Walesa in Chicago

I thought I'd take a quick bicycle ride, braving the 2nd day of gun+bullet deer season, to the electric co-op to leave my payment in the drop off box.  But after riding 4+ miles to the co-op I realized I had forgotten the little envelope with the payment, idiot !

So I rode back, by this time it was getting close to the Packers-Vikings kickoff so I stopped at the lake home to listen to the first half of the game.  

While listening I started looking at some old photos and happened to find these from November 18, 1989, just a little over 36 years ago:

Lech Walesa framed by tall people in the crowd

Lech Walesa in the blue coat standing next to Gov. Thompson and Mayor Daley with others I don't remember

there were banners

and there were balloons

.

a lady in the crowd

.

this was from earlier when I was at the front by the rope

Lech Walesa speaking

These are of the plaza in front of the Daley Center in Chicago (aka where the big Picasso sculpture sits).  The reason: a visit from Lech Walesa !  I'm afraid the pictures aren't that great, the reason:  I had arrived fairly early with my camera gear but it was COLD !  I got a spot at the rope by the platform but after a while the cold really got to me, especially my feet.  So I went over across the street by the bus terminal where there was a Burger King and got some food and killed time.  Eventually I made my way back but by then the place was packed.  While the internet says Lech Walesa is 5'7" I wonder - Gov. Jim Thompson was famously so tall (6'6") that he was able to justify a Checker as his personal state car.  Anyway, the Polish immigrants and descendants in IL all seemed to be as tall or taller than I am (6').  Luckily I had brought my cameras in an ammo box so I was able to stand on the box to get some shots.

Here's the way the LA Times summarized the event:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-19-mn-339-story.html

The neat thing about living in the Chicago area was that lots of stuff happened in the city and using the elevated train made it easy to zoom into the city and do something different with a Saturday.

BTW, here is the film developing envelope/receipt:

I must have realized that the pictures weren't that great since I waited until after the holidays to get them developed.  Here is the semi-obligatory inflated price:

I do have to say that I don't remember much that was said or done but I do remember my literal cold feet !

update: thinking about it later that might be Congressman Dan Rostenkowski sitting/standing next to Governor Jim Thompson - the congressman was much taller than Mayor Daley but not quite the size of the governor.  

Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm