Update 1-17-06

Hi,

Assorted notes from assorted places, occasionally related.

First, from Peter Rosen:  Happy New Year.  Just one clarification so people don't think I'm a no-show in Naples:  I will not be able to join the group as I had originally hoped to do.  It sounds like it will be a lot of fun.
   
    And a quick follow-up from Terri Donohue Calamari:  The brunch has been canceled.  We will try again next year.  This date just seemed to be a difficult one for a lot of people to make.  Meanwhile, Happy New Year to all.
   
    And from Barbara Blitfield Pech to Terri:  Really sorry that this weekend didn't work out, but I, for one, would love to meet you in Naples at another time and Princess cruise around -- literally -- and then "do the shops" in Old Naples.  It's still one of my favorite extended local haunts.  Keep in touch for a new date.
   
    [Rich -- as I wrote to Terri and Barbara:  Sorry about that.  These things are becoming increasingly harder to plan, not only with our class, but with several others.  I'm not sure why, but it surprised us at our 40th reunion, surprised Tom McPartland at the class of '64's reunion, and caught Steve Cahn at the class of '70's.  After that big push to get together and renew contacts after the drama and uncertainty of September 11th, people seem to be pulling back.]
   
    And Barbara wrote:  Not to worry.  We are a small, but friendly bunch who are determined to get together.  We just need to find a time when at least the majority of us are not working, and while we're all still young enough to drive to a destination.
        I also received a note from Fran Bellucci who said, "that she was planning to join us...until 2 weeks ago," but is still committed to a road trip.  I have encouraged her to include South Florida in her itinerary so we can all plan to get-together again soon.
   
    From Jerry Bittman, a quick note for Larry Rugen:  When you go to Bryce National Park, the nicest place to stay is at the Bryce Lodge Inn.  The area is truly spectacular.  Even though the area only gets about fifteen inches of rain per year, the soft limestone still changes shape.  When observing the scenic beauty, remember that these formations have been around for millions of years.
        Also, Larry, the first piece of physical beauty you'll see is when you leave Last Vegas on I-15 and travel to Utah.  Approximately, twenty to twenty-five miles east of Mesquite, Nevada, you will have to concentrate on driving because the scenery is so breathtaking.
   
    Again from Barbara Blitfield Pech, on a different subject:  Camhi is as spelled.  Gwen's family, at the time when I was starting out on Seventh Ave, were very prominent "big machas" -- you are welcome to translate -- in the "rag business" / garment center / apparel industry.  Her uncle, whose first name escapes me as I am desperately trying to remember it, just owned everything and everyone in the dress and sportswear manufacturing end of the trade.  I worked for him in my early days after the Fashion Institute, and if there is some politically-correct way to define him, he was known to be a Zaddie in the Mafawitz -- which I'll also leave you to translate.  By the way, if you mention this, please don't list my home address.
   
    From Peggy Cooper Schwartz on the same subject:  Gwen Camhi spelled her last name with a "C," as she was always right behind me in alphabetical order.  The last time I saw the lovely Gwen was when I bumped into her in the fall of 1976 in my dorm at George Washington University.  She was visiting from American University and was sporting a brand new, beautiful engagement ring. 
   
    From Judy Hartstone:  It was Gwen Camhi.  Also, last week's newsletter came without any gobbledygook!  It looked just perfect.  So I'm not sure if this is an AOL -related problem because I'm having the same gobbledygook come in a newsletter from our congregation, and neither one of us has AOL.
        Seattle has had rain, rain, and more rain.  Quite unbelievable, but I like it and much prefer it to years when we don't have enough rain.  Besides, it's keeping the temperatures at a comfortable 50 degrees rather than in the 30s.  And it made us a lot more appreciative of the blue sky and sun we had today -- I actually had to put on my sunglasses!  And we lost power only once, for an hour-and-a-half, at least in my neighborhood.  There were people on the island who had no power on Christmas Day, and then others who had no power New Year's Day.  We hope it will be fine for this Saturday, so we can all watch the Seahawks!

    On that related-AOL issue, a possible answer from Amy Miller Cohen '63:  Regarding the blind copy problem with AOL:  I think if you put the names in the "Copy To" box in individual parentheses -- in AOL at the top right  of a new e-mail -- then the names don't get repeated for the reader.  I think the whole group can be in one pair of parentheses, too, not each name separately
        Also, yes, for now keep me on your class mailing list.  It was kinda great to see the names of some of the alums whose older siblings were in my class or even some who were in earlier classes.  Names like Dolich, Giordano, and Bittman.
   
    A kind reminder from Fran Bellucci, who certainly must have more immediate thoughts to occupy her:  Thirty-one days from today, all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies, and you will start to receive sale calls.  You will be charged for these calls.  To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:  888-382-1222.  It is the "National Do Not Call List."  It will only take a minute of your time, and it will block your number for five years.
        Also, cell phone companies are charging us one dollar or more for 411 / information calls when they don't have to.
   
    From Emily Kleinman Schreiber:  What Jerry Bittman wrote about the sixth grade parties must have become a tradition with Forest Road kids because my big five friends in the class of '61 -- actually, five boys and six girls, though one of the girls was so tiny, we didn't count her -- were more mature when we partied:  we had lists of who the ever-changing couples were, and Spin the Bottle was our favorite game.  I'll try to name the gang, though I'm not sure I'll be accurate!  Girls:  Carol Zimmerman, Fran Gibel, Ronnie Smolkin, Amy Spector, Roxy Harris, and me.  Boys:  Bobby Purcell, Alan Newman, Stuie Cohen, Bobby Ragona, and Barry Bernstein -- or was it Barry Melnick?  Thanks for giving me this little reminiscence, and I think we should have a Spin the Bottle booth at South's 50th Anniversary celebration.  What fun!
   
    From Ronnie Pike, possibly misdirected to us when someone forwarded last week's class update to him or her:  Thanks for the update.  It just made me feel very old as I was in the class of '62.
     
    From Lanie Shahar, whose immediate connection to our class I have temporarily lost:  Please note that I have changed my e-mail address to:  lshahar62@yahoo.com  If you will please return an e-mail to me, I will add your address to my new address book.  This will help me to avoid having to enter all the names manually.  The change is effective immediately.  Thanks.
   
    From Claire Brush Reinhardt '62:   I enjoyed reading last week's newsletter with all the memories of Once Upon a Mattress.  I also enjoyed watching it on TV recently, this time with my five-year-old granddaughter, ClaraGrace.  I remember hearing, many moons ago, that Linda Sheldon (Princess Winifred) married Lenny Fox '62, and that they were living in Connecticut doing work for a theater up there.  But I lost track of them after that.  The newsletter also mentioned the male lead in Mattress as being Bill Puka, but I remembered  Buddy McMullen as Dauntless, so I went back and checked photos in the yearbook, and I think that I am right.
        On Alumni Association business:  the second meeting was held last night, and things seem to be progressing really nicely.  Bernie O'Brien and Booker Gibson were among the attendees, and I'm sure Emily will send you the particulars.  We have four or five more meetings scheduled before the March 11th celebration of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the school and are hoping to become more involved in that.
   
    [Rich -- Bill played the Minstrel.  Buddy played Dauntless.]
   
    From Booker Gibson:  In all the excitement at the meeting last night, I forgot little details.  Several people acted like they really want to come out to The Irish Coffee Pub to hear me play.  The pub is off exit 43 of the Southern State Parkway.  Turn south at the exit and go to the first traffic light.  Turn left (east) and go to the next light (Carleton Avenue).  Then turn right (South) and go about two miles, over Sunrise Highway, under the Long Island Rail Road, and look immediately to the left.  There's the pub.  The phone number is:  631-277-0007.  Many times, I hear people calling who are lost, but who are within two blocks of the place.
          Perhaps the most important thing is to make a reservation.  The place usually gets pretty crowded on Saturdays, though it's not as bad on Wednesdays.  There's a lot of birthdays and anniversaries.  I'm there from 7:00 to 10:00 on Wednesdays and from 7:00 to 11:00 on Saturdays.  It would be great to see old friends.
   
    Finally, the article about the Alumni Association written by Nicole Falco for the January 5, 2006, Long Island Herald:  While attending a reunion last summer, Emily Kleinman Schreiber, class of 1961, got to talking with Bernie O'Brien, a former teacher at South. O'Brien suggested to Kleinman Schreiber that she would be an excellent choice to start an alumni association.  After all, she had been involved in the planning of many of her class's reunions.  "Fortunately, she's taken the ball and just run with it," O'Brien said.  "It's long overdue, especially with the 50th anniversary coming up."
        Not long after that first conversation, Kleinman Schreiber, now a Bellmore resident, heard that Dr. Stephen Lando, South's principal, had called a meeting to begin planning the anniversary celebration.  She asked if she could attend.  "Once I started going to Dr. Lando's meetings, I said I guess I'm doing it," Kleinman Schreiber said.
        At one of Lando's meetings, she learned that an alumnus who also taught at the school had begun the process of forming an alumni association back in 1995, but had never followed through with it.  After some digging, Kleinman Schreiber learned that the Valley Stream South High School Alumni Association had been incorporated on June 15, 1995. She has since sent away for copies of the incorporation documents.
        Kleinman Schreiber said she consulted the presidents of North's and Central's alumni associations for advice, and credits Lando, Nancy Russo-Rumore, a former teacher at South, and current teachers Nell Landman and Madeline Silverman for helping to make the group's inaugural meeting a success.  Twenty-three people attended the first meeting on November 30th in the school library.
        "It's very exciting," Kleinman Schreiber said.  "A lot of people had come to the meeting who hadn't been back since they graduated."
        Her fellow alumni stepped up to serve as the association's first officers.  Kleinman Schreiber was sworn in as president, Paul DeMartino as vice president, Dennis Shapiro as treasurer, Roberta Brill Birnel as secretary and Eileen Howell as historian.  "It's our job now to reach as many alumni as possible to get them back for the 50-year celebration, and also to get them to send their dues so we can start giving out scholarships," Kleinman Schreiber said.
        She said her motivation for organizing reunions and for taking the helm of her alma mater's alumni association is the joy she gets out of bringing people together.  "I get a giant kick out of seeing people see classmates they haven't seen in 40 years," Kleinman Schreiber said.  "It's almost like being a matchmaker.  I also enjoy the challenge of finding people."
        So far, the association has at least one contact from about 40 of the school's 48 graduating classes.  Kleinman Schreiber said the group will serve as an excellent resource for alumni, particularly when they want to organize class reunions, and that one of its major functions will be awarding annual scholarships to graduating seniors.
        "The school deserves an alumni association," said Russo-Rumore, who retired as department head of Languages Other Than English in 2002.  "South High School is a very special place, made that way by the faculty and students there through the years.  I'm surprised it took so long.  Central has one.  North has one.  We were like the odd man out, and our school is a very spirited place."
        The school's spirit will be on display when it hosts its 50th anniversary festivities on March 11.  Plans include brunch, a benefit concert and building tours.  "I think [the alumni association] is one of the best things to come out of our 50th anniversary celebration," Lando said.  "It will serve as a way for us to reach out to people so they can come back and enjoy the celebration, and get back to their roots."