Some Memories & Class of 1973 Candids!

It's funny how when you're 15, 16 - you think everything is an eternity - you have all the time in the world! But it's amazing to think that this year (2010) it has been nearly 37 years since my classmates and I graduated Ridgewood High School in New Jersey! Having said that - its 3+ years til our 40th reunion you guys! Its a big one and we have to try and get as many to attend as we can - please get in touch with us so we can keep you on the list and keep you updated as we get close - you can email Tom O'Connor, Terri Dimodugno, John Wescott or me - Rick Flannery (see bottom of the blog). Enjoy the photos and check back for more photos and stories! There's no excuses to miss this one - you have more than 3 years to plan!

If you have photos or memories of RHS please email me - Rick Flannery - so I can add them here!!

Where are you Chickie Lynch?! Chickie is among the clssic kids from RHS - who didn't like Chickie? Always smiling - always happy. Chickie was voted Best Smile senior year. The senior memory book remembers this about Chickie: "Squeaking like a mouse, Drinking on school nights, Chickie driving a chopper, A liberated woman, Meem's potent drinks and two moldy pancakes". You gotta come to the 40th Chickie!!

l t r: Greg Rodgers and Peter Offringa - probably in the cafeteria. The senior memory book says this about them. Greg: "His movies, History, Greg without his hair, Movie critic. Pete: "Trying to find the back door, Peter is a happy little boy, Pete not BSing, Bouncer in Hob Nob, One bambino.

Who could forget Linda Struse - make sure you put the 40th reunion on your calendar Linda!! According to the memory book: "Her Fluffernutter sandwiches, Boring weekends, Linda not complaining, The clean-up woman, One wilted flower from my junior year."

Doug Gardiner hitting the books in the library...........

Principal Bill Leach shopping the student store - assisted by Holly Bogdanffy. The senior memory book says this about Holly: "Virgin ears, Ho-Hokus jokes, Me being arrested for littering, The world's happiest person, One ton of recycled trash."

Despite the rain the cheering must go on! Jan Potdevin at a very rain-soaked football game - probably the infamous Hackensack game! The memory book says this about Jan: "Her laugh, There aren't any good guys, Jan without a smile, Professional cheerleader, My saddleshoes."


On the left (l to r) is Cathy O'Neill and Fran Whelan - Cathy says the girl sitting across from them was only at RHS a short while - does anyone remember her name? Senior memories for Cathy: "Her smile, Public speaking, With rotten teeth (the rest is cut off in the book - sorry!) - Fran: "Wetting my pants, Hey Sonny!!!, People asking me why I can speak english, Me without my teddy bear, Another scuzzy."
Our Senior Class Officers!

Class of '73 Goes to RHS - 1970!

Leaving the 60's and you're only 14 years old entering high school! High School for us was 10-12 grade. When I was 14 years old I had a lot of stuff going on - struggles with school in general, lack of confidence but not a lack of personality - I don't mean that to sound conceited cause its not intended - I was obviously insecure but yet loved where I was at. Music was huge for me though I didn't pursue an instrument. And always there was baseball - playing with my friends but unable to find the courage to try out for the high school team.

Leaving Ben Franklin Junior High - I was more ready to leave BF than I was to leave 6th grade for BF. We joined up with the junior high across town - GW - which basically doubled our ranks - 658 kids in my graduating class - that was a lot of kids when you started out in grade school with about 40. We also had already hooked up with the kids from Hohokus (9th grade). Amazingly I knew a ton of people and liked to think that I was friends with everybody I knew - I liked everybody - jocks, greasers, geeks, - felt everybody had something to offer.

My sisters had gone to RHS so I knew about it and honestly was proud of being part of the Ridgewood school system and RHS was like a university - ivy-covered walls, brick, school spirit. Yeah even though I was a bit of a class cutter or attempted to act cool in an uncool way in 10th grade, I was psyched to be part of RHS.

10th grade for me was like 6th was for me in grade school but in a different way. I cut a lot of classes - headed up to Mama Rosa's or Renatos for pizza lunches - didn't like the cafeteria! Can you imagine? Who was I to be so arrogant? It was fun for a little while - from pizza lunches I would (a couple of us) head over to Adelson's records to check out the new albums, Drapkin's and mosy back to school. Well one day a couple of friends and I were on our way to Renato's - you know, carefree and feeling pretty good about our set-up. And all of a sudden a Ridgewood police officer - it may have even been Colleen McCarthy's dad even - I remember it being someone's dad pulls up next to us and told us to ".......pack your asses back to class fellas! I'll be right behind you!" You want to see a few guys who thought they had it together turn around and go back to RHS so quick! Turns out my teachers (I had the best teachers!) really were behind me - probably because of my personality - I mean despite cutting class, smoking and the rest, I wasn't an angry, moody guy - I was pretty happy and friendly and I think teachers like Miss Muster, Pinder - gave me way more than the benefit of the doubt. They actually protected me - some of the guys I was hanging with didn't get the same treatment.

Then one day after cutting most of the day and heading down to the Garden State Plaza - I arrived back in time for the second bus home. To get to the Garden State Plaza - we'd take the #35 bus from the Ridgewood depot to the Plaza - catch the bus back to the depot - walk back to RHS all in time for the school bus home! Well I was hanging out by the wall, smoking and talking it up waiting for the late bus when down the long steps of the school comes Mr McCutcheon - "Mr. Mac" - and it looks like he's heading in my direction. Well he comes right up to me and tells me ".....you've got a surprise waiting for you when you get home Mr Flannery!" My jaw dropped, and any sense of coolness dropped with it! Well I decided to skip the late bus and I slowly made the long walk home! Mr. Mac was easily one the best - and there were many - educators in Ridgewood. At this point in his career he was assistant principal and a damn good one. He was not interested in jumping from town to town - he had his career but like most teachers and educators back then they generally stayed in town. He knew every kid and he deeply cared for all of us. I swear if he hadn't cared so much I probably wouldn't have turned it around academically which I did by junior year - it kind of forced me to have a full boat of credits senior year but I aced everything!