Post-wartime Easter recalled

March 22, 2016

It was Easter, 1946: World War II had been over a bit more than six months. Mom, Dad, my sister and I went to Easter services at Emmanuel Lutheran that Sunday morning. I had a brand new powder blue suit with beige plaid inserts on the coat. It was the first time since before the war that I had trousers with cuffs.The Rev. Rush gave the Easter sermon over the church public address system from his bed in the parsonage due to his failing health. The ushers had to set up folding chairs in the aisles to handle the overflow crowd.After the services, we were in a hurry to get home because Mom ...

Missing days of cereal serials

March 8, 2016

It was 1945. It was just about that time at Garfield Elementary on Montclair Street. I put my bicycle clip on my pant leg. Five more minutes. I wore my webbing traffic belt with its silver AAA badge. My homeroom teacher called us traffic boys to the door and dismissed us five minutes early so that we could get to our posts ahead of the other kids.I biked to my post at the corner of Genesee and Woodland just ahead of the first bicyclers - the walkers would be straggling along behind them. I was eager to get home. One of my radio serial heroes, "Hop Harrigan," was in an out-of-control ...

Handkerchief uses were broad, back in the day

February 23, 2016

Let's go back a ways in time to York Avenue NW here in Warren. A few readers of this column have encouraged me to once again hark back to those innocent (?) pre-World War II days when I was a not-so-angelic (Mom and Dad thought otherwise) child of 5 or less.My older sister was on to me, though. A lot of that time that I spent in the neighborhood was with my partner-in-crime Mary Joyce, and much of that time was involved with handkerchiefs.The best handkerchiefs (hankies) were to be found in my dad's top bureau drawer. I could easily crawl up there on a chair - never mind that ...

Drinking water struggles not new in many parts of the world

February 9, 2016

Water has been in the headlines a lot recently. Sebring, Ohio, and Flint, Michigan have had more than their share of attention about it. It's gratifying to know that our local public water suppliers say that our water supply is free of lead.Let's think about the water we're accustomed to in Warren. It has been clean, pure, lead free, refreshing - in a word - potable. But, I wonder if you know about the water situation in the world's most populous country - China.A few years ago, I spent two weeks in China with my son, his Chinese wife, and my two grandchildren. I lived in my son's ...

Night owls need naps now and then

January 31, 2016

I have this terrible habit of sleeping only in short spurts. I 'm not sure how it formed.Perhaps it all started when my now 16-year-old son Kyle was a baby and had to be perched upright for an hour after every feeding because of his severe reflux disorder.Poor little guy.There we were, two night owls, wide awake at one, three and five bells and then dead asleep at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and, oh, just after dinner time, I suppose.Hmpf.I think it's fair to say we both suffer serious snooze-ability impairments as a result. Then again, neither of us tends to functionally require a ton of sleep, ...

Sjodin- Hancharenko

January 31, 2016

Sjodin-HancharenkoEmily Elizabeth Sjodin and Martin Thomas Hancharenko Jr., both of Minnetonka, Minn., were united in marriage during a ceremony Oct. 3, 2015, in The Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis, Minn. The Rev. John Bauer officiated.Following the ceremony, a reception was held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.The bride is the daughter of Daniel and Cynthia Sjodin, of Fridley, Minn. Parents of the groom are Martin T. Sr. and Camille Hancharenko of Cortland.Linley Ritcher and Tessa Voss attended the bride as maids of honor. Bridesmaids were Deah Szymanski and Sarah ...