11-11-2009
( Reply#: 3924 ) |
Tom J |
Thanks, Bob. I read some of the articles for our earliest mayors, and I did find it very interesting.
Tom |
11-11-2009
( Reply#: 3925 ) |
tom w |
Bob;
Boy-o-boy. Does that ever bring back the memories. what a neat find so close to Halloween. I got a feeling Bob that you will know what I mean. LOL Tom W |
11-11-2009
( Reply#: 3926 ) |
Paddy |
In Hammond politics of olde, application forms for city jobs had signature lines for the mayor and each councilman. Applicants gathered the necessary signatures by having political connections or paying their dues - or both. Dues payments ranged from campaign donations to pounding lawn signs. |
11-12-2009
( Reply#: 3927 ) |
tom w |
Right, and when the new mayor got into office, the personel rosters
for the police and fire departments changed quickly. As an example, Eddie Dowling was known as the king of nepotisim. Ahh yes dem was de good ole days. But the unions were like that too. Everybody worked.
Gee Whiz, thats a whole nuther subject. Tom W |
11-12-2009
( Reply#: 3928 ) |
tom w |
I tried to edit the above with the comment that my remark that this is a whole new topic was not ment for this particular forum. Sorry everybody. Tom W |
11-12-2009
( Reply#: 3929 ) |
Tom J |
quote:
Originally posted by tom w
I tried to edit the above with the comment that my remark that this is a whole new topic was not ment for this particular forum. Sorry everybody. Tom W
Hey, we get "off topic" all the time around here. Nobody gets upset over it.
Tom |
11-12-2009
( Reply#: 3930 ) |
James Hunt |
It was the summer of 1971 and I had just graduated from Morton and was looking for a job. My mom called our council person who set up a meeting for me with Mayor Klen.
I went to the mayor's office, met Mayor Klen and was sent to the Hammond Water Filtration plant to work. I worked thru the summer there doing landscaping type work and a few other odd jobs.
I remember when I got my first check that there was a substantial deduct titled “Optional Flower Fund”. Officially I was told this was my optional donation to a fund for flowers for sick or deceased Hammond employees but was told unofficially by my coworkers it was not optional and went to the mayor’s campaign fund.
I also found it interesting that quite a number of people would show up to work at the filtration plant for only a few hours a week and I was told they were paid as full time employees. The scuttlebutt being they were heavy contributors to the mayor’s political campaign.
Sorry if I offended anyone with my comments, just my recollections from many years ago.
Jim Hunt |
11-12-2009
( Reply#: 3931 ) |
BobK |
I knew the guy that had the miniature golf place behind Woodmar Shopping Center. He was telling me all the payoffs he had to make to get his permits and I don't think anyone was missed. They would tell you who and how much.
Bob
[img]http://home.comcast.net/~rkekeis/Bob1.jpg[/img] |
11-12-2009
( Reply#: 3932 ) |
tom w |
Yeah, That was pretty much what I was eluding to above. But sometimes I have a tendancy to jump up on a soapbox. I used to have a tavern and you never knew who would walk in and wanted to leave with much more cash than they came in with. I am always amazed when the subject of local politics comes up, how many responses you will get. Nice going Bob! |
11-13-2009
( Reply#: 3933 ) |
BobK |
Tom, I used to hang at a tavern on the north side and would see them come in monthly for their envelop. Of course the owner had some illegal gambling machines.
Bob
[img]http://home.comcast.net/~rkekeis/Bob1.jpg[/img] |
11-13-2009
( Reply#: 3935 ) |
tom w |
Bob; I bet he had a real long last name too. I could not get my garbage picked up if the guys on the truck didn't get a six-pack each guy, each time. And the next tavern was just one block away!
Tom W |
11-13-2009
( Reply#: 3939 ) |
duane |
quote:
Originally posted by James Hunt
I remember when I got my first check that there was a substantial deduct titled “Optional Flower Fund”. Officially I was told this was my optional donation to a fund for flowers for sick or deceased Hammond employees but was told unofficially by my coworkers it was not optional and went to the mayor's campaign fund.
I also found it interesting that quite a number of people would show up to work at the filtration plant for only a few hours a week and I was told they were paid as full time employees. The scuttlebutt being they were heavy contributors to the mayor’s political campaign.
No offence, Jim...because you are reporting FACTS.
Hammond was not alone in these practices. You correctly identified the first one as the "Flower Fund". The second item you list (people not coming to work, but getting full pay) was known as "being on the padded payroll." Both methods were ways that local politicians got and kept power. It was not confined to any one political party and It even extended to State level politics.
One year I was working at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (run by the Feds). I got layed off by the Feds, but it was near springtime, so I thought I could pick up a job at Indiana Dunes State Park (run by the State of Indiana. I went to the park and talked to the Superintendent. He gave me some forms and said to take them to my precinct republican committeeman (since the Governor was a republican at the time). They signed the form and said I needed to get it also signed by the County Republican committeeman. WHen I went there, they said I had to agree to the "Flower fund" and sign a form agreeing to it. At that point I said the heck with it...I wasn't even a republican and I decided to bide my time for a couple months until the Feds hired me back. |
11-15-2009
( Reply#: 3945 ) |
BobK |
Tom, I was surprised to find this in the paper this morning. http://www.post-trib.com/news/manes/1881262,manes1115.article
I knew Mary and Wally Sr. The food used to be excellent but the last time I was there, maybe 6 -7 years ago I was not impressed.
Bob
[img]http://home.comcast.net/~rkekeis/Bob1.jpg[/img] |
11-15-2009
( Reply#: 3946 ) |
S C Jones |
Bobk, thank you for sharing that article. I do not claim Polish as my origins, but growing up in Da Region acquainted me with the food and many Polish friends. The Eastern European population had much in common while maintaining their ethnic identities through close knit families. I have tried to find some true Polish sausage recently and what is presented to me as such is glorified hotdogs---no different in taste. None of what I have found that is called kielbasa has any of the garlic and spices in it---everything is over-processed, I guess.
My father worked as a railroad cook for a time and learned to love all the ethnic foods, so passed that love on to the family. I will have to check out that restaurant when I get up to Da region next spring/summer.
|
11-15-2009
( Reply#: 3947 ) |
BobK |
When I was there last it wasn't what it used to be. The old Polish cooks were gone and it seemed everything was deep fried or microwaved. Maybe it's better now that Sr passed away. I loved their cheese pierogi.
We used to get our sausage and wedding sauerkraut at Maruszczak's meat market on 169th.
Bob
[img]http://home.comcast.net/~rkekeis/Bob1.jpg[/img] |
11-15-2009
( Reply#: 3949 ) |
duane |
Well, being someone that is 100% Polish (all 4 grandparents were born in Poland), hopefully, I can speak with some experience.
My personal opinion, is that there are few places where you can get authentic Polish cooking, because it was always done in the home (usually in the basement!) at most Polish houses. They rarely went out to dinner.
I agree that Marusczak's was the butcher shop to go to, and for the past 20 years or so, we would always visit there and bring a cooler with us, to load up on real keilbasa and fresh Polish sausage to take back with us to Minnesota. They car would smell wonderful with that garlic smell! Sad now that they are gone.
We have a place here in Duluth, MN call "Old World Meats" and it is run by the Wrazidlo family (actually relatives of my wife). That is a real rarity up in Northern Minnesota where the ethnic background is primarily Fins, Swedes and Norwegians. More common to find lutefisk and lefsa than pierogi and kielbasa. |
11-15-2009
( Reply#: 3950 ) |
BobK |
Duane, my wife is 100% Polish. Marusczak's have an appliance store in Schererville and although I haven't stopped there yet I saw on their sign that they have the sausage. Maybe I'll stop there when we get back from Florida next Spring.
Bob
[img]http://home.comcast.net/~rkekeis/Bob1.jpg[/img] |
11-15-2009
( Reply#: 3951 ) |
tom w |
Bob;
The place that I was referring to was very close to Wally's. I lived right across the street from the
Cav and when Wally had trouble with his beer coolers, He called me over. My present wife is Polish also. Her house in Chicago had a kitchen in the "bizmin" basement too It probably still does. We came up for the last time 15 years ago when my brother died. I often wondered about Wally. So sorry to hear that he passed. He served us many bottled of polish beer and bowls and quarts of blood soup. Thanks for posting the article. Tom W |
11-15-2009
( Reply#: 3952 ) |
BobK |
My cousin had the Shell station on the corner of Calumet and Gostlin for a few years in the early 60's. He had a gambling problem and spent more time and money at Wally's than he did at the station.
Bob
[img]http://home.comcast.net/~rkekeis/Bob1.jpg[/img] |
11-15-2009
( Reply#: 3953 ) |
Paddy |
quote:
Originally posted by duane
I agree that Marusczak's was the butcher shop to go to, and for the past 20 years or so, we would always visit there and bring a cooler with us, to load up on real keilbasa and fresh Polish sausage to take back with us to Minnesota.
I moved to MN in 1968, but I always brought a cooler when traveling through the Region so we could bring home fresh Polish sausage. You may think this is odd for an Irish lad, but I had the good fortune to live in a multi-ethnic neighborhood. Just the thought of the smells from our Polish neighbors' kitchens brings back wonderful memories.
We now live near Kansas City, where Polish sausage means smoked links. Ugh! |
11-16-2009
( Reply#: 3955 ) |
tom w |
Bob, David Turka and Bobby Grandboise both lived on Johnson within 2 blocks of Goslin. Did you know them? Also Did you know a guy named Fowler? Tom W |
11-16-2009
( Reply#: 3956 ) |
BobK |
Those names don't ring a bell with me Tom. I lived further north at 140th and Torrence.
Thinking harder, oh boy, Turka does sound familiar but that's about all.
Bob
[img]http://home.comcast.net/~rkekeis/Bob1.jpg[/img] |
11-16-2009
( Reply#: 3957 ) |
seejay2 |
Would this 'Turka' be related to Tom Turka from LTV Steel?....Cj |
11-16-2009
( Reply#: 3958 ) |
tom w |
I didn't know that much about his family. All three were my age. The reason I asked about Jim Fowler is because I think he was very close to Cathy Yonkers. David and Bobby were both on the bus with me when I got drafted. Tom W |
11-17-2009
( Reply#: 3959 ) |
Jim Plummer |
Tom Turka rings a bell. vaguely- Who was he? Did I work under him one summer at LaSalle Steel?quote:
Originally posted by seejay2
Would this 'Turka' be related to Tom Turka from LTV Steel?....Cj
|
11-18-2009
( Reply#: 3960 ) |
seejay2 |
I only know him from LTV Steel. After their shutdown and buyup from some foreign outfit (Mital something-or-another), he went on to become the local union(1011)president and still is.....Cj |
