Update 5-15-12

Hi,

Let's start with some news from South, from Liz King Giordano:  The committee has chosen the following recipients for the Gibson and Tampio scholarships this year:
    The Vince Tampio Memorial Scholarship – Eric Kleinertz
    The Booker Gibson Scholarship Award – Michael Gallagher
    Also, do you think Linda Kettering would like to present the awards again this year?  The ceremony is June 6th, and if you’d like, I can reach out to her for you.  Please let me know.

[Rich -- As I've already written Liz, and as I think I've already mentioned here, Linda Tobin Kettering has again nicely agreed to present the awards, which I'm sure we all appreciate.  Also, I sent the checks today.]

Less happy news, a reflection from Eric Hilton:  I was quite upset to receive the last reunion update and find that Ralph Renna had passed away.  After my wife Gilda and I were married and returned from Spokane, Washington, I was asked to play guitar in a band that played wine and cheese houses.  The singer in the band was Ralph Renna, my friend Doug’s brother.
    Ralph and his wife Barbara started as just casual acquaintances of ours and became very close friends until Ralph left for California.  I lost touch with both him and Doug until a few years ago when Doug contacted me.  Still, I had no idea Ralph was sick, and after opening this newsletter, I am truly saddened to hear that he is gone.
    Last year, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, though too small a growth to get a Gleason rating, and last month, I had a cyst removed from my mouth.  Fortunately, no cancer there.  So now, at the age of 65, I truly appreciate all our South High friends and all the people who have come into my life, and I try not to take anything for granted.  As I've said before, I love getting the newsletters and hearing about old friends.

Really happy news, from Jerry Bittman:  YIPPEE!  Late last night, I became a grandfather for the first time.  On Monday, May 7th, my daughter Katie and her husband Aaron had a daughter named Andrea Catherine. I'm thrilled to say that both mom and daughter are doing great.  Now I need to teach Andrea to say, "Mets -- Yes!  Yankees Suck!"
  Also, last Thursday, my cousin Sandy Hackett brought his show to town. It's called The Rat Pack, it's played in Las Vegas for about six years, and is now on a two-year tour.  Sandy did a great job producing and writing the show, and audience members went up to him afterwards and told him that he stole the show.
    The music and jokes were great.  Sandy is in negotiations to maybe bring it to Broadway, and he's writing a new play based on his father's life.  It's titled My Buddy. 
    Sandy and I had an opportunity to spend time together the morning of the show and after the show.  I mentioned that My Buddy had to include the poem that Buddy wrote when his daughter Ivy got married.  I guarantee that any man who has a daughter will cry when hearing the poem.

A compliment and a canine correction from Joanne Shapiro Polner:  Thank you, Paul DeMartino, for all the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans information.
    Also, "Shepherd" -- with the second H and a second E instead of an A -- is the correct spelling of the dog breed that included Bullet.   That's also the correct spelling for the occupation of a person who tends herds, most often, specifically, sheep.

[Rich -- I'm always happy to try to learn to spell.  As Paul Hartman pointed out when I was in 11th grade, I couldn't spell then, and he didn't expect I'd ever learn.]

Andy Dolich mentions:  The non-existent addition to our former house at 13 Forest Road has been named a non-extent historical monument.  Thanks for making this happen.

Robert Fiveson writes:  I get a phrase from this site every week and find it fascinating.  It just occurred to me that other people might want to subscribe.  It's free.  apaw @ phrasefinder . co . uk  (Remove the spaces please.)

Travel tips from Larry Rugen:  For anyone thinking of a Florida vacation, here are some highlights and suggestions.
    My wife and I just got back from 10-day southern Florida self-tour.  What a wonderful state.  Who knew?  We started in Spring Hill because we had to close on a house and then went off to Cocoa Beach, where we stayed at the Hampton Inn.  Nice room, great beach, and we saw the Kennedy Space Center.
    Next was Key Largo with a lunch stop in Boca Raton.  In Key Largo, we stayed in the Holiday Inn.  Get a room poolside because it has semi-private outdoor seating by your room, and between the pools and the rooms are many palm trees and other tropical plants.  This was the best hotel stay to date, and the Key Largo highlight can be seen at:  pennekamppark . com   There's great snorkeling here or a tour on a glass bottom boat out on the Coral Reef.  Also, when at the park, take a kayak for an hour through the mangroves.  There's much to see, and the bay and backwaters were peaceful and full of exotic birds.
    Next day, we took the two-hour drive to Key West.  Spectacular views with many places to pull off the road to take pictures or just to enjoy the water colors.  Also, there are fine beaches along the drive, including Sombrero Beach, which has nice sand even a few palm trees to offer a bit of shade.  Great eats in Key Largo.  The Fish House was one restaurant, and we should have written down the name of the other.  It will come to me in a few days, I hope.
    Next stop was the west coast and Treasure Island.  We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn and had a large bedroom, a living room, a large kitchen, and two balconies.  Get a room on the upper floors -- we were on 7 of 9 -- because the sunsets are spectacular.  Out of John’s Pass -- known for its shopping and marina -- we took the Dolphin Tour and were not disappointed.  We spotted 20 plus dolphins, a few with babies.
    We stayed the last night in Spring Hill, and on the way from Treasure Island -- St. Pete's -- we stopped for a few hours in Tampa at the Florida Aquarium.  It has a few really nice displays including the shark tanks. The best meal was at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City – Tampa.  It's Cuban and dates from 1905.  It has 17 dining rooms in a block-long building.  The food was great.  Many, many choices for lunch, and the restaurant is famous for its homemade sangria.  Oh, yes, bring a camera.  The art is out of this world, with tile murals all over the building.  At 1 PM on a Wednesday, the place was packed.
    Overall, a great vacation and easily recommended.  We never thought Florida had all this and more.  Also, one last thing:  on the way from Key Largo to Treasure Island, we stopped in the Everglades at Sawgrass Park.  There's a 2-hour tram tour, which is well worth the stop.
    If anyone wants more detail, please feel free to write me at: Larry1800 @ aol . com  (Again, take out the spaces.)

[Rich -- Finally, it was pointed out that a phrase I used in referring to Ralph Foster last week might more politely have been written as "really irritated."  Unfortunately, I've spent most of my life around stagehands and carpenters, and I often speak like one.  But I'll try to behave.]

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

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

Please take out the spaces.


Rich