Update 6-15-10

Hi,

All right:  Peter Rosen wrote a week ago with a thought-provoking question that I stalled till this week, just in case there wasn't anything as interesting to write about.  Here's the question:

From Peter:  What was the green goo called that barbers used to put on guys' hair in the 1950s?

[Rich -- if anyone can tell Peter that and can tell him where he might get some, he'd be pleased.
    Hmmm, we just had a tiny earthquake.  I'll be right back.  Let me see if I can find some details.
    5.9, relatively large, but centered in Ocotillo, California, about 6 miles from the Mexican border and 225 miles southwest from here.  No wonder it felt so small.  At least, here.
    Meanwhile, there were several more interesting notes.}

From Booker Gibson:  Hello to the class of '65 and friends.  Wednesday night, I visited South High for the awards night.  Some great things happened to me right away. 
    All of the front row seats were taken, so the principal, Maureen Henry, had a man carry an arm chair across from the office for me.  It was a soft arm chair, so I actually thought about Bob Fiveson and his comments about the hard chairs, the first year of the awards.  Also, when the awards program started,
the Tampio and Gibson awards were given second and third, so I was free to go or to relax for the long night of about thirty more awards.  Still, I stayed for the entire night because the air conditioning and the armchair were just fine. 
    These were some great looking and sounding students.  I was proud of them, and I think you would have been, too.  After the awards, I also stayed for some refreshments and met some parents who also were my former students. 
    I thank all of you who might have contributed.  I still look at the Vince Tampio and Booker Gibson plaques whenever I'm in the building   Also, I still like to tell any and everybody about your weekly newsletter and watch the looks on their faces.  I have to say -- every week -- much thanks to you.

From Linda Tobin Kettering, also about the awards:  The Awards Assembly at South went very well.  Booker Gibson was there in the front row to be acknowledged when the award was given.  Amy Ryan, the recipient, came over to him afterwards and spoke to him at length about how honored she was to receive it.  The recipient of the Tampio award was probably honored, too, but I couldn't find him afterwards!

Linda adds:  On another note, Joe Klein is not the only Valley Streamer on the Council on Foreign Relations.  Its president, Richard Haass, lived at 15 Flower Road in Green Acres and went to Forest Road School and then South High School for 2 years, until his family moved to the north shore -- Roslyn or Great Neck, I can't remember which one.  I wonder if they know about their common bonds?

{Rich -- Speaking of Joe Klein, we had some updated information.]

From Ken Ulric:  Joe Klein and I were close friends in junior high.  In fact, I saw my first Broadway show with him.  I hadn't seen him since about 1960, but I ran into him at La Guardia the morning after the Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington.  He had been at the dinner, and I was returning from a union convention in DC.  Anyhow, the point of this note -- while Joe began South in my class, he left for private school in ninth grade and therefore technically never went to South High School.  I would imagine that would disqualify him from the alumni award.

From Rich Sternhell:  A note on Joe Klein.  Joe left South after eighth grade to attend Hackley, a private school in Westchester.  He had been in the class of '64, but as he didn't graduate from South, I don't know if he could be considered an alum.

And from Robin Seader Cottmeyer:  Regarding Bernie's mention of Joe Klein for the "Distinguished Alumni Award" -- Joe would indeed be a great candidate.  However, Joe graduated in 1964 from Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York rather than from South High.  If I'm not mistaken, he transferred to Hackley from South in what would have been his sophomore year and then went on to the University of Pennsylvania.  I hope this information is helpful.

Which led Emily Kleinman Schreiber to write:  Case closed -- he's out of the running!  To be an alumni of South, one has to have graduated from South.  By the way, in order to be considered for the alumni award, the person has to be a member of the Valley Stream South High School Alumni Association.

[Rich -- So much for Joe, but we can still read his books and columns.  Still, my brother David pointed out to me that his high school friend, Sheryl Kaller, class of '78, had just been nominated for a Tony Award for directing Next Fall.  Amy Lieberman wrote me about the same thing.  I pointed that out to Emily, saying it sounded distinguished.

Emily wrote:  Can you send me Sheryl Kaller's e-mail address, in case the committee -- once it's established --  wants to get in touch with her?

[Rich -- I was easily able to do that because Sheryl gets this newsletter.  I was also able to lift this from the lead in to an interview she recently did with Playbill:
    Sheryl Kaller, a 2010 Tony Award nominee for her direction of Geoffrey Nauffts' tight-knit ensemble comedy-drama Next Fall, cannot hide her enthusiasm at being part of the Tony crowd.  Growing up on Long Island, she and her family often made trips to nearby Broadway. Like other aspiring modern show folk, she used to watch the Tony broadcast and wonder -- maybe me, one day? Kaller was hailed in summer 2009 for her Off-Broadway staging of Next Fall for Naked Angels.  It moved to Broadway by spring 2010, with few changes and its cast intact.  The day after she learned of her nomination, Kaller -- whose directing credits include Off-Broadway's Adrift in Macao and new works for many companies including The New Group, Primary Stages and New York Stage and Film -- talked to Playbill about the joys of ensemble acting, playing hooky to visit Broadway and more.  (The rest at:  Playbill.com.  Search on "Kaller."]

[Rich -- Before I begin confirming names for the July reunion, let me start by saying it looks like I will be able to be there.  I'm just waiting for one more little piece of information, which I should confirm tomorrow.]

From Art Halprin:  I am in for the reunion, and I have booked a room.

From Peter Rosen:  I'm a definite.

From Peggy Cooper Schwartz:  I'm definitely coming to the reunion.

From Henry Gabbay:  Count me in, Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.

From Allen Moss:  Moss in Maine here.  I am reluctantly going to have to withdraw from the reunion in July.  My ex-neighbors and close friends of 26 years in Chicago are going to be passing through Maine in a general vacation trip to New England, and they will be hitting Brunswick that very weekend.  I have not seen these folks since they visited me in 1996 and really am looking forward to their visit.  They just confirmed the dates, so I wanted to tell you as soon as possible.  Needless to say, it was a tough decision, but I am hoping that we will be planning another reunion at some point, so I can see everyone.  Sorry about this -- I was hoping I could be a "3 out of 3" veteran of reunions, but doesn't look like it at this point.  Have a great time folks, and I will be thinking of you.

And from Ellen Epstein Silver:  Regretfully, I too, will not be able to attend the class reunion.  My daughter and her family will be in Dallas over that time, and I hate to miss them.  I wish everyone who does attend a great weekend, and I look forward to seeing the pictures.

Finally, the beginning-to-be amended list of class of '65 people and others interested in the reunion.  People may also just stop by, and, of course, everyone is welcome.

The date: Friday, July 16th to Sunday, July 18th 
The place: Hyatt Regency Wind Watch in Hauppauge, New York 
The phone number: 631-784-1234 

Berliner, Jay
Bittman, Jerry (?)
Brody-Pilger, Ellen Sue (?)
Button-McAnulty, Barbara
Cohen-Greenseid, Linda
Cooper-Schwartz, Peggy
Eisbrouch, Rich
Feit-Baker, Robin (?)
Forbes-Tatelman, June
Gabbay, Henry
Glasser, Les
Guberman, Neil 
Halprin, Art
Hilton, Eric
Hoenig-Barry, Sharon 
Joseph-Tuckerman, Susan '66
Kandel, Stu
Kellman, Barnet
Minsky-Hahn, Roz
Nelson-Gillen, Valerie 
Peters-Sylvan, Judy
Pizzimenti, Dennis (?)
Purcell, Craig '66
Rosen, Peter 
Rugen, Larry & Joanie
Saunders-Goldstein, Irene 
Scheidt, Bernie
Shapiro, Dennis (?)
Sipp-Green, Mary
Stellabotte, Danny

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

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


Rich