St. Jude Church/School Nostalgia

**Campfire Girl** · August-19-09, 02:50 PM

Z - I can actually visualize the look at Chris Mette's face as the "alarm" went off! KR, I'm guessing your fire alarm was ours too, since we were at Faircrest b/t Rex and Redmond?

**kellyroad** · August-19-09, 04:24 PM

Z: Thanks for the details. All the civil siren posts brought back great memories of hearing the the first saturday of the month 1 pm blast. Especially when the sirens from the different directions converged. The loud doppler effect usually resulted an exicting rush.....As if the Rusians were coming. If we were playing army we'd drop to the ground with our play rifles or bb rifles, roll, and come up shooting..... We protected our turf south of 7 in the triangle.

CFG: The alarm box on the north east corner of Rex and Saratoga seemed intriguing to a young lad, especially the old models where you had to break the glass to access it. It seemed like a source of mischief and protection at the same time. Interestingly, in all those years, I never seen or heard anyone use that alarm or for that matter, never saw a fire in that area. We were lucky I guess.

**Campfire Girl** · August-20-09, 08:54 AM

KR - You're right - now that I think about it, I never remember a fire in the neighborhood.....and since anyone using the alarm inappropriately, wouldn't have lived to tell the tale, I'm guessing that had a lot to do with the intrigue, yet aversion to those little boxes. I remember, it sure was tempting!

**zitro** · August-20-09, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by Campfire Girl

KR - You're right - now that I think about it, I never remember a fire in the neighborhood.....and since anyone using the alarm inappropriately, wouldn't have lived to tell the tale, I'm guessing that had a lot to do with the intrigue, yet aversion to those little boxes. I remember, it sure was tempting!

I don't remember any fires in our neighboorhood either. Some of that may have been due to the fact that most of the homes were post WWII and the wiring hadn't had a chance to become compromised yet.

Once in a while after a run my dad would have the rig come down our block and stop at the house. This was always big thrill for the other kids to get a chance to climb on the engine for a few minutes.

**zitro** · August-20-09, 09:10 AM

Check out this crime map and see some of the violence in our old hood..sad.

http://www.spotcrime.com/mi/detroit

**jcole** · August-20-09, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by zitro

Check out this crime map and see some of the violence in our old hood..sad.

http://www.spotcrime.com/mi/detroit

I noticed that they didn't include finding the dead burned body of Matt Landry on Maddelein last week. I wonder why that is?

**zitro** · August-20-09, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by jcole

I noticed that they didn't include finding the dead burned body of Matt Landry on Maddelein last week. I wonder why that is?

I think it is on there I saw the arrest of the guy that did it. I just don't think they used Matt's name

**kellyroad** · August-20-09, 09:18 AM

In retrospect, the fire drills at SJ went smoothly even though the building was relatively small to hold 1600 plus students. Does anyone remember a fire alarm being pulled "accidentally"?

**zitro** · August-20-09, 09:21 AM

I think it's the one that has a ? on it in the 7 & Gratiot area

http://www.spotcrime.com/crime/55713...4128b5e395cb49

**jcole** · August-20-09, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by zitro

I think it is on there I saw the arrest of the guy that did it. I just don't think they used Matt's name

I missed that. That particular story really tore me up. Partly because it happened on my old street but more because of the senseless brutality of the crime. He didn't need to kill him. Just take the car and go.

**zitro** · August-20-09, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by jcole

I missed that. That particular story really tore me up. Partly because it happened on my old street but more because of the senseless brutality of the crime. He didn't need to kill him. Just take the car and go.

And the thugs lack of conscience about it didn't help either.

**12468_laing** · August-20-09, 10:51 AM

i can remember 3 fires throughout the time I lived on Laing. One was in a house between Casino and Morang on Laing where one of the sons was literally playing with fire, and got the whole upstairs burning. While the Fire Dept was putting it out, his dad came home. Another was on Laing north of Morang, and another was a couple of blocks away which was owned by ex neighbors of mine - Jackie DeMonte and Michael Wernet. Mike died in that fire - real sad situation. All were in the 60's and 70's.

**SJ.Jet** · August-20-09, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by jcole

I noticed that they didn't include finding the dead burned body of Matt Landry on Maddelein last week. I wonder why that is?

I've been wondering if anyone was going to mention that horrible crime on this forum, since it happened in our old area. The only mention on that crime map is Maslamani's arrest for the carjacking that occurred in Roseville.

I looked on Crimestoppers website and there are about 10 unsolved murders in the area of 7 to 8 and Gratiot to Kelly. That doesn't include solved murders nor any other type of crime. Judging by the people the news has been interviewing, crime in that area is the norm.

Sheriff Evans has put together some "crusaders" to stop crime...well, it's time for them to ride into the old area before it cannot be saved.

**jcole** · August-20-09, 11:45 AM

I hope they do something soon. The western and and especially the southwestern[[7 Mile/Morang to Seymour/Chalmers area) portions of the old 'hood look like Dresden after WWII. The area I grew up in still has most of the houses standing, but either abandoned or look like they are.

**SJ.Jet** · August-20-09, 12:05 PM

This is off the current topic but I was reading back in the earlier postings and I have 2 bars for the bar game.

Kelly Bar, which used to be on Kelly [[of course) between Woodland and Old Homestead. Around 1973 or so, it was turned into an arcade, which I frequented since it was close to my house.

The other bar is Lucky Lou's. I think it was on Morang, east of Kelly. My dad used to go there beginning in the 70's so it might have been called something else before that. In fact, he was in there one night when it was robbed. They made everyone lie on the floor and took everyone's wallets, which my dad thought was hilarious cuz he always kept his money in his front pants pocket and he had no credit cards!! But they did take his leather jacket and took his car as their getaway car. But they ditched it a couple blocks away so he got it back.

Thought of one more, also from the 70's or 80's, Stan & Ollie's. On Kelly between Roscommon and Woodside.

**zitro** · August-20-09, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by SJ.Jet

This is off the current topic but I was reading back in the earlier postings and I have 2 bars for the bar game.

Kelly Bar, which used to be on Kelly [[of course) between Woodland and Old Homestead. Around 1973 or so, it was turned into an arcade, which I frequented since it was close to my house.

The other bar is Lucky Lou's. I think it was on Morang, east of Kelly. My dad used to go there beginning in the 70's so it might have been called something else before that. In fact, he was in there one night when it was robbed. They made everyone lie on the floor and took everyone's wallets, which my dad thought was hilarious cuz he always kept his money in his front pants pocket and he had no credit cards!! But they did take his leather jacket and took his car as their getaway car. But they ditched it a couple blocks away so he got it back.

Thought of one more, also from the 70's or 80's, Stan & Ollie's. On Kelly between Roscommon and Woodside.

Stan & Ollies! I've been trying to remember the name of that place forever thanks Jet. I used to play a lot of foosball in there. And of course the arcade which I can't recall the name. It may have been Tony's, the owner was Tony Ingrao who's family owned the hall.

**kellyroad** · August-20-09, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

I hope they do something soon. The western and and especially the southwestern [[7 Mile/Morang to Seymour/Chalmers area) portions of the old 'hood look like Dresden after WWII. The area I grew up in still has most of the houses standing, but either abandoned or look like they are.

Sadly, the area, you so aptly described and has been well documented in these forums, faces an up hill battle ro rid itself of that kind of blight. St. Jude Parish is a microcosm of the extremes of urban flight, decay, crime [[as we are recently discussing) . etc. Parts of the parish are solid and others are seemingly beyond hope [[southern part of the old "green section"). Hopefully, the "post WWII Dresden" spread is curtailed and St. Jude will remain a beacon of hope and community solidarity for a long time.

**12468_laing** · August-20-09, 01:13 PM

the last time I visited Detroit, fall-winter of 2003, it was bad then - it is a shame since at one time, it was good, safe and clean. Question, I know St. Brendans is no longer a Catholic church, but what if anything is where Guardian Angels was? I thought I heard it isn't a Catholic church anymore.

**Tsomyak** · August-20-09, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by 12468_laing

i can remember 3 fires throughout the time I lived on Laing. One was in a house between Casino and Morang on Laing where one of the sons was literally playing with fire, and got the whole upstairs burning. While the Fire Dept was putting it out, his dad came home. Another was on Laing north of Morang, and another was a couple of blocks away which was owned by ex neighbors of mine - Jackie DeMonte and Michael Wernet. Mike died in that fire - real sad situation. All were in the 60's and 70's.

I hadn't heard about this one. Was Mike Dicky's brother? My brother was a friend of Dicky, I seem to remember he lived on Laing.

**kellyroad** · August-20-09, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by 12468_laing

the last time I visited Detroit, fall-winter of 2003, it was bad then - it is a shame since at one time, it was good, safe and clean. Question, I know St. Brendans is no longer a Catholic church, but what if anything is where Guardian Angels was? I thought I heard it isn't a Catholic church anymore.

I thought that GA and St. Brendans closed at the same time. This begs the question of a topic discussed previously. Does that mean the adjacent parishes have their boundaries redefined?

**12468_laing** · August-20-09, 02:49 PM

Tsomyak, As I remember the Wernet family, Mike was the oldest, then Bill or Billy, then Patty who was the youngest. they lived 4-5 houses north of Casino on the east side of Laing. Mike died in the 70's, before '75. How old was Dicky? That name doesn't ring a bell.

Kellyroad, they may have closed at the same time - just wondering what the GA church is used for now.

**12468_laing** · August-20-09, 02:59 PM

found this after doing some checking about GA. sounds like a wierd garage sale.
http://www.aodonline.org/AODOnline/N...ed+objects.htm

**kellyroad** · August-20-09, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by 12468_laing

found this after doing some checking about GA. sounds like a wierd garage sale.
http://www.aodonline.org/AODOnline/N...ed+objects.htm

Laing: Interesting article....Didn't realize there was an "Archive Office". BTW, Dan McAfee is an active parishioner in our parish.

**Tsomyak** · August-20-09, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by 12468_laing

Tsomyak, As I remember the Wernet family, Mike was the oldest, then Bill or Billy, then Patty who was the youngest. they lived 4-5 houses north of Casino on the east side of Laing. Mike died in the 70's, before '75. How old was Dicky? That name doesn't ring a bell.

Kellyroad, they may have closed at the same time - just wondering what the GA church is used for now.

Well, he was my about my brother Dave's age, so I'm guessing he would have been born in '51, give or take a year.