Labor Day

If you click the photograph with your mouse, the picture will enlarge. At the bottom left is a photo taken of kids waiting in line to get into an ILGWU children's party at the Capitol Theatre in Pottsville. Maybe you will recognize someone. That photo is courtesy of the Pottsville Bicentennial 's book vol. 1. The other photographs represent some of the "workers" at Nativity -the boiler room, cafeteria and office.

The best labor-oriented songs from our collective past include: Factory Girl by the Stones; Salt of the Earth, by the Stones; Working in a Coal Mine, by Lee Dorsey; Sixteen Tons Johnny Cash version; Get A Job, by the Silhouettes; Five O'Clock World by the Vogues; We Got To Get Out of This Place, by the Animals, and of course, Take This Job and Shove It, by Johnny Paycheck.

If you want one last trip to Knoebel's Grove before the summer ends then click here: Knoebels.
Remember that the K is not silent, it is pronounced distinctly, just like in Evil Knievel.

New York City trip of 1968

Dear Maitre De Blog:
Congratulations on the website, its terrific! Thanks for all the laughs!....
Attached is a picture from our senior class trip to New York City. Left to right Jeannie Rees,Peggy Evolo,Rita Wachter,Essie Gittleman,Mernie Mulroy,Alice Smith,Patti Minnig.

Thanks Again,
Mernie

Mernie,
Thanks a heap for the really neat photograph. I think it is the best photograph sent in so far. The New York trip was certainly a highlight of that year. Who can forget that bus trip? I hope your photograph will inspire some others to send in a photograph or two. Here is a great version of "Sweet Jane" by the Velvet Underground, the legendary NYC band of the late 60s if you care to watch and listen: "Sweet Jane."

M. de B.

INVITATION TO REUNION

Nativity B.V.M. Class of 1968
Celebrating its 40th anniversary by
“going up the country”

Sweet Arrow Lake County Park

108 Clubhouse Road
Pine Grove, PA. 17963
Saturday October 18, 2008

1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Please join your class at the new county park in the beautiful clubhouse.

Enjoy the lake, the fall
foliage, the hiking path, food, beverages, and of course reuniting with friends and classmates.
Cost: An incredibly low $20.00 per person
picnic-style food served 3:00 p.m. (chicken Mirabella, burgers, sausage sandwiches, soup,
``sides, beverages, deserts, etc.). Prizes to be awarded!
Directions to the Park: The county park is east of Pine Grove, Pa off of Rt. 443. Turn onto
Shoreline Drive (a/k/a West Lake Drive). Go .3 mile and turn onto Clubhouse Rd to the end.
Directions can be found on Mapquest.

for more information email: nativity1968@gmail.com

Send check payable to Nativity BVM Class of 1968

% Ken Koscil

14 West Lytle Street

Pottsville, PA 17901

___Yes! I will attend. Enclosed is my check for ______for ___ persons

Name: (include maiden name if applicable) :

address:

name of any guest

Phone number: email:

I have added a donation of $______ to help make this a great reunion.

Please R.S.V.P. by October 7th.

random photograph #13

This photograph depicts a television show being watched by an attentive classroom. A closer look by clicking the mouse over the photograph indicates that the class was watching an "I Love Lucy" rerun. It is too early to call this photograph a forgery or call it authentic.

junior year basketball

Get ready...Here are some photographs featuring junior year boys' basketball.

weekend August 22nd

It is a beautiful weekend for Schuylkill County; a great time to enjoy the end of summer (based on school calendar). Here is a photo of Ray Charles leading the faculty in a sing-along. Another doctored photograph I think.
Since the summer is almost gone, why not take a trip to Knoebel's Grove?

nativity wrestling

There was a wrestling program at Nativity in the late '60s. I don't have much information on it. Whenever I think of wrestling and the 1960s I can only remember the "pros" that wrestled at the Hamburg Field House.
Here is the greatest wrestling song of all time: Wrestling Song.
Here are some Youtube videos that feature the golden age of wrestling:
Bobo Brazil
Bruno v Gorilla
Moolah 1923-2007 - agreat tribute

30th

The photograph was taken at the 30th Reunion which was held at the Pottsville Club in late November, 1998. 1998 was a year in which the number 2 record of the year was recorded by someone who had her first hit in 1965.

August 16th

August 16th, 1977 Elvis died.

Here is a photo of Elvis with Father Augustine, O. Carmelites, on his guitar. It is another obvious fake; Elvis' backup singers were the Jordanaires.

August 15th

Of course August 15th is The Feast of the Assumption of Mary. The photo to the left is that of Rev. Harold Dagle in the Chapel. Father Dagle was recently changed from pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Allentown to pastor emeritus, Immaculate Conception, Allentown. Time marches on.

August 15th was also the traditional "Lithuanian Day" in Schuylkill County. Three of the Lithuanian churches that were recently closed by the Diocese are featured above. Many classmates went to one of these churches or grade schools. By the way Lithuania beat Russia at Bejing Olympics Thursday in basketball. That victory called for a pic of the grateful dead to be inserted for good luck.

August 15th is also the 39th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. Some of the '68 classmates were there: Ed, Jay, Mike, and Maureen to name just a few.

If you thought that you knew all of the lyrics to "With A Little Help From My Friends" then you have to watch this video of Joe Cocker at Woodstock.

films

Some of the films that were released in 1968 included:

Night of the Living Dead

Barbarella

Rosemary's Baby

Destroy All Monsters

The only one to win an Oscar was Rosemary's Baby

more girls basketball

a collection of some of the girls from the pre-Golden Girls age when they were known as the Glamazons and then the Hilltopperettes.

class musicians

If there's a rock and roll heaven, Well you know they've got a hell of a band.

spot the difference game #1

Here is one set of pictures which look similar, but not exactly the same. The challenge is for you to find out what the differences are. Go ahead and push the powers of your observation to the limits. There are four differences.

track & field #1

Since the summer olympics have started, several sports photographs will featured.

Here is one of (you guessed it)...pole vaulting.
Here is a very short pole vaulting blooper from youtube.

For pole vaulting music for baby boomers,

"Jumping Jack Flash" was a big hit in 1968.

Here is the record as "a soundtrack" to the year, 1968.

Then there is Jackie Wilson singing:

"Higher and Higher."

Greetings from San Diego

The emailbag included this note from a contender of the coveted reunion prize for traveling the farthest (or is it furthest?):

I have enjoyed reading the blog of our reunion.

I am looking forward to being there. This will be the first one that I will have attended since graduation. I live in San Diego now and teach chemistry in high school. Willie was my role model.

Rose Zitka Armour

Rose will certainly be surprised at how many similarities Schuylkill County has to San Diego County (for instance both counties begin with the letter 'S'; San Diego has Sea Worldwhile Schuylkill County has Adelphia Fish Store, parts of San Diego had a recent earthquake while parts of Schuylkill County look as if they also had a earthquake, etc.)

It is interesting - as well as encouraging - to find out how many "first timers" have indicated their intention to attend this 40th reunion.

By the way, other classmates living in California include Jim Franklin and Dianne Wawrzaszek.

St. Diego a/k/a Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin) was the first indigenous American saint, canonized in 2002. We are grateful that the city was not named San Cuauhtlatoztzin.

prom picture

Here is a rare photograph of the 1968 senior prom, with the gym/auditorium all decked out in its arabian finest. The theme, of course, was "Arabian Night." A salute to Captain Gallant and I Dream of Jeannie are thrown into the photograph as they were both culturally influencial for baby boomers.

1983

photo courtesy of Larry Lonergan.

Here is the top record of 1983 (updated 1995 version by different artist with a baby boomer theme): #1

Here is the updated 2008 version.