Riviera Beach High School

RE: A local musical legend....gone too soon

2025-10-04T07:46:58-04:00

this is my reply on FB...not sure if you'd see it...so i copied and pasted...thanks again mike..!!

RE: A local musical legend....gone too soon

2025-10-03T20:34:19-04:00

Joey D....What a beautiful, heartfelt tribute!!! I'm glad you knew him through all those years! I wish that I had known the man...someday!!!

A local musical legend....gone too soon

2021-06-14T05:43:33-04:00

I'm sure a lot of us remember the days of the R.O.T.C. in the mirror ballroom Lake Park city hall. Then the Music Casters opened in the Bazaar Plaza in Riviera Beach. For the most part, they began with records...and a smattering of bands. I was fortunate enough to be a member of THE VILLAGERS. We were pretty much the house band. As other bands were added, Music Casters grew in popularity.

As a member of some of these bands, Art Groom began to make his name. He was a member of THE AZTECS...( Richie Mirabillio, Dennis Mulvihill and Larry Weir) <who morphed into THE SAXONS> later becoming the MONOPOLY. Art eventually joined up with Hughey Burns, playing in most of the local hot spots....KANDY BAR CHANCES R THE BEACH CLUB....to name but a few. His travels took him to Miami, which led to him hitting the road.

He eventually landed in Las Vegas about 1975. This is where he remained until his untimely passing June 12, 2021. During his time out west, he was a widely sought after musician, both in the studio and live performances. He had his own band, THE LAST BAND for many years. Oh the times i had during my yearly visits.He eventually started playing with the MOANIN' BLACKSNAKES. A GREAT band, with great musicians. I was fortunate enough to have been there for their 20th anniversary party. And what a party it was...!!! Art, long with Scott E. Rhiner were individually inducted into the LAS VEGAS BLUES SOCIETY HALL OF FAME The MOANIN' BLACKSNAKES were also inducted as a band. Twice, they were also voted BEST BLUES BAND IN VEGAS.

I was thankful to have been in his life for close to 60 years. I could easily write a book of our escapades. He was by far, the KINDEST, most GENTLE soul I ever know. And will be greatly missed by all that knew him. Thank you ART, for everything. Until we meet again.....love you brother......

Larry Ryan (sp?)

2020-11-11T10:52:57-04:00

My dad was a teacher ans jv basketball coach at RBHS and Suncoast in the late 60s. I was about eight years old at the time and would hang out at practices and go to games. He had a student manager named Larry Ryan or Rhine. I only remember the name phonetically. He was deaf and had a twin brother whom I didn't know. I was hoping to connect on Facebook or maybe email. Anybody know whatever happned to Larry? I guess he would've been class of '70 or there abouts.

RE: November 22, 1963

2019-03-17T18:03:21-04:00

It's funny how different people are. I have no idea about the football game. I only remember walking down the hallway when it was announced that President Kennedy had been assassinated. I stopped dead in my tracks. At first I just stood there in disbelief. Then I cried. And cried. And cried. I don't remember the rest of the day at school. I remember watching the news that night and crying again as they showed the shooting. I remember how surprised I was that the newscasters, who normally report bad news in a very controlled, unemotional voice, had tears in their eyes, and their voices choked when they had to report this devastating news. I wonder how other classmates remember that day.

November 22, 1963

2018-11-13T18:41:50-04:00

Anyone out there remember if the football game was canceled the evening JFK was assassinated, e.g., November 22, 1963? My '64 Sandpiper is in storage and I can't remember. I have a vague memory that the School Board or Suncoast Conference people wanted the games to go on, but I can't remember. I seem to remember we played Jupiter that night, but that may have been the day before or day after. Thanks.

RE: Tuck Rossmiller '64

2017-01-17T18:55:23-04:00

Brenda Joy Stiles Pelfrey wrote:

I think Tuck died of a brain tumor. Can anybody verify that? What a great guy.

Brenda Stiles Pelfrey '65

To the person that asked me about Tuck please send me another note. I lost yours

pelikintwo@yahoo.com

RE: A sad note....

2016-01-11T12:18:59-04:00

I remember Coach Hovis.

He was a rudy complected (red faced) guy. I remember going out for football with Maxie Bradford, Lucky Meeks, Clark Cedervall (RIP), Mike Brothers, Greg Gaines, Joey Campbell and Roy Crocker (RIP). I also think that Bruce Belevance went out.. but I think that he nearly blew his leg off with a shotgun and couldn't partcipatel. I remember when Roy Crocker broke his collar bone.. it was pretty nasty. I think he had a sister too.. I also remember you Joe had a fight with Randy Cross lol... you jumped around like a "kangaroo"... lol.. I also remember when Mike Brothers tried doing a back flip off the 2nd story at HLW lol.. he busted his head up pretty good lol.. And one day we were getting out of phys-ed and i guess me and Maxie were shoving our way and he didn't like it and he turned around and swung on me.. and I jumped up and popped him one right on the back of his head... he left me alone after that..lol... All this happened at HLW.

ps I think he dated Beth Johnson (RIP) I really liked her once I got to know her at RBHS.

A sad note....

2016-01-02T02:49:56-04:00

I saw in the Palm Beach Post obits that Coach Hovis passed. Many of us remember him from both RBHS and Watkins Jr High. Thoughts and prayers for his family. He was a good and decent man. R.I.P. Coach....

RE: Mechanical Engineering Questions

2015-06-03T09:48:55-04:00

Is the glass half empty or half full?

The glass is too big.

Mechanical Engineering Questions

2015-05-31T12:13:11-04:00

Is there anyone out there a retired mechanical engineering? I build parts for recumbent bikes and occassionally need a simple engineering question answered.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Bill

Lake Park Dances, Music Casters, The Amaryllis

2015-04-28T15:53:25-04:00

In reply to Sarah asking about the hotel in front of the Amaryllis: The Rutledge Hotel / Motel. only 2 floors.

Trying to find Nancy Yaeger

2015-01-20T15:33:22-04:00

It saddens me that no one has contributed any information about Nancy. She was such a wonderful person; didn’t she have any contact with RBHS alumni? I hope someone will read this and offer their knowledge of her life and perhaps the circumstances of her death.

J.C. HARRIS MEN'S STORE CLOSING

2014-12-03T23:28:48-04:00

Cy's yes.. Florida Theater yes... All a long time gone... The new generation under 30 probably wouldn't know what we were talking about... The Florida was on the corner of Clematis, I think... Had some great movie nights there... 2001 a space odyssey in 1968. And THX 138 in 1971 among others thru the earlier years... Even the old Municpal Library, I loved, is gone... In fact, all of downtown WPB and surrounding streets have changed.. There's now a "City Place" and a hideous looking new Municipal Building which houses the local government... In a style of architecture known as Mediterranean Greek or something monstrous like that... During the 2000 Florida election fiasco with Butterfly Ballots and hanging Chads I read what others thought of WPB.

BTW, I was scrolling thru the PBJC archives on the Internet Archives last year, looking for some art work I did for The old Beachcomber in the early 70s, and there was an article about the Fall 1974 elections... I was still out there finishing up my overdue AA degree and guess who was running the student elections? Patty LaPorte, the same Supervisor of Elections for PB County responsible for the 2000 Election Butterfly Ballot, which one can argie cost Al Gore the state and thus the election, and us, probably 2 costly wars, whose fallout is still raining down on us. She was "confident" the '74 PBJC elections would go smoothly... During the Recount a reporter from LA described downtown WPB has "LA on steroids".. Yes, that's what it was like alright. I havent seen the TV movie Recount yet, but I think Lapore is portrayed in it... Imagine that, getting someone to be you in a TV movie.. LaPorte did not reply to my Facebook Friend Request... Hmmm. But I read, she's still involved with politics... Lord help us..

RE: J.C. HARRIS MEN'S STORE CLOSING

2014-12-03T23:04:10-04:00

Hi Sarah! It's been a while... I often think of this little often overlooked forum, and you of course... You're looking beautiful as always... I have located Dave Rubinson on facebook... He's fine and happy with his lot. Lives in Ft Lauderdale area as always.. Told me on facebook his "youngest" daughter was getting married in early November... I think she's 20.. God his youngest. I haven't even seen the older one yet. Haven't seen Dave since the 10th reunion in 1988 out at the PGA... Don't recall if you were there. Maybe not. I reconnected with him on facebook one year ago... I'm on facebook as Rob Jordan... You'll find Dave there as well.

Burdine's was a real department store's department store.. They had a bigger one in Miami as I once heard or saw.. After we graduated in June '68, and isnt it nice to be with a group of people your so 100% comfy with, where you can admit it? I worked at Burdine's during their July-August inventory... Luckily for me it was in the record department... A 2 week summer job my dad found for me thru his connections... I think by then I had my Florida DL too, LOL.. Hard won in Mr Sauers Shop Class Drivers Ed class that spring of '68.. lol What fun that was hand counting LPs by new rock bands... The following summer of '69, I returned and did it again... I recall seeing new LPs by Johnny Winter and others I was getting into... In the back break and storage room was a cassette tape recorder with new Ampex cassette tapes which were the first time I had seen one.. The first cassette players came out around 1967 along with the cassette tapes. But 8 Tracks were still the main way to hear music on a tape... Until around the early-mid 70s.

I think Burdine's finally went under in the early-mid 70s due to the Palm Beach Mall completely stealing all of the old downtown shoppers. And downtown WPB also went downhill. I recall living down there in or near downhtown WPB in the early-mid 70s before my departure for New York in '75. I shared an apartment on North Olive, in the summer of '72 with a friend, a year younger, from PBJC (now Palm Beach State College)... Cant recall this buildings name (they had names) but it was 3 storeys and was white Spanish stucco. Northwood was just a few blocks south... But you could walk to downtown from there, maybe.. It was getting decrepid... There was an eiree deadness to it after dark.

There was also an upstairs nightclub, located on North (?) Dixie, around 1972, with rock acts from NYC and a general early 70s NYC rock club feel to it.. You had to walk up 2 flights to get to it.. No cover charge and a 2 drink minimum, as I think was the usual door policy. There were tables, a great jukebox playing Roling Stones hits and a back room with red lighting and plastic air chairs... Spacey. This kind of 70s look was revived in the late 1980s in London dance clubs during the Rave DJ scene period... House music, which originated in Washington DC as Go Go and as House in Detroit exported to London around 1988. But dowtown WPB suffered for many years... Right up to the 90s. High crime area and urban neglect.

I think after the 2000 Florida election farce, which put the spotlight on WPB, the elected City Council, with a mayor at the head... decided to do massive urban renewal... And by mid-late 2000s I would go on Google Earth and WPB was completely new... Almost beyond my or your recognition... Check it out on Google Earth Street View and be amazed. There's night life and, according to one website... With a tag, "walking around at night" night life with busy cafesm restaurants, and the usual bars... I am still dedicated to be in Europe, but often long for a nostalic trip home and "walk around" at night, and drop into a club or bar, order a beer and start a conversation with a young thing, (OK maybe in her 30s) and wait for the big question, from her longing eyes... You new around here in town? Nope. But, yep, but I come from thousands of miles away from her. Oh, where you from, then? You're standing on it.

Yeah, good old JC HARRIS... I remember it well. I bought my navy blue blazer there, some shirts and a tie, and my Bostonians, (the alternative to Bass Weejuns, oh yeah) in, hmmm for Christmas 1965, or 1966, and I'm wearing it in my (our) Class of '68 photo. BTW, I read online 2 years ago, the Palm Beach Mall was being mostly torn down and replaced with a new outdoor style plaza shopping thing... I guesss after 45 years it had become outdated, imagine that, they couldn't just "upgrade it". And what's tragic about it is, when it opened in 1967, it was one of the most modern malls in the country... Not the first, but the best and begun by the SF based DeBartello family who owned the SF 49ers.... And, in fact, I've read online, shopping malls all over America have been closing due to shopping websites and peoples changing buying habits with the new online generation... Nice bit of revenge for Burdine's, that big old furniture store nearby whose name escapes me, and JC HARRIS.

RE: J.C. HARRIS MEN'S STORE CLOSING

2014-01-11T12:38:22-04:00

Maybe Cy's Men's Shop. It was just down the street from JC Harris near the Florida Theatre.

Camilli's Pizza

2013-09-19T20:59:27-04:00

Played for Camilli's slow-pitch baseball team for 3 years in the '70s. We ate there after every game. Here's a pic with champonship trophy

Camilli's Pizza

2013-05-22T15:44:18-04:00

Two of the few things I miss about Palm Beach County was Camilli's Pizza and Deluca's Deli on US 1 by North Lake Blvd.

Got a Ken's Special every Friday nite. Sausage, green peppers and onions.

RE: J.C. HARRIS MEN'S STORE CLOSING

2013-05-11T00:51:44-04:00

Wow, end of an era: my first madras short and my first Weejuns. I bet a lot of people could say that. Did they rent prom tuxes there too? That rings a bell, although it may have been another shop on Clematis. Any help on that one?

Camilli's Pizza

2013-04-24T03:48:28-04:00

A sad note of sorts...I saw where there founder, Ken Camilli recently passed. I fondly remember going there with my parents and then my wife. Camilli's was a staple on Park Avenue, The pizza was always the same, cut into squares and served on thin crust. It was the best pizza around. The last time I was there was when Bob Baird <Animal> and I came down for the 2009 Buzz. <No, we didn't gross anyone out with eating the way we used when we "Tom Jonesed" our food like we did at Royal Castle...we're "adults" now...> The pizza tasted the same as it did 40 years prior. Ken was a kind and decent man who will be missed by all who were touched by his generous nature. The family still runs the place and it will remain a fixture for many years to come.