NPBVillage Historian Interviews40�
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North Palm Reach Village Historian
(561) 841-3371
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Generic Interview Questions
Anyone who was or is a full-time or part-time resident of North Palm Beach is welcome
to answer these interview questions and return any response to the Historian for the
Village of North Palm Beach. Please direct any inquiries or responses to the Historian.
Contact information is listed above. If you require more space, feel free to write on the
backs of these pages.
Your name and contact irIfOrinatiOn'
Pamela (Thomas) Wagner
2076 John Wayne Dr-
Kingman, A y86409
928-377-3090
Paspawl (t4-mail. coat
May the Village Historian contact you regarding your answers to this questionnaire?
yes-
How long have you or did you reside in North Palm Beach, and in what year(s)?
We moved in in 1957, the 5? %r to reside there. We moved ai4yqv in 1964. Atv dad,
Walter Yhom as, was the first mayor- We lived first on Flotilla, then on the corner
OcotillolAnchorage.
Did you grow up in North Palm Beach?
For most qf ►nty elementary school years, [grew up there. If"e left qfter I completed
grade-
If so, what school(s) did you attend?
Alorth Palm Peach Elemenlarr & -hool (I believe that is what it is - calle4}
What do you recall about the area? (Include what it looked like, different businesses or
parks, what it was like compared to now, etc. I-eel fret to be as brief or as in-depth as
you wish, Detail is encouraged)
AIPB was a brand new commun itv so there svere a lot of vacani lots and wide-open spaces
ropiqvin. The park was ahsohitel,v a child's dream -- -there were m-o zip lines, a
trampoline, and even a low ivire to try and walk across- We spent hours there. There was
a canal across front our house rand we mvedto ga fishing fear blomfish there. Iremember
riding my bike to the coun iry club, where I learned how to swim and .spent hours
exploring. The roads seemed much ividerjust sqving! We -wouldgo to Riveria to shop-
Aty grandmother alwL�ys treated me to a princess ice cream at Burdine s. Mv
grand/iiiher owned an ice cream shop at Jupiter.
Do you remember any extensive. development or improvement that occurred when you
were living in North Palm Beach? If so, please tell us about it. (Example- The
construction of the library on Anchorage Drive.)
I believe the elementary school VVas brand new when I attended . and of course., hosts as
were sprouting like weeds throughout iiay childhood,
Were you present for any Village Anniversary celebrations, such as when the tirne
capsule was buried in front of the North Palm Beach Library? What do you remember
about that?
No.
Any other details you could provide would he much appreciated. Please feel free to add
any other memories that you have of North Palm Beach, even funny stories, things that
happened while you were living here, etc.
Even though we have call lived in marry places. all of my brothers and I consider NIJIi to
be home. X� y middle brother said that once he and his.Mends tipped the zipline plaffiorm
oiler, q-course, he also told me there were alligators at that park. Am I to believe ,him?
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Mv oldest brother r,,mem bers taking qff on his bike early in the morning to go to fishing
in the ocean all dqy with a friend- And those mosquito trucks ... ivhalfun riding our bikes
behind them and mooching qumquats.from neighbor's trees alonjiZ the wqy. It's a wonder
we all survived!
Oh, and I remember little league games. Eve•vane in the neighborhood went to those
games, it seemed. Qj-course, as a girl, I couldn 'I plqy- One grime I wa-; wandering out at
the edge qj'afield and the hall came rolling my -way. Sul dad w�liat anyone iiotilddo.,.I
picked it up. I realized-from the crowd's reaction that Ishouldn't have done that .. and
was so moriifiedf hid in my-parents car pr the rest qfthe game.
Halloween was fain. [just seem to remember everyone was sofriend& and the whole
village came our. One _year the house around the corner, rom us was all dark-. We rang
the doorbell and a huge, hairy arm came out and grabbed a yftiend and me into the
hozae- This gorilla started banging on our bags—he was trying to get us to open them to
put candy in, we were so terrified I think we lost more candy than he gave us! Aty
parents were in stitches when we came running out.
Fourth ofJutv Kas spectacular, too- Thefire-works were so vouch fun at the country
club!
MY sweetest memory was going house to house to campaign for m yfalher. I was so
proud to be the mayors daughter!
Any information you provide will be added to the archives; for future reference. Every
little detail counts! It is important that we preserve these stories and memories for future
generations-,.
As my husband and I consider our retirement opliorzs', NPB certainty tags at my heart, It
is slid agreatplaceto litre . Thanksfor the opportunity to walk down mmo?y lane_
Thank you.
Pairn Wagner
North Palm Beach Village Historian
(561) 841 -3371
author.rosa.sophia@gmail.com
Email Interview with Ray Fberling
June 21, 2011
What year(s) did you live in North Palm Beach?
I lived there briefly as a snowbird in the winter of 1959 in a "tourist court" ol'wooden
cottages. It was next to what was then the White Sails Trailer Court next door, The
location was on Route I across #corn the monastery, which was brand new at the time. I
believe it was considered unincorporated Junes at the tune.
1 didn't actually live in the Village again until calendar year 1971, when 1 lived in an
apartment complex at (I believe) 324 Southwind Drive just off North Lake Boulevard. 1
was just out of college and was a substitute teacher trying to break -in fill time as a
teacher in the county school system. I WOLId up working as a math teacher at Howell
Watkins Jr. High for the remainder ol'the School year and that Call ww, substituting again.
For the record, were you a part -titre or full -time resident"!
Part-time in 1959 and full -time in 1971.
'What Specific area did you live in:'
Mentioned above.
Did you spend any time at the country club''
My funily were never members, but in 1971 1 was the announcer for the Palm Beach
Gardens High School swim team, which used to hold their matches there. 1 used the pool
a couple of tinnes as a guecA_
What do rernernber about the country club?
The buildings look very roach the same, although the old mansion is long gone. "What 1
do remember is if you were a resident of North Palm Beach it was very inexpensive to be
a member. Th ere 16re many o I'm y North Palm Beach friends' families from high school
years were member -,. These were not wealthy people fir the most part, but solidly middle
class, many of whom had parents who worked at Pratt & Whitney and RCA.
What recreation(s) did you (or your family) take part in?
The surfing craze hit the area in the early -mid 60s, and although T eventually owned a
board, I was never any good, really. BLLt Many Of'My friends were, and when (here was
only one (white) high school between downtown West Palm Beach and Jupiter we at
Riviera B each High School used the Riviera. Public beach northward as "our'" beach. In
September 1965 Hurricane Betsy shipwrecked the freighter Amaryllis on the beach on
Singer Island, and the few years it was there it became a popular surfing spot.
I had several friends whose parents had water ski boats and we used to water ski a lot
along the intracoastal liom the N7PB Country Club all the way up to Jupiter.
What are scam e of your favorite memories of living in North Palm, Beach?
Since I only lived in North Palm Beach bnictly, the real question here. for someone my
age was, "What was it like to grow Lip in the area back then"' Riviera Beach High School
(which was merged with the all-black John F Kennedy High School under court order in
1970), had aschool district that ran from the West Palm Beach-ILiviera Beach line and
all the way up to Jupiter. Much of Juno was unincorporated. Palm Beach Gardens was
very young and just getting started, with Palm Beach Gardens high School not opening
until 1968 -69. Therefore, high school friendships were across town lines and socio-
economically, I inight add. Riviera Beach Conchs (descendants of the Bahamian
fisherman who came over in the We 1'9'r' -early 20L4 century) were friends with affluent
kids ftom Palm Beach Shores, Singer Island, and North Palm Beach. We were aware of.,
yet indifferent to, our respective families' wealth or lack thereof. This extended to all
areas except race at the time. The "Freedom of Choice" method of integration was being
used at the time, meaning there were only a couple of black kids in each class, and real
ftiendships between black and while kids did no( occur until later.
I have very fond memories of Riviera Beach High School in the years I attended, 1963-
l966. With only one high school, it brought all these communities close together,
especially with our sports and music programs. Like I said, the Riviera Public Beach was
"our" beach, and on weekends I be( hall the school was there. We also went to Juno
Beach, which was almost totally undeveloped at the time and AIA was a one - laved,
failing-apart road from the 1920s. If we want to "parV' as teenagers were known to do,
we might to it at "Air Force Beach" whicli is now John D. Mac Arthur State Park,
The school had excellent basketball and music programs, both of which resulted in a lot
of community coliesion among the towns.
What schools did you attend in this area?
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St. Francis of Assisi in Riviera Beach as a Kindergarten snowbird, 1953 -54 (Florida had
no public Kindergartens until the 'late 60s, l believe, and my parents didn't want me to
miss out, since we would be returning to my New York school in the spring).
Riviera Beach Elementary I" grade as a snowbird, 1954 -55.
North Palm. Beach Elementary mentary 5 "' ,grade, winter 1959-
Connislon Jr. High, West Palm Beach, snowbird, reinter 1962.
Riviera Beach High School, 1963 -66 (graduated)
Palm Beach Junior College, 1966 -68 (A,A.)
What were your experiences s ther+e"?
As previously mentioned: North Palm Beach Elementary was in its first or second year,
and any houses or buildings around it made it look like it was on the surface of the TtImm,
since there was no mature vegetation yet.
Riviera Beach High School: I remember it as a three -pear beach party,: good tunes, good
liiends. There were some incredibly good teachers, and a lot more interaction between
teachers, students, and their families, then you would see now, I believe. (Case, in point: in
2009 a classmate of mine passed away, and our choir teacher a ne down from Pensacola
for the memorial service). It was a very friendly .whool in my estimation, and any three
years there are among the most favorite of my life.
There were only ten graduating classes for RBHS, 1961 -1970. Before 1961, all white
high school kids from central '4'w'e.st Palm Beach to Jupiter went to Palm Beach High (now
Dryfoos School of the Arts), and the black kids in that same area all ~went tick R(K)sevelt
High School in WPB, As the graduates of RBHS get older, we have an all class reunion
known as the IIornet Buzz every three years, with the next one corning up in 2012. We
have had upward of 1000 attend these: in the past, and we still have teachers attending.
As diar Palm Beach Junior College ge (now Palm Beach State: College), there: was only one
campus at the time, and that is the one in Lake Worth. There were only a few thousand
students, and while 1 was initially disappointed that 1 couldn't go off to a "real" university
in rely freshman year due to my parents' limited resources and having two sons in college
at the same time (my brother r wvas, a year ahead ofine), in retrospect 1 would not have
traded my experience there 6)r a Harvard education for a couple of reasons..
First, a professor there Who was already a legend when 1 got there and who stayed until
his death in the 80s, Watson B. Duncan ill. The name is familiar to many now since the
performing, arts center at the Lake Worth PBSC campus is named after hire, and he is
known for petting, Burt Reynolds started in his acting career. i was fortunate enough to
have had him for two courses, both in British literature. tie remains an icon to all who
knew him. Duncan was teaching when the Palos Beach Junior College campus was
IoQated at the Lake Park Town Hall in the mi.d- ]950s. When the college named the
performing arts center after him in the early 1990s, they commissioned my brother to
produce a video about his lino, which in turn was shown at the gala dedication. i will see
if i can find a good copy of that fir you, since my 'VHS copy has deteriorated over time.
Second, in my second year at PBJC, I was hired to be a "gofer" in the news department of
Channel 12, which was then located just down the strut from PBJC on Congress
Avenue. Jahn D. Mac Arthur owned it at the time, and the news anchor at time mentored
me. By the end of the year l was %ATiting much cat" the news copy and as a 19 year old was
doing "man -c n- the - street" interviews. I met an incredible number of fatuous people that
year who were guests of the show, and I gnat to go to the 1968 Republican Convention in
Miami Beach.
What do you recall about what things were like: in this area at the time? (What did it look
like, what was there, what wasn't, etc. Feel free to ramble!)
1 am ;going to have to answer this over time: There is too much.
What was Lake Park like at the time? Do you feel that it was a more prosperous town
than it is now? What was it like compared to North Palm Beach at the time?
Lake Park was solidly middle- class, although since North Palm Reach was pretty much
marketed to the Pratt &Whitney families coming down from Hartford, Ul', it was a little
more upscale. Lake Park was a mix of blue collar- entry - level white collar, while North
Palm Beach wa_s more white collar. Lake Park has such a longer history, with the Kelsey
City Wong -and -bust and the ghost town gears, which lasted until the mid-late Mac.
Arthur and others brought it back to life, but overall the homes were more modest than
those, going up in NPB.
Did your parents work at Pratt & Whitney? Did you know anyone else who worked
there'?
Both of my parents worked for a year or two there, my father as an accountant, my
mother as a secretary. Both curl not like it. Being a government contractor, it was very
structured. They did neat dame drawn with the l lartford people, but rather knew they
wanted to live in the area and looked for jobs after they got there. 1 had many, many
friends whose fathers (and occasionally rnothers) worked there, :some of whom came
down with the Hartford move. I also have a high school friend who I can contact who
worked there; right out ofhigh school —and except fear some rx)llege and military
service— worked there for thirty years, and would know a lint of the corporate history, I
will contact him.
Did you know anyone who served on any volunteer boards?
4.
Not ofl'the tap of'rny head_ You rile,,, want to contact Dr, Fd Fissey, who ww; NIPB
mayor for a While aver retiring as President of PBJC "- PHC'C. Previously Ile had been
principal of both 'flow•ell L. Watkins Jr. llig1�
and 1'ahn Beach [gardens 11.5, lie also w et�t
to PRJ C when it was located itr the Lake Parr Town Hall in the l9i0s. I don't know that
he would remember me from Adatn, but my brother knows him fairy well, Having tauglit
at l'BGIIS and bumping in to cacti other over the years.
Do you remember any extensive development or improvement that occurred when you
were living, in Forth Palm Beach? If so, please tell us about it. (Example: The
construction of the li- brary.
Not offthe top of'my head, althoupb North Lake Boulevard really started bUilding up in
the late fps- early 70s.
Were you present for any Village .Anniversary celebrations, such as when the time
capsule was buried in front of the North Palm Beach Library? What do you remember
about any Village CelebrationO
No.
Any other details you could provide W0111d be much appreciated. Please feel free to add
any other memories that you have of North Palm Beach, evm funny stories, things that
happened while you were living here, etc;,
Too many to mention, but I'll be thinki tip, of them.
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