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Reaching out to make the connection again:
Phil Tischio (6/61)
Always interested in reconnecting with friends from those wonderful high school years. Best way to say hello to me is beachyphil@aol.com. Phil
Berthe Weissman Nathanson (6/59)
I now live in Westborough, MA, and would love to hear from anyone who lives nearby. My e-mail address is bcnathanson@verizon.net. Berthe
A few more hits via the stickball game:
Steve Epstein (6/63)
In regards to the stickball boxes, there were two in the AT&T parking lot on Lyons Avenue diagonally across from the Beth Israel Hospital. They were on the backside of garages from houses on the 200 block of Weequahic. Avenue. They served the kids on Weequahic Avenue, as well. The lot was also a small ballfield for baseball games. Steve
Jeff Ignatoff (6/60)
Reading Rich Gerber (6/63) and Gil Lustig's (1/60) reminiscences about stickball and softball made me think of my more recent return to softball. After spending almost 40 years in Chicago and learning slow pitch (16" Chicago softball), we assembled a team to play the game in Savannah after I retired here. It was fun playing slow pitch with a bunch of sexagenarians and septuagenarians and using a ball that was about the size of a small grapefruit. Pitching was a challenge, as the ball has to apex at about 8 feet and must fall through the strike zone. Two strikes and you are out. Also, it was hardly possible to hit it "over the fence." It is a reasonable sport for former stickball, hardball or 12" softball players. Jeff
Jac Toporek (6/63)
Gil Lustig (1/6) and my classmate Richie Gerber’s exchange about stickball at the funeral parlor lot, brought back memories of the many stickball games that I and the guys in the Meeker/Elizabeth/Custer Avenues neighborhood played in the Koplin Chevy parking lot that sat behind the fence in the back of 225 Meeker Avenue. Koplin was usually shut down on Sundays, so, it made for numerous opportunities to play stickball.
If one was able to hit the ball onto the roof of 225, your RBI total went up 1,000,000 runs. Made for some high scoring games, but truth be told (twin brother Nor has the memory and, I suppose, the truth on this), in all them games the ball never sailed up to the roof. Just run of the mill baseball/stickball scores ensued. The guys were mostly line drive or ground ball hitters with Clark “Nitz” Lissner (6/63) having the best stroke. Clark later played varsity ball for WHS and finally hit the ball over the right field fence at Untermann for a home run in his senior year. A case of stickball practice making good. And, unlike the three at the funeral lot, there was only one unnamed square batter’s box in our stickball lot. Jac
Lauding the “Alma Mater’s” impact:
Michael Sakowitz (67)
I’m a relatively new member of this group and want to thank you all for triggering so many wonderful memories. After graduating Weequahic, I went on to Rutgers in Newark where Jac Toporek (6/63), our “WHS Note” editor, became my AEPi fraternity brother. I, too, remember the candy stores on Chancellor Avenue and marvel at how we have the same memories separated by several years! What an influence that neighborhood had. Mike
Richard Klein (66)
So, this is the first time I’ve ever commented or posted on this thread despite my years of reading it with such fond memories. My time at Weequahic is etched in my being forever. I loved it. I am astounded at the detailed intricacies of everyone’s memories. I lived first on Fabyan Place after moving from S. 16th Street and going to Madison Jr. High. I then went to Gruman Avenue just a few doors from Hillside.
I am proud of what have been so many experiences and all of the memories. They are very special, especially these days. We were very lucky people. My return for the 50th reunion in 2016 only confirmed that. What an incredible school we went to. What a great city to have grown up in. What incredible experiences we had. How lucky we are to have been a life perspective from what we experienced growing up in Newark and going to Weequahic. Thank you all for the weekly remembrances. Richard
Michael Mandell (67)
Though a bit younger, I remember Johnny the Cop and his motorcycle and that he was a practical joker and loved to kid around. One Saturday while working at the Bunny Hop, two police officers were eating lunch in the store and Johnny came in and sat down to eat. He had taken their radio car and parked on the white line in the middle of the street with the lights flashing. Needless to say, the traffic was beyond backed up and the police sergeant showed up to see what was going on.
We had lots of memories in the Bunny Hop of fun times in the neighborhood. Over 55 years ago, where did the time go? It is really nice reading the different stories written these days about the “good old times.” Mike
Stew Bitterman (1/61)
To further Alan Ginter’s (64/65) post on Margie’s, I would like to ad that I played stickball on that lot with my classmate Lenny Sherman, Howie Ellenport and others. One day Billy Blume (6/57), whose parents owned Margie’s, came out of the store and wanted a turn at bat. He threw the ball up and hit the ball and it went right into Cheryl Alterman’s (married name Elblonk) kitchen window. We all ran like hell and I don’t think we ever got caught.
I also remember the tunnel leading from 299 Schley where I lived to the back yard of Harlem’s where I learned to smoke, ugh! Great memories. Stew
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