6/3/22 - Friday Forget-Me-Nots by Jim Silcott

Photo Caption: Class of 2022 

Dear Our Lady of Peace Family,

When my oldest three children were young and students at Our Lady of Peace, they all looked forward to summer. We lived on E. Beaumont Road and much of their summer activities were in the Clintonville/Beechwold area. Flash forward to 2022. Many of what they did, our students can do now as well. Some things have changed, as it always must.

For one, it was not the Northwest Swim Club but the old Olympic pool that was an almost daily visit for my children. The highlight, I think, was not the pool itself but the snack bar and, for my daughters, renting a small, smelly cabana upstairs which they got to paint to their color and design at the start of each season. The pool was not in walking distance for my kids, but they had two aunts and cousins just down the street from the pool. It was almost like a second summer home.

Lauren, Bethany and Braden had the pharmacy on the corner of Garden and High Street to buy candy and visit the soda/ice cream counter. Early on there was a Dairy Queen on High Street at the end of Cooke Rd. Later it was replaced by the original Ritzy’s, a much cheaper version of its present iteration. On the site of the new Ritzy’s there was an old-school fast-food joint called A & W Root Beer. That was replaced in turn by Teddy’s Frosted Mug.

Graceland had the Big Bear and, for a while, my choice, Cub Foods. My kids spent many summer evenings at the Graceland Movie Theater.

And then there was NCIL baseball and softball. The fields behind Graceland were there but not as fancy and with terrible parking. In a season we would be at just about every ball diamond at Whetstone. Saturday mornings were always reserved for the games. As is true today, the snacks were the highlight and much more important than the score.

July 4 had the fireworks at Whetstone and the kids made a whole day of it with the many activities surrounding the day. My parents lived within walking distance of the park, and they could safely return down the bike bath to get some TLC from Memom and DeDad.

In some ways the eighties and early nineties when my older children were growing up around the Our Lady of Peace neighborhood were much different than they are today. The world certainly is. It seems as if my children had more freedom. We worried about them less. When I was growing up in the sixties parents didn’t hardly worry at all.

But many things are still the same. I am old school in that I don’t subscribe to children being in school year-round. Summer is a time of long days, of bonding, of traditions and vacations. Of ice cream and popsicles melting down your hand. Of watermelons and barbeques. Of fireflies and fire pits. Of sunscreen and screened in porches. Of vacations and staycations. Of family, friends, and fun. For a kid, summer lasts forever. For adults, we know that time is fleeting. We cherish every moment we can with them.

Don’t forget to pray. Don’t forget to come to church. Don’t forget to read a good summer book.



Our office is open pretty much all summer in the mornings except on Fridays. I’m going biking on Fridays!

Jim Silcott