Update 2-15-05

Hey,

A little mail from a couple of elusive teachers:

From Toni Rea: I am alive, well, and currently in Naples, Florida, but will be returning to East Hampton, New York, in a couple of weeks. My iBook had some configuration problems when we first arrived here in December which finally resulted in a clean install. It was out of commission for more than a week so I may have missed Ryki's e-mail then.
   I've continued to read the South High Class of '65 newsletters ever since that wonderful reunion I attended a couple of years ago. What a great treat to see so many of you again. Can't say at this point if I'll be able to get to the August one being planned, but I'm sure it will be another memorable outing for all who can attend.
   Please pass along my warm regards to all and especially to you, Rich, for the amazing job you do on this newsletter.

[Rich -- Thanks, as Linda Cohen Greenseid has beaten me into saying.]

This next note needs to be inserted here to help the note following it make sense. From Ira Mitzner: I believe Janet Porter married a physical education teacher by the name of Rylander.

From Bernie O'Brien: Many thanks for all your messages. Janet Porter married Tom Rylander (he was a shop and mechanical drawing teacher). He also helped with the JV wrestling team. I think they moved to North or South Carolina, but you might contact Toni Rea on that. 
   Best wishes to one and all. Tell the “Big Bitts,” I have e-mailed him a number of times and NEVER got a response. After your last reunion, I told him I would e-mail him the next day, which I did, and the next, etc. He was one of the “Main Man” guys at Valley Stream South. Many great memories with him and “The SEEL.”
   Take care and I will get a check to you shortly (grandchildren keep us broke). We now have “22.”

[Rich -- a couple of things. First, I want to remind all the teachers that if you come to the Saturday night reunion party, we will pay. It's our small way of thanking you for all that attention 40 years ago. Next, I just found out that Jerry Bittman had been trying to write Bernie O'Brien, as Ryki Zuckerman had been trying to write Toni Rea. In both cases, the e-mail addresses were correct, but the mail wouldn't go through because of problems with the servers. For some reason, I can get through using AOL, and last week, I forwarded mail from Jerry to Bernie O'Brien and from Toni Rea to Ryki. So if you're having trouble writing someone on our class list, before you give up, please let me know.]

A suggestion from Irene Saunders Goldstein about finding other teachers: Someone who is motivated to track down teachers might try doing so through the teachers union(s) or whoever administers pensions. Perhaps South's administrative office might be able to point the way.

[Rich -- This is a good suggestion which, I believe, Paul DeMartino tried for the 37th Reunion. It was made easier because Terri Donohue Calamari knew the contact person for the school district and was able to help us make a connection. The problem though is it only works for teachers who spent their entire careers within our district. When teachers moved on, or only taught for a few years so never collected a pension, the district has no way to track them.]

From Steve Gootzeit: I recall Jerry Lewis as the "try-out" host for "The Tonight Show." Tuck tape was one of the sponsors, and he did a live commercial mistakenly referring to it as Scotch tape. He then did a five minute speech on the virtues of Tuck tape. I also recall his "memory" routine, which started with "one hen" and ended with "ten lyrical, spherical, diabolical denizens of the deep, who haul, stall around the quo, the quay, the quivy, all at the same time (forgive spelling errors, I never saw the routine written out). Finally, Jerry got a Saturday night (live) show as a result of his appearances on Tonight, but he refused to prepare, and the show bombed (on ABC). It was replaced by "The Hollywood Palace." One last bit of trivia: "Saturday Night Live" was named "Saturday Night" in its first season because ... (wait for it) ... Howard Cosell had a show called "Saturday Live," which did not make it to a second year.
   If there are historical inaccuracies in any of the above, I apologize, but I believe all of this is correct. Time to take my ginko.

A change of address from Robin Seader Cottmeyer: Please pass on my new e-mail address, effective immediately: rcottmeyer@comcast.net Thanks, Happy Valentine's Day, and see you soon.

From Robert Fiveson: Good fun (good clean fun) http://www.frontiernet.net/~cdm/age1

[Rich -- I haven't checked out the site Robert's suggesting, and -- though he's promised not to -- one of these days, Robert's going to sting me by forwarding something like the link to Inside Deep Throat. (Harry Reems lived and is selling real estate. Linda Lovelace died broke. Where's justice?)]

[Rich -- more: It's about the time of year I update the online e-mail address list. People have been great about sending their new addresses, but I've still managed to lose track of the following folks in the past few months. If you know them and can reach them, please have them send me their new addresses. Thanks.
   Linda Iaquinto and Dennis O'Hara; John Dowie; Michelle Cohen Collins; Kathleen Hyland Farmer; Jo-Anne DeGenarro through her sister Jeanie; and Robert Grandt.
   Finally, last week I scrambled a couple of e-mails. The original was from Amy 1, and I thought it was from Amy 2, so I attributed it to her. Then Amy 2 responded saying it wasn't, and I wrote back saying it was, then, after checking out Larry Miller's online photo, to see if he really was bald as indicated in the e-mail, I accidentally confirmed this to Amy 1. At that point she mentioned that I'd referred to her by Amy 2's name in the update, which made everything clear. As I told them both, apologizing: I should retire. Then I realized I was retired.
   The proper "Amy" was Amy Lieberman.]

The repeating reunion information:
When: August 5th, 6th, 7th (Friday night through Sunday noon)
Where: Hilton Long Island/Huntington, 598 Broadhollow Road, Melville, New York, 11747
Cost: $100 per person
Phone Number: 631-845-1000, during daytime business hours. Ask for the Reservations Desk and mention our class reunion discount. Hotel rooms should be $129/night.
Reunion Package Includes:
Friday night cocktail party with snacks and cash bar (7:00 PM -- Midnight)
Saturday night buffet with open bar & DJ (7:00 PM -- Midnight; Dinner at 8:00)
Lobby area with cash bar available both nights to continue parties
Teachers comped for both parties
SEND: Checks to Dennis Shapiro. 495 Wateredge Avenue, Baldwin, New York, 11510. Please make them out to: VSS 40th Reunion.
Also: Since there are a limited number of Friday night hotel rooms being held, please e-mail Dennis Shapiro when you've made your reservations so he can lobby for more. His e-mail address is: dshapiro@optonline.net
The home page: http://hometown.aol.com/vssouth65

Rich