Union Avenue Class of '69 70th Birthday Party Reunion

there was something going on, 20 minutes from Newark airport, the weekend of April 18th.  Would you be interested?

From left to right: Matthew Wolf, Paul Pomerantz, Marty Tarabar, Jack Ribeiro, Lonnie Horwitz  Front row: Leslee Scheckman, me (Ruth Lorber Jamnik), Meryl Miller.  Cliques. Were we a clique? We were micro neighborhoods in a larger community. We were the Paine Avenue kids, we were the Stuyvesant Village kids. We came together on the Union Avenue playground.  Some were popular. Some overlooked. Some families had everything; some had nothing. Some looked at others with envy, some just wanted to fit in.  Looking back, things should have been, could have been, different. I'm guilty of it. I was so busy dealing with my own insecurities that I couldn't see anyone else's. Who knew then that one of the most popular girls in school couldn't afford the saddle shoes we were all sporting eighth grade year? Who knew that the girl who was teased about her weight, went home crying most days? Who knew the goody two shoes girl was actually the neighborhood.... I'll just leave it ther...

  Remember Mr. Dombrowski? There wasn't an eighth grade girl who didn't have a crush on him. Ok. Maybe one who recounted a story about him at our 40th reunion.  I think I have the details right. He either enlisted or got drafted, right? It was 1969, so it was Vietnam.  I don't remember this part, only someone else's recollection, but at one point, some point, he went around the entire class and said something nice about everyone. When he got to them (again, preserving identity not being woke) he said 'what can you say about a person named [insert name].' I wonder where he is now. Anyone know?

One of the things  I love about planning these reunions is that I get to chat with so many old friends along the way. This morning it was Leslee Scheckman. Each time, I'm transported back to our shared days at Union Avenue. I was in Fern's living room, playing on her ouija board. I was in Leslee's kitchen eating Kraft macaroni and cheese with breadcrumbs, I was baking bunny cakes with Fran, I was listening to Gloria's sister Roberta's 45s in her attic playroom, I was meeting Mark Engel on the path that went from Webster to his street, I was watching college basketball at Lonnie's, I was sick at home when Eliot dropped off my wristlet on the way to his bar mitzvah celebration, I was swimming in Joey Correia's pool. One conversation stood out among the others. It's haunted me since we had it. Maybe because, now that I'm retired and working as a lunch aide in an elementary school, I see it with my 70 year old eyes. But one of our classmates, probably mo...

Sorry. No yesses. Just two nos. Natalie Krietzman messaged me over the weekend to let me know she won't be attending, and I had a text chat with Ellen who really wants to be with us but can't make it work.  With Ellen's permission, I'm sorry to share the sad news that she lost her beloved husband Charlie this past February.  Included below is a link to his obituary.  Charles Noble Sincere condolences from The Class of '69, Ellen. Rest in Peace, Charlie. 

Here's what happened yesterday:  Fern replied to a snail mail I sent, also via snail mail. We had a lovely text chat and made plans to phone chat this weekend. As of now, she's a maybe.  I also chatted with Ellen Aranoff. She'll be returning from a vacation the day before our reunion, and she said that if she can find a dog sitter, she'd come. So check back for her status.  On the disappointing front, Eliot wasn't able to change his family vacation, so he sent his regrets. And I'd asked him to contact Marla (who better), who also won't be attending.  Also yesterday, Lonnie and I narrowed down the menu and cost. It will be $35 person. We're providing food and soft drinks, but please feel free to BYOB.  Oh! I almost forgot! I've invited a secret guest. Not certain yet of their status. But I won't tell, even if I know. Because. It's a secret.  (Pictured below: me and Lonnie at the Irvington High School All Class Reunion this past summer)