Eastside Park, Paterson, NJ Late 1960's
Eastside Park in Paterson is where it was all happening. Those were the days when everyone, young and old, green and purple, were discovering both the park and each other. It was back in l968 and l969 when civilization seemed to be having a mental and moral revolution. The assassinations and the Manson Murders were freaking us out along with the raging Viet Nam War. On the other hand, Flower Power, peace, the man on the moon and Woodstock were to give us balance and become the better words and actions of the times... My "sweet sixteen" was on its way out and Earth Day was on its way in. I was utterly enchanted with experiencing firsthand the drastic changing of an era in American life. It was when beliefs and customs were running rampant with the language of love and the declarations of dissent. Everything was exploding on the scene in vivid and vibrant colors. The Beatles were likely still aboard the Yellow Submarine traveling forward and backwards in the Sea of Time. It was the "Age of Aquarius" and my "Moon Was in the Seventh House."
At that time, the allure of Eastside Park was the wide variety of people you could sit around and huddle with. There was the "Jewish side" by the tennis courts and the "hippie side"parallel to Park Avenue. I usually straddled my time between the two but mostly took
photographs of the kids on the Jewish side who were usually much older than me by at least 4-5 years. They were more apt to be around during breaks in their college semesters and they had cars. Neil Diamond was heard on their car radios singing "Sweet Caroline." In between they played tennis or they came from work still wearing their shirts and ties just to hang out and catch up on some friendly conversation. I think they were still feeling a sense of losing people and places they had always been accustomed to as they grew out of high school and college and still wanted their hometown connection. It was a 'last gasp' of sorts. Although I was so much younger no one seemed to notice or care. We were all swept into this by the same broom. I felt their yearning to want to always keep things the same. Maybe Viet Nam was hanging over their heads and who could blame them? It was on that side of the park that I stayed out of trouble although I equally learned a whole lot from 'both sides.'
I met Jewish kids from my alma mater, Eastside High School, where I just graduated in 1969 whereas they had graduated in the mid-60's. I also met kids who wanted in on the action from Fair Lawn and Passaic too. Assumedly, the word was spreading. One day even Allen Ginsberg walked in and sat down with our little huddle of kids on the hippie side. The park was having a slow day and no one was on the other side so I was with the 'hippies' that day. At first I didn't know who he was because he looked taller and lankier in real life but one of the other 5 kids recognized him and was falling all over him. Strangely enough, I was reading a big fat old red book about Sigmund Freud and Ginsberg asked me what I was reading. I told him but don't remember his comments after that. Truth be told, it was too complicated for me and after the first chapter I returned it to the library; however, on that day he must have thought I was a little teenage egg-head with a fringed vest and tied dyed tee shirt. We were never real hippies anyway, just wannabes. After an hour of chatting with us, again about what I don't remember, he announced he was leaving to visit his dad who lived nearby. His father, Louis Ginsberg was a poet too. He was on foot so I asked him if he wanted a ride in my 1962 cream colored Comet. He politely declined and and the last time I ever saw him in person was as he walked down Park Avenue and into the sunshine.
Eventually we all got on with our lives and gave up on the park and perhaps on each other meaning that our relationships were only confined to the realm of the park and what it had to offer at that time in our lives but it sure is worth remembering. I'll never forget meeting Willie Citrin who was studying to be a doctor and how he was so easy going and the true epitome of cool because he seemed to have no need to prove his cool. One evening in 1968 he asked out my girlfriend Sharon Novack (Frankel) on a date to see "The Odd Couple" at the movies but he needed a girl for his friend Jack Segal. Jack had the car, a nice blue swanky sleek one, so Sharon recruited me for his date and off we went into the wild blue yonder to see the greatest movie with the greatest two fellows. Afterwards we went to Willie's house and looked through his January 1964 Eastside High School yearbook. He and Jack took the time to explain all their classmates to us. Now Willie is a retired big-shot doctor in California. There were also at least a dozen other kids I met. Just look at their photos I have included, with names, and in your mind add your own little memories of them. Maybe you had a date with one of them?
I hope all of us right now are in The Sea of Time, gently surging back and forth with waves of thoughts and opinions about the late 1960's. What did it mean to you? Where is everyone now? Hopefully, if ever lost, we have now found ourselves.
I'm still best friends with Sharon and I get updated about Willie through his brother Barry. Everyone else from the park is now just an old fuzzy photograph taken on my cheap $15.00 camera but those memories of "meeting up at the park" will last forever. I’m hoping everyone is doing well. Peace!
Dorothy Douma Greene
Photos:
Top Photo - L-r: Louis Staller, Dorothy Douma Greene, and Howard Schwartz
Second Photo - L-r: Sharon Novack and Howard Schwartz. Eastside Park.
Third Photo - L-r: Norman Merker, Sharon Novack, and Howie Schwartz
Fourth Photo - Sandy Einstein.Eastside Park
Fifth Photo - Willie Citrin
Sixth Photo - Dorothy Douma Greene at Eastside Park.
