Update 7-8-08

Hi,

Lots of interesting mail.

First, from Andy Dolich:  Regarding the Ira Mitzner / Bobby Green fish story last week -- Mr Maggio should have replied, "You're full of carp," not "crap."
        Mill Pond and Mill Creek were the end point of an estuary that ultimately reached Jamaica Bay.  For those of us who cared, it was a fantastic place to fish.  My older brother and his buddies introduced me to its secrets.  During the time that we lived on Forest Road, we would regularly catch eastern chain pickerel, white perch, yellow perch, shad, herring, American eels and, best of all, blue claw crabs.  Ultimately, the creek and its finny inhabitants were killed by pollution, but while we were growing up, it was a piscatorial Garden of Eden .
   
    Next, delicately, from Barbara Blithfeld Pech:  A "why dance" was what we would now say is the politically correct term for what guys then commonly referred to as "grinding," a so-called social right-of-passage when high school boys discovered that close dancing had... perks.  Rather than shuffle their feet around, pretending to dance, guys could just stand there moving their hips, ergo "why dance?"
        By the way, "ergo" is my favorite Paul Hartman word.
   
    From Robin Feit Baker:  I'm pretty sure Mr. Hartman's first name was Paul.  As I've mentioned before, I loved going to his class, and I had him twice for a teacher.
   
    From Judy Hartstone:  Actually, it was Paul Hartman.  I just checked my yearbook.  Don't you have a copy?
        Our annual three-day heat wave in Washington just broke, and I had to turn the heat on this morning to take the chill off.  Hope you all have a safe and sane Fourth of July.  I'll be working the PAWS raffle booth all day.  Winslow has a wonderful, funky parade and 110 booths selling food, clothing, jewelry, crafts, passing out information, and offering opportunities for people to shake hands with candidates.  It's always a really enjoyable day, and PAWS takes in about $2500.  We just hope it doesn't rain. Ooops, now I've jinxed it.
   
    [Rich -- My yearbook's stashed somewhere in my mother's attic, along with, perhaps, my high school biology notebook.]
   
    Less delicately than Barbara's explanation, even after being somewhat cleaned up, another view, from Robert Fiveson:  A why dance was where certain girls danced with their legs kind of spread a bit whyd, so all the boys could discover why they liked girls so much.
   
    From Bryna Schoffel Bloom:  The beauty salon was Spencers.  Spencer Carver owned the shop, and he
    was David Carver's ('69) father.  I don't know how I remember this, but I do.
   
    A further explanation from Judy Zinger:  I read with interest about some of the old stomping grounds from our childhood days.  I also recall these places with fond memories.
        About Barbara's question regarding the hair salon at Daitch Plaza:  I believe it was called Spencer's.  As a matter of fact, many years ago, one of the operators, Vinny, opened a salon in Boca Raton at the Glades Plaza.  The salon was called Vintonio's,  and Vinny had another one of the guys, Frank, working for him.  I don't know if they are still there; however, the salon is.
        Hoping everyone is well.
   
    A change of address from Tom McPartland:  I have a few e-mail addresses, and I'm trying to consolidate them.  So could you please change my e-mail address to:  tommcp@ptd.net.  Thanks. All the best to everyone.
   
    Homework from Zelda White Nichols:  I saw this and thought people might be interested.
        Could you pass the latest citizenship test?  Do you have what it takes to pass the new version of the U.S. citizenship test to be introduced in October 2008?  We've picked some of the tougher questions that'll be used by immigration officers.  Find out just how much you know about our nation and its government. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25461301/from/ET/
   
    A social reminder from Claire Brush Reinhardt and Robbie Birnel:  Just wanted to remind everyone that a South High School alumni get-together dinner is planned for Wednesday, August 6, at the Irish Coffee Pub in East Islip, New York.  That's where Booker Gibson will be playing piano and will be happy to be visiting with all his former students.
        We had a similar, very successful evening last August, with a turnout of almost 100 alumni and former faculty members.  We hope many of you still-fairly-local folks will be able to join us, especially those of you from the class of '62.  You need to make your own reservations and specifically ask for the room where Booker is playing.  However, if you would like to be added to the table I have already reserved, please let me know, and I will be happy to include you
        Here is the contact information:  Irish Coffee Pub, 131 Carleton Avenue, East Islip, New York  11730. Phone:  631-277-0007.  Web site: www.irishcoffeepub.com.  Hope to see many of you there.  And please let us know if you are planning to attend.
   
    A short history lesson from Amy Miller:  I think I can add some more information to the Hungry Harbor Road research.  In a used bookshop in London in 1982, I came across and bought a book entitled The Lords' Woods:  The Passing of an American Woodland by Robert Arbib (WW Norton, 1971).  It's a loving memoir and tribute to the land once owned by a family named Lord, and it tells the story of the coming of the developers and the valiant efforts of the conservationists to save the woods right in our old stomping ground. In the front and back of the book is a reconstructed map from about 1930 of the area between Woodmere and Hewlett and Valley Stream. The upper end of the map -- north west -- shows Old Gray Road, which is also named Hungry Harbor Road, and which dead ends in Rosedale Road.  The future Peninsula Boulevard runs through The Big Woods, and at the right hand end of the map -- north east -- is our very own Mill Road. I'm scanning the map into my computer and will forward to you.
   
    [Rich -- If you'd like to see the map, please write Amy.  Unfortunately, I can't include it here.]
   
    And a longer history lesson from Helen David:  Since nobody else has ventured a suggestion as to where Whitey's Stables was, here goes:  To the best of my recollection, it might have been on the site of the Hoeffner gasoline station.  Possibly, it was further west, nearer to the beginning of Francis Lewis Boulevard.
        Rosedale Road was part dirt, which gave the horses good footing.  I don't know where the horses went from there.  Perhaps they went down the eastern side of Hungry Harbor Road, before houses abutting the stream were built.
        Across the street from Whitey's, at the bend, there used to be a vegetable stand.  This predates the strip mall and the second gasoline station.  Being straight from Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan, I didn't appreciate the value of the farmer's market.
        Some of you may have done crabbing in the creek at the north side of Rosedale Road before the street was resurfaced.  I think the little area between Rosedale Road and Francis Lewis Boulevard was called Ocean Avenue, which meant that small stretch of Rosedale Road had three names before it reached Mill Road.
        Oh, yes, I was cautioned by a friend who lived on Saddle Rock Road not to buy property along the North Woodmere extension of Hungry Harbor Road.  This was in 1952-53, before they began sinking piles for South High School.  My friends said that the garbage trucks went down that way to the dump, which was in the woods toward the end of Hungry Harbor Road.  There was also a squatter who lived in the woods, who my husband used to see when he'd take our children on nature walks down there.  Eventually, the trees were cut down, they did something to clean up the dump, and, of course, that area became residential years ago, part of Cedarhurst School District 15.
        I'm sure that I stand to be corrected on some of these details, but that's what I remember.  Finally, is Linda Tobin Kettering the same little girl who was in my General Science or Biology class?