| The North Side Gang |
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I grew up in a gang-infested city called Chamberlain, South Dakota. By the mid-fifties the city was clearly divided into rival gangs by the north-south boundary of American Creek. This tributary of the ‘Big Muddy’ or Missouri River geographically split our small town in two. My first home was directly on the big river and just a few blocks south of American Creek. Although my allegiance should have been to the Southside gang, my friend Darrel Iceberg and I jumped ship and join the Northside Gang. These were my kind of guys; a little rowdier, dressed down version of the kids who lived in the newer houses on the south side of town. The north side of town housed the sale barn, the often flooded park, the Pepsi plant and the Indian School. All other businesses and commerce was conducted on the other side of the bridge. I was stuck somewhere in the middle, living along the riverbank beside Old Lady Kerkaufer and several bachelors who made their living selling scrap metal from the railroad yard along with catfish and carp to our town’s only Jews, Louie and Ike Riven. The Riven brothers stockpiled a huge amount of scrap in anticipation of World War III. I was among the first of the baby boomers and the memory of Hitler and WWII was fresh on our parents mind. As a young kid we often played a game called “Bombs away over Tokyo” where we would spread our arms out like wings on a plane and run in circles in an effort to avoid the “Japs”. Political correctness had yet to be invented. The game we played the most was America’s favorite pastime, baseball. I grew up with Duke Snider, Roy Campenalla and Gil Hodges as my heroes, only to be abandoned by my beloved Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1958 they moved west to Los Angeles and ushered in a new era of modern baseball on the West Coast. The “Bums” were followed by their cross town rivals from New York City, the Giants, who took Willy Mays with them to San Francisco. I abandoned the Bums almost as quickly as they did New York and in a few short years I became enamored with the Minnesota Twins who inherited the old Senators franchise from Washington D.C. It was baseball that enticed Darrell and me to join the boys from the Northside Gang. Even though the rich Southside Boys had access to the Chamberlain Chiefs Class D minor league field, North Park and the gang that went with it were several blocks closer to our homes. We would grab our bats and ‘glubs’ as Darrell called them and ride our bikes across the bridge, picking up players along the way for an instant game of sandlot baseball. Often games were scheduled by passing notes between classmates. It really didn’t matter if we chose teams or played workup, baseball was tantamount to any other activity our small river town provided. It was obvious by the names of our players that we were a rougher, tougher group than the Southside gang. We had no Snoop Dog or Sugie; we were more like Spanky, Alfalfa and Buckwheat. We had Butch Kickland, Butch Gunter, Butch Pickner, Goody, Squeaky, Smut, Oysters, Dobs and Demon on our side. All they had was a rich kid named Shoeny and his buddy Birdie who took his nickname from Birdie Tibbetts, the manager of the Cincinnati Reds from 1954-58. We called them the Redlegs back then. In the 1950s, the Reds were our Communist nemesis from the Soviet Union. The violence from our gangs was played out on the baseball diamond and that was limited to fisticuffs. Nobody carried guns. Pocket knives were of the small Boy Scout variety and were used for whittling, not stabbing. Nobody got shot (unless you count that one cow and that episode was instigated by a juvenile delinquent who was much older than the rest of us.) We’ll save that for another story. The only turf we protected was our ball field. The only initiation or rite of passage necessary to join our gang was the ability to run, catch and throw. The only blood drawn was from an errant throw or a bad hop. At least three members of the North Side Gang depicted in this 1956 photo are no longer with us. Squeaky and Terry died of cancer before their 60th birthdays. My best friend, Butch Pickner, died of carbon monoxide poisoning before his 21st birthday. I’m pretty certain the rest of the gang is still kicking, but I don’t think any of us are running the bases at North Park anymore.
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Star Gazing
St. Mary's AnnualFall SmorgasbordSunday, September 12th. Serving from 11:am to 1: pm St.Mary's Center, Willow River, MN |
Rebel Flag FootballGrades 3-6Registration Sept. 11th , 9am Location: Practice Field ¼ mile south of ALCO Dept Store Cty Rd 10 next to soccer fields |
Fall Story Times beginat Cloquet Public LibraryPreschool Story Times (ages 3-5) 10 am., Wednesdays, beginning Sept. 15 thru Dec. 1. LapSit Story Times (ages 0-2) 10 a.m., Thurs., beginning Sept. 16 thru Dec. 2. Join us for stories, song, play and good times.Also hosting afterschool matinees at 3:15 p.m. on the third Thursdays, beginning September 16. Info, call 879-1531. |
Sampo Beach Association will hold their annual Mojakka DaySaturday, September 11th from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. In addition to the Mojakka lunch there will be music by Mae and Marie, a quilt raffle, bake table, door prizes and flea market. Lunch is $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for children 10 years and under. Sampo Beach is located at 7095 Saginaw Road, Saginaw MN 55779. |
Hope Salad LuncheonAll women in the community are invited to a salad luncheon at Hope Lutheran on Thurs. Sept. 16th |
Sons of Norway – Tusenvann Lodge #1-659 in Isle, MN.Will hold its next meeting on Friday, Sept. 10th, 2010 at the I.R.E.C. in Isle, at 7:00 PM. Program will be the Lars & Sven show. Come and join us for the evening. The public is always welcome! Call Carol Bailey at 1-320-684-2174, or Bill Peterson at 1-320-679-2380. |
Junior Bowling at Gamper'sRegistration during Open House at Moose Lake School Sept. 2nd 3:30-6:30 or at Gamper's Sept. 7th & 8th at 5: to 6: pm We will again have leagues on Tuesday and Wednesday. Contact: Ellen/Edda 485-6024Pancake-Sausage Breakfast Sturgeon Lake City Hall Sunday, September 5th at 8:00 to 12:00 for Hope Lutheran Nursery School |
The Gathering Grove701 5th St., Moose Lake. A community based wellness drop-in center. Open 9-3 Mondays & Thursdays. Seniors & all adults welcome! |
Dedication of themonument to MoisésTo be held at the site in Moose Lake on Sat. Sept. 11, 2010 at 10 am. Please park at the hockey arena lot across from the site. Dedication will be held rain (snow) or shine. |
Do you like working with kids?Looking for volunteers to tutor students in grades K thru 12 - one to two hours a week in a variety of subjects. For more information please call the Barnum Youth Center at (218)389-0401. |
To all Classmates of MLHSclass of 1958Our 52nd reunion will be held at Gampers in Moose Lake on October 9, 2010 at 1:00 PM. We will be ordering off the menu, so please do not send any money. Please RSVP to Elva Johnson Anderson1695 Liberty St Mora, MN 55051 320-679-0332 or email at emandy@msn.com |
Library on Wheels,ALS Bookmobile ScheduleThe 2010 summer reading season is here. Visit your library on wheels, the Arrowhead Library System bookmobile. Local stops and times include:Tuesday; August 10, 31; September 21 Wright - School 1:15 - 1:45 Cromwell - Main Street 2:00 - 2:45 Mahtowa - Store 3:45 - 4:30 |