New Forest Hills H.S. Alumni Message Board
November 19, 2006
Hi Joe and ALL:
    I just wanted to say hi and tell you about a new FHHS site I just created. This is a Message Board where we can all post and reply. Please this is only for Forest Hills HS alums. The link is below.
        Click here to visit the Forest Hills H.S. Board
    I also have a new email account I set up specifically for FHHS. It's
    Hope to see some FH alums there.
Bonni
Class of 1965


November 16, 2006
Joe,
    Kew Gardens, Queens and Brentwood, California share many things in common and could be considered 'sister cities'.
    Unfortunately, neither would have wanted to share in the notoriety attached to famous murder cases but they have and I thought the within would be appropriate under the circumstances;
       IF I DID IT�
    �If I Did It� is the title of a new book by O.J. Simpson (that is about to make its debut) in which he details how he would have murdered both his wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman some twelve years ago in Brentwood, California �if he had done it�!
    The introduction of the book will coincide with a Fox Network two hour special interview with Mr. Simpson, and both will be worth an estimated three and a half million dollars to him.
    Of course, a great number of pundits are already at it on the cable channels declaring that this is an open admission of his guilt! And further prognosticating how he will manage to hide his gains from judgment seekers in a civil suit in which he was found guilty of the acts and assessed over thirty million dollars!
    In as much as I live only walking distance from the scene of the crime, I have often been asked whether I thought he actually committed the murders. My stock answer has always been the same; I wasn�t there and didn�t see who did it, but I will say that there seemed to be an awful lot of evidence pointing in Mr. Simpson�s direction, and for a jury to have found him not guilty was puzzling to say the least!
    Nevertheless they did, but there is one �irony� in the timing of this latest escapade ; If the jury had found him guilty with the added special circumstance of �lying in wait� he would have been sentenced to death under California law.     With the appeals process averaging some eleven to twelve years, Mr. Simpson would now have found himself ready to be escorted to the execution chamber!
    Interesting, isn�t it?
A. Linsky
[To contact A. Linsky, click here]


November 15, 2006
Music and Poetry Night
The next music and poetry show (which will include ballroom dancing and a belly dancer) will be held at The Theater Cafe at 106-03 Metropolitan Ave., in Forest Hills, on Thursday, November 30th, beginning at 7 P.M.
Aaron Adler
[To contact Aaron Adler, click here]


November 13, 2006
Hello, I am planning a surprise 60th bday party for my father Bill Petersen with a "this is you life" theme. I am looking for your help with sharing some stories and memories. He lived at 9123 117th street in richmond hill, ny. If you know him, please email me at Thank you for your help.
Stephanie Vanderbilt



November 13, 2006
This e-mail is for Rioux. I noticed in his/her January 2006 post that Dr. Eric Dubow and Professor Howard Osterman were mentioned. I lived at Alt Green Towers when these people lived there and played with them when I was a child. I was wondering if they are regular contributors to this site. Where are they now, and what are they doing? I have been in touch with Howard�s sister Barbara a few years ago.
Dianne Rodgers Hellwig
Lived at Alt Green Towers from 1954 to 1972
P.S. 90 grad 1966
JHS 210 grad 1968
FHHS grad 1972
[To contact Dianne Rodgers Hellwig, click here]


November 13, 2006
    This is for Jane Luderman Andrews. I lived on Abingdon Road at 85-37. I had a friend names Kathy accross the street. Her last name was Luderman. She tried to teach me the violin. Are you related to her? My name was Linda Widder then. I lived in the next to the last house at the end of the street. Next to us was the Lewins with the giant side yard at the end of the street.
    Email me if I have hit the right family.
    Thanks for writing,
Linda Widder Wiesner
[To contact Linda Widder Wiesner, click here]


Midget Field
November 11, 2006
Click on thumbnail to view slideshow.
Thanks to Ronnie Leiser for a slideshow of early 1950's photographs taken at "Midget Field" behind the Chatillon Scale factory.


November 11, 2006
I graduated from 99 in January 1938. I still have my graduation picture - we girls wearing our handmade dresses - heaven forbid that anyone use a sewing machine! I also have a picture of my brother's second grade class. It must be earlier than that because he was only three years younger than I. I would be happy to send these and anything else I can find by "Snail mail" since I do not have scanning capabilities at present. I had often thought of sending these things to the school but perhaps they would be more entertaining to Internet searchers. We first lived in Kew Hall and then moved to 236 Abingdon Road. The house was in the middle of the last block but I do not know what the modern house number is. Both were wonderful places to live and I only have the happiest memories of living in Kew Gardens. Incidently, Forest Hills High had not been built yet and my classmates and myself all went to Richmond Hill High School. In those days a fine school which prepared both my brother and myself well for going on to Swarthmore College. Until I was about in the fifth grade the Club House was still standing and I went to dancing school there. After it was torn down, we went to the Community House in Forest Hills--walking all the way, I might add. Thank you for this wonderful, sentimental journey that I have been making to Kew Gardens this evening. I carried on a correspondence with Barry when he was writing his book and he sent me some wonderful pictures of Kew Gardens houses. They stiill look lovely. I now live in Kennett Square PA right next to Longwood Gardens so I still am surrounded by natural beauty.
Jane Ludemann Andrews
[To contact Jane Ludemann Andrews, click here]


November 10, 2006
I just discovered this web site and I am learning things about my childhood home that I never knew. I haven�t seen too many photos from the 50�s to the 70�s. I am going to dig some of mine out and send them in. I lived at the Alt Green Towers, 118-40 Metropolitan Avenue, in Apt 5B and then in 5K, from 1954 to 1972. After I went to college, I never moved back to Kew Gardens. I attended PS 90, then Elizabeth Blackwell Junior High and finally, Forest Hills High School. I would love to hear from people who lived there during this time. My maiden name was Rodgers. You may publish my e-mail address.
Dianne Hellwig



November 6, 2006
Bill Haake I was born in kew gardens in 1967, My family owned 2 houses on 127 st and Kew Gardens Rd. My grand parents lived in one and my mother ,Father my brother John and I lived in the other one. My grandfather bought the houses around 1960s after there house in brooklyn burned down. I went to P.S.99 and then to Russell Sage Jr Hs. I loved living in Kew Gardens and spent alot of time at the park on austin st ( the triangle). It was a great place to grow up and I had alot of good friends there. We spent alot of time hanging out in Maple Groove ( yes maple groove,) and at Bernie Land (best eggcreams) and I dont remember the name of the store but it was by the Tools Of The Trade. Well thanks for the memorys, if I find any pics from school I will send them. Great Job. you can post my email.
Bill HAAKE



Kids 4 Kids Flea Market
November 1, 2006
Click on thumbnail to view slideshow.
Thanks to Steve Hess for photographs of the September 17th Kids 4 Kids Flea Market.



A Blast from the Chatillon Past
November 1, 2006
Click on thumbnail to view photographs.
Here's something else about the Chatillon Scale Factory. On the back wall facing the Apt House at 125-05 84th Ave, visible as you walk down the entry ramp to the garage, are three sets of large white initials "JR" "BM" and "PJS". These were put there, using a solid block of compressed asbestos boiler insulation as one would use a very large piece of chalk, in 1946 by Jay Rogers (of course), Billy Mohr and Peter Schmeidler. That was well before the Apt house was built and they were highly visible. Also, now out of sight behind the Apt wall is the name of the ball field that the lot was used for in the early 40's, Midget Field. I think Billy and I put that there. Actually we spelled it "Miget Field", but then asbestos blocks didn't come with spellcheck. Yes I have pictures. If the wall is still there maybe you could take pictures of the initials today and we'll put together another "then and now". I don't think you have anything done in asbestos yet.
Jay Rogers
[To contact Jay Rogers, click here]

Editor's Note:  Done! Click on the thumbnail to see Jay's late 1940's photograph of the initials alongside one taken by me last month.


Bigger Images
November 1, 2006
Editor's Note: Since more people now have broadband connections and higher resolution screens, I am beginning to bump up the size and resolution of the images I display here. So, instead of averaging 20 - 35 KB, images will start to average 60 - 80 KB. If enough dial up users find these file sizes make viewing the web pages too slow, let me know and I will reduce the file sizes.


Get a Gmail Account Free
November 1, 2006
    Editor's Note: As of February 1, 2005, Old Kew Gardens [.com] got with Gmail, which is the Google web based email service. You've probably heard that Gmail offers two gigabytes [2,000 MB] of free storage. It's free, but available by invitation only. Invitations are so sought after that they are being offered for sale on eBay. I have invitations I can distribute to friends. I'm not selling them, I'm giving them away. They are available on a first come first serve basis. Just send me an email telling me you'd like one.
    Update: Unless I know you, your request must come from a bona fide working ISP email address. To prevent abuse, email requests coming from free web based email services like Yahoo or Hotmail will not be honored.
    Update: I will remove this post when I run out of invitations. If you're reading this, then there are still invitations left to give out.


Posting Messages Here
November 1, 2006
[Ed.'s Note: The reason each guest book posting does not appear here immediately is that I review each message individually before posting to eliminate spam or unwanted adult content. Email me if you want to make a correction to a message you have already posted or if you would like a message removed.]




How to contact Guestbook signers

Some Guestbook signers choose not to publish their email addresses. If you wish to contact one of them, send me an email identifying the guestbook signer you wish to contact and giving me the date his or her message was posted. Your email to me must contain your full name, and may also include anything else you wish to tell the signer. I will forward your email to the Guestbook signer you wish to contact, but with no cc or bcc to you. It will be the signer's decision whether or not to make contact with you. Any emails which contain spam, adult content, or appear suspect for any other reason will not be forwarded. ~The Editor.