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Ken Poorman stuff about Lock Haven PA . . .
Some
Lock Haven Pa places of interest . . .
My father, Kenneth John Poorman, was born in
his grandparents home at 108 Jessamine Street. His father, John Sylvester Poorman, was building a house in Castanea
when he passed away. His mother, Maude Ryan Poorman raised him and his sisters on Jessamine Street. My father
finished the house in Castanea, and after he married my mother, Pearl Madeline Hall of Renovo, raised his family in it.
Although 108 was torn down, there is a tree of my great grandmother's still standing there, that I visit when I come to Lock
Haven annually.
Visit Lock Haven PA |
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Want to see some really good photography
of Clinton County, i.e. Lock Haven, Sugar Valley . . . Check out Tom Bower's website - clicky!
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When I was a teenager, I played with
several bands in Lock Haven, at the YMCA, the City Hall Teen Canteen, and later in clubs like the Clinton Country Club,
the Elks, the Moose, the Sons, the American Legion, the VFW, the Town Tavern, the Masonic Temple, and other venues in State
College, Bellefonte, Renovo, Jersey Shore, Williamsport, South Williamsport and Lewisburg.
Here are a few
Lock Haven links & pix . . .
| Where is it? |
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| Lock Haven YMCA |
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Remember the Saturday night dances
at the YMCA? Remember Pop Ford? Alma Jean & Carthy dancin? Chugin quarts & crusin the circuit?
Sorry Mom, I mean, playin ping pong downstairs at the Y.
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The old Avenue Cafe bites
the dust! When I was knee high to a grasshoper, my Great Uncle Bill Stoddart used to take me into Sal Assante's
occasionally. Uncle Bill owned The Town Tavern for many years, first on Mill Street, then when it burned down in the
J. C. Penney fire, on Bellefonte Avenue, until he died. Uncle Bill visited most of his competition in town pretty regularly,
i.e. the Irvin Hotel, the Elks, the Clinton Country Club, Jake's across the street, the Greystone, The Fallon Hotel, the Buffalo
Inn, and Sal Assante's Avenue Cafe - I can't remember them all. Then when I was in my 20's, some of us Bell Tel
guys used to go to Sal's after work for a cold one. Sal would mention Uncle Bill to me occasionally. I felt
close to Uncle Bill when I was there.
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Thanks to Matt Connor for all of the great articles regarding
Lock Haven. His "Peek at the Past" column in The Express not only brings the history of Lock Haven
to life for the public, but includes many personal stories behind the historical events in an interesting way. Thanks
Matt!
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| Matt Connor |
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| Sal Assante's Avenue Cafe |
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Exclusive Sal Assante Story by Matt Connor
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NOT FOR NAVIGATION. Please procure official charts for flight.
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Sentimental Journey to Cub Haven Fly In
| Click to enlarge Photo |
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MY BROTHER, Steve Poorman owned that building on the right, 143-147 East Main Street, Lock Haven Pa 17745.
I remember taking piano lessons from Earle Kenneth Mayes on the second floor when I was a kid. That's now my brother's
office. He also owned the Simon Building across the street (tallest one on the left, a couple doors West).
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| Click to read about the Trolley |
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| Click to enlarge Photo |
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I remember MY DAD, Ken
Poorman, telling me about riding this trolley. He said he rode the trolley
to Flemington and Mill Hall to play baseball games. He was also Captain of the LHHS football team. His
name was on a trophy in the High School. I wonder if those tropheys went to the new school in Mill Hall?
Wish I had a closeup photo of that trophy.
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Does this building look distorted to you?
It always seemed that way to me too - inside and out! I really liked LHHS, between Friday and Monday!
What I liked most was cutting it to go to Luigi's, Greco's, the poolroom, the Dipsy Doodle & The Sputnik Shop!
Remember Big Red & Abby? Didn't they make Algebra fun?
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OK, maybe this would be a good opportunity to mention
that I hated Lock Haven High School, all four years, and I still do. It was a hugh waste of my time. The low point
in my life, the pits, It was pernicious, the worst case scenario! Please don't be offended, this is just
MY humble opinion.
Well, since I ventured this far . . . I may as well
comment on some of my teachers at LHHS. My wife taught me "if you can't say something nice about someone, don't
say anything at all." So I'm afraid I don't have much to say. I'll only mention a few
of the teachers I liked . . . 1) Mr. Painter,
who thought I had the ability to become an accountant. Most other teachers thought I had no ability. And, I became an
auditor for a few years and audited financial systems and operations - thanks Mr. Painter. God bless you. 2) Miss George, my homeroom teacher, who always liked the
ice cream I brought her after lunch (when I left the Cafeteria, jumped into my car (the old 1951 Chevrolet that had belonged
to T. Scott McLean, which I bought used for $90.00 when I was 16), went down to the Dipsy Doodle, and raced back
before it melted. I especially liked taking it into her classroom to give it to her. She taught Home Ec - Hello!
She kept telling me I would get in trouble, but I only ever got caught cutting once (by Don Malinak). Ha.
I moved around a lot. 3) Don Malinak.
There was another good guy. Even though I was not a jock, he tolerated me. I think most of the coaches were biased
against non-jocks(?). I remember sitting in the sub shop one day at lunchtime, and felt a hard smack on my shoulders,
a heavy hand around my neck. I didn't even get two bites of the hoagie, and I was off the stool. Don
made me pay up, and hauled me off to the Principal's Office. Detention Hall again. I wonder if he remembers that?
I hope they name the new Stadium after him. 4) Mrs. Lehman, whom
I respected and feared (afraid she would call on me to say something in French, besides "parlez-vous français?").
Fortunately, she was very kind and didn't call on me much. I think she knew what interests I had in France. I
didn't learn much French after two years, but "je pourrais demander le vin, la nourriture, et un baiser" which was
useful to me in France. I've been to the South of France a few times for several weeks, and loved every
minute of it, the sights and the people. Thanks Mrs. Lehman. It was everything you said it was. 5) Mrs. Dean was cool . . . except for the participles! 6) Mr. Galitski was cool too. I had him on the edge of his seat in drivers training when I
passed a car on the Constitution Bridge. Ha! I thought he was going to have a stroke. I thought it would
be a good exercise to practice passing, but I don't think it was in his syllabus. I wonder if I passed that course?
I wonder if it's still called the Constitution Bridge? I know, I owe him an apology. Sorry, can't think of any others. I'm sure there were a few more. Felt good getting
that off my mind.
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