WHEN BETHPAGE TEENAGERS WERE DALERS TOO

At the 2014 Farmingdale Village Pops Concert "Minute of History" Ann Donhauser Albertson gave the following presentation.

I was born and raised in Farmingdale: I attended Main Street School from Kindergarten - 11th grade; I spent my senior year, and graduated from Weldon E. Howitt High School on Van Cott Avenue class of 1954.

When I had moved on from junior high to high school my world opened up as I was introduced to students from the surrounding communities that did not have a high school. Yes, in the 1950's some of the surrounding rural school districts the students still attended a one room school house. Levittown was developing and providing homes for families, however, schools were in their future plan. The Bethpage School District provided an education for their students from kindergarten to 8th grade.

Gary Hammond acknowledged that on February 24, 1921, the New York State Board of Regents approved the application of the Farmingdale Union School for advancement from middle to high school grade. This gave Central Park students the opportunity to attend Farmingdale High School where a tuition was paid. Central Park was the name of the community before the name was changed to Bethpage in 1936.

The students coming from Bethpage were a very tightknit group of kids who have been together for the past nine years. Now they were venturing out by taking the school bus to another school full of strangers who would be a part of their life for the next four years and some forever.

Friendships began in homeroom as the classes were arranged alphabetically so in a little time we met the new arrivals, became friends, and we began to share ideas and experiences. We studied together, and participated in school activities, even if being part of a school team or other after school activity meant you might have to walk home to Bethpage. The district provided bus transportation to and from school, but if you stayed later it was your responsibility to get home. You made the sacrifice because you wanted to be a Daler!

Out of this commitment to become a Daler, lasting friendships were formed - Audrey Benkert Tallman, from Bethpage, graduated from FHS class of 1948, and she continues to have lunch, on a regular basis, with her Farmingdale High School friends. Not only lasting friendships were set in place, but there were marriages too. I married my Bethpage sweetheart, moved to Bethpage, my children graduated from Bethpage High School; then my son and daughter-in-law both Bethpage graduates, settled in Farmingdale, and now my grandchildren - Stephen and Meghan - graduated from FHS as proud Dalers too!!

The last class from Bethpage to graduate from Farmingdale was the class of 1955.