The winter of love

click on photograph to enlarge
Who could forget the easy listening of the Al Robel's Orchestra* setting the tempo with the band's mild performance of sight and sound? For starters, probably everyone in this photograph, which was taken back in December 1967: the so called "winter of love." That is when an unprecedented number of young people (estimated to be in the dozens) converged into the Nativity gym, creating a seminal moment in Pottsville's musical history. It was called the Christmas Prom.

Easy-listening music was immediately criticized by some as a tool of the devil for its ability of letting dance partners actually have physical contact with one another in public. Others said that the three hour event was likened to being trapped in an elevator for days and that rock and roll would soon take over the airwaves of WPPA, WPAM and WMBT.

Yes, many remember 1967 for its psychedelic summer of love in San Francisco, but in Pottsville it is the fortieth anniversary of the winter of love, where easy listening music ruled. Try and remember those gentle, bland sounds that filled the gymnasium one cold december night.
It was pure magic.


*Remember that Al Robel is often confused with Jolly Jack Robel, the polka king of Shenandoah.

Merry Christmas.

Greetings from Lock Haven!

I look forward to any reunion we may have next year. I personally have a preference to have something at a hotel/meetingroom, but they look like a nonexistant entity in Schuylkill County. Perhaps I shoud move back and opensomething down there. Even little Lock Haven has something here. I did get to a nice reunion for another organization in Reading last month and had a great time. Of course, it was at a very nice hotel.... A picnic sounds like a great idea too. I never did know about those when they were held. Somehow I got out of the loop for 15-20 years. I've been enjoying your blog entries. If I find any old pictures, I will forward them. If I may help in any way, please let me know

Take care.

Joe Murton

Thanks Joe for your note. I will give your website some publicity if you don't mind:

Joseph H Murton, DPM

If anyone else has a website of interest to the Class of 1968, please send in details.

maitre de blog

Here is a video involving feet.

Greetings from Latvia!

Jay Zane in Riga, Latvia

The maitre de blog received this note and photo. Let's keep them coming!

Dear Maitre de blog:
While I have never been to Singapore, I did get to Latvia this past summer. Most of the time I am in Pottsville. Incidentally, Mr. Holahan, a former English teacher at Nativity, relocated back to Pottsville and lives close by.
Does anyone ever look at this blogspot? Anyway, that is not me with the accordian. I am left-handed. I have yet to find a left-handed accordian, even at Renninger's Market. I will try and find something better to post on this site. For now I give you the seal of the city of Pottsville. "Greetings from Latvia" is more attention grabbing than "Greetings from Pottsville."

Sincerely,
J.R. Zane

Interesting photo of you, the seal of the city of Pottsville as well as the photo of the Latvian accordian player. As Andy Kaufman would say, "Tank you vedy much!"

Greetings from Ohio!

----- The photo above to the right is Bill Garrity circa 2003 --------

Maitre de blog received the following message:

This is a great sight.Let me dig through my A&P shopping cart and see if I can find something interesting. Ohio* is almost as far away as Singapore; Isn't it?

Bill Garrity

He then proceeded to overload my computer with his Baltimore Catechism and and old math test that he is still working on. Apparently he is stuck on the question: Write the number seventeen million eight hundred thousand and two in Roman numerals. Sorry I can't help you as I never paid attention in my Latin class. I only remember a few phrases such as "tuis pugis pignore" ** and "cum catapultae proscriptive erunt, tum soli proscripti catapultas habebunt."***

I did find a Roman numeral convertor on the internet: Here is the link: Roman Numeral Convertor.

I can say for certain that if Bill thinks Ohio* is almost as far away as Singapore, he should request a GPS device for Christmas.

Here is his Catechism for those of you with good eyesight (or be like me and click on the picture):

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was great to hear from Bill. I hope he passes on this blogsite address to others.

Remember to send in any email addresses that you have. Many that were given in 2003 are obsolete already.

Thanks Bill for the photo, the copies of your state seal, your catechism and the unfinished math test.

* "Hang On Sloopy" is the official state rock song of Ohio.

** "You bet your bippy."

***When catapults are outlawed, only outlaws will have catapults."

And now a word from our sponsors

Greetings from Singapore!

Apparently this website is getting more responses from Singapore than Schuylkill County.

Here is a note from George Cahill. He is the heir apparent to Hugh Branum, the original Mr. Greenjeans from the Captain Kangaroo Show of yesteryear.

Now if we can only find the heirs to Crabby Appleton and Tom Terrific. It was great to hear from George after all of these years and he is wished lots of luck.

Hello Nativity Class of '68!

I've attached ... some current information on my where abouts and a couple of pictures from Singapore of my wife Darlene, my son George IV & myself along with Paul Pistore who played Mister Moose on the All-New Captain Kangaroo Show.

Hope all is well in the Heart of the Anthracite Coal Region and I'll try to work on making it to the 40th Reunion but show-biz being a catch-as-catch-can enterprise, I can't make any promises. My contact information is below; George N. Cahill III2220 Amity CourtNew Port Richey, Florida 34655

My best to all, George N. Cahill III Odex Pte. Ltd.Singapore

gcahill@invizibleinc.com

Janice Yenosky's old homestead

photograph courtesy of Richard Nagle

Here is a photograph of Yenosky's Cafe in Schuylkill Haven, the home of classmate Janice Yenosky. This area at the time was referred to as "The Irish Flats." I think the street was called Jacques Street which is odd for a street in the Irish Flats that contained a Lithuanian bar. I guess that was one of the first glimpses of globalization. The area is now referred to as "The Island." Anyone interested in the history of Schuylkill Haven can see a lot more by surfing over to Richard Nagle's website at : http://schuylkillhavenhistory.com/
St. Ambrose School was located not far from this place, across the Broadway Street Bridge on Dock Street. The East Penn Bus Company used to transport students to and from Nativity in those green busses that emitted lots of fumes. The eighth grade nun was Sister Marie Sponsa, affectionately known as "Spongie." A bit of trivia: her surname was Noonan.

Your opinion counts

Here is your chance to post comments. Click the link below and let us know your ideas and suggestions, or just leave word that you visited the site. If you have any photographs to upload then scan and send to the blog address. Make sure to send this link to others. We need updated addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. Please email them to nativity1968@gmail.com

You can be rest assured that each and every updated address will be forwarded to the Central Bank of Nigeria, which in turn will contact you to swindle you out of your life savings :)

Seriously, each bit of information will be kept for this site only and will not be sold or given to any business. There are quite a few names that we have no valid addresses for and it is important that the records be updated. Who will be the first to rise to the occasion? Who will be the first to submit a comment? Who will be the first to give an updated address for a classmate whose whereabouts are unknown?

Random Photograph #1: Twins

From time to time, random photographs will be uploaded. If you have any that you'd like placed on the site, then please e-mail a copy with sufficient information. The photograph can depict a classmate, living or deceased, or an interesting building or event that relates to the class.

1963 - Jean and Joan Rees with Blackie

While it was pre-Nativity, 1963 represents a critical year in our collective psyche. It is the year that the James Bond film Dr. No was released and most of us were getting started with eighth grade. These two young ladies attended St. John the Baptist in Pottsville before heading to Nativity. Blackie, unfortunately, did not attend either parochial or public school and remained an uneducated street dog for the rest of her life.

Essay Test #1

Twenty Points: Time allowed: 30 minutes: Please answer the following question, one page, double-spaced:

"Do home schooled children have class reunions?"

If so, is it usually held at the parents' house? Is it usually a formal dinner or home-style? Is there live music or does the attendee just listen to his or her Ipod alone? Does the attendee need a name tag to recognize who he or she is? Does the attendee win the prizes for the person travelling the shortest distance and the longest distance? What about the prizes for the first and last to send in reservations? Does that seem fair?

Updated Oldies

Juke box selections updated for the baby boomers. (courtesy of Capital High Class of '78 website)

1. Herman's Hermits --- Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker.
2. The Bee Gees --- How Can You Mend a Broken Hip?
3. Bobby Darin --- Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash.
4. Ringo Starr --- I Get By With a Little Help From Depends.
5. Roberta Flack --- The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face.
6. Johnny Nash --- I Can't See Clearly Now.
7. Paul Simon --- Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver.
8. The Commodores --- Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom.
9. Marvin Gaye --- Heard It Through the Grape Nuts.
10. Procol Harem --- A Whiter Shade of Hair.
11. Leo Sayer --- You Make Me Feel Like Napping.
12. The Temptations --- Papa's Got a Kidney Stone.
13. Abba --- Denture Queen.
14. Tony Orlando --- Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Falling
.15. Helen Reddy --- I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore.
16. Willie Nelson --- On the Commode Again.
17. Leslie Gore --- It 's My Procedure and I'll Cry If I Want To.

Father Daniel Lynch R.I.P.

The blog will also provide some news and updates of interest. Here is the obituary for Father Dan who taught religion to many of us:

Father Daniel Lynch, O. Carm.a Veterans' Hospital chaplain for 21 years, died Dec. 17, 2006. He was 77. He served as a chaplain at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Montrose from 1977 until his retirement in 1998. Before that, he served for five years as a chaplain at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. Early in his career, he was a high school teacher in Auburn and Rochester and in Pottsville, Pa. Father Lynch lived in retirement at St. Albert's Priory in Middletown, where he volunteered in the Carmelite Development Office and gave talks and retreats for Third Order Carmelites and the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm. He also served in leadership positions with the Province of St. Elias over the years, including prior of the Pottsville, Pa., Carmelite community and the Carmelite Community in Scarborough. Born in the Bronx, he entered St. Albert's Junior Seminary in Middletown as a teen. He received his habit in 1947, professed final vows in 1951 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1954. He earned a bachelor's degree at St. Bonaventure University in Olean and a master's at New York Theological Seminary. He is survived by a brother, Joseph Lynch. A Funeral Mass was offered Dec. 20 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middletown, with burial in the Carmelite Cemetery there.

Blog? What's This Blog All About?

Hi! Welcome to the first blog created to encourage enthusiasm for a 40th class reunion. Hopefully the blog will be working fine and you can enter comments.

Back in the 1960s we did not have the luxury of internet, instant messenger, Iphones, email. No, back then we had to communicate either in person, by telephone or by written mail. So now that it is the 21st century, we will communicate by blog (for starters).

Your should now follow these steps:
1. Bookmark the blog address;
2. Forward the blog link to some former classmate and request that it be passed on.
3. Post a comment or send an email to the official Nativity B.V.M. Class of 1968 email address.

The first order of business is to decide:
1. Should there be a reunion?
2. If so, when and where?

In the past, it appeared that there was a split over picnics vs. formal dinners. Therefore, this is open for discussion.
Does a reunion necessarily have to be in Schuylkill County? No. If you have a location that may work, then let us know.
When should it be? Summer time, early fall, Columbus Day Weekend?


So again, welcome aboard!