Reminder: Please remember when you change your email address to let us know so we can keep in touch. Also when you change your home address or phone number please let Billie or Margie know. You can send them an email from the ‘registered alumni’ page’. ‘Bits & Bytes’ don’t forget to send me some stuff about what is happing to you and the family. Digital Atlantic City a Photographic Essay is now posted. This site is 'A work in Progress' which means I will be adding new pictures occasionally. The link is below.                           click on this link to view digital Atlantic City, a Photographic Essay. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Wallace Kirk 10/02/2011 Hey Barry, Happy to hear from you and the new Bits & Bytes. Also, the article about Ronnie Jordan was very nice. That’s one that I missed since I get the Paper online. Things here in Texas are going well as can be expected. Been really hot this year. Starting to cool off finally. My wife is doing a lot better since she has been sick for a long time. This is the only thing that keeps me from visiting A.C. I still talk to friends online and keep up with what is going on. Having a 60 reunion is a great idea. I am all for it. Barry it is good to know that you are doing well and still on the job. Keep up the good work -------------------------------------------------------------------- Debbie Lieberman, Platt 10/10/2911 246 Hi Barry, I always look forward to the posts and the news about AC. The last time to the east coast was in 2000 while we were still living in Guadalajara Mexico and were visiting Martin's daughter in New York. We have just returned to our little town of Maricopa, Az. from a wonderful trip to Lake Tahoe, Sacramento and Reno. As usual Tahoe is just beautiful especially this time of year with autumn colors something we don't see here in the desert. While in Sacramento we celebrated my grandson Gabriel Fredric Platt's Bar Mitzvah. How time flies. Now that we are living back in the states I would enjoy attending a reunion, however not when it's winter. After enjoying a warmer climate since 1968 the old bones just are spoiled and neither Martin or I can take the cold. Hello to all Debbie Lieberman, Platt, Weissman -------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Barry, Joan Parker Harris 11/1/2011 Thank you for the wonderful job keeping us informed about your travels and A.C. I enjoy the site but am still grieving over the lost of my husband. I know it takes time and I hope to feel better soon. Continue sending the Bits and Bites. Enjoy seeing people and hearing about their lives. Hugs, Joan Parker Harris -------------------------------------------------------------------- Debbie Lieberman Platt Weissman 1/18/2013 Thank you Barry. We were in AC the weekend of Oct. 5th for my nieces wedding. My (baby sister) lives in Margate and at that time I just marveled once again at all of the changes that had taken place. The photos of Sandy brought home the vivid childhood memories of the hurricane of 1944 and there of course were your photos. Thank you again for a trip down memory lane just like it was yesterday. Sincerely -------------------------------------------------------------------- Barbara Labov Myers 10/1/2011 12/7/11 will mark the 70th anniversary of the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor (12/7/41) and changed the world forever. Most of us were six years old. I vividly remember the ride home from our weekly dinner at Rossman's Delicatessen. The car radio was pitched to the highest volume. It was truly "the day that will live in infamy) as FDR declared WAR! No laughing, no talking or showing your teeth! Atlantic City was a unique place to be during WW II. The street lamps were blacked out, the shore patrol walked the beach, grey destroyers were in the ocean, black tar was on the sand. There were air raid-drills, ration books and every Tuesday we brought our coins to school to buy saving stamps and convert them to bonds to lend money to the government. My father was on Okinawa and other family members were in Europe with Patton. It was an all female society. Convention Hall became a processing center and the once luxury hotels were rehabilitation centers for the wounded. My older cousin would take me with her to visit young soldiers now amputatees, blinded or wounded in other ways. They were happy to see a kid as it reminded them of home and what they had fought for. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Billie Jane Boyer Maul 3/15/2013 plus picture 051 Greetings from the Jersey Shore. We have survived last June’s derecho, October’s Sandy, our 50th anniversary, Lew’s subdural bleed, my knee replacement and, currently, the fierce March winds which just won’t let up. Now I have clear days ahead to start work with Margie on the October reunion. That’s fun stuff. Margie,Ron and I have tried to make the weekend of October 4-6 a “pick and choose” time, sort of low key with lots of time to laugh and talk....both of which I received A’s for throughout my schooling. Often my “motor mouth” got me in trouble. Because the weekend is informal and only Saturday luncheon requires prepayment and reservations, we opted not to fill our nights with committee meetings, because we have no committees, we don’t like to drive at night and we fall asleep anytime after 7:00pm. Would you all do me a great favor. On our class website, there is a listing for lost alumni. Would you please check that list and see if you can help us find any of those people. We would like to inform them about reunion. Lew and I plug along with the usual things. He is still working a few days a month for NJEA (that “nasty” teacher’s union in NJ), but his work is fun. The retiring teachers come to him and he tells them how much money they will get in their retirement. It keeps him busy and he can listen to someone else talking, besides me. That in itself is an incentive. We celebrated our 50th anniversary with the entire family last Thanksgiving at a family resort in PA. called Woodloch. It was a wonderful, happy, eventful time for all. I appreciate the personal emails I get from some of you and encourage all to do the same. It’s fun to reminisce about the “good old days”. Didn’t we live in the best of times? All of us knew each other and got along so well. The gals always looked so nice and well groomed and the guys were handsome and wore the waistbands of their pants at the waist. It was a wonderful time. Hope to see many of you in October, if not before. Keep the emails and phone calls coming. Cheerio, Billie Jane -------------------------------------------------------------------- Lee Rosky 3/16/2013 Hi Barry. Stephanie Kay(nee Friss-ACHS Class of 1958) and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary this July 4th. We have become Florida residents and split our time between Delray Beach FL and Rockville MD. We are enjoying a full busy life between golf and bridge which we both do and tennis (Stephanie) and pinochle and wildlife photography which I enjoy. We have 6 children and 10 grandchildren between us. Two of the grandchildren are outstanding athletes-one plays lacrosse and field hockey at Wesleyan and the other will be playing golf next year at the U. of Pennsylvania. We recently had the Penn Women's Golf Team for lunch here in Florida when they were on a spring break golf tour. We are looking forward to the October reunion. Lee **Editors Note** Most of you do not know this but Lee has shot some wonderful pictures of wildlife in his later years. ---------------------------------------------------- Margie Soltz Berk 3/.16/2013 Hi Barry. Hi Barry: We are so looking forward to seeing you all in October. We thought of having the luncheon at The Palm one night when we (Billie, Lew, Stanley and I) were having an early dinner there, taking advantage of their delicious half price appetizers. It should be a great spot for us. My life continues to be busy. Both of us can't get over how full our days are. I'm still working part time at my sister's beautiful gift and stationery shop. Stanley is the expert gift wrapper. (He works when I do) The store was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, and it has taken months for the clean up and rebuilding to get finished, but now we are up and running--better than ever. Our older son, Daniel, got married in June for the first time at the age of 51. We are all thrilled that he finally found the right woman. The whole family flew from near and far to attend the wedding in Oregon. It was a real happening. Thanks for your e-mails--it's always great to hear from you. Please save October 5 for our reunion!! See you all then. Margie ---------------------------------------------------- Dick LeChard 3/17/2013 Hi Barry. Hi Barry, A group of ACHS alumnus who live (or) winter in the central Florida area get together two days each winter around Sanibel Island for some fun and sun. This year the group, consisting of members of the Classes of '52 and '53 gathered at Sanibel Island and took a day trip, by boat, to Useppi Island, which is a lovely Caribbean looking Island off the West Coast of Florida. We visited the Island Museum which portrayed the history of the island from the Ice Age forward. Notable was the fact that the CIA hatched the "Bay of Pigs" invasion from this tiny island. We had lunch at the old Collier Hotel before heading back to Sanibel. The next day we spent time on the beach and around the pool recounting some of the good times we enjoyed together. That evening Bill & Barb Brown hosted a covered dish and "finger food" dinner for an evening of laughs and catching up. Attending from the Class of 1953 was Bill & Barb (Chakmakian) Brown, Nancy Cunningham, Dick & Val (Hansen) Cross, Dick & Anne LeChard, Jack & Joan (Munyan) Swope, and Neil and Jackie (Milligan) VandenDorpel. The Class of 1952 representatives were Jim and Rae Tobasso, and Don Dilge. Bob & Jill (Munyan) Murphy were also in attendance. While time has taken its toll on many of our contemporaries, this hardy group showed no signs of slowing down and continue to do extensive traveling. Anne & I are still active, traveling with friends and family. Two years ago, we visited Thailand and Cambodia with my brother Allan (Class of '51) and his wife and this past year went on a Viking River Cruise from Budapest to Copenhagen on the Danube, Main and Rhine Rivers. Traveling with my brother and his wife , Anne's sister and her husband and my little "brother" from F&M and his wife, it was one of the best trips we have taken, since there was no packing and unpacking and every morning you awoke in a new city or town. We were very pleased with Viking and would certainly travel with them again. Dick LeChard ---------------------------------------------------- Don Beckerman 3/17/2013 Hi All things considered I am doing rather well and am happily ensconced in my condo on the 41st floor overlooking the Gulf of Thailand. Saiyon, my partner of 26 years and Bon, his sister, do a wonderful job of taking care of all of my needs. Physically I'm a little compromised and need a cane to get around but I am as sharp and opinionated as ever. 2012 was a nice year for me. Saiyon and I took two cruises and spent time in Hong Kong and Singapore as well as upcountry in our house in Nongkhai. I spend most of my time doing sedentary activities and miss being more involved but I watch politics and social developments. I would welcome correspondence from old friends and would be pleased to meet up with anyone visiting this part of the world. isanorchid@yahoo.com My very best wishes to all, Don Beckerman **Editors Note** This submissoin by Don has been edited by your Webmaster. ---------------------------------------------------- Barry Rich 3/15/2013 Thought it is time I contributed something to our Bits&Bytes page, so here goes. Mary Ann and I celebrated our 50th last April, never thought it would happen. My family honored me by giving me a bench on the Boardwalk (at Albany Ave) for my 75th birthday. We are continuing our travels and last December we stepped foot on our 7th continent, Australia. The most difficult trips were the Antarctic where we made two landings each day for a week from an Ice Breaker. Then this past October we were on a Photo Safari in Kenya and Tanzania. This one was difficult as we made two drives each day in the bush chasing and photographing the animals. We did get some amazing shots shooting with 3 cameras all day. Next year we have been invited to Poland by a photographer we met on a ship. He is going to give us a personal tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps and the Warsaw ghetto where I hope to capture the horror of that time with my cameras. We meet up with Billie & Lew & Margie & Stanley & of course Ron Jordan & Bonnie for brunch or dinner on occasion. We enjoy breakfast at Gilchrist in the Basin with Ron and Bonnie. (like we really need all that food). Also after dinner at Harrah's we go over to the Eden Lounge and most times run into Marty Blumberg and friend dancing the night away. Some good news, the White House is open again and still serving great subs. Bye now until October, I will see you all at our 60th in AC. You can’t miss me I will have two cameras over my shoulders. Barry -------------------------------------------------------------------- The following alumni have recently passed away: Paul Allen 5/17/2012 Mary Ann Ferry Brennan 5/11/2012 Harriet Fink Horween 2010 Ira Helfgott 9/2012 Janet Katzinger Weiner 6/1/2012 Paul Lovett 2/2/2013 Eloise Murray Hall 11/1/11 Gladys Bowen Raspa 1/12/2012 Richard Venney 2/12/2012 Jay Deitch 2/14/2013 --------------------------------------------------------------------