Update 12-4-01    

Okay,

Lots of reunion planning this week.

First:  New Date (explained below):    April 24th through April 26th, 2002
                                                       (Friday evening through Sunday afternoon)

Location:     Wyndham Wind Watch Hotel, Hauppauge, Long Island

But the letters explain it best:

From Terri Donohue:

       I have made a tentative booking at the Wyndham Wind Watch Resort Hotel in Hauppauge Long Island for the weekend of Friday April 26th, Saturday April 27th, and departing after breakfast Sunday April 28th.

       I have booked 25 rooms and a hospitality suite for the weekend.  The group room rate is $109 per night (regular rate $250) plus taxes---which in New York can run up to 20%.

       I have arranged a buffet banquet for Saturday night with a cash bar.  The cost of the buffet is $32.95, plus tip and taxes, which will probably add another $10.

       The Wind Watch is an all-inclusive resort with golf, tennis, an indoor/outdoor pool, and a spa.  It has free shuttle from MacArthur Airport, which is 5 minutes away.
The hotel's web site is:  http://www.wyndham.com/newyork/Long_Island/default.cfm  
Or click here:
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts - Wyndham Wind Watch Hotel & Hamlet Golf Club

       There was no space available in May, and this was the only weekend open in April.  I am having the hotel fax me the proposal and the menus.  I think we should forget about a DJ.  All anyone want's to do is talk anyway.  I'll bring a boom box with 60's music.  This way we can control the noise level.

       The deposits weren't bad.  I can front the money, and I have some good ideas on how to stock the hospitality suite for free.  Along with that, I think it would be nice to invite our teachers as our guests for the Saturday dinner.  Let's say we form a committee called something like Friends of the Class of '65, with donations starting at $100.  I could make the initial contacts, and all donations would be anonymous, to promote doing a nice thing just for the sake of it.
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       Please feel free to list me as a reunion contact.  Paul DeMartino volunteered as well.

My e-mail address:         TERRCAL@cs.com
My phone number:          843-722-4485

Paul's e-mail address:     PINA_1@msn.com
Paul's phone number:      516-799-1590



From Paul DeMartino:

       Do you have any feel for how many would actually be coming, or is it a bit premature?  A hospitality suite sounds like the best, not to mention the least expensive way, to go.  The hotel bar would definitely be costlier.
       My accounting and tax training suggests that we have an accounting for all funds collected and expended.  One proposal would be to establish a separate checking account for this purpose with two signatures on the account.  It will also be non-interest bearing in order not to draw any IRS filing requirements.  I will check with Citibank to see if this can be established without any minimum balance requirements.  Dennis Shapiro is also an accountant and could serve as the other name on the account.
       Also, any funds collected to defray the cost of having the teachers to dinner Saturday night, and the hospitality suite will come from the reunion account.  Any funds left over could be used to pay for a breakfast the next day, or perhaps to help pay down the cost of the buffet.  It's possible that I may have a lead on getting a break on the liquor, but I'm not sure.  Once we have an accurate head count, we'll know how much we'll need.  And as soon as we are positive that Terri's arrangements are final, I'll put out new ads in Newsday. 
 00020000068100000E18 67B,       Finally, the Wyndham Hotel is very nice, and I should know because a former employer of mine had a Christmas party there for 900 employees and guests, and it was first rate.  Also, it should be mentioned that no one is obligated to stay at the hotel since only about four airlines serve Islip-MacArthur Airport (I think, Delta, Southwest, American Express, and USAir).  There are more options at the other airports, and maybe some people can share a rental car.  Of course, there is airport van service that will take you to or from any of the airports, and any hotel or other lodgings.  If people need suggestions on accommodations, I can put together a list of Long Island hotels.


Rich again:   This is a terrific idea.  The mid-May date was arbitrary, chosen to squeeze between Mother's Day and Memorial Day, and fit around Passover and Easter, which happen to be early this year.  And late April avoids May graduations and Robert Buchsbaum's migrating birds.

       I don't think we need to take another vote on this.  Just go right ahead.  But so Terri and Paul can proceed and not hear any howls later, it wouldn't hurt if we had everyone's approval.  Soon.  This commits you to nothing.  Just gives us a sense of doing right.

       Also, from this point on, we can use Terri and Paul as contacts to handle all the party details.  They'll send general information to me so I can pass it on in the weekly updates.  And you can continue directly sending me bios, and current photos, and anything else that might be fun.

       But we should thank Terri and Paul for picking up on this.  And Dennis Shapiro, who'll get dragged in soon enough.
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Other news from the New York Thanksgiving Gathering:

From Paul DeMartino:   Anyway, it was really great seeing everyone again, and I'm thinking about another New York gathering, maybe around the holidays or shortly after.  Who's up for it?  Also, I got my pictures developed and they are on their way to Rich along with Terri's Polaroids.

From Terri:  Bob Fiveson tried to send me some pictures to forward, but they did not
come up. 

Rich:  Bob's in Paris, on business, and he took the digital photos with him to edit.  But French e-mail isn't cooperating, so we'll have to wait till Bob gets back to see them,  which may be tomorrow.  Meanwhile, he sent me a couple of pictures, without identification, and I'm putting them on the home page under New York Thanksgiving Gathering.  I can guess at some of the blurs---the restaurant was really moodily murky---and some of the people.  But rather than completely embarrass myself, I'll let other people send in guesses, then label the shots.  If you want to know who was there, to narrow your choices, check last week's update (also on the home page).


Other news:

From Benette Steindam Pizzamenti:  We've just found my old scrapbook with high school playbills, North/South programs, and other goodies.  Could you please call Dennis (he doesn't do e-mail).     Rich again:  I called Dennis, and we talked for a while, which was neat.  He and Benette live in New Hampshire.  His oldest brother Bruce lives in Colorado, and his youngest brother David is in Chicago.  Dennis and Bruce are both lawyers, and David does something in---and I'm getting this wrong---corporate planning.  The things in Benette's scrapbook sound like fun, but unfortunately aren't the sort of stuff that scans well for on-line viewing---too much small type.  So I'm hoping she and Dennis will bring the book to the reunion.
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From Paul Zegler:  had an idea for this reunion thing...got it from a newscast i saw the other nite...what about a circle line cruise??? with music food and booze??? great remembrances going around the city and especially when we pass the downtown area...i think we would all like to see it...as i said they did a piece on the news with tourists flocking and having interesting reactions going past that part of the city...put it out there see if anyone else is interested...it's a way to relive old childhood memories when we took circle line cruises and a way to pay respects to the events of sept.11..i know as a new yorker it would be nice and fitting...glad to hear the mini thing was a hit...sorry i couldn't be there.

From Emily Kleinman Schreiber (Class of '61):   When I was down in Florida, I met with Mr. Rosov.  It was very pleasant; we met outside a frozen yogurt store, and he was amazed that we could chat for around 2 hours.  He got a kick out of seeing photos from our October reunion.

Possible warning of objections to come, from Barbara Blitfield Pech:  Somewhere in one of the many notes from this last reunion update there was a suggestion that Hauppauge or the area of Long Island that is best reached via Islip Airport be considered.  My preference is still Kennedy/LaGuardia as direct travel to Islip from Miami is not an option, and I can't even imagine that routing from smaller cities will be better.  Not to mention the additional expense of auto rental as a necessity rather than an option.  I have also heard from some friends in response to a Florida mini-gathering.  We just need a few more joiners.  Hey you Up North holdouts:  isn't it time to visit mom and dad again?  Come on "home" to SOUTH... Florida!
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Also from Barbara:  Tried to access both sites for pictures and got an error on both pages.  I'd love to see the pictures.  Is anyone else running into the same problem?  Rich:  Sometimes, with AOL, you just gotta be patient.  If at first you have no luck, back off and click again.  And again.  Or at a less busy time of day.

And from Barbara:  Ellen Epstein Silver's e-mail service @home.com has gone bankrupt and left her unable to "chat" online.  I spoke to her last night and she asked me to pass this message along.  She hopes she will be back on line by the end of the week.  Meanwhile, try Linda Silver's New York office:  Lsilver@cgsh.com

Another e-mail problem:   As for Bea Massa, I had no luck with her e-mail either.  (Sorry your message to tnkrbl35@yahoo.com cannot be delivered. This account has been disabled or discontinued.)    Rich:  If anyone knows another way to contact Bea, please tell me.  I don't remember who has her phone number.

From Terry Shields:  In response to Steve Zuckerman's question about Harry Gribon (sp). I remember Harry being on What's My Line? or To Tell The Truth (Wasn't that the show where the panel tried to guess who was the real person out of three impostors?)  Anyway, Harry was the mystery guest who volunteered for a survival experiment for the Navy and survived for some incredible amount of time.  I remember seeing that show and saying: "Hey, I know that guy!"  I don't believe the panel guessed the 'real' Harry though.

Fast bio from Paul DeMartino:  I have had a variety of jobs and careers, as have many of us.  I taught at Valley Stream South for one semester, filling in for someone in the Social Studies department, and then taught adult education for the state of New York on Long Island for 12 years.  Two Masters' degrees later, I was working in the tax department for several firms on Long Island and in New York City, including Price Waterhouse.  I'm presently working as a tax auditor for the state of Texas in the New York regional office in Manhattan.  I do some traveling in the Northeast and Texas.  I basically audit large cases and my specialty is insurance companies, although over the years I've audited every type of firm and tax.  My wife is from Italy and worked until 9/11/01 for TWA, and we've traveled the world at every chance.  We have two daughters, one going to St. Johns for her MS in school counseling, and the younger one is a junior at SUNY Binghamton, majoring in languages.

From Terri Donohue again:  By the way, I may have found Linda Passaro Roberts.  I remembered her kids went to South and e-mailed her oldest daughter on Classmates.com.

From Marilyn Horowitz Goldhammer:  Jerry Gold's cousin is a friend of mine.  She lives here in DC and I will ask her if she has his current address and phone number.

Finally, if anyone was close friends with Fran Bellucci Johnson, Greg Weiss, or Charlotte Pedersen, we have possible contact information for each of them.  But as I keep saying, the initial contact is what's most important.  So if you can help out, please write me.

Fast Address Link: http://hometown.aol.com/reunionclass65/myhomepage/profile.html

Home Page Link: http://hometown.aol.com/falcons1965a/myhomepageprofile.html


Rich