Update 12-6-05

Hi,

A mess of things, from Alumni Association news to noble aspirations.  The easy stuff first.

Left over from last week, from Eric Hilton:  Hi to y'all.  I would agree with Barbara about the location of the January gathering in Florida.  I think Naples, which is reminiscence of Hewlett Harbor, but with no Loehmans or Wall's Bakery, would be a good place to meet. Being in retail means I have to work on Saturday until 5:00 PM, but I'm off on Sunday. Naples is approximately a two-hour drive from Sarasota.  I'm up for any suggestions, but would listen to Barbara very carefully, as she knows neet shit!  Warmest regards to all.

Left over from Ryki Zuckerman '66:  For the record:  I'll take snow shoveling over:  hurricanes, flooding, mudslides, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, drought, wildfires, ash raining down, and such assorted delights that Florida, California, and tropical paradises get.

Left over from last week from Emily Kleinman Schreiber:  I have some good news!  Back in 1995, a Valley Stream South High School Alumni Association, Inc. was created, and its name exists in the New York State Department of State's records.  That saves us some precious time and money.  I've requested certain documents from the Department of State which will enable me to purchase a corporate kit which includes a seal plus a book which contains guidelines for minutes and bylaws.
     The ball is rolling, and I'm feeling good about it.  I hope you do, too.  Meanwhile, the following alumni have notified me that they'd be attending the meeting:  Linda Murtagh, Ken and Laura Ulric, Teri Nebrosini-DeAngelis, Vicky Nebrosini-Cogliano, Steve Kahn, Roberta Brill, Ray Richford, Claire Brush, Billy Gillespie, Bernie O'Brien, Bob Cooper, Madeline Silverman, and Nell Landeman.  I'm sorry if I didn't get all the names down perfectly, and if I left your name off the list, please forgive me.  If anyone else wants to join this group of founders, please don't hesitate to drop by.

New this week from Emily Kleinman Schreiber:  Oh my god!  The meeting was sensational!  We had about twenty-five alumni and teachers there, and everyone was excited -- especially me.  We have our officers, and two of your guys volunteered to serve.  Guess who's president?  Imagine, nobody volunteered to be the leader.  So here I am -- the first president of the Valley Stream South High School Alumni Association.

[Rich -- Congratulations, of course.  From all.]

The official news release from Emily:  I'll try to be brief!  Our first Valley Stream South High School Alumni Association meeting on November 30th was a huge success!  There were twenty-three enthusiastic alumni and teachers present in South's library.  Several people volunteered to be officers.  They are:  yours truly, president; Paul DeMartino, vice president; Dennis Shapiro, treasurer; Robbie Brill-Birnel, secretary; and Eileen Howell, historian.
     There is also an official membership application form which I can send to anyone who's interested.  It will arrive as a PDF document attachment.  The annual dues are fifteen dollars.  Ask for the form by writing me at: cre8em@aol.com
    I hope to have minutes from the meeting soon, and I'll pass them on.  And I hope to see even more people at our next meeting, which will be on Thursday, January 12, 2006.

Used without permission from Ken Ulric (but Ken's an old friend of mine who probably won't kill me):  I thought the meeting went very well.  What everyone seems to agree on is that the establishment of the group itself is a good idea.  Everyone seems willing to work to make it successful and to put in the time at meetings to make that happen.  We'll see where it goes.  It's easy to get a bunch of people together for a good idea.  The mark of a successful group is the number of people who maintain their interest.
Cribbed from Paul DeMartino, who probably won't kill me, either:  Yes, it's true:  I am finally a Vice President.  It took fifty-eight years, but better late than never.  I suppose that Emily has already filled you in on the details of the meeting and the goals of the alumni association.  The fifteen dollar a year dues are nominal, and now we have to encourage our classmates to participate.  Dennis is handling the money as treasurer and will be setting up a checking account very soon.  The association is a good way to stay connected to each other and at the same time give something back to the school.  It was a little strange though to walk the halls for the first time since graduation, and we met in the new library, which is where the old grassy quad had been in the center of the building.  Also, we are beginning to experience winters' Big Chill.

Stolen from Dennis Shapiro, who wouldn't waste time going to jail for killing me:  I just figured if I was going to join the alumni association why not do something to help?

And the big one, with a dated deadline, which is why this is a little early this week.  From Robert Fiveson:  Dear Classmates.  Ever see an injustice and wonder why it occurred, and how come no one did anything to make it right?  About a year or so ago, Gail Ulrich sent me a story about a local kid in her area of Florida who had mental problems and some behavior "acting up" type issues that got him arrested a time or two.  These were the kinds of things that in our time would have been seen as "boys being boys'," but as these occurred in an area of Florida famous for treating minors as adults and throwing them into adult jails  --a practice carried out by only a few despotic countries and the United States -- this kid got sentenced to ten years for stealing a six pack of beer from an open garage.  He then made the mistake of slipping his cuffs in the patrol car and trying to run for it.  He was sixteen at the time and off his meds for severe bipolar disorder.  I got involved in trying to help, but nothing seemed to make a difference.  Today, I got this letter from the man spearheading the effort to help this poor kid.  Now I am asking you to read this and imagine this happening to your sixteen-year-old son with problems.  To imagine your little boy being locked in an adult prison for ten years, and not knowing what to do or who to turn to -- or having the money even if you did.  If this moves you at all, then do what's needed.  My son turns eighteen in two months, and I remember what Jay Tuerk and I used to get into.  This kid needs our help.  The letter explaining follows. Thanks Gail.  And thanks Class of '65.
    The letter below may be in The St. Peter Times and The Chronicle Sunday or Monday.  If you agree with it:  1. Write a signed letter of support; or 2. Just sign a copy of this letter that you agree.  Then please immediately mail the letter to me so I can present them to the review board on December 15th in Tallahassee.  Also, please forward this request to people who you feel would also support the release of this kid.  With regard those who have mental health illness, I keep remembering that "There but for the grace of God go I."
    Article:  Does injustice always win?  Only your “letters of support” will bring justice.  It is so obvious, to so many of us, that Adam Bollenback’s crime does not warrant the punishment. No way, does a sixteen-year-old juvenile stealing a six-pack of beer from an open garage in broad daylight, even if the law defines it is burglary of occupied dwelling, deserve a sentence of ten years in adult prison.  Juveniles who have murdered have received lesser sentences.
    A comparable sentencing example comes from The Chronicle on November 29.  Representative. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, an eight-term congressman and Vietnam War fighter jock, pleaded guilty to graft, admitting he took $2.4 million in bribes.  He could get up to 10 years in prison on federal charges of conspiracy.  That's the same ten years.
    And yet, after forty months, Adam, who is a bipolar and has ADHD mental disorder, is still in prison.  What’s wrong?
    I believe that in this world there are three types of people:  Those who “make things happen."  Those who “watch things happen.”  And those who say, “What happened?"
    “What happened” in Adam’s case?  He did steal the beer.  This was the mischievous act of a sixteen year-old with no intent to harm anyone.  He went to court.  He was considered an adult because, months earlier, Adam was charged as an adult for theft of a bag of potato chips in the school lunchroom.  This charge was dropped, but according to the law, once a people are charged as adults, they can no longer be charged as juveniles.  Adam went before Judge Ric “Hang ‘Em High” Howard who used Adam as a teaching tool in front of other juvenile offenders.  The result was the sentence of ten years in adult prison.  This was  legal and within the sentencing guidelines for an adult burglary of an occupied dwelling, but was it right?  Justice was not well served.
    So for forty months, one-third of the ten-year sentence, we’ve watched the newspapers for this ridiculous and notorious situation to be resolved.  The newspaper staffs have written  many fine articles trying to make people aware of the extent of mental illness and its relationship to the problem of juveniles in prison.  But the newspapers function is only to “watch things happen” and report, so “we, the people” are aware and can do something.
    So who is supposed to “make things happen?"  Who can correct this injustice?  Only the governor has the power to act.  Our legislators can create the laws, but they leave it to the courts to interpret them.  After a year-and-a-half in prison, a request was sent to have Adam’s case reviewed.  It was denied with the statement that a minimum of two years served was required before a review.  Within months, Adam was stabbed in the neck with an ice pick by a fellow inmate.  A second request for clemency was sent in November 2003, requesting an immediate review of the case, fearing that Adam would not live to make the two-year requirement.
    After twenty-five months, the second request is still in process and, as we all know, these processes sometimes takes time, a lot of time.  There are rules to be followed and procedures to go through.  I believe that rules and the process, however, are made for usual sentences.  Leaders are chosen to do what’s right, especially when the rules or guidelines should not apply, and injustice wins. Judges have the discretion to deviate from the sentencing guidelines, but this did not happen in Adam’s case.  So what can we do?
    If the clemency review committee renders an unfavorable recommendation for release, Adam will spend another three years in prison before the next request for clemency can be submitted.  Then, process time has to be added before the hearing.  But just how much blood does the justice system need for stealing a six-pack of beer?
    I am like many of you, just one of “we, the people” who want this situation corrected and Adam released.  But, only if the “voice of the people” is heard will this happen.  So don’t just ask, “What happened?" or watch what happens in the newspapers to see what the reporters can do.  Chose to make the difference.  As one of “we, the people,” believe it or not, you have the opportunity to “make things happen.”
    Criminalization of youth with mental health conditions is a nationwide problem, but Adam is our local example of being incarcerated rather than receiving treatment.  If you believe:
    1.  Juveniles should not be sent to an adult prison unless, as intended, a major crime has been committed.
    2.  Mental health treatment is a better alternative to jail
    3.  Adam has served more than enough time for his crime and should come home to Citrus County
    Then please send a signed letter saying, “I agree”and attach it to this letter.  Mail it to the: National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), P.O. Box 641312, Beverly Hills, Florida 34465.  At the December 15th clemency review meeting in Tallahassee, your letters will be presented.  May justice finally prevail and release Adam Bollenback.