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Managing Editor I worked on two stories this week that spoke to the power of community and tradition. If you're hungry and in the neighborhood of the Aldenville section of Chicopee, there is no better place to go than the Lucky Strike restaurant, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Few businesses reach that kind of milestone especially restaurants which that are well known for their weaknesses against trends and economic challenges. For the people who dine at the Lucky Strike, the restaurant is much more than just a place to buy a good meal it's part of their lives and it's part of their neighborhood. I find the same kind of feeling at Buon Appetito in Westfield, Authentica in South Hadley and the Student Prince and City Jake's in Springfield, just to name a few. It's the result of local owners who have pride in what they do and in their community. In this era in which more chain restaurants pop up with alarming frequency, one might think the Lucky Strike would be a dinosaur awaiting extinction. Instead, it delivers what few of the chain places can: real service, real friendliness and good food at good prices. Have you ever noticed the fun neighborhood atmosphere depicted in the television commercials of the chain places never match up to the much more dreary reality? If you want to support local business, then add the Lucky Strike to your list of places to go. The other story that struck a chord with me was the piece I wrote on Jay Ducharme's excellent book on Mountain Park. If you were around this area during the park's existence, there's a good chance you also have a fond memory of the park. I remember being a little kid from Navajo Road in Sixteen Acres and going to the park to meet Captain Kangaroo the first celebrity I ever saw in the flesh. The park always had a homey quality. Riverside Park now Six Flags New England seemed a bit more formal, more Disney-esque. Mountain Park was more a place where people could just hang out and relax. It wasn't an event to go to the park. It was just part of the lifestyle for many people. It was truly part of the greater Holyoke community. The last time I went to the park was in the mid-1980s when I was a talk show host on WREB. Killer Kowalski was at the park with a wrestling show and I went up to interview him. Kowalski, who was retired from competing, was a re-occurring feature at the park, bringing wrestlers from his school to perform for an audience. The man who was known as a soulless villain in the ring was friendly, articulate and a great interview. I conducted it right in the midway area near the stage used for the matches. My father-in-law came with me and he had his camera. When he asked for a photo, Kowalski cheerily obliged. He grabbed me by the neck and hoisted me up. I was smiling out of sheer terror as I was on tiptoes for the snapshot. Years after the park closed, thousands of people still remember the place fondly and it left an enormous legacy. I wonder if people would say the same for today's generation of amusement parks? I doubt it. *** A tip of my Karl Kolchak straw hat to Ray Hershel of WGGB who celebrated his 40th year on local television on April 15. Ray's not only a nice guy, but he is the unofficial dean of the local press corps. Only Sy Becker of TV22 has more seniority, perhaps. Ray has done the impossible: he has remained popular with the politicians he has covered even though he doesn't pull punches and he has survived a succession of station purchases and changes in management. And then there's that hair. Everyone wants to know Ray's secret. *** Perhaps Ray will divulge his grooming tips at the Valley Press Club's annual roast. It is slated for May 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Keg Room, 87 State St., Springfield. This is where elected officials make fun of us and we make fun of them openly, instead of behind our backs as usual. If you're a news junkie, this is a must-see event. The emcee is my friend Jim Polito, the former reporter and anchor for abc40 and radio bad boy John O'Brien of the "Bax and O'Brien Show" on Rock 102 will also participate. Tickets to the roast are available in advance by sending a check made out to "Valley Press Club" for $10 per person, mailed to Valley Press Club, P.O. Box 5475, Springfield, MA 01102. To reserve a ticket, or for information, call 335-8551. Tickets at the door are $15. This column represents the opinions of its author. Send your comments online to Reminderpublications.com or to 280 N. Main St., East Longmeadow, Mass. 01028. | ||||||
