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Hi Livers in the Weequahic Moment(s),
Ann Haskin Sumarin (6/63) changed her e-address to annsumarin@gmail.com.
Rosemarie Meola Cerone Lindia (66) enters the WHS network at rosemarielal@comcast.net.
Lynne Lawrence Tzeses (6/63) joins the Weeqa-exchange at lynnetzeses@gmail.com.
Rita Kravet Rzepka’s (1/55) “Small-Weequahic-World” moment in which a Florida Keys” meeting with Nelson Chester begged the question if anyone remembered Nelson:
Norm Cantor (64)
Rita’s post brought back some memories. Nelson lived on Schley Street near the corner of Chancellor Avenue. He had a basketball hoop in his yard and several of us met there fairly regularly for choose-up games. Among those I remember were Nelson, Barry Levinson, Bobby Hollander (64), John Ferrioli, Kenny Mueller, Howie Goldstein, Ed Katz, among others and myself. Prior to, and after these games, we would "haunt" the neighbor for food and feminine companionship. Norm
Alan Ginter (64/65)
I lived across the street from Nelson Chester on Schley Street. Although a bit older than me, he was one of my first friends from "across the street" back when I still had to ask strangers to take me by the hand and cross me (imagine that now!). He had, by far, the best backyard, garage-mounted basketball hoop in the neighborhood complete with backboard and a 2-family garage so there was plenty of room to play.
His family once submitted an article to Ripley's Believe It or Not because his older sister, Fern Chester, was born on the corner of Fern and Chester. They rejected it. He and his father built the first stereo system I had ever experienced; they got the plans from Popular Mechanics or Electronics. Didn't everybody? Nelson introduced me to Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" on that stereo. Such magic! Alan
Bob Steinberg (66)
So, Rita, you asked if anyone remembers him? Well, he and his family lived in the same two-story Schley Street home that I lived in from 1954 until around 1968. We were upstairs, they were downstairs. What a coincidence. Bob
William Pollack (1/53) responds to Sharon Rouse Feinsod's (66) comment on life in the Custer Place area of Newark:
Sharon mentioned my dad extracting her tooth and then went on to reminisce about the neighborhood. Reminiscing of my own included that next to the 2 Custer Avenue apartment house was a large lot we called "Golden Gate." When they excavated the lot in preparation for the building of another apartment house, we built a makeshift baseball field there complete with a backstop made from a Jordan Barris Realty sign. The guys who played there all lived close by; Mel Lissner (6/53) and his brother Clark (6/63), Len Birnbaum, Sid (Eisenstein) Edwards, Tommy Brice, Jack Hochberg (52), Paul Krechmar (53), Rich Roberts (6/56), an older player named Howie something etc. We used to try to play in Weequahic Park, but the police always chased us.
Getting equipment was always tough and, believe it or not, we sometimes had to fabricate a ball by wrapping black electrical tape around a rock. We used to play boxball in the alleyway between the apartment houses on Custer Place. In the winter, sleigh riding down the steep hill on Custer Avenue was a blast.
Other neighborhood recollections included the adjacent Meeker Avenue and its accesses to Weequahic Park, both direct pedestrian entrance into the wooded area and car turnoff. Across from the vehicle entrance to Weequahic Park there was a boathouse where you could rent a boat and row around the lake. On the other side of Meeker from the park entrance were two large hot dog restaurants, Sabin’s and Millman’s. They were always crowded and did a brisk business.
As mentioned often in these weekly comments, The Tavern Restaurant was on the corner where Meeker crossed Elizabeth Avenue. Also, there was a nightclub further down but the name escapes me. They had top entertainers perform there.
We all went to Peshine Avenue School. The playground at Peshine had a large tree growing in its center. The surface was gravel and we played softball and touch football on it. There was a boxball court at the playground; during lunch break at noon, it was the site of boxball games. Herman, the janitor, was the pitcher. J.J. O'Sullivan, the Gym teacher, ran a unique program, but the school turned out many fine athletes. Mrs. Sosnow was the girls’ Gym teacher. When we went to high school, the first stop was Hawthorn Avenue School, which hosted our freshman year. Then it was on to Weequahic High. William
Sharing W-thoughts:
Sara Friedman Fishkin (6/ 60)
To Jeff Golden (6/63) and Michael Botnick (68), in 1944 my family moved to a 4-family house on Schley Street between Keer Avenue and Field Place. During WWII, the U.S. Government promoted "Victory Gardens" to build morale and encourage citizens to grow their own food. An excerpt from Richardson Wright, Editor of House & Garden Magazine notes, "Whether we dig for defense or warfare, we dig for victory. Our vegetable rows contribute to our national safety and preservation of democratic ideals" Today we look askance at such obvious language but during that war, it had its desired effect. My father planted his Victory Garden in the large vacant lot across the street. I don't remember his garden's wonderful produce but I happily played with his all-important garden helpers, earthworms. In the 1950's The Cambridge Apartments replaced that vacant land.
I loved to ride my bike and explore nearby Hillside and Irvington. That viaduct in the creek at the end of Fabyan Place near the Monroe Gardens was perfect but scary. I'd walk a few yards into its huge, cavernous mouth before fear overtook any sense of adventure and I'd run out. Who knew what evil lurks deep into the dark recess of the viaduct?
To Alan Ginter (64), those railroad tracks that crossed Chancellor Avenue near Dairyland also crossed Lyons Avenue separating Newark from Irvington. Yes, I remember freight trains on those tracks. My father and I frequently walked from Schley Street out to Lyons Avenue and then all the way to Irvington Park which had a lovely small lake. We'd watch people launch small sailboats on the lake or I'd run around the edge of it. And sure enough, when running around the edge of the lake, one day I fell in.
Good news Billy Fruchter (60) (now Foster) is alive! Well, after Gary Prager's (1/61) news of Bill's passing, I emailed with several Chancellor buddies who shared sweet memories about our classmate. It seems a few girls had a crush on that very smart and very tall boy who always sat in the back of the classroom. Sara
Pam Scott Threets (66)
Buses to the Weequahic Section were the 8 Lyons Avenue, 9 Clifton, 10 Hillside, 14 Clinton Place, 27 Forest Hills/20th Street, 48 Maple Avenue and the 49 Dunellen which travelled on Elizabeth Avenue from Washington Park. Somerset buses (the ##140 and 141) travelled on Elizabeth Avenue on the way to Union and Somerset counties. The 107 from either South Orange or Ivy Hill went to NYC; not the #102.
The following no longer exist; ##8, 9 (is now the 99 and travels from Hillside to the former Newark City Subway and current Branch Brook Light Rail Station), 10, 14 (is now the #13's bus route). The bus that travels from Newark Penn Station to Maplewood is the # 39 with stops at WHS. Former buses 48 and 49 are now Somerset bus roues 59 and 66. The #107 has two routes to NYC, via Garden State Parkway and Newark Liberty Airport.
Cannot forgot the 6 Crosstown, it's now the 96 travelling from Valley Fair to Bloomfield Avenue by Schools Stadium. One the many slow buses in Public Service's fleet. These were the slowest buses, the 3, 8, 48, 56, 42, 48, 54; a huge nightmare when you needed them. Pam
Marlene "Pinky" Gold-Gamble (6/53)
To Elaine Hersh Krusch (50), I remember that little Chinese place on Chancellor Avenue as The Pagoda. Pinky
Larry Sosnow (1/53)
My friend Steve Radin wrote in a recent issue of the “WHS Note” about The Indians, a club which was founded in May 1947. It lasted for a beautiful six years. We had our last club meeting and farewell in January, 1953 when most of us graduated Weequahic and where we posed for this picture, below. I was lucky to be President of the Indians, a close bond of great guys in an athletic and social club that loved our youth and, especially, winning our ball games against The Jokers and the Marshal DeWitts. These were two good clubs somewhat similar to the Indians, except I think we were scruffier. The Indians were a highlight of my youth. Larry
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