Update 2-14-06

Hey,

A mess of paraphrasing from people's letters and meetings this week, to preserve privacy.
   
    First, I heard from Joanne Shapiro Polner '59, looking for Lucille Cassillo '59.  Joanne's attention was attracted by RoseMarie Cassillo's letter last week, and normally I'd have Joanne contact RoseMarie, asking if Lucille was related.  But RoseMarie's letter indicated that she'd be out of e-mail contact for a while, because she was moving, so I got Ray Staley involved, since his late brother Marc was RoseMarie's first husband.  Ray confirmed that Lucille is RoseMarie's sister.  So if anyone knows how to reach RoseMarie or Lucille directly, please write me.
   
    I also had lunch with Judy Hartstone a bit over a week ago.  She was in from Seattle and had lost a bit of weight since the last reunion.  She sent new pictures that we took in Santa Barbara, and they'll be on the home page soon.  You can look at them and tell Judy how great she looks.
   
    And I had dinner with Amy Lieberman '69, before a performance of The Importance of Being Earnest here is LA.  That was fun, and Amy looked considerably better than the scenery I had to watch on stage that evening.
   
    Plus, I had breakfast with Linda Cohen Greenseid, her brother Steve '64, Linda's daughter-in-law Natasha, and Ellen Epstein Silver's daughter Jessica and her three-month old baby Rebecca.  All ate well and said to say "hello."  Ellen and I managed to miss each other last time she and her husband Alan were in LA because my phone line was busy.
   
    I heard from Paul Zegler, who says that he is well and lighter than he was in 10th grade.
   
    I heard from Rich Sternhell '64, and I told him that for several years people were telling me that he'd unfortunately died young.  He assured me, to repeat the famous quote, that "reports of his death are greatly exaggerated."
   
    Emily Kleinman Schreiber sent the minutes of the January 26th alumni association meeting submitted by Roberta Brill Birnel.  Here are the highlights:
        In attendance: Ray Richford, Claire (Brush) Reinhardt, Mike Sofarelli, Karin
    (Schade) Sofarelli, Enid (Koss) Parness, Karen Grimm, Edie Mandel, Laura (Waxman) Ulric, Ken Ulric, Irene Sundal, MaryAnn Riccio, Patrick Yngstrom, Arthur Yngstrom, Eric Spinner, Irwin Kotcher, Roberta (Brill) Birnel, Emily (Kleinman) Schreiber, Booker Gibson, Vincent Viviano, Ross Lipsky, and Nancy Russo-Rumore.
        Emily reported that changes in the planned events for March 11th are as follows:  There will be one charge of $10 that will include lunch and the concert. The menu will be finalized at the next meeting.  There will be an alumni luncheon area.
        As previously announced:  Alumni are welcome to arrive at South between 11:00 AM and noon, and they can meet in the Reception Area.  Tours of the building will be available during this time.  The Rededication ceremony will take place in the gym at noon.  Lunch will be held from 12:30 to 2:00 PM.  The concert will begin in South Hall at 2:00 PM.  Anyone wishing to perform should contact Booker Gibson at:  BGibson@optonline.net.
        Math teacher Ross Lipsky said that DVDs about South High School, which include interviews with alumni, will be sold at the celebration for $10.00.  He also said to please wait until further notice before ordering bricks.
        Written recollections of our South High years for the March 11th journal are being sent to Emily.  So far, she has received twenty-eight, and it was decided that all alumni association members should receive a copy of the journal.  Emily also reported that minutes that were sent via AOL, which can track these things, were opened by more than one hundred people.
        Newsday is printing an ad this Sunday in the Life section that will publicize the March 11th festivities.  This ad was not in the newspaper on January 29th, and we are looking into this.  As of January 22nd, there are seventy-seven paid members of the alumni association.
        There was discussion about our missing association seal.  Nancy Russo-Rumore reported that Jim Murray, who was originally in charge of the alumni association back in 1995, said that before he left South High School, he put everything he had, including
    Valley Stream South High School Alumni Association, Inc. minutes, addresses, seal, etc., in a cardboard box he left for Nell Landman to give to Dr. Lando.  It was suggested that the
    school’s archives be checked for the missing box.  Irwin Kotcher has a meeting tomorrow with Laurie Lintella, the current Assistant Principal of South, and he will ask her about this. If the seal cannot be found, and we learn that we must have one, Jim offered to pay for a new one.
        There was a discussion about naming a Board of Trustees for the association.  Among the responsibilities for the trustees are checking the treasury at each meeting and overseeing disbursements.  There were five volunteers, and it was decided that we need at least three but no more than five trustees:  These are:  BJ Peres, Eric Spinner, Art Yngstrom, Pat Yngstrom, and Ray Richford.
        Former teacher Nancy Russo-Rumore presented information about insurance needs for the association.  At least a million dollar general liability policy to cover damage or injury during a meeting or festivity will cost about five hundred dollars per year.  Director’s and officers' liability insurance, to cover possible libel in exposure in the minutes or a newsletter, costs about nine to eleven hundred dollars per year.  Insurance is also needed for hiring an unowned vehicle to be used for work for the association.  Our participation in the March 11th festivities are insured by the Valley Stream Central High School District.
        There was a brief discussion of possible scholarships the association might endow. Further discussion will continue after March 11th
        Committees were established for the March 11th reception.  The food committee selected a menu of fruit, beverages, sandwich platters, and veggies from a deli in Baldwin the school has used before.  Irwin Kotcher showed us several sample banners, and it was decided that a small banner with an association logo, which has yet to be designed, will be ordered at a cost of about thirty dollars.  The reception desk committee got volunteers to bake cookies and muffins for the reception desk.  At the desk, there will be sign-in boards, name tags, and alumni association application forms.  Plans for a get-together Saturday night after the festivities at South are still pending.
        Members were reminded that our next meetings are as follows:  Wednesday, February 8th; Thursday, February 23rd; and Thursday, March 9th.  All will be at 7:15 PM in the South High School library.  Everyone is welcome.
   
    [Rich -- I'm sure glad I didn't know I needed libel insurance to send this newsletter.  If I'd thought about that four-and-a-half years ago, we all might have missed two reunions.]
   
    Tom McPartland also reported that Emily sent on a question and a request:  The question:  "Do you know what year South stopped having twirlers?"  The request:  In addition to written memories of South High, please send photos of your years at South to Em.
   
    To which Barbara Blitfield Pech replied:  The class of '65 home page has many submitted  photos.  I would love to share all the photos I have sent, so you have my say so to download any that say "Submitted by Barbara Blitfield Pech."
   
    Em also reminded people to keep the photo files small, if you know how to do that.  If you scan and e-mail them, she asked that they please be in JPEG form and that they're no larger than 4" x 6" at 100 dpi.  Send them to Em at:  cre8em@aol.com   Or mail photos to Em at:  2950 Bellmore Avenue, Bellmore, New York 11710.  Please put a mailing label and your year of graduation on the back of each picture and she promised to return them.

    Claire Brush Reinhardt wrote:  As the 50th Anniversary Celebration of South's opening draws closer, we are also trying to put together a plan for the evening after the celebration at the school is over.  We don't know whether to expect twenty, fifty or more people.  If it is a smallish group, we expect that we could go to any of the local places to get something for dinner and to spend the rest of the evening without any kind of reservations.  If the group is going to be a larger one, we will need to make arrangements with one of the local establishments and warn them to expect a larger group.  If you are planning to attend, please let me know as soon as you know so we can make appropriate plans.  Thanks!
   
    And Paula Ignatow Cohen, and Ken and Bette Hansen Silver, said that they would all love to attend.
   
    And did I say "Happy Valentine's Day?"  And do I need insurance to do that?