Our Tottenville High School class of 1967 was celebrating their 50^th class reunion; we decided to hold a two-day affair on Saturday, October 21 and Sunday, October 22, 2017.  Since so many of our classmates were traveling from other states, a lot of classmates took time to visit friends and family on Staten Island and to visit Manhattan.

We had our first event at the Hilton Garden Inn, where we hosted 97 people at a cocktail party.  We had a DJ who played songs from the 1960’s.  One of the ways we took a step back in time was to do a highlight of our class history.  Here is what I read at our reunion:

Some of my happiest childhood memories that I still treasure today come from my elementary school days at P.S. 1 in Tottenville (1961-1967).  But it isn't the after-school programs, the yearly Maypole Dances or the weekly assembly programs that I remember most fondly; it is the excellent teachers who taught at PS 1.  I was fortunate to have some of the best. They not only taught us how to learn, they also instilled in us a desire to learn more. They cared about us, and we felt that, too. I am grateful to be able to keep in touch with my fourth and sixth grade teachers (Miss Schulz and Mr. "D") who still live locally, and I was lucky enough to celebrate Alva Schulz's 90th birthday in June 2017 with her.  More than 50 years later, Miss Schulz is still a role model for me.  A kind, generous, caring person always with a smile on her face.  Happy Birthday, Miss Schulz! 

Reprinted from The CART, Official Newsletter of the Tottenville Historical Society, Vol XI, Issue 4, June 2015:

The Horseless Age: The New York Herald-Atlanta Journal Good Roads Tour

By 1909, the transition from horse to automobile for travel was well under way and road tours across America were becoming quite popular. On October 25th of that year, sixty-two cars left New York City en route to Atlanta, Georgia. From Manhattan they traveled to Staten Island by ferry, then drove to Tottenville to catch the Tottenville-Perth Amboy ferry and on to Philadelphia. One can imagine the number of trips it took to transport all those cars across the Arthur Kill on the relatively small side-wheeler!

The second car to arrive in Philly was a Chalmers-Detroit Bluebird driven by baseball legend Ty Cobb (1886-1961), “the Georgia Peach.” Cobb had made his major league debut in 1905 at age 18. Although often described as controversial, complex, and even difficult throughout his career, Ty Cobb is ranked among the top ten professional players in the history of the game. By the time he retired in 1928, he had set 90 Major League Baseball records.

Cobb didn’t win the New York-Atlanta Good Roads Tour, but we think it’s fun to think that such a dominant figure in U.S. sports history waited to ride the Tottenville ferry….just like many of us did years ago.

Oh, does this image bring back memories!  Summertime. Hanging out at "The Point."  In the 1970s "the Point" was the end of Hylan Blvd. near the water's edge.  The Russll Pavilion had already been demolished.  Just a guard rail kept (most) cars from falling into the bay.  Hylan Blvd. now terminates at Satterlee St.  The Point was the place to meet up with your friends and have a few laughs.  Good times.