In January of 2009, we initiated this page to highlight the lives of Madisonians of the early years. As we enter 2010, we want to continue to bring the Madison School alumni back together after 50 years of life experiences.
We started this web site with the idea that there was something special about the Madison School Experience: the opening of a new school, new faculty and administrators, and new students. The energy and enthusiasm of all of us between 1953 and 1959 created a dynamic learning experience, with lessons that many of us have carried and built upon through the years.
The special nature of those years began to surface when several of us exchanged our memories, our ‘stories’ of the classes, teachers, and events. And so, what evolved from these first discoveries was the idea to gather our stories, to discover the lessons we had learned, the values we had subconsciously absorbed and taken with us through life.
The central theme of this page of our web site is that no life is more, or less, ‘important’ than any other. While significant contributions to society have their place, our Alumni Feature page is based on a lesson that many of us learned at Madison:
Every life is unique and interesting. We hope that when we contact you and ask for your biography, you’ll add your life story to this page. In addition to your biography, contribute events or lessons learned from your Madison years to our ‘collection’ that we eventually look to publish in some format. A recent photo (and, if you have one, a photo from your Madison years) will personalize your biography. We will do minor editing where appropriate, but we won’t change any facts. We look forward to reading your story soon.
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For the past few years, a small group of Madisonians has been developing the Madison School web site (madisonschoolrahway.com). One of the reasons why I’ve gotten involved with the Madison web site project is that, when I was teaching, it struck me one day that I was teaching the way Mr. Palisi had taught: demanding, challenging, and yet friendly, enthusiastic, and humorous. More than any other teacher, by far, he connected with me and other students. It was at this point that I realized that other Madison teachers (Mrs. Laurent and, of course, Mr. Schweitzer) had had a tremendous effect on my development. In my memory, there was something very reassuring and accepting about Madison School—with an attitude that kids were special, that they were good enough as they were, and that they could all learn. Perhaps it was the enthusiasm that the teachers felt, having the opportunity to create a new culture with a brand new school in 1953. Maybe it was the good-natured leadership of the principal, Leroy Potts. Probably, it was a unique combination of many things, but I do know that I thrived in that place.
I remember playing ball off the back wall just outside the door to the playground area, especially when either Mr. Palisi or Mr. Schweitzer would come out to play with us. I still have a picture of us jumping up around them, trying to catch the ball as it came off the wall, occasionally succeeding. When we played baseball, they would love to hit towering fly balls that scared the heck out of us. To catch one was something to brag about. I never thought about it then—kids seldom do that sort of thinking—but it was quite uncommon for teachers to come outside during their lunch break to play with kids. In fact, Mr. Palisi once mentioned that all the other teachers liked them because when they went out to play with the kids, the other teachers assigned to watch us didn’t have to come out. And the most interesting aspect of all this is that both of them truly enjoyed playing with us; it was obvious that they had a lot of ‘kid’ left in them, something that separated them from 99% of the rest of the teachers who acted so…grown up.
And then, within a few minutes, we’d be driven inside by the bell and these two ‘playmates’ were transformed from kids into full–grown authority figures, figures to be obeyed….and we did. How they managed to turn that switch off in themselves, and even more, how they managed to turn our high-energy, ‘let’s keep playing’ attitude into a study mode amazes me to this day.
The coolest thing of all is that so many of us feel that we learned so much from them. They knew that kids learn best when they feel valued and accepted, when the whole learning environment is fun, yet within clear parameters of permissiveness. And they taught us well. Having gone through 21 years of schooling, I can safely say that no teachers reached me, stimulated me, or taught me like those at Madison School. Mr. Schweitzer gave me a sense of organization and patience in learning; Miss Royer, an appreciation of the sciences; and Mr. Palisi, the clear understanding of the logic and structure of language. They made education exciting. I left Madison enjoying the process of learning, and luckily, that feeling was strong enough to survive the mind-numbing experience of high school, college, and graduate school.
Mrs. Laurent was my first teacher at Madison when I moved from Roosevelt School in fifth grade. An imposing woman one didn’t want to disobey, she also had the ability to make kids feel like they were special. She seemed to be interested in what we were doing, and that went a long way with a 10-year-old kid. A few years later, Roy Decker and I found out that she was very ill. So, we pooled our money (probably less than $5.00), bought a small gift, and went to her house to wish her well. We were surprised to find her covered with a blanket, much thinner, and we told her to get better. She passed away not long after that. Teachers at Madison had that effect on young people: they cared about us, and these two young boys responded.
Mrs. Laurent was the teacher who brought a special guest, Mr. Fred Spencer the custodian, to our classroom one day. At first we were not sure why she felt he was special until he opened his scrap book and showed us articles of him winning world bicycling championships and getting a gold medal from the King of Sweden. Here was this incredible world-class athlete in the photos who was now a custodian. He explained that he made a great deal of money (as much or even more than Babe Ruth, a contemporary) and invested it in bicycle race tracks in the 1930s, losing it all. All this was explained without bitterness or complaint. I never saw him as a custodian again. This lesson stuck with me throughout my life: never judge a person by his/her station in life.
Random memories: Washing the chalk boards each Friday with Jack Fleming (I think we split all of $1.50); being selected for the Safety Patrol in the first year it was started—my seventh grade year—and being chosen as the Captain (I never did figure out why); Miss Clare Royer’s reaction whenever a student began an answer with “Well….” was to stamp her foot on the floor and say, “Well is under my foot”. We all thought it a bit odd, but here I am how many years later remembering it. Mr. Begier struggling to maintain order by ordering kids around and not realizing that it would never work. Playing on the Madison School basketball team that won the city championship. The ‘Talent Show’ in my sixth grade year in which I attempted to play guitar and sing “Wabash Cannonball”, starting three times out of key and causing Mr. Potts, sitting on the side of the stage, to almost slide off his seat laughing. He (and the audience) thought it was a comedy act. I, for some reason, didn’t.
Upon graduating from RHS in ’61, I went to Rutgers where I met my wife (she was a scholarship student from Thailand at Douglas College across town), and we’ve been married now for 41 years, with one daughter, one granddaughter.
After eight years in the Air Force, with tours in Japan, Spain and a year in Thailand flying reconnaissance missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, Cambodia, and Viet Nam, I went to graduate school at the University of Texas getting a Ph. D. in Applied Linguistics. I landed a position in the English Department at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland and taught there from 1980 until retiring in 2006. I had never considered teaching as a possible profession as a youngster, but once I began, I realized why Mr. Schweitzer and Mr. Palisi appeared to have loved the job. It took a while, but eventually I found out that if you could make the lessons and lectures interesting, students would actually want to learn and discipline problems just wouldn’t arise. It amazes me to this day that so few teachers ever stumble upon this simple fact; they spend their careers inflicting pain and boredom in their confused perception that their job is simply to transfer data to students and, in so doing, miss out on the beauty and joy of teaching.
We moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in California in 2006, where my wife and I are full-time babysitters for our four-year-old granddaughter. We had thought about retiring in Thailand, but the babysitting job has really worked out well.
When I look at this life I’ve led, nothing would make headlines; no astonishing achievements. But by teaching and caring about my students, like our Madison teachers did, I have continued a process that means a lot to me—investing in young people. To this day, I enjoy keeping in touch with many of my former students through the wonders of email and Face Book, just as I enjoy keeping in touch with Mr. Palisi: what goes around, comes around.
Finally, nothing in my life has been more important or given me greater satisfaction than taking care of my granddaughter for the past four years. Demanding, yes, but truly joyful beyond my expectations.
Jim Cook entered Madison in 1953, as a fifth grader.
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Comments: My Life After Rahway High: Two weeks after graduating from RHS in 1961, my Dad was transferred with DuPont to Wilmington, DE. I got a BS from David Lipscomb in Nashville, TN with a Med Tech certification from Grady Hospital in Atlanta, married in 1965, and worked at Vanderbilt Hospital for one year. The next year I taught first grade with a provisional certificate in Indian Mills, NJ. Since my husband still needed to complete his degree, we moved back to Nashville, and I worked in the college Biology Dept. In 1968, we went back to NJ (Tabernacle…near Wildwood) where my husband taught school and was principal at Green Bank School. I had three babies in the next four years (Tara-1968, Tracy-1970, and Burke-1972) and didn't work (outside the home) during the nine years we were in NJ. In 1977, we moved to Texas where I was a teacher's aide one year and worked as a medical technician at the state hospital 18 years. When the hospital lab closed in 1995, I went back to college and got the needed credits and certification to teach so that I could keep my state retirement. This was quite a challenge at the age of 51, but I actually enjoyed it! I then taught science three years in high school and four years in a disciplinary alternative school. I was sent a "curve ball" and divorced in 1988, but through the experience I learned that nothing is impossible with God on my side! Life continued to be joyous and exciting as I found out new things about myself and developed a deeper relationship with God. I retired in 2002. Then, five years ago, He sent a man to share my life with me, and we married in 2005. My children all live in Texas- Dallas and San Antonio, and I have three fantastic grandchildren! I also have "inherited" my husband's two children and four grandchildren, so life is very good! Days are busy with things to enjoy doing (Bible studies, crafts, and other activities that make me happy). I have a positive outlook about life and look forward to the new adventures that God has planned for me! For the past nine years, I have reconnected with my closest Rahway friends. Some of us were brought together in Madison Elementary School, and we also had Girl Scouts in common. We now include our husbands in our yearly reunions, and try to have a group of 14-16. We are the "Rah-Rah Sisterhood" (in honor of "Rahway"). Each year we pick a different place to meet and have been to NH, Quebec, WV, upstate NY, North Carolina, Maine, Cape May, and (this year) South Dakota. The group includes: Patty Brunning, Cathy Herman, Peggy Baumann, Dolores O'Connor, Carolyn Kidd, Marion Griffis, Louise Cherubini, Jackie Schupp, and my sister, Ginny (Virginia) Ballard. Betsy Cahill is also part of the group, but I haven't seen her since graduation. We still share favorite childhood memories of growing up in Rahway, NJ. It was a very special time for all of us. Wonderful teachers, like Mr. Palisi and Mr. Schweitzer at Madison School, and Mr. Casey and Miss Wise at RHS gave us a unique education and really prepared us for the future. I'm so grateful that I grew up when and where I did. Nona entered Madison in the 5th grade in 1953 |
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Rah-Rah Reunion, Class of '61--taken last year |
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The year was 1949 and my mother and father were looking for a house in Avenel, but because of my dad’s unfamiliarity with the area he made a turn onto Madison Hill Road which he believed would take him into Avenel. They (mom and dad) came upon a new development being constructed, liked what they saw. and handed over a down payment. I sometimes wonder what life would have been like if I grew up in Avenel. But that’s a story for another time and place.
In 1950, the house was competed and we moved into a cape cod behind the high school. The area was known as the Madison Hill section. The street names were of those residents of Rahway who had lost their lives in WW ll. I was seven years old and somewhat nervous about being in my new surroundings but soon met my first new friend, Richie Gould, who had also just moved in and was a year behind me in school. I soon got over being nervous, realizing that I was not the only one in a new situation. Actually, there were quite a few in the neighborhood that attended Madison School. My neighbors included Jack Cibrian, Rita Schall, Carolyn Kidd, Linda and Marion Davis, Harry Linnell, Richie Sammond, Loretta Schall, and Tom Nolan.
I began my Rahway education at St. Mary’s Grammar School. When Madison School opened in 1953 it made more sense to attend a closer school. I enrolled and entered Mrs. Smathers’ fifth grade. I do recall sitting in the back row next to Roger Hanson. The highlight for me in Mrs. Smathers’ class was on Fridays when she would read the adventures of “Little Audrey” to us. I’m not sure which was funnier, the “Little Audrey” stories or Roger Hanson’s laughter at them. I also remember the Halloween parade around the school.
During the fifth grade, I had made many new friends and it was with some trepidation that I began thinking about the sixth grade. Some were concerned about ending up in Miss Stevens’ class. Actually I was fortunate to be placed in Miss Stevens’ class; she offered the discipline I needed. We all recall that she was affectionately known as “Old Iron Sides”. In the sixth grade I became friends with Tom Hoagland, Jerry Finelli, Rich Murphy and Tom Nolan. It was later that I learned that Tom Nolan lived in my neighborhood on Hedin Place. We were both nine years old and have remained friends since. Tom’s house backed up to the woods and we spent many hours playing in the woods. Summers were spent playing hide and seek with kids from the neighborhood and also included swimming in the reservoir. I can’t recall who was with me, but we use to go to Westfield Airport and at the end of the runway just over the fence sat two WWII war planes. I recall spending countless hours playing in those old wrecks.
Two significant things happened to me in the sixth grade. First, in gym class we were required to climb the ropes. Although I felt uncomfortable in high places, I made it to the top: a great boost to my confidence. The other was a class trip to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Some of the students in Mrs. Stevens class were a little on the mischievous side. As a result Mrs. Stevens collected me and a few other overactive children and kept us under her wing while we toured the Institute. I recall thinking at the end of the trip that we select few saw more of the Institute than the rest of the class.
Moving onto the seventh grade, we were now the big shots in the school. Still my enthusiasm for school was less than it should have been. I think it was in the seventh grade, or perhaps it was in the fifth or sixth grade, that it was discovered that I had problems reading and comprehending, which probably turned me off of school. Anyway seventh grade was cool because we got to change classes and not have to stay in one place all day. My friendships were still expanding. It was in the seventh grade that I began to notice girls, without a clue as to why I was noticing them. I remember going to “Beans” house (I recall her first name as Carol, can’t remember her last) with Tom Hoagland and doing flips on the front lawn to gain her attention. Needless to say she never came out to look.
The teachers were pretty cool. We did have some fun at the expense of Mr. Begier and Miss Royer which was unfair. We did, however, enjoy the escapades of Mr. Schweitzer and Mr. Palisi. I specifically recall Mr. Palisi explaining sentence structure with the use of a can containing fabric covered springs called snakes. I can still see it today some 55 years later, the snakes flying all around the room.
It was in the seventh grade that I learned about the successes of Fred Spencer. My dad told me stories of watching the exploits of Fred Spencer on the bicycle tracks, located in Weequahic Park in Newark. In 2008, we made a video of Madison School, and it was my pleasure to play the role of Fred Spencer, since one of my joys is bicycling.
At the conclusion of seventh grade, we moved over to the high school for eighth grade. It was here that I became acquainted with Percy Paulsen and Cal Eiffel. I prefer not to go into detail. I also made use of Greenfield for baseball, and Milton Lake for ice skating (I remember watching Sonja Henie movies and trying to emulate her moves on the ice at Milton Lake). Ice skating at Rahway Park and the warming hut with its big pot belly stove is another fond memory,
Then onto high school! High school had its up and downs, but for the most part was enjoyable. It was our senior year that I met my future wife (the former Maria Cilwik.) We are still together, have raised a son and a daughter, and have four grandchildren.
After high school I made a stab at college, but it did not work out. Came home and married Maria. Someone had suggested that because of my personality I investigate a sales career--which I did. I worked in the paper industry with territories covering various parts of the country. I eventually returned to school, earning a BA from Upsala College in Business Administration and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Accounting.
As time marched on we were successful as a result of the paper industry but change was on the way. The industry started to unravel and, as a result, I was downsized a little earlier than I wanted. I began to explore other opportunities and wound up as a substitute teacher. Over time, I began to build solid relationships and earned the respect of the full time teachers and the administration. As a result I had several long term assignments, most of which were with special needs students, and I felt I was able to bring out the best in these kids. The substituting was fine, but I needed something a little more permanent. For the past several years I have been working with autistic children.
In a few days it will have come full circle. My father passed away in June of 2009. He stayed in the house that he and my mother moved into in 1950. Shortly the new owners will move in and all physical ties to Rahway will be severed.
Our plan for the future is to liquidate most of our assets purchase a motor coach (RV) and tour the country and let the road take us wherever it may. So look out we may be at your door step some day.
Fred Sonntag entered Madison School
Fifth Grade in 1953
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Patty Pellegrino and Mark Stugart
June 2010 Featured Alumni Mark & I entered Madison School the first year it opened, 1953, as very excited third graders. We thought we were pretty special to have Mrs. Raicer's "private" classroom behind the cafeteria. No other classroom had its own door which led directly to the playground. Life was pretty uncomplicated in those days, when having your own door to the playground made your day!
Mark & I tell our kids, "It was love at first sight in third grade"..... That is until he ditched me at the seventh grade Valentine's Day Dance for a sixth grader.... We eventually reunited junior year and this July we will celebrate our 43rd anniversary. We have four children and ten grandchildren, so I guess it really was love at first sight.
We stayed together with the same teachers through seventh grade. In fourth grade we were under the excellent tutelage of Mrs. Raicer again, Mrs. Smathers in fifth, Mrs. Raicer, Mr. Beiger, Mr. Drexel, Mr. Fuchetti, Mr. Palisi, and Miss Royer for sixth and seventh grades.
In fifth grade, Mark & I both wanted to get the exciting Mrs. White and were so disappointed when we found out we had Mrs. Smathers. How wrong we were. Mrs. Smathers was the best. A wonderful teacher, she made us all believe that if we made one false move and we would be sent down to Mr. Potts and have our parents in for a long chat. In reality she was very nurturing and kind. Her method of putting on a serious face really worked. I laugh now when I think about her famous line, “Don’t take advantage of my good nature”. It worked. She taught us to respect her and in turn she respected us. There was definitely a lot of love behind the discipline. As a result, we not only learned the fifth grade curriculum, but we learned the real secret of getting the most from a child--a skill that has helped me in the classroom as well as with my own family.
For eighth grade we moved to the high school, Roosevelt School for ninth, and then back to the high school for three years. I think we graduated more times than any other class in Rahway’s history: seventh, eighth, ninth, and twelfth!
I have such great memories of Madison school. I remember Miss Royer's paper hat that she wore while setting off the volcano in science class and Mr. Palisi reading Edgar Allan Poe. There were many exciting things for a kid. It was so much fun to get to be the class that got to do the frieze on the bulletin board by the cafeteria line or when it was your class's turn to put on the play for the monthly assembly. My grandchildren don’t even get to dress up for Halloween in school let alone have a town parade or have a contest to be able to paint your ”scary picture” on a store window downtown. I loved "Rainy Day schedule" when you got to watch a movie about how Campbell's soup was made. What is better than that?? In the spring, the Spring Music festival and the gym show were the best. For Memorial Day we all put on our Madison School banners and marched in the town parade. I felt those were wonderful times. If I told my grandkids that this was exciting, they would probably think I had lost my mind. Today you can probably do all that with a Wii game and never have to leave your family room.
Back in the day Mark was one busy boy. He not only was the cashier in the cafeteria but captain of the safety patrol. I was so jealous. He spent more time out of class than in class.
I do have to say that getting chosen to be a safety patrol was a very prestigious position. Mr. Palisi made it clear that he expected a great deal from you. You sensed the respect he was giving you and tried your best to live up to his expectations. I’m sure having kids do safety patrol is a thing of the past, and that’s a shame because it really was a life building lesson. It built a sense of responsibility and made your self esteem soar. It was a win-win situation….an experience that lives with you for a long time.
In 1963 Mark went to the Air Force Academy and, after graduation, went to pilot training in Texas. He spent the next six years as pilot, flying C-141 transport planes and commanding a helicopter gunship in Viet Nam. After leaving the Air Force, he decided to go to get his MBA at Harvard Business School and has spent the last 35 years in the energy industry, both running and owning companies involved in petroleum, coal and renewable fuels. Along with coaching numerous and varied sports teams for the kids, he managed to complete two Hawaii Ironman Triathlons--26 years apart. Perhaps those great days at Madison School when we were allowed out in mid afternoon to play softball or kickball got him started in his athletic endeavors.
I went to Boston University and graduated with a teaching degree. After graduation in 1967, we got married and moved to Texas. Let me tell you that teaching in Slaton TX was very different from my student teaching in Needham, MA. It was interesting to say the least. I taught junior high math and, believe it or not, Texas history. During lunch, I loved listening in the teacher’s room to stories about “The War”. You are assuming WWII right? Wrong! The war they still talked about was the Civil War. Like I said it was very interesting. They all liked me even though I was a Yankee (Seriously, did you know we were still Yankees in 1967?? No, NO, not the baseball team …..It’s the people who live above the Mason Dixon line). Anyway, it was very different, but we actually enjoyed our time in Texas. Mark’s Air Force career took us to three other bases in TX, then to NJ, and finally CA. I taught the lower grades in NJ and CA and finally gave it up for a while when we had children. When my youngest was in high school, I missed being with little kids and returned to teaching until our grandchildren came along.
Madison school has had an enormous influence on our lives and has been the source of innumerable memories. We made great friends, and they and their families are still a big part of our lives. We still get together often with Carol Murphy, Jean Ruffini and Nancy Turner and their families (They’re in the group photo). It's amazing that we have known each other for over 55 years. These fantastic relationships help our kids and grandchildren understand what real friendship is all about. At least once a summer we all get together and our grandchildren consider their grandchildren to be great friends.
Rahway was a great place to live and our Madison school days were a great time of our lives. Our dedicated teachers and our experiences there have inspired us and have given us a strong foundation on which we built our careers and our lives.
Patty Pellegrino and Mark Stugart Entered Madison in 1953 as Third Graders |
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Patty and Mark with family and friends (see if you can spot Jean Ruffini Peluso, Carol Murphy Hemmert , Nancy Turner Kalt in the picture)....during one of their serious moments. |
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Ed Micklovic
May 2010 Featured Alumnus
As the youngest of five, I seem to be the sentimental softie of the bunch. After graduating from college and returning to Rahway in 1986, I purchased my first home on Jefferson Ave. My brother and sisters just couldn’t understand why I went back to Rahway again?
I guess it ties back to the “relationships”…and the “feelings” that Rahway has left inside me from those elementary school years of 1969-1975, while attending Madison School. I’m sure my siblings had great years as well but, I guess we all experience different things along the way as we all walk in different shoes…
I believe what I took away most from the years in Madison School were the feelings that I was given a chance to experience by both the staff as well as the physical location of the school in proximity to my home and the High School. These feelings are the backbone of the man I eventually became. That might sound a bit strange, so I’ll try to explain.
- The feeling of “pride” while marching each year in the Halloween parade in a costume that my dad and I would put together a week or two early in anticipation of that special day, always aware of “keeping in line” while our stern Principle Mrs. Lyons kept watch.
- The feeling of “accomplishment” when coming home from the “School Patrols” ceremony with my new white trainee crossing guard belt and badge over my shoulder.
- The feeling of being “smart” when, in third grade, Mrs. Simpson had me read an entire chapter out loud from “Scholastic” magazine without any errors.
- The feeling of “civic pride” while painting figures on the city’s fire hydrants in 1975 in preparation of the Bicentennial.
- The feeling of “excitement” at all of the Christmas concerts on that ‘huge’ gymnasium stage.
- The wonderful experience of sharing a classroom with classmates from the “other-side of town”: making friends with those who didn’t look like any of my friends who I played with each day on “my block”. These relationships later allowed me to ride my bike anywhere in town w/o a care in the world. (Probably the greatest lesson I took away from Rahway).
- How lucky I was to grow up in a diverse town and achieve goals in sports, side by side with boys who the Lord happened to give skin darker than mine, as true Brothers…
- These are just a few that I can quickly recall…there are a bunch more!
Now the logistics of it all…
Due to where I live comparatively to Madison School and the High School, there were significant “feelings” that eventually was the springboard for me into my High School years. Since I lived about 100 yards from Madison School, off of Elm Ave, on Inwood Place, I played every day at Madison School.
My buddies and I would play in the front yard of the school, usually football. The two front sidewalks that led to the school from Madison Ave. were the end zones. Or we would play everything from basketball, kickball, baseball or stickball in the rear. The most excitement though for me came in the fall. To be able to watch the HS football team practice was just to die for! That, coupled with hearing the marching band as a backdrop, was the ticket. The sights and sounds were awe inspiring. The band’s drums breaking into the Indian war song, sent chills down my spine. That’s all I wanted to do and be…was a Rahway High School football player. The pilot light had been lit.
All those years later, as a senior in 1981 that dream had come full circle. As the Capt. of the 1981 team, I received the post season honors of:
- First Team All-Watchung Conference
- First Team All-Union County
- First Team Group III All-State
- Third Team All Groups All-State
- “Who’s-Who” in American HS Athletes
Through football, I was able to get an excellent education with a full athletic scholarship to the University of Connecticut.
This past football season, I was asked to say a few words to the ’08 team before their season opener. As my voice cracked with emotion, I tried in two minutes or less to express the “feelings” that a 40 plus old man (whom they had never heard of before) still has for a town he’s been removed from for more than 20 years: the “pride” they should carry with them for all that have played before them; the names like Hoagland, Scarpetta,Williams, Harold Butch” Young, Craig, Keith Hugger, Mike Punko and so many more, who always brought respect to the name “Rahway”. I closed by saying that no matter where I have traveled in the world, I have always held my head high when stating that I’m from Rahway.
I think I can attribute those “feelings”, in great part, to that small brown brick building called Madison School.
As for my “Professional” years, having the ability to overcome many hurdles and setbacks has become a way of life. However, being able to leverage professional networks and relationships along the way has allowed me to provide a very stable and wonderful life for my Family. I have been married for 14 years to my beautiful wife, Laura. We have been blessed with three very gifted children: Graziella (12), Eddie (10) and Sofia (8). I have worked for numerous Fortune 500 Companies such as Polaroid, G.E., Hewlett Packard, Honeywell, SAP, TaTa, and Verizon Business. My roles throughout have varied from Account Executive to Senior Vice President as well as Senior Partner. Regardless of the title or job description, my success has always been due to the ability to tie “feelings” to actions--a lesson I learned many years ago under the watchful eyes of Mrs. Josephson, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Ritter and Mrs. Simpson…How lucky I am for such great mentors!
One of my greatest joys has been involvement in the Pop Warner and Recreation Leagues in my hometown. I have for the past five years volunteered as both assistant and Head Coach for the State Champion Millstone Eagles Pop Warner program as well as Coaching for our Recreation Youth basket ball program. Most importantly, though, my ‘world’ revolves around my family, and I often find that the lessons I learned from my parents and mentors guide me in my effort to be the best husband and father that I can be.
Ed Micklovic
Class of “75” (6th Grade-Madison School)
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It was the BEST of Times…Growing up in Rahway on the heels of the Greatest Generation, with memories preserved as if they happened yesterday. Meeting Billy Webb on the corner of Madison and Central Ave to continue my daily trek to Lincoln School. Lincoln, I still remember those dirty mint green rooms decorated with construction paper chains. Dick and Jane, Puff and Spot in first grade, Ms Ertel.
Having cauliflowered ears as a result of being dragged almost daily into to the corner of shame by Ms Ritter second grade, third grade, Ms Wooster, a teacher I could actually learn from. A teacher who had an understanding of an acting out youngster with ADD constantly peering out of the window thinking of far away places I would rather be then sitting in the confines of a classroom... Drawing rocket ships and thinking I would be the first person on the moon. Ms. Wooster, a great teacher who nurtured the positives, and used those positives as a conduit for other learning. Playing Simon Says, in the bowels of the school basement during the winter months when it was too cold for gym to be held outside. Playing softball on the school grounds when weather allowed.
Feeling oh so fortunate when I was given 5 cents to actually ride the bus to school when weather was horrific. Late spring allowed us to stop at “Rock Bottom” on the way home from school. Rock Bottom, a short path off of Central Ave was a small pooling of the Rahway River that allowed us a “bare ass swim’ on those hot after school walks home.
I lived behind the high school; everywhere else was just a secondary appendage of the city. Lines of demarcation: Madison Hill Rd. that separated us from Clark; Milton Lake, where nearly every day was spent fishing during the warm weather or ice skating in the winter. I can still hear the “fracturing” sound when skating on virgin ice and the musty smell on your clothes from standing around those nightly bon fires.Rahway, during these my early years was spent “behind the high school”.
St. George and Westfield Aves completed our Rahway microcosm during those years. That is not to say we never ventured out past these boundaries. All-day trips on off school days provided us with adventure seeking pathways to the “new world”. Spending paper route money –Lizzy Journal- to have a banana split at Woolworth’s 5 &10 on Main St; better yet, an ounce of warm cashews from that rotating tray.
A brand spanking new school that was just a stone’s throw from my house that served as a kindling for new relationships to develop; students from outside our early lines of demarcation.
Holding a set of keys that were later used to enter the school after hours if so desired. I remember the building of Madison School; playing in the skeletal catacombs of future rooms and hallways during the school’s early construction. Ms. Truppa, for fourth, Ms. Griffith for fifth, and Ms. Royer for sixth. Hershman and Palisi completed my education through the eighth grade before moving on to Rahway High. Science classes were taught by Ms. Royer and kept my interest for some time. Molecules advanced to atoms, and basic chemistry was taught. Mr. Palisi’s classes demanded my attention if I was to be cool. Bringing typewriters into class, having "Contracts” that were all encompassing with subject matter. Contract Homework was due in weeks rather than having to submit daily assignments. I learned through my procrastinating behavior that I was capable of submitting large amounts of work in small amounts of time. Exposing me to the short works of Poe and O’Henry helped me realize I could spend time to read, if only in short spurts. Diagramming sentences was a visual tool I still to this day use when “trying” to write grammatically correctly. Parts of Speech I still can quote.
Much has been said about those teachers who inspire their pupils to learn. I believe it is an innate gift rather than a learned behavior. An honest statement and not an exaggerated one; I believe until I went to flight school many years later and even after completing undergraduate school there was a complete void of learning anything academic that was to help serve me in later life. My entire academic foundation was formed during those Madison School years, an education that has served me well throughout life. Days in those early years of the 50’s were spent playing baseball, CYRC and PAL, stickball against the high school wall, fishing at “the lake”, going on all day bicycle trips, and swimming in the Clark Rezzi. Reaching the other side seemed as if you had just swum English Channel. Cutting grass and delivering papers for those big bucks to buy fishing rods, baseballs, and hot fudge Sundays.
Those years at Rahway High, in spite of being a complete academic void, were years I fondly look back to. New relationships were formed that are still meaningful today. There was another Rahway; life actually existed on the other side of Route 1. Giving up riding your bike before the ninth grade ‘cause it wasn’t cool so you walked your girl friend home across town. Sports slowly gave way to working after school hours (Robinson’s on Main St.) in anticipation of the most important anniversary of one’s early life, your seventeenth birthday and getting your driver's license. It was also the day I bought my very own car from money I had been saving.
Formal education during those high school years consisted of trips to NYC, the Village, Motts St., and Mid-town where we became “regulars” at Bird-Land where the likes of Ala Tungee played, Ala who? Tipping our last bit of change to the bathroom attendant; change that was to be our toll money for the return trip home. However, all these forays made for good stories to be told afterwards at Walt’s Drive In. Less formal education was spent “Over the Island” at the Christmas Tree Inn and the Lollipop Lounge where our age seemed to remain a perpetual 18, that is until we reached that age, then it was a perpetual 21 where even less of a formal education was spent at “Bud’s Hut’, on Route 1, Avenel and Lena’s pool hall on Irving St.
Walt’s Drive In, I can still smell those thick-skinned hot dogs and burgers cooked on the grill by Bobby Wood’s mom who worked the night shift. An occasional side dish from Jean’s Bean’s would sometimes top it off during early hours. Walt’s was the quintessential gathering place that made us all the “Garrison Keillors” of Rahway. After-hour exploits and adventures were repeated over and over. Exaggerated sexual exploits from our after date nights were discussed in sophomoric detail. Drive-In movies where in-car “romance” took place , as well as at the Rahway Park. It was our Woodstock; in retrospect, a time of innocence on the cusp of the” Age of Aquarius” and free love.
Somehow I made it through to graduation, with “stellar” grades. I turned down Harvard and Princeton, of course, and chose Western Kentucky University, a choice that seemed to attract more than a few of us “over achievers” who barely graduated from Rahway High. Although it took me 5 ½ years to graduate with a BA in Psyche and Soc with a 2.000 grade Ave. (when I first had to choose a major, I kinda liked the word psychology, sounded professional), it was not without good times and more than a few pleasant memories. Another academic vacuum, but what I did accomplish was knowing that I needed a degree and to know I didn’t want to spend my later years working seven days a week at Nat Gypsum which I did during my summers and bartending at night during the school year. Earning my own school education was the most significant part of my education.
Another motivating factor for earning my degree was that I needed a degree to qualify for flight school, an ongoing dream of mine since early childhood. During my teens I remember hitchhiking up Lake Ave. to a small grass airfield with my pal, Ed brown, to take flying lessons in a J-3 Piper Cub--lessons I paid for with money I earned working nights at the Clark Tastee Freeze. Despite having virtually no technical or math background, I was able to score high enough on my flight exam to be accepted into Marine Officer Candidate School with an Aviation Contract. While waiting for my OCS class to begin, in the summer of 68, I worked in Harlem as a Caseworker for The Dept. of Social Services (a la Tom Wolf’s “Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers”).
Officers School in Quantico and Flight School in Pensacola Fla. presented my first significant structural and academic challenge. After a year and a half of OCS and flight training I was qualified in both fixed wing and rotary aircraft. After tours in S. East Asia and Europe and seeing the world from the decks of aircraft carriers, I finished my active duty commitment in Quantico, Va. with the sister squadron to the presidential squadron. I have many good and sad shared memories of my time spent in the Corps. To this day I am still close with my Marine Squadron pals. Semper Fi is not an exaggerated moniker that we Marines live by.
After my active duty with the Corps, I took a flying job with a foreign company that had various flight contracts throughout the world. I lived abroad for almost three years in Africa and the Middle East. I flew the police helicopter in Johannesburg, S. Africa during their time with strife over apartheid and did a stint culling and tagging White Rhino from the air in Umfolosi, a small game preserve in the heart of Zulu Land, just south of Mozambique with the closest village 50 miles away. In the evenings one could see the eyes of various wild animals just beyond the clearing of our small huts. Nothing but the sound of the wild prevailed except for a generator that was turned off each night at 9:00 pm—at times I had to pinch myself.
Over a year was spent in Nigeria living in the tiny village of Eket (in the so-called “Bite” of Biafra), just north of Cameroon, flying the bush and supporting oil exploration off the coast. An interesting aside: I was there shortly after the war in Biafra where the revolting tribes during the civil war were cut off from all exports off food and provisions.
In the mid-seventies, I moved from Africa to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, two of the Arab Emirates located on the Persian Gulf. It was an interesting time. Old traditions of the Bedouin culture clashed with the new emerging oil rich societies of the nouveau rich. Old Souks were slowly being replaced with modern shopping centers. I flew for local sheiks in support of their new oil industry, sometimes landing in the desert to fill my helicopter up with gas from Jerry Cans pausing long enough to join in for a cup coffee in one of the many nomadic Bedouin campsites sprinkled through the Sahara. The Middle East was my last location before returning to the States after a few years of being abroad--thought I was ready for more stability and moved to Dallas to join the girl I left behind some years before. I had several business ventures, opening up a new Dallas nightclub among others, but eventually put my energy into helping a new aircraft brokerage company get off the ground. Entrepreneurial businesses require total dedication with regards to time and money, a lesson that has stayed with me to this day and made me appreciate what it takes to be successful in a start-up business. While continuing to feed new my business ventures, I joined a Marine Reserve Squadron, NAS, in Dallas. I lived 15 min from the airfield so I was able to earn money flying test flights during the week in addition to my one-weekend /mo reserve commitment. It was the best of both worlds; being a civilian and flying part time as reserve pilot. Unfortunately, on my last two-week reserve commitment and during a joint military exercise I had a catastrophic crash that broke my back and rendered me a paraplegic. A 50-cent safety wire that was not installed caused a $30 million a/c to go down. I never had to ask why, especially in reference to my past flying experiences. My number came up from the big bingo roller in the sky, that’s all.
I spent seven months in rehab at the VA hospital in Long Beach Ca. and moved to the beach as an outpatient. I decided to enter graduate school during this time and upon receiving my graduate degree, spent two years of interning in a counseling center, after which I became State Licensed Family Therapist. I opened up a partnered counseling clinic and served concurrently as part of the clinical staff of a research center under the world renowned bio-engineer, Dr. Jerold Petrofsky. The clinic specialized in different treatment modalities for central nervous system disorders. In addition, I taught for the Graduate School of Psychology, Pepperdine University as an Adjunct Professor.
Wanderlust started to grab hold of me again by the mid-80 and I felt it was again time for adventure. However, starting a solo trip from the confines of a wheelchair was a new experience. The urge was strong enough that after arranging for my partner to cover our business I packed my car and took off down the Baja peninsula, eventually crossing over to mainland Mexico. Going a day at a time with no itinerary and after nearly a month on the road, I arrived at my spiritual home away from home, a small village, Ajijic, in the foothills of the Sierra Madras on Lake Chapala. Ajijic and Chapala during this time had a “Hemmingwayesque” atmosphere where slices of humanity made for great conversation at lakeside gathering places. Drug dealers, writers, ex-cons and artists all converged to make life there interesting. I eventually built a home on the side of the mountain overlooking the lake and village. It became my spiritual home and I spent time there whenever I could get away from work.
From that point forward I realized that solo trips to faraway places, with no itinerary and maybe just a plane ticket in hand, despite my physical condition, had become even more of an obsession. There is something seemingly romantic and exciting about being alone, raw, and having to trust the “Universe” that all will be OK. This is especially true in 3rd world countries.
These existential journeys have continued over the years. I was in Albania, just before the Kosovo uprising and Sarajevo after its collapse. On my way to Bosnia-Herzegovina I was detained by Serbian police and spent time in a Serb relocation camp before they realized I was too dumb to know where I had traveled. I eventually was able to get the area out of Croatia, not wanting to declare myself a political liability.
Traveled through Israel during the time of the Palestinian uprising. A Palestinian got me into the west bank when Hebron and Bethlehem were off limits and were ghost towns. The church of nativity was overtaken three days later and made international news.
Traveled throughout Salvador after the war, Trekked across Thailand and Cambodia for over a month. Joined a friend who lived in Quito, Equator, four-wheeled it down the mountain through triple canopies and waterfalls and after three days arrived at a tributary that joined the Amazon where we canoed.
Traveled Peru during the uprising of the Shining Star, part of a humanitarian group that brought supplies to a small village atop the Andes where no roads or electricity existed and where at night the Milky Way was almost a solid ribbon.
These are just a few of my travels, all having special moments that make one realize the paradox of life as we know it: feeling so infinitesimally small yet at the same time feeling completely symbiotic with the whole of the universe. I have omitted some of my sojourns here, as many of my experiences are personal ones. A few years ago, at the tender age of 60, I took up one of my life-long passions--to write, direct and produce film--and thought that some of my experiences would lay a foundation for my writings, grist for the mill. I enrolled in film school for a short time, gaining just enough knowledge to foolishly pursue my passion. I spent a year writing casting and directing a short film titled The Unbroken Circle, a tri-lingual film that portrays the conflict and sad conditions that continue to envelope the Mid-East. I was fortunate to gather a few national and international awards on the festival circuit for this piece. A segment can be viewed at www.Unbrokencircle2005.com. I continue to write and hope I have enough energy to write, direct and produce a feature for my opus. I do have another film which is an adaptation of my original screenplay to hit the festival circuit soon--one that has been long overdo in production-- called "Remembrance", that can be seen on http://www.youtube.com/ocshowbiz
What I can say is one of my proudest accomplishments, as of late is somehow having something to do with the foundation of our Madison School Archival Committee and our web-sight along with Anthony Palisi, Jim Cook and Joyce Hudock Boos. Rahway, that blue collar town…that I am always proud to say is where I grew up. Somehow all my friends without exception have improved their lives and have added to society, possibly one of the last generations to have that kind of upward mobility.
In closing I have to thank Jim Cook, who has constantly prodded me to put my bio together. It has brought back many pleasant memories that have been stored away in boxes of videos, photos, a half dozen unfinished scripts, and in the cobwebs of my mind. Of course, I am a story teller so some, if not all, of the aforementioned may be untrue. Then again I may have left the best parts out.
They say a boy becomes a man when he walks around mud puddles instead of through them. I dun-no, I still like splashing around….I am peering out of my office window, dreaming of far away places that I would rather be. Think I might want to be a train engineer when I grow up….. nah…. a cowboy. jcl .
John Ludwig entered Madison, 4th grade, 1953 ****************************************** |
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I transferred from Franklin School to Madison School in 1953, but only attended Madison for 7th grade. I remember the excitement of knowing I'd be going to a new school that I'd pretty much watched being built. Seventh grade was an awkward time for me. I was younger than my classmates, a dorky tomboy who didn't have many friends at school. I spent most of my time with the neighbor kids, Carol Palmer, Mary Hoffman, and the DiNettas, riding our bikes, walking downtown or to Milton Lake and playing a lot of street-softball on Mayfair Drive. We played Girls Softball at the Green Field. If I remember right - my team was the Hawks; our sponsor was Dependable Tire Company which was across the street from an ice cream shop where our sponsor bought us banana splits when we won a game. Our rivals were the Eagles, and we beat them for the championship in (1953-1954?). My family was my career and I'm very proud of their accomplishments. Sandee, my oldest (she prefers "first") is an Instructional Technology Specialist with a B.S. in Specific Learning Disabilities and M.S. in Library Information Science. Their children, Tia and Nick, are grown, and Dylan is in high school. They live in our hometown in Florida. Our oldest son John is a Program Administrator for DCF State of Florida. He's worked for the state for 20+ years. Dave is a stonemason. He does restoration work on historic buildings along the east coast. He married his high school sweetheart, they have 3 children. Amanda is in college; David Jr. and Adam attend high school. They make their home in Pennsylvania. Pam returned to college at age 43 to study law. Jesse is in the Marines with 2 tours of Iraq behind him, now stationed in Virginia. Stephene made me a great-grandmother to Isabella and Connor. North Florida is their home. Veterinary tech Dawn works with charities dedicated to saving wild mustangs in the western U.S. She and her husband care for 5 horses at home in New Mexico. Their son, Larkin, is in high school. In 6th grade he was invited to take classes at the University of New Mexico. Their youngest daughter, Deanna, is an RN. She and husband Simon live in Virginia. Shawn is in high school, Julia is 13 and races dirt bikes, Liam and Sophie are in grade school. My husband and I are enjoying retirement in his home state of Michigan. I've always had an interest in photography, took a class 15 years ago, and have been building up quite a photo collection since. I grow African violets and I love NASCAR. My children went to schools in Florida, so none of them knew Madison School, but they've all had the privilege of entering a new school for the first time. Each time they did, it brought back a "Madison Moment" as I remembered how it felt to walk through a new door to "my" new school and into a new classroom...kind of like your first new car. Raising six children was certainly a full-time endeavor, but in my ‘spare time’ I attended Pinellas Beauty College and Pasco-Hernando Community College, was vice-president of the Parkwood Acres Civic Association, a Girl Scout leader, and helped organize a safety committee for the Pasco County school bus system. When I found this website I was surprised at how few names were familiar to me, but it sure brought back a lot of memories. All the photos and mementos I collected while living in Rahway were lost many years ago so I really enjoyed the stories and photos from the past. I wish I had more to contribute. The pride and dedication by former students and faculty of Madison School is pretty amazing after so many years. The students who attend Madison now are fortunate to be part of a school with such a unique history and strong spirit. Thank you Mr. Palisi, for inviting me to share these Madison Memories! Joyce aka ‘Deb’ (nickname given to me many years ago) Hansen, now Harvey. |
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HEIKO GANZER Madison School: 1955-1958; grades 5,6,7, I am currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-R), Certified Addictions & Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC-G) and hypnotherapist (CT) in NY State in private practice. A former president and Board member of the NY Council on Problem Gambling, I opened the first problem gambling treatment center in Long Island, NY. I have co-authored a book, I Am Your Disease, sold on Amazon.com, and my web site is www.heiko.com. I am also a happy graduate of Madison School. Madison School is very special place to me because when entering, I had just returned from a summer in Germany with my grandparents and had some difficulty regaining my command of the English language. It was so bad that my stepdad who picked me up at Kennedy Airport couldn't communicate with me until we were home and my Mom did the interpretation. Mr. Palisi, Mr. Schweitzer, Mr. Begier and Miss Royer were great influences on me as I was a relatively new immigrant (came over on the ship "SS Neptunia") excited to be “American,” struggling to speak and read English, and eager to fit in. Mr. Palisi had my attention, and learning English in his class was very appealing to me as was losing any trace of an accent. To this day I am acutely aware of what a hanging participle is, in fact to this day, I often draw analogies to it for my patients who feel "left out". Mr. Palisi possessed an extraordinary gift -- inspiring me to feel accepted and being a role model. I made friends with Joe Dwyer, Don Russell, Joyce Hudock, Jerry Finelli, Cathy Fritts, Jim Cook and many others. I recall being proud and honored to be on the safety patrol and getting a white cloth Sam Browne Belt; my mom thought that was awesome. Mr. Schweitzer's history class was another wonderful experience for me, as I really connected with him and felt special in his class. It was so different learning American history, and I loved the books from Huckleberry Finn whom I envisioned myself as. I think it was in his class where I also developed this puppy love for Nona Ballard (sorry Nona I know you didn't like me then). I also was very involved with Zion Lutheran Church where I befriended others like Joyce Hudock and Ruth Lambert in the Luther League and had pizza on Saturdays.
My biological father, a squadron commander in the German Luftwaffe (JG3), was killed in WWII in February of 1944 (I was one year old). He was my childhood hero although I never met him. I remember sitting on the curbs in my hometown of Eltville at age four watching the American tanks and joining my fellow friends yelling "Army go home." I was later adopted by my stepdad (Ganzer), and he brought me and my mom over to the states with a short one-year stay at our first school in Queens, NY (PS33). My stepdad was a Judge at Nuremberg, Germany and later worked for the Federal Government in New York City as a federal judge. He personally picked Madison School and Rahway as a place for me to have my childhood with my half sister Karen. We lived across the street from the school on Nichols Rd. I fell in love with Rahway swimming in the Rahway River swimming hole behind the Dinner (St. Georges Ave.) pulling the leaches from our skin afterwards. Joe Dwyer and I seined Milton Lake (my favorite getaway) for fish and we would sit and watch the turtles, frogs, and snakes in turtle pond. I was always very interested in electronics and got a ham radio technician license by age 12 thanks to Bob Brown and his dad, which later served me well as president of the Rahway H.S radio club. I also loved Tennis. After earning my high school diploma at Rahway, I went directly into the US Army, with the goal to fly planes like my father. Since I had not attended college I did the very next best thing, training first as a helicopter and fixed wing mechanic, and then getting my FAA license as an Air Traffic Controller. I was sent to Vietnam as an “advisor” in 1962. Upon returning I attended Union Community College and did not finish, as the corporate world lure attracted me along with the potential money I could earn. After many years of moving “up the ladder” I had achieved the position of “Director of Operations” for a fortune 500 company called HELL (Division of Siemens Corp which translated meant Light). Yes, I was the man from HELL or light which ever suites your fancy.
At age 45, after a divorce, with three great children, and a new wife, I decided to resolve the emptiness in my spirit from never graduating from college by returning to school, changing my career, and forming a new pathway in my life. I graduated from Stony Brook University with a Masters in Social Work in 1997 and because I had a great educational base (Madison school staff and Rahway H.S.), I had a 3.8 average. I worked in the clinical field and studied several modalities including cognitive behavioral, rational emotive, EMDR, 12 step and hypnotherapy.
Starting a private practice, I specialized further in family work and addictions and opened the first problem gambling treatment center on Long Island. I then collaborated on a book, I Am Your Disease, which is included in schools in many states to help young people discover the dangers of drugs and gambling. I was installed as President of the New York Council on problem gambling and recently ended my tenure on the Council. I was able to be interviewed on Dateline NBC, CBS, and the New York Times as an expert on problem gambling.
Today I am truly blessed. Madison School students and its staff helped me to become an American! When going for my citizenship at age 12/13 I was able to state all the capitals of each state in the union, say the pledge of allegiance, recite the names of most of the Presidents, and speak and write English. My roots to the school were a way out of a horrific past of poverty, death, and losses. The Madison teachers have my deepest respect as I was a student with potential that actualized in a positive direction because they cared and, as a result, eventually so did I.
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Joyce Hudock Boos
January 2010 Featured Alumna My life in a capsule. By Joyce (Hudock) Boos I was born in Elizabeth, N.J. January 6, 1943. (Epiphany)
We moved to Linden, New Jersey for a very short time until my parents purchased their first home in Rahway, N.J., in 1953, which was a true “fixer upper”. This house was on Kline Place, which sat between The Liddy’s house and The Jarovich’s house, across the street from The Narkiewicz’s house and down a few houses from The Pribila’s house. The Biolsi’s lived up the street, the Reifler’s live down the street, and other kids also lived on the one block long Kline Place. This was a great place for kids to grow up, a real melting pot, since we really didn’t have to go off our block to find someone to play with each day.
Our family had a long backyard, which ended at a field for horses and, on occasions, a nasty bull. Beyond the field was a park (at that time called “Greenfield Park”), which fronted on Madison Ave. across the street from Rahway Hospital, all on the same Street as Rahway High School and the newly constructed Madison Elementary School. The Middle School eventually took part of the back end of my parent’s land for its present structure and parking lot.
When Madison opened in 1953, I began my 5th grade with Mrs. Ruth Laurent, a very, very dear and sweet lady. She was very fond of music. There was always a piano in her room and we sang almost every day as I recall. Our day started with a prayer or Bible reading, the salute to the flag and a Patriotic song. She loved her students and it was apparent that she wanted only the very best for all in her class. I recall starting 6th grade in Mrs. Laurent’s class but she became quite ill and we had a flurry of substitutes for most of the remainder of the year.
In 7th grade we became the “upper classmen” (Mr. Schweitzer was my home room teacher and Mr. Palisi was the English teacher) at Madison and moved to the upstairs north wing where we began to change classes for different subjects. This was exciting and we all felt like we had arrived and were important. I have fond memories of silliness in Mr. Begier’s math class and seriousness in Miss. Royer’s science class, the diagramming in Mr. Palisi’s class, and the outlining in Mr. Schweitzer’s Social Studies class. Basketball for us girls holds wonderful memories, with our coaches the Misters Palisi and Schweitzer. Being tall along with Cathy Herman, Tina Davis, Gretchen Guiler, Linda Davis and Janice Folkenflick gave me a niche that other girls couldn’t be a part of. We Madison Girls did fairly well, thank you very much!
I digress~ So, I attended Rahway High School from 8th through 12th grade. I graduated in 1961 and began college at Newark State College in the fall. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science and a permanent certificate in K-8 Education.
I married my High School Sweetheart, Bill Boos and we have two sons: Bradford and Todd. We moved to Maine in 1972 with our two little boys. Both sons are now married to lovely women, and we have five grandchildren: two grandsons, one granddaughter and two step-granddaughters. The grandchildren range from 7 months to 15 years old. All of these men in my life own their own businesses, which vary greatly from the degrees that they earned in college. That is a whole other story.
I owned and directed my own pre school for 10 years (one of my favorite careers) called “A Child’s Place” and later became a real estate agent, becoming a broker/owner of my own real estate office for the next 25 years and retiring in 2007.
In my retirement I have time to pursue my passions for gardening, photography, quilting, sewing, some minor writing, church work, presenting “teas” for groups of women or little girls, and a multitude of interests but finding that I never have enough time to get it all in before the energy wanes. We love traveling, boating, reading, and keeping in touch with folks from our childhood. I love the memories and look forward to the journey ahead.
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Steven Yaros
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Andrea Hollander Budy
November 2009 Featured Alumna Madison School, 1955 – 1958
Rahway High School, 1964
I was happy that in 1955 my parents and I were able to move to our own house, after having lived most recently with my aunt and uncle and two cousins in Long Branch, New Jersey, and before that on Army bases in Germany (where I was born) and elsewhere in the United States.
At Madison School I entered Mrs. Laurent’s 4th grade. A relatively quiet and shy child, probably because of years of having to attend schools as a “new” student during my father’s military years, I nevertheless began to make a few friends. I remember especially Donna Gibb and Sally Bower, along with later teachers Mrs. Longstaff and Mr. Palisi. I especially recall Mr. Hartmann, our music teacher, who introduced us to all types of music. Once when my parents and I were having dinner at the Fulton Restaurant (downtown Rahway), I spotted Mr. Hartmann there, eating alone. I was shocked the way all children are shocked the first time they see one of their teachers away from school and realize that teachers have lives outside the classroom. The fact that Mr. Hartmann was dining alone made me wonder why he was eating at restaurant without another person. Was he lonely? Was he married? These thoughts influenced my feelings for him after that. I wonder, too, if this kind of empathetic response is one of the reasons I became a poet, as my poems usually stem from observations of others, as well as from my own experiences.
I wrote poems as a child—short verses, really—but never took these jottings seriously. It wasn’t until1970, in response to the death of my 51-year-old mother, that I began to write with attention to the craft and art of creating a poem. Since that time I’ve published three full-length poetry collections—House Without a Dreamer (1993), The Other Life (2001),and Woman in the Painting (2006)—and an award-winning chapbook-length essay, The Hickeys on Sally Palermo’s Neck (2006), which highlights some of my experiences growing up in Rahway.
But I haven’t spent all my time writing poems and essays. After graduating from Rahway High in 1964, where joining the cheerleading squad helped me to be even less shy, I got my undergraduate degree from Boston University, and then taught high school English for a few years in New Jersey and Florida before earning a master’s degree in comparative literature and the oral interpretation of literature at the University of Colorado. I then ran a school for high school dropouts in East Boston, Massachusetts, and directed an alternative high school in Bath, Maine, before returning to Colorado, where I met my husband, Todd. In 1977, when I was six months pregnant with our son, Brooke, we moved from Denver to the Ozark Mountains near Mountain View, Arkansas, where Todd designed and built our house and where we and Brooke (now 32 and living in France) ran a bed-and-breakfast inn for fifteen years.
Arkansas proved to be a real home for me. I love the wooded acreage where we live, and I enjoy the people of this relatively small area (Mountain View has fewer than 2,500 citizens). Here I’ve been able to do a little gardening and a lot of writing. In 1982 I began publishing poems in literary journals and magazines, and eleven years later my first full-length collection of poems won the Nicholas Roerich Poetry Prize, a national award. Other literary honors include the D. H. Lawrence Fellowship, a Pushcart Prize for prose memoir, the Runes Poetry Award, and two $20,000 poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.
As a result of my successes in writing, in 1991 I was invited to be the Writer-in-Residence at Lyon College in nearby Batesville, Arkansas, where I’ve taught for eighteen years.
During semesters off from Lyon College, I’ve served as Visiting Poet-in-Residence at Westminster College in Salt Lake City; the University of Burgundy (France); the University of Sussex (England); and St Bede’s School (England). And during the summer months, I am often on the faculty of writers’ conferences, workshops, and institutes, including most recently The Frost Place, The Gettysburg Review Conference for Writers, and the Taos Summer Writers’ Conference.
My poems and essays have appeared in numerous anthologies and college textbooks, and I’ve given more than 150 readings, lectures, and workshops to audiences of all ages at public and private schools, cultural centers, and libraries, including the New York Public Library, Vassar College, and Harvard University.
I’ve also been interviewed on such radio programs as The Poet and The Poem (Library of Congress, Washington, DC), Live from Prairie Lights (Iowa City), Prosody (Pittsburgh), and New Letters on the Air (Kansas City); and my work has been featured by Garrison Keillor on his radio program, The Writer’s Almanac, and by former United States Poet Laureates Billy Collins on his “Poetry 180” Internet course for high school students, Rita Dove in her Washington Post column, “Poet’s Choice,” and Ted Kooser in his syndicated newspaper column, “American Life in Poetry.” When I entered Madison School, I did so as a reticent child who wouldn’t have dreamed she’d be able to speak her mind and heart in books, as well as in a classroom or on stage before an auditorium filled with people. My early experiences in Rahway helped to form me, of course, and I look back on those years with gratefulness. I hope other Madison School alums will contact me through my website: www.andreahollanderbudy.com.
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Rob Fiscella
Comments: When I was at Madison School I was what was called a juvenile delinquent. Fun, at that time, was sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night, hooking up with two classmates who will remain unnamed here, and roaming local neighborhoods in search of excitement. Excitement usually consisted of practical jokes such as piling all the trash cans and milk boxes on one unfortunate neighbor's lawn. Occassionally , usually on mischief night, we could rationalize frank vandalism and destruction of property. But the high point of any such foray was finding a late model GM car, hopefully an Impala, whose owner left the ignition in the on rather than locked position. This to us was as good as an engraved invitation to pile in and go joy riding. When we were finished, we usually brought the cars back, well before dawn, and made a special attempt to park them in a neighbor's driveway. The next day at school we replayed in our minds the fantasy of Mr. Smith's awakening and wondering why his new Impala was parked in Mr. Jones' driveway. We were caught once, fingered as it were by another classmate who will go unmentioned, but who broke under interrogation by Mr. Paulsen. I remember Mr. Paulsen, by the way, as being a "terrifying spectre", he had the austere, mean look of a reform school superintendent from the 1920's. He was lean and looked hungry, as though he could easily eat bad seventh grade boys for breakfast. My two collaborators in crime and I had two things in common. The first was strict fathers. My father yelled. My friend's fathers were frankly abusive, in a way which nowadays would have prompted a CPS report. Looking back, our bad behavior was our way of getting back, of wreaking havoc in the lives of our own dads, of feeling powerful, of saying "You would kill me if you knew, but you don't know, and you can't do a thing about it!" The other thing we had in common was that, despite our wild carryings - on out of school, we towed the line, found self-respect, learned a lot, and had a hell of a lot of fun in Mr. Palisi's classes. Anthony Palisi was the most outstanding teacher I have ever had. He instilled in me an understanding of how words relate to each other in a way that kindled a lifetime interest in language. To this day, I remain fascinated by languages and communication skills in general. I believe I can still recite the parts of speech, pretty much as he taught them, although I would flunk some of the more complex diagramming tests he gave us. Educationally, Mr. Palisi gave me ( and, I 'm sure, many other students) the skills which allowed me to open up my world. But he was important in so many other ways. As I look back, I was an unhappy, acting out kid, who didn't play sports, was pretty obnoxious, and really didn't fit in very well. Mr. Palisi, along with Ray Cleveland and Giulio Ambrosio, sensed that I had some particular abilities, and made me feel special at a time when I really needed that. Anthony Palisi commanded respect, the limits were clear, no one dared act out in his classes but at the same time, he was a friend, we never feared him, and his classes were always fun. As a psychiatrist, I've since understood how important all the things he probably did intuitively at the time are to adolescents who have strong potential to go in either positive or negative directions. I also enjoyed the special attention he paid me, taking me down to the Rahway Record on Tuesday nights and allowing me to write headlines and simple articles. A quick Bio: I left Rahway in the 10th grade and finished at Middletown H.S. I went to Hamilton College on scholarship with a vague idea of going to medical school. I had plenty of intellectual curiosity but no notion of self-discipline (some things never really change) and way too many neurotic problems to really derive what I should have from Hamilton. I was on a waiting list for Seton Hall College of Medicine, but my draft board was breathing down my neck, so I took off for Italy. I was as opposed to the Viet Nam War as I am to the current one. That, too, hasn't changed. I look back on that year, 1966-67, as a turning point. I spoke Italian fluently within 6 months, suddenly had friends, and felt a sense of belonging that I had never before experienced. I had a wonderful time, traveling around, learning something about art history, and never wanting to come home. I decided to enroll in medical school in France. Although I had had German with Frau Steuer, Spanish and Latin with Guilio Ambrosio, I had never studied a word of French. I thought that if I had to learn French, I would rather do it in the south of France than in Saigon. My understanding of grammar and love of language that began at Madison School made it seem easy. One step ahead of my draft board, I enrolled at the University of Marseille. Marseille has really become to this day, more than any other place, my emtional home, and I remain in almost daily contact with friends there. I finished medical school in 1972, did a year of medical internship at the Princess Grace Hospital, and then stayed on to start a residency in neurosurgery in Marseille. For family and other reasons, I made the difficult decision to return to the U.S., and after a brief stint in surgery, completed a residency in Psychiatry and Child Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins. I've lived in Baltimore ever since. As an aside, I worked for one year, about 35 years ago, as a ship's doctor in the Greek Merchant Marine, and was able to learn enough Greek to get by. That was a challenge! It's a highly declined language. 15 year old brains are far better suited to that kind of thing than are 28 year old brains, but again, I really learned anything I know about language in grades 6, 7, and 8 with Mr. Palisi. I was on the faculty of the University of Maryland Medical School for 20 years, retiring as Associate Professor. I continue to work full-time at the Baltimore VA Medical Center, although retirement is imminent. My other passions are music and aviation, so I may continue to do some private psychotherapy with Peabody students and airline pilots. I don't have too many memories of my Madison School years, but I especially recall hanging out with John Ludwig. John has stayed in touch with several mutual friends and I look forward to his reintroducing us at the reunion. Rob Fiscella Entered 4th Grade in 1953
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Frank Stiso
Featured Alumnus
September 2009
Frank A. Stiso, D.C., FICC, CCSP
Chiropractic Physician
Madison School, 1953, grade7 I attended 7th grade at Madison School when it first opened, 1953-1954, having transferred from Roosevelt School, and seventh grade at Madison was a brand new ball game for all of us. My home room teacher—and English teacher-- was Anthony Palisi. He couldn’t believe how some of the guys from Roosevelt didn’t know a noun from an adverb. Diagram a sentence, who knew how? My sixth grade teacher at Roosevelt couldn’t see or hear too well, so some of the guys would just stroll out of her English class. I was one of those dummies. We had great fun in sixth grade. Fast forward to seventh grade to the new Madison School – the fun times were over! Mr. Palisi would have the entire class stand and you would remain standing until you answered correctly. Guess who was one of those guys still standing? How embarrassing! Seventh grade was the year that turned my life around. Everything was new including teachers that conducted classes just like college. I studied now. You bet I learned how to diagram sentences and became very good at it. Dr. Palisi was one of the best teachers I ever had-- which includes post graduate studies.
Mr. Schweitzer was the History teacher. I did well in his class and in mathematics with Mr. Bill Humphries, who was later to be one of my varsity football coaches.
Science with Miss Royer was another story. She found out that I was very anal about my hair. My father being a barber probably had something to do with that. One day, during an examination, she snuck up behind me and dug her nails into my scalp while messing up my hair. This was supposed to be a joke but my knee jerk reaction pushing her away with one arm sent her flying into the coat room. She got upset and sent me to the principal’s office. I think it was Mr. Potts at the time. She wanted me expelled. After I explained what happened, she was the one almost expelled. Things were very tense after that between us. I made it my business to make up and I did my science homework first. I received an “A” from Miss Royer.
The first thing I did at the new Madison School was to make friends with the servers in the cafeteria. The main server was Sophie and she made sure I was well fed. She transferred to Rahway High and again my plate was full.
Fast forward to ninth grade at Rahway High School: Marino Palisi and brother Anthony were my football coaches. We were undefeated and unscored upon. That was the year I was introduced to the chiropractic profession from a football injury.
Fast forward: As fate would have it, my father’s back went out in my sophomore year at college. I took him to see the family chiropractor, Dr. Watters, who asked me to think about a career in chiropractic. I applied, was accepted, and graduated in the top five percent of my class with a D.C. degree (doctor of chiropractic) from the Chiropractic Institute of New York, now National College of Chiropractic. I became president of the Union, Middlesex and Somerset County Chiropractic Society and the New Jersey Chiropractic Society, our state association and am presently the Delegate representing the State of New Jersey to our national association, The American Chiropractic Association. I have received twenty eight distinguished service awards from these professional associations including Chiropractor of the Year in 1985. I was also accepted as a fellow in the International College of Chiropractors.
During my first year in chiropractic school I took a break from studying for mid-term examinations and went to see the Halloween Parade. The guys stood in front of Bauer's and that was when I saw the angel across the street. Never watched the parade that night because I couldn't keep my eyes off Marlene Slocki, Class of 1961, RHS. Tried dating her but my calls went nowhere. She gave me an amazing array of excuses. I couldn't believe it and was determined to get a date. It was at a chance meeting at the Ocean Bay Diner in Point Pleasant Beach that I saw her and Anita Scrimenti. I sat myself next to her in the booth and commenced to tell her she was sitting next to the guy she would eventually marry. She thought I was a lunatic but I was determined to get even with her for refusing to date me for over a year. I did get even with her on May 2, 1965 in Saint Mary's Church when she said "I DO"
She has put up with me for over 45 years. We have four children and eight grandchildren. That's getting even...SHE IS THE BEST!
I was recently the emcee at my 50th RHS Reunion at the Woodbridge Hilton. I was reunited once again with some of the guys that were left standing with me in Mr. Palisi’s English class.
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Ruth (Roofy) Lambert Hardy August 2009 Featured Alumna
My family, Dad, Mom, sister Patty (class of 1963) and me Ruth (class of 1961) moved from Princeton, where I was born, Dad was on the NJ State Police, badge number 774. When we came to Rahway, I went to Lincoln School on the corner of Central Ave. and St. Georges Ave. for the 3rd and 4th grades.
Now, about Madison School, it was a shorter walk for me, while I did miss walking with the kids I walked with to Lincoln School. A teacher that stands out is Mrs. Smathers, the math teacher, and how much trouble I had mastering the art of doing fractions. I can remember being very athletic, so gym class was easy for me. Seventh grade, homeroom 208, with Mr. Casimir Begier, as well as Mr. Harold Schweitzer, and Mr. Anthony Palisi, who gave me my nickname: Roofy. I remember an assembly that featured a famous cyclist, Mr. Fred Spencer, who wasn’t just our janitor; he also turned out to be a friend to us kids. He would listen to us and we would listen to his stories. Someone else that comes to mind is Mr. Hartman, the music teacher. I remember how much I liked to go to his class for practice and be part of the Christmas assembly.
Moving on to a school that seemed bigger than life, at Rahway High we went to the 8th grade and if we were lucky would graduate in 1961. Wow! Those five years were filled with experiences in and out of the classroom. We made friends, had romances, had breakups, and went to a lot of dances. We had the opportunity to participate in so many sports, and be part of history with all of the championships we won. Some of our friends are still talked about; there were so many records made and broken. During my senior year I met my now husband, Robert, class of “58”. We got married in San Antonio, Texas, while he was stationed there in the army. Soon after we married I left to go and live in Vicenza, Italy. We had the chance to spend his 30 day leave and travel by train from Vicenza to Naples and take a ferry to the Isle of Capri. On our way back home we hit every tourist trap: Rome (got to ring the bell on top of the leaning tower), Florence, Sorrento, Pompeii, we were able to walk into the Coliseum and sit down on what is left of the stone seats, now you can only go inside and walk on a cat walk made of wood. Also got to visit the Vatican, what a moving site and experience. WOW! I got to live in Italy for over a year, in and amongst the locals. We are still friends with other families from N.J. that were also at the same base.
Moving right along, first son, Todd, now 44. Second son, Mark, 41, then the twins, Christine and Christophe, 35. Christopher is the only one married; it will be a year now the end of June. My husband, Bob, was a locomotive engineer with PRR moving up through all of the name changes; when he retired he was running the Acela from N.Y. to Washington. He had a full time job for 38 years, we had four kids, and I had three Laundromats for 20 years. Now that Bob is retired, he has time to have fun. He rides two Harleys, a Roadking and a V-Rod, when not doing that he rides his horses, for pleasure or hunter paces.
I have been country line dancing for about 15 years, competing about 8 years. I have traveled the country, even spending two weeks in Sweden. My dancing career has given me the opportunity to earn a World Championship, and two National Championships. This year I have had to take off from that hobby to have a total knee replacement due to arthritis. The road to recovery was rough but it is starting to smooth out now. I also work at the polls, of all places, Madison School. All of my children went to Madison, I get to talk to some of their teachers and for a laugh, I ate in the cafeteria: lunch is now $2.35 and healthy. I have a part time job in our local Shoprite, in the scanning department. A little over a year ago I started my own chapter of the Red Hat Society, our name is The Kickin’ and Steppin’ Red Hatters, our name has attracted some dancers and some that want to learn. I find a little extra time to teach a Senior Citizen dance class, at the Rahway Senior Center on Esterbrook Ave., the old Post Office. I hope to “MAKE A DIFFERENCE ONE STEP AT A TIME”. My teen years were Elvis and Rock n” Roll, now in my senior years it’s Garth and Toby and Country Line Dancing. Since 1951,that’s 59 years, I have lived at the same address; and have watched Rahway change in so many ways, I liked it then, I like it now but from a different perspective.
To have been a part of the All-Class Reunion and the making of documentary DVD at Madison School all in the same weekend how awesome is that, I am so lucky.
Jim asked for a bio, not a book. It has been a pleasure and an honor to be nominated Mrs. August 2009. Ruth T. Hardy, Lambert Madison School class of 1956, Rahway High class of 1961. This is another memory.
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Dr. Bob Rostkowski
July 2009 Featured Alumnus I wish to thank Jim Cook, or James Ralph Clifford Cook III, PhD as he likes to be called when he is in a formal mood, for sponsoring me to the secret Madison School Alumnus of the Month Committee. He never informed me that I would have to write an essay that would be diagramed and graded by Mr. Palisi. I also doubt that I’ll ever receive the “I am a Madison School Alumnus of the Month” bumper sticker that I’ve modestly requested. As Mr. Palisi and Mr. Schweitzer prophesied, “Life gets tougher after seventh grade.” My path through Rahway schools began a bit over a year after our family moved to Rahway from Linden, our bitter rival from the North. Our home was a large old house on a large plot of land with plenty of trees, bushes, and grass that required continuous maintenance. I continued learning the “3 R’s” at a Polish Catholic school in Linden for my third grade, which made me more than ready for my transfer to the rigors of the public school system when I entered fourth grade at Roosevelt School. My major memories are of my teacher, the lovely and pleasant Mrs. White, who didn’t wear a gown, cape, or beads and wield a sharpened pointer; the rivalry of Jim Cook and me for the hand of the lovely Ms. Nona Ballard; and of times with the aforementioned Jim Cook when we were sent from the class to explore the wonders of the library, including children’s travel books about Siam which became strongly etched in Jim’s subconscious.
My educational trek really began when I entered Madison School. Roosevelt School was just a block away from my home, but to get to Madison I had to travel almost as far as Abe Lincoln did. I had to cross a body of water, the Robinson Branch of the Rahway River, so this was real schooling that required effort! I even had to meet and associate with new people from the fabled and faraway hinterlands of Rahway. Homes had been built after World War II and populated by families from wild and exotic places like Elizabeth, Newark, and Winfield. My classmates proved to be quite nice. Perhaps back then there was less of the nastiness and bullying that we hear about now.
Thankfully, I was placed in 5-3, the class of Mrs. Charlotte Griffith, my maternal teaching successor to Mrs. White. Mrs. Griffith was a lovely honey-haired teacher from the South (Virginia, I believe) with a pleasant Southern manner and voice that was soothing and nurturing--as long as the class didn’t venture past the limits she set for the execution of “Quiet Day,” a day of atonement and cleansing for our transgressions. On this fateful day she would put on her “cross” face and was distant, unsmiling, and stern. Absolutely no talking was allowed. This was the polar opposite of the Mrs. Griffith that we usually experienced, and the abrupt withdrawal of her nurture and pleasantness stimulated feelings of abandonment, dread, and guilt. We had hurt our maternal figure, and now she must punish us for our own good. Thus, we developed morally as well as academically. I remember only one time when we breached her generous limits and were given “Quiet Day” as retribution despite our pleas and wailing. That was enough--there would never be another “Quiet Day” during my fifth-grade lifetime and in my life thereafter. Here’s to you Charlotte Griffith!
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Thinking as a psychiatrist, I should make mention of the important Freudian developmental concept of Latency, the developmental epoch after the resolution of the Oedipal Conflict and before the stirrings of adolescence. To summarize: Dad has already asserted his claim to be king of the castle and all its minions, and a new and independent hormonal land has not yet appeared on the horizon; our assertive impulses and identities become quiet. Fifth graders, ages ten to eleven, live a life in Latency. We young guys liked sports, practical matters like academics and machines, and comradery with other guys. Girls mature earlier but don’t clue us in on mature matters. Freddie Spencer, Mickey Mantle, and Hank Aaron are our heroes; Marilyn Monroe is a mere appendage to the “Great DiMaggio.” The lovely Ms. Nona Ballard no longer troubled an aching oedipal heart. Life was good and filled with simple pleasures with the guys and useful defensive diversions that we in the trade call sublimations. Carmine Guastello introduced me to the clarinet and, later, to the wailing saxophone. Led by classmate Charley Hinkle,
I became a member of “The Four Sharps” (aka “The Moonglows,”) a band that played love songs and rock fairly well but without the hormonal passions of our contemporary rivals, Elvis or Little Richard. Jim Cook (Are you getting the feeling that we hung out a lot?) was our guitarist, and Tim Nestrick played drums. You may remember that talent show in the gym/auditorium when Charley and I rocked you to “Ain’t That a Shame,” and Jim Cook did a rockabilly version of “Wabash Cannonball.” We eventually blossomed or (moon) “glowed.” We did play at dances in the Rahway High School gym, and you may have heard us at your local or regional “sock hop,” or perhaps read about us in Billboard or the Rahway Atom Shopper. We were so cool and subtle that no one knew it.
Thankfully, pre-adolescence melted the frost in our addled brains, and we entered seventh grade. It was 1955, the time of the ‘55 Chevy, Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock,” Beatniks, and S&P (Schweitzer and Palisi). Many of us guys had “feelings” but, thankfully, couldn’t or wouldn’t articulate them. Life again ran in Technicolor or perhaps the pastel “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White. “ I was ready to resume my struggle to find a righteous identity and a place in the world. My identification at that time was with the Beatniks, that scruffy bunch of self-rejected outsiders that loved jazz, joints, espressos, and berets. I chose three out of the four--not bad. I wore a maroon (not a green) beret while patrolling center field for my little league team, enjoyed a strong coffee, and bought a Benny Goodman 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Album with my paper route money (Joyce Hudock Boos was on my route). Life was good. I was cool--then came S&P.
I had received word about seventh grade from my sister, Honey, who had been the advance scout for much of my life. She told me that Schweitzer and Palisi were forces with which to be contended [Awkward sentence but diagrammatically correct - I think!]. I could not rely on my experiences with the nuns or any fading childlike charm that I might possess. Forget about Begier and Royer, pencil-pushers and science: S&P-- these were the guys! Honey informed me that the previous class had split into either a Schweitzer or Palisi admiration society and, literally twisting my arm, she suggested that I, as she, would be a Schweitzer advocate. Fortunately I was placed in Mr. Schweitzer’s home room class. He had a towering (6'4" --I had never seen a human so tall until I met Fred Kast, 6'7") presence, a good sense of humor, and a creative knack of coming up with clever nicknames. I didn’t understand irony back then so I accepted his moniker for me of “Handsome Robert.” He taught American history, then called Social Science, a pleasant class that came easy to me except four nights in the year when the twenty-page report (typing was appreciated) was due the next day.
Mr. Palisi, however, was a different challenge. Forget about his teaching abilities, decency, etc; he was an intriguing masculine figure. In a totally unconscious Oedipal challenge (understood much later in psychoanalysis), I spoke too much. The result: he commanded a 250 word composition from me. Okay, that was easy, give me your best shot - next was 500 words. I then graduated to 750, 1000, and finally 1500 words (of course without dittos or duplicate tricks) with each transgression. What began as a fun psychological joust became drudgery as the word requirements were escalated and contributing to an increasingly growing image of writing as a punishment, an aversion. I reached into my Freudian defensive first aid kit and took out sublimation. I must meet him at the more mature level to which he was beckoning me. Fortunately, Mr. Palisi’s subliminatory challenge was sentence diagramming, an endeavor that would honor his efforts as an English teacher and would benefit me. I went to work and received encouragement from him. Subject, predicate, direct object, simple sentence, complex sentence, compound sentence: after much time and rather pleasant effort, I learned the skill of diagramming and, with it, grammar and punctuation. Eschewing earlier images of abandonment and guilt, and guided by Mr. Palisi’s enthusiasm and humor, I identified with him as a trusted teacher and Mr. Schweitzer’s colleague and pal. I identified with their intellectual way of life, accomplishing all this at Rahway taxpayer expense while still wearing my beret and listening to jazz! I learned to diagram sentences and gained the confidence of never having to worry about the mechanics of writing. Thank you S&P for your friendly competition with us and with each other. It set a good example of a mature relationship that was invigorating, pleasurable, and competitive yet respectful--an example that we could use in developing our relationships with our peers.
Thank you, Messrs. Palisi and Schweitzer, both for sharing the enjoyment that you had in teaching and the interest that you had in each one of us as an individual. You both meted out your wisdom, integrity, and support to each of us as needed. Your rivalry blended collegiality and friendship. I still remember the softball games between our classes. Under the influence of great luck, I once caught a towering fly that one of you hit. I can’t remember who hit it except that it seemed to be a lefty. Jim Cook reminded me that it was probably Mr. Schweitzer who would hit the towering fly balls that made our knees quiver. It really doesn’t matter who, since both of you were spending extra time with us and having fun with us while being serious and productive teachers. The important lesson was that, in your serious work, you enjoyed each other and enjoyed us. Your “role-modeling” of pleasurable mature attachment was a crucial part of my developmental education.
As my Madison time came to an end, I was prepared for life--better than I appreciated back then. With my Madison School colleagues, I moved on to Rahway High School (RHS). I did well and kept my attachments, particularly to Jim Cook. Through him, I met another good friend, Jim Allman, and we all enjoyed our friendship at RHS. I briefly attended the Air Force Academy and was greatly supported in my decision to leave by the two of them. I prospered and enjoyed Rutgers University, also with the two of them. The special accolades I gained there do not matter, but it was good to enjoy it with them and the lady that Jim Cook encouraged me to meet and eventually marry. I applied to medical school with the humility and sense of purpose that continued to develop from my Madison years and was accepted to the New York University School of Medicine. Still keeping my old attachments, I actually enjoyed my labors there and received my MD degree. I did my internship at Herrick Hospital in Berkeley, fell in love with the San Francisco Bay Area, and returned there after my residency in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania.
I’ve been a content, productive, and peaceful man during my over thirty years here in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ve enjoyed my marriage, my family (two children), my work, and my colleagues. With much effort and good fortune, I’ve prospered in my profession-- a private practice in psychiatry-- and have done teaching and research. I completed the many challenging years of training to become a psychoanalyst certified by the American Psychoanalytic Association. Active in the leadership roles of my profession, I was named a Distinguished Fellow in the American Psychiatric Association, a “Cardinal” in my vocation of Psychiatry. I continue to greatly value and maintain my relationships with my two Jims. We all help keep each other’s identities honest and free of excessive narcissism. We have all been successful since our early days and enjoy simple pleasures with each other, as Schweitzer and Palisi taught us to share. I have no complaints about life. Although, in distance, Martinez, California is about as far from Rahway New Jersey as you can get in the U.S., my wife and I live in a big old house on a large plot of land in a Bay Area town that is reminiscent of my old home in Rahway, and, as in years before, I live not far from Jim Cook. Go figure that!
I am relying on the editing of Jim Cook to keep me from completely regressing to sentimental mush. I was initially amused about the effort to revive our experiences at Madison. It was a time long gone past and mainly forgotten, and I had seen little cause to make much of it. The result of the efforts of all of you has made me see the light. It’s easy to become too involved with ourselves and to lose the importance of Potts, Palisi, Schweitzer, Cook, Labasi, Tortoriello, Guiler, Stiso, Hinkle, Griffith, and all the many others that were part of our lives. I am particularly touched that Mr. Palisi still maintains an interest in us. What greater love can a teacher or anyone have? What greater example can anyone set for us to live a good life? It's been my pleasure and benefit to think about our past times. I don’t think I’ll even ask for a bumper sticker as recompense.
My love and best wishes to you all,
Bob Rostkowski
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Joyce Tortoriello Featured Alumna, June 2009
Memories of Madison School……..
We lived in Newark and moved to Rahway in 1954. It was me (RHS class of 1962), my older brother Danny (class of 1957), and my brother Patrick (class of 1960).
I entered fourth grade in Mrs. Rhodes class that year and remember her as a very nice teacher. It is amazing what you remember that can help you so much in your later years. She noticed at that time that I was not able to comprehend what I read so she taught me something that has stayed with me throughout my life. She told me to write down all the characters that I came across in the book on a pad as a guide and refer back to them as I read the book. That teaching from her back then has allowed me to this day to enjoy reading, which I love. She would have felt a great sense of accomplishment knowing how much she helped me.
Fifth grade was Mrs. Griffith, a sweet southern woman. Sixth grade was Miss Royer, the very dedicated old-school type of teacher who believed that woman should know how to fix things around the house, which certainly came in handy for me later on in life. When you asked her for a scissor she gave you half of the scissor, but if you asked her for scissors you got the entire scissors. I also remember that several of us had a problem spelling the word SEPARATE. She said you would never forget how to spell that word if you remember the animal a rat in the word. I never forgot that either. Funny what you remember. I cannot recall if I had Mr. Palisi in 7th or 8th or Mr. Schweitzer. Both were excellent teachers. Diagramming did not come easy to me. I was always amazed how easy it came to others. When we went back in time to Madison School in October 2008 again, I was amazed how Robert Fiscella knew how to diagram and just watching him at the blackboard brought back memories of how little I grasped then and now. It brought a smile to my face; I only feared Mr. Palisi would call me up to that blackboard.
We meet many people in our school years and some continue on into our adult years. I am still in contact with many of those people and have kept up friendships through the years still with Susie Oslislo, Susie Melody, Sue Bolan, Pam Creveling, Johnny Ludwig, Ed Brown (Skeeter), and Ed Ottenthal to name a few. I still feel as though the class of 1962 has a strong bond. Whenever we had a reunion the turnout was wonderful. We look forward to those events because they do bring back such nice memories that we cherish from our youth.
After high school I worked in Koos Bros. office in Rahway, got married in 1966 and had two children: Michael and Christine. I have two wonderful grandchildren: Natasha 6 and Gary John 3. I have been living in Clark, NJ since 1971 . I look back at my life and feel proud that I raised two children in their crucial teenage years as a single Mom and equally proud how wonderful they have turned out. They have been one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. I returned to work after they were adults and am still working at the same job at Petro Fuel for the past 23 years.
There are so many wonderful memories of those carefree youthful days when life was so simple and safe, and I’m not sure who we feared more--our teachers or our parents--if we did something wrong. We had more respect and certainly obeyed the rules.
Some people were ‘A’ students and some were ‘C’ students, but we all turned out the same and can look back now as we are older and realize the dedication the teachers had and how proud they would be if they knew that their teachings left such a great impact on our lives.
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Jerilyn Cook Jefferis
Featured Alumna, May 2009
Coming from Roosevelt School to Madison School in 1953 to begin Sixth grade was a welcome and great change. Madison School had a totally upbeat atmosphere-- from Distinguished Mr. Potts, who was actually seen in the hallways, to our Home Economics teacher, Mrs. Reed. In her class I got to make my first pot holder which my Mother still has. We had structure at Madison School, but I always felt the teachers liked teaching and liked their students. Not so at Roosevelt School starting with the kindergarten teacher. There was, however, one memorable teacher for me in Fifth grade at Roosevelt: Mrs. McMillan. She was a stand out as an educator, a teacher doing so under terrible conditions, including having a very special education disruptive student in our class. My favorite memory of her is the study of birds and the little green bird book she gave us. I still have it 51 years later.
I had a job between my junior and senior years of high school. This was a defining summer for me. I worked on a production line, and it was here I decided I was bound and determined to go to college. This job was not what I wanted to do the remainder of my life. So I attended college and obtained my BS degree in Health and Physical Education, and all of my jobs since have been in the health and physical world and teaching. I taught for a year at Rahway High, just out of college and moved to the Lambertville area, continuing teaching and, for several years, running my own exercise studio.
At Madison School no one could remember without mentioning Mr.Palisi and Mr. Schweitzer and experience sending their messages with their classes and other gimmicks they used. In eighth grade, I was lucky enough to have Mr. Palisi chose me as one of the cheerleaders for the Freshman Football team. The frosh girls didn’t want to do it and we were thrilled to do so. It was his idea and his energy that made that year something special for us. They were wonderful teachers along with Mrs. Royer and Miss Stevens who were less flamboyant.
All of my jobs have had to do with wellness, exercise and teaching. Teachers good or bad have had a big influence in my life and I feel they do in many others’. I still get a thrill when one of my senior citizen exercise students “gets it” and I can see their confidence soar! For sure Mr. Palisi and Mr. Schweitzer did that for many of us as we walked into their classroom doors. What a gift! For a young girl like me going to MS, graduating 1956, it was just the right place for those impressive junior high school years. I count myself very lucky.
I went to RHS where I enjoyed school activities. I liked going to school every day. After high school, I went to college, became a Health and Physical Education Teacher, Semi-Professional Dancer, Fitness Center Owner, Corporate Wellness Center Director, Dance Teacher, and Personal Trainer. I also taught perceptually impaired children and Adaptive PE—much of this simultaneously while my two children were in school full time.
I feel teachers, good or bad, have a considerable influence on our lives. I wanted to be a good one and by educating people about how to develop their bodies, also help increase their self esteem and confidence. This philosophy has carried through to my children and now as adults they are both teachers and coaches.
I now have six lovely and active grandchildren and remain active supporting them in their sports and activities, while still leading exercise classes and working part-time.
Mr.Palisi and Mr. Schweitzer were so instrumental in building the confidence of many of their students along with me. I feel fortunate that E-mail has allowed me to reconnect with Mr. Palisi. E-mailing your junior high teacher at this age is truly unbelievable! I love it!
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Whatever Happened to Phil “Flash” Labasi? Hi all you aging graduates of that square brick building on Madison Avenue in Rahway. I’m sure life has been an adventure for you as it has for me. I’ll try to give you a very brief history of my life from 1953 to the present.
As a 12 year old eightth grader at Madison school, my world consisted of a lot of dreams….. I was going to be an automobile designer, an astronomer, a space explorer. I would draw pictures of autos I designed and I also read books by Goddard & Von Braun about rocketry & space travel. In school I doodled when I should have been focusing on the teacher. Unfortunately, this was not well received by some of my teachers, notably Mr. Schweitzer who found my musings to be annoying at best. He nicknamed me “Flash” (as in Flash Gordon) because of my immature dreams of space travel and this didn’t help my attitude towards school. Conversely, I do have very fond memories of Miss Royer, Mr. Palisi and Mr. Potts. These three educators had a very positive influence on me and I thank them. Mr. Potts usually was delivering the bad news to my poor mother regarding another of “Philip’s exploits” and Mr. Palisi & Miss Royer tried to set me straight when I strayed (which was quite often).
My closest friends during that period were Al Koehler, Gerry Garber & Wayne Tobin who would later become lifelong friends and all of us were successful in our adult pursuits. We played baseball, basketball & football while we also began to discover girls. Luckily for me, a nice girl named Diane Gordon tolerated me enough to attend a dance with me. I hope she is well and happy.
But I was a discipline problem. I got into too much trouble owing mostly to my immaturity. This led my parents to send me to military school soon after graduating from Madison. That was like a prison sentence to a kid. So after Madison, I was thrust into strict military training at Admiral Farraghut Naval Academy before I was old enough to shave. Although I quickly became an “A” student there, I continued some of my immature ways. Not until I graduated from Rahway High school & started college at Seton Hall University, did I wake up to the real world. I had to pay for most of my college education with part-time jobs (tuition was $16 a credit!) since no one was interested in my poor athletic skills. Some of these jobs were really suffocating; I worked in a blast furnace, a few gas stations and unloaded trucks at midnight at the St Georges Avenue Grand Union. While these jobs helped me through college, their difficulty convinced me to finish my education.
While at college I decided I wanted a military career after graduation. The ROTC program offered partial scholarships which allowed me to stay in college. I also joined the Pershing Rifles Military fraternity, a very selective organization. I was on the trick drill team that appeared in the Schaeffer Beer commercial. In 1962 I was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army along with friends like Lou Rizzo, Al Koehler, Joe Finelli, Bo Molitor & Tom Riley all of whom were commissioned officers in the military services like me. What a thrill it was to put on those gold bars and realize I was a commissioned US Army officer! Little did I realize the huge responsibilities I would encounter in the US Army.
Military service forced me grow up quickly. After survival and counterinsurgency training at Ft. Bragg, I was assigned to a stevedore company where the average IQ was 75. This was a challenge! Also, being placed in charge of 44 men and $ millions in equipment & weapons, plus being responsible for my unit’s training, feeding, supplies and payroll was a big wake up call for a 21 year old. In 1965, I had to prepare my unit for deployment to Vietnam and soon after that I finished my 2 year active duty tour. I remained in the reserves for 28 years rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel & I retired in 1990 as the commander of an armor battalion consisting of 400 men & dozens of tanks.
I also had a parallel career with the federal government, earned my law degree at night while working full time while I had two small children at home (one of those kids is a Lt. Col currently serving in Iraq). After admission to the bar (not the Rahway Tavern!), I practiced real estate law part time. When I retired from the govt. in 1997, I became a federal assistant regional attorney in New York City prosecuting Medicare fraud & abuse committed by physicians & nursing homes. I also became a licensed land title officer, an adjunct professor of law at Brookdale & Mercer colleges and an attorney for the State of New Jersey.
During this period I served four terms on boards of education in Scotch Plains and Edison. I divorced in 1979 and in 1984 married my wife of 24 years, Beverly Van Buren, a lovely girl from Clark, NJ, who is truly my soul mate. We have one son Matthew who we are quite proud of. These days we live in South Carolina, two miles from the ocean, located between the coastal cities of Charleston & Myrtle Beach. I am a member of the local Republican club, American Legion & Corvette club. At 68 years old, I am not ready for the rocking chair so I am starting my own business. This will be a driving school specializing in teenagers! What a hoot. Imagine, me teaching teenagers how to drive? (Remember my 1950 Olds)?
My memories of Madison School are happy given the kids I knew there and most of the teachers who put up with my stupidity. Mr. Palisi & Mr. Potts & Miss Royer gave me a good basis for my future education. Times were quite different in 1953 but I am glad I survived relatively unscathed. I hope all of you who read this remember the good times at Madison! Stay in touch.
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March 2009 Featured Alumna
I started Madison School in the spring of 1956 coming from Newark. Newark had the A-B sessions back then so I was just entering the beginning of sixth grade while Rahway was at the end of sixth grade. My choice was to make up a year’s work or repeat sixth grade. Of course I chose to make up the work. I sailed through everything except those dreaded diagramming of sentences. Little did I know that in my later teaching career I would be using that very technique with my children who needed a visual!
I graduated from eighth grade at Madison with the class I started with. My transition was very easy since most of the students had transferred in from other schools to Madison when it opened. My feelings of Madison reflect closeness, family, and security which I lacked in Newark.
My high school years were packed with college courses that I had to fight the first year to have. My eighth grade testing was a disastrous affair. I skipped a question and forgot to skip a space! I also tell my classes today about that incident and that they are lucky that their courses are not based on one year of testing. Mr. Potts informed me that I would make a very good “Grease Monkey!” After graduation I went back to see him with my high honors and acceptance to college. He was very humble and congratulated me on my hard work.
I graduated from Kean (Newark State then) in 1966 and worked in Quitman Street School in Newark teaching kindergarten. I loved it, but then the riots hit, and I was in the middle of it. I was escorted to and from my car by a cadet, and my outside classroom door had a permanent guard.
From here I spent a year in North Plainfield teaching fourth grade. I resigned during my pregnancy and started in Rahway in April of 1970. I have been here ever since. Some people never get to come home, but I did. That is what Madison School is to me – home.
I have three children, a daughter, Kim and two sons, Michael and Christopher, and six grandchildren.
Accomplishments: Masters in Liberal Studies from Kean in 1984 Post Graduate courses (MA+30) from San Diego State, Kean University, and Montclair University. 1966 –1967 NEA/NJEA school representative 1999 – NSTA Liberty Science Center Advisory Council Safety Patrol Advisor since 1970 Character Education Committee Bully Buster Advisor and creator of Madison School’s Bully Busters Science and Math Mentor Committees – Everyday Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies Sunshine Coordinator for 10 years Merck Summer Workshop – 1986 ASTC 1991 Honor Roll of Teachers Liberty Science Center/Liberty State Park Science Summer Workshop 1993 M.I.S.E. (Merck Institute for Science Education) Leader Teacher Program 1994-2004 Teacher of the Year two times from Rahway Grant from Exxon for exploring Ecosystems Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 Outstanding American Teachers 2005-2006 Cambridge Who’s Who Executive and Professional Registry Lifetime Member from 2007-2008 Cambridge Who’s Who Professional of the Year 2008-2009 representing Elementary Education with a focus on Science Merck Science Leadership Team of Madison School 2008 - 2011
Robert Woods Johnson University Hospital Volunteer since 1983 Holy Trinity Eastern Orthodox Church – Council Member, Secretary of the Council, Historian, Sunday School Director, President of the Ladies Altar Society
Publications: Review in NJ Art Form – 1983 Focus On Education – 1995 NJEA Review – Article about the success of Science By Mail |
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Life During and After Madison Elementary School Rahway, New Jersey
By: Pam Creveling MacMillan
We moved to Rahway in 1954, thus I missed attending Madison School in its inaugural year of 1953. I was the new kid on the block and Madison school provided a great environment in which to meet and make friends. My home room teacher, Mrs. Griffiths, discovered I needed glasses. Guess sitting in the back of the class room and having no idea what was written on the blackboard was a major clue. I vividly recall how excited I was to go to school wearing my new eyeglasses. Of course, this was 5th grade. There was an entirely different feeling when I crossed the parking lot to RHS a few years later. Never did know where to hide those spectacles. I'm sure most will recall we had split-session hours in high school. I got a part-time job in Farber Brothers Lumber Company as soon as I was eligible for working papers. I thought it was great to be employed and independent. Years later I realized I had missed a lot not being available to partake in after school activities, attend football games and other school sporting events. Was always grateful for the dances in the Gym … yup, girls on one side, guys on the other!
The recent trip down memory lane thanks to the October 2008 RHS all class reunion and spending a Sunday afternoon “filming” at Madison School with John Ludwig, Mr. Anthony Palisi, Ed “Skeet” Brown, Joyce Tortoriello and Jim Major amongst other classmates made for much fun, reminiscing and laughter.
Actually my life has been fun and filled with laughter. Had a rewarding career thanks to Bell Laboratories and AT&T (you remember them … the Ma Bell AT&T letters used to be full cap, now they're owned by SBC and the letters are small cap [at&t]). Started in the Bell Labs typing pool for $52 a week and was challenged by typing mathematical Greek equations as dictated by world renowned technical wizards speaking with a heavy foreign accent. Ended my career as a mid-level manager with a staff responsible to review, interpret and qualify court orders segregating pension and savings benefit plan dollars between the divorcing parties … still Greek to me! Retired in 1998 … wow, 10 years ago!
I'm happily married! Have many friends and a handful of close friends; you know the kind that continues to understand you even when you're raging about something. Mike and I have traveled to many parts of the US from Maine to Hawaii. We've had the opportunity to see a little part of the world which includes Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Great Britain, and some of those romantic islands like Bermuda, Barbados, St. Thomas, St. Johns. 2009 finds us off on yet another new venture. We are moving to North Carolina where the bit warmer weather will help us to extend the golf season and motorcycle excursions. I will miss the snow … no one said I was truly sane … but Mike has promised to take me to Vermont and New Hampshire during the winter months. I wish all of my classmates from Madison School and RHS and everyone along the journey the best of the best. Keep playing and enjoy every day!
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