Video unveils Chocolate Moose's history

On Thursday, the Monroe County History Center hosted the event "Remember the Penguin," tracing the roots of the Chocolate Moose, an ice cream shop formerly known as the Penguin, at 401 S. Walnut St., back to the original May's Café of 1933. \nVideographer Maryellen May presented a video she made showing the journey of the historical ice cream shop, and a discussion followed the presentation, allowing audience members to share memories and speculations -- such as the origin behind the shop's first name.\n"Some people don't call it the Penguin anymore," one man said Thursday night.\nMay smiled and said, "Some do." \nAs people began to enter the room, some commented on the image of what the old Penguin building looked like, although only a few changes, such as the evolution of the building's roof from a flat roof to a triangular shape, have occurred since the transition to the Chocolate Moose.\nAt the beginning of her presentation, May said she hoped the story "warms your heart." \nThe video presented Thursday featured interviews voiced over old photographs with music playing throughout. The story started in 1920, the year John E. May began his entrepreneurial journey. The job loss resulting from the Great Depression caused him to develop May's Café, which later turned into the Penguin. The shop stayed in the May family for at least one generation but has since changed hands. \nMay did not mention having any family connection.\nAs the video progressed, music of the 1930s era played, opening with Danny and the Juniors' song, "At the Hop." An audience member danced to the upbeat music, clearly enjoying the start of the presentation. When the video ended, the memories didn't stop.\nA discussion among about 20 members in attendance focused on how the Penguin had ice cream specialties before the chains began to rise, like Blizzards before Dairy Queen.\nThe sentiments among the audience members in relation to the now-Chocolate Moose was clear as one man, who was born and raised in Bloomington but now lives out of town, said: "I'm in terror of showing up and it being gone"