Ups and downs make life more complete

Recently I visited downtown Youngstown, a not too common occurrence for me. I went to the WFMJ-TV building. It brought back teen-age memories of about 1939 when it was built. Several of my East High School sophomore classmates and I liked to visit there. It had one of the first automatic operated elevators, so we could ride it up and down at will. It was a no cost fun experience — one that we could afford in those penniless days of the Great Depression.

Ornate brass doors

I also checked out the beautiful old Union National Bank building, with its ornate brass doors. I still have my first bank book from there dated 1940, opened with earnings from my Vindicator newspaper route No. 302. I rode the still beautiful elevators, which are now automated.

One of my neighbors had the envious job of Union National Bank elevator operator in 1940. As I recall, he was dressed in a neat uniform. I imagine many a story could have been written about the many important people who rode those elevators up and down daily.

Another unique elevator in my life was a freight elevator I rode when I worked at the Republic Rubber Division of Aeroquip Corp. for 20 years as a quality control manager and production superintendent.

I would ride this elevator up and down many times to check departments that were located on each of the five production floors.

I rarely ride an elevator today as shopping has moved from downtown to the malls, where the moving stairway called an escalator has taken over.

X Michael J. Lacivita is a Youngstown retiree and an inductee in the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.