Break out the beach umbrella...

Welcome to the month that officially ushers in summer at the beach. WHS seniors are plotting their senior hooky day getaway and winter is behind us.

We invite you to enjoy our most recent update that features a wide range of subjects, all anchored in life growing up in Jersey and laying claim to being Woodbridge educated. Our theme is the Jersey Shore...we'll take you back to the hot sand and smells of Seaside summers. Visit a classmate that has flourished in the Sunshine State having cut his teeth at Seaside. We catch up with the "Hi Guy!" guy and get to enjoy the beautiful images that some classmates submitted for photo of the month.

Our mystery classmate was Greg Fairbanks and over a dozen correctly guessed Greg . Try your hand at this month's new classmate. You guess correctly then choose a prize, any prize...as long as it is from the lower shelf.

Enjoy!

Rich, Cindy and Diane P.S. ...Penny, get back to work.

Our summer haven...

Unscrew the cap of a bottle of Coppertone...directions to follow.

Over the course of each day the boardwalk in Seaside Heights presented two different faces. During the day the boardwalk and the beach are one extended playground. You can lie on the beach, play in an arcade, swim in the ocean and have lunch at a pizzeria - all in places that are within sight of one another. Then everything changes at night. The lights, crowds and excitement of the boardwalk come alive with the beach and water receding into the background. The energy and feel of the boardwalk changes too. The easy relaxation of a day at the beach gives way to a more edgy feel that is both readily recognizable and excitingly pleasant. You sense that something is about to happen and is fueled by many things, like the game of chance barkers, groups of noisy teens, small wide-eyed children, the ride hawkers and sometimes screaming riders. You almost feel compelled to take it all in as completely as you can.

We can still hear and smell Seaside like it was yesterday, the cool salty morning air that clung to you like Saran wrap, the hot sand on the beach and the wild surf. Can't forget those brutal sunburns and windburns. The sounds and lights...of the rides, especially the Himalaya, Led Zeppelin. Walking the boardwalk and smelling all the different foods from the stands, sausage and peppers, pizza, meatball parm, cheese steaks, french fries, the clams and oysters on a half shell, corn on the cob, cotton candy, the waffles and ice cream, Kohr's custard. Whether it was with family, friends or our senior hooky day...the Jersey Shore was special. A kid growing up in Butte, Montana will never understand.

Raymond Ruiz - I seemed to have spent most of my time on the Jersey Shore in my college years. I dated a girl whose family had a house in Beach Haven on LBI. It was beautiful down there. Then I started playing music more and I would play some small venues in places like Keansburg, Seabright, Long Branch, etc. I was actually getting my equipment out of my wagon for a gig when I found out Elvis passed away. My claim to fame is I was in a band (1977-78) and all the guys were from Woodbridge. The name of the band was Horizon. The other four musicians were then ages 17 - 19. I was the old man at 25. The lead guitarist was a 19 yr. old kid named Richie Sambora (he was the one that told me about Elvis). So I can tell my friends and family I played the Jersey Shore with a famous rock and roll musician. What a talented young man. I knew back then he would make it big. There came a time when I decided I wanted to make more money and do weddings and banquets. Richie, although we both did, said he preferred to stay with rock. Oh well, he's a millionaire and at almost 59 years old I am a retired math teacher teacher who is still playing classic rock and doing gigs. I have enjoyed my life as it unfolded, but as the saying goes..."Those were the days my friends...".

Kathy Ombres Dunham - My high school memories of the Jersey shore are great ones for me. I wasn't the type to do all the rides, but went on a few. What I remember was the scrambler and bumper cars. They were the best ones for me. The bumper cars are like a crash course in driving, the operative word being crash! I can still taste the sausage and peppers on a roll or the pizza fresh from the oven and the amazing lemon ice or vanilla custard. For some reason it always tastes better at the boardwalk, whether it be Seaside, Asbury Park or even Atlantic City. To this day, my children and grandchildren do the same things. As a matter of fact, I, along with my sister and brother and their families still try to meet in Seaside once a year and do the whole boardwalk. My first date with my husband of forty years was at Seaside Heights. I remember when I was trying to get into a sorority our pledge pranks involved a day at Seaside beach. I often laugh when I think of how the day went. Surely it was nothing harmful or hurtful like the kids do today or seen in the movies. The Jersey Shore always provides fond memories to those that have gone there. I am happy to be among those and whose memories are being passed to others. Proud to be a "Jersey Girl"!

Kathi Jedrusiak Bornemann - I do remember the scalding sunburns I would get from lying on the beach in Seaside Heights bathed in baby oil and thinking how "cool" I looked afterwards. Loved the "made on the spot" lemonade from the stand with the big lemon on top in the middle of the boardwalk and eating my first zeppole after watching Doug Hart eat an entire bag I believe on a senior hooky day. To this day I love zeppoles and will drive to Keansburg with my husband, Rich, a few times each summer to enjoy some.

Oh...that bottle of Coppertone. No matter what time of the year, even December in Butte, all you have to do is open that bottle and take a whiff of bottled Jersey summers. It will take you and your memories back in time to Jersey Shore time...each and every time.

Wow...

(Click on the photo for a larger view)

Commandments for Woodbridge teachers, nineteenth-century style. No doubt about it, a teacher's day didn't end when the last school bell rang.

Classmate spotlight...

He drove the MG..you just knew back then that Bob had a smart head on his shoulders.

Bob McKee, from Fords, knew what he wanted and he knew how to accomplish it while enjoying life at the same time. After graduation, Bob attended Miami-Dade Community College in Miami, Florida. It's there that he became hooked on the Florida lifestyle. On summer breaks he would return to Seaside Heights to work the concession stands on the boardwalk. After receiving his AA in education, Bob decided to become an entrepreneur on the Seaside Heights boardwalk from 1972-1984, operating six locations yearly.

His sense of successful business didn't end there. When he arrived in Florida in 1984, Bob took the opportunity to buy into a auto accessory store franchise called The Driver's Seat. Started with one store and then opened three more. Eventually he purchased the two pre-existing stores. Bob founded Palm Beach Motoring in 1997 as a catalog company to car enthusiasts. Since he had the inventory and the vendor relationships already established, it was a natural transition into a mail order business. An online version of the catalog was launched in 1979. In 2000, PBMA-FL.net became Autogeek.net. Bob implemented the invaluable experience that he learned while operating on the boardwalk to provide customers with the same insight and care they receive in a store, via the Internet.

In 2006, Bob started Autogeek.net, his own car detailing forum. It was a new way to answer customers' questions about their products and facilitate conversations betwen people who share a common hobby.

Bob's Autogeek.net's facility has a total space of 20,000 sq. ft., with over 40 employees and a fully equipped garage, studio and classroom. Autogeek.net's Show Car Garage how-to segments and commercials air on SPEED channel. In addition, the distribution side of PBMA continues to flourish with new distributors being added all over the world.

Last year, Bob was pleased to develop a relationship with the co-hosts of Truck Y, Matt Steel & Bruno Massel, and bring them into the PBMA family as spokesmen for Autogeek.net. Recently, Autogeek.net's 6th Annual Detail Fest was the largest to date. He had over 3000 people in attendance as well as 40 manufacturers displaying their products all in his midway tent. It was a two day event, complete with a car show, truck show, live entertainment, a beer garden and food concessions. The How-To detailing classes were filled to capacity and streamed live on the Internet. Best yet, over $5,000 was raised for the PBMA charities. The event this year was filmed by Fox Sports Network (FSN) to be aired in the summer of 2011. Autogeek.net is in it's 2nd year of sponsoring SPEED channel's Two Guys Garage along with the race car for Massel Racing. Lastly, our tireless classmate has had the pleasure of being the Executive Producer for his own show, Autogeek's What's in the Garage? hosted by Mike Phillips, which aired earlier this month.

If you ask friend and former classmate, Doug Hart, he would tell you that Bob is the consummate worker and salesman. "He started by putting in long hours at the Seaside boardwalk and continues that same work ethic aiming at excellence to this very day. Another friend of Bob since the seventh grade, Jack Taylor, remembers when Bob fell in love at the end of their senior year. "It might have even happened on senior hooky day. Bob's first love was not a girl but the action of the boardwalk at Seaside Heights. When school ended in June 1970 Bob moved to Seaside to work his passion if that's what we can call it. To Bob, working 60 -80 hours a week was not hard work, it was fulfilling a burning desire. His mission there was to find out everything he could on how the business worked. His mentor, Lucky Leo, took him in and showed Bob how to run a good stand and what to look for in a location when he was ready to go on his own. When Bob got his own stands, he had a great feel for things there, he always seemed to be on the leading edge anticipating what was to be the hot item every year. A trip to Seaside in those days was not complete unless we could get together for a few hours and hang out."

In addition to a rewarding career, Bob is very proud of his family, especially his two daughters, Kristin and Kelli. When he's not working, Bob enjoys getting out on the water on his boat. "I'm fortunate to live on a canal (what they call a lagoon in Florida) and like to go to a waterfront restaurant or over to the Bahamas every chance I get. When my girls were growing up, we spent family vacations in the Florida Keys. I still take the boat down to the Keys whenever I can to enjoy the simple peaceful lifestyle."

Bob took his love of the Atlantic surf and sand south and continued his success. Little did we realize in high school that his passion for business and automobiles would someday translate into a mega company providing rewarding employment for so many. Bob...we applaud you...nice going!

All in the family...

Our classmate, Dickie Janni, comes from a family that owned a piece of the Rahway Ave and Green Street corner for many years. Dickie's grandfather opened a Sweet Shoppe on the site in 1930. Pictured here in 1940 is his dad, Richie, who eventually converted the businees into what we remember as "The Village Inn". The bar and restaurant served the community from 1948 til 1987. (Note the price of a cup of coffee back then)

"Have you ever talked to the rock?"

Who amongst us doesn't fondly recall the 50's and 60's when WPIX childrens programing was a daily mainstay? Each afternoon we looked forward to our Wonderama, Captain Kangaroo, Soupy Sales and others. One of the stars we sat in front of our black & white Zeniths to watch was the multi-talented Chuck McCann

Keeping with our WHS Blog theme to reminisce our school days and life growing up we thought it would be fun to catch up with Chuck and share with all of you what he is doing since the days he entertained us with his silliness and reading us the comics while dressed as Little Orphan Annie.

Chuck was kind enough to speak with me this past week for our Blog. Even at the age of seventy seven, his energy and voice are still the same; his kindness and humble appreciation for our interest in him was a very pleasant surprise. Chuck and his wife Betty have lived in Los Angeles since the early 70's. We spoke while Chuck was driving in LA with his destination being the "rock". Our forty minute conversation was full of laughs with an enjoyable exchange of stories. He shared with me that he worked the Chuck McCann Show three hours a day seven days a week, including Christmas Day. He loved his work and none of it was scripted. His producers allowed his zany creativity to rule the studio.

Daytime television hadn't yet become the massive money generator that it is today, which is why most local programming pre-1970's was aimed at children. Multi-faceted performers like Chuck McCann were expected to go out there with no scripts, very little budget and scant support behind the camera.

Chuck became known for his funny character bits and puppetry that included the Laurel & Hardy characters on Let's Have Fun, The Puppet Hotel, The Great Bombo's Magic Cartoon Circus, The Clay Cole Show, Chuck McCann's Laurel & Hardy Show and The Chuck McCann Show (1963-1967). He's also famous for one of the hottest catch phrases of the 1960's as the man in the Right Guard commercials that pops up on the other side of a fellow's bathroom cabinet and cheerfully exclaims "Hi Guy!"

Among the hundreds of animated commercials he's done, boomers may know him best as the voice of both Sonny the Cuckoo Bird and Gramps in those unforgettable 1960's Coco Puffs commercials.

In 1975 Chuck co-starred with Gilligan's Island's Bob Denver in the Saturday morning sci-fi Far Out Space Nuts (he was also co-producer and writer). Aside from television, he earned critical acclaim for his dramatic roles in The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter with Alan Arkin and for starring in The Projectionist, a genuine cult favorite. Knowing that our May Blog update was featuring the Jersey Shore, Chuck pointed out that "The Projectionist" was filmed in Asbury Park. He has been a guest star on basically everything on television from the Bob Newhart Show to appearances as a judge on Boston Legal.

Back in the 60's his main competition was a fella named Soupy Sales, Soupy oddly enough was also his best friend. Chuck will return home every now and then when he feels the need for really good food, to re-energize his soul and to appreciate his old neighborhood roots. He currently stars with his long time friend, Tim Conway, on a national touring stage show. In August he will be playing The Auditorium in Ocean Grove and has invited anyone in the area to take in the show and say hello.

Chuck was a workaholic and for most of his career didn't fully realize the impact that he had on us baby boomers until two years ago when he was convinced to join Facebook. "Rich, when I see the amount of daily comments on my FB pages of kids your age thanking me for having an influence on their youth, well, it is beyond description". Chuck has asked that you contact him on Facebook, he would love to hear from you and yes, he will answer you. He also asked that I pass along to all of you that followed him back then that he is sincerely grateful for our continued interest in him and his career. You can also visit his web site at: www.chuckmccann.net

In closing, Chuck had reached his destination and asked me to hold on for a moment while he spoke to the rock...I heard him introduce himself and a voice back from a speaker instructed him to proceed through the gate. "Rich, have you ever dealt with the rock?" I laughed and said no Chuck, realizing where he was by then. He said, "Hef has been my best friend for over forty years and we're here several times a week. If you would like to visit you can be my guest." I said, "Chuck, you're on!" You see, the rock was the hidden security speaker at the driveway entrance to the famed Playboy mansion.

...guys, more to follow soon. :)

Original Cast Members...

(click on photo for a larger image)

Welcome to our monthly visual satire featuring a lighthearted look at what we believe were the original cast members before the final casting decisions were made. This month, we felt it was appropriate to choose "Jersey Shore"! Also, to kick off this monthly roasting we felt it was only fair that we include ourselves in our first selection. Beware folks, it just may be you that is in next month's "Original Cast Members"! :)

Kevin Short, Rich Kee, Diane Sharrie, Linda Kirchhoff, Bob Conquest, Cindy Hathaway and John Carvana.

A few taught us...

Faculty of School Eleven, 1934

Teachers are, from left to right: (front row) Elsie Agreen, Sadie Whitaker, Elizabeth Kopper, Jane Dunigan, Mary Mack Gagdosh, Sylvia Mucciarello, Gladys Sitzer and Clara Skidmore; (second row) Arlene Corlute, Adrian DeYoung, unidentified, Helen Mullin, Carlotta Mason, and unidentified; (third row) Ruth Tracy, Jean Johnson, Ethel Inslee, Anna C. Fraser, (fourth row) Helen Coan, Effie K. Neville, Amelia List, Nellie Edgar, Margaret Henricksen and Leonard Willinger.

Images of the month...

Last month we announced that we would feature your submitted images that you would like to share with your fellow alumni. We received three outstanding submissions and hope you will continue to share your creative talents each month with us!

In January of this year Diane Sharrie Gambetta recorded this terrific shot at the Sandy Hook beach.

Robin Chanin and her husband Roger live on five beautiful acres of the Sierra foothills. Robin took this beautiful fiery sky image of those foothills in December of 2010.

Charlotte Enik Klecan, along with her husband Ed, daughter Stephanie and son, Ed enjoyed a 2010 June cruise to Bermuda. Charlotte captured this great sunset shot from the ship.

A step back in time...

On the corner of Coreja Ave. and Oak Tree Road the Iselin spent it's final years as a discount price double feature house but fell into decline with the opening of a couple mall multiplexes in the area. Closed in 1984, the space is now used as retail. The seating capacity was 597 and was the last of the old style "downtown business district" theaters.