March 28, 2013

Here are a few stories  from people of all walks of life

that lived on Miami Beach : 

 

 Courtesy: Carl Hersh

Russell Galbut Interviewed by Carl Hersh

 

 

 

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Written  by: Joan  Childs

The Class of '57: The Beach High Kids

Part I
Graduation from Beach High was barely a memory in March of 2006.  After all, nearly fifty years is a very long time.  As the years passed with fluidity and without conscious awareness since graduation, so did our own personal years, as we became college graduates, service men and women, moms, dads, active members of the working force and now, grandparents.

President Eisenhower seemed like ancient history. Khrushchev and Stalin faded into the history books to join the likes of Adolph Hitler and Mussolini.  We witnessed the assassination of President Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King. We watched Cuba become a communist country and stared in awe, as the missiles were dismantled only 90 miles from our beaches.  We observed Apartheid as it became truly identified and challenged for the first time in American history.  As high school students, we observed the signs on the city buses.  "Colored in the back of the bus." We lived in silence without a defined social consciousness, witnessing  segregated schools, bathrooms, restaurants, and even water fountains. 

We were anguished over the loss of tens of thousands of our young men and women fighting a war in a country that none of us had even heard of. We advanced from the Victorian Age into the Age of Liberation to the New Age, the Dot Com Age, Civil Rights, space travel, computers, cell phones, I Pods, global warming, and terrorism.  We witnessed the deaths of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Grace, John Lennon and Princess Diana.  We mourned the loss of the Lone Ranger, Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller), Abbot and Costello, Roy Rogers, Ucle Miltie, Jackie Gleason, and Ed Sullivan, not to mention countless others that we thought would live forever. And then-- witnessed the unforgettable; the Twin Towers crumble into rubble amidst the fumes and clouds of all out naivete, vulnerability and incomprehension.  All in all, despite these major events, genetic engineering, cloning, the homeless, Aids, Jihad, and Prozac, we moved forward with our passions to become the people we were intended to be.

We met sometime in March 2006.  We gathered in an expansive living room high atop a condominium overlooking Biscayne Bay.  This was to be the first of a series of committee meetings that would create th 50th high school class reunion.  There were only a few when I arrived, followed by others who drifted in one at a time, totaling fifteen. We gathered together in a circle around a large glass cocktail table , staring at each othe with a plethora of emotions. Had we really become old and not known it?  We had the same familiar faces, but there were signs of wear and tear and gthe elements of time gone by. Although aware of my own aging and touch- ups over the years, I suddenly realized how time had transformed us when I sat face-to-face with my classmates. As we shared our purpose and goals, the meeting shifted unwittingly into 1957. The conversation drifted into names, places, teachers, songs, movies, and dances of our time. We regressed into a time warp and once again became seventeen years old for three hours but with the experience and knowledge of nearly a lifetime. 

A year and a half had passed.  We were two months away from the event. The time from that first meeting evolved into more than any of us could imagine. The website created by one of our talented classmates generated ommunication and information that was endles and even relentless.  We negotiated our ideas and thoughts by email almost on a daily basis. Rarely were we in disagreement except with perhaps the professional party planners who wre born a quarter of a century after we graduated. The resistance from many of our clasmates to attend due to old wounds became a mission of conversion by those on the committee. Old feelings of anger and hurt surfaced through emails that wre responded to by man of us with concern, sadness and appreciation.  Some were resolved; others accepted with sorrow. 

Having been in the practice of psuchotherapy, I was aware that old wounds often become a part of the fabric of our core and who we become. However, many of our committee members were stunned to learn that so many of our clasmates had taken the social, moral, and emotional injustices and injuries from their formative years and teens into adulthood. So many carried their pain so that attending such an auspicious occasion was incomorehensible to them.  What became even more alarming were the deaths, illnesses, and loses that occurred during the years that we had each gone our own way.  Time had not been altogether friendy. Aging had a host of problems. Reflections and self-examination became pervasive for all of us.  Looking back through a rear -view mirror gave us a glance of what was really important. Philosophical issues emerged.  Had we been a microcosm of the universe blending our individuality into a greater sum? Had we, the "Beach Kids" really been so much different than the rest of the nation's high schools in the 50's? Had our uniqueness been a figment of our imagination or a skewed perception in the filters of our minds?

As our event approached, we realized that, indeed, we were special and share a collective pride and joy that we had brought a legacy of the 50's, filled with the values of our time, into our present lives.  We realized we, as the class of '57 had made remarkable contributions to society and mankind that would remain indelible. And now the common denominator that connected our humanism and finiteness was the recognition that we were the "seniors" once again, but this time, the "senior citizens" of Beach High. This was our tacit and shared communication that sifted through the thought processes while we were deciding the menu, the band, the centerpiees, and the budget.

We were the lucky ones who survived the trials and tribulations of the years and their effects.  We were the blessed who have navigated safely through time, turmoil and triumph
with a sense of humility and gratitude.  We made our mistakes and poor choices at one time or another.  We have learned from the past and look to the future with the same grit that wse had when we graduated, but with a knowledge that only time and experience can offer. Our youth and impatience transcended into wishdom and tolerance.  We're able to meet challenges with a better understanding and acceptance that things may not gothe way we wish. We've learned that things happen sometimes the way they are intended and not always the way we would like We've learned that our destiny sometimes transcends our will.  We have learned how to forgive others as well as ourselves..  We are learning to accept our lot in life and give back to the next generation, so that they can reap what we offer.  But most of all, a deep bond with one another has been reestablished, cemented with love and respect, and we looked forward to our 50th high school reunio with excitement and appreciation to be the Beach High graduates of the class of '57!

PART II
Seventeen years later we have alread celebrated our 60th and 65th high school reunions and our 80th birthday party.  Time seems like toilet paper.  The closer we get to the end of the roll, the faster it seems to go. Many of our classmates have passed.  Those of us still livig our lives, either in sickness or health are 84 years old or have already reached the ripe old age of 85.  Many are widows; some are widowers. Most are grandparents, and  few are even great-gandparents. As we look back in our rear-view mirrors once more, we realize just how lucky we Beach Kid were.  We lived in the best of times and in one of the best cities in the world. It truly was the last age of innocence. 

Those of us who are still alivehave maintained relationships that have survived throughout the years. We still enjoy getting together to celebrate our memories and share our ills and joys.  We went from fax machines to downloading, scanning, streaming bitcoins, and now AI. Aldous Huxley's Brave New World we read in English class is here and now.  Beach High was the foundation ofwho we are today. Whether we sat in the ban room with Mr Coleman waving his baton to the Egmont Overture, played basketball in the gm, football in Flamimgo Park, hung out at Doly's or spent every Saturday morning in Temple Emanuel mesmerized or bored with the refrains of Rabbi Lehrman, hung out in the front of Liggett's drug store on the corner of Washington Avenue and Lincoln Road, we the octogenarians are proud and grateful for the legacies that Beach High granted us. 

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50TH REUNION PLANNING COMMITTEE- Last Meeting before the 50th, held at the home of Blanche "Cookie" (Schwartz) Weiss. 

Seated on floor L to R: Leskie Litt Sheila Drazia Esther Mazor Wolfer Sharon
Row 1 Barbara Stepner Skigen,  ____Merri Mann Isadore Newman  Iris Raderman Rick Hertzon, ______
Standing: Robert Hauser, ________Judy Notowitz, Cookie Schwartz,Ellen H, 
Back Row: ___, Bob Tepper Mary Troupe ___.____.____.____.___. 

***Classmates invited to  submit corrections and label the above classmates***

 

   

L to R:Esther Mazor Wolfer and Barbara Stepner Skigen
(Barbara deceased 2015)" In Memory" section of this website)

1960's Bunny Recalls The Miami PlayBoy Club.

 Miami Social Landmark

The old Playboy Club now an auto parts store. 
Memorabilla treasures: 
THE PLAYBOY KEY and THE ORIGINAL BUNNY TAIL.

HistoryMiami Museum Archives/Miami News Collection

1960s Bunny Recalls the Miami Playboy Club

Alice Wilder was a Playboy bunny in Hugh Hefner's Miami club in the 1960s

By Hank Tester • Published September 19, 2011 • Updated on September 20, 2011 at 10:59 am

There was the Playboy magazine, the glamorous lifestyle Hugh Hefner created, and, of course, the Playboy clubs and the bunnies.

In the 1960s, to own a Playboy key was the ultimate in cool. And Hefner landed in Miami in a big way.

Using the DC-9 Bunny plane, the Playboy lifestyle landed swept into Miami. The Playboy Hotel had all the trappings of a club, but Hefner also created a Playboy Club, where likes of Johnny Carson and Al Hirt came to be entertained. Yachts would dock alongside in the Intracoastal Waterway.

It was all part of the brand, Miami the second club put into operation.

In early 1961, young women flocked to tryouts. They all wanted to be bunnies. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which was financially rewarding. It could haveeven given them a chance at being a centerfold.

  And this Miami club was just that -- a Miami social landmark, located at NW 79^th Street and Biscayne Blvd.

The bunny mantra was “Everything on the menu is a buck and a half. If it’s not on the menu, it’s not for sale."

“Who didn’t come to the club?” asked former bunny Alice Wilder, who still has her original bunny tail.

Wilder was a 6-foot tall door bunny in the mid-1960s, the first bunny one saw when entering the Miami Playboy Club.

It was “extremely straight up and down. There were all kinds of rules that we had to follow,” she said. The club was also a draw for young women who aspired to be Bunnies, lured by the celebrity cachet and glamour that Hefner promised. In 2011, Alice Wilder, a former Miami Bunny, recalled her experiences to NBC 6. "We even had Johnny Carson in one night," Wilder remembered.

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SENIOR SONGS
(TO THE TUNE OF "OKLAHOMA")

BY LEA BUSSEY

O SENIORS 60-WE'RE THE BEST IN

BEACH'S HISTORY.WE'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES
 

TO MAKE A CLASS GREAT,
 

WINNING SPIRIT, STRENGTH, AND UNITY.
 

O SENIORS '60 THRU THE YEARS TOGETHER
 

WE'VE HAD FUN.

WHETHER SPIRIT DAY, A GAME OR PLAY,
 

WE'VE LED THE SCHOOL IN ALL WE'VE DONE.
 

 HIGH DAYS WILL SOON BE IN THE PAST

BUT OUR MEMORIES FOREVER WILL LAST.
 

THE FRIENDS WE'VE MADE,THE TIME WILL NEVER FADE
 

WE'LL STILL REMAIN FOR

BEACH WON'T FORGET SENIOR S '60, CLASS OF 60.
 

THAT'S US, WE'RE PROUD AND SHOUT IT LOUD

SENIORS '60-THE BEST.

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OH, SENIORS 60

(To the tune of "Oklahoma"-REVISED for the 50th Reunion

                       by:     Lea Bussey

Oh...Seniors 60, were the best in Beach's history.

   We had what it takes, to make a class great:

         Winning spirit, strength and unity.

Oh...Seniors 60, through the years together we had fun.

Whether senior day, a game or play, we had led the school in all we've done.

                    High school days, 50 years in the past,

                         But our memories forever will last.

          The fun we've had...and now, years later we're so glad that

We're doing fine Seniors 60, Class of 60, that's us, we're proud and shout it loud

                          Seniors 60...the best!

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(TO THE TUNE OF
"IT'S THE TALK OF THE TOWN")
BY DALE STRYKER

WE, AT LAST, ARE HERE.

GRADUATION'S NEAR

MEMORIES WILL LAST.

THAT LIVED IN THE PAST.

CROWN AND CAPER'S GAMES AND DANCES

HIGH SCHOOL DAYS ARE AT A CLOSE.

WE'LL BE ON OUR WAY,

AT THE END OF MAY,

TO A BRAND NEW PLACE.

WE OWN'T KNOW A FACE.

ITS A TIME OF MIXED EMOTIONS,

HIGH SCHOOL DAYS ARE AT A CLOSE.

THE PLAYS AND THE PEP RALLIES,

THE FUN AT BOWLING ALLEYS

ARE PART OF THE DAYS GONE BY.

ALL THE MEETING PLACES WITH THOSE FORM LIAR FACES,

WE'LL HAVE TO PART

THOUGH THEY'LL BE IN OUR HEARTS.

NOW WE'LL SAY GOOD BYE.

WITH A TEAR AND SIGH

SUNS WILL FADE AWAY,

TO BRING A BRAND NEW DAY,

WE'LL PART AND HOPE TO MEET AGAIN

SOON,

HIGH SCHOOL DAYS ARE AT A CLOSE.

    

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 DO YOU REMEMBER?????

FUN FAIR...WOLFIE'S 21...JUNIOR'S...EMBERS...THE FAMOUS...LE NOSHERY...CARIB THEATRE...PELICAN POINT...48TH ST. BEACH...LINCOLN ROAD...ESPANOLA WAY...FONTAINEBLEAU HOTEL...POLO PARK...MADRAS SHIRTS...10TH ST. DANCE...ARDMORE STUDIOS...BAKER'S HAULOVER...THE BONFIRE...CAMEO THEATRE...THE DINGY...PAPPAGALLO SHOES...JAHN'S "KITCHEN SINK"...KASDIN DRUGS...LUMS...MIAMI BEACH AUDITORIUM...MOTEL ROW...PENNWAYS...PICCOLO'S...PICKIN'CHICKEN...PUMPERNIK'S...RICK SHAW...ROYAL CASTLE...SILVER DOLLAR JAKE...SONNY'S PIZZA...STAGG SHOP...FLAMINGO PARK...ALFIES NEWS...CANOE...PARHAM'S...HENRY STIEG...EDEN ROC HOTEL...ELVIS...WASHINGTON AVENUE...HARBURT SHIRTS...CAPEZIO SHOES...HORSEHAIR CRINOLINES...MODERNE PHARMACY...WERNER KAHN...POODLE SKIRTS...WHITE BUCK SHOES...CASTAWAYS/WRECK BAR...CHANDLER'S SHOES...FLAMINGO THEATRE...CINEMA THEATRE...BEACH THEATRE...LIGGETTS...SAKS BAGS...BEACH BOWL

...SEE YA' LATER, ALLIGATOR!