Update 8-2-05

Hi,

Some quick notes before the party. And next week's newsletter will be late, 'cause I'm staying on the other coast for a couple days. I'll be back Wednesday.
    First, if you're coming unannounced to one of the parties: Bring Cash. Make Dennis's life easier.
     Second, if the only thing keeping you away from the parties is the hundred buck cover charge: Come anyway, and see me. We have a little extra money left from generous supporters and can sneak a few people into the food line. But leave your dogs home.
     Third, casual dress. No formals. But: "No shirts. No shoes. No reunion." We gotta impress the young folk.
     And, yes, there will be cameras. Personal. Professional. And video. More about the further down.

Next, this week's mail:

First, from Jane Ruzow Tiell: Hi, everyone. While I knew I couldn't make the reunion, I never thought about contributing until I read the last update about several people going for chemotherapy and unfortunately missing the event. I have been extremely lucky with having a great job, as Assistant Principal of a high school, a terrific husband for 36 years, two married sons, and a beautiful grandson, all healthy. So I am sending a contribution for everyone to have a wonderful time. I am also going to send a donation to the American Cancer Association. So pick up your glasses when you are all together, to wish the very best of luck to our classmates and their families for a healthy recovery.

Then, Jean Cohen Doklan: I wish you all fun and good times at the reunion. I would love to be there, but as I said as soon as the party was announced, I'll be walking down the aisle with our son, Ezra, on that Saturday afternoon, for his wedding. Have a wonderful time!
Also, I always enjoy checking out the newsletters and realized I need to "clean house" as far as my bio. I no longer work at IBM and have moved over to the Department of Homeland Security. So, you are more than welcome to delete everything in my bio and just
include my name, email address: doklan@yahoo.com and my birthday, September 13th. 'Cause I love getting cards!

[Rich -- Harry early birthday, Jean. Happy wedding, Ezra.]

From Helen David: Now is as good a time as ever to let you all in on a secret: Almost all of the teachers at South in the 60's were young (in our twenties and thirties), and the feeling of camaraderie was tremendous. Many of us would meet for coffee at or before 8 o'clock, and again at lunch. The teacher's room was full of jokes and laughter.
Although we might have shared a classroom experience of the day, for those periods, we were on our own, away from the cares of our profession. We remained together for twenty- to-thirty years, and were truly a family. We still have an affection for each other. Those were good days, and it was only possible because we were largely stress free and rewarded by the interactions with our (mostly) terrific students.

From Hy Rosov: Please convey my best wishes to all the graduates attending this reunion. In my years at South, I had the pleasure of having many of them in class, on the Legend staff, or as part of the Flying Enchiladas. Some, I even enjoyed photographing at the football games as the official varsity photographer. What a great group of young energetic and fun-loving kids. My days at South were a complete joy because of all of YOU. THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!

From Terri Donohue Calamari: Mr. O'Brien has solved a number of our guest problems. Unfortunately, Mr. Schmidt and Ms. Ressa Schmidt can't make it, and there's still no response from Ms Rea. But I start my trip climbing up the coastline tomorrow. See you all Friday.

And Peter Rosen: Hi, everyone. Unfortunately, I will not be coming to the reunion. This is a last minute change of plans. Many of you know that I have been commuting to work in Northern Virginia from Atlanta for the last 3 1/2 years. I finally decided to end this period of my life and move back to Atlanta and find a job there. I got lucky and am now the Vice President of Human Resources for a healthcare staffing company which will be headquartered in Atlanta. The reason I've shared all this is to explain that with the move and new job, weekends have become a luxury, and I need to take advantage of the time to get resettled back into our Atlanta home. I am very disappointed and will very much miss seeing everyone. I know you will have a blast. Meanwhile, for those who may come through Atlanta, please give me a call. And I do travel to the Tampa / St. Petersburg area on a regular basis.

From Steve Cahn '70: I would love to join you all, and I actually know quite a few people there I would enjoy seeing. But I will be out of town this weekend. Still, I wish you all the best of luck and know you will have a great time.

From Emily Kleinman Schreiber '61: I will be at the reunion Friday and Saturday, though, but probably without my husband. Unfortunately, Len would be ready to leave two minutes after we arrived. So it's more fun this way!

From Barbara Peres Napolitano '63: The vote is in . . . I won't have to travel for work for the next few weeks, so I'll be able to attend the reunion.

Reunion Business:

First, from Paul DeMartino: There will be a still photographer coming to our event at no obligation or charge to anyone. I have been pestered by at least 5 or 6 different photographers ever since I put the first ad in Newsday. One photographer from as far as Alabama! I gave in to the most persistent one.
Second, from Paul DeMartino: I've just confirmed with the hotel catering manager that our parties start at 7:00 PM both nights and continue to midnight. We can enter the hospitality suite at 5:00 PM Friday, to prepare, but the bartender won't be in until 7:00. The hospitality suite will also be open all day Saturday until 7:00 PM when the dinner starts. One snag is that the hotel will not be able to provide a piano for Booker. They only have a baby grand and there are three steps to enter the room, and they will not move the piano across steps. The piano is available to us, but it is not near the suite. It doesn't seem practical to move the party into an open area to be near the piano, but maybe we can just to hear Booker play for 15 minutes. Let's look at the situation on Friday.

From Dennis Shapiro: Confirmation for Pat Gaffney Bianculli, Anne Dinoff Gubenko '69, and Terri Donohue Calamari's daughter and son. Also, Robin Feit Baker, Barbara Blitfield Pech, and I will buy snacks for the party Friday afternoon. See you soon.

From Ross Lipsky, Valley Stream South Mathematics Department: I've been in contact with Liz King-Giordano who has suggested I get in contact with you. As she has mentioned to you, I am the advisor of the Falcon Report, a weekly television news show at South that has been charged with the responsibility of producing an Oral History of South High School to commemorate its first 50 years. Your reunion provides an immense opportunity for us to speak to those who are intricately familiar with South's earlier years.
Our goal is to interview those who wish to speak while being careful not to intrude on the rest of your celebration. After speaking with Liz, it seems Saturday evening would be the best time for us to do this. In order for it to work, we would need a place to tape that is
quiet (away from any loud music or similar entertainment). Each interview should not take more than five minutes, and Liz will help manage traffic flow. I would have a student with me who would be conducting the interviews -- the president of my club and probably
the best student I have met at South to date. From conversation with Booker, I am certain that he would not mind being taped while performing; I have not spoken to Sherry.
Let me know if there's anything I need to know, or any concerns you have. Thank you very much for working with us on this, and I look forward to meeting you.

Other business:

From Irene Saunders Goldstein: I guess it's time to announce my new and improved e-mail address: ireneEdit@comcast.net See you soon.

From Ray Staley: The complete list of the 1,000 top United States schools: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7723397/site/newsweek/?page=2

From Robert Fiveson: More information on The Island / Clonus controversy: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/movies/2002394690_islandripoff.html

From Amy Lieberman '68: Any chance of getting Lainie Statsinger's e-mail address? I know my brother would love to say "hi." The Statsingers lived on our block -- Hungry Harbor Road. I remember her sister, who lived here in Los Angeles a while back. Thanks.
Also, does anyone have Martin Solomon's e-mail address?

The current reunion attendee, guest, and supporter list, alphabetically by their last names in 1965:
Alison Altman (supporter only)
Joan Aries Cleven
Jay Berliner
Barbara Blitfield Pech
Thomas Booth '66
Roberta Brill '62
Ray Buckley '62 (Friday)
C.J. Calamari
Trish Calamari
Tom Calise
Joe Caruso ?
Linda Cohen Greenseid
Peggy Cooper Schwartz (supporter only)
Wendy D'Angelo Scully '68 ?
Carol D'Angelo Tucci '67 ?
Elaine DeMartino Maas '67
Paul DeMartino
Anne Dinoff Gubenko '69
Andy Dolich (supporter only)
Teresa Donahue Calamari
Rich Eisbrouch
Barbara Endy Ianniello
Ellen Epstein Silver
Carol Ewig Duran (supporter only)
Robin Feit Baker
Alan Finder ?
Sherry Finkel (and her husband Neil ?) '68
Henry Gabbay
Patricia Gaffney Bianculli
Peggy Galinger Menaker
Carole Ganz and her husband
Booker Gibson
Liz King Giordano (Assistant to South's principal) and her husband
Steve Gootzeit
Neil Guberman
Art Halprin
Judith Hartstone (supporter only)
Marilyn Horowitz Goldhammer (supporter only)
Mark Hillman '69
Marc Jonas (supporter only)
Stuart Kandel
Rob Kelman
Barnet Kellman (supporter only)
Linda Kettering Tobin '69 ?
Jay Kinder (supporter only)
Emily Kleinman Schreiber '61
Ralph Kramer
Stephen Lando (South principal) ?
Theresa Margolin Bargman (Friday)
John Marmaro '62
Tony Martino '62
Tom McPartland and his wife '64
Ira Mitzner
Martha Morenstein ?
Allen Moss
Joseph Mulligan '62
Ellen Nudelman Davidson (Friday)
Lynn Nudelman Villagran
Bernie O'Brien (Friday)
Barbara Peres Napolitano '63
Judy Peters Sylvan
Dennis and Benette (Steindam '66) Pizzimenti
Claire Reinherdt '62
Rachel Robinson Rizzo
Peter Rosen (supporter only)
Jane Ruzow Tiell (supporter only)
Irv Saffrin ? (Friday)
Irene Saunders Goldstein
Dennis Shapiro
Ronnie Sherman Hirsch '69
Robin Singer Taylor ?
Lanie Statsinger '62
Danny Stellabotte
Bill Taylor '69
Mark Yetman
Arthur Yngstrom '69
Patrick Yngstrom '67
Zelda White Nichols (supporter only)

When: August 5th, 6th, 7th (Friday night through Sunday noon)
Where: Hilton Long Island/Huntington, 598 Broadhollow Road, Melville, New York, 11747
Cost: $100 per person (Friday night party alone: $25 per person is requested.)
Friday night cocktail party with snacks and cash bar 7:00 PM -- Midnight
Saturday night buffet with open bar 7:00 PM -- Midnight; Dinner at 8:00
The Hotel's Phone Number is: 631-845-1000.