All the Saddle Ridge news that’s fit to print

As new neighbors moved into the community from such places as Brooklyn, Queens and Long Beach, residents took an interest in the events of their lives and recorded some of them in a monthly newsletter they called the Saddle Ridge Bulletin. Though it never garnered a Pulitzer Prize, the small publication was popular among its readers.

Jody LaGreca, a Cedarhurst resident and author, unearthed remnants of the Bulletin.

“When our family house in Saddle Ridge was sold I salvaged a lot of memorabilia. My mother, Gloria Barkan, used to write articles for the Saddle Ridge Bulletin. I recently found a folder containing a few copies, circa 1958 and 1960, and her notes (which were probably included in other issues.) It was thrilling and surrealistic to read the surviving articles.

“I scanned a few pages and posted them on the Facebook group “The Five Towns – the good ole’ days.” I tagged my Facebook friends from Saddle Ridge, whose families were mentioned and immediately began receiving feedback of surprise and nostalgia for the close-knit community we grew up in. 

“After investigating, I learned the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library had no record of the Saddle Ridge Bulletin. It was a newsletter written by the residents, consisting of typed pages stapled together and delivered to the households. In the 1950s Saddle Ridge was a brand new community built on swampland. The new families who moved there were welcomed and asked to provide personal information to be included in the bulletin. This newsletter continued to report the type of news you would share with friends regarding vacations, children, professions, hobbies and much more. The publication depicted a gala lifestyle with annual dinner dances, New Year’s Eve celebrations and many other activities.