The History of Automobile Racing in Grundy County
Tuesday, September 24 at 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Grundy County Historical Society, 510 W. Illinois Ave., Morris, IL
The program is open to all, so please share with family and friends.
Presenter: Stan Kalwasinski, member of the Mazon Speed Bowl/Grundy County Speedway Hall of Fame and a board member of the Illinois Stock Car Hall of Fame.
Racing historian Stan Kalwasinski will give a presentation on the history of automobile racing in the Grundy County area. Included in his presentation will be tracks at the old Grundy County Fairgrounds, the Mazon Speed Bowl and the current Grundy County Speedway in Morris. A large collection of photographs will be shown.
Born and raised in Chicago, Stan Kalwasinski was bitten by the auto racing “bug” when he was about four years old and attended stock car races with his parents at 87th Street Speedway on Chicago’s southeast side. As a youngster, he went to the races at other Chicago area tracks like Raceway Park, Soldier Field, Mance Park and Santa Fe Speedway.
Over the years, Kalwasinski has been a photographer, motorsports writer and announcer. He was a track photographer at Raceway Park and at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, Ind.,
In the 1990s, Kalwasinski was the announcer at Illiana Motor Speedway and at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Ill.
Kalwasinski has gathered a large collection of Chicago and Midwestern area auto racing photos and has accumulated extensive files on area auto racing history. He had been a writer and columnist for both Midwest Racing News and National Speed Sport News for over 20 years, also writing stories for several motorsports magazines. Currently, he is a contributor to on-line racing sites like RaceStar Publications and Speed Sport News.
Tuesday, October 22 at 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Grundy County Historical Society, 510 W. Illinois Ave., Morris, IL
The program is open to all, so please share with family and friends.
Presenter: Marion Gore
“I’ve Been to Dwight”: The Story of the Keeley Cure
Tuesday, March 25 at 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Grundy County Historical Society, 510 W. Illinois Ave., Morris, IL
The program is open to all, so please share with family and friends.
Presenter: Lynn Bertino Neville
This program tells the story of the Keeley Institute and the Keeley Cure for Alcoholism, otherwise known as the Double Chloride of Gold Cure for Addictions. The presentation will tell the story of the Keeley Institute–from its beginnings in Dwight, through growth and franchising around the world, to the final days in Dwight and the lasting impact of the “cure” on addiction issues even today.
The program is based on research done by the presenter and other members of the Dwight Historical Society.
History of Dresden Nuclear Power Plant
Tuesday, April 22 at 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Grundy County Historical Society, 510 W. Illinois Ave., Morris, IL
The program is open to all, so please share with family and friends.
Presenter: John Zappia
Tuesday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Annual Meeting and Dinner
Location: Maria’s Ristorante, 1591 N. Division St., Morris, IL
Reservations will be required for the dinner
Presenters: Jack Dunn and Dale Coughlin