Update 12-23-14

Hi,

 

Yep, this is early because it’s time for Tom and me to take the dogs to Tucson for a couple of weeks for Christmas.  So I’ll be away from my computer till after New Year’s day.  I'll catch up on the other missed newsletter then.  Meanwhile, happy holidays to all.

 

In other notes, first, some fan mail for Ray Sinatra:

 

From Evelyn Roedel Read:  I thoroughly enjoyed reading the success story of Ray Sinatra.  While I was from the class of '59 and didn't know Ray, it warmed my heart to see that he proved he wasn't "least likely to succeed."  As a retired first grade teacher for 34 years, I believe in only saying positive things to children.  I think that title should never have been allowed.  It fits into the same category as a parent who calls his child "dumb, stupid, jerk, etc." in a fit of anger.  I am glad Ray took those lemons he was handed and made lemonade.  Ray, I am very proud of you.  Failure was not in your vocabulary.

 

From Henry Gabbay:  Ray, congratulations. A real success story.  Best Regards and Happy Holidays.

 

From Barnet Kellman:  Wow, I was really glad to read Ray Sinatra's amazing story.  We were so
ignorant in those days regarding "learning differences" and things like ADHD.  It's so lucky that the guidance counselors paid attention to Ray's Regents exam.  Congratulations, Ray, on a fabulous career, and best wishes on your well-deserved retirement.

 

Next, unrelated, from Zelda White Nichols:  about Claire Brush Reinhardt’s note last week – the North-South games were a big deal back in the '60s.  I remember waving those red pom-poms like crazy.  I also remember at least one game was televised.  There were no cable channels back then, so it had to have been seen all over the local area.

 

[Rich – also, unrelated:  I got my copy of Mary Sipp-Green’s book from England, right on schedule.  The book is as lovely as the art in it.  People really need to see it.  I’d bring my copy when I come east, but it would get fingerprints all over it.]

 

Finally, two weeks ago, the newsletter had that excerpt from the 1962 North-South football game program that mentioned South losing the 1960 game by one point and connecting it to:  “Will anyone ever forget THE PLAY?”  Well, it seems almost everyone has – at least everyone I’ve written.  Some responses:

 

From Emily Kleinman Schreiber:  I was twirling my baton during half-time during the televised game.  It was soooo exciting!  My dad filmed some of it on 16mm film:  floats, me twirling.  Now, I have to find that in the DVD I made from the videotape that had been made from the film he shot.  I think he also shot film of the TV crew on top of a roof at Fireman's Field.

 

From Ed Albrecht:  Sorry, I don't remember that play.  I played one year of football in 9th grade, which would have been fall '61, but only because my friends were on the team.  But I can't remember who was on Varsity in '61.  The only reason I recalled Bobby Sinram last week was because of the game history article and his association with my brother.  By the way, you may want to bounce that question off Pete Rosen.  He and Ed Bonlarron were quarterbacks ahead of me and may know.

 

From Peter Rosen:  Haven’t a clue.  I was too busy chasing girls.  One possibility is Barbara Blitfield – she remembers everything.

 

From Barbara:  Who are you, and why are you writing to me?  LOL.  So much for remembering.  I have two options for an answer -- Emily or I can post the question to the Valley Stream South Alumni page on Fcebook.   I can also ask on the Valley Stream Baby Boomer page and hope for the best.  You might also write Bernie O’Brien

 

[Rich -- I wrote Barbara saying Facebook sounded like a better idea because I really didn’t want to bug Bernie O’Brien.  So far, we’ve gotten one response from Facebook.]

 

From Don Steinert on Facebook:  I am not sure what happened.  I do believe my brother Warren Steinert was the quarterback for South that year.  Wow, they drew some crowds with floats and a bonfire the Friday evening before the game.  I will ask my brother and others who might know.

 

[Rich – I also wrote Emily again, saying:  Joanne Shapiro Polner had one suggestion – her yearbook has a recap of the fall 1959 game because she graduated in the class of '60.  Can you check your '61 yearbook and see if it has a recap of the fall 1960 game? You'd think it would, since it was televised, and everyone was excited about that.

    Also, Joanne sent me the suggestion I'd passed on to Emily because I’d asked Joanne:  With your wealth of online resources, can you get access to any newspaper that would have covered the November 1960 North-South football game and might have mentioned the play that lost South the game by 1 point?  I can't find anything online, but I only did a quick search.]

 

Joanne suggested:  The Long Island Studies Institute at Hofstra University doesn’t have newsprint copies, but many of the local newspapers are on microfilm there as part of the Nassau County museum reference collection.  Among them are The Long Island News and Owl from 1919 to 1998 and The Mail Leader from 1926 to 1998.  The difficulty is you have to go to the Institute and look through the microfilms.

 

[Rich – I wrote back:  Thanks for the source.  That's almost what I wanted, but online.  My curiosity isn't worth asking someone to drive to Hofstra and then squint through 50-year-old microfilm.]

 

Joanne added this information about South’s 1959 Varsity football team:  Coaches:  Batorski and Callahan.  Teams played in the 1959-‘60 season:  Hempstead, 26-0; Seaford, 0-6; Lynbrook, 22-0; Wantagh, 6-13; Hewlett, 12-0; Malverne, 40-6; South Side, 0-13; North, 12-7
    A related excerpt from the 1960 yearbook:  "Even under the handicaps of inexperience and a tough schedule, the Falcons posted a 5 - 3 record, and concluded an action-packed season with a spectacular victory over North, 12-7. Mike Lenzo, Pete Pedone and George Kushay provided the backfield offensive strength while the Callahan Coolies,  spearheaded by Ed Hughes, John Tadler, and Lloyd Domenico, turned in fine performances."

She also added:  Russ “Gropch” in the program another typo.  It’s really "Russ Grosch" '59.  And I can’t figure out if it’s Lou Martorello or Martorella because I found listings for both.  And Peter Pedone might have been in the class of '61, since he’s not in the ‘59 or ‘60 yearbooks.  I also asked my brother Peter, since he was in the class of ‘62, about both Peter Padrone and the play you’re trying to find out about.

 

Meanwhile, Emily wrote back:  I plan to do check my yearbook, following Joanne’s suggestion.  But right now, I'm at the end of the semester, with grading to deal with.

 

But Emily quickly added:  I'm on the right track!  I just wrote to a guy from North, class of '62, who has a lot of old stuff  -- including information about the football games.  My Alumni Association counterpart at North gave me his e-mail address.  I hope he'll have what we need.  I'll keep you posted.

 

[Rich – so that’s about it for the moment.  Maybe we’ll solve the mystery in the new year.  Meanwhile, again, best wishes to everyone for the holidays.]

 

The class of '65 50th Reunion:  Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26, 2015, Hyatt Regency, Hauppauge.

The South '65 e-mail addresses:  reunionclass65 . blogspot . com  (please remove the spaces)

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


Rich