At the Drive-In

Drive-in theatres began in Camden, NJ in 1933 and spread across the USA, reaching a peak in the 1950s of over 4,000 screens. Springfield had two, on South Grand and South Sixth, and today one is operating as the Route 66 Drive-In.

This may not be the same one I remember; it opened in 1978 as the Green Meadows, closed in 1982, and then sat unused for several years. The Knight family bought it in 1990 but did not reopen until 2002.

Today it has two screens, a playground and refreshment stand, and a nearby amusement park, probably replete with batting cage and water slide.

Not many drive-ins survive today; so if you are ever back in town, check this one out for an evening of summer-time nostalgia.

Do you have any drive-in memories to share?

I recall that on Buck Night, certain pals of mine would pack the trunk with several non-paying customers.

It was also a lot more fun to go there with a date than with the family.

Mother's Day

The second Sunday in May is Mother's Day in 35 countries, from Australia to Venezuela, so let's take a moment to salute every mom, wife, sister, and girl friend on the planet. To the Ladies, bless 'em, and thanks for putting up with the species known as Guys.

The mother I know best is Mary Watson Howarth, seen on the left with her first great-grandchild, Shannon Isabel Howarth. This year, Shannon turns 2 and Mary is 92. She lives in Nashville, TN near my sister, Lydia, and Mom has few complaints other than the "funny accents" people speak in that region.

In her lifetime Mary raised five children, ran five mayoral campaigns, and by her estimate, cooked and served a few hundred thousand meals. She also ran several businesses, including my Dad's law office, and she can still give astute advice about real estate and relationships.

To celebrate your own Mom, please make a comment below or send me a picture with a few lines of information. Happy Mother's Day!

Janet and Jo

Janet Beardsley Johnson and her husband, David Johnson, are still rambling the roads in their RV and this time they journeyed east for a spring-time visit to Canton, Ohio.

There they spent a few days touring local sights, including the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and visiting with Janet's '58 classmate, Jo Ankeny Lindamood.

Jo has worked several years as administrative assistant to the Prosecuting Attorney of Stark County, Ohio. She administers state and federal grants and is responsible for fiscal projections.


On May 31, Jo retires. Her future plans include reading, travel, and caring for her mother, Sybil Ankeny. Sybil is 97 and a beauty, as are the other two ladies in this trio.

Joseph Spitale

From the Springfield Journal-Register today:

Joseph Spitale, 100, of Springfield died Wednesday, April 26, 2006 at Oak Terrace Healthcare Center. He was born July 27, 1905, in Calascibetta, Sicily, the son of Carlos and Caroline Chingotta Spitale. He married Elizabeth Nancarrow; she died in 1992.

Mr. Spitale graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1929, received a master's degree from the University of Michigan in 1933 and did his postgraduate studies at the University of Illinois, University of Colorado and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received the Allis-Chalmers Fellowship in Engineering in 1958. He was a science teacher and freshman football coach at Springfield High School for 43 years, retiring in 1972. He was the author of two zoology laboratory manuals.

He was a member of West Side Christian Church, where he was a Sunday school teacher and superintendent. He served as a supply lay minister for 15 years. He also was a member of the National Education Association, Illinois Education Association, American Federation of Teachers and the Springfield Nature League.

Survivors: daughter, Nancy Brantley of Springfield; sister, Etherena Yuroff of Springfield; a niece; and a nephew. Private family services: Oak Ridge Cemetery, the Rev. Vaughn Beeman officiating. Boardman-Smith Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Gas Prices Again

Seems like every fall and spring, USA gas prices soar once more.

To see how prices in your county stack up with those near by, or across the country, visit Gas Buddy and its color-coded map.

A little bar in the upper left lets you zoom in or out on the map.

A chart on the CNN site reminds us that Americans pay far less for gas than many European and Asian countries.

(Thanks to Lee Lochbaum, in Germany, for the reminder.)

For a translation of the sign, visit this site on Political Humor.

Spring Greetings

Happy Passover, Easter, and Spring! These Ukrainian eggs, pysanky, are a colorful tradition in parts of central Canada and the USA. Wherever you are, have a pleasant holiday weekend with good weather and gatherings of friends and family.

Harriett and Rom Sidoli sent a lively animated Easter greeting card for all '58s to enjoy, and Yvonne and Bob Beveridge forwarded memories of life in the 50s, when we survived so many hazards, such as blue cheese dressing, lead-based paint, no bike helmets or air bags, and playing outdoors! Happy Spring to all, and may we have many more.

Lanphier Ball Park

In honor of Opening Day, let's recall Springfield's pro baseball field, known today as Robin Roberts Stadium at Lanphier Park. Built in 1928, the ball park is on North Grand near Lanphier HS.

From 1932 to 2001, it was home to the Springfield Browns, Senators, Cardinals, Redbirds, Giants, Sultans, and Capitals. Also the Sallies of the All-American Girls League, as depicted in a good film, A League of Their Own (1992).

Two web sites present the history and ambience of Lanphier Park. One of the smaller minor league parks, it offers a good view from almost any angle. Box seats are $7 and bench seats $6. Hot dogs and peanuts are still a bargain, and the trains rolling by are free.

Major pros who played here included Satchel Paige, Robin Roberts, and Dick Schofield. Local teams in the Pony and American Legion leagues often played here as well.

Our 1958 SHS baseball team won the district championship here. Senior stars included Ron Wilson, Dick Hoke, John Dunn, Doug Proctor, and Jack Matlack; also the late Mark Evans and Bob Brunsman. Click on the pics to enlarge, and play ball!

More Twisters

On the evening of Sunday, April 3, up to 9 twisters struck 4 counties across central Illinois. The towns of Lincoln, Greenview, Niantic, and Taylorville were hard hit. Over 150,000 homes had no power overnight. Springfield had 2,100 outages, nearly all restored by Monday morning.

Suzanne Lee Boyd reports that the April 3 storms followed the path of those on March 12. Heavy damage occurred in Sherwood, Westchester, and Riverton. No lives were lost, thanks to early warnings. Suzi says, "Since we just lived through a blizzard also on a Sunday night, we're all becoming paranoid about Sunday nights."

Stories with full details are at the SJR and CNN web sites.

A Visit to Leaf City

Mary Gallagher is a writer and international traveler who runs a web site called Gallagher's Travels that describes her visits and adventures in far flung parts of the world.

On her visit to Springfield she enjoyed all that she encountered: the infamous horseshoe sandwich (she ate the whole thing), the leafy, bungalow-lined streets (anyone recognize the shot above?), and the Lincoln attractions in town and at New Salem.

Informed by a stranger in Chicago that Springfield was a "rural" place, Ms. Gallagher happily found that "Lincoln and Springfield showed me a humble America, rooted with the confidence of the history from where we came."

Maid-Rite

If you're looking for a business opportunity in your retired years, the Maid-Rite corporation of Des Moines, Iowa, wants you.

The company website, full of early pictures of Maid-Rite stands in the Midwest, is now agressively promoting franchises in 18 states, including Arizona and Florida.

The "loose meat sandwich" celebrates its 80th birthday in 2006. Visit the site to see a menu or watch a TV commercial, and remember those days when we could eat anything, any time.

Rare Rainbow

Well, the Davids lost last night: both Bradley and Gonzaga are out of the NCAA tournament. The news about Iraq, bird flu, Arctic ice melt, and the national debt are all pretty bad.

We need some relief, and here it is: photos of a rare winter rainbow. Taken by Dan Bush of Albany, Missouri, they show a rainbow and sunset at Elam Bend Conservation Area near McFall, Missouri on February 2, 2006.

The pictures appear in large format and with informative notes by Mr. Bush at the Missouri Skies web site. The above shot he made with a fisheye lens and it shows the entire rainbow arc.

Next time I feel down about the state of the world, I'll take a look at the world near at hand.

Go Bradley

While supporters of the U of I may be heartbroken by their team's loss to Washington last week, Peoria still has a competitor in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, Bradley University.

Founded in 1897 by Lydia Moss Bradley, in memory of her husband and six children, the school grew from an academy-college into a four-year university by 1946. It's now a top business school and home to over 6,000 students. Distinguished alumni include Jack Brickhouse, Chet Walker, Kirby Puckett, and our '58 classmates, Stan Thomas and Ron Wilson, plus Ron's wife, Rita.

Representing the Missouri Valley Conference, the Bradley Braves have made 8 appearances in the NCAA tournament: 1950, 1954, 1955, 1980, 1986, 1988, 1996, and 2006. In 1950 and 1954, they played in the Final Four. This year they beat Kansas and Pittsburgh to reach their first Sweet Sixteen round in 51 years. On Thursday, March 23, Bradley plays Memphis. I'll be watching to cheer them on, and I hope you will, too.

Happy Green Beer Day

No offense--I'm part Irish, too.

Tornado Again

This picture is from a large collection on the WMAY news site. You may also see a vivid map of the storm track through Springfield at the SJR site, which has all the breaking news. Here are more stories from our classmates:

Suzanne Lee Boyd lives near Washington Park, which she says has lost about a dozen large trees, including 2-3 over a century old. With her electricity out, conveniences like wireless phones and garage door openers became useless. She lit candles, listened to the radio a lot, and turned in around 7:30 each night until power returned. "I do believe God has us go through crises like this one from time to time to remind us to appreciate what we do have. Many people are still without power & homes."

Judi Dunkel Headrick writes that the storms came 23 miles east to her hometown of Illiopolis, and along the way, they ripped out a cattle farm or two. The last cell arrived at 4:30 am, a scary time to be trying to protect house, four dogs, and a cat. Her chimney cap blew off, so the wind and the rain came howling down, but otherwise no damage. She has friends in Springfeld who are still without power, though they have a generator to keep fridge and freezer going.

Janet Bailey Kerner reports that her subdivision had no damage at all, but "It was a very scary night. The dogs and I slept in the basement under a very heavy oak table until 3 a.m. By then they had downgraded the #3 cell to a very dangerous thunder and lightning storm with wind, but there was no twisting to the storm. That is when I finally went upstairs and went to bed."

Tornado Stories

Several '58s who live in Springfield have sent me reports of tornado damage in their neighborhoods or around town. C. E. Welch says "Wabash, North Street, Isles Park, Bergen Park, & Dirksen Parkway between South Grand and Clear Lake really bad--no WTAX tower--"

Judy Vicars Van Hagen writes: "I was lucky enough to be spared any trouble with the first two tornados, and the third storm hit my neighborhood, but only with torrential rain and high straight line winds; no injuries and no damage. I spent a lot of time in the basement with a battery operated radio and my three little dogs while the storms came and went, two being tornados. Luckily, radio station WMAY stayed on the airwaves with an emergency generator all night long, keeping us updated with exactly what was going on and when each storm was coming and where it was headed. WTAX had lost its broadcasting ability with the first tornado and still isn't up and broadcasting as of Tuesday."

She also notes that some 400 electric poles are down, live wires are on the ground, and most stop lights are out. "Many, many businesses along Wabash were demolished. The Barrel Head is gone, Capitol Illini Veterinary Clinic suffered terrific destruction, the list goes on and on. Those streets are actually closed at this point. The businesses in Parkway Point were hit really hard and the motels in that area lost parts of their buildings."

Carolyn Baldwin Quinlan confirms that news with a story about her husband, Ed Quinlan: "Ed had a problem here at home with the heat while I was gone, and checked into the Fairfield Inn. He was dozing on the bed in his third floor room when the window blew in. He ran into the hall and down to one end, but it was blocked by debris, so he ran to the other end and had to almost crawl down the side of the building to get out. I drove by there today and the whole end of the motel is gone. Ed went back yesterday, and they let him get his stuff. He protested because he didn't get his Continental breakfast yesterday morning. Anyway, he is ok, still a bit shook up."

The SJR reports today that 1,548 homes are damaged. No deaths resulted from the storm. One sad note is that many thousands of century-old trees have been lost. The above picture, by Daniel Souther of Springfield, appears in "Storm reader pics gallery #2" at the SJR site. The WMAY site has also published more storm photos.

Tornado Update

Meteorologists say the first Springfield tornado crossed Interstate 72 near milepost 92 about 8:20 p.m. The storm was on the ground for 5 1/2 miles over six minutes, entering the city near Cockrell Lane and Constitution Drive, tracking east-northeast. About 300 yards wide, the tornado damaged several businesses from Constitution to Veterans Parkway and Lindbergh Boulevard.

The track widened to four-tenths of a mile as it moved south of Wabash Avenue, between Veterans Parkway and Chatham Road. It widened further to just more than half a mile wide from the village of Jerome to Westchester Boulevard. It then weakened slightly, producing F1 (73 to 112 mph winds) damage as it turned to the northeast. The damage path remained nearly half a mile wide.

The tornado's width decreased to about one-quarter mile as it strengthened again and turned to the north-northeast near Iles Park and the area of Oak and Myrtle streets between Sixth and Ninth streets, blowing roofs off of homes and severely damaging garages and business. The first tornado dissipated just north of Ninth Street and South Grand Avenue, the weather service said.

A second twister then touched down about 8:25 p.m. a quarter-mile north of Bunn Park, tracking to the northeast and doing the worst of its damage in an area bounded by 15th Street and Cornell, South Grand and Pope avenues. Trees, roofs and vehicles were damaged along Old U.S. 54 from New Berlin to Springfield and for several miles to the south.

Once the brunt of the storm reached Springfield, it hit areas all along Wabash Avenue and the Wabash Trail bike path, which runs from Robbins Road to Park Street, damaging or destroying many businesses along its path and homes in the Westchester and Sherwood subdivisions, the village of Jerome and other areas along the way. For details and pictures, visit the SJR site.

Springfield Tornado

A devastating tornado hit Springfield on Sunday evening, ripping across the south side of town, especially Jerome, Parkway Pointe, and from midtown to the Dirksen Parkway. The storm then went northeast through Loami, New Berlin, Curran, and Riverton, leaving behind heavy damage.

Power lines are out, gas lines broken, and many business buildings are destroyed along Wabash Avenue and South MacArthur. Much damage occurred in the Westchester and Sherwood subdivisions. The downtown historic districts were spared.

The Journal Register has a lengthy story on the storm and also several galleries of photos. We are hoping that all members of '58 who live in Springfield are OK and would appreciate any notes they can send, either via e-mail or comments below.

Wayne Canfield

Wayne Canfield attended SHS in 1954-56. The following obituary appeared in the Journal-Register on March 11:

TAYLORVILLE - William Wayne Canfield, 65, of Taylorville died Thursday, March 9, 2006, at St. John's Hospital. He was born May 17, 1940, in Springfield, the son of Jack and Mardel Mathy Canfield. He married Ruth Dunkirk in 1993 in Springfield. A son, John Thomas "Tommy" Canfield Jr., preceded him in death. Mr. Canfield graduated from high school in 1958. He was a U.S. Navy veteran. He retired as a personnel officer for the secretary of state office and was supervisor of the workmen's compensation division. He was affiliated with St. Mary's Catholic Church in Taylorville. He was a member of VFW 4495. Survivors: wife, Ruth; son, Wayne Canfield Jr. of Pennsylvania; three daughters, Karen and Kelly Canfield and Kasey Slatkey; and four grandchildren. Services: 10 a.m. Monday, Sutton Memorial Home, Taylorville, the Rev. Alan Hunter officiating. Burial: Morrisonville Cemetery. A guest book is available here.

Navy Pier: The Other U of I

John Bryden '52 recently learned about this news blog from Bob Shewmaker '58, at a meeting of U of I alums in Washington, DC. After John read my entry on the U of I (see Jan 19, 2006), he sent this note:

"Your comment, '... In our day, only one U of I existed, the campus at Urbana-Champaign. Today the franchise has expanded considerably, to include Chicago and Springfield,' short-changes the other U of I of our day, Navy Pier Chicago, which filled lots of seats in Champaign for the Junior and Senior years." He included the above picture, taken in 1954, of two undergraduates on the balcony above the campus entrance.

John is so right, and I stand corrected. Navy Pier has a long history, beginning its life in 1916 as a municipal pier for freight and excursion steamers. During WW II, the Navy enlisted and trained sailors there, among them my Dad. The U of I used the Pier as a campus from 1946 to 1965. On Feb 3, 2006, alumni of the Pier marked the 60th anniversary of their school with a gathering at the old gym, now the Grand Ballroom.

Today the Pier has a new life as a place for exhibitions, festivals, shops, and museums. It's the top tourist attraction in Illinois, and plans are underway for a major expansion. Many thanks to John for the reminder. He was at Butler till 1949, graduated SHS in 1952, and the U of I in 1956. At one time we were neighbors, as his family lived on the corner of Leland and MacArthur (or West Grand, in the pre-WW II years).

Kris Hockenyos Tipps

A story in today's Journal-Register reports that Kris Hockenyos Tipps, seen with her daughters, Cheryle Yates (left) and Amy Ritter (right), is retiring and closing Aquaria Limited after 35 years of operation. Located at 2025 So. MacArthur, Aquaria is one of the city's oldest pet shops, offering many varieties of fish, birds, turtles, and other critters to animal lovers throughout town.

Kris started Aquaria in 1970 in the basement of her home on South Glenwood Avenue. Later she had a second shop at MacArthur and Ash before moving to the present location. She's kept her door open despite ice storms, power outages, and shipments sent to those other Springfields in the USA.

Kris will only be semi-retired, for adjacent to Aquaria is her other business, Dolls Unlimited, which she will continue to run from home. If you need a present for a doll-lover, give Kris a call at her home phone, listed in our class directory. Congratulations to Kris on her newfound rest, peace, and quiet!