Hicksville High School Hicksville, New York
| The Editors: | |
|---|---|
| Buffalo Bob Casale '61 | Linda (Piccerelli) Hayden '60 |
| Pat (Koziuk) Driscoll '56 | Bob (Gleason) Wesley '61 |
To contact the editors, email
Welcome
Every morning, at the Post Office, I run into a fellow that graduated Bethpage High School. No matter where I am, parking lot, entering Post Office or at the table opening my mail I hear "Hey Hicksville". One day a Postal Employee said to me, "What gives with the Hicksville every time he sees you". I replied, "We grew up in the same county and went to rival high schools, and he only wishes he had gone to Hicksville". There was something special about growing up in Hicksville. Sure, we had our friends - our cliques if you will However, when anyone made fun of where we came from (The Hicks) we were loyal and protective of the name and one another. Was it the era that we grew up in? I think not. I think that spirit still prevails and always will. From what I can glean from other emails it is every generation that grew up there. It is the pride we had in Hicksville, of the Town, our schools and who we were and maybe the teasing from the other towns made us even more so. Thanks to you special people we are able to send this November Newsletter out. Your contributions are greatly appreciated, as will your input for future issues.
Please solve a mystery for Pat - What is now on the site of the former Nicolai Street School? Again, many thanks and hope you enjoy this issue. LPH
Another question from Pat: Who tore down my cousin Anne's farm house at 577 Jerusalem Ave.?
News Flash
Anton Mure reports that the person who came the farthest for the gala 2000 Hicksville Reunion was Loretta Tyler Class of 1968. Loretta came in from Germany for the Mega-Reunion. (Thanks Anton, Ed.)
Links
Pat; I sent you two articles that were part of a series in Newsday all year. The Keepers of The Past has a story about Vanderbilt Parkway. Scroll down to Robert L. Miller in that article and it is there.
Linda
For those of you that do not know; Linda is our own 'Lois Lane' and the links are: Recording History (with a picture of a young Billy Joel) and Keepers of the Past
PKD
From Our Readers
- From:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Hi, My name is Lillian (Manzo) Ramirez and I graduated from HHS in 1961. I now live in Arizona and keep in touch with a few people from school, but not too many. I live in Arizona for the past 20 years and I plan on attending next years reunion. I don't know how I can help but I'm yours if I can. Just remember it is 3 hours earlier here on the west coast. I felt awful about Holly and really enjoyed getting all the news after not hearing from anyone for so long. Life is short, you just don't know. I also offered Mary O'Shaunessy help with the reunion. She and I worked closely for the 10 year reunion, I was living on Long Island then. Anyway, I look forward to helping you in any way.
Lillian
Pat,
Did you know Jimmy or Carol Brady?
I know Carol was older then her brother Jimmy. You might know them. I was a competitive roller skater and I skated pairs with Jimmy for many years out of Mineola Skating Rink (there is a parking lot where the rink was now). I know Jimmy passed away quite a while ago and he was married to another skater I was friends with, Susie, who also passed away. It might be fun trying to find Carol if you knew her. It is fine if you use my letter to you. Instead of the phone numbers why don't you put my e-mail address in. I love hearing from old friends. Again, tell me that you need whenever you need it.
Lillian
- Hicksville Newsletter wrote:
Good Morning Lillian, Thank you so much. I would like to put your note in the next newsletter under "FROM OUR READERS." I will remove the telephone numbers unless you like to receive phone calls! I graduated with Holly's brother Charlie in 1956. I sent a card to him but have not heard back. Everybody is asking about Holly's death but I do not have any details.
Pat Koziuk Driscoll
- Ken Strafer, class of '62 Fairfax, Va
Thank you for putting out a hand to keep the essence of our "teen years" alive. For me, perhaps like many, after graduation from high school in the early 1960's , I have really not been back to our "island of development". I did sojourn back for the summers to attend Nassau Community or work at Newsday, but to really become a player in the island society, I did not. So your links to those out there to me at least, is valuable. I am attaching a photo taken recently flying some antique aircraft in California (near Ventura). [Ed. note could not display photo]
I always try and learn from people, and our formative years, those at "Comet Central" are also those I would like to one again meet. Perhaps laugh with, above all share with our stories and lessons that were gained once we left "Comet Central" and joined the real world, what ever that was for us.
Only one person, Stephen Baum of Levittown, Pa has kept in touch and we exchange letters annually, I think this is very telling that what we gained in that beige, off white, monolith to education pursuit, was formative and created life long bonds. We have stories of what we have done over the years and in many far, very far off places, to travel and say hello to each. This relationship began in High School environment and has lasted and will perhaps go on, God willing.
My sister-in-law also graduated form Hicksville and she is the one who keeps me informed of the "Buzz" from main street back in town. While I live in Northern Virginia and have been blessed with an opportunity to serve this nations and hope once more to be asked to return and serve again, I still enjoy hearing from those that shared time with me in the past (Paul Bady came up and said hello recently. Dan Kneiter also did likewise, and thanks). So keep those e-mails coming, YOU ALL!
- Diane Giordano, class of '61
I love this idea. Can we talk about teachers, please, please. Does anyone remember Mr. Leeb? I think I spelled his name right. My mom worked for the school district and he knew her. I was walking down the school corridor with my h.s. sweetheart, who had his arm linked in mine. Mr. Leeb said, much to my humiliation, ''Diane, what would your mother think if she knew this boy had his hands all over you." Well, his hands weren't all over me. I recall reading that he had forged his doctorate to teach at Hofstra or Adelphi. It made the newspaper. I was glad. He was a tough guy and not too well liked.
- Pat,
Someone sent this to me today and it really reminded me of growing up in Hicksville. Though you might want to share it with everyone.
Vicky Penner Katz, class of '58
Close your eyes,
And go back . . .
Before the Internet or the MAC,
Before semiautomatics and crack.
Before chronic and indo;
Before SEGA or Super Nintendo.
Way back. . .
I'm talking about hide and go seek at dusk.
Sitting on the porch, hot bread and butter.
Eating a 'super-dooper sandwich' (Dagwood)
Red light! Green light!
Chocolate milk. Lunch tickets.
Penny candy in a brown paper bag.
Hopscotch, butterscotch, doubledutch, Jacks, kickball, dodgeball, y'all!
Mother, May I?
Hula Hoops and Sunflower Seeds, Jaw breakers, blowpops,
MaryJanes.
Running through the sprinkler! I can't get wet!
All right; well, don't wet my hair.
The smell of the sun and licking salty lips...
Wait. . .
Catching lightening bugs in a jar.
Playing sling shot and Red Rover.
When around the corner seemed far away,
And going downtown seemed like going somewhere.
Bedtime, Climbing trees, a million mosquito bites and sticky fingers,
Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, Sitting on the curb.
Jumping down the steps, Jumping on the bed. Pillow fights.
Being tickled to death; Running till you were out of breath.
Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt!
Being tired from playing... Remember that?
I ain't finished just yet . . .
What about the girl that had the big bubbly hand writing?
Licking the beaters when your mother made a cake.
Didn't that feel good? Just to go back and say, Yeah, I remember that!
Remember when . . .
When there were two types of sneakers for girls and boys (Keds & PF Flyers),and the only time you wore them at school, was for "gym."
When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there.
When nobody owned a purebred dog.
When a quarter was a decent allowance, and another quarter a huge bonus.
When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.
When girls neither dated nor kissed until late high school, if then.
When your mom wore nylons that came in two pieces.
When all of your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair done, everyday.
When you got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, for free, every time.
And, you didn't pay for air. And, you got trading stamps to boot!
When laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box.
When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to carry groceries, and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents.
When they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed...and did!
When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home.
Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc.
Disapproval of our parents and grandparents was a much bigger threat!
If you can remember any of these things, I smile with you.
Pass this on to people you care about, it will make them smile too!
History Section
The following excerpts are from several notes from Caroline Kolff Van Oosterwyk Class of '66.
Her Grandfather Henry Rose had a farm on Newbridge Road where the water tower is (corner of Stewart Ave & Newbridge). She said there was a Carvel there now. Her grandmother was a Krumanacker.
Do you remember the blacksmith shop on Old Country Rd. before the Wantagh Parkway? My grandfather use to take me and my brother Henry class of '65 there all the time. That blacksmith shop is now in the Old Bethpage restoration. The person who owned the blacksmith shop was a man name Batt. I haven't remembered that blacksmith shop in years. Do you remember the parades that went down Old Country Rd. before they started going down Broadway?
I remember my grandfather telling me that all the farmers got together to dig the basement to the original St. Ignatius School. You can tell where my grandfather's farm was just look for the water tower on Newbridge Rd where you turn to go to Dutch Lane School.
I lived on Genesee St. across Newbridge Rd from the High School. I now live in Earlysville Virginia, near Charlottesville.
Travels with Tom
I'm back from Europe now. My trip was excellent. I saw London, Brugge in Belgium, Paris France, Salzburg, Halstatt and Kitzbuel in Austria, Venice, Florence, Cortona, Orvieto, Rome, Civita De Bagnorigio in Italy, (now I understand "Orvieto Classico" Wine). I ended in Athens and some of the Greek Islands in Greece. (Aegina, Poros and Hydra) I missed out on a cruise to Patmos (St John and the Book of Revelations) because I was afraid of not being able to get a boat back.
Tom
