Paul Webster:  

Hi Ya'll My father owned the Gambles store in Hastings. I have very fond memories of the store and the people. The King's now lease or own the property and sell the same things; electronics and appliances. I lived out near Algonquin lake and went to the three room school house. I remember Mrs. Riggs (3rd grade) pulling my hair, I'm on my toes, and she's whipping my butt. Afterwards. I told mom and we proceeded back to school where mom proceeded to kick Mrs. Riggs butt. Justice was done! I learned only mom can kick my butt! The school has been demolished into a mini sub-division. When I go there, about every five years, there is dead silence. I'm afraid I've forgotten what that is like and how it has impacted my well being. I enjoyed walking to and from school in the country. It is a priceless memory. Tony Royer got us in trouble one day on those walks home. I don't recall giving him up though. Where I live now, the kids do the same and have trails to ride their bike or walk to and from school. I was not into athletics or much in high school. I did like music, but got bored of band. Mr. Steward(t) and Zylman were jerks. I liked guitar, drums and rock & roll. Band didn't work after junior year. Every now and then I get a call from a Parker location in Michigan (next paragraph) - there are a hundred. One day a location in Grand Rapids called, and we get to talking about fishin and I said I fished in Carter Lake for Perch as a kid and the guy says "yeah I go there too and they're in the back right corner of the lake". We laughed because he was exactly right. The "little" store on Algonquin lake is still there (last time I visited), but recall you cannot swim and sunbath. We use to do that all the time. As a kid (15 yrs), I could buy beer, fireworks and playboy magazines at the M37 store on highway M37 just before airport road going to GR. Alright, everyone else fess up! I know the girl, woman now, whose parents owned that store. I will not divulge her name. After high school, I moved to Mobile Alabama and attended the University of Southern Alabama. A slight digression; my mother and father took me and my brothers to Texas or Alabama (Gulf Shores) every year in January to escape the cold winters, I fell in love with the south. After college, I then moved to Houston (naturally) and worked for a small engineering company. For the last 27 years, I have worked at Parker Hannifin Corp. as a Engineer at var...Expand for more