The Hub

I received a call from Wally Hein who moved out of state. His address is 130 W Maple Street, apt 501, Gladwin, Michigan 48624, phone 1(989)709-5117. He used to wear the blue polyester suits. Add him to mailing list for reunions or just to say hello

remember the hub well mom and i skated there in the 80s if anyone know how to contact marnie warren please have her contact me

Every once in a lifetime you're presented with a moment in time that will forever change your life and forever and ever, again then again, you will ponder to wonder while you wander of that day in time but you don't know it at all,all along this whole time. Until one day you realize what if? If only you had just one second chance and you wish you could go back in time to a moment and place just to relive that one single yesterday all over once again.

It was once a long, long time ago in the last millennium. A youthful teen was making plans to go to a Roller Skating party, with a beautiful young lady. Well it was the fall 1970, he was attending a city high school and one of the high school clubs was sponsoring a roller skating party at the River View roller rink. The roller skating party was coming up, well if I had to pin down to the exact date it would difficult, it's been much too long since I herd the story. I would guess it was sometime between school starting and that fateful Wednesday before Thanksgiving in late November, back in the autumn of 1970. This was the roller skating party that was being sponsored by Omega Chi as a fundraiser to use the monies to build the float for the school's homecoming day parade. I had summoned up all the guts and courage I needed to ask this girl on a date, who was in my art class since the start of the school year. You now the type all the guys in class vie for her attention as well as a few girls. The hot chick, with the mischievous smile big brown eyes, A dimple in the center of her chin, shoulder length brown hair that would bounce with the rhythm of her walk last but not least a curvaceous figure that filled those hip huger jeans so beautifully and she was a dream to behold, not to mention that she had a boyfriend to boot. Well it just so happen that he was attending an all boys school, Lane Tech, the best high school in the city at the time. Well I didn't think she would go out with me a lost reprobate to the skating party, but I took the chance I rolled the dice, I asked her if she would go to skating party with me. To my disbelief, the next day she said yes! I couldn't believe it! She said yes, I was on a euphoric high the rest of the day, it was a much better high than any of the other drugs I had experiment with earlier that year, and a lot cheaper, it was all from a three letter word, from her sweet lips, YES!

Having worked the summer as a dishwasher at this Mexican restaurant I had some cash left over after helping out my mom, and buying my own new duds for school. That way I could go out and pick out my own hip, cool styles at the head shops in Old Town, I was out growing the "something off the rack from Community's Discount Stores or the stuff from the Sears catalog warehouse outlet. I had managed to rebel from the humility of having to explain to one and all that my brother is not my twin. We are about a year apart we look nothing a like. I'll never know why my mom did that. I don't know if she got a bit more at the Discount store when she was buying more that one. What ever it was one time we were going to divorce court she got my three brothers and I dressed a like just about the same to look good for the judge to grant custody in her favor. I always think of that day when ever I see the mother duck with the little bitty ducklings behind in row.

The day had arrived and the roller skating party was soon upon us at last. I was thinking of the evening set to come all through out the day in class at school and through out football practice. I got home and took a shower splashed some after shave lotion all though my baby face did not required shaving at the time yet, it smell good.
I got all dressed up for the evening and When I got to the apartment where she lived with her family, I walked up the back stair way as it was the norm not to dirty the front room carpet I sat in chair at the kitchen table, after I went through the typical look n see and the long twenty question and interrogation process that all young teens go through in order to be in trusted on a first date with the princess of the house. Let me tell you she was a beauty queen and all that at the age of fifteen. I was willing to run the gauntlet,and I made the grade, I passed the test. Then her mom called a cab to pick us up. In the living room her brother Dan was feeding goldfish to the piranhas he kept in the aquarium on a stand. It took for ever for that cab to get there. It's moments like this that drag out time and make the minutes seem to last forever and it seem like hours and just when a moment of a second is ready to becomes an eternity, the taxi's horn beckons our arrival down stairs. As we were approaching the skate rink in the cab we cruised past the all boys school where her boy friend was attending next too and along side the skeletons with all the ghostly remains from the ruins left after the closing of the River View Amusement Park. River view Roller rink was not part of the amusement park. But had a date with the wrecking ball at a later time. I’m getting of my self here

River View Roller Rink was at the north east corner of Belmont and the North Branch of the Chicago River with the parachute drop tower casting its shadow and over the dome roof on the rink. Once inside the rink we rented our sakes she sat down in front me as I got down on one knee to help her lace her skates, slowly one at a time, I laced all along joking laughing, smiling, flirting living for the moment the joy and the pleasure. That evening Melissa and I, we rolled the care free night away. Just two young innocent silly little teens admits our peers. Skating holding hands laughing, catching her in my arms to keep her from falling. Holding on to each others embraced with our hearts pounding as we explored our sexuality and deep feelings for each other. The house lights dimmed a mirror ball began spinning in the center of the ceiling.The different colored lights flashing. Along to the syncopated beat and the rhythm of a Wurlitzer pipe organ bellowing. With all the drums, bells and whistles filling the carnival like atmosphere in the air, a colorful sound track for young love, life with the innocent smell of teen spirit in the air. The fox Trot, Waltzes, the 40's swing, 50's oldies rock of yesteryear 60's acid rock all blended into a beautiful symphony preformed by that talented person playing the Wurlitzer on this crisp fall night. It was before the disco craze, way before the roller boogie movies or That Seventies Show. That sound gave us the feeling of being alive and the carnival lifestyle with the atmosphere the likes that would go on next door all summer night long at the amusement Park in days gone by. It was sad to see the amusement park closed down in '67.


Well the night rolled by too fast and it was time for us to leave, we walked a block to the cab garage at the corner at Western and Belmont. I recall a bit about the cab ride on the way back to her place. The radio was playing "see me feel me" from The Who's Tommy rock opera, it was out the year before but with the release of Woodstock, the movie it was being played a lot on the radio. The driver noticed we were in to the music and he turned it up a bit. Then his chauffeur's class was highlighted, his window was down a few inches the cool fall wind was rushing in, when he asked me “Sir, if it's too brisk back there, I can roll my window up". Right then and there he made me feel like a million bucks, and oh so cool. He called me "Sir" in the presence of Melissa. I ask, "Are you talking to me?" "Are you talking to me?" Looking at him in the mirror, I shook my head in a side to side gesture, saying "No" with a soft voice. It was a bit chilly out and with that cool wind breeze rushing in only made Mel hold me tighter and as I held her in my arms, her mild cool shivering body was being comforted by the warm lock tight embrace that we held on each other. I think back to that day and feel the warmth all over again. The cab cruised up Western and east on Addison to Bossworth dropping us at 3614, then we walked tip toe up the back stairs to the second floor back door entrance being oh so careful and quiet as to not wake anyone so we could sit for a moment in the kitchen at the table to talk in a whisper about a our night and maybe I could steal a good night kiss. It all went as planned, and before I got ready to leave I achieved the good night kiss. I believe when I left her place that night I just floated all the way home. I was so happy, elated and euphoric. I believe that night I slept with the angles and the pipe organ echoing in my mind that night.

i remember i was trained there and skated there my dad was a profechanal skater won room full of skating trofy.i miss that rink and i never forgot the organ.my dad(Marty Jagan) wanted me to go perfessanal but i didnt.i still skate like the wind and they still call me crazy legs.

This site has just brought back my memories of the Axle Roller Rink. Meeting my friends at the Axle with my bright green hair brush and lip gloss tucked in my knee high socks! Skating around waiting and hoping some boy would ask me to skate. When the time would come so did the sweaty hands. LOL! What a great memory. I'm glad I looked up the Orbit, I think I know what the kids, my husband and I are doing tomorrow!

My husband, Ed, and I met at the Axle in Niles..we married on 20 Nov, 1976 and went skating that night. The floor was cleared and we skated the Waltz as Jack played the organ. What fond memories we have of that place, hated to see it close.

Well I started learning how to skate when I was 6 years old & the rink I learned how to skate at was The Elm. I skated there until it closed and then would also skate at North Ave Rink to. Then later when I went to College and moved out to the northwest suburbs I started skating at The Orbit where I skated for years and when I go home to Chicago I try to skate there to. But I miss the days skating at The ELm though and I totally remember the pipe organ skate sessions & the friday night skate sessions when the roller rink had a live dj playing Madonna.

I learned dance roller skating at The Axle and The Hub rinks in the early 1970s. I sure miss those days and the friends I made.

Nice site, great work!

I've noticed that the "
Hub and Axle" have an Employees list which would be nice to do for the Orbit. Here's a few employees (I can get you more if you'd like): Mike Beebe, Brian Savage, Barry Savage.

I miss North avenue Rollerway. I grew up going there and went there from the age of 8 to about the age of 18 just about every saturday night! I met many friends there I still have to this day and had some of my best memories there. I am grateful that i lived near there and for all the memories I had growing up there. They are cherished.