Hammond indictments took the heat off EC...for a while

Have you ever noticed that when there is a slow news day, the media takes a painful bite out of East Chicago? That’s in large part because East Chicago is so open to criticism.

Minor sports deserve recognition in local halls of fame

In the recent listing of rodeo information relative to the Elizabeth Stampede, one of the three officials named was Mark Longoria. If I’m not mistaken, this is the same Mark Longoria who graduated from the late lamented East Chicago Washington High School in 1979.

Admitted embezzler had an ace up his sleeve at trial

Howard Duncan had a photographic memory for numbers that he put to good use for personal gain as the assistant treasurer at NIPSCO in the 1920's and 30's. After confessing to the company president that he had embezzled $132,000, he offered to help NIPSCO auditors unravel his scheme in exchan…

Gambling debts led exec to tap the till almost a century ago

Howard Duncan had a photographic memory for numbers that he put to good use. He had been with NIPSCO and its predecessor companies since 1908, starting at the bottom and working his way up until 1924, when he became assistant treasurer, a position he would hold for nine years.

Vaudeville star was popular with Calumet Region audiences

Think back over the past half century and identify the stars of electronic media. You’ll find that it’s surprisingly difficult to do.

Dutch family migrated to Midwest and grew in number, notoriety

The present flu epidemic is about to surround us, but let us hope that it is nothing like the 1918-19 version, which killed more people than WWI, somewhere between 20 and 40 million worldwide.

Gary school boasted official and unofficial nicknames

As someone once said, or should have, there is aristocracy in all classes. Most schools prior to World War II had a “Four Hundred.”

Shorty was long on musical talent in the Big Band era

Back in the Big Band era of the 1930s and 40s, most of us had favorites, much like having a favorite baseball team. Mine happened to be Les Brown.

Mayhem visited upon Hammond court by knight errant in 1916

The mass murders that occurred in a small Connecticut town this month could, I think, have occurred anywhere. That kid of tragedy almost happened here nearly a century ago, as I described in my book “Reejin Archetypes:”

Christmas a time to welcome those who need shelter

EDITOR’S NOTE: This tale was first told in this space in December, 1981.

Memories of days in the miltary and the medical field

The headlines of the past week or so have caused me to reflect on my past and conclude that a good deal of my adult life has been spent in matters medical. I had basic training in Washington state and, after finishing, was transferred to, of all places, an installation on Lake Shore Drive in…

Shirley Heinze Land Trust protects nature and educates

Women’s liberation! It’s wonderful, that is, if you happen to be married to a beautiful and brainy Southern belle with a college education, a highly successful career as an executive, and an annual income that would choke an ATM.

Park and lagoon made Horace Mann High construction unique

The Calumet Region reached its apogee in 1929, just before The Crash.

From burgers to chicken, Restaurant Row was the place to eat

Not long ago, someone raised the question within our conversation group, “How often did you eat out when you were in high school?”

Gary's Alex Karras was a character, on the field or on a stage

I was always very good at touch football, and even tackle football in the park, but when it came to playing varsity football, a player had to weigh 130 pounds and have other assets. I didn’t even weigh 120 pounds.

Region youth "followed the band" as closely as top athletes

When I was a lad just itching to get into high school, one of the favorite classroom games we played had to do with what I will call “follow the band.”

Kallares sons made their mother (and the region) proud

One of the growing social issues of our time is the one-parent family. That usually means that a mother is the only parent. Just who manages such a family is, I guess we could say, the luck of the draw.

Stiglitz brought fame (and Nobel Prize) to Calumet Region

A person only had to stand around the Calumet Region and soak it up to become an expert on one thing or another.

Horace Mann High produced Gary and state pageant winners

After downstaters got over their apprehension about “Duh Reejin,” they discovered that the Calumet Region produced the most attractive girls in all of Indiana.

Region tenor sang like 'locomotive at full throttle'

If you were a football coach at a Calumet Region high school during the 1940s and you came across a player who outweighed everyone in sight, your cup runneth over.

Bridges often do more than span a body of water

One of the strongest-running local news story has to do with the bridge over the Indiana Harbor ship canal. Despite all these stories, I’m not sure that any of us are any the wiser about why the bridge failed. However, I’m inclined to think it has something to do with our obsession with bridges.

Choices may vary, but breakfast starts the day off right

For as long as I can remember, people who should know have been telling me that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I never had reason to doubt it.

When it comes to community service, nobody beats Platis brothers

What with the national conventions of both political parties running end to end, there has been an unusual number of news articles on what various politicos have contributed to their communities.

Marrying squires made Crown Point popular place to get hitched

Maybe it’s my imagination, but it seems to me that marriage in this country has made a strong comeback.

Calumet Region Hall of Fame would boast talent of all kinds

Earlier this week I had an interesting experience attending the expansion of the East Chicago Hall of Fame. Once again, I thought, every town in the Calumet Region should have such a hall.

Immigrants staked their claim to neighborhoods and churches

In reflecting on the history of the Calumet Region, a great difficulty is that a piece of the territory might change not just once, but several times.

Migration often follows the jobs, while fame finds the talented

One of the interesting approaches to the study of Calumet Region history is to trace immigration patterns.

Keeping cool in the region has always been a challenge

The heat of the past couple of weeks has been enough to melt a glacier. But we’ve seen worse. When I was a kid in Indiana Harbor, it was so hot that a breeze could have conquered the territory.

Whiting's Wunder lead a fascinating life from start to finish

Whiting, Indiana is famous for several things.

Charlie O. a colorful character - from Gary to Oakland

After many years in the communication business, the best advice I can offer a newcomer is: do something. Do anything!

Old 98 was the closest thing to Superman in Calumet Region sports

As I got deeper into the history of the Calumet Region, I came to rely to a certain extent on the work of Jim Lane, an Indiana University Northwest professor, and, to a lesser extent, his colleague Ron Cohen.

Give a "toot" for Indiana Harbor's little boat that could

For kids living in Indiana harbor at the foot of Lake Michigan, the hero of one childhood classic was not fiction, but part of their daily lives.

Easiest job in the world gets confusing

Until a few weeks ago, I had a ready answer to the question: “What is the easiest job in the world?”

Fate of former Indiana Harbor steel giant remains in limbo

Although I grew up in Indiana Harbor, today I could not give you directions to the nearest drug store.

Early adventurers, traders and missionaries made their mark locally

During the Easter season, most of us pause to celebrate the holiest of Christian holidays. Churches are full, flowers seem to be everywhere, and we renew our faith in the unknown.

Titanic anniversary revives memories of an Indiana Harbor craft

During the past week, the mass media has been full of information about the sinking of the Titanic - a century after it sank.

Actor Mike Wallace turned out to be a heck of a newsman

The world lost a giant from the journalism field last Sunday. He was Mike Wallace, and you probably know him best from the TV program "60 Minutes."

East coast filled with people, if not ships, during WWII trip

Now that I have reached the point in life where I have some perspective, I can see that there really are "ages" of a person, as there are ages of man, e.g., the age of reason, the iron age, etc.

Family takes a pass on Rhode Island and avoids hurricane

As a boy in my "gang," I was considered a rich kid. The reason for this misperception was that my family spent a good deal of time in Chicago and attended many events that did not even interest my peers.

Clothesline etiquette formalized during World War II

World War II was a time of secrets. "Loose lips sink ships" and other pithy sayings ruled everyone's lives.

Communities have learned the value of quality athletic venues

Cities and towns have discovered that athletic facilities can make or break a community.

Gridiron greats grew up to make their mark in other fields

High school sports generally, and football in particular, have produced some strange results.

Every Regionite is a story waiting to be told, like oil waiting to be pumped

One of the most fascinating things about the Calumet Region, among many fascinating things, is that everyone who lives or lived here is a walking storybook.

Football can be brutal, and it can also be funny

Football is a brutal sport. Yet, it produces more laughs than any field of endeavor I can think of. Here's an example.

Looking back can turn up some interesting kin

As a matter of good fun, if nothing else, I have encouraged people over the years to dig into their family histories. One way that you can make this particularly interesting is to focus on the work component.

Hall of Fame athletes raise the bar for those who follow

In recent years it has become rather fashionable for towns and cities to have their own Halls of Fame.

Kilroy was everywhere, thanks to a Massachusetts rivet checker

Who was the most famous name in World War II? General Eisenhower? General MacArthur? FDR? Churchill? Hitler? Audi Murphy? General Patton?

It's all about the shoes, and the clothing and other costly items

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't see a great deal of difference between now and The Great Depression. I've thought about this and thought about this and what I've finally concluded is that the chief difference is in the cost of our tools.

Musical prodigies flourished during The Great Depression

In June, I used this space to call attention to Jackie Evancho, a new sensation as a youngster who sounds almost exactly like an adult singer, and the feedback has been enlightening.

More isn't necessarily better when it comes to campaign staff

This is the time in the political process when representatives of the candidates say they will expand their organizations all over the country. Expansion, though, can have curious consequences. In the case of the Richard Nixon presidential campaign, of which I was part, the expansion had sev…