Serving the residents of North Shore Towers since 1995
Volume 26, Issue 1
January 2021
2020 In Review Volume 25, Issue 5
April 2020
May 2020
Volume 25, Issue 7
Serving the residents of North Shore Towers since 1995
Life During Covid-19 Self-Quarantine
A Different Kind of Summer Arrives at NST
Serving the residents of North Shore Towers since 1995
Volume 25, Issue 8
July 2020
August 2020
Summer Staycation
Reopening Begins
The New Normal at NST
JACK SCHWARZ PHOTO
LEROY MURRAY PHOTO
Gen. Manager Glen Kotowski, Dr. Stanley Goldsmith, Dr. Gabriela Solis, Bd. Director Fred Chernow
Serving the residents of North Shore Towers since 1995
North Shore Towers Reopening Continues
FRANCINE GORDON PHOTO
Serving the residents of North Shore Towers since 1995
Coronavirus Meeting
JACK SCHWARZ PHOTO
Volume 25, Issue 4
Covid-19 TOWERS TALES:
Donald Feinsod
Volume 23, Issue 1
MEN’S CLUB LECTURER:
Author Saul Fathi
Serving the residents of North Shore Towers since 1995
What to Know
January 2020
OBITUARY:
Caring & Serving
Mitch Goldstein
Serving the residents of North Shore Towers since 1995
Volume 25, Issue 9
TOWERS TALES:
The Friedmans
Mask Distribution
Volume 25, Issue 2
September 2020
LOCKDOWN UPDATE:
Dinner Is Served
TOWERS TALES:
Howard Arkin
Serving the residents of North Shore Towers since 1995
TOWERS PARK:
The Chairs Have It
February 2020
Volume 25, Issue 3
Treasurer Schwartzman
Season’s Greetings
TOWERS TALES:
Irene Frank
Pickleball at NST
Serving the residents of North Shore Towers since 1995
March 2020
House & Grounds Chairman Kirschner TOWER TIMES PROFILE
TOWER TIMES PROFILE
MICHAEL KOHN GRAPHIC
Beaumont Redux
JACK SCHWARZ PHOTO
ELECTION
To the North Shore Towers Community
JACK SCHWARZ PHOTO
JACK SCHWARZ PHOTO
Bd. of Directors
Mr. Oh
Felice Hannah Memorial Held
A Year Like No Other
TOWERS TALES:
Murray Levine
YEAR IN REVIEW
2020 Budget
NST Residents Photos
TOWERS TALES:
Ned Mattlage
Procuring Produce for 32 Years at NST
ARTS AND CRAFTS
Holiday Event
LOOKING AHEAD
TOWERS TALES:
Jill & Ed Nord
COLERIDGE LOUNGE
Super Bowl Party
13 Driver’s Licenses
Season’s Greetings TOWERS TALES:
Leo Tujak
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Snowstorm Hits NST
2 • TOWER TIMES • January 2021
Food and Grocery Delivery Available
STEVE AUERBACH PHOTO
Plow cleaning up the snowstorm and ice that hit North Shore Towers on Thursday, December 17th.
NST 2020: In Review
COVID-19 Disrupts Life at North Shore Towers JANUARY 2020 Budget Presented Shareholders were told they would receive a 2 percent maintenance increase by Treasurer Marty Schwartzman at the Bd. of Director’s annual budget meeting, Tuesday, December 17th in the movie theater. Real Estate Taxes accounted for $19.35 million in expenses, while capital expenditures totaled $4.54 million. This includeed a placeholder of $1.5 million for the planned VIP room renovations. The director said he also planned to review the details of the upcoming Arcade and hallway renovations. The next largest expenditure for the upcoming year was $750,000 for the front plaza, roadways, and expansion joints. $50,000 was also budgeted for a systems manual to be created for the power plant for use by future operating engineers. The projected ending balance of the co-op’s reserve funds in 2020 was $12.73 million. NST Controller Robert Serikstad called this, “A very nice performance with a lot of nice things getting done.” Dr. Goldsmith Honored in Serbia The University of Novi Sad is one of the largest research centers in Central Europe. Its medical school offers classes in English as well as Serbian, and the campus is on the banks of the Danube River. Bd. Director Dr. Stanley Goldsmithwas recently honored for his long relationship with the Novi Sad Medical School. FEBRUARY Marty Schwartzman Profile Marty Schwartzman moved to North Shore Towers three years ago and was elected to the Board of Directors in June of this year. He serves as treasurer of the co-op and
All had lived peacefully in Lichtenfels for generations before their arrest. The licenses were discovered in 2017 in an abandoned file cabinet in an old government building in Lichtenfels, where Werner grew up. A history teacher at the local high school asked for them because he thought it would be a challenging project for his students to find the descendants of the license owners and return the aging documents. APRIL Coronavirus Meeting The Bd. of Directors hosted a seminar on Wednesday, March 11th, presented by Dr. Gabriela Solis of Northwell Health to educate residents on health policies to prevent the spread of the new Coronavirus pandemic. Good personal hygiene and sanitizing everything touchable in the home were among the suggestions made to protect the community from becoming ill. Sanitizing stations were installed in the three lobbies and the maintenance department began following a daily sanitizing schedule in all public areas of the buildings, as suggested by the NYC Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control. NST Coronavirus Response The NST Men’s Club decided unanimously that all of our future events will be postponed due to Coronavirus, which include current events, bingo, luncheons, and dinners until considered prudent to resume. MAY The New Normal at NST The North Shore Towers community was adjusting to the “new normal” of the public health emergency created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past month, residents self-quarantined in their apartments donned masks, Continued on Page 4
TOWER TIMES • January 2021 • 3
is putting his career expertise in financial services to use for the community. 2020: Looking Ahead Bd. President Fred Chernow shared some of the items on his “wish list” for life at North Shore Towers in 2020. These included a vigorous campaign to have the MTA reverse their tentative changes in the Queens Manhattan bus routes which would impact our residents negatively. Many had already written to elected officials and garnered promises of support. Felice Hannah Memorial Held A memorial program was held for former North Shore Towers Bd. Director Felice Hannah on Tuesday, January 14th at Towers on the Green. Hannah died Saturday, December 28th after a battle with cancer. She was 83. “Felice was a class act who spent many hours helping residents with personal Medicare issues and was an outstanding board member,” said Bd. Director Fred Chernow, who spoke at her memorial. “She remained a proud lady, even in her final days at Calvary Hospice, where I visited her. She is profoundly missed.” MARCH Steven Kirschner Profile Born and raised in Brooklyn, Steve Kirschner is a graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School, the State University at Albany, and Brooklyn Law School. He served as an Assistant District Attorney for four years and has been in private practice for 42 years, specializing in criminal defense and labor law and represented the NYC Sanitation Workers Union’s 6,000 members for 40 years. When he thought of moving to North Shore Towers, he compared it to Russell Gardens. The Towers has about 3,200 residents and Russell Gardens has 1,200. While Russell Gardens has a traditional government, North Shore Towers is a private complex bound by rules and regulations imposed by the city and state. Ed Nord Biography: South Africa to NST Ed Nord grew up in Johannesburg where he attended medical school. After graduation, he moved to Israel for 10 years and served as a doctor in the Israeli Air Force. He was offered a research fellowship at UCLA in his specialty, Nephrology, which deals with kidney disease. His career took off and soon he was offered the chairmanship of the Nephrology Department at Stony Brook University on Long Island. He accepted and spent 30 years there, before coming to North Shore Towers. Many of you recognize him as a frequent visitor to our pool in the summer and as a regular chess player in the Men’s Card Room. 13 Driver’s Licenses This compelling story was about 13 Jewish citizens of the small Bavarian village of Lichtenfels in southern Germany and involved Building Three resident Werner Nass. His grandfather’s driver’s license, dated 1935, was found with a dozen others. It had been confiscated from Manfred Goldmeier, Werner’s maternal grandfather when he was arrested 80 years ago along with the other Jewish citizens.
2020 In Review
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Continued from Page 4 practiced social-distancing in public spaces, and carefully washed their hands better than ever before to stay healthy at home. The virus also claimed the lives of residents Mitch Goldstein and Donald Wein. Early Resident Mitch Goldstein, 84 Mitch Goldstein, one of the earliest residents of North Shore Towers, passed away due to COVID-19 complications after a successful routine surgery. He was 84. JULY Quarantine Life at NST We asked the question, “How have you spent the last three months self-quarantined?” The most popular pastimes at the Towers were reported to be watching television (especially Netflix and Amazon Prime), reading, listening to music, online games, walking the golf course for those who ventured outdoors, and Zooming. Now that Manhattan and Nassau County were reopening in different phases, we asked if residents feel comfortable going to such places as the dentist, hair salon, or restaurants, and what’s the first place they’re dying to go to? Pam Defranco said, “We already went to an outdoor dining restaurant on the first day of reopening. It felt so good!” How We Spent Our Spring Break During this unprecedented time of lockdown and restrictions, the members of the North Shore Towers Women’s Club were hard at work keep busy using their inner resources to ward off the insanity of boredom.
Marilyn Goldberg, Selma Black, Selma Baumgarten, Lita Adair wrote, “It’s scary, it’s threatening, it’s confining. It’s hard to live through this Covid-19 pandemic. Who could have imagined this part of life could be so unknowing. But, there is a bright side at North Shore Towers. There are close friendships we made with new people who feel like family. We call each other often, although we don’t visit our apartments. We do go outdoors when the weather permits. The golf course is open to walkers (at designated times) and has been so valuable to us. In the last two months walking it, watching the trees bud, some flowering and leafing have been emotionally uplifting. We love it and find we walk a bit longer each time.” AUGUST NST Summer Staycation Residents celebrated Phase 3 of New York City’s reopening in July by enjoying the eagerly anticipated swimming pool reopening, as well as the restaurant’s new outdoor dining overlooking the golf course. This was just in time for a summer staycation at the co-op after months of self-quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic. As temperatures reached a sultry 96 degrees, members were able to cool down by taking a dip in the outdoor pool until 7:00 pm, with all health and social distancing guidelines in full effect. Strict screening protocols are being followed, including temperature checks, registration, cleanliness, and social distancing in and around the pool. Some in the community enjoyed Dancersizing in the garden during the previous weeks, with participants masked and socially distanced. Those events were organized by Maria Termini Miller, who described them as, “neighbors coming together for a fitness routine during the pandemic.”
Living In FLA During the Pandemic At the end of February, NST Women’s Club South met at the Morikami Museum in Florida. They spent a lovely day touring the museum and gardens, eating bento boxes, and enjoying each other’s company. A short time later, the world turned upside down-the pandemic struck. We were social distancing, wearing masks and gloves, and staying home. Towers Park: The Chairs Have It Vicki Mazel wrote: “Due to Covid-19, many amenities and social areas at the Towers have been closed, making socializing very difficult. To combat the solitude, many residents have found the answer: lawn chairs! Yes, the lawn chairs that we all gave away when we sold our houses; the lawn chairs we had buried in our garages have now come back into fashion. “The great lawn chair hunt is on! Amazon has a delayed delivery because their supplies are dwindling, and many retail stores are out of stock. The lucky lawn chair owners can now nest in many areas of the Towers Park, and the big question of the day for them is, “Sun or Shade?” Pickleball at Towers The game of Pickleball was invented in the state of Washington 55 years ago and anks among the fastest growing sports in the country. It has taken Pickleball 45 years to arrive at North Shore Towers, but it is here now. Last year the area around the barbecue and garden was refurbished, and a fenced-in pickleball court was installed. The court has the appearance of a tennis court, but half the size.
Continued Next Issue
Leo Tujak: Pharmaceutical Exec By Fred Chernow
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ero Tujak and his wife, Jane, have been living at North Shore Towers for eight years and he has been an active resident and innovator in several areas. You’ve seen his prize-winning photographs on display in the Arcade, he was an active tennis player and helped organize the NST Men’s Club, and has also served as an officer of the Camera Club. Where did you grow up? I was born in the Bronx, grew up in Woodside, Queens, where we lived in the only apartment house on a block of one and two-family homes. I graduated from Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan and got my degree from the Brooklyn College of Pharmacy (that’s four NYC boroughs). What came next? I went into business after graduation acquiring a partnership in two Queens pharmacies. That lasted for the next 35 years. I then felt I wanted to try something else. I went to work for an HMO and eventually became a pharmacy director for Aetna, one of the top three health insurance
Leo Tujak with some of his framed photographs.
companies in the United States. It was an exciting opportunity when they asked me to open a pharmacy department for them in Boston. We moved and lived in the Chestnut Hill area, staying there until 2004. That’s when I was contacted by Omnicare, an industry-leading long-term care pharmacy service provider, and was offered a position in Maine as a clinical consultant. We moved again, this time to Westbrook, Maine, a suburb of Portland, where I worked for the next seven years. Then, in 2011, after 50 years in pharmacy practice and consulting, I decided to retire. Where did you meet Jane? I met her in one of the first pharmacies I worked in as a delivery boy, eventually becoming a partner. We were both 15 and I told Jane I would marry her on our first date. She is from Croatia and a Holocaust survivor. She came to the United States when she was 10 years old. She has the patience of a saint and has pushed, aided, aimed, and always urged me on and forward for the past 60 years. We have two daughters, one is a CPA and the other is an Optometrist. Our older daughter has three children, a teacher, an engineer, and a soon to be CPA. Our younger daughter has a son who attends Townsend Harris High School, rated the best high school in Queens. When did you come to North Shore Towers? We moved here in 2012. We had lived in Woodside, Jackson Heights, Little Neck, Boston, Chestnut Hill, and Westbrook before returning to New York. It was a wise decision. Jane got me to join the Camera Club almost as soon as we moved in. I really became fascinated with photography. This led to my involvement with other photo clubs. I was asked to start and lead one at the Douglaston-Little Neck Library. I also belong to the Photography Club of Long Island, in Port Washington. I’ve had solo shows of my work at the Manhasset and Glen Oaks Libraries. This has led to my showing some of my photos around the United States. My work has really taken off. Galleries in Glasgow, Athens, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, and Melbourne have displayed my work as well as Travel and Leisure magazine. What are some of your other interests? I was one of the founding members of the NST Men’s Club. Toby Horowitz is our President and you can reach
NST Camera Club founding member Leo Tujak. him at tmhmgt@yahoo.com. I enjoyed playing tennis here and continued until two years ago when my right hip gave out. I’ve recently had it replaced with a newer model. Jane and I have always enjoyed travel and tried to visit interesting places. At last count, we have traveled to over 60 countries in our 60 years together. From the Arctic to Antarctica; North Africa; South and Central America; most of Europe including Russia. Also, we’ve enjoyed the ocean and river cruises as well as land tours around the world. We enjoy calling the Towers our home sweet home.
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ormer Congressman Steve Israel today announced his endorsement for Debra Markell in her bid for New York City Council (District 23). Citing Markell’s experience and devotion to her community, Israel said she is the best person to help get Queens back on track. “I have known Debra for many years as a strong advocate in her community,” he said. “Her vast municipal government experience is needed now more than ever as New York faces the unprecedented challenges of Covid-19. I am proud to endorse her candidacy for the New York City Council.”
Israel served in the House of Representatives for 16 years, representing parts of northern and eastern Queens. Markell has an extensive resume in public service, currently representing Queens as Democratic State Committeewoman for the 26 District and as District Manager of Queens Community Board 2. She is the Chairwoman of the F.D.R. Democratic Club Executive Committee and has served as president of the 109th Precinct Community Council and Queens Director of the Mayor’s Community Assistance Unit from 1998 to 2006, and Political Director at North Shore Towers, and is the Chairwoman of the Flushing Hospital Advisory Board.
Steve Israel and Debra Markell.
TOWER TIMES • January 2021 • 5
Israel Endorses Markell for Council
6 • TOWER TIMES • January 2021
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TOWER TIMES • January 2021 • 7
Jack Schwarz Photos
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The Golden Age of Radio and TV By Howard Arkin (Pictured right)
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o keep our members engaged while we are under the influence of the COVID virus, the North Shore Towers Men’s Club is holding meetings, discussion groups, and guest speakers on Zoom. Some upcoming topics include “The Untold Stories of the Boxers,” “The Golden Age of Baseball,” “The Magic Show,” and “Exercises to do from Home.” On Thursday, November 19th the Men’s Club presented to the 37 participants who were viewing on Zoom its first doubleheader. Gary Darche’s popular open-mic session was followed later that day by a Toby Horowitz/Jerry Siegel presentation, “The Golden Age of Radio and Television,” hosted by noted lecturer Richard Knox. After a short delay due to a computer glitch, which Toby and Richard quickly solved, we were on our way. The first familiar thing that appeared on our screens was something called a test pattern. This was commonplace in the early days of TV. The network’s logo would appear on your television screen and remain constant from about 12:00 to 6:00 am when the stations were off the air. Some of the radio shows that Knox discussed were the “Jack Benny Show,” “Edgar Bergen, and Charlie McCarthy,” “The Lone Ranger,” and “Duffys Tavern Suspense.” The one that brought back the most memories to me, however, was “The Shadow.” I recall my parents taking me to the WOR studio in Manhattan one Sunday afternoon to see the show being taped. I don’t remember exactly why, but I think they took me to prove that “The Shadow” did not exist. Their efforts, however, failed. The next Sunday afternoon I was glued to the TV remaining loyal
to “The Shadow.” Another radio show that I was a big fan of was “Captain Midnight.” I remember sending away for a decoder ring and then foolishly giving it to a classmate, Ronald Contino, who let me replace him as the eraser monitor in exchange. In case you don’t remember, it was the eraser monitor’s job to clap the erasers together, which thereby would keep the blackboard clean. I’m not sure I got the better end of the bargain. Knox also showed us some memorable 1950’s television commercials. Dinah Shore singing “see the USA in your Chevrolet” had me back behind the wheel of my 1958 Impala. Many of the TV shows from the ’50s would not be candidates for an Emmy Award today, but “Playhouse 90, a television anthology drama series from that time might be the exception. “Playhouse 90” showcased some very talented writers such as Paddy Chayefsky and William Faulkner, as well as Rod Serling, the iconic creator of the “Twilight Zone” series. The first king of TV comedy was Milton Berle, the star of “The Texaco Star Theater,” a show that kept most of America home on Tuesday evening. If you had a TV set in the late 1940s or 1950s you might have had a few guests in your living room that night, some invited and some uninvited. Other great comedy shows were to follow, such as “I Love Lucy,” the “Jackie Gleason Show,” and “Your Show of Shows,” to name just a few of the most popular ones. Two very popular genres of TV shows during the 1950s were the cowboy/western and the detective/crime. A few of the classic TV westerns Knox touched upon were “Gunsmoke,” “The Rifleman,” “Bonanza,” and “The Lone Ranger.” Among the crime shows discussed were “Dragnet,” “77 Sunset Strip,” and “The Untouchables.” When was the last time you heard Jack Webb’s
immortal words, “Just the facts ma’am, just the facts?” Television has come a long way from that 12-inch Admiral I remember as a boy to the 80-inch Samsung I have now. As great as the golden age of radio and TV was, I’ll certainly take today’s TV, even if it’s no longer free. For more information about the North Shore Towers Men’s Club contact Toby Horowitz (tmhmgt@yahoo.com) On Tuesday, Dec 8th the North Shore Towers Men’s Club participated in an interesting and informative program on North Shore Towers Cultural Events channel 995, presented by Fred Chernow. It was on a New York institution of the past, the Horn & Hardart Automat. The program led by Fred Chernow combined film clips and reminisces of four North Shore Towers residents all pertaining to the Automat. Toby Horowitz, Dan Nachman, Sheryl Fass and Joan Robinson all had some great stories to tell. Nachman remembered the Automats lemon meringue pie as being the only Automat food that his wife, Gloria, was able to keep down during her first pregnancy. Horowitz, President of the North Shore Towers Men’s Club grew up in Wilmington Delaware, in the shadows of Philadelphia, and remembers at the age of 6 going to the Philadelphia Phillies–Eagles and a host of sporting events and always visiting the Market Street Automat the same day. Toby’s favorites being the Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes and the rice pudding. Horowitz moved to New York in 1972 and his first stop was, of course, Horn and Hardart, and you know what he had to have as his meal. Till this day still is his favorite meal. Joan Robinson’s remembrances centered around the “Children’s Hour,” a radio and later a television show which was sponsored by Horn and Hardart (aka the Automat). Continued on Page 13
NST Photo Flashback COMPILED BY STEVE AUERBACH
You should have seen us in our teens and 20s
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Guess the names of your neighbors. Answers page 13 Email your old school photo, name, and age to: sandtrap11@aol.com for future publication
TOWER TIMES • January 2021 • 11
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Pages From Our Past JANUARY 2012 No Maintenance Increase for 3rd Year The Bd. of Directors announced at their annual budget meeting, Thursday, December 15th at the Towers on the Green that there would be no maintenance increase for the third year in a row for North Shore Towers shareholders. “A number of people have asked me, and perhaps others, how can it be when everybody else is sustaining big increases in maintenance, etc., you folks in the last two years have had no maintenance increase?” Finance Committee Chairperson Mort Gitter said. “There’s no magic to it. We’ve operated the plant very efficiently, and in addition because of certain uncertainties primarily in a four letter word, called F-U- E-L...we have been able to save very substantial sums of money...so we have not had to ask shareholders for any increase in their monthly payments to us.” Bd. President Robert Ricken added, “The achievement is credited to the fact that the board and the members of the board committees are dedicated to the proposition that holding down maintenance makes North Shore Towers attractive to potential buyers as well as saving money for our owners. The Wall Street Journal published an article that we had the 5th highest sales for cooperatives in New York City last year.” JANUARY 2016 No Maintenance/Club Hike The North Shore Towers Bd. of Directors announced
that there would be no increases in maintenance fees or Country Club dues in 2016, Thursday, December 10th at their open budget meeting at the Towers on the Green. “While most cooperatives in the New York City area have experienced a 3 to 4 percent yearly increase in maintenance over the past several years, NST has had only a 1 percent increase over the same time period,” Treasurer Steve Redlich said. Redlich added that the successful renegotiation of the co-op’s mortgage lowered the yearly interest payments by $1.3 million, while simultaneously obtaining a five-year moratorium on principal payments that were $2.2 million in the past. New Towers Restaurateur Buffy Dimas Buffy and Spiros Dimas are proud of their recently acquired and more recently renovated Towers Restaurant. They have been in the diner, restaurant, catering business for 29 years. Buffy met Spiros when they both worked at the same diner and they have been together ever since. They have a family-run business. The first diner they owned was the East Williston diner, the second was the Glen Cove Diner and the last, but perhaps not the least, is the Towers Restaurant, located in the Arcade of the North Shore Towers complex. Obituary: Men’s Club Founder Al Fuchs Men’s Club founder and former Bd. of Director’s candidate Al Fuchs died on Tuesday, December 15, 2016 from cancer. He was 77. The Building Three resident managed,
organized, and restructured many business corporations, as well as NYC departments and agencies for over 35 years. Happy 100th Birthday Former NST resident and retired Tower Times columnist Mildred Raucher celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday, December 5th at the Lake Success Jewish Center.
Photo Flashback Answers 1/ Dennis Rappaport, 16. 2/ Sheila Harmon, 19. 3/ Dan Nachmanoff, 17. 4/ Barbara Leonardi, 17. 5/ Harold Hershman, 22. 6/ Chickie Kaufman, 20. 7/ Shelley Steinberg. 8/ Howard Arkin, 26. 9/ Irwin, 21, and Phyllis Shanes, 18. 10/ John Rondinelli as Gene Autry. 11/ Rhonda Schorr, 19.
12/ Steve Auerbach, 22. 13/ Ron Gold, 22. 14/ Dan Cavallo, 21. 15/ Bernard Jacobson, 20s. 16/ Joanne Auerbach, 19. 17/ Toby April, 1968. 18/ Arnie Cammeyer, 22. 19/ Jack Schwarz, 16. 20/ Gloria Beck, 20. 21/ Fred Chernow, 22. 22/ Bob Mark, 26. 23/ Eva Kessner, early 20s. 24/ Arnie Rabinowitz, 16.
(Continued from Page 10) Sheryl Fess’s description of the Automat that she would go to was quite telling. The small glass windows with all of that tasty food behind them, the silver dolphin heads which dispensed your 5 cents coffee, and the woman sitting in her cashier’s booth changing you dollar bill for 20 nickels with a flick of her wrist. My favorite dish was the beef pot pie, with that delicious crust hanging over the sides of the oval ceramic dish.
Time marches on, and by the 1960s it was goodbye Automat and hello fast food. The first Automat in New York City was opened in Times Square in 1912 and the last one which was located at 42nd street and 3rd avenue closed in 1991. As s child I’ll always remember the Automat as a happy and fun place to be. I guess it was because I was in Manhattan, which had the most interesting and fascinating attractions for any 12-year-old child.
TOWER TIMES • January 2021 • 13
The Golden Age of Radio and TV
The Candy Store/Luncheonette By Howard Arkin
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very decade seems to showcase the golden age of something or other. The golden age of the movies was the 1930s, and the 1950s was the golden age of baseball. I would personally add another to the 1950s list–it was the golden age of the candy store and luncheonette. This was the place that people could gather and read newspapers and magazines, discuss current events, boast about your Saturday night date or even place a bet with the local bookmaker, who was often the store’s owner. My corner store’s owner was a big, happy man named Nat. He could have very likely been the youngest son in a family that had decided he was not going to become a lawyer, doctor, or President of the United States. I imagine his family thought that they might scrape together enough money and buy him a candy store so that he could earn a living. He was a kind, good-natured man who was liked by everyone, even the group of teenagers whose main mission in life seemed to be to annoy him. I can remember one of these teenagers, Les Frank, asking him for an ice cream cone. Nat handed him the cone and Les asked him if he would “trust” him, meaning, “Can I pay you later?” Having already taken a bite out of it, this gave Nat little choice but to extend credit.
Nat sometimes lost patience with someone and would banish them from the store. Being the kind man he was, he would usually lift the ban in a short time. One of the boys who always seemed to be under a perpetual ban was Stewie Ziegler. I can still see him outside, his nose pushed up against the store’s window as we laughed at him. On more than one occasion the boys saw fit to lock Nat in the basement. This, of course, resulted in a mass kick out and lengthy banishment from the store. It was about this time that the boys began to take notice of Nat’s two daughters, both of whom were very pretty. The days of locking Nat in the basement would come to an abrupt end, but the memories and good times would continue. One memory I have is sitting at the counter one day and noticing that Nat was mashing white bread into the tuna fish he was preparing. Obviously, this would make the sandwich more profitable for him. After letting me taste it, I was convinced it actually tasted better. Today, I take my tuna straight, I think. One Saturday morning, shortly after receiving my driver’s license, Nat, a huge New York Giants fan, asked me if I wanted to go to the game with him that afternoon. As a new driver I was more than happy to do the driving. It seemed logical to take the Tri-Boro Bridge if we were leaving from Nat’s store, which was on Pitkin Avenue in East New York. Nat thought otherwise and I followed his instructions. I remember a big traffic jam in front of Macy’s that afternoon. So much for Nat’s navigational skills. I lost track of Nat over the years until one day around 1976. I went into a luncheonette on Main Street in Kew Garden Hills and there he was behind the counter. I wondered if these customers like white bread mixed into their tuna? Seeing Nat again
The candy store/luncheonette. brought back other memories about the luncheonette I remembered from the 1950s. Three staples of any decent luncheonette were ice cream, syrup, and bottled soda, besides Coke and Pepsi. Breyers, Foxes, U-bet, and Hoffman Soda were the top of the line brands, but I don’t recall Nat carrying any of them. I suppose this was another attempt by Nat to save a few dollars. I believe my great interest in reading newspapers was nurtured in my local luncheonette, where I found them en masse. New York had seven major newspapers in the 1950s, and every day I couldn’t wait to read as many of them as I could–or at least the sports section. To this day I still open a newspaper from the back. I also remembered another candy store across the street from Nat’s, owned by a guy named Herbie. He would have never tolerated the shenanigans Nat put up with. Herbie’s store had a back room that featured card games and other games of chance with characters who were not to be messed with. Feeling nostalgic, a few weeks ago I decided to go back to the old neighborhood and see what had become of Nat’s luncheonette. As I suspected, it was now a bodega. I hope that those customers one day can recall special memories, ones like I still have from Nat’s 1950 luncheonette.
14 • TOWER TIMES • January 2021
Art In Tough Times Coming to NST The Covid pandemic has caused the cancellation of major events all over the world. At North Shore Towers, we faced the cancellation of the 2020 edition of our popular art show. However, the NST Special Events Committee will not let you down. This winter you will be treated to an exciting documentary highlighting the abundant creativity and artistry of our vibrant community. We will revisit our enjoyment of past art shows with a montage of show highlights. The current NST art scene will be represented by interviews of painters, sculptors,
photographers and artisans working in a multiple of media. Producing the documentary will be Morty Schwartz, who brought you the “North Shore Towers 40th Anniversary” video. Assisting him will be Karen Perry and Julie Weissman, producers of the 2016 and 2018 art shows. John Virga and Marty Ragusa will lend their technical expertise to the project. Availability on Channel 995 and On-Demand will allow for a wide audience. Be sure to watch for announcements about this documentary in up-coming Tower Times editions.
Women’s Club Presents: Coll’s Goal By Vicki Mazel
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hrough the hardworking effort of Carol Klinger, steering committee member of the North Shore Towers Women’s Club, many blankets made by Towers residents have been donated to the North Shore Hospital. With the additional cooperation of the Towers Knitting Club, the blankets have been delivered for distribution to patients in need; cancer and COVID victims, and other recipients in distress. On Friday, November 20th, the Women’s Club kicked off its program schedule with a zoom meeting featuring one of our favorite guest lecturers, Professor James Coll. Introduced by program chairperson and acting co-president Gloria Beck, Coll addressed, “Understanding the 25th Amendment.” The fully subscribed zoom meeting was open to dues-paying members only, and the sign-up was conducted by our in-house expert Judy Paris.
Professor Coll cited that this was the 25th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kenndy. This led to a discussion of how the presidential succession works in cases of a president vacating the office due to illness, death, removal, or inability to perform required duties. The succession is that the Vice President shall immediately assume the duties as the acting president. Listing presidents in the past that have left the post due to some of these criteria, Professor Coll also mentioned the difficulty of removing a president, as it requires a two-thirds majority of both the Senate and House of representatives. Completing the first in his series of Zoom lectures, the professor will be returning on Wednesday, January 20, at 3:00 pm. His subject will be “Free Speech and the Constitution,” and this will be a two-part series, the second of which will be held soon Wednesday, February 17th at 3:00 pm. This Zoom lecture will address civil liberties along with public safety in America. To sign up for both or part of the series, please email Judy Paris at judyparis@
Where Have the Green Leaves Gone? an evil, invisible killer was on the hunt, stalking its prey with a vengeance. After attending countless Zoom funerals, it made me wonder, “Where have all my great friends gone?” Springtime will bring back fluffy clouds, happily drifting across brilliant blue skies. Buds will begin to sprout on the branches of trees. By summer their graceful limbs will again be awash in glorious green leaves. In Brownsville, the snowplows will come and push the tarnished snow into high mounds at the edge of the sidewalks. I will become an adventurous mountain climber, traveling up and down the snowy peaks and valleys. I will no longer notice the gritty streets. After COVID, the picturesque scene will reappear. The sun will shine, and serenity and peace will reign. The invisible killer will be under control. Unlike the rebirth of Spring and the renewal of gritty streets, the killer’s victims will not return. However, there will always be a corner in my heart that will hold the love and memories of great friends.
next film. Join us on Monday, Jan. 25th at 11:00 am. Sit back, relax, and let Netflix do the rest. Women’s Club Calendar James Coll Zoom lecture, “Free Speech and the Constitution” two-part series, Wednesday, January 20, 3:00 pm and Wednesday, February 17, at 3:00 pm. Sign up with Judy Paris by email: Judyparis@ twc.com. Lunch Bunch, Thursday, January 28th at 12:30 pm. Sign up with Marilyn Goldberg at (347) 502-7309 or Eva Kessner at (718) 631-7637. Cinema Club Monday, December 28th at 11:00 am, Channel 995: “The Graduate.” Pandemic Poetry By Vicki Mazel Covid Coif–50 Shades of Gray We no longer boogie, We no longer cook. But one thing we have, Is called the New Look. Ditch the bathing suit, Take out winter boots, Leave hair color natural, Grow in those gray roots. Fifty Shades of Gray, Coming out of our head. Fading signs of brown and blond, And varying shades of red. Out damned bleach, No more hair dying fuss, As shades of gray grow in, That’s okay with us. So fifty shades of gray, Even with the males, Much more time to wonder, So what about our nails? That’s it for today dear readers. Next issue we will have an update on our mask contest, and more information on upcoming programs. New members are always welcome. Contact Chickie Kaufman for dues and sign up information: (718) 8198176.
Men’s Club Zoom Open Mic Announcement For those of you who have not joined the North Shore Towers Men’s Club open mic zoom discussion group, you are missing an opportunity to partake in conversation on different topics each week. Every Thursday there is a zoom open mic session at 10:30 am for one hour. Gary Darche is the host, and I (Toby Horowitz) send out an invite to all MC Members to join in. Please make an effort to join us.
TOWER TIMES • January 2021 • 15
By Marian Nemetsky Looking out my window, one day in the late Fall, I saw a cloud-covered, murky grey sky. Naked tree branches were trying, unsuccessfully, to reach that sky. Instead, they were being battered about by a fierce wind, which was howling, “Where have all the green leaves gone?” Growing up in Brownsville, the garden spot of Brooklyn, there were no trees to be seen as I looked out of my window. In their place were cracked, uneven gritty streets, and three deteriorating, vacant and sad, brownstones. Shards of glass peeked out of yawning holes that once held gleaming windows. Yet, when it snowed, something magical happened. A puffy cloud embraced the gritty streets and tucked in the ugliness on all sides. The houses reclaimed their regal stateliness, and the glass glittered like diamonds, forming tiaras. The soft snow whispered, “Where have all the gritty streets gone?” During the pandemic, the scene outside my window was deceptively calm. The sun was shining, and all appeared serene and peaceful. However,
twc.com to ensure your place. Remember, you must be a dues-paying member of the Women’s Club to qualify for attendance. Guess Who’s Coming To Lunch? The Lunch Bunch, with a slightly different twist, is being re-activated under the leadership of Women’s Club members Marilyn Goldberg and Eva Kessner on Thursday, January 28th at 12:30 pm. Grab a sandwich or a salad and get ready to Zoom and chat with old and new friends all in the comfort of your own home. This program has been designed for our members to share a lunchtime stressing camaraderie and the exchange of ideas. BP (Before Pandemic) the program ran very successfully in the Towers Restaurant, but will now be moved to Zoom screens of the participants. To sign up or receive any further information contact: Marilyn Goldberg at (347) 502-7309 or Eva Kessner at (718) 6317637. Prime Time Here We Come The first Cinema Club presentation on Channel 995 on Friday, November 30th was pronounced a success, according to the barrage of emails and phone calls to the participants, Vicki Mazel and Dr. Nurit Israeli. Providing commentary on the Netflix film, “Our Souls At Night,” with Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, the hour-long program was interspersed with film clips and pertinent still shots provided by John Virga and Marty Ragusa of the Towers in house technical staff. The next film is slated to be “The Graduate,” starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft and will air on Monday, December 28th at 11:00 am. Please note that the program is repeated several times during the day, so if you miss it, try again. We’ll meet you at the flix. The January offering for the Cinema Club will be “The Life Ahead,” starring Sophia Loren in her first film in over a decade. The film, directed by her son, also stars Ibrahima Gueye who plays a Senegalese youth who develops an interesting relationship with Loren, playing an aging Holocaust survivor. Their complicated backgrounds make for a multitiered on-again-off-again understanding of how life is to be lived. The superb acting, lack of vanity, and intense portrayal by Loren make this an outstanding choice for our
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