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One of my very first memories as a child was the end of WWII. There used to be a factory on Verona Avenue near Mt. Prospect called Heller Bros. They had a fire there and as people did then, we all went to watch. As we were watching, police cars and other city vehicles started announcing that the war was over. There was a bar on the corner and a few people went in to verify the news. When everyone found out it was true everybody started to cheer and hug and cry. I remember it because in the confusion I got separated from my mother and became lost. Not to worry though I got picked up and hugged and kissed, and since everyone more or less knew each other I was returned home safe and sound. It was really another time and place compared to today. I also remember going to the Kent movies where for a quarter you could see two movies, five cartoons and maybe win a prize. If you were fortunate to have an extra dime you could go to Liss's drug store and get three boxes of candy. I remember my Dad taking us to Belleville Park and having to walk up two hills which seemed huge to the playground. In the summer, they had a sprinkler and we all got cooled off. They also had arts and crafts in the morning and story time in the afternoon. On the way back to the car, we would roll down those two big hills which was great fun. I remember going to Weber's hardware store and the smell of all the paint and various products blended together. I used to buy paper dolls at the 5 and 10 cent store on Mt. Prospect, and my sneakers at Minz's next to the movie. We used to watch the fireworks on the 4th of July from the roof of our apartment building and could see in four directions. In those days, it was great to be a city kid and unlike my children and some of the kids of today, I never complained about not having anything to do in the summertime. I could go on and on but I have to get back to work.
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