“Remembering Rich East” DVD for Sale
The Park Forest Historical Society is now selling “Remembering Rich East,” a DVD full of images, along with some versions of the school songs. It is not a documentary but a video and photo tour of the school, along with scans of brochures and photographs from the early days of the school. The DVD is available for $20 at the 1950s Park Forest House Museum during open hours, Wednesday and Saturday, 1-3:30 p.m., or by appointment at other times. If you come during open hours, your museum tour is free with the purchase of the DVD. You may contact us via email on the website or via Facebook message on our page, “1950s Park Forest House Museum,” to request that we hold a DVD for you to purchase in person.
“Remembering Rich East” can also be purchased via PayPal through the Society website, www.parkforesthistory.org, by using the “Donate” button and including the message “Rich East DVD”. With shipping and handling, the DVD is $24.83.
It can also be purchased by mailing a check to Park Forest Historical Society for $24.83 to Park Forest Historical Society, 227 Monee Road, Park Forest, IL 60466. Be sure to include a note saying it is for a DVD and send your address and email or phone number.
Since May 2020, the PFHS Board has been invested, including financially, in documenting Rich East High School. We hired a photographer/videographer to go into the school with us at that time to preserve images of the interior and exterior. More than 900 photographs and some videos were taken. Jane Nicoll scanned early photographs and brochures from the collection, and scans from the scrapbooks of Arnold DeLuca were included showing Prom Train articles, photos, and more.
We then pursued recordings and sheet music for the Rich East Loyalty Song and “Hail to the Green and Gold.” Peter Pisello, the former band instructor, supplied a fully orchestrated version. A Facebook appeal found people with sheet music in various states, some quite nice. Jane’s son ended up having the melody to the fight song in his trumpet case. Two Rich East records in our collection, both a little rough for digitizing, were digitized by Chris Janota and Jane. With COVID-19 restrictions, people were not willing to get together and sing. Finally, we found the Class of 1967 had sung both songs beautifully at their 50th and put them on YouTube. One recording had been remastered by Ken Kortge, who was willing for us to use the music. David Peryam would let us use his YouTube recording of the fight song. We then hired Jared Amani to compile the video for us. Funds raised will go toward our considerable expenses of hiring the photographer/videographer and video artist and getting it copied.
Did you remember to sign up to be a member or to renew your membership?
Forms were in September 2022 “The Spirit.” Can’t find your form? Pick one up at the Museum Archive, or copy it from our website, parkforesthistory.org.
You can also opt to join via PayPal on the website with the message, “Membership.” Just Join!
