Q & A with Marti Traystman, class of 1960, who has built a career in the horse racing industry

Where did you live in Levittown, when did you move there and where had you lived before:
I lived in Albertson, NY and moved to Boat Lane, Levittown when I was seven, in 1949.

What were some of your earliest memories of Levittown:
I remember having lots of other children around to play with, we ran and played all day long. Each year our family put on a circus in the back yard to raise money for the March of Dimes.

Who were some of your first friends:
I grew up down the street from Corrine Norgren Burns and around the corner from Penny Stone Stumler.

Was attending Division Avenue High School a good experience, any teachers you really enjoyed:
I was in Division Avenue from the sixth grade until graduation. Actually, I was also in Division Avenue for the second grade too. Mr. Keating is a teacher I really enjoyed. He made English fun and interesting. I remember that in either the 11th or 12th grade, the counselors wanted me to become a teacher. I didn’t even consider it as I did not think that I would have the patience the current teachers had.

A highlight of your high school years:
I cannot remember very many highlights. I do remember that I worked in the library during lunch hours and got out of being in the cafeteria most of the time. I have a recollection of being pretty quiet and not too involved in the goings on. I’m not sure I remember correctly.

Did high school prepare you for the real world:
Well, I thought I was going to go to work right out of high school, so I dressed up each day and wore heels for the last two years of school to prepare for the world of work.

What did you do immediately after high school (job, college):
I ended up going to college for two years and majoring in accounting. The deal was an Associate degree which I unfortunately didn’t get.

You've been involved in the thoroughbred horse racing industry for many years. How did you get into this field:
In 1997 a friend in the Frankfort Business and Professional Women’s organization (BPW), who worked as a mutual teller at Keeneland Raceway in Lexington KY, said that she thought I might like the job. She got me an application and the rest, as they say is history. I have worked at Keeneland during the spring meet (first 3 weeks in April) and the fall meet (first 3 weeks in October) since 1997. I began working at Belmont Raceway in 2007, after returning to live on Long Island. Beginning in 2010 I am a supervisor of Mutual Tellers at Belmont from May through October and then work as a Mutual Teller at Keeneland in April.

Tell us about the jobs you have had and some of the places you have worked:
In the late 1960s I was the assistant to the president of a small printing company in Westbury, NY. I did everything from taking the printing orders to writing the checks and keeping the books. I moved to KY in 1972. In 1975 I started working for the Commonwealth of KY. My career began as an Eligibility Worker for Food Stamps and later for AFDC and Medical Assistance. This consisted of determining whether people were eligible for benefits. After working in “the field” for 2 1/2 years, I got a promotion and moved to Frankfort (KY’s Capital) to work in the central office writing policy for the programs in which I worked in the local office.

I would take the Federal Regulation (CFR) and put them into English for the Eligibility Workers to process cases. In 1989 I made another move and began working with the Job Training Program in KY. I dealt with the Federally mandated performance requirements for the Job Training Programs (JTPA). I did this until retirement in August of 2001.

Where do you live now, and how long have you been there. Where else have you lived:
I currently summer on Eastern Long Island near Riverhead and winter in Wildwood, Florida.

Something that your old schoolmates would be surprised to learn about you:
Something about me, that surprises even me, is that I am now very outgoing and acquire friends easily. I thought I would be a loner all my life.

Anything else you would like to add:
It is so great that Frank has taken the time to put this blog together and that some of us are connecting after 50 years. Wow, hard to believe it has been that long. Reading the comments makes high school feel like yesterday.