February 2005 : Volume 5 - Issue 5

Newsletter for the Alumni and Friends of
Hicksville High School Hicksville, New York

The Editors:
Buffalo Bob Casale '61	Linda (Piccerelli) Hayden '60
Pat (Koziuk) Driscoll '56	Bob (Gleason) Wesley '61

Contributing Editors: Bob Gillette & Walter Schmidt

Webmaster: Roger Whitaker

To contact the editors, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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From the Editors

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your cooperation with the recent “testing” notes I’ve been sending. I am moving into a condo in April and will have a different cable company so the newsletter will have to change address.To make sure that the newsletter goes on uninterrupted, Bob Casale has set up a Hotmail account. I have been transferring addresses into the new Hotmail account and checking for mistakes. The new address will be: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I am still looking for someone to take over as the copy and paste editor. Any volunteers? PLEASE

Pat Koziuk Driscoll, 1956

February Birthdays

• 1: Pat Thompson Dumas, 1975; Emmett Goodman, 1956 (FL)
• 2: Alan Buckholz, 1965 (AZ)
• 7: Pat Lenzner Caruso, 1953
• 8: Diane Burke McGinn, 1960 (L.I.)
• 9: Michael Perduto, 1966; Steve Riscica, 1970
• 11: Dorothea Keegan Mollberg, 1960; Martha Gross Parent, 1960 (DE); Mike Soblick, 1974
• 12: Susan Ambrico Smith, 1968 (CA); Ronnie Wells Brigandi, 1965
• 14: Tom Manaskie, 1960 (HX); Armand Sepanski, 1965 (AZ)
• 15: Pete Foster, 1957 (FL)
• 16: Robert Bialick, 1970 (L.I.); Denis Rossi, 1953
• 24: Suzanne Garrett Cullen, 1956 (L.I.)
• 25: Henry Lichtenstein, 1959 (NM)
• 27: Joe Bausk, 1950

Belated January Birthday Wishes

• 6: Diane Lobel, 1973
• 12: John W Cole, 1961 (L.I.)
• 22: Rosemary Moran Witfoth, 1955 (FL)

February Anniversaries

• 2/9/1990 – Jack and Lauri Bellan
• 2/14/1969 – Joan (Siegl) and Fred Rudolph (FL)

Belated January Anniversary Wishes

• Tom and Joy (Watson) Haller of FL, 1/27/1961
• Mark and Marian Leippert (L.I.) were married in 1990.

Welcome to Our New Readers

• Bill Stahley, 1946 (FL)
  Birthday is Novemebr 26th,
  Anniversary is May 28th, this year will be 50 years! He is married to Joan Stahley (Melville) who graduated from Syosset High School. 15 1/2 years ago they retired and moved to Holiday, Florida (north of Tampa).

• Maureen Hanifan Olsen 1966
  Glen Olsen (Fin’s Boys) 1965

  Glen and I just retired and moved from Long Island to Palm Bay Florida. It was nice to see so many HHS Graduates living in Florida. Glen and I dated in 1964 while we were both attending HHS. We reconnected 37 years later through Classmates.com. We were married in 2003. Looking forward to next months issue.

  Maureen

• Diane Capone, 1968

• Tina Gardner Kwiatkowski, 1969
  I would like to be added to the list of newsletter recipients. I'm an alum of HHS (class of '69). Both my sisters are readers and they pass along goodies of interest but I'd like to be on the list as well. My email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I'd love to reconnect with some of my high school buddies (esp. chorus and madrigal "nerds"). Thanks much!
  Tina (Gardner) Kwiatkowski”

• Mark Ludman, 1972

• Susan Stahley 1975
  Birthday; Dec. 15
  Single
  Norfolk, VA
  Susan told me that she would like the Newsletter to welcome her Dad as a Reader. His name is William (Bill) Stahley Class of 1946. Also, she recently learned that a friend of hers passed away.Robert (Bob) Silverman passed away 7/1/04; A 1975 Grad.

• Laurie Maurice Churchill 1979
  Birthday; May 3
  Anniversary, 9/11/82
  Lives in The Poconos, PA
  Grew up on Bamboo Lane, but hung out in the "A" Section

• Welcome back Debbie Rubenstein Sirkin

Returned Mail

There were many returned newsletters with a @msn.com suffix. Since there were strong storms in the Pacific at the time of the Jan. newsletter’s mailing, we can only guess that the storms were the reason for the email not getting through. These names have not been removed from the list.

The following names have been removed from the list:

• Mike & Karen (Gronroos) Krets, ’77 &’81
• Richard Mato, 1959

In Memory

Thank you for the newsletter. I enjoy reading about former classmates and thank you for the effort you put in composing it. Lois Chamides died when she was about 30 to 35 years old. She was married and had at least one child. I believe she had diabetes in high school so it is possible that she died of complications of that illness. She was my distant cousin. She was a wonderful person and had a great sense of humor. Unfortunately, I did not keep in touch with her or her family so I do not know the details of her
illness. She graduated in 1962.

Howard Dolgin, 1962

News, Notes and Memories

• MID-LIFE CRISIS from Anton Mure
  “ We’ll be at Classic's Pub Sat. Mar 5th show starts around 9:30... $5/adm......corner Hemp Tpke and Jerusalem Ave.”

• I did read the article about the pretzel man and thoroughly enjoyed it. You mentioned that the ¢ symbol isn't on our keyboards, but many symbols are hidden away that only us 'techies' know where to find them.

  Make sure you're NUM LOCK if off on the keypad. Then, hold down the ALT key and type 155 on the keypad. When you release the ALT key, you'll see the ¢ symbol. Others that I use are the degree symbol º (167), the half symbol ½ (171), and the quarter symbol ¼ (172). It's fun to experiment with other numbers but don't use below 32 or above 255. Hope you enjoy this little bit of information. I've included a URL that has the entire list of ASCII codes, but as I looked at it, I see that the º (155) isn't there. Hahahahaha. It has to be an error!! You might also add that Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, Word Perfect and all of the other quality word processors have this option by going to INSERT - SYMBOL, or something similar to that. But remember that the codes change depending on
  the font you're using at the time. The ASCII codes, however, don't change while using the keypad and ALT keys.
  Here's the URL: http://www.lookuptables.com/

  As a footnote, I want to thank you for the belated birthday announcement. I just want you to know that no one knew me as Bob Wesley at HHS. I was adopted after I left the school. My name was Bob Gleason while there. Thanks again, and keep up the great work.

  Bob Wesley (Gleason) (61)
  Dannemora, NY

• Speaking of Mid Island Plaza, remember the woman who kept us all from
  loitering? Inspector Bowman!!!

  Diane Lobel, 1973

• Ann (Celentano) Walker--class 1962--this is in response to Mid Island Plaza memories. One of the memories I have is the "creamy dessert stand" in Gertz. I can't remember what it was called, but I do remember that it was some sort of cream that a flavoring was mixed into. Also, I worked for the owners of the Plaza (Stackler & Frank) for the PR director as his secretary. I didn't work there very long but I do remember answering Christmas letters that the kids dropped in a large drum by Newberry's. There were printed up letters that I just had to address and send off. The Plaza was a good place to hang out with your friends, have pizza, and listen to records in Newberry's!

• After reading the December newsletter sooooo many memories popped into this aging brain! I was sure I was on my way to "olds heimers" disease!! Mid-Island Plaza ….. So many memories ….. The pizza place…was is Pizza Supreme had the best pizza for 15 cents a slice and it was square and thick…not round and thin!!! We use to walk to the plaza from the "A" section on Levitown Parkway, cross over Old Country to Duffy Ave. where we use to find treasures at the Fiberglass Factory…..Then there was the "haunted house" on Duffy Ave. where I watched Kathy Kocher (’64) fall from a tree only to have the last limb grab her before hitting the ground! There was also Meannan (sp?) Oil who use to let us come in and use their bathrooms….they had the coolest round sink in the middle of the floor and you stepped on a pedal to get water. hehehehe ….. AND the Barrel Factory on Duffy which made huge cement barrels, we had forts in them and could jump and scale them at ease. Tommy Thogode (’66) had the best fort there. That ended abruptly one weekend when we discovered they had added Doberman guard dogs once we were already on the grounds…there was some barrel climbing and jumping that day!!!! No more forts. We also use to play "teen" hide and seek in the furniture dept. in Gertz on the 4th floor, and I can not even tell you how many times we stopped the elevator between floors and had to jump down! We also had our HHS sorority hazing at Mid Island …. Kappa Sigma Kye…..Not to forget other Duffy landmarks, Hicks farm with the horses, Sanita Straws and the doll factory!!! So living in the "A" section crossing over the Duffy to tracks was an exciting venture on the way to Mid Island!! This newsletter sure does make you bring back a fun walk down memory lane!!

  Does anyone else remember any of these locations?? Oh my birthday was Dec. 27th!!

  Marilyn Bowles Nejman (’66)
  Binghamton, New York

• I have a Mid Island Plaza memory....in the side entrance vestibule to " GERTZ" (by Long's Chinese restaurant) there was a small stand that sold a very light, whipped vanilla type mixture (not ice cream) that was served in a tall parfait glass. A long spoon filled with chocolate syrup was placed in the glass. I don't remember how much they cost but they were very inexpensive maybe 10 or 25 cents and delicious. Referring to Longs, I recently found a 35 year old plus take-out menu receipt from my parents’ home on Flower Street. Got a kick out of those prices!

  Phyllis Jackson ~1964

• Someone mentioned a NY type deli near Gertz in Mid Island Plaza. I think that was Maisel's (not sure of spelling) Restaurant. They always had bowls of Kosher pickles on the table. I used to go there with my mom for a bite to eat when we were in Mid Island Plaza. The food was typical New York deli food and fresh and delicious. That mall was the coldest place in the world until they put a covering on it! I worked in Gertz after high school and when I was attending Farmingdale also. I was on the flying squad, which meant you could be in any department in the store, not just the same one over and over. It was never boring. I even got to operate the elevator! I have many pleasant memories of Mid Island Plaza as it was one of the few "malls" in the area and at that time it was exciting to have all those stores in one place. Things sure have changed a lot since then..........

  Suzanne Garrett Cullen
  Class of '56

• Was it Arthur Maisel’s who had someone in the front window fixing those scrambled eggs cones? I loved them.

  Pat Koziuk Driscoll, 1956

• My mother went to work at Gertz in '56 or '57 when Republic Aviation went on strike (Dad worked at Republic). My memory of Mid-Island Plaza is when, on Friday evenings, Dad and I would have dinner with Mom at Long's Chinese Restaurant.

  Chet Nichols (WA), Class of '58

• Hi
  I, too loved your memories of the Mid Island Plaza. If my memory has not failed me I remember the Food Store in that Plaza was called Food Fair and when I was 16 I got my first job being a checker there. It was very convenient because when I got my paycheck I only had to go around the corner to spend it in Lerner's Clothing Store. Am I remembering this correctly.?.. It would have been 1958-59.

  Jacci LaSalle Gallucci (59)

• Re: pretzel man

  There were five others who sold those pretzels - at the Labor Day Parades, too - one was Mike H., another was yours-truly. The others - the owner, his son and the son's girlfriend.

  Walt Schmidt "65

• I was wondering if anyone remembers the locomotive pulling into the Hicksville Railroad Station. I would wait on the steps of an old church (I think there is a bank at the site now), waiting for my father to come home from work. He was a NYC fireman in Jackson Heights. Also, I remember that where Mid-Island Shopping Plaza was built was no more than a field. There was some sort of dairy in the area; our class went on a field trip there in the third or fourth grade (?). And how about the field trip to Zorn's to
  see all the turkeys in cages? Anyone remember that?? Thanks for this great newsletter; it brings back many good memories.

  Sue Voelbel Dalton, 1965

• Hi everyone,

  We're back from our GA Mountain home but miss it already. Loved the crisp cool weather up there. We felt so full of life and excitement. You all know how we love the mountains but with Bud's Navy career always lived by a beach. We were so busy buying furniture in NC, only 8 miles to the state line and what a difference in price. I finally got my big 4-poster bed like Scarlet O'Hara. Since I read the book the summer we moved from Brooklynwhen I was 10, I always felt I was her, reincarnated, so I think we'll name our home Ginny and Bud's "Tara". The people are wonderful and made us feel so welcome. I know we'll be happy.

  It was good to get home to FL to see the kids and grandkids although our dear friends, Lynn and Paul couldn't get out of town fast enough!!! We do have a "little project" we may ask of you when you get back!!!! Especially enjoyed seeing Andrew, our Grandson, sing with the Chorus at the High School. What a voice and so handsome. It comes from the Irish side of the family, my father.

  Ginny Elwood Bowen, 1956

• In the article about the "old Garden" on 59th St. there was a reason Betty made it to Penn Station in time. The old garden was on 49th & 50th between 8th & 9th Avenues.

  Chris Andersen, 1967

• I'm trying to locate a Charlie Argyle for another classmate. They say he was from a class in the late '40's or early '50's. I have no record of him in the class of '48 & '49. If you could put a small blip in your next newsletter, I would appreciate it.

  Thanks,
  Art Lembke, 1949

• Does anyone on our "list" know the whereabouts of Lauren Burwasser? She graduated with my class in 1978. The last thing I remember seeing of her was on a billboard on Long Island for some radio station. Is she still living in New York? Just looking to reconnect with an old friend. Please email me direct with any info at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are still in contact with her. Thanks.

  Lauri Spector

• Hockey Memories Yesterday & Hicksville Hockey Today

  Betty, I have some of the same memories since we graduated in the same year. Having played all my life, I even had the fortune to work at the rink in Long Beach where the Rangers lived and practiced from 73-76. In the summer of 73, we were preparing the rink to open and used to take a break to skate in what would be the Rangers practice slot from 10:00-12:00 Noon as they hadn't moved into town yet for training camp.

  The earliest of arrivals was Jean Ratelle and Brad Park. In checking out the rink one morning, they asked the manager who was on the ice and he told them it was just a few of the employees "taking a recreation break". They asked if they could join us on the ice and the manager said, "Sure!" This became a daily thing and as more players moved in, Park & Ratelle told them we were skating daily prior to training camp. By the time two weeks went by, we were playing every day with more and more Rangers... Giacomin and Villemure were in the nets, Seiling, Neilson, Stemkowski, Marrotte, Gilbert, Middleton, Hickey, etc. It was the thrill of a lifetime! I happened to bring it up to Gilbert at a golf outing and he remembered it
  well.

  On another hockey note...
  The HICKSVILLE ICE HOCKEY CLUB will celebrate its 45th year next season and is still touted as "Long Island's Oldest High School Hockey Club". The Alumni Association is considering putting together a hard cover book to commemorate this achievement. We are looking for any old stories and/or photographs. I remember names like Chris Anderson, Kenny Flood, Bob
  Kondzielaski, Bob Delaney, John Wayne Collins, Barry Collins, among others. Anyone who knows the whereabouts of players prior to '72 and especially those who used to skate at the old rink at Roosevelt Field, please contact me a This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  That stands for Long Island's Oldest High School Hockey Coach. This January 10th, is season number 33 for me, I will coach my 600th Hicksville Varsity Hockey Game. For more on Hicksville Hockey visit: www.hicksvillehockey.com

  Thanks for your time
  Bill Alonge '72

• I noticed that John Turi signed up. I would like to find out if he has a number or e-mail so I could get in touch with him. I am on vacation now staying at Lee Lincoln’s in Christmas, Fl. It’s a lot warmer than New York. It was 22° when I left on the 26th of Dec. I have been living on the water in Lindenhurst, NY for the last seven years and still racing Drag Boats as a hobby for the last eight years.

  John Cole, 1961
  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• I am trying to locate Niel Pizzarella class of 1961.George Elia " The Greek " class of 1961. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Hello to
  everyone and thanks for all the memories.

• Bob Casale asked for memorable experiences in HHS. Mine was more in the “ most embarrassing moment” category. I was selected to go to Empire Girls’ State in my junior year. I don’t remember too much about the trip except for the strong sulfur smell coming from the springs in Saratoga. I do remember that we stayed in the dorms of Skidmore College and took classes daily but I
  don’t recall what we were supposed to be studying; government, I think.

  My strongest memory is of the trip to NYC to catch the train to Saratoga. I had to take the LIRR during commuter time so the cars were full. I carried my handbag, a suitcase, an umbrella and my tennis racket. As I boarded, I poked a man with my umbrella. Then when I turned to apologize, I whacked another man with my tennis racket. I am surprised that they didn’t put me off the train. But those were the days before road rage. (I am still known as Ms Klutz!)

  I heard that one of my classmates, Eric Weller, was President of Skidmore in later years. Does anyone know how to contact him?

  Pat Koziuk Driscoll, 1956

Feature

Eileen O’Halloran Holmes
Class of 1961

As told to Bob Casale

“I always wanted to be a nurse,” Eileen said to me. “ And some people actually call me Cherry Ames. Do you remember those books,”
she asks?

Eileen’s dream of becoming a nurse was a vision that was part of her life for years. She dreamed about it and prayed that she would be able to fulfill her life ambition. That vision became a reality. Eileen graduated from St. Vincent’s Hospital School of Nursing in New York City in 1964. Her lifetime goal of becoming a registered nurse was now a legitimate result of years of dedication to a goal.

Eileen has worked as a registered nurse for the past 40 years. Her initial start at St. Vincent’s was in a medical/surgical unit. . Eileen moved onto a more prestigious position in the Emergency Room (ER) of Meadowbrook Hospital, now known as NCMC (Nassau County Medical Center). It was there she met Paul Holmes, who was a Correction Officer at the Nassau County Correctional Facility that is adjacent to the hospital. Paul was a transportation specialist…he would escort prisoners from the jail to the ER at the hospital. Paul and Eileen dated for a while, and then they were married…and have been for 36 years.

“ I left the ER when I got married and worked as a Private Duty Nurse, Industrial Nurse and Camp Nurse part time while raising my family. The family consists of three children…and now two grandchildren. When my youngest started school, I became a school nurse at Locust Valley High School. This enabled me to be off when the children had vacations and days off from school.”

Eileen stayed at the high school in Locust Valley for five years, and then came back to her roots. She worked as a school nurse within the Hicksville School District for twenty years. Her assignment was at Holy Family School. “ I retired in 2000 from the school district but was not really ready to retire from nursing,” Eileen said. “ So, I went to work at the Nassau County Correctional Center in the Medical
Unit. I was ready for real retirement in 2002 and ready to collect a pension. At least that was my intention,” she said.

“ Six months later I was asked to work for the NYS Health Department, doing surveys at the Nassau County clinics for the summer. Then about a year and a half ago, I was asked to come back to work at NUMC in the Quality Management Dept. I am retired but I love nursing, so I work two days a week. It keeps me up to date on what is happening in my chosen profession.”

Eileen did her share of “MOM” activities over the past 35 years. She has been a Brownie Leader, a Den Mother, a Youth Counselor, a Cafeteria Volunteer and Class Mother. Eileen is involved in arts and crafts as a hobby and traveling in a 36-foot motor home that Paul and Eileen bought after his retirement as a Lieutenant at the Nassau County Correctional Center. During the past several years, Eileen has reacquainted herself with classmates she did not know very well while at Hicksville High.

Eileen said, “Paul and I joined a model railroad club (LIGRS) and it was there I met Barbara (Skuza) Poppe.” “ Then we joined a Camping Club,” Eileen recounted, “and we met Richard Griffith.” “ It is a small world,” Eileen suggests. “ Do you know what it’s like to have a lifetime friend,” Eileen said to me? I do have one and know the meaning, but Eileen expressed it best. “ I have maintained a life long friendship (since 3rd grade) with a fellow classmate…and I will forever be grateful for this friendship…thank you Janet (Emery) O’Connor.”

Reunions

On Sunday Oct. 23 rd a group of Hicksville High School classmates living in Florida got together at Bill and Barbara (Ray) Novinski's house in Beverly Hills Florida for a get together. Those present were Barbara (Fellows) Cava "56" and Charles P. Cava "55", Rosemary (Panico) Minichello "56", and Joe Minichello, Dolores (Edsel) Frey "56" and Rudy Frey "54", Daryl Witfoth and Rosemary Moran "55" and Joan (Sullo) Joachim "55". Barbara (Ray) Novinski would have graduated in '55 but moved away before graduation. A great time
was had by all and everything was discussed from remembering how Hicksville was during the '50's to remembering certain teachers to what we all were doing over the past 50 years. A lot of laughs were had by all and Bill and Barbara put out a fine spread of food. Nobody went home hungry. Those who graduated in '55 said they where all going to try and make the 50 year reunion this coming Oct. Before that though everyone said we should try and get together often. Most of the girls wanted to know if anyone knew the whereabouts of Phebe E. Berning "56”?

Charlie Cava

Trivia

• 15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.

• 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.

• About 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year. That's the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, next to Christmas.

• About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.

• Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, an " Improvement in Telegraphy", on Valentine's Day, 1876.

• Cupid, another symbol of Valentines Day, became associated with it because he was the son of Venus, the Roman god of love and beauty. Cupid often appears on Valentine cards holding a bow and arrows because he is believed to use magical arrows to inspire feelings of love.

• During the late 1800s, postage rates around the world dropped, and the obscene St. Valentine's Day card became popular, despite the Victorian era being otherwise very prudish. As the numbers of racy valentines grew, several countries banned the practice of exchanging Valentine's Days cards. During this period, Chicago's post office rejected more than 25,000 cards on the grounds that they were so indecent, they were not fit to be carried through the U.S. mail.

• February 14, 270 A.D.: Roman Emperor Claudius II, dubbed "Claudius the Cruel," beheaded a priest named Valentine for performing marriage ceremonies. Claudius II had outlawed marriages when Roman men began refusing to go to war in order to stay with their wives.

• Humorous valentines of the 19th century were called "Vinegar Valentines" or " Penny Dreadfuls." Vinegar Valentines were introduced in 1858 by John McLaughin, a Scotsman with a New York City Publishing Business. Penny Dreadfuls with comic designs drawn in 1870 by American cartoonists Charles Howard became known as Penny Dreadfuls.

• In 1929 in Chicago, gunmen in the suspected employment of organized-crime boss Al Capone murder seven members of the George "Bugs" Moran North Siders gang in a garage on North Clark Street. The so-called St. Valentine's Day Massacre stirred a media storm centered on Capone and his illegal Prohibition-era activities and motivated federal authorities to redouble their efforts to find evidence incriminating enough to take him off the streets.

• Only the U.S., Canada, Mexico, France, Australia and the U.K. celebrate Valentine's Day.

  From http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/valtrivia.html

Pat Koziuk Driscoll, 1956 (FL)
Linda Piccerelli Hayden, 1960 (NJ)
Bob Casale, 1961 (HX)