on Camp Paradox (made possible by Loquacious)
Found this about Marty Scott on the internet: http://www.worlds.net/news/PressReleases/prn035.html
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on April 27, 2001.
Jeff Singer here, Bruce Singer's younger brother. I attended camp from 68-70 and it looks like I might be one of the younger campers to post (not that any of us are all that young). It would be great to hear from some of my peers - Jerry March, Rob Stein, Larry Kantor, Ron Berenson, Barry Mittleberg, Douglas Davidoff. Neil Neuschatz and Mike Salnick were my counselors one year. Alan Miller was a counselor another year, as was Rich Perry. I remember performing in the chorus of Anything Goes with Mike Simon in the Ethel Merman part and also appearing in one of the Sherlock Holmes plays with my brother as Holmes and Ron Stack as Watson. My first year I served on Camp Council; it is hard to remember who was president (perhaps Jon Schreiber). I also played on the soccer team with Peter Swerdlick and Glenn Gray. I remember looking up to Glenn Gray as a kind of athletic god (I was 10 at the time).
My brother and I speak often about our love for the camp. I am also one of those who visited in recent years and saw the abandoned buildings and the new homes where the fields used to be. I did see the remnants of the office and infirmary. The old phone booth had Howie Benson's name written on it. My wife and daughters did not fully understand my simultaneous joy and sorrow, but they all know the camp song, which I sometimes used as a bedtime song to put my daughters to sleep - Camp We Love, Paradox, Stands for Ere.
Thanks for keeping this sweet piece of memory alive,
Jefferson Singer, Chester, Connecticut
Contributed by Jeff Singer (jasin@conncoll.edu) on June 13, 2001.
hi there boys! Been busy for the past week and a half in a trial. Now its time for camp stuff again. On the reunion, fourth of july is the best time and we have to have it near the camp. What about lake george? We can find a place and see if we can get some decent rates if we all stay in one place. We can plan some stuff that way if we do it in advance. I have a travel agent ready and willing to help, but she needs a commitment that we are really doing this. let's get started so that we don't spend the whole year talking about it and then having it go down the tubes. Please let me know and I will get busy. By the way, Mark S. Stern, are you really serious with the ABA? Aren't they a bunch of starchy lawyers who really don't know much about how real lawyers operate?
Rabbi Margolious, if you come to the reunion not only will we play tennis in Schroon Lake, but if you behave, I will take you on a long ride to a place we visited long long ago. Or maybe not...wouldn't that be a "shonda?" Be well Rabbi! Salty
Contributed by Michael Salnick (lionelguy) on June 17, 2001.
Movies! I finally managed to deal with all the technology required to transfer old 8mm videos to mpg files. I've uploaded them to the myfamily site. They're pretty big (4M - 16M) so find a fast connection if you don't already have one. I'm still learning how all of this works so perhaps, if I find more time, I can get them looking better - there's a problem with the projector shutter speed being too close to the video camera speed so there is this "pulsing" effect that I can't get rid of.
Clips: Color wars - the final sailboat race that determined the winner. Parents Day - The race across the field to see the parents parked on the lower field.
My Cabin - The guys in my 1968 cabin hamming it up.
Shave - Todd Gordon's first shave.
Pre-hike - Loading up the blue bus for a hiking trip. Featuring Tom Field "gurning" (I think that is what he called it). ~ ~
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (james@ctel.net) on June 18, 2001.
I forgot to mention - the mpg files on the myfamily site are in the "file cabinet". You have to scroll down to the bottom of the first screen to access them.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on June 18, 2001.
Apparently there is some problem with downloading the .mpg files that I posted to MyFamily. When you select download you get an html file and not the .mpg file. I've sent email to the site administrators letting them know it's not working - stay tuned.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on June 18, 2001.
I went to Camp Paradox in 1940,42,43,and 44.
The camp was owned, managed and run by Ed Goldwater and goes back to 1910. "Uncle" Ed was at every dinner meal and a friend to all campers.
I have Paradoxians from 1940 and a few other years. The Paradoxian was edited by Gerald Greenberg, who later wrote The Last Angry Man ( story about his father , doctor in Brooklyn) and also The Lotus Eater. He wrote under the name of Gerald Green, and was a graduate of Columbia School of Journalism. The Paradoxian won national awards when he was the editor.
I visit the area every summer, and stay at Schroon Lake. My son owns the lot that runs down to the sandy beach. Another son and daughter stay over where the adult camp used to be. Did you know that there was an adult camp there?
I was a camper under the name of Jerry Bruce now known by my real name, Boyd Bruce.
Are there any other real timers out there?
Contributed by Boyd Bruce (bbruce169@aol.com) on June 18, 2001.
Great to read Jeff Singer's comments -- it immediately conjured up my mental image of Bruce Singer and Ron Stack as Holmes and Watson. It's amazing what visuals stay with you.
Salnick, I will attend only if I am never referred to as Rabbi. On the other hand, I will definitely attend if you drive me to that spot where you got lucky by the campfire. Of course, that was after camp closed, so it is an unofficial PX memory.
Looking forward to viewing Anderberg's home movies! I can't remember him even having a movie camera. I do remember brnging a Polaroid "Swinger" camera with me to camp my first year (1966), which for some reason I associate with a camper who may only have been there one year -- Jimmy Braun. Also, anyone remember Gordon Howard, who slept next to me that year? His claim to fame was that his cousin was Leslie Gore.
One person I'd love to relocate and hear about : Dan Franklin. Anyone got a clue?
Contributed by Marc Margolius (ravmarcm@aol.com) on June 19, 2001.
The MyFamily site notified me they had fixed the problem with the mpg files. I just checked, they seem to be working now. It's probably best if you click on the "download" link and then run the movie locally.
Marc, there's some movie clips I've yet to convert to mpg that have you in them. I'll be posting them later when I find more time to work on them.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on June 20, 2001.
sure, i remember gordon howard. if i remember correctly his parents came to camp in a helicopter one summer. and i think he had a sister at paragon who had a crush on me, but i was more interested in water skiing at the time. and mike, what's that about getting lucky down by the campfire???
Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writeme.com) on June 20, 2001.
Tom informed me he is still having problems viewing the mpg files from the MyFamily site. I've also uploaded them to my personal web server at www.ctel.net/~jamesa so you might try downloading them from there.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on June 20, 2001.
I attended camp from 1963-1966. I was in cabins 14, 16A, 20 and The Log Cabin, 30. I bunked with the likes of Dave Armstrong, David Rockoff, Bruce Gray, Jeff Wernick, Mike Farber, Mark Kaufman and many others. By the way, I think that Bozo Levinson was hit by lightning in 1963. He was in bunk 15. I was in 14. I still have my gym bag and mug. The gym bag I found in my mother's attic about seven years ago. The mug sat in my old bathroom for over 30 years. The gym bag sits in my living room today. I had a sign maker create a sign to look like the gym bag and it sits in front of my home.
I and my wife, Bobbie, who went to Rondack, are in the area of the camp a number of times a year. We just returned from a Horse Show in Saratoga. Our 16 year old son, Derek, competes. He's one of the top junior show jumpers in the Country. (But don't get me started talking about my kids. My Daughter, Jennifer,is an actress in NYC, is 23.)
Anyway, the horse shows bring us all up to the Adirondacks in the Summer. Next Monday we go up to Lake Placid for Two weeks. The two weeks that cover the 4th of July. If you are thinking about a reunion there, at that time next year, I second the motion seeing as though I'll be there anyway. There are a lot of nice hotels and motels in the area. Lots of restaurants. Lots for the kids to do. Olympic bobsled rides, ski jumping, freestyle ski team practicing flips, etc. into pools of water. Two large horse shows, with the best show jumpers in the country in attendance. Many foreign olympic teams train there as well.
Bobbie and I stopped in to see the camp on July 4th, 1999. There's a guy who lives in Larry's house with his wife and baby in the Summer. He's from, I think, West Virginia and manages a Land Fill. He has found a wealth of Camp Paradox stuff from which he and his neighbor, whose father attended Paradox in the 30's and 40's, have pieced together an interesting tale, with a lot of missing info. Imagine their excitement to have a live specimen, an actual former camper from the relevent time period, to fill in what gaps I could in their imaginative tale.
They have gathered a true wealth of stuff from Rodger's Hall and the main office before they were torn down. There are some homes there now.
He gave me a Camp Paradox card giving me points for hiking down to the swiming waterfront and back to his home. Crawford Island is still there. So are the Cliffs.
I remember buying large charms Lollypops from Frau Pfortner, and giving them away on my radio show on WCP in 1966. Remember Lennie?
Schroon Lake has not fared well. It seems pretty dead. The army-navy store in the middle of town was still there the last I looked, in 1999. Lake Placid and Lake George are going concerns, so is Saratoga. But I've been to all three, recently, and Lake Placid is the place to go.
Did anyone recognize Richie Goodstein, sans hair, shilling for Bill Clinton on CNN two years ago?
I think the guy in Larry's house was talking about starting a Camp Paradox website, but I believe he's looking to make a buck off of all of us. But he's very into Camp lore.
Bobbie and I live in Bridgehampton, NY in the Summer and in Ocala, Florida, with our horses, in the winter (for all you folks down South).
Enough for now. Its good to know some of you are still out there.
Tony Braun.
p.s. My email is TonyBobbie@aol.com
Contributed by Tony Braun (TonyBobbie@aol.com) on June 20, 2001.
-- Below is e-mail from an old camper, Boyd, from whom we've heard before. I had asked him if Alan (now in Ramsey's cabin) was his son. Here's his answer: Tom --
The Alan you refer to is David Alan Bruce, one of my two sons. He presently is working in the St. Petersburg Fla area and his wife and my three grand daughters wintered in Saranac, NY. They will spend the summer in Paradox in the "cottage" that at one time was the bunk house for the cooks and summer kitchen help. The old 'rec' hall later named Rodgers Hall finally collapsed and was torn down when the road was widened.
I spent summer vacations after I married at what was known as Caamp Bonnie on the other side of Lake Paradox on a straight line from Crawford Island. It and several other cottages were owned by Bill Sunderland was worked at Camp Paradox during the Landis, Carpenter Days. Later the camp was run by some people involved with the Boy Scouts. Yes the bank really owned it and it was bought by the Friedman real estate agency, who stripped the timber and cut it up into lots, narrown and long, all with unusable beach front. David has the first lot next to Mountain Meadows and has a nice sandy beach
Other than using the internet for correspondence, I'm not that adept with computers. I don't have a scanner but in the next few weeks I'll try some things, cataract surgery comes first, next week. In the 40s there some investors from Shamokin Pa, and Hanover,Pa. Will follow you and get you some more 'old' history.
Contributed by Boyd (BBruce169@aol.com) on June 20, 2001.
Gentlemen:
I've archived the last several months' postings so that this page loads more quickly for those of you using slower modems. You can view all of the archives of past postings on the page just before this one. Incidentally, if any of you have suggestions of ways to improve this site, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Except in special circumstances, I’m not scanning others’ photos to post, but the site has lots of storage available so I’m happy to include anything you have for me…
Jim: I was finally able to view the movies from your site, although the www.myfamily.com site still isn’t working for me.
It was really great to view the movies. They’re priceless!! Is that Dennis Cormier with Eric at the beginning of the Parent’s Day? I was amused at how OLD the automobiles were. When I remember the 60’s, my imagination uses modern cars! The Jim Cramer scene is the best, in my opinion – capturing the sheer joy and exuberance of youth.
Jim [Anderberg], you’re the one wearing the red beret? I’m reminded of the pride with which we received and wore the bandana for climbing Mt. Marcy. My most vivid memory of the hikes we did is of Lake Tear in the Clouds (the source of the Hudson), on the back side of Marcy. It was a tiny mud puddle, a long hike past the Henderson monument, starting at the mines, up through a spectacular (and aptly named) spot, the Opalescent Gorge.
Does anyone else remember the air force jet wreckage on Wright? I recall Dave Jacobson (?) and I finding the rear rudder intact, complete with the USAF insignia. Dave brought back to camp a pilot’s glove, but it was too creepy to keep around so we discarded it.
Check these links hiking links that I just found. (You may have to cut and paste them rather than clicking on them)
http://www.adirondackexplorer.com/jantagbob.html
http://www.northeastguidebooks.com/New_York/Hiking /Discover_the_Adirondack_High_P/discover_the_adiro ndack_high_p.html
http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~reiterc/hikes/1998_07b/h 13.jpg - Lake Colden picture
http://www.timesunion.com/news/special/hudsonriver /1/
http://www.lexicomm.com/whites/wwwboard/index.html - Newsgroup discussing, among other things, that, it seems, the canisters are to be removed from the high peaks…
The movies reminded me once again of that special slice of time in our lives when we were at Paradox.
Contributed by Tom (tom@canby.com) on June 21, 2001.
[Received via e-mail by Tom]
Tom,
I found the site quite easily by using Google.com. Your site is the first one on the list. I thought I'd give it a try, actually, just to see if the fellow living in Larry's cottage had a started a web site.
I think, by the way, the kitchen guy, who lived in the back of Larry's cottage was named Ransey, not Ramsey. When I first arrived at camp many of us called him Ramsey and were corrected. That's my memory, I think I'm correct.
As far as sending photos of the gym bag sign, etc. it will have to wait until I get back from Lake Placid. Even though I have a scanner, I'm no whiz at this computer and will need one of my children to help scan and send. Perhaps, if you can trust me with your address I could take the photos and 'snail mail ' them to you for posting.
Bobbie and I may drop down from Lake Placid to see the camp again sometime during the next two weeks. If there's anything new I'll let you know. I'll tell you one thing, it is easy to miss the camp when driving by. All of the old landmarks are gone.
Has anyone mentioned knowing the whereabouts of Mark Kaufman. We actually grew up next door to each other. He went to the U of Pennsylvania Medical School, got married, moved to Wisconsin and I lost touch with him.
At 49, I'm pretty much retired and spend almost all of my time with my family and my Australian Shepherd, Lucy.
Bobbie, Lucy and I drive up and down the coast to Florida and back quite often. My son, Derek, has his own car and travels with all his gear and other kids that train with him. He is very self sufficient and independent. My daughter Jennifer visits us frequently, from NYC, whether we're here, in the Hamptons, or at our Florida home, which we call 'Split Rock Farm'. We have a sign there too, no gym bag though.
Again thanks for creating the website.
I'll be in touch. Regards,
Tony Braun
[Tom’s note: with the name and state, I used the AMA site to find Mark’s practice in Wisconsin. I called and asked his secretary to hand him a PostIt with this site’s address on it. I expect Mark to show up momentarily. Any others of you who might have leads to where people are, please share them. Being a detective is fun … and relatively easy these days…]
anonymously contributed on June 21, 2001.
Yes, those movies sure bring back the feeling of camp. I'm anxious to hear others reactions to them. Getting them in mpg format was a steep learning curve and now that I'm more familiar with the process I hope I can improve on their quality. I've seen them so many times I sort of fill in the faces - but in reviewing them just now in their mpg format, I notice it is hard to tell who is who.
The guy wearing the red beret in the pre_hike clip is Joe Koplin. He never went anywhere without that hat!
The counselors in the parent's day clip are Dennis Cormier, Eric Landis, Andy Kosseff, Ward Bodner and . . . hard to tell . . . either Mark Bell or you Tom.
Coming attractions . . . the secret Howie Kretz initiation and some more color wars competition: high jumping, pancake flipping, and a swimming race.
Yes, I do remember that wrecked plane - I've still got a piece of it.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on June 21, 2001.
Just got a chance to download the movies. Thank you, Jim for the wonderful memories. Although I’m sure it was a painful process to transfer them to .mpg files, it was well worth the effort. Just great!! Thanks again. Highly Recommended!!
Contributed by Neil Neuschatz (nneuschatz@capitalfactors.com) on June 21, 2001.
Tom,
I seem to have more time on my hands than I know what to do with today. So, with regard to Wright Peak, and the plane wreckage, Bobbie and I climbed Wright, and Algonquin, in 1987 and 1988. The wreckage was still there.
In each of the last two summers, one of the people that train my son, Derek, a woman nine years older than me, has hooked a number of us into climbing some of the peaks around the immediate Lake Placid area. In 1999 we climbed Pitchoff, which overlooks Camp Treetops, where my daughter, Jennifer, attended in 1989. Some old time explorers may remember the balancing rocks about half way up. Of course, they're still there. Last year we climbed Cascade. Its a lot of 'bang for the buck', a reasonably short climb, @ 90 minutes up, an hour down. Still, pretty strenuous if you're not quite in tip top shape. Members of the U.S. Olympic kayaking team passed us, on the way up, they were running up. Don't ask. When we all finished our climb up and back we saw the same folks, men and women, training on Mirror Lake. The run up and down Cascade was just to 'Loosen up'.
Anyway, the summit of Cascade is large and BALD, which makes for a worthwhile time. My problem this year is that this same 'older woman' is talking about doing one of the 'bigger' peaks this summer, perhaps Algonquin. I was quite a bit more fit 13 years ago. Perhaps I can convince her and whoever else comes along that detouring over to Wright Peak is the way to go since Wright shares the same trail with Algonquin for most of the way. We'll see.
Mount Marcy is out, since we could never do it in one day from Adirondack Lodge. Speaking of which, the views of the High Peaks from the area surrounding Adirondack Lodge road is still unspoiled and spectacular. Just behind the Olympic Ski Jumping venue is John Brown's farm. Sitting on the field across from the farm one experiences a 360 view of all the immediate high peaks, all of which were climbed by the explorers club at one time or another. Marcy, Colden, Algonquin, Wright, Cascade, Haystack, Iroquois, etc. All there still. (of course).
I was reading through your 'oldest archives' and saw someone asking about Rich Ward. I went to NYU with Rich. He was, at that time, a real capitalist. I seem to recall him, among other things, being in the not-so-legal substance business, but in a very business-like way. Of course that was 30 years ago. I believe he went on to Dental School.. After that I lost track. We were in the same dorm, shared our past Paradox history, but weren't really friends, doesn't mean I didn't enjoy having him around, though. I hope he's doing well today. Knowing him, he probably became quite wealthy having other dentists work for him. Just a guess.
I'm rambling, so its time to sign off again.
Regards,
Tony Braun
Contributed by Tony Braun (tonybobbie@aol.com) on June 21, 2001.
[Recieved as e-mail by Tom]
Could spend hours reading these posts from the younger Generation and will do so as time allows. The stories about Howie Kretz are never ending and go back to the thirties. June is a horrible time for a reununion, nothing but for the Black flies for which the Adirondacks are well known.
July Fourth you can hardly find a rental available. Yhere are some excellent facilities just South of the town of Schronn, Davis"s housekeeping cottages and motel. For the last 13 years I have stayed there for two weeks starting Labor Day and will be there this year also. Prices are down, most of the boats are off the lake, Drakes Restaurant doesn't require reservations, and the weather is good.
The town of Schroon Lake lost out when the Northway let the New Yorkers speed by with nary a look and the lake. The major "tradgedy" was the bankruptcy of Scaroon Manor (after the filming of the movie Marjorie Morningstar) and the loss of tax revenue. Also the Brown Swan in and a dozen otherprime properties were bought up by the Word Of Life people. All are religious entities and pay no real estate taxes. But Scroon Lake, the town is clean and quiet, even with the one bar across the street from the gas station.
One post was a little unkind to my son by saying that he "wants to make money off the group." David shares my enthusiasm for Paradox having spent all our summer vacation from 1953 and on at the Sunderlands. Some of his "treasure trove" is what I gave him. He would love to build a summer/winter retreat on the property and who of you wouldn't? As it stands now the building has no electricity, or running water. So don't hold your breath or line up for rentals. I still think there is well someplace on the property. Don't forget the camp was originally on the other side of the road, and that's why there is a referencce to a "halfway house" in one of the old camp songs.
Contributed by Boyd (BBruce169@aol.com) on June 21, 2001.
[While rereading the posts here, I saw a mention that Marty Scott was working on the web. I went to the web site and chanced a guess at his e-mail address there. Below is his almost immediate response. - Tom]
Well I was blown away getting this webpage today. Never knew it existed and I work in the internet industry. I don’t have time to do a complete history of what I’ve been up to these last 35 years, but needless to say, I continued my record career for a couple of decades, and am now working in 3D worlds for music and entertainment entities (worlds.com) as well as owning a very cool art gallery with my wife, “The Art of Music” which sell music and celebrity limited editions, etc.
I bet none of you know I actually named a record label for both Polygram and MCA---- “Paradox Records!” Not many people named their companies Paradox. Hard core, eh.
Well, love to hear from all of you. Got sent a Paradox shirt by a guy who I had hired to produce an album—was Glenn Rosenstein! We spent hours of studio time going over camp stuff instead of recording.
Speak to you soon.
Marty Scott
Contributed by Marty Scott (mscott@worlds.com) on June 21, 2001.
At Jim's suggestion, we've moved the movies to this Camp Paradox site. The home page has a film link near the top.
Let us know your impressions.
Tom
Contributed by Tom (tom@canby.com) on June 22, 2001.
The film is awesome - Howie Ross in the 69 shirt - priceless!!
Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aol.com) on June 23, 2001.
I believe the guy in the 69 tee-shirt in the color wars clip is Steve Atlass
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on June 23, 2001.
I had a fun afternoon tracking down people. I just got off the phone with Jim Toub - he's a professor of art history at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. I also found Howie Ross and had a great time chatting with him. Jim said he had vistited the web site a couple of months ago but never posted anything. He said my call made him feel very guilty and that he would now add some comments.
Jim visited Paradox in '72 or '73, I believe along with Jim Cramer, Bart Brodsky and Marc Margolius. He said they broke into Rogers Hall and took some souvenirs - he has a number of old photos taken back in 20's and 30's. One of the Sophomore cabin line before there were cabins - just tents. Another panoramic photo of the swimming area in - 2ft long, 8" high.
I told him he's got to get those scanned and posted!
I also located Andy Kosseff - he's a doctor in Madison WI. Just left a message on his answering machine
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on June 23, 2001.
Each time there's a new posting on the Paradox site, the bulletin-board software notifies me with a copy of the e-mail. This means that I don't have to go out and check the Paradox board regularly to stay current.
It occurred to me that you all might appreciate the same notification. (It will also lower the "lag" on the board, making conversations more "snappy.") Although the bulletin board software we use won't automatically do such a post, I can create a "group" in my e-mail program that makes forwarding recent posts simple for me.
If you're interested in receiving e-mail containing the contents of each new post, please send me e-mail (don't clutter this page with it) and I'll add you to the distribution list. You can be removed at any time and I won't share your address with anyone.
Contributed by Tom (tom@canby.com) on June 23, 2001.
note to marty: if you read the archives i think you will find that someone already mentioned your paradox label -- quite impressive.
Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writeme.com) on June 24, 2001.
Wow – There I was working in my home office today. Rain pouring down and the thunderclaps causing the kids and I to jump at each explosion. A totally dreary day of house projects planned, gloriously interrupted when my Abby, my wife, brings in the phone to me and announces, “There’s a Jim Anderberg on the line, from camp...???” Instant flashback –PARADOX.
So many years, and yet at once so fresh in my mind. There have been numerous moments in my day- to-day life that have acted as triggers and bring forth those days of past: Walking on the tread mill, eyes closed and (believe it or not) silently-singing: “Hiking up Marcy, Over Boreus(?) so glorious to see….”; or Listening to the Janis Joplin song, “Piece of my Heart”, introduced to me by Jim Cramer, (Who I saw at an I-Breakfast in NYC in 12/99 and shared an elevator ride’s-time in conversation with promise of a follow back that never came. Shame on us Jim). (Jim Anderberg, think back, because I believe that was 1968 and the year of our throwing a tennis ball into the toilet and flushing it until stuck; causing our parents to purchase a new bowl).; or The Grateful Dead, courtesy of I believe Bruce Singer – Think back Bruce… It was on the all night WCP radio event… You were playing Live… Dead and zoning out or in on the couch outside the studio…. I came in for my turn to DJ and stopped the record mid jam to your horror…. FYI, I still have my head band; or Fizzies, when my kids tried fizzies several years ago, I flashed back to my Mug and Paradox toast (what ever it was long forgotten, but the mug still safe in my possession); or Planning hoaxes and tricks with my kids, and knowing that only Orson Wells out did Paradox. The great Saucer Invasion, complete with photos and “hot rocks” (a piece I still have tucked away.); or Traveling to Montreal and thinking that my first trip was on Broken Arrow Buses with my fellow Paradoxians, and the bus broke down; or Cooking with the kids and using Eagle Brand condensed milk and for some cosmic reason feeling sticky all over –MUNG; or Trying to teach the kids proper language and saying, “What the Hey” (courtesy of Bruce Grey; FYI Bruce, I’ve spared them your most informative lecture and training demo on the ability to save on toilet paper through he use of only one sheet per visit.); or Hearing “I’m a Long Tall Texan” on the radio and thinking of the singing pit in the woods, (where I believe Jimmy Braun was the songster); or My daughter recently asking to learn to SCUBA dive, (an activity I have not done in years), and would we take lessons together, and immediately returning to underwater training with Jim Flonacher; or (Safely tucked away in my closet), the vintage WMCA Good-Guys sweatshirt with my silk- screened King Crimson face, courtesy of the creative assistive talents of Bruce Inglis (?); who also showed us Phazz (the yellow submarine) and how to make artful sculptures from melting Styrofoam with a blow torch and spray painting them black.
The memories are flowing like a non-stop core dump. The only bad vision that it ended as it did.
I’ve just spent the last several hours reading past comments, viewing pictures and streams. I am moved, as I am sure was most of us, by this living documentary. What a joyous few hours reliving moments triggered by names and events long since blended into the forgotten; my “1960’s”. Thank you Jim!
I too have a box of Paradox in my attic that, despite the prodding of parents and wife, could not part with; and when located will make the time to sort through and try and post stuff not up for viewing. I did return to camp the following summer and walked the now ghost camp. It was ripe with our laughter and smiles. I tried to sneak into the mess hall, failed and settled for a window’s view of our Racket Lake Canoe paddle and all the fabulous wall plaques. I even vaguely remember that I saw the treasure chest. Now I regret my law-abiding nature and wish I’d found away in. Then in 1999, while visiting camps for our children, we were close by to Lake Paradox, and had to trek the family. Spooky, but as if yesterday a flood of memories, only we all care about, burst forth. As we drove past Idelwyld, boarded up and obviously closed for quite some time, I thought of Vernor’s White Birch Beer and candy fireballs. We took a side trip into what was Paragon. Now just totally Gone. And then on to Paradox… and found just a memory as well. (I wonder what happened to the canoe paddle?)
I do need to get back to what was planned for the present, but will return for future postings, now that I know we are here. As to our Reunion 2002 – the Adirondacks in August - great idea – I’m in – (just watch the calendars for school, holiday and camp visitation dates.)
Happy trails until…. Howard Ross Stamford, CT
Contributed by Howard Ross (hross1@optonline.net) on June 24, 2001.
Hum, it seems that I was reading a post recently about our camp cook. If my deteriorating memory serves me at all his name was RANZY Tucker. He worked at the Douglass College (at Rutgers Univ.) in the winters. If you were among the chosen few you might have sampled his "soul brother" chicken - chicken fried, and then covered with a gravy made from flour and the fat left in the skillet (before the cholesterol police ruined the world). Do any of you remember the day (summer of 1967) when the entire kitchen staff was so drunk they never made breakfast, and Jack Francis and I made pancakes for the whole camp?
Contributed by Bri Clifford (drbri4@aol.com) on June 26, 2001.
Actually, Bri, I think we’d all rather forget the time you and Francis made those pancakes!!! Only kidding, of course!! But your fading memory does indeed serve you well. Ranzy did work at Douglas College in the winter. I don’t recall the chicken recipe you mentioned, but I will testify that Ranzy made the absolute greatest Cherry Cobbler I’ve ever tasted. Especially when served warm, right from the oven!!!
Contributed by Neil Neuschatz (nneuschatz) on June 26, 2001.
As I recall, Ranzy supposedly had one of the strongest softball swings of all the staff. It was said that on the lower playing field(was that Hurst Field, or Coluni Field-forgive me-I forget which way it goes)-but anyhow-it was said that he could hit a softball on the lower playing field all the way to Paradox Lodge. That's even more power than the infamous Alan Uhr!!
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on June 26, 2001.
Ah, it's *so* easy: seeing Paul Uhr's name in the previous post, I went to yahoo and searched for him at their people search page http://people.yahoo.com/. There was only one, in Havertown, where I recall he lived. I called. His wife answered and although he was still at work, she said he speaks of Paradox often! I left this site's address (it's a lot easier with this new address than the old one!).
I expect Paul will be checking in shortly!
Now ... it's up to YOU, Paradoxians. There's no reason YOU can't do searches like this, too. So, pull out those old memories, and dig up some old friends. What'll it cost you? Well, take an hour, make a few phone calls (hmmmm... that's ten or twenty cents) calling all the hits you get. What's the payback? You link up with an old buddy and help continue to populate the Paradox site.
Yes, you're busy. We're all busy. It *is* fun, though... and you're contributing back to the site, into which I and a small handful of others have put a considerable amount of time. Of course, you may hunt down people who decide to become lurkers here, reading but not posting. How selfish of them!
Here's a riddle for you: what two things do Rob Clayman and Eric Landis have in common?
Answer: One: they both come here, read the site, and then deprive us of the pleasure of hearing from them. Two: all of us would love to hear from them.
I'm off to Seattle tommorrow for dinner with Marc Sterne, Joe Koplin, and Neil N., who's flying in from Florida I believe.
Tom
Contributed by Tom (tom@canby.com) on June 26, 2001.
If Rob Clayman knows about this site, how about Ralph and Mike? One person I'd like to find is Mark Eisenberg, perhaps Ralph knows what happened to him.
It is REAL fun finding someone and hearing their reaction when you call them. Try it!
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on June 26, 2001.
Just thought I'd mention it - I'm in Boston all this week for a computer conference. If there's anyone in the area, email me and we can see if we can arrange to meet.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on June 26, 2001.
I decided to take Tom's suggestion, and by using people.yahoo.com, in 2 seconds I was able to locate Alan Uhr(Paul's younger brother) in New Port Richey, Florida. I immediately called him on the telephone, but I got his answering machine, and I didn't want to leave a recorded message. I'll call back later tonight, but immediately a flood of memories came back. I checked my records and my cabin photos, and discovered that Alan had been a cabin mate of mine during the summers of '65,'66, and '67, for 3 out of the 6 summers I had spent at Paradox.
In '65 and '67, we were fortunate enough to have the same counselor: Norm "Storm" Tracy. The one thing that stood out in my mind about Alan Uhr was that he had great athletic power. I haven't spoken to him since 1968; I hope life has treated him kindly. I plan to tell him about the website, and I hope he'll visit and maybe post something there himself. So long for now. Have a long day at work tomorrow.
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on June 26, 2001.
Great to see how the postings are taking off. I am in the process of putting together a new computer which will, from a technology standpoint, enable me to see those movies and I can't wait. I hope that it isn't just because its the "camp" time of the year that there are so many postings It would be great to hear from Dr. Mark Kauffman. John Schreiber needs to bring himself out as well as I am sure he is reading the postings. And then there is Eric....what are you hiding for? Someone asked about Mark Eisenberg. A few years ago I was trying a case in New York City and had a night to go to Shea Stadium to see the Mets. A guy was sitting there, believe it or not, with a Paradox Staff Jacket.....I ran over anyone in my way to get to that jacket only to find out that it now belonged to a relative of Mark Eisenberg (didn't he teach photography?) and this person hadn't spoken to him in sometime and really didn't know much.
It seems a 2002 reunion is a must and I agree that it should be in the Paradox area. Let's once and for all pick a weekend and get this going. We don't have to stay plush and that posting of an older paradoxian from the forties seemed to have some good ideas.
Next time T. Braun posts please tell us about your brother, that "long tall texan" Jimmy Braun.
Spoke at length to Rickey Mittelberg last week and we now e-mail paradox anecdotes to eachother and will hopefully be getting together later this month. Neil Neuchatz, please call me when you get back from your trip out west and let's meet for dinner. (561-471-1000)
The postings lately have been great. Anyone know the whereabouts of Steve or Kenny Berkowitz? I am hopefully heading to the Adirondacks when I visit my son at camp in a few weeks. He gets a day off as a counselor and I am forcing him to "bond" with me and drive up to Paradox for a day. Jessie Strauss, I will keep my eyes open for you again. That's it for now. Keep those postings coming. Anyone who wants to call me at my office with ideas for where and when in terms of a reunion please do so. Ask for Jennifer who will make sure that no matter what I am doing, I will get on the phone and if I am not there please leave a phone number and I will get back to you. Come on Howie Uniman, Alan Miller, Glen Graye.....let's get going on this thing. See ya.
Jeff Singer: It was good to read your posting.
Any citings on Bonwits, Stotter, Aaron (post Arcady), Selwyn, Schnell and where are the numerous and outspoken Zuchs? Victor Bell has to be out there post Paradox and pre Idywold. See ya.
Contributed by Michael Salnick (LionelGuy@AOL) on July 1, 2001.
I had dinner this week with Joe Koplin, Tom Field and Neil Neuschtz and his wife. Memories came flooding back and a good time was had by all. Something Larry Carpenter once said also came back. "Fun is a state of mind. It doesn't matter where you are ... " That being said. The reunion should be where the most people can show up. If that is the Adirondaks, fine. If it is Atlantic City, that is fine too, even better is more people can come.
MSS
Contributed by Marc Stern (mstern@abanet.org) on July 1, 2001.
Marc,
About Larry C.'s comment about fun being a state of mind, well, that's just part of the Paradox Credo. I pulled out my dusty old "Bluebook" and decided to reproduce the Credo for old time's sake, so here goes:
As a Paradoxian:
I believe in giving my friendship to all, while striving to earn the friendshiip of each.
I believe in cooperating with others, doing my fair share to foster harmony and good will.
I believe in furthering my leadership by doing my utmost to serve others.
I believe in strengthening my physical fitness by living actively and healthfully.
I believe in having fun, realizing that fun is a state of mind and not of condition.
I believe in upholding the spirit of camp, accepting the fact that I and my fellow campers ARE Camp Paradox.
In the introduction to the "Blue Book", it reads: "This is our first effort to present you with a comprehensive Activity Manual, which we shall affectionately call the "Blue Book"....This manual may not read like a James Bond novel, but it should be enjoyable reading anyway--it presents you wtih a world of adventure."
And that's what Camp Paradox was, from the time I first stepped on the bus in 1963 in Highland Park,N.J. and set off for my first summer at Camp Paradox, it was a "Magical Mystery Tour", full of adventure, full of mystery, full of life. There were new people to meet, new friendships to develop, new places to see, new skills to learn, new sports to learn, old sports to develop further. There was magic and mystery everywhere; life was ours for the taking.
And over 30 years later, we are still connected, and are still enjoying the memories we made way back in the sixties.
While it may be true that fun is a state of mind, not of condition, I don't thing anyone would argue with the fact that we had a lot of "condition" going for us back in the sixties that would set us up for having fun: We had water skiing, canoeing, softball, tennis, riflery, archery, golf, gymnastics, swimming, motorboating, sailing, basketball, soccer, handicrafts, art, dramatics, journalism, photograph, radio, campcrafts, fishing, and various other activites that would set up enough "conditions" for any camper to have some fun. It would be hard not to have at least a "little fun"(?) under those conditons.
Anyhow, I think you get the point. Everybody have a great 4th of July holiday!!! And have some FUN!!!!
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 2, 2001.
I've had to remove the movies from my personal web page site as I was informed by my ISP they were exceeding the limits my account provides. I'll be working on alternative means and will keep you posted.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on July 3, 2001.
I just spoke to my brother, Arnie, who lives out in Michigan. I told him how fantastic the Color War film was on the website. He remembered back to the Parathon of '63, when Ralph Clayman headed up the "Scarlet Knights" Red Team. I think in '64 Marty Scott was the Red Team leader. My memory is failing me now, but didn't either the beginning or the ending of Parathon have something to do with someone getting out of bed on the softball field?
Didn't this trigger off some great relay that either began or ended Parathon? Does anybody have some great Parathon memories? All that I know is that I keep on playing Jim's film over and over again on my computer because it is such a fantastic and emotionally gratifying experience to visually relive those days at Paradox. Thanks Jim.
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 5, 2001.
Yes, the Giant Relay began with someone getting out of bed and it ended with someone getting into bed. The idea was to simulate an entire day at camp from morning to night. I found my skills were best suited for getting into bed and some of you may remember that I served the Gray team well by getting undressed, putting on pajamas and jumping into bed. This was a shamefully easy task as compared to, say, trying to boil water (remember the year -- though it probably happened more than once -- when one of the teams -- were you involved, Tom? -- spilled their water into the fire just before it boiled?) and because I was the last person in the relay I was swamped by happy teammates and lauded like a hero (at least that's how I remember it) for doing, basically, nothing. There's a life lesson in that.
I have a trivia question coming up. But first, this word for Rob Clayman. Rob, if you're reading this, I'm still sorry about that rock I threw at you. I really didn't mean to hit you squarely in the middle of your back. Our mutually abusive relationship (me verbal, you physical) culminated that day when you turned around in shock, then chased me down and soundly thrashed me, a beating my violent act richly deserved. If ever there was a call for you to post (to deny, validate or augment this story), there is now. Come on, Rob, remind me why we got on each other's nerves and then show some forgiveness.
Speaking of the Claymans, I remember liking them all, especially Ralph. The kind of guy a little kid just looked up to in awe.
Like seeing one of Ranzy's homeruns. Yes, he struck out a lot, but when he connected...
Jimmy Braun singing: that's a great memory. Here's someone I'd like to know what happened to: Derf Dorn.
Mention of Ricky Mittleberg conjured up the image of his sister, Leslie. Which makes me think of another brother-sister combo: Jimmy Robinson and the lovely Wendy Robinson. For those who know, 'nuf said.
Who else was there on a trip back from Saratoga with Neil Neuschatz behind the wheel and the car we were in (I can't remember if it was a van or sation wagon) running low on fuel? Neil kept coasting down hills in neutral while we prayed we wouldn't run out of gas. That was a GREAT road trip.
And who was there when we drove around the lake while Abbey Road was blasting out of the tape deck? At least, I think it was, though I remember we were all singing the songs so maybe it was just by memory.
Brian Clifford. Just seeing your name makes me feel happy. You filled a great void at camp.
Other memories coming back. Steve Zelin and his gun. He took me out in the woods near the rifle range and proceeded to shoot a chipmunk. Sadly, he didn't kill it. Nor did he want to finish it off. I had to do it and, in truth, I've never fired a gun since that day.
Howie Ross, you have a sharper memory than I do. I do vaguely remember the all night marathon but if I got upset with you, it was just the stress of being a C.I.T. in charge of not only the radio station but putting together the 1970 camp record. That latter responsibility led to a monumental showdown with GER culminating in the accidental erasure of part of the master tape (by Ger -- he pressed the wrong button). It was the worst falling out we had but we patched it up. He finished the record but for anyone who has it or cares, the countdown on the bus intercut with sounds of campers or counselors (I don't remember) was mine, all mine...
And frankly I was getting more interested in a certain someone at Paragon anyway.
Remember the record that had the history of Camp Paradox on it? Neil, you were on that, weren't you? There was a catch phrase that kept being repeated in it. Mini-trivia question, what was that phrase?
Okay, I'll stop rambling for now but here comes the big trivia question of the day: what did it mean to Kip Out?
Here's a hint: Lenny Bush is not allowed to answer and I suspect NN knows, as well, but Salty, if you know this one, I would be very impressed. Also, when one Kipped Out, what was the ultimate thing to Kip Out with?
As for a reunion, if it really could come together, I would make an effort to cross the country to be there (though long range plans like that are usually hard for me to make since a year ago I didn't know I'd be living here in Malibu). Any summer month would probably be okay, though I imagine early August to mid-August would be the best for me. My brother Jeff would come too, he tells me. A site like Lake Placid really appeals to me.
Oh, and Jim, I asked my dad if he ever took 8mm film of camp but he doesn't think so. Too bad. I loved your film.
Keep those comments coming.
Peace.
Contributed by Bruce Singer (saltcreek@charter.net) on July 6, 2001.
If memory serves me going to the kip meant a bacon cheeseburger...
Contributed by alan shier (alan553@aol.com) on July 8, 2001.
Almost two weeks ago, I drove to Seattle (3 hours from Portland) and had dinner with Neil Neushatz and his wife, Joe Koplin, and Marc Stern. It was everything I had hoped it would be. We reunited with warmth and enjoyed stories from the sixties. The bonds that we observe here on the site continue in person!
I regret that I didn’t get any photographs.
Contributed by Tom Field (tom@canby.com) on July 8, 2001.
Found this "This American Life" program on summer camps: http://www.thislife.org/ra/109.ram
Check it out.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on July 8, 2001.
Come on there "one armed bandito" Kipping Out was a real easy one. Don't you recall we did that initially with Neushatz? Kipping Out was great. Bruce don't you recall the song we sang during one TVA trip to the Kip?
"we love you Mrs. Knapp, oh yes we do "we love you Mrs. Knapp, oh yes we do "we love your cheesburgers we do "oh Mrs. Knapp we love you
Bet you didn't remember that your Singership!
Here is some trivia you might need to answer for me: When TVA was started it was the brainchild of Tom Vanatta and who?
I agree with Mark Stern that the reunion, while ideally would be great in Paradoxland, should be where we can all get to most conveniently. I am in wherever it is
Lastly let me say this: Eric, for those of us who did like you what is the big fear of you coming out on the board here? Problem with something? Guilt? What is it? Don't you realize the great impact Paradox has had on all of our lives and doesn't that motivate you to once and for all post and let us know where you are at? No one wants any apologies, excuses, reasons....we just want to know how the hell you are. If Neil was dead and was resurrected, how much worse off can you be? Carpenter might as well come out too, because I believe all the statutes of limitations are up. How about it you two, isn't it time you grow the hell up and come on out and let us know you are alive?
More names: Rich and Kenny Ward,Dicky Roberts, Dicky Haydel, Yang Yong Boon Long, Gabriel Erasmi, Gonneke Spitz, Elson Benedict, Ken Stiles, Bruce Stead, Chuck Rule and Dave Leslie, Dave Longmire, Joe McCamey, Chi Chi Fisher, Bruce Inglis, George Hurst, Tom Rappanchuck, Jim Mansbach...where are you people? See ya. Salty
Contributed by Michael Salnick (Lionel Guy) on July 10, 2001.
Come on salty...you just go through all you picture yearbooks and come up with these names...like you're the only one who knows these names...where is don lang and neil rasmussen? or who could remember Don Rynds version of Mr. Bojangles or his green GTO, or the summer Lenny Busch showed up with his red camaro and Storm tracy with his yellow cougar and bob levy's dodge challenger...and flonachers GTO, or GER's jag... later to change to a Toyota Cressida...before anyone even knew the name "toyota" it was auto muscle heaven for a few years...even the nurse (forget her name) shows up with a red cutlass 442 and Erics Mach I. Mike blake turned me on to motorcycles and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintance. I rwemeber Rob Clayman and I would time Ralph while he ran a mile down Rt 73 and we thought running a mile was such a big deal...or the time Steve Berkowitz got stopped for speeding on our way back from taking the SAT's in Glens Falls...There was such a shortage of responsible counselor the summer of 70 that Eric enlisted me at the age of 17 and only 1 month of driving experience to drive campers on OCC in those Blue vans....And yes I do remember Wendy Robinson...she was seeing one of the counselors in my bunk when I was an ACIT..Eric bounced him early in the summer...he showed no respect for the Esprit de corp ofParadox...and that was the summer that amy frank "chose" me to be her boy friend..that was a friendship that lasted into college down in Wash DC. Amy if your reading this...sorry I let that go for some time!
Contributed by alan shier (alan553@aol.com) on July 10, 2001.
thank you alan! i couldn't remember wendy robinson's name for the life of me! altho, i do remember all the events leading up to the counselor's dismissal. wendy was in my sister's cabin at paragon. they were 15 at the time and wendy looked 25! now i'll see if my sister remembers her. and alan, how about a little credit on the driving? don't you remember me teaching you to drive the standard trasmissions in the green vans! as i recall you were an excellent student and the clutches remained intact for the duration of the summer at least.
and i think you're right, salty, is reviewing all his memorabilia to pull up the those names. altho, they do sound very familiar to me, too. gonneke spits i remembered quite well and some of the others, too.
this should be one hell of a reunion. stay tuned and watch your email for my reunion survey going out soon!
ciao.
Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writeme.com) on July 11, 2001.
Bill, I thought I learned to drive in your fathers jag out on Route 202 in Lincoln Park...your father should only know...But your right you and Jeff Peter's taught me how to drive a colum shift that summer.
Contributed by alan shier (alan553@aol.com) on July 11, 2001.
Dear Tom,
I was unable to post directly to your Paradox site - so feel free to post this for me...
My girlfriend was sending her two kids to camp last week, and looked up something on their camp website. She then turns to me and asks - "Have you ever looked up your Camp Paradox on the web?" To which I responded, rather eloquently I might add, "Huh???"
So please don't assume old Paradoxians have really intelligent girlfriends...
Just spent bits of the last few days reading all the archives...and as my '67 counselor Lenny Busch might say, "yeeeesh!" I am bowled over by the energy, spirit and unity of consciousness that have been displayed in all of the comments over the last two years. Thank you, Tom for putting this site together. (As I recall, you were a passable hiker - but a major Mung enthusiast - and not too shabby at kick the can at Marcy Dam.)
It is altogether wonderful connecting with the past as I read through the postings...so many familiar names...so many unearthed memories of a special place. And at times, I got truly choked up just pausing to reflect...
Not knowing where to begin, I'll just throw out some random musings as they hit me here...
Hmmmm...let's see...my background - another Syracuse U. graduate (was there '72-'75)...was on-air at WAER there - I think I mentioned my WCP show (Flipside, Part II - I came on right after "Jeff the Joker") as "experience" when Bob Costas cleared me for air Freshman year. Started off in the TV, film and cable field - earned my MBA nights at Fordham U., then ditched it all (a common theme in many of the postings, I see) to start my own sound recording studio in Dobbs Ferry, NY. ("Howie Benson - I need more 'verb, man!") (Note to Bruce Singer: I bought and converted the old Pickwick Theater into my studio - I'm sure you must have seen a few movies there growing up.) And Rich Frank - I'm sure you've passed by my old studio a few times, now that you're in Irvington (I sold the facility back in '91).
Since I sold the studio, I've become a sort of mini-real estate mogul here in Westchester (Mt. Kisco, to be exact) - I buy, fix up, then resell houses. I have two incredible children, a daughter, 10, and a son, 7. Been divorced for several years now - and spent the last couple years in the NY state court system trying to obtain - and winning - the right to have my children live with me half the time. Jim Anderberg - all those truly dangerous situations you managed to extricate the Explorers from on our incredibly joyous hikes...and you know exactly what I mean...well, they absolutely prepared me for learning to deal with the adversity that a custody fight produces. I have now become quite the advocate for children's rights - especially here in NY (oh, to be in liberal California!).
Since they were infants, I have taken my kids hiking. I return to the Adirondacks regularly...with them, and also by myself. (I have hiked all over the U.S and a bit in Europe - but I still love coming back home to the Adirondacks.) For the past thirty years, I have gone back at least once every other year..the last few years I've gone back once a year. And I always pay a visit to the camp when I'm up there. Seeing Paradox is not so depressing to me as it initially used to be. Maybe I'm just more familiar with the changes that have occured over time up there. And have been able to assimilate them.
In any event, my kids are not nearly as intrepid as I was (am). But my, do they love those songs whilst we're on the trail...Joey the K, somehow you've got to feel a sense of immortality just knowing that my kids will be passing on to their kids the "Joey Babes" song...their favorite.
And speaking of immortality...Lenny Busch, the master of all that was hip during the summer of love, how cool is it knowing little children throughout my kid's elementary school take the lead from my kids - making loud, slow, deliberate announcements into their milk containers in the lunchroom, "There is no more milk!" (Doesn't work quite as well as a reverberant metal pitcher, but what the Hell.)
More random thoughts:
Scott Rovner - an August 6th hasn't gone by since 1970 when I don't think of you. I was so pleased to read your post and what you're up to these days. We are inexorably linked..I still have slides from that momentous hike...and a psychiatrist now? Holy crap - make sure I never climb with you again!
Ken Greenfield - you probably have never thought twice about this - but back in '67 (or maybe '68?) some genius captain of my Parathon team thought it a brilliant idea to use our best swimmers to win all the other races - and throw punky little me into the biggest of the races - the ten million gazillion yard individual medley - against this hunk of a teenager - and I believe he was heading for the Olympics at the time...a certain Ken Greenfield. I think they called this a "throwaway" event for our team. Well, turned out I came within a few yards of you by the end of the race...the entire camp was screaming up on the beach..and I remember it as my most shining moment of all my camp years - yup, even beating out becoming a 46-er. With hindsight, trying is everything...and Paradox did mold a whole lot of character.
Bob Zuch - on a hot summer's night many moons ago, out on the soccer field, half the length of the field apart, we broke the Guinness Book of World Records for consecutive frisbee throws and catches without a drop...I believe the record still stands today. I know we could have done more - but darkness interceded. My kids love this story. ("Dad - you rock!")
Everyone keeps talking about the Montreal trip bus that blowed up good...I guess I wasn't on that one...but I do remember my cabin being taken to a concert at Expo '67, seeing our counselor's favorite artist, Joan Baez. And if memory serves me correctly, when we got back to camp, we led a peaceful sit-down strike regarding our dining hall duties (was it called hopping?) Ummmm...not really - we just had that Joan Baez spirit in us, though.
A big hello to the old Hollis clan - my Dad was THE last holdout there. He passed away quietly last year in the same room I was born in at the old homestead on 190th St. My siblings and I just sold the house - but we found a ton of Paradox memoribilia hidden in the dark recesses of the attic.
Ok - I've droned on here long enough...One question for anyone that can answer it, please...and unfortunately, it is very sad (if true). I don't want to make the same mistake as the Neil Neushatz rumor. However, a few years back I picked up a copy of the 46-ers compendium book while in Lake Placid...and it notes all 46-ers...and who has, in fact, died. And I saw, rather incredulously, that Bart Brodsky had passed away. Of course, I was devastated...and on my hike up Santanoni the next day, I jumped into every mud puddle and bog that befell me, in his honor. Can anyone tell me his whereabouts? (I would love to prove the editor of the book wrong.)
Finally - for anyone that's interested - I'll be up in Lake Placid the week of August 11th to the 18th this year. As for the reunion next year - I'll be there, though I too put my vote in for somewhere close to the camp...Schroon Lake would love to have us, I'm sure.
Take care, all...great connecting with you all again...
Regards, Mark Friedman (aka "Freedy," "Jewboy," or the more familiar, "Asshole!") mlf@bestweb.net
Contributed by Mark Friedman (mlf@bestweb.net) on July 11, 2001.
Dear Tom,
Bobbie and I are back from our two weeks up in Lake Placid. We dropped down to take another look at what was once Camp Paradox. If there is to be a reunion I don't think a great deal of time can actually be spent on the camp grounds. Most of it is unrecognizable. Alex and Ann's cottage looks as though they still lived there. Paradox lodge (Chez Paradox?) is still there. The program office is falling down. I mean no disrespect to Mr. Boyd, the camper from the forties, or his son, however Ole Lar's cottage looks quite a bit more run down than I remember it from two years ago and quite a bit more run down than in the picture from last summer posted elsewhere on this web site. I couldn't find anyone at home, but there were cars with Pennsylvania plates outside the cottage. The guy who lives next door, immediately to the West, had no information. Anyone thinking that they will be able to play ball on Coluni Field (or is that Hurst Field) will be sorely disappointed. It doesn't exist. Just woods. And homes. You can see the lake from some of the homes which I believe are actually built on what was the upper and lower ball fields. I think that the road the homes are on actually cuts through what used to be the two fields. However its been 35 years since I was last a camper (1966), so its hard to tell.
To answer Mike Salnick, I told my brother Jimmy about this site yesterday. His wife never gave him the earlier message I left for him while he was away. I think that I should leave any further information about Jimmy for Jimmy himself to tell.
By the way, I'm sorry that 35 years has blurred some of my memory but I'm having difficulty remembering Mile Salnick, perhaps he was (and I guess still is) a bit younger than me. Perhaps he could remind me of what I must have done for him to 'not care much for Tony (did anyone?)', as he mentioned in an earlier posting last year.
Anyway its always sort of fun to drive by the camp. There just seems to be less and less of anything that was the actual camp each time I am there.
That's all for now.
Regards,
Tony Braun
Contributed by Tony Braun (TonyBobbie@aol.com) on July 11, 2001.
Regarding Bart Brodsky:
In approximately 1974, I was sitting in my kitchen in Seattle eating breakfast reading the paper. On the third or fourth page was a five line blurb about a climber who had died winter climbing in the Tetons in Wyoming. The article stated that he was climbing with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). I was already familiar with NOLS and didn’t approve much of their approach to the outdoors. It struck me as too much macho, gung-ho peak bagging.
I thought (somewhat uncompassionately), “Well, it couldn’t have a happened to a better organization; maybe the accident will tone them down a little bit.” I continued on to the next line of the paragraph to read the name of the climber: “Bart Brodsky.”
Perhaps some others have additional details. That’s all I know.
Tom
Contributed by Tom Field (tom@canby.com) on July 11, 2001.
I don't have much detail to add about Bart Brodsky beyond what Tom mentioned. Because I was in frequent contact with Jim Cramer back then, I guess I learned about that tragedy fairly early. Here's one bit which belongs in the strange but true category: My rabbinical school graduation in 1989 was held at Germantown Jewish Centre in Mount Airy. While standing on the bimah, I happened to turn around and notice, for the first time, a small plaque on the Torah holder indicating that it had been dedicated in Bart's memory by his parents. Both chilling and comforting to have that connection with an old friend at that moment. Since living in Philly, I have become friendly with someone who, as it turns out, was Bart's closest friend during high school. So despite his tragic loss, I continue to experience Bart and his loping, intrepid manner as a presence in my life. (Would any one of us EVER use intrepid in our vocab if not for Paradox?).
Contributed by Marc Margolius (ravmarcm@aol.com) on July 12, 2001.
Good to see the posting from Mark Friedman. Having Lenny as a counselor was to experience the ultimate in counselor coolness. Whether it was watching Lenny walk into a door -- something I still do to the embarrassment of my kids -- or crack wise about anything, he was the coolest. I remember being awakened one night (probably in 1966 or '67) by Lenny. He took me up to the kitchen and served me half a cake for my half- birthday. Thinking about this, I just realized that, in fact, my half-birthday didn't fall during camp season (it's June 22) so it was just sheer coolness on Len's part.
Okay, so my trivia question was obviously lame. Good for you Alan Shier for knowing the Kip and the definitive bacon cheeseburger. Can any of us middle-aged men imagine eating one of those ever again? Fabulous.
Who remembers a play that was put on one Saturday night that was a melodrama. Little Nell was the name or maybe that was the name of the main character played by a camper who's name I now forget. Anyway, I remember everything that could go wrong with that play went wrong: forgotten lines, a character shooting another character with his finger because he forgot to bring the gun on stage. And then Little Nell -- who had been blowing his lines all night -- said to the Snidely Whiplash type villian. "Get out of here - -" Here Little Nell paused, searching for his next line. From out of the darkness in the back of the auditorium, a voice -GER's -- yelled out: "And don't come back!"
For years afterwards, I remember NN, John D. Schreiber, Eric and who knows how many others, imitating that basso cry of withering disdain.
So, here's my next trivia. Probably a slam dunk for you and it's GER related. What was his nickname (never ever uttered to his face as far as I know)? It relates to a piece of clothing.
Neil, I know you know this. Salty?
One last note: I had lunch with Dick Rossner the other day. He looks fantastic and was great company. Speaking of companies, he's trying to form an entertainment company called, I believe, Company of Friends, which would utilize entertainment to raise our values rather than lower them into the gutter. Any business types out there who would like to help a trouper start up what could blossom into a company like Jim Henson's (values-wise) you can reach Dick at (480) 596-9191. He doesn't know I'm writing this so don't hold this plug against him.
It's sad to hear of the passing of any of our old comrades. Here's hoping more and more of you will come out and play before it's too late.
You've been listening to the show that starts slow and then tapers off. WCP ROCKS!
Contributed by Bruce "the One-Armed Bandit" Singer (saltcreek@charter.net) on July 12, 2001.
Re: Camp Paradox vocabulary. Along with "intrepid", "kudos" and "venerable" are two other words I recall being used only and frequently at Camp.
I don't know why, but intrepid triggered long forgotten memories of BJ Fleury - the hiking counselor at Paragon. Anyone remember her? She had this Kelty back pack and down sleeping bag I remember coveting - while I had to use the army "A" frame packs and heavy cotton sleeping bags.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on July 12, 2001.
...answer to trivia question:GER was a SNOTRAG!!!
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 12, 2001.
..."edited" answere to trivia question:GER's nickname was SNOTRAG.
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 13, 2001.
This is comical, but I swear that one of the stories I recounted to Tom Field, Joe Koplin and Marc Stern at our historic (read: hysteric) meeting a couple of weeks ago was the one with the famous line, “get out of my life” which GER added the now infamous tag “and don’t come back”. Actually the tag line was not really in the script but was appropriately added by a fuming Roselle after spending the better part of the evening prompting the kid from the wings of the stage who had totally forgotten most of his lines. As I recall the camper was Marty L. Silverman. And, you’re right that this still seems to be a funny bit all these years later.
Ahhh! And for those of you unfortunate souls that never experienced the delights of a bacon cheeseburger at the Kip Mountain Diner, I am truly sorry. They were great!!
One last note, I do remember B.J. and her coveted “Kelty” pack and “Icelandic” sleeping bag that any self-respecting campcraft type would kill for. But, at the risk of being sexist, I do remember that the majority of people I knew always thought that the “BJ” stood for “Big Jugs”!!!
On the subject of GER-related trivia: And I only think that LRB knows this one but… before the Landis/Carpenter era all counselors were given an “Indian” name. For fifty points… What was Gerry’s Indian Name?????
Contributed by Neil Neuschatz (nneuschatz@capitalfactors.com) on July 13, 2001.
I knew it was Marty Something. Salty, I can't believe it was you who pointed his finger and went bang but, in retrospect, who else could it have been?
Neil, you did the best "And don't come back" by far!
Kenny. WRONG!!!!
I'll put it out again. GER's nickname. Involved a piece of clothing he wore all the time.
Contributed by Bruce Singer (saltcreek@charter.net) on July 13, 2001.
...He wore a Paradox cap all the time, but I'm not even guessing any more. I apologize for my last guess, but I thought you were going for a "play on words", he was "blowing" his lines all night...you see what I mean...????
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 13, 2001.
Okay, Ken, now you're "hot."
Contributed by Bruce Singer (saltcreek@charter.net) on July 13, 2001.
...Cappy??,perhaps?
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 13, 2001.
who could forget those bacon cheeseburgers?? even now, as a nutritional consultant, i occasionally have one -- it's a nostalgic thing, like have lobster cantonese and egg rolls. god, those GER nicknames are alluding us. i can already imagine the sense of getting back to the adks and hiking around. how many of you remember the cliff jumping we did on the road to ticondaroga -- lincoln falls. i'm not sure i'd do it now, but i loved it back then.
Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writeme.com) on July 14, 2001.
Rent a home on the old campsite:
http://www.friedmanrealty.net/rental2.html#paradox
Contributed by Tom (Tom@canby.com) on July 14, 2001.
Your right Tom...I couldn't stay away too long. More trivia: What cabin was referred to as Smokey's Hideway...what year and what campers?
I am not reading the yearbooks when I do this stuff I just let my memory go. Imagine if I could remember things in everyday life like this paradox stuff. It really is amazing. I was speaking with Alan Shier the other night on the phone and he put it the best: When you think about it, we are talking about fourteen months or so out of our entire lives and look at the impact it has had on all of us. I agree with Kenny G. that Neil Neushatz did do the best " and don't come back". He was actually better at it then GER himself. Who starred in the 1964 Footlighters production of ""Submerged?" See ya
Contributed by M. Salnick (lionel guy) on July 14, 2001.
Mike, that was Bruce the-one-armed-bandit that said that...
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 14, 2001.
...and didn't my old cabin mate and comrade-in-arms Alan Shier star in "Submergeg" in 1964?
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 14, 2001.
...I meant to type...Alan Shier starred in "Submerged" in 1964.
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 14, 2001.
The name Robert Greenberg comes to mind.
What was the name of the "allstar vollyball team" in 66
Contributed by Marc Stern (mstern@abanet.org) on July 15, 2001.
Over the years there were some campers who were only around for one season. How many can you name?
I can only think of Cort Niemark (who I see as he is an attorney in my area), Ricky Sanders (who I think we called Gronk due to the vest he wore. He joined us for his first season in Cabin 30 in 1969. (Did he come back as a CIT for a year?) There was someone I recall as Menkes, possibly Jeff was his first name. Was Andy Rogal a one or two year person? Alan Shapiro in 1964 who pronounced his name Sha-pie-ro. Can't think of many more at the moment so I am calling on Neil, Bruce, Alan Shier, to come up with some more. See ya.
Contributed by Michael Salnick (lionelguy@aol) on July 15, 2001.
Jeff Menkes was in cabin 17 in 1966 and cabin 21 in 1967. A google search located him as vice president of North Americal sales for Viewlogic Systems (recently renamed Innoveda). I sent the webmaster of the company a note to forward to him.
anonymously contributed on July 15, 2001.
Didn't mean to be anonymous! Forgot to add my name to that last post.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on July 15, 2001.
Rick Sanders was a camper for 2 summers at Paradox, first in Cabin 20 in '67, and then he was a cabin mate of mine in '68 in Cabin 30, the exalted Log Cabin. My mother and his mother were in the same "investment club", and when they would meet at our house, I would be doing my homework, but keeping an ear out to listen for any good bits of gossip.
By the way, does anybody know what happened to Don Bloomenstiel? He was one of the most colorful characters to be found around Camp Paradox. I think he came each summer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
...and whatever became of Sam Math. Can anyone forget his retort to the man at the campfire when he said to Sam, "You're pretty smart for a little guy." and Sam replied, "You're not so big yourself!" I think they captured Sam's retort on one of the Camp's records.
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 15, 2001.
are you sure jeff was in 17 in '66? i thought it was kenny kohn, rickey mittelberg, marty kocivar & i. i also remember morrie siegel who was in #18 that year. i'm having a block here -- help me out, guys. also andy rogal (or was it rogoff?) was in 21 with me in '67. does anyone else remember finding the pix and other porno magazines "hidden" in the bathroom in the bottom of the baseball field? i never knew who put them there... last chance for input into the survey, people. we got to get moving on the reunion plans. i'll be sending out a survey of dates in july/aug 2002, we can't please everyone, so we'll have to pick the date that most of us can make it. since everyone wants to be in the adks, we can pick a place after we have a date. i have several possibilities already. we'll keep you posted.
Contributed by bill (drbill@writeme.com) on July 15, 2001.
I'm going by my '66 yearbook. Cabin 17 was Jeff Menkes, Steve Kuzman, Kenny Kohn, Ricky Mittelberg and you. Cabin 18 was Morrie Siegel, Steve Frishberg, Andy Rogal and Marty Kocivar.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on July 16, 2001.
One year guys from my Lower Merion Class would include Mark Adler (1969, Mark Cohen(1969). And counselers Angelo Contelmo, a waterfront guy from Fresno named John Friedel (sic). et al. I do remember the last two years (69, 70) being quite different than the first 4 years. Seems like the camp got "flakier" somehow - there was less continuity. I was in a bunk that was originally called 16 A and 16 b but was later renamed 19 and 20 after they built those two new cabins on the way down to the boating area. I had, I think, the worst cabin ever!! Me, Barry Stepner, Eric Wise, Ron Stack (I think), a counselor I can't remember, Eric Bruskin... None of us liked each other! At various time we tried to throw each other off the cliffs in the back of the cabin. My closest friends at that time were Scot Rovner and Scot Davis and for some reason we got seperated that year. FYI, Rovner and I are still best friends going on 40 years now.
Lets have a best year vote - mine is 1966!!
Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aol.com) on July 16, 2001.
Remember counselor Lenny Haseman and his remote-control power speed-boat! Was he a swimming counselor or a boating counselor?
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 16, 2001.
I just received this email note from Margie Landis: ================================================ I was just reading the PX site (hadn't read it for a while) and you asked about Sam Math. Unfortunately, he died about 5 or 6 yrs. ago. I don't remember what it was, but it was sudden. His parents and my parents are friends and Sam and I had been friends in high school.
Regards, Margie Landis
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on July 17, 2001.
I haven't posted here for quite a while, but decided to re-visit the page after my eighth turn as a parent at an Adirondack summer camp visiting day. My son is spending his fourth summer at Echo Lake in Warrensburg. My daughter has already "graduated" after six summers at Point 'O Pines on Brant Lake. Visiting Day always brings back fond memories of my six summers at Paradox from '65 through '70. It's great to see more and more names from the past showing up on this site.
I must remind Marc Friedman of the last conversation I remember having with him in 1971. Jim Ragona and I led a movement among the CITs of 1970 to be allowed back in '71 as ACITs at no tuition. Marc was the only one who didn't join in the request to Alex and Ann because he didn't want to rock the boat. Alex and Ann granted our request, but then decided to shut down the camp before the '71 summer.
Contributed by Larry Goldman (lgoldman@gibbonslaw.com) on July 17, 2001.
My favorite year? Tough to say. '68 comes to mind because there was a lot of trepidation with the big changes that happened over the winter. As it turned out, it was a great year.
Trivia answer on GER. He always wore his Paradox cap -- I believe it was pre-Landis -- and it had this P on it. He had stenciled in his initials in front of the P, creating the basis for his nickname (spoken behind his back) GERP.
Someone mentioned Submerged. I remember that play very well because it was by Eugene O'Neill and set on a submarine where a group of sailors are trapped. I was in it one year and remember the set which had water rigged to fall down on us toward the end of the play. That was great.
I'm always amazed how the Footlighters managed to put on a new play every week and a whole musical for Parents' Day. Some of the sets were great. There was a cave set I remember that was totally cool and I loved when we did a play like "The Ruby Eye" where we'd use Black Lights and stuff like that.
Thanks, Ger.
Contributed by Bruce Singer (saltcreek@charter.net) on July 17, 2001.
Best play: Zelda Was A Lady!! Best food in the dining hall: Pizza cut into a million slices!! Best unknown speed drink: Mountain Dew. How many of us did not know that it was crammed with caffiene??
Anyone remember the kinds and speeds of the boats in the boating area?? Answer: 33, 75 and twin 90's motorboats, a couple of 15 mph rowboats, a sailfish and a sunfish. I can remember being stuck in the weeds with the sailfish numerous times, and the muck under your feet. But the sailfish was a great boat to sail on Paradox Lake.
The three islands?? Crawford, Birch and Grass.
Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aol.com) on July 18, 2001.
Geez--all my summers at camp ('62-'70, minus 1968) were great, as I remember. I was never homesick, and though there must've been times when I was angry or upset, I can't put a finger on any of them ... except for the 1969 season when Alan Shier (I think?) and I were CITs for bunk 14 (?) and it seemed to be the cabin where they put all the problem campers. One troubled little guy in particular I remember gave us a lot of trouble, though I have no idea what his name was. I also would love to hear what happened to Don Bloomenstiel; we were good friends for a couple of years and I remember spending much time in the summer of 1967 debating whether Bobbie Gentry ("Ode to Billie Joe") was a guy or a girl (no TV at camp). But that record played endlessly all summer. Along with "Light My Fire." It was also the year we Footlighters triumphantly redid "Velda Was a Lady" for Parent's Day, with the lucscious John Schreiber as Velda and Jimmy Ragona and I as the befuddled Camp Leaders. I was doing my best impression of one of our real camp leaders. For some reason '67 is resonant in my memory above the other summers, maybe because culturally it was such a time of change. Ciao.
Contributed by Michael Karol (Paradoxboy@planetaccess.com) on July 18, 2001.
Jim Anderberg just wrote in about an update of news (unfortunate as it was) about Sam Math. I remember Sam well and as a real little kid, he lived about 4 or 5 doors down from me in New Jersey. But the real reason I’m posting is because Jim’s news was received through Margie Landis, who I know has posted here before. Now I remember Margie also as a real little one but this is due to my friendship with her brother Scott Landis, who has not been mentioned to any great degree here. Now let me refresh everyone’s memory about “Ole Scott” (trampis). Scott went to camp for many years, I think ’62-’68 and was one of the very best there was. Scott was the quintessential camper/CIT type. This guy did everything. He was a competent athlete, great swimmer, was involved in campcraft and excelled on the Paradox stage. He was featured in many starring roles in Parent’s Day musicals and wasn’t a bad singer either! I believe he served one or two years as editor of “The Paradoxian”. He was one of those people that everyone just naturally liked which resulted in him being recognized as an honor camper (always scoring very high on those sociograms) and ultimately being elected as camp president in 1965. It was a true honor to count Scott as a friend of mine.
So, therefore let’s add Scott’s name to the list of Landis family members, (he was Alex and Ann’s nephew), that we would love to hear from on this site.
And Jim, if you would like to forward this posting directly to Margie Landis, please feel free to do so.
Contributed by Neil Neuschatz (nneuschatz@capitalfactors.com) on July 18, 2001.
I'm with Neil on Scott Landis. What a great guy! He, along with Bri Clifford and Richard Rossner were my first counselors. As a first year very homesick camper in Bunk 6, Saddleback, I was very lucky to have them. Does anyone know if Eric Landis was ever a counselor? I somehow thought he just lived in the Landis house.
Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aol.com) on July 18, 2001.
My first memories of Paradox are watching Scott Landis sing "Where Are They" as he played fight manager Dave Colman in "The College Palooka" in '63. What a great show!
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 19, 2001.
I just got off the phone with my brother (Scott Landis) and I thought I would fill you in. Scott is alive and well and living in southern Maine. He is a writer is married and has a little boy that just turned 5. It was fun for me to read what other people say about my brother. I worship him...but he's my big brother, it's part of the
Contributed by Margie Landis (margiel@suscom-maine.net) on July 22, 2001.
I agree that Scott Landis stands out in my mind as the best Paradox had to offer, typifying what Paradox did strive to be. I can remember Scott Landis as Camp Chief and as a counselor. He never had a bad word to say about anyone, was nice to everyone and was the type of person whom I would describe as one without a bad bone in his entire body. I am glad he is well and thriving in Maine. As a little kid of nine and one half in my early years, I remember camp heros like Joe Jacobs, Alan Moskowitz, Dave Rockoff and Dave Steinman. Those were what, from my little kid perspective back in those days, were the big kids, the older men who really were in charge of the place. I remember the summer that Dave Steinman returned as a counselor. It was like one of the top guns had come back home. What a perspective we had as kids. Howie Benson mentioned Scott Davis. He was another good all around type kid younger then I as I recall. Didn't he have a brother named Jon Davis who joined all of us one summer after working at Ronwood? Who was the counselor who had that small little aquaboat/ (the blue one seater) I think it was Ron something. Anyone ever discover the whereabouts of Wally Sterling? Now there is a name that even predates Jim Anderberg!
Margie Landis, glad you have signed on. Where is Eric? That is it for now.
Contributed by Michael Salnick (lionel guy @ AOL) on July 23, 2001.
While we were talking about members of the Landis family, wasn't there a cousin or something who came to camp one summer named Mickey Landis? No Dr. Bill I am not looking at photo albums or reading off names! Just thinking about this stuff long enough does bring back names and memories. See ya.
Contributed by Michael Salnick (lionelguy at aol) on July 27, 2001.
I was busy filling prescriptions in the pharmacy last week when I noticed a prescription written by Stuart Homer, M.D. He as a medical practice in Woodbridge, N.J., which was the home town for the Homer brothers, Stu and Charlie, when they were both going to Paradox.
I remember Stu Homer as a rather brilliant camper, because he used to play chess with people in his head. In other words, he didn't use a chess board, but all the moves were made and remembered in his head.
Does anybody remember the game of logic called Wiff 'N Proof, that used to be a favorite game of John Sack. Remember the Sack brothers, John and Jamie? I remember the speech that Jamie Sack gave when he was running for Camp President:"Do not be steam rolled!" was his classic line as he made his campaign speech to the other campers in Rodgers Hall.
When I think of the Wiff 'N Proof game, I remember we used to play it in "Ole Club", which a leadership club established by Larry C. I took out my copy of "The Paradigm", which was the discussion manual of the club.
"The Paradigm" is the most amazing manual, entirely written by Larr C. In the Preface, Larry writes: "It is our desire for Paradox campers to learn from this manual those elements of leadership so essential to their total growth and development. Critics may say this manual is written "over the heads of campers." To this we would answer, "It is written for where their heads ought to be."
When I read over "The Paradigm", I am amazed at what a remarkable leader we had in this man called Larry Carpenter!! He wrote this 47 page "manifesto" entirely by himself! He was a camp leader that saw Camp Paradox not only as a summer camp, but as a place to "mold" young campers into leaders. "OLE" was an acronym for "Order For Leadership Education."
Larry C. could have been content just to run a summer camp for kids where they would have two months of fun every summer. However, Carpenter had a "vision" for Camp Paradox as place that would develop "character" and "leadership" in the young campers.
I consider it a privilege to have gone to Camp Paradox, a place where I could interact with campers of many different talents, and counselors that had their own unique talents. Not everyone was good at the same things, but at Paradox, Larry sought to bring out the best in each of us, and develop character while doing it.
In "The Paradigm", Larry C. writes: "It seems such a waste to unduly push particular professions -- a boy should become what he is best suited for, and only the boy can really know this because "best" must be measured in terms of personal happiness and self-worth."
What a privilege it was to have gone to Camp Paradox, and to meet and befriend so many different campers of different talents and personalities, where each individual could make their own contribution to the camp as a whole!!
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 29, 2001.
alright, mike, we all believe you now -- that this bulletin board and outpouring of memories has removed some cobweb in your gray matter -- keep in coming!
ken - i don't remember the whole "paradigm" perhaps you could scan the book and send it to tom (note to tom: if ken can get the book scanned perhaps you can put it acrobat reader format that should be easy to donwnload) or upload to the myfamily.com site so the rest of us who haven't saved such gems can take a look.
still waiting to hear from a lot of missing campers.
Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writeme.com) on July 30, 2001.
When we did our reunion in about 80, Jamie Sack was a tax lawyer in Washington, D.C. I believe.
Is anyone living in or going to be in Chicago next week?
Contributed by Marc Stern (mstern@abanet.org) on July 30, 2001.
...to add as a postscript to the preceeding material, to Hell with all that crap about leadership and character!!! Camp Paradox was a lot of fun, and that is what why we went there. If, along the way, we were able to learn a thing or two about each other, then so much the better, but leadership is a by-product of opportunities, and at Camp Paradox we were given vast array of opportunities to have pure, unadulterated fun!!! Maybe along the way some of us have developed leadership skills, but you can't have leaders without also having followers. Camp Paradox gave us the opportunities to find, within ourselves, whether we would choose to lead others, to follow others, or to merely follow ourselves and live life accordingly. Paradox gave us the opportunity to experience so much, and to have fun at the same time.
When I am 90 years old, I hope nobody asks me what I learned in life about leadership. I do hope someone asks me about whether or not I had some fun along the way, and if I am able to answer "yes" to that question, well, then maybe all of it was worthwhile, and I would be able to say that a place named Camp Paradox gave me the opportunity to have fun and experience life, and to learn that life could be a "fun experience".
.
In other words, maybe Carpenter "pushed" the leadership aspect a bit too much.
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on July 30, 2001.
Ken, sounds like a Paradox...
Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aol.com) on July 30, 2001.
Omitting Alan Shier, Neushatz, Rice,Singer and Tom Field from answering, What was a Larry Carpenter Day"
Contributed by Michael Salnick (Lionelguy@aol.com) on August 4, 2001.
I think it was getting up late on a Sunday, or something like that.
Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aol.com) on August 5, 2001.
Only got two takers on the Carpenter question. Larry Goldman sent me an e-mail and got it right. I told him to post the answer on the site. Howie Benson gave it a try and was partially right. Okay Neil, Billy, Bruce or Al Shier, your turn for a good question. Omitting Lenny Busch, who was the "one armed bandit?"
What was the sport that Jeff Wernick excelled at?
Where were Steve Frishberg and Morrie Siegel from?
Who played piano for the 1964 Camp Musical and who played Throttlebottom?
Who were the camp nurses in 1964 and what did one of them do that was not a nursing function?
Name the places the Canteen was located?
What year did the CC award start?
What were the words to "Circle Round the Flagpole?"
What was the name of the machine that printed the paradoxian?
Who won the first best actor award when Paradox started their version of the Oscars?
Good luck.
Contributed by michael Salnick (lionelguy@AOL) on August 5, 2001.
Most of those questions are for "older-timers" than me. But I do have fond memories of the Gestetner that was used to publish the Paradoxian. All these young people of today with their word processors and spell-checkers have absolutely no idea of the work it took to layout a newsletter and cut a stencil. Ahh, the smell of the correction fluid and the rhythm of the pages coming off the press. And do you recall the collater?
I love the way some of these memories trigger other ones. Thinking of the Gestetner in the back room of the guidance office made me think of Candy Snyder and Judy Johnson who you'd have to go to for petty cash at that office . . . and the pay phones where campers would call home. As I recall the phones were strategically placed so the guidance counselors were able to overhear conversations of distressed homesick campers.
And, don't ask me why . . . another memory this triggers is soda cans with the pop tops that would come off and how campers would bend these together to make chains.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on August 5, 2001.
Jeff Wernick excelled at tennis, a sport he never played before Paradox.
Contributed by Tony Braun (TonyBobbie@aol.com) on August 6, 2001.
Dick Rossner played the role of Throttlebottom in the 1964 camp musical "The Love Campaign". The piano was played by Joe Mchaney.
Barbara Spring, one of the camp nurses in '64, performed a function that was not nursing by playing the role of Diana Devereaux in "The Love Campaign".
For 50 points, John Bloodwell, Guidance Director in '64, "performed" a function that was non-guidance related. What was that function? Hint: The operative word here is "performed".
For 100 points, in 1963, which swimming counselor performed a non-swimming function by assisting GER in the production of the camp musical "The College Palooka" ?
For 150 points, what was the name of the restaurant in the theater district in New York that was owned by Steve Zuch's family? For extra credit, what musical instrument did Steve Zuch play?
For 500 points, what was the name of Larry Carpenter's dog?
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on August 6, 2001.
Bloodwell was a magician.
Keen's English Chop House. No idea on the instrument
No idea on the Carpenter dog.
Wasn't the counselor you refer to Wally Sterling?
Contributed by M. Salnick (lionelgyt@aol.com) on August 6, 2001.
The Canteen was located at the Dining hall for a couple of years behind the mail room, and then in the old photography sheds.
"Circle round the flagpole, Run the lantern high Sing a song of Paradox, with camper friends all nigh. Camp we love, Paradox, stands for ere' In our montain home. May your sons for ere' be loyal Where so ever they roam."
I can't believe I actually remember that!!!
Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aol.com) on August 6, 2001.
Very good, Mike. Yes, it was Wally Sterling that assisted GER in producing "The College Palooka" in 1963.
Larry Carpenter's dog was named Farmer.
"Circle Round the Flagpole" actually goes:
Circle round the flagpole, run the lantern high Sing a song of Paradox, with camper friends all nigh.
Memories abide with us, for many happy hours, so Circle round the flagpole Farewell to mountain towers.
Paradox, goodbye.
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on August 6, 2001.
The idea behind "Circle Round the Flagpole" is that at the end of the camp season, you were supposed to "run the lantern high" on the flagpole, so that next summer, it would show the way back to Camp Paradox.
It reminds me of the ceremony at the end of the camp season, when we would light the candles on pieces of wood, and send them out on the swimming area, and let them disperse, to represent how the campers would spread out to different areas when we would leave camp, and then on Crawford Island, they would light up wood showing the year in wooden numerals, representing the burning out or ending of the camp season.
That ceremony would always get me misty-eyed, especially when Joe Koplin would play "Taps" to end the ceremony.
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on August 6, 2001.
Bloodwell was a magician, and he would put on his clown makeup on stage, before performing.
Steve Zuch played the clarinet.
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on August 6, 2001.
At the direction of Mike Salnick, I'm posting my response to the "Larry Carpenter Day" question. I recall a Larry Carpenter Day being declarable after several days of rain. The regular morning activity schedule would be cancelled and campers / counselors would be permitted to sleep later.
Contributed by Larry Goldman (lgoldman@gibbonslaw.com) on August 7, 2001.
I was just looking through a drawer of old photographs when I discovered 2 old Paradox treasures: A postcard from Marc Stern from 1980 that has an aerial view of Camp Paradox, and my old Camp Paradox ring, still in the little plastic box in which it was given.
The aerial view of CP on the front of the postcard is fantastic! You can see the entire camp, both Coluni and Hurst Fields, Crawford Island, the swimming and boating areas, and all the surrounding trees! The postcard text refers to the 1981 reunion that I wasn't able to attend. It reads in typewritten words:
Ken-
Joe and I have reached a road block! We only have 60 or so names and/or addresses. PLEASE HELP!! We need any that you might have or be able to get. In other events we plan the REUNION for December 1981 on the East Coast. Do you have any ideas for locations?
It is signed: Marc
That reunion that I never made it to was over 20 years ago. What ever happened to the discussion of the reunion for 2002? Will we ever get it together?
I discovered a 3rd Paradox treasure in another drawer: the 1965 Camp Picture that includes campers and staff! The picture is so wide, 20 inches wide( that is over a foot and a half wide!}, that it is rolled up in cylindrical fashion. I also have the 1965 Camp Paradox Photo Identification Key, so I can look up and identify each camper and staff member in the picture! Do any of these names in the "key" bring back any memories for anybody?:
Neil Zack, Kenny Ward, Marty L. Silverman, Marty F. Silverman, Marc Bober, Jerry Rockoff, Bob Coluni, Bill Sunderland, the nurses Linda Richardson and Barbara Spring, Norm Tracy( who married one of the nurses, I can't remember which one), "LF McCoy, Peter Laudin, Ken Mandelbaum, Mike Wolfinger, Andy Gassman, Bob Atlass(who will always be immortalized in the Robert B. Atlass Memorial Award in Skiing, which in 1968 first went to Jeff Cohen, who could ski backwards), Dick Strauss, Andy Blumberg, Don Andrejko, Dave Hill, Doug McClew, Jay Greengarten, Dick "Scotty" Scott, Bruce Stead, Tom Esslinger, and the list of names goes on and on.
The point is that I am glad that I saved the "Identification Key" so when I look at this 20 inch wide photo, I can identify all the campers and staff. Here's a few more names to jog your memories: Elliot Feldman, Irwin Goldstein, Glenn Meltzer, Rich Perry, Dave Lockhart, Victor Bell, Ricky and David Stahl, Buzzy Aaron, Roger and David St. Lifer, and the list goes on and on....
The one thing that is the greatest treasure is the camp ring that I kept. Now it is only able to fit on my pinky finger, but it looks beautiful with the camp crest "C/P" on its face.
Anyway, this gets me back to the point: Will we ever get this 2002 reunion together? We are very close to the end of the year 2001, and time goes by very quickly, so we must start planning now.
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on August 8, 2001.
note to howie: good try on the song, did others notice that you combined two paradox lyrics? yes, we will have a 2002 reunion. just waiting to finish the survey as to which weekend in july/august would be best for the majority. gee, do think eric will make it? sure wish i still had one of our famous eric t-shirts that bruce inglis and i stayed up all nite silk screening before his birthday -- which i believe was around now.
Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writeme.com) on August 9, 2001.
You are right Bill, I somehow got "Ameci" mixed up with "Circle". All the songs kind of blend together 30 years later. As for the reunion, I think coordinating it with parents day at kids other Adk/Maine camps makes it easier for some of us as some of us have to be up there for that anyway. It usually is the 3rd or 4th week of July. My brother and I Mitch (minibenson) will be up visiting his kids at at that time and I have to believe other parents are doing the same thing.
Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aol.com) on August 9, 2001.
Hey Kenny: Why don't you post that key to the 1965 picture for those of us who still have ours. Mine is in my law office framed in red and gray. It is always a wonderful reminder of that summer when Larry and Alex went on their big recruting thing and hired folks from all over. Isn't that the year of Yan-Yong Boon Long? What was his nickname? See ya.
Contributed by Michael Salnick (Lionel guy @ AOL) on August 12, 2001.
Yes, Mike, 1965 was the year of counselor Yanyong Boon-Long, and yes, I will post the 1965 Camp Paradox Photo Identification Key for all those who have kept their 1965 camp photo, but it is 11:30 Sunday night right now, I just got in from a pic nic, so I will wait until tomorrow to post the entire key. Look for it on Monday. Bye now.
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on August 12, 2001.
For Mike Salnick and anyone else who has the 1965 Camp Paradox photo, here is the identification key to that photo:
FRONT ROW--David St. Lifer, Andy Holman, Bruce Laden, Buzzy Aaron, Brian Stahl, David Greenspan, Allan Pincus, Cory Schiffman, Sam Math, Steve Filenbaum, Richard Olin, Neil Zack, Steve Gorelick, Dave Scott, Randy Schwartzman, Gordon Howard, Ed Feigen, Jerry Shier, Jon Zuch, Mike Hirsh, Steve Zelin, Paul Silverman, Mike Simon, Curtis Lane, Randy Rothenberg, Ricky Goldman, Ricky Stahl, Mike Zuch, Kenny Berkowitz, Jimmy Braun.
SECOND ROW--Jimmy Schnell, Mike Swerdlick, Kenny Ward, Steve Schiffman, Steve Moncher, Jimmy Lowenstern, Eric Wise, Larry Goldman, Bruce Singer, Billy Rice, Marty L. Silverman, Marty F. Silverman, Marc Bober, Billy Drucker, Steve Beckelman, Jimmy Hollenberg, Steve Tripp, Alec Kronish, Marc Ehrich, Roger St. Lifer, Bobby Zuch, Alan Osofsky, Stewart Kocivar, Jeff Gould, Tod Gordon, Mitchell Hirschklau, Mike Olin, Gary Carter, Glen Graye, Larry Bruskin, Howie Benson, Lee Mandelbaum, Jeff Nemhauser, Robbie Grindlinger, Jon Shevell, Steve Weinerman.
THIRD ROW--Steve Zuch, Jerry Rockoff, Jimmy St. Lifer, Evan Schwartzman, John Wienshienk, Richie Frank, Gary Lowen, Marc Zimmerman, Ronnie Stack, Bruce Gorelick, Gary Greengarten, Bob Coluni, Norm Tracy, Bill Sunderland, Linda Richardson, Barbara Spring, Larry Carpenter, Alex Landis, Ann Landis, Ranzy Tucker, Hugh Hurst, "LF" McCoy, Rick Schuck, Gerry Roselle, Kenny Kohn, Bob Filenbaum, Glenn Meltzer, John Sack, Marc Stern, Jon Kaufman, Jon Rothenberg, John Schreiber, Chuck Muth, Rich Ward.
FOURTH ROW--Yanyong Boon-Long, Tony Braun, Steve Bober, Alan Shier, Peter Selwyn, Dick Perry, Dave Cipes, Morrie Siegel, Barry Douglas, Marty Kocivar, Jeff Wernick, Steve Rosner, Mark Kaufman, Peter Laudin, Kenny Greenfield, Ed Frankel, Mark Wienshienk, David Bonwit, Rob Clayman, Andy Chasen, Jeff Osman, Mark Lowen, Rich Weiner, Mike Salnick, Jon Singer, Peter Swerdlick, Steve Atlasss, Ken Mandelbaum, Bruce Graye, Paul Schnell, Don Bloomenstiel, Mike Wolfinger, Chuck Gelber, Mark Michaelson, Billy Silverman, Steve Berkowitz, Jeff Lane.
FIFTH ROW--Doug Singer, Tommy Rockoff, Dave Jacobson, Tommy Field, Jimmy Ragona, Vic Bell, Jamie Sack, Scott Landis, Mike Karol, Joe Koplin, Paul Uhr, Irwin Goldstein, Bruce Gelber, Richie Goodstein, Micky Landis, Rickey Seidel, Andy Gassman, Joe Jacobs, Bob Atlass, Alan Moskowitz, Alan Fox, Arnie Greenfield, Scott Hodes, Dick Rossner, Mike Clayman, Ricky Bruskin, Dick Strauss, Neil Neuschatz, Jeff Carter, Mark Bell, Alan Uhr, Jim Filenbaum, Elliot Feldman, Jim Mancbach, Dave Rockoff, Marty Scott, Dave Bruskin, David Stahl, Lenny Busch, Dave Lockhart.
BACK ROW--Andy Blumberg, Joe Liacono, Bruce Stead, Steve Kuzman, Brian Clifford, Rich Gelber, Jim Rossner, Ron Schwaeble, Rich Mizdal, Dick Roberts, George Hurst, Mike Jacobson, Ralph Clayman, Gabriele Erasmi, Don Andrejko, Fred Weinberg, Bill Ort, Elson Benedict, Jack Francis, Tom Esslinger, Dave Hill, Doug McClew, Gerry McConaghy, Tom Vannatta, Bob Seidel, Len Haseman, Mike Blake, Marshall Carlozzi, Sam Hallman, Freemon Jordan, Eric Landis, Jay Greengarten, Jesse Strauss.
Absent when photo was taken: Dick Scott, Kathy Donovan, Diana Landis, Gonneke Spits, Marion Wieczorkowski
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on August 13, 2001.
Oh no, thats me???
Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aol.com) on August 13, 2001.
Just a quick note to record how wonderful it was to spend a few hours last week hanging out with Jim Anderberg in Maine while my family and I were visiting friends near Bethel, ME. Jim took a day off from work and drove over; I will have special memories of standing in the lake with him, marveling over the years gone by and how clearly he remembered events from PX days. It wasn't hard for me to remember why I always held him in such high esteem -- he still exudes the same calm, integrity, and kindness. A bunch of active, neurotic East Coast Jewish kids sure needed a dose of Iowa.
Contributed by Marc Margolius (ravmarcm@aol.com) on August 16, 2001.
I was a camper at paradox in the late thirties, early forties, and my last ride to Ti was as a counsellor in 1950 after Ed Goldwater sold it to Seymour Bernstein. Rocco Goldfarb, Tex Rosen, Frank Corsaro, the Greenbaum brothers, Gene Billick, Nawita, the polio quarantine, ball games against the Chilson "natives" and Brant Lake camp. Is there any one out there that wants to relive some of those splendid times? I sure hope so.
Contributed by Bob Feldman (rafotz@msn.com) on August 17, 2001.
I've added a new picture to the top of www.campparadox.com.
I also have received copies of original Richard Rogers manuscripts from University of Rochester Sibley Music Library.
Ladies on the Hill -(Autographed manuscript)One day a week we set aside for parents who with beaming pride come up to gaze upon their son's remains.
They're sure he must be ailing , and they know his health is failing so they bring him candy to relieve his pains.
Every mother knows what's best for her son's different from the rest. She has a big hot water bag right handy.
And as her heart beats fast with fright, she looks and sees her boy's all right, and so she hands him seven pounds of candy.
Look out! There's ladies on the hill. They are trying very hard to make the grade. Look-out! There's ladies on the hill.
You must put on your cloths, pull up your hose, no mother goes to burlesque shows.
Look out there's ladies on the hill. And if you don't fix your trunk, your mother will.
As his Ma comes up the path-way, John-ny beats it to the half-way.
Look out. There's ladies on the hill.
Victory Song - (Ms. reproduction)
This score is also in RR's hand. Since Joe Koplin and Neil Neushatz sang it to some of us at dinner last month, I don't need to print the words here. It's got two stanzas, one that begins "V stands for the Vim..." and "P stands for the players.."
My Tent in Paradox - (Ms. reproduction)
The familiar "Hooray, hooray my baggage left today..."
The Melting Pot - (Ms. reproduction)
"A cook am I, I'm going to try to see if I can find somehow a perfect kind of boy.
Recipe's not in my book, and since my dish is hard to cook ..."
There's also a manuscript in RR's hand of a song by Jerome Kern, "Land Where the Camp Songs Go"
Contributed by Tom (tom@canby.com) on August 17, 2001.
Trivia Question extrodinaire: There was a little kid from northern new jersey who spent two summers at Paradox. Alan Shier cannot answer this question because other then me, he is the only one who probably knows the answer. This person had a nickname that is in the same family of one who puts out forest fires. What was his name? This person went on to be a one time one minute varsity soccer player for Wayne Valley High School in northern New Jersey. Who was he?
Contributed by Michael Salnick (salnicklaw@aol.com) on August 19, 2001.
Was it Kenny Behr?
Contributed by Marc Stern (mstern@abanet.org) on August 19, 2001.
Long day in the studio for me today and was thinking.........Many thanks for the Anderberg video of parents day. I was just thinking, can you imagine parents in 2001 going to watch their kids CLIFF JUMPING. I don't think you could do half of what we did - the insurance would be astronomical. I have a friend that owns a camp in Maine and that is his biggest cost. I wonder if Alex had any. Another question, who was the archery teacher. And who could ever beat Rovner and Uniman in the AAphers?? I don't think anyone ever did!! Hey all of you parents of teenagers- the P.O.D. record I produced comes out in 3 weeks and Atlantic is shipping 700,000 copies as of now, probably 1 million at street date. It's a great record and they don't use bad words on it!!! You'll see my name right on the back. They are on Leno on 9/14 and in heavy MTV rotation right now. It all started for me at WCP!!! Boy, do I wish I could walk through Rodgers Hall right now and rummage through the rooms next to the radio station.All those old Bogan amps, they are worth a lot right now. The Fairchild compressors they used for pre transmitters are worth about $40,000 on the audio market now. There seemed like there was a lot of stuff in those rooms. I remember Jim Ragona had a combo organ up there I used to sneek in and play. But nothing beats watching the moon landing that night on the TV set in front of the stage. I'll never forget it.
We must do this pilgrimage next year!!
Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aol.com) on August 22, 2001.
Just got back from a wonderful rainy day here in Oregon re-connecting with Tom Field. Check out the myfamily site for a couple of photos from the day. One of the photos is of Tom and I with some of Jim Cramer's old high school campaign posters when he ran for class president (he lost). He had included them in the infamous chain letter that went around among some of the members of the explorer's club.
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on August 23, 2001.
Well I'll be! I'm not the only one with a box of stuff in his attic with "Camp Paradox" written on it. I was at Paradox in 1966 and 1967. My girlfriend and I were up there just a couple of weeks ago, and it was sad to see that only a few buildings still remain. I guess that's what memories are for. So, here goes....
I remember the UFO hoax, where Mark Eisenberg (the resident shutterbug) dummied up a shot of a UFO hovering over the camp. To add to the authenticity, a bunch of iron ore was spread around the softball field, as if the "spaceship" had left some remnants from its visit. I remember Billy Rice being one helluva water skier and wishing to God I could water ski like him....the hikes down to the Idelwild store to buy Nestle's Quik...Randy Schwartzman falling off a cliff on Crawford's Island during a camp out...the trip to Expo '67....the trip to Palisades Amusement Park...the Clayman Bros....the whole "Phantom" mystery....the soda machine outside the mess hall that sold Mountain Dew (never heard of the stuff before then)....Mike Singer teaching me how to cue up a record at WCP (I still remember the record - Light My Fire)...Eric Landis as Sylvia Sagrear in an original GER production....and the list goes on. It's great that this site exists. Kudos to those who put it together and keep it alive. I was only 8-9 years old when I went to Paradox, so my memories aren't as vivid as many others posting on this site. But what memories I do have are firmly entrenched. If a reunion is ever planned, I'd love to be notified of it.
Peace.
Bill Rosen
Contributed by Bill Rosen (bandit41@bellatlantic.net) on August 23, 2001.
Jim Anderberg and I spent most of the day yesterday sitting in my living room, talking about camp and our lives since then. I was so happy to discover that he’s still the warm, articulate, high-energy guy with a wonderful laugh.
In 1969 and 1970, a chain letter circulated through the camp craft crowd. Each recipient added their pictures, memories, and annotated the comments of those who preceded them. To get an clear idea of what it looked like, see http://www.campparadox.com/patch.htm.
The letter made a second round during which each person took out their photos. Jim brought with him the original chain letter! It was very interesting… and touching. It was almost like going back and listening to the bunch of us hanging out together: Bart Brodsky’s almost fanaticism with the high peaks, the constant adolescent humor, the pride, and the camaraderie.
In fact, that’s what Jim and I concluded. That the camp craft experience, hiking and spending 24 hours a day together, hiking with heavy packs facing challenges to our physical endurance, interacting with one another, learning to be part of a team, created a sense of pride and community amongst us. Jim pointed out that almost every department at camp (skills, sports, etc) gave so many of us the opportunity to learn, succeed, grow, be proud, and be part of a group. One of the blessings of having been a camper during the Carpenter/Landis era is that we came away stronger boys (and now men) for it.
Jim reminded me that there were those of us who weren’t part of a group – and that the staff knew who these people were because not only were the socio-grams used to determine Honor Camper, but apparently Larry did a graphical chart that showed the social groupings. Each camper had arrows pointing to him from other campers who voted for him. Campers who were not part of a group were evident from the lack of arrows. Jim says that the counselors were responsible for coming up with a program that would involve the “outcasts,” drawing them into a crowd. (I think the charts must have been fascinating -- imagine the patterns that they revealed about the social networks in camp!!)
I played for Jim the audio tape I received from GER in 1992. It’s moving. In addition to some words from him, he included the first and the last (1962 & 1970) last- night-of-the-season monologues he did in Rogers Hall. It’s a rare collectors’ item; I plan to digitize it and post it here on the site.
We're unable to put large audio or video files on the site because we’re out of storage space. So we’re exploring ways to get additional space. We’ll keep you all posted. Meanwhile, just a reminder that Jim and I both are more than happy to scan and post any pictures you've got ... or, you can go to Staples and they'll scan your photos and put them on a CD. If you mail me the CD, I'll post it...
Because he just showed up at the site, I’ve asked Bill Rosen to hunt down TWO new Paradoxians. I know that we’ve asked before, but we’re asking once more that each of you consider if you know anyone who hasn’t checked in yet. Do some digging. There are still lots of men out there who we shared our boyhood summers with…
Tom
Contributed by Tom (tom@canby.com) on August 24, 2001.
Tom's asked that I post some of my memories here on the bulletin board, so here's one that cropped up out of nowhere...does anyone remember the barber at camp who had an ear that ticked like a clock? Everytime I'd go to get my haircut, he'd say, "Wanna hear my ear?" And each time, he'd press his ear against mine and sho' nuff, the dang thing was ticking! And Ieach time I'd try as hard as I could to make sure he wasn't duping me in some way -- by holding his watch up to my ear; or having an accomplice hold his watch up to my ear; etc. But, alas, it wasn't a trick. The guy had a ticking ear!
Amazing the things that come to you at 1 am in the morning.
Yours in shared obscurity.
Bill
Contributed by Bill Rosen (bandit41@bellatlantic.net) on August 25, 2001.
I just got back from a two day visit to what's left of the old Camp Paradox campsite, and the trip was well worth it. It's true that initially the visit was disappointing, because very little is left that is recognizable, but if you get out of the car and trample through the brush, you can still see some familiar ground. I left the car near Alex & Ann's old house, and walked down to where Cabin 30, the "Log Cabin", used to be. There is a modern residence there now. Then I walked down to the boating area, then up the old steep pathway running from the boating area through the Senior Unit. I then walked along the path that ran from the Junior Unit, down past what used to be the Rifle Range, and down to the old swimming area. I then walked up "Cardiac Hill" past what used to be the campfire area, to where the Program Office used to be. I then pushed through some brush to find what is left of Cabin 5 and Cabin 6. Cabin 5 is falling apart, but the inside of Cabin 6 is still intact, and it brought back a lot of memories, because I resided in Cabin 6 in '63, the first of my six summers at the camp. Inside Cabin 6 I saw the names of Jerry Ruderman and Jeff Osman, cabin mates of mine in '63. Jerry was also my boyhood "best friend" who used to live next to me in my hometown of Metuchen, N.J. Other names posted on the walls were Chuck Muth(in Cabin 5) and Billy Rice. Then I saw something that gave me a wierd surprise: my own name, written in script that is the same handwriting style that I still have today, reading "Ken Greenfield was here". That was written 38 years ago! They say that a criminal always returns to the scene of his crime, but the only crime I was guilty of was being a young,home-sick camper trying to cope with his first summer at Paradox. Now for some random musings and memories: I remember getting up 5:30 in the morning in '63 to go fishing, and when I returned to Cabin 6 and put my pole down in the cubby hole area, the fish hook got caught in Wally Sterling's robe, and I panicked. Wally was a very strict counselor; when pizza was served in the dining hall, he would make you eat it with a knife and fork. For several minutes I tried to disentangle my fish hook from his robe, but was unsuccessful, so I just left the whole mess there. Surprisingly, he never mentioned anything about it. That cubby hole area is still intact in Cabin 6, and next to it you can see where the bathroom was. Written in that area was : "Jerry Ruderman sat here". Does anybody remember the "Dudley Machine" ? That was the name given by tennis counselor Dave Longmier to the machine that would throw tennis balls at you, so you could practice your tennis strokes. The "old" tennis courts are still there, but you have to see through a lot of brush and undergrowth to recognize them. The "new" tennis courts that were later added are not there anymore. The "old" basketball court near Alex & Ann's house is still there. Down in the boating area the large boulder that used to serve as an observation tower is still there, but what person in their right mind would try to move it? Does anyone remember when Eric Landis was seriously injured just before the camp season was begun, because he let go of the rope too late while water skiing, and slammed into the dock? It is still possible to walk down to the swimmng area and view Crawford Island sitting majestically in the middle of the lake. The point is that even though much of the camp is gone, there is still enough to see so that you can recapture the "magic" feeling that was there over thirty years ago. We are all grown men now, but a trip to the camp can make you remember that magical boyhood that we all shared together, that made us the men we are today.
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on August 25, 2001.
I think cabin 6 is the only true cabin left up there. If we visit together next year I think we should ask whoever owns the property whether they wouldn't mind not tearing it down. I was in it about 7 years ago and I have to give Ken credit - it was very unstable and I hotfooted it out of there. But I also saw the same campers names on the walls and since it was my first cabin also it really brought back the memories. But the one piece of writing stuck out the most. In the bathroom, right in front of the toilet: "5 plops by Jeff Osman".!! I still remember that 36 years later!!
Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aol.com) on August 27, 2001.
It has been an incredible journey just reading through all the memories, the impact Camp Paradox had on all of us, and where we all are today. I have been in constant contact with Salty Salnick and we talk as if summer is around the corner, the buses will transporting us through Route 73 past Camp Paragon, Idewild (I think that was the proper spelling for my destination to slurp down a Freihoffer cake and a coke) then to Camp. Thirty years, actually thirty one...come on!!! It really is hard to believe. When I read about the whereabouts of all my fellow campers and counsellors I still relate to all of us living within a one hundred mile radius in either New York, New Jersey or Philadelphia and visiting at Salty salnicks or Billy Rice's house in Wayne New Jersey or Salty and I hopping a train to Phila. to see Richie Frank (and Amy too), Danny Barsky, Jim Toub and Mitch Sukonick, Mark Adler, Jimmy Stotter, Rich Perry and others. Now it is Seattle, Miami, Maine, California, DC, Oregon (my sister), talk about spreading our wings and leaving the nest! A reunion would be extra special for me. I suggest that a small committee consisting of Tom Field, Billy Rice, Mike Salnick, Jim Andeberg and one or two others pick a site and a time. All of us will then make every effort to attend. If I can be of any help, please let me know. I've been plenty busy here in sunny South Fla.with my CPA practice, newly elected as president of my Synagogue (no, Mark Margolis my next stop will definately not be Rabbinical school), watching my son Brian complete a stellar high school baseball career (in Florida baseball literally is year round but he takes summers off to be a camp counsellor...just like his dad!), visiting my oldest daughter Rachel at the University of Central Florida, and spending time with my youngest daughter Alissa as she enters the world of High School, boys, driving (you can get your learners permit at 15 yrs. old)and just being a normal teenager with a mouth. My wife Amy is from Wynnewood, Penna., her father owned a furniture store called Kroungold's on Broad Street for all you Philadelphians. We have been married almost 22 years (it actually was love at first sight) and we still love to do things together. I play alot of tennis and golf and am a regular at a "no frills" local gym where I try to stay in shape as I approach ( or am I in it already) mid-life age. For any of you DC area Paradoxians I will be up that way several times this year to show Brian some colleges. He wants to go to school in the Mid-Atlantic area. Any suggestions? One school he has been looking at is the University of Maryland, another is American U and also Univ. Virginia. Graduating from Ithaca College I recently received my Quarterly publication and lo and behold there was a picture of the '65 soccer team (or was it lacrosse) and there sat Steve Kuzman..my first counsellor in'66 - bunk 17, the cherry bomb bunk! I wonder what ever happened to the other half of my bunkmates Kenny Cohn and Jeff Menkes (Billy, I know where you are). I kept in touch with Jerry Rockoff and his brother David (he went to IC too)a bit after camp ended, how are you guys? All my other bunkmates who haven't posted, Ricky Bruskin, Bobby Dukes, Andy Rogal, David Stahl,come on and get with the program! To my co- counsellors while I was a CIT, ACIT and finally making as a full fledged counsellor, Don Rynd,John Shirey, Norm Einstein, Jeff Peters, Paul Uhr, Mark Friedman and others..where are you now? And to my good friends and I can't name them all who have not posted, Steve Frishberg, Morrie Siegel (a one year camper, I think), Jim St.Lifer, Chuck Gelber, Mike Clayman, Rob Clayman, Tom Rockoff, Jimmy Toub,Richie Frank, Howie Uniman, Steve Berkowitz, Alan Uhr etc...let's here from you! By the way, I just got off the phone with my brother Barry, a lawyer in Coral Springs, Fla. and he sends his regards to all especially Jerry March, Jeff Singer, Howie Bodner, Larry kantor, and the infamous Zolots. Anyway, I have been at this for an hour or so this morning while at work and better get to some of my phone calls before the labor day weekend starts. I will be back on more often and would love to hear from anyone and everyone!!
Contributed by Rick Mittelberg (RickeyM5@AOL.COM) on August 31, 2001.
...a note for Ricky Mittleberg: On a recent visit to the old Camp Paradox, I saw that your old Cabin 17 was the only cabin that is still fully intact and I believe someone is living in it now. I just sent a set of photos to Tom Field, and when he posts them you'll be able to see how well they have kept Cabin 17. Rickey, the memory of you that stands out in my mind the most is when you and Jerry Rockoff were down by the skiing area, and were giving "hickeys" to each other!!! Do you remember that? Also, I recall when you and I were both trying to get up on 1 ski at the same time behind the "35" motor boat, and because it didn't have as much power, we both held on for at least a full minute before we got up simultaneously on 1 ski. I'd love to know what happened to Jerry Rockofff. I remember that when I was a Junior in high school, a whole group of the "Highland Park crowd" came over to visit me in Metuchen, N.J., including "Bobbi" Lederman, who I got "married" to in '68 in a Paragon summer carnival. Does anyone know what happened to Bobbi Lederman or her cabin mates that year, Robin Landis, Amy Frank, or Ronnie Weiss? I stopped over Ronnie Weiss's house in the mid-70's, and her mother told me she was studying psychology at some university. Maybe someone should start a "Camp Paragon" web site, and we could find out about our "sister campers" from down the lake! What "Paragonian" would be brave enough to build that web site? in
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on August 31, 2001.
KEN; GREAT HEARING FROM YOU. I HAVE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED READING YOUR INSIGHTS AND MEMORIES OF CAMP. SOME ARE AS CLEAR AS IF THEY HAPPENED LAST MONTH. ANYWAY, I DO REMEMBER TRYING WITH YOU OUR "ONE SKI" ACT. IT WAS DURING OR AFTER WATER SKI CLUB AND JUST AFTER JEFF MENKES TAUGHT ME HOW TO GET UP ON ONE SKI...AND NOT JUST DROP ONE. I WAS NOW A "FIRST CLASS" SKIER AND I STILL HAVE MY PATCH TO PROVE IT. I THOUGHT I WAS NOW READY TO TAKE ON ANYONE, EVEN BILLY RICE!! BRING ON THE TRICK SKI'S. SIDE SLIDING AND SKIING BACKWARDS WAS IMMINENT. KEN, NO WAY WAS I GOING TO LET GO OF THAT ROPE...AND I AM GLAD YOU DID NOT EITHER.I REMEMBER US SKIING TOGETHER SEVERAL TIMES. WHAT A GREAT TIME!! ABOUT RONNI WEISS, I DID KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THEM (MY BROTHER WAS GOOD FRIENDS WITH HER BROTHER ROBBIE...REMEMBER HIM?) FOR A FEW YEARS AFTER CAMP CLOSED AND I ACTUALLY ASKED HER TO MY SENIOR PROM. PROBLEM WAS, MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN, SHE BECAME RECENTLY ENGAGED TO EITHER AN ISRAELI OR SOMEONE SHE MET IN ISRAEL, I JUST DON'T REMEMBER. ANYWAY, THAT DEVISTATED ME AND QUITE HONESTLY, I DON'T THINK I EVER HEARD FROM HER AGAIN. JERRY ROCKOFF AND I (WE SURE DID SOME WIERD THINGS) REMAINED FRIENDS FOR SEVERAL YEARS AS WELL. IN FACT, HE HELPED MY FRIEND GET AN APARTMENT IN THE METUCHED/ HIGHLAND PARK AREA IN THE MID- SEVENTIES. THEN, FOR REASONS UNKNOWN, THAT TOO WENT BY THE WAYSIDE. I REMEMBER MY OTHER GIRLFIEND AT CAMP...AMY FRANK. I GUESS AFTER READING THESE MESSAGES, HOOKED UP WITH ALAN SHIER. ALAN, DID YOU GO TO COLLEGE WITH HER? WHICH COLLEGE? IRONICALLY, I FELL IN LOVE WITH AND ACTUALLY MARRIED AN "AMY' FROM PHILADELPHIA ( THE MAIN LINE AREA) WHO'S FAMILY IN SOME CRAZY WAY, MAY ACTUALLY KNOW THE FRANK FAMILY OR AT LEAST THEIR PARENTS. BOBBI LEDERMAN, I REMEMBER HER BUT KEN, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU TWO WERE SO TIGHT! CONGRATULATIONS. MY SISTER NOW LIVES IN EUGENE, OREGON AND WHEN I TOLD HER ABOUT THIS WEBSITE SHE RATTLED OFF SOME NAMES SUCH AS LAURIE TREINKMAN, ROBIN WARE, OF COURSE DEBBIE RICE, AND OTHERS. A PARAGON WEBSITE MAY BE AN IDEA OF THE FUTURE. I AM SURE WE ALL CAN STILL REMEMBER OUR "CAMP GIRLFRIEND" AND THE GOOD OL' EVENINGS AT OUR CHEZ MIXERS DANCING TO WHITER SHADE OF PEARL AND RED RUBBER BALL AND EATING SOME OF THE BEST TASTING BURGERS ( AT THE TIME)AND WASHING EVERYTHING DOWN WITH THE BEST BUG JUICE IN PARADOX. I WAS A COOK THERE, ON A PART-TIME BASIS AND CAN REMEMBER BETTING JERRY R. THAT I COULD EAT 5 JUICY GREASY PATTIES ON A BUN AT ONCE...NO PROBLEM FOR A GROWING BOY! I KNOW THERE IS MUCH MORE SO I WILL KEEP CHECKING IN. I HOPE EVERYONE IS ENJOYING THEIR LABOR DAY HOLIDAY WEEKEND. I AM. RICK
Contributed by RICK MITTELBERG (RICKEYM5@AOL.COM) on September 2, 2001.
I was browsing through the web site on CP and I had some memories come back that I haven't seen mentioned. We used to call Fred Dorn Derf (Fred spelled backwards, it drove him nuts!) How about Sam Math, the "swimmer" that I had to teach to swim before his parents returned for Parent's weekend. Gerry McConaghy or Rich Glass were the golf teachers in 64, I think. Here are some counselors name I haven't seen mentioned. Rich Mizdal - arts and crafts Dick Hadel - from Louisiana Len who worked on the waterfront with Dave Leslie Dave Hill who could always make me laugh Some of the funniest things that ever happened were when Brian, Dave Hill, Dave Leslie, and I went to Vermont on days off. Too long to go into now, but maybe some day. How about Ranzy Tucker the cook who brought Dionne Warwick to a Paradox Christmas Party the Landis' in Highland Park How about Marshall who also worked in the Kitchen The morning that all the cooks were so drunk and hung over, that Brian and I cooked breakfast for the whole camp and no one even knew it? How about the "Run up Peaked Hill" during color wars? How about the Monster Relay that started the colors wars off? How about Bill Drucker who used to sleep with his eyes OPEN. We used to bring other counselors in because they did not believe us. Ask Brian about the time he got thrown out of the Cafe Guy for stealing grapes from the centerpiece by the door. I have teased him for 35 years about that and we frequently exchange bunches of artificial grapes. There are so many great memories that flood back. Please fell free to share them with the others as you see fit. I could go on forever. Please make note of my new e-mail address: rojac@peoplepc.com Regards Jack Francis
Contributed by Jack Francis (rojac@peoplepc.com) on September 4, 2001.
wow! we're starting to get more action here again! thank you, bill rosen for the kudos and for providing the name of the camper who fell off crawford island - randy schwartzman. altho, i don't clearly remember him, i was just relaying that story to some people on my trip to Flathead Lake in Big Fork, Montana. the lake is much larger than paradox, but it still reminded me of our summers on the lake and hence, recalling that story of randy walking off the island on a sleep- over. it's hard to believe that cabin 17 is still standing. first we blew up our toilet with a cherry bomb, then we tried to warm-up by starting a small fire on the porch! can't wait to see the place again. responses are coming in slowly to our survey. maybe rickey m. is right -- we'll just pick a place and date and hope everyone can make it. actually, i have to have a better idea of numbers so we can book a place and rooms NOW - SO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! good luck getting your kids back to school.
Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writeme.com) on September 5, 2001.
There is too much testosterone on this site...so I will add a balance. I was an original Paragonian...Those years were the best of my life. When Larry was there, (I believe for only one Paragon summer), he used to take us on "midnight" raids (via vans) to the boys camp. Does anyone remember Andy Gassman? Avi Ronell? Mark Bell? Was there a Carol Landis? Rick Whiteford, post again! By the way, my sister Robin (former Paragonian) is married to Micheal Gordon(fromer paradoxian.) Lauren Greenberg Tauren was wondering about the whereabouts of her first boyfriend, Derf Dorn. (Tom, I got brave....aren't you proud of
Contributed by Ellen Rosenfeld Sall (ersall@aol.com) on September 9, 2001.
Derf Dorn is alive and well...working for one of the major network news shows....CBS or (20/20 or 60 mins) NBC...something like that. See him once every few years..him and my brother Jerry are friendly. We all are from Wayne, NJ.
Contributed by Alan Shier (alan553@aol.com) on September 10, 2001.
I remember Andy Gassman real well. I believe he was from South Jersey or at the worst, the Philadelphia area. In 1965 I was in bunk 13 and Andy Gassman was my ACIT. Real nice guy with a good sense of humor. As a matter of fact in one of the photos my wife had framed with red and gray, there is a photo of cabin 13 with counselors George Hurst and Gerry Roselle and Andy Gassman as the ACIT.
Contributed by Michael Salnick (Lionelguy@aol.com) on September 12, 2001.
Actually, I know where Andy was from back then. Metuchen. I know because he was my first boyfriend at camp....And my first real kiss...how is that for smuttering up the boards....(I know soon you will have No Girls Allowed signs!
Contributed by ellen rosenfeld sall (ersall) on September 12, 2001.
Andy Gassman lived one house away from me in the town of Metuchen, N.J. My brother and I used to play with him and the other kids on the block in the '50s. We were part of the "Baby Boom" generation. All of the parents on the block moved into the new, modest suburban development in the early 1950's, after World War II.
My father had served in the Air Force in World War II. He was an amateur photographer, and I have albums of photos showing the view from the plane as the bombs dropped and exploded over Germany. After the war, my parents and the parents of Andy Gassman and the parents of the other "kids" on the block moved into the modest suburban development at the same time.
It was a great way to grow up. Everyone's house was "open" to the kids of the neighborhood. As we would play on the block, we went from one house to the other. It was like having a large extended family.
Then, in 1958, when I was 5 years old, my father was found dead in the garage with the car still running. It was a probable suicide. When Larry Carpenter came to my house in the fall of 1962 to discuss the possibility of my brother and I going to Camp Paradox, Larry C. felt that the camp environment would provide the sort of male "leadership" that was tragically taken away from us.
Every Paradoxian feels that Camp Paradox was a special part of their lives for their own individual reasons. For my brother Arnie and myself, the counselors at Camp Paradox provided the male "father figure" that was missing in our family. Counselors like Wally Sterling, Hugh Hurst, and Norm Tracy provided the strong male leadership that we needed.
Another kid on the block, just 2 houses down in the other direction, was Scott Hodes, who also went to Camp Paradox. Other "kids" from Metuchen that went to Paradox included Dick Rossner, Chuck Gelber, Bruce Gelber, Rich Gelber, Marty and David Scott, Doug Greenspan(who was a next door neighbor), and my cousin Larry Goldman.
Does anyone remember the infamous line that my cousin Larry Goldman delivered in one of the plays at camp: "How would you like this apartment to be redecorated, in wall-to-wall Blood!"
I see that "Paragonians" are listening in on our site. Why don't you be as brave as Ellen Rosenfeld and post on the site? Of course I remember Avi Ronell. I had a tremendous "crush" on her, even though she was an "older" woman(maybe two years older). I also remember that in '66, when I was in Cabin 16A, that the counselor in 16B, Jack Farr, also had a "crush" on Avi Ronell, but he cautiously warned us about "relations" with any woman under the legal age of 18.
Jack Farr also introduced me to the music of an up-and-coming folk singer by the name of Bob Dylan!! I immediately became a Dylan fanatic, listening to his music through the '60s and '70s, memorizing the lyrics to his evocative songs like "Desolation Row" and "Highway 61".
Tom Field sent me an e-mail that he could easily set up a "Camp Paragon" web site, so why don't you Paragonians out there that are "listening in" on our testosterone-saturated site be as brave as Ellen Rosenfeld and post on this site, so we would know that there would be sufficient "demand" for a Paragon site. Then we Paradoxians could "listen in" on your memories!!! It would only be fair, right?
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on September 12, 2001.
I also am curious if there are any other Paragonian lurkers, however a Paragon site might not be necessary because mostly we were just interested in the boys! (am I a sexist or what) I was friends with Avi Ronnel and she must have lived close to Andy because I went to her house to see him (only once) during off camp times. I was 14, Andy was 17...I was very cool back t
Contributed by Ellen Rosenfeld Sall (ersall@aol.com) on September 13, 2001.
well, a lot has happened in the world since anyone has posted. i am still reeling from the events of 9.11.01. like jfk's assination, we will always remember that day. i recently made contact with steve berkowitz (berks@att.net) - alive and well in randolph nj - via classmates.com. that is an excellent way of contacting campers -- if you know where they graduated high school. so check it out and if you know any high school info send it over!
THE RESPONSE TO THE SURVEY WAS PRETTY SPARSE. lake george looks like the place and i plan to make reservations for the sagamore (pricey) and another place (less pricey) to accommodate everyone. need to double check, but it looks like either a weekend in july or august. but that info is home. any other comments or responses PLEASE let me know ASAP. i will have a travel agent with an 800 number who will take your info and make travel and hotel reservations for you. but i still have no idea how many of you will come.
SO GET THAT KEYBOARD OUT AND LET ME KNOW.
be well.
bill
Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writeme.com) on September 28, 2001.
It has been a trying two weeks in this household. I hope all are well form our intrepid camp and that no one was injured. Was thinking about Cramer and glad to see he is OK.
Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aol.com) on September 28, 2001.
Lake George sounds good to me! Let's move past this terrible tragedy and get this web site moving again!
Contributed by Ken Greenfield (keng.rph@verizon.net) on September 28, 2001.
amen!
REUNION - 1st CHOICE DATE WAS WEEKEND of 19 JULY 2001! 2nd choice was 23 august. just to reiterate -- i need to know who & how many are planning to attend so we can get the ball rolling.
thanks, steve berkowitz for providing your brother, ken's email address (berko2@aol.com). another physician (pulmonary) from port chester, ny. hope he's reading this and throws in his 2¢.
Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writeme.com) on September 30, 2001.
While rummaging around in a bunch of boxes in our attic, I finally located the "Redbook" and "Bluebook". I knew they were around here somewhere. One section in the "Bluebook" mentions Le Gastronamique - something GER did. Here's what it says:
Three or four times per season, GER will spin the wheel of fortune in the dining hall with a lucky cabin group winning the privilege of attending his very exclusive Le Gastronamique in Ches Paradox -- this means the winning cabin group will be served dinner on a designated evening in Ches Paradox with GER himself as Chef! Your cabin group may invite counselor guests (other than your own counselors) up to a total of three persons for this gourmet feast.
I have absolutely no memory of this. Does anyone remember going to these. What kind of food did he serve?
Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jamesa@ctel.net) on September 30, 2001.
Ahhhhh!, Le Gastronamique!!!, What a splendid affair it was. The venerable GER would indeed actually award a “lucky” cabin group with this exquisite little soiree’, held in the Chez. Apparently Gerry thought himself to be quite the chef, among his many talents, and wanted to share this with the camp. I weaseled my way in most of the time, under the pretense of “helping”, so I could partake in the goodies. The menu usually consisted of some sort of steak that Gerry would marinate in red wine (the secret ingredient). I must admit that it was pretty good, as I recall. Certainly a lot better than Clifford and Francis attempting to cook breakfast!!!
Contributed by Neil Neuschatz (nneuschatz@capitaltempfunds.com) on October 1, 2001.
I think maybe Jim has no recollection of this is because this only happened in the early days. As time wore on my recollection is that this was a skills department type thing and there really wasn't a rolling of the wheel in the dining hall. GER would usually have some great dinners for those in the skills department. Besides a mean here and there in the Chez, he would take people to the infamous Cafe Guy (where the undertaker was either a waiter, matire'd or bartender) or I seem to recall some place in Montreal as well. (He didn't take me but I recall some folks talking about it) He also drove a jaguar didn't he? The wheel spinning stuff was in the early pre-Anderberg years. Besides Neil Neushatz helping, I seem to recall Bruce Inglis always getting in on the deal too. I managed a few gourmet meals but not that many. The Blue Book had alot of stuff in it that was conceptually there but not actually done. At any rate that's my recall on it. Hope you are all well and faring okay after the events of three weeks ago. It is really nice to sit back and reflect on these simpler happy times in all our lives and when we see the carnage and tragedy that has befallen us it really does put these great times of our youth in a very special place in all of our hearts. I spoke to Alan Miller Saturday who as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times has been working twelve hour days and more covering these events. Hopefully he will post with some of his thoughts one of these days. I will close with the hope that none of us in our longtime paradox family was effected directly by these tragedies. If so we pray for your families and are thinking positive and happy thoughts for you and your loved ones..............