Catch the bus at 8 a.m., with Frank Chatlos driving. He married a student who rode his bus!
Notice social studies teacher Mr. Davis sitting in his car, listening to the morning news before going up to his third-floor classroom.
Start the day with homeroom in Mr. Reed’s business class.
Solid geometry and trigonometry with Mr. DeGarmo. He always offered to take anyone who got 100% on a Regents Exam out to a restaurant for dinner.
English with Miss Hubbard, who seemed to give a report card grade very close to the one Mr. Davis gave in Social Studies.
Physics with Mr. Parliman, who had been the science teacher for many years.
Study hall with Miss Wagner, formerly the math teacher, but now charged with maintaining discipline in study hall. Often, several of us would go to the library, where Mrs. Walters was known to be more lenient.
Lunch in the second-floor cafeteria run by Mrs. [Blanche] Butterfield. Lunch cost 12 cents without milk, 15 cents with milk. Ice cream cups were 5 cents.
Alternatively, lunch at Dave Archer’s, just across the street from the school. A Sloppy Joe was about 15 cents, and a banana split not much more! The jukebox used 78-rpm records (LPs didn’t come out until several years later) and the scratchy ones taken out of the jukebox were sold for 15 cents there.
Intramural basketball in the gym, with Coach Barton as referee. Don McGhee was the only player I remember actually fouling out during a game!
Gym with Coach Barton, who coached all boys’ interschool sports at that time.
Social studies with Mr. Davis. Current events were always important to him, and we spent a fair amount of time in 1952 (as juniors) analyzing how the candidates for president in the 1952 election were doing in primaries in the various states. Don McGhee, who championed Republican Robert Taft, and I, who favored General Eisenhower, clashed over who would ultimately be nominated.
Driver training with Mr. DeGarmo. He had me make a device to test our distance judgment, which was pointed out to be a critical item to be aware of while driving.
At 3:15 back to homeroom, and then to the bus home.
If it was the day of an away high school basketball game, back to take the school bus to the game. Intended for the team and cheerleaders, spectators could also ride. We usually sang popular songs on the way to and from the game.
If there was a home basketball game, I would be there as the scoreboard operator, which meant I was also the timekeeper, sometimes controversial during the last few minutes of a close game.
Everything seemed so much simpler in those long-ago days!
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As we commemorate the 200th anniversary of the town we all call home, the New Pine Plains Herald wants to hear from you!
Maybe you have a family story that stretches back through generations. Maybe you remember a favorite walk, friendship or pet. It could be the winning run in a baseball game, the birth of a calf or the crunch of autumn leaves. There’s simply no limit to what Pine Plains represents to each of the people who live here.
Throughout the Bicentennial year, the Herald will be publishing your stories, creating a portrait of the town through your memories and images. If you’ve got a story you’d like to share, please send 200 to 500 words (ideally) and 1-2 photographs to editor@newpineplainsherald.
Please include your name, brief biographical details and contact information so we can reach you with any questions or edits.
We look forward to hearing from you!