| |
Hi Matt,
My name is Sharon Goldin formerly Sharon Goldberg FRHS
72. I don't even know where Marty got my email address from, but your
article really captured my attention. Do you remember my father Burt Goldberg
he was the sales manager at Wides Pontiac for I don't know like forever!!
What was your mother's name? My dad is deceased now 19 yrs. But, my mom
is still alive and I bet she remembers your mom. My dad also worked for
Feingold Pontiac. I remember Mel and Ruth Wides and Mel's brother AL.
My dad always used to drag me into their office to say hello whenever
I would visit him at work. Also, he would make me go into the business
office to say hi to the girls (I'm assuming that's where your mom worked).
I remember I was always impressed with the water cooler:) I remember St.
Joseph's hospital, I had my tonsils taken out there when I was three.
Its probably my 1st memory. Also, I made one of those recordings at Rockaways
Playland. Playland was probably my most favorite place in the world back
then. Do you remember the ferris wheel that could go upside down if you
held the bar back? I was scared to death of that thing.All I can say is
that growing up in Rockaway was some the best years of my life. I always
tell people its like "Tara" to me. My father and mother both
went to P.S. 42 (like me) and FRHS. Well, thanks for the pictures and
the memories.
Sharon Goldberg Goldin (FRHS 1972)
Matt Bashie's Reply, Dated April 8, 2010
Hello, Sharon --
I really appreciate your taking the time out from your busy schedule to
jot off a few lines to me!
Of course I remember your father! In my mind's eye, I can still see his
smiling face -- but I see him as he was, when I first met him sometime
in 1959. I DO remember that Burt started as Sales Manager in Wides --
I did not know that he came in from Finegold Pontiac -- but that might
have been explained to me at the time and I simply didn't pay too much
attention to our introduction. I remember his predecessor (Ira Alexander)
extremely well. Ira had been with the Wides "family" for some
time and (as a child) I don't remember him being very nice to me; he had
a very brash attitude. So, when Burt Goldberg became the manager, at least
he made my visits to the dealership much more pleasant!
To be fair about things, Ira Alexander had left Wides to open his own
automobile dealership -- a Rambler franchise at the height of the "new
era" of the smaller or compact car. In fact, the new Rambler dealership
opened in the original Wides showroom -- at 1514 Far Rockaway Boulevard
(Central Avenue). My own father was friendly with Ira and if memory serves,
sometime in late 1959 my dad even bought a new baby-blue car from that
store. Years later, and I am talking about perhaps a span of two decades,
Ira remained friendly with my family and finally, in my late 30s, I finally
got the respect I felt I deserved from Mr. Alexander. Obviously, I must
have been impressed with the man.
However, and back to your message to me -- my mother worked for Albert
Wides (at that time) so she was not in the Pontiac (Chrysler-Plymouth)
showroom so I sincerely doubt if your mother would remember any of my
family. I DO know that after Albert separated from Lincoln-Mercury, he
came into his brother's store and they shared the management of that location.
Of course I remember the "girls" in the office. In fact, Phyl
(the former office manager) called me at home in January of 2008 (could
have been 2007) and we spoke for almost an hour. She had moved back to
New Jersey from the Carolinas to be closer to members of her (large) family.
She passed away a few months later. A life-long chain smoker, she developed
problems in both lungs. Even though she was terminally ill, she still
sounded quite strong and was thrilled that she was still able to drive
herself around at the age of 91 -- a remarkable woman!!
Of course being a Rockaway resident for so long, I spent many hours at
Rockaway's Playland -- but I am really not into that kind of entertainment.
I dated and double-dated in my youth and a visit to the amusement park
was a rather inexpensive way to pass the time. Money was always an issue
for my family back then -- not that we were border-line poor, but we were
far from wealthy. I acquired my first car by going off to work and earning
the money to pay for it. I was fortunate enough to land a decent job after
graduation from high school and those extra coins in my pocket certainly
felt great after a childhood of counting and budgeting almost every expenditure.
My family did not originally come from the Rockaways so I guess that makes
me a first-edition -- at least I was able to experience some of the better
things in life -- the things that they say are the "best things"
because they are free!
Thanks again for taking the time to write. I am so sorry to hear about
the passing of your father. He was a nice man, and was always so very
friendly towards me. I sincerely hope that you will continue to read my
autobiography as each new chapter is presented on this website and I look
forward to hearing from you again in the very near future.
Matthew Bashie
|
|