Dec 27, 2021

Beverly Area Planning Area News

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Dec 23, 2021

Happy Holidays, Merry XMAS and Happy Hanukkah

usmc-merry-christmas-vietnam-war-1970-via-seal

Happy Holidays, Merry XMAS and Happy Hanukkah

Our XMAS Letter https://xmashullinger.blogspot.com/

Dec 22, 2021

Sharon Avny nee Shepardson

Sharon Avny nee Shepardson age 73. Beloved wife of Dr. Warren Y. Avny and his children Michelle (Stephen) Serck and Jeffrey Avny (Kim Fossieck). Much beloved grandma Sharon to Jacob, Adam, and Benjamin Serck. Sister of Diane Shepardson and Beverly Lambert. Special auntie of Sara Shepardson Mitchell and Stacy Shepardson Williams. Graveside service Thursday 1PM at Shalom Memorial Park (Section VII-Mt. Zion), 1700 W. Rand Road, Arlington Heights, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation, 308 East Lancaster Avenue, Suite 225, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania 19096, www.sandyovarian.org. To attend the funeral live stream, please visit our website.

Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com.

Sharon Shepardson Avny died on November 3.

Sharon always hosted a summer barbecue for those of us in this area of Southern California, a wonderful opportunity to keep up with a group of classmates who, in many cases, I knew better from our California lives than I ever did in Chicago. She was gracious and charming and always looked fabulous. We all worried last summer when she emailed that she had health problems and wasn't able to have the gathering this year.

Sharon lived in Southern California even longer than we've been here, and that's a long, long time. She had a very successful career in HR at the Los Angeles Time for many years before marrying Warren Avny and moving to Orange County. I have a brunfelsia bush in my yard that came from a cutting she gave me when she still lived in Glendale. Its common name is Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow because it changes color as it matures. That feels particularly appropriate right now.

The last time I saw her was at Christmas 2019. She was still the prettiest girl in our class, as well as one of the sweetest and most kind. May we all leave behind such lovely memories.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/sharon-avny-obituary?id=31449427

Taffy Cannon, June 1966

______

So Sorry to hear aoubt Sharon's passing.

Ron McComb

_______

Sad to hear. A beautiful person.

Patt Christie

______________

A lovely tribute to a lovely classmate.

Marie Buti

________

Extremely sad and makes it seem worst because of the time of the year.

Ray Justinic

___________

Very sad to hear it.

Craig Hullinger

Published by Chicago Tribune on Nov. 10, 2021.

Charles Beirne

Charles Beirne was born on June 3, 1929 in Watertown, South Dakota and died peacefully at home on October 31, 2018 in Chicago. He graduated from DePaul University with a BA in English Literature in 1952. He served in the U.S Army Corps of Engineers 1952-1954. He earned his MA in Literature in 1959. He was a teacher with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) for most of his career.

One of his most satisfying times was directing high school musicals with his friend and colleague, Leonard Hurst, at Morgan Park High School.

He also taught evening drama classes and directed plays at St. Xavier College. One of his roles was with WBEZ, developing and teaching broadcasting for gifted students. He later was promoted to the gifted coordinator for the city’s high schools. Charles retired in 1993 with 33 years of service with CPS.

In 1954, he married Elizabeth Kelly who he met while a college student at DePaul University. They had nine children. She died in May of 1967. He married Norine Kennedy in December 1968. Norine brought three children into the family and in 1970 they added Amy making 13 altogether. The family lived in Harvey until moving to the Beverly area of Chicago in 1969.

Charles was a proud Democrat and had strong social justice beliefs. He enjoyed discussing politics with his children and grandchildren. He moved a great deal in his early life due to The Great Depression and other challenges. As an adult, he was committed to staying in one place. He achieved this goal, living for 49 years in his Beverly home.

Charles loved theater and was an actor in his youth, a director in his profession and theater buff throughout his life. He loved opera and had season tickets to both the Lyric Opera and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for much of his adult life. The family often produced plays to entertain themselves and unsuspecting guests.

He enjoyed ballroom and ice dancing. He also taught his children to ice skate. He and Norine took up cross country skiing and explored many parks in the area this way. They also became avid bird watchers and as they aged, the bird feeder outside the dining room window provided much enjoyment. They traveled to National Parks each summer while raising their children. In retirement, they toured Europe, Ireland and visited family in California, Arizona and Alaska.

Charles was a chess player. He had every generation of computerized chess game available and would play multiple games simultaneously. Charles also enjoyed tennis and continued to play into his 70’s. He was an enthusiastic fan of the sport and followed the tournaments very closely.

He is survived by his children, Michael of Santa Clara, CA, Sharon (Gordon) Fuller of Columbia MD, Mary (John) Brubaker of Naperville, IL, Kathy (Dick) Callahan of Juneau, AK, David (Martha Stedman) of Tucson, AZ, John Ventrella, Mark Paul of Long Branch, NJ, Anne of Jacksonville, FL, Carol (Betty Julin) of Arlington Heights, IL, Chris (Nancy Davila) of Austin TX, Dan (Colleen) of Redmond, WA and Amy (Tom) Figel, his daughters-in-law Vivien Alsberg Beirne and Dodie Beirne.

He is honored by the legacy of his 18 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren including: Evan (Jessica) Fuller and their children Maya and Naomi, Eliana (Ben) Holgate and their children Gabriel and Miriam, Matt (Jordan) Callahan, Terry Beirne, Neal Callahan, Karen Beirne, Clara Brubaker, Oliver Beirne, Hanna Brubaker, Liz Johnson, Rosalie Beirne, Lily Yellott, Liam Figel, Sean Figel, Nora Beirne, Sophie Figel, Erin Beirne and Quinn Beirne.

He is also survived by his brother Edmund, sisters, Janet, Elaine (Paul) Raglow, Agnes (Diahann McConkey) and sister-in-law Mary Beirne.

He is preceded in death by his first wife Elizabeth, second wife Norine, parents Martin and Agnes Beirne, brothers Patrick and Gregory.

Donations in Charles’ name can be made to:

the ACLU (https://action.aclu.org/give/tribute-aclu-illinois), The Lyric Opera, Beverly Art Center or WBEZ.

__________

I read the words below written by Michael Rosen and immediately remembered Mr. Bierne and the stage productions at Empehi...Bye-Bye Birdie and Brigadoon.

Still can sing the songs. Good memories.

Also thought of Mr Hurst and hours of rehearsing for A Cappella competitions.

Still can sing those songs too.

"What did they think they were doing

those English teachers

staying on after school

to put on plays?

I was an ant in a play about ants.

Then I was a servant

in Much Ado About Nothing.

Hours and hours rehearsing

in winter classrooms.

My father did it too,

bringing home the problem

of how to make blood for Julius Caesar’s toga

and snakes for Cleopatra.

They got no money for it

these English teachers.

Sometimes headteachers were pleased

sometimes mildly irritated

that the hall was out of action

for their assemblies.

We left school.

They retired.

They’re all gone:

Mr Jones, Mr Brown, my father.

There are one or two photos

blurred pictures of unbelievably young people

with too much make-up round the eyes;

some marked up play scripts,

the character’s name underlined in red,

stage directions - ‘move stage right’.

voice directions - ‘urgent’.

Did they know that we would carry the memories

for decades?

60 years since ‘Much Ado’.

Did they know that it’d be easier to remember

the lines and the Leichner make-up

than how to do simultaneous equations

and the correct order of the cities down the Rhine,

though I can be a red corpuscle

and describe my journey from the left ventricle

to my fingers and back

(it involves all four chambers of the heart).

Did they know that some of us

would do more and more and more

of things like saying words out loud

or writing words for others to say out loud

or just working with a few other enthusiastic people

to get something done.

Did they know that?

I once bumped into Mr Brown

on Russell Square Station.

He was in his 70s

I was in my 60s.

I had a lot to tell him.

He had a lot to tell me.

There wasn’t time.

We said, ‘Let’s meet up.’

We didn’t.

He died soon after.

He had an obituary in the Times.

They asked me to add a bit.

I wanted to say that

those hours in the winter classrooms

being an ant mattered then

mattered again and again

and still matter.

Well, they matter to me.

But did he know that?

Did he know that they would go on mattering?

And if he knew that,

where did he and Mr Jones and my father

learn that the kids in their plays

would go on thinking about

being ants and servants

for the rest of their lives?"

________________

You have a wonderful way with words Marie. Thanks for sharing ‘deep thoughts’!

Tony Visser

__________

Tony,
I can't take credit for the reflection; it was written by Michael Rosen. I only commented that his words evoked memories from Empehi.

Marie

_________

Thanks for sharing Michael’s thoughts. I remember seeing Brigadoon and was moved by the performance. We were fortunate to have teachers that cared.

Sandy “Schuessler” Wright
_____________

Great memories...

I know all of us who were able to participate in Drama and Music at EMPEHI are the better for it. I shudder when I hear music and art are being eliminated from schools...the quest to decrease costs, costs more than they can imagine.

I taught Art as a volunteer when my daughter was in elementary school. It was a program started by a parent. I saw so many kids who were not "doing well" in school, shine in the art program. They were given the chance to show talent and gain confidence. Who knows how that helped them in their lives. I know it was rewarding for me.

I can still sing songs from Pirates of Penzance, and A Capella ...not as well, since I cannot hit the high notes anymore. We were lucky to have the talented and dedicated teachers who gave us such precious gifts.

Sunbridge

___________

Great memories of EMPEHI

We were so fortunate to have had Mr. Burn and Mr. Hurst to allow many of us to participate in the wonder of music and drama...and to give all the experience of watching. I can still sing some of the songs from Pirates of Penzance, though I cannot hit the high notes anymore. I shudder when I hear schools cutting art and music. They may cut the budget, but at a GREAT price to the students.

I taught art in my daughter's elementary school as part of a volunteer program...and saw many students who were not doing well with regular schoolwork, shine and gain confidence in art class...art and music enhance learning in so many ways.

Sunbridge

_____________

Thanks so much. I had one of my most memorable experiences at MPHS through him, but had no idea of his whole life. How interesting.

Many thanks Patt.

Veenie

_____________

Thank you for this information about his life. I always like him, and Mr. Hurst.

Mirjana

_____________

Very nicely said, Marie.

I remember how well I thought the late Andy Bendel sang in some of our MPHS productions, Brigadoon, I think. The faculty and students did some very nice work.

Craig Hullinger

__________

Even though I cannot carry a tune in a bucket, and I can only act stupidly, the music and drama programs at Empehi deeply enriched my life as well as added additional joy to several reunions where we all enjoyed participating in (even by watching/listening) Mr. Hurst and choir members perform. I am so grateful. And art -- no talent there either but I appreciate art in all its forms thanks to the efforts of dedicated teachers and my fellow students.

God Bless all teachers, but especially those who continue to devote themselves to the art of teaching students who may or may not want to learn. And damn those who would remove arts (and physical education) from schools. Those who are not intellectually inclined may find their true calling in these areas. Art and Music have kept many students in school.

Judy Halligan Willingham '66

________________

Oct 14, 2021

The Not So Wild Bunch

Jun 27, 2018

Biker Bar in Florida

Craig left, Dave Right

The Not So Wild Bunch. Dave Sheffner and Craig Hullinger, MPHS Jan 66, Aug 22, 2017.

Dave on his 1970 Triumph and Craig on his 2007 Harley.

Video of Dave on the Triumph

Our Future Bikes

The Not So Wild Bunch

Traded the Big Harley in and bought a Kawasaki Z-125. A fun little machine getting closer to my Mount Greenwood roots of small motorbikes. 125 CC's, four speeds. 52 MPHS all out.

Oct 10, 2021

Magical Music

Eight-year-old daughter, Virginia Bocelli. On the empty stage of Teatro Regio di Parma, father and daughter sprinkle some Bocelli magic on Leonard Cohen's timeless ' Hallelujah'; Andrea on guitar and vocals, and Virginia on vocals and harmony.

At age 12, Bocelli lost his sight completely following an accident during a football game. He was hit in the eye playing goalkeeper during a match and suffered a brain hemorrhage. Doctors resorted to leeches in a last-ditch effort to save his sight, but they were unsuccessful and he remained blind.

Click to view and listen.

https://www.classicfm.com/artists/andrea-bocelli/virginia-daughter-hallelujah-duet-christmas-concert/

Submitted by

Charles Van liere MPHS Jan 66

Oct 6, 2021

Darn, My Sox

The dialogue below came from a discussion among EMPEHI 1960's Classes Graduates. If you would like to join our brilliant group send Craig Hullinger MPHS 66 an email to morganparkhigh@gmail.com and craighullinger@gmail.com

_____

My wife and I have a running debate about clothing. I say Waste Not, Want Not, meaning wear clothing until it is worn out.

She takes the opposite view and buys us many more clothes than we can possibly use. So we provide GoodWill and Salvation Army with boatloads of older but still serviceable clothes.

The sock is a case in point. Now I agree it is a bit shopworn. Nevertheless it can still be worn. And it provides freedom and aeration to my feet and is much more economical than buying new socks. It is green and sustainable to wear old, slightly used socks, rather than buying new socks. My Lady Boss insists that it be thrown away.

DARN MY SOCKS

I pointed out to her that if she would darn my socks we could keep using them. She said something unprintable about my socks but it did not include the word Darn. More emphatic, I would say. And not very polite.

OK, she wins. Out goes the sock. A sad loss. I hope it has a good afterlife. I don’t suppose GoodWill wants it.

AND

When I was single I hit on the concept of always buying identical socks. This way you never had to take the time to mate and pair them - since all my socks were the same they all worked. Sadly my wife does not follow this simple precept and continues to buy many many socks with different designs. Finding mates for my multitude of socks is difficult if not impossible.

Sartorial Excellence

I am careless with clothing. I don't really care all that much. And wearing unmatched socks is ok, as long as they don't clash too much. But once at a Planning Commission meeting I noticed that I was wearing unmatched shoes. I was a bit embarrassed and tried to keep one foot mostly under the table when I rose to point out items on the map. I was a consultant to the Planning Commission.

But then I thought it was funny and so outed myself. The Commision members thought it was humorous but no doubt wondered why they were paying me to guide the community's long range future when I was not able to wear matching shoes.

I was of course a bad fit for the Marine Corps which is fanatical about appearance. And so they trained me to be careful about wearing the uniform. And I did better, but my troops frequently fiddled with my medals before an important event to make sure they were correct and they were not embarrassed by me.

____________

I always wore colorful socks when my office was in the Bridgeview courthouse. The cafeteria manager would check my socks. If colorful enough, he bought my coffee

Tom

____________

Those darn medals. I had all my rows of medals put on one big piece of velcro. That way if I found a big enough wall I could display them there also.

Pete

_____________

Your wife wins! Bye-bye Holy Sox!

Marie

____________

Craig, mismatched socks are the in thing now with the younger set, and I presume, the young at heart, too. Kudos.

Will

_________

Who knew? Great idea. I will run with it. Actually, I already do that, but I did not know I was trendy.

I suggest this to my wife, that she wear one earring when she has lost the other, or wear unmatched earrings, but so far she has not agreed. Seems quite logical to me.

Craig

_____________

Mismatched earrings are "in", so are mismatched socks and even mismatched shoes. I've seen soccer players wearing 2 different colored shoes. So you are really "hip" and a trendsetter,

Marie

_____________

Good to know! "Hip and a Trendsetter" Cool. Although I suppose that a Hip Trendsetting 73 year old would not say "cool'.

Craig

_________

So next time I mismatch earrings, socks or shoes I will be cool!! How about if I have a shirt on inside out?

Sandy

_____

Inside out is good, and a well known way to wear your shirt for two days. Or four or six or thirty six if you wish.

Green and sustainable. Saves energy and washing and soap and water.

Actually, of course, never washing your clothes would be even more green.

I know someone like that, but he was in the 65 class.

Reminds me of the great country and western song.

Then I fumbled through my closet for my clothes

And found my cleanest dirty shirt

It's the one I'm wearin'

Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down lyrics - Kris Kristofferson

Well I woke up Sunday morning

With no way to hold my head, that didn't hurt

And the beer I had for breakfast

Wasn't bad so I had one more for dessert

Then I fumbled through my closet for my clothes

And found my cleanest dirty shirt

It's the one I'm wearin'

And I shaved my face and combed my hair

And stumbled down the stairs to meet the day

I'd smoked my brain the night before

Or I smoked so much the night before

With cigarettes and songs that I've been pickin'

My mouth was like an ashtray I'd been lickin'

But I lit my first and watched a small kid

Cussin' at a can that he was kicking

Then I crossed the empty street

And caught the Sunday smell of someone fryin' chicken

And it took me back to somethin'

That I'd lost somehow somewhere along the way

Chorus:

On the Sunday morning sidewalks

Wishing Lord that I was stoned

'Cause there is something in a Sunday

That makes a body feel alone

And there's nothin' short of dyin'

Half as lonesome as the sound

On the sleepin' city side walks

Sunday mornin' comin' down

In the park I saw a daddy

With a laughing little girl who he was swingin'

And I stopped beside a Sunday school

And listened to the song that they were singin'

Then I headed back for home and

Somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringin'

And it echoed thru the canyon like

The disappearing dreams of yesterday.

Chorus:

On the Sunday morning sidewalks

Wishing Lord that I was stoned

'Cause there is something in a Sunday

That makes a body feel alone

And there's nothin' short of dyin'

Half as lonesome as the sound

On the sleepin' city side walks

Sunday mornin' comin' down.

________

Sorry but I have to agree with Beth. The socks had a good run though.

Sandy

________

Good advice.

Sandy

___________

Try some Bombas. Maybe you’ll rethink your sock choices. I doubt if your socks provide an odor free environment for Beth.

Pete

__________

I did not know what Bombas meant and had to look it up. I suppose my lack of knowledge hurts my image as a "Hip and a Trendsetter" .

Bombas is a comfort focused sock and apparel brand with a mission to help those in need. One purchased = one donated, always and forever.

Bombas.com Bombas

Craig

_________

Let's all chip in to buy Craig a new pair of socks!!!

Pete

________

Excellent idea! I will set up the Buy Craig Sox Go Fund Me page ASAP

_______

Na, I am ok now that Will told me it was fashionable to wear unmatched socks. I have plenty of those. Thank you, Will.

_____

Socks v sox. As I wrote this missive I alternately used sox and socks. My spell / grammar checker said use socks. But some sources accept the use.

Why the White Sox aren’t the White Socks.

By Daniel Engber OCT 25, 2005

Why are these teams “Sox” rather than “Socks”?

“They followed the fashion of the times. Many early baseball teams were named after their uniform colors. In the 19th century, there were clubs called the Red Stockings, Brown Stockings, and Blue Stockings. Newspapers like the Chicago Tribune often shortened these nicknames to “Sox.” When Charlie Comiskey founded the American League’s Chicago White Stockings in 1901, the Tribune wasted no time in dubbing them the White Sox. Boston’s AL franchise seems not to have had an official name during its first few years. Reporters called them different names on different days, including the Americans (to distinguish them from Boston’s National League team), the Bostons, the Plymouth Rocks, and the Beaneaters. In late 1907, the club’s owner settled on the Red Sox.”

Why the love affair with the letter “x”? The formation of the modern baseball leagues coincides, more or less, with a broad movement to simplify English spelling. The father of the movement, Noah Webster, had pushed to create a “national language” a century earlier. Webster wanted to distinguish American English from British English by correcting irregular spellings and eliminating silent letters. Some of Webster’s suggestions took—”jail” for “gaol”—while others haven’t caught on—”groop” for “group.”

Near the turn of the century, advocacy groups like the Spelling Simplification Board pushed for spelling reform with renewed vigor; they argued that millions of dollars were wasted on printing useless letters. The editor of the Chicago Tribune, Joseph Medill, supported the idea. Medill stripped final “e”s from words like “favorite” in the pages of his newspaper and even suggested more wholesale changes that would have made written English look something like e-mail spam. In 1906, Teddy Roosevelt ordered the government printer to adopt some simplified spellings—such as replacing the suffix “-ed” with “-t” at the end of many words—for official correspondence. Congress responded by passing a bill in support of standard orthography later that year.

By the first decade of the 1900s, “sox” was already a common way to shorten “socks.” The “x” version of the word frequently appeared in advertisements for hosiery, for example. And in his 1921 tome The American Language, H.L. Mencken described “sox” as a “vigorous newcomer.” “The White Sox are known to all Americans; the White Socks would seem strange,” he wrote.

The spelling reform movement weakened over the course of the 20th century. But by the time “sox” fell out of fashion, the baseball nicknames were already entrenched in the sports pages and in the hearts of the teams’ fans.”

Click to read the full article:

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2005/10/why-the-white-sox-aren-t-the-white-socks.html

________

Socks v Sox, very interesting. I think it is fine to use both spellings. Interesting that other similar words would not sound correct. Most of the list below are real words, often with a different definition for “x” v “ocks”. Some are not real words. Some of them have no meaning, or very different meanings, and some are foreign words that have worked their way into English.

Box v Bocks

Lox v Locks

Cox v Cocks

Mox v Mocks

Dox v Docks

Fox v Focks

Gox v Gocks

Hox v Hocks

Jox v Jocks

Xox v Xocks

Probably continues through the alphabet, but I decided that this sux and will not continue.

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/what-is-lox/

Craig

_________

Just don't mix White Sox with Red Sox....

Marie

_________

Could be a problem. I am somewhat color blind, and as my wife frequently reminds me, taste blind.

Which makes it easy - wear whatever you want and don't worry about it. One of the old guys that wears loud colorful goofy clothes and does not worry about it.

Craig

________

Noah Webster must be spinning in his grave the way kids have overly contracted the language in texts and such. Like paw brb for parents are watching. Be right back.

The military and Mensa organizations use acronyms to speed communication. Probably others, too. Newcomers learn to quickly adapt, but most commercial operations don't want to make prospective customers uncomfortable, so stick to longhand.

Will

_________

I spend WAY too much time searching acronyms on google. Sometimes your (not you personally) shortcut adds minutes to my trying to figure what your cryptic initials mean. Not a good time spender.

Tom

________

I worked once with a golf pro who always dressed to the nines. A mutual friend imparted that Ken was severely colorblind. His wife sewed threads into every article of clothing 1 thread went with 1 thread, 2 with 2, etc. He never failed to dress appropriately.

Tom

________

Color blind story - in the early years of my marriage, being "starving students", I would darn holes in my husband's socks. One day, he purchased the thread to be used to darn his socks. I protested to him that he had purchased brown thread and his socks were black. He said as he couldn't see the difference in color and the holes were on the bottom of his socks, it didn't matter to him what color the thread was. So, darn his socks I did. His parents came to visit. While sitting and visiting, he took off his shoes and put his feet up. His mother shrieked, "Don't move!. You have chocolate on the bottom of your socks." We all had a good chuckle when I explained it was merely the darning of the holes with brown thread. Haven't darned socks in many, many years.

Pam

_________

Great story

Marie

________

One day in traffic behind a really blah-colored car, I commented to my wife, "why would anyone buy that color car?" She replied, maybe they are color blind, so they all look the same to them and that color was less expensive. It was one of those "Duh-moments" for me, as she was right of course. I no longer criticize color choices any more.

Will

_________

Great story. My first husband, a well off college professor, expected me to darn his socks. Guess who lost that one?

Sandy

________

Allen sent an email on this subject, but it had no text in the email.

We must have knocked his sox off.

Craig

THE END

Dec 27, 2021

Dec 23, 2021

Happy Holidays, Merry XMAS and Happy HanukkahOur XMAS Letter https://xmashullinger.blogspot.com/

Dec 22, 2021

Oct 14, 2021

Jun 27, 2018

Oct 10, 2021

Oct 6, 2021

Why the White Sox aren’t the White Socks.

By Daniel Engber OCT 25, 2005

Why are these teams “Sox” rather than “Socks”?

Happy Holidays, Merry XMAS and Happy Hanukkah

Our XMAS Letter https://xmashullinger.blogspot.com/