News from Elizaville
The movement of time at camp in any summer is like the movement of charged particles in a particle accelerator: never constant and really difficult to understand. It’s mid-July, a 9-year-old camper walks with bunkmates back from general swim. They’ve just finished a crazy-jump contest organized by their counselor. Sweetly tired. Laughing. Plotting an upcoming talent show act. Time is beautifully languid and slow-moving.
It’s late August at 9PM. Sitting side-by-side with those same bunk- mates and staring into a closing campfire. A head counselor’s words of wisdom float poignantly in the air. Sparks from the flames mingle with stars in the sky. How could the summer have passed so quickly?
Dennis as Curley, with Carol Rubinson Strauss as Laurey, in a 1950s production of Oklahoma.
When the Scatico community gathers in Elizaville on September 10th for a much-anticipated (and twice rescheduled due to COVID) 100th Anniversary Celebration, much conversation will naturally contemplate the magic of time and the power of childhood memories. After a recent meeting of the committee helping to plan the event, we received an email from Dennis Rinzler (a camper, counselor, and division leader from 1950 to 1962): “It's impossible for me to believe that it's been 73 years since I first stepped foot in Elizaville and began my journey at Scatico.” (Dennis, by the way, helped plan the 75th reunion 25-plus years ago in 1996.)
The power and magic was also embraced on an April visit to camp by Martin Thursfield. In 1988, Martin was a student at the University of Leeds when he adventured “across the pond” to work one summer as an archery counselor. He has not been back at camp since Closing Day that year—but it didn’t lessen the magnetic pull to venture back in time when, “passing near to Camp Scatico this weekend, dropping my younger child (actually 21) off with a friend in Red Hook on Saturday evening.... My wife is keen to recreate one of the photos from my time there in 1988.” Martin currently works as a Diplomat for the British Government in Ottawa, Canada.
Martin in 1988…
…and Martin today
A thirty-four year span between actual “time” spent at camp! Absolutely impressive. Come September 10th, we will need to see if anyone exceeds this possible record. If it’s been this long since you were last at camp and you’re planning to attend, we’d love to hear from you.
As the campers and staff of 2022 prepare for another Scatico summer (officially number 101), we envision them energized and reflective, ready to celebrate both the moments when time stands luxuriously still as well as the blurs when time accelerates around a turn.
Staying in Touch
Ryan, Cory, Bash, and Ryan
As always, we will start off with RSSes (Random Scatico Sightings).... We’ve had Yankee Stadium RSSes before, but never actual sightings on the field instead of the stands. At a Fan Appreciation Day last fall, Cory Schwartz (1988-2022 and counting) and son Bash ran into 2011 Upper Seniors Ryan Kenny and Ryan Baitch. The Ryans’ last summer at camp was 2016, when they worked as Division Leaders under Cory, then a first-year Head Counselor....
An RSS in Mexico in December brought together two generations of Scaticonians: Andrew Fabian (1980s-90s); younger brother Daniel Fabian (1980s-1990s); his daughter, current camper, Emma; Eric and Stacey Koretsky Strauss (1980s-90s); and their sons, current campers, Matthew and Jacob. Soon after the photo was taken they also spotted Andrea Wagner Alhadeff (1980s-2000s), whose daughter Jules begins her Scatico journey in 2022. We should also note that Eric has been a camp doctor since 2010. Which leads us directly to Eric’s second RSS for the issue.... If you have to have knee surgery, maybe discovering that your surgeon shares Scatico roots can at least bring a smile to your face. We’ll have to ask Margie Strauss Featherstone (1960s-80s)....
Fabians and Strausses
Eric and Margie
Ricardo, Alena, and Chef Jimmy
When not overseeing the Scatico kitchen (since 2006), Chef Jimmy Wexler runs a catering business in Florida and works alongside his wife Debbie and children Zoey and Koby at Two Fat Cookies, a family-owned bakery and food shop in Delray Beach. On a recent catering job, Jimmy discovered that his client, Rhoda Weissman Bertuch attended Scatico as a camper in the 1940s. In February, Jimmy and Scatico’s assistant head chef Ricardo Turnbull (since 2011; also works at Two Fat Cookies in the off-season), had a visit from Alena Podana. From the Czech Republic, Alena worked in the Scatico kitchen from 2009-14. If you’re ever in southeast Florida and want to purchase some really good cookies (and say hello to Jimmy and Ricardo)....
In non-RSS news, congratulations to Jeff Bukantz (1970s-80s) on his May, 2022, induction into the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame. Jeff is the current president of Maccabi USA and has served as an Olympic Games’ fencing analyst for NBC. At a pre-event meeting, Jeff struck up a conversation with fellow inductee (and NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB sportscaster) Ken Albert. Somehow (can’t imagine why) talk turned to summer camp and Jeff shared he was a Scatico alumnus. Ken said one of his closest friends went to Scatico—Adam Holzer (1970s-80s). Jeff was Adam’s Division Leader for his first summer in 1979....
As a camper and film counselor, Noah Levine (2009-19) left his mark on many a Scatico horror movie as an actor, writer, and director. In May, he will graduate with a film degree from the University of Texas. As a 12-year-old he launched his own YouTube Channel, Zomboy Productionz, to host his many works. If you’re ready to binge on a range of scary films (many set in Elizaville and starring Scatico campers and staff)....
Scatico at SCOPE
Andrew Tannenbaum (1980s-90s and a Scatico parent) is a board member of SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education), a non-profit that provides camp opportunities to all children, regardless of socioeconomic background. A Scatico table erupted into cheers when a current camp family (not present at the event) won the fundraising raffle for a free tuition this summer....
Rachel Waxenberg (2008-19) makes custom greenery wall art, and naturally had some Scatico customers. Here’s a photo of a CS logo she made for 2022 Sub Leah Moscou.
Thanks for staying in touch. E-mail news and photos for the Fall 2022 issue of the Alumni Newsletter to info@scatico.com.
In Memoriam
Steve Atkins passed away on January 22, 2022, at the age of 97. He and his wife Alice were married for 66 years. Steve was a camper in the 1930s-40s and the father of Jack, Dick, Chick, and Bobby who attended camp in the 1950s-70s. Steve had a long career as a real-estate developer in New Jersey and as a racehorse owner. A veteran of World War II (he enlisted on his 18th birthday), he participated in the D-Day invasion, landing after being rescued from the only troop ship sunk. He later helped liberate the concentration camp at Nordhausen, Germany. Sixty years later he received a Bronze Star and Congressional Gold Eagle for his service.
Steve Atkins with his All-Around Camper Award in 1941. Within 2 years of this picture being taken, he would be enlisted and serving overseas in Europe.
The trophy was found 60-plus years later in the basement of the Admin Building and reunited with Steve.
Randy Seiler Margulis passed away on January 2, 2022, at the age of 65. Randy was a camper in the 1960s-70s. Randy graduated from Brown University and received an MBA from Harvard University before beginning a career in finance at CBS television.
Ira Harris passed away on February 21, 2022, at the age of 83. He attended Scatico in the 1950s. A longtime executive at Salomon Brothers in its Chicago office, he was named the city’s “best known dealmaker” by Crain’s Chicago Business in 1989. An alumnus of the University of Michigan, the football team’s locker room bears his name and that of his wife, Nicki. His obituary in Crain’s said that he paid for his education, “by working as a sports stringer for the New York Post, organizing a student laundry service, and working behind the counter of an ice cream parlor for $1.25 an hour and all he could eat.”
Dan Berkowitz passed away on December 5, 2021, at the age of 81. He and his wife Judy were married for 58 years. Dan was a camp doctor in the 1980s-90s and the father of campers David, Dana, and Adam. Dan was born in Siberia in 1940 after his parents fled Poland in September 1939 following the outbreak of World War II. His family moved to Egg Harbor, NJ, in 1951—and English became his 6th language. He served in the U.S. Air Force in Europe as a Flight Surgeon and Chief Flight Medical Officer before joining Montiefiore Medical Center in 1971 as a resident in internal medicine. His career there spanned 5 decades.
Jill (right) at camp in the 1970s.
Jill Smiley Needleman passed away on October 5, 2021, at the age of 59. Jill was a camper and counselor in the 1970s-80s along with her siblings Michael and Lynne. Her sons Ethan and Josh were campers in the 2000s. Jill was an avid tennis player as a camper and counselor (and in later years)—a passion that turned towards pickleball in the 2010s.
Elaine Altschuler Sacks on October 3, 2021, at the age of 95. Elaine was a camper in the 1930s- 40s. She and her husband Norman were married for 48 years. A graduate of Brooklyn College, career stops included working as a dress buyer in New York’s garment district in the 1950s and as a real estate agent. In the 1990s-2000s, she served as a docent at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve in California.
Oldest photo of Camp Property?
Marc Stiefel (a camper, counselor, division leader and camp doctor from the 1980s to the present) found this 1907 postcard on eBay. Not certain if a purchase was made!
Letter from the 100th Reunion Committee
To the Scatico Family,
A centennial is a remarkable milestone. One that inspires reflection and demands commemoration. After 3+ years of meeting, and planning, and (post 2020) zooming... we cannot wait to finally celebrate Scatico’s 100th with all of you.
In 1921, the first year of Scatico’s existence, Charlie Chaplin was starring in silent movies, the world saw its first-ever international women’s sporting event (the Women’s Olympiad), FDR was diagnosed with polio, Coco Chanel launched Chanel No. 5...
With each passing decade, the world has evolved and so has camp. And yet, we marvel how some universal camp truths never change and continue to connect all Scaticonians from across generations: the freedom of playing outdoors and away from technological devices (whatever they might be); the intense bonding and personal growth of living communally in a bunk; the excitement and awe of a camp “first” whether it’s sitting around a campfire circle, the thwack of a home run, or ecstatic cheers of a Color War break.
The members of the 100th Committee represent over 400 Scatico summers, from Dennis Rinzler who started in 1950 and who had (among his many camp distinctions) the honor of playing the first Curly in the first Scatico production of Oklahoma (there would be at least three more), to our most recent Scaticonian, Mark Gretenstein, who started camp as a staff member in 2018. Despite the intervening seven decades, Dennis and Mark speak the same Scatico language.
When this committee held its first meeting in 2019, in a windowless New York City basement, we did not know what the next year would bring. We excitedly concocted plans for an epic 100th celebration, complete with mass softball on the ballfields, singing at the campfire site, chocolate milk and Sun Cups... Amid the shouts and interruptions of new ideas, it was Joan Croland (Kohlreiter in her camper years) whose message rang the truest... At the end of the day, this event is about people gathering and the simple joy of being all together, at camp.
After 2+ years of a pandemic, the magnitude of gathering takes on an extra weight. Of course, this September will most certainly bring lots of Scatico activities and nostalgia (think full-camp BBQ, general swim, a slideshow...) but most importantly, it will bring the magic of gathering with our camp family in the 12523, which we all have so acutely craved. We cannot wait to connect with old bunkmates, former division leaders, past co-counselors, and everyone in between. Looking forward to celebrating with all of you...
Green and Grey Forever,
The 100th Committee
Joan Haskell Berlly (1950-1960)
Joan Kohlreiter Croland (1945-1955)
Barabra Lehman Sheldon (1949-1959)
Mike Bush (1963-1970, 1993-2006)
Dori Popkin Chait (1988-1994)
Elisa Segal Madorsky (1976-1986)
David Fleischner (1964-2022+)
Ally Lipton (1983-1993, 2014-2022+)
Shira Savada (1991-2019)
Nicki Fleischner (1997-2022+)
Audrey Fleischner (2000-2022+)
Cory Schwartz (1988-1996, 1999-2002, 2011-2022+)
Dennis Rinzler (1950-1961)
Andy Levine (1967-1973, 1975-1978)
Laura Danford Mandel (1975-1984)
Mike “Maz” Madorsky (1978-1988)
Diana Wallerstein (1987-2022+)
John Hickey (1982-2022+)
Scott Kaufman (1995-2006)
Brian Helfman (1997-2009, 2017-2021)
Sammy Wolfin (2000-2014, 2017-18)
Mark Gretenstein (2018-2022+)
Kerri Berkman Winderman (1981-1997, 2013-2022+)
Reunions
Congratulations
The Next Generation
(for the best deal ever... send in a birth announcement and receive a Scatico onesie and bib!)
Cassie, Ivy and Michael
Dylan Olivia on February 7, 2022, to Michael and Rachel Sackman Rothman. Rachel and her sister Hillary attend camp in the 1990s-2000s.
Eli Theodore on February 25, 2022, to Sarah Schinasi and Zach Polen. Zach and his siblings Bennett, Natalie, and Jocelyn were campers and counselors in the 1990s-2000s. Their dad Rusty attended camp with his sisters Signe and Tara in the 1960s-70s.
Miles on January 26, 2022, to John and Maggie Cohen Landers. Maggie and her sister Lizzie were campers and counselors in the 1990s-2010s. Their dad Frank and his brother Jack attended camp in the 1960s-70s.
Ivy Harper on September 14, 2021 to Michael and Cassie Bukantz. Michael and his sister Stephanie were campers and counselors in the 1990s-2010s. Their parents Jeff and Carol (1970s-80s) and grandfather Dan (1930s-40s) all were Scatico staff members.
Estela Rose on February 28, 2021 to Ramon and Rachel Hayon Trinidad. Rachel and her brothers Ben and Sol attended camp in the 1990s-2010s.
Just Married...
Danny “the Hummer” Bornstein and Karen Kazanchy on October 3, 2021. Danny was a camper in the 1970s.
Ben Hayon and Danielle Alfano on October 2, 2022. The wedding was officiated by Ellen Hayon (spouse of twin brother Sol).
Rachel Modica and Justin Sachs on June 19, 2021. “Modi” and her sisters Barrie and Julia were campers, counselors, and division leaders in the 2000s-2010s. Joining in the celebration were fellow 2005 Soopers Natalie Polen, Joey Smilgiewicz, and Katie Berman.
Paul Seebacher and Mei Mey on February 12, 2022 at the Na ‘Aina Kai Botanical Gardens and Sculpture Park in Kauai, Hawaii. Paul and his sisters Lauren and Rachel were campers and counselors in the 1990s-2000s. Their dad Bob’s camp career spanned 5 decades (1960s-2000s) as a camper, counselor, and camp doctor.
Ben Wolfin and and Molly Polizotto on October 23, 2021. More than 30 Scaticonians were on hand to celebrate, including Ben’s siblings Jake and Sammy, cousins Lulu and Danny Rubin, mom Sue Rubin Wolfin, uncle Rob Rubin, and grandfather Dick Rubin.
Ben and Molly’s Wedding
Paul and Mei
Ben and Ellen
Natalie, Rachel, Joey, and Katie
There’s History In Those Walls....
Scatico moved from Wingdale, NY, to Elizaville in 1934. Another camp owned the property through the 1920s and it was farmland and an orchard from at least the early 1800s until then.
A map now hanging at camp of the Elizaville area from 1873 (a gift of alumnus Bob Seebacher—1960s-2000s) shows the Admin (main house). It’s been difficult to pin down the dates of construction for other buildings which predate the property’s use as a summer camp to when it was a working farm, but the general consensus assumed that those buildings were just the maintenance shed and the front part of the canteen.
The Longhouse has always been one of the stranger camp buildings. During the 1930s-50s, it’s 20 bedrooms and two shared bathrooms provided weekend housing (at a fee) to Scatico parents. But was it built for that purpose? During a current renovation which required removing panels in several rooms, we discovered directions for the installation of SHEETROCK dated from 1921 glued to a hidden wall. (Who knew the original United States Gypsum Company patent was from 1912?) Is it possible that the Longhouse was not built for a camp purpose, but to house seasonal farm workers? Or maybe they just used 15-year old sheetrock when the Longhouse was built in the 1930s?
Calling All Photos
We are looking for classic (and even not-so-classic) photos to print in future issues of the Alumni Newsletter. Send by e-mail as an attachment to info@scatico.com or by mail to: Camp Scatico, PO Box 6, Elizaville, NY 12523.
