[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 145 (Friday, October 24, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  JITCH WALSH TRIBUTE IN CAYUGA COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES T. WALSH

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 23, 1997

  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I want to pay tribute today to a family with 
the same last name as mine, though I am not directly related and cannot 
claim to know firsthand the entire history of their local fame. I, like 
many central New Yorkers in the Auburn and Cayuga County area, know the 
Walsh family of which I speak because of Mr. Thomas ``Jitch'' Walsh.
  On October 7, 1997, Jitch Walsh Day was held at the original site of 
the family hot dog stand in Emerson Park on Owasco Lake. Auburn, for 
those who do not know, is blessed by its location in the Finger Lakes, 
close to several of the lakes and accustomed to these lakes for 
summertime leisure activities. It was at this hot dog stand, Jitch's 
and his wife Ellie's stand, that at 1940's-era generation of Cayuga 
County residents watched softball games, went to carnivals and 
otherwise wiled away the hot and humid mid-year months.
  Jitch's unusual nickname, by the way, is a childhood moniker which 
has stuck over all these years. When friends and elders are nicknamed 
``Hip 'O Hay,'' ``Joker'' and ``Pearshape,'' something like ``Jitch'' 
didn't sound so odd.
  One of Jitch's nephews is John Walsh, who stars on the television 
show ``America's Most Wanted.'' Jitch's and Ellie's own son, Thommie, 
is a very successful choreographer and director who has won three Tony 
awards. Their daughter, Barbara, is a banker in Syracuse. But the fame 
of the Walsh clan in Auburn centers more on Jitch's father, T.J., ``the 
mayor of Market Street'' and his mother Loretta. Not to mention their 
connection to Ellie's father, Ross Cosentino, and her mother Rose.
  The nickname comes from the word ``jits,'' which in Italian slang is 
said to mean someone who borrows small change constantly, as Jitch did 
when he was a young teen who wanted to buy a bag of peanuts at the 
softball games at the Y-Field. When he and his wife Ellie open their 
hot dog stand in the park in 1952, it naturally became Jitch's Stand--
and a local legend was born.
  As a gathering place, Jitch's Stand was a sensation, selling over 
2,000 pounds of hog dogs a week. The popularity of the spot, and the 
spirit of local customers, is evidenced by the reunions. In 1980 Jitch 
Reunion Days drew 700 people; in 1986, more than 1,000.
  And of course this year's Jitch Walsh Day was a huge success as well. 
In my family we respect family tradition--as does the Walsh family in 
Auburn. I am very proud to be able to express these sentiments today, 
and thank my colleagues for joining me in recognizing this important 
social milestone for many of my constituents.

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