Does this photo take you back to our high school days when we carried our books home in our arms (no backpacks) and parked cars on the street (no parking lot)? Thanks to Sanford Sherman for sharing this photo that he took in 1958-59. 

Sanford identifies Richard Yaeger, Jerry Brown, and Otto Mills. Is that Pete Snyder on the far left? Who is on the far right?

 

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The Place Where I was Born

by Roxine Clark Garriss, MHS '60

A friend of mine from the Bay Area where I used to live, called me and said he was doing a story about Montclair, N.J. I asked why, and he said that he's been told that it has become the 'Park Avenue' of New Jersey. I thought about that for awhile and thought of Whoopi Goldberg on The View who commented recently about the "glories of a town in New Jersey called Montclair" where she has friends who've opened a diner/restaurant there. Then, HGTV did a bit on our town. All of this has reminded me of the 'glories' of living and being raised in Montclair. I went to Glenfield school from Kindergarten to the 8th grade. I learned how to ride my bike in Glenfield Park. I remember on Woodland Ave. watching older Italian men playing bocci ball and the smells of good cooking coming from the many homes in the 4th ward. Once a year there was what was called 'the Italian Feast' which was held on Pine Street by a large Catholic Church. A parade of the Virgin Mary and other saints, all of the food vendors and crowds of people were so exciting. I'm sure a lot of you will remember these times.

I remember the camaraderie of all the students at Glenfield, and Montclair High. Remember the first prom at Glenfield, the fourth of July fireworks, ice skating at Edgemont pond. My dad was raised in Montclair, skated the same pond, graduated from the same school. So much to remember about home. I'm proud of the fact that I've these wonderful memories. My PCP doctor is a young woman from Fort Lee, NJ and when she asked where I was from (because I don't have a southern accent here in Atlanta) and I told her, she replied, "really nice area!" I guess Montclair is the Park Ave. of NJ.

 

Looking back to graduation 

Here's the 9th grade graduating class from Mt. Hebron.

(The photo is split up into 3 parts, kindness of Rick Boschen).

How many classmates can you name?

 

 

Mt. Hebron Update:

Mt. Hebron is now officially "Buzz Aldrin Middle School.  It is a STEM magnet school (Science, Technology, Engineering and math) with an enrollment of about 640 students in grades 6-8.

There have been quite a few changes in the Montclair Public School System since "our day."  Take a look at their website https://www.montclair.k12.nj.us/  To see the website of your old school, find the black horizontal band at the top of the page and click on "Select a School."

Here are a few changes that I noticed:

- Edgemont Elementary (K-5) is now a Montessori School. 

- Nishuane (K-2) feeds into Hillside (3-5).  Both have a Gifted and Talented focus.

- Edgemont and Hillside both feed into Glenfield Middle (6-8) which is a Visual and Performing Arts magnet school.

Charles H. Bullock (55 Washington St.) is an elementary school with an environmental science theme.  It feeds into Renaissance at Rand Middle School.

Bradford, Northeast, and Watchung elementary schools all feed into Buzz Aldrin Middle (formerly Mt. Hebron Jr. HS)

George Inness Jr. HS is now the "9th Grade Academy."  It houses the entire 9th grade for MHS in what is now called George Inness Annex. 

Here's the Feeder diagram so you can see for yourself!

While you're at it, check out the courses that MHS offers these days at https://mhs.montclair.k12.nj.us/academics/course_syllabi

Scattered among all the old familiar courses are titles that show how times have changed: Robotics, African-American Literature, Satire and Protest Literature, Environmental Science, Forensic Science, Global Studies, Women of the World, Digital Design, Mandarin, and more!

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Surely you recognize this man. 

But do you know WHERE he is? 

 

 

Lawrence Robinson alerts us to a recent article in The Montclair Dispatch entitled

"Lost in History: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Visit to Montclair High School." 

 

The article of September 11, 2018 begins:

52 years ago, during a firey time in the United States and around the world, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made a controversial visit to this very town, possibly at the peak of his notoriety. Just two years prior to his assassination and untimely death, King arrived in Montclair, making town history by stopping into the Montclair High School band room.

The article tells how Dr. King went to Montclair to speak to a local church congregation.  But so many people in the larger community wanted to hear him speak that he appeared first in the high school gym, and later spoke to the church congregation in the high school auditorium. As he waited in the MHS band room before going onstage, protesters were demonstrating outside on Park Street. A plaque commemorating Dr. King's speech at MHS has been placed in the band room.

The entire article gives you a good sense of the mood in Montclair in 1966, six years after our graduation.  You can read the whole article here:

https://montclairdispatch.com/lost-in-history-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-s-visit-to-montclair-high-school/?fbclid=IwAR0o0uJdQj88pTuz9AywzCx9nJqGiKj4cyBC4gpJGuBgxbydH0Pi4qbePqI

Thank you, Lawrence, for sharing the article with all of us.