CUPID’S ARROW: From Odysseus and Penelope to Paris and Helen,
Bonnie and Clyde to Brad and Angelina – most people know of these
famous couples and their great love stories. This year for
Valentine’s Day, however, The Era is looking for true stories of
local love.
Do you have an interesting story about how you met? Have you
been together a very long time, or did you have to go great lengths
to be together? If so, contact The Era newsroom Sunday through
Tuesday, Thursday or Friday after 3 p.m. and ask for Tammy.
CRUM ROBARTS: When a recent column mentioned H.K. “Crum”
Robarts, it prompted several responses on this expert pool shooter
and outstanding golfer.
John DePetro writes, “I was a caddy at the Pennhills Club in the
mid ’50s and caddied for H.K. ‘Crum’ Robarts when he had some great
head-to-head battles with another great golfer Larry Dana.”
“Crum was good to caddy for but if you made any noise while he
was shooting you were likely to have a hole stared through
you.”
On another RTS subject: “Can also remember my father buying
tickets from Jalopy and Inch. DeSelle’s candy store was the store
Jalopy used to touch, when he walked back and forth to the parking
meter. He was a nice guy.”
George T. Howard also caddied for “Crum,” for several years. He
writes, “He played in many tournaments in the PA-NY area. He was a
club champion at Pennhills and some of his golfing partners were
George Blaisdell, Earl and Larry Dana. He was a great guy.”
THE GREAT JOE: On another “great guy,” we heard from Ted Viola:
“I’ve been reading your recollections of the Owl and Rambler teams
of bygone years. My neighbor and friend was the great Joe
Pascarella.”
Ted continues, “On a Sunday morning in October 1958, I was
headed to Mass at St. Bernard. I was a member of the 1958 Ramblers.
We had beaten Allegheny Central the night before. I ran into Joe in
front of Powell’s pharmacy. He said ‘Hi, Vi,’ and proceeded to
cheer loud and clear, ‘STB kick ’em in the knee, STB kick ’em in
the other knee. Sis boom ba, sis boom ba, St. Bernard Ramblers,
rah, rah rah.’ Everyone that heard him was looking my way. Joe was
the greatest. He really made me feel good.”
