Typical Friday at the Haunt

What would HS have been without the Haunt? The North Forty? The Dugout? The competition between nights in front of the TV, homework and the collective "bars" was totally one-sided once I hit the stature of being construed to be older than I really was. To back up this illusion, I had in my possession the procured (don't ask, don't tell) NYS drivers license and linked Draft Card of an "over 18"! So, for a brief stint I was known to a few bouncers as Gary, and thought to be 27!

One Friday at the Haunt the then owner, Jon Peterson, confronted me at the door to question my advanced age courtesy of the other guys ID. The guy was from someplace on Long Island, and I knew where that was and I knew my (his) birthdate. Alas, the third question was the stumper: draft card listed an address in Canajohari, NY. Now, somebody, maybe even this guy Gary, really knew where that place was, but not me! I was stumped, and shunned.

Ten minutes later I was back at the door, different bouncer, shorter question list, and I was in! Someone correct me, I think it was $1 for a pitcher of beer served in a milk carton thing.

I realize that not everyone spent as much time doing these things as I seem to have done, and that is probably a good thing! But, for those of you who did go there a few times, be truthful, do you still carry the scars on your shins from tripping over the chain at the end of the alley?!

I'll have more to say about the Haunt, but I first have to tell you that three or four years ago I happened to be in Ithaca. I looked in the paper and found an add telling about a bar that was being dismantled and offering stuff. I called the number and it turned out to be the Haunt (which was moving from the alley on Green St to what used to be On the Waterfront, where it is now). Five minutes later I was rummaging through the demolition piles in the alley. Later I was driving away with a 12" section of the bar top!

This item made the trip back home with me to MA, strapped to the top of the minivan! It sits under the studio building even as I write this. I bring it out in the summer for parties. If the weather is just right, you can still smell the alcohol and cigarettes. I can name at least one classmate who I know that vomited on this section of the bar! Thankfully, the bar does not smell of that!

a couple short years later

1970, we were 12, both feet planted firmly on the slippery slope of puberty and a slight change of focus! The hilarious and ridiculous details you'll have to weasel out later. But, as a tip of the hat in the direction things took, the cliff note version.

By 73' orchestra and music practice was out and formal organized sports were slipping to the allure of making money and other things. Sneaking into bars, sitting on the bank wall in collegetown, hitting students up for $.79 to buy quarts of Miller from the Uni-deli became the weekend missions.

Second Dam, field parties, nabbing the odd keg from CU frat parties; oh, the list is long and impressive. But, I digress, I was going to talk about sports.

OK, so senior year, the pinnacle of my sports run, we put together an intramural softball team and what a team! Again, I'll miss someone from the list, but here goes: Rick Burke, Rick Carmean, Tom Diller, Mark Millar, John Necheporek, Tim Rogers, Tom Fox, Dan Dyer, Craig Hull. Collectively, we were known as The Horny Bulls! I think this was Mark's inspiration, the name, certainly the mooing sounds and the little finger horns and the gyrating hips!

Somewhere I still have my team jersey. Bright yellow polyester, bearing the mighty bull emblem of Schlitz Malt Liquor on the front!

early sports career

Here is a clipping from the Ithaca Journal. The pic shows our wonderful and memorable Coach Lou Fabi. Small Fry Football was a cast of thousands, some of them mentioned in the clipping (if it is readable).

On the NCR team were (I won't remember all the names without help) folks like Tim Ciaschi, Tim Benedict, Rick Burke, Rick Carmean, Daryl Bacorn, Ron Weeks, Joey Nicholas, AJ Rich, Ken Kraft.

Coach Lou had this booming voice and was great at getting us motivated, a wonderful time. The running backs all had names like, Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog (especially liked Dog Back, great ring to it!). There was also the classic: Benedict Special, some kind of lateral pass thing that I remember being pretty successful.

Another excellent reason!

Attending a High School reunion is a subtle and profound opportunity to reconnect with cherished and dear old friends, yadda, yadda, yadda.

It is also the quintessential excuse to time lapse to a state of pure juvenile ecstasy!

Affirming that possibility and likelihood, is our poster- child of the day:

Anyone you know?!

Stumped but not shocked, perhaps, this brilliant photo is our very own Martha Bizzell!

You might remember Martha as a very shy, quite person ( but, why you'd remember her that way is gods sweet little mystery)!

Because they look so good, we may try to have a box of Fez's for everyone to wear at the picnic (well, maybe one). The masks, we won't need!

This pic was supplied by Kate Robertson (thanks Kate!), who is visiting Martha in Texas this week. Can't wait to see the revenge pic that Martha sends of Kate!!

Oh Yeah!

You have got to expect that after doing all of that hard work in English class, you definitely deserved a little time to kick back and relax. Think this photo qualifies as kicked back and from the looks of those squinted little eyes, I'd say there was a bit of relaxation going on there too!

Stars of this photo? That would be Frank Rogan, Scott Rogers and passed out on the bed, mouth agape, the one and only Mark Millar! This photo was actually taken in 1977, when I had shared a basement apartment with Dart Alling up on State St.

Further back in time

I moved from NJ to Ithaca the year I entered third grade (interestingly enough, the same year that the juvenile delinquency rate for the town of Ithaca increased, hmm, probably just one of those odd little coincidences).

Anyhow, I was enrolled in Glenwood Elementary School and one of the first friends I made was with this fellow, John Button, also a '76 IHS Grad.

This particular photo was taken in 1968(?) at the lake house, looking into the fluorescent green kitchen! The person to the right of John is my mom, from whom I got all of my subtle fashion sense!

Other pals from Glenwood included Mike Williamson, Brad Fulkerson, Nick Szabo, Nancy Chapman, Debbie Carmen, Elaine Wilson, Carrie Reuning, Andy Leed, Susan Lydman, Janice Koski, Lisa Yenni, Carol Marion, David Kennerson, Joni Wiggins, Patty Classen, among others.

Someone will have to check this out, but I think we (at Glenwood) were the first in the Ithaca school district to have Frank Fazio as a gym teacher after he graduated IC in 1967!