Do you remember?

[sheam]

Take the challenge-Match 'em up- No prizes, just a little jog for your brain cells (thx to JoJo who reminded me how much I've forgotten- can't remember much beyond "Four Score & seven..."
(a little skewed toward those of us who attended P.S. 14, 19, & 5)


1 Fireworks, Helldrivers, Caballeros & Muchachos
2 Built submarine in Westside Park (Is it still there?)
3 Colt "Paterson"
4 Hot Dogs All the Way
5 Valley of the Rocks
6 Envisioned water power raceway
7 Penny Candy store on Totowa Ave.
8 25 cent entertainment (also source of my mother's dishes)
9 Red Bar, Casino de Charles
10 Early Governor of NJ, city's namesake

a. Libby's Lunch, Fall's View
b. Plaza Theater on Union Avenue
c. Blind Mary's
d. Source of post- 8th grade prom eats
e. John Holland
f. Alexander Hamilton
g. William Paterson
h. Revolver made in our hometown
i. July 4 entertainment at Hinchliff Stadium
j. Great Basin beneath the Great Falls

[Bernard]

1i - I also remember the Hell Drivers and Fying Walendas.
2e - It was painted yellow by the class of '67.
3h
4a - the Olympic and Johnny & Hanges too.
5j
6f
7c
8b - Sunday papers being hawked on Sat. night.
9d
106

Thanks Sheam.

[Donna NelsonIvy]

Cheryl Robinson & Donna Nelson are calling out to get together with Kennedy & Eastside graduates '66, '67, '68, '69 and more
This Friday is our first get together at the BONFIRE in Paterson.
We are hoping to have these get togethers at least monthly.
8:00 p.m. - midnight
There is live music - Melvin Davis, Lonnie Youngblood & Lee Ausley
The food is good - menu prices are reasonable and if you want to eat you need to be there by 8:00 p.m. because the kitchen closes around 10 p.m.
Spread the word...come on out - get on the contact list so we can keep 'n touch & have FUN!
Blessings,
Donna

[JOJO]

I remember so much when I am at this site. I know that Bernard was a God Send to have the knowlege and the desire to start this.
I still say Hot dogs all the way even after being away from Payerson for so long. It just seems right.
I would have loved to have gone to that Bonfire that was held in (was it the Park)?
Some day maybe I'll get to see some of you again.
I had the privlige to meet Norbi. He helped me get that delicious birthday cake.
JOJO

[JP68]

Whelans Drug store on Main and Market it had the big time and weather display
Sterns Quakenbush and how busy it was there on the corner on saturdays and after school
The Fabian the Garden and the US theaters
Mr Peanut that use to walk up and down main street
Kresge's Woolworths and Grant's
Netzers on Union Ave
The Big Thanksgiving Parades

[Thanks JP]

...and-
Whelan's Drugs - across the street from Arkins Jewelers, a few doors up from "Cheap Johns" and anything BUT cheap Stenchever's shoes;
Stern's Quackenbush (Quacks-I worked the hosiery counter every Saturday) where so many of us earned our gas $$-(Anyone remember "Little Beaver Gas Station" @21.9cents/gal.?;
Meyer Brothers (Loved that balcony restaurant;)
The Majestic Theater-converted from a movie house to a wonderland of "necessities" costing @ $1.98;
Kresges, Woolworths, and Grant's - grilled cheese and a pickle at the counter, "Evening in Paris Parfum"-a Mother's Day bargain;
Fannie Farmer and Loft's Chocolates;
Sylvettes;
Mr. Peanut- who rode astride the peanut-roasting machine in the window -corner of West Broadway, Broadway & Main Streets -Who remembers the name of the Chinese Restaurant on the second floor of the triangular shaped building across the street?
Netzers-and across Union Ave, the Totowa Spa; Saturday AM "Story Hour" at the library at Union & Albion; Pass Belrics, The Plaza and pick up a "chicken pot-pie" in that tiny store across from P/S.14.
The Thanksgiving Day parades- Cheerleaders, Majorettes & Flag Twirlers shivering in their tiny skirts on the way to Hinchliffe Stadium for the annual rivalry between Eastside Ghosts and Central Colts - and of course young'ns-Kennedy's Knights!
Thanks JP, for bringing a smile. :-)

[Robinob]

The Chinese restaurant was Port Arthur. It is now a curtain and drapery store. Did they sell chicken pies or mutton pies in the store across from 14's? Story hour at the Union Ave library...I went every Sat AM. (Union and Sheridan Ave)

I was one of those band complement girls shivering in the uniform...but I am one of the youngn's that you refer to as I graduated from JFK in 1973.

The submarine is now housed in the Paterson Museum across from Falls View, which is now Burger King.

I still have some of the dishes from the Plaza Theater. They were my Grandmother's "good" china.

My parents still live in Paterson, on Colonial Ave and I work in Paterson, so I have a chance to see all of the changes....Very sad in many cases.

[JP68]

Robinob you forgot to mention you use to wear the fine Pink uniform of a Dunkin Donuts girl on union avenue.
Do you remember what use to be there before it was a Dunkin Donuts?
and before Churchills was there, there was another bar
MacKenzies 19th Hole
and across the street was Jimmy's Pizzeria
and on the other corner was Tom's deli/grocery store
I remember this guy Mike through Armand through the window of Tom's one night.

[sheam]

Guest-Robinob said:

The Chinese restaurant was Port Arthur. It is now a curtain and drapery store. Did they sell chicken pies or mutton pies in the store across from 14's? Story hour at the Union Ave library...I went every Sat AM. (Union and Sheridan Ave)

I was one of those band complement girls shivering in the uniform...but I am one of the youngn's that you refer to as I graduated from JFK in 1973.



The submarine is now housed in the Paterson Museum across from Falls View, which is now Burger King.

I still have some of the dishes from the Plaza Theater. They were my Grandmother's "good" china.

My parents still live in Paterson, on Colonial Ave and I work in Paterson, so I have a chance to see all of the changes....Very sad
in many cases.

Hi Rob- Great memory! How long has the Port Arthur been selling curtains? YES -they were mutton pies- but we kids in my family were such picky eaters we would never have touched them if we knew- my mother knew she had a winner with chicken so she'd tell us anything new was chicken. You were at the story hours long after I'd moved on to HS (JFK '66) but they were great. We would always create some sort of "craft" item based on the story of the week. Did you join the summer reading club too? Amazing what kids back in those days would do for stickers and the hope of winning a book! Thanks for your post.

[JOJO]

As far back as I could remember the store downstairs from Port Arthur always sold curtains.
The person that stated that they graduated in"66" do I know you?
Did you go to Central and School 5?
JOJO

[sheam nli]

Hi JoJo- I'm Muriel, JFK '66 (sheam, aka "guest" when I forget to log in) and I remember you from both C.H.S. and P.S. 5 (Mrs. Lindahl- grade 8? ) -and do you remember Mr. Sherman, Mr. DelGuercio-Art, Mrs. DelPrete-Home Ec., Miss Flanagan, Mr. Schoenfeld, or Mrs. Ross-Gym, Mrs. Brooks-Science, or tiny Miss Rothstein in her high,high heels in the third floor music room? (We had a grand piano in that room! Amazing, in retrospect how beautiful P.S. 5 was.The auditorium had real gold leaf on the stage surroundings. The home ec. suite had an apartment. Mrs DelPrete -and before her Mrs. Rudiss- would help us to serve an annual Mother-Daughter luncheon in the dining room. I teach in an affluent district in a facility not nearly as beautifully equipped. It's really too bad they paved the grassy areas around the school- I remember the most beautiful pink dogwood tree blooming every spring in the schoolyard facing Maple Street and Totowa Ave.) I had Miss Robinson for 8th grade home room so we didn't have classes together and traveled with different friends (Did you ever pal with Lucille Alfano?) but our paths crossed enough on the playground, in the hallways, or on "Field Days" - (Hinchliffe Stadium, Blue & Gold, and an afternoon off from class!) for me to remember you. I admired your style, your confidence, and athleticism (although I probably could not have spelled or used any of those words back then.) Do you remember the separate girls' & boys' sides of the playground?- boys played stickball or flipped baseball cards against the brick walls, girls jumped rope, played hopscotch -the shoemaker on Totowa Ave.-a few doors away from DeMarco's and blind Mary Saxon's, going toward Sherman Avenue- would give us "heels" to throw on the hopscotch board, -Chinese jump rope-made from elastic bands strung together, or "Punchinello." I was kind of tiny, young, -even for Paterson standards- with a late fall birthday, just 11 years old entering eighth grade. Add very strict parents to the mix and I didn't get "out" much or stray very often beyond WestSide Park, Union Avenue, or "downtown" in those days. Most of my grade school friends were from my neighborhood on Walnut Street/Liberty Street/Maple Street/ Wayne/Totowa Avenues- although I had a Grandmother living at Dean-McNulty on Grand Street, so I had a few buddies with whom to play on the elevators or mess with the "automatic" doors. High School afforded a great opportunity to meet kids from all over the city- Freshman year I was assigned to homeroom 81 in the annex- shared with 25 or so other kids whose last names began with letters "S" through "Z". I still remember most of their names (can't remember where I put my glasses 5 minutes ago) and many of those mentioned in these posts. Very much enjoy reading about where they are & what they're doing. -Keep the posts coming

[Robin]

Muriel,

Too funny!!!!!We are writting and we know eachother. I am Robin Yantz, Eileen's friend. I figured out who you were from the message about Walnut Street. How are you? Are you still teaching? The reason that I am able to answer most of the Paterson questions is that I still am working at JFK. My parents are living on Colonial Ave. so I still have that Paterson connection. It's so wierd, my friend Bob says that Paterson has us all by an umbilical cord---it keeps pulling us back. From the messages on these boards it seems that we all had great memories. Eileen and I became friends in 2nd grade (1962) when your father and mine had us both at Grant's for ice cream. We then decided to meet at your Walnut street house the next day. The rest, as they say, is history. She is my oldest friend. In fact we spoke yesterday.

Hope all is well.
Robin

[sheamnlicrs]

*nli-not logged in, crs-can't remember squat-especially my password)
Hi Robin-- You made my day! Still smiling ;D and so happy to hear from you and know you are doing well. (Thanks, Bernard!) You're right about that umbilical cord- we'll always have a connection to Paterson - perhaps because our families began there-(my dad entered the Paterson schools- via a classrooom window at the top of a fire escape - at age 6, speaking no English) and so many stayed,- my mother & father (attended Central & Eastside) met at the coffee shop on the corner of Main & Grand, across from St. John's Cathedral, (WHO REMEMBERS THE NAME OF THAT COFFEE SHOP? ) - Or perhaps because of the memories. It was a wonderful place to grow up- there was always something to do and someone to do it with! And what a great environment to learn about the world- Grab a friend & walk downtown at age 10 or 11, spend the paper route $$ at John's Bargain Store, ice cream sodas at Grant's, & home before the street lights came on. Was the world a safer place for kids or were we just less conscious of the dangers?
Eileen mentioned you are not only teaching, but also an administrator- Congrats! Are any of your (our) teachers still around? I'll be eligible to retire next year myself, but may stay on a few more years (until I adjust to being old enough! ) Robin, Thanks for writing- looking forward to speaking to Eileen.

[JOJO]

:)Hi Muriel,
I am trying so hard to remember you and I am sure that if I saw you I would, I forget names but not faces.
I sure remember all of the things and people that you mentioned. I couldn't believe that someone else remembered the hopscotch heels that we used to get from the old shoemaker, he was on the corner of Manchester and Union Ave.
I thank you for the compliments for it always makes a person feel special when someone remembers them.
I wish I could see a picture of you because like I said whether I hung around with you or not I would still remember your face.
You know all of the teachers also that I had and some I forgot, you made me when you mentioned Ms. Rothstein, remember those big earings that she wore ?
They were so heavy the hole in her ears were all stretched and droopy.
I had Mr. Jaffe for my 7th grade teacher and he was my favorite teacher. I remember also how the girls and boys were separted in the playground but I forgot til you mentioned it.
Such wonderful memories, we were very lucky kids and didn't really know it back then.
If you feel like it you could e mail me any time, I would like to reminize.
My heart will always be in Paterson, even when I go back on vacation I feel a great sense of belonging.
Take care and thanks for the memories.
JOJO

[JP68]

It's really amazing I started a string here and saw 3 people come together. Stirring up old memories and
sharing new ones. I guess its that old Paterson thing
brings kindred spirits together.
Sometimes when I drive through Paterson I look at some of the old neighborhoods and remember smiling faces of friends. People I grew up with and knew . Meeting them in Totowa or Hillcrest or downtown. I even remember Robins smiling face and boy could she talk too. But still she was a great kid back then. And know a great lady. Giving back to Paterson by teaching and working there.
Yes there were those who couldn't wait to leave and those that took their time to leave.
But I think a piece of all of us remains there.
I tell my children the stories of growing up there and
they laugh and want to hear more.
We grew up with something our children will never have inside them. We grew up with street smarts. Always aware of what was going on around us. And when we played in the streets we knew where the cars were. My kids walk across a parking lot oblivious to whats around them. But we always had a sense of our surroundings. No matter what it was Paterson gave us all something we carry with us.