What’s this I hear about Ridgeland Commons coming down? Considering that I can’t even remember when it was built, that’s probably a good thing. It was kind of funky even in the ’70s.
Normally, we’d all go to Rehm to go swimming in the summer, but sometimes I’d go to Ridgeland in hopes of meeting up with Fred Leong, one of the cooler creatures with whom I was acquainted. Sometimes I wouldn’t even make it to the locker room; I’d spend two hours leaning against the fence with him, my swimsuit rolled up in a towel at my feet.
During the winter, some of us would skate at the indoor rink. Once again, boys were the thing. I believe I was stalking someone named Steve McDonald during all-skates. The hot chocolate was good but we avoided the bathrooms.
My clearest memory is of helping Terry Danuser do his community service at Ridgeland. One Halloween, he and I were taken to the police station for handing out some rather odd items to trick-or-treaters (only the older kids who should NOT have been panhandling in the first place). I was sentenced to licking envelopes at the “Y” and Terry was dispatched to the Park District to do maintenance. He’s the one, ladies, who filled those certain, umm, machines with sugar wafers at Ridgeland. Now you know.