Sunday, December 30, 2012

Small Town America Framingham, Sculos, First National Store

As we went toward the 1950's the town got more business, a small block of stores was built over near the new First National Store, where I got my first job.  The First National was on the corner of Lincoln Street and Concord Street, near the Civic League.  +Robert Sculos opened his mens clothing store in the new block of stores just across from the First National, +Nancy Haughey was his first employee, there was a jeweler located along there too! 

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Beauty of Mathematics

We gave 101% during the 2nd World War....even those that stayed home, watch this short video and see what it took!

AVIATION ART HANGAR - A Higher Call by John Shaw (B-17 Flying Fortress, Bf109)

AVIATION ART HANGAR - A Higher Call by John Shaw (B-17 Flying Fortress, Bf109)  Here is the famous painting of  A Higher Call, the book I just read.  It is a spectacular book, the Germans flying against the Americans had human feelings too, as illustrated by this act of courage that saved the lives of the crew and gave life to all their descendants.  I could not pick up the other three books I have been reading, on and off, after I read this book. I need to find another book that will keep me so enthralled. I looked on my Kindle and  decided it is time to visit the bookstore, and browse , hold and handle....  What I notice about the Kindle is that the title of the book loses importance, as you don't see the title enough to remember the name of what you are reading...Also, I like to hold the book and I like to know that I own some of the books.  Books make a great decoration in your home, they are there for you on quiet days, to recall, to browse and enjoy.  Don't you think so? 

Friday, December 28, 2012

Les Paul & Mary Ford - How High The Moon at the Wellworth

Les Paul had a new sound, the juke boxes at the Wellworth let us know, as we had our frappes, grilled cheese and more  served up by Byron Sculos.  We were wearing peg pants, ducktails and bobby socks in those days...and often though we had our nickels in the juke box we did not get to hear the songs we played before we left it was so busy!

Framingham..Marconi's and Pezzoni's

Our neighborhood restaurants were Marconi's and Pezzoni's.  Pizza, pasta, and lots of good things.  The local men would have a deer feast every year after they went hunting,  at Marconi's.  Marco and Rita worked with their Mom and Dad at the restaurant. 

Gordon MacRae - Old Man River

My favorite star at the Carousel Theater in Framingham was Gordon MacRae .  He and his wife Sheila would come to Ken's Steak House where I waitressed for many years.   I loved it!  Those were the days!  Crowds enjoyed the Carousel, Ceasars Palace and Ken's Steak House.  Ken and Florence Hanna were wonderful to all of us getting our college degrees and working at Ken's.

Paul Robeson - Ol' Man River (Showboat - 1936) J.Kern O. Hammerstein II

One of the great voices of the time

Jan Peerce - Bluebird of Happiness (1945)

A gigantic hit in the 40's

Mario Lanza - Toselli's Serenade

This was the theme song for the Italian Hour of long long ago...WKOX started back then and broadcast also with +Doug Stephan of Framingham in his early days of radio.

Mario Lanza - With A Song In My Heart

Oh, what a voice such a joy to listen and share his emotion as he sings beautiful songs.  The comments are all in agreement about the glory of his voice.

"Nessun dorma" - Turandot - Mario Lanza

The comments for Mario Lanza are consistent, with his ability to reach the audience with voice, and emotion...

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Framingham 6th grade Memorial 1946

Now, I know more names I forgot to mention, you can see and probably recognize some of them among them sweet smiling Carol Reicher Waters.+Roy Boudoin,+Arthur King,+Fred Ablondi, so many more.  The "little detective" of my story is growing up and ready for the 7th grade, I am in the
third row on the far right with pigtails.

"Secrets of the Heart", a novel set in Framingham, Mass.

 
Comments on my first book, a novel set in my hometown...examining our lives no matter where we live...the essential lessons we learn from our humanity.
 
Hi Madlyn,
 
  Been meaning to get back to you....Truly enjoyed your book! Many books are interesting and/or entertaining but few move you to think about your own life. The people you illuminate and the feelings you invoke are clearly not limited to one era but you gave your readers a taste of a time documented in past works but not personalized as in your book.

Funny, as I started your book, the TV was on and it was a "cold case" episode of a woman who went missing in 1938 during the "War of the worlds" broadcast.

I was taken with the references of communication with loved ones who have gone ahead. I do believe feelings and signs are given that address our memory and are a way of keeping in touch.

I believe the key to reaching a readers imagination is examining where a life turned on personal decision and in retrospect, evaluating where it might have gone.

People touch your life everyday. It's a revelation to touch back.

I was interested in your opinion of media manipulation. I was recently on a cruise that offered a class on "perception management" This was based upon taking "out of context" information heard on cable news. My friends who attended we're taken in but I suspect if I had gone I would have left before I enlightened them on the dangers of having their perception managed! :)

As I read about the people that defined Meggie's life, I remembered a movie I once saw who appeared each time a soul was collected to ask one question. What was the one thing that made you happy? Helen Keller wrote that happiness is found thru fidelity to a worthwhile purpose.. Is this true and are regrets only unfulfilled dreams and desires. (or a reaction to the harsh realities of life)

I wouldn't remove any of Meggie's realities and I found myself interested in how the era made decisions more complicated compared to other eras.

Your book takes the reader to a place everyone goes eventually, but should examine more often. So many people get caught up in the mundane aspects of daily life and never examine the "Secrets of the heart"
 
Linda Hayes

Small Town America Framingham

A response regarding my book, I will print more, in future...
" I spent Christmas night with your book, read it cover to cover, and smiled more than I have with a book in a long time.  I enjoyed seeing the world through the eyes of the "little dectective"', etc.

1948 Musicians Strike | Recording Ban | The Silence That Sparked New Sounds | By Marc Myers - WSJ.com

1948 Musicians Strike | Recording Ban | The Silence That Sparked New Sounds | By Marc Myers - WSJ.com   Here is a little history of what changed the music industry back in the late 1940's

  We were the teens that bought the new 45 records, and the new portable music players, stacks upon stacks of 45's were easier to store than the big 78's.  We also bought the new longer playing  albums

A Higher Call ....Small Town America Framingham

When we went to  the Memorial School on Hollis Street In Framingham, Mass, in the long ago, we learned to recite each day the Pledge Allegiance to the flag.  We learned to recite from memory the Gettysburg Address.  I sat in class and wondered how any country could make war.  Who was this man who could lead his country into war.  The word Nazi became a term of hate for the people who would cause a world war.  To this day, I continue to examine what , when, how, why.  Then I noticed this book, in one of the reviews.  I immediately read the Amazon.com information on the book and my throat tightened.  Here after all these years was the first human story I had discovered about the "other side".
A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II


Zoom

A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II [Kindle Edition]

Adam Makos , Larry Alexander



 

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Rosemarie B. Pomfred Cronan, 75 | CapeCodOnline.com

Rosemarie B. Cronan, 75 | CapeCodOnline.com  For old time Framingham folks, remember Rosemarie and Billy Pomfred.  Rosemarie married Puchy Augustini first, and in my book I tell the story of how Puchy died, later Rosemarie married Chuck Cronan, I seem to remember he did fabulous ice sculptures at the Framingham Motor Inn, does anyone remember?  We will always remember our friends of long ago.

Seems Like Old Times - Vaughn Monroe (1946)

And the men came home from the war, with the songs reflecting the emotions of the nation in our little town of Framingham, Mass

Vaughn Monroe - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Memories of The Meadows, Rt 9 Framingham, owned by Vaughn Munroe, our local celebrity singer/band leader.....we had our proms at The Meadows, and we felt so grown up!

Santa came in the 1940's

In those days we had thin glass windows , the radiators were placed beneath the windows to counteract the drafts through the thin glass.  The steam from the hot water radiator would meet the cold glass and form a frost on the inside of the window.

Many times while watching for Santa, my brother Frank and I would go to the 2 dining room windows and each of us scratched a picture in the frost on the glass, as we tried to see if Santa was visible in the sky yet.  We never found him coming to our house, it was mysterious for a long time, as to how he got in because we did not have a fireplace...I asked and asked, but to no avail.  No one ever revealed how he got in the house.
I listened for him on the roof, but he was too quiet.  One day I found out because I saw the presents in the attic, and was instructed not to spoil it for Frankie my brother, and because I made so much noise about Santa and how I still believed in him,..guess what I got?  A piece of coal from Santa...  But, the magic still lives in my heart when I think of those days and the kind man that distributed gifts to children of the world.

SHOPPERS WORLD, the first in the country?



Shoppers World caused everyone to begin to whisper that it was the end of downtown Framingham.  It was truly the end of the downtown as we knew it, because everyone went downtown for every need.  The stores I can recall were Brockleman's Grocery, Salls Travel, Fitts insurance, Miller's , New York Store, Lemchen's, J. C. Penny, Woolworth, Perlmutter, Paul's Bakery, Gilchrest, Newbury's, The Crown restaurant and The Wellworth restaurant, Sportswear,  three bowling allies, three theaters  there were more merchants, but I need a boost from those that remember.

Shoppers World did not kill the downtown immediately,  there was one big reason, not everyone had a car yet.  It took about 20 years before the downtown really changed, the theaters closed, The Hollis Theater, The Gorman, and The St George theater.  IF you read my book, you will learn that there were people afraid to drive, and eventually afraid to fly when commercial air travel was introduced and so many more things you can never imagine from the point of view of the future we now inhabit.

Drop back in time, see a world that has disappeared into the past.

Neighborhood "kids" from Waushakum in the 40's

Small Town America, Framingham   by Madlyn Fafard

A note from my cousin + Paul DeCenzo, reminded me of our friends.among  his comments was  "A great read."

 Paul goes on to expand some of the story about Gino and about + Peter J. Cronan, son of  Rosemarie and Puchy Augustini, who was mentioned in the book.  Peter was adopted by Chuck Cronan.
I hope Paul will put his comments on my Amazon.com book review site, for all to share...I will probably post it here too at a later date.

The friends that grew up in Waushakum, the south end of Framingham at the time of my book. ( I know I missed some,) but here is a brave attempt to  bring back memories for some of you who remember the time.

My thanks to my cousin + Paul De Cenzo, who provided his list, this is Paul's list, and mine will be added to it.

Georgie and Charlie Porcello, Dodie ( Dom) and Ann Marie Pasquantonio, Florence Pezzoni, +Jimmy Merloni, Ray Agostinelli,+ Gordon Burdick, Rocky and Tap Palumbo, +Scampy McLaughlin, +Ray Nanatovich, +Bobby Gimskie, +Al Nix,+ Frankie Pizzeri, Pete Fox, +Albie Fiorito, +Bobby Thomas, +Fran Arnold, +Tampy Porter, Gino Salti, +Donny Blizzard, Dickie Seariac,+ Dickie Dzindolet, +Mario Bartolini, Madlyn Pizzeri,+ Roy St. John,+ Calvin Broom.

My additions are, Madeline and Marie Piccinini, Ed Fox, +Bill Fox, Lorraine and Virginia Rossi Lussier,  Jeanne and +Dorothy Scansaroli,  +Arlene Scansaroli Chao, Kenny Guglielmo,+ Michael Goliormella, Robert Seriac, +Georgie Babb, +Joanie Hislop,the Curtis boys, Rita Augustinelli, +Phil Read,+ Madeline Dzindolet, +Carol Nanotovich,  +Jerry Metzger, Frank Snow.+Robert DeCenzo, Rita Roteilli,+ Marco Rotelli, Benny Bartolini +James Merloni

    I know I am missing some forgive me if I left out your name, it could be temporary, because some names are on the tip of my tongue but won't quite make it out..so...let me know who I missed..  We had a wonderful neighborhood full of kids, there was always some activity either at the ball field ( an empty lot ) or in the woods ( another empty lot) both on Guild Road or at someone's yard.   Just beyond us at the north side of Waushakum pond, was +Mary Ann Morgan,+ Carol Ahearn
+Richard Rotelli,+Fred Bartolussi, +Harriet Lemchen Miller, +Henry Belloli, Mary Ann Morgan, +Joan Merusi Celloria, the Macura's...who remembers their first names...?
 and traveling up Hollis Street, +Mary Main Shaw,+Charles Hickson,+Jay Lander,

Just think about it, it seems like almost every house had children.