Slag Valley AKA Vet's Park is where I spent my wonderful formative years.  Like most neighborhoods then everyone knew you so you dared not get into any trouble!!!!

Memories...do any of you remember the holiday celebrations at the Lalich's on Cregier?

My Kum(godfather) Denny O'Keefe, his boxing days and car salesman business name, would turn their yard into a winter wonderland with live animals.  He's have a Santa there and it was a treat for all of us and some less fortunate kids. He was VERY instrumental to the football program at Bowen, helping out Spirakes with equipment, filming games and adding the
spotlight to our then, excellent team which won Blue Division.  Many of those players went on to college with scholarships.

95th street Kiddyland was a delight and a real treat on a summer night...We took our 8th grade Marsh School Graduation trip to Riverview.  I vividly remember being at the 63rd st. El station late that night waiting for our connection home and thinking " what are we doing here?"  that was in '63.  Joe Andrade was our "protector" and left all the girls feeling much safer with his presence. I have seen Angelo Magnavite lately and he is looking fit and happy to be a new grandpa.

I teach in MY old neighborhood at my grammar school and it's strange how much HASN'T changed. The Serbian church that many Bowenites attended, has sold and moved to Lansing where our new Byzantine jewel in the south suburbs will be consecrated in August.  If any of you are out that way, 186th and Stony Island, it will be worth coming to see it in its completion.  There were a substantial number of Serbs attending Bowen, not only in the '60-'70's, but throughout Bowen's history. With the mills gone and industry,as we knew it back then, virtually nonexistent, most Serbs have moved away from the area. General Mills was another business which employed many of our women.  I feel totally blessed to have had the childhood and high school memories of the Southeast side.