than it had been.

 The Jack Rabbit was built shortly after Miller patented a new track design in 1920 (which all wooden coasters built since have used). This design involved the use of wheels both under and over the track, which allowed Miller to create the then enormous 70-foot (21 m) drop that is the attraction’s largest. It is most well-known for its double dip following the lift hill. The double dip produces strong airtime that makes the rider feel that they will be thrown from the seat (they are perfectly safe), and a feeling that the train leaves the track (it rises up but the up-stop wheels keep it firmly on the rails).

 According to Rick Sebak, producer of Pittsburgh history programs for WQED, the attraction was designed so that each train’s last seat would provide the strongest airtime, and therefore the most desired ride.

 It is an ACE Coaster Classic Coaster and was designated as an “ACE Roller Coaster Landmark” by American Coaster Enthusiasts in June, 2010.

That leaves the last remaining coaster from our childhood,

“The Thunderbolt is a wooden roller coaster located at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Originally built by John A. Miller in 1924, the ride’s name was Pippin until 1967, when it changed to Thunderbolt beginning with the 1968 season, coinciding with an expansion of the track headed up by Andy Vettel. The all-wood coaster follows the surrounding terrain with a track length of 2,887 feet (880 m). Its maximum height is 70 feet (21 m), but because of the track layout and the natural ravines on which the ride is set, the maximum drop is 95 feet (29 m). Reaching a maximum speed of 55 mph (88.5 km/h), the ride takes 90 seconds to complete its circuit.

 An interesting feature of the Thunderbolt is that after departing from the station, the train does not immediately go up the lift hill as on most other coasters. Instead, the lift hill is in the middle of the ride.

Most of the ride was left intact except for the double dip, station, and station turn-around to the first hill which were removed in 1968 for the addition of the new front helix hills necessary for the transformation of The Pippin into the new Thunderbolt roller coaster. The four drops down a ravine were incorporated in the Andy Vettel-designed Thunderbolt coaster. The Thunderbolt was rated the #1 roller coaster by the New York Times in 1974, and it still is the most popular ride at Kennywood. The Thunderbolt still uses the 1958 Pippin trains manufactured by the National Amusement Device Company, known as “Century Flyers.”

  • In 1924, the Pippin roller coaster was built.
  • In 1958, the Pippin’s open-front trains were replaced with Century Flyer trains made by the National Amusement Device company. These are the trains used on the Thunderbolt today.
  • In 1968, the Pippin roller coaster was rebuilt and the Thunderbolt was born
  • In 1969, a small hill was removed from the inner helix of the front of the coaster near the loading station.
  • In 1991, the tunnel located at the end of the first dip was removed, and allowed Steel Phantom (now Phantom’s Revenge) to go through Thunderbolt.
  • In 1998, for Kennywood’s 100th anniversary, the headlights on the front of the trains were restored when the trains themselves were refurbished.
  • In 1999, there was an accident on the Thunderbolt when the operators failed to brake the train coming into the station and it collided with the train being loaded. Thirty people were injured in the crash. [1] After the accident the headlights on the cars were removed partially because the electrical system did not hold up well to the vibration of the cars.
  • In 2001, installation of Phantom’s Revenge resulted in the ride being closed for a few weeks so that the new ride could be built through the structure near the Turtle’s Ride. Phantom’s Revenge still however retains Steel Phantom’s drop through the Thunderbolt. The ride was still being rebuilt even a few weeks after the new ride opened.
  • In 2006, the trains could be seen sporting the famous T-bolt logo on the fronts of the cars where the center headlights formerly were.
  • In 2008, Thunderbolt celebrated its 40th anniversary.”

Just like Mom’s meatloaf or stuffed cabbage, many of Kennywood’s delicacies fall into the category of “comfort food” for most of us. Who could ever forget watching as French fries marched along the metallic conveyer belt at the concession stand located across from the Jack Rabbit. I remember going for a drink of water from the water fountain next to the big glass window that looked into the French fry area. I was always mesmerized as I watched and of course, always had to buy a paper cone full. That same stand also featured some of the most entertaining treats as well. At the opposite end of the unit stood the cotton candy machine. Front and forward in all its glory, it too would mesmerize the kids to see how ordinary sugar would turn into fluffy clouds of pink goodness. About dead center was the popcorn machine which would always beckon me with that delicious aroma, PLUS you could always stand and watch it spew out mountain after mountain of freshly popped corn. Mom, hold the meatloaf…. I’m in hog heaven right now!

One rather curious treat was available at only a few stands. It was supposedly very very good, but I never liked it. Being the pickey eater that I was, I hated nuts. I never met a nut that I liked. To me, they were/are gross, reminding me of chewing on something that was the consistency of a 2×4 piece of lumber. The item I’m talking about was an ice cream treat. It was comprised of a slab of vanilla ice cream that was stuck into a rectangular cone. It was then dipped in to a vat of chocolate, and then hand dipped into a container of chopped nuts. The finale was a red maraschino on top. I remember every date that I took to the park HAD to have one of these cones. Seems the evening wouldn’t be complete without it.

The one stop we were sure to make every visit to Kennywood would be the “sit down” restaurant that was located near the Park’s administration building. My Aunt Peggy and Aunt Fran were both waitresses there. It was always such a treat to sit in the restaurant instead of the cafeteria next door. I recall all of the bright windows that surrounded the room, the high white ceilings, the large ceiling fans that kept the air moving and just the general din of dishes clanking and waitresses bustling from table to table. They would always keep your water glass full, pouring from sea green Fiestaware pitchers. Due to the humidity I always remember that the pitchers would sweat with condensation. However, the Duquesne “Artesian well” water was always so cold and refreshing. I don’t remember much about the menu except the lemon meringue pie that we usually got each time we ate there.

In closing, I urge you to experience the thrill of Kennywood once again. Yes, certain things have changed, shifted or disappeared. However, if you truly want to “Go Home Again,” Kennywood is waiting to welcome you back home!

Posted in Church and School - Holy Name, Kennywood | 37 Comments

Kennywood After Dark, McKeesport’s Terry Lee and All Things Romantic!

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Jim

A few days ago, a Holy Name buddy of mine, Bob Chermonitz, posted a comment to my blog and reminded me about some of the finer points associated with Kennywood Park.  Bob’s reflection dealt with using the Kennywood parking lot during the winter for sled riding. His description of those times included the fact that besides the thrill of sled riding, it became a great place to meet girls! I believe the more important point that Bob was making was how even in the winter, Kennywood was a Duquesne teenager’s little love nest.

When we were finally old enough to go to Kennywood by ourselves during the summer, we were restricted to daylight adventures only. My dad or a friend’s parent would eventually pick us up before sunset and we’d be at the table for dinner as usual. Still, that freedom of being able to go to the park with our buddies was like a rite of passage in Duquesne. It was great fun since we were our own boss and didn’t have to depend on Mom or Dad for tickets. We were able to repeat ride any attraction without having to listen to our parents asking why we wouldn’t try another ride. Best of all, we weren’t forced to ride what had become “lame or sissy” rides like the train, the merry-go-round or The Old Mill. There was no backing away from riding the roller coasters, especially if you were dared by one of your friends. We had reputations to uphold you know!

I was very content with many summers of solo trips to Kennywood with my buddies. However, in the Summer of ’65, things began to change for us. It was just about this time that all of my buddies and I decided that girls were not quite as disgusting as they had seemed in prior years. All of the sudden, they became a bit more interesting. It was during that summer that we began to allow girls to be part of our fun during our daytime trips to Kennywood. We were all surprised to see that they would ride any ride we would AND they didn’t always scream or cry or ask to be let off. Very interesting, and yet, only a prelude of things to come.

After that summer ended, things changed dramatically for all of us. The summer of ’65 had been the end of our grade school days. We were all about to embark on the adventures that remained ahead as we all entered high school that school year. It was a particularly tough time for me since I was going to be attending Serra Catholic High School in McKeesport along with my brother. A few of my grade school classmates would be attending Serra as well, but as fate would have it, we were in different homerooms and totally different classes most of the time. My mother had died during that summer in 1965, so it was particularly hard for me to leave my friends behind as they began to attend Duquesne High School. The truth is, except for a very few, our ties were broken as soon as our freshman year began. I guess time waits for no man.

Since I was now in high school, school picnics at Kennywood Park had become a thing of the past. I am sure that for all of my new high school friends and my old grade school friends, an amazing transformation had occurred by the time the Summer of ’66 had rolled around. All of the sudden, the opposite sex had become very interesting, in fact, delightful. Within the span of one short year, the thrill of riding the attractions at Kennywood with your buddies gave way to a much more exciting way to spend time at Kennywood…… AFTER DARK IN THE PARK!

Thank you to Jim Hartman from the Miffin Township Historical Society for making us aware of the following Youtube video!

Right at the approach of dusk, moms and dads would gather up their kids and begin the trip home after a long day at the park. If you were positioned close to the tunnel that led to the parking lot just when dusk was approaching, you would have seen parent after parent carrying their exhausted little ones out of the park. Occasionally, you’d see a tantrum from a defiant child which ended abruptly with a swift swat on the rear from Mom or Dad. The 7th and 8th grade crowd would also be hurriedly making their way out of the park in the hopes of catching a bus or walking home fast enough not to miss their curfew!

As Kennywood’s younger population exited for the evening, there was always a large influx of high school kids occurring at the same time. Groups of guys or girls who were eager to find true love that evening were on the prowl. Young couples, barely past puberty, would stroll in with hands held or arms draped over each other’s shoulders. As dusk quickly turned to darkness, Kennywood became a blaze with neon and flashing lights.

I recall meeting friends on those warm summer evenings and eventually locating that special girl I was supposed to meet there. There would usually be two or three couples who would decide to hang out together and spend a delightful evening riding the coasters in the dark, grabbing some popcorn or fries, or spending time at any of the game booths trying to win a prize for their special date. Those evening turned into sensory overload for just about everyone in the park. The bright lights, the sounds of the rides, the smells emanating from the many snack stands, the soft music that played and the soft touch of your special girl’s hand as you held it while taking everything in.

I remember that it was at Kennywood that I first got hooked on the slow Doo-Wop sounds of groups like the Skyliners and The Flamingos and The Duprees. That music became part of all of our lives throughout high school. Songs like “High on a Hill” by Scott English became our anthems. McKeesport’s WMCK’s Terry Lee and his Music for Young Lovers became our hero and slow dancing guru! What a special time in our lives.  There’s no way that you can think back to those days and not get a smile on your face.  I happened to come across a website that you all might enjoy. This site still plays The TL Sound! In fact, Terry Lee is still doing broadcasts on this site. The site is simply called THE TL SOUND, click here to check it out!

THE T.L. SOUND

I have also found a number of favorite songs that immediately evoke memories of strolling through Kennywood with your date or even with a bunch of friends having a great time on any given summer evening. Take some time and enjoy a quick musical trip through The Park and some very special times in our lives.

I guess it really doesn’t matter which years you graduated from high school while living in Duquesne. I think you could easily insert songs from Sinatra or Nat King Cole, Johnnie Ray or Johnnie Mathis, or any of the Big Bands and still evoke the same kind of memories of Kennywood Park after dark. It certainly was a very, very special time of our lives. And to all of those DJ’s who kept the romance going on those summer evenings, allow me to close with a big Thank You Mr. DJ!

Posted in Kennywood, Movies, Music, Radio and TV, Summertime | 13 Comments

Our Own Magical Kingdom

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Jim

There is no doubt about. Summer is here and if your are like me, I’ll be spending more time out of doors in the next few months. As one of the creatures of comfort that we have all become with our dependency on air conditioning, I for one will be retreating into my house for relief on those hot, hot days. Somehow, as a youth, regardless of the temperature, Kennywood always provided a perfectly comfortable environment whenever I went. Of course, whipping around on most of the rides with the wind blowing in your face DID help. No matter how you slice it, Kennywood was always my Garden of Eden along with every other kid in the area.

I have to admit however, that I  harbored a secret dread about Kennywood. As a young hunky from Duquesne, whenever friends and I went to Kennywood, we were all fearless. There wasn’t a ride that we wouldn’t tackle. Little did my friends know, but on some of the attractions, even to this day, every part of my body is puckered! There were some rides that secretly made me fear for my life, and yet others left me all but heaving in some nearby trash can! Spinning in circle and I never have gotten along very well!

Some of the most memorable forms of self-torture that we all endured at Kennywood were:

THE BUBBLE BOUNCE – This ride was perhaps the worst ride for someone with my… ”condition.” I believe it was located close to the pavilions when the present day Log Jammer is located. The Bubble Bounce was a mechanical vomit machine. I am convinced that if used for interrogation purposes, we would easily be able to convince any human to spill their guts. Perhaps that can be taken more literally than intended!

If I remember correctly, you would sit in these cup shaped cars. I believe you could fit 4 or perhaps 6 people in the car. The ride, when in motion, would spin at increasing speed while occasionally, after a burst of air, tilt to one side or another while still turning. So you had a rapidly rotating platform being jarred from one side or another, filled with screaming kids. As if that wasn’t enough, each car had a metal wheel in the center to hold on to. However, the real purpose was to inflict as much terror and vomit inducing mayhem onto the rides. When you grabbed the wheel and turned it, it caused the individual cars to spin on their axis. The faster you turned, the faster they would spin. If you times the effort to make the car spin by the number of occupants, you were able to produce enough centrifugal force to be used in testing at NASA!  I did some research, and the ride had the capacity to exert up to 5.2 g’s of force. That is equal to the force felt traveling in a Formula One race car and/or coursing down the track at at an Olympic Luge event. Seriously, what were they thinking!!

THE ROTOR  – The Rotor has made two separate appearances at Kennywood. It first arrived in 1955, but only stayed until 1958. Since I would have only been 4 or 5 years old, I missed experiencing the thrill of not only being able spin in circles as fast as you can, BUT also being able to be stuck to a wall and turn upside down! What a thrill, feeling  like you’re about to vomit AND experiencing 3 g’s of centrifugal force at the same time. Ahh… good times. For your information, the crew of the Space Shuttle also experiences the equivalent of 3 g’s at launch!

The Rotor re-appeared in all its torturous glory in 1965. I was 13. Nothing is more dangerous than a thrill ride and a bunch of teens right at the onset of puberty. That would be me and my friends! I recall riding The Rotor “ad nauseam,” if you’ll pardon the pun. For some reason, I didn’t experience that familiar “about to blow” feeling after riding. Perhaps it was the raging hormones?

The ride was basically a huge hollow drum whose interior walls were padded. There were no belts, handles or anything to hold onto. One merely entered into the cylinder, decided where you wanted to stand along the padded walls, and then just stood and waited for the ride to commence. I remember my heart pounding each time the door closed and the thump of the locking mechanism was heard. The operator would climb up to his perch which looked down into the torture tub and throw the appropriate switches to begin the ride. At that point, there was no turning back, and you would close your eyes and wait until the room reached its optimum speed of 33 rpm… just like a long play record. At that point, the floor would drop from beneath your feet  and you were left glued to the wall by centrifugal force about 4 or 5 feet above the floor. If you were a seasoned rider, you knew that you should prop the bottoms of your Keds against the wall just before dropping to prevent your body from slipping inside your clothes. I have to admit that when I didn’t go through that particular maneuver, some serious wedgies occurred!

As the room was spinning, once you got your “sea legs” we would turn upside down or horizontal to the floor and just go through all types of contortions until either the ride slowed down or until we were yelled at by the operator on the perch! Normally, once the ride stopped and the door opened, we would make a mad dash down the ramp and get right back in line and hopefully onto the very next ride! We certainly were gluttons for punishment!

THE ROLL-O-PLANES – The Roll-O-Planes were first introduced into Kennywood in 1950. Much to my dismay, they hung around until 1969 when they were remove. This ride was not my friend. I think its sole purpose was to scare the %^# out of me, and it managed to do so each time I rode. All I remember is that they were high, they had open windows and they had very loose belts. Not a good combination in my book. There was a young lady I was desperately trying to impress one year, and of course, The Roll-o-Planes were her favorite ride. Just my luck. By the middle of the summer I decided that the ride was as wacko as she was and neither were worth the effort. We broke-up. Heartache at 13 years of age.

Just as a side note, after I was married and had children of my own, Kennywood was a seasonal event for us when we visited the area in the Summer. I always looked forward to the park and all of its wonderful memories. I had put my fear of the Roll-o-Planes behind me years before and had moved on. To add insult to injury however, THEY reappeared in the Lost Kennywood section of the park in 1995! I avoided them like the plague. Fortunately, they were removed for the second time in 2005. Hopefully forever!

ROUND-UP (AKA – THE SATELLITE) – Strangely enough, The Round-Up or Satellite fit the exact profile for the type of ride that would end-up making me nauseous. Yet for some reason, I was unaffected by it. I honestly LOVED the ride. Of all of the rides I’ve mentioned so far, The Satellite was perhaps the riskiest of all. Kennywood’s original Round-Up was installed in 1957 but was replaced by a newer model in 1964. That Round-Up lasted until 1975 until it was damaged by a fire that occurred that year. They replaced it with a bigger/better model  call Super Round-up which was moved one year later to Idlewild Park in Ligonier, which was also owned by Kennywood.

The ride was very similar in premise to The Rotor in its use of centrifugal force, but was much larger in scale. Instead of a floor dropping out from under you, the entire ride would move from a horizontal position to a completely vertical stance. It was awesome.  I loved that ride and hated to see it go.

Just think how fortunate we were to be growing up in Duquesne with Kennywood as our playground. I wonder how many Duquesne boys and girls had their first kiss in The Old Mill or while rowing on the lagoon. The glamour and glitz of theme parks like Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios Theme Park offer much more in technology, size and pizzazz versus Kennywood. However, in this hunky’s opinion, they cannot hold a candle to the comfort, the quiet charm and the memories and emotions that Kennywood evokes for all of us. It’s like our own private wonderland. The splashing of the oars in the lagoon, the click and clack of the Jack Rabbit as it climbs that tallest hill, and the lonesome sound of Noah’s Ark’s whistle as it rocks from side to side, are so familiar to us all. In my mind, they are some of the sweetest sounds on earth.

Posted in Kennywood, Summertime | 11 Comments

A Week In Our Lives

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Jim

A week in our lives……

I thought you might enjoy a diversion from my ramblings. I was just looking through the issues of The Duquesne Times that Joe Hartman from The Mifflin Historical Society provided to me. It dawned on me that each issue provided a wonderful snapshot into our lives in Duquesne. We are so overwhelmed today with the sensationalism of news stories these days, that reflections on simpler things are all but lost. So, in order to take you back to the days when it felt like Opie and Aunt Bea could have been part of a hunky family living in Duquesne, here are few tidbits from the Duquesne Times. If you enjoy an occasional throw-back like this, please comment and let me know.  Pour yourself a cold one, make a chipped ham sandwich, open a bag of Wise potato chips and enjoy. The time. . . . Week ending May 26, 1957:

Posted in Duquesne History, Kennywood, Life in General, Miscellaneous, Movies, Music, Radio and TV, Stores and Businesses | 4 Comments

The Heros of Duquesne

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Jim

It seems like it was just yesterday that I was writing about celebrating Christmas while growing up in Duquesne. All of the sudden, the Spring season is almost over and we are all about to head into Kennywood School Picnics, the end of the school year and Memorial Day celebrations.

Standing proudly on Grant Avenue and North Third is Duquesne’s Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial. The monument was dedicated on a rainy November 11th in 1921, three years after the end of World War I. Thanks to the wealth of information that Jim Hartman provided from the Mifflin Township Historical Society, I was able to find some photos

and clippings which illustrate the love and pride that the people of Duquesne had for America.

Virtually all of my uncles on both my mother’s and father’s sides of the family served in the Armed Forces during WW2 or the Korean War. Some saw action, while others served in supportive roles either overseas or here in the USA. The one thing that I remember is that they all would celebrate holidays dedicated to our freedom, Memorial Day, July 4th and Armistice Day. We would always have picnics or cookouts on Memorial Day and July 4th. Armistice Day would be more of a quiet observation, one on which my parents would always make sure that wreaths were placed on the graves of loved ones who served our country.

THIS IS A PICTURE THAT APPEARED IN THE DUQUESNE TIMES IN 1953. IT IS A PICTURE OF MY UNCLE MARK PUSKARIC BEING VISITED BY CARY GRANT AFTER BEING WOUNDED IN KOREA.

My father died in 1999. He always said he would make it to the new century, but missed the mark by a few months. There was a book published in 2000 that was written by my cousin Jim O’Brien. The book is titled “Glory Years – A Century of Excellence in Sports.” The book honored a century of excellence in Pittsburgh and honored the individuals who contributed to the excellence that was demonstrated.

Honored by this book were such notable area personalities as Mario Lemieux, Mary Lou Retton, Roberto Clemente, Myron Cope and Pete Maravich. In between the 30+ athletes was a testimonial to my father, Steve Volk. He was not an athlete, nor an announcer, nor anyone of any notoriety except among those who knew him as a husband, father, brother, uncle, neighbor or as a friend. Jim O’Brien has given me permission to share his tribute to my dad. I share this with you since I believe it speaks to the thousands of Duquesne Dads that were part of our lives.

Steve Volk

He served his country

“I’m a 110 percent.”

A light rain fell all weekend on the fresh grave at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in West Mifflin. It soaked a small American flag that had been stuck in the mound so that the flag soon stopped flapping in the breeze.

The flag signified that the deceased man was a military veteran, one of those we ought to remember and pay tribute to on Memorial Day. A larger American flag was folded in a triangle at the top of the casket, and had caught my eye during the viewing earlier in the week at the Gregris Funeral Home in Duquesne. It’s the favored funeral home for Croatian
Catholics in the community, across the street from the high school, up the steep hill from where the U.S. Steel Works once dominated the landscape.

Steve Volk, my wife’s uncle, had lived most of his 84 years in Duquesne,
and once owned an automotive repair shop there. He later managed an automotive repair unit of J.C.Penney’s. He died in May of 1999.

During World War II, Volk trained airplane mechanics for the U.S. Army at an airfield near Chicago. Like most men and women who were in the military service, he was not a decorated war hero. He simply served his country as best he could and when he came backhome he got a job and raised a family.

Steve Volk was no big shot, just a simple man. He was about 5-7, but walked tall and was
a sociable fellow. I didn’t know him that well, but every time I saw him at a family get-together he wore a hat and a smile. When anyone asked how he was doing, he would reply, “I’m 110 percent.”

He was the sort of man NBC newscaster Tom Brokaw wrote about in his best-selling book “The Greatest Generation.” It dealt with individual men and women who came of age during the Great Depression and World War II and went on to build modern America.
“This generation was united not only by a common purpose,” wrote Brokaw, “but also. by common values – duty, honor, economy, courage, service, love of family and country and, above all, responsibility for oneself.”

Steve was the oldest of eight children. He was survived by his sisters, Helen Volk and Peggy Rusnica, and his brothers, Gary and Joseph. He was preceded in death by his brothers, John, Henry and Michael.

Volk did a great jab of raising his sons, Steve and Jimmy, now in their mid-40s. Young Steve was just 14 and Jimmy 12 when their mother, Mildred (Puskaric) Volk, died. They’ve always been good kids, and now they have wonderful families of their own. Their dad taught them how to do that.

Steve has been a big success in the insurance business, and Jimmy has done just as well in the retail business.

They have fond memories of their father. He was a simple man who
enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing and smiling.

Memorial Day always reminds me of earlier Memorial Days and Memorial Day parades I attended with my father and brother in my youth.

As I get older, I take greater pride in having served in our Armed Forces. I was in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, but never went overseas and was never in harm’s way. Unless you count basic military training at Fort Knox near Louisville, Kentucky, where I was always fearful that some awkward recruit might stumble and fall and fire off a few rounds in my back as we participated in advance firing movements.

I spent ten months at the U.S. Army Home Town News Center, located in Kansas City, Missouri, writing stories about the activities of men and women in the military service for their hometown newspapers.

I spent ten more months editing a weekly camp newspaper at Fort Greely, Alaska.

My stories were always calling positive attention to those who were serving their country. Like most of my fellow students in college, I was not too keen on going into the military service when I was called in the draft. I’m glad I went, though. Every day seemed demanding in a way, but it was nothing compared to what others were experiencing on
the battlefront.

Seeing a movie like “Saving Private Ryan” makes one realize how lucky they were not to  have been in combat. It’s the combat veterans who really rate our admiration. But people like Steve Volk did their best in a supportive way.

His sons are real sports fans, but their favorite hero has always been their dad.

In honor of all of the brave men and women who served our nation and who continue to do so, don’t forget to honor them in some way on May 30th. If you are near their gravesite, visit, place a wreath or a flag and say “Thank You” for all of us. If you are too distant to honor them in that manner, offer a prayer, make a donation to a VA Hospital and if nothing else, just take a moment and remember them. To help you to that end, please enjoy the following video from The Gaither Vocal Band, recorded shortly after 9-11 in NYC.

Posted in Duquesne's Special Citizens, Holidays - Non-Christmas and New Years, Parents | 5 Comments

Radio Days in Duquesne

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Jim

Last week, I got into a discussion with a friend about this blog. They asked how was I able to come up with different topics to write about. I explained that certain events occurring in my life at present would remind me of something that may have occurred while I was growing up. That in turn would prompt me to reminisce about a certain period of time, an event or even an isolated incident. Bottom line, I told him it was easy to write about a place and time that you loved.

I was listening to an online music source that I use daily on my computer when I got the idea for this post. I stumbled upon the Pandora site years ago, and have been a fan ever since. The site address is www.pandora.com. It’s a free site that allows you to design your own radio station that will play the type of music that matches your musical tastes. The procedure to create the station is a simple as typing your favorite song or your favorite recording artist. You can create as many “stations” as you would like and they will be available for you to select from each time you sign into Pandora. There is an occasional commercial announcement if you opt for the free service, but they are quickly over and done. You also have the option of upgrading for $30 a year that allows you to listen to your favorite type of music with commercial interruption. I pay the $30 annually and it is well worth it in my opinion. I have created stations such as ; “James Taylor Radio, Eddie Fisher Radio, Bette Midler Radio, Big Band Radio, Beatles Radio, Beach Boys Radio, etc.” Whatever my musical mood, I have a source to satisfy it. The other wonderful thing is that as you are listening to the music, if a selection comes on that you don’t like, just click the “thumbs down” symbol,   and you will never hear that selection again. By letting Pandora know what you like and don’t like helps it to design the perfect listening experience for you. I love it, I whole heartedly recommend it and I strongly suggest you at least give it a try. I guarantee that by trying this on your computer, you will NOT accidently press a wrong button and launch a nuclear war!

The reason I brought up the subject of Pandora is quite simple. As I stated earlier, I believe everything has some connection to the past and to Duquesne. (Yes, I’m kidding, but it does make for interesting reading.) However, I must admit that the music on Pandora does occasionally conjure up some rather strong memories of earlier times and places.  Although television was a big part of my life growing up, radio was also an integral part of my youth. As I listened to Pandora radio, Nat King Cole’s hit “Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer” began to play, and I remembered warm evenings and sitting on the back porch with my dad and neighbors.

It seems as if Duquesne was an entire community of “front and back porch neighbors.” Neighbors usually led their busy lives during the day, but by the time the warm Spring and Summer evenings rolled around, just like moths to a flame, we’d be hanging out together on one another’s porch. Quite often, our house seemed to be the gathering point. My dad was always ready to play host to the neighbors too. We had plenty of patio furniture to go around, a radio tuned into hear Bob Prince and the Pirate’s game and of course, cold beer for the adults. Hours would go by, and they would fill the evening with lots of “BS and beer,” as my dad referred to it.

The kids would gather as well on those evenings. My dad owned the empty lot next to our house, so we always had plenty of space to run and play with all of our friends. On the really warm evenings, I remember seeing the entire yard glisten with fireflies. We would always have contests to see who could catch the most in our Mason jars. This may sound a bit odd, but I can still recall the rather pungent odor the lightening bugs had, a rather organic musty smell. Our favorite games to play at night were Hide n’ Seek, “It” and just rolling from the top of our yard all the way to the street without throwing up! Ahhh….good times!

We seemed to tucker out by 10, and we’d begin to hang out on the porch with our parents. The game would still be on, but usually in the final innings. That old radio also acted as our weather predictor as well. Since it was an AM radio, we got to hear every bit of static and crackle that would occur in the atmosphere. On evening when there seemed to be a looming storm, I loved to hear the loud crackle that the radio produced a thunderstorm approached. As soon as that happened, our moms would quickly gather the kids and scurry home for the evening. The guys would usually hang around until the end of the game or until the rain came or the beer ran out!

On evenings when there might have been more of a breeze, sounds that were being produced further away would sometimes reach our back porch. I recall sitting outside with my dad and hearing the distant clanking of pipes and production from the mill as if it was in our own back yard. If the radio was playing softly and the wind was blowing just right, we would hear the clacking of the roller coasters at Kennywood and the screams of the riders as the zoomed down the dips in the night. Since we lived just over the border in West Mifflin, we were at a vantage point to be able to tell which way cars were traveling on Kennedy Avenue. The whirring sound produced by tires on the brick roads was distinctly different from the sound of those same tires on the paved road that abruptly began at the point where Duquesne ended and West Mifflin’s Texas Ave. began. If we heard the thump of tires going from  the paved surface of Texas Avenue onto the brick surface of Kennedy Avenue, we knew someone was heading to Duquesne. Whenever there happened to be fireworks occurring in the area, we would hear them from our back porch. Although we could always count on hearing them on the 4th of July, on special occasions, Kennywood as well as the Woodland Drive-In would have an occasional fireworks show. I even recall hearing the cannon firing at Kennywood when they happen to have Bruno Zacchini, the human cannonball, appearing on the lagoon stage.

The evening gatherings continued year after year, and it never felt like summer had arrived until the get-togethers commenced. By the time I was a teenager, the evenings meant gathering with friends and listening to music on our transistor radios. I had developed a love for rock and roll music by being exposed to the songs whenever I visited my older cousins as a child. I remember my cousins Bobbie and Joanne Carr talking about someone from Duquesne that had made a record. That person was Kenny Ambrose, and the record was “Don’t Be a Fool For Love.” It came out in 1958 and I happen to have a copy of the 45! While I was searching for a picture of Kenny Ambrose, I came across the actual song on YouTube. If you’d like to hear it, click here.

I remember falling asleep at night with my transistor radio tucked under my pillow. Back in 1963, some of the songs I was listening to were Sugar Shack, Rhythm of the Rain, Blue Velvet and Hey Paula. I was still able to hear the familiar crackle of approaching storms on my transistor, and that was always comforting to me. During the hot summer days, I would often listen to the radio using the little earphone that came with it. Although a far cry from the stereophonic, acoustically perfect earphone available today, that little earphone was able to entertain me with hours of private listening.

FM radios and stations were not the popular choice as I was growing up, it was AM or nothing. Radios didn’t begin to have an FM band included with the AM band until the late 1950s and 1960s and it was not until the 1970s that the FM audience size surpassed that of AM. By the time I was 11 or 12, I began having a real appreciation of popular music and steadily listened to some of the more popular stations in the area. KQV was the most popular choice. My brother or I would always be sure to pick-up a KQV top 40 list from National Record Mart in McKeesport each week. I tried to find an actual KQV Top 40 Sheet, but was unable to locate one.  However, in my quest to find the elusive sheet, I was able to find a site that is devoted to KQV and in fact, publishes a list of the #1 songs for the current week as far back as 1959. If you would like to check it out, click here! I discovered an interesting fact as I was check out the KQV site, one which you may already know, but DID YOU KNOW that one of KQV’s top-40 personalities in the 1970s, with the on-air name of “Jeff Christie,” later became famous as a talk-show host under his real name, Rush Limbaugh!

In addition to KQV, we had some other stations to choose from. Other favorites of mine included KDKA, WAMO and of course WMCK.  Some of the DJ names that I remember from those days were Chuck Brinkman on KQV, WAMO’s  Porky Chedwick, (AKA “The Daddio of the Raddio, ” “The Platter Pushin’ Papa, ” “The Bossman,”  and “Pork the Tork”.)

Porky Chedwick is still making appearances at area Oldies Club at age 93! Most of the year he lives in Tarpon Springs, Florida. By the way, were you aware that he was born in Homestead, Pa in 1918, and was one of ten children, and his father was a steelworker! I attempted to prove that Porky was a hunky, but unfortunately, I found no evidence to support that idea. So, for lack of evidence, let’s just call him an honorary hunky!

UPDATE FROM LINDA GIBB: My brother just sent me info that Porky has moved to a
different part of FL & is now down here part of the yr. so could you please post that for me on you Duquesne radio page.  He sent me a you tube video of Porky celebrating his 1st ever birthday not in Pgh., but here in FL.  If I knew how to get that to you I would so you could post it on your site.  Porky sends greetings to all his old fans & thanks them for their support of him.  I also found on that same site ater I watched a couple of clips that
amazon.com has a cd of porky music with the porky theme song played.  Of
course I had to order one. 

To me, the most memorable of all the DJs in my youth, was Terry Lee from WMCK. Terry Lee had a nighttime program that I think EVERY teenager in the area listen to. If you were growing up in the area in the 60’s, then you were undoubtedly listening to “The TL Sound – Music for Young Lovers!” The “TL Sound” was the perfect music to slow dance to, neck to (come on, you know you did!) and to party to. As he introduced each song, his deep voice would echo as he spoke. Songs that never made KQVs Top 40 became some of my favorites. The Court of Love, Gee Whiz, Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye were some of my favorites. It seemed that everyone’s VERY favorite was first released in 1963. You haven’t lived until you’ve been able to slow dance with your best girl or guy to “High on a Hill.” There is a website that is dedicated to The TL Sound and where you’ll be able to hear more of the songs that you grew up with. To visit the site, click here. Click the arrow in the photo’s center below and prepare yourself for instant memories!

With that, I’ll be signing off and home that you’ll share some of your favorite “radio days” memories with us!

Posted in Kennywood, McKeesport, Movies, Music, Radio and TV | 13 Comments

To Mom

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Jim

This weekend, we will celebrate Mother’s Day. Throughout the country, little boys and girls will be showing their love for their moms with hugs, breakfasts in bed or perhaps handfuls of freshly picked dandelions! Regardless of their age, little kids and adults will at least momentarily take time to remember and honor their mother.

My Mom died when I was just twelve years old. She was only 45 when her heart gave out and she was taken from us. My memories of her have waned through the years. Today, I remember just pieces of my time with her. I look at pictures of my aunts who were with us for a much longer period of time, and they remained just as beautiful and memorable as when I was a child. But my mom, known to the family as Millie, will forever be the young and beautiful person she was when she was taken from us.

Often, pictures speak louder than words, so I invite you to enjoy the video I made in celebration of Millie and Moms everywhere.

CLICK HERE TO ENJOY THE VIDEO!

Posted in Holidays - Non-Christmas and New Years, Parents | 3 Comments

Strolling Through Kennywood’s Memory Lane – Part 2

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Jim

After my April 23rd post “Strolling Through Kennywood’s Memory Lane,” one thing is abundantly clear….. Duquesne resident’s love affair with Kennywood Park wasn’t changed or waned through the years. Bar none, every comment I received told of the fond memories everyone held of Kennywood.

I grew up with Kennywood. At different ages, the park meant different things to me. As a wee one, it was a place of wonder and excitement that I was introduced to by my parents. The thrill of the Kiddieland rides, the exciting circus acts on the Lagoon Stage amid the rowboats, or having a wonderful meal at the Kennywood restaurant. As I continued to grow as a child, Kennywood meant the growth of my independence. The annual Duquesne Catholic School picnics afforded me the best opportunity to exercise my freedom as I advanced from grade to grade. When I was advancing to the 2nd, 3rd or 4th grade, Mom was probably right by my side as I would flit from ride to ride. By the time I was advancing into 5th and 6th grade and riding all of the Howdy Doody sized rides, my mom didn’t necessarily walk me to every attraction.  More than likely, she had planted herself with another mom in some shady spot in the park, allowing me to explore the park with another friend. Of course, since she was the ticket custodian, parceling out only a limited amount of ride tickets, I was forced to check in with her between rides. 7th and 8th grades meant that I was able to attend the school picnic with friends in tow rather than Mom. Complete independence! In those day before cell phones and the many forms of communication available, Mom still would be at the park, but this time with her own friends…. or so she said. Usually, within an hour or so after my early morning departure for Kennywood, my mother would arrive at the park ready to traipse with her friend. For being a relatively large park, it was amazing how often I would see Mom out of the corner of my eye. Come to think of it, I think I may have been being stalked!

As I made that transition from Kiddleland into the adult rides, I was spoon-fed the rides I was permitted to ride.  At first, my mom chose rides that weaned me off of the “safety” of the Kiddieland rides such as the Old Mill, the Carousel, and the Olde Kennywood Railroad. Not exactly what I would describe as “thrill rides!  Perhaps the only thrill associated with this group of rides was my mom’s determination to get me the best seat on the ride. I remember her running with me in tow to be sure I would get a carousel horse that was somewhere within the two middle rows of creatures. Since these were the only animals that would rise and fall with the ride, they were at a premium. It seems she never failed in her quest to get the best seat. The same held true for the Railroad train. Mom would rather wait for the next train than take a seat that would not allow me to be on either end. When it came to the Old Mill, the front seat was the only choice in her mind. It might have been a good thing that she never learned to drive an automobile. She would have been one heck of an aggressive driver!

As time passed I soon graduated to more “honorable” rides such as The Whip, The Turtle and The Auto Race. These rides provided just enough thrill to reaffirm that “I have arrived” feeling that I needed to experience, but tame enough to not cause me depart the ride in tears! Two of these rides are still in the same spot as when I rode them in my youth. The Whip is the only ride that currently has been relocated to a different area of the Park. Out of these three rides, the Auto Ride was my favorite. Deep in my heart I realized that I wasn’t really steering the car. However, this was one ride when any kid was made to feel as if he or she were in control. The very idea that my mother was riding in an auto, driven by ME, was almost too much to take! [Built in 1930, according to RideZone, the Kennywood Auto Race is the last remaining Traver Auto Ride in existence. The cars are electric powered and move quite fast. They run in a wooden trough and the ride is almost like a maze.]

The transition to the “grown-up’s” Whip was very easy for me. There was a Kiddie Whip in Kiddieland, so the concept of the ride was already understood. Of course, it took quite a few spins around the Whip’s track before I was gutsy enough to raise my arms and take the “whip” portion of the ride handsfree! Whenever I visit Kennywood, I still ride the Whip and have to smile to see the laughs, screams and enjoyment it produces at 93 years of age! [1918: The Whip is added. 1923: Kiddie Whip is among the first four rides in Kiddieland. 1926: The original 12-car Whip is replaced by a new 16-car model. 1975: Kiddie Whip is destroyed in Dance Hall (Ghost Ship) fire. A vintage miniature Whip from Massachusetts’s defunct Paragon Park replaced it.] When I first rode the Whip, it was located close to what WAS the Pippin (now the Thunderbolt) and adjacent to The Turtle. It was later moved to an area close to the pavilions and is now located in “Olde Kennywood.” Olde Kennywood is located in the area formally occupied by the Sunlight Swimming Pool.

The Turtle was always a big thrill for me to ride. I did some research and discovered that the ride made its debut in Kennywood in 1927. From what I have researched, it is still in its original location too. Aside from the roller coaster type dips, the biggest thrill for me came from sitting close to the entrance to the car.  The only safety feature of the car was a loosely draped chain at the entrance that was fastened into place just before the ride started. I swear that I was going to fall out each time the Turtle car took a dip. Oh, the joys of youth.

Gradually, I mustered enough courage to ride the silver rockets that were perched atop a pedestal at the end of the lagoon. There was bridge that you had to cross in order to get to the ride, and then a set of stairs that took you to your final destination. The rockets always looked ominous to me. I would reluctantly climb aboard, knowing that for certain that the rocket was going to snap off the chairs that held it as it spun over the lagoon. I imagined that my rocket would be the one that would be sent flying out over the park and perhaps into outer space like Buck Rogers or Tom Corbett – Space Cadet! Today, the area is now home to Cirque Rocks, a live performance extravaganza that features acrobats and more. Years after the rockets were remove, I recall seeing one perched atop a sign in North Versailles. Close to the Great Valley Beer Distributors on East Pittsburgh/McKeesport Blvd., an auto repair business used the iconic rocket as draw for his business.

When I began to write about Kennywood, I never imagined that it would evoke so many memories and turn into a subject that could conceivably result in several postings. Yet, here I am after only 2 posts and I’m still barely out of Kiddleland! I sure hope you’ll share your memories with me as we continue to stroll through Kennywood together in the coming months. Keep the comments coming because its official……. KENNYWOOD IS OPEN!!!!

Posted in Church and School - Holy Name, Kennywood | 8 Comments

Voices From Duquesne – Part 4

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Jim

I have been receiving so many notes from folks who are reading and enjoying the stroll through the streets of Duquesne memories. As in the past, I am posting some names, email addresses, updates and comments from our hunky friends or should I say “priatelia.” For those of you who have been keeping up with some of my quests to find some of my childhood friends, I ahve finally touched-base with Denise Hudak! In fact, when I was visiting Duquesne a few weeks ago, she and I sat for coffee and talked for hours one morning at the McDonalds near Kennywood. My hope is that you may find an old friend on this blog as well. We’d love to hear from you, so please share your update with us by clicking HERE. So sit back and catch-up on some voices from Duquesne!

Leonard Myers

leonard.myers@sbcglobal.net
comments = You missed The Men’s Service Shop up a little bit from The Capital Theatre.
 That was also a good place to get boys and men’s clothes. I remember the corduroy pants that mom always bought for me for wintertime, heard them make their funny  noise as we walked???  I was in several classes with Margie and Dick Kadar (class of 1953).

John (Jack) Berta

comments = Jim, today I went on your blog and found some entries about Hunky Shopper and opened one. It didn’t seem right, it appeared to be a site to sell things. Maybe you should check this out. Please let me know right or wrong.

Roberta L. Ellish

Married Name – Roberta L. Hassman

robertahman05@msn.com

Years in Duquesne = 1945-1969
 Where do you live now? = Fountain, Colorado 80817
 Comments = I just found out about this blog from a friend who graduated with me in 1963. We have stayed in touch with each other ever since we both moved away after college graduation. Going back home over the years has allowed me to visit with relations and a few friends that I still know in the area. Now that both of my parents have passed away and their house is sold, there is very little incentive to bring me back since I am now retired and my kids and step daughters all live in Co., Ok., and La. One of my dear friends has found me on Facebook and we are now happily communicating through Emails. This web site would be a great way to maybe find more of my old friends and learn what is new with them. Even just hearing about what is happening in Duquesne would be great.I do hope to be able to come back when we start traveling in our RV to visit my old house on Maryland Ave. I have looked it up on satelite and the program that allows me to get a full 3 sided close-up view which made me even now a little homesick. Keep up this web site so our town doesn’t go by the way side My grandfather came from Hungary just after 1900 and I am proud to be a Hunky.

Andrea Luketic

Married Name = Andrea Cartwright

lillucycartwright@hotmail.com

 Where do you live now? = White Oak
 comments = Hi Jim! I’ve never lived in Duquesne but grew up in McKeesport and came across your site trolling for things to feature on my Facebook page, “McKeesport Memories”. I loved your stuff about the McKeesport shopping district and am posting it on my page, so if you’re on Facebook like us up and you can see the comments from our fans. Keep up the great work helping to keep the great memories of the Mon Valley alive!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/McKeesport-Memories/301994972500

Lois May Lydon

Married Name = Lois May Ray

loismay48@verizon.net 

Years in Duquesne = 1943 to 1950, 1950 to 1965 in West Mifflin (the Annex)
 Where do you live now? = Plum, PA (close to Monroeville)
 comments = I am so glad that you took the time and energy to create this blog, thanks. It is great to read about the different people and locations. Linda Negley Gibb sent this address to me and asked me to check it out. Sorry not a Hunky, just an Irish girl.

Mary Petrozza
Years in Duquesne = Lived in West Mifflin 1951-1973
 Where do you live now? = North Huntingdon, PA
 comments = Debbie Abbatangelo told me about your blog….It’s really very interesting to read…lots of fond memories of Holy Name. Me rocking!!! too funny!! I even remember when Sister Emily tied me to my chair because I wouldn’t stop!!

Carl Rumble

cer1944@epix.net
Years in Duquesne = 1944 – 1962
 Where do you live now? = Lawrenceville, Pa.
 comments = This blog really brings back some memories.

Mike Palatas

mepalatas1@earthlink.net
Years in Duquesne = 1930- 1952
 Where do you live now? = Spring Hill, Fl; 3 mos. in Hammondsport, NY
 comments = Great Blog. Brought back many memories. I worked in Kennywood for 4 yrs. Even at an underage. Finished my last yr in 1948, yr. of my graduation. Still have relatives in Monroeville, Pa.

John (Jack) Berta

jbert2504@comcast.net
Years in Duquesne = 1944 to 1963 Part of 1967 and 1968 DHS 62′
 Where do you live now? = Levelgreen, Pa.
 comments = Maybe some help on Denise Hudak. I went to Holy Trinity School and DHS with a Johnnie Ann Hudak. I’m sure she had a little sister. They lived on the corner of 4th and Viola.  By the way, Holy Trinity was known as Hunky Tech at least by those who went there.

Shirley Rajcan
Married name – Shirley Molnar
 Years in Duquesne = 1941 to 1960
 Where do you live now? = Irwin, PA
 comments = I enjoy seeing pictures of Duquesne and reading about the past history.
 I graduated from Duquesne High School in 1959. I lived in Duquesne Place on Overland Ave. My father was born in Duquesne and died there. He was constable in the 1st ward for many years. I have 5 brothers and sisters that lived in Duquesne their entire childhood. My dad work in Duquesne Mill for many years until he was transfered to Irvin Works.

Joe Sobeck

joethemechanic43@aol.com
Years in Duquesne = 1946-1973
 Where do you live now? = North Lauderdale, Fl
 comments = The gang at the hilltop dairy.

John (Jack) Berta

jbert2504@comcast.net
Years in Duquesne = 1944 to 1963 Part of 1967 and 1968
 Where do you live now? = Levelgreen, Pa.
 comments = Jim the first thing is to say thank you, thank you, thank you. This is such a great idea. It lets anyone reach back to those great memories and remember things we have not thought about for so long. Those years we lived in comfort and contentment. Those years before the rest of our lives begin to pass by faster and faster. It also allows us a chance to share those memories with others who had the same memories of our common past. We can help each other shake some dust off those old cobwebs (memory web).
  If possible, I would like to see more pictures of the sites around Duquesne.

 A friend from Connecticut that I met while I lived there, who also grew up in Duquesne, emailed me the address.

Norman Peterson

Norman33538@yahoo.com
Years in Duquesne = I lived in Dravosburg. I had a lot of Friends from Duquesne.
 Where do you live now? = Lake Panasoffkee,Fl.33538
 comments = This blog brings back many memories of the past that I enjoyed. I worked at Kennywood Park for 2 years. I worked the Penny Pitch and Basketball Shooting. My Father worked for Liberty Baking Co. and delivered Bread and Sweets to Homes in Duquesne. He had many Friends in Duquesne. I went to McKeesport High School. The Dukes and Tigers was the Game of the Year. Dr.Micklos was My Dentist and a Great one at that. My Wife and I loved the Hot Dogs from Jim’s in West Mifflin. Our
 Nephew lives in Duquesne. We have many great memories from the area. Dick Bowen who played at Duquesne grew up with Me in Dravosburg. I hope this reaches Dick a very Old Friend. He and His Family were Great People. I want to Thank You for Helping Me bring back some Great Times in My life.

Paula Goldman

ps904@verizon.net
Married Name – Paula Smith
 Years in Duquesne = 1949 – 1980
 Where do you live now? = Vienna, VA
 comments = I love reading about our old haunts, the fun we had without all of the fancy toys kids have now. You must get some photos of Grant Avenue – those old brick roads. I know you already have many photos of Kennywood and I can’t wait till you start blogging on that subject!
 Keep up the great work Jim!!!!!
 Love,
 Your cousin Paula.

Maureen Dowdle

maureen502@live.com

What is your married name? = Maureen Strahl
Years in Duquesne = 1965 to 2006
 Where do you live now? = West Mifflin, PA
 comments = You should talk to my mother when you visit City Hall, too. Her name is Jeanne Martin Dowdle. She has lived in Duquesne all her life and so did her mother, Jeanne Daley Martin. My mom worked at Adler-Green’s when I was little. She remembers a lot of stuff! She actually works at City Hall with Rosemary Denne…in Buck’s old office.

Debra Faust

What is your married name? = Debra Faust-Clancy
Years in Duquesne = 1951 – 1973
 Where do you live now? = Ayer, MA outside of Boston
 comments = Hey Jim, If you get a minute, I wouldn’t mind a photo of what used to be Irene’s Pizza Shop. Also one of St. Joseph’s Church at the top of Grant Ave, I’m not even Catholic, but it was such a landmark. You could see it’s spires on the way home from Kennywood, from the Hamilton Avenue extension. Also, one night some of classmates who will remain nameless put my girlfriend Shirley Husar (Bubba) in the Goodwill Box outside of St. Joseph’s school! She got out about an hour later, but I bet it was spooky in there! Oh! Those were fun days and nights! Every Sunday morning you could walk up to what used to be Butler’s pharmacy (across the street from St. Joseph’s) and buy a giant Sunday newspaper. While you’re at it, maybe one more of the old HS football field out in Duquesne Place. I spent quite a few freezing cold nights marching down that field with the majorettes and the band and Mr Pelar. (band director). Those few photos will bring back some mighty nice memories. I hope you enjoy yourself while back in Duquesne and if you get a chance go to Latina Pizza across the street from Kennywood for some great pizza. It’s where Irene’s moved to many years ago. They have the best Sicilian pizza anywhere–very thick square pizza slices with great sauce, terrific sausage with lots of flavor — sheesh, I’m making myself hungry! Enjoy your trip back and let us know what you ended up doing.

Carol Pobojeski

cslancz@aol.com

What is your married name? = Carol Lancz
Years in Duquesne = 1947 -1969
 Where do you live now? = Pittsburgh
 comments = I love the Blog. I have a picture of the ground breaking for St Mary’s church on Kennedy Ave. Not sure where it was taken. Maybe some of the group may know. It was taken September 25, 1938 in a very large hall showing hundred of people. I am curious about and wonder if any of your readers could supply information.

Carol Janusek

scoobydoo52476@aol.com
Years in Duquesne = 1976-2003
 Where do you live now? = North Versailles, PA
 comments = not sure how many of you haunts will be there HAHA. From 5th and Priscilla to 2nd and Priscilla is well gone…

Angelina McFadden

What is your married name? = Angelina Watson
 Years in Duquesne = none
 Where do you live now? = Brookline, PA
 comments = I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog and all the other comments people have added. WHat originally brought me to your page was a search engine. Today I purchased a coat from an estate sale in West Mifflin and the coat looks like it might be fur but the tag inside said “Sally’s Fashions”. So that led me to your page and I absolutely love reading about the history. My family’s from North Side and as recently as the 1950’s Mt. Washington. So it’s nice to hear some points of history from a different part of Pittsburgh! Thank you.

Denise Hudak  (YES! I FOUND HER!!)

thedancingdeedee@yahoo.com

What is your married name? = Denise Ventura
 Years in Duquesne = 1951 to 1975
 Where do you live now? = West Mifflin Pa
 comments = Hello Jim! Just found out about your blog. It is fantastic! It brought back so many memories of old friends, places, and parties. You have captured a life style and put it into words and pictures. Your blog is like the “Wonder Years” of our youth, living in the city of Duquesne. It really put a smile on my face to remember all the good times. I’m sure many good things and people will be remembered by reading your blog. Thank you for doing this.

Dennis Ragan

dragan322@gmail.com
Years in Duquesne = 1952-1976
 Where do you live now? = Indiana, PA
 comments = Jim — Aren’t the Jim Volpe I remember from Serra HS? You would have been one year ahead of me, Just pulled out my 69 Juniper – I see you’re on p. 84. Funny you’re doing this blog when you lived in W. Mifflin and went to Serra!

Richard Oates

Years in Duquesne = 1936 to 1948

Where do you live now? = Burr Oak, Michigan

comments = went to St Joseph grade school 1936 to 1944 and Duquesne high 1944
to 1948 worked at Kennywood for several years while in hi school during summer
vacations Billy G and i went through 1st to grad from high school together we
were and still are good friends i know all about polish hill union woods nick
lee hollow so on and so forth seems i am some years older than you.

Jim Kemerer

jimkemco@cox.net
Years in Duquesne = 1926 to 1936
 Where do you live now? = Mission Viejo, CA
 comments = The blog brings back many good memories. I went to Crawford elementry school, Junior High School and graduated from Duquesne High School in 1935. I remember going to Pitt Stadium to watch Duquesne H S play in the WPIAL playoffs and near froze to death. I started working in the mill as a laborer in 1936. I lived in Duquesne during the Depression. I remember seeing snow on the blast furnaces. I remember seeing everyone I knew on Saturday night at Murphys dime store, the Plaza theater,Eagles Drug or Matt Gallagers Drug Store, where we would square dance in the basement on Tuesday night.

 I remember the Hunky weddings in the summer humid heat. I remember dancing at Holy Name, St Joesph, and the Polish church on Kennedy Avenue. I remember buying a gallon of Blue Streak gas for 13 cents and driving to Paule’s Lookout to dance and eat chicken. I thought Duquesne was the world until I joined the Army and never returned to Duquesne.

Keith Whitmore

kwhit1902111@msn.com
Years in Duquesne = 1948 to date
 Where do you live now? = Duquesne, PA
 comments = I wasn’t born in Duquesne (West Mifflin) but I have lived there most of my life. I was away from it for 4 years, was in the US Air Force, during that time. I saw lots of places then but, like a homing pigeon I always came back to Duquesne. I worked in the mill until it shut down, I was a jorneyman Pipefitter then. After the mill shut down I became a contractor & worked for Davis Contracting for 10 years. They worked out of West Mifflin for Scalise Co. I eventually ended up working at the country club, at least that’s what we use to call it when I worked in Duquesne mill. The country club is Irvin works, and oh yeah it’s the country club. Those guys there complain about everything.
 Anyways, Back to Duquesne. I went to the public school there. But, I ended up being a deserter. I went to McKeesport Vocational High school I took up electronics there. That really helped me out when I went into the USAF. there I became a Weapons Mechanic and loaded all manner of aircraft with HE(high explosives). All kinds and  types of bombs, etc. Yeah,  those years learning electronics were a big help. LOL. But, it was knowledge put to good use later on in my work as a pipefitter and as a home owner.
 Speaking of which I bought 2 homes in the city. My Mom’s and Dad’s home is where my one daughter lives now. I have another daughter living in Braddock. I bought Bill and Emma Ruhe’s home on Kahler Street, where my wife and I live. The Ruhe’s I can remember them living in the cellar foundation for a lot of years before they finally built the second and third floors.

 A lot of things have come and gone for Duquesne. It’s sad to see what has become of this old town. It used to be a teeming town. All types and manners of stores and it even had 2 movie houses. It’s sad to thinks what was once will no longer be. I keep hopping it will change, maybe it will but it really needs a big shot in the arm.

Kathryn “Kitty Jean” Topley

kgmo2@tx.rr.com

What is your married name? = Kathryn R. Morris (Kitty Jean)

 Years in Duquesne = 1931-1948
 Where do you live now? = Grand Prairie, Tex. 75050
 comments = I enjoy the pleasant trip down memory lane. I had many hunky friends and still visit as often as possible. Thanks to Bill Gallagher and my cousin Margie Carr – they have brought this information to my attention. Please continue sending it to me. Currently I live right in the middle between Dallas and Ft. Worth. I live about a 10 minute drive from the Cowboy Stadium and loved the activity the Steelers brought to Texas. Mother Nature played a dirty trick on us with ice and snow. Sorry Steeler fans. Sure hope you come back maybe in 2016.

Veronica “Tootsie” Oeler

vbowen@zomnternet.net

What is your married name? = Veronica “Tootsie” Bowen
 Years in Duquesne = 1928 to 1989
 Where do you live now? = Zelienople, Pa.
 comments = There’s just something about being associated with the Duquesne Hunky!

Bob Namejko

bob.namejko@verizon.net
Years in Duquesne = 1947 – 1952 and 1957-1969 (Chestnut Street) 1952-1957 Maine Ave, West Mifflin
 Where do you live now? = Great Falls, VA
 comments = No way you can remember me, but I played with your brother Steve when I lived on Maine Avenue. We played ball on the corner lot next to Billy Zewe’s house. Steve was the youngest, I was next, then Billy and finally Jimmy Lydon. We also jumped the fence at the cemetery and played ball on the only semi-level piece of land (without tombstones). Ironically, I re-met your brother when I moved to Great Falls. Steve was part of the Little League program here in Great falls until he moved away. That being said, I have a little dispute as to whether you were really from Duquesne. As my memory serves me, Thomas Avenue was just across the city line separating Duquesne and West Mifflin. In fact, in my mind’s eye, I can still see the sign that said you are entering West Mifflin (at the corner down from the old Kopriver’s Greenhouse/Florist which was a block or so from where you lived on I believe Mifflin St. So I think you are really a hunky from West Mifflin not Duquesne:) I lived in West Mifflin for five years across the street from Carolyn Yeager and three houses up from Beverly Mingo’s grandma’s house on the corner of Maine and Mellon and and when US Steel went on an extended strike we had to move back to my grandmother’s house on Chestnut Street.

Dawn Sloss

What is your married name? = Dawn Stavor
 Years in Duquesne = 1957-1979
 Where do you live now? = Key Largo Florida
 comments = Brings back a lot of fond memories

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