Monday, May 21, 2018

Do You Know How to Contact These Classmates?

We have contact information for a majority of classmates from the class of 1969.  However, we are unable to contact the following classmates:
Mark A. Bartosh
Diane M. Bennett Dietz 

Dennis Bohn
Brian J. Casey
Eileen F. Dwyer Pelizzoni 

Gail Eskenazi Strocker 
Patricia A. Higgins Grizaniuk 
Patricia L. Johnstonbaugh Whisman 
Lorraine W. LaManec
Eileen M. Mahon Crawfort 

Anita L. Meeks Cair 
Constance A. Myers
Emile R. Pratt
Donna R. Radkovich
Robert M. Salerno
Joan C. Setterberg 

Kathleen A. Shovlin Grosch 
Laurie S. Smith
Richard J. Smith
Robert I. Tarnoski
Dinos Tony
Pamela L. Young


If you have any information about them, please contact:
Janicehansenlake@gmail.com

Saturday, May 19, 2018

NPHS Reunion Interview: Beat Steiner, Class of 1969


Beat Steiner hiking in Denali National Park, Alaska, September 2014.
In 100 words or less, describe your career.  
From NPHS, I went to the University of Virginia (UVA) where I majored in religious studies. I went on to Regent College at the University of British Columbia for graduate work in Christian studies. I spent three years in Christian ministry to students, but ended up as a lawyer, as I had considered doing since my freshman year in high school. I wanted a profession that was respected. Oh well. I graduated from UVA Law School in 1980, spent three years on Wall Street and then moved to Boulder, CO (my wife’s home town). I have practiced real estate law in Denver and Boulder for nearly 38 years - most of it related to ski and other resorts. I am slowing my practice down and gravitating back to ministry.

Where have you lived since graduating?
 In sequence: Charlottesville, VA; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Charlottesville, VA; New York City; and Boulder, CO. 

What was your sense of community in your class/in the school at NPHS? 
Throughout my time in high school, I worked 20 hours per week at Opdyke’s and, really, that was my community. My sister, Gaby, worked there, and, if memory still serves me, the regular crew included Judy Stanislao and her sister and mother and now husband, John Mehltretter, along with Eileen Thompson, Anita Smith, Bruce Jones and John Benassu. Such a great group to work with and some fun memories too. Mr. Opdyke taught me a great deal and opened doors for me. I owe him a lot.

 What experiences in high school, positive or negative, helped to shape you as a person? 
The positives were many: I got a good education and was ready for the challenges of university when I graduated. I had many leadership opportunities, serving as class president; lt. governor, state secretary, and governor of New Jersey Key Clubs; and delegate to the Model United Nations.  I learned a great deal about leading and following (and getting out of the way), all of which have enhanced my professional and personal life.I also learned a lot about life and love and joy from the many really nice people in our class.

Do you have any regrets about your experiences during your high school years? 
I look back at the time in high school as often being lonely, and I felt somewhat out of step – perhaps because my family situation was not great, and, in a subtle way, as an immigrant who lost my first language and connection with the land of my childhood, I was neither truly American, nor truly Swiss. I also felt quite defeated about sports in high school – in the first instance because I thought of myself as skinny, weak, and uncoordinated. I learned as an adult that I was much better at athletics than I had any idea. It proved to be a life lesson about limiting myself, which I certainly did in this respect. 

Now, 50 years later, has your perspective on your high school years changed at all?  
I recall being grateful when I graduated from NPHS, and I am still grateful now. I see now that many things I may have missed out on in high school were the result of limitations in my head, not in reality. At the same time, I accomplished a lot, and NPHS set me on a course that allowed me to succeed in many ways.

What is your fondest memory of your years at NPHS?
One moment sticks out in my mind: One sunny afternoon in my senior year I had been excused to go speak at a Key Club event. My 1965 Chevy Impala convertible (that I bought with my own money – thanks to working at Opdyke’s) was parked out in front of the school. I felt so free – so cool - as I lowered the top on my car and drove off.

 What was the craziest or stupidest thing you did in high school?
Also in my senior year, I was doing a photo essay on Langston Hughes. To get real life photos depicting the subject matter of some of his poetry, I drove through Harlem taking pictures. One scene I captured was of three men on a street corner passing around a bottle of liquor. I got the shot and as I drove on that bottle came through the rear window of my car and shattered it. I think I ran every light between 112thand 42ndStreets. Clearly stupid (and, now I realize, insensitive and racist). I still have a couple of the pictures from that project.

What was your proudest accomplishment in high school?  
Being elected Governor of the New Jersey Clubs would have to be it. It allowed me to travel extensively and be inspired by volunteer community service being done by students all over the state.

Who was your favorite teacher? 
Miss O’Brien comes immediately to mind because, without her rigor, I would never have become the writer I am today. But I have to include Mr. Justus, because he was ridiculously funny and taught me German (my first link back to Switzerland).

What was your worst class? 
Calculus. My father was a chemist and a math whiz. His genes skipped right over me. I sometimes joke that I became a lawyer so I could use words not numbers. Typing comes in second. Little did I know, however, how useful that class would be, as I now spend most of most days typing (on a keyboard, mind you). 

What is your most powerful or haunting memory during your years at NPHS?
Robby Gardner’s death. Although he lived around the corner from me, I did not know Robby well. But I did see his sister, mother, and father regularly after the accident, and the sadness never left them. How could it?

How did growing up at a child of the 60s – and all the social baggage and impact that it may have entailed – impact you at the time and in your young adult years?
True confession here: I was quite conservative politically throughout high school and on into college. I truly thought that most of what was going on in the 60’s and early 70’s was reflective of the moral degradation of our society. I still think a lot of what happened in the 60’s was the moral degradation of society, but the music was awesome, the stripping out of hypocrisy and hypocritical institutions was welcome, the opening of people’s minds and hearts to matters deeper than the material world was enlivening, the civil rights movement was just and necessary, and the anti-war protests were spot on. As to the war protests, I have great remorse. How naive I was about our government. 
Beat (left), his sister Gaby (class of 1968) and his best friend Dale Simmons (class of 1966),
in front of the North Plainfield Baptist Church in 1974.  

Thursday, May 3, 2018

NPHS Reunion Interview: Noel Marks, Class of 1969


Noel Marks, June 2017, Honfleur, France (in the Normandy region)
Tell us about your career
I was Senior Investigator, U.S. Department of Labor, Wage Hour Division from 1974 until my retirement in January 2015.  I independently conducted investigations of covered employers to determine compliance with various Federal Labor Laws including the Fair Labor Standards Acts, Federal Minimum Wage Law, Child Labor Stands, Family Medical Leave Act, Davis Bacon and Related Acts, Service Contract Act and others.  One of my investigations, McCaughlin vs. Richland Shoe, was decided by the Supreme Court in 1988.  

Additionally, since 1976, I have been President of my own company, Lancaster County Antique Art.  I buy, sell and appraise American and European paintings, sculpture, watercolors, rare coins, stamps, period furniture, antiques and collectibles.

Where have you lived since graduating?
Ocean Grove, NJ, 1971-1974; Union, NJ, 1974-1976; Middletown, PA, 1976-1978 (within a mile of Three Mile Island); Lebanon, PA, 1978-present (actually Cornwall, PA, but the mailing address is Lebanon, PA).

What was your sense of community at NPHS?
Since I grew up in the West End, I had a wide circle of friends from my younger days which carried on into Junior High and then High School.  Looking back, I now realize what a diverse group of friends from various ethnic backgrounds they were including Italian, Polish, Spanish, German, Middle Eastern, South American, Puerto Rican, as well as multiple religious beliefs (Catholics, Protestants and Jewish).  I considered everyone a friend and enjoyed the diversity.  My best friend, Al Muglia, lived right up the street from me and his mom and dad treated me as a son.  As a kid, I was a little slender and his mom always welcomed me with “Mangia, mangia, come eat, eat” when I was hanging out with Al.  His dad took us hunting and fishing, and included me in numerous extended family gatherings.  To this day, I rave about what a wonderful Italian cook Mrs. Muglia was and the generosity of their family. I have very fond memories of my younger days in North Plainfield.

What experiences in high school, positive or negative, helped to shape you as a person?
All of my teachers instilled in me a sense of purpose and provided sound guidance for me to get an education which has made a profound difference in my life.  I am eternally grateful for their dedication, sacrifice and efforts.  HOWEVER, the Administration, led by Edward J. Gibbs III, and specifically, Vice Principal John Messer, provided a dark, negative undertone with their heavy-handed, capricious, demeaning and unnecessary disciplinary actions.  Just where is my “Official Permanent Record” and what heinous misdeeds are listed there?  Walking in the hall without a pass?  Taking a drink at a fountain?  Standing inside the door of the school on a frigid day?  I must confess, though, I did toss more than a few spitballs back in the day!

Do you have any regrets about your experiences during your high school years?
My only regret is that I did not thank my teachers for their efforts during my high school career.  It is now too late as most of them have passed.  And I should have also spoken up more forcefully when I witnessed my friends being chastised for the length of their hair, clothes they wore, music they listened to, and expressing their personal opinions.

Now, 50 years later, has your perspective on your high school years changed at all?
Not much, really.  It was a fun time in an era without cell phones, text messages, social media, etc.  Heck we didn’t even have calculators and computers!!!  And it is completely absurd to realize many of my friends in high school were subject to discipline due to their hair, clothes, and opinions.

What is your fondest memory of your years at NPHS?
I will always remember the wonderful cars my friends and others drove up and down Wilson Ave.  Among those that I distinctly recall are:  John Guerro’s green Dodge Charger, Rich Pellizoni’s Ford Thunderbird, Karen Von Tish’s Ford Mustang, Frank Vastano’s Canary Yellow Chevy Impala, my buddy Al Muglia’s 1965 Blue Ford Custom, (former NJ State Cop car); my sister, Jill, drove our 1968 Red Opal Kadett “Mini-Brute,” and my rust bucket 1958 Ford Station Wagon.  My friend Willie Orloff’s parents let him drive their Mercury Breezeway with the power sliding rear window that was really fun to ride around in!  We always had a blast just cruising around town and maybe once in a while we might have driven over to Staten Island to drink some beer!  Now I’m not saying I was ever in Tarry’s Tavern, which was at the base of the Outer Bridge in Staten Island, but I might have been a few times.  I still have my “Tarry’s Tavern” T-shirt around here somewhere!

What was the craziest or stupidest thing you did in high school?
How many pages do you want me to compose?  I did many crazy and/or stupid things in high school; we all did, I think.  One particular stunt that stands out was when I was given a ticket for riding on a sled in Plainfield one Christmas eve.  It had snowed and the streets were covered in ice.  After church on Christmas eve, I changed clothes and went over to Dave Giesa’s house, which was on Manning Ave. in the East End.  His Mom always thought we were saints (LOL), and she gave us hot chocolate and homemade cookies to celebrate.  Since t had snowed, we decided to go out to Plainfield Country Club to sleigh ride.  The hill out there was fabulous for sledding.  The roads were snow covered and very icy, perfect for riding sitting up on a Flexible Flyer behind a car holding onto a rope.  You slipped the rope around the chrome bumper, let out about 50 feet or so, and once you got going, it was a hoot!  Going around corners was unreal!  Dave was flying around the streets in the Sleepy Hollow section of Plainfield, near Muhlenberg Hospital, when all of a sudden, a police car spotted us.  I had told him previously that if that happened, to floor it and I would drop the rope.  Obviously, the cop shined his light on me, while Dave took off.  The cop confiscated my sled, gave me a lecture on how dangerous it was to ride behind a car on a sled, and took me to the station.  The result was a hefty ticket for “Unauthorized Hanging onto a Vehicle.”  Dave got away and I did not rat him out.  The story I concocted was that I had been sledding out at the Plainfield Country Club and asked a guy who was leaving if I could hitch a ride home behind his car.  A real bunch of bullsh*t, but I think they knew I was not going to give any more information.  This incident was published in the “Plainfield Police Reports” in the Courier News the following week.  I think that stunt qualifies as both “Stupid” and “Crazy.”  My sister, Jill, has loads of stories of my notorious exploits.

What was your proudest accomplishment in high school?
I was elected to the National Honor Society and served as my Homeroom Representative on the Student Council.

Who was your favorite teacher?
I had multiple favorite teachers.  Mrs. Ethel Abrams, my English teacher, challenged me to think, and defend my opinions.  Ms. Rose Bellino opened my eyes to the wonders of Chemistry.  Coach “Bud” Porter consistently demonstrated true sportsmanship and taught me to treat all people with fairness and respect.  Mr. Nelson Ernest, Band Director, who was a man with immense patience, went out of his way to allow me to play the School’s tuba.  Ms. Elizabeth Hoelter and Mr. Stephen Kovach encouraged my love of mathematics.  Mr. Russell Heeren ignited a love of woodworking that guided many construction projects during my years rehabbing and restoring houses as a landlord.  His vast knowledge still amazes me.  And Mrs. Lillian Tallent taught me how to type, which is a skill I am demonstrating as I write these lines.

What was your worst class?
Without a doubt it was French 1, taught by Mr. Gould.  I should have worked harder at the time because I really love France, French culture and its people.  My wife and I have visited France quite a few times, and when we are wandering around Paris I am at a loss when I encounter someone who speaks no English.  “J’ai besoin de plus de pratique pour parler francais.”

What is your most powerful or haunting memory during your years at NPHS?
I have two days that I remember very distinctly.  The day we were informed John F. Kennedy was killed, I was in 7th grade English, Miss Riccoli’s class, upstairs in the Old Building.  That was a very sad afternoon.  And the evening Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, Thursday, April 4, 1968.  These days are etched in my memory as very dark days for America.


And another extremely sad day was when I learned Bob Gardner, who was a friend of mine and had a wonderful sense of humor, was tragically killed in a car accident that injured three other of our classmates. That accident, which occurred very near my house at the corner of Lawrence Ave and Green Brook Road, cast a pall over our class. The promise of an extremely bright future was snuffed out in an instant. Every time I go past the spot where that accident occurred I feel remorse. Those who knew Bob, and he was well liked by everyone who had the pleasure to be friends with him, were deeply affected.

How did growing up as a child of the 60’s-and all the social baggage and impact that it may have entailed-impact you at the time and in your young adult years?
As a member of the “Baby Boom” generation, I never really thought much about “social baggage,” as I was able to graduate from the University of Maryland, College Park during the peak years of the Vietnam protest movement.  I participated in numerous demonstrations and peaceful protests at Maryland and in Washington, DC.  What I learned from these activities was that we, as individuals, had rights and responsibilities which would impact social norms.  I believe we could, and we would work for a better future.  And I think the accomplishments of most of our classmates have manifested this change whether it be in business, law, medicine, and with our families.  Members of our generation have made a difference and continue to make an impact.

As an aside, I offer a hearty “Thank You” to you, Howard, for taking the time and sharing your talents with members of the NPHS class of 1969.  Not many other people are willing to devote their precious time and resources to this sort of project.  You can put this “Thank You” in your “Permanent Official Record,” (as Vice Principal John Messer would say), that is if you can find it!
 
Noel's 1972 University of Maryland cafeteria ID card.