July 2008 : Volume 8 - Issue 10

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.

---

Dear Readers,

Please make sure that This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. are on your safe list. Announcements and welcome letters are being returned with 'not accepting' as the explanation by several ISP's; most notably AOL.com.

Thank you,
Your Editors

Class of '58 50th Reunion
Saturday September 20, 2008

(with optional events planned for
Friday, September 19 and Sunday, September 21)

Holiday Inn, Plainview, NY
215 Sunnyside Boulevard at Long Island Expressway Exit 46

Reservation Deadline Approaching for Class of '58's 50th Reunion

If you haven't sent in your registration for the Class of '58's 50th reunion, do it today! The deadline is Friday, July 18. The September 20 event will be at the Holiday Inn, Plainview, where our class marked its 25th! Tickets are $68 per person and includes a cocktail reception and dinner. Dress is casual. The festivities start at 7 p.m.

Completely rebuilt and refurbished, the Holiday Inn, Plainview, offered the best price and best-priced accommodations that made it the committee's top choice for our 50th reunion site. There will be plenty of time to catch up with old friends as you mix and mingle over drinks and appetizers and then partake of a sumptuous buffet dinner and dessert. (Cash bar). In the background will be soft music from the 50s provided by a local DJ.

A reservation form was included with the invitation and must be received by reunion committee treasurer Janet Wilson Moeller by July 18. A letter of confirmation will be sent to you in August along with details of optional events on Friday and Sunday. If you have not received your invitation or know of someone whose invitation got lost in the mail, drop an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll send one on its way.

If you're coming from out-of-town and need a place to stay, you'll find the Holiday Inn, Plainview's special reunion rate of $129 per night plus tax rate one of the lowest you'll find in the area. (that's quite a savings over the normal $173 per night senior citizen's rate--the normally lowest deal you can get).

Even better, it gives everyone an informal place to get together on Friday night for cocktails and music in the Holiday Inn Lounge and to gather for Sunday brunch. Dinner on Friday evening will be on your own. The hotel's Brunch on Sunday will also be at your option. We're working with the Hicksville School District which is planning a tour of the high school on Friday, followed by a ceremony at which we will be presenting a class gift. We have raised close to $1,000 already.

Hotel reservations must be made separately. The reunion rate applies from Thursday, September 18 through Sunday, September 21. To get that rate, you must make your hotel reservation by August 7. Information about the reservation process and the special code number you'll need to get the discounted rate are included in the invitation.

I am trying to get together the Greasers of 1960 who can still boogie with the best - Myrna Hessel, remember me - One of Dr. Moser's groupies- I live in Hallandale Beach, Florida where I have resided for the past 32 years- a native to the newcomers! I know many of you have relatives down here as well as condos for vacation so let's get together and see if we can still appreciate "In the Still of the Night" and the scream of the Harley-Davidsons in the front of the school. We can do it anywhere it doesn't matter to me but the weather is great and the beaches beautiful and more restaurants than you can throw a stick at on the same street. My e-mail address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and my phone # 954-457-7028. I saw your picture Jack Gould and I realized that a lot of water has gone under the dam and Forrest Dunbar-a name from my past! Let's do this-I think it will bring back so many memories of the Senior Trip on the Steamboat, etc, etc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember the fun we had producing "Kiss Me Kate" and Marty and Noel's renditions).

See you soon,
Myrna Hessel Greenberg

Attention Hicksville High School Class of 1968!

Barbara Hoosack Sarluco and Dianne Gunnigle Burkhardt regret to announce that the plans to have a 40th Reunion this year are officially cancelled. We investigated many possibilities, and the price tag kept mounting higher and higher. We are facing an uncertain winter ahead of us with the rising gas, oil and airline prices, so we felt postponing our event is the sensible thing to do. We hope to get a larger committee together for future reunion plans so the burden of all this work and expense isn't on just two people. Please keep in touch with us if you are interested in helping out.

Good bye for now, and Congratulations Graduates of the Class of 1968. Happy 40th to all !!!

Memories of "Camelot", the Senior Prom, the Senior Play, "You Can't Take It With You" and the Washington D.C. trip, The Comet yearbook, Mr. Jaworski and Mr. Feigin and our senior class leaders: Chet Schnepf and Andy La Grega and all the stories we could tell about those days at Hicksville High.

Remember to keep in touch with our fellow classmates through hixnews.com.

Have a nice summer.
Barbara and Dianne

Dianne Gunnigle Burkhardt and Barbara Hoosack Sarluco recently announced that the tentative reunion for the class of 1968 is not tentative anymore...it has been postponed for the time being.

Their desire is to have as many alumni from their class of '68, living in the metropolitan area, show up at one of Anton Mure's local Long Island gigs. Anton and his Mid Life Crisis Band play locally during the summer and into the fall. Their thought is that even a mini reunion with old friends is better than no reunion at all!!

It will be a totally informal get together. Most of Anton's gigs are on a Saturday night and usually last at least three hours. His schedule follows...

• Saturday, July 26, Callahans (East Meadow)
• Saturday, August 2, Charles Street Cafe (Hicksville)
• Saturday, August 9, Port Jazz (Port Jeff)
• Saturday, September 6, Port Jazz
• Friday, September 12, Callahans
• Saturday, October 4, Callahans
• Saturday, November 8, Callahans

If you see a date that appeals to you, please send a note to either Diane or Barbara or to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . If you have a different thought, please let us know what you have in mind. If anyone from out of town is looking for overnight accommodations, get in touch with Buffalo Bob Casale at the Hicksville Newsletter and he will steer you in the right direction.

Warm Regards
Bob Casale
Hicksville Newsletter

People Looking for People

If there's someone you're looking for, just send your request and we'll be happy to add it to the list. If anyone knows these folks, send an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Newsletter

My name is John Fyfe. I graduated from HHS in 1954. My brothers, Jim, Bill and David and my sister June, also graduated from HHS.

June, who now lives in Tampa, FL, sent me some info on your website, which I found very professional and interesting, and it stimulated my interest in resuming contact with some of the people with whom I attended HHS in the early '50s.

I haven't had any real contact with any of my classmates for many, many years as I have been living abroad for over forty years, which probably begs a little background on what I've been doing since 1954.

I went to West Point in 1956, graduating in 1960 and following four years in the Army, returned to NYC, went to work in Manhattan, was transferred briefly to upstate NY and shortly thereafter to London, England. There I met and married a British girl (now deceased) and had four children with her, all now in their thirties and living in London (2) and the Far East (2).

Since coming to London I have worked (and/or lived) in many Western and Eastern European countries and in Asia and Australasia as well, but always kept a base in London where, now retired, I continue to live.

If you are in contact with any 1954 graduates of HHS, please pass on my greetings and best wishes, and let me know if there are reunions or other gatherings of '54 alumni on the horizon.

My birthday, by the way, is July 9th.

Best regards,
John Fyfe

Junk in the Attic/Part2, Or you're never too old to...

By BoB Gillette

For those readers who have been on board for several years, this article is a continuation of the story I wrote in 2006 titled "Junk in the attic". In it, I detailed how I came across a small unsigned painting on a wooden board, of Niagara Falls, while cleaning out the last of my mom's attic, after she had passed away in 1999! The painting was stuffed along with other old photos and junk paintings, in the space between the floor edge and the unfinished wall of the old Levitt attic! My mom had taken painting classes and had regularly gone to art exhibitions, along with one of her friends who was a listed watercolorist, but I guess as far as she was concerned, that painting with a few dents and spots was junk! I had it hanging on my living room wall in 2001, and in the process of getting ready to move to SC, I had put an antique bureau that was beyond repair, out by the road. A gentleman from the Ward Melville Historical Society stopped by and asked if he could take the brass hardware off of the dresser. After chatting for a while, I invited him in to look at the other antiques that I had! He spotted the Niagara painting on the wall and said it was a very nice painting, and probably worth a few bucks! He also liked another small landscape that was painted by my great grandfather!

Now up until that time, I had very little interest in art, and in fact, it was one of my least favorite areas of interest! In Hicksville High school in art class, we had a teacher whose name I can't recall, but I remember her as being a 'Screamer' with little patience! A couple of other boys and I would goof off and get sent to the principal's office on a regular basis! In fact one day we arrived in class and hadn't even done anything wrong, and she exclaimed, 'I can't put up with you guys today, so just go down to the principal's office! Imagine trying to explain to the assistant principal that we hadn't done anything wrong! Anyway, at the end of the semester, she told me, 'I have to give you something, so I will give you a 20!' That was about the limit of my exposure to art, except as an infrequent visitor to an art museum! Now my eldest daughter Cheryl was quite a talented artist, my mom had painted, and her mother had attended Art College! And as I previously stated, my great grandfather on my father's side, along with his brothers, also had painted, so there was art and painting in the family, just not with me!

I was now intrigued by the Niagara painting. Every four or five months I would Google 'Niagara' paintings or art. Eventually, I came across a similar looking painting owned by the N Y Historical Society, painted by Antoine Phillipe d'Orleans, in 1803!

I figured that anyone who painted Niagara once would probably have been so impressed that he painted more than one. I spent several more years looking for info on Antoine Philippe d'Orleans, until I eventually came upon an Italian painter who painted a scene based on a painting by Antoine Philippe d'Orleans, Duc de Montpensier! He was French Royalty! I was able to find a book based on his memoirs and learned that his brother would become King of the French after the revolution, but that he himself would die in 1807! A woman whom I met online and who collected Niagara paintings, turned me on to Alvan Fisher, who also painted Niagara paintings along with other landscapes But, his colors were different than the colors in my painting. I mistakenly assumed an artist always used the same colors. But one of his Niagara paintings done in 1820 had a similar large log wedged among the rocks! I reasoned that a log washed and jammed among the rocks would last give or take about five years! That meant that my painting was probably painted between 1815 and 1825, and so the French Prince couldn't have painted it!

I subscribed to AskArt and ArtPrice to help my research which I now did on a regular basis. I looked at all the Hudson River School of artists and closely studied their paintings! It seemed that every one of them had painted Niagara Falls several times!

I began to look 'into' the paintings, rather than just at them, and began to see the real beauty in a good painting! In Askart, the paintings are listed by auction date. You see the painting first, and then as you scroll a bit farther down, you see the price that it sold for! I would pick a Hudson River or White Mountain artist, look at the paintings, try to guess the price, and scroll down to see how my guess was. I got pretty good!

Eventually, I came back to Alvan Fisher. I studied his biography and paintings more closely, and began to realize that the evidence pointed out that it was he who was the artist of my painting! I had learned by then that you never tell a dealer or auction house that you 'Think that you have a painting by'''! They usually won't even respond as you are not an expert, and so therefore, you can't 'Think' who painted it! But you can have a painting 'Believed to have been painted by'..', and if they believe it is possible, they may respond! I contacted a dealer in Fisher paintings, and he talked about how it was presumptuous to attribute it to Fisher, and how much work Fisher paintings took to maintain! Then he asked how much I wanted for it!!! He must have thought it was a Fisher, or he wouldn't ask! I said most Fisher paintings sold for $8K, but as Niagara paintings sold at premium, I asked for $10K! No deal.

I contacted Northeast auctions who had sold more Fisher paintings than any other auction house! They said that yes indeed, it was an Alvan Fisher painting and put an estimate of $6-8K on it! It sold in Nov of 2005 for $15K! I saw later that the gallery that bought it had it restored and sold it for $40K! Welcome to the world of Fine Art! I thought, 'I can do this'! I had taken an unsigned painting and out of over 400,000 listed artists, I had found the correct artist! My logic skills in troubleshooting computer systems and doing stock research were helpful in doing art research, and I found it rewarding and interesting! I bought over 50 19^th Century unsigned and signed Fine art paintings, and broadened my research to other artists and areas, and sold quite a few paintings including two more Alvan Fisher paintings that I found, including one from Germany by way of Canada! I bought all the Art reference books, including Davenports, as well as the signature reference books and many books on the Hudson River artists! People were asking me to identify paintings or values. On Antiques Road show, I can usually give a good guess on a Landscape painting price before the appraiser, and can many times recognize the artist before they announce it! In late 2006 and through 2007, the price on unsigned or attributed paintings dropped way off, so I limited my attempts at selling! Last Summer there was an oil painting class being offered in my city, and I thought that since I was researching and selling paintings, that I should at least know what was involved! So I enrolled and started painting! The instruction was basic, so we were basically on our own, and I was really terrible!

But after my shaky start, I actually was able to start finding out how to do things, and I also found it to be very relaxing and enjoyable! I began to discover things very quickly, and was quickly able to paint fields and trees, and then mountains! I think that having looked at all those Master's paintings was a tremendous advantage. The teacher and most of the other students and artists were mostly into Color Field painting, or blocks of color with drippings throughout, and so I was mostly ignored! I suddenly reached a point where I had confidence in what I was doing! I studied many Van Gogh paintings and added similar elements to some of my work! I liked him because he combined realism with his impressionism! I suddenly got noticed by my art teacher, and the other artists. I tried using Pallet or painting knives, and found them easy to use and so it added another dimension to my art! No one else including the teacher or her art professor was able to use the knives, but I found them fun to use and added an impressionist touch to my art! The director of the Lancaster County Council of the Arts told me that as soon as I completed twenty paintings, that she would have an exhibition of my works! I now am in an 'invitation only' advanced art class which consists of other artists and is more about building a body of work! The teacher and her art professor are also painting in the class and are available for any questions one might have! We also have a regular critique of our works where the artists give their input about what they like or don't like about a piece! I have moved well along in the class, and now at the age of 66, I am an artist! I recently joined another class for a 'Day in the field' doing Plein Aire painting in the field and got my picture in the local newspaper. Now if I were to go back to age 59, with a list of 5000 things that I might be doing at age 66, with buying and selling 19^th Century paintings one of the things on the list, while being an artist was another, I would have rated them as numbers 4999 and 5000!!!

The point here is that your life may not be ending after the age of sixty; rather it may just be beginning! You are never too old to try some new endeavor, even something you would never think of!

Hi Bob (Up and coming artist),

As you requested, here is a short summary of my art career which you can use in the July newsletter. I've tried to be brief and have left lots out, but it's still pretty long. If you have any questions or if you need to edit anything, please do. Thanks, Judy

Guess if it hadn't been for Donald Holmes (Holmsy), I may not have pursued a career in art. In his class, I did my first oil painting (with pallet knife) of white birch trees (1958). I also learned to sketch people at that time. He took our class to the Pratt Institute in NYC on a field trip. Sadly, I took one look at the students with their long hair, nails, etc and was scared away by their strangeness. Instead, I chose to go to Geneseo and majored in speech and drama.

I took a long break, married in '59 and had two daughters. In New England, when I returned to college, I majored in English and received my masters in Psychology. I ran special programs in the high schools. As I had two children to support, I continued working in the schools until 1980. Along with my daughters, I took watercolor classes in Ipswich and Boston, MA.

In 1980, I moved to Newport, RI and finally realized my dream of painting full time. I started taking "Plein Air watercolor" classes. I had several well-known artist teachers who would come to Newport to teach through our Artists' Guild. I had the pleasure of working with Charles Reed, Barbara Nechis, Frank Webb, Charles Movalli just to name a few. I also attended yearly workshops at Betty Lou Schlem's studio in Rockport, MA.

I exhibited at the DuBlois Gallery on Bellvue Ave in Newport and joined the RI Watercolor Society. Throughout the '80's I was involved with several galleries in Newport and Providence, RI. In 1990, I appeared on Good Morning America while painting the sailboats that were getting set to race in the BOC, Around the World Alone Race that left from Newport.

In 1991 we moved West to Durango, CO where I was faced with a whole new art situation, no longer painting ocean and boats, but now painting mountains and deserts. I worked with Milford Zornes, one of the original California painters ( who died recently at age 100). But, it quickly became clear to me that watercolors were not the first choice in the fine art world of the Southwest. So, I started painting in Oils.

I was a founding member of the Plein Air Painters of the 4 Corners, a group of painters dedicated to painting outdoors all year and having at least 2 shows a year...one in New Mexico and one in Colorado. I later joined the American Academy of Women Artists, Plein Air New Mexico, and Oil Painters of America.

I took workshops at the Donner Ranch, Fechin School (just north of Taos, NM). I worked with Kim English, Ken Auster, and my favorite, Camille Prezwodek, in Petaluma, CA.

I began taking awards each year in various national shows around the Southwest.

I consider my first giant step in 2004 when I was asked to curate and exhibit the plein air show, "Seasons of the Southwest ," at the Mill Atelier Gallery on Canyon Rd. in Santa Fe, NM. Canyon Rd. is the ultimate place to exhibit for an artist interested in selling his/her work. It's been an uphill success since then.

• 2005 I received a 2nd prize in the plein air paintout with Alla Prima International in Taos, NM.
• 2006 I received a Juror's Choice at San Juan College in Farmington, NM
• 2007 I received an Honorable Mention at Ft Lewis College in Durango and an Honorable Mention at the Durango Arts Center.
• 2008 I received a Best of Show Award and the Durango Area Tourism Award for "The Animas at Sunset" which was pictured in our last Hix News.
• I am now showing my plein air oils at Houshang's Gallery on Canyon Rd. in Santa Fe. They are selling quickly.

I am finally making money from my art....at least enough to buy supplies and frames!! It has taken 28 years to become moderately successful. Ah... the life of the artist.

Judy DeVincentis Morgan (on the web at: www.judymorganart.com

Jack Gould and I realized that a lot of water has gone under the dam and Forrest Dunbar-a name from my past! Let's do this-I think it will bring back so many memories of the Senior Trip on the Steamboat,etc,etc!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember the fun we had producing "Kiss Me Kate" and Marty and Noel's renditions) See you soon, Myrna Hessel Greenberg

The newsletter's policy is not to give out or publish email addresses without permission; the same way that the phone companies handle unlisted phone numbers. When Olivia Lepis Schmidt requested emails for 1961 grads, a Bcc: copy of her note was sent to all those on our readers' list. Following is a note received from Olivia:

Thank you so much for your quick response with the email addresses for some of the 1961 graduates.

Yesterday I received a phone call from Dennis Naso (1961); someone contacted him to tell him to call me; Dennis lives near me in Port Jefferson, Long Island and he will keep me informed about any reunions, etc.

This past weekend was the FIRST time that I received the Newsletter by email which sparked my interest in contacting people from my graduating class. If there is a Newsletter email / mailing list, please add my name so that I may continue to receive these issues.

A few years ago when I was still working, I was kept in the loop by Bob Casale who periodically contacted me at my work email; once I retired, I spent the winter in Florida and lost contact with Bob because I, inadvertently, misplaced email addresses.

I appreciate the help of everyone who has emailed or called - thanks again!
Olivia Lepis (now Schmidt) 1961'

I promised my sister Mary that I would contact you and ask if anyone knows what happened to our neighbor (and her old flame) Richie Zodda. We lived on Pollock Place and all at one time went to Hicksville Jr. and Sr. High. She promised she would learn the computer if she located him (so she could e-mail him) It would be interesting since she is now (and I guess he is too) 62! If you have any information let me know ' thanks,

Nancy O'Geary-Smith (nee: Alfano class '66)

I would like to receive the Hicksville newsletter.

Claudia Farina Davis

- DOB: April 7
- Grad.: 1969
- Married, 7 children, 10 grandchildren, 1 great grandchild
- Live in FL, PA and also L.I.
- Husband's name is Charlie, NYPD retired
- I am a nurse

Would love to catch up on the HHS news and get the newsletter. My girlfriend just mailed one to me. I think it's great.

Go ahead and add my name to the list. I graduated in 1965 (Robert J. Dean) and was born on October 23. I married Greta Lynne Dixon in June 1996 and live in Placitas, NM

Bob Dean
R.J. Dean & Associates

My name is Mike (Mack) Siracusa, graduating class of 1972. I moved to Louisville, Kentucky about three years ago after living in Kings Park for 21 years. My wife is also a graduate of Hicksville High; Kathie (Caddigan) Siracusa, class of 1974.

We wanted to be part of your newsletter to find some of our old friends and where they might be and also to say hi ya'll.

I heard about the newsletter from my brother Louie Siracusa who was in the Hicksville High 1968 graduating class.

Those of you wishing to send get well wishes to former Spanish teacher LIBBIE KOZMA, please send cards and notes to:

6405 FLAGLER STREET
HOLLYWOOD FL 33023

Hi all...........

We are still living in Bethpage, just a stones throw from HHS...I have managed to attend every reunion and loved them all...God willing our next one will be well attended. I just wanted to forward this picture. Since I retired in Feb '06, I have been doing what I've wanted to do all my life, "Sing" I didn't plan it and God just put it in my lap. One year ago, my husband and I hooked up with another couple that we know from church and we became "The Sentimental Journey Singers". We entertain seniors at their community residences, Assisted Living facilities, senior clubs, and nursing homes. We are having the time of our lives, and we even get paid. I guess that makes us professionals. My husband Sam and I also had an opportunity to sing at his HS (Bushwick '50) reunion and our HHS reunion in '05. If any of you belong to any senior clubs etc, maybe you could put in a plug for us. From the reaction we get from our audiences, they really love us. We are so blessed and grateful. Who would have thought retirement would be such a blast?! Blessings, Rosalie (Ro) Tringali Malerba class of '55

P.S. In the picture, I am the second on the left.

This one is worth the long download. Made me homesick.

Pat (Koziuk) Driscoll '56

http://www.fromtheflightdeck.com/VideoLIW/nyvideo640.wmv

Dear Buffalo Bob...

I don't know for sure, but I think we created the first 56 Olds with a moon roof. What do you think?

Chris Thiel

The above was sent to me by "Crash" Thiel who is an attorney living in Florida and is a graduate, class of '61. Oldsmobile really didn't have a car with a moon roof that was manufactured in 1956. Chris was very upset. So, he did the obvious.

Chris started to accelerate on Division Avenue at what used to be the student parking lot (it is now the Admin Bldg) and reached a decent speed near the flag pole when he noticed a truck in front of him turning left. Chris hit the brakes as hard as he could but the layer of new, fresh gravel wouldn't allow his tires to stop the 1956 Oldsmobile moving quickly toward the tailgate of the truck that was down and it was the resulting crash that created the "First 1956 Oldsmobile with a Moon Roof!"

In the car with Chris were Jimmy Thompson, Tommy Farrell and me,

Bob Casale

Hi!

I would love to see my sister, Ethel (Kunz) Lehmann inducted into the HHS Hall of Fame. I am mailing copies of several of her achievements in the mail. She will be 79 in November, and still going strong. She will be inducted into the "Sr. Softball Hall of Fame" in Gallatin, Tenn. on Sept. 19th, 2008 where she will be receiving her ring during the ceremony. My husband, Al & I have tickets bought to attend her well-deserved honor.

Ethel graduated from HHS - year of 1947 and her husband George also graduated from HHS several years before her. She has loved sports most of her life. Not only does she excel in Softball, but she is very proficient in all other sports. She is the only woman inducted into the All Male "Kids & Kubs" softball club in St. Pete, FL. She is well respected by everyone. She has been living with her husband in Largo, FL

Needless, to say, I feel she deserves the recognition in the Hicksville Newsletter as a Hall of Famer.

Thank you,
Dorothy (Kunz) Drago- class of 1950 HHS

To Whom It May Concern,

This is Linda Mastrosanti (Aragoncillo). I just read on the Newsletter that AOL says that I'm not accepting Mail. I am. I get mail from all my friends. I really enjoy really Hixnews every month. This is so much information that is so interesting. Plus, finding out about old classmates and friends, keep up the good work. I tell everyone that I know about Hixnews. Please try again to connect me.

Classmate and friend from class of 1961,
Linda Mastrosanti (Aragoncillo)

NOTE TO Linda Mastrosanti (Aragoncillo) - AOL keeps returning everything we send - both from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and our personal email addresses. Editors

Mabel Farley from 1956 yearbookI would like to nominate Miss Mabel Farley to our Hall Of Fame. Mabel was not the kind of person that many students had the opportunity to meet or get to know. Most of the student body only knew her from assembly or other functions. Some of us got to know her when we ran into problems with our classes or with a teacher.

After 3 years of split sessions in the old High School, I finally got to go to the new high school. My last year in the new school turned into problems beyond my control and that's how I got to know Miss Farley. I was able to rebound and get back into her good graces by doing some good deeds for the yearbook committee.

A month or so before graduation (1956) she called me out of class one day and told me she had set up an interview for me with a local company and I should make sure I made that appointment.

I am proud to say that I started working for that company on July 13, 1956 and retired in December 2000 from GRUMMAN or what was then left of the Company. I know there are many more HHS graduates that owe their success to Miss Farley.

Tom Haller, Class Of '56
Vero Beach, FL

Does anyone remember a bicycle repair/hobby shop in Hicksville? I believe it was called Bike And Toy. It was on Broadway across from St. Ignatius Church, or possibly a few stores down. As I recall, they displayed new bicycles in the front of the store and had the model kits near the back, as well as a repair counter. In the early 60's Jimmy Martin and I used to ride our bikes there from 9th Street to get the latest model car kits, as well as bicycle parts when needed. I believe it was torn down when Broadway was widened but I don't recall it relocating elsewhere. I was wondering if anyone else remembers shopping there.

Frank Koziuk, '67

Hicksville Tidbits

HAVE you ever tried to find a parking spot in the vicinity of the Hicksville Station? Sometimes, the task is a chore and a half.

Enter the Town of Oyster Bay Parking Garage that houses approximately 1400 vehicles every day. I remember years ago when someone drove through one of the retaining walls and plummeted to the ground. That was a problem but nothing in comparison to the recent catastrophe when a town worker spotted a cracked structural support 'T-Beam' on the first floor. This was in early June, on the 3rd.

The crack was immediately reported to town engineers who conducted a thorough inspection the following day. That was after the commuters who were parked there during the day were allowed to exit the garage. There were several cars that were not retrieved but town officials notified them of the problem.

Town officials were able to procure approximately 800 parking spots at the Broadway Mall (Mid Island Plaza for you old folks). They set up a shuttle that will run commuters to the train station during the week.

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor, John Venditto said, 'the structure is in the twilight of its useful life (and) it is aging rapidly. So the 40 year old facility will be demolished and a new, state of the art, facility will take its place.

There will be additional parking in the Sears parking lot and at other locations throughout Hicksville.

Please note that Town of Oyster Bay Parking Permits, available to all residents at a cost of $20.00 for two years, will be required for parking at both the Sears and Broadway Mall lots.

NEW YORK STATE Assemblyman Rob Walker announced the passage of a bill he introduced that would set aside the second Tuesday of December as the date for election of commissioners for the Hicksville and Bethpage Water Districts. The bill passed with no objections.

The fact that elections for both offices will be held on the same day will save taxpayers thousand of dollars in costs associated with putting on elections.

Christopher Edward Keough, 22, has been accepted into the Peace Corps. Keough departed for Georgia on June 15 to begin pre-service training as a business development Peace Corps volunteer.

Keough is the son of James Keough and is a graduate of Hicksville High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and International Relations from Hobart College in 2007. Previously, Keough worked for the Bank of America in New York.

The Fourth Annual Kevin Kolm Memorial Lacrosse Day took place recently at Walker Field. The event is held annually in honor of Marine Corporal Kolm, a Hicksville High School Alumnus who was killed in the line of duty in Iraq at a young age, 23.

Wild thunderstorms hit parts of Long Island in early June. One storm with heavy rains and hearty winds hit Hicksville and was responsible for knocking down an old, large tree if front of the Middle School.

The Annual Chamber of Commerce Street Fair is scheduled for July 20th. The fair is a big event that many Hicksville residents look forward to every year.

If you haven't been to Kennedy Park since the John Bull Locomotive was placed there, this is the time for you to stop what you're doing and visit the park and see the locomotive that is a replica of the engine that powered Long Island for years.

Dear Alumni...

Joyce Gabrielsen Casale had this beautiful plant on top of our refrigerator when we had our house in Albrightsville, PA. It has since disappeared and, unfortunately, Joyce cannot tell me what the plant is/was or where it is/was... So, please help me so I can get another.

Thanks,
Bob Casale

Photo Gallery

Birthdays & Anniversaries

New Readers & Returns

Honoring our Veterans

Out Of The Pockets Of Our Seniors: Our Service Members, Too!

Over the last several weeks, our Congress has once again taken a giant step... in a direction I wish they had not gone. On the 12th of June the Senate fell 6 vote short, while on June 26, by a mere two votes legislation that would have prevented a potential Medicare disaster was stalled in the Senate. What is realized by almost everyone that what is harmful to Medicare is harmful to our seniors. What very few people realize is that it is also harmful to our active duty service members and those who have retired from military service - more on that below. One side point. I realize that "cuts in payments" do not directly come out of the pockets of our seniors. However, if these cuts result in physicians not taking on Medicare patients, isn't the results just that. It will cost our seniors; it will come out of their pockets.

June 26 and June 12

By a vote of 58 to 40 (60 votes were needed), the Senate affectively rejected a bill that would have avoided deep cuts in Medicare reimbursements to physicians. Because of this and effective July 1, a 10.6% cut in payments to physicians is set to take place. Ironically, just two days prior the House voted significantly in favor (355 to 59) to prevent this cut-back from occurring.

The actual Senate vote was:

             Yea     Nay     Not Voting     

D         47        1          1         

R          9          39        1         

I           1          0          0         

ID        1          0          0         

Totals   58        40        2         

Similarly back on June 12 the Senate again failed to pass a bill that would have canceled the cuts in physician reimbursements. Regardless of what had happened in the Senate, the current Administration had promised to veto this attempt to prevent the cuts in position reimbursements.

And Why Is This so

The Medicare (and military health care, read that TRICARE) budget for 2008 was based on these cuts going into effect.

Our Military

As mentioned above, there is much concern that with these cutbacks doctors will not take on any new Medicare patients. As our military's TRICARE payments are treated the same as the Medicare payments, this could easily mean our active duty military, their families, and all who have retired from the military (!) and their families (!!!) might find themselves in a similar situation; unable to find a physician who will take their case.

And what is TRICARE

TRICARE is the U.S. government sponsored health insurance plan for all active military members, their family, and all retirees and their families.

The 'Wall' In Hicksville

As I've been mentioning, at the beginning of June (and for those of you who were so fortunate to be both available and able to fight off the heat), the Town of Oyster Bay, for the second time in three years, brought in to the Town the Dignity Memorial "Vietnam Wall," a three-quarter replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall, Washington, DC. This time to the Sears in Hicksville.

I'll have some photos next month. In the mean time, what many of you might not know is the history of how the Town of Oyster Bay came to bring in the "Wall," in the first place.

The Spring of 2004

In January 2004, the Town of Oyster Bay began a process that resulted in the formation of the: Veterans Services Division of the Town of Oyster Bay in November of that year (the Town, by the way, being the only town of the 12 plus towns in Nassau and Suffolk County to have a division dedicated entirely to veterans).

By the spring of 2004, it was apparent that the Veteran Services Division was 'a go' and discussions began about an event to 'launch' itself. It didn't take much thought to realize that April 2005 would be the "30th Anniversary" of the last American personnel being withdrawn from Vietnam.

Realizing that, a search was then undertaken to identify and learn more about the three or four 'mobile walls' that toured the country and were available to provide the Town of Oyster Bay's residents with the opportunity to visit the "Wall," locally.

After more than just a few phone calls, after more than just a few meetings, after coordinating with more than just a few town departments and local organizations, at the end of April 2005, the Dignity Memorial Wall was made available (in Marjorie Post Park in Massapequa) for all the residents to visit. Despite 2 1/2 days of rain over the three days the Wall was available, those who did visit were not disappointed, regardless of whether it was raining or the sun was shining.

The Fall of 2007

Back in May of 2007, a seed was planted by a simple question asked as to when the Town of Oyster Bay would once again bring in the "Wall". At that time no decision was made.

In October of that year, another question was asked... another simple question: what would it take to bring the "Wall" back to the Town of Oyster Bay?

The answer to that question was... a simple phone call, which set in motion the events that would bring the "Wall" back to the Town.

June of 2008

Once again meetings were held between the Town and local organizations. Once again Vietnam veterans and other era veterans were invited to take part in the remembrance of the 58,260 brothers and sisters (there are the names of eight women on the "Wall") who gave their "last full measure of devotion" to our country and to their fellow service members.

Using words from the wall itself: In Honor Of The Men And Women Of The Armed Forces Of The United States Who Served In The Vietnam War. The Names Of Those Who Gave Their Lives And Of Those Who Remain Missing Are Inscribed In The Order They Were Taken From Us. Our Nation Honors The Courage, Sacrifice And Devotion To Duty And Country Of Its Vietnam Veterans.

This Week's Almost Not Commented on Story

And What If She Hadn't Kept...

RETIRED MARINE HAS TO FIGHT TRICARE FOR DAUGHTER'S LIFE-SAVING TRANSPLANT -- Four years after she retired from the Marine Corps, Bessie Miller had to fight the same military she was a part of for three decades. TRICARE, her military insurance, had refused to pay for a procedure for her daughter, Sloan Hunter. Hunter is 18 and suffers from a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Miller, 57, felt as if she and her daughter were getting "slapped in the face every time we turn around." After she gave the Marines 30 years of her life, she said, she expected its insurance to provide the care her daughter needed. When it didn't, Miller went to battle. She fought to get Hunter admitted to VCU Medical Center in Richmond, even though the hospital is not in TRICARE's network. Then she fought TRICARE when it refused to pay for a bone-marrow transplant for her daughter. By the time her claim reached the third and final level, Miller had contacted The Free Lance-Star and her local Representative, whose office lobbied for her. In addition, Miller called the hospital and insurance company regularly to confirm that each had the needed paperwork. TRICARE announced on 'Thursday' that it would pay for Hunter's $110,000 operation. Officials said she qualified for care under a rare-disease regulation. "I guess just bugging all these people, not giving up, refusing to accept 'no' for an answer, made the difference," Miller said. "That's the only thing I can think of, and I am totally thrilled and happy."

My Hicksville Trivia

 Circa 1964, Mrs. Rome taught Bio, as did Mr. Faust. On more than one occasion, the two would bring their classes together to watch a film. Therein lied the birth of an idea. One day when one of them was showing a film in their class, but HAD NOT invited the other, I and another  can't remember who -- who really didn't want to do any work that day decided to ask our respective teachers something along the lines  (let's say it was me speaking): Mrs. Rome, Mr. Faust is showing his class the film 'ABC' and wanted to know if you would like to bring our class to his to see the film?" We pulled it off... sorta. At one of the reel-breaks our respective teachers both asked the two of us to join them for a moment in the back lab room. We weren't invited back there to share in a cup of tea. Still, we did, not do, any work that day. And if my 'associate' from all those years ago is reading this, drop me a line.

Lest We Forget

Currently there are (at least) 5,032 (57 more since last month) Veterans of Modern Warfare who no longer will be "asking" our government for a dime . . .

Till next month be well... and remember, "Let No Veteran Ever Stand Alone!"

--------------------------------------------------------

--- --- Walt Schmidt Veteran Services Officer
- - --- TOBay's Veteran Services Division
- - - - "Let No Veteran Ever Stand Alone!"
--- --- WorkDayTime: 516.733.8414 & 24/7 Voice Mail
- - --- Anytime: 24/7 Voice Mail 516.799.8300
- - - - Website: http://www.waltsdorsai.net/
Ken Sun - Weekly Column: http://experts.longisland.com/veterans

"To know yet to think that one does not know is best;
Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty."
- Lao-Tzu 71:1

Memory Lane

Enjoy these memories.

BROOKLYN

1. The subway, bus and the trolley were only a thin dime to ride, and if you are really old, you'll remember a nickel a ride.

2. Schools were the showcase for the whole country.

3. Tuesday night was fireworks night in Coney Island put on by Schaefer Brewing.

4. There was very little pornography.

5. There were the bath houses: Stauches, Bushman Baths, SteeplechaseBaths, Washington Baths, Ravenhall, and Brighton Beach Baths.

6. There was respect for teachers and older people in general.

7. There was almost no violence.

8. The theme of the music of the times, even when it became rock and  roll, was love not anger.

9. A great day was going to the beach at Coney Island, [See the attached file] or Brighton.

10. People made a living and, rich or poor, people all knew how to have a good time no matter of status.

11. There was no better hot dog than the original at Nathan's in Coney Island. And no better French fries than the Nathan's thick ripple cuts.

12. There were no divorces and few 'one parent' families.

13. There were no drugs or drug problems in the lives of most people.

14. The rides and shows of Coney Island were fantastic: Steeplechase Park: the horses, the big slide, the barrels, the zoo (maze), the human pool table,

the Cyclone Roller Coaster, the Tornado Roller Coaster, the Thunderbolt Roller Coaster, the Bobsled, the Virginia Reel, the Wonder Wheel, the Bumper cars, the Tunnel of love, Battaway, the loop the loop, the bubble bounce, miniature golf, the whip, the many merry-go-rounds, the penny arcades. Luna Park, the Thompson Roller Coaster, the Parachute jump,

Fabers Sportsland and Fascination, toffee and cotton candy stores, custard stands, Pokerama, Skeeball, 
prize games, fortune tellers guess games, hammer games, the Harlem revue, the freak shows, the house of wax, the animal nursery,restaurants, rifle ranges, push cart rides and parades.

15. The fruit man, the tool sharpener, Krugs baked goods and also Dugans, the junk man and the watermelon man all with the horse and wagon
.

16. Sheepshead Bay was Lundy's Restaurant and fishing.

17. Only place for pizza and only whole pizzas was Joe's Bar and Grill on Ave U. Then in the mid-50's, a pizza explosion: you could buy it by the slice for a dime at many places. By the late 50's it was a whole 15 cents a slice! A tuna fish sandwich or a BLT were 45 cents. A small Coke was 7 cents, a large Coke was 12 cents. Remember Vanilla Cokes when they pumped real vanilla syrup into the glass before adding the Coke?  And the egg cream?!!

18. There were many theaters where every Saturday afternoon you could see 25 cartoons and two feature films. The Highway, the Avalon, the Kingsway, the Mayfair, the Claridge, the Tuxedo, the Oceana, the Oriental, the Avenue U,the Kent, the Paramount, the RKO Tilyou, the Mermaid, the Surf, the Walker, the Albemarle, the Alpine, the Rugby, the Ambassador, the People's Cinema, the Canarsie, the Marlboro, the Avon and the Globe.

19. Everybody knew all the high schools in Brooklyn.

20. Big eating and coffee hangouts: Dubrow's on Kings Highway, also on Eastern Parkway/Utica Avenue, Famous on 86th Street, and Garfield's onFlatbush Avenue.

21. Ebinger's was the great bakery ... loved the chocolate butter cream with the almonds on the side, Boston Cream pie, and the Blackout cakes! Bierman's was terrific also.

22. Kings Highway stores had their own ornate glitz as far as style goes.

23. There were many delicatessens in the 50's -- very few today. The best? Adelman's on 13th Avenue and Hymie's on Sutter Avenue. The food was from heaven!

24. Big night clubs in Brooklyn were the Ben Maksiks' 'Town and Country' on Flatbush Avenue and 'The Elegante' ' on Ocean Parkway.

25. There were no fast food restaurants in the 50's and a hamburger tasted like a hamburger.

26. There was Murray the K, rock and roll concerts at the Brooklyn Fox and the Brooklyn Paramount. You had to go the night before to get good seats.

27. Quick bites at Brennan and Carr, Horn and Hardart Automat, Nedick's, Big Daddy's, Chock Full o' Nuts, Junior's, Grabsteins or Joe's Delicatessen. Junior's, you'll be glad to know, is still in the same place, and the cheesecake is still fabulous.

28. Knishes were great at Mrs. Stahl's in Brighton or at Shatzkin's Knishes. Remember the knish guy on the beach with the shopping bags? Jerry was the knish guy. Mrs. Stahl's Knishes is Now a Subway.

29. People in Brooklyn took pride in owning a Chevy in the 50's; there was nothing better than General Motors then. The cars would run and run and run, no problems.

30. You bought sour pickles right out of the barrel -- for a nickel -- and they were delicious. By the 60's, they cost a whole quarter. Anyone remember Miller's Appetizing, on the corner of 13th Avenue and 50th Street?

31. The Brooklyn Dodgers were part of your family. The Duke, the Scoonge, Pee Wee, Jackie, the Preacher, Campy, Junior, Clem, Big Don,  Gil. They were always in a lot of our conversations. Remember Ebbet's Field and Happy Felton's Knothole club? For a nickel, you got into Ebbet's Field and saw the Dodgers play. For Brooklynites it was -- and will always be -- a shrine.

32. You come from Brooklyn but you don't think you have an accent. To you Long Island is one word which sounds like 'Longuyland.'

33. You played a lot of games as kids. Depending on whether you were a boy or a girl, you could play: ringaleaveo, Johnny on t he Pony, Hide and Seek, three feet off to Germany, red light-green light, chase the white horse, kick the can, Buck, Buck, how many horns are up?, war, hit the penny, pussy-in-the-corner, jump rope, double-dutch, Stories, A-My
Name Is, box ball,stick ball, box baseball, catch a fly, dodge ball, stoop ball, you're up, running bases, iron tag, skelly, tops, punch ball, handball, slap ball, whiffle ball,stick ball, poison ball, relay races, softball, baseball, basketball, horse, 5-3-1, around the world, foul shooting, knockout, arm wrestling, Indianwrestling. And then there were card games like canasta, casino, hearts, pinochle, war and the unhappy game of 52-card pickup.  Don't forget mah jong.

34. You hung out on people's stoops or in the Courtyard.

35. You learned how to dance at some girl's backyard or house.

36. You roller skated at Park Circle or Empire Blvd. skating rinks in skates with wooden wheels. You had roller skates at home with metal wheels for using on the sidewalks, and you needed a skate key to tighten them around your shoes. Those metal wheels on concrete were deafening!

37. The big sneaker was Converse. Also Keds and P-F Flyers.

38. The guys wore Chino pants with a little buckle on the back, peg pants, and the girls wore long wide dresses. Remember gray wool skirts with pink felt poodles on them? The poodles had rhinestone eyes.

39. In the 50's rock and roll started big teen styles for the first time.

40. Everyone went to a Bar Mitzvah even if you weren't Jewish.

41. Everyone took their date to Plum Beach for the submarine races. I think that was ABC radio with Murray the "K" in the 50's!

42. There were 3 main nationalities in Brooklyn in the 50's: Italians, Irish and Jewish. Then there was a sprinkling of everyone else. The Scandinavians and Greeks in Bay Ridge, the African Americans in Bedford Stuyvesant and the Polish of Greenpoint.

43. The only way to get to Staten Island was by ferry from the 67th Street pier in Brooklyn. It was a great ride in the summer time for a dime.

44. In Brooklyn, a fire hydrant is a 'Johnny pump.'

45. Rides on a truck came to your neighborhood to give little kids a ride for a dime. The best one was the 'whip,' which spun you around a track. You got a little prize when you got off, sometimes a folding paper fan, sometimes a straw tube that you inserted two fingers into, that tightened as you tried to pull your fingers out again.

46. As a kid you hit people with water balloons from atop a building, you shot linoleum projectiles from a carpet gun, you shot dried peas from pea shooters, and you shot paperclips at people with a rubber band.

47. You shopped at EJ Korvettes, Robert Hall, Woolworth's, Mays, McCrory's, Packers, A&P, Bohack, A&S, Martins. Barney's was Barney's Boys Town back then,and not a luxury store. You bought your shoes at National and Miles, AS Beck. When you got married you bought your dishes at Fortunoff's under the'el'.

48. NBC main production studio was on Avenue M.and E.16 St. The Cosby show was made there.

49. Everybody lived near a candy store and a grocery store. On Saturday night fathers would wait for the Sunday edition of the Daily News or the Mirror.

50. The first mall comes to Brooklyn at Kings Plaza.

51. Bagel stores start popping up everywhere in the 60's.

52. Went to Jahn's Ice Cream Parlor with a big group and had the 'Kitchen Sink.' If it was your birthday (you had to bring your birth certificate), you could get a sundae free.

53. Everybody knew somebody who was a connected guy.

54. We used the word 'swell'; that's passe today.

55. In the summer we all waited for the Good Humor, Bungalow Bar, Mister Softee or Freezer Fresh man to come into our neighborhood to buy ice cream. In the early to mid 50's, the Good Humor man pushed a cartinstead of driving a truck. Remember the bells? A pop was 15 cents. A large cup was 15 cents, a small cup was a dime. And a sundae -- remember licking the chocolate off the back of the cardboard top? -- was a quarter.  Don't forget the charlotte russe! (Movie stars pictures on bottom of the Dixie cup lids).

As a kid growing up in the 1950s we would spend our money on bubble gum baseball cards, candy and ice cream. A pack of baseball cards (complete with a stick of bubble gum) and full-size candy bars were 5 cents each or six for a quarter. In the summer the . In those days there were lots of interesting coins still in circulation.  Dimes and quarters we still made of silver. The oldest Roosevelt dimes were not yet 15 years old. It was not uncommon to find Mercury dimes or worn out Standing Liberty quarters; and Buffalo or Indian Head nickels were common too. Most pennies were wheat-backs; they didn't get the familiar Lincoln Memorial on the reverse until 1959. With luck it was even possible to find an occasional Indian Head penny in your change. But the most coveted find (for us kids, anyway) was the unusual 1943 steel penny.

56. Many of us would sneak cigarettes and hide them when we got home.

57. When we talked about 'the city' everyone knew we meant, Manhattan.

58. The Mets in the 60's became our substitute for the Dodgers. But they never did, and never will, make up for the Dodgers leaving.

59. In the 60's we were ready to drive and hit the night life scene. With the car came the girls.

60. We are all in a select club because we have roots in BROOKLYN.

61. This is an add on for when Bob Casale lived in Bayside from 1951 to 1955. Joe Bovino was our ice cream man and he was wonderful with us kids. It seems we always had a dime in our pocket to get something off his truck. When we didn't, Joe would say, "pay me next time, kid!" Joe is still alive and living in Florida.

In Memoria

Good news! Nothing reported