WHEN PEOPLE VISIT ELIZAVILLE...

they often reflect on the role camp played in making them who they are today. Not just in terms of friendships and memories (though there are plenty of these) or even skills learned (at activities or in group living), but how summers at camp helped create who they are in terms of core values and character.

Each year many alumni make the trip “home” to Scatico. Quite a few are current camp parents or are touring as prospective future camp parents. Camp is something they want to share with their children. Others are traveling nearby in the Hudson Valley and feel the magnetic pull as they pass the Jackson Corners exit on the Taconic Parkway. For others, it’s the planned destination and something they anticipate eagerly.

While the number of visiting alumni naturally peaks during the summer, it’s a flow that never fully ceases through fall foliage, winter snow, and spring blooming, each season offering its particular magic. Many visiting alumni had camp careers that spanned multiple years (and decades), working their way through the camper and counselor ranks. A few passed just a single season at camp, yet still retain vivid Scatico memories.

1930s: Arline Morris Lubin and her brother Rem. Arline is dressed as a princess and Rem as a pirate for an “Aquacade” — 1930s: **Arline Morris Lubin** and her brother **Rem**. Arline is dressed as a princess and Rem as a pirate for an “Aquacade”

Two Alumni that we loved having visit this year straddled both ends of this spectrum. One came just prior to Opening Day and one just a few weeks after final campfires and candles on the lake. In June, Arline Morris Lubin (1934-50) visited with her daughter Wendy Lubin Aglietti (1962-68) and their husbands during our staff orientation. (Wendy’s siblings Kenny Lubin and Carol Lubin Hundert also attended Scatico in the 1960s, but live now in Colorado and were unable to make the trip.)

Scatico’s girls camp opened in 1934, when the camp was relocated from Wingdale, NY, to Elizaville, so Arline was there for girls side’s first 17 summers! She joked that whenever the years where called at a campfire she was always the first to stand and that the only thing that kept her from returning in 1951 was that she was married that year after camp. Arline gifted to the Scatico archives three incredible photo albums, meticulously labeled, that span the 1930s-1940s. She joined us for lunch in the dining room and the staff marveled at meeting someone who could claim during every one of her Scatico summers (from the Great Depression through WWII) she was at least tied for the girls side record of most seasons at camp.

Thomas Tael at the Admin: 54 years since his last time at Scatico. — **Thomas Tael** at the Admin: 54 years since his last time at Scatico.

Then, in early September, we had a visitor that we found equally inspiring. Thomas Tael spent just one summer at Scatico as a 14-year-old camper in 1962, traveling from Sweden: “It was my aunt and uncle in New York who made it possible for me to come to the United States and Scatico. It really was the thrill of my life and the time at Scatico had a great impact on me. I have such great memories from my old bunk 16, the tennis courts, the baseball fields, where we had our meals, the lake….”

With 2017 fast approaching (Scatico’s 97th summer), we look forward to seeing who will make the trip “home” this year, sharing both specific memories of people and events and also convictions on how the camp experience helped shape who they are today.

WHAT'S NEW IN ELIZAVILLE...

The new Camphitheater was the site for many memorable events in its inaugural season: the 4th of July Talent Show; a mid-simmer Open Mic Night; the opening ceremony for a coed Olympics; Color War breaks on both boys and girls sides; several shows…. You get the idea.

The Camphitheater is located to the right of the tree-lined road as you travel from the canteen to the dining room (on the site of the cornfield if you were at camp prior to 1970). Built into a natural hillside, surrounded by trees, with the sun setting over the lake behind the stage, the Camphitheater seats approximately 400 people (room for both camps and staff).

Camphitheater Productions —4th of July Talent Show (first full-camp evening activity); Boys Color War Break. What else? A presidential debate; Open Mic Night. The girl one-week campers perform a dance routine. This summer’s Scatico-in Training session (for 7, 8, and 9- year-olds) will run from July 23- 29. If you’re interested in more information….

We will miss you

Kippa Matthews died on July 28 at the age of 54. Kippa traveled from England to spend four summers as a Scatico counselor from 1984-87, first heading boys arts and crafts and then photography. At the time of his death, he was a renowned freelance magazine and newspaper photographer based in York. Kippa’s brother Guz joined him at Scatico for one summer as a sailing instructor. The photo is from a Scatico reunion in London in 1994, from left to right, Kippa, Paul Neil, Kym Bosley, Robin Pembrooke, and John Hickey.

lifelong friendships

1940s-60s—April in NYC: Dennis Rinzler, Carol Rubinson Strauss, Joan Haskel Berlly, and Sue Skollins Friedman. — **1940s-60s**—April in NYC: **Dennis Rinzler, Carol Rubinson Strauss, Joan Haskel Berlly,** and **Sue Skollins Friedman.**

Thanks for sending in these photos of Scatico get-togethers, friendships that span 60-plus years. We were especially touched by the note Dennis Rinzler (1950-62) wrote to his dinner-mates after their April mini-reunion in New York City: “Who would have thought, in each of our wildest dreams, that the four of us would be together more than 60 years from the time we met. I know it’s difficult for us to comprehend that all of those years have passed, but here we were in NYC enjoying ourselves the same way we did in Elizaville.... It’s been a fantastic ride since our Scatico days with the memories of our “puppy years” still indelibly embedded in our minds.”

1970s-2000s—November in NYC: Seated—Cory Schwartz, Josh Friedman, Lawrence Thaler, Eric Strauss, Josh Camhi, Ging Vann; Standing—Josh Koretsky, Aaron Wattenberg, Jon Tucker, Eric Kleiner, Greg Mazarin, Todd Fass, Michael Vickers, and Doug Florin.&nb… — 1970s-2000s—November in NYC: Seated—**Cory Schwartz, Josh Friedman, Lawrence Thaler, Eric Strauss, Josh Camhi, Ging Vann**; Standing—**Josh Koretsky, Aaron Wattenberg, Jon Tucker, Eric Kleiner, Greg Mazarin, Todd Fass, Michael Vickers**, and **Doug Florin.**

StAying in touch

Send submissions for the Spring 2017 issue to info@scatico.com.

As always, we like to start off with any RSSes (Random Scatico Sightings)…. This issue’s RSS champion? Jeff Bukantz (1974-79)! While working as an NBC color analyst for fencing at the Summer Olympics in Brazil, he ran into Forest Sussman. Jeff reports that Forest is still complaining about Steve Victor’s call in the 100-yard dash at a mid-1970s Color War track meet… In May, Jeff spotted his former camper, David Greenbaum, while dining at a restaurant in New Jersey….Sam Katz had an RSS with former bunkmates Eli Rousso and Dan Rubin at a September Mets game. Sam, Dan, and Eli were campers and staff members in the 2000s-10s…. While sightseeing in Washington, DC, in late August, Jim Hosking (1990s-2010s) ran into Nate Loewentheil (1995-2000). Jim, a teacher in London, has a Scatico career that now spans 20 years (surely a record for an international staff member). Nate is a Senior Policy Advisor for the White House National Economic Council….

Fellow 1960s-70s campers and counselors Judi Fleischner Ecochard and Nancy Lippman Halis had their RSS moment at the Design and Decorating Building in Manhattan in October. Judi was covering an event for her blog Lyra Mag; Nancy was looking for ideas for a home re-decoration. Congratulations to Judi who competed in November in the USA Triathlon National Championship (a half Ironman) and finished in 13th place in her age bracket (55 to 59), qualifying her to compete in the World Championship in Canada in 2017....

NiJo, Trevor, and Lara — **NiJo, Trevor,** and **Lara**

Other news on Scatico and Scaticonians…. Scott Goldberg (1980s) is also a triathlete, completing an Ironman competition in Coeur d’Alene, ID... Scatico was featured in an August 23rd article in the Hollywood Reporter titled “13 East Coast Camps Where Hollywood Stars Spent Their Summers”. In the story, Doug Herzog, the president of Viacom Music and Entertainment Group (and a camper and counselor for 11 summers in the 1960s-70s), explains, “I’ll tell anyone who will listen that I learned everything I needed to know at camp.”... “Color War Politics,” a personal essay by Ben Krull (1969-78), appeared in the August 2 issue of the Roslyn News. In it, Ben explores the voting intrigue surrounding the 1975 election of captains and co-captains on boys side. Ben, is the system rigged?... When Trevor Dodge (1997-2009) showed up for the Welcome Reception for 1st-year Associates at Proskauer, Rose LLP, he knew two fellow Scaticonians would be part of the welcoming committee as attorneys at the firm’s New York office—Nick “NiJo” Joseph (1999-2006) and Lara Stahl Miller (1995-2009)….

Kyungmin Park helped run the boys art program from 2008-10 She is currently an assistant professor of 3D Studio Art at Endicott College in Beverly, MA, and won the 2015 Emerging Artist Award from Ceramics Monthly. You can view her latest work at Kyungminpark.com…. Continuing on the art front, Barry Pisetzner, whose Scatico career spanned four decades (art director, athletics director, girls head counselor, boys assistant head counselor,…) retired as an art teacher in June and is now a full-time artist. His paintings “reside” in Los Angeles, New York, Hawaii, and Paris. He now works out of a studio in Linwood, NJ, and recently won a cash award from a nearby gallery for his painting on economic inequality. View his latest works at Pisetzner.com... And if you are ever in Asheville, NC, Scatico’s current art director, Ken Vallario (1990s-2010s), has his works on display at Wedge Studios in the River Arts District...Singer/songwriter Ellen Woloshin Shilowich (1971-74) is performing at the Triad Theater in Manhattan on December 12…

When Josh Wigler (1996- 2007) was out walking in Brooklyn this summer, he ran into a former neighbor, Colby Hall, who asked Josh about the Scatico shirt he was wearing. It turns out they had a Scatico connection and were not even aware of it. Colby’s two sons were first-year campers in 2016. In October, Josh and his wife Emily Fox traveled to Tuscany to visit Ben Lew (1996-2010) and his wife Alexis Delaney. Ben and Josh were longtime bunkmates. Alexis was finishing a 3-month stint as the head chef in residency at Villa Lena, an artists’ resort, where Ben was the food and beverage manager. Josh is a freelance writer and reporter covering television. He also has a podcast Post Show Recaps, on which he reviews series such as “Game of Thrones” and “Westworld”

.... Last summer, Melissa Samuels (2000-09) volunteered as a counselor for one week at Experience Camps, a not-for-profit program with sites nationwide that provides summer camp experiences to children who have lost a parent. When Melissa organized a fundraiser for the charity at a Soul Cycle in Manhattan, Scatico contemporaries Sammy Wolfin and Nicki Fleischner joined her for the event…. Brian Berusch (1983-94) has coauthored Food to Write Home About: Hawaii with restauranteur Bill Tobin, owner of Tiki’s Grill & Bar in Wakiki. It’s a book crammed with great photos and recipes as well as profiles of celebrity chefs in Hawaii….

Jeff Adams (son of Al and Peggy Adams, Scatico’s caretakers for more than 30 years from the 1960s-1990s) checked in from Flagler Beach, FL, with a family update. Jeff, who retired as Chief of the Clifton, NJ, fire department, now has his Coast Guard Captain’s license and is heading dolphin/manatee spotting cruises. Jeff’s wife Annette, who ran the girls art program for many summers, is keeping busy as a substitute teacher in Flagler County. Their daughter Samantha (1994-2002) is working as an office manager at Florida Healthcare in Daytona Beach, FL. Their son Justin (1991-2002) is a chef at The Village Inn in Wayne, NJ….

And to close the Staying In Touch column for this issue, we were thrilled to have recent visits from two international staff members who worked at Scatico more than 25 summers ago and had not been back to the United States since. Begona Pecharroman, a support staff member from 1988-92, was in Washington, DC, this summer for the Smithsonian-sponsored Folklife Festival, which this year celebrated Basque culture. Begona, naturally, could not resist a weekend train ride to visit camp. In October, Vanessa Bowcock (1991-94), who works for the Labour Party in England was in New York as part of a delegation to help with Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Vanessa did not have time for a trip to Elizaville, but we were able to meet up for dinner in Manhattan….

Thanks for staying in touch. Email news and photos for the Spring 2017 issue of the Alumni Newsletter to info@scatico.com.

congratulations

The next generation

Rose Marie on August 3 to Laura and Adam Fleischner (1980s-2000s).
Jake Gordon on May 19 to Allen and Hayley Durward McIntosh (2000-03 and 2009).
Eden Sophia on October 25 to Eitan and Lauren Sherrard Azizian (1990s-2000s).
Jack on September 30 to Michael and Rachel Hollander Heller. Michael and Rachel were Scatico campers and counselors in the 1990s-2000s.
Luke on July 12 to Shira and Brett Bush (1980s-2000s).

Weddings

Liz McAllister and Zach Lisabeth on October 1. Zach, the older brother of Harry, Jake, and Sam, was a camper, counselor and division leader in the 1990s-2000s. The “two Lizzes” (as it said on the wedding invitation) met while working together for Americorps in Vermont.
Kael Au and Matty Carroll on May 28, at the girls campfire site at a certain camp in Elizaville, NY. Kael (from Ohio) and Matty (from Northern Ireland) met as staff members at Scatico in 2008. Last summer, Kael helped run the main office and Matty was an assistant head counselor on boys side. Needless to say, there were many Scaticonians in attendance, including the bride’s father Randy Au, whose Scatico career began as a basketball counselor in the 1980s and continues today as the boys athletics director.
Another Scatico couple! Julie Feinsmith (1990s) and David Locke (1980s-90s) on September 24, in nearby Rhinebeck, NY. Many Scaticonians joined in the celebration, including brothers David Feinsmith and Sean Locke.

Vinny Rua and Laurie Gruberg (1960s-70s) on August 2. Several of Laurie’s camp friends from 50 years ago attended—Jane Herzog, Betsy Nosonowitz, Lee Gelb, and Judi Fleischner Ecochard.
Judd Mcarthur and Ally Lipton (1980s-90s and 2010s) on October 22. For the past three summers, Chef Ally has headed Scatico’s cooking program, inaugurating the facility constructed in 2014. How many Scaticonians made the event? More than 40, including many friends from her camper and counselor days as well as current senior staff, her big sister Stacy Lipton Schumer, and her nephews Jacob and Matt Schumer. The photo above shows Ally with former bunkmates Hillary Nahoun Krane, Cindy Brown Klein, Shawn Chudnoff Goldberg, and Aryn Lieberman Grossman. Scatico’s 2016 Music Counselor Jake Lisabeth even DJed the after-party, and 2016 Drama Head Jane Rosenfeld (a former member of her college's Acapella group) sang during the cocktail hour.
Devon Nee and Hannah Sunshine on March 24. Hannah, a camper and a counselor in the 1990s-2000s, is a 4th generation Scaticonian. A teacher in the nearby Hudson Valley, during the past two summers she has led hikes and overnights for camp.

Caitlin McStay and Matt Hillson on July 30. From England,Matt was a mountainboarding counselor and lifeguard in 2011-12.
Brian Goldwasser and Jaime Hollander (2002-08) on October 23. Jaime was the middle of three Scatico sisters, with older sibling Rachel (see earlier birth announcements) and younger sibling Jackie.
Justin Grazioli and Jenna Mandel on September 10. Both Jenna and her sister Hope were campers, counselors, and division leaders in the 1990s-2000s.
Mark Levey and Rachel Wang (1997-2009) on August 6. Rachel’s younger siblings Lauren and Andrew were also campers and counselors, as was her older brother Brett Bush. Her dad Fred Wang was a camp doctor (and standout chess coach) in the 1990s-2000s.
David Schaeffer and Jessica Dodge (1994-2007) on September 17. Jessica’s siblings Eliza, Tory, and Trevor , and mom Lisa Paymer Dodge were all campers and counselors.
Ryan Skeen and Ali Green (1994-2006) on October 30. Ali’s mom Susan Ross was a camper in the 1950s. Ali may have set a Scatico record with four former bunkmates as bridesmaids: Laura Malick Bren, Jessy Arisohn, Rachel Herbstman, and Rachel Hollander! Her cousin Max Green (1995-2004) was the best man.

Chelsea Handler’s Favorite Teacher? Carol Bloomgarden Schectman!

Talk-show host Chelsea Handler’s first guest on her new Netflix show on May 11, 2016, was the United States Secretary of Education, John B. King Jr. Chelsea told him about her favorite teacher growing up, but surmised that she was probably no longer living. Chelsea said: “I had one teacher who really made me believe in myself in third grade.”

Well that teacher happened to be Carol Bloomgarden Schectman (the girls head counselor from 1967 to 1984). Carol immediately heard from students, campers, and friends, and so wanted to get in touch with Chelsea to let her know that she was alive and well, and living in Florida.

With the help of Laura Danford Mandel (1970s-80s), a Scatico alumnus and current camp parent (and founder and director of LDM/PR in Manhattan), Carol and Chelsea eventually spoke on thephone and exchanged emails. (Laura and Carol play nightly games of Words with Friends.) Chelsea then invited Carol to appear on a show which was posted on Netflix in June. She said to Carol on the set: “I feel in everyone’s life you have someone who really, really impacts you when you’re a kid. For me, that person was you.”

After Carol’s whirlwind trip to Los Angeles with her husband Aaron, she flew to New Jersey to visit her family, including 5 great-grandchildren. While there, a group of her former Scatico campers got together for a reunion. As Laura describes, “we talked and laughed like no time had passed.” Carol, now 90 years old, wants everyone to know that she is living a full life in Florida—singing in her temple choir, taking water aerobics, playing bridge, and traveling extensively (including 2 extended round-the-world cruises).

Now and Then…

Above Left—August reunion with Laura Danford Mandel, Susan Greenbaum Gross, Lisa Paymer, Carol, Sue Rubin Wolfin, Elisa Segal Madorsky, and Wendy Sheldon Brown. Above Right—with counselor staff in the early 1980s, Jackie Olensky, Nancy Klyde Hecker, Leslie Mitchell Schneider, Leslie Wayte Heineman, Carol, and Laura Danford Mandel.

Below— Division photo of 1979 Soopers, That’s Carol standing in the middle of the back row.

Fall 2016