Your Thoughts

Hey Pat. what part of philly do you live in now? what are the major cross sts. I live in Mesa, Az.
John DiRenzo [11-20-2009]

Hey Pat between the giant and the green man we could have made one helluva horror flick.
John DiRenzo [11-20-2009]

To Ed in Chester Va. Sister Concepta Marie.( are you sure she wasn't an offensive lineman ) we disliked each other from day 1. and it continued throughout the year. We butted heads constantly and neither one of us backed down. ( my mother was always waiting for me with the wooden spoon when I got home ).it got to be that whenever she was ready to say something to me, she would choose her words carefully and I the same.Oh the battles we used to have. I was in Mother John Madeline's office twice a week.Towards the end of the year we gained a certain respect for one another and by the time I left Holy Rosary, we were actually friends. Weird Huh!
John DiRenzo [11-20-2009]

to Paul Borian. Bill Cosby was my counselor at " Camp Happy ". What a great and funny guy. He also went to Temple with my cousin Franny Greco, Billy the Butcher's daughter.
John DiRenzo [11-20-2009]

Chalie McGeehan....Hope you are doing well and enjoying retirement.How could any Phila.basketball fan forget Bobby McNeill.In my opinion,he is the greatest player that North ever produced.Ramsey,McNeil and Company from Hawk Hill,more often than not,upseat the heavily favorite Cats from Villanova.I still have nightmares from all those St.Joe's wins that ruined my beloved Villanova seasons.McNeil was a smooth southpaw who controlled many a game....Paul Borian
Paul Borian [11-20-2009]

Rosemarie, I was one of the lucky ones that did not get Miss Katherine.. But I did have Miss Eileen in the third grade and Mrs Campbell in the 4th grade.. I also remember the boy made up a song for Miss Eileen to the tune of Wyatt Eurpe and would sing it in the school yard....
Erda [11-20-2009]

Sorry I missed the lunch 11/15.I was in the hosp'from 11/8 to 11/17.Hope you have another,I wanted to go.But will next time.MARIE
marie [11-20-2009]

Dan Hartnett, your remarks are insulting to Gerry-calling him a pimplehead and an ignoramus.Simply because you disagree with him. That is low life behavior. There is no place here for insults. Just as there is no place for the dangerous domain of ethnic prejudice which several persons here of Italian heritage seem to favor. I would also add that Catholic CD High provided a 'moral education' whereas Germantown HS did not; that makes a BIG difference in school quality. And please keep on hold your "fighting tough guy" stories-I looked at the archives-they do not enhance your character which needs some work I would say. Hold the insults please.
anonymous [11-20-2009]

Bob Terranova: Was the reunion you mentioned with Mizzy, Bodie, Dave Clancey posted on this site. I haven't been fof sometime.
Bonnie Gatto [11-20-2009]

Joe Melchiorre: Ralph passed away on October 18 last year.
Bonnie Gatto [11-20-2009]

tommy collela my sentiments exactally !
rosemarie hite malageri [11-20-2009]

Paul Borian mentions that Bill Cosby also went to Germantown HS, altho he seems to only mention Central. I know this for a fact because our late, great friend, Ben Hom, was his sub on the Germantown HS basketball team. Said that at the time the Cos was a goof-off. He finally got smart late in life and now has the degrees to prove it. (Better late than never.)
Rosemarie Rinaldi [11-20-2009]

Charlie McGeehan: The Hawks had great teams back in the day. Nova had great talent but The Jesuits hired superior coaches-Dr. Jack Ramsey,Jack McKinney, Paul Westhead,Jimmy Lynam[all NBA coaches and now Phil Martelli. George Raveling would tell Al Severance what to do. Paul Boring was probaly at Providence-Hawk game in the 60'when Lenny Wilkins stripped Bob McNeil 2x and went coast to coast for lay-ups to win the game-naturally,he was inspired by the fans from Nova. John Thompson was on the Providence team and he was inspired by the great coaching of Dr. Jack that he went into coaching for Georgetown and beating Nova frequently. Bor will bring up the big game. When I went to The Hollow in the 50's,you were younger and hung with Peanut and that crowd. I remember your brother John well-he was friends with Ralph Gatto,Bob Compton,Ken Schenk,Allen Goode,Jim Razzano and Al Paris. They were a good group of guys and their football team played well because they had Ralph Gatto. I also remember your dad stopping in the Continental once or 2x. As you know,Wayne Ave. was his real territory. You started to follow basketball at an early age. Paul Borian liked basketball but he always played with guys who thought a basketball was a hot potato- Cal Gore comes to mind who was a great shooter for the Germantown Bears. Cal Gore and Bob McNeil were the same generation. I hope that your astute comments resonated with Bor-the old Germantown Bear.
JBS [11-20-2009]

My mother, Mary Gairo Leone and her 6 siblings were not welcome at St. Vincents School in the 1920's because they were Italian. They then went to Fulton, Roosevelt and Germantown for their education and to Holy Rosary for religious training. My mother always told us this story.
HELEN LEONE D'ANGELO [11-20-2009]

rosemarie, i don't remember the other lay teachers at st. vincents, just miss catherine. you are much younger than me and things did change as time went on. when i saw you at lunch on sunday roe, i still saw the pretty little blond girl that lived up the street from me when we were kids and you are as nice and delightful as ever.
HELEN LEONE D'ANGELO [11-20-2009]

Jack Brogan...What the hell are you doing in Freeport Maine!You should have never left the Hollow.You must be living in a different world.I admire you for making such a major adjustment to move on from your Hollow days to the great state of Maine.Life must be dull compared to your wild days in Phila.back in the 50's and 60's. I sure do remember Mt.Airy George.He had the hot's for me.Told him that it would cost him $100.He told me to pound sound.Cisco was there at the time,and he called me;"Bor the paid whore".With all those attractive guys at the Hollow,I don't know why he had his eyes on me.......Paul Borian
Paul Borian [11-20-2009]

Dennis McGlinchey....So sorry to hear about Gerry Distel passing away.He was a real nice guy who spent some time at Happy Hollow. I remember him fondly.I worked at Blue Cross from 1969 to 1976 in the Provider Reimbursement Dept. At that time it was called Blue Cross of Greater Phila. Paul Borian
Paul Borian [11-20-2009]

Anyone who grew up in Germantown in the 50s and 60s should only look back and see how lucky they were to have done so. It really didn't matter what school you attended, because you enjoyed all the friends you made back then and the memories that were made with them. The games we played back then included; buck-buck, red rover red rover, dead man's box, half ball, stick ball, wall ball- the list could go on and on.... and it certainly didn't matter what nationality you were. I was taught by the likes of Miss Catherine, Sister Jane Elizabeth, Sister Edward Anthony etc. at St. Vincent De Paul and Graduated in '64 from CD. My wife graduated in '66 from Germantown High....so there's no feud there either. Remember we all have a path to follow so lets not judge others for the paths they might have taken, be it the right one or wrong one. Just let past memories be the good memories and look beyond the bitter memories. To Anthony G: looking back, we did alright didn't we? and to Jim McKernan: My brother Tony says you had one of the best fast balls any school baseball team could have wanted back in the day.....
Ron Majka, Happily married 41 Years, living in Mayfair [11-20-2009]

Jack Brogan .... regarding your comments ... well said ... and I do remember Mount Airy George ....
Tom Cusack [11-20-2009]

Anthony G. You are the person who needs to be careful about your accusations of discrimination against a reputable educationalist, principal and priest-administrator at CDHS. You made an ethnic slur against what you assumed was my nationality and now you deny this in your blog to Dennis. I see you wish some of your pals to support you in this claim—the claim of an avowed teenage rule-breaker versus that of a priest and principal. I'll take the priests' interpretation and decision any day. There has been way too much priest-bashing on this site, and the comments are indeed very prejudiced. You also try to dispel any ethnic slurs but there is no other interpretation of you assuming I am a “Mc”. To call an Irish person a “Mick” or “Mc” is no different than referring to an Italian as a “Wop”. It is derisive.Interesting that WOP was the message attached to some Italian immigrants passing through Ellis Island meaning “Without Papers” they did not have proper paper documentation like many of our below the border Mexicans today. I am from neither of these ethnic heritages. You are on shaky ground here because you say that “little David Mc” was treated more favorably than me by the priest. Stop whining. It is your pals’ blogs that are aggressive, angry and hurl insults at me. They (Rich, Anon Fem, Paul, Dan Hartnett, Rosemary R etc) descend to personal insults and they are the ones who need a lesson in intergroup tolerance and education. I am out. Be cool is the best advice I can offer. Gerry.
Gerry, CD Graduate [11-20-2009]

Dennis McGlinchey: My Catholic orientation is also traditional. I just thought you might like to know that St. Paul' on Christian St. near Passyunk in South Philly just started a Tridentine Mass every week at noon.
Dan Hartnett, Former East Germantown [11-20-2009]

to john direnzo yes that was the house behind the bocci club. the back of the club faced mechanic st. there was a swing made up of rope and an old tire on a tree behind the club. we would swing from the roof of the club. it was only one story. but when you are eight years old its the top of the world
pat sirianni [11-20-2009]

It would be nice to have someone update these blogs daily
John Direnzo [11-20-2009]

do john direnzo yes i do remember the story of the gaint.it was a great place to grow up.i also remember those nuns at holy rosery and how well could handle a ruler. in todays world they would be in jail.
pat sirianni, loved germentown [11-19-2009]

jbs I can't believe that someone other than myself remembers Bobby Mc Neill . He is the reason that I been a Hawk fan for the last 53 years. Paul the HAWK will never die
Chalie MC Geehan [11-19-2009]

Dennis McGlinchey, I meant no ethnic slur at all, just pointing out the way Gerry reacted. It was uncalled for and am so glad to see all the comebacks at him. That will give him somehting to think about. Haven't heard from him lately. And also very well put Paul B. And Sheila thanks so much for your wanting me to keep checking in.
anthonyg [11-19-2009]

Helen,Erda,Susan,RoseMarie,BettyAnn, Carol,Lynn,Linda C,Linda F, both Jimmy K's. Its was great having lunch with you at LaFontana on Sunday. Some I know growing up in G-town, other's I just met for the firs time. Anyway its hard to understand but it feels like we've all been frinds forever. Looking forward to seeing my old and new friends, and maybe some that couldn't be there this times soon!
Tommy Colella, East Side: Wister Playground [11-19-2009]

Name your school if it was located in Germantown. (Grade, Jr.High, and High School: 1- Fitler, Seymour & Knox Sts.
Germantowner, Fitler Grad [11-19-2009]

JBS - you mentioned Gerry Distel in one of your posts. I worked with a Gerry Distel at Independence Blue Cross. He retired a few years back and then passed away. Wondering if he might be the one and the same. I never knew Gerry was from Germantown, but I know his wife Mary is an IC alum. They lived in Fox Chase before moving to North Wales. Gerry was a really good guy.
Dennis McGlinchey, Born & raised in East Germantown [11-19-2009]

Rosemarie Rinaldi: The older guys from The Hollow[Rocky,Goo,Joe,- etc] were honorable and they were selective about who tossed the bones.Larry[your husband],Ollie Powers,and Matt Fasano were great shooters and they liked the Bor[Paul] to play defense,rebound and pass the ball. Poker was a big game at the Hollow,it was a serious game and that was not the place for shooting your mouth. You are correct that there was always action at the Hollow if you know what I mean- Larry and Paul were 2 of the actors and they always held their own.
John Bruce Schmitt [11-19-2009]

by now, we have all been out of school for a very long time. isn't it more important to be what we are now?
MICHAEL [11-19-2009]

I noticed several e-mail about Miss Catherine, who taught 2nd grade at St. Vincent's. I entered St. Vincent's in third grade and graduated in 1951 so I missed having Miss Catherine as a teacher but I remember her well. Does anyone have memories of some of the nuns who taught during this time period, e.g., Sister Hortense (7th), Sister Edmond (3rd) and Sister Gabriel (4th) and Sister Marie Francis (8th). Jim Lyons
Jim Lyons, St. Vincent's 1951 [11-19-2009]

Rosemary, I agree, that Monsignor’s actions in denying confession to your husband, telling him to go to St. Mike’s, was shameful, sad and just plain wrong. There is no defending his actions. I have heard a lot about that monsignor, none of it positive or good. I’m still a Catholic, and a traditionalist one in that I still prefer the traditional ways, though I’m in the minority on that. But, traditionalist or not, I will be first to speak out and criticize the Catholic Church and its priests for their errors. If there was any good to come out of the priest sex abuse scandals, it was that we no longer put these priests on pedestals. They never belonged on those pedestals in the first place because they are human and just as prone to error and mistakes like the rest of us. That monsignor was a bad seed and an embarrassment to the Catholic Church. The same is true for Fr. Benonis of CD and Fr Donahoe from NC. The same for all those priests that did that to those kids. There were, and still are, quite a few bad apples in the bunch. There is a lot of anger at the Catholic Church by many, rightfully so because of the actions of its administrators and priests. But, there is a lot of good there too and its overall mission is one of good, not evil. Catholicism isn’t for everyone but just don’t let the sins of a few cloud your opinion of the whole.
Dennis McGlinchey, Born & raised in East Germantown [11-19-2009]

Rosemary, you are wrong with your statement, “The ethnic churches were only necessary because these new immigrants were not welcome in the already established "American" parishes.”. National parishes were established out of compassion, not prejudice and discrimination. They were created to help an ethnic group of non-English speaking people assimilate, to provide for their spiritual, social, cultural and even economic needs. Case in point is Holy Rosary, The growing, mostly non-English Italian community in East Germantown were free to join IC and St. Vincent’s. But, they felt lost and isolated because of the language barrier. Before Holy Rosary was established, there was a special Mass in the Shrine basement chapel said in Italian for their benefit. The archdiocese would only create a national parish when petitioned to do so. In the case of St. Mike’s and Holy Rosary, that petition came from members of the Italian community living in that immediate area. There had to be a need and a growing ethnic population for the archdiocese to agree to it. There are national parishes for Italians, Germans, Polish, Spanish, Slovacs, Lithuanian, etc. Ever notice there were never any Irish-national parishes in the archdiocese? That’s because the Irish came over already speaking English. Sure, there were churches built in areas that were staunchly Irish, named after an Irish saint and built with strong Irish motifs. Case in point, St. Columba over in Swampoodle. An absolutely beautiful church built by the mostly Irish parishioners and has many statues of Irish saints, Irish motifs, green-laden marble, etc. But, that church was always open to all, though it was mostly attended by the Irish because that was who lived in that area at the time. I have heard it often that when it came to membership, Italians in Germantown were directed to St. Mike’s and Holy Rosary. But, I also know there were Italian parishioners at IC and in my class, so that wasn’t always the case at IC. I also know pastors were very territorial back then. To belong to the parish, you had to live within the boundaries. But, as I said in an earlier post, I myself have to stop short of calling the practice of sending Italian families over to join Holy Rosary or St. Mike’s as being discriminatory. Knowing how territorial these pastors were, it could very well have been that the pastors of St. Mike’s and Holy Rosary could have been angry if another parish accepted an Italian family for membership. I don’t know, but its possible…
Dennis McGlinchey, Born & raised in East Germantown [11-19-2009]

Three words: Sister Concepta Marie. For those who had her in Seventh Grade OLR; chills run down our spines.
Ed, Chester, VA [11-19-2009]

Hey Pat Sirianni, I remember you now, and I think I even know the house that you lived in.My cousin franny and my uncle Caesar lived a couple of doors down from you.Remember the story about the Giant that lived on High st. and we were careful when we went up the alley behind chenza's house?
John DiRenzo [11-19-2009]

RoseMarie Rinaldi: I appreciated your comments on some of the prejudices that went before us and I could sit down with you or others from this site and swap stories all day about it. Some would be sad, some would be ironic and some would be funny. However I respectfully disagree for the most part with your assertion that the ethnic churches were only necessary because these new immigrants were not welcome in the already established "American" parishes. While it is true that discrimination existed, the national parishes were formed primarily to serve the unique needs of their respective people. They provided support, helped them find living quarters and helped them find jobs and in many cases provided financial support. This was natural because they understood the respective cultures and languages and were uniquely situated to provide the necessary support required. Some, although not all of the prejudice that existed, arose because of cultural differences that existed and people just didn't understand their new neighbors. Growing up Irish, I heard many Italians being called Wops or degos both by Irish and by others. I would like to note that this was not permitted in my house, but it was ignorance in many case, not malice, that fostered this behavior. Bear in mind that today's kids don't know these words. They died a natural death as they should have once people came together on their jobs, in their schools and in the streets and each found that the other wasn't really so bad after all. The beauty of the melting pot. Personally, I absolute love Italy having been there seven times and ready to go back this year for more, but I couldn't have done this sixty years ago. I can speak Italian fairly well also, self taught and it is not easy. In any case, I don't mean to be lecturish but I have spent a lot of time over the years thinking about our past and wishing that we could go back to the simpler years like we all had in Germantown. Please don't take anything that I said as criticism because it is not. It is just a different perspective. Thanks for your thoughtful post.
Dan Hartnett, Former East Germantown [11-19-2009]

The question about academics in a particular high school would not have been discussed at Happy Hollow. I can’t remember a single time when a kid’s studies mattered to anybody. Goo went to Gratz, Paul Borian, Sonny Kennedy and Bobby Compton went to Germantown, Dom and Trout Raffaele, Ralph Gatto, Charles Durkin and Larry Rinaldi went to North Catholic and Ollie Powers went to Penn Charter. Tom Gillespie, Vince Higgins, Joe Lynch and I went to La Salle. Most of us put up with school and the schools did a pretty good job of educating us. I was an awful student as a kid. Each day of school was a waiting period until I got to The Hollow. Sure, I can remember kids who did get expelled from some of the Catholic schools, friends of mine. Every one of them went on to have successful careers. For a Happy Hollow kid, the academic part of school was pretty much irrelevant. All the schools mentioned during this recent bickering did an amazing job of educating the kids from Happy Hollow. We were first generation Irish, Italian, Armenian, even Chinese kids. Most of us learned much more from Goo Goo, Joe Raffaele, Tom Flannery, Bee Bee Rossi, Bob Lejewski, Apples Keehan, Moe Speen, Nick Czar, Orly Pultrone, Howard Payne and all the other, older guys than we ever learned at school. One other thing that more important than schools was our moms. We had great moms. Our moms were interested in us, rooting for us. Think about my mom, Mrs. Borian, Mrs. Guarinello (Mrs. Goo), her sister Mrs. Powers, and Mrs. Raffaele. Strong women. They were much more important to our development than any school. I say we should put this nonsense about schools behind us and get back to the stories. We should tell Conan the Grammarian to take a chill pill, and start in on enjoying one another’s memories, no matter how they are told. I want to hear more about Brick Yard, Fernhill Park, Chew and Chelton, East Germantown and Mt. Airy. Who remembers Mt. Airy George?
Jack Brogan, I remember Mr. Dutton. [11-19-2009]

Hey Pat Sirianni, when you said you lived next to a junk yard, was that the one behind the Bocci club ?
John DiRenzo [11-19-2009]

Regarding CD lowering their standards, I think it all depends on who you speak to. Those of us that went in the 50's,60's and 70's have a much different opinion that those that went in the last 20 or so years. Those that have gone in recent years feel as though CD is far more superior then those of that went back in the beginning. There are a few "sites" devoted to CD on Face book, and one is attempt to "save" CD. I usually don't get too emotional about posts made on the Internet, but one remark made by a present day teacher, literally through the first 2 decades of grads under the proverbial bus, strike that, she threw us under a runaway Broad Street Subway Train! She did it ala Joe Queenan in his book "Closing Time", as she said that CD was nothing more then something along the lines of "student mill"! This really got my Irish up, and I let her have it with all I had, and told her how dare she be so self serving and arrogant.
John Fleming, Tampa Bay Florida. [11-19-2009]

JBS(Schmitty) As always,I enjoyed reading your 11/17 post. You have a way with words,and always something POSITIVE to say.I know that you thoroughly enjoy this site,and many others look forward to your comments. Regarding my recent post that "The Hawk is Dead",it was said with tongue in cheek.Nevertheless,as you know,the Holy War has been going on for at least 60 years.It is what it is!It was part of my catholic education.Before I received my degree,I had to recite "The Hawk is Dead" every day in class during basketball season.Of course,at St.Joe's,the response was "The Hawk will never Die".....Paul Borian
Paul Borian [11-19-2009]

helen leone deangelo correct me if im wrong but i thought there were two other lay teachers in st vincents besides miss katherine ... mrs. campbell and miss eileen ... i believe mrs campbell taught 4th grade and miss eileen taught 3rd grade .. perhaps they came after you graduated from st vincents ...rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-19-2009]

Update on Bill Cosby..Several months ago,on this site,several comments were made that the "Cos" seldom acknowledged that he atttended Germantown High School.Earlier this month,there was a tribute to Cosby on PBS.Once again,he talked about Central High School,not GHS. Bill Fleischman,my friend and classmate from GHS,pursued this matter with Al Shrier,sports information director for Temple(how about the Owls football team)The story is that Cosby received his GED,which means he never graduated from GHS.Shrier spoke with Cosby on 11/16 and asked him if had any "falling out" with GHS.Cosby stated that he had no problems with GHS and,in fact,visited the school twice the last couple of years to speak with the students. My advice to Bill is the next time the subject comes up,mention that you played football,basketball,and ran track at Germantown High school.He should never forget the fun times we had at GHS! The "Cos" was one funny guy in the classroom and on the playing fields.HEY,HEY,HEY......Paul Borian
Paul Borian [11-19-2009]

linda fontana you are so nice ...but i do have to agree with you.. the people who i grew up with were and are a great group of people but so were the others there too ..... yourself included ... ha! what else could we be we are from germantown. rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-19-2009]

to the "old germantowner" yes ... spider was there from the boys club ... rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-19-2009]

Thank you to Dan Hartnett for pointing out that discrimination in Germantown was not solely directed at the Italian community. It was first directed at the Irish, then later the Italians, then the African Americans.... I know this doesn't make it any less wrong, but it happened, in Germantown and elsewhere. While I don't have firsthand knowledge that they did, but I would bet my Irish ancestors met with discrimination when they came over. You accept what happened, remember it, move on with our lives and hope we learn from mistakes in history and never repeat.
Dennis McGlinchey, Born & raised in East Germantown [11-17-2009]

Bill James, there is really no "my school was better than your school" rivalry going on here. Sometimes though, someone will come across with such a remark.... But, I remember back in the day, one of the way the nuns at IC would keep us in line is to threaten to send us to "that school across the street" (Pastorius). Like it was a punishment, like it was the to worse place to be. Even the label, "the publics", sounded derogeratory. I remember some teachers at CD referring to Olney HS along those lines as well. So, I had sort of a conceived notion that public schools were inferior to Catholic schools because of that. But the truth prevailed. While I will not defend any of those schools today, as they are a mess, I met enough of those schools' alums from back in the day to know they received as solid an education as I did. Dan Hartnett hit the nail on the head when he said that CD lowered their standards to stay open and aloat. I said something along those lines a few years back on the CD message board on Classmates and the alums posting there then came back at me with boths barrels. I wasn't about to back off of my opinion. Plus, seeing those two mentioned You-Tube videos showed me it is a different world over there than what I knew in the early 1970s. Still, it was my school and I am as sad as any of the other 40,000 CD alumni to now see it being closed.
Dennis McGlinchey, Born & raised in East Germantown [11-17-2009]

Dan Hartnett and Dennis McGlinchey: Yes, there was discrimination back in the day - first, the Irish, then the Italians, then anyone who followed. However, most of what is being discussed here is not the discrimination practiced by ignorant laymen, but by the Catholic Church thru their clergy, which put a stamp of legitimacy on it and which flies in the face of Christ's teachings. Obviously, the priests and the hierarchy should have known better and should have combatted this prejudice instead of contributing to it. See the previous blogs in the archives re: the Monsignor at St. Francis. Territory had nothing to do with it. The church is supposed to be open to all, whether for confession or mass. The ethnic churches were only necessary because these new immigrants were not welcome in the already established "American" parishes. Hopefully, we have all gotten past that and those guilty unchristian priests received their just dues in the afterlife.
Rosemarie Rinaldi [11-17-2009]

Hey, Paul Borian - As to the shootings at the Hollow 50 years ago, in addition to shooting your mouths and shooting craps, you also shot baskets. It was an innocent time back in the day, wasn't it?
Rosemarie Rinaldi [11-17-2009]

I heard of Rosemary Punishment by some nuns; what is it?
Lee Hoyle, From South Africa, 31 [11-17-2009]

turbulent my daughter and I thanks,dominic
dominic, same [11-17-2009]

Paul Borian[Bor]: Tom Pyne was a legendary character at the Prep in the 50's. He was not only tall but he was well-built since he pumped iron. If I had used your tactics which you probaly used against the dudes from Gratz when you had a police escort after the football game, I would have been taken by an ambulance to the nearest hospital.If I had kicked him like some d-backs,I think that he would have broken my leg and my dancing days would have never begun. You talked about Gerry on this site-he provoked a lot of comments. I do'nt know him but I believe he and Anthony must have known each-other from the East Side. I knew Gerry Distal from St. Francis and possibly,you remembred his 2 good-looking sisters-Jean and Pat.They lived across from Mole Adamoli on W. Ashmead St. I knew a Gerry McKewon who was friends with Tom Cusack-they went to LaSalle. I looked a little like Gerry Quarry and that was a mixed blessing if you know what I mean. Gerry Quarry was a great counter-puncher and Germantown Gerry hit Anthony with a great counter-punch.Anthony unloaded with some powerful overhand rights. I say,"Let's Call It A Draw",and move on. I do'nt know Anthony but I do'nt want to lose 1 of your bear-friends from GHS.Some people might think that you are serious about knocking the Hawks of St. Joe-this could start another controversy. Fran[your wife] went to St. Joe. At the Hollow,you were friendly with Big Bob Lojewski and his son[Bob Jr.] was a big star with the Hawks. You were probaly at the St. Joe-Providence game in the 60's when Providence had Len Wilkins and the Hawks had Bob McNeil-Villanova fans cheered for Providence. I did not like the disloyalty towards a Philly team. I always rooted for Nova against The Irish from South Bend. The brothers called me "Home Boy" for a reason. Incidentally,some good ball-players from CD went to Nova.
JBS[Schmitty] [11-17-2009]

To those at the mini Gtn. Reunion: Was there anyone there from the Germantown Boys Club? If so, who?
Old Germantowner, Over 60 [11-17-2009]

Tothe Nov.15th LaFontana "G" crowd: So glad that you all enjoyed yourselves,too. I am so sorry that I had to leave a little bit early, but the next time, I promise to stay and enjoy desert. Nice to get out like that once in awhile.Rosemarie, you have great friends. Hugs to all of you, Linda
Linda Fontana, Montgomeryville,Pa. [11-17-2009]

mary alice i had many a skinned knee from that darn surface in that school yard ... and your right in todays world we would never have been on it ... and if we were it wouldnt have been for long. rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-17-2009]

joe taylor sorry if you thought there really was a picture ... but, just one in my mind .. ha! miss katherine if you remember her and granny from the beverly hillbillies are very similar in stature and personalities ...except granny was a fictious character where miss katherine was the "real mccoy" . too bad you didnt make the lunch yesterday at the cafe la fontana in hatboro ... it was a very nice time and good to be able to place a face with the name ...rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-17-2009]

tommy collela good to see you and your wonderful wife lin yesterday ... i hope we can do that again ... it was fun and the memories were great ...rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-17-2009]

hi anonymous, i was born and raised on mechanic st., in the 30s. went to holy rosary and little flower. i may be a dreamer but they're all good memories. two words to gerry. "grow up".
DREAMER [11-17-2009]

helen leone deangelo it was soooooo good to see you and jimmy and susan ... what good memories when we spoke yesterday of days gone by ... you all look great ... really! i hope we can do that again .. my hat is off to linda fontana this was her idea and a good one for sure and it was nice meeting her after have so many conversations with her ... in fact it was nice to match the faces with the all of people who i interact with via this site and e mails ... rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-17-2009]

Does anyone remember the little store next to Holy Rosary school? I think it was called Bambine's. They had great tomato pies, and meatball sanwiches, and the best hoagie's you ever tasted.
John DiRenzo [11-17-2009]

hi mary alice i fully agree with you ... miss katherine was definitely sadistic and even though i fared better than most in her class i was sincere when i said before that i would tremble whenever she would walk down the aisles. i was scared of her thats for sure not only because of what she did to my sister but what she did to most of the children in that classroom ... and i was not totally left out when it came to her wrath .. believe me i got it from her quite a few times but not as much as most of my classmates did ...rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-17-2009]

S.Zimmerman...you were so kind, and sweet on sunday at LaFontana's. I hope I get to chat with you in the future. I am so glad that I had the chance to sit next to you. Linda "F"
L.Fontana, Montgomeryville, Pa. [11-16-2009]

Gerry, I think everyone on this site just wishes you'd give it 'a rest'..God bless anyone who completed high school at all, no matter where they went. Back in those days most schools were comparable. take care/ and have a nice life, Anon. Fem.
anonymous [11-16-2009]

Okay, let's all stop, take a deep breath, and reflect on the nicer things in life...I had an awesome time this past sun. at LaFontana's with some of the most wonderful people of 'G"town/ whom I didn't know before entering that place for lunch. Rosemarie, Erda, Helen, Susan, and so many others, inc. Jim Kulick..were all attractive, and very congenial... we talked about those 'good old day's in the fifties/ sixties, etc. the movie theaters that we could remember and all the fine walks to "G" town and Chelten to shop. Who cares if we went to public or Cathoic High's? The most important thing was getting together for a great time, and we did JUST that. Thank you all for welcoming me to your table, and hopefully we can do it again, for the Holidays. Ciao for now, Linda Fontana P>S> Anthony "G" you missed out on this one.
L.Fontana, Montgomeryville, Pa. [11-16-2009]

Hatboro's LaFontana restaurant was the place to be on Sunday afternoon for a mini Germantown reunion. The delightful 11 that showed up had a nice lunch and met or reaquainted with old friends. I was especially happy to meet Linda and Rosemarie. God bless you all.
HELEN LEONE D'ANGELO [11-16-2009]

linda fontana just want to say what a wonderful time i had yesterday (sunday) everyone there brought back such great memories of growing up in germantown ... it was nice to see the hollow, brickyard, east germantown, nicetown and cowtown represented .... all good and all happy i hope we can do this again at some point in time ... take care, rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-16-2009]

dreamer, who are you, i don't answer to anyone, who cannot give his or her name.
anonymous [11-16-2009]

Peggy James Servay ---In my mother’s album at home in Penna., we still have a few photos of the boy scout camps with your father in the camp wearing his campaign hat (type like State Troopers) I still see that image often. Under your fathers leadership, I felt that Troop 170 was the best and the sharpest group around. As a group we used the troop neckerchief of blue with a white trim, then each patrol had neckerchiefs in their own colors--all these gotten from Canada to make us unique. At camp, each scout had a patrol color hiking staff, the patrol leaders and assistants also wore the campaign hats. Your father was a quiet and effective leader, who by his talks and example was instilling morals, good manners and citizenship to all of us in the troop. One time at camp he told the story of another group of scouts walking past a motorist on the road who had a flat tire on his car---it turned out that this was a set up by the camp leaders to see which group would help someone in distress and by so doing get points for prizes ---but your father added that we should be helping people who need our help all the time, not just for rewards---but because it is the right thing to do.
Jack McHugh [11-16-2009]

To the Hollow Guy....There was a lot of shootings at the Hollow 50 years ago;not with guns,but with our mouths.Also,a lot of shooting craps....Paul Borian
Paul Borian [11-16-2009]

"You are taking this so personal I bet your last name begins with "Mc". It's probably Gerald Mc".. Anthomy Q, I hope this isn't intended as an ethnic slur. Is it necessry to resort to that??? St. Mike's and Holy Rosary were established as Italian national parishes. With parishes back then, geographical boundaries were strictly enforced by the pastors (not so today). Seems they also enforced that ethnic rule, directing Italian families to join Holy Rosary or St. Mike's. I also heard a similar story with IC, directing Italian families to HR, which surprised me as there were Italians-decents in the parish and school. Me personally, I stop at calling that discriminatory. Back in the day, pastors were territorial. Maybe the pastors of Holy Rosary and St. Mike's would have been angry if those other parishes accepted that Italian family as members. You just don't know.... Along the territorial lines, I remember hearing there was friction back then between IC and the Shrine. The Shrine is within IC boundaries. It was just more convenient for many living near the Shrine to attend Mass there, contributing to the Shrine's collection basket rather than IC's. All about money..... True or not, that is what I heard.
Dennis McGlinchey, Born & raised in East Germantown [11-16-2009]

Steve Donahoe - you can only go back in your memories. Sounds like you have not been back to Germantown in quite awhile. It is very different..... Yo posted some nice memories though.
Dennis McGlinchey, Born & raised in East Germantown [11-16-2009]

I didn't realize until just now that there was a serious public/parochial school match in progress on this site, with some ethnic barbs thrown in. As far as which education was superior, it must be parochial because anyone can spell 'public' but I had to look in the dictionary to see why my original spelling of 'parachiol' didn't look right. Got it?! Harder word to spell means better education. As far as the ethnic stuff.....sing along with me, "All you need is love; love is all you need, love is all you need, love is all you need..."
Bill James, NC son of a GHS mother & South Philly High father [11-16-2009]

Paul Borian[Bor]: I connected with your laudable comments about Germantown High. You and Sonny Kennedy went to GHS and went to Villanova and Rider respectively-very good Universities. I knew many guys who went to GHS-Eric Wiener,Packard Boxley,Allen Turner etc. and they turned out well. You were friendly with Bill Cosby- I heard that he did well. Dan Hartnett graduated from GHS and he is very profound and literate. The McHugh brothers graduated from GHS,and Joe McHugh had one of the finest homes in Chestnut Hill. Jack Smith,the only guy to make All-Inter-Ac,All-Catholic and ALL-Public and one of the greatest soccer-coaches in Philadelphia graduated from that great school on High Street. My aunt[Marguerite Schmitt] was in the first graduating class and she loved GHS and remained friends with her classmates for nearly 80 years-she did not smoke or drink and avoided stress. I am fortunate to have many friends from CD and GHS-including you. Off the court and athletic field,you were a friendly and decent guy and have done well in life-GHS had a positive impact on you.
JBS[Schmitty] [11-16-2009]

What does it matter what school any of us attended? We all turned out pretty good. Anthony G, please don't stop sharing your thoughts. Everybody has so much to contribute to this site and should feel free to do so.
Sheila [11-16-2009]

Hey Gerry,this one's for you;Fight on fight on for Germantown,plunge forward with that ball,just dig right in,we're going to win,our bears will never fall,beat CD!.....Paul Borian
Paul Borian [11-16-2009]

JBS(Schmitty).....Too bad your illegal block on Tom Pyne did not tear up his ACL.Perhaps,you should have kicked his gulyones. By the way,who is this Gerry guy? He appears to be a real strap.Most of us received a good education from the public,catholic and private schools.We had a lot of good times and great friendships.I do think that the private schools such as St.Joe's,LaSalle,GA,Penn Charter,etc had a slight edge in the academics.Also,back in my days,in the 50's,the catholic and private schools had better athletic teams.But,we public leaguers fought hard and kicked some ass. Most importantly,many of us have been successful in game of life.By the way,being a Nova grad,the Jesuits were the bad guys.The Hawk is dead!
Paul Borian [11-16-2009]

Joe Taylor, It was an imaginary visual in our minds. Rosemarie said that Miss Katherine reminded her of Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies. Rosemarie, You and Jimmy McKernan were lucky. It is because of her treatment of people like your sister and my brother that I disliked her so. I felt she was very sadistic. One memory I do have about playing in St Vincent's schoolyard is playing with the mercury that was in the crevices of the grounds. The yard was like stones covered in a black tar, except it was was hard. Today people would be having a fit if they saw that mercury. Maryalice
Maryalice, Still in G'town [11-16-2009]

to JOHN DIRNNZO we lived on mechanic st between morten and magnolia we were in the same class at holy rosery.
pat sirianni, responce to john [11-16-2009]

JBS: Bruce, I never did get back to you, my apology. If you still would like to get together at the Porterhouse, how is next Friday 11/20 about 1pm? Maybe some other good Germantown folks will show up.
Dan Hartnett, Former East Germantown [11-16-2009]

Gerry: I am both of Irish descent and Catholic and am embarrassed by self righteous ignoramuses like you. I hope AnthonyG is broadminded enough to see you for the pimplehead that you are. By the way, how much time did you spend in Germantown High School to get such a bad opinion? I bet none. I went to both Catholic (Roman Catholic)and public schools, to be specific, Germantown High School and have lots of good things to say about both of them as a first hand witness. As Dennis McGlinchey put it so well, in those days Germantown was a very good school. Other than not having religion classes, the chief difference was that academic was optional in Germantown and not force fed, but it was there for any student who wanted to take it. They offered languages including Latin, excellent English classes as well as high level math and history and the teaching quality was high with mostly dedicated people. Believe it or not, they even offered a prayer and sometimes a scripture reading in home room and no one complained about it, not even the Jewish students. In case you hadn't noticed, Cardinal Dougherty went down hill very far in its later years. Dennis got that right too. Discipline and enforcement were very much in decline. This is because they bent over backwards to retain (by not offending) students in order to keep body count up so as to stay open. It didn't work. Many of the students weren't Catholic as most of the Catholics had moved away. How do I know all of this? My sister taught there and we had many discussions on exactly that. On another note, the Irish were persecuted and discriminated against in very bad ways early in the century. My mother told me stories of signs being posted outside of some companies that said "no Irish need apply". A good Italian friend of mine told me stories about the NINA signs. I didn't know what he was talking about. He explained it was "No Italians need apply". The point? Both went through the same thing only the Italians got it later because they came later. Thank God, those days are behind us and I hope we all know better. I can understand why Anthony feels the way he does because that stuff was around. Tell you what Gerry, go to an Italian language free translator website and look up "Tu sei un stronzo" because it applies to you.
Dan Hartnett, Former East Germantown [11-16-2009]

to tony braspennincx i whent to leeds in 1968 to 1969 and germantown high 1969 to 1970 and leeds the homeroom teacher was mr yankawitz class 911
pat sirianni, responce to tony [11-16-2009]

Just want to say "way to post your thoughts," Rich, Rosemarie R, Dennis, Paul and anyone I may have missed and the responses you made to Gerry. Way to go. See if he has the time to address all of you. That will give him something to do and think long and hard about.
anthonyg [11-16-2009]

Steve D. did you want to hold those reunions on Wayne Ave. or Logan St.? The reunion at Williamsons had about 250 people and the Brickyard reunion had 175 in Wildwood. Besides the GCC which is private, where you going to have a reunion at in Gtn.
Germantown Outa Here, West Side [11-16-2009]

where can I find this picture of Miss Catherine that is mentioned here by Maryalice Brennan?? Would love to see it. Joe Taylor
joe taylor [11-14-2009]

GERMANTOWN - November 13, 2009 (WPVI) -- Police are investigating a fatal shooting in Philadelphia's Germantown section. The shooting happened at Wayne and Logan Avnues shortly before 7:00 p.m. Friday. Police found a man in his 20s with a gunshot wound to the head
Hollow Guy [11-14-2009]

Just one more thing I want to say Gerry and I will not stoop to your level ever again. You are taking this so personal I bet your last name begins with "Mc". It's probably Gerald Mc......
anthonyg [11-14-2009]

This site is becoming a real battleground and it is a shame that it is drifting away from it's real purpose. If people don't agree they can state that in a much more civil matter instead of acting like an idiot. I won't be coming back on here very often. This is the exact same reason why I left before.
anthonyg [11-14-2009]

Yes Rosmarie, Miss Catherine did remind us of Granny.
anthonyg [11-14-2009]

Hey Gerry you finally came out from under your rock. Lynne was right in correcting you. The definition of mettle is"quality of temperament and spirit and courage." Get a dictionary. You did use the wrong word. Yes I will stand by what I wrote. That is exactly what happened. I am not complaining, just stating facts. You know my mother lived right across the st from St. Vincent's but she was not able to attend that school because of her ethnic background. She had to walk blocks to get to Holy Rosary. Only those of Irish descent were able to attend that school. And that is exactly the way the student got back into CD. I am proud to be a graduate of Germantown High. I don't have to throw stones at people like you do to get my point across. People like you are one of the reasons I stopped visiting this site. I wasn't even going to until someone gave me a heads up on your lunatic rants again. You are the one that needs to get a life.
anthonyg [11-14-2009]

To Pat Sirianni, I think i remember you. did you and your sister go to any of these schools?
tony braspennincx, im am 55 years of age went to school at H,h.Housten-leeds and germantown high [11-14-2009]

Paul Borian[Bor]:There has been a lot of commentary about Catholic Education in recent blogs and you posited a rhetorical question about life at LaSalle and The Prep back in the day.The Jesuits were founded by Ignatius De Loyola-a military general. The learning environment was very structured and the teachers could be intimidating and daunting-they were bright. Nobody could compare to Knobby Walsh and Black John from North. You met many of my friends from The Prep including Lou Pauzano and Rev. George Bur S.J. with whom I had lunch at Rembrandt's. Lou is a reserved gentleman but he encouraged me to make a financial contribution to The Prep-his nickname is "The Arm".At the Prep,Lou was in a class[1-D] across from me[1C] and his classmate[Big Bill DeLong] was acting up and my teacher a Jesuit by the name of Tom Pyne runs across the corridor and decks the kid. Tom Pyne was a former Navy-boxer and 6 ft-3 in. I was friendly with a guy by the name of Matt McCloskey, and one day,Macho Tom Pyne calls on me and I froze. He snarls at me and tells me to answer the question. Matt who sat in front of me,whispers the answer. Tom Pyne runs down the row and I thought that he was going to pick me up and hang me up on the coat-rack and I would resemble the Crucifix on the wall. He picks up Matt in his beautiful Harris-Tweed and yells at him to never give out answers to an unprepared student. Both of us,should have been excused to go to the bathroom if you know what I mean.Matt and I rarely talked after that encounter. We are friends and he came to Ludmila's Funeral.In that same clas,Pat Sweeney[East Germantown] sat to my left and he was not particularly fond of Tom Pyne.After we finished Freshman Year,we had a class picnic at The Jersey Shore. We were playing touch-football on the beach and Tom Pyne's team kicks off to us. Tom P. puts a Gino Marchetti move on Pat Sweeney-Pat staggered and Pyne has a smirk on his face. I blind side him with a clip to the knees and he falls to the sand. He was shocked and we were cusing each-other under our breath. I learned that maneuver from playing football at the Hollow. Rowland[Mole] Adamoli would try to block The Goo with that type of move. This guy was a good teacher and he left The Jesuits to marry a pretty young-thing. You went to Germantown High and also Catholic Colleges. In the future,I would like to comment on your Alma-Mater on High Street.
JBS[Schmitty] [11-14-2009]

To Gerry: I don't know your generation, but in mine (50s, 60s), there was a lot of Anti-Italian prejudice even among the clergy. This was discussed some time back on this site when we were blogging about the Monsignor at St. Francis and his overt prejudice. Also, I mentioned that my parish in Overbrook tried to counter this prejudice with discussions during class praising the culture, music and art of Italy. So don't say this didn't happen - it was very prevalent back in the day and is a blot on the Catholic Church for permitting it.
Rosemarie Rinaldi [11-14-2009]

Gerry..Whats your problem? All you want to do is start a fight over nothing. You act like a kid in the playground saying my school is better than yours. I went to GHS before CD was opened so how does that read on your smart meter, since you seem to be a know it all. I think you should be the one to get a life.
rich [11-14-2009]

Wow Gerry, that was a post that required a shot of bourbon afterwards! Sort of reminded of this guy that posts on the CD message board on Classmates who insults and antagonizes everyone and everything, but I don’t think that wasn’t your intent there. While I would have to agree with you that CD is and was a better school, than Germantown HS, you really need to look at time periods. Germantown HS was a fine school with strict academic and disciplinary standards through the 50s, into the 60s. It’s been downhill since and an absolute mess today. Gratz’s decline probably started sooner. Olney HS was a wonderful school into the 70s, but its decline was fierce and fast and is one of the most violent and under-performing HS’s in the city today. Same with Roxborough HS, a wonderful HS going into the 80s, a mess today, but not as bad as Germantown, Olney or Gratz. Even CD isn’t immune to the changing of the times. A couple years ago, I saw videos on YouTube taken by a CD student, of CD students. I was shocked at the language, the grammar, the unruliness ­ one on the bus stop, another in the school yard where you could see teachers, so all was going on within their earshot. That was an eye-opener for this CD alum, because that was not how I remember CD in my time (1970s). And, the correcting of grammar on a blog like this is ridiculous. We all type fast and send it with little or no review. I’ve done quite a few Urkles after sending a post, “Did I write that????”…. It ’s accepted…. With Anthony G’s accusation, it could have happened as he told it. The religious were a different breed back in the day, to say the least. It was not unusual for the religious back then to treat folks differently. Maybe they didn’t like your look, your smirk, your attitude, a family member, whatever. Unless you were there and know the facts firsthand, even if what you hear in a post doesn't quite seem right, just let it go….
Dennis McGlinchey, Born and raised in East Germantown [11-14-2009]

Gerry....This is in response to your 11/12 post;Webb site stress can wreck your immune system,increase your blood pressure,and speed up aging.LOOSEN UP!..........P.S. I graduated from Germantown High School in 1956.Received a good education,made many friends,had a great social life,and many,many fond memories.The school and the neighborhood was as safe as any other Philly neighborhood.........Paul Borian
Paul Borian [11-14-2009]

Gerry, you do not need to attempt arrogance...you are arrogant! This wonderful site is not here for you to prove your fantasized superiority. The blogs are not written for you to grade. Surely you are bright enough to read between the misspellings and enjoy the content of the blogs. I must point out though, that most of the misspellings are written by parochial school graduates. lol But, so what? Who cares, really? High school is behind us and we're trying to just share memories here. Chill, Jerry...
anonymous [11-14-2009]

Someone asked me about Noble Tranzillie's Water Ice in Gtown. My Brother use to serve water ice/pretzels in front of Sylvie's Steak House at Haines and Belfield in the 60s. Is he still in business?
Ed, Chester, VA [11-14-2009]

Comment about what Gerry had to write about GHS and Catholic high schools I was shocked at what you wrote. Many of my high school friends were from public schools and catholic schools. YOU seem to forget that not everyone is Catholic and attended Catholic high school. Sure there were some outcasts who were in public high school AND there were some who could not stand the regimentation of catholic high school. You were lucky your parents could afford to send you to Catholic High School BUT did YOU really receive a CHRISTIAN education? To my high school friends, Ernie Dawe, Billy Van Horn, Monty Van Horn, Bobby Edwards, Tommy Zimmerman, Lee Harrison and many other "public" high school pals I salute you, students of public high schools.
Arlene McMahon [11-14-2009]

Lynne, Thank you for a true picture of how we got along with our friends regardless of what school we went to. I don't remember it being an issue then, and it certainly shouldn't be an issue now at our age. I also wanted to let you know that "mettle" is indeed a word. In my place of business we use several online dictionaries (Merriam Webster, The Free Dictionary, Business-Words). It is listed in all of them. Anthony G. You also have the right to voice what you truly believe to be fact. This is your opinion and you are certainly entitled to it without it being refuted by someone who was not there. I have no idea if you're right or wrong, but it's not my place to decide what the situation was. Gerry, In the middle of your ranting response you say "Please do not correct anyone for misspelling or grammar. It does not show you are at all educated." I believe this entire spelling/grammar fiasco started with you correcting Anthony G. for his misuse of the word principal. You seem very angry at anyone with a difference of opinion. I don't think this forum is the place to get overly critical of others. I hope we can let this go and get back to the interesting and just plain funny things that happened to us growing up in G-Town. I pray that your spirituality will help you to speak to people with less venom in your heart.
anonymous [11-14-2009]

Yes, everything Bob Teranova posted concerning mini strokes is right on the money. High blood pressure is labeled as the "silent killer", as it can strike without warning. Controlling it is quite simple, and can be done with medication, proper diet and exercise, not to mention taking the aspirin. Everyone should have their blood pressure checked frequently, especially those carrying a few extra pounds, even if its at one of those machines found at most drug stores.
John Fleming, Tampa Bay, Florida [11-14-2009]

jbs.Spring Lake is a beautiful place to meet for lunch. I just need a heads up so i can arrange my work schedule. I love having small GTN reunions. This Saturday Bodie Howard's daughter Erin got married and Dave Glancy, Tom Lynch. Charlie Durkin and Kevin/denny McCarthy as well as Mizzie were at our table.I laughed my ass off all night. Bodie was very tippsy and funny.I have not seen him in that state for 20 years! Do you know that Louie Pauzano was in my brother George's class at St. Mike's??His family were close friends of my parents and lived directly across the street from Lou's pharmacy. I recall that Lou was one of the first people to buy property in Queen's Village before the boom and yuppie invasion in the 60's or 70's. I was closer to his brother Al who as we all know ducked the bullet recently with a liver transplant. Thank God. Your loyality to the St. Joe's/ Jesuit tradition is very admirable.Keep in touch if you are planning a lunch and I'll try to attend.Take care. Bob Terranova
bob terranova, lbi,nj [11-14-2009]

Pat, that must have been on the other side of Morton st. I didn't venture down there often.
John DiRenzo [11-14-2009]

WOW, I can't imagine what kind of response "Anthony G." is going to give to Gerry....after reading his recent comments re: CD. Vs. GHS.. Anon-FEM
anon [11-14-2009]

Is germantown now a combat zone. Why are all the reunions held elsewhere. When I lived there it was fun all the time. Looking at the lights at connie mack stadium from atop of Fern Hill park. Even swimming back the creek near Walnut Lane and Johnson st. Going down the ave. going to vernon fair. not even to mention becoming the greatest basketball and soccer player at the Boy s Club. going sleding on tommie s hill. also going on boys day swimming at Waterview. and also swimming at the Boy s club. Al,so to mention a few places Duva s,Fitler school,the I C carnival, the fair at St Francis,the famous Pulaski Back Sox Baseball team, also Cowtown, P and M, Bluebell,the Hollow and Big Bob, all the movie houses, the Walton, Orpheun, Rialto, Band Box, New Lyric. Let s all go back and do it again
Steve Donohoe, 61 Germantown all the way [11-14-2009]

hi mary alice i was one of the lucky ones but my older sister was not ... miss katherine would pick on her constantly and even told her she was not allowed to bother with our cousins whom we lived with and miss katherine knew this. one day miss katherine actually slapped my sister in the face because she was playing with our cousin in the school yard during recess .... my sister passed away the following year and i suppose miss katherines guilt over what she put my poor sister through ... made her go to the other extreme with me even going so far as buying me pretzels and juice or chocolate milk and allowing me to get away with a lot. she did tell our mother that she was sorry for being so hard on my sister but she felt that my cousins were bad kids (can you believe that) and was only trying to help my sister from becoming like them ... geez ! rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-14-2009]

Hey Gerry, your remarks about CD being better than GHS reminds me of when we were little kids and we'd say that my father can beat up your father. Let's face it, it's what you put into it, that you get out of it. Period!
Educator, GHS vs CD [11-14-2009]

I was born on Magnolia ave in 1952. Then when I was 4 years old, we moved to Stafford st. benind the Knights of Columbus.Lived there until I was 14 then moved to the far northeast and went to school at Ryan and Washington. Went to college at the Boston Architectural Center.
John DiRenzo [11-12-2009]

we lived on mechanic st. from 1956 to 1961 next to a junk yard in a single house.we rented.it was a great place to grow up.
pat sirianni, 57 living in nw phila. whent to holy rosery [11-12-2009]

Bob Teranova: I want to thank you for the astute medical advice which I and baby boomers on this site can utilize. My sister Joan just had a Mini-stroke and is recovering. I will pass your comments to your former colleague. I liked your blog about Joe Quenan,the great satirist and writer who went to my Alma Mater[St. Joe]. Your friends,Joe DeAngelo,Dave Glancey,Frank[All very literate and superb writers]-all graduates of that excellent Jesuit Institution. Tomorrow,I am having lunch with Rev. George Bur S.J. and Lou Pauzano-my former Prep classmates. I was fortunate to attend this great Catholic Institution and have so many Prep friends-loyal and real. It pained me to hear these terrible stories emanating from your old Alma Mater[North]. My older brother[Cactus Jack] went to North[57] and had a bad altercation with Knobby Walsh. My Irish mother saved him from getting expelled-my brother always spoke with a forked-tongue and had a wise-guy grin. He knew some really tough guys and he thoght some of the teachers at North were too macho and were all talk. Like Larry Rinaldi,he liked Pete P.,the big Football player. I know that there were some great teachers at North-your friends did well there. Bob DeAngelo made some comments which provoked some interesting reactions. I wonder how Bob's brothers are doing-Joe and Tony. It would be great to get together with the DeAngelo Brothers or some of your friends from Fernhill. I see that Tom Cusack[the dancing machine] is now blogging on this site and I am still buddies with Pat McIlhinney after a few years. I like to hang out in The Spring Lake area which is equi-distant from Princeton and LBI-we do'nt have to talk about religion.
JBS [11-12-2009]

Lynne, I, and other graduates of CDHS, would all agree that CD was a superior school to Germantown HS . Most from Germantown know it was superior and that is a fact. GHS was, after all, the dumping ground for students de-selected from the non-public schools. All social researchers would say schools differ widely in their value and achievement results. I know a friend who taught at GHS and he was mugged not once, but twice, going to his car after school by students at the high school. We know this because they were arrested and found guilty. I personally witnessed out of control fights after GHS let out on Germantown Ave. I do not think your views are credible-ask graduates here. Second, Lynne, the critique of "metal" is invalid. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (the official dictionary of the English language). There is no word that you infuse into your correction as “mettle”. I assume you speak English? Get a life-This is also in response to the 'Female graduate of the Academy'. But you are all missing the substantive point in my critique. It is that Anthony G. charged "discrimination" towards not only a priest-but the head of the high school. A very serious accusation which he passes as having acceptance by readers on this site . I strongly disagree. He believes he was not allowed back to school after he screwed up just because his name ends in a vowel- this is his stupid explanation. I do not buy it; and he, like many other "failures", is searching for a rationalization of his poor behavior. He must have done something bad-and he admits he did-so why is he complaining? Because some "Mc" got back in he says! Please do not correct anyone for misspelling or grammar. It does not show you are at all educated. Come on bloggers: which school was best CD or GHS? That question needs little reflection in my view-it is like comparing Simon Gratz High with Saint Joe's Prep or Central High. No contest. LOL! I am not trying to be insensitive or arrogant but when some acknowledged "failure" accuses my principal of violating his 14th Amendment rights I get interested and inquisitive. Anthong G., you shamed your family and you were treated accordingly-do not try to revision that history by blaming the churchmen who tolerated your abuses. Be a man and accept you were wrong. After 50 years you are sadly full of anger when you were clearly wrong. Some advice…there is redemption in acknowledging your wrongs and forgiving those who you feel wronged you. And yes, I am a spiritual man.
Gerry [11-12-2009]

To all my fellow Vets, Happy Veterns Day to you and have a beer today for the guys who didn't make it back.
Dave Byrne [11-12-2009]

Bonnie, thinking of your Dad & all the water ice we bought from him. Is that true that Ralph passed on?? What a GREAT place to grow up!
Joe Melchiorre, 62 years young, live in Phoenixville, PA [11-12-2009]

OMG Rosemarie, I love the picture of Miss Catherine as Granny. ROTFLMAO. I really, really, disliked her. The first day I walked into her class, she started to berate me because of my brother. She was extremely cruel to him. Made him knell in the back of the class for an entire day because he did not perform to her expectations. As an adult we learned that my brother was dyslexic and had ADD. She thought he wasn't trying hard enough. Anyhow she was already winding up to get on me before she knew anything about me as a student. Luckily I was a fairly good student but the whole year she would make derogatory remarks about my brother. Fortunately Erda did not have her. Maryalice
Maryalice Armstrong Brennan, Still in G'town [11-12-2009]

i would like to hear from anyone who lived on magnolia ave., mechanic st., high st and /or haines in the 50's.
DREAMER [11-11-2009]

jbs. thanks for what i took as an invite for lunch.I would love to participate in the discussion but doubt that i could make it during the week. I'll just share this with you and you can pass it on to all our members of the GTN family of aging baby boomers.To reduce the risk of stroke we need strict control of high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and other risk factors liking smoking and drinking excessively,also exercise and take aspirin 81mg or 325mg. that's it. the rest is up to our genes.take care bruce. Bob terranova
bob terranova, lbi,nj [11-11-2009]

anthony g correct me if im wrong ...but i just had an image of miss katherine and who i think she reminds me of ... oh my gosh im sorry but she reminds me of granny on the beverly hill billies ... just a little ! rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-11-2009]

Rosemarie hite Malageri: I have not been into work for one wk, now. Out with a leg injury. Just returned today. I did not make reservations, but will call. I don't think that many people are coming, last count I only had about five. No one has let me know, except for (some of your friends,) which is great. If I can walk, I'll be there, but if I am limping, due to this injury...I'll let you know. I sprained my leg muscle...doing something dumb..now I have to pay the price, like the sports guys do. ha ha Hope to see you there on sun. at 1:30 for lunch..even if it is just 'us'. ha
L.Fontana, Montgomeryville, Pa. [11-11-2009]

Sally Moore Quinlan: I am extremely upset at your comments directed towards me.I would NEVER 'trash' anyone. I loved many of the nuns who taught me in both grade school and High School. You used both my name and my school on this site to 'vent' at me. Now, I understand why people sign on here as 'Anon.' I am so very annoyed I can't even find the right words to express my anger right now. You also went onto my work site and told me that you wrote this...please do NOT do that, again. thank you. I received a terrific education from some of the harsh nuns, they were only like that so that you would, in fact, "LEARN" / and not just breeze through school. The word 'trash' is insulting to me, personally, when connected to a verbal onslaught..re-read what I wrote and you may understand what I was trying to convey. Don't think I will write anything here for awhile, now I know how Anthony G. may feel. Linda "F"./P>S> 'Miss Sally" I think you may have sat next to me in choir, when I was in my Freshman Yr., you were in your Senior Yr. Sr. Anne DeLourdes taught that class.
L.Fontana, Montgomeryville,Pa. [11-11-2009]

anthony g it doesnt sound to me like it mattered whether you kept your mouth shut or not since you lived next door to the convent! you my friend couldnt win for losing ha! rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-11-2009]

There are a few St. Francis of Assisi alums (class of '71 and '72) getting together this Sunday at Kildare's in King of Prussia at 1:00. If interested call me at (484) 682-9850 or e-mail at mtbuchanan@comcast.net or just drop by. Mike.
Mike Buchanan, Kennett Township, PA [11-11-2009]

linda fantana looking forward to sunday ... did you make a reservation and is it in your name or "germantowners" and if you have heard from people do you have an idea of how many of us there will be ... ha hope to see you and many others as well ....rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-10-2009]

Dan Hartnett: Set a date for lunch at the Porterhouse in LaHaska across from Peddler's Village.Possibly,some of the old-heads might show up. I will have to read-up on Aquinas and St. Augustine to to be able to dialogue with you about theological and profound topics. Bob Teranova should join us-we can help him philosophically and he can educate us on avoiding a TIA[mini-stroke]. Dan! You graduated from Germantown but it is a tragedy what is happening to North and CD. Many great bloggers graduated from those 2 aforementioned Catholic Institutions.
JBS [11-10-2009]

And Rosemarie that is exactly how it was. When you got in trouble in school you never went home and told your mother or father because you know they would have punished you more and told you, "you probably deserved it." I kept my mouth shut.
anthonyg [11-10-2009]

Very well put Lynne. You really laid it all out to Gerry.
anthonyg [11-10-2009]

I received wonderful education from the public school system.
anonymous [11-10-2009]

JBS-Good to hear from you after your brief hiatus, reading items you have done in the past I knew you like to travel so I just figured that you were on a brief trip. This web site is very fortunate to have the wealth of information that you possess, you are the spark for many of us readers. Funny that you asked about my thoughts on the Phila. sport teams because about six weeks ago I was talking to someone here and for no reason I just said that the Phillies will be in the world series--there was no thinking on my part just the mouth going faster than the mind, it was just that local pride coming forth---little did I know that they would be there. I hope the next time I get up there I will be able to join you and Dave Byrne for a drink at your favorite place and talk about these events. I was a student for three years at North and then my final year at Germantown HS because I felt that North was too far to send the students of St Francis. At the time I did a little study of the distance and traveling time for myself to North Catholic and Cardinal Dougherty ----North was 1 mile more and 15 more minutes of time traveling--more or less, well at least from the part of Germantown we lived in, we would travel on the H or XH bus to the end of the line of the 56 trolly, interesting these trollies were 2 men crew with the money collector in the center. Anyway I felt St. Francis should be going to Doughtery---which years later they did change. So in my third year I went to talk to the administration at North and asked them if I could go to Dougherty- It took me quite a while to get the nerve to go and talked to them (I think it was Fr. Tocik or Fr. Conlin but I’m not sure) He was very nice and explained it was the Archdiocese’s rules, which I understood. So that is why I landed in Germantown HS but I was not anywhere as smart a student as my brother Joe. At North I remember reading what was on each of the trophies, the older ones were more interesting because in many cases they listed all the members of the team plus special catch phrases such as, the winning pitch that..... or with 5 seconds to go.... So there was no doubt about it, North was a Powerhouse for many years in various sports. I would go to the library and go through the old yearbooks and by just looking at those photos of the past teams I could understand and actually feel the esprit de corps that made them what they were. I notice that some yearbooks were missing, so asking the librarian about them she told me that they were taken by students but that they had a complete set locked up. I think of that now and wonder what they will do with items like the yearbooks and the trophies, some of the trophies were pure silver. Many a student shed more than a drop of blood or a tear drop in the events that won the school those prizes, they are part of history and each one of us is a part of that history. I’m now thinking--what happen to those items from the other schools that have passed along this same path. I can tell from just reading the blogs of others that even if we didn’t attend Dougherty or North, we knew others that did, Their stories and the various names and events they told us about have been pressed into our soul and we never forgot them as they are part of us, so with the closing of both schools we are losing part of ourselves.
Jack McHugh [11-09-2009]

hi jimmy mckernan my cousins went through the same thing with miss kathrine .... as i suppose most everyone did who had older brothers and sisters who passed through her class before them ... and ... i think that a lot of the nuns and teachers did the same thing ...ha! but, as i said i did like her in spite of her stern looks and eyes in the back of her head ... good to hear from you jimmy ... i hope all is well! rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-09-2009]

Gerry, I think it was rather rude and insensitive of you to say that Germantown High School never was and never will be a step above CD. There were so many elementary schools and high schools that we all went to from Germantown. Most of my friends were as proud of their high school as we were of ours. In the end, whether we were at a dance, a party, or even down the shore, we always gravitated to other people from Germantown. It didn't matter what part of Germantown you were from or what school you went to, we all stuck together and had each others back. I loved my school, I had a great time there. I was respectful of my teachers and was respected by them. I got a good education and was fully prepared for the outside world and the future. I didn't have to get whacked over the head to learn any lesson. One of the great things about this site is the fact that we can all relate to each other on many levels. We are meeting old friends and making new ones, because we have the common bond of all growing up in a great place. I realize that there are other neighborhoods in Philly, but I think that we are unique in the fact that from upper Germantown Avenue to Wayne Junction and from East Germantown to West Germantown, we were, and still are friends. Remember that we're not all perfect, and you see plenty of words spelled incorrectly, as well as typos. So what. You incorrectly used the word "metal" instead of "mettle" when speaking of the rules Anthony G. did not follow. so you see, even us public school kids learned grammar Let's not demean each other. We have far too many interesting thoughts to share.
Lynne [11-09-2009]

Jack Focose, what happened to you, Mike Bresnan from Belfield
Mike Bresnan [11-09-2009]

Hi Peggy, Lost your phone number. How are you doing? Maryalice Armstrong Brennan
Maryalice Brennan, Still in GErmantown [11-09-2009]

I was very sad to read Linda Fontana's trashing of the nuns at Cecilian Academy. I keep in contact with most of my classmates and some from other years. We all have wonderful memories. We laugh at some of the episodes that happened with the nuns. I stress that we laugh. Cecilian will always be in our hearts.
Sally Moore Quinlan, Cecilian Academy 1962 [11-09-2009]

is there anyone out there that graduated from holy rosary in 1952?
DREAMER [11-09-2009]

Hey Greg Striano do you remember me. I'm Dominic ( Harpo ) milione's nephew. They used to call me " Little Johnny " or " Little Harpo ". I used to hang with Donnie " Ears " and Ricky Hart ( Rollie's brother )
John DiRenzo [11-09-2009]

JBS: I am up for lunch with a group of former Germantowners. I am available on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays any week starting 11/16. If no one has a suggestion, maybe Chamber's in Doylestown or The Porterhouse which is a brewpub on Rt. 202 going into Peddler's Village (great burgers). However, I'll go anywhere.
Dan Hartnett, Former East Germantown [11-09-2009]

Peggy James Servay ... I was in your father's boy scout troop 170 .. really a nice person and ran a good scout organization ... my father, Joe Cusack, ran the cub scout pack at St. Francis and I believe knew your father.
Tom Cusack [11-09-2009]

Has anyone graduated from Holy Rosary in 1967
John DiRenzo [11-09-2009]

Hi, Peggy: I was a Boy Scout 50s and your father was my Scout Master. Troop 170, right? I became a patrol leader and went to those Friday night meetings in the basement of St. Francis religiously. Your dad was a great man and a great influence on me as a kid. He had a quiet leadership quality. I stopped being a Boy Scout when I was 14, but up until that time the camping trips with Sonny Kennedy, Gene McKelvey, Gavin Muir, the Goldman brothers and the notorious Panther Patrol with Henry Clemmer, and the Frankie Maier meant lots of real adventure and fun. We camped out for long periods of summer and winter and went to Treasure Island Boy Scout Camp up on the Deleware. Thanks for reminding me of your father. He was a great man.
John Brogan, Maine man [11-09-2009]

I would like to hear from anyone who lived on 5000 block of Keyser Street or in the general area.I lived there from 1947 to 1970. My dad ran the boys scout troop at St. Francis.
Peggy James Servay, grandmother of 7 /lives in Burholme/ still working full time/age 64/went to mSt.Francis of Assisi graduated fron grade school1959/Little Flower 1963. [11-07-2009]

Hello Tom Cusack...it's Max. I'm having my leftover chicken for dinner tonight. Smiles! I browsed through the archives, as you suggested. What was your average last night? Just curious.
Max, Former Germantownian, Manheim & Greene Sts [11-07-2009]

tom cusac i enjoyed your stories of the germantown dances. it must have been so hard for the guys to ask the girls to dance and risk being turned down in front of everyone. i never realized how brave it was just to walk across a room and tap someone on the shoulder. to all the young, idealistic, horny young men, hats off to ya!
HELEN LEONE D'ANGELO [11-07-2009]

Rosemarie...greetings from an old friend. Miss Catherine..wow! The only lay teacher I recall from my time (1950-1959) at St. Vincent De Paul Grammar School. I carried her bags/books home a few days. She lived near the corner of Germantown Ave and Penn Street next to the shop. She was a spinster, and a lovely teacher-though, as some have observed, peculiar. I think it was second grade she taught...I recall her preparing us for our First Communion. She would hold out a cup of hosts taking one in her fingers like the priest and ask us..."What is this"? We had to respond "The body of Christ" which seemed weird to a young lad...then she dropped her eyelid looked at me (Jasus there were 65 pupils in the room) and said McKernan's brother would not eat it last year! Don't be like him. So we ate this wafer of bread thinking we were eating Christ-it still puzzles me. But she taught us how to tell time. Do any recall the clock with the paper dials that she would wind up and say "What time is it"? And, she taught us a lot more..God Bless her
Jim McKernan, Professor North Carolina [11-07-2009]

anthony g im sure you will agree .... the nuns and priest were right whether they were wrong or right and their word was law and it extended to your parents .. and not only did you catch heck in the class room for whatever the infraction but then you would get it again when you got home ... ha! rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-07-2009]

joe taylor ooooh ...soooo you knew there were actually eyes in that bun too ...ha! i loved st vincents and have mostly good memories of the time spent there most of my nuns were not tooo bad and although there were a couple who would smack real hard before asking questions i still wouldnt trade the time there for anything ...rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-07-2009]

Ed, well said. To attack typos is pathetic. They all got the message but did not like the truth.
anon [11-06-2009]

rosemarie: You mentioning Miss Catherine sure brought back a memory or 2. joe Taylor
joe taylor [11-06-2009]

Bette B.- The Pennyslvania Magazine of History & Biography lists the address of the Thones Kunder house as 4537 Main St. (now Germantown Ave.), located "one door north of Danenhower's Lane (Wister Street). My great-great-grandfather moved into the rebuilt house and establsihed his barber shop there in 1860. The 1900 Census lists the address as 5044 Main St.
yetanotheranonymous [11-06-2009]

Tom Cusack....You certainly made the rounds at the dance halls.You must have been one hell of a dancer.Tell me,was your dancing better than your moves on the basketball court? Did you ever dance on Bandstand? I was there once but never made it to the dance floor.My best moves were on the basketball court,not on the dance floor.You must have had a great time dancing with the stars(from Happy Hollow and Fernhill Park)........Paul Borian
Paul Borian [11-06-2009]

Yea Fran, he would get a full report and depending on what the nun told him, whichever grade it was, that determined whether I was in after school or could hit the streets. He was tough, but he had a big heart. And I remember your mom, that smiling face. My father couldn't touch me when she was around. She would always defend me. Where did the time go?
anthonyg [11-06-2009]

From reading the postings on this website, it has jogged my memory of growing up in late 50's early 60's ... I graduated LaSalle High in '58 ... as we all know, back in those days the weekly dances were the hub of social life (also known as boys looking for girls and vice versa) before you entered the night club stage ... no matter what area of Germantown you grew up in, I bet we rubbed elbows at some of these dances: St.Francis of Assisi on Saturday nights, LaSalle on Saturday nights, St. Joe's on Allegheny Avenue on both Friday and Sunday nights. Funny thing about St. Joe's dance .. on Friday nights guys were dressed in spread collars and peg pants, and on Sunday nights the same guys were dressed ivy league, with natural shoulder sport coats and button down collars. Reflects the two syles of dress at that time .. one on the way out and one on the way in. Plus there were some out-of-neighborhood dances I ventured into once or twice: St. Timothy's in the Northeast, Holy Family in Manayunk, St. John of the Cross in Roslyn. I never made it to Gelarts, Wagners, Chez Vous, nor St. Alice's. No matter what dance ... the rules were simple ... the guys had to suck it up and ask the girls to dance .. or else stand in the corner. I know .. I know .. the girls have a different perspective on this! I have fond memories of the dances .. the era before the night clubs. More on that later.
Tom Cusack [11-05-2009]

Bette B. - The address of the New Lyric theatre at Gtn. & Manheim was either 50** or 5101 Gtn. Ave. The place to the right was the "Dog House" which had the best hot dog in town for only .15cents with the works.
D., Saturday Matinee/ Lucky Pass Patron [11-05-2009]

hello linda fantana im just looking at the information on the restaurant la fantana we will be meeting in ... and it looks very nice and the pricing is not bad either. for those who donot know already ... the place is called cafe la fontana 58 s york road hatboro pa 19040 215 672 8118 i hope this helps anyone who is interested in joining us ... see you soon, rosemarie
ROSEMARIE HITE MALAGERI [11-05-2009]

Ok, some people misspell a word now and then, It's a blog! I jst cant belve sum flk.
Ed, Chester [11-05-2009]

Bucks County Gang: Dave Byrne[Fernhill] wants to get together for lunch,like Paul Borian,Dan Hartnett,and Dennis McGlinchey,he lives near Doylestown.One of you street-savy guys can select a date and a spot for lunch or breakfast in that area.
JBS [11-05-2009]

Yes, gerry, you want to attack someone who is only stating facts and you try to correct his use of words and can't even spell it correctly.
anonymous [11-05-2009]

Yea, Gerry, what is a prinicpal? I may have used the wrong word, but at least I spelled it correctly.
anthonyg [11-05-2009]

AnthonyG, I can visualize your dad waiting for the nuns. One day, I decided to stay home from school (LF)and told my mom. She warned me that if I did, she would not sign my note. Well when I wrote the note she refused to sign. The nuns caught me and questioned the signature. I stuck to my story; mom wrote it. They called her at home and she gave me heck for making her lie to a nun. I thought I'd never hear the end of it.
FrannyB [11-05-2009]

With North Catholic closing I remember in the 1950’s when because of the large number of students at North, St Francis of Assisi had a 9th grade (pre Cardinal Dougherty) As I recall the boys wore grey pants and a reddish maroon jacket. Even when I went to North in 1958 North still had an Annex at one of the parishes-but I believed that they closed it in one of the following years I was at North. In the beginning North wasn’t the high school that the students from St. Francis feed into, the students went to Roman and the public schools went to various Jr. highs, Gillespie being the one for the southwest area of Germantown. In the 1930’s and into the 40’s the students in the southwest part of Germantown close to Wayne Ave. went to Simon Gratz HS. As for the teachers at North, David Loscalzo was from Germantown he taught English, I want to tell 3 short stories of 3 teachers. First is Mr. Vito Parisi who taught music for string instruments, I took violin from him. I always felt sorry for him because he was relegated to one of the rooms in the stairwells, which I guess was made for maintenance supplies but because of overcrowding that was the only room left for him, plus he didn’t have many students. Well one day he play for us a beautiful song on the violin which he wrote. Afterwards I thought, what a marvelous piece, as great a work as any I have heard but how sad not many people have heard it, also thinking that most of the students here at North don’t even know this man let along his music. The 2nd story is about Mr. Thomas Hayes who taught English, I had him my first year. Like all teachers he would tell stories about himself, and his stories were on WWII where he served as an officer on Gen. Patton’s staff. Many students took these stories with a grain of salt until one Sunday night on TV when they had one of those programs with real film footage and who was sitting in the back of the jeep with Patton---our teacher. Well that monday he was the talk of the school. My third story is a little different, it was told to us in class by our Latin teacher. At that time at North they had men who were training to be priests in the order of the Oblates of St. Francis De Sales teaching classes, I believe we addressed them as Rev. Mr., besides teaching they were used to oversee jug (detention after school), Rev. Mr, Schelich told us that he had this one student who would not be in the detention 10 minutes when he would fall asleep and this happen 3 days in a row. The next day the student was there again---Jug was in the lunch room and at the front was a wooden platform where the moderator could view everything---there was a large clock on the wall behind them. R.Mr. Schelich in a low voice (he had a very loud normal voice) told the other students that he would let them leave if they did it quietly and did not wake the one boy---when all the boys were gone he went up to the clock and changed it’s time to around 6 PM--then turning off the lights walked up to the boys and in a soft voice said “son it’s late you better go home”---the boy looked up at the clock and then with his head down low walked to the door.
Jack McHugh [11-05-2009]

[John Fleming from Tampa Bay Florida are you retired from the PFD? D., Old Germantowner [11-03-2009]] No I am not, but I think I know the John Fleming you mean. Did he have red hair? I only know of him, because he and I, at one time or another dated the same girls,and the girls would ask me if I knew him. I have always admired the man's taste in women.
John Fleming, Tampa Bay, Florida [11-05-2009]

Bonnie: I lived on Knox Street between Logan and Wyneva. I remember you very well ... I was good friends with Ralph .. he was one of the nicest guys in the neighborhood ... and a good athelete ... not only QB for North Catholic but one heck of a basketball player also .. I regret hearing that he passed on .. I feel grateful to have been friends with him .. eveytime I have lemon italian water ice I think of your father .. I used to buy his from the side of your porch ... hope you are doing well .. this is a great website ...
Tom Cusack [11-05-2009]

To D.Oldtimer, since he didn't respond and may not be back anytime soon, that John Fleming that posted did not work for the PFD but was a Daily News deliver. He grew in Logan and went to CD.
Dennis McGlinchey, Born & rasied in East Germantown [11-05-2009]

Thought I'd clarify my recent blog where I mentioned that my sons speak fondly of how their father (Larry) raised them. He certainly didn't beat them like old carpets. He WAS strict in that he provided boundaries beyond which they better not go. More parents should do the same and stop worrying about restricting their kids or letting them get away with murder (sometimes literally). However, what I neglected to mention was that everything was done with unabashed love for our sons and Larry rarely had to use physical punishment, tho he did when nothing else worked. We gave them unlimited love and sometimes spoiled them, but they also knew how far they could go and when to cross the line. They have turned out great and are close and loving sons - we're so proud of them.
Rosemarie Rinaldi [11-05-2009]

Ok anonymous, let's end this. If any Happy Hollowers were offended by any of my posts, and if I "belittled" you (or the MANY as anonymous states) in any way, I apologize. Let's move on.....
Dennis McGlinchey, Born & raised in East Germantown [11-05-2009]

To Anthony G. I understood what you meant having the right name. I do beleive some discrimination was used.
Marie [11-05-2009]

Dan Hartnett: Thank you for the very kind words about my family and especially my dad. It's hard for me to believe that he died 40 years ago next month. We had just moved to Langhorne, Pa. because our home was taken by the School Board of Philly, to build MLK high school on Haines st. I was in my first year at Bucks County Community College and I was ready to enlist in the Air Force. I wasn't 18 years old yet, because my birthday was at the end of December. He died in his bed of a massive heart attack. My sister Lorraine and her husband Dan, lived right down the street and we had to call them at 3:30 a.m. to tell them we had just called the ambulance. He died just minutes later on the way to the hospital. I really believe he died of a broken heart having been taken from his old neighborhood on Haines st. He belonged to the Italian-American club on Devon st., the street where he grew up. We lived next door to his twin brother, Dominic, who was married to my mom's sister Pauline. His sister Josephine lived across the street with my uncle Victor, the shoemaker. That seemed to be the norm in Philly at one time, where families lived around each other. That was a special time to be a kid growing up, especially around this time of year. We never seemed to want for anything, even though my dad didn't make a lot of money. I know you were friends with my cousin Ron who lived next door; I know you have stories about him and hanging out at mom's store on Crittenden st. Where you with him the night he wrecked his dad's Mercury? I thought his dad was going to kill him that night. That moment is fresh in my memory. I can laugh about it now and so can he, but what a night that was. Again, thanks for the kinds words. Keep in touch with my sister in Florida; she has a great life down there and a tremendous family. Take care !
Bill Cupo, Immaculate Conception School [11-05-2009]

This is a great story for all you non-Happy Hollowers........Back in 1959 there was a Septa strike(PTC back then) that crippled Germantown and all of Philly.One of our esteemed residents from Happy Hollow stole a Septa bus and transported kids to school and adults to work for three days.He was dressed in a uniform similiar to that of Ralph Kramdem of Honeymooners fame.The bus was returned to the depot without Septa's knowledge that it was stolen.AMAZING!........................To conclude,this is pure fiction,much like our beloved Happy Hollow appeared to be in my eyes.As Goo would say,"I'm just nutting you"...........Paul Borian
Paul Borian [11-04-2009]

Thanks to Dan Hartnett for the balanced perspective on the sad abuses of authority by the priests and religious back in the day and more recently. I'm a convert, and wasn't subjected to what surely was traumatic to all the folks on the receiving end of it, and also am saddened by the way individual bad actors smear an entire class of people and institutions. In this case it was the misbehaving people in positions of power and the hierarchy that turned a blind eye to it for so long. Thankfully, civilization progresses and we hopefully learn from the past and mature. Just as our great country thought nothing of institutional slavery, segregation, and breaking treaties with the Indians, etc. so too the Catholic church had some serious shortcomings in its organizational blind spots - shedding the light of day on them will bring healing and improvement for the institution and the victims. As Dan said, there are countless people within the church past and present who behave in saintly ways and are taken for granted or overlooked because of the ones who misbehave. On a happier note, this item may be of interest to folks as far as contributing to it or the results of it; it's from the Preservation Alliance - "Seniors Invited to Share Memories of Germantown's Past": Germantown Speaks, a partnership of several Germantown congregations, the Neighborhood Interfaith Movement, Cliveden of the National Trust and Partners for Sacred Places, is an attempt to capture stories of the recent past. Germantown High School students will capture the stories of the seniors and help to design a video and mini-exhibition that describes what life was like in Germantown in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s from the members of the community whose stories, photos, and artifacts can lend more texture to how we understand our community throughout the twentieth century. There will be four sessions provided for people to bring their memories and participate in the interview process, in Germantown: November 9, 4-6pm, First Presbyterian Church; Nov. 12, 4-6pm, First United Methodist Church of Germantown; Nov. 16, 4-6pm, St. Luke's Episcopal; Nov. 19, 7-9pm, Center in the Park. This project is being supported by a grant from the Preservation Alliance. For more info, call 215.567.3234.
Bruce Marshall, 58, still in Gtown [11-04-2009]

helen leone deangelo i used to tremble when miss katherine would walk down the aisles .. but, i did like her in spite of those darn buns in the back of her head that i am sure to this day held eyes through which she saw everyone of us with... ha! rosemarie
rosemarie hite malageri [11-04-2009]

Gerry, you spelling correction is incorrect...lol It's principal..not prinicpal..lol Ok, it might be a typo, but we're not here to hurt feelings...just share them.
anonymous [11-04-2009]

Texas Jack McHugh: I hope that you are still a Phillies and Eagles fan.I hope to be having lunch with your old classmate from St. Francis-Dave Byrne. Like you,he is connected to the Irish Culture. I was impressed that You knew that Che Guevara had an Irish Heritage and the Irish connection in Argentina where I spent a lot of time. Dave Byrne knew the toughest Irishman to come from Piladelphia-Frank Sheeran. Robert DeNiro,who is part Irish,will play the big Irishman in a future movie-he was one scary guy. Recently,I had lunch at The Germantown Cricket Club which was near your home-it is still a beautiful place. Many people on this site,are discussing the closing of North and CD. I do'nt know whether you went to North or Germantown- I know that Brother Joe went to Germantown where he was a great student. It saddens me that these two great Catholic Schools are closing notwithstanding that there were a couple of bad apples in these educational barrels.
JBS [11-04-2009]

Sammy Faia "Appreciation party" is CANCELLED for this saturday(11/7). Our man Sam broke his arm last week. He is still in a lot of pain. We have decided to postpone the party unitl he feels better. I will keep you posted on a new date. Keep Sam in your prayers.
paul amendolia, 48yrs, royal st [11-04-2009]

Helen Leone, I don't remember the ruler with Miss Catherine, but I do remember the thing she said about the eyes in the back of her head. I had forgotten all about that until you mentioned it. And yes FrannyB, the nuns were tough and my father used to stand outside our house, right next to the convent, when we were let out of school and get a full report on me by whatever nun I had at the time.
anthonyg [11-04-2009]

Having been a teacher in Lancaster County for 33 years, I learned a few tricks of the trade. One I happily discovered totally on my own. We all know how teachers were said to have eyes in the back of their heads....as Helen D'Angelo recalled....they always seemed to know what was going on even though their backs were turned. Well, one day while washing my blackboard, I discovered that I could actually see a reflection of the class due to the glare on the wet blackboard. So, when I would have my back turned, I truly could see what was going on....and boy did I have tons of fun with that. My fourth graders thought that I was amazing and that I really did have those hidden eyes:) I also think of the many times that I had to scold my students for their asinine tricks, like forging their parents signatures and signing Mom or Dad instead of their actual names. It was all I could do to keep a straight face. So, it really disturbs me to hear the stories of the brutal punishments that were bestowed upon some of the bloggers. What a shame that they were submitted to such abuse.
Patricia Carr, Attended Immaculate Conception from 1956-59 [11-04-2009]

peter hennessey died. very sad.
anonymous [11-04-2009]

Tom Cusack: Tom, are you from Knox St. below Logan?
Bonnie Gatto [11-04-2009]

I guess I really started a firestorm with my recollection of Black John. I'm sure that all of you on this site, that attended catholic school felt some wrath from a nun or priest during those years. In retrospect, I guess they felt somewhat "entitled" and on a mission from God to keep us in line and on the straight and narrow path. The physical punishment was equalled by the mental games and fairy tales they spun (eg) Pagan babies, strangers that would lure you into a car, how non -Catholics were not as good,and avoiding anything having to do with sex education or the reality of life. Essentially, we all learned about sex from the street. Admittedly, we have all survived them and it was an interesting trip,but in reality the education was no better than any other type. I did learn to read very well, write coherent sentences, diagram a sentence ( that's helped a lot in my life ?)learn every prayer ( including latin as an altar boy) However, my Math and Science skills were poor and I realized that in college.Because of a very narrow mentality ( and not so subtle prejudice), the greatest injustice that they provided is that they turned many of us off to our schools and left us with few fond memories of the classroom .To this day I find that I am envious when people speak of their wonderful high school experiences. My youthful joy came outside of school, at Happy Hollow or Fern Hill Park playing touch or hoops with the guys. I prefer to dwell on my college years ( at a Non-Catholic school )I truly enjoyed that time. I got to meet people on an international, non denominational level. It shaped me much more than 12 years of catholic school. I am a non practicing Catholic but would never turn to another religion,because Catholicism is my sanctuary and my home. But, it was not influence by the priests at NC or the nuns at St.Mike's. It was my wonderful parents who showed me Christianity and Catholicism with their actions.
Bob D'Angelo [11-04-2009]

Gerry: You sure did 'go after' anthony g....'verbally'..why this onslaught of words? You even corrected his spelling of principle (code of conduct) vs. principal, the head of a school...I don't know anthony g. nor do I know you, but it seems as if you came across a bit pompous, and that's sad. We are all on here just to talk about the good old days, and not 'trash' one another's reputations. Everyone has 'a past school history'.whether he graduated from Catholic School or NOT is irrelevant. He may have had a great career in his life. And you may want to edit your own future writings, before (tooting) your 'graduate horn'..re-read what you typed..e.g. in your chastising you wrote "you seem to still you believe you were a victim, anthony. Now, who lacks education in Eng. Lit? sorry, anon.
Anon FEM, Graduate (all girls )Academy [11-04-2009]

Patty you mentioned Sister Peter Daimen from St. Francis being mean She was the first Nun I had at St Francis and she treated me with great kindness. I guess things change from year to year class to class and person to person, all I can say is I have fond memories of her.
William Dougherty, Doc from Portico St [11-04-2009]

To Ed Farra, I attened OlR school & I loved 7th grade.I had Sr.Marie Christine one of the best.We loved going to the convent up those stairs.
Marie [11-04-2009]

The more I think about CDH I recall the mean nuns St Margret rose ST Joe order,Sr.Mary Pat IMH. One that was nice was Sr,James Michael a grey nun.
Marie [11-04-2009]

even thou there is bickering about the subjects mentioned, did you notice that the one thing they all have in common? germantownites, past and present, all care about one another. you can't buy that. keep up the fine past memories.
A FAN OF GTN NATIVES [11-04-2009]

For research purposes -- can any one give me an address on the Historic house that was to the right of the Lyric theater? ???? Germantown Ave.
Bette Begley, GHS '47 now Dumfries,Va [11-04-2009]

Dennis McGlinchey: You say that you already apologized to Paul Borian for your criticisms of the Happy Hollow bloggers. Good for you, but your apology also should be extended to ALL the Happy Hollow kids you belittled and offended (and there were many).
anonymous [11-04-2009]

Saw John Brogan's mention of waiting for the NC kids to get off the trolley at Sal's, including Larry, and their daily stories of tough priests. Larry says this about priests' physical abuse - believe it or not, he never suffered any of it. He said that most of the physical confrontation was when priests were forced to come between fights and had to get physical with some of the combatants. He mentions a lay teacher named Mr. Paulosky (sp?) who used to play football in the Canadian Football League. Big guy with hands like ham hocks. First day of school, he laid it on the line. Told every guy there that he was the baddest one in the room and would be happy to prove it to anyone in "Room 5". Told them right off that he would not take any crap from them for the rest of the year - and guess what, he never had to. He made his point. Larry thought he was great. Remember, these kids are cocky adolescents with raging testosterone trying to prove their manhood. Tough job for any teacher - you certainly couldn't wimp your way thru. Reminds me also of my grade school days at St. Callistus in Overbrook and some tough nuns we had. Not much physical abuse - a ruler on your padded bottom maybe(mostly to the boys, we girls were good). The nuns did not seem to get tough until 7th and 8th grades, when the testosterone kicked in. One nun stands out in that era: Sr. Frances Austin (7th grade) who was really tough on the boys. Some years ago, we had a grade school reunion and reminisced about our school days. The boys' fondest memories (believe it or not) was of Sr. "Franny Austin", who was the toughest nun of the bunch. They all agreed that even tho' she was tough and took no crap, she was fair and they had deserved it. Since we all separated at the high school level, I have no idea if any of the boys had any problems at St. Tommy More. Maybe Franny Austin laid the groundwork for the priests at Tommy More. Even my own sons speak fondly of not being able to get away with anything and how tough their father was in raising them. Guess it's all in your perception.
Rosemarie Rinaldi [11-04-2009]

Dan Hartnett, you put it so well. There's a lot to be said about hearing from ALL the different neighborhoods of Germantown. I especially enjoyed that some of you called them candy apples and some of us called them apple taffies. But they were all the same treat. Viva la difference!
Rosemarie Rinaldi [11-04-2009]

Dan Hartnett, Thank you for your kind words about the Cupo family. You're "right on" about my dad. He was a gentle, caring man who loved his family & was so very proud of his son, Bill. My brother, Bill LOVED baseball.....still does! Bill lived, ate, slept baseball & played "sandlot". One year he had the privilege of playing in Connie Mac Stadium. I believe it was some sort of all-star game. I don't think he will ever forget that experience & the thrill of playing on a major league field. My dad could not have been more proud. Then the MVP was announced & it was my brother, Bill. I believe he was awarded a pair of baseball shoes. If I'm not getting this story "right", Bill, feel free to correct me. My brother would spend hours on end playing ball in Awbury Park, 3 doors down from our home on Haines St. My parents always knew where to find him when they wanted him. My uncle Victor, the neighborhood shoe repair man, lived across the street from us. He was married to my father's sister, Josephine...better known as "zi zi" ("aunt" in Italian). I never knew her "real" first name was Josephine until I was a teenager. I always thought her first name was "zi zi"! I recall walking home from school & stopping by my uncle's shoe repair shop. It was "on the way". I remember the smell of leather & the strong odor of glue that hung in the air in that small storefront on Price Street. Do shoemakers even exist today? I believe it's a lost art, along with so many other crafts that disappeared over time. Oh well, I won't dwell on the past; but I will recall the pleasant memories that arise from time to time; thanks to the neighbors & friends who contribute to this blog. Thanks for the memories!
Lorraine (Cupo) Kelly, fl; cdhs '59; ic 55 [11-04-2009]

There has been some chatter lately about the pros and cons of folks from various neighborhoods posting maybe too frequently. I just thought I would weigh in with my two cents which of course, carries no weight. I follow the blog every day even though I don't post much. I enjoy the stories and the neighborhood banter. I feel I have gotten to know a whole list of people in a limited way, even though I never met them and wouldn't recognize any of them if we crossed paths on the street. Linda Fontana and Dennis McGlinchey are people who I lived near and maybe I met, not sure. Paul Borian, Bob DeAngelo, Bob Terranova and various Happy Hollow people as well as many others from there, are folks whose stories I enjoyed following. I met JBS through the blog and had lunch with him several times. Billy Cupo, I remember you as a kid. I knew your parents and hung out with your cousin Ronnie and knew his family as well as your uncle Victor who always repaired my shoes. Your sister Lorraine is terrific and we communicate from time to time thanks to this blog. You have a really fine family. I thought that your father was one of the nicest men I ever met and I understand that your mother (just as fine) is doing well. So also to Cheryl Raffie and the young lady from Stockton Road whose last name is Carr ( I knew a Bobby Carr from Stockton Rd.) I just want you all to know that the blog is a joy and your stories are appreciated,
Dan Hartnett, Former East Germantown [11-03-2009]

To JBS: Bruce, Nice to see you back posting. It seemed quiet around here for a while. I thought I was going to have to propose lunch to make sure you were out there. Go forth knowing you are the only guy on this blog who we can address only by initials and almost every one will know who it refers to. Welcome back.
Dan Hartnett, Former East Germantown [11-03-2009]

Gerry you are one of the reasons I stopped coming on this site because of people like you bickering and getting all uptight about things that people were writing. Nothing was ever directed at me, but it was becoming nothing but a war of words. You ought to get a life and stop attacking people who are only putting the truth out there. I guess you are related to someone in the clergy or are a holy roller.
anthonyg [11-03-2009]

Gerry I did own up to my wrong doing and only tried to get back because my father asked me to do it for him. I did not want to go back. Yea, I was asked to leave and did own up to it, as I stated before. My belief was nobody should have been let back once booted out. No, I was not let back in but little David Mc was. I wonder why.
anthonyg [11-03-2009]

The boys of the Hollow/Fernhill Park are back;Jack Brogan,JBS(Schmitty,Tom Cusack,Dom Raffaele,Bonnie Gatto,etc.It seems like the responses from the various Germantown neighborhoods come in cycles.This is great!Being a Germantown High School grad,I thought the level of our education was okay.Perhaps the Catholic School education was better??? Regarding sports,the Catholic league generally beat the Public League in championship games because the players had an extra year playing together(grades 9 to 12)Ther extra year made a big difference in team play,especially football.So glad that I did not attend North and take religion with Black John.No doubt that I would have struck back,get kicked out of school,and finished up at Germantown.Besides,in my Germantown graduating class,the girls outnumbered the boys two the one.In my mind,that gave us an edge in the level of education,plus no violence from priests in the classroom.I wonder if things were different at LaSalle and the Prep?? Paul Borian
Paul Borian [11-03-2009]

For all of you past patrons of the Italian club at Wayne and Manheim during the 80's and present patrons of the Continental Post and anyone else that is interested. There will be a tribute party for bartender Sammy Faia this saturday evening at 5 PM. This should be a great little (or big) reunion type event. Be there or be square.
Joe DePero, St Mikes class of 70, 52, Levittown [11-03-2009]

miss katherine mcgowan, the only lay teacher at st. vincents school also walked up and down aisle before friday benediction and hit all of us with a ruler on our hands - just in case we did something wrong. she also said she could see us when she wrote on the board thru a bun on the back of her head. can you imagine the kids today in second grade believing something like that?
HELEN LEONE D'ANGELO [11-03-2009]

There are always bad apples in the basket, but when you find them, you don't put them in another basket for someone else to have. You get my drift?
Good & Bad Apples [11-03-2009]

The ridicule that we endured from some of the St. Vincent nuns was as bad as if not worse than being hit.
FrannyB [11-03-2009]

St. Vincent nuns were very strict. Most were very good teachers. Must admit the ones that were tougher got better grades from me. However, I was never hit by the nuns except in the 1st grade class before going to church. LF nuns never hit us but gave detention frequently. One nun hated me at LF because I never answered her back. She said I know what your thinking; I'm sure the look on my face revealed my hatred.
FrannyB [11-03-2009]

To Helen sorry i dont remember you but do you remember Donna Shofler or Angie Fries ? We all used to sled at tommie hill
rich, huntingdon valley [11-03-2009]

John Fleming from Tampa Bay Florida are you retired from the PFD?
D., Old Germantowner [11-03-2009]

Anonymous, my post was to Paul Borian. I already apologized to him IF any of my posts were among the offending posts. Unlike you, I stand behind my posts, not hide behind them.
Dennis McGlinchey, Born riased in East Germantown [11-03-2009]

Here is another Knobby Walsh to chew on.After the Falcons beat Bishop Neuman 12-0 at 12th and Bigler and we were walking to catch the bus at Broad St.,a gang of chain and bat swinging Neuman kids were coming from a park across the street. Knobby Walsh came from nowhere into the middle of the street and stopped them dead in their tracks, preventing a brawl. We did get bricked on the buses going up Broad St.Anyone else attend that game in 1960 and remember? The man did have guts!
ED BURKE [11-03-2009]

Not to continue this blog with abusive Priests and Nun stories of Catholic School, I have a couple of stories to tell. Maybe there are a few Our Lady of Rosary students who claim witness to these events. One responsibility we Seventh Graders had was to answer the front door of the Nuns Rectory located in front of the seventh grade classroom. You had to descend a set of steep stairs to the door. Well the bell rang and one of our students who was rather big boy ran to answer the door, tearing his pants on something going down the stairs. Ashamed of what happened he was rewarded with a chalky eraser being shoved in his mouth. Our mouths dropped as we watched him gagging for breath. On another occasion our last class row was caught talking and tagging each other during class. The Sister ordered the row to the front of class for punishment. I was about next to last and watched as each received a painful whacking across both open hands. When it came to my turn I moved my hands in lower, below the chalk board eraser holder. As she came down the pointer hit the ledge and broke in half, flying in mid air. I cringed to make it look real. The Sister’s eyes got as big as dollar bills and she immediately told us all to sit down. To this day she probably thought I broke that pointer with my two hands. On yet another occasion, in an earlier grade, I was not as lucky; as I often felt Miss Shawn’s red aerodynamic hole drilled double plated red paddle against my rear end.
Ed Farrar, Chester, VA [11-03-2009]

Sister Agnes Dorothy, aka Aggie Baggie...now there's a fond Germantown memory. My knuckles are scarred from her. She was in a league of her own at St. Francis when it gave to administering pain. I can still remember the pain from her yard stick hitting my fingertips when she was extra mad. The fingertips torture was worse than the knuckles. Pull them back and you get two more. I would put her ahead of Black John for meanness. I wonder if they ever met. Could you imagine them together as a couple? Scary.
Bill James, ex-yard stick thief [11-03-2009]

To Anonymous: re: "drunken priest" who just had students read the entire period. There was a priest, Fr. Charles Seston, (Sleepy Charlie), who I was told had narcalepsy (sp?). He did the same thing, and slept pretty much through every class. We actually could smoke, (passing a cig up and down the aisle covertly), and not get caught. Crazy. I don't know if that is who you are referring to or not, and I wasn't ever aware of any alcohol abuse, but anything is possible, I'm sure.
john payne [11-03-2009]

As Chair for the class -- we know where most of the 435 classmates are -- but a few have slipped thru the cracks -- Anybody know what ever happened to Belle Courtney? Angela DeSantis? Rose Ewerth ? Harriet Hartranft? Thanks for any information --Bette Begley
Bette Boyer Begley, GHS class of 1947 Now in Va. [11-03-2009]

Jack Brogan[A Maine Guy]: I enjoyed your comments about North where many of our friends and my brother[cactus-Jack] attended. My brother had an altercation with Knobby Walsh and was almost expelled. My brother's friend[Bob LaValle] was not particularly fond of Knobby and transferred to Germantown where Paul Borian and Dan Hartnett went. Knobby liked basketball and probaly remembered you when you were playing on the LaSalle JV. Lou Pauzano and I had a friend who was a very strong and great football player for the Prep and also played basketball-Mike DeLone. During a game between the Prep and North,Knobby confronted Big Mike for roughing up his Falcon Opponents-Mike D. was not a shooting-guard. Like Dom Raffaele,Frank Felice and many other Hollow guys, I was at that great North-LaSalle game where Joe Heyer shot out the lights but LaSalle lost with that disputed tap-in when the game ended. Josh Keenan talked about the LaSalle idiots. I was friendly with The Yanessa Brothers who went to LaSalle High. Tom Yanessa was in your class[1958] and a very tough football player.As a kid, Tom Y. liked John Wayne movies and Rocky Marciano was his favorite boxer. It would have been interesting to see Tom Y. being called a LaSalle idiot. John Berkery from St. Francis and who hung out at K&A would have made a great referee. Ted Silary would probaly agree that the North-LaSalle game of 1957 was one of the greatest games in Catholic-Basketball history.
JBS[Schmitty] [11-02-2009]

It is with sadness that I read the posts about a Catholic priest, “Black John” and the fallout caused by him and others like him, where people left the church because of their repulsive behavior. I moved to East Germantown when I was 14 and was already enrolled in Roman Catholic High. The pastor of Immaculate permitted me to stay there. Our Disciplinarian, Father Maloney was a tough guy and smacked me many times. I have many friends who went to North and CD, and while most have stories about tough priests, their reactions are no where near as severe as those caused by Black John. I know this doesn’t make it any better for those on the receiving end of this kind of treatment but I would like to add some perspective. It started with Judas. In other words, there were bad apples in the Church from the beginning and they have always been and will always be there, even though we expect otherwise. In any case I should have graduated in 57 but got kicked out in 56. I deserved it. I finished in Germantown H.S. in 58. While there, I met a Happy Hollow guy named Bob LaValle, who got kicked out of North and he and I were very good at tweaking the system and getting away with crazy stuff like consistently cutting double period history, sneaking out the back door, having a few cigarettes and playing the pin ball machine a block from school. We had good training, having been to Catholic high school and learning how to operate. I even passed history. This couldn’t be done in Catholic high school because the faculty understood us for the testosterone driven goof balls that we were. After that, like others, I left the Church but not because of anything that happened in high school. Rather, I had my agenda in life and it didn’t coincide with what I was taught. Twenty seven years later, with a failing marriage, a sick and dying mother, and a strong prospect of losing my job, and never a joyful day, I got up and went to Mass one day and that is when I started coming back and I came back stronger than ever. I learned my religion in ways that I never knew it before, through every period of history from Roman through modern, and I don’t have a single doubt that I got it right. I now teach RCIA classes and do some other things for the Church. Here is what my Catholic Church is. The largest private university system in the world, the largest private charities and outreach programs to the poor and needy in the U.S., the oldest institution on earth ­ 2,000 years, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, John Paul II, St. Katherine Drexel (gave her life and her 20 million to the poor) and to pick three priests off the top of my head, see the following and I could list many more: Fr. Mychal Judge ­ died giving the last rites to the dying under the World Trade Towers on 9/11 while the buildings pieces were falling all around him. Fr. Vincent Capodanno ­ the “Grunt Padre”, a marine chaplain in Viet Nam who died while tending the wounded under withering machine gun fire, continuing even as his fingers were shot away until he, himself was killed. Medal of honor winner. Fr. Maximilian Kolbe ­ murdered in Auschwitz by the Nazis. He volunteered to switch places with a man with children who had been sentenced to death for someone else’s escape. Starved for two weeks and then strangled. All of these exemplified the core of Catholic teaching. A wise man once said “Sometimes, even good dogs carry bad fleas”. Sorry for the long post but I contracted as much as possible.
Dan Hartnett, Former East Germantown [11-02-2009]

in 1950 51 i was a 1st grader at st vincent de paul in germantown. on fridays we would go to benediction, BEFORE we went we held both hands out and the nun would whack us on both hands. she used a piece of desk shelf.one boy and one girl did not get hit. frank d
frank di cesari, 66 years old living in bucks county [11-02-2009]

hi,eastside,westside everybodies standing up fof thier part of germantown a sign it was good for all of us.me and my daughter kelly had the privilege of being invited to the readingof a new screen play co author by a germantown reared tommy razz.it was heid at the four seasons hotel center city phila.this exciting event hosted by mr.razzano. t5he script was call SUSPENDED it's about plight of the 67/68 north catholic basketball team and life at the school during the turbent sixties.the reason i bring this to the site is all the recent blogs about north catholic .kelly and i thought tommys two years work merited two thumbs up and hope the screen play will soon be made into a movie for all of us to enjoy. p.s. a hello johnnyboy, was wondering how he like phillies and dodgers playoff outcome. thanks againto the site dominic
dominic, same [11-02-2009]

never posted before - I like this vehicle
gomez stockton [11-02-2009]

Dennis McGlinchey: I'm not going to be as diplomatic as Paul Borian, but nobody ever said that this blog was the Happy Hollow blog. All anyone ever said was that it was great to connect with so many Happy Hollow kids on this blog. That could also be true for all the other kids from all the other rec centers and sections of Germantown. AGAIN, no one was ever left out of posting their own experiences from their own areas of Germantown. If anyone chose not to post on this site, fine; but if anyone did, that was fine too. There were no censors deciding who could post (except people like you). I myself have enjoyed EVERYONE'S experiences, no matter where they were from. And, yes, you and others WERE mean-spirited. I don't remember any other section of Germantown taking such flak. I will sign "anonymous" because I don't want to incur your wrath, having already witnessed it before.
Anonymous [11-02-2009]

Would love to hear from anyone from Bluebell Hill, Roxbrogh or Germantown who recognize my name.
helen malinda garand mccall lacy, known as g'g'mom [11-02-2009]

Bjack John was a closeted homosexual
anonymous [11-02-2009]

Being a CD graduate myself, I also find memories and stories about CD, especially in the early years very interesting, and most especially those of Fr. Benonis, as I had him for junior religion, and at that time, 1960-61, had not yet blossomed into the icon he became, and started his reign of terror. I say "icon", because inevitably, every time I came in contact with a CD grad, the first thing they would ask is "Remember Fr. Benonis" Remembering him as I did, I didn't understand why he was so noteworthy. I soon learned in a short time, why so many that came after me, remembered him. Other then having him in religion class, the only other contact I had with him, was in junior year, when we all had to have a meeting with a priest for sort of counseling talk. It went smooth enough, until he asked if I drove a car, and when I said yes, he then got a little nasty and asked "Does your father love you?", which I thought was both strange and out of line, especially to someone like myself that couldn't wait until I drove a car.
John Fleming, Tampa Bay, Florida [11-02-2009]

Let's not be chauvinistic -here is a short list of the witches that masqueraded as holy women at St Francis of Assisi: Sisters Agnes Dorothy, Peter Damien, Mary Eustis, and then there was Sister Rose at St. Michael's - rumor had it that she split a boy's head open!
Patty, Germantown, now Jersey shore [11-02-2009]

I went to La Salle High School, but I heard all the stories about North Catholic, mostly while standing under Sal’s tin awning. Larry Rinaldi, Cisco Payne, Charles Durkin, Frank Felice told the tales. Those stories were like hearing about shootouts in the old west. I heard how Black John washed out his mouth with the first slug of coffee every morning during his first Religion class. The kids could see him swishing the coffee around his full bridge. Maybe bad teeth caused his ill humor. and that’s why he kneed a kid in the head for sleeping on a desk. Even as a kid I think I understood the irony of that man teaching Religion. I was often there to greet the walking wounded from North as they slumped off the #53 trolley car stop at Wayne and Logan. (I was there to meet them because I could walk home from La Salle after school.) These days it would be difficult to comprehend the power of a priest in the 50s. Pretty much, they did what that wanted to do. Our parents would side with the priest. End of story. If parents didn’t side with the priest, their options were limited—public school. The priests and nuns talked about public school in the same tones they used when talking about the suffering souls in Purgatory. I used to wonder how anybody amounted to anything after going to Fitler Public School on Knox Street. We called it Hitler School. All the talk about Black John and Knobby Walsh made me remember a story that might illustrate one priest’s power. My senior year I was playing in an important late season game at North Catholic. Packed gym, early spring, hot afternoon humidity forced the janitors at North to open the street end door to the gym right after halftime when La Salle shot at that basket. On the stairs end of the gym a kid with a bright flashlight sent me Morse Code me as I shot a foul shot; but at the other end we shot into the sun and wind. The game got hot near the end of the third quarter. Score tied. Bodies flying. That’s when the North Catholic fans began their cheer. “LaSalle, wow!” That was it, over and over. Then they broke into the Falcon fight song. “See our banners sway proudly before us. Colors.s…Onward! Oward!”...and so on. La Salle’s fans responded with, “Onward, onward, where the hell is onward?” They really got into this one and it was a very loud chant. “Onward, onward, where the hell is onward?” Finally, Father Knobby Walsh had enough. He walked out onto the floor right in the middle of a La Salle fast break. He just walked out there and called for the ball from the kid dribbling. No question, this was a priest. The kid handed him the ball. The referees didn’t know what to do, so they both started blowing their whistles and looking at each other. Knobby Walsh never blinked. He walked to witching 20 feet of the La Salle stands and said the following. “That cheer is an insult to our Falcon fight song. It will stop immediately. If I hear one more word of it, I will clear every single person out of these stands.” With that he flipped the ball to the referee and walked down the court toward the stairs. The gym was silent. A referee blew his whistle and they tried to discover where the game was interrupted, but there wasn’t a single peep out of the La Salle fans for the rest of the game. North won easily. That is power. The North kids at Wayne and Logan after the game thought Knobby was a hero. “Good for him. You don’t screw around with Knobby Walsh.” They were proud of him. I heard that feeling in what my friend Dom Raffaele had to say about the priest on this site. He was tough like a Marine Sergeant but loyal to their school, and the kids from North Catholic liked that part of him. They loved and defended that school and it will be a sad day when it closes. “Hail alma mater of North Catholic High.”
John Brogan, Remember Custard's Last Stand [11-02-2009]

Ginny Clark: Thank you for the information.I will try and find the brickyard site.Frank Payne
anonymous [11-02-2009]

Although I read and enjoy this blog almost every day, it is rare when I submit any comments of my own. Even though I was from the Happy Hollow and Fernhill park area, I enjoy reading submissions from people from other Germantown neighborhoods. I want to thank Paul Borian and Bruce Schmidt for their ability to bring the old neighborhood to life for me with their vivid descriptions of the times and characters that we grew up with. Also thanks to Jack Brogan and Joe Lynch for getting in touch with me. Joe sent me a poem that Goo wrote many years ago .. it is posted back in the June/July archives for this blog ... I saved it so if anyone would like it let me know. First I was shocked that Goo, our version of the Fonz, had the sensitivity to write something like this. It was nostalgic and thoughfully done, and it could apply to all of us going back to the neighborhood many years later .. whether it is East Germantown, Brickyard, Chew and Chelton .. you name it ... Goo did a heck of a job. Lastly it was good to see Dom R. posting to this sight .. I ran into him years ago at the Anglesea Pub where he was the chef ... hope all is well with you Dom.
Tom Cusack [11-02-2009]

Anthony G wishes us to accept that he was a victim of Catholic priest discrimination. By his own admission he was "thrown out of CD High". He then goes on to state "well prinicpal (not 'principle' which he writes) you let someone else return who was thrown out-why not me?...I am an ethnic minority-ergo it must be discrimination" I say that is wrong. Cases are decided on a case basis. Amen. Cardinal Dougherty was hard and the rules were known to all. Anthony did not follow them and did not have the "metal" they say of men who endure. We endured and are graduates. I agree there was flagrant brutality there-and not always at the hand of priests. Though all readers of this site should know that 10 priests were indicted in the Grand Jury Philadelphia sex abuse from that one high school. Anthony, do not rationalize your wrongdoing by saying the administrators discriminated. Take your calling down like a man. You seem to still you believe you were a victim. You were wrong and should have owned up to your wrong-doing. By the way Germatown High School never was and never will be a step above Cardibal Dougherty.
gerry [11-02-2009]

Schmitty, good to see ya back with the words! Are you ready for another Irish lunch?
Dave Byrne, nc, 62 [11-02-2009]

John Brogan [11-02-2009]

Ah, Black John at NC. I only had him for one year, but I couldn't begin to count the number of shins and ankles he damaged when he swung his shoed foot into any one them that was proped up on the desk in front of it.
Bonnie Gatto [11-02-2009]

I recall some nice Nuns & Priest at OLR,Sister MARIE CHRISTINE,SR.JOHN MADALINE,MOTHER CIPRIANNI,SR.MARIE ODONELL,SRJ.MICHAEL AT CD.FATHER INDIA.
anonymous [11-02-2009]

Regarding Black John,too bad Goo,Rocky,Shangi,Nicky Abber,and about two dozen other Hollow legends did not attend North.Black John would have received a dose of his own medicine.His teaching career would have been short lived.....Paul Borian
Paul Borian [11-02-2009]

Come on guys your not alone in getting knocked around by teachers. I got popped by a few shop and gym teachers Including the Dean of boys, but I deserved it for the most part and forgot it. I didnt go home and tell anyone you just sucked it up. I think we were better for it compared to the kids today who have no respect for anyone, do drugs openly, abuse teachers, women and animals. At least we didnt have kids walking around with their pants so low their butt crack is out. If we did have one like that in my neighborhood he would get cracked.
rich Rizzo, Germantown HS 62 [11-02-2009]