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By Mary Stanek
Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon
3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796
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The middle of January is here. Days are getting a little longer, mostly in the evening. I notice it when I walk Oliver. According to what I have read, we are gaining about two minutes each day.
This Monday, Jan. 15, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The holiday serves as a time for reflection, community service and the celebration of Dr. King’s contributions to the civil rights movement. Chicago Public Schools will be closed.
Between 1976 and 1980 I spent a great deal of my afternoons, weekends and even midnights over on Archer and Kedzie. A great group of kids and I worked at Castle #18, White Castle. We had fun and had a great work ethic.
I bet I can still put together two grills of 30 in a few minutes. First the onions, then the five-holed beef patties, salt and the bottom bun. The top bun sat skewered on top so it could catch steam too. Finish the burgers off with a pickle and into the box they went.
Over at White Castle I met a great group of friends I keep in contact with. I just had drinks with John Rak, who was the prom date to my friend, Pat Czuma Charleston, back in 1978.
Well, nothing beats the original slider, and it’s time to treat yourselves. If you head on over to a neighboring Castle (the closest probably being 4750 W. 63rd St.) on Tuesday Jan. 16, you will enjoy a great meal and be partaking in Craver Community Night. Make sure you visit between 4 and 8 p.m. White Caste will donate 15% of your purchase to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. You have to present a flyer, which is available in 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares’ newsletter.
One of these days I want to visit the Garfield Ridge Satellite Senior Center, 5674-B S. Archer. Each Thursday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., social worker Kim Ray from White Crane Wellness Center will provide a talk and personal consultations to seniors.
It’s time to recycle your Christmas tree. Drop-off at several parks in the community will end on Jan. 20. By recycling your fresh tree, they will be turned into mulch. Two closest parks are Marquette and Wentworth.
Happy Birthday wishes to go cousin Larry Stanek on the 16th and to his friend (as well as our friend) Larry Majka on the 18th. We all should visit the neighborhood brewery again. The only issue is the last time we visited, pups were allowed outside on the veranda. But all it took was one bad dog to ruin it for all the good dogs. Thank you, bad dog, now our pups have to stay at home.