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Page A2 The Joan De Arc Crusader / Thursday, December 25, 2014 Front Page A1 / Tales A3 / Christmas Nostalgia A4 / Crossword A5
“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.” – Voltaire
The latest losses: So long Mary’s and Monti’s We’re beginning to have trouble keeping track of all the cherished Valley institutions that have bitten the proverbial dust in recent years. It’s become something of a sad routine for this newspaper to report the latest disappearance of a familiar and beloved local building and/or business. This month, it’s Mary Coyle’s Ice Cream Parlor and Monti’s La Casa Vieja. Mary Coyle’s first opened for business in 1951 and quickly became synonymous with premium, freshly-made ice cream. A genuine Phoenix institution, it changed locations and owners a number of times over the years, but always remained a popular and ultimately nostalgic hangout. Perhaps the idea of the old-fashioned ice cream parlor has run its course, and nostalgia alone can no longer sustain it. However, we are keeping our editorial fingers crossed that Mary’s will ultimately re-emerge in some form. The other recent lamentable loss is none other than Monti’s La Casa Vieja, the timeless Tempe steak house that has operated since 1956 out of the ancient structure in which Carl Hayden himself was born. Apparently the old house will be preserved, but yet another soulless downtown Tempe high-rise will be constructed on top of it. The question “Is nothing sacred?” almost seems pointless these days. Time marches on. Businesses come and go. Nothing lasts. But would it be asking too much to try to preserve a little bit of our local heritage for future generations? Must it all disappear before our very eyes? Is it just our perception that the Phoenix area seems even less concerned with preserving its past than other cities of comparable size?
The new Crusader-Wall St. Journal partnership The Joan De Arc Crusader recently took an historic step forward in prominence with its mention within the pages of no less a journalistic icon than the Wall Street Journal. The WSJ tapped this humble newspaper last month to supply photos from our vast historical archive to complement a news feature in the Journal’s Tech section. The story mentions the old Phoenix shopping center Park Central, part of which is currently and ironically being used to house computer servers for online shopping. Old Valley shopping centers of course are something of a specialty here at the Crusader. The Crusader’s rare, early ‘60s view of Park Central lent the Journal article an historical flavor and perspective, accentuating the piece’s examination of how technology has transformed the uses and purposes of old shopping center buildings in the 21st century. Our two newspapers actually have quite a bit in common. Both named for famous roadways, the Crusader and Journal offer world-class news stories and features with a tradition of renowned journalistic excellence. The only real surprise here is that the two publications have not teamed up before now. We anticipate many more joint projects with the Wall Street Journal in the future, and perhaps even an eventual merger of our two venerable newspapers. Does “The Wall Street Crusader” really sound that far-fetched?
Letter from the Editor By J. Bueker
I knew Jean of course as Mrs. Humphreys, the busy mother of six who lived in the corner house down the street on Joan De Arc Avenue when I was growing up. I must confess that most of my memories of being at the Humphreys home during those years involve being yelled at for some act of mischief I had perpetrated. In retrospect I realize that having six children to look after probably diminishes one’s tolerance for the hijinks of other people’s kids. But I also have many fun memories of the Humphreys home as well. We had some epic “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” adventures down on that corner, for instance. I realize now that Mrs. Humphreys was actually pretty tolerant in dealing with all that kid-created chaos. And only now am I discovering what a gifted person Jean was. An accomplished musician, she learned the violin in school and went on to join the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra. In later years she took up crochet and created in excess of 200 Afghans. This was clearly a very creative lady. Jean spent her later years living happily up in Flagstaff. The last time I saw her was last year at a little Joan De Arc lunch I attended at the Metrocenter Red Lobster with her and my mom. Jean went out of her way to tell me how much she enjoyed the Crusader and appreciated the effort that went into it. I was very touched by this and couldn’t help feeling that all was forgiven for my long ago misbehavior on the old street. At least I hope so. Thank you Mrs. Humphreys for being one of the great Joan De Arc moms and tolerating all the chaotic shenanigans and fun that helped make our childhoods on the Avenue so very memorable. ________________________________________________________________________________
The Crusader welcomes your letters at jdacrusader@aol.com.
The official guide to “Time-In, Time-Out” As we enter yet another hectic holiday season, so often associated with the giving and receiving of elaborate toys and games as gifts, it seems too easy to reflect back to a time when we were forced (via the magic combination of having no money and also having nothing to spend it on) to make our own fun. The Bueker family’s classic game of “Time-In, Time-Out” was born and thrived in this golden age of dullness. Many people have probably sent letters wondering about the history and rules of this game, but for reasons known only to them and perhaps their medical advisors, we haven’t received any of those communications. In this column, I would like to address those apparently mislaid inquiries. The game of Time-in, Time-out (henceforth referred to as TI/TO) has a long and controversial history in the Bueker family and was considered to be highly annoying by even its most devoted fans. Combining, as it did, the essential elements of unbridled roughhousery and rhythmic chanting taunts, the very point of TI/TO was indeed annoyance itself. It is no wonder then that this activity became a staple of life in the Bueker household for a seemingly endless number of months. At its core, TI/TO is a game of tag. Full on, pedal to the medal, indoor/outdoor “tag you’re it” tag for any number of players greater than one. There are a number of additional rules, however, designed to irritate your opponent as well as any other sentient beings so unfortunate as to be within earshot. The official rules are as follows:
That’s it. No handheld controllers, no ball, no dice, no batteries required. All that’s needed are two or more people with a penchant for perilous recreation and a house full of breakable things. Spectators are of course a considerable bonus, adding elements of cringing and eye rolling to the proceedings. Sadly, it was this very simplicity that was to be undoing of TI/TO, as the lack of any material apparatus made the game entirely unmarketable. There would be no youth TI/TO leagues, no NTI/NTO, and no TITO Bowl as originally envisioned. Perhaps it is better that we play our tag digitally now. Kids may be getting fatter, but it’s much easier on the furniture. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ JDA
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I was saddened
earlier this year to learn of Jean Durham’s passing. 