Thursday, April 30, 2009
See You Saturday Night
After more than 100 posts on this blog, it's almost time for the Saturday night NPHS reunion. Be sure to visit this blog Sunday and through next week when I'll be posting pictures and video of the reunion. And if anyone wants to send me any photos, here's my address: hpolskin@gmail.com. See you Saturday!
Favorite NPHS Memories
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wanna Learn More About North Plainfield?
Then read "Images of America: North Plainfield," by Mario Caruso, Bruce Ryno and Joann Kobler. Parts of it are available online at Google. The book includes photos of places on Somerset Street (see Somerset School above taken in November) as well as chapters on early history, floods, fires, churches, schools and the five free Bruce Springsteen concerts performed on the NPHS lawn during the summer of 1974. (Uh....maybe that last fact is wrong.) The chapters I read online are terrific and I especially enjoyed looking at the ancient maps.
How to See North Plainfield Better
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Info About the May 3 Breakfast
A few blog readers requested more information about the Sunday morning North Plainfield High School reunion breakfast May 3 at the hotel. Here's what I have. Cost: $14. The buffet breakfast starts at 9 a.m. and runs through noon. (Question to self: does anyone who isn't a teenager eat breakfast close to noon?) Bloody Mary's? Bloody unlikely. If you have more questions, I suggest you contact Gerry Garatino Burns (gerib68@rcn.com) or Janice Hansen Lake (janice0222@verizon.com). See you at breakfast. (For me, that means 9.)
More Cregar Artwork -- Circa 2009
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Saturday, April 25, 2009
Last Minute Signups for NPHS Reunion
The North Plainfield High School Class of 1968 continues to generate attendees to the May 2 reunion. The latest to sign up: Randy Blaine and Bruce Brokaw. Also, Dale Schwart Hosfield will be joining us for breakfast on Sunday, May 3.
Think Twice About Wearing Blue Jeans Saturday
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I'm hearing vague rumors of attendees thinking of wearing blue jeans to the Saturday night NPHS reunion. I certainly don't want to be in the role of the fashion police, but think carefully before making such a decision. Few people at our stage in life can get away with svelt look of bell bottoms (left) that was really the hallmark of our generation. Basic black will really do. Remember the poll we took last month when 11% of women said they'd wear a pantsuit and a whopping 55% said they'd war whatever makes them look tall and slender. So if blue jeans work....then it's your choice.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Our Back Pages (Tunlaw to Be Specific)
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R.I.P. Marie O'Brien
Just received news that former North Plainfield High School English teacher Marie O'Brien died Tuesday. (Read the obit in the Courier News.) She had a 59-year career at NPHS. I remember her vaguely as someone who loved the English language, and as a teacher who was stern, intimidating, and wouldn't tolerate sloppy writing or behavior. I think she scared the crap out of me....probably because of my sloppy habits at the time. Her mantra, according to the News obit, was, "The more you write, the better you will become." Gotta love a person with that motto. It's especially relevant to me as someone who just wrote his 100th post for this blog. John Cregar wrote me that he visited her 18 months ago and she was busy reading the biographies of every American President in sequential order. Wow. That's a true scholar. I wonder if she completed that task before she passed....
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Huge Attendance from NPHS Class of 1968
More classmates from the North Plainfield High School class of 1968 keep signing up for the May 2 reunion. It's one of the largest reunions ever. Altogether 60 classmates are coming; 20 are bringing guests/spouses, which brings the total up to 80. Thirty-nine people representing the class will be at the breakfast on May 3.
Here's the list so far: Steve Abbruzzese, Ed Adams, Lorrie Allen Jairdullo, Jim Antonisse, Bill Bennett, Barbara Brodzik Tomalo, Jonathan Brown, John Burke, Nancy Campbell, Lou Carlucci, Joe Cioce, Rick Coleman, Kathy Dame Schmedes, Irene Dec Sheredos, Angela DellaVentura, Bob Dietrick, Rosemary Fineberg, Maggie Gabler King, Gerry Garatino Burns, Gail Gilbert Spinner, Chuck Gomer, Jeff Grand, John Greco, Susan Henry Martin, Tom Hughes, Adrienne Jacobs Graubard, Effie Karpodinis Judge, Bob Kelley, Karl Krawitz, Janet Krehn Okray, Susan Krisburg, Barbara Kuhne Harwell, Linda Loalbo Chehade, Carol Martinez Weber, Roberta Meiser Specht, Bradley Musson, Jim Nazemetz, Judy Nazemetz, Jerry Ott, Robert Polskin, David Schmedes, Linda Shebey Leugers, Bob Sheredos, Michael Silveri, Patti Smith Dandeo, Tommy Sullivan, Bill Thompson, David Thompson, Nick Thul, Jeff Tuorto, Nancy Waller, Mike Watson, Kathy Weiss Greco, Doug Williams and Ted Zukowski.
Here's the list so far: Steve Abbruzzese, Ed Adams, Lorrie Allen Jairdullo, Jim Antonisse, Bill Bennett, Barbara Brodzik Tomalo, Jonathan Brown, John Burke, Nancy Campbell, Lou Carlucci, Joe Cioce, Rick Coleman, Kathy Dame Schmedes, Irene Dec Sheredos, Angela DellaVentura, Bob Dietrick, Rosemary Fineberg, Maggie Gabler King, Gerry Garatino Burns, Gail Gilbert Spinner, Chuck Gomer, Jeff Grand, John Greco, Susan Henry Martin, Tom Hughes, Adrienne Jacobs Graubard, Effie Karpodinis Judge, Bob Kelley, Karl Krawitz, Janet Krehn Okray, Susan Krisburg, Barbara Kuhne Harwell, Linda Loalbo Chehade, Carol Martinez Weber, Roberta Meiser Specht, Bradley Musson, Jim Nazemetz, Judy Nazemetz, Jerry Ott, Robert Polskin, David Schmedes, Linda Shebey Leugers, Bob Sheredos, Michael Silveri, Patti Smith Dandeo, Tommy Sullivan, Bill Thompson, David Thompson, Nick Thul, Jeff Tuorto, Nancy Waller, Mike Watson, Kathy Weiss Greco, Doug Williams and Ted Zukowski.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
NPHS Class of 1969: Who's Coming?
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There are 41 1969 classmates attending and they are bringing 18 spouses or guests. We've heard from 42 classmates who unfortunately are unable to attend. Thirteen ads have been purchased. Ka-ching! Our classmates are attending from all over the country: Arizona, California (3), Colorado, Delaware, Florida (4....and I bet at the next reunion there will be more from Florida), Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, New Jersey (18....no surprise there), Oregon, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Remembering Seaside Heights
Seaside Heights was our Riviera. Sun....sin....let the fun begin. If you were a central Jersey kid in the late 60s, mid-April (now) is when you'd be thinking about heading to the "shore" for the weekend. So check out this 15-minute promotional film about Seaside Heights that was produced in the late sixties. It will bring back some memories.
Rockin' Down Route 22
Monday, April 13, 2009
Reading This Blog -- Who's Out There?
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Saturday, April 11, 2009
It's Track and Field Season at NPHS
Friday, April 10, 2009
Ancient Artifact from a Long Time Gone
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So it's been 40 years almost to the day since I registered for the draft. The fact that I kept this piece of paper -- heavily freighted with history and emotion -- is proof that I didn't burn it. And why would I? Young men received this document upon turning 18. While it was just a piece of paper, it was as powerful as a sorcerer's potion. It meant that you might be snatched out of your comfortable suburban existence and transported to an Asian rice paddy where your life might be on the line. But it was also instantaneous proof that you were 18 and therefore it gave you the magical ability to be served in bars where the drinking age was 18. I love that it has my weight -- 140 pounds. In the 40 years since I received the card, I gained 15 pounds, almost two inches and a ton of wisdom.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Attendance From NPHS Class of 1968 Exceeds Prior Reunion
This just in: from the Class of 1968, new reunion attendees include Nancy Campbell and Chuck Gomer and his wife. (Chuck is a Professor of Pediatrics and Radiation Oncology, and Vice Chair of Pediatrics of Faculty Development at USC Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.) That makes 72 attendees representing the North Plainfield High School Class of 1968, a total that exceeds the 2004 reunion. And we expect more classmates to sign up in the remaining 23 days until the reunion.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
New Additions for the North Plainfield HS Reunion
From the NPHS Class of 1969.....Steve Fila. That makes 58 attendees representing the class. From the NPHS Class of 1968.....Laraine Cox Reedy and Ted Zuchowski. That makes 69 attendees representing the class. Altogether -- so far -- there are 127 coming to the reunion dinner. There's food, booze and music. I'd say that makes for a pretty good party.
Auerbach Update
Paul Auerbach is still on the fence about attending. However, just last week it was announced that Paul had been named the Diver of the Year by the Diver Alert Network (see press release). I believe he was in Secaucus last week to receive the award. Here's what the organization had to say about Paul, who is a tireless champion of dive medicine and currently a professor in the division of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University: "His belief in the connection between health and environment and that 'doctors must also be environmental stewards,' particularly in areas where cultures depend on the ocean, clearly show that his passion and dedication to dive medicine and dive safety has grown into a global outreach."
Sunday, April 5, 2009
A Great Note from Karen Von Tish Andronici
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I am enjoying the blog and the walk down memory lane that it provides. Loved the prom picture. At our junior prom, “Ebb Tide," there were about 6 of us girls with the same dress except in different colors. We looked like bridesmaids in a rainbow wedding in the pictures.
As an update, I still live in Medford Lakes in a log cabin in the woods - home in the loveliest sense of the word. I work in central administration for the Mount Laurel School District as the Director of Human Resources and Professional Development. I read, garden, bike, play tennis and just took up golf – and play badly.
Some of our classmates might remember my mother since there were always kids in and out of the house. She is still alive and well (lucky for her kids) and lives on her own in Toms River. My brother John, class of ‘64 is out in Wisconsin and my sister Eileen, class of ‘71 is in Ocean Township, NJ. All are well and also in education.
Karen will not be at the reunion due to a conflict in her schedule but I'm sure she'll be following the updates and will want the full download (probably posted here) after the reunion.
Results of Women's Fashion Poll for the Reunion
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Saturday, April 4, 2009
A Polskin Video Tour of North Plainfield
Last November, I shot some video footage of North Plainfield and Plainfield. I finally got around to making a rough cut, which I've posted today. It's set to the music of Bruce Springsteen's "My Hometown." I thought it was appropriate to have Springsteen's music in the video, because in my opinion, he's the finest poet ever to emerge from our home state. As you can see, it was shot on a glorious fall day. There are some images of Front Street, which is almost totally unrecognizable from the days when we roamed downtown Plainfield. I also shot North Ave. in Plainfield where there were many factories including my father's clothing factory. This is far from a polished video (please excuse the rough edits), but it's meant to give the flavor of North Plainfield to those of you who have not been to our hometown in a number of years.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
I'm with the Band
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Another Poster from the 1966 Kicks Dance
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