Bonnie Feldgreber Remembers 1967-1980, Posted July 8, 2007

Hi my name is Bonnie Feldgreber currently living in Indianapolis. I grew up in Park Forest from 1967 to 1980, we then moved to California. Park Forest has always had a special place in my heart and I am happy that I had the opportunity to grow up in such a wonderful community.

We first lived in the co-ops on Birch street and I attended Dogwood school for kindergarten and first grade. Then we moved in the Lincolnwood section of the village on Early St. The Benaroya's and the Beckman's were our neighbors and they still live there even after 25 years. That shows you what a wonderful place Park Forest is.

My memories include going to Illinois School and the wonderful teachers there, Miss Mattucci, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Mandell, Mrs. Donnelly, and Mrs West. Also Mrs. Davis who taught art, and who instilled in me how much fun it is to do art and how important it is to have art in our lives. Mrs. West taught us to raise chicks, ducks, and monarch butterflies. She has showed us how to make a plastic bubble, that we would go inside and present programs. In the wintertime, there was an indentation in the ground behind the school that they would freeze over and that would be our skating rink. Cold and fun, half for hockey the other half for free skating. Sometimes it never did get cold enough to freeze over the "pond" and sometimes we would make our own in our backyard. These was also a field back there (I think bordering Thomas st.) that we would romp around in and catch tadpoles.

The Park Forest Plaza with it's charity days, sidewalk sales, the annual art festival, animated Christmas pixies, Holiday Theatre all held special memories. The library, Aquacenter, ITC (where I took drama classes) pancake breakfast, parades all these wonderful family events. I remember when Freedom hall was built and taking art classes there, and seeing a production of Hair. Park Forest always had a lot of culture, which I still thrive on today. The 4th of July became a favorite holiday of mine, our family always had a barbeque then later that evening we would go to Central Park and the carnival. It was funny that the same carnival was there every year so you knew what rides to expect. We would then find a place in the grass to sit and watch the fireworks. The show was always amazing, and sort of romantic to my young eyes, it always ended with the American Eagle lite up. That is why still today after all these years the 4th of July is my favorite holiday.

I have not been back to Park Forest for about 10 years and know there is a new downtown, which I would like to see. Although I know they took down the failing Plaza to build it, the history of my time there will always be remembered. I have many more memories, but this could go on forever! Growing up in Park Forest was my "wonder years", and I will always feel connected and cherish those memories.

Bonnie Feldgreber