Update 3-31-09

Hi,

Usually, if there's sad news, I start with it, out of respect.  But this week, I need to do a little scholarship business first.
   
    I'm not entirely sure what's going to happen with the scholarship fundraising this spring.  We've supported the Booker Gibson music award and the Vince Tampio theater award for the past five years, and when we created these awards, we promised to maintain them for at least ten years.  But that was before this economy.
        Currently, we have $118 towards this year's Booker Gibson scholarship and $125 towards the Vince Tampio scholarship.  I try to drop the accounts to zero each spring, when we give out the awards, but donations tend to drift in over the year, which is why we have a balance.  That means, this year, we still need to raise about $375 towards each scholarship.
        You know the drill.  In fact, this is pretty much a copy of what I wrote last year:  There are people who've promised to support Vince's award and people who like to remember Booker.  But, of course, anyone may contribute.  Checks should be made out to:  Rich Eisbrouch and sent to me at:  23030 Dolorosa Street, Woodland Hills, California  91367.  In the bottom left corner of your check, please indicate which award you're supporting or if you want your contribution split between the awards.  South's scholarship coordinator Liz King Giordano likes to get the money by mid-May, so that gives us about six weeks to level the accounts.  As soon as we reach the intended goals, I'll let everyone know.  As you've heard from me before, I hate holding on to other people's money over the course of the year, and last June I comfortably managed to whittle that balance down to almost nothing.
   
    Next, unfortunately, some sad news, first from Hy Rosov:  I just leaned that Chuck Messner, a former science teacher at South and a dear friend of mine, passed away yesterday.
        The service will be at:  Temple Sinai, 131 Washington Avenue, Lawrence, New York on Friday, March 27th.  The family will be sitting at home Sunday and Monday.  That address is:  344 Buckingham Road, Cedarhurst, New York.
        Please pass this along to other former students at South.  Thanks.
   
    That note was quickly followed by further information from Eric Hilton:  I just got a phone call from my cousin in New York.  Charles Messner, one of my favorite teachers and a cousin of mine by marriage, had passed away on Tuesday.  Chuck died peacefully in his home at the age 91.
        I use to see Chuck at family parties, and it was always wonderful reminiscing.  In fact, I didn’t know he was my cousin until one family event when I saw him there.  Go figure -- he was my cousin, and what a great person and friend he turned out to be.
        Science and astronomy were my favorite subjects growing up, and Chuck was one of those teachers who lived to teach and truly cared about his students.  I didn’t know until about ninth grade that we were related, not that it earned me any special credit or higher marks.  In fact, one time I said something very sarcastic in class, and Chuck came after me -- in jest -- and I took off.  As a result, I ended up putting my butt through a display cabinet and shattering the glass door.  Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was to have to show my butt to Emily DuVigneau, the school nurse?  Perhaps, if she was eighteen-years-old at the time, I would have felt differently.  In any case, I hope my fellow students have as many wonderful memories as I do of Chuck.
        By the way, at his funeral, there were gazillions of police officers, as his son is in the police department.  Chuck truly was a very well-loved man.
   
    That news was followed by a sad note from Emily Kleinman Schreiber:  I want to let you know that my mom passed away last night.  She is now at peace.
        No details are available at this time, but since Stewart and I are down in Florida, and the funeral will take place on Long Island, it won't be until some time next week.  When I know more, I'll send you that information.
         This may seem to be an impersonal way to inform people of such a tremendous loss, but at this time, talking on the phone is very difficult for me -- I'm sure you'll all understand.
   
    [Rich -- And that news was preceded by a week-or-two by a note from my brother David with word of the death of a remarkable cousin of ours, Reva Korda, one of the first women in advertising.  This is a small section of the eulogy given by her daughter Natasha:
        She worked at Ogilvy and Mather from 1951 to 1980, beginning as an assistant copywriter and ending as creative head of the New York office.  Along the way, she crafted some of the most memorable television ads of her day, such as the Maxwell House percolating coffee pot, one of the longest running ads in television history, and Imperial Margarine's "Fit for a King," in which a crown suddenly pops onto the head of a startled man enjoying his breakfast toast.  She became a Senior Vice President at Ogilvy in 1962 and a member of the board of directors in 1965, at a time when there was only one other woman board member of a top-twenty agency.  In 1973, she was promoted to creative head and executive vice president, making her, according to The New York Times, “the top ranking woman on the creative side of the (advertising) business."  In 1977, the Times featured a full-page ad/interview placed by the Wall Street Journal, titled "Korda's Keys."  It listed my mother’s "keys" to her "extraordinary success," and described her as "one of the most respected writers in the advertising business," and as a "gentle but intense professional" who "helped shape the reputation of that great agency."  In 1995, she was listed by the industry magazine Advertising Age as one of fifty pioneers and visionaries who honed the landscape of modern television, a list that also included Johnny Carson, Bill Cosby, and Marshall McLuhan.  In a 1984 Times article titled "Some 'Supermoms' Who Led the Way," she recalled, "When I looked around the conference table, I was always the only woman in the room, and two years after I became a vice president, I was also the only pregnant person in the room.  I could sell anything when I was pregnant because men wanted to get me out of the room.  It was a wonderful weapon."]
   
    In much happier news, we have an update from Stu Borman about the new class photo site he's created:     
        The new photo site is up.  I think the best address to use to enter the site is the following:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuie/sets/ 
        That address immediately gives visitors a choice of set.  When you select a set, you'll initially see thumbnails but not titles or descriptions. If you click Details, you'll see the titles and descriptions.  A quick way to view full-size versions of the photos is to click Slideshow.  You can also go back to Sets to select a different set.
        Right now the site has 67 photos.  Flickr allows 200 photos in free accounts.  So if I am about to exceed that number, the options would be to start a second site on Photobucket or upgrade the free Flickr account to a Pro account for $24.95 per year.
        If I've made any misassignments of photos into the wrong sets, please let me know.  For example, I don't think the Lord's Woods map is actually yours, Rich, but I didn't know where else to put it.
        All the following are also welcome:  new photos to be posted, corrections, and caption suggestions.  All will be incorporated into the new site.
        By the way, as I write this, the Flickr site seems to be down.  So in case you try it and have no luck, that may be why.  Hopefully, this is not a regular occurrence.
   
    [Rich -- As I wrote Stu, the site looks great.  And, now, can someone please remind me who sent the two teacher photos that Stu credited to me?  Marc Jonas?  Barnet Kellman?  Thanks.]
   
    A question from Ray Staley:  Has anyone heard from John (Jack) Foster recently?  We had been sending e-mail to each other on a regular basis, but for the last six months, I haven't heard from him, and his e-mail address is no longer working.
   
    [Rich -- Unfortunately, I haven't had a functioning address for Jack for some time now.]
   
    A desperate plea from Peter Rosen:  Do you know why a seagull is called a seagull?  Because otherwise it would have to be called a bay gull.
        Please help me.  I can't believe I'm sending this.
   
    A partial mini-reunion note, this time from Mary Sipp Green:  Would you please post something for
    me?  In the May issue of American Artist magazine, which just came out, there is a very nice feature article on my paintings.  I am pretty happy with the reproductions and the selections the editor made.  The magazine can be found at most of the large bookstores and at many libraries.
        Also, I once put a request in the newsletter, and I would like to resubmit my inquiry:  Does anyone remember Mr Jochnowitz, a very brilliant, creative artist who taught at South in our senior year?  He
    was a real inspiration for me, and I would like to know how I could go about finding him?  Any
    ideas?
        Also, several weeks ago I was in Los Angeles. I stayed with Paulinda Schimmel and also got a chance to see Barnet Kellman for a very brief mini-reunion.  Barnet and Paulinda, if you get to read this, I love you
    both.
        Take care everyone, and thank you, Rich, for helping to keep us all together.
   
    A reminder that there may be an Alumni Association meeting this Thursday, April 2nd, at South.  But please check in with Emily Kleinman Schreiber before you go.  I don't know if the meeting has been postponed because of Emily's mother death.
   
    Finally, two notes related to Barnet Kellman's question to Robert Fiveson last week:  "If you really are working for our government, why don't you just come out and say it?"
   
    First, from Robert:  Barnet, don't make me have to kill you.
   
    Next, from Andy Dolich:  No doubt Fiveson is a deep-cover U.S. operative.  Check the economy.
   
    [Now, everybody, duck.]
   
    The South '65 blog:  reunionclass65.blogspot.com
   
    The South '65 photo site:  www.flickr.com/photos/stuie/sets/
   
   
    Rich