Grandma Meg Speaks. Are you listening?: January 2017

GROWING UP IN PITTSTON, PA: THE SCHOOL YEARS

In Grandma Meg Reminisces Part One, I wrote about early memories that my brother, Anthony, sister, Nina, and I treasure.

Growing up in Pittston, Pennsylvania during our school years, 1947-1964 was light years away from the present. Each section of Pittston had its own elementary school and churches. After elementary school, all Pittston City students attended Pittston High School for grades 9-12.

Our social media included telephone calls, letters, notes passed secretly in class, and relatives, friends, and neighbors stopping by the house. Our first television set, bought for us by our beloved Grandma Guiliano had 3 channels. We thought we were in heaven having access to THE WORLD!!!

Our neighborhood was large and we knew every kid in our school. We walked to Cleveland Elementary School which was two blocks away and we came home for lunch. Tom, the custodian, would ring the old fashioned bell for us to line up and file quietly into the building. There were no cliques, no bullying, and no disruption of lessons. If a student managed to get into trouble, he/she would be slapped on the hands with a thick ruler. To my knowledge, no one ever went home to complain about the teacher. Otherwise, he/she was punished at home for being disrespectful.

On Sundays, we would attend St. Rocco Catholic Church which stood next door to our house. We never had a reason to miss Sunday Mass or any mass for that matter . Our kitchen had a window over the sink that kept Mama up to date on weddings, funerals, baptisms confirmations, and religious holy days. Our mama never gossiped but she kept her finger on the pulse of the neighborhood. We only heard positive statements about people. I concluded at a young age that mama kept herself to herself.

On certain Catholic Feast Days, a brass band would assemble in front of the church. The church bells would peal loud and clear summoning everyone to assemble. Our Patron Saint, St. Rocco, or the Blessed Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus would be placed on a wooden platform, and carried aloft by men in the parish. The priest, nuns, children and adults of all ages would follow behind the statue and pray the Rosary as they wound their way up and down the steep hills in the neighborhood. People watching the procession would pin dollar bills, as a donation, on the sash of the statue(s). It was a deeply spiritual experience.

Sister, Brother, and I spent most of our free time outside in the street playing with our friends. Games like, Buck, Buck, How May Up, 1,2,3 Relievio, Hide and Seek, and Statues made for many hours of fun. At sunset, we would sit on the curb in front of our house, eating pumpkin seeds and spitting the salty husks into the gutter. It is to be supposed that baseball players copied that little quirk from us!

There were two theaters in town. “The American Theater was located on North Main Street in Pittston and opened June 9, 1924. The theater was very posh with velvet covered seats

“This was the largest theater built in the Pittston area … It hosted vaudeville shows, big band music concerts and movies for most of its life. It operated until the late-1960’s.” (http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/12967)

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“The Roman Theatre was constructed at 27 South Main Street in Pittston and opened for the first time February 23, 1914, with 700 seats. This large two-story building faced S. Main Street with bi-toned tapestry brick and a small glass canopy covering the sidewalk entrance. For many years it featured a Roman Gladiator statue on the second floor exterior watching over patrons as they entered.”

(http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/12967)

Every Saturday, we were given a quarter each to buy a ticket at the movies and a treat for the remaining fifteen cents. We met friends and cousins and we even managed to sneak some kids into the theater without paying. Yes, we were rascals!

During inclement weather, we sat inside our house, listened to the radio (until we got our own television set ) read, played with toys, or board games.

We lived so close to the downtown shopping area that we were able to walk to town, first with Mama, then, with our friends. The arrays of goods were tremendously eye catching. We would stop and hanker after the riches that were displayed.

Hat shops, clothing stores, linen draperies, shoe stores, a stationary store that sold children’s books, plus many others lined Main Street. My personal favorites were Woolworth’s and S. S. Kresge’s Five and Dime Stores. They were amazing to walk through. One could find everything under the sun for sale. And the best thing about them was the food counters where one could buy a hot dog for 10 cents and a 5 cent coke. Always assuming one had the 15 cents to spend, which most of us did not. But the smells emanating from the grill gave us pleasure nonetheless.

Pittston had pizza parlors galore, diners, and Italian grocery stores. The small Italian shops would be elbow to elbow with each other. Walk inside and one could find everything from freshly made ricotta cheese to Torrone an Italian nougat candy. Outside under colorful canopies, baskets of fruits, olives, cheeses, Baccalà, (dried fish), and live snails were neatly and cleverly arranged to attract the browser.

When Mama took us to town, she always treated us to lunch at Frank’s Restaurant for hamburgers, hotdogs and cokes. Years later, she took her grandchildren downtown to feast on the same fare at Frank’s and let them shop at Hank the Bank’s Unique Corner Store. across Main Street. To this day, the grandkids still remember Grandma Grace lovingly for all of the special times spent with her.

Last but not least, I must mention the countless Pittston Parades we attended throughout the years. Parades were held for the Opening of the City Parks, the Closing of the Parks, and all major holidays. Men, women, and children would line Main Street from one end to the other waving flags and cheering enthusiastically.

During our high school careers, each De Angelo sibling added his/her own unique talents to the festivities. Anthony proudly played the drums in the Pittston High School Band. Margaret, captain of the majorettes, led her troupe as they strutted behind the band, and diminutive, peppy Nina, stepped out with the cheerleaders shaking her pom-poms energetically.

In addition to our local parades, Pittston was honored to have two motorcades come through town. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Republican presidential candidate in 1952 was the first motorcade I remember. Everyone was so excited. “I LiKE IKE” campaign buttons were handed out among the crowds. Pepe, a friend of mine tells me he still has his (I Like Ike) button from those glory days. Imagine that, 64 years and counting!

In 1960, Pittstonians were ecstatic to see John F. Kennedy’s motorcade on Main Street. The exuberance of the crowd and the animation of the children running along side of the cavalcade was electrifying. I remember how proud our citizens were to have the Democrats’ presidential candidate visit Pittston. I cast my very first vote for President John F. Kennedy that November.

There was so much to do during those years. The more I find myself writing, the more happy memories surface. For some adults who take a look in their rear view mirrors, only sad hurtful memories pop up. Sometimes, I find that to be so. However, if we allow ourselves to be mindful and reflect upon our early years, we may surprise ourselves with a whole new version of ourselves. Fact or fiction, we can laugh and have fun with who we once were.