Update 3-7-06

Hi,

Some sleuthing and some other stuff:

From Amy Miller for Steve Cahn, '70:  The last address I have for Fred Cagan is from 1988.  It's:  59 Roosevelt Apartment 2B, Long Beach, New York, 11561.  Phone number:  431-5446.
   
    From Betsy Fels Pottruck:  Sherry Gordon moved to Florida maybe 40 years ago.  I don't think she ever came back.  I have no idea where the rest of the people you're looking for are, though Joanie and I lived right around the corner on Riverdale from all of them.
   
    From Amy Lieberman: I meant to write you last week, and now another tidbit today tells me I must.
        From last week:  Amy Sternhell is alive and living in New York City.  We had drinks a couple of years ago.  I'm not remembering this correctly, but she's not a nurse, but is something like a nurse.  Forgive me.  It's been awhile.  I left her a message on one of my recent trips back, but didn't hear back, but I'm sure she's still there doing her thing.
        Also, from this week:  Jeanie DeGennaro is the sister of Joyce and Joanne.  And both of these two are from my class, 1969.
        I'd love to know what teacher's end up going to the 50th reunion.  I wish I could make it.  I know a group from our class will be there, including Wendy Feuer and some others.  Best to all.
   
    From  Joanne Shapiro Polner, '59:  In my story about your help from a long time ago, I said David Shapiro, and that is incorrect.  It was Dennis.  I realized that when I woke up this morning.
        Another error.  The newsletter said:  And a John C. associated with the Joyce name at Verizon.net has six listings."  Did your spellchecker change Veromi.net to Verizon.net?  I don't want to mislead researchers nor have them miss out on knowing about Veromi.net.
        I am going to write to Rosalie Ferrera from Claire's e-mail list  to ask after sister Nina Ferrera.  Tom McPartland is the class of '64 rep?  How can I get in touch with him?  May be some siblings in '64.
        I uncovered a report on the 75th anniversary of Long Island University in 2001, and the Stecklow Family are big time donors.  William Stecklow was in my class.  There are two scholarships, one named for Sarah Stecklow and the other named for Roger Treinis.  I read this as both of those persons have died.  Lynn Treinis is married to William Stecklow.  Do you think that Sarah and Roger were married?  Another sadness at the end of a day.  I will e-mail William (Bill) and maybe things will come clear.
        Also, if anyone wants to look for friends and needs some specific guidance on how to start, or how to enrich the searching, please write to me:  jocem@juno.com
   
    From Barbara Blitfield Pech to Fran Bellucci, among others:  I almost can't wait to drop you these lines after reading your note.  While I always have you close in thought, I do want to share an addendum to your line in this week's update, as it is close and personal to us both.  And keep in mind that thirty years later, I can finally smile over the preposterous  unprepareredness of the situation and its creator, and I hope you can, too.
        As you must remember,  my dad, "The Big O," was both a trial attorney and family court judge.  Certainly, a man of action, experience and a "do as I say" kind of guy.  Needless to add, his health was not the best, but of course, he wasn't sick. ergo. "Why plan ahead?" Days prior to his sixty-second birthday, while playing his weekly  bridge hand with the guys, the hour ran late, and my dad seemed to have dozed off at the card table.  Of course, it wasn't a nap, but a massive coronary that took his life at that moment.  After arrangements and details, my mother faced the grim task of closure.  Now keeping in mind his profession, the man died without a will!  Talk about denial.  Suffice it to say, the estate took over ten years to settle, and that was thirty years ago.  I can only imagine, with 401Ks, options, CDs, annuities, and timeshares, what a similar death would be to settle today.  I can still see my mom sitting on the floor going through everything but the paper towels trying to sort out life and death.  If my father hadn't already died, I can promise you there were more than a few times she wanted to reach out and choke him.  Thanks for the alert.  If things get gnarly, I wouldn't be surprised if you try to channel my mom for a few pointers.  And she'll probably show up to help!
   
    From Emily Kleinman Schreiber:  Since March 11th will be here very soon, I wanted to take time to thank to all of those who shared precious memories with me.  The 40 page journal, which seems more like a book to me, is now at the printer, and I'm really pleased with how it's turned out.  Alumni association members will receive a copy of it, as that seems to be good incentive to join.  And feel free to do more than just join, if you can.  Also, the following message came from a former teacher of ours, and I want to share it with all of you:  "Em the gem, you are on a roll.  As word spreads, I hope more people will jump on the bandwagon.  Thursday I will be at a meeting with members of the Board of Ed. and the administration of my high school on a project that they have in mind.  We started an Athletic Hall-Of-Fame.  It was a big undertaking.  The case and installation will hold 900 nameplates of athletes from the 1930s to the year 2000.  The cost to start was $3500.  I went to graduates of my era who I knew had some spare money and put the arm on them.  One of my buddies, who was two years behind me, donated $25,000 to the association and $10,000 to the Hall-Of-Fame.  Those are the people we have to find, and I know we have them."
   
    Finally, highlights of the February 23, 2006 alumni association meeting, as usual respectfully submitted by Roberta Brill Birnel, secretary
        To start with, Emily Kleinman Schreiber passed around the memory book in progress to show what she has done so far.  Then we were shown the logo which will be on the mug that will be sold for $5.00 on March 11th.  Irwin Kotcher has ordered one-hundred-and-forty-four mugs.  Thank you, Irwin.
        Also in attendance:  Ray Richford, Claire Brush Reinhardt, Karin Schade Sofarelli, Karen Grimm, Eileen Howell, Dennis Shapiro, Edie Mandel, Laura Waxman Ulric, Ken Ulric, Irene Sundal, Eric Spinner, Vincent Viviano, Madeline Silverman, Robin Feit Baker, Cathy Frohn, Arthur Yngstrom, Booker Gibson, Mary Ann Riccio, Elaina Riccio Garces, Linda Tobin Kettering, Effie Xenos, Stephen Lando, Barbara Peres Napolitano, and Linda Marlowe, ‘82.
        At a meeting with Dr. Lando, it was learned that the alumni association reception and luncheon on March 11th would be held in the South High School library.  As of tonight, seventy-five people have paid for lunch.  Dr. Lando gave Emily a folder with yearbook pages that have been photocopied by South's students and that will be on display.  They were copied so that we can compile a list of former teachers and their years of service to South.  Displaying some of these pages in a creative way would be great, and we need someone or several people to help do that.  We also learned that the son of South's first principal James  Bergen will unveil a painting of the original South High building with the courtyard in front, and that our book of memories will be printed by ISC at no cost to the association.  Plus, there will be posters put up around the community to advertise the March 11th celebration, and an invitation has been sent from the association to the former faculty members. Thank you Effie Xenos and Nancy Russo-Rumore for helping with that.
        There were suggestions for signs to be made by students for our tables of the decades: 50s – 45 speed records, Elvis, and Rock ‘n’ Roll;  60s – Beatles, Kennedy, space exploration, the Twist, and bell-bottom pants;  70s – tie-dye, flower children, disco, and afros;  80s – torn clothes, long hair, and inline skates;  90s – cell phones and CDs;  00’s – iPods.
        Dr. Lando suggested that in the future  our regular meetings be held on the first or third Thursday of the month so that he or someone else from the administration can attend.  Our first meeting after March 11th will be on Thursday, April 6th  at 7:15 PM in South’s library.
        In the Treasurer's report, Dennis Shapiro told us that we have $1955 plus tonight’s checks, which translates to about 125 members. Oddly, we do not yet have members representing any of the classes from the 1980s.
        We again discussed evening plans for the 11th, and it was finally decided that we all would do our own thing.  Claire Reinhardt suggested Goldie’s Restaurant in Gibson, which can accommodate thirty-five people in addition to their regular crowd.
        There will not be a dance at the school, but there will be coffee and baked goods at the reception at 11:00 AM.  Volunteers will arrive between 10:00 and 10:30 to help set up. Wristbands will be given to those who have paid for the luncheon and/or the concert.  Faculty members and dignitaries will be easily identifiable by their red or white flowers.  A table will be set up to accept new alumni association members.  The school is also asking for more donations for the Silent Auction to be held during the concert.
        Dr. Lando was effusive in his pride and excitement at the contributions being made by the alumni association, not only to the festivities of March 11th, but also for the future benefits to the school and its students.  There was a great deal of discussion about the association logo, and suggestions were made about how to include the South's acrostic:  Scholarship, Ongoing, Unity, Tradition, Heritage.