Shoe Column: What ‘Shoe’ misses the most

By Tim “Shoe” Sullivan

Hey, I’m getting up there in years. Already on the north side of 70. Been around the block a few times.

As one gets older, certain things take on more of a meaning. Memories kick in. People and places are gone forever.

Going back to my childhood, there are many things I miss.

For instance …

Playing marbles in Stevens Point. You never see anyone playing marbles anymore. Back in our neighborhood, friends like Jack Ellenz and Tommy Jensen used to play marbles with me frequently. They walked away with plenty of my purees and boulders. But it was great fun.

I miss climbing up on the outdoor Lincoln School fire escape. It was very daring … and exciting! The main reason it isn’t done is that the Lincoln School was torn down many years ago. I also miss playing basketball on Lincoln’s marvelous outside basketball court with guys like Gary and Ronnie Bronk, Kim Wisniewski, Jensen, Bones Firkus, Donny Ceplina, Tom Warzinik, Rufus Konopacki, and many others. That court is long gone too.

I miss Krazy Days in downtown Stevens Point. People would come from all over to check out all the great “deals” the local merchants had. It went on for a few days. I bought some baseball bats, gloves, softballs, and a hockey puck at Point’s Krazy Days.

I even bought a brand-new hula hoop and never used it even once.

I miss all of the “forts” the kids used to build in the neighborhood. There were many forts. They were in logs… cement blocks… trees… bushes… cardboard boxes… heck, just about anywhere that a couple of kids could squeeze into. Even under porches.

One thing we noticed was that most of the other kids would never come into some of our forts. One big reason: they were too busy hiding in their own forts.

I miss playing wiffleball. Our neighborhood had many wiffleball games. A lot of them were played in the Stroik and Meronek backyards next to Cigel’s Grocery on Water Street, and many more were in our driveway close to the Water Tower.

I don’t miss playing “jacks.” Never played jacks and couldn’t figure out how it worked.

I miss going to the Point Bakery. Loved their long johns. The bakery aroma was terrific once you walked into the place. It was a very popular place and everything tasted great.

I miss buying 5-cent wax-pack baseball cards from the ’60s. Even got a stick of pink chewing gum. I always hoped to find a Mickey Mantle or Hank Aaron or Eddie Mathews card, but usually only came across yet another Eli Grba or Gus Triandos. We bought baseball cards from Cigel’s Grocery, Knudsen’s, Northside Grocery, Morton’s, and much later Osco.

I miss the A&W root beer stand with their half-chicken dinners and fries. And used to love stopping there after playing in a Little League game (Firefighters) across the river at Mead Park. Our super manager Garth Whittaker from the downtown Sport Shop always saw to it that every player got an ice cream cone or root beer.

I miss going to see a movie at the Fox. And trying to win a pogo stick from Major Eddy. Whatever happened to Randolph Scott?

I miss the fantastic charburgers from The Office.

I miss swimming at the old Holiday Inn. And here’s a bit of trivia: Bill Zenoff built the first Holiday Inn in Stevens Point. Zenoff Park is named after him. Well, his brother David Zenoff became the Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court, and in 1967, Justice Zenoff presided over the wedding of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu.

I miss taking goiter pills in school.

I miss attending “sleepovers” in neighbor friends’ tents. And one thing you almost never did was actually sleep in the tent. You would walk around town shooting off firecrackers from Canada or checking out the watermelons at the local A&P.

One thing I never missed was climbing up on the water tower. Never tried it.

I miss fishing in the Wisconsin River behind Pagel Mill. Although as a kid, you never caught anything but bullheads.

I don’t miss freezing my butt off going ice fishing. Never caught a dang thing.

I miss the events the Rec Department held at the area playgrounds. Once won a small plastic trophy for being “caroms champion” at Lincoln.

I miss playing softball at Iverson and basketball in the Point Rec Leagues.

There were so many fun things to do while growing up in Stevens Point, and nothing cost very much money. All you needed were some friends and a little desire. You made your own fun.

Oh, a couple of bucks might get you a good time at the Dixon Street Carnival. You could go on the rides or try your luck shooting B.B. guns at metal targets. (Never hit one).

Or you could call someone on the telephone. My number was 1064J. You would dial the phone and a lady would ask, “Number please.” Kids today have no idea of what a phone used to be.

Or you could just stay home and watch “The Mickey Mouse Club” or “Davy Crocket” shows. “Born on a mountaintop in Tennessee…” … “M…I…C…K…E…Y…M…O…U…S…E…” Why? Because we LIKE you!!!

Many things to remember.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.