Bill Ryan
4/2/2012 10:41:40 am
Post new comments in this chapter. Thanks.
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Johnnie
8/18/2012 07:14:04 am
Haven't visited this site for too long and I always say, I shouldn't even try to ingratiate myself with you guys as I only ever started STS as a first grader in 1963 but I still can't help but like what you all write. You were the teenagers of my neighborhood whom we kids had to watch out for. I know very well Harry's candy shop, Gus's barbershop, my first haircut ever, and Ida's Deli at the end of 46th St., the street where I grew up on. Around the corner to the left I guess on 48th Ave. from Ida's was a funeral home from where we buried our older people. I write this just to remind myself I really did come from there.
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Pam LoCastro McPhail
4/4/2012 04:55:59 am
Any new millionaires out there? Well I bought 4 tickets and I got 2 numbers and the powerball which netted me $10- whoo hoo. I made $6 bucks!!!!! Can't complain...after all I'm on a fixed income!
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Frank Dann
4/5/2012 10:48:48 am
Wishing all a wonderful Easter.............
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Charlie D
4/6/2012 10:44:23 pm
Happy Easter to all ! If anyone is still hiding eggs you had best write down the locations as our memory may not be as sharp as it once was. Spending Easter in Greensboro, NC, with family. Yesterday visited some family & friends in Charlotte, NC. Again, hope all have a a wonderful Easter.
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Bill Ryan
4/7/2012 11:56:12 am
Happy Easter to all you "bumps on a log" and "brazen articles"! Pam, tomorrow it's turkey AND ham at our house. As for the lottery, at least you got a couple of bucks out of the recent big drawing. I got 1 number between two tickets. I was thinking..... maybe if I had won, I would have bought St. Teresa's School building and turned it into a casino! You think? LOL Seriously, I think I'd rather see it be converted into a casino than a madrassa. It's probably just a matter of time till that happens. (I still can't believe Bergen's Funeral Home is now a mosque! Jeez!) As Sonny & Cher used to sing: "The beat goes on, la-dee-da-dee-da!"
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Charlie D
4/12/2012 09:22:49 am
GO RANGERS !!
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Danny Gavin
4/15/2012 01:54:15 pm
Just a quick Hello to everyone......out in Seattle visiting my daughter and son-in-law. Stay well everyone!
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Kathy Matthews Klein
4/18/2012 10:55:15 am
Greetings Friends...Just looked @ the calendar & realizes we are less than one week away from the 2nd Anny. of our STS 60 Reunion. Thanks to Bill's successful research into where we were now living, many of us were able to resume freindships of years ago. What fun,, hearing familiar voices, even after all these years, seeing familiar faces and reminiscing about some of our wild adventures of Woodside years.
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Bill Ryan
4/23/2012 10:57:00 am
Thanks, Kathy Matthews, for the boost re: encouraging folks to post a message now and then to the blog.
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Bill Ryan
4/26/2012 07:07:30 am
This is especially for the many members of the class of STS60 who no longer live in the NYC Metro Area. The Kosciusko Bridge - which we all knew from when we were little kids (and which is still there) - is scheduled to be replaced over the next few years by a much more modern cable-stayed bridge. Here's a link to the article:
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Pam LoCastro McPhail
5/1/2012 12:36:52 am
Smelly, smelly creek. I also rode down there on my bike one day against my parents wishes. There was (what I thought of at the time) and beautiful rainbow in the water. What did I know, I was just a stupid kid!!!! I imagined a sci fii story of deformed and grotesque fish flying around. Ray Bradbury had nothing on my imagination! It was always so dark and murky. I wonder what it looks like today.
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Kathy Matthews Klein
5/13/2012 04:32:02 am
Just popped in to wish a Happy Mothers Day to the “girls” I graduated with in 1960 STS. Sorry that most of them have not had time to blog, but glad Pam LoCastro McPhail is still tuned in. Am sure she like I and Bill would like to see an entry from STS60 "bumps on a log" who don't want to change their ways. Remember the words of the song "I hope you dance" ... well, it fits.
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Bill Ryan
5/13/2012 11:19:23 am
Kathy, Great post! I really enjoyed the part where you wrote about how the Scimones took you under their wing after your mother died.
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Noel Sawyer Skip
5/14/2012 11:54:04 am
Good evening friends, sorry i have been gone from the blog for such a long time. With my brother passing I thought i could handle the grief it did not work. Had to many things to figure out.
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Cathy M
5/19/2012 03:51:25 am
Ship, glad to see you are back! Hope all goes well with your tests. I think it becomes more difficult to lose family as we get older. Age re-enforces what we have lost and adds to the fact that we are in our later years and no longer at the beginning. It makes all of us realize our mortality. It reminds us as well of all the joy, the laughter, the tears, the fights and all the good times that were shared. Our memory is a place we can visit often and linger and stay awhile in the times of our youth and helps us to remember what a blessed life we have all lived.
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Bill Ryan
5/21/2012 01:22:33 am
For over a year, I've had this blog set up so that if anybody posted a message, I would have to clear or approve it first. I did that because I was getting messages from someone in China connected with a sneaker factory, sending in harmless but inane messages. I've also gotten a few other "out of the blue" posts from people I don't know. None of them were "malicious", but I didn't want them to automatically appear on the blog. Since participation in the blog is virtually non-existent, I no longer am going to bother checking every day to see if any new posts come in (and then I'd have to approve them). If you do post anything in the future, you'll notice that it SHOULD appear on the blog right away. Your message won't have to sit around in cyberspace waiting for approval. We get, on average, at least 40 visits to the site a day. Maybe 1/4 of them are visits to other parts of the website (like the photos section), but I think the majority of "hits" are people checking the blog to see if anybody else has posted anything. Well, duh, if that's all people are going to do, and nobody's going to post a message, what's the point?
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Noel Sawyer SKIP
5/21/2012 06:14:50 am
You have done a great job with the blog, I made a run at it thinking I could shake up a few people. Well the same great people always come thru and the comments are great. So as my health comes back slowly I will pick up the glove and start again............................................................................................
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Noel d Sawyer SKIP
5/26/2012 11:29:31 pm
Good morning friends,
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kathy matthews klein
5/28/2012 04:09:21 am
Hi Kidz: It's Memorial Day weekend/Monday 2012 and I just wanted to drop in fast. In Putnam County this weekend the towns had local Memorial Day parades and in the County Park they've had a Watchfire going all weekend around the Veterans Memorial Circle to honor those who serve our fine country without any self-thought. Where would our country be without the sacrifices of the fine men and women have have served and do serve proudly in all branches of our Military Service. I think in the past it was not recognized half enought but in the recent years at least those in our nation's service are aware of the gratitude of most Americans. That is the minimum that those of us who have lived in the USA with our liberties and freedom can do is be thankful for their fine service and keep past and present service men and women in our thoughts in prayers. My dad left on a boat from Ireland alone @ age 16 bound for Ellis Island. He was sponsored by an Aunt of his who lived on 50th Avenue in Woodside & remained in that area. He was a craftsman - a bricklayer, a carpenter and a plumbers helper by trade. He was so proud to become a US citizen that he enlisted in WWI and served in the Navy as a C.B's
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kathy matthews klein
5/28/2012 04:16:04 am
Sorry for abrupt ending above but it's the 3rd time Weebly has cut me off today, though I've had the experience in the past. Point I was making is my dad served in New Guinea and the Phillipines proudly though he & my mom were already married in 1940. No wonder I was not hatched until 1947. God bless each family that waits at home for each of our servicemen & servicewomen. What a sacrifice they too make each day. Let's try to remember when we see our stars and stripes waving FREELY in the breeze in front of someone's building or hear our National Anthem. God Bless Them, Every One and thank God for those who still observe them respectfully and will Never Forget Their Sacrifices for Or Freedom. Take care & have a safe summer ahead!
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Maureen Murphy Carlson
5/28/2012 06:28:43 am
The flags are flying proudly out here on the Alaskan tundra. Our local VFW has spent the past few days cleaning up the graveyards around town and decking them out with flags. This morning they sponsored a small, but respectable Memorial Day parade, followed by a service at one of the graveyards.
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Bill Ryan
5/28/2012 11:38:39 pm
Maureen, - I'll trade weather with you - at least this weekend. I'd gladly take high in the upper 50s over this muggy dreck we're having - high humidity & temps up around 90. Fortunately, our Canadian friends (& maybe Alaskan friends, too) will be sending us a nice cool down later in the week. Question for you: do you have trouble when you go to bed in falling asleep when it's still light outside? I think that would mess my brain up - admittedly an action that is not hard to achieve!
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Maureen Murphy Carlson
6/1/2012 05:18:55 am
Luckily, Bill, when I am tired, I have no trouble falling asleep ! We just close all the window blinds when we are ready for bed. Some people who have trouble falling asleep with any daylight peeking through invest in either blackout shades or drapes for their windows. The best thing to do is to try and keep to your regular schedule for going to bed and even for eating your meals(especially for families with kids). It is not uncommon to see kids out playing way after midnight....for us, especially on weekends or vacations (Bob still works so we keep to our schedule during the week), we get so caught up in outdoor activities that it is not uncommon for us to look at the clock around 10 p.m. and realize that we have not had dinner yet!!!! I have cooked many a fresh fish dinner around midnight after a day out halibut or salmon fishing......Ah, the summer lifestyle in Alaska, we love it!
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Bill Ryan
6/1/2012 06:44:49 am
Maureen - very interesting! I enjoyed reading it. How big was the biggest halibut you or your husband ever caught? I found out a few years ago that Atlantic halibut are tiny compared to some of the monsters (800 lbs. +) that are caught in the north Pacific. Whenever you write about life in Bethel, AK, with the fishing & hunting, etc., my mind always harks back to the area around the PS199 school yard (48th Ave & around 40th St.), your old neighborhood. I can't imagine there is anyone from the class of STS60 who has undergone such an incredible lifestyle metamorphosis as you. I remember a while back, you wrote how when you were little, you used to visit your grandmother in her cold-water flat on the West Side (Hell's Kitchen, I assume). Jeez! Hells Kitchen to Bethel, AK. Hard to believe they're in the same country. Thanks for the insight into life in Alaska. Keep those 49th State updates coming. I'm sure I'm not the only one who enjoys reading them.
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Bill Ryan
6/4/2012 11:43:08 am
Over the weekend, in a conversation with my brother- and sister-in-law, a chain of stores that used to be in business when we were kids was mentioned: Korvette's. They were talking about the one they used to go to in Harrisburg. Jeez! I haven't heard that name - Korvette's - in years! Does anyone remember where it was? Was it in Queens or was in Manhattan? I remember they used to sell stuff cheap. They were a kind of dept. store. I'm almost 100% certain they used to sell TVs. Anyone remember Korvettes? (And, if so, where was it?)
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Cathy M
6/5/2012 09:49:24 am
Bill, it was in Manhattan.called E.J. Korvette's. Somewhere near Rockerfeller Center. They used to say Ej stood for eleven Jewish Korean Veterans. I think it was the fore runner for Alexander's which was opposite Bloomingdale's and then there was one on QB in Rego Park! You pull at my memory, Bill!
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Bill Ryan
6/5/2012 12:03:05 pm
Cathy, Somewhere way back in my memory, I thought there was a Korvettes somewhere in Queens, east of Woodside - like out towards Forest Hills or somewhere out that way. Rego Park would qualify as "out that way". And speaking of pulling at your memory: when my brother-in-law mentioned how they used to go to Korvettes in Harrisburg years ago, I had one of those moments you get when somebody mentions a term or a name or a place that you haven't heard in 40 or 50 years. It causes a strange "buzz" type of feeling in your brain for a few seconds. I guess it's the waking up and dusting off of a very old brain cell. I had quite a few of those moments during the time leading up to our class reunion. So many names and places mentioned which I hadn't heard in years.
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Maureen Murphy Carlson
6/5/2012 02:09:14 pm
Bill, I sent you an email the other day with info I found re: Korvettes...guess you didn't receive it...probably had the wrong email address... Your mention of Korvettes, struck a memory cord with me...I remembered a Korvettes in Manhattan.Anyway,here is some of what I found online...
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Cathy M
6/5/2012 09:23:56 pm
Bill, you are right, there was one in Douglaston right off the LIE and I think in became a Toys R US in later years. So many memories!
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Bill Ryan
6/5/2012 11:26:39 pm
Maureen, My bad. I did get your message about Korvettes. I have a tendency to let a number of emails (which I need to respond to) pile up and then, one day, it hits me: "You better answer those emails." So, sorry about my not acknowledging that I received your message. That Wikipedia article on Korvettes was very complete. It's amazing what you can learn from Wikipedia.
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Maureen Murphy Carlson
6/7/2012 02:14:58 am
No problem, Bill, I have a few emails in my mailbox waiting for me to reply. I know Wikipedia can't always be trusted for accurate information, but the entry on Korvettes was pretty interestimg and seemed legit.
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Maureen Murphy Carlson
6/10/2012 12:27:43 pm
Glad you received the email about Korvettes. I had forgotten all about that store until you mentioned it.
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Maureen Murphy Carlson
6/10/2012 01:53:26 pm
Sorry about the duplicate entries....not sure what happened...I sent the first one on the 7th, but apparently it was floating around in cyberspace waiting for me to write another entry today.......
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Bill Ryan
6/11/2012 12:24:19 am
Maureen, - About two weeks ago I stopped "approving" (aka "filtering") what messages get posted on here. Prior to that, if I didn't check the "in-basket" for a few days, a message wouldn't get posted until I clicked "Approve". At this point, with the amount of traffic on here being as low as it is, I figured it was time to just let the blog go with its own flow. (If some wingnut posts something really crazy or offensive, I can still go in and delete it, but hopefully I won't have to do that.) So, if your message got lost somewhere in cyberspace for a few days, I don't know who else to point the finger at other than Weebly. In any event, your message made it. OK, now back to the halibut: Jeez! Even a 125 halibut is huge! You know the old adage: "Catch me a fish, I eat today. Teach me to fish, I eat forever." One 125 pounder - let's see. Even after you gut it, that would still end up giving you close to 100 lbs of fish. Maybe it wouldn't last forever (as in the adage), but you could eat halibut every day for at least 3 months. I do have another Alaskan question for you: in every day activities, do the native people (I'd call them the "Eskimos", but I'm not sure that's the correct term - maybe Inuit?) speak English or their own language? I've seen TV shows that featured native peoples from up on the North Slope, around Barrow, and at least the ones that were in the show all spoke English.
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Maureen Murphy Carlson
6/11/2012 03:42:31 am
In the Bethel area, the primary Native group is Yup'ik Eskimo ...but the day-to-day language for most people is English. The population of Bethel is approximately 60% Native, 40% non-Native. However, Yup'ik is one of the strongest Native languages in the State. We do have a Yup'ik Immersion School in Bethel, and there are Yup'ik language programs in some of the surrounding villages. The local radio station (KYUK) does the local news broadcast in both English and Yup'ik.
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Pam McPhail
6/14/2012 02:07:57 am
Maureen, Do you speak or understand Yup'ik?
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Cathy M
6/14/2012 10:42:32 am
Who would have thought a little Irsh girl from STS would land a 100 lb halibut in Alaska no less!! Maureen if you understand Yup'ik, I bet it serves you better than Latin!! I remeber you from our class, you were always so nice and so funny. I admire you and the life you and your husband have in Alaska. How fabulous!
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Maureen Murphy Carlson
6/19/2012 03:49:23 am
Pam, I am not a Yup'ik speaker; however, there are words and phrases that I hear often enough that I can understand, and even, say. It is a very difficult language to learn, especially as an adult.I have to admit my Latin skills are probably still better than my Yup'ik skills!
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Ginny Purcell Jimenez
6/26/2012 05:52:00 am
Happy to see the blog is still functioning.......and to see that Skip Sawyer does check in............Hope you're feeling well, Skip.......my thoughts are with you. I think of your mom with great fondness. I thought she was the cutest mother in the building. She wore pretty flowered house dresses, had the neatest dimples and smiled a lot . She and Mrs Mitchell were always so good to me. 4835 (the mets on 46th) was a great place to grow up and I realize how lucky we were to have so many wonderful families around us...........yours,.the Devines, Morans, Mitchells, Amandeleros, James, Beggins, Kandalis, Bergs, Dunns, Gallaghers, Schuberts, Oberst, Prinze and even Nussbaum!! My sisters and I will still sit around a table and reminisce with a cup of tea and trying to remember everyone in our building and those who moved out to a larger apt or to "the country". We go up and down the halls mentally remembering the people on each floor and what happened to them...........We were really raised by a building, a block, church, even the corner stores Harry, Gus the barber, and Ida, Ira, Pearl and Ruby were part of the family......a true village.............I try to explain to my kids just how wonderful it was to always have someone to play with and a archway where we could play a miriad of games, even if it were raining. The building was constructed just for us.....it made a perfect playgound without the swings or slides...We didn't even have to draw an outline to play potsie!
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Noel d. Sawyer SKIP
6/29/2012 11:19:44 am
Good evening friends,
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Pam LoCastro McPhail
7/9/2012 10:16:43 am
Is everyone napping out there?
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Noel d. Sawyer skip
7/13/2012 12:13:07 am
Good morning to all of you,
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Bill Ryan
7/17/2012 01:58:19 am
Better late than never.... Just got a message on Facebook from Jim O'Brien that Jimmy Connolly (of the "mixed" section) is not deceased. Jim O. saw Jimmy's name in the St. Francis Prep Alumni newsletter recently. Back around the time leading up to our reunion, somebody had told me with almost 100% certainty that Jimmy C. had died some years ago. Apparently, that's not the case. The "mists of time" tend to shroud many things over.
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Charlie D
7/21/2012 05:31:03 am
Hey Bill, want to wish you a very Happy Birthday! Hope all is going well for you and your family.
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Bill Ryan
7/21/2012 12:31:07 pm
Thank you, Charlie. Everything is going along pretty well for us and the family. My oldest, Dave, and his wife Megan are expecting their third in early September. My other son Tom will be moving next week (unless, of course, the deal on the house falls through at the last minute) from Manheim, which is about 1/2 hour west of here, to Phoenixville, about an hour east of here (closer to the Phila area). And my daughter, who turns 30, one week to the day after my b'day, leaves for Isla de las Mujeres, Mexico, in a few days to swim with the whale sharks. It's her big three - O celebration. BTW, whale sharks don't bite. Anyway, yeah, I'll be 66 tomorrow. Like Jim O'Brien said to me on Facebook earlier today, if we were buildings, we'd all be classified as historic landmarks! LOL Enjoy the rest of your summer and your golf game.
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Pam LoCastro McPhail
7/22/2012 07:06:33 am
Happy Birthday Bill.
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Bill Ryan
7/22/2012 12:27:50 pm
Thanks, Pam. Sounds like all worked out OK at the horseshoe pit building experience - as long as they were able to bend their elbows for some "coldies", everything worked out OK. When summer is like the way it was recently (highs near 100 and humid), I can't wait for it to be over. But when it goes back to normal (highs near 80 and not a lot of humidity), I wish it would stay that way till around Thanksgiving. But, Mother Nature, is going to do what she's going to do. Let's hope we don't have a repeat of the Halloween snow this year, the way we had it last year. At least here in southern PA, last winter was bizarre. 6 inches of snow on Halloween; only one other snow fall (a mere 4 inches) in January; and then 85 degrees on the first weekend of spring. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
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Noel d. Sawyer
8/3/2012 10:13:14 pm
Good morning friends,
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Noel d. Sawyer {Skip}
8/5/2012 10:28:53 pm
Good morning to anyone.
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Jim Carmody
8/6/2012 07:53:56 am
Noel, I know how it is. We watch four of our seven grandkids. two of them are only 4 and 2, and the 2 year old is a real terror. Hope all is well with you and your family.
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Frank Dann
8/9/2012 10:54:27 am
Recently I saw a magazine article entitled "New Hot Places to Live in New York." Sunnyside was first listed.
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Cathy M
8/10/2012 12:00:48 pm
Frank, Berkeley Towers..39th Dr and 52 St....Two bedrooms about 250,000 with terrace a little higher. One bedrooms and Studios and they have three bedrooms as well. Mait. includes gas and electric. Apartments facing 39 Dr and 6th floor and higher have fantastic views. Most of the old apartments buildings in Sunnyside have been converted to Co-Ops or Condos....not sure of mait. Long Island City is now the hot spot. All new on East River, start around $500,000.........It's all changed now. They have built up the other end of Roosevelt Island as well.
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Charlie D
8/9/2012 12:01:19 pm
Frank, tried to check out apts in Sunnyside online via the NY Daily News. Only could come up with 2 apts in Woodside: 3 bedrooms for $2200 and one bedroomk for $1200. Hope all is well by you.
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Bill Ryan
8/10/2012 03:04:49 am
Frank,
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Noel d Sawyer
8/25/2012 12:35:31 am
Our summer is coming to an end and we have to prepare for the fall and winter weather. Pray we have another mild winter.
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Charlie D
8/27/2012 03:10:19 am
Hoping that everyone, especially of STS friends, gets through the hurricane safely and with no damage to their homes
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Dick Beyrer
8/28/2012 10:22:28 am
Skip, I see Frank pretty much once a week. We live in Putnam County and spend weekends at Point Lookout, so Far Rockaway is sort of on the way. He remains the same- NO short term memory but fond recall of Woodside and STS. He remembers his address,phone number,parents many friends but not his wife. He is capable of conversation but shch a skilled BS artist that he can foward a discussion without knowing what he is talking about. He is charming and entertains the staff with stories-some of which resemble the truth.Cards are critical because the staff knows who has been abandoned.
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Noel d. Sawyer
8/28/2012 11:31:56 am
Thank you Dick for the info, can he get a phone call?
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kathy matthews klein
9/1/2012 06:35:18 am
Trust that each member of our our STS60 crew had a safe and fun summer! The blog has been moving @ turtle speed bit by bit. I did try 3 different times to submit something but got so frustrated I signed off. Not I did not type it up 3x in one day; . several weeks apart... Think weeblie was saving you folks from my non-exciting updates. Each time I'd hit send and it the screen just blinked twice andit was gone back at the start of the current section. UGH
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Pam LoCastro McPhail
9/2/2012 05:22:33 am
Well another chapter has started in our lives.
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Bill Ryan
9/3/2012 12:35:00 am
This won't count as a "What I Did This Summer" essay, but I became a grandfather for the 4th time last Friday. My oldest son is now the father of 3 daughters. Vivien Rose made a nice healthy entrance into this world at 7 lbs, 12 oz. She and her mommy are doing well.
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Noel d. Sawyer
9/3/2012 01:53:46 pm
Well Mr. Ryan congratulations, I spent sunday with my sons daughter Shannon. Hard to believe how soft we have become when our hands are on them.
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Dick Beyrer
9/8/2012 05:51:19 am
Skip,Sorry it took so long to reply. I was out of town for a week and only saw Frank today. The human brain is amazing: Frank remembered my name today and asked what I was doing for dinner. I told him I was going to the White House and he suggested we meet with our wives. This amused the staff-who do nothing but listen- and Frank replied :Meet you on 48 Ave @ 7. He did not remember being married 2 weeks ago. When I showed him Pam's" back to school note" ,he was overjoyed and wanted to know when she got married and was she downstairs? The pay phone in the day room is 516 239 1794.
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Bill Ryan
9/8/2012 10:17:18 am
Jim O'Brien (STS60) posted a link to an interesting YouTube video that I think you ex-Woodsiders will enjoy. It shows many scenes from north Queens -- mainly upper Woodside, Flushing, and some of Astoria. There are some other neighborhoods thrown in as well, but I'm not sure exactly which ones they are. One picture I particularly got a kick out of was the one of the Howard Johnsons out on Queens Blvd - past Woodhaven Blvd. I wonder if that building is still standing. In my mind's eye, I can still see its orange roof and white stucco walls.
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noel d. sawyer.....SKIP
9/27/2012 02:36:44 pm
GOOD EVENING FRIENDS,
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Noel d. Sawyer
9/28/2012 09:17:03 am
Hello Bill
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Bill Ryan
9/29/2012 12:14:12 am
Noel,
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Noel .d Sawyer
9/29/2012 10:49:01 pm
Good morning to all who check the blog.
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Noel .d Sawyer
9/30/2012 10:34:17 pm
Good morning Bill,
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Kathy Matthews Klein
10/1/2012 01:46:01 pm
Greetings to our few bloggers and readers only:
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noel .d sawyer
10/10/2012 01:48:42 pm
Good evening friends,
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Pam LoCastro McPhail
10/19/2012 05:45:13 am
Hi all. Had another bump in the road. I had a small dot on my nose and immediately went to the doctor. I've had basal and squamous cell cancer before so I know what to look for. Well 40 stitches later, my nose looks like a cross between W.C. Fields and the Bride of Frankenstein! Glad I went immediately and didn't wait!!!!! This Too Shall Pass.
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Charlie D
10/21/2012 11:13:26 am
There was another reunion last night at the K of C in Woodside. The crowd was much younger than our STS 1960 group. Waiting to see if some pics pop up on Facebook. There is a PS 125 softball/football group and a Grew up in Woodside group on facebook. Hoping all is the best it can be for all in the STS 1960 group.
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Bill Ryan
10/25/2012 01:09:37 am
Hey, Pam - I can commiserate with your skin surgery. I've had many "things" removed from my skin. Fortunately, they've all been just basal cell tumors. I know squamous cell tumors are somewhat more serious, but at least they're not melanomas. I just heard last week that the daughter of our old dentist in Lewistown died a few weeks ago. She was just 36 with a 2 year old baby. Life's not fair!
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Bob Carnesi
10/25/2012 06:10:50 am
I am hoping and praying that somehow this great website will come up for a bit of air and perhaps revive itself and once again offer the great information and more importantly the touching and heartfelt contributions that so many of us simply took such great pleasure from. God bless you all.
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Pam LoCastro McPhail
10/25/2012 06:26:57 am
I just mailed out a Halloween card to Frankie.
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Charlie D
10/25/2012 11:47:07 am
Bill, I think the reunion came via the PS125 softball/football facebook group. I know Danny Ryan and Larry Lanza Jr were there. But a much younger crowd; more than twenty years younger that us in general. Hi Bob C. Hope all is good by you. No hockey so far for this sesason. Just when the Rangers are doing well, they may sit out for a year due to owners lockout. Hello to any and all STS 1960 people out there!
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Bill Ryan
10/25/2012 01:08:13 pm
Thanks for that reminder, Pam. In case anyone has misplaced or lost Frank's address, here it is again:
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Noel d. Sawyer Skip
10/25/2012 09:51:57 pm
Good moning to all,
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Noel d. Sawyer
10/29/2012 04:36:45 am
Good after noon all my friends.
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dick beyrer
10/29/2012 09:10:08 am
Hi all- saw Frank yesterday- still in great spirits -the news of the Rockaways being evacuated is highly exagerrated- he is still there- In spite of being located near the boardwalk- actually where Fitzgerald's on 108 st was -but he is on 14 st-I spoke to the people today and they plan to stay ?? Good luck to all!
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Charlie D
11/2/2012 09:58:30 pm
Hoping all did OK thru the storm. Long Island got hit pretty hard. I am north of Sunrise and fared well. Lost power for 30 hrs and one tree down. Many friends have been flooded out and have no power . Some have even lost cars due to salt water damage. Again, hope all out there are safe. Thoughts and prayers to all those who have lost their homes and possessions etc.
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Bill Ryan
11/3/2012 01:33:50 am
Hey, Charlie, This one thought keeps coming back to me through this whole crisis: Granted, it doesn't deal with issues as critical as the situation on Staten Island and parts of Jersey where lives have been lost, but, here's my question: how in God's name are there ever going to be enough "legitimate" contractors in the Tri-State area to fix all those roofs that have huge trees poking down through them into the interior of the home? I saw on TV where one block somewhere on L.I. must have had at least a half-dozen houses with trees crashed down on them, wrecking the roof. With the cold weather coming (feels like it's already here, actually), having a huge hole in your living room or bedroom ceiling is going to be a big problem.
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John Doherty
11/6/2012 06:22:59 pm
A few months back Obama went to Ireland looking for his apostrophe... I guess he found it!!!!
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Noel d. Sawyer
11/7/2012 10:29:17 pm
Good morning to all,
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Charlie D
11/9/2012 12:46:22 am
Skip, try calling a local firehouse and maybe they can drive by your cousin's house and let ya know what is going on there. Bill, yes, trying to get a contractor will be tough. Worked at a friend's home for 4 days tearing down sheet rock, removing insulation and ripping up the oak floors and plywood below the oak. Now, he can dry out a bit & be ready to reinstall soon. People with generators can at least power their homes. Furnaces and hot water heaters ruined in most cases. Lots of autos to be totaled. Hope any others on the south shore are getting help and making progress toward recovery.
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Bill Ryan
11/9/2012 02:58:07 am
A day or two ago, I saw on TV where the authorities in the Tri-State Area are really cracking down on unlicensed workmen, especially plumbers and electricians. I can understand the need for having qualified people doing those jobs, but when you consider the thousands upon thousands of homeowners in the NYC Metro area that are in need of people with any kind of plumbing or electrical skills, I don't see how the situation is going to begin to return to normal if every person doing plumbing or electrical work has to be certified. Certain jobs have to be done by certified people like, for example, trying to reconnect to the transformer in front of your house - no way - there you need someone who knows what they're doing. But to install new receptacles in your basement family room? Or putting in a new kitchen faucet? I think jobs like that do not demand a licensed plumber or electrician, IMHO.
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Pam LoCastro McPhail
11/9/2012 04:54:16 am
Wow Bill, you really got me thinking.
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Maureen Murphy Carlson
11/9/2012 09:09:32 am
We have been at our house on Kodiak Island for the past few weeks...a long way from the devastation that Sandy brought to the East Coast. Our thoughts and prayers have been with everyone dealing with the aftermath of this huge storm. We just couldn't believe the television coverage of the destruction along the Jersey shore and the Rockaway Beach area. Thank God, my family in Philly and Boston fared pretty well.
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Bill Ryan
11/9/2012 11:03:47 am
Pam - That's funny and very typical of bank security guards. I remember years ago that so many of them looked like they were on loan from the local nursing home and I thought to myself, "Hmm, now there's someone who could surely stop a bank robbery in progress!" (sarcasm).
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Bill Ryan
11/11/2012 10:55:12 pm
Just a reminder: I'm sure Frank Wisniewski would appreciate receiving Thanksgiving cards. Here's his address again:
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Noel d. Sawyer
11/12/2012 04:35:47 am
Hi Bill
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kathy matthews klein
11/13/2012 09:06:27 pm
I'm attempting to "blog" this am before work. Having computer issues because on 3 different occasions in the past 2 months I'm 3/4 into an entry here and it completely disappears. Not that I have excting stuff to report but I really have tried to communicate with my former classmates STS60. My thoughts and prayers are with all families devastated w Sandy and with thanks for all the amazing first responders & volunteers that risk their lives and health to assist those in dire need. In Carmel NY I personally lost power but only for 2 1/2 days and it wasn't cold yet. My heart goes out to those still without electric and heat. Took Comcast 6 days to restore phone, cable & internet but small sacrifice in scheme of things. Bill in 1965 I was one of the fortunate ones; I had just gotten off the 7 train at the Bliss St. station in Woodside on my way home from work in NYC. Stairwells were so dark people were holding railings and hands of others. A few cursed & some were scared but many of us didn't realize what was happening until we were walking down Greenpoint Avenue towards 44th Street. Looked towards NYC skyline and it was erased with blackness; that's when we realized how widespread the blackout was. Going to send this now before I lose it and start part 2 below. Love to all... KMK
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Kathy Matthews Klein
11/13/2012 09:13:37 pm
The August blackout a while back I was out in Hampton Bays for a week with a close friend, courtesy of My Cousin Danny who lives in Westchester but has had a house out there for more than 30 years. We had not eaten breakfast or lunch that day but were exiting the Hampton Bays Dinner after having a delicious hot meal from appetizer to dessert when the traffic lights went out. Thought it was local; drove home to find no electric worked. Could not of course find a radio so went to car and turned on the radio to hear the Mayor telling everyone what was going on. Fortunately we'd gassed up that am and had cash, so we sat on the patio that night with citranella candles, sipping drinks and listening to cassette tape music. Felt terrible for those stuck in subways or in elevators but escaped that one well. Computer blinked so ending this entry now. KMK
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kathy matthews klein
11/13/2012 09:41:52 pm
Felt like 911 with NO communications cellphone not able to connect calls; occasional text went out; no one received them. Server made no difference –Sprint or my/Verizon or Kris/ATT I-phone. Cell towers down; generators drained rapidly. Phone/internet restored Sun. 11/4; had no idea how bad things were until I saw the pictures on tv.Learned from son JOE/Astoria (his ATT I-phone was fine) that my daughter TARA was flooded/Lindenhurst; water was 3” from the ceiling of her first floor (LI South Shore, village/Babylon). She & husband have moved kids to cousin/Massapequa. That house did not flood;streets had 6 inch deep water & lost power. Joey arranged for me to bring grand-girls back to Carmel; LI had NO power; NO gas; I met her in Whitestone to save her gas. She packed girls (7 & 5) in Jeep (Saturn 12 blocks inland was in water). Took me 3 hrs to whitestone; took her 3 hours too but we connected amen. Drove home safely to Carmel in 1.5 hrs. Maggie & Caroline dnot leave here until Vets Day.
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noel d. sawyer
11/13/2012 11:57:12 pm
Hello to all and i hope you are all safe. good to hear from you Kathy. as you see we found my cousins in Staten Island only for the best Police force in the country, they found them in there way and I donot ask any questions.
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Dick Beyrer
11/19/2012 08:55:22 am
Frank Wiz update: Sandy was not kind to far Rockaway. Frank had kidney problems and was moved to St John's hosp in Far Rock--20 Street. but with power issues and the hospital giving shelter to many residents--not a lot oe medecine was being practiced- a procedure was scheduled for today but still uncertian.Communication is a major problem-will keep you posted,
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noel d sawyer
11/19/2012 07:35:30 pm
Thanks Dick for the information,
Noel d. Sawyer
11/22/2012 02:57:35 am
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Noel d. Sawyer
11/26/2012 07:56:44 pm
Good day to all,
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Noel d. Sawyer
12/8/2012 06:41:44 am
Hello everyone,
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Pam LoCastro McPhail
12/12/2012 09:39:00 am
Anyone have any updates on Frankie?
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Bill Ryan
12/12/2012 12:18:21 pm
Thanks for mentioning Frank, Pam. I've been meaning to ask: Does anyone know if Frank is still at the same convalescent home (something like the Lawrence Center) in Far Rockaway? It'll soon be time to start sending him Christmas cards.
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Bill Ryan
12/14/2012 09:44:03 am
Just heard from Dick Beyrer. Frank is back at the West Lawrence Care Center. Dick visited him yesterday and said he seems to be doing pretty well, all things considered. Dick stressed how much receiving cards means to Frank. So, with that in mind, I'll once again list Frank's complete mailing address:
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noel d sawyer
12/14/2012 10:28:14 am
Bill good evening,
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Charlie D
12/14/2012 09:46:56 pm
Card on the way to Frank. Also got an e mail Christmas greeting form one of our classmates.. Marry Christams to all!
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John Doherty
12/16/2012 08:27:32 pm
Christmas Blessings to all & those dear to you.....
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John Doherty
12/16/2012 08:29:05 pm
Sorry... it should have read ---- "Sent...."
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Kathy Matthews Klein
12/17/2012 09:54:51 pm
Wishing you and yours a blessed and joyful Christmas Day! Crazy time of year but couldn't forget the "whole motely crew" we grew up with in Woodside a lifetime ago. Thanks for reminder & address again will write a card for Frankie W & get it in the mail tomorrow. My daughter in LI is still trying to reclaim her house after Hurricane Sandy. Yet so many others lost everything except the foundation. My other daughter works in an educ. preschool in Monroe CT, next to Newtown CT. Her school has pre & after school child care for kids in Sandy Hook school. Their hearts are broken; they knew some of the little ones personally. Let's keep their families in our hearts this Christmas and throughout the new year, they'll need all the prayers they can get. We have so much to be thankful fr. in the words of Tiny Tim...God Bless Us Every One!
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Noel Sawyer
12/23/2012 12:45:53 pm
Merry Christmas to all of my old friends,,,,,,
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Ginny Purcell Jimenez
12/23/2012 06:29:25 pm
Happy Christmas to all! I admit I am very bad at writing on the blog but I do check in once in a while. My husband and I are so happy back on the east coast.......especially around the holidays. We spent too many "Jewish Christmases" (Going to the movies and eating Chinese food) out in California. Now we have our family close by and have been able to share our traditions with them again. Tonight is lobster night and we're waiting for our youngest daughter, her husband and our two little grandchildren to celebrate and share the wonder of Christmas together. I hope you and yours will have a blessed and happy Christmas too............Can't wait !!
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Maureen Murphy Carlson
12/26/2012 01:35:14 am
Merry Christmas, Everyone! Hope you Christmas Day found you surrounded by the peace, joy, and love of this Blessed Season.
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Frank Dann
12/26/2012 02:33:34 am
Hello everyone....
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Bill Ryan
12/29/2012 11:59:36 pm
You probably heard/saw on the news that about 2 weeks ago, some guy pushed a man off a subway platform just as the train was pulling into the station, resulting in the man's death. I believe that took place somewhere in Manhattan. Then, this week, a woman pushed a man in front of an oncoming train, and this happened at Lowery St. station. (This poor guy died, too.) From what I read on CNN.com, she pushed the guy off the platform because she thought he was a Muslim. Turns out, he was an Indian - not sure now if they said he was a Sikh or a Hindu, but definitely not a Muslim. Looks like the #7 train turned out to be not so lucky 7 after all, at least for the victim. Just thought I'd post this for any old bumps who didn't hear about this bit of "neighborhood news". Wishing all of you a happy and healthy 2013.
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Bill Ryan
12/30/2012 02:59:44 am
Whoops! Sorry, Frank - I meant to comment on your considering retirement but obviously forgot to. Go for it! As retirees say, "Every day is Saturday." Don't worry about being bored. You will find just the right amount of activity to keep you busy but not pressured.
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Charlie D
1/1/2013 11:05:02 am
Happy New Year to all. Spending the night in Atmore, Alabama. Left Greensboro, NC this A.M. and we are on the road to McAllen, Texas to visit daughter and son-in-law. Tomorrow, we go west on I-10 to Houston and then south to McAllen spending the night in Victoria, Texas. Thought I'd seen the last of the south while in the Army in the 60's. Ya never know..... And, Frank, pull the pin; you will enjoy retirement!
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Bill Ryan
1/1/2013 11:38:18 am
Guess it's time to start a new "chapter". Enough with the scrolling all the way down to message 117+. Post new comments in new chapter (Chapter 17). Thanks. And safe travels to you, Charlie!
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