This is a place to post comments, photos, whatever...about growing up in the Hialeah Area...or anything else that is on your mind. In the past, we've been using our individual webpages for this purpose, but now we have a dedicated forum on our website. Please note that this forum is "not secure" and that comments you make are available to anyone that visits this website.  

If you post a comment about a deceased classmate in this section, please also post one on the classmate's "In Memory" page. Your comments here get lost in the many other comments over time while whatever you post on a classmate's "In Memory" page can easily be found by our classmates and family members of the deceased. 

Vince "Vinny" Rusinak

Deidra Williams (Kennon)

Wayne thank you so much for the info and update in the south Florida. Our daughter Kimberly got the virus and she is not sure how. We are here in clermont,Florida and staying in because of my issues, but I have read your letter to Lisa and Scott and will do so for Kim. Kim lives in mirimar and Scott in st. Augustine. Thank you again. Continue to stay safe and your staff. God bless

Vince "Vinny" Rusinak

Let's take a break from the coronavirus and the political conventions!

Yesterday I went to Sam’s Club to purchase, among other things, a watermelon. I looked at the $5.99 price and felt that they were price gouging…compared to what I remember the cost of watermelons being when we were growing up. Then I wondered whether the one I picked out would be good…or tasteless like so many I buy. I thumped on the rind, not knowing what I should be listening to…even if I could hear what a good thumping sound was. So, I went through the motions…thumped with authority…and picked out the best watermelon of the litter. I failed to realize that my expertise was in watermelons with seeds, and not the seedless variety. When I got home and opened it up, I got lucky…it was more red than white inside and tasted, well, ok. I remember the good old days when the watermelons were bright red inside, filled with seeds, and were always delicious!

Ok, here’s the point of all of this. We have many classmates who have never participated in our “What’s on your mind” forum. For the next couple of days, I’d like for those of you who have NEVER Posted a Response to try to answer the following questions about your experiences with watermelons while growing up in Florida:

1. Where did you (or your parents) typically buy a watermelon when you were growing up? (Hint, it was not Sam’s Club, nor COSTCO, nor Publix nor Winn Dixie.)
2. They did not do the “thump” test back then to determine if you had a good watermelon. What did those that sold watermelons do to show you that you were purchasing a quality watermelon?
3. What did watermelons cost back then? I think I remember, but it was no where near the $5.99 I paid yesterday…nor did they charge any sales tax back then!
4. Were the watermelons back then long, like fat cucumbers, or round like huge cantaloupes?
5. Did you ever participate in a contest to propel seeds? What method did you use to propel the seeds? Did you ever participate in a contest to propel seeds…either in a formal competition or with your neighbors? Did you ever win? If so, what was the greatest distance you ever propelled a watermelon seed?
6. How do you remember eating watermelons? Did you ever put it on a plate and eat it with a fork? Do you ever remember eating a watermelon that was other than room temperature?
7. Anything else you want to add?

Looking forward to hearing from those that have NEVER participated in this forum. In a few days, we’ll open the comments on this subject to everyone!

Joe E Dexter

Living off and on in S. Florida I remember my dad buying 5 small, round watermelons, on the side of the road at 5 for a dollar.  He thumped them, listening for a hollow sound.  The seller had one cut open and offered a sample taste.  Each of use had our own personal Mellon.  My dad ate his with salt.  All 4 of us kids ate until we had belly aches.  

Bill Coffeen

Wayne Robertson on left ... his brother Jimmy Robertson with back to camera ... me in the back center ... my back yard with state of the art washing machine in back ground ...

that is Diana Roberts on the right who married Bill Porth ... my wife's Bonnie brother ... she is the only reason I met Bonnie and married for over 50 years ...

Vince "Vinny" Rusinak

Photo provided by Bill Coffeen and goes with the previous posting.

Robert Doud

Watermelon?

In the Springs..Butch DeRosa, Jimmy Dotson and I probably sold you one from the Circle Grocery. They were big, heavy, oblong, green and lighter green (not striped), with plenty of seeds for contests. Cost 50 cents. Not chilled.

But I as a youngster had worked picking them from the field and putting them on  trucks. About 50 cents a day. Lunch was the ones that fell and broke open. Plenty of lunch...we made sure.

Selection was as follows: Heavy, base drum thump, dry stem, minimum ground contact (white underbelly).

If you bought from the hundreds of trucks on the side of the road...they would cut you out a plug to sample.

At home we would cut a 1 1/2 inch thick circle from the cold melon place it on a big plate and eat with a table spoon. Four of us, one melon would last a week. NO SALT! The center was always the sweetest.

My mother taught all of us how to project the seed for distance. Passed down for all generations and the Cub Scout Dens at our house.

Linda Tuttle (Lantz)

Eating watermelon was part of experiencing summer vacation in south Florida.  What I remember most is my mom bringing me and my friends a big slice of watermelon each outside.  I remember those slices being so big that we would have to use two hands.  This would usually be after playing in the sprinkler or pool in the yard.  I remember that they were so juicy,.  The seeds would run down our chins right onto our bathing suits, and those that didn't were definitely used as projectiles!   What great summertime memories growing up in Florida!  The watermelons were always big, juicy, tasted sooo sweet  and definitely oblong but don't know where they were purchased.  

James Ward

Everyone  pretty much covered all the watermelon stories I remember, by the way thanks for the diversion from all the news headlines, we needed it.

I do remember getting our watermelons from a vegetable stand under a large pine tree on the Northeast corner of East 49 St. and Lejeune Rd. ( East 8 Ave ) which was run by the family of a girl I dated at HHS. I believe they lived on East 5 Ave between 51 st. & 52 st. And were related to Wayne Slappy who I hung out with.

When we got older that plug hole In the watermelon was used to pour booze into the watermelon 🍉 to marinade overnight.

The picture with the wringer washing machine reminded me of the time my older brother and my dad were running clothes thru the wringer to squeeze the excess water out before they hung them on the clothes line ( remember those before dryers ) and my brothers arm got caught and pulled into the wringers all the way up to his elbow. My dad panicked and threw the wringer into reverse instead of hitting the release lever on top which opened the wringer.  There were no broken bones but one heck of bruised forearm.  Then dad had to explain to mom what happened !

 Vinny Thanks again for the great job you do on the Forum.

Christopher "Chris" Smith

Love the watermelon stories and especially Bill Coffeen's picture. The only story I remember is visiting Grandma and Grandpa's in Walhallah, SC, eating watermelon with them and Grandpa telling me to be careful not to swallow any seeds as they might take root and I'd have a watermelon in my stomach. I told Grandpa that that couldn't happen, pointing to my stomach and saying "how could a big ol' watermelon fit here? I secretly did worry a little afterwards. That was some good watermelon, though!

James Coole

One of my younger brothers had an arm cough in a washing machine wringer. He also escaped with just bruising. As a kid, my favorite watermelon was the large, round, and dark green melons. On our family Summer vacation trips to Illinois, I recall seeing large fields of those melons in GA.

Lamarr Wade

I remember visiting my Grandfather in north Florida about 1955.  He was a farmer that on occasion grew watermelons.  Not every year because the watermelon market at that time was eratic.  Some years the farmers received a huge price, then the next year could not sell their melons at any price.  Regardless, I was there near harvest time during a year that he did grow melons.  Every day Grandfather and several Grand Kids would go to the "watermelon patch" (which was 40 acres) early in the morning to eat watermelons.  He would cut/break a melon, take a small bite and move on to another.  In ten minutes or so he would cut several dozen melons.  Of course, us kids did not understand he was "testing" the quality of his crop and was only cutting cull melons that would not sell anyway.  Regardless, we had plenty to eat.

Alice Lacedonia (Pace)

My memories of eating watermelon didn't happen in Hialeah.  As a child  I spent summers at my grandparents house in Key West.  On hot summer afternoon with the shade on the east side of the house we eat a slice of watermelon outside the kitchen door.  Of course it was messy and drip down our face and onto our clothes.  Afterward it was time for a bath!  The other great thing to eat was mangos!  Also, very messy but also provided yellow stains to your cloths! This is a great opportunity to look back to our younger days!

Patricia Spivey (Zgodzinski)

Our summers were always great and we always had watermelons! Being a kid and not interested in where things came from I can't tell you where most of our watermelons came from! They just appeared and they were delicious. It could have been The Watermelon Fairy! I do know when we went to my Grandparents house in North Carolina every summer there was always a watermelon under their huge tree near the driveway waiting for us. My Grandfather grew them in his garden! They were oblong and fat with rich red meat and plenty of seeds. And juicy! They are still my favorite summer time fruit! I thump, too, but unfortunately I can no longer hear the hollow sound! We always ate our watermelons outside. Too messy for inside. My mother taught my son and daughter how to shoot the seeds for distance! Good memories! Good times! 

Sandy Johnson (Witt)

Bill Coffeen

Christopher ... I spent my summers up the mountain in Highlands at my grandmothers 

Christopher "Chris" Smith

Oh yeah, the Highlands. Spent many summer picnics up there. I think that's where something called (I don't recall who called them this) "The Stribling Shoals". But it was great fun to slide down the smoothe, water covered, slanted rock that was a giant slide. The good ole' days for sure.

James Ward

Remembering our fallen classmates City of Hialeah park located On West 76 St. & 16 Ave

James Ward

Alice Lacedonia (Pace)

Thank you James Ward for bring the memorial for a fallen classmate to our attention.

Bruce Nierenberg

well done Jim. Our thoughts and prayers and appreciation to all those and their families who gave the ultimate for our country.

Jack Taubin

Thanks Jim, knew Tim well and remember him as a very likeable guy . Great personality and car enthusiast. Met him through EJ Howe. Glad he is recognized in this way and is well deserved.

Jerry Sullivan

Wow, that's Great.  I didn't know a Park was named for Tim.   We were good buddys and Howie another good buddy we had alot of fun together.  Thanks for posting.   

Deidra Williams (Kennon)

That's wonderful thank you James for reminding us of so many that were lost.

Caryl Gardner (Broaderick)

My husband Art and I were best of friends with Timmy and Janie.  Janie was our matron of honor and one month before my husband was leaving for Vietnam Nam he was asked to be one of Timmy's pallbearers.  Extremely emotional to say it lightly.  We have treasured memories of many wonderful times together.  God bless all of our mighty military. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸Caryl(Gardner) and Art Broaderick 

Lynn Anderson (Dewhurst)

Another,Hialeah is McDonald Park is named after David H. McDonald, a Sargent who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and was unfortunately killed in action in 1969. Before his deployment, Sgt. McDonald was a City of Hialeah resident. Davy was also in our class and a member of the swim team.  I vaguely remember that he was the first fatility from Hialeah