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From: Ed Goldberg
Date: 11/05/2006

I guess my school life was enhanced by the curriculum and
personalities of faculty at JHS 252.  SRDiamond, Art Teacher
allowed me to walk the corridors with him with a gigantic
floodlight to take photographs for the year book; teachers -
Jacobson, Weiner, Morabito, Herzog (Principal & Math)each
innately knew how to teach and more importantly inspire kids
to focus on subject matter. My years at JHS 252 set the pace
and enthusiasm I maintained for many, many years of formal
education.

  I remember Morris Hertzog and the speech he gave at my
graduation ceremony, which took place at Loew's Pitkin, in
June, 1951.  He said, "Don't join the book burners."  I
remember my homeroom, English, and Social Studies teacher,
Charles Haskell, Mrs. Celia Ratner for Home Room.  Also, Mr.
Warren for Hygiene, and Mr. Roth for Science, and Mr.
Lichtenstein for Math, and Mr. Emil Chase for French, Mrs.
Salzman for Social Studies.  She produced class plays.  Mr.
Fontana taught Printing. I remember playing punch ball in
the special section of the outside yard enclosed by a fence.
 I remember playing handball in the yard.  I remember
clinbing the rope in the gym.

"Im glad to introduce you new resource resource:Best

Please remove my given name from the archives of messages,
ie. "Wonderful Recollections of Arthur Somers".

Please remove my post regarding Morris Herzog.

  I remeber the horse stables on Chester Street, between
Blake Avenue and Sutter Avenue.  They kept chickens on the
stable grounds.  Someone told me the the chickens kept the
horses in a tranquil mood.  The horses were used by senior
citizens in transporting used furniture.  Kids playing
off-the-wall with spaldeens would hitch rides on the backs
of the wagons as they made their turns into Chester Street
from Blake Avenue.

  Does anyone know how to remove a name from a message
posted on 11/20/2006?

Sommers is the last school l graduated from. June 49. then
went on to drop out of Tilden.
Wasn't Sarah Goodhart scary?...And was not Judy Goldstien(
from Herzel st.) the most gorgeous teacher that ever lived
?
 Mr. Jacobson smacked me for little reason and caused
nosebleed.  l should have kicked him in the face, regardless
of outcome.    Was not assistant princ Isadore Young a
wonderful man ?   Do you remember Walter Bookbinder, who
later wrestled pro as Ray Thunder ?
Do you remember Tomane Joes eatery?   Principal Morris
Hertzog was a good guy. We had an overcrowded class and he
came in to quiet us and said that twice the students should
have twice the silence.     Shop
teachers.....Fontana......Natke...Chessin....Masnicoff...
l loved the school lunches...about eleven cents.
Do you remember school tough guys...Gang name....BLACK HATS
and MUSKATEERS.  Their rivals were the BRISTOL BOYS.
 Zip guns with barrels made from car antennas.
Male hormones starting to kick in.
Ball point pens just came out...25 cents.
Semesters still were 2 per year.
So many memories.  How the decades have flown...
   Walter in Las Vegas   Jan. 2007

  Sarah Goodheart was a sweet little lady, who once lifted
me off the floor in a bear hug.  I entered Somers as an
11-year old, and I weighed about 50 lbs at the time.

  Isidore Young was the other Assistant Principal.  He was
the author of a book about a street gang in Brooklyn, but I
can't remember the title.  He was in chrge of issuing bus
passes.

  Mr. Jacobson was a gym teacher who once let us listen to
the radio to hear the latest score in the Dodgers/Yankees
World Series game.

  I remember Charles Haskell, my English and Social Studies
teacher in my freshman year.  He was short, spoke in short,
staccato bursts, was always smiling, and had a kind word for
each of his students.

  I remember Emil Chase, one of the pioneer teachers at
Somers, who taught French, and I believe also Spanish.  They
erected a plaque in his memory which they placed in front of
the school after he passed away.

  I remember the handball courts in the school playground. 
It was there that I perfected my "killer" skills.  Killers
were balls hit very low, so low that they barely bounced
after they hit the wall, but rolled away, making it
impossible for the opponent to return a volley.