Archive 7

Note to readers of this archive: This particular file is not formatted as well as the other archives due to a technical error on my part when capturing it. My apologies

I have moved all the previous comments to archives that can be accessed from the Paradox web site

I have also added a page that contains photos from the 1917 camp brochure Brian Clifford provided this On a phone modem it will take quite some time to load Click her e to view it (There's also a link to it from the Paradox home page

It appears to be an advertising brochure that is marked up by Ed Goldwater himself Quite neat

Contributed by Tom (tom@canbycom) on February 16, 2002

amazing brochure anyone think the baseball diamond is Coulini Field - or Hurst Field? The neat thing about the waterfront shot is that Crawford Island looks like it always does - a sentinal looking at the Camp, never changing How about the part where it says the finest bred boys etc?? If they only knew

Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aolcom) on February 16, 2002

I just changed the brochure page, adding two additional photos of Rodgers Hall in 1917 Notice that even back then, the Paradoxian was on the top floor and that they had a standard movie projector (In 1917, wasn't that fairly modern?)

Contributed by Tom (tom@canbycom) on February 17, 2002

Howie, I think that the baseball diamond in the old picture is to the right of the one with the Green Vermiculite Roof of our day Check the map for location relative to Rogers Hall If I remember correctly LF had get rocks dynamited to make the additional tennis courts I imagine that the flat spaces in camp were developed a little bit at a time If you look carefully at one of the pictures you can see the very large rock on top of which the Program Office later

Contributed by Bri Clifford (drbri4@aolcom) on February 17, 2002

wow! that 1918 brochure was something and the camp was $250 at that time i believe my first year in 63 was $750 the price only tripled in 45 years - not too bad! i think that baseball diamond may be located near where our upper field was found, but closer to the "junior" bunks perhaps i wonder if any of those guys in the photos are still around

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on February 17, 2002

Campers come and campers go, but Crawford Island, it seems, is "forever"

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on February 18, 2002

Another Paradox item that is "forever" is the big rock down by the boating area, upon which the observation deck was built

I visited the camp site last August, and the rock is still there Who is going to take the effort to move it? More puzzling than that, how did that big boulder get there in the first place?

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on February 18, 2002

Glaciers

Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jim@ciaugustameus) on February 18, 2002

glaciers?? must be a relative of LF McCoy!

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on February 18, 2002

Thanks, Brian, for that wonderful brochure I still can't accept that Rodger's Hall is no more That building, and the Dining Hall, seemed to me would stand forever Also, to reflect on how much of some of these buildings were actually very close to the same in the 1960's as they were 40 or 50 years earlier Parts of Rodger's Hall were altered many times over the years, including a major remodel by LF after the 1963 season, but so much of it, including the stage area was absolutely intact from the 1920's

In other newslocated Larry Bruskin (aka "Ron Swoboda") over the weekend and he told me that his brother, Rickey is also in the area They should be checking in shortly

Contributed by Neil Neuschatz (nneuschatz@capitaltempfundscom) on February 19, 2002

great sleuth work, neil! how and where did you find the bruskins?

maybe this will stimulate more campers to find our missing paradoxians come on guys, time is running out!

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on February 19, 2002

who has committed to come to the reunion? has a list been created or posted anywhere yet? would be interested in seeing it

Contributed by steve berkowitz (berks1@optonlinenet) on February 20, 2002

2002 Reunion List

The list of campers and staff who will be attending our reunion is now posted in the file cabinet of the myfamilycom website

I uploaded an excel file which contains anyone who has made reservations at the roaring brook ranch, sent me a registration form or verbally committed to attending

Please don't wait for the last minute register now!

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on February 24, 2002

Hey, where did everyone disappear to? haven't seen a new posting for over a week for you east coasters: what about 7 april for a mini reunion in new york? still waiting to see how many are interested before we settle on a place hope all is well, welcome to march! only 19 weeks before the reunion get those registration forms in

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on March 2, 2002

The reunion is coming right up and it's not too soon to start planning for it Here's some initial thoughts I've had just to kick the discussion off

Visiting the old camp site:

We should be giving the landowners a heads-up on our plan to visit them It looks like it will end up being a sizable group that will be invading their property for the weekend

From what I've read here some of you have met some of the current owners, and I suspect they would enjoy being included in our group as we walk the area, sharing in our memories There's something about a landscape that contains memory clues and I look forward to all the long forgotten stories that will emerge as we collectively re-visit the area

Provided we can get permission from the current owners, it would be fun to go swimming at the old swimming area How about an evening of storytelling around a campfire at the old campfire site? Tom, perhaps we could enlist you to do a reading of "The Cremation of Sam McGee"

Other PX site possibilities

* cliff jumping (or are we all too old for this now? - it would require a flotilla of canoes)

* a visit to Crawford Island

* a hike up Peaked Hill

Back at Roaring Brook Lodge:

* Do we have anyone able to play reveille or retreat (or want them to) ? Unfortunately Joe Koplin isn't on the list of attendees

* Audio/visual equipment I have my super 8 films to show Does anyone else have movies? If so what format? My projector won't work on regular 8mm

* A way for displaying photos people bring What about a PC with a scanner? Then we could produce a CD with all the photos on them

* Slide projector - anyone with slides?

* Record player for the camp albums

* A reunion album would be nice, but a big project Bill Rice, I suspect, has this in mind as he asked for photos from us all If it happens it should have an "In Memoriam" section Any volunteers on a project like this?

* Closing ceremonies - perhaps we should play GER's recording

Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jim@ciaugustameus) on March 3, 2002

I thought that Billy Rice might like to know that the only cabin that was still intact when I visited the camp site last August was his infamous Cabin 17 I think someone is living in it now; it is in very good condition It looks like it may have been refurbished; it is still the same color that it was originally

I don't play the trumpet, so I can't blast "Revele", but I do play the piano rather well, so maybe some people might like to have a sing-along Songs like "Hiking to Marcy", "The Last Ride to 'Ti ", and "Amici" would certainly bring back fond memories

It's a great idea that we are starting to discuss plans for the reunion now, instead of waiting for the last minute The camp site is now labeled as "Private Property", so we definitely need to contact the people that are living there now before we storm in with a load of "Paradoxians"

I don't know if it's possible or feasible, but maybe we could have a cook-out on Crawford Island It would take a lot of planning ahead of time

I don't know about everyone else, but as the time draws nearer, I am starting to get a very excited feeling about the reunion If everything is planned well in advance, we could all wind up having a great time! The key word is "Planning"

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on March 5, 2002

I was there April of last year and found Cabin 5 freshly collapsed from the heavy winters but Cabin 6 (which is the other half of the "U") was still intact, albeit with a tree branch through its roof

Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jim@ciaugustameus) on March 5, 2002

Regarding a cookout on Crawford We'd need water transportation - perhaps a ski boat could be rented for the occasion It could be used for a shuttle and then Bill Rice could show us how he hasn't lost his touch at water skiing!

Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jim@ciaugustameus) on March 5, 2002

Two days ago, while talking with my father about his getting his TV repaired, he mentioned an electronics store near his home in Philadelphia I told him I dimly recalled that the business was once owned by the family of a Paradoxian named Spence Kass but I wasn't sure

Then, less than 24 hours later, I got the e-mail below from Spence! It's the first I've heard of or from him in 30 years

This kind of synchronicity always astonishes me Perhaps, given the sheer volume of events in our lives, statistically there are bound to be some pure coincidences, to which the observer then assigns more meaning and significance than really exists Or, perhaps, as Bobby Dylan said, "There's something going on but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr Jones?" I'd like to believe that there is an interconnectedness between us and that synchronous events like these are a manifestation of that Here's Spence's e-mail:

Tom: Looking for info regarding the reunion I treasure the peaks I was able to climb with you guys My first was Colden, with some of you kicking me up the mountain All in all, I climbed a little more than half the 46er's during I think three summers at the end of the 60's, but none of the really long trailess peaks that were done in pursuit of the last few of the 46 I should have a few pictures to share, including one of the large painted plywood mural of the view across the lake at the cliffs I know I still have my archery merit badges and certificates, and a camp penant Please let me know about the reunion - Spence Kass skass@kassarchitectscom

Contributed by TOm (tom@canbycom) on March 5, 2002

I went back and looking for a message I recalled from Margery Landis from more than a year ago Here's what it said:

Hi Tom,

I just got off of the phone with my cousin Robin It was truly my Aunt Ann

that sent the new year greeting She would love to hear from Paradoxians

Robin has been reading the site for months and is going to post in the near

future We were even talking about going to a reunion together

Margery

The above e-mail was dated more than a year ago I wanted to post this letter again as an encouragement for Robin and others to reach out and reconnect If any of you are reluctant to post for any reason, but would like to send a greeting to the group or perhaps would like to just talk about old times, I can be reached at 503-263-1867 here in Oregon I'd welcome your call

We hope those of you lurking out there will surprise us by dropping in on the reunion next summer So much the better if you let us know you're coming so we can plan for the right number of attendees There are some off-line discussions going on with Bill, Jim, and others in an effort to organize the reunion into an event that is rich and worth attending Although I doubt it'll be overly structured, we're trying to do the planning necessary so that everyone is glad they attended That's why we want you there!

Tom

Contributed by Tom Field (tom@canbycom) on March 5, 2002

I have in my personal library many of the great authors and thinkers of all times Thomas Jefferson, Einstein, Poe, William Manchester, Woodward, Dumas Malone, Peters, Turkel, Schultz and of course Cook, Clancy, Ludlum, Follet, Lustbader but one of my favorites, which I have shared with many over the years, is the "Collected Poems of Robert Service" which I will bring with me to the reunion

Ken, your reference to Peaked Hill reminds me of a time when my son and I went that direction to fish, oh about 15 years ago now, but the insects were so severe, it drove us back We were obviously not dressed for the adventure

I played trumpet for eight years, but not since my Army days I would prefer no "horn playing" what so ever, as my family likes to sleep in Normally I'm up and about around 4:30-5, and will be happy to go walking with like humans or other animals at that hour but only after I've had my coffee

After reviewing Ken's remarks about Bob Dylan he couldn't sing then, and he's gotten worse His message well that was something else

Contributed by Norm Tracy (N_Tracy@msncom) on March 5, 2002

i'm with norm -- definitely no reveille (sp?) perhaps taps but it won't be the same without joey koplin on the horn if i recall kenny berkowitz gave it whirl after joe

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on March 6, 2002

i'm getting a nice response to our 7 april gathering in new york city i think we have at least 9 people coming already! get the word out it should be a nice afternoon

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on March 7, 2002

Good news!

I just got off the phone with David Alan Bruce (the Major of Camp Paradox), the gentleman who owns Larry's duplex, the collapsed Program Office (I think), the path to the swim area and the swim area itself David is a big, big fan of Paradox, with some memoriabilia going back to 1909!

Here's what I found: there is no home owners association David is going to see if it would work out on his schedule for him to be there when we are this summer He suggested that we do a group swim, BBQ, and candle ceremony He's never heard the camp songs and would like to I told him he'd see a bunch of grown men standing, singing, probably with quite a few with tears running down their cheeks!

David felt that if he was wandering around the grounds with us, the residents wouldn't likely to be alarmed He knows which properties are rentals (and in fact a large house near the large rock at the boating area is a rental) and which are vacant

I suggested that either Friday or Saturday afternoon we meet at the camp, depending on how our plans evolve

Here's a funny story he told me Several years ago David, who didn't have Internet access at the time, was in the hospital and they gave him Internet access He told me he sat there in front of a search engine screen and wondered what to search for and of course, went for "Camp Paradox" He landed at our site, and there, in the first message I posted, was a description of David himself He told me it was a little weird (on this, one of his earliest forays onto the net) to come across a page on which he was mentioned!

Contributed by Tom (tom@canbycom) on March 13, 2002

great story, tom and it's good to hear that we can walk around on the property without spending a free nite in jail

mea culpa due to a typographical error, my buddy, rickey mittelberg, has not been receiving our email the correct address is rickeym5@aolcom sorry about that

more news: the rocking horse ranch has extended the time that they will hold the rooms for us please check your schedules and make your reservations as soon as possible, and before may 15th and please send me your registration forms

hope to hear from you soon

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on March 13, 2002

typo above : we are staying at the ROARING BROOK RANCH for our reunion sorry for the confusion

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on March 14, 2002

Over the years, my memories of a place called Paradox had become a little fuzzy Given my relatively young age in 1969 & 1970, a certain inability on my part to separate fact from fantasy was understandable The chief cause of my own self-doubt with respect to any accurate recollections of those 2 amazing years, was the following:

Apparently I had actually imagined a place where they were crazy enough to allow a 10 year old to scuba dive, row a row boat, sail a sailboat, pilot a motorboat, shoot rifles and bow and arrows, operate a real radio station, and just for good measure JUMP OFF A CLIFF Needless to say, upon hearing what was obviously nothing more than childhood fantasies my wife and daughter concluded that I was delusional

Tom, I can't thank you enough for organizing this site and allowing me to experience such a wonderful flood of memories Thank you also for vindicating my recollections of this astonishing place By the way, does anyone recall how they first became aware of a place called Paradox? I remember hearing about it from a couple named Eddie and Marilyn Rice! I believe that they had a kid named Billy, one helluva water skier as I recall Oh, by the way Dennis, I was in that van that tipped over on the way to Lincoln Falls Quite a close call indeed I also recollect that amazingly, we all stayed calm, thanks to you Dennis

Contributed by ravend@metrocallcom (David Raven) on March 15, 2002

My sister, Lynn, who went to Paagon, took my original Paradox sweatshirt, which she still has and had it copied onto a T-shirt which she sent tome Is anyone interested in one If so, please let me know off list and I will put you in touch with her

MSS

Contributed by Marc Stern (mstern@abanetorg) on March 15, 2002

Was there ever a competition for "Most Disgusting" camper, awarded for some incredibly gross action? If so, will that be a featured aspect of the reunion? (Not that I'm throwing my hat into the ring) I have a vague memory of such an event, and a maybe vaguer memory still of who won it

Contributed by Marc Margolius (ravmarcm) on March 16, 2002

i, too, vaguely remember some such contest and don't remember the winner and i don't have any plans for any such contest at our reunion!

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on March 17, 2002

Yes, there really was a contest for "Most Disgusting Camper", and I believe the winner in 1964 was Alan Osofsky, who can be heard to say on the Camp Paradox Record for that year:

"If nominated, I will not serve; if elected, I will not be disgusting!!"

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on March 17, 2002

ken: you win the cupie doll with your answer it's all coming back now!

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on March 17, 2002

Hey all , coming up for air now after the Grammys, which we lost to Lincoln Park, and in the studio with 4 albums at once - ridiculous! i got my plans for the reunion - bringing the kids anyone remember the kid that used to have the NYTimes dropped out to him from a plane or something like that

Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aolcom) on March 17, 2002

Was it Gordon Howard who received the Times by airmail? He was in my Bunk 11a in 1966 (Jay Greengarten, head counselor), and was famous for being Leslie Gore's cousin And on the Most Disgusting camper front -- David Raven, am I remembering correctly that you took the honor one year? I'm not trying to resurrect a traumatic memory for you or falsely accuse just set the historical record straight!

Contributed by Marc Margolius (ravmarcm@aolcom) on March 19, 2002

I don't recall that particular "honor" though at that time, I was certainly capable

Contributed by David Raven (ravend@metrocallcom) on March 20, 2002

Does anybody remember the camper who had a mother that dated Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones?

I think I remember who it was, but I'm looking for a confirmation

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on March 24, 2002

Ken, was it eric wise?

Contributed by alan shier (alan553@aolcom) on March 25, 2002

Yes, Alan You win the prize today The mother of Eric Wise supposedly dated Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones!!

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on March 25, 2002

More trivia - who was the youngest camper? I think it was David St Lifer

Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aolcom) on March 26, 2002

I think it was Mitch Hirschorn (sp)

Contributed by Marc Stern (mstern@abanetorg) on March 26, 2002

Just a thought - I'd be nice to have a plaque or engraved stone placed somewhere on the old camp site engraved with something like "In Memory of Camp Paradox - 19?? to 1970 Where Outdoor Living Molds Character" And include the C/P emblem, or something to that effect I'm sure we could find some landowner that would let us do that Maybe a plaque on that huge stone at the boating area - or someplace with more visibility - like by the road where Rodger's Hall stood It'd be a great thing to do during the reunion this summer

Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jim@ciaugustameus) on April 4, 2002

nice idea, jim 1962-1970 under the carpenter- landis regime and i don't recall when the camp first appeared

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on April 4, 2002

For those of you who are outside the New York metropolitan area, just a note that this Sunday, April 7th, seven or eight of us Paradoxians are meeting in New York for a pre-reunion lunch get-together It should be an interesting affair, and will likely provide lots of memories for posting on the Paradox web site

Unfortunately, Norm Tracy just e-mailed us that he is ill with bronchitis, and will not be attending That's a disappointment, but get better soon, Norm, so we can see you in July!

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on April 5, 2002

Does anybody remember Dick Scott, also known as "Scottie" I believe he was a campcraft counselor who also played the bugle for "Retreat" before Joe Koplin took over that job?

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on April 5, 2002

I was just notified by semi-spam that a web search engine http://www21800ussearchcom/search/startcgi? adid=9000151 will allow you to search their database for a name nationwide Unlike yahoo or others, they allegedly use other sources in addition to the phone directories, so perhaps their listings are more complete (They also allow you to filter by approximate age of the person)

For all you detectives out there, looking for ex- campers, this may be a good resource (You DO have to pay to see anything more than the name and city, but, heck, if you're hot on the trail of the kid who frenched your bed in 1965, the $1395 may be worth it! :-)

Contributed by Tom Field (tom@canbycom) on April 5, 2002

David St Lifer was quite young, but wasn't Jimmy Stotter even younger?

Contributed by Michael Salnick (lionelguy) on April 7, 2002

It was a small reunion, but we had a grand old time

Yesterday, Billy Rosen, Mark Friedman, Billy Rice, and I sat at a table in "Ruby Foo's" restaurant in New York, and for four straight hours we discussed Camp Paradox, the 60's, and life in general Thank you, Billy Rice, for organizing this small, mini-reunion I think all four of us enjoyed just sitting down to eat and bullshitting for four hours

The reason I am posting this is that it seems that the Paradox website, lately, is lacking in activity, and there is a summer reunion coming up in July Have we run the gamut of memories and emotions on this website, only to come up dry? Have we said all that can be said about those nine summers in the 60's when the Carpenter-Landis regime helped to shape our lives? Perhaps, but I don't think so

As the July reunion rapidly approaches, this website should be a dynamic forum for the exchange of memories, viewpoints, and emotions about the summer camp that was different than any other summer camp Yes, Camp Paradox was a special place, and those campers who went there should feel "special" in a positive way So I challenge anyone who out there who is reading these words, to scratch the surface of their psyche a little deeper, and share with everyone on this website the memories, ideas, and emotions that accompanied going to this very special place called Camp Paradox

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on April 8, 2002

I think that the difficulty getting peolpe to post is due to the fact that not everyone has the same perspective on camp I went for 7 years because that is where my parents chose to send me for the summers That represented about 420 days of my life, or just over a year For me, the great times I had in HS and College and then professional school had a much greater impact on my life I can ackowledge that Larry Carpenter and GER were brilliant They put together a camp program that was modeled after a college program, majors, minors, electives, levels, choosing your own schedules The staff in the early years of camp were chosen for their expertise They were all well into college, postgrad or even professors This was a quality staff during the early years After Carpenter left, quality went down that wasn't Alex's specialty He did a great job of running the business end of the camp There was alot of good times and some very frustrating and disappointing times at camp The camp was driven by the leadership philosophy For some who were not that vocal, outgoing or didn't excel in a particular areait could be stressful Don't forget the sociogramsa popularity contest that awarded "honor camper" status to a few Did anyone stop to think what it felt like to not be chosen??? Or when the senior unit was larger than could be accomodated in cabin's 16-30 That left a few of up stranded in cabin 15 in the junior unit Essentially split up from friend that were now in the elite senior unit We were urged to suck it upbut someone's parents complained and he got lucky enough to get move to 16leaving the rest of us behind Seems pretty trivial now as an adult but it didn't feel that great as a kid And then the pressure of being "asked back" as a CIT Kenny, they excluded you from that pleasure After 5 years at camp, even though the quality of the camp was decliningthe summer of 1970 was my best Had access to Flonicher's and others car's, was hanging out with Amy Frank at Paragonacutally had a life and alot of funbut that was only one summer The adirondacks were beautiful in the summer, the smell of the air early in the morning and at night is a memeory that will always lingerBut in the end it was just summer camp Most of my lifelong friends are people I went to school with since 1st grade, college etcCamp was camp, it had it's good times and it's badtend to retain just the good onesand it becomes more meaningful as you get older because you long for your youth So The place just doen't mean the same to everyone That should be clear based upon the small number of people that have posted

Contributed by Alan Shier (Alan553@aolcom) on April 9, 2002

Interesting post from Alan As an eternal optimist and with a streak of nostalgia in me I do like thinking about and keeping in touch with my past, although I do agree with him that Camp was stressful for some of us When I really look back at my camp experience a lot of it was negative, but for some reason it doesn't stay with me that way I like Alan was confined to a lousy bunk with none of my friends - they seemed to get into the higher and better bunks I also was fat at the time - maybe chunky was the word and had some not-so great counselours that teased alot etc toward the end of the 60's when the staff got worse But I perservered and in the end the memory is positive Also my closest friend is Scot Rovner and we often talk about Paradox when we are just hanging out I disagree with the lack of postings - I think that we are all just busy and it seems like a lot of campers have posted at some point And I bet there are a lot who just read

I think this web site has been a great thing for some of us as there was another side to camp that we each did not get to see that other campers have filled in the gaps I for one , have enjoyed reading these comments

Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aolcom) on April 9, 2002

Howie, don't get me wrongthere are some days where I feel like I would give my right arm to be back there againbut there were some days back then when I just wanted to be back home Kids can be cruel and I'm sure there were alot of campers for whom the summer was very stressful and just a place where their parents sent them so they could have the summer off MIke Salnick and I are still friendsbut we grew up together as kidssince 3rd grade I too block out most of the bad memoriesbut reading these boards tend to make me think about one summer at a timethen the hard stuff starts to come back,, because it's all in there

Contributed by alan shier (alan553@aolcom) on April 9, 2002

Hadn't been here for a while and felt guilty about missing the recent "New York reunion" so here I am (it was my Dad's 80th birthday and as Alan noted a few messages above, your current life does tend to intrude) but I finally saw the brochure that Brian put up and the picture of Rodgers Hall knocked me out I know as Neil noted there were additions throughout the years but I found myself looking at the building and remembering all the times I spent working in it, on the paper and radio station, wandering around, shooting the breeze, and performing What a trip Perhaps the lack of fresh posters simply means that we, as people, all have different engines that drive us, and for some, that includes the past experiences that have shaped us, and for others, that means living in the present and looking toward the future

Contributed by Michael Karol (mkarol@nycrrcom) on April 11, 2002

My brother David was born 7/7/59 My first year,with middle bro Roger, I think was 1964 David would have been 4 at the beggining of the camp summerSo I think David may have started the next year @5 Remember Cabin #30 and sneaking off to Paragon after dark Bye for now, Talk later

Contributed by Jim StLifer (regjas@aolcom) on April 13, 2002

I certainly remember sneaking to Paragon at night and jumping into the ditch by the road every time a car came I think as a camper I "dated" a woman named Bobbi Lederman one summer and often wonder what became of her

I also remember being party to chopping down a fairly large tree that fell onto the porch of the log cabin

I remember "Camper-Counselor" day and being delighted (and bashfully honored) with the opportunity to be Jack Francis

I remember a "Find the Counselor" event where, I'm told, some counselors hid out in the secret area Anderberg mentioned as being down in the cliffs below the Junior Unit (I crawled under the CampCraft cabin from the rear, and then burrowed into the dirt, squirming under a floor joist near the front, laying between 2 joists, nose to the floorboards so I was all but invisible, but quite dirty! )

Even more disquieting is my memory of the abuse that we gave to a Steve Bober (that's "o" as in "Oh") when we were in cabin 21 It scares me to recall his having toothpaste rubbed into his hair and a hole in his ceiling with a rope through it suspending his bed in the air That seemingly-well adjusted boys could behave so offensively saddens me I don't remember participating directly in the abuse (I add somewhat defensively) but never the less, we were party to it in that we didn't stop it Perhaps it's not uncommon amongst teenagers (?) for such aggression to be acted out?

Contributed by Tom Field (tom@canbycom) on April 13, 2002

first, i'd like to welcome jim st lifer onboard! did you ever receive the postcard i sent?

do you wonder why some people may not want to write or get involved at this website??

unfortunately, some kids always get picked on i'm happy to read about the various "anti-bully" programs that are instituted in many schools across the country

re: alan, howie & mike's responses -- i believe there is truth in all of your comments some campers had bad experiences and may not want to share, for some it was the past and forgotten, and some are too busy

i know for me, as i approach the half-century mark, i became more interested in my past and nostalgia i don't know if was to feel younger or simply to try to get in touch with the past and relive some of those moments maybe to re-evaluate my life and see where i've been and perhaps where i'm going

for those of you who contribute here and want to stay in touch, i'm thankful and appreciate your the time you take in otherwise busy lives and for those of you who read, but don't contribute, we hope you'll change your mind and let us know where you are and what you are up to

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on April 14, 2002

You guys will have to check out my most recent adventure: http://wwwconfluenceorg/confluencephp?lat=46&lon=-70

The confluence project is attempting to visit and photograph all integer intersections of latitude and longitude in the world Last week this intrepid Paradox explorer visited a spot deep in the Maine northern woods

Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jim@ciaugustameus) on April 15, 2002

i think i was the camper alan mentioned who moved from cabin 15 to 16 i spent about 8 summers at paradox, and this event occured somewhere in the middle of my time there when i was 13 my family took a cross country trip one summer, and i skipped a year at paradox the following summer when i returned, all of the campers with whom i had always bunked were now in the senior area, and at the time, i felt left behind maybe larry/alex felt they could move me to a new bunk because of the hiatus i had in all honesty, i haven't thought about it between when it happened and when i read alan's post maybe i thought about it the next year - who knows? alan, you can be assured that the move on my part was not done with any malice i think i discussed the situation with larry/alex a couple of times, and i'm sure i mentioned it to my parent's did they call and complain, too? i just don't know but the outcome was that i moved from one cabin to another when it happened i did not think about the effect it had on others - just on myself but in retrospect, i understand alan's feelings when you're 14-15 years old or so, the world revolves mostly around you! without looking at old year books, i have no idea who was even in cabin 16 that year i do remember cabin 16 having an a and b side maybe i remember cabin 16 having all bunkbeads maybe i remember alan uhr being in 16 it's strange on the impact an event has on you so many years later

Contributed by steven berkowitz (berks1@optonlinenet) on April 15, 2002

I have received an e-mail from a Bob Lewit whose at Paradox 48,49,51 and 52 as a camper and 56, 57 and 58 as the hiking and tennis counselor

He's wondering if any others from his era are monitoring this site and perhaps planning to attend the reunion

Contributed by Tom (tom@canbycom) on April 19, 2002

Sixty words or more(who's counting) about Camp Paradox and the '60s:

No, it wasn't Paradise We all had our individual doses of pain to bear

Growing up isn't easy, even "with a little help" from your friends

I was just watching Paul McCartney being interviewed on TV about his current concert tourDid anyone ever think back then that he would still be doing the music thing in 2002, almost at the age of sixty?

the silence on this website can be deafening, so I thought I might break the ice with a few thoughts and memories about going to Camp Paradox in the decade in which you were admonished to "tune in, turn on, and drop out"

We were lucky to be growing up in the '60sSo much was happening musically, politically, and culturallyI guess that can be said about any decade, but looking back in retrospect(I love using that redundancy), I think the '60s holds a special place in historyAnd we were fortunate enough to be viewing it with the eyes of youth, in a very special place called Camp Paradox

I remember the bus ride up to camp in '63(my first of six summers there)I was seated across from Pip Bryant and Curt Williams We sang "Peter, Paul, and Mary" songs on the way up, songs like "If I Had a Hammer" and "Puff the Magic Dragon"

After arriving at camp and getting our footlockers unpacked, we were soon directed that night to Rodgers Hall, to watch the show prepared by the counselorsI remember the counselors doing the "Twist" on stage to the tune of "I Get Around" by The Beachboys, being piped into the Rodgers Hall sound system

I remember noticing that it was only our first night of the summer, but they had already put up the flashing sign on Rodgers Hall that heralded "The College Palooka", which was to be the Parents Day Musical for that summer I remember trying to go to sleep in my bunk in Cabin 6, I could still see the flashing sign for "The College Palooka" from my vantage point as I drifted off to sleep

The next few days we were introduced to the variety of activities at the camp through the period known as "Smorgasbord" There was so much to do: Athletics, Arts & Crafts, Musical Theater, Swimming, Boating, Riflery, Archerythe list of activities seemed almost endless, and this was my first summer away from home, so it wasn't long before I experienced my first full-blown case of homesickness, and I remember writing in my first letter home that I hated this place and wanted to leave

and on top of it all, I managed to be assigned to one of the strictest counselors in the staff, Wally Sterling, who made us eat pizza with a knife and fork! Was there no end to this torture!

I soon accepted the fact that I was there for the summer, and after the inital homesickness wore off, I eventually began to have fun I learned to do so many things that I never had the chance to do at home, like riflery, archery, motorboating, sailing, water skiing, camping overnights deep in The Adirondacks

So I made it through that first summer, and came back for five more summers after that All this was against a backdrop of political and social upheaval I remember watching The Ed Sullivan Show when "The Beatles" were first introduced to the American public on national TV On a subsequent show "Ed" introduced us to "The Rolling Stones", and then "The Dave Clark Five", and then "Freddy and the Dreamers" Does anyone remember how to do the dance called "The Freddy"?

In school, for "Current Events", we discussed the fighting taking place in a distant place called Vietnam Then JFK was assasinated, and I then watched as Lee Harvey Oswald was gunned down on live TV I knew that "something was happening hereWhat it is ain't exactly clear" as the song goes

Then came "The Pill" and with it came The Sexual Revolution Then, in '68, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King were both assasinated And I'll never forget watching the protesters outside The Democratic National Convention in Chicago in '68, getting their heads bashed in by the police

All the while, I was listening to the music of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, and Phil Ochs "Protest Singers" were in vogue It was in fashion to be "liberal" politically and socially The world was a mess, and you were supposed to protest and want to bring about change

So what does this have to do with Camp Paradox? While all the institutions in society were undergoing upheaval, for two months every summer we Paradoxians escaped to the Adirondacks, a haven from what was happening around us We were growing up in a period in history in which our parents weren't sure how to raise us, and even if they had some idea of how to do it, the social forces of that era could undo any time and effort invested in raising us

So what does this have to do with the Paradox website? It's just nice to think that we made it through those troubled times together, and can fondly remember that for at least two months out of every year, we spent 24 hours a day with each other in a small corner of the world, far from the maddening crowd

It's nice to share those memories

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on April 26, 2002

Now that tax season is officially behind me, I will try to post more For you accountants out there, how was your tax season? For the first time as long as I can remember, I put myself on extension and I have no desire to prepare my return in the near future

I need a break and I guess this website and my familycom is a great diversion for me Billy Rice recently contacted me about all the picture postings and those seven pages or so really brought back fond memories I even spotted myself in the "Redfield" picute along with Billy Rice and Steve Kuzmanat least I thought that was me in the '66 photo Ken, I still listen to those songs you mentioned and more, and enjoy them maybe even more today Many 60's songs bring back fond memories of campdancing in the Chez with Amy Frank and Ronnie Weiss to Red Rubber Ball, This Diamond Ring Doesn't Shine For Me Anymore, Whiter Shade of Pale, The Beatles and Sargeant Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band etcdowning those greasy burgers ( they were the best) along with Paradox's famous bug juice By the way, my sister met some friends in NYC and said that she and Laurie Treinkman (remember her) has the best time reminiscing (sp) over their years in Paragon Our camping experiences, good, bad, and even the ugly are imprinted in each of us for life The floodgates of memories come rushing back every time I read, post or even just think about my 5 summers at camp I remember visiting Mike Salnick when he attended Marietta College and the first thing we talked about was Camp; our visits to Philly during the fall and winter months seeking out the likes of Richie Frank, Mark Adler, Danny Barsky, Jim Toub, The Zolots and othersthen we turned our attention to his favorite music at the time ( he did not stop playing them) the Beach Boys and how they brought back such fond memnories of camp I love listening to sixty's music and I think a big reason for that is because it reminds me of my 5 summers at Camp Paradox Today, I try to tell my kids that most of their music (which I generally cannot stand) comes from "our" music I only hope that one day when they listen to their music , it will return them to their camp days like the sixty's does for me

Although I most likely will be unable to attend this July reunion, I hope there will be others I have so many goodies to share, patches, even my gray felt mat to post them on, newsletters, pictures (someone explain to me how I can get them onto the myfamily wesiteI am not too adept with computers), books, letters and other Some individuals I would enjoy hearing from on this site; Norm Einstein, Jeff Menkes, Jerry Rockoff, Ricky Bruskin, Jimmy Stotter, Bruce Levine, Ira Ivers (remember him?), Peter Swerdlick, Reese Weintraub, Alan Uhr, Rob Clayman, Bruce and Glenn Graye, any Zolot I could go on and on Last, I want to congratulate Billy Rice for having the "Mini Reunion" Looking at the picture, I would not have recognized anyone but Billy I still remember Kenny Greenfield with blonde hair, Billy Rice with hair, Mark Friedman with short cropped brown hair etc Amazing what 30 years has done to us Anyway, hi to everyone and I will try to be more of a regular contributer to this website in the future Bye the way, my brother Barry also sends his regards to all you Paradoxians

Rick Mittelberg

Contributed by Rick Mittelberg (RickeyM5@AOLCOM) on April 26, 2002

I have read the comments about the problems that they had a camp including, without limitation, the recent statement by Alan Shier and others

And I thought that I was the only one who had problems and was odd man out It is interesting looking at the remembered world of Camp Paradox from the eyes of others Most of my memories are good but there are a number of painful ones Mostly I forget the bad times and that is not bad To dwell on prior pain is not good and is self destructive

Given the revelations about the Cahtolic Church now in the news, it is not surprising that we had Carpenter Personally, he never attempted anything with me, but I knew that there was something strange going on at the time There were rumors, and if you looked carefully, there were other signs

For the most part my camp experience was good I saw a play a week Who, other than a Camp Paradox alum can claim that experience during their childhood? Yes, there was a dark side but, as I grow older, it is clear that there is a dark side of everything When you dwell on the dark side, you miss the light

It's time to get on with life and, hard though it may be, put the remainder behind

MSS

Contributed by Marc Stern (mstern@abanetorg) on April 27, 2002

Hi, all, I, too, have many, many memories of the time you all speak about My father, Bill Sunderland, was a director there for a few years, and my Mom, Ethyl Sunderland, and I both worked at Camp Paragon My biggest claim to fame must be that I brought Norm Tracy to the camp (I was his girlfriend the first summer!) Also, I think I got Sam Shoor a job there when I was at SUNY Cortland with him (he is now in Saratoga Springs, NY) I knew Larry Carpenter quite well, but didn't quite know what was going on at the time (the pedophilia) He sort of "dated" my older sister so we spent a lot of time together I remember him as a gifted, highly imaginative leader whose fantasies and hoaxes would sometimes get out of control (the Alex Landis disappearance?) But he was certainly entertaining and charming and memorable We still live on Paradox Lake in the summers (and every warm weekend) There is some building going on now on the peninsula closest to Crawford Island, and a mansion going up at the far end of the narrows, but, otherwise, the lake still looks the same since there is still so much state land surrounding the shoreline David Bruce, who owns Larry's former cabin, is a good contact to have there, and he is very interested in Camp Paradox history My sisters still carry on the family business of SunderLand Cabins and have a website wwwsunderlandcottagescom I live nearby in Glens Falls and have recently changed careers from the corporate world to being a Life Coach so I can move my career to Paradox Lake part of the year (all I need is a phone line) By the way - was it Howard I met at a dotcom party at Chelsea Pier party a couple a years ago when we went outside on the balcony to reminisce about Camp Paradox ??? I hope you have a great reunion And -- Hi Norm! Gretchen Sunderland

anonymously contributed on April 28, 2002

Dear Gretchen,

Mark Kaufman and I were very close to Sam Shoor in 1963 when, I believe, he was on the Cortland State gymnastics team Sometime after the summer of 1963 Sam, and his brother, showed up in my parent's driveway, which we shared with Mark's family, on a surprise visit My father happened to be looking out the window at that moment and recognized Sam Of course I ran out to see him He told me that he had just flipped a coin to decide whether he and his brother should knock on my door or Mark's He had chosen Mark's, but since I was in the driveway he came into my house first I remember to this day how great it was to see him, since Mark and I spent a good deal of our time with him the previous summer I can't recall whether he came back to camp the next year

My wife and I will actually be in Saratoga Springs around the 15th of June and in Lake Placid, for horse shows, from June 16 until July 7 If you could let me know how to contact Sam I would appreciate it I haven't thought of Sam Shoor for, literally, decades

My wife and I met David Bruce two years ago when we dropped down from Lake Placid on July 4th, 2000 He was very enthusiastic about meeting a real camper in the flesh and gave me a Camp Paradox point card for hiking with him down to the swimming area and back I thought that he might have set up his own Paradox web site, which, in fact, is what I was looking for when I found this site last spring Nobody was there when my wife and I stopped in last summer

Anyway thanks for posting Your comments took me back past some of the pain of Paradox to some of the good times

PS Didn't you 'date' David Longmire in 1963?

Contributed by Tony Braun (TonyBobbie@aolcom) on April 29, 2002

Dear Gretchen,

Anyway thanks for posting Your comments took me back past some of the pain of Paradox to some of the good times

PS Didn't you 'date' David Longmire in 1963?

Contributed by Tony Braun (TonyBobbie@aolcom) on April 29, 2002

Sorry for the double posting above I'm not sure how that happened Also, just a correction, Bobbbie and I met David Bruce in 1999, not 2000 At the time, he managed a waste facility in West Virginia and had only just arrived to join his wife and new baby at Larry's old cottage Gretchen was right, he is most interested in Paradox lore and history

Contributed by Tony Braun (TonyBobbie@aolcom) on May 2, 2002

I can remember when Camp Paradox was a presence on the lake Lake Paradox Club still is My grandfather started Dobbs Cottages at the West end of the lake early this century and we are still going strong My daughter and my granddaughter work here each summer Interestingly we have some vacant houses the week before your reunion if any of your returning alums are interested I do not have a web site but am happy to send brochures to those interested Write to Lake Paradox Club, PO Box 125, Severance, NY 12872 We are very much a family place and returnees who would like to visit and enjoy the lake are certainly welcome Memories are our stock in trade! I have a 5 bedroom, 2 bath house available 7/13-7/20 for $1,000, a 3 bedroom, 1 bath year around house that same week for $925, and a 3 bedroom, 2 bath year around house built in 1992 for $1,000 This is an extraordinary coincidence as I usually tell people I don't have openings in July I'm sure this was meant to coincide with your reunion weekend We would be delighted to have the chance to house some of you in July!!

Sincerely,

Helen (Dobbs) Wildman Lake Paradox Club

anonymously contributed on May 2, 2002

Hello Tony, and others-

To answer your questions, Sam Shoor now goes by "Sandy" and has an outdoor rock climbing, hiking, and kayaking company called Emrys Enterprises out of Saratoga Springs, NY I'll give you the address so you can go knocking on his door in return! 4 Pine Ridge Rd And in case you want to alert him first, his number is 518-587-9676I'll email him and alert him to this website I dated Dave Hill for a short time in '63 I think he was studying to be a minister

Interesting to see Helen Wildman's post Her cabins are very nice and at the far end of the lower lake

Gretchen

Contributed by Gretchen Sunderland (gretchens@adelphianet) on May 3, 2002

[I received this e-mail today]

For Mark and Tony:

Still remember golf with your dad at Muttonhead Gretchen just called mr and got me to th website Glad to be a memory More importantly, I'm glad to be around to read that I'm remembered As Gretchen wrote I have an adventuring business now After Paradox, and Cortland, I taught pe in the Niskayuna, NY schools for 31 years retiring in '97 I now run the youth fitness programs and outdoor adventure camp for the local YMCA- when I'm not lost in the Adirondacks or Catskills or teaching kayaking and rock climbing You can check Emrys's website at wsgnet/~emrys Gret's right phone ahead My driveway is always open but if the red truck with the 2 kayaks isn't there, neither is the owner Catch me if you can :) Samuel B (Sandy) Shoor

Contributed by Sandy (tom@canbycom) on May 3, 2002

Sandy,

Geez! I had completely forgotten about the golf You have a terrific memory, but it's Muttontown, but still I haven't seen or spoken to Mark in over twenty years Tom had said, sometime last year, that he had located Mark, at his office in Michigan, and left a message about this website He may be reading, but hasn't posted

Anyway, I will try to contact you when we pass through Saratoga Will you be there the week of June 16th? If so, my wife and I will be dropping down from Lake Placid a couple of times since our son, Derek, will be competing at the Horse Shows across the street from the track

Anyway, I'll be in touch

Tony

Contributed by Tony Braun (TonyBobbie@aolcom) on May 4, 2002

glad to see some more action on the website

&nb sp; i just returned from the pacific northwest attending a seminar in seattle of course, i had another mini-reunion with marc stern and joe koplin it was great to see them i think i posted a picture on the other website, too

the first thing marc said to me was "god, you got old"! i don't think i would have recognized him, but joe has not changed much and he still has the same wonderful sense of humor

they were wonderful hosts and showed me around seattle it was great to get together with old friends (pun intended, marc)

as time passes closer to our reunion, i find i am more excited about seeing campers and staff that were becoming vague memories

sorry, rickey mittelberg can't make it, but i have an idea for another more specialized reunion in the near future -- an OCC of sorts -- a GOLF weekend rickey was interested -- so any of you golfers out there let me know where you are and what preferences you have for a long weekend, such as dates and places should be great

well, for those of you who haven't signed up for the reunion yet, it's not too late call for reservations and send in your reservation form we're getting to last call

looking forward to seeing you soon

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on May 7, 2002

Welcome Gretchen and Sam to the website Great hearing from you! Ahh yes the memories Arn't they great! In an earlier posting I mention one of Bill's great puns he shared in the dining hall with the whole camp I thought they were going to start throwing things at him

Sorry I haven't posted for a while been busy with end of the year "college" stuff We are also involved in doing some building on our property which occupies much of my free time our son Scott helps when he's in town

Kelly graduates this Sunday, so we're headed to IUPUI to enjoy the moment and move her to Richmond where she begins her PhD program in Genetics It'll be interesting sharing a U Haul with Kelly (who is 6'1"), a large dog (who will sleep most of the way), and one small cat (who will try to keep the dog awake), towing a car for 11 hours The Clampets come to mind Maybe I'll bring my straw hat Ellen gets to fly home

Looking forward to the July reunion! BTW, I have an old Caramate slide projector that still works that I'll bring along to the reunion can project or be used in a rear screen mode, can be automated, has a tape player, takes a standard round "Kodak" type tray

See 'ya!

Norm

Contributed by Norm Tracy (N_Tracy@msncom) on May 8, 2002

So I found a treasure trove of old Paradoxians; was there someone willing to scan them and post them to the website? Or should I do that on my own (I have no scanner)

Contributed by Marc Margolius (ravmarcm@aolcom) on May 21, 2002

So I found a treasure trove of old Paradoxians; was there someone willing to scan them and post them to the website? Or should I do that on my own (I have no scanner)

Contributed by Marc Margolius (ravmarcm@aolcom) on May 22, 2002

ATTENTION PARADOXERS AND PARAGONERS

I'm currently in the process of assembling a CD for this summer's reunion So far, the CD contains MP3s of the Paradox record albums from 1963-1967, PDFs of the Paradox and Paragon yearbooks 1966-1970, some assorted photographs, and Jim Anderberg's home movies shot in 1968 If you've got any old camp photos, WCP recordings, Paragon record albums (if there was such a thing), Paradoxians -- anything -- from your days at Paradox/Paragon, please get in touch I've got a virtual digital domain at my disposal, so all you'd have to do is get me said treasures, and I'll take care of the rest Thanks

Bill

Hope to hear from you

Contributed by Bill Rosen (bandit41@bellatlanticnet) on May 23, 2002

Just a note to all - I will not be attending the reunion this summer I was ready to go and had made some reservations, but work and important family time are making the very long trek harder to justify

Also, as I started to think about it, I realized that in a strange way this web site has demistyfied the experience, and I don't think too much about camp anymore I was really into the whole aquisition of those memories, and now the camp experience has been made whole for me (I thank Tom Field for his work) It is also sure that we are not little campers anymore The relationships formed at camp was, for me, with one or two campers, and mainly with the actual place For some reason I am not that interested in knowing about any more of it, or campers lives that meant very little to me then and really nothing to me now And I don't mean that in a brutal way, but in a life-is-too short way I prefer to look ahead

So with that I hope y'all have a great time and don't drown on the bug juice As for me, my kids go to their first overnight this year and I hope they grow in their xperince as much as I did

Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aolcom) on May 29, 2002

Howard,

Hey! I thought all you people out in California had all sorts of leisurely time on your hands! Here in Maine we get about 12 weeks of summer to try and crowd in vacationing, gardening, home improvements and getting ready for another winter

It does help me with a situation I had with a young co-worker of mine who has a rock band and was trying to get me to bring him along so he could somehow get an audition with you

I'm disappointed I won't get a chance to meet you again as an adult (and go on another hike) but I certainly can appreciate the schedule juggling frenzy of family/work life

I think I understand what you mean about the "demystifying" aspect of this web log, but what I've discovered in the re-connections I've made over the last couple of years (Joe Koplin, Tom Field, Marc Margolius) is that it's not so much about dwelling on a great past experience as it is in meeting all over again some really cool and interesting people And that is what I am really looking forward to come July 19th

Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jim@ciaugustameus) on May 30, 2002

I liked the "Paradox Mystique" and the effect it had on my development Camp Paradox was a magical place where you were given positive reinforcement and even rewarded badges and medals for your achievement The poet Robert Browning wrote:

"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?"

At Paradox, campers were continually encouraged to try new things, possibly even things that seemed to be beyond their immediate grasp When I first tried to waterski, I was an abysmal failure Let me quote Browning again:

To dry one's eyes and laugh at a fall, And baffled, get up and begin again

I kept on falling, but kept trying until I got my Water Ski Camper 3rd Class, then 2nd Class, and finally Water Ski Camper 1st Class badges The actual badges were superfluous; it was the encouragement to keep on trying that was priceless

I personally don't want my Paradox experience to be "demystified" One's boyhood, in retrospect, should be viewed as a time of limitless possibilities, for we learn too quickly in our adult lives that our dreams are often tempered with a harsh dose of reality

Yes, we are longer little campers, but as adlults we cannot ignore the inner child that lurks within us all, and makes us what we are today

Or what's a heaven for?

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on May 30, 2002

i appreciated jim's perspective on the reunion in terms of meeting "new, cool people" hopefully we have all grown in the past 35 years and we are not the same campers were

and ken is right, too, part of that camper is still inside us

but i enjoyed getting together for brunch with ken greenfield, marc friedman and bill rosen and found what jim said to hold true for me

it's not so much about reliving the past, altho that is certainly part of it, but a way to move into the future as well

looking forward to meeting "new" friends in july!

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on June 1, 2002

Simply, the desire to attend a reunion with people you knew 35 years ago isn't about living in the past any more than going through an old photo album is There's a tremendous value in being able to look back and see the things that shaped the person you've become And it becomes even more valuable when you can look back with others who share similar experiences

Looking forward to seeing you all in July!

Contributed by Bill Rosen (bandit41@bellatlanticnet) on June 2, 2002

Thats not really what I mean by the post - its just a time decision for me And Jim, I wish I had time off in the summer! In my business you gotta make hay whileetc I'm in the studio with Crazy Town now (who have sold 4 mil on their last record) and the pressure is enormous And running the Elektra Records thing etc No rest for the wicked I have enjoyed these blasts from the past and in a way the website has been almost too effective - its all out there it seems We have discussed everything from Parathon to sexual abuse on this board!!

Did any of you guys see Cramer on ABC this morning (Sunday) ? There are writers and talking heads out there who are after his head re insider trading and all kinds of dastardly things you can do with stocks He of course denies it all (except knowing in advance what was in the box at the dining hall!) That guy can talk

Contributed by Howard Benson (maxibenson@aolcom) on June 3, 2002

Howie -

After noting your address on the reunion list, I've been meaning to ask: does your wife run her own publishing co called BOK Music? If so, about 10 years ago she published one of my songs, "Never Have Time for it All" I'm sure she'll remember it (and me)

Bill Rosen

Contributed by Bill Rosen (bandit41@bellatlanticnet) on June 3, 2002

I have been reading all this stuff the past few months and boy can some of you wax philosophical! It was a great place at another time in our lives I would like very much to see most of you and relive, revisit and reunionize (as lawyers say) In all candor, I must agree with some of the comments my old friend Alan Shier made a few weeks back about the time we spent together No doubt it was one of the best experiences of my youth but life does go on The question is do we relive it or move on and have a wonderful memory of it? Everyone has their own take on this If I can make it in July I will certainly be there Schedule wise I won't know until the last minute I have been quite in my postings the past few months only because it is sometimes interesting to just read what is posted especially when you have done your share of posting already To any paradoxian who comes to south florida, please call and hopefully we can get together I hope for everyone's sake the reunion is as good as expectedit would be very dissapointing to have this image, travel all that way and not have it be what is expected There are many I met at paradox still in my life who I see and speak to regularly We will always be able to share in those memories To those who are only a memory, I wish you well Billy Rice, good luck in July if I don't make it Peace and good health to all

Contributed by Michael Salnick (Lionalguy@aol) on June 9, 2002

mike, thanks for your thoughts but after spending the day golfing and BBQ with old high school friends (JFTY) on saturday it was like the past 30 years that we haven't been touch didn't exist not that the time didn't pass, but we all commented on how easy it was for us to be together, relate and communicate

and today i spent a wonderful day with bill rosen and altho he much younger when we were at camp, we found a world of common interests (not my musical abilities, however)and thought processes

i learned that if you expect nothing you won't be disappointed i don't expect anything specific for the reunion, but i know it will be very enlightening, interesting and well worth the weekend adventure

hope you can make it!

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on June 10, 2002

final reunion Notes

As we are five weeks away from our 40th reunion, i can tell you many of us are looking forward to the weekend

bill rosen has done a smashing job at creating a fantastic CD complete with rare documents, manuals, photos, record albums, yearbooks and movies that have been collected, as well as a current directory of those who have kept in touch

this will also be available to those of you who can't make it the cost will be approximately $15 i know you will want to have this in your collection! it takes up a lot less space than the originals and how many of you still have phonographs to play all those vinyls (besides lenny busch and neil neuschatz)?

paradox t-shirts will also be available to those who can't make it the order must go in by june 23, so please send me your order they will probably cost $15, plus shipping i need your size and quantity for $25, you can have the t-shirt and CD!

i am expecting to spend a beautiful weekend in the adirondacks with a bunch of old friends (and their families) who feel the same this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet up with old friends and should not be missed

so if you haven't done so already, call for reservations (5168836667) and send in your registration form send in the registration form even if you're not coming so i can update our files

hope to hear from you soon

bill

Contributed by bill rice (drbill@writemecom) on June 14, 2002

I am living very much in the present when I say that I'd like to thank Tom Field for the work he has put into this website and I'd like to thank Billy Rice for the work he has done in organizing the upcoming July reunion

For whatever reason it may be, some other Paradoxians have found it necessary to express the opinion that the Paradox website and reunion were exercises in living in the past Nothing could be further from the truth A great man once said that "the unexamined life is not worth living" You reach points in your life where it seems only natural to look back at where you have been, only to gain a clearer notion of where you are going This website has provided us with a forum to talk about a common experience that we shared back in the '60s, an experience called Camp Paradox To deny that this experience helped shape us into the the adults we are today would be tantamount to saying that we went from childhood to adulthood via the Express Route, without passing through that awkward experience known as adolescence

Before someone accuses me of "waxing philosopical", let me further add that it has been just plain fun to share our memories with each other Isn't it great to think that after more than 30 years has elapsed, we share enough of a common bond that would bring us together again in our adulthood

So with our individual lives hurling us into the future at breakneck velocity, won't it be nice to once again "circle 'round the flagpole" one more time, and damn it all if it probably is going to be a lot of pure, unadulterated fun getting back together again in the Adirondacks!!

Does anyone else care to share their feelings about the upcoming July reunion? I could go on typingI ain't proud,or tired!!

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on June 16, 2002

I haven't had much opportunity of late to visit the Paradox site It appears that there is some over-analysis taking place in the discussion I agree with Bill let's just enjoy ourselves and the area where we spent a great deal of our lives

It is interesting Although I had seen Rick Schuck and Tom Vannatta separately, over the years on rare occasions, we got together with our spouses for the first time in 20 years at a party in Cape May It was like we picked up where we left off 20 years earlier It was alot of fun! I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and acquaintances and meeting new ones

Contributed by Norm (n_tracy@msncom) on June 17, 2002

I received this e-mail last week (Gayle is Bobbie Lederman's sister)

Hello I was a Paragonian for the 5 years that Alex Landis owned the camp I had the distinction of holding the female Lead in one of the Camp Paradox musicals I think it was in "66 or '67 Mike Karol directed the music end of it and the guy who directed the drama had been there for a number of years but his name eludes me I played opposite camper Michael Simon Actually for some reason the title of the musical eludes me also but I played a lady boxer named Flo I think in "real" life Ethel Merman played the part Anyway, i spent quite a bit of time over at Paradox that summer and we actually took the show on the road and performed it in Albany! I remember our dances with Paradox well It was a blast!

Sincerely, Gayle Lederman

anonymously contributed on June 17, 2002

i'm coming to the reunion with no expectations what so ever i remember running into norm tracey maybe 20+ years ago when camping in the blue ridge mountains and it was just plain fun talking over old times while i can only stay for two days (friday-saturday), i am very much looking forward to it as an aside, that camping trip was probably the last time i slept in a tent! oh have times changed

didn't mike karol used to do an impersonation of ethel merman? i remember he used to sing a mean 'everything is coming up roses'

Contributed by steven berkowitz (berks1@optonlinenet) on June 17, 2002

Gayle got in touch with me at home -- I went to high school with her sister Bobbi I think I solved her "show business" dilemma The song she remembered singing was "The Body Beautiful" from a musical titled the same thing that ran on Broadway for a short time in the late 1950s GER adapted it to fit "camp standards" and renamed it "The College Palooka" We first did "The College Palooka" in 1963, and I played a supporting role (one of the kids in Joey Koplin's gang, then substituted at the last minute for one of the boxer's wives -- I remember Lenny Busch's backstage encouragement) and Scott Landis played the lead, but that's too early for a joint Paradox/Paragon production So I guess we revived it later in the 1960s, with Mike Simon playing the lead Flo was one of the main characters, but she was a boxer's wife, not a boxer I only remember directing the music on one play that I can recall, called "The Spy Business," for which Simon and I wrote the music and lyrics But if Gayle says I did it for "The College Palooka," I must have (I also don't remember "taking it on tour," but perhaps that's from too much substance abuse in the 1970s) As for Steve's comment, I plead the fifth about a socko Ethel Merman impression as well I did sing a Merman-like song called "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break" in a GER parody of "Gunsmoke" as "Maw Sidrop," which made it onto a camp album, so that may be what he's thinking of I'm sorry I won't be able to make it to the reunion, but a freelance writer has to go where the money is, and I just got a nice gig after a long dry spell But my heart will be with you all, and I'm sure it will be memorable Circle round the flagpole once for me, y'all

Contributed by Michael Karol (mkarol@nycrrcom) on June 18, 2002

Talk about a slice of lifeI had the pleasure of going to see a group that always had a summer hit at WCPHermam's Hermits!

Contributed by ALAN SHIER (ALAN553@AOLCOM) on June 30, 2002

Does anyone know where Dave Hill is??? Last time I saw him was in the early '70's He was a practicing lawyer working for VISTA out of Philadelphia Had dinner with us in Bel Air, MD a couple times Never saw nor heard from him again I had the sense he may have been heading west to CA Although it could have been the wine selection that did itwe may never know

Contributed by Norm Tracy (N_Tracy@msncom) on July 1, 2002

Good news to reunion attendees David Bruce, "The Mayor of Camp Paradox," who owns Larry's old cabin and, I believe, the land down and through the waterfront was up at camp last week and will be there when we are I met David on site many years ago He's a great guy, a big fan of the camp (his father attended decades before us) and no doubt you all will enjoy meeting him and seeing his memoriabilia

He met with a handful of property owners (one of whom went to Camp Idylwild) and all are very encouraging of our visit He plans to meet with others during the week preceding our visit It sounds likely that we'll have access to quite a bit of the old camp

He suggested that we may want to bring box lunches and picnic at the old swimming area He mentioned the availability of canoes, kayaks, and a ski boat (His 8 year old daughter, Holly, successfully slalomed around the island last week!) Cliff jumping is also a possibility

I am still planning to attend the reunion, but was recently in a serious downhill mountain-bike accident (6 or 7 broken ribs, a punctured lung, a pin in my broken collar bone, and a fun 30-minute ride on a stretcher carried by four men down a steep mountainside) Although the intervening 6 weeks has confirmed my belief in the body's remarkable curative capacity (and thanks to Bill for some medication), I may not be ready to travel yet

I've given David my cell phone number and will give him Bill's contact information and the hotel name David can be hard to reach, so I suggested that we coordinate with him Thursday night or Friday morning

Hope to see you all soon

Tom

Contributed by Tom Field (tom) on July 8, 2002

Hey, Tom, that's really good news that David Bruce will be able to give us access to the old campsite It's just good news that we will not be chased away by the people living there Perhaps we could canoe over to Crawford Island and have some sort of picnic there, but what I would really like is to go cliff jumping I don't think we are too old for that yet, and it would be like renewing an old Paradox activity, a way of truly connecting with an old Paradox tradition As the reunion is only a little more than a week away, I am really starting to feel intense excitement about it Is anybody else feeling similar emotions? I recently visited my brother Arnie out in Michigan, and we had a grand old time talking about Camp Paradox and the people and events that we could remember He gave me pictures of Bruce Gelber and Dick Rossner from his Metuchen High School reunion of the class of '68, which was held in 2000 in California I posted the pictures on myfamilycom, and it really is amazing how different people can look after over 30 intervening years Time takes a toll on us all One thing that my brother and I both agreed on is that it was a special privilege to be able to go to summer camp at all, and it was an extra special privilege to be able to go to a camp that was as outstanding as Paradox We both marveled about how much there was to do and learn Anyhow, the reunion is almost here, and I'm just wondering if anybody else has an idea of what they might like to do during those 3 days, so please speak up now Even if the reunion doesn't live up to my expectations, it will be a nice short vacation in the beautiful Adiriondacks, away from the pressures of work What more could you ask for?

Contributed by Ken Greenfield (kengrph@verizonnet) on July 9, 2002

I just received Bill Rosen's CD he has been putting together

Absolutely terriffic!

A collection of photos, Paradoxians, record albums, WCP radio shows and movies from 1962-1970

I can't begin to imagine the countless hours it must have taken him to convert the audio to mp3's, scan the Paradoxians and yearbooks, convert my 8mm film to digital form, etc

You are all in for a real treat And thank you Bill! And I suppose I should add "KUDOS" here

See all you "kids" (and counselors) in a week when the busses arrive from New York

Contributed by Jim Anderberg (jim@ciaugustameus) on July 12, 2002

Regretfully, some work type committments will preclude me from not coming next week I had literally waited until the last minute with the hope that I could take a last minute flight to Albany and then, after some burgers at Carols, drive up Unfortunately that isn't the case I hope the reunion is wonderful and am glad this was finally done If there is a list of addresses, e-mails, etc that comes out of next week please let me know where I can get that I do look forward to receiving my t-shirt and CD I will be thinking about all of you Just remember, go gray team!

Contributed by Michael Salnick (lionelguy@aol) on July 13, 2002

I'm going out of the country tomorrow for business but I want to send all my regards to those of you who are getting together for the reunion Have a splash in the lake for me -- or better yet, dive off a cliff I'll be thinking about you Long live Camp Paradox!!

Contributed by Bruce Singer (saltcreek@charternet) on July 13, 2002

I just returned from a glorious trip to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks Part of the trip was for CPE creditbut most for pleasure I, too, will not be able to attend the reunion but will be thinking about it while you are all together Please send my regards to the attendees, have a few burgers at the Chez, enjoy a swim to Crawford Island, and bring back a multitude of stories and pictures to share with us all Have a great CP reunion! Rick

Contributed by Rick Mittelberg (RickeyM5@AOLCOM) on July 14, 2002

i just returned from a great 11 day cruise in the caribean and will be attending the reunion am very much looking forward to a couple of days reminiscing about the past i know i won't be jumping off any cliffs - i know the limitations of my old body see you soon guys!

Contributed by steven berkowitz (berks1@optonlinenet) on July 14, 2002