OCTOBER 6, 2023

TO RESPOND WITH A COMMENT OF YOUR OWN, PLEASE WRITE TO OR CLICK ON WHSALUM63@AOL.COM. 

Hi Riders on the Weequahic Train of Thoughts:  

Phil Yourish (6/64) relishes the victories:

What a great start to Weequahic’s football season. Undefeated (5-0). No points allowed to date. Least margin of victory 42-0 (Verona). Wins include romps of 50-0 (Asbury Park), 63-0 (Snyder), 69-0 (Newark Central) and 70-0 (Hoboken) just this past week. It has been noted by some that it is the first time a N.J. high school football team has scored 300 points without giving up a score.  That WHS Banner is really flying “oh so high.” Phil

Reunion News:

J. Paul Blake (68)

The Class of 1968 has scheduled a Zoom 55^th Reunion, Sunday, October 29, 2023, 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST. Offering my classmates a virtual opportunity to get together this year. More than 30 classmates have already requested the Zoom link that will be issued later this month. Participation via the Zoom platform is limited to less than 100. Don’t delay. Send your email address to me at jpaulblake@hotmail.com to reserve your participation in the reunion. Paul

Jeff Friedman (1/62)

With a significant registration in the past few weeks, the guest list for the Joint 6oth Reunion of the WHS Classes of 1962, 1963 and 1964 on October 14, 2023 has risen to 130. Although the reunion is just one week away, registrations for last minute decision makers are still welcome. Save a spot or get more info by e-mailing to whsalum63@aol.com, but you will have to pay cash at the door. Jeff

To Mel Rubin (56) in reply to query about bowling alley in area of Avon and Clinton Avenues:

Mickey Mintz (6/59)

The name of the bowling alley located at Hayes Circle (intersection of Avon, Clinton and Elizabeth Avenues) was The Newark Recreation Center. I started bowling there in 1949 and was tutored by Lou Petronelli, who owned a barber shop on Bergen Street near Lyons Avenue. The “Newark Rec” (as it was called) was sold to the Yankees’ Phil Rizzuto and Yogi Berra. Later it was sold to another NYY teammate Bill "Moose" Skowron. I do not recall the lanes at the intersection of Parkway and Rout 3 as Mel Rubin indicated.

I also bowled at the Y on High Street, Chancellor Lanes in Irvington, Haynes Lanes, Lyons Lanes, Fun Fair, Garden State Bowl 

and Dreamland Bowl. In the late fifties I bowled at Paramus Bowl where I met Eddie Alias, the founder of the Professional Bowlers Association. (PBA). When I achieved the bowling score requirements, I joined the PBA and bowled in local and regional tournaments.

The Stein's Boys had their own team and bowled in league play at Danny's Hi Way Bowl on Route 22. Mickey 

Jerry (Moskowitz) Martin (1/54)

To Mel Rubin 6/56), in my attic somewhere I still have the 8x10 photos I got from The American Shops in downtown Newark. I use to take the bus downtown to go to the clothing store where Phil Rizzuto of the Yankees and Gene Hermanski of the Brooklyn Dodgers worked. Back then, Hermanski was my hero as he had set a Dodger record for 15 homers in a year. Here I was trying to defend and compare Gene to Joe DiMaggio.

I also have photos of other ballplayers who visited the Shops like Tommy Henrich and Bill Skowron of the Yankees. Phil Rizzuto lived just a couple miles from us in Hillside. Those were the days when we could see our heroes off the ball field.  Jerry

Ronne Windholtz Bertoglio (Battin 64)

To Mel Rubin, yes, I remember the bowling alley owned by Moose Skowron on Elizabeth and Avon Avenues! My dad used to bowl there with a group from his work! It was called either Moose Skowron Lanes or Skowron lanes. Ronnye

Jac Toporek (6/63)

My twin Nor and I lived on corner of Meeker and Elizabeth Avenues. Teamed with guys in the neighborhood to bowl at Academy (I think that was the name?) between Hawthorne Avenue. and the Sears & Roebuck building, then Haynes Lanes across from Newark Airport and at Fun Fair in Hillside. Although we were mediocre at best, except for Clark Lissner (6/63), as a team we managed to stay near the top of the league standings (probably because the other teams were not that good). Loved this walk down memory “lanes.” Jac

 Some “Bombs” from the B-Hop:

Bruce Zimmer (Chancellor/Hillside 71)

To Paula Borenstein (67), my dad was the original owner of the Bunny Hop. The “Bunny Bomb” was a hot dog on an Italian roll with peppers and onions and fries. The steak sandwich was the “Jerry Bomb” with peppers and onions. There was also a steak on garlic bread as well as a “Pork Bomb.” Great days. Bruce

Allan Markus (66)

To Paula Borenstein re Bunny Hop, the skirt steak sandwich you referenced was to my knowledge the “Jerry Bomb.” On garlic bread, the “Garlic Bomb.” The” Bunny Bomb” contained the hot dog. “Burger Bomb” speaks for itself. The only true pizza burger was a slice of pizza with a burger on it! All were great.  Allan

Marty Goldblatt (65)

It was a long time ago, but I must correct Mel Rubin’s (56) post. The “Bunny Bomb” was a hot dog with potatoes peppers and onions. The “Jerry Bomb” was with skirt steak. I’m sure, because I worked there during lunch hour. I worked 20 minutes, and got a free lunch with no pay. Marty

“Total Recall’” (wishfully; almost) of matters Weequahic: 

Bill Pollak (1/53)

I’d like to catch you up with some of the former Weequahic players that I’ve spoken to recently. I talked to Norman Hinkes (1/52) who is living down in Princeton. He was a track and football star at Weequahic and later Upsala College. Arnie Taub (54) was All-City, County and State in football and also played basketball and baseball. He currently is a stockbroker in New York. Andy Zupko was an All-City and State and All-Metropolitan football player land now lives in Point Pleasant, N.J. Charles “Tutty” Lubetkin (6/49), former basketball star, is living in Florida. His brother Alvin (1/52), a Texeas resident, was a first team All-State halfback. I speak to lots of other guys also, but this was just a short list of a few that I’ve spoken to recently. Bill

Mel Rubin (6/56)

To expand on Alan Ginter’s (64/65) comments (and believe me, he needs no expansion), regarding the Forward, that was a Yiddish newspaper. The standing joke was that you read the Forward backwards. The reason being that in Yiddish and Hebrew you read from right to left. I was very close with my Grandma, my mother’s mom who lived two houses to the left of Peshine Avenue School. As she had failing vision, I would read the Forward as well as the “Tag” (The Day) to her. To be kind, the latter was a Socialist Union paper. The funny thing was the script was in Yiddish, but the words were in English. Mel

Helen Lippman, (65) 

I have a friend who is Scottish and, although she has lived in the states for some 15 years or so, her speech is peppered with expressions from her native Scotland, said in a prominent Scottish brogue. So, one night when a bunch of us were having a lively discussion about our early years, she said, "I have a Weequahic story."

"What do you know about Weequahic"? I asked, taken aback by the idea that she had even heard of it. Turns out she hadn't. What she actually said was, "I have a wee quick story." Sounded like Weequahic to me!  Helen

Fred “Derf” Goldman (6/62)

I was reading the newsletter recently when the story about the Fromkins caught my eye. I have another story of me getting into trouble that not many people would know, but I think it would make good reading. It dates back to when the “Y” opened up on Chancellor Avenue and was the new hangout for the Weequahic crew. Not sure how it started, but one night I was there with a few of my friends and Billy Fromkin (1/62) was there, too. It seems to me we got into a fight over a girl from Irvington, Janet, whom I had dated previously and with whom he had just broken up.

Most likely, I must have said some things about Janet that Billy didn't like. I believe I had nothing bad to say because it was just a teen break up. Next thing I know, Billy was in my face and pushing me around like a paper bag. He did have the weight advantage over me by a lot. Back then I was a 140 lbs. soaking wet. I wasn't going to take it and the fight was on. I had to use my speed to fend him off. I was doing pretty good. I had been in a lot of fights in high school so I knew what to do. Like I said, I was holding my own till Billy got me down and was beating me up pretty good. That is when my friends broke up the fight. 

Years later, I found out that Billy was married to Janet. I guess Janet made the right choice. She married a dentist and not a mailman like me. The sad part is I lost the fight in front of the “Y.” I think it might have been my last fight I had except for a few good ones when I was in the Army. Most of my fights were when I attended Clinton Place JR. High; very tough school. Derf