Update 3-29-05

Hi,

Just got home from four busy days away, and I'm a little dazed. So the mail, in the order it came:

From Zelda White Nichols: What a nice surprise -- I received an e-mail the other day from Alan Bendel, along with his phone number. It turns out that my husband and I moved to within an hour's drive of Alan, and he recognized our location from my e-mail address. We had a lot of fun filling each other in on the last 40 years -- it can't possibly be that long, can it? -- and we hope to get together, along with our spouses, for a visit in the next few weeks.

From Barbara Blitfield Pech: This past weekend, March 19th, my son Evan officially took himself off the market and married his best girl and middle school sweetheart Jessica Zelman. It was a lovely wedding made even better by sharing the festivities with my best friends, Robin Feit Baker and Carol Ewig Duran, who came in from Chicago and New York (regrets were sent from Ellen Epstein Silver). I am sure that many of us have been down the aisle with at least one child by now, but as a first timer and a single parent of an only child, wow, this is something that can't be explained. The emotions just kind of take hold and don't let go. But the joy, reassurance, and comfort of looking out into the guest group and seeing my two best, lifelong friends sharing day with me just added to who we are, and what we are to each other. If I haven't already said "Thank you" 1965 times to you and us, please allow me this one more time.

From Steve Cahn: Note on Rick Blumenthal, class of '70 -- he lives outside of Seattle, owns a small construction company, and can be reached at: rick@blumenthalconstruction.com

From Gayle Ulrich Ramesh: Sorry to add this after you just compiled a new list, but when I switched from dial-up to cable recently, Earthlink changed my e-mail address. My new address is: gayle333@earthlink.net
   Also, as long as I'm writing, please let me thank you for continuing this reunion page. I may not contribute, but I do look forward to receiving it weekly. Hopefully, I will make the reunion and will see everyone in August.

From Jerry Bittman: I just got back to Nebraska after spending 15 days in Florida. It was a great, great vacation, but then getting out of Nebraska to go anywhere would be considered a great vacation.
   Really, though, everything went perfectly, and so many good things happened to me while in Florida. While playing poker in an Indian casino, I was offered a job by a man who owns a dealing school -- no, not drugs -- dealing all the casino games. I was seriously contemplating accepting the position when something else developed. I am going into business with two of my friends -- it is related to poker, and it was my brainstorm. I will be heading to Nevada and California in June to call on all the casinos in Nevada and the poker rooms in California. The item is currently being manufactured in Florida, and the prototype will be completed in approximately 6 to 8 weeks. Besides this item, we are also producing two completely different items. One of those, we have was sent to my partners' business connection in Thailand to manufacture. That should also be ready in about two months. I am so excited about these ventures, and I can't wait to see South High alumni in California.
I also got to see four Mets games while in Florida. For the first two games, our seats were in the front row, next to the Mets' bullpen. We talked to the players the whole time and received quite a bit of inside information. Jason Phillips, the Mets reserve catcher, was especially great, and Friday night, we talked for all nine innings. Unfortunately, two days later, he was traded to the Dodgers, and one of the relief pitchers on Sunday kidded me by saying that none of the other players would talk to me -- they were afraid that if they did, they would also be traded.
   The people in Florida were great, and I won quite a bit of money playing poker, so that paid for my trip. However, the real highlight of my vacation was seeing Barney Zinger and his beautiful wife Helen. I must admit that Barney got the best of that deal. After going out to dinner, we went back to Barney's house and sat on the patio reminiscing. Before we knew it, six hours had elapsed, and it was 2:00 AM. Zing, thank you for a great time, buddy, and I can't wait till next year so we can visit again and also go to your gym.
   That's all the news from the Cornhusker state. I hope to be seeing many of you in California and Nevada, come June and July.

[Rich -- Something I've been meaning to mention for a while: both Barnet Kellman, as director, and Jamie Kelman, as make-up artist, have occasionally worked on the hit TV show Alias. Jamie's the son of Linda Cohen Greenseid and Rob Kelman. He lives in LA with his wife and really cute kid, and, more often, does special effects make-up -- bloating hands and exploding faces.]

Finally, from Dennis Shapiro, what people have been asking for -- the start of the reoccurring list of people who are definitely coming to the August reunion. The names are listed alphabetically according to what they were in 1965:
Joan Aries Cleven
Barbara Blitfield Pech
Peggy Cooper Schwartz
Paul DeMartino
Teresa Donahue Calamari
Rich Eisbrouch
Ellen Epstein Silver
Robin Feit Baker
Art Halprin
Judith Hartstone
Marilyn Horowitz Goldhammer
Stuart Kandel
Ralph Kramer
Ira Mitzner
Allen Moss
Lynn Nudelman Villagran
Judy Peters Sylvan
Dennis & Benette Pizzimenti
Rachel Robinson Rizzo
Peter Rosen
Irene Saunders Goldstein
Dennis Shapiro
Danny Stellabotte
Mark Yetman

And 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