Say now, do you remember when Neuweilers was a brewery on Front Street, not a redevelopment project? Say now, do you remember when Park and Shop validated your ticket for free parking, not a Parking Authority that fined you for coming downtown? Say now, do you remember when Hamilton Street was filled with neon signs and shoppers, not ordinances and vision plans? Say now, do you remember when City Hall didn't have all the managers, planners and directors we have now? Say now, we must have been stupider then or something.
reprinted from December 20, 2010
You reminded me of something back then, well today you wouldn't believe it, but it is true.
ReplyDeleteBack in the days when firearms weren't looked on with fear and dread by the ASD, William Allen had a rifle club. Along with Dieruff and many of the suburban high schools. We had competitive shooting matches between the schools and yes, you could win an athletic letter by being on the team.
The rifles we used were old-fashioned, not the "assault rifles" that everyone uses today, but real honest-to-God .22 caliber target rifles that used a bolt so you could only fire one cartridge at a time. We didn't have a rife range at William Allen, but there was one at Raub JrHigh school in the basement. Yes, the ASD actually had a place for teenagers to shoot rifles in the basement of one of its buildings. Also, there was an armory at Raub where our competition rifles were stored, as well as the ammunition to do practice shooting with.
I was a little different however, along with some of the other students on our team. I had my own competition rifle. And I was allowed by at first Mr Miller, and later Dr McHugh, the principals of Allen at the time, to keep it in my locker as long as I could secure it with my lock. Then on practice days, I could take it over to Raub and use it.. then bring it back to Allen and put it back in my locker. I couldn't keep any ammunition in the locker though, and that was fine, since I could use the ammunition paid for by the ASD on practice and match days. I had a sling on it so I just would walk over with the rifle over my shoulder.. in plain sight... where everyone could see me walking along the sidewalk and out of one school and walking into another ...
Now, fast forward 50 years to the fall of 2023. I called up Trexler Middle School because I wanted to know if they had a copy of my class yearbook. I had lost mine over the years and wanted to photograph the book and its contents. Yes, we have your class of 1969 yearbook I was told. However I need to make an appointment to come over. You see, we have to keep our doors locked and one of the guards will have to make sure you aren't carrying any weapons. You just can't come into the school, that's not allowed...
Yes, times have changed somewhat...