Update 5-24-05

Hi,

Latest news on the reunion from Dennis Shapiro: I have received money from Barbara Endy Ianniello, Alan Finder, and Tom Calise, which brings the total to 34. 42 to go.
   We're also waiting to see what comes from Paul DeMartino's new publicity and the effort to expand the reunion across the 60's classes. That's generated some related writing.

First, as a result of Alan Finder's note, two other classmates have written in saying they also, unfortunately, can't be at the reunion. But they'll send a hundred bucks each if we need it. That's very generous.
   Along those lines: I've canceled my hotel reservations and made plans to stay with my mother in Green Acres. I'll kick my hotel money into the reunion pool. Though crawling back into my childhood bedroom is no small thing.
   And we've gotten letters from two classmates slightly removed:

From Joanne Shapiro Polner, class of '61: (Please note that the following rambling is not fine writing style, but more of stream of consciousness informality; I need to tell you this because the main part of my note to you concerns teaching fine writing.)
   You helped me out about four years ago when I was searching for a classmate from South's class of '59. You recommended Hy Rosov, who in turn, made a recommendation to me which led directly to the brother of my "lost person," Barbara Pincus Chehowski, now of Tucson. Then it led to her.
I write to you today to share a few pages from our family How-To Writing Folder, because I was thrilled to read the recap of your teaching program for SAT essay writing. It sounded oh-so-familiar. I might have learned it at South, from good ole Mrs. Clark, in our day -- or even Mr. Hartman. Well, I learned well; my husband Alex, from South '58, was less a writer than a future engineer and manager, so I was responsible for complementing our children's school work in the humanities, he, in the sciences.
   I taught our three children to think just a bit more broadly than their excellent writing manual from their good school, Ramapo High School, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. Their graduation years were '87 and (two in) '91. But South High form was in my head, for starters. I believe that our daughters have more skills at writing than our son. I only have one extant high school composition from our son, so I'd say, writing is not his forte -- his speaking and arguments are orderly today, so he has some great stuff up there in his head!
   In 1997, I became a mentor for a black Muslim teen in Alabama -- Selma, to be exact -- who had attended the same fabulous teen camp as our children, Legacy International Youth Program in Lynchburg, Virginia. But she went a couple of summers later than our kids. With the South High method -- now to be known as the Eisbrouch writing model -- imbedded in the Polner Writing Folder, and with the addition of the Ramapo High School directives, Safiyyah learned to write well. (We did it first by letter, then by e-mail. We have never met and have only exchanged photos once.) I read her college English lit assignments and advised on the editing of her papers. She just finished her first year of Law School in Miami, and I know that I played a part in sharpening her mind and writing over the years.
   I have put the simple notes of the Polner Family Writing Folder in the attachment. A couple of the paragraphs on the second page, at the end, seem to refer to a particular essay question that Safiyyah had to answer, so I must have combined her mentoring with Polner children helping ideas. We have a new generation of children coming up, albeit the oldest is 6, but your letter about the SAT essay writing format has a file to itself. That's in the folder called Essay Writing on my computer -- saved for the little kids when they get to be bigger kids!
   Now how did that Class of '65 e-mail with the Eisbrouch method get to me? My husband Alex was friends at South with Emily Kleinman Schreiber's brother, Stewart, now of West Hartford, Connecticut, and we both remember Emily from a South High three-class reunion. We exchanged e-mail addresses then. Alex graduated a year ahead of me -- in the first South graduating class, though I didn't know him then. We actually met after he graduated from college, and I had a year to go at a different college. My brother, Peter M. Shapiro, graduated in 1962 with Alex's brother Larry, and Peter was friends with Emily. Two years ago, Alex and I met Emily's son Michael, a photographer. I do photography as a hobby, and I know Joe Zarba, from Brooklyn, a retired middle school teacher of photography, who used to run a photographer speakers' series. I recommended Mike, and he was a great hit with the attendees last year.
   Emily and I e-mail each other from time to time, as do my brother and Emily. We just received the e-mail with the South High bridge story, as well as your essay letter. I just love how we are all bound together through friendship and e-mail and South! So, there you have it -- the what and wherefore!
Best regards to all. jocem@juno.com

From Steve Cahn, class of '70: Just a few memories from a "youngster."
   Mr. Sykes had me cleaning up cigarette butts on the path leading to the bridge for what seemed like a 4-year prison sentence, but was really just most of my 7th and 8th grades. My recollection is that he did NOT stay on much past '65, if at all. He was not really a part of my high school experience at South -- just in junior high.
   Also, no one has ever duplicated Leo's egg salad at Molly's. I used to have it with an egg creme, a vanilla Coke, or a Lime Ricky. Sublime. I also recall pizza at "Pizza Supreme" at the Green Acres Shopping Center (which is now an enclosed mega-mall) for 15 cents per slice, and a small coke for a dime. Now a quarter won't play the juke box. Maybe I'm not such a "youngster" after all.


More about the bridge, from our own Linda Fenton Goodgold: I remember walking home from Marsha Churnin's at dusk over the bridge and almost getting attacked by a boy on a bicycle. Marsha lived in Green Acres, and I lived on the other side of South High School, so the bridge was a common short cut. It's an unprotected area that should have a camera or something to monitor.

And about South High, from Linda Cohen Greenseid: This year's Complete List of the 1,000 Top High Schools in the United States, from Newsweek, ranked South as number 152 in the country. Who knew? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7723397/site/newsweek/page/2/

[Rich -- Speaking of present-day South: I sent the checks for the Vince Tampio and Booker Gibson scholarship winners to Liz King Giordano last week. That drops the balance of money I'm uncomfortably babysitting to $100 in the Tampio fund and $533 in the Gibson fund. As I've said before, the Tampio scholarship is almost completely funded by people who've pledged annual support, though I didn't call on them this year, while the Gibson scholarship is partly supported by pledges and partly by annual donations. Next year, I'll call in the Tampio pledges while continuing to pay down the Gibson money. After that, I hope to collect money annually, so I'm not always holding it. There are earthquakes in Los Angeles, you know.]

Finally, an answer from Robert Fiveson to the question, "Who is Ira Levy?"
   Who is Ira Levy? Ira is a success by any measure. A titan of business and a giant among parents, as well as a true lifelong friend. Ira was also on the wrestling team in high school, where he distinguished himself not as much by how he wrestled, but by how well he filled out his uniform. A classic case of a man maturing well, Ira started out as a goofy ugly duckling and has morphed into a goofy handsome man. I think Ira could not weigh more than 5 pounds over the fighting trim he had in high school, and he certainly looks years younger than the advanced and decrepit age we are all squarely mired in.
   Shortly after high school, Ira was with the Army in Korea when his family home in Lynbrook caught fire during the night. Tragically his two sisters, baby brother, mother and father all expired in the fire. Only his oldest sister Helene managed to escape. I knew them all and had spent many a loving and welcoming evening at their home. I heard the news on the radio. Ira inherited his fathers small janitorial service and has helped it grow into a multinational, well-known giant in the service industry. More than anything else, Ira is the most loving, gentle, and proud father to two of the most beautiful young women one can imagine. He is an active patron of the arts and lives in an apartment in New York City with a view of Central Park and the surrounding city that is literally breath taking. I am proud to say that I know this guy, and he is decent, humble and funny at every turn -- his lifelong goofiness notwithstanding.

The current list of people coming to the August reunion, listed alphabetically by their last names in 1965:
Joan Aries Cleven
Jay Berliner
Barbara Blitfield Pech
Tom Calise
Linda Cohen Greenseid
Peggy Cooper Schwartz
Paul DeMartino
Teresa Donahue Calamari
Rich Eisbrouch
Barbara Endy Ianniello
Ellen Epstein Silver
Carol Ewig Duran
Robin Feit Baker
Alan Finder?
Henry Gabbay
Peggy Galinger Menaker
Steve Gootzeit
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
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
Former teachers comped for both parties, and we're trying to attract as many of
our former teachers as possible.
NOTE: If you just want to come to the Friday night party, a $25 contribution per person is
requested.
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 hotel's Phone Number is: 631-845-1000. Ask for the Reservations Desk and mention our class reunion discount. Hotel rooms should be $129/night.
The home page: http://hometown.aol.com/vssouth65

Rich