The Newsletter
Hi,
The March Newsletter had a great video titled "Jacksonville Salutes Our Fallen Heroes" submitted by Stephanie (Rozos) Masters- '65. I have sent the link to all my friends up in Jacksonville.
Pete Foster - '57 (St. Augustine, FL)
On February 27th, 5 classmates of 1953 and spouses and friends met for lunch at Disney in Florida for a lunch get together. We had a GREAT time and lots of laughs and just plain chatter about our life in school. All look forward to get together again next year.
Steve Moddle, '53
From L-R (left photo): Marguerite (Schuessler) Birchell, Claudette (Slavek) Meier, Pat (Lenzner) Caruso, Steve Moddle, standing is Steve Birchell
Bob:
Thanks so much to you and the gang at the Hicksville Newsletter for sending me the birthday card. I appreciate all you guys do and I look forward each month to getting that newsletter. I can't believe this will be 41 years since I graduated from Hicksville! I've had the opportunity lately to come from all the way out here in Riverhead to go into Hicksville. I can't tell you how many years it has been. I've been with a gospel group for over 25yrs. We're a quartet and sing a lot of southern gospel songs as well as a few we've written. We were at the United Methodist Church for a concert and I can't believe how much things are changed. But Hicksville was and always will be a big part of my life and who I am.
Thanks again. I look forward to those newsletters!! Keep up the good work.
Howard Bell (class of 68)
Hi,
I was a friend of Robin Fisher's and went to the University of Georgia with her in my junior year of high school. We went to study Spanish for the summer. It was at that time we became friends. Robin either graduated in 1972 or 1973 from Hicksville High school. She also had an older sister name Cherie and her dad's name was Bud and her mom was Molly. She graduated from SUNY Cortland and for a time worked for the Israeli airline El Al. I lost contact with her a long time ago and have been trying, but with no luck to locate her. I was wondering if you have any records of her and if there is either an e-mail address or home address for her.
I would be most grateful if you can render any help.
Thank you for any assistance you may give.
Respectfully,
Miriam C. Meehan
OMG!!! Thank you both so very much. I am so happy that you were able to reconnect me with her. Hopefully she will get my e-mail and we can begin conversing again.
Again, thank you for getting back to me so quickly. It is surreal that this worked. Thank goodness for your following through and getting back to me. It is greatly appreciated. Long live the Hicksville High School newsletter. Who would have thought that this could happen especially since I didn't even go to your high school but Robin (Fisher) did.
Regards,
Miriam Cohen-Meehan
Bob
Hi, yours was one of the very few names I recognized from HHS when I signed up for Facebook today.
About me - married, kids; lived in NJ for 35 yrs; worked in NYC most of the time. I'm retired and now live in Leesburg FL. Enjoying it except for all the darn illnesses that come with the age. How about you? I was sad to hear of Joyce - I remember her.
You will enjoy the fifth wheel - my neighbor has one. I go the other direction - a Z convertible. Our kids Chris and Jen are new parents and live in NJ near where we lived. My wife Gini and I have been together since 1969 and are enjoying retirement. I have had 5 surgeries in two years - three on my spine and am just now beginning to feel human after surgery on 12/30 and 1/1. Life goes on. You will enjoy Ga. and the better climate. I was stationed in Augusta.
Enjoy the trip of a lifetime.
Jack Curcia, 1961
Hi Guys:
Great stuff you do, brings back some great memories. When I try to explain to my kids about our 1957-60 era they can't seem to compute and my grand kids are even more amazed. Those days were the best, no war, no money, all fun, how did we do it? I live in a small town in Westchester County, Larchmont, and it still has one main street with all the shops and even Sweet Shop style store and a 5 & 10. Hope it holds on, most of the residents are for the small intimate town, but an Ann Taylor moved in.
Any word on a class of 1960 reunion?
Keep up the good work.
Fran DeCabia, 1960
Bob,
It has been many years since we talked. I enjoy the news paper and think your trip to celebrate vet contributions to our country and help the veteran organizations is admirable. I live in Fairfax County VA and would be willing to contribute to your effort. If you pass through, please let me know.
Mary D'Amato Fenton class of '60
Hi Pat,
Love reading & seeing pictures from HHS past. I graduated in 1969, and actually went back after graduating college & did substitute teaching at the HHS back in 75.
Still living on LI, now in Merrick. Have a daughter going on 15.
Please include my birthday (Sept 10th) & anniversary (3/27/76).
Has anyone heard anything new on our class reunion?
Also, would love to know if anyone knows Edith Alferi ('68) & Joel Berman ('68) both were neighbors.
Susan (Weber) Fishkin
Hello Bob.
It seems like a million years ago when I walked the halls of Hicksville High. How I miss those days.
Now I am happily divorced and living the great life in Tucson Arizona. I moved here in 1972 and it was the best move I ever made. Great life, lots of friends and I am enjoying retirement. I retired both from the phone company and the police department where I reached the top position of chief of police. Not a bad thing for a country boy from Hicksville. LOL
Nice of you to contact me. I guess you get lots of mail but if you want some more crazy jokes and things let me know. The best to you and your family.
Dan Knieter, 1961
So, I'm sitting here, in my less than warm apartment. There are about 8" of snow outside as a result of the first major snow storm of the year in NYC.So what am I thinking about as I endure this late winter wonderland? Spring! Yes, spring. And with thoughts of spring come thoughts of our Spring Concert.Indeed, the date is coming sooner than you might think. And this is one that you won't want to miss, because we are celebrating our Silver Anniversary.Twenty five years ago a small group of parents, teachers and administrators at the Little Red School House in New York, went to their, then, music teacher, Susan Glass, and asked her to form an adult chorus. The first performance was in someone's living room and was followed by a pot luck supper.Well, we've come a long way since then. It is my pleasure to inform you of the Glass Menagerie's 25th Anniversary concert.The concert will be held on Saturday, May 9th, at 8 p.m. in St. Peter's church at the Citicorp. Center. The church is at the corner of E. 53rd and Lexington Ave.The featured performances will be the Missa Lubba by Guido Haazen and the Missa Brevis by Zoltan KodalyI may be biased, but I think it is going to be a great concert and I hope you all will come and celebrate with us.
All The Best,
David Teitel, '68
I enjoyed catching up on Dennis Listort's life in the March newsletter and resonated especially with the shock and sadness we felt when Bruce Sollod was killed during our sophomore year. Bruce sat in front of me in geometry class and I recall how empty that desk seemed when we came back to school on Monday. Oddly, not a single word was said by anyone in class about his absence, which made the emptiness of that desk even more emphatic. I can appreciate why that event still touches him these many years later.
Bill Palmer (Class of 1964)
Editors,
Have you give any thought to creating a "directory by class" so we can access the email addresses of our class mates? It would be helpful to see this on your home page.
Bill Ramos, Class of '60
Bill,
This has been suggested before. We do not publish email addresses unless asked to by the writer of a submission. We treat email addresses the same way the phone company treats unlisted numbers. Since the newsletter averaged over 80K hits a month last year and we have only about 1600 listed readers, we do not know who is checking the web site. With all the scams, spam, phishing and junk, it is for your safety and privacy that we do this.
Pat (Koziuk) Driscoll
In answer to your email, my name is Wendy (Harris) Ascenzo, HHS Class of 1968. I currently live in Cumming, Georgia, a northern suburb of Atlanta. I have lived here for almost 9 years and you'd be amazed how many Long Islanders are here. I even work with two people from Hicksville! They are Linda Caruso and Richard Steiner.
-Wendy (Harris) Ascenzo
Hi Clara Mae,
Like you, I also wonder where the class of 1964 is hiding. Maybe they found it hard to leave the sixties and seventies. I converse with a few very nice past friends from Hicksville that I found or they found me from Hix News. To name a few: Dennis Listort (when he finally writes to me from Florida!), Kathy Monnia, Phylis Jackson. And from them, I hear various updates about other classmates: Dorothy Travis, Jerry Dizino. Bob Smith wrote an update a few months ago and I was hoping my old friend Leslie Whorly Smith would also write. The group that I hung out with must be hibernating because I never hear from Maxine Worshosky, Jerry Lunna, Michicle D'orazio, Jackie Masciello and all the rest of the gang. If they are reading this, please let us hear from you. I have very good fond memories of all the good times we had.
Judy Marcus Shiver, 1964
After over 40 years in California, the realization that the "Summer of Love" is over has finally struck home. I've packed up and moved to the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina with my wife, (originally from Farmingdale). We found a nice place in Hendersonville, which is about 20, minutes South of Asheville. My Sister Ellen also lives in Asheville and loves it after being a staunch NY'er since she got out of college in 1969.
Thanks,
Ron Careaga, '63
Anyone know what happened to Nora Griffin? She went to Fork Lane School, and would have graduated Hicksville High School in '65?
Thanks,
Eli Mallon
Someone did an awesome job putting this together - - and with sound to boot! At the very end of the video you'll hear the song ' Thunder Road ', sung by the star of the movie for which it was the theme. Not uncommon, except this is the one and only song ever recorded, for publication, sung by Robert Mitchum!
Click here: The Cars In The 50s & 60sHi, Guys,
I have a son in Iraq and I guess the word got out, because my husband and I are inundated with request for money for troops in service, injured, returning, in hospital, and in every other state. I don't mean to make light of this, but it is impossible to know which are legitimate organizations, and which are just looking for your money. If you could suggest some that are really making a difference, and where the money contributed is really used for the welfare of the vets, I would be most grateful. We don't have a lot to give, so I would like to know it is being put to good use.
Thanks so much. Best regards,
Valerie Towsley, '60
Can anyone tell me the whereabouts of Frank Mulzoff? He was a history teacher who joined our school in 1958/9. He had retired to Florida.
Thank you,
Roger Taylor
Editor BoB Gillette suggested Googling him. After HHS, he became the celebrated head basketball coach at St. John's University.
According to zabasearch.com he now lives in Delray Beach, FL.
MICRO MINI REUNION
Here we are in March of 2009, but for four of us, we're back in time to Hicksville High School class of 56. The four of us are the following: John Hattenback, Bobby Dunn, Eddie (Jigs) Kasten and Ray Babinski. Bobby and Ray met and became neighborhood friends in 1949 when their families both moved to a little housing development being built right off Bethpage Rd. called Zelda Park. They went to sixth grade together at East St. School. If my memory serves me correctly, the teacher was Mrs. Beams. John and Eddy came into the picture a little later in Junior and High School (the old high school on Jerusalem Ave.) In 1956, all four fellas headed into the military, Bobby into the Navy and John, Eddy and Ray into the Army and that was the end of their friendship as they new it or so they thought. After serving their time in the military, they all went in different directions in life and lost touch with one another. Fifty plus years had gone by and Ray who had some photo albums of his life would always think of the fond memories he shared with the others every time he went through his albums. Ray would wonder where these fellas were, how they were and what did they do with their lives, and what they had become. A little less than two years ago, Ray's curiosity got the best of him and started a search for the first person, John Hattenback. He located John through a search engine on the computer. John had retired and was living in Florida for the past sixteen years. Bobby was listed on Classmates and Ray wrote to him but got no answer back. John and Ray at this time were in touch with one another almost every day. With John's help, Ray was able to locate Eddie who had moved to North Carolina a little over five years ago. Then out of the blue, an email came from Bobby in answer to Ray's email sent months ago on Classmates. Bobby was living in Georgia for about the last four years. The next step was trying to get together and Ray was able to see John, Bobby and Eddie in that order over the next couple of months, which was the first half of last year, but the four fellas at this point in time still had not gotten together.
This brings us to MARCH 2009 in a beautiful place called St. Mary's Georgia which is the second oldest city in the United States located right on the Georgia-Florida border. This is where the four fellas from Hicksville High class of 56 reunited after over fifty years. I don't know if this is a first or not, but I doubt if it happens a lot. I know that alumni have their reunions spaced five and ten years apart but how about fifty plus????? Was there a level of excitement and apprehensiveness, you bet, but it was awesome. The first meeting with all four was like a comedy scene where we were all talking at once and the wives couldn't get a word in anywhere. I'm sure that's a standard occurrence at reunions but how about fifty years worth? Everyone had a great time and St. Mary's is a wonderful place for a short getaway, we were all in agreement on that.
QUICK RECAPP
Ray and his wife arrived Fri. around noon at Bobby's home and had made plans to stay the night. They just hung out chatting and going over their plans for the weekend and catching up. John and his wife arrived at the hotel in St. Mary's later that afternoon but didn't meet up with Bobby and Ray until Sat. morning. The six of us had lunch at a restaurant in St. Mary's called MARIANNES and came away very satisfied with the food, service and ambiance. I guess by now your wondering why Eddie hasn't been mentioned yet and the reason is because he and his bride, as he so often calls her, didn't arrive in St. Mary's until later Sat. afternoon. John and Ray returned to the hotel to meet up with Eddie and Bobby and his wife returned home to prepare dinner for all of us and when we got there. That was the first time the four of us had been together since our school days. We had a wonderful dinner and drank some good homemade wine, compliments of Ray and just spent the rest of the evening talking about old times back in Hicksville. Later that evening we returned to our hotel and I'm sure at that point in time Bobby and his wife were happy to say goodnight to all. Sunday's plan was for a ferry ride across the St. Mary's River to Amelia Island and a place called Fernandina. It was a nice trip across, about forty five minutes and we arrived around twelve thirty, just in time for lunch at a nice indoor-outdoor restaurant right on the water. It was great having Bobby in our foursome because he knows the area, where to eat and what to do. After having a nice lunch, we went up the main street in Fernandina and browsed in and out of the shops. Sunday evening was upon us before we knew it and we all couldn't believe the weekend was over. We all said our goodbyes and thanked Bobby and his wife for their hospitality, then went back to the hotel. Monday morning we all met for breakfast and had our last chitchat for a while and said our so long 'till next time. We were all going home with the same feeling of a weekend well spent with old friends together and all in agreement that we're gonna try to do this again next year. This leads to a closing of this article but before I do so, we would all like to extend an invitation to any of you who may be interested in joining us next year. Please let us know, we would love to have you. The more the merrier. Hope to see you next year.
Regards,
Ray Babinski
This is behind Bobby's house.L-R: Eddie, Bobby, Ray and John
L-R: John Hattenback, Bobby Dunn, Ray Babinskiand Eddie Kasten
Restaurant on Amelia Island. L-R: John & Ginny, Bobby & Marge, Ray & Carmen and Eddie & RonnieHi All,
Roger Whitaker helped me by setting up a web site for the article and photos I took at the reunion this past Sat. I encouraged others attending to send in photos to him also. We had such a wonderful time!!!! The website is: https://www.hixreunion.com/61/
Doris Fischman Roth
Dear class of 61 and other hixmates,
On March 7 a small group of classmates gathered together in southern Florida for a reunion. We had in common Hicksville High, the class of 61, a home in Florida and eligibility for Medicaid this year.
When you approach a get together like this you are always curious how other people will look and what they will be like after such a long time. Most of us had not been together for 40 plus years.
I am happy to report that we all had our hair and our sense of humor.
Bonnie Scharr Papes and Doris Fishman Roth were the organizers. They reached out through Hix News and Classmates. I am sure that by the 50th reunion there will be many other communication options.
Bonnie was responsible for our name tags. They were copies of our yearbook photos. As we conversed that day I would look at that name tag and I was hearing the person that I knew so many years ago. There was in each of us a little bit of the boy or girl we once were.
Bonnie's table centerpieces were planters surrounded by 45's and topped off with a GO COMETS flag. She had fun searching for oldies and her list of hits was impressive.
Here is a list of the records she used:
- "Worst that could Happen" - Brooklyn Bridge
- "Shout" The Isley Brothers
- "I'm Walkin'" - Fats Domino
- "The things we did last summer' - The Four Lads
- "Roses are red (my love)" - Bobby Vinton
- "Hey Paula" - Paul and Paula
- "Cry" - Johnnie Ray
- "Greenfields" - The Brothers Four
- "Run to him" - Bobby Vee
- "You're only human (Second Wind) - Billy Joel
- "Gypsy Woman" - Rick Nelson
- "Tutti Fruitti" - Little Richard
She wrote,
'The Brooklyn Bridge and Billy Joel were after our time, but both came from Hicksville so I used them. Billy Joel was in my sister Mary's class of '67.
Stay in touch!
Love, Bonnie'
Doris presented us with Mardi Gras beads in black and orange and no, we did not bare our breasts. At our ages you need to keep the mystery alive!
It was a balmy day in the everglades and prior to sharing a meal together we had a few drinks and enjoyed the memorabilia of yearbooks, photos, graduation programs, old autograph albums, class rings, and stories of shared experiences.
The time flew by and soon we were saying our goodbyes. I had copied our class song from our yearbook. It was written by Nancy Sherman and Alan Just to the tune of 'Dearie, do you remember when.' We sang it together and I think Mr. Goleeki would have cried tears of joy, unlike the tears he shed so often when we were inattentive chorus members.
We are all looking forward to getting together again at our 50th reunion in 2011. There was also talk about Florida, next year. May we all be in good health for many years.
One last note. I am sitting in my kitchen on my island in Maine looking out at the ocean on this foggy, rainy and cold Maine day. The snow has melted except for a few places. As I reflect on the reunion and my life, I realize how blessed I was to have the benefit of a better than average education and to have many fond memories of school and friends. I hope it is so for many of you reading this.
Carol A. Kinney
I delivered my first baby the other day in a gas station parking lot. It was a wild day! We received a lot of attention for it. The baby, Ethan Richard, and Kristin are well.
Peter Jurgensen...class of 1986
Peter is the son of Joyce (Thorburn) Jurgensen '67
To the Editors of Hix News,
Fell in to this while looking for alum. I have been looking for this type of info for awhile. Here is a little info my name was Leslie Becker, Class of 1976, birth date 08/22, married to Jeffrey B. Hecht (not from Hicksville) 09/11/82, have a 10 year old daughter and currently live in Sycamore, IL, smaller rural town. Will be heading to Hicksville late this spring (first time since the mid 90s) to visit a few friends.
I know a few other alum and will pass this site on to them. Would be nice if we could see who the other 'subscribers are'. Will look forward to checking the site often.
Les Hecht
Hi Guys-
Ginny Van Allen Ryder RSVP'd for the Florida Reunion through Classmates (we had a great time!) and so I don't have her email address. I've asked Carol Kinney to put a notice on Classmates to her to email me, but I thought you might do the same in the newsletter in case she doesn't go onto Classmates for awhile. I would appreciate it. Thanks.
Bonnie (Scharr) Papes '61
I was reading your news letter and noticed Ted's name and was wondering if he is the Ted I lived by. Did he live on West John Street? I am Linda Knipper who lived on Myers Ave. If so, I would love to catch up with you and see how your family is and your brother as we called him Petie. I have so many fond memories of your family and I loved your Mom & Dad.
Linda Knipper
Just discovered your site. Great info! Do you know if there will be a high school reunion of the class of 1959?
Joyce (Van de Merlen) Landau
Good afternoon;
I lost contact with a very best friend Arlene Klein who attended Hicksville High School and we lost contact. I live in Ft. Lauderdale and we were very good friends and I have not spoken with her in about 15 years.
Her brothers were Kenny and Arthur and her sister LouAnn - they all attended Hicksville High School. I think the year she graduated was 1965 or 1966 - she was a cheerleader.
I would very much like to resume our friendship and can not locate her or her family. Can you assist??
Thank you.
Jane Donshik
Dear Pat, Bob et al:
Thanks again for yet another 'juicy' newsletter for March. A couple of things:
- From my 'want to find' list you can erase Elaine Boos, since her friend & one other person have put me somewhat in the picture, though I didn't get to chat directly with Elaine; I've learned she's alive and still dancing....
- I wanted to say 'hi' to Jeanne Saeger, who wrote briefly in the newsletter, and ask her if she remembers Lois, the sax player from band days, who was also at Ithaca College when our mutual friend George was at Cornell. I'd love to find out what she's doing these days if she wants to get in touch at all.....I'm happy for her or anyone else to have my email address.
- For friends & acquaintances in the Class of '60--it's our 50th anniversary next year, 2010! Is anyone going to try to organise a reunion/celebration? I'd like to know because if so my husband and I will try to organise our plans to visit the States (from London) around that event, if it transpires._
Peace,
Lois Chaber
Hi All,
My name is Bill Glod. I would have been in the 1960 graduating class of Hicksville High (Division Avenue) except my father was transferred out of state following our sophomore year. I graduated from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, California in June 1960. I attended that school for only one year, having attending another high school for my junior year.
I have reviewed several issues of HixNews and under the "Birthdays and anniversaries" section have recognized several names. I have also found nearly twenty familiar names on the Hicksville High School section on classmates.com.
To see if I am in the right place these are the Hicksville schools I attended:
- Third grade - Front Street School (1950 -'51),
- Fourth and fifth grade - Fork Lane School (1951 - '53),
- Sixth grade - Lee Avenue School (1953 - '54),
- Seventh grade - Hicksville (Junior?) High School (1954 - '55)
- Eighth through tenth grade - Division Avenue Junior/Senior high School (1955 - '58).
Even though I was not in the graduating class of 1960 I would like to add my name to that class and, if possible, attend a fiftieth reunion should they have one next year. I have much more in common with my former Hicksville classmates than those in California. Besides attending school we participated in scouts, Little League/Babe Ruth baseball and other outside activities for those eight years.I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Bill Glod
Denton, Texas
Good Morning, Folks:
First of all, let me compliment all of you on the great job you do every month with our newsletter. I have a separate "Hicksville" folder in the pictures program on my computer where I store a lot of the old pictures that I copied from your articles.
The reason I am sending this e-mail today is because I have a friend that I golf with named Joe Bak. Joe went to Notre Dame and roomed with a guy named Al Desko who graduated from Hicksville High School in 1959. Being that is the year that I graduated, I first looked in my yearbook and could not find him. Joe lost touch with Al and would love to make contact with him again.
Does the name Al Desko ring a bell with anyone there? Is he on your mailing list? Joe said that Al was involved with ROTC. Could that have effected the year he graduated?
If you guys could check this out, when you "have nothing better to do with your time", I would appreciate it.
Thank you.
Jean (Goettelmann) LaPointe Class of 59
Can you add my dad to the list?
Milton Philip Shoob is looking for Philip Pignataro and anyone from the class of 1937. Thanks.
Have them email
Thank you very much!
