Update 2-9-10

Hi,

First, I hope everyone who's presently surrounded by snow is soon safely out of it.

Second, Happy early Valentine's Day, since I seem to have missed heralding the return of the groundhog.

Third, from Linda Tobin Kettering:  As you may or may not already know, Rick Goldsmith's -- class of '69 -- documentary The Most Dangerous Man in America: The Daniel Ellsberg Story has been nominated for an Academy Award.  Rick co-wrote, produced, and directed the film, so let's hope he joins the class of '71's Deborah Oppenheimer -- producer of 2000's Oscar winning Into the Arms of Strangers -- in winning an Academy Award for best documentary
    Also, more show business news:  Tokyo (Arnie) Rosenthal, class of '69, will be playing, for one night only, on Wednesday February 10th, at 7:30 PM at The Bitter End in New York City.  Toke lives in North Carolina now and has been playing his folk/rock/blues all around the world.  Attendees will receive his newest CD "Ghosts."  No reservations needed.  Lots of his classmates will be there, so please join us.

Fourth, from Steve Cahn:  Does anyone know the whereabouts of Fred Cagan?  He has an older brother, Andy who, I think, was in the class of '60.  I'd appreciate any leads I can get.  Thanks.

Fifth, a reminder from Emily Kleinman Schreiber that, barring a snowstorm, the Alumni Association will be meeting on Thursday, February 11th, at South, at 7:15 PM in the library.

Next, a series of interrelated letters about our coming summer reunion:

From Barbara Blitfield Pech:  I don't know about not picking one hotel that most out-of-towners can stay at.  I would hate to go for the weekend and find that everyone is scattered around Long Island.  Part of the fun of the last reunions was just walking out of the room and bumping into each other in the lobby, at the pool, or in one of the hotel's restaurants.
    Also, I would not like to have to add a car and directions to my travel plans, and without a base hotel, it seems that there is even more planning to do for outside meals and party trips.  At least that can be added rather than the venue.  But that's just my long distance opinion.
From Peter Rosen:  I totally agree with Barbara, especially coming from an out-of-town perspective.  Having a central place to congregate and hang out adds an important dimension, as I thought it did at our 37th.

From Allen Moss:  Moss in Maine here weighing in on the issue of a single hotel/motel or not.  I would still be in favor of finding a centrally located place where out-of-towners could stay together and invite the local folks in.  One of the advantages is that there would always be places to sit and schmooze -- rooms, the pool, the bar -- and not have to worry about being asked to leave after a period of time.  Plus, the idea of just hanging out in a restaurant for hours only to come back the next day and hang out again in another restaurant seems a bit much.  One of the nice things about the last two reunions was that, at any time of day or night, there would be groups of Falcons sitting and relaxing in various places in the hotel.  There were still folks who went on day trips, but there was a home base to come back to.  It also seemed to me that we were talking about more than twenty folks.  Has that decreased in the last few weeks?  Hope all is well with everyone.

From Irene Saunders Goldstein:  Here's my view -- the wonderful organizers of our first recent reunion -- the 37th? -- got the formula just right, and I'm hoping we can continue to replicate it.  We out-of-towners walked out of the hotel elevator into a crowd of Falcons -- and we all loved it.  We were able to relax on many comfortable conversation couches in the lobby, and the bar was just a few steps away. 
    Robert Fiveson drove Paul Zegler and me to the reunion -- was that ever fun! -- so I don't know how close to an airport that hotel is.  I hope it's close.  Unless we can find someplace equally comfortable, reasonably affordable, and centrally located, I'd be glad to return there. 
    Maybe this time, we out-of-towners might try to coordinate local transportation if we're arriving by air at around the same time.  But that's another conversation for later.  Meanwhile, thanks, Barbara, for initiating this conversation.

From someone in the class of '69:  Personally, I was not very fond at all of where our recent class of '69 reunion was held.  I didn't like the ambience, or the food, or the DJs, or the motel.  Basically, I liked none of it, but that's just one opinion, and I won't elaborate further.  Please sign me "Anonymous," because, really, I don't think you should put my name to this.

Some helpful information from Arlene Ainbinder Lynn by way of Barbara Blitfield Pech:  I have some information for you about the hotels/motels in the Rockville Centre area.  I know it's been in your newsletters before, but here it is, collected again:

The Best Western - Mill River Manor (formerly the Holiday Inn)
173 Sunrise Highway (Route 27)
Rockville Centre
516-678-1300

Hampton Inn/Suites
125 Merrick Road  (behind/around the corner from King Kullen)
Rockville Centre
516-599-1700

Holiday Inn Express
1 Sunrise Highway
Lynbrook (at the intersection with Ocean Avenue)
516-596-3000

The Diplomat Motor Inn
1000 Sunrise Highway
Rockville Centre (Baldwin border -- but across the parking lot from TGIF Friday)
516-678-1100

Prices vary at the different sites and could range from approximately $114 to $149 and up per night, depending on the time of year and length of stay.  Let people know that if they stay in the Rockville Centre area, they will be in walking distance of all the restaurants/bars/night life for the rest of the weekend.  I hope this helps.

[Rich -- This all seems great to me.  Of the maybe twenty people who seem interested in the reunion -- and not many more than that have responded -- about half live on Long Island, so the choice of hotel isn't a concern.  And, if -- on Friday night -- we all get together at that pizza place/bar in Rockville Centre that Eric Hilton seems so fond of, and then we gather again -- on Saturday night -- at the pub in Islip to hear Booker Gibson play, that covers the two big events of the weekend.  Once people gather at whatever hotel/motel we choose, we can all decide what we want to do on Saturday morning and afternoon and on Sunday morning.  It's mostly important that we get plans for the reunion going again, as they've been temporarily dislodged by holidays, distance, and weather.]

The South '65 e-mail addresses:  reunionclass65.blogspot.com

The South '65 photo site:  picasaweb.google.com/SouthHS65 


Rich