Greetings from Jeff Tobey

Just returned this afternoon from a trip to North Plainfield/Watchung where I had a great lunch with Jeff Tobey. (And with Jeff, that is the only kind of lunch you'll ever get. A skillet in his hand is like an angel with a harp.) Saw him and his lovely wife Ginny at their beautiful home in Watchung just off Johnson Drive. It was like a vacation in the country for this city boy. He sends his regards to all. We had a blast going through the blog....it really brought him back to the day. Back then, we cracked open a lot of frosties in the basement of his parents' home on Tappan Ave, which was the all time great high school party house (with its own entrance for kids tucked in the rear of the house). I'll save those stories for the next reunion. Good seeing you Tobo. You and Ginny both looked great. The above picture was taken about 1:30 p.m., May 31, 2009, in his back yard.

Blog Update

I'm beginning to work on a three-minute reunion video that I hope to post before the end of May. Unless you have images you want me to post or information you want to share with other classmates, I don't anticipate blogging much over the next ten days. Many thanks for following the blog and your support.

The Year We Got Rocked

Check out this award-winning series of articles and photos featuring the sights and sounds of 1968 from AARP's website. Yep...that's right.....AARP. The editors have done an amazing job drilling into one of the most disruptive and transformative years in our nation's history and we were all there at ground zero. Some of us were full-fledged participants in the turmoil, a lot of us dipped our toes into the scene, and there was also a group of us who had absolutely no clue what was happening. Oh well, I guess even orgies have wallflowers.

We Rocked the Crowne Royal!

Here's video proof that we totally rocked the Crowne Royal. Some of us got out on the dance floor and cruised into a groove. Sure, we weren't lithe and supple like the teenagers we were back in 1967 at a Canteen, but those of us who danced the night away deserve a big hand.

Antonese and Thomson; Tuorto; Bersch and Perslin; Krawitz and Naz; and Many More

Jim Antonese (left) and Andy Thomson.
I'm with the band: And the drummer for the Blue Notes, Jeff Tuorto from the NPHS class of 1968. Watch for the band video that I'll post this weekend.
Colleen Bersch Brown and Wendy Perslin.
Gimme five! Patti and Karl Krawitz, Brad and Lori Musson, and Jim Nazemetz.
Give Peace a chance: Barbara Green Elbeze with Jolaine Dow Peace and John Peace.

Video of The Breakfast Club

Here's a rough one-minute unedited shot of the May 3 breakfast at the Crowne Plaza. Please excuse the awful camera work (shot on a $100 Flip camera), but if you weren't there, you'll get a flavor of what you missed. See if you can identify most of the classmates at the breakfast.

Kretschmer and Hansen; Cecchini; Melhorn and Benassu; Abbruzzese and Brown; and many more

Dennis Cecchini and his wife Geralyn.
Carl Melhorn (left) and John Benassu. That's Bob Munzer in the middle background.
Steve Abbruzzese (right) and Jon Brown.
Mike Maresca (left) and Mark Goldstein. Michael runs 30 miles a week in Florida. I heard Mark just landed a fascinating consulting project in the Middle East.
Tom Hughes and Barbara Brodzik Tomalo from the NPHS class of 1968.
Carol Martinez Weber and Beat Steiner. Prior to second grade, I lived across the street from Carol on Myrtle Ave. and the Polskins were always close to her family. Her parents came to my wedding and gave me and my wife a beautiful salt and pepper set that we use to this day.

Who Attended from the NPHS Class of 1967 and 1970?

Michael Spadafora (center with dark shirt) and Claire Cox recall these days together as members of the NPHS class of 1970. Michael and his family lived next door to us on Willow Ave. They had an ill-tempered black dog that terrorized me every time I took the garbage to our backyard cans. That's Randy Blaine on the far left in the wonderful white suit (wonder if he ate the pasta with red sauce Saturday night), and Laraine Cox Reedy and Jeff Grand on the far right.
Jim Duffin, NPHS class of 1967, was a special attendee. I always remember him with other members of the great 1967 football team hanging out in the furnished basement of the Tobey house on Tappan Ave. I admired the skills of the burly football players who visited the house. They could also drink prodigious quantities of beer and I had trouble finishing a can of Fresca. (Sorry for the lousy photo Jim.)

The Breakfast Club (May 3 NPHS Reunion Breakfast)

A hard rain's gonna fall: here's what the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Route 27 in Edison looked liked at 11 a.m. on May 3. A cold rain pelted central New Jersey, but the gloom couldn't wash away the warm memories of Saturday night.
Rosemary Fineberg (left) and Dale Schwartz Hosfield look like they have plenty of energy after the previous night's festivities. That's Carol Martinez Weber on the far right.
Bill Thompson, Roberta Meiser (center) and Judy Nazemetz. Judy took the spotlight Saturday night and rocked the house by singing several songs. She's an actress and lives in North Hollywood.
All in the family: Robert Polskin (left, NPHS class of 1968) poses at the Sunday breakfast with first cousins Emily Polskin Zylber and Howard Polskin. Bob flew in from Dallas just for the reunion.
Beverly Gaston Kochard and Beat Steiner take a moment Sunday morning to pose for this quick snapshot.

Kelly, Thul, Gilbert; Feigenbaum; Triole; Heib and Medinets; Grand and Burke

Power pow-wow: Bob Kelly (left), Nick Thul and Gail Gilbert Spinner look like they're solving the problems of the world.
Good buds: Alan Feigenbaum and Carol Mingione Greene.
Joyce Triol Blanding.
This Bud's for you: Janet Medinets Doctofsky and John Hieb.
Jeff Grand and John Burke. In the NPHS class of 1968, they had the easiest names to spell. Or was it Jeff Grande and John Burk?

The Pre-Party -- Photos from Bob Kelly

Sue Henry and Nick Thul recall the good ol' days of the NPHS class of 1968.
Mike Watson (left) and Rick Coleman share a quiet moment before the festivities.

Linda Shebey (left) and Nancy Waller. Still tight after all these years. And check out Shebey's color-coordinated bracelet that matches her black and white dress. Betcha that didn't happen by accident.
David Thompson (left), John Burke (center) and Nick Thul gather about an hour before the reunion for a special pre-party. John's sister Patti (NPHS class of 1971) has turned into a devoted follower of this blog.

The NPHS Blog Will Be on Hiatus for Two Days

I'm off to Savannah with my wife to hang in Savannah for the weekend. Weather will be warm and sunny. I hope to get in some kayaking (that's me in the tidal flats near the Savannah River in early March 2008) and get in a swim in the ocean. I'll be back online Sunday night with more photos including a batch Bob Kelly sent me. I'm also working on a special NPHS reunion video. Stay tuned! (And thanks to Maggie Gabler King for the photos she sent today from Saturday night.)

More Couples

Emily Polskin Zylber and Andy Thomson. They went to the junior prom together. Andy lives in San Francisco. Em lives in Boston.
Lou Carlucci and his wife Marybeth.
Linda Loalbo Chehade and her husband Sami. I think they danced more than any other couple at the reunion.
Maria Mijares (left), Carol Mingione Greene and Ned Fitzgerald. Maria and Ned ran together in high school. Maria is a talented Plainfield-based artist (check out here website here).
Robin Roselle Oratio and her husband Albert.

Jan Cooper Lamb and her husband Dennis. They flew in from Grand Junction, Colorado.
Dave Schmedes, Kathy Dame Schmedes and Maggie Gabler King.

More than a Couple of Couples

So happy together: Kathy Miller Senna and Rich Senna, NPHS high school sweethearts. I bought my first beer in a bar with Rich in March 1969. We had tickets to see Steppenwolf with Screaming Jay Hawkins at the Filmore East, on Second Ave. and St. Marks Place. We stopped in for a quick pop at a dive on Second and Fourth Street. The bar was filled with unsavory characters and it was terrifying to a kid from the NJ suburbs lost in the big city. Rich was cool, though. Still is....
Angela DellaVentura and Rick Coleman. They were voted Most Sophisticated 41 years ago and they haven't lost a beat. The rumor was Angela's gym uniform was designed especially by Prada. Before school dances, we'd drink Foxhead beer in Greenbrook park, while Rick would probably drive up to Wally's in Watchung for vodka Martinis with imported seared tuna belly as an appetizer. Rick came from Texas to the reunion and wore some very cool snakeskin boots.
Tom and Rita Sullivan.
Suzanne Dumont Millan and Rob Millan. The red dress works just fine, especially when you're drinking red wine and trying to cross a crowded room full of tipsy, dancing boomers.
Michael and Gerda Maresca. He works in Tampa as a chef at the T.P.C. Golf Course. Michael jogs 30 miles a week, so he's quite fit. Sunday morning he got up before breakfast and went to the gym where he ran into Barbara Green Elbeze. These are clearly the people who will be going strong at the 60th reunion.
Nancy Waller and Doug Williams. They aren't an official couple, but they look good together so I thought I'd include this photo. I told Doug I recalled that the number of his football jersey was 12. That floored him. Sometimes I can't remember the names of my children, but this I remember!
Robyn Waldron Massey and her husband Chuck. They came from San Francisco. Robyn and I recalled some wonderful moments with Mrs. Abrams. We also wondered about the whereabouts of Pam Young. On Sunday morning, Chuck told me he flew helicopters. Something tells me he's got some good tales to tell. (CORRECTION: It was Steve Greene, Carol's husband, who flew helicopters. But Steve AND Chuck are good guys and I'd welcome the chance to sit down and hoist a few frosties with them any day.)
Ed and Laine Adams. I believe Ed was horsing around with a basketball during the reunion. No dishes were broken.
Beverly Gaston Kochard and her husband Dale. She works as Vice President, Student Affairs, Moravian College.

Ricci and Eddy; Lerner; Garwacke; Henry and Bennett; and More

Nancy Eddy Hanna with Joe Ricci. Joe is a Spanish teacher in south Jersey. He was heard to mumble many times Saturday night, Quiero una otro cerverza fria.
Marc Lerner (white shirt) takes a break from dinner to reunite with Gary Garwacke. Marc flew in from California for the reunion.
Old buds: Jack Muldowney (left) and Gary Garwacke
Old buds part II: Rich Senna and Andy Thomson.
Kathy Miller (right) and Vicki Blasucci (NPHS class of 1970). After a long, distinguished career as a teacher at NPHS, Kathy is retiring next month.
BFFs: (from left) Robyn Waldron Massey, Carol Mingione Greene, Maria Mijares (class of 1970), Vicki Blasucci, and Robin Roselle Oratio. Carol and Robyn flew in from California for the reunion. Both brought their spouses.
Bill Bennett and Sue Henry Martin. Sue retired as an English school teacher in Virginia. She told me she loves non-fiction and poetry. She recommends the late Bill Henry's (class of 1967) book "In Defense of Elitism." (And not just because they had the same last name.)