Paul Dennis Sporer / Documents & Photographs 3

Paul Dennis Sporer / Background / A wide range of carefully selected biographical information, assembled from various authentic sources, for researchers and genealogists

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	DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOS - PAGE 3
	This is the rather elaborate and colourful card I received from my uncle Ivo for my first communion in the Roman Catholic Church, at age 7. From the time I was in Catholic School, I have had a fascination for Roman Catholic rituals. They held a certain mysticism for me, one way for humans to transcend the division between the physical and the metaphysical.

	I am pictured here, age 7, with my brother, with a great old radio my father had gotten years earlier. It was a well-made German model with good sound and reception, that also had shortwave capabilities. A few years after this, I strung a wire out to our backyard, and was able to receive transmissions VHF from as far away as Detroit, and shortwave even further than that.

	We often would visit a beach called Sunken Meadow, in northern Long Island, which is on a bay, part of the stretch of beaches on Long Island. Even at that time, it was full of people. I am seen here with my brother, shielded by an umbrella from the hot summer sun. We would spend many weekends at this beach, which was about 20 miles from our house in Queens.

	Nature and wildlife have been enduring interests of mine. Growing up in a large city, I did not have many chances to explore the natural domain. We would often go to farms and zoos, where I would try to learn about the different facets of nature. Here, I am seen tentatively petting a small docile deer, probably at the Bronx Zoo. It was taken during a very hot day in the summer.

	In contrast to the stifling summers in New York, the winters could be difficult as well. This was taken outside the apartment house we had recently moved into, just after a snowstorm. Although this was a major street, there was at that time less traffic in the city, so many streets were generally safe to play on. As a 'city kid', I didn't have much choice, since playgrounds were few.

	My report card from Ascension Catholic School for 2nd grade, age 7. One can note that the school was actually part of the Diocese of Brooklyn, although it was located in Queens. We were graded every quarter. I was an attentive student, but found certain areas a little difficult. Religion, English, Reading Writing, Spelling, Arithmetic were the basic courses, rounded out by Art and Music. As one can see I received high marks for all my courses, doing somewhat better in spelling, religion and writing.

	As I continued in school, I did very well in spelling, English, Religion, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History. I was so good in spelling, that one year I was entered in a spelling contest, only to fail on the first word they gave me! I also received good grades for conduct, work habits, neatness, effort. Getting along with others was only slight more difficult. This is my 4th grade report card, from Ascension Catholic school, age 9, where I received four gold stars.

	This is a rare picture, showing my parents, brother, aunts and uncle, with myself and my friends from the neighbourhood. It was at my 10th birthday party, in our house in Jackson Heights. The boy in the foreground is Vito, who was my age. His brother, Dominic, to my left, was older. I realise that in my earlier birthdays, when I lived in an apartment house, I had more friends, and quite of number of girls as friends too. Living in this house my array of pals was more limited, although the overall environment more conducive.

	In my middle school years, I was receiving a fair number of honour certificates. This one I received whilst in primary school, when I was nearly 10. I received it because I achieved a 91 average overall. The name of the teacher is at the bottom, because she is the one who awarded it to the student. I remember Miss Hadzick as a nice lady, who had a good rapport with the children.

	This is my fifth grade class picture. Every year when I was in public school they took class pictures. The American flag hung behind us, for reasons I am not sure, except that there needed to be a backdrop of some kind to cover up the drab wall at the gymnasium, and our school evidently did not have its own pennant. Patriotism was not particularly forced upon us, but it did crop up at official events.

	This snowy scene was taken after our move to Jackson Heights. It was during the year, after a storm that left about 2 feet of snow in its wake, the streets were not plowed because of a labour dispute between the sanitation workers and the city government. Our street lay unplowed for several days, and all activity came to a halt.