Clippings from when Retiring Guy subscribed to the print edition of the Warren Times Observer, accompanied by items from the Archives.
May 19, 2004. Warren Mall
The Warren Mall opened in October 1979, a very big deal at the time. It flourished into the early 2000s. Penney's was the first defection, which occurred before Walmart came to town. Big Lots took its place for a time. The 2010s hit the mall like a steelhead mallet, with KMart closing up shop in 2014 and Bon Ton in 2018.
The mall had pretty much emptied out by 2016, when this photo was taken in the center court, looking toward the north concourse.
June 6, 2004. Warren homes
Warren has a large inventory of architecturally significant homes built in the mid-to-late 19th and early 20th centuries, many of them still beautifully maintained.
To me, the 500 block of West Third Avenue between Poplar and Hazel streets has always been the location of the most visually arresting.
June 15 and 29, 2004. Mr. Fey
During the years that I attended Warren Area High School (1965-68), Mr. Fey taught American History, a junior-year requirememt, and Advanced Placement American History. He developed a reputation as a dedicated and fair teacher with a deep knowledge of the subject matter he presented. He also had high expectations for anyone who sat in his classmate.
I only know this second hand since I was in Mr. Hinderliter's class. For me, his approach to teaching American history encouraged no interest in the subject, sparked no curiosity to learn anything beyond what he presented in his rambling lectures.
When it came time to take the final exam, I was shocked to learn that all students in the track A classes -- Mr. Fey's and Mr. Hinderliter's -- were taking the same test. The questions had clearly been written by Mr. Fey. As I worked my way exam, my shock morphed into anger, which led me to add a postscript to the essay section. I can't recall my exact words, but it was something along the lines of How can you expect to take a Fey test with Hinderliter instruction?
I meant it as an insult.
And I still received an "A" on the exam.
She mentions him twice in her journals, which are the only things of her I claimed after she died of breast cancer at age 54 in 2008.
Here are the excerpts:
I saw Tim Gay’s picture in the paper and it made me wonder if somehow word got out that he was a dream character of mine. Then I perhaps reveal too much personal detail about our relationship – regarding when we dated a few times back in 1978. I certainly do not know what goes through a guy’s mind, as what happened in our particular situation. I never thought much about the sexual aspect of what happened or didn’t happen. It never made any difference to me one way or the other. I wasn’t about to have a casual fling with Tim and I can’t say why I felt this way. I feel there wasn’t any real chemistry between us regarding our directions in life.
I also had a dream about Cheryl Nelson and that of a male person going out with her. I realized this was saying this person was with her in the sense that was the closest that he could get to me. Cheryl was in my homeroom and would sit behind me, when we sat in class in alphabetical order. I think Tim Gay represents the time in my life when I was opening up to my direction. Dennis represents the years I was gathering the necessary resources that I needed in fate, and Scott represents the last period in my life in which I put everything together. Maybe this explanation isn’t’ entirely satisfactory, but I feel these male dream symbols do coincide with the periods of growth in my life.
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