By Arline Adamsick
The Manteno News: December 5, 1974
“Do Your Christmas Shopping Now, Before the Penny Candy Goes Up!”
“There were certain advantages to shopping in the old Stocksdale, Weber, and Surprenant Store on Main Street just after the turn of the century. Almost everything a body could want could be purchased under one roof, the store itself was immaculately cared for, and the clerks were extremely helpful. So, with a combination like that and just a few dollars to spend, Christmas shopping wasn’t the exhausting job it is today.
“Shown above is the store that once occupied the space that is now occupied by Harpin’s Tavern and Chuck’s Cart Shop. The long aisle pictured featured the grocery supplies with apples and nuts for roasting on the left in the foreground and the sugary stocking-stuffers on the right. The groceries included canned fruits and vegetables on the shelves, as well as bulk foods, including crackers and the staples. Bushel baskets were made entirely of wood, as were the slatted egg crates.
“Another long aisle to the left of this one featured the dry goods and ‘department store’ merchandise. The wood floor was sprinkled with sawdust, and illumination appears to be gaslights. Any little tot would love to find one of the hanging wagons under his tree at Christmas.
“Pictured are Mrs. Elsie Madison in white and another clerk who is unidentified, along with Mr. Otto Weber, farthest from the camera, and Lawrence Gallois. The picture was contributed by Mrs. J.R. Williams, daughter of Mr. Weber.”
“Manteno High School Homecoming Game, Dance Set for Friday”
“Purple Passage will mark the way for this year’s Manteno High School Homecoming activities. Friday, December 6, will see the playoff of the homecoming game with Momence in the high school gym. Basketball will be followed with a post-game dance scheduled for the commons area.
“Five girls vying for the Homecoming Queen title this year are Julie Giunti, Marianne Mahler, Cathie Brown, Shellise Smith, and Rita Diedrich. Last year’s queen, Candy Senesac, will be present to crown the new queen. Gifts for the oldest alums will be presented at the festivities. All alumni and friends of Manteno High School are urged to attend this annual event.”
On sale at Jerry’s Bi-Rite Food Store: Grade ‘A’ Fresh Fryers – 39¢ lb.; cut-up fryers – 49¢ lb.; Oscar Mayer Bacon – $1.39 lb.; WestPac broccoli spears, Brussel sprouts, or cauliflower – 29¢ for an 8 oz. pkg.; red potatoes – 79¢/10 lbs.; Washington State golden delicious apples – 25¢ lb.; and a 12 oz. pkg. of M&M plain or peanut candies was only 79¢.
The Peotone Vedette: December 6, 1974
“County Board Seats Democratic Chairman”
“For the first time in 124 years, a Democrat was elected to chair the county board, in action taken at a reorganizational meeting Monday. Theodore ‘Ted’ Grabavoy, Joliet, was unanimously voted in as permanent chairman after winning 17-9 over Glenn Coburn (R-Frankfort) for temporary chairman.
“Accepting his new position before the board and approximately 100 other people, Grabavoy stated, ‘An era has not ended, but instead, progressive progress formulated by members of this board, both past and present, will go forward under new leadership.’
“Three priorities for the board, the new chairman noted are ‘fiscal responsibility, uniformity in assessments, and aggressive planning in regard to the expansion of Will County.’”
“Survey Underway on Home Mail Delivery”
“A survey to determine if Peotone residents want mail delivery got under way this week, with members of the Peotone Senior Women’s Club conducting the door-to-door poll. Although it is too early to get a real feel for the sentiment of the community on this issue, there appears to be both opposition and support for the proposal. While virtually everyone wants house-to-house delivery, that service is not presently available from the U.S. Post Office Department.
“Quite a number of residents are objecting to mailboxes at the curb, which is the only delivery system now being offered by the postal authorities. Others indicate they could get used to it, and that would be preferable to the necessity of making the daily trip to the post office. It has been pointed out that in Mokena and Frankfort, both of which recently adopted the curbside mailbox system, many residents still exercise their option of going to the post office for their mail.”
“Two Peotone Youths Nabbed in Chicago Heights Burglary”
“Two burglary suspects were arrested early Monday morning inside the Chicago Heights Steel Division of Allied Products Corp., police said. Police were dispatched to the plant when an alarm was activated in the building. The officers responding to the scene saw that an overhead door had been broken. Entering the plant, police said they apprehended two Peotone youths near a vending machine. The machine had been broken open by a sledgehammer.
“Arrested were John David Nantz, 20, and Terry Sanders, 19, both of Peotone. Both were carrying several tools, and Nantz had in his possession quarters and dimes totaling $11.65, police said. Each youth was charged with burglary. Police said they found a pair of bolt cutters, a flashlight, and a 10-pound sledgehammer near the area where the suspects were apprehended.”
The Beecher Herald: December 5, 1974
“Christmas Lighting OK’d This Year”
“The ban is off holiday decorative lighting this Christmas, and the Federal Energy Agency announced it will not impose restrictions on holiday decorative lighting this year. A spokesman for the Federal Energy Administration recently was quoted, ‘Certainly, decorative lighting itself can uplift the spirit and add to the enjoyment of the holidays in our homes, stores, streets, and neighborhoods.’
“We can have holiday lighting and save, too, by taking sensitive energy measures, such as using midget lamps on Christmas trees and other decorative lighting displays. The theme this year is ‘Decorate Tastefully not Wastefully.’
“According to Robert Turek, managing director of the Chicago Lighting Institute, ‘The amount of electricity used for holiday lighting is usually very small – only 1/40th of one percent of the nation’s annual energy output. For example, the 20-, 35-, and 50-light sets each use only 18 watts. Even a sparkling display of 250 midgets used less electricity than one 100-watt light bulb. Surprisingly, the typical cost of electrical energy for 250 midget bulbs burning for a five-hour day is about two cents. The feeling of good will these lights generate is good for our country.’
“Outdoors, bare branches of trees and shrubs take on an icy Christmas look when decorated with lights, particularly when midget lights are used. How many? Figure a 50-light set per bush. Trees that lose their leaves need a 50-light set for every five feet of tree height about 10 feet off the ground.
“How many lights to light an evergreen? One easy-to-remember formula is three times the tree height, times the width in feet. This equals the number of standard bulbs. Double this figure for midget lights. With the ban lifted, the way is clear for a bright festive and happy Christmas once more.”
At the Holiday Theatre, “The Trial of Billy Jack” was held over for a fourth week. Right next to the movie ad was one for New Year’s Eve reservations at the Peotone American Legion.
Seems some concerns are on-going…”Inflation Tops Voter Concerns, Says Percy Survey”
“Inflation was the major concern of Illinois voters on election day, according to a survey taken by Sen. Charles H. Percy. The survey, Percy said, measured voters’ attitudes toward public officials and such issues as inflation, crime, and integrity in government and were collected the day after the election.
“Of the 1,051 voters who responded to the post election questionnaire, 54 percent indicated they were concerned most about the nation’s economic condition. The remaining 47 percent indicated the following issues as their major concerns: Honesty and Integrity in government – 23 percent; unemployment – 18 percent; crime and public safety – 4 percent; and other – 2 percent.”
The Crete Record: December 5, 1974
Have you begun your Christmas shopping yet? Here are some ads in the “Crete Record” for the beginning of December in 1974…
At Steger Clothiers on Chicago Road: Men’s sport shirts in a gift box- $5 and up; Turtlenecks, from $8.95; Holiday Sweaters, including cardigans, sleeveless V-necks, and U-necks, from $7.95; Jaymar and Lee slacks – from $14; and dress shirts, from $7.95.
At Will County Lumber and Supply in Beecher: A 26-inch men’s 10-speed bike was $81.95, then add a safety flag for an additional $2.29. A Huffy 26-inch coaster brake bike was on sale for $51.88 – both men’s and women’s. Bike storage hooks for the garage were $1.29, and a touring bag with three mounting straps was only $2.29.
At Hupe Hardware in Peotone, toys were on sale, including an International Harvester tractor – $6.88; a tractor trailer truck – $6.99; an Evil Knievel stunt cycle – $10.99; Norman Rockwell paint by numbers – $3.99; an A-frame house- $7.99; a play castle – $14.49; or an afghan kit – $6.59.
Hubbard Trail Junior High was managing to fit a bit of “culture” into their schedule…
“Hubbard Trail Junior High Students See Play, Opera in Chicago”
“Eighth graders at Hubbard Trail Junior High School recently have been exposed to some of the finer things in life by attending both a play and an opera.
“On Tuesday, November 26, the school’s first hour Advanced Communications class traveled to the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Summit where they enjoyed dinner and saw ‘The Sound of Music.’ The class, taught by Robert Richardson and Mrs. Carole Penn, had been holding bake sales after school to finance their trip.
“Approximately 30 students, all dressed in their finest, were accompanied by their teachers and spouses. Although he probably did enjoy the play, too, one student’s comment about the entire evening was summed up with, ‘The play was fine, and our table ate three baskets of rolls.’
“Following the lunch hour on Monday, December 2, the school’s eighth grade chorus attended the matinee presentation of ‘Madame Butterfly,’ at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago. Mrs. Betty Dieter, director of the chorus, accompanied the students on this trip.”
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…Life is Good!!