Eric Deutchman:  

Grew up on Pinegrove Ave next to Jean Kramm, two doors from Bill Kenny, six doors from Jim Locatelli, 11 doors from Joanne Topolinski & around the corner from Judy Martin.. Now living on Moss Ave since 1986 (purchased from Ellen Finklestein's mom, Estelle.who substitute taught in town.for a short while). Still a licensed practicing surgeon podiatrist & registered pharmacist but slowing down. I really did not like to think about graduation, leaving WHS & going off to college, but I had a job on South Ave. working for Vic's New Drug Fair & decided I would like to become a registered pharmacist..much to the chagrin of my guidance counselor Ms, Ryan. She just rolled her eyes in her head, composed herself & thumbed through a thick book of colleges & remarked "Ah, here is a school you can go to....the College of Pharmacy at the Univ. of..New Mexico. After an awkward silence, she said "a little too far from home?". After I nodded, she came up with the Coll. of Pharmacy at the Univ. of South Carolina. causing another awkward silence from me until she asked what college I had in mind (as if she didn't know that Rutgers was the only pharmacy college in NJ). Of course I replied "Rutgers" to which she shook her head and told me I would never be accepted there despite my good grades & honor roll status because it was one of the most selective pharmacy colleges. She asked me to write three choices on her pad and of course I wrote "Rutgers" on each of three lines & left depressed with my high hopes dashed. by her "enthusiasm" & "support".. I was a miserably depressed senior until April 27, 1969 when I stopped home for milk & cookies during a drug store delivery & my mom told me I was accepted to Rutgers Coll. of Pharmacy & she had just called Vics to tell me the good news only to hear I was on the road, so she told my boss Vic to tell me. Then she said that I should not let on that I knew or else he would know I was goldbricking on the job. Upon returning to work, Vic said nothing to me until 10 PM closing (figuring that my mind would not be on the job if he told me upon returning from the delivery). He finally informed me with an "Oh by the way, your mom called..." as I was getting ready to go home at which point I had to put on a dog & pony show as to how excited I was. while silently calling him a SOB!!! I was a polite kid, but the next day, I threw a copy of my aceptance letter on Ms. Ryan's desk & muttered the "B" word as I left her office.. She called out "What did you say?" to which I replied "" Itch...I had an awful itch". From that point on till graduation, I was on cloud nine. While at Rutgers,I worked in Tiffanys for Dr. Warshaw's husband, & at Westfield Pharmacy, which was owned by some of my Rutgers Pharmacy pofessors. I got to know many many Westfield families.& their ailments including who was on the pill, who was pregnant, who had a venereal disease, who was depressed, terminally ill or just plain crazy. (the Beatles song "Mother's Little Helper" was really about Diazepam aka Valium which so many suburban Westfield housewives seemed to take fashionably whether they needed it or not) in an era decades before HIPPA privacy laws were even thought of... During medical school I moonlighted at a Drug & Liquor combo store in Scotch Plains where many WHS teachers bought their meds & booze so Westfield residents/students wouldn't bump into them.. You should have seen the looks on my chemistry teacher (Elmer Fudd) & Jr. High principal (Sam S) faces as they hesitatingly handed me their Rx's inquiring what I was doing there... only to find out I would be filling their scripts. I had to list their required birthdays & current addresses on the scripts because the prescribers had left them off & once I actually read that they were for meds that treat somewhat embarrassing social problems I forced myself to keep a professional, business straight face & not react. Recently I participated in WPD's 2nd annual antique auto show at the South Ave. train station parking lot where I displayed my 1960 4 dr Chevy Corvair 700; 1963 2 dr hard top Plymouth Valiant Signet 200; 1964 2 dr Dodge Dart GT Convertible 50th anniversary Dodge, & my 1966 2 dr Dodge Dart Sedan (that I used as a daily driver to WHS and Rutgers.College of Pharmacy.) & 1966 Plymouth Barracuda. The Valiant has the famous 225 CID slant six cyl engine & the 64 Dart GT Convertible, 66 Dart 270 & 66 Barracida all have the baby small block 273 CID V8.as they were Chrysler's early muscle car answer to Ford's upgrade of the Falcon into the Mustang.. Later Chrysler started using big block V8 engines like the 318 in their demons & dusters & 330's & 440's .in their, chargers & challengers. I ran into Joe Spector (remember The Leader Store) during the 2018 Fall Festival while manning a booth on Elm St. fund raising with my Boy Scout Troop 273 (still sponsored by Jefferson School PTO). Some nice looking gals (the ladies seem to look better than us guys with age) came by to support our scouts & purchased BSA popcorn & we did NOT recognize each other until we got on the topic of when we graduated WHS...It was Trish Brietfeller & her sister Debbie (Thank you ladies for supporting Scouting).. Trish told me she remembers the Corvair because it was America's answer to the Volkswagen Beetle with its rear mounted air cooled engine. I believe she is into Volkswagens & currently has some including the Beetle. (Together we could probably put on our own car show). She was wondering if our class was planning a 50th reunion., , Perhaps we will bring o...Expand for more