Welcome...

Welcome to Summer.

We hope you will enjoy our latest update. We're proud to spotlight this classmate of ours that has married her kind spirit to a professional role in working with students that need developmental assistance. Take a nostalgic view of WHS gym attire...no Nike logo sponsorship here. A good natured satire of "Original Cast Members" resurfaces, the story of where the name "Barron" originated, vertical concrete names and a step back in time...theatre style. In addition, keeping with our custom of Blog visits by notable public personalities from our generation growing up we are visited by perhaps the most famous TV child star ever.

Don't forget, take a guess at the mystery classmate on the right and the fish would appreciate some attention.

We are pleased to share that our little WHS 1970 Blog is well over ten thousand visits in it's short life span. Recently the Iselin Times blog paid tribute to our site and we have been contacted by the editor of the Woodbridge Patch wishing to profile our efforts as well. Keep up the Barron spirit!

All in all...enjoy the words, photos and music. Summer is here!

Rich, Cindy, Diane and Chris

If it's Friday then they need to be washed...

We thank Shelley Robinson for sharing with us.



Classmate spotlight...

Hometown Girl is defined by her. Woodbridge is the hometown and in the past six decades she has made several moves but none of them more than a mile apart. Woodbridge has a hold on this girl and that is fine by our classmate, Kathi Jedrusiak Borneman. Many of us move away from the area and find ourselves seeking time to come home to enjoy our roots. Kathi stayed and today embraces all that us wanderers only get to enjoy on the occasional trip home.

 

Kathi will always been known as the pretty blonde classmate that had a personality that welcomed friends throughout her school experience. Today, she is a Occupational Therapist for the Woodbridge Township school system. She works with developmentally delayed youngsters from grades three through high school. Kathi finds a great deal of reward in playing a role in enabling these students to not only enrich their own lives but help contribute to the wider community. As a loving grandmother to seven you can agree Kathi brings compassion and patience to the workplace.

 

Like others, Kathi is quick to volunteer her time, because of her, our last class reunion classmates were able to enjoy the tour of the high school. When asked her favorite teacher there was no hesitation...Leona Zak, home economics. In Junior High it was Mrs. Gadek. When it came to close friends, that was easy. Joyce Campbell, Bubby Westcott, Cindy Almasi and fortunately for Richie...Janice Borneman. During high school Kathi worked at "Chicken Galore", still a staple in Woodbridge on Amboy Avenue.

 

Soon after high school, Kathi and Richie, a HVAC technician, were married. As a result, they are proud parents of Kristie, a nurse by profession but now a stay at home mom, Joanna, librarian and also now a stay at home mom. Finally, Dan a Lieutenant Commander fighter pilot/instructor in the US Navy. As you can see, Richie and Kathi have much to be proud of when it comes to their own family.

 

Kathi has attended each of our reunions with the exception of the 35th. Anyone that has viewed the photos will take note that she is usually surrounded with friends dressed in smiles. She is eager to see everyone again and hopes we can organize at least an informal gathering this fall to mark our "60" speed bump. In their free time Richie and Kathi will hit the Englishtown flea market on Saturday mornings or spend time in Ocean Grove.

 

It wasn't until the nineties that Kathi decided to go back to school to earn her degree. Not only is she pleased with her decision to do so but I suspect, so are the ones she works with daily.

 

Kathi, we salute you for all that you are. When we brag about classmates for accomplishments and large heart, we push you, our home town girl, to the front of the line.

Long before Kim...

Karma Westcott, Janice Wicke and Ginger Musslewhite

Little Ricky...

He was born December 1, 1950, in Lafayette, Louisiana and his last name is not Arnaz. Keith Thibodeaux, better known to our generation as I Love Lucy's "Little Ricky", kindly agreed to spend time with us. In speaking with Keith I was genuinely impressed with his honesty and sincerity about his life.

 

His talents with drums is the reason why his parents took him west, eventually landing him the role of Little Ricky. "I never had a lesson," Keith says. "My talent for playing the drums was a gift from God. Dad bought me a toy drum one Christmas, and I eventually destroyed it. I wanted a real drum and he bought me a snare drum. Dad continued to buy me one drum after the other."

 

He soon began performing and winning at local Louisiana talent contests .Eventually Keith's Dad quit his job at United Gas Company and accompanied his son as they toured the U.S. and Canada. But it wasn't until two years later that the father and son would walk into Desilu Studios in California and change television history. That was the day Keith Thibodeaux auditioned for the part of Little Ricky.
 
When Keith walked into the studio in 1956, he was unaware that over two hundred youngsters had already auditioned for the part of Little Ricky, the new TV son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. After being introduced to Lucille Ball, the redhead asked Lionel Thibodeaux if his son had studied acting. When she was told that he had not, Lucy impatiently asked, "Well, what does he do?"
 
"He's a drummer," the elder Thibodeaux replied. Desi Arnaz walked in at that point and introduced himself. It was then that someone noticed a set of drums on the adjoining set of "The Danny Thomas Show". Everyone walked over to the drums and an air of excitement came over Lucy and Desi as Keith began to play. Desi walked over and asked if he could play. They alternated back and forth on the drums for a while before Keith Thibodeaux heard Lucy exclaim, "This is the kid! This is him! This is Little Ricky!"
 
Not only did the youngster have the musical talent to portray a bandleader's son on television; he also resembled his soon-to-be TV dad. Apparently, that was enough for Desi and Lucy, and "the drummer from Bunkie, Louisiana" was signed on as Little Ricky. The role of Little Ricky made Thibodeaux the most well-known child actor on television over the next four years. In fact, many of us believed that Keith was Lucy and Desi's own son. One of the reasons was that Lucille Ball gave birth to Desi Arnaz, Jr., the same day that the episode of Little Ricky's birth aired on television. The coincidental births made many television viewers think that Little Ricky's character and Desi Arnaz Jr. were one in the same. Some still do to this day.
 

Keith made his debut on "I Love Lucy" shortly after his audition. A Hollywood heavyweight often guest starred on the show and that was the case with his initial episode. Bob Hope portrayed himself in a guest star appearance, and Lucy disguised herself as an usher at a baseball stadium in an attempt to talk to the Hollywood legend. Hope ends up getting hit in the head with a foul ball due to the redhead's constant distractions. Even though it marked his debut and was a memorable episode, it was not the one that Keith remembers the most. His favorite episode came when George Reeves appeared on the show as Superman. "Superman was my hero at the time," Keith says. "George Reeves was really Superman in my eyes. For him to come on the set and be there was a treat for me. When he shook hands with me I thought, 'He really is Superman.'"
 
Keith became quite close with Lucy and Desi while working on the show. He was a frequent guest at the Arnaz household, and spent a lot of time with the couple's children, Lucie and Desi Jr. "We were childhood friends. In fact, I was one of the few trusted people that Lucy allowed to play with their kids. I spent time at their summer home, rode horses at their ranch, and swam at their beach house. I even spent a Christmas with them at Palm Springs one year."

"The first thing I think of when I hear the name of Lucille Ball is a Hollywood legend. I have fond memories of growing up at her house, but she was a different person off the set than she was on the set. She was very professional in the studio. The cast called her Lucy, but everyone else called her Mrs. Ball. She was honest with people. If she liked you, you knew it. If she didn't, you knew it, also. "Lucy took care of me on the set, and made sure that none of the crew cussed around me. She also had birthday parties for me and made sure that they were well attended. She and Desi gave me many gifts over the years - among them were a bicycle, a full-size Indian teepee, and a set of drums, in fact I cherish that set of drums. To this day I play them."
 
Keith also has fond memories of co-stars William Frawley and Vivian Vance who played Lucy and Ricky Ricardo's best friends and neighbors Fred and Ethel Mertz on the show. "Bill (William Frawley) was just a good ole boy. He was sort of like his character on the show. He would meet me at the doughnut table and ask, 'How's the world treating you today, Keith?' Many of the older Hollywood actors didn't have much to do with kids, and I remember that it meant a lot for him to speak to me every morning." At the time, Vivian Vance was married to Fort Payne, Ala. native Phillip Ober. "She was a nice lady who came there to do her job. We got along well and I called her Viv. She knew her role to play in the show and she did it well."
 
"I Love Lucy" ended in 1960 when Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz divorced. Keith continued his acting career by appearing on a number of television episodes, including "The Shirley Temple Playhouse," "The Farmer's Daughter," "The Joey Bishop Show," "Route 66," and many others. In 1962, he appeared on another weekly television show that, like "I Love Lucy", was to make TV history, The Andy Griffith Show...playing the role of Opie's best friend.

Keith eventually left acting and joined the popular rock group, David and the Giants. Almost immediately Thibodeaux's alcohol and drug abuse escalated, something that had began during his high school years. His life seemed to spiral out of control over the next few years until two major events occurred in his life. In 1976 he met Kathy Denton at a David and the Giants concert in Jackson, Mississippi. The couple was married after a three-month whirlwind courtship, and Thibodeaux left the rock band.

"It was definitely a turning point in my life. It was like I met someone who was sent from God. The second major event happened in 1978 when Keith Thibodeaux was baptized as a Christian. Christianity had been something that the drummer had flirted with in the past. Yet, this time it seemed different. He said that he truly felt like a new man, and that the world looked different to him. Things had also changed for David and the Giants. The leader of the band, David Huff, as well as his twin brothers Clayborn and Rayborn, had accepted Christ and became Christians. In 1979 Thibodeaux rejoined the band, now a Christian version of David and the Giants, and remained with them until 1989.

While her husband was performing with David and the Giants in 1986, Kathy Thibodeaux founded Ballet Magnificat!, the world's premier Christian ballet company. Headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, the touring company performs all over the world. Keith became the executive director of Ballet Magnificat! in 1989. He spends much of his time traveling with the touring company, assisting in scheduling ballet performances, and overseeing the concerts. www.balletmagnificat.com

Keith's career has afforded him the chance to spend time in the New Jersey area. As a member of our generation he appreciates our life experiences and is proud to have been a part of TV history. However, when asked what does it feel like to look back and see himself on the show Keith was quick to point out, "Rich, I honestly can't say when I last saw a show. As proud  as I am of that experience I realize that was then and I now concentrate on life ahead". Keith shared with me in detail the many highs and lows in his life and how he came around to living a faith based life. Keith's interest in speaking with me was to share that no matter the age or stage of life we find ourselves in he simply asks that we all take time to step back, take a deep breath and ask ourselves if we are truly happy with the way we are living our lives. In Keith's case, his choices have made him someone grounded and I have to say, a pleasure to speak with. He, in return, was impressed with our class unity and the efforts we make to stay in touch with each other.

Yes, Little Ricky had been a childhood star while growing up. He led a perfect childhood and had perfect parents. But Little Ricky was only make-believe, someone who was simply a character on my family's old black and white television set. Keith Thibodeaux is a real person with real qualities. I can honestly say he loves his God, his family, and realizes life is a gift. After our conversation, I was truly impressed...not with the fact that I just shared time with the iconic TV kid but with the man he is now. 

Have these ever struck you odd?...

We grew up with them but try finding concrete street signs outside of the Garden State.

So that's where the name came from...

Barron House c. 1803
574 Rahway Avenue

Built in the early nineteenth century, this was the home of the Barron Family for many years. The Barron name was an important one in town, as the family was one of the first to settle in Woodbridge in the late seventeenth century. Well known for their patriotism and philanthropy, the Barrons made many contributions to their country and native town. This was the home of Joseph Barron, a Deacon of the First Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge. Joseph Barron’s sons, Thomas and John, were successful business men who contributed to Woodbridge’s commercial  and educational enterprises. Thomas C. Barron was a wealthy merchant and philanthropist, who held a partnership in a major house engaged in the West India trade. Upon his death, he willed $50,000 for the establishment of the neighboring Barron Library. His brother John, who became skilled in cabinet making, established a manufactory in Woodbridge. Later in life, he tended a farm just beyond the heart of Woodbridge, which stood upon the land through which Barron Avenue runs. His son, Dr. John C. Barron, served as a surgeon in the United States Volunteer Army with the Sixty-ninth New York Regiment. Upon the death of his uncle, Thomas C. Barron, he donated land from the Barron Estate, on which the library still stands.

In the late nineteenth century, the Barron House was purchased by the Boynton Family, known for their luxurious summer resort on Boynton Beach in Sewaren. The colonial home, which stands along Rahway Avenue, is today an apartment house.

A step back in time...



...come and gone.

Say hey!

Spring is here and there is new life in the garden as well as your WHS '70 Blog. For most of us winter is yesterday's news as we all look forward to the spring and summer months ahead. We're pleased to take a spot in you inbox with a new Blog update.

 

This month we take a step back in time to visit the hallways of Barron Avenue Jr. High, a memory of School #11, a moment of respect to a very talented artist that once called Woodbridge home, a red carpet hottie and at the risk of diluting the talent pool of this Blog...a classmate spotlight on yours' truly. From the outset of the Blog I was pestered by the girls (Cindy, Diane and Chris) to feature myself. The last thing I wanted was it to appear as self serving. They pushed, I resisted..they pushed harder, they won. So with that said, I apologize in advance...blame it on Cindy.

 

Let's see if you are able to identify our mystery classmate this time around. I'm pleased to see the fish are still alive...someone was kind enough to feed them. Our little Blog is nearing ten thousand hits since it conception. Not bad, eh?

 

I have heard from several of you asking if there are any plans in the works for a "two-year" reunion since we're turning the corner called "60". Honestly I don't know what the plans, if any, are. One thought that I have is to revisit the hood this fall and if anyone in the area would be interested in a casual, non formal gathering for a simple dinner somewhere without the hassle of bookings, DJ, hotel rooms, etc let me know. Keep it simple, everyone is responsible for their own costs and the focus is on enjoying each other's company over a nice meal. Your thoughts?

 

Before I close, we want to remind you this is YOUR Blog. We welcome all input and would love to receive any material, i.e. photos, articles, etc. that you would like us to share. In addition, anyone you know of that would be a good choice for a classmate spotlight...don't be shy.

 

Enjoy!

School number eleven...

How many of us that attended School #11 (now Ross Sreet School) remember the two entrances that led out onto the playground. Each marked for either Boys or Girls. The door hardware and signage has changed over the years but memories remain.

Oh George...

How many of you watching the Oscars last week took note of our fellow classmate, Pat Navalany, on the red carpet? We all know her love for Mr. Clooney...we just never took her serious. Nice going Pat! :)

Remember these...

Classmate spotlight...

He was the skinny kid with a mop of jet black hair and a Pentax camera over his shoulder. I think that would best describe me during my days at WHS. An average student at best, but the one class I was passionate about was the art class taught by Bob Phillips. He opened our eyes to the world of visual art and that meant a still and film curriculum. Because of that influence I went on to attend Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, Ca for the next four years. It would be the start of my career path in this zany and most rewarding world of photography. 

After graduation from Brooks in 1974 I coupled my love of baseball and career to become the organizational photographer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a member of the Dodger family under the leadership of Walter and Peter O'Malley it was a gift to this twenty two year old kid from Jersey. It truly was the finest organization at the time in all of sports. We enjoyed first class treatment, at home or on the road...including our own private jet.

During the seventy's and eighties' I was blessed to experience events, people and places I would never have dreamed of as a kid. Fortunately, many of those relationships remain today. I am currently working on a coffee table top book showcasing my work from my time with the Dodgers. It will feature images and text with an approach to the game from a different perspective...including contributions from several key players that once were in uniform and in front of my lens. From photographing bat boys to Lucille Ball and even U.S. Presidents...I have been one very lucky individual.

Having once mastered professional athletes' egos I was then prepared to take on the Friars Club of Beverly Hills as their official photographer for many years. Handling this account was a total trip to become friends and be in the company of many legends in the entertainment industry. In the late 80's I decided to open my own commercial/advertising studio in Pasadena, CA. We handled culinary, corporate, industrial, editorial and quite honestly, anything that paid.

Along the way I married and we were blessed with our children, Laura and Ryan. Anyone that knows me on Facebook also knows I am a proud Dad and a obnoxiously proud grandpa of our little Gracie and Zane. No matter how noteworthy a public personality I may have  photographed before, there is no greater joy for me now than to view my grandchildren through the viewfinder.

Today I am single and living in Southern California co-owning ImageWest Photography, Inc., a photography and creative services entity. In addition to the commercial accounts we have developed a subsidiary called SuiteCaptures. SuiteCaptures provides professional photography to the luxury suites in many sports venues across the country. I invite you to visit both sites if you wish. www.imagewestphotography.net and www.suitecaptures.net  

When free time presents itself I enjoy attending various custom car shows in the area. I take along my simple point and shoot camera and enjoy capturing the various elements that make up these beautiful automobiles. I enjoy it so much that I created another Blog entitled 'Driven Art'. www.drivenart.blogspot.com Speaking of Blogs, one of the more enjoyable tasks of the recent past has been working on our WHS 1970 Barrons Blog. It has been a kick in the pants fun to interact with all of you and I hope it has helped others to stay in touch with old friends. I look forward to our next reunion.

The skinny waistline has disappeared, Pentax quickly gave way to Nikon, left knee traded for titanium, the mop of jet black hair has surrendered to white and the residence is now three thousand miles away. What won't change though is Woodbridge will always be home and my appreciation for my friendships with many of you remain cherished. Thank you for taking the time to read this classmate's tale.

Before bottled water...

Pictured above is an actual fountain from the hallways of our old Barron Avenue Junior High still in use today. Does anyone remember the awful taste from not only this fountain but all hallway water fountains throughout our school experience?! Memories of water pressure too high and filling your nostrils or not enough pressure that you dare not allow your lips to touch the chrome fixture no matter how thristy you were at the time...not to mention we always checked the foot traffic behind us to prevent some classmate from bumping into you and taking out your front grill. :)

A sign of the times...

At the time of our graduation in 1970 a gallon of gasoline in Woodbridge was twenty nine cents.

Dory Previn

Dory Previn dies at 86; Oscar-nominated songwriter

Gifted lyricist Dory Previn found success in Hollywood with then-husband Andre Previn, then mined the pain of their breakup to launch a solo career as a balladeer of angst.

Although she was an Oscar-nominated songwriter, Dory Previn, Woodbridge native, was better known for ballads that spoke to wounded souls. A gifted lyricist, she mined her traumatic childhood and later mental illness to write confessional songs that found an audience — and helped her heal.

In one song, "Beware of Young Girls," she expressed her outrage over being left in the late 1960s by her husband and songwriting partner, Andre Previn, for actress Mia Farrow:

Beware of young girls

Too often they crave to cry

At a wedding and dance on a grave

Soon after her marriage broke up, Dory Previn had a breakdown. Institutionalized for several months, she "started writing, to get some order out of chaos," she later said. She emerged with a sheaf of lyrics that marked the start of her solo singing-songwriting career.

Previn died February 14th at her home in Southfield, Mass., according to her husband, Joby Baker. She was 86.

While a junior lyricist at MGM, she met Andre Previn and they collaborated throughout the 1960s. They received Academy Award nominations for "Faraway Part of Town," sung by Judy Garland in "Pepe," and for "Second Chance" from "Two for the Seesaw."

As their marriage unraveled, the couple did some of their most popular work writing songs for 1967's "Valley of the Dolls," a soundtrack that spent six months on the charts.

Her final Oscar nomination came for "Come Saturday Morning," a melancholy number co-written with composer Fred Karlin for "The Sterile Cuckoo," a 1969 film with Liza Minnelli.

By then, Dory Previn was largely through with Hollywood, although she won an Emmy in 1983 for co-writing music for the television movie "Two of a Kind" starring George Burns and Robby Benson.

During her hospital stay, she had written candidly of her abusive father and observed what it was like to have a nervous breakdown. When the searingly personal songs were hard to sell, Previn recorded "On My Way to Where," the first of six albums she released in the 1970s.

The "amazingly revealing song collection has brought her out of the shadows — the shadow of her husband as well as the shadows of her mind," The Times review said when the album was released.

A follow-up album, "Mythical Kings and Iguanas," sold well, and another, "Reflections in a Mud Puddle," made it onto critics' "best of" lists in 1972.

"What I've tried to do," Previn said in 1971 in Time magazine, "is bring the madness out in the open. Keep it under wraps, and it erupts into wars and violence."

Dory Langan, now known as Dory Previn pictured on far right during a WHS band recital in 1941. Far left in front row is Ed Zullo, who many of us remember as a dentist from Main Street.



A step back in time...

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Welcome...

Greetings everyone!

Summer is behind us and we look forward to the fall and the great holidays the months ahead will bring us. Our September update offers up several fun versions of our "Original Cast Members" along with some visits back to one of our junior highs. A retro view back when our railroad was ground level, a visit from a television personality during our childhood and a classmate profile of yet another very creative and talented friend of ours.

The past month has seen our home state suffer from mother nature and the ten year anniversary of 9-11 comes all too close to home for many of us. Also, since we last visited I am sorry to say we have lost a classmate of ours, William Terefenko, age 58 and our music teacher Mrs. Musacchia passed last week at the age of 95.

Several of you were quite good in guessing Karen Kiraly as our mystery classmate. September also marks the one year anniversary of our 40th reunion. Hard to believe how fast the year has flown by. Pat Navalany is responsible for this month's music selections, thanks Pat.

This past year also has been a complete kick in the pants joy to work on and deliver these monthly blog updates. I'm sorry to share that given a crunch on my time it has been increasingly more difficult to get the blog out to all of you. From the outset our goal was to springboard from the great reunion and keep the WHS enthusiasm going strong. We are proud of the project we created and produced each month and thank the many of you that have taken the time to write with your appreciation for our efforts. At this point I am sorry but the WHS Blog will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. Hopefully down the road time will permit us to re-enter your inbox. Cindy, Diane and Chris are true sweethearts and I can't begin to thank them for everything they have done for your blog. Whenever there is a group organized to tackle the next reunion you would be wise to ask for these three ladies' assistance...they are and have been priceless to me...thank you. Finally...I say thank you to all of you that have agreed to allow us to profile you and your lives, this zany project of ours graced me with so many new friends as a result. Over seven thousand Internet visits to our blog is not bad I'd say! It has been a fun ride and I wish you all nothing but good in your life and I hope the world is kind to all of you.

Once again Cindy, Diane and Chris....thank you.

Ciao

Many of us lived in fear of these...

If these walls could speak...

Many of us attended Barron Avenue Junior High...how many of you recognize the auditorium wall art? (A big thank you to Tina Bedard for sharing her photos with us)

Classmate spotlight...

She is a fabric and color driven artist and her medium is abstract and quilted wall hangings. Color, texture and fiber have been a life long love of hers. Not just textiles but also light, sand, leaves, stones, etc. Her work focuses on the improvisational use of fabrics that she will dye, paint, silkscreen and mono print herself. Her name is Joyce Greenberg Goode.

Some of her works are large singular pieces. The excitement of these pieces to Joyce lies in the process of taking a piece of fabric, seeing what it suggests to her, and then developing it with painting, or printing, other fabrics and stitching. The result is her creative unique expression.

Another part of her artwork is interpretations of traditional quilt patterns. These patterns have been tried and found true for years by many quilters before her. Joyce tries to seek to understand these patterns, then break them apart and reassemble them in a way that makes a new composition. In the end, her personal vision of what is otherwise standard is the hallmark of these pieces.

In her Quilts she uses fabrics that she can dye, silk screen, and mono print. In addition, she will also choose commercially dyed fabrics. All are 100 % cotton. She will then combine these fabrics with an image in mind. Although the work is abstract and improvisational every cut is deliberate and every artistic decision is intentional. Joyce and her husband Mert call the Bay Area home these days. After graduation at RIT Joyce worked in the fashion industry in New York City before life took her to Southern California and then the Northwest before settling in San Francisco. Merton Goode, a highly respected anesthesiologist and seriously gifted golfer on the USGA Amateur circuit met on a blind date and they have been happily married now for the past fourteen years.

Joyce recalls her many friends from WHS, especially the art classes where she remembers the camaraderie and support her fellow classmates gave each other. "I think of so many talented and creative classmates that I knew like Kathi MaGuire and Michele Liss to name just two". Returning for our 40th reunion last year brought back a flood of good memories of good people that I was blessed to share my school experience with.

When asked about the progression of her work over the years Joyce shares: "these quilts are about different stages of my life, realizations I have had, and places I have been. I think any artist will tell you that when they invite you to view their work they are inviting you to see them in a more intimate way. You certainly know me better now because you have seen my work".

Over the past year in discussion Joyce and I discovered that we both consider "Secret O' Life" our favorite James Taylor song with the lyric "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time" being so true. Joyce, you certainly make the most of the passage of yours and your creative expression and friendship are a gift to all of us. 

Original cast members...

One of our favorite posts over the past year has been our good natured satire of what we believe were the original cast members of some notable shows...here's three for you to enjoy!

Bea Davis, Nancy Chomko, Sharon Melvin and Charlotte Enik

                                     Karen Kimberlin, Larry Cenegy, Kathi Jedrusiak and Dick Janni

Tony Russomanno, Patricia Koebel, Janet Monaco, Bob McKee, Elizabeth Weber and Mike Handerhan

Class of 1971's 40th reunion...

Here's the latest update on Class of 71's 40th Reunion Weekend Sept 23-25:

 

Hotel: Embassy Suites-Piscataway, 121 Centennial Ave, Piscataway, NJ.

 

Fri Sept 23 events: 7 pm football at Piscataway High; 9 pm live rock 'n roll at Tim Kerwins Tavern, Bound Brook (www.timkerwinstavern.com).

 

Sat Sept 24 events: 11 am WHS tour (meet in gym lobby); 8 pm reunion dinner at Embassy Suites (www.reunions-unlimited.com for ticket info).

 

Sun Sept 25: Brunch, Embassy Suites.

 

All alums, family, friends and faculty welcome! Check Classmates.com, WHS Alumni Site, or Facebook for details.

 

Class of 71 thanks Class of 70 for your reunion weekend ideas and guidance!

 

Thanks ...Barb Hastings

Who Knows Best?...

His official cast name was James but we knew him as Bud. Bud Anderson to be exact. Our formative Jersey years growing up we found that TV played a large role in many of our lives. Father Knows Best was a staple on the weekly schedule. How many of us would sit down to watch the show with our family? The show ran from 1954 to 1960 and Billy Gray who played the role of the son, Bud was very kind to sit down with us to discuss life then...and now. Billy was impressed with our Blog and thanked us for asking him to share a conversation.

Billy started in movies, playing in a couple of films as the younger brother to Doris Day, followed by a significant role in the classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still". In 1954 he landed the role on FKB. He shared with me his admiration for the professionalism and the direction he learned from Robert Young. Billy was very candid though in telling me that even at that young age he had serious reservations about the "message" that the show would project each episode. He viewed it as very chauvinistic and misleading and disrespectful to women. In the end, he felt that "you" should know best, not only did "father". This started when the TV show was born from a radio show of the same name and theme...well, almost the same name. See, back then sponsors carried much leverage and Kent cigarettes demanded that their lead actor on the show, Robert Young, be a very assertive and unquestioned role model for their product. Because of that they insisted on the dropping of the radio show's question mark that followed the "Father Knows Best?". When asked about the obvious lack of minorities on the show he said that he too was bothered by that but during that era of social change the affiliates in the South still threatened the production company that if they showcased minorities they would drop them from their schedule.

Back then it took nine, twelve hour days to film each episode. For his return, Billy made $250 per show, amazing isn't it? He stays in touch with the only two surviving cast members, Elinor Donahue and Lauren Chapin. Did you know that Lauren who played the youngest sister is actually the cousin to the late Harry Chapin, "The Cat's in the Cradle"?

Billy took his craft seriously and when asked what was it like to be a teenager viewing himself on TV he said that it was always a learning process whereby he was able to critique his lines and how he handled his role. Soon after the series ended in 1960 Billy was arrested on a charge of marijuana possession. He served 45 days and his acting career came to an end as a result of that arrest. He focused his attention on his love of racing motorcycles. For  many years he raced Class A motorcycles on Southern California tracks. His creative talents have rewarded him by his design of his F-1 Ergonomic Guitar Pick, a music industry standard now. Today, he is retired and living in Topanga, CA.

Billy asked how often we get together as a class and I shared our last reunion was a year ago. He wished us both good health and fellowship amongst our class. We thank him for a very candid and honest conversation for the blog.

Sealed with a handshake...

Last month we asked that you share with everyone those that you have had an opportunity to shake one's hand with over the years. The responses were very interesting and we thank those that wrote us.

Ken Kertesz: Paul Anka and Barack Obama.
Doug Diem: Roger Penske, Johnny Carson, and Dale Earnhardt.
Pat Navalany: Dr. Will Kirby (CBS's Big Brother).
Joyce Greenberg: Eleanor Roosevelt and Bill Murray.
Pat Dillon: John McCain, Sarah Palin and Doc Severinsen.
Judi Schlesinger: Jack Nicholson, Mohammad Ali and Sly Stallone.

A step back in time...

Well before our time, back in 1930, this photo shows the Green Street railroad crossing before the train tracks were raised in 1940.

Photo of the Month...

Pat Linde Neidermeyer captured this image recently at Holgate Beach on the southern tip of Long Beach Island, NJ. Pat and I first picked up a camera in our 1969 WHS Art class taught by RJ Phillips. Pat, nice to see your creative eye once again.

August!...

When we were young this was the time of the year we usually enjoyed family vacations but in the back of our minds we were dreading the fact that just around the corner was time to hit "Two Guys" for those school clothes and school supplies. Now...it's a time to enjoy the backside of summer.

This monthly update we're pleased to bring you a few stories of school and the area and in particular what was really "behind" Great Eastern. An invitation to share handshakes, a pop quiz, a fun "Original Cast Members" and a classmate spotlight that places equal importance on both teaching and learning...someone we believe you will really enjoy reading about.

Our mystery classmate (Penny Shuff) was not much of a mystery, not one incorrect guess...damn. So, have a hand at it this time around! Last but not least, your Blog team is growing, before long we'll be looking for office space!

Our response from many of you on the question of whether or not you would encourage or discourage our next reunion at the three year mark versus the traditional five was in favor of "three". Just another testament as to the great time all of you had last year! Whoever is in charge of our next reunion please note the response and we hope that is helpful in your planning for our next gathering.

We once again thank all of you that take the time to write us in appreciation for this blog. It's fun for us and great to know you enjoy it monthly as well.