Category: default || By jt3y

Neither snow, nor snow, nor snow will keep me from filling up an Almanac with your letters and emails.

Alert Reader D.C. writes:

I would also like to know how Terry Lee is. I was yet a 'tween when my sister and her friend danced on his TV show. Loved watching the show, and as young girls, me and my friends just adored Terry. Read on another blog that Terry is related to one of The Fenways. I got to see them live when I was about 10 years old and got their autographs! I still have my autograph book. Thanks Fenways and I managed to hang onto one of your 45's while moving around the country!

Ah, the whereabouts of Terry Lee --- one of McKeesport's great enduring mysteries, along with the questions "Why isn't there a left-turn arrow on the Jerome Avenue Bridge at Ramp One?" and "Why would they name Crawford Village after one of the city's richest men instead of someone who might actually live there?"

An inveterate concert and record promoter and peripatetic disc jockey best known for his work at WMCK and then WIXZ (1360) in McKeesport, I seem to recall that T.L. last worked around here at WESA in Charleroi before departing the Mon Valley for parts unknown. Rumor has it that Terry Lee is living in Ohio and completely out of the radio business, but your guess is as good as mine.

The Fenways had one local hit, "Walk," but never charted nationally. They also backed up the Vogues on "You're The One" and later became the Racket Squad, releasing two LPs for Jubilee Records --- a self-titled album in 1968 and another called "Corners of Your Mind" in 1969. If you have either one of those LPs, congratulations --- I'm sure they're worth upwards of three burgers at Winky's or an all-day pass at Rainbow Gardens.

. . .

Speaking of radio, Alert Reader Bill writes:

I don't know if you have seen the thread running on the Pittsburgh Radio Nostalgia group but Tom Lacko posted a link to his Soundboard site with a collection of Radio Airchecks. I have been listening to airchecks from KDKA in 1976 by Joel Zoell, KQV in 1974 with Jeff Christy who as you know is Rush Limbaugh, WESA in 1983 by Tom Lacko, WIXZ in 1973 with Terry Lee and WKTQ 13Q in 1975 among others. Some really great stuff!

Thanks, Bill! I have and I did see the thread. I occasionally post on the nostalgia board under my clever pseudonym, "jtogyer."

That Soundboard content is wonderful, and it's great that Tom is providing it --- but keep in mind you will need a high-speed Internet connection and a pretty fast computer.

. . .

Remember the Almanac about Brick Alley a few days ago? Alert Reader Patti writes:

After reading your article on Brick Alley, my husband informed me that Brick Alley was a part of Rose Alley, not Strawberry, as his family grew up in the Third Ward.

Oh, yeah, and I'm sure his great-grandfather told him about Brick Alley in between trips to church to read the Bible, right?

I'm teasing --- seriously, I never knew this. Thanks for the information!

. . .

You'll pardon me if I print some fan mail today. I take my ego gratification wherever I can find it. Alert Readers Ken and Susan write:

I came across your website strictly by accident while doing some sort of search on Yahoo. I immediately became fascinated and bookmarked the site until I had more time to view all of it. And you bring back such memories! To put the memories in perspective I graduated from McKeesport High School in 1964.

I love the pictures of the Peoples Bank Building. My doctor had his office there and my dentist also. My father was in the plumbing business (316 Shaw Ave.) and also on the Board of Directors of the Peoples Bank for many years. My fondest memory was visiting the bank and just inside the entrance where he could be seen by all was the bank Cashier, Thomas C. Baird. He was the father of my uncle by marriage ( i.e. my mother's sister's father-in-law). He was a distinguished looking gray-haired banker with a big smile for everyone. He sat at a desk behind a low railing and knew and greeted all the customers as they entered.

But for me the biggest thrill was the nickel that he always gave me for an ice cream cone from Stallings Bakery across the street from the bank -- it was later replaced by Cox's addition. Stallings had a big tall scoop of ice cream in a cone for five cents.

Long-time McKeesporters may be able to figure out who this "Ken" is --- and if you've ever been on Shaw Avenue, you can probably guess, too.

Thanks for the nice words, Ken and Susan --- if we can bring a smile to someone's face, I guess we're doing something right.

. . .

Boy, the mailbag is all about nostalgia this time. Alert Reader Bev wants to know: "Does anybody remember Robert Hall's Clothing Store in McKeesport or have any pictures?"

Bev, do you mean this Robert Hall?

When the values go up, up, up,
and the prices go down, down, down ...

It sure is nice to pay low prices
For more quality
Take your family
To Robert Hall and see!
Save on quality clothes at Robert Hall and you'll agree:
It sure is nice to pay low prices for more quality!

School bells ring and children sing:
"It's back to Robert Hall again."
Mother knows for better clothes,
It's back to Robert Hall again!

No, never heard of it.

Ha! I keed, I keed.

Robert Hall Clothing was a national chain that had a store in McKeesport on Fifth Avenue at Water Street, directly across from The Palisades. I'm not sure what's in that building now, but it was Tile City for many years.

Specializing in discounts on its own private-label brands, Robert Hall opened in 1940 as sort of the Burlington Coat Factory or Men's Wearhouse of its day. But the company got into financial troubles in the mid-1970s. A check of the New York Times archives indicates that in 1974, Robert Hall was notifying creditors that it was going to be 30 days late paying its bills.

A story in the Washington Post from 1977 indicates that the company went out of business on June 30, closing 373 outlets. I have no idea if the McKeesport store was still open at that time. The parent company, United Merchants and Manufacturers Inc., had planned to have a going out of business sale but instead abruptly locked out employees. According to the Post:

Robert Hall became a casualty of mall mania. Its outlets, often in poor locations, could not compete with newer stores in shopping malls and clothing discounters. Last year UM & M began an 11th hour attempt to refurbish older outlets and in some cases, as in Manassas, to close freestanding stores and open new shops in malls. But it was too late.

As for pictures, well, that's a tall order. Unless someone who worked there took pictures of the store, I doubt any exist. The building was as plain as a mud-fence, inside and out. Robert Hall was known for "low overhead," with clothes displayed on pipe racks (much like Syms or Gabriel's does today). But I'll put the request out there anyway.

. . .

Finally, here's an exchange of emails between myself and a gentle reader, and I love these, because it proves a long-held belief of mine --- most of us don't pay attention when other people talk to us. Here's the first email I received:

"i have a pizzelle maker that is over 30 years old. one of the wires inside of it has come un-crumpped. i was wondering if you could send me a catalog with parts or maybe you could send a new one or new parts i don't know?"

This person is obviously trying to find out about a product from Berarducci Brothers. You may recall that Tube City Online used to receive a ton of emails about products made by Berarducci Brothers until I put up a webpage asking --- begging, really --- people not to write to me.

So I replied to her email like this: "I have no connection with Berarducci Brothers or any company that makes pizzelle makers. But maybe some of this information will help."

She wrote back:

i just need parts one of the wires broke and it won't heat up maybe you can send a catalog or something or send parts your self i don't know but it is my dads b-day and i wanted to get his old pizzle makerf ixed for himhe has had that since he was a kid

To quote Mark Evanier: "Do you ever feel like you're George Burns, and everybody else in the world is Gracie?"

I wrote back again: "Please understand: I do not make pizzelle makers or anything else. I
thought that was clear. You might try contacting Villaware, whose address is on the webpage I sent to you. Or you can try seeing if a local repair shop that fixes appliances will take a look at it. Otherwise, there is nothing I can do. As I tried to emphasize, I have nothing to do with Berarducci Brothers or anyone else."

Her final message to me? Verbatim and in full: "do u know a place hwere i could get a partts"

I didn't respond to that email, but if anyone knows a place where this lady can "get a partts," possibly for her brain, please let me know, and I'll pass the information along. I hate to think that her wires are coming un-crumpped.