by Ron Johnston
While strolling a beach recently on the Gulf shore in Mississippi, Charlie Podgers leaned over to pick up a coin in the sand.
“I’m rich,” he said, smiling.
Laurie Snead, Charlie’s walking companion, laughed. “A penny for your thoughts,” she said.
They both then laughed themselves silly.
Laurie and Charlie are first cousins, who grew up in Monroe County. Laurie went to Churchville-Chili while Charlie attended Hilton High. Both were “October” babies, born in the same year.
Laurie now resides in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, and Charlie in Gulfport. Several days before, they’d decided to have a little “reunion” on this beautiful beach on the Gulf of Mexico.
Another thing Laurie and Charlie have in common is music. They love it – all kinds, especially rock and roll. In their youth, both were fortunate enough to go to well-publicized festivals at the time – but not together. Charlie went to Woodstock in ‘69, and Laurie, Watkins Glen in ‘73.
Perhaps not surprisingly, they talked about those two iconic, long ago musical events on the beach way down south.
Charlie actually has some good Woodstock stories to tell – but just not now. “I’m saving them for later, Laur,” he said, laughing.
As a spoiler alert, though, the longtime professional tugboat pilot retiree consented to reveal a few things to his cousin about the 1969 event on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York.
A longtime rock and roll fan, Charlie eagerly looked forward to going to Woodstock that summer.
“I bought tickets for Woodstock,” he said. “They were 18 dollars for the three days in August (15-17), and we got them in the mail before we went.”
“We” being himself and Jon Keller.
“Jon and I were sandbox buddies,” Charlie explained. “His dad was the local (Hilton) doctor (Dr. Charles Keller).” Jon graduated from Hilton High School in 1970.
After the two traveling friends drove to the music concert and parked the car, they ended up walking a mile or so to the main stage.
“We had our tickets, but we didn’t need them as people were ‘crashing the gate’ and getting in free,” Charlie said.
Charlie paused.
“We ended up just tossing our tickets away when it was declared a ‘free’ concert,” he said. “We probably should’ve kept them, because maybe they’d be worth something today.”
Charlie and Jon then went on to each have the time of their life for the next three days at the festival.
“We did everything a 17-year-old would’ve wanted to do,” Charlie said, laughing.
Then, of course, there was always the music.
“The one group that really shocked us was Sha Na Na,” Charlie said. “We were used to the music of Jimi Hendrix, The Who, etc.”
On Sunday, the 17th, the rain came and everybody got drenched.
“Jon and I got separated then,” Charlie recalled. “And, while I was walking around, I got invited by some people to get dry in this canopy tent.”
Summing up the Woodstock experience, Charlie said, laughing, “If you were there, you probably haven’t been the same since.”
As for Charlie’s other Woodstock stories, well…we’re all just going to have to be patient.
Laurie said she still cherishes the Watkins Glen Summer Jam experience.
One of 600,000 mostly young people at the July 28, 1973, music festival, she, her Duke University friends, and many, many others grooved to the sounds of The Grateful Dead, The Band, and The Allman Brothers.
“They were fantastic, Charlie,” recalled Snead.
Four years earlier, while residing with family in Churchville (Riga Center), Laurie, then a 17-year-old, thought about attending Woodstock, but passed on it.
“I had a job at U of Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital and was saving money for college,” she said. Laurie paused. “But I wished I’d gone.”
When the Watkins Glen jam was advertised, there was no procrastinating this time.
“Friends of mine from Duke got tickets,” Laurie said. “I was living in Durham, North Carolina, and drove up to visit the (South Windsor) Connecticut family. Then, I drove to Princeton, New Jersey, and spent the night with Duke friends.”
If she’d had to, Laurie said she might have considered hitchhiking to The Glen. But fortunately, wheels were available.
Tickets were $10 apiece, which included parking and camping. But most of the concert-goers saw the stage performances for free.
Laurie, as a Blue Devils co-ed, was already very familiar with the Dead’s music.
“The Dead played at Duke twice and there I saw Jerry (Garcia) up close,” she said.
Garcia was the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Dead.
“Some of my Duke friends got close to Jerry at Watkins Glen, but not me,” Laurie added.
While the music and people were cool, Laurie had the added pleasure of being a “passenger” on the race track.
“I have a memory of getting a ride back to our camp site on the actual Watkins Glen speedway,” she said. “Pretty amazing.”
After sharing their stories, Charlie and Laurie gave each other a hug.
Today, Charlie resides in a home in Gulfport, Mississippi, right on the Gulf of Mexico. Life is relatively quiet, and that’s the way he likes it.
“I’ve given up the New York (State) habit,” he said. “I really enjoy the peace and quiet.
“I keep myself busy and like gardening. I also like hiking and walking.”
Charlie paused.
“I don’t have any pets, but I volunteer walking dogs at the local humane society,” he continued. “I live alone, and….I’ve gotten used to it.
“Think I’ll just go and paint the floor, now.”
As for Laurie, she was a longtime nurse-midwife. Retired now, she’s a loving and doting grandma, who lives with her husband, John, in Georgia.
Ron Johnston, a 1966 Churchville-Chili graduate,
is the author of One-Game Wonder and a
retired newspaper sports editor/reporter.
