Hi ya all!

Ally, Andy, Ira, Jeff, man o man it's been a long time.
My sister told me about this site, tonight I looked at it for the first time.
Very cool.  Brought back a flood of warm summer memories and much more.

With Love

Kenny Doppel    1/5/08

Sad News!

I received a phone call from my college roommate, Yas, this afternoon. I was stunned and profoundly saddened to learn of the untimely passing of our suite-mate and dear friend, Bob Devine. To those of you that traveled up to New Paltz and visited me back in the '70s, I'm sure you'll remember Bob (he was big, 6'5"), partying with us, and playing guitar long and deep into the night. Those were fun times for sure, and 'we thought they'd never end'. Like us, Bob too eventually settled down, but he never stopped pursuing his great love for, and study of music. He was truly a gifted musician! Like our dear friend, Tommy Rackovitch, Bob also suffered with the hardships of epilepsy, and this 'may' have been a factor. I don't know. But I do know he will be sorely missed, and not easily forgotten.

Wherever Bob Devine is tonight, I know he's still "playing in the
band".  R.I.P.

Uncle Scotty    1/16/08

Where is Andy Bear?.... A. Bear is Everywhere!

I have you all with me right here, and am wishing you the best. I died and broke some records in defripulation, but I'm back and loving it. Stonybrook was in Tents, Jeff Pollack isn't losing his Recall of The Magic Lepers. Jones Beach Bums are forever. Andrew Feinstein (Mirror Man). Wheat Chips, Road Trips, Sunshine, waves of Guitars bursting the Night..for now Hor deourve -

Andy The Bear   2/1/08

Note to Andy - Please send your contact info to us! Click on Sign-up, or send an email to shari@jonesbeachbums.com. Great to hear from you! Love, Shari

Hey Mirror Man, Mirror Man here, LOL.
We need your contact info man, and your piano playin.
I would love to see you at the next reunion, brother.

Peace,

Andy (The Mauler) Gay    2/6/08

Mirror man for the name and mirror aviators we wore on the same day.
Ditto.

Andy The Bear  2/8/08

DOES ANYONE HAVE ENID PESSAH'S PHONE NUMBER?

Anonymous    2/10/08

Answer to Anonymous:
Perhaps, but no personal info is going to posted on the public domain of this website. Please sign-up, identify yourself and your email address will be forwarded to Enid. Hope this helps!
Shari

Uncle Scotty, This is Mickey Wolk, Janet Wolk's Brother. I was in Dr. Mengs course in New Paltz. Do you have Enid's Pessahs e-mail address?
Regards, Mickey

Shari, I signed up but did not get password yet. I will be there for the reunion in July and so will my sister Janet.

Mickey Wolk  2/10/08

Mickey, I am so sorry but for some reason I did not get your sign-up! There is apparently something wrong with that page, and I am in the process of looking into it. In the meantime, please write me at shari@jonesbeachbums.com and I will be happy to help you. Look forward to seeing you and Janet in July! ~Shari

Hey Mirror Man...

Yes Andy Bear, we need your music trivia and presence at the next reunion or gathering.
Hey Andy and Jeff - see ya soon. Hope you are doing good.

Peace and Love,

Jan (aka Guitar Lady)   2/18/08  
Hey, how'd I get that name, it used to be Space Lady...

Hey, whatever happened to Baby Huey? We should invite him to the reunion.

Mr. Ed    2/20/08

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MEMORIES, ALTHOUGH I DON'T HAVE MANY SINCE I LIVED IN THE 70'S!

Randi Klaire-Jefferson    2/22/08

Janet (stop sign) is alive and well. She is a nurse and lives in MS.

Her brother,

Mickey    2/24/08

Dear Bob,

You have touched our family's heart with the beautiful picture of Tommy. My mother and I got teary eyed for Tom, but it was great to see your work... we wish to thank you.

Tom's mother and sister Donna    2/24/08

Shari,

Your show was Great!!!
Kudos to you and yours on a job well done!

A bunch of us watched your real estate show last night on cable, and ranked it one of the best done so far. We can't wait for the next one to be filmed.

Peace and Love,
Jan and friends    3/18/08

Hey everyone,

I just stopped in to give a shout out to all and try to get to the next reunion. Also don't know if anybody knows who Becky is that was looking for me back in 9/24/05. I know it was a long time ago, but if any one knows please post a note for me. Thanks.

With all God's Love and Blessing to all of you and yours!

Mike Chapnick    5/7/08

Note to Mike: Did you receive your Evite to the reunion? If not, please write me at shari@jonesbeachbums.com. Hope to see you in July! ~Shari

Dear John Hanc;

I want to start by thanking you for honoring Jones Beach the way you have in your book and articles. You have given words to the memories and emotions of those of us fortunate enough to have experienced Jones Beach ourselves, and have gone far to explain it to those who haven't had that wonderful opportunity. And of course, thank you so much to Sharyn (Shari) Fuller who has overcome the near 'gravitational' effects of TIME to bring the Jones Beach Bums back to life with her wonderful website. She has harnessed a very special part of the Internet to bring old friends back together, from across the country and across the years. For the two of you to have met was a wonderful and significant occurrence!

It is noteworthy that you have now embarked on studying Jones Beach from the perspective of time, or 'generational' time. For like life itself, those of us that know (and love) Jones Beach experience it differently over the decades of our lifetimes. The best way to discover Jones Beach (as you & I were fortunate to do) is as a child. For as a child, we go to a place that is near to our homes and schools, yet unlike anything in our everyday life. We experience this awesome environment with the warmth and reassurance of our loving families. At Jones Beach we are awed by what we see and experience, and never do we shake the urge to return to the beach. As children, the unique feeling we got walking barefoot through the soft sand. The inconceivable ocean that stretches all the way to the horizon, and then to who knows where. The noise and power of the surf as it breaks on the shore. The cold water that quickly feels good. The gentle sway of the surf that makes us weak-kneed as it sucks on our toes, as our parents lovingly held our little hands. And as we get older, the sheer thrill of actually playing in the surf and getting knocked down by the waves. We saw suntanned bodies everywhere, revealing more skin to us then our young eyes could comprehend. Before us was sand and water as far as you could see, with a huge sky that just enhanced the flatness and immensity of the scene. It is a scene that every child should be fortunate to view and experience, for we realize at once what a wild and beautiful world we live in. By experiencing it first with our family, we experience something that is so much bigger and more powerful then anything we have ever experienced, but with the gentleness, comfort, and reassurance of our loved ones. When you turn to leave Jones Beach at the end of the day, one thing is certain; you can never really leave Jones Beach, for a part of it will always be with you.

On one lucky day in early 1971, a chance encounter took place that would change my life, and that of many others too. My dear friend, Bruce Bandler (also from Plainview), and I were fortunate to be at Jones Beach one day and we met a like-minded trio from Uniondale - the brothers, Paul & Ronnie Lancaster, and (the late) Tommy Rackovitch. The excitement and magnetism between the five of us was instantaneous. The friendships that we started that day lasted for decades, through exhilarating times and times of unimaginable sadness. We became like a family, and our family grew. We brought our respective friends from our respective towns to meet each other, and hang out together. In no time at all our new 'beach-family' was making new friends at the beach. The circle started to grow bigger, and soon we counted among our friends people from many towns. At that point, we knew that we had created something bigger then anyone one of us, because we could now have friends from any school on Long Island, instead of just our own schools. We confidently adjusted to our new social awakening, and felt good knowing that we suddenly had a clean slate, and a chance to get to know others that had no preconceived ideas or prejudices about us. We had broken free of the cliques and social groups we had disliked in our own schools, and were now free to become the type of people we WANTED to be, instead of the people we were EXPECTED to be. This was very empowering to us. It gave us a level of excitement and confidence that was contagious, and attracted more and more and more people to our group. For my friends and me, Jones Beach became the stage that our adolescence played out on.

Jones Beach had become our teenage paradise. We had "winky-dink" games, guitar sing-a-longs, kissing and flirting, "mole-holes", Frisbees and always the best thing of all - our friends. Jones Beach was now all about friends; old friends and new friends, people you wish to be friends with, and even their friends. Talk was of girlfriends and boyfriends, high times, and broken hearts. We sang Teenager in Love, Love the One You're With, Alice's Restaurant, Stairway to Heaven, and The Last Kiss, to name a few. When you're a teenager at Jones Beach, someone could take the waves and the seagulls away, and you probably wouldn't even notice.

We soon added another venue, Eisenhower Park, as a place to meet even more people and share with them what had become "The Jones Beach Bums". An annual People's Festival, held each year on May 1st at Eisenhower Park, was advertised by word of mouth and printed flyers to as many schools as we could find people willing to spread the word. By day it was the beach, by night it was people's houses or the park. What it was though, was always FUN. It was good clean fun, if you didn't count the smoke and the beer, which came a little later. We were good kids, fortunate to be living in good times. We hitchhiked everywhere, we spread happiness and friendship, music, and play. We had long hair and looked like hippies, yet more than anything we were welcoming, friendly, and happy. Amazingly our numbers grew to over 300 from a long list of towns on Long Island.

I don't know how the Jones Beach Bums went from getting together every day at the beach to getting together every year for a reunion. But "time-flies", and it was time to grow up. For some it was college, for some the service, others went off to work, moved out of state, or started families; and tragically, some of our dear friends, never made it past that time.

Fast forward again, and my life's journey took me to New Paltz College for 4 years, and then a series of longer and longer hitchhiking journeys and adventures that eventually covered 48 states (along with Michael Seifert) and the Trans-Canada Highway. My love of the road, of people and places, was stronger than my college diploma as I substituted my hitchhiking thumb for a CDL license. I became a trucker, even as I married and raised a Long Island family of my own. The pounding of the surf at Jones beach faded further and further into my memories. The realities of working my ass off, trying to make a living, raising a family and caring for loved ones became the daily reality. Though a little envious, I could easily empathize with the new generation of young people that spent their summers soaking up the sun and playing at the beach as I had. I knew how fortunate I had been and knew that I must work now, even as they must play.

And so it was, for many years. That was until some very clever "old" Beach Bum friends, including Robbie Indovino, Jimmy Bonczek and Pete Ruggiero (I'm sorry if I'm leaving any one out here) took it upon themselves, to organize a series of reunions. (Later Shari would take this to a whole new level with her incredible website).

A Jones Beach Bum reunion is not like a High School reunion. It's definitely not held indoors. Nobody walks around trying to play up their accomplishments or highlight their economic status. A Beach Bum reunion is a throwback to simpler times, to friendships, to feelings, to reconnecting, to seeing and giggling about how we've grown, to learning about each others families or parents. It's about reliving the past, comparing where we are now, how we got there, and where we dream of being by the next reunion. Again our family has grown, but now with spouses and kids and extended family, all welcome, as always.

Most important to our reunion (and the one thing we won't compromise about) is that it must be at our beloved Jones Beach, rain or shine. For however Mother Nature serves it up that day, that's the way we'll take it, because that's just the way it is at Jones Beach. To return to Jones Beach for one day is to return to peace and tranquility for many days.

Fast forward from the day the Bums began in 1971. It is now 2008, and I'm now a 54 year old 'kid'. I haven't been to Jones Beach since last July's reunion, and I probably won't be there until this July's reunion. But my life is changing. I have finally given up the trucking life and traded it in for a brand new career. I'm now a licensed a commercial realtor, loving my new job, and rediscovering life and my family all over again. I'm also rediscovering Long Island. Which brings me back full circle, because with that comes the desire (and the ability) to rediscover Jones Beach. I hope to go back there more frequently now, and in the coming years. I look forward to walking and hopefully jogging along the shore as I used to. I look forward to the serenity of the seagulls reclaiming the sand at the end of a long hot summer day. I look forward to the vastness, beauty, power, and timelessness of Jones Beach. And I look forward of course to sharing all this with my wife and some good, 'old' friends that just might be from the ranks of the Jones Beach Bums!

Thank you, so much, John, for inspiring these memories and thoughts, and for all your enthusiasm, love, and caring, for all things, Jones Beach!

All the Best,

Scott Roth (Uncle Scotty)    6/11/08

Scotty -

Well said, well put.

Danny Calvagna    6/12/08

Check out this picture taken during a recent Air show! What a cool shot.

Anonymous     6/14/08

(click to enlarge)

Aerial view of our meeting place by the stairs of Field 4
Picture changed to a sketch to avoid copyright infringement

Love you,

Paul    6/17/08

Scotty, you put a lump in my throat and a smile in my heart. We have alot to be thankful for. Thank you for being you, my friend and brother.

Ron Lancaster    6/18/08

Hey - can't make the party, as I'll be up in Woodstock, VT at "Jazz Camp" (yeah they have that too).

If anyone's interested in hearing any of the music I've been doing these past years (since the Magic Lepers broke up...), feel free to check out: www.myspace.com/markkrossmusic. Just for a taste.

Later...

MK    6/20/08

This is from Tom's Mom.....

To all those who know and still love the Beach Bums...Tom's birthday looms near and tho he won't be here to celebrate in person his family has chosen the 4th of July to have a bang up loving picnic in his honor. While our familly continues to grow, grandchildren, great grandchildren, new engagements, weddings, as families do, the new members and the old ones still love and miss Tom.

I know in his heart the Beach Bums were his alter family and tho he loved us deeply he really enjoyed his Beach Bums family.

Hope all of you have a safe and fun-fillled holday with your families. And remember Life is Short, love one another and live it !!!!!

Harriet Rackovitch and Daria Kowal    7/3/08

To Ginger Bonner....saw you in Newsday this morning...how are you...think
of you, miss you, love you...

Barbara (Nippy)    7/12/08

It was great seeing all the pictures, I saw the article in Newsday, just wanted to say hi. I went to the first reunion, and did not realize it kept going.

Lisa (Schafer)    7/12/08
originally from Wantagh    

Was too young in '71 ...carried on tradition in '74-'77....Winky Dink, partying all day and all night at the park by the lake...remember one hell of a party Grand Ave by the train station, hundreds of friends...7 guys or something to that effect lived in the house...maybe greatest party I ever attended. Loved the beach then, still do...what memories...wasted, falling asleep by the women's bathroom...under the boardwalk...Bad Company in concert...memory a little shot these days, but I was there, and had a ball...great website...thanks for the creation.

Richard Vitagliano (Herc)     7/13/08

Hello Jones Beach Bums.

I'm a former JB lifeguard and have made an award winning documentary called "Jones Beach Boys." There are women in it also. It chronicles some of the beach history, but also lifeguards who have been there 30, 40, 50, and in the case of one extrordinary character, 64 years. Possibly you know some of them. It might be a fun addition to your video library. You can go to my website and follow your way in to the video. Thank you.

Ron Colby     7/14/08
www.artistsconfederacy.com

Hi Shari,

Summer of '71 or '72 I met my good friend Bill Avdoulos right there off the boardwalk, Field 4. He always had a guitar in his hand & we were always singing - "coming into Jones Beach from over the toll riding in a station wagon." I didn't get to know you guys too well, we were younger, but I do remember someone's house in East Meadow & singing on the stairs Frank Zappa, "We're only in it for the money" & "Live at the Fillmore". Bill went out with Howard Weinstein's younger sister Eileen, & I did eventualy get to be good friends with Janet Perlow & Don Morell, who very forcefully made me his lead singer in his band Machine in '74. So nice to be reliving this time period. Take care...

Tony    7/18/08 (originally sent 2/08, but misplaced - sorry Tony!)

Big thanks to all who came to the party last night - you all made the night as special as it was and I really enjoyed seeing everyone!

Wishing you all health, happiness and success in the year ahead!

Love,

Jeff    7/27/08

PS - Hope to see everyone on Saturday, March 7, 2009 for the winter party!

To Barbara (nippy)

What a great surprise!!! Please email me and tell me how the hell you've been!     nyboots@aol.com

Ginger    7/27/08    

It was great getting together with "old friends" (only kidding) yesterday, for a day at the beach and a night time party at Jeff's. Thanks again to Shari and everyone who organized the E-vites and reminders. Of course, thanks again to Jeff for his hospitality and his generosity. The live music last night by Dennis, Andy, Jan, Ira, and Greg (did I leave anyone out?) was like a soundtrack to our very own movie. Like fine wine, our musicians just keep getting better. A special thank-you to all of Jeff's great neighbors for letting us relax, have some fun, and enjoy our music until the wee hours. Also, welcome back to Micky Wolk, Lisa Schaefer, and Bob Berman.

If everybody could just think of ONE person who used to hang with us, then reach out, do everything you can think of to locate that person, and tell them to check out our website. Just give them that chance, that opportunity to know that their old friends are still friends, but in new ways. Think how excited you were the first time you went to jonesbeachbums.com. Share the joy with one of the many, still-missing, "long-lost-bums".

We are eagerly anticipating 2011, the year of our 40TH Anniversary. The annual reunion idea is starting to lose some of its appeal at the expense of greater milestones, like the 35th, which went by with hardly a whimper. Perhaps it's time for a little change in terminology. From now on, we might want to save the word "reunion" for 2011, and really be focused on that milestone event. We all talk about the reunion we celebrated (all) together, "The Big One". Let's make 2011 another one to remember.

If we agree, and the next "reunion" is not going to be until 2011, then you might wonder, what are we going to do until then? How about from now on, the last Saturday in July — every year — is known as "Beach Day" for the Jones Beach Bums? Summer will now run, officially, from Memorial Day, through Beach Day, to Labor Day. While every day of the year is technically a beach day, and any of us could easily go to any beach we want any day we want, there will always be one special day. For on this day, the last Saturday of each July, no matter where you live, you can make your way to Jones Beach/Field 4/Central Mall, walk down a few steps into the soft sand, look ahead, and just to the right find the nicest bunch of people you ever want to know. These would be "the Jones Beach Bums", survivors from the 'good old days', still enjoying each other's company, and welcoming children, spouses, brothers & sisters, and new friends of old friends.

As we used to sing - "May The Circle Be Unbroken".

Regards to all,

Uncle Scotty     7/27/08

For those of you who missed this year's gathering, we were once again blessed with marvelous weather. Especially considering that Sunday — the very next day — was wrought with thunder, lightning, and torrential wind and rain, all day and night long. How fortunate we were! Just like last year, it seemed like someone from above was looking out for us.

Yet, also as in previous years, the beach reunion was not as well attended as Jeff's great (as usual) party, the reasons for which were discussed by many of us present at both events. And we came to the conclusion that, despite the fact the beach was our favorite hangout when we were teens, now that we are all getting up there in age, going to the beach has lost much of its appeal. Extreme exposure to sun, sand, wind, possible cold and rain, the lack of desire many feel about wearing a bathing suit, etc., all point to the fact that perhaps it is time for us to focus more on the night time party, which Jeff has generously offered to host every single year, in his wonderful backyard. Thank you, Jeff! However, it appears that yearly reunions reduce the specialness, and probably cuts down on efforts to attend ("Well, there's always next year"...).

So a lot of us had an intense powwow during Jeff's party. We don't want to give up our yearly event, but we need to do something to make the 40th as special as the 20th. And we came up with a few ideas, most notably (IMHO) that we start planning for a 3-4 day cruise in July 2011. Can you imagine the fun THAT would be? It blows my mind to think about it. A mass e-mail with more details about this idea (and other ideas) will be coming around very soon. Please take the time to send your thoughts, and other ideas if you have any!

Anyway, it was wonderful seeing those of you who were able to come this year (especially those who just found us again, thanks to John Hanc and his most recent Newsday article). And to those of you who wanted to but couldn't make it, we missed you. We hope to see you at the 40th, or sooner!

Love to all,

The musical guests are an outstanding group of musicians and friends that I had the pleasure to play wonderful music with.

I can't thank Shari enough for her kind efforts on the website and contacting everyone for these events.

Each and every year I, and everyone, look forward to this evening of song, laughter and shared happiness with memories of long lost friends, new friends and old. Although some of us (Beach Bums) are sorely missed, they will never be forgotten. Each year we continue the tradition their memory and spirit will live on. I know they are smiling down on this stuff....

Who knew a trip to Jones Beach Field Four in the summer of 1974 would be an inspiration to my life, as well as others, to a bright and very interesting future. (And there's more to come...)

Peace and Love to everyone who attended, and those who could not. I can't wait until the next reunion. I will miss you all till then.

Be well, be happy and be yourself. ;-)

I am a very recent Honorary Jones Beach Bum. Thanks Shari, you've been great to talk to.

A liitle bit about me. I was born and raised in Bay Shore, graduated High School in 1975 from Brentwood H.S. If there are any Beach Bums from the
Bay Shore or Brentwood area, please let me know.

I have been away from New York since I was 20. I've lived in Texas, Colorado, Hawaii and presently Miami Florida.

I found out about the Beach Bums by just looking around on the internet under Jones Beach.

I spent many days at Jones Beach while growing up. It's great to know about the Jones Beach Bums and I hope to come visit next summer.

I read about a cruise in 2011. Many cruise ships leave out of Miami. That would be fun.

Take care for now

Tony,

I see you knew Don Morrell & you say you were in the band Machyne. I don't remember you but maybe you remember me. I was the bass player in the band & had been a long time friend of Don's.

Mike Westman    8/1/08
mwestman@aol.com

To all of you wonderful people that I was fortunate enough to share last Saturday's Reunion with: It was so great to see you all again. Great to have you guys back in my life after all this time. Special thanks to Shari & Jeff.

Bob Berman    8/3/08
rmberman@optimum.net

Love,

Roberta Potraker Friedland    8/22/08

Hello Ronnie & Paul Lancaster and Bobby Vanderhall.

Kim    9/19/08

ginger...sorry lost your number, please e-mail me it....
ibaerohead55@hotmail.com   love ya

barbara    10/5/08

Hi All -

Henry Cohen (formerly from Levittown) here. Was I ever tickled to find this website! Andy Gay, Janet Perlow - I jammed & hung out with both of you many a pleasant time at Field 4 and at The Park. Glad to see that you're both alive & well. Mike Westman and Don Morrell I got to meet through my buddy Joe Donnelly from Long Beach - I'm still close friends with Joe even though I relocated to PA in 1984.

I have been married twice (the 2nd time's a charm). I have two sons, aged 25 and 24, both of whom are musical too. My wife and I met at the PA Renaissance Faire doing music, and we have a 4-piece folk group called Inishowen.

I would love to hear from anyone out there from those great old days - you can visit our music website (and e-mail if you like) - http://www.inishowenmusic.com

Take care & be well - maybe we can make a reunion sometime.

Henry Cohen    11/4/08
York, PA

To all of you in our Beach Bum extended family, best wishes for a happy,
healthy, and safe hoiday season...

Love

Scott & Claire    12/20/08

Happy Holidays to all of the Jones Beach Bums.

John Bracco    12/25/08
Miami Florida