Update 10-11-05   

Hi,

First, a request, from Barbara Blitfeld Pech:  Eek!  Between the hurricanes, fires, and floods, including my blow-by-blow -- no pun intended -- account of every miserable storm that's hit Florida, our reunion page is not sounding like a happy place lately.  Does anyone have anything to share that offers nothing more than a smile and some good news?  We are way overdue for something wonderful.  Somebody must have new grandkids to boast about, or a job promotion, a paid-off mortgage, an early retirement, or a lottery win.  Maybe it's time to hear about a successful facelift, and the name of the doctor.  Just asking.

[Rich -- I'd like to accommodate you, Barbara, but there's been this earthquake...]

Actually, some good news, from Paul Zegler:  Doing better here.  Lost 100 pounds now.  Approaching what I weighed in high school.  Sounds scary.
  
And a happy memory from Claire Brush Reinhardt, about in time for Vince Tampio's 73rd birthday:  I was so excited and happy to hear about Vince when we talked in August.  I tried to find him a few times over the years when we were planning reunions, but to no avail.  As happy as I was to hear about his life in California, it is with great sadness that I know now that I cannot reconnect with him here in this world.
    It was our senior year when he first came to South, and I dare say that all of us involved in drama kind of felt cheated in a way, because we were leaving.  I remember how kind he
was to me.  It was early in the year, and he was casting The Boyfriend.  Because he was new, he really did not know any of us that well.  Naturally, you had to be able to sing.  I, unfortunately, cannot carry a tune even if it were strapped to my back, so I thoroughly embarrassed myself by trying to sing a simple Shirley Temple ditty.  I made it totally  unrecognizable, but Vince took pity on me and asked me to be his student director.  I fully expected to spend my time doing errands for him, but to my surprise he totally involved me in the production.  It is one of my very best memories and ego boosters to this day.  So if you are up there taking this all in Vince, thank you again for all you did for all of us.

Some thoughts from Zelda White Nichols about life in North Carolina:  The weather couldn't be more perfect.  Cerulean Blue skies.  About 80 degree temperatures.  And no humidity.

The introductions Linda Tobin Kettering made in presenting this year's Booker Gibson and Vince Tampio scholarships:
    The recipient of this year's Booker Gibson Scholarship Award is a young man who's made a major contribution to South High School's music program.  He's a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, the orchestra, and the chamber orchestra, holding the position of first chair viola.  He's not only an accomplished musician, but also a scholar, and an athlete, being a member of the Athletic Honor Society, the New York State Science Honor Society, the National Math Honor Society, and the National Second Language Honor Society.  Plus, he's a peer mediator, a PAL tutor, a member of our student peer organization, and he's been given both the Protzman Memorial Scholarship and the Coach's Award for Cross Country.  He will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall to study pre-med.  It's my sincere pleasure to present this award to Anderson Lee.
    The recipient of this year's Vince Tampio Memorial Scholarship is a young man who puts his heart and soul into everything he does, whether it's in the classroom, on stage, or in the choir.  All this has made him South's leading man.  He's a proud member of the music group The Long Island Connection, the Men's Choir, the National Honor Society, and the Tri-M Music Honor Society.  He's also been given a Miami University Scholarship, the Miami Achievement Award, the Oxford Ohio Honors Award, the Willa S. Yeck Theater Scholarship, the Nassau County Bar Association "We Care" Scholarship, and the New York State Elk's Association Scholarship award.  I am pleased to present this award to Jeffrey Leshansky.

Finally, the rest of the catch-up I've been promising on the August reunion:  Financially, we just about broke even, ending only a few hundred dollars short.  And that was pretty well covered by the fact I stayed at my mother's house and shifted my hotel room money to the party.  But we wouldn't have come even that close to covering our expenses if it hadn't been for all the people from our class who helped support the party but weren't able to come, and all the people from other classes who happily joined us.  Thanks again to everyone.
    Next, about Booker Gibson and Sherry Finkel's performance:  This was just neat, though it got a little delayed by the intrusive photographer.  Booker and Sherry were supposed to have a clear half-hour to perform, after the hors d'oeuvres and before dinner.  Instead, the photographer budded in.  By the time he finished, the buffet had been set out and people were hungry, so Booker and Sherry were a bit squeezed-in, which was unfortunate.  But they nicely performed Vince and Booker's ballad, then Sherry sang some peppier songs, since even Booker admitted that Vince's lyrics were "a bit of a downer."  But, hey, sad songs sell, and this is a nice one.
    One more thing about those formal photos:  several were taken -- a couple of our class, some of the classes of '61 to '63, and a batch of the class of '67.  I don't have any of them because I figured people would scan and send me copies.  So far, no one has, and I haven't remembered to ask.  But I'm asking, and if you send them, I'll put them online.
    While we ate, we also managed to fit in a talk from South's present principal Steve Lando.  He gave us tentative plans for South's Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration this March and invited us all to come.  He also gave Dennis, Paul, and me South baseball caps -- bright red with a neat letter S.  If I come east in March, I'll wear the hat.
        And about Barbara Peres and Roberta Brill dancing:  damn nice, considering they're several classes ahead of us, but far more agile than I ever was.  When I last did dance, somewhere in someone's basement in the sixth grade, I always had to be told which foot to move first.  And it's not like there's a whole range of choices.
    And, since people have asked, here's -- to the best of my knowledge -- the list of those who attended the parties.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Joan Aries Cleven
Jay Berliner
Barbara Blitfield Pech
Thomas Booth '66
Barbara Brill
Roberta Brill '62
Ray Buckley '62
C.J. Calamari
Lenny Cangemi '62
Linda Cohen Greenseid
Larry Coleman
Elaine DeMartino Maas '67
Paul DeMartino
Anne Dinoff Gubenko '69
Teresa Donahue Calamari
Rich Eisbrouch
Ellen Epstein Silver
Robin Feit Baker
Vinnie Fileccia '61
Sherry Finkel Murphy '77
Patricia Gaffney Bianculli
Peggy Galinger Menaker
Carole Ganz
Booker Gibson
John Giordano
Liz King Giordano
Steve Gootzeit
Neil Guberman
Art Halprin
Mark Hillman '69
Stuart Kandel
Rob Kelman
Emily Kleinman Schreiber '61
Ralph Kramer
Stephen Lando
Ross Lipsky (present South Math teacher)
Theresa Margolin Bargman
Tony Martino '62
Tom McPartland '64
Mrs. McPartland
Ira Mitzner
Martha Morenstein
Allen Moss
Joseph Mulligan '62
Neal Murphy '77
Ellen Nudelman Davidson
Lynn Nudelman Villagran
Bernie O'Brien
Peter Olson '07
Peter Panzarino '69
Barbara Peres Napolitano '62
Judy Peters Sylvan
Benette (Steindam) Pizzimenti '66
Dennis Pizzimenti
Claire Reinhardt '62
Rachel Robinson Mitzner
Irv Saffrin
Irene Saunders Goldstein
Carl Schultz (retired Physics teacher)
Mrs. Schultz
Dennis Shapiro
Ronnie Sherman Hirsch '69
Lanie Statsinger '62
Danny Stellabotte
Mrs. Stellabotte
Karen Tarowsky '69
Bill Taylor '69
Mark Yetman
Arthur Yngstrom '69
Patrick Yngstrom '67

Also, the list of our class' s financial supporters:

Alison Altman
Peggy Cooper Schwartz
Andy Dolich
Carol Ewig Duran
Alan Finder
Henry Gabbay
Judith Hartstone
Marilyn Horowitz Goldhammer
Marc Jonas
Barnet Kellman
Jay Kinder
Peter Rosen
Jane Ruzow Tiell
Robin Singer Taylor
Zelda White Nichols