Update 4-12-05

Hi,

To start off with, some strange news: we may be having a problem with the reunion plans. The background.
   Over the past month, I've heard that a number of people who came to the 37th reunion aren't planning to come to this one. I haven't asked why because I didn't want to put anyone on the spot.
Dennis Shapiro just let me know that the number of people planning to attend the 40th reunion has held, unchanged, at two dozen since mid-March.
   Out of curiosity, I checked the 2002 Updates to see how many people were committed to the 37th reunion at this time in its planning. Fifty-six.
   There are a number of possible reasons for this snarl:
   People think it's still too early to set plans for early August.
   We set the 100 buck price too high.
   We picked the wrong time of year.
   People don't really need another reunion so soon after the 37th.
   Any of these might be valid, but they put us in kind of a hole. In October, when we were picking hotels and dates, we did a quick survey of interest and got over 50 responses within a week. That seemed solid as we figured we'd pick up at least another 50 people along the way, since there were 120 at the 37th reunion.
   On that basis, we signed a contract. If we had to cancel today, we'd still owe 80% of the money -- $6000. If we wait another three weeks, we'll owe 90% -- $6750. And since we've only raised $2400 so far, we'd have to raise at least $3600 just to cancel the party.
   Solutions?
   Cost cutting. But Dennis Shapiro says we're locked into a contract with the hotel. And that contract doesn't even include the nicety of comping the teachers, which was expected to cost another $1000, or the DJ's fee, which was projected at $500. These extras were going to be funded by having more than 75 people come to the party. So even if we cut those extras now, we don't reduce the amount we owe the hotel.
   Canceling the Friday night party. But that was being almost entirely comped by the hotel. Since it was a cash bar, we only had to pay the bartender's fee -- cheap -- 80 bucks. Plus petty cash for snacks.
Fund Raising. Donald Faber already suggested this, and we may have to come up with some packages people would buy raffle tickets for. Kind of a big bake sale.
   Making Bill Gates an honorary member of the class of '65. Probably not a real solution.
   So that's the situation. We've just dropped Dennis into the boiling water, and it's gonna cost another three-and-a-half grand to fish him out. The way he and Paul DeMartino figure it, we need another 51 people to commit to the reunion, soon, or we drop Paul in the vat, too. And these are nice guys.
So let us know if we did something wrong, or if people just haven't been feeling the urgency to solidify their August plans. Or if you have any other solutions. Thanks.

Meanwhile, on easier stuff:
   In response to my note last week to Liz King Giordano, Principal Stephen Lando's secretary at South, she wrote: I'm pleased to inform you that our Senior High Awards Assembly will take place on Wednesday, June 8, 2005, at 7:30 PM, and the committee is in the process of selecting the recipients for The Vince Tampio Memorial Scholarship and The Booker Gibson Music Award. I’ll have the winners for you next week.
   We welcome your choice of presenters for the formal announcement and presentation that evening. I’m sure Booker Gibson would love to come back to present. He almost played for our tsunami benefit concert, but his aunt passed away, and he had to attend a funeral out-of-town. One of our teachers on a leave of absence was staying in a village in Sri Lanka and survived the tsunami. The school raised over $15,000, and she just returned there to help them rebuild. We have an awesome group of faculty members here at South.

Also, Booker Gibson wrote: I may have mentioned this before, but Linda Tobin Kettering '70 (Forest Road) has gladly offered to come to South on June 8th and introduce me. She's the PSTA president of Forest Road and is on a relaxed basis with the South administration. She just wants some information, like the criteria.

And Lynn Nudleman Villagran wrote: There are actually many services available to help older people live at home independently as long as possible. There are Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) in each county that can refer people to services in their communities for their elders and for caregiver support and services as well. AAA's can be found by using the Eldercare Locater at: http://www.eldercare.gov/ Also, http://www.caregiver.org/ has lots of good information for families.

And Larry Rugen wrote: It is hard to know what to do, but you know you parent(s) and family best, and usually you really know what needs to be said or done. That said, it is so difficult to break that bond of independence -- many parents feel "you have some nerve" -- but if there are physical or mental problems, then better they feel that way than to hurt themselves or others.
And Zelda White Nichols wrote: Just got on the official class of '65 home page for the first time in quite a while and noticed the picture section. Thought I might add mine. It's taken with my husband Dave, who's from Nebraska and did not attend Valley Stream South.

And a Good Samaritan named D Frye wrote: I was looking at your reunion web site. Here's the address of one of your missing classmates: Gabrielle DeVoe Kane, 29 Pine Creek Estates, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, 18301. Hope this helps you.

And Robert Fiveson sent something I haven't verified, but that he promises is absolutely brilliant: We are all busy and all get junk sent to us that is allegedly funny. This is more than funny; its brilliant, too. Keep in mind that this is a send-up of a particular filmmaker's style -- no more.
If anyone takes the time to download this (it takes a bit) and doesn't think this is both funny and brilliant, please write me, and I will never ever forward anything to you again. The link: http://www.negrospaceprogram.com/

Finally, another useful lesson: Don't be sentimental about bird's nests. Friends of mine just lost their house because a bird's nest in the light fixture above their front door caught fire and burned their house down.

The list of people coming to the August reunion, listed alphabetically by their last names 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

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