Update 6-17-08

Hi,

Some notes from all around.  And, yeah, happy belated Father's Day.

First, from Jerry Bittman:  It was really great reading about your visit to the old neighborhood, Rich.  When I got through reading it, I began to reminisce.  We take it for granted that everybody had a great childhood. However, over the years, we've all met or read about those who were less fortunate.  I really began to rethink about my time there when you wrote about the bridge to South and the asphalt path.  I used to walk to school with Alan Finder.  How many times did we cross that bridge?  How many times did I walk that path to go to Andy Dolich's house and listen as his father called everyone "son."  How many times did I walk that path to go to Richie Lobell's house to flip baseball cards?  How  many times did I walk that path all the way to Molly's on Mill Road?  I remember Mitchell's.  It used to be on the east side of Rockaway Avenue.  How many hours were spent by everybody combined playing baseball or football or basketball or stickball or  punchball at Forest Road School?  How many times did Barney Zinger, Steve Spector, Ray Ruzek, Jay Berliner, Chuck Drimal, Dave Abbey, and others play stickball or jailer on Brook Road?  I remember the dances we had on so many Friday nights.  And the kissing that went on and Barney Zinger winning all the dance contests.  And, as Eric Hilton wrote last week, coming home from the beach and getting some cheesecake from the Whistle Stop.  And speeding through the tunnel under the shopping center on our bikes, so we wouldn't get caught.  Or walking home from the circus in the Green Acres parking lot and seeing the massive amount of elephant crap.  Or going horseback riding at Whitey's stable.  Or my first date ever with the late Judi Fingerhut.  We were so young.  I took Judi to the restaurant inside Gimbels.  This had to be about fifty-two or fifty-three years ago, and I still remembered what we ordered.  Judi ordered a coke, and I ordered a chocolate pudding.  I remember Roy Harris and his huge paper route.  In all honesty, if Newsday gave out an award for the best paper boy on Long Island, Roy would have won it for sure.  Or was it the now defunct Long Island Press he delivered?
        I'm quite certain we all appreciate the time in history and where we grew up.  Our parents were never concerned for our safety as we spent ten to twelve hours a day playing ball or just hanging out.  Were there ever any crimes committed in Green Acres when we grew up?  Bob Dylan was right:  "The times they are a changin'."  And we were fortunate to grow up where we did.
        Maybe this is why I like Kearney, Nebraska.  The people here are so friendly and nice.  Children still play outdoors.  The worst crime here occurred in 1988, when three college students broke into a warehouse being used by Dairy Queen and stole enough hot fudge to make 22,000 sundaes.  And Captain Lynch, who is now the police chief, said they were looking for a suspect with either chocolate on his face or very bad case of acne -- one of the greatest quotes ever.  And the people here have a great sense of humor.  Kearney had one of the few drive-in movie theaters left in the country.  Unfortunately, it got destroyed in the tornado two weeks ago.  And the very next day, the owner put up on the marquee the title of a movie that best described what occurred here.  Gone With The Wind.
         Also, a fast question:  Does anybody remember the name of the luncheonette in the small strip shopping center when you left Green Acres via the back way?  There was a supermarket, Al's card shop, a beauty salon, and the restaurant.  It was located across from the Texaco gas station.
   
    [Rich -- Geographical note:  Recently, in a conversation with a woman who has family there, I learned that Kearney is pronounced Carney.]

    From Robert Fiveson:  The Cheesecake Chronicles.  Paul Zegler's cheesecake is indeed the best on the planet.  So much so that it won a First Place Blue Ribbon in the dessert category one year at the California County Fair -- or was it The Los Angeles County Fair?  I have made this cheesecake several times over the years and dream of it often.  It is so rich and laden with quality that each slice costs about what I paid for my first VW bug in 1967, and you are actually obligated to give yourself CPR to digest it.  But it's worth it.
   
    From Joanne Shapiro Polner:  Hello, Linda Cohen Greenseid.  It was nice of you to remember my brother-in-law Larry Polner.  After you knew him, he remarried and now has two grown children.  He lives in Colorado and is an entrepreneur.  If you write me, I'll send you his e-mail address.
        Also, when I was a carry-all -- also know as a van -- rider for Pierce Camp at fifteen-years-old, with a driver named Neil Auerbach, who, yes, was related to the Celtics coach Red Auerbach, and then later as a full-fledged counselor and the driver to Green Acres during my college years, 1959 to 1963, I picked up campers who lived across the street from the Polners.  These campers were Kenny and Patty Seelig and the Kelman sons, of whom I remember Harold as a camper.  But there was a younger brother, too, I think.  His name?  I don't recall.  And I don't recall if Rob was also a day camper.
        Today, I telephoned to Mrs. Phyllis Seelig.  I said "hello" to her on behalf of the Polner family, her former across-the-street neighbors, and for myself, once entrusted to drive her children to the best day camp on Long Island.  I raised up happy memories for both of us of those early years of our lives.
   
    [Rich -- When I heard about the recent storms in Manhattan, Kansas, I checked in with Fran Bellucci Johnson to make sure she was okay.]
   
    From Fran:  Thanks for thinking of me.  I am fine.  The tornados veered off north of Wamego about halfway between Manhattan and Wamego.  Even so, I didn't get much sleep until I was sure they were well passed.  Even if I had wanted to sleep, the sirens sounded for hours. My invincible youngest child Heather was out riding around with friends Tuesday night, checking out the damage to Manhattan and to Kansas State.  Early estimates of damage on campus are twenty million dollars.  One of the buildings badly damaged was the nuclear engineering building.  Luckily, the nuclear reactor in the basement was not damaged.  We have a few days until the next storm is supposed to come through.
   
    [Rich -- Also, friends of mine moved from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, today, after living there for thirty-eight years.  I lived there, and in Iowa City, for a couple of years in the early 70s but still had to get out a map to check the storm damage.  I knew my friends were safe because they lived well away from the river, but the park I used to walk to at night in the summer, because it was ninety degrees, humid, and we had no air conditioning, is underwater.  Some article I read made fun of the people in Cedar Rapids for building their city hall and courthouse on an island in the middle of the river, but those reporters don't realize the river is usually only a foot-or-so deep.  The first time I drove across one of the downtown bridges, I noticed a guy standing in the middle of the river, fishing, with the water only coming up to mid-calf.  That's when I realized all rivers weren't like the Hudson.]
   
    From Emily Kleinman Schreiber:  Before the summer break, I want to remind everyone that the class of '58 will be honored during Homecoming 2008 on October 18th.  South's principal Maureen Henry has offered to meet with a group of alumni to discuss that aspect of the day's program.  If you'd like to be part of that planning group, please let me know.
         It has also been suggested that any or all alumni who want to be part of that day should be encouraged to attend.  Remember how great South's 50-Year-Celebration was back in 2006?  We can have that much fun again.  The Alumni Association is not planning a formal 50th Reunion for the Class of '58 because that's up to members from that class.  Does anyone know if anything has been planned for such an event?
   
    From Amy Lieberman:  I'm writing to let you know that, due to the economy, the Casa Del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica has decided to cancel the glorious sounds of Billy Valentine and the Stuart Elster Trio.  Recently, they have been playing there the first Monday of each month.  It started out as twice a month, then once, and now this.  The hotel is not singling out Billy Valentine and the trio.  They've taken away music on Monday nights and are cutting back at both their hotels, Casa Del Mar and Shutters,
    to just a piano player most nights.  I assume they'll continue with Barbara Morrison on Wednesday nights as she's been there for years.  If you're in the area and haven't heard her, you should.  She's grand.
        In any case, I'm writing to say "Thank you" to all who have come out and shared one or more of our many glorious evenings there in front of the setting sun and the spectacular Ferris wheels, old and new.  If I can think of a way to overturn the hotel's decision and get Billy back there, you will all know.  I'm trying to decide what to do about this.  Perhaps a petition?   Or maybe I should just get the name and address of the person who had to make this decision and get some letters written to him or her.  If anyone has any suggestions, I'm more than happy to listen.
        Again, thank you.  It was -- and is -- a great venue, we had a great time, and, hopefully, we shall return there again at some time in the not-too-distant future.
   
    Finally, from Barbara Blitfield Pech:  I found this while channel surfing -- Shalom TV.  They have three sub topics: Israeli news, movies, and another topic which I forget.  On my remote, I center click to the first screen menu, scroll to TV entertainment, go to a second screen, and after last entry, which is BBC, a new screen will open up.  But I don't know where or if the station is on your cable feed.  Just wanted to let you know it's out there.