Bill's Broadsides

Remember When?

In today's paper we have the obituary for Edward A. Zilka of Gloversville, formerly of Johnstown. I didn't know Mr. Zilka, but when I saw his photo in the paper, I thought he looked somehow familiar. Then, when I read that he had been the captain of the football, basketball and baseball teams at Johnstown High School some seven decades ago, it clicked: Just yesterday I digitized an old photograph of the 1938 JHS baseball team, and sitting in the front row are none other than young Eddie Zilka and his brother, Steve.
I love a good coincidence.
The photo and several others were loaned to me by Bill Pollak, curator of the Greater Johnstown School District Museum, for a Johnstown history project I'm working on. (More details to come in the weeks ahead.)
I thought I'd just share the photo, and the coincidence that I happened to have it on my desk the very day Mr. Zilka died. I see from the obit that he pitched a few no-hitters in high school, and he went on to play professional baseball for a couple of years, before he was called to serve in India during World War II.
Do you "Remember When" The Leader used to regularly run old photos that were submitted by readers? When I was a kid, that was one of my favorite features of the paper. I'll have to ask around, and find out why that's not done anymore.
Do you have any good stories or pictures from Johnstown in the old days? I'd love to hear them.