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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HICKSVILLE VIETNAM WAR ERA MEMORIAL - PROJECT UPDATE

One repeat donor in April brings our donation total to $34,713!

If you have yet to donate and would still like to participate in this project, it's not too late! Please see our March Update in the Honoring Our Veterans tab of this newsletter for details.

We are concentrating our efforts to get the Memorial constructed for dedication and unveiling to the public on Veteran's Day this year! A number of Project Team members, local to Hicksville, are participating in this effort. Price quotes on granite and other stone materials are taking more time than was expected, but we should have these soon. As always, should you have any new information to report for either the Confirmed or Unconfirmed Lists of Names, particularly to fill in missing data on the Confirmed List, please email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On behalf of the Project Team,
Joe Carfora, HHS 1962

Pat Koziuk Driscoll: 1938-2009

In May of 2009, Hicksville Newsletter, and the community lost a true friend who worked diligently on providing former alumni with much sought after nostalgia. Pat, who graduated Hicksville High in 1956, was affectionately known as an editor of the Hicksville Newsletter. She compiled most of the material that was included in each issue of HixNews and spent countless hours copying and pasting information on multiple pages.

HixNews started out as a two or three page email that was sent to some 100 or so readers. Eventually, it evolved into a multi-page newsletter that placed onto its own website and was supported with many special features. It was fortunate that Pat saw many of the changes that surfaced over the years.

Most probably never knew Pat was not in the best of health because she was never looking for sympathy or an "attaboy!" She didn't complain but just kept going like the energizer bunny. Pat shared time with her Florida pals shopping and fraternizing despite needing special consideration over the years. Pat spent most of her last year on oxygen 24/7.

She loved her portable transportation (a golf cart) that provided the mobility she lacked because of her dependence on oxygen. Her death created a void that exists today.

Pat's efforts brought many hours of joy to HixNews readers who waited patiently each month for tidbits of information. Pat, along with Linda Piccerelli Hayden, a 1960 graduate, were the pioneers of HixNews. They spent many hours scouring through emails from former students gathering information that was typed into an email and sent out the beginning of each month.

Pat was surrounded by family when she was summoned by a higher authority. This was not at all unusual because family was her life. She spent many hours enjoying those she loved most.

An Appeal to HHS Graduates
John Maniec, President, HHS Alumni Foundation, Inc.

Recently, the HHS Alumni Foundation contacted the office of the Superintendent for Hicksville Public Schools asking them to reach out to their various principals about a "Wish List" for each of the elementary and secondary schools that can't be funded by public levy money. There always will  be unmet educational needs that arise within each school that if somehow funded could improve the lives of the children who attend these schools.

The Foundation now has those specific "Wish Lists" and it is appealing to HHS Graduates to seriously consider donating money to pay for those items on various lists. Many requests center around book sets for elementary school libraries; indoor games/materials for the children during recess when weather prevents them from being outdoors. One elementary school is looking for a flagpole to be placed in the lobby.

At the High School, we received a request to fund the purchase of student lanyards embossed with HHS logo. The high school principal, Ray Williams, plans to distribute new ID's and require his students to wear them.

The HHS Alumni Foundation, Inc. is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 ( c ) 3 charitable organization so any donation given to us can be taken off the donor's future federal tax return as a charitable gift.

The Foundation will serve as a vehicle to collect donations from HHS graduates and pass the money collected to the Hicksville Public School District which in turn will pay for specific school "wish list" requests. There will be a clear transparency paper trail including the names of the graduates who generously donated the funds.

Each of the current "wish lists" that we possess now with the exception of the high school's ID lanyard request will probably cost in the $150 to $300 price range.

We at the Foundation hope that HHS graduates that regularly read HixNews.com newsletters will remember with fondness when they attended specific elementary and secondary public schools in Hicksville and seriously consider financially supporting our "Wish List" project. It isn't necessary that one contributor fund the entire portion of each wish list. Whatever amount each individual can donate will be deeply appreciated and will be added to other donations to cover the full cost of these requested items.

Donations can be made payable to the HHS Alumni Foundation, Inc. and mailed to our Hicksville address:  P.O. Box 302, Hicksville, New York 11802.

If you have any questions or wish to know what a particular school's wish list is, either email John Maniec at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call his cell phone number at (917) 750-7842.

The Newsletter

Photo Gallery

Very Interesting Photos

Each year in February, the sun's angle is such that Horsetail Falls waterfall lights up like fire. Yosemite, USA

Houseboat, Iceland.

Panda, scared after the earthquake in Japan, embraced the leg of a policeman.

Kalapana, Hawaii where the sea meets the lava.

Beijing Airport by night.

Two year-old Chimpanzee feeding milk to "Aorn", a small tiger 60 days old.

Ducks tend to continue throughout life to be seen in birth order,
whether or not by their mother.

Highway in Japan with snow more than 10 meters high. Unbelievable!

Spectacular rice fields in China.

Austria's Green Lake is a beautiful park in winter.
The snow melts in summer and creates a very clear lake.

Undersea tunnel linking Sweden and Denmark.

The world's highest swimming pool is located in the skyscraper Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

Amazing lightning storm over the Grand Canyon.

Baby chameleons.

Beautiful image of a panda bear helping another.

"The Road to Heaven", a place in Ireland where every two years the stars align with the road.

World's Largest Swimming Pool in San Alfonso, Chile. More than 1,000 yards long.

Crystal Palace. Madrid.

''Heaven's Gate", Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain, China .

The Northern Lights, Alaska.

The white owl. Spectacular!

The famous'' Rosa Moss Bridges", Ireland.

Eiffel Tower. Romantic and beautiful Paris, France.

Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii.

Restaurant hanging, Belgium.

Sea otters hold hands while they sleep in case the current changes, so they awaken together.

There are animals with more sensitivity than many people.

Fireman giving drink to a baby Koala in Australia fires.

Amazing view of Manhattan, New York from above.

Frozen bubbles in the Canadian Rockies, Canada.

An Iridescent spiral cloud in Himalayas. Phenomenon observed on October 18, 2009.

View of the semi-submerged cataract, Hawaii.

Northern lights over the Rocky Mountains in Canada

A pink lake, due to the harmless bacteria of Retba Lake, north of the Cap Vert peninsula of Senegal.

This dog saved her puppies from a fire at home and put them safely in one of the fire trucks

Infinite Cave, Vietnam

"If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present." -- Lao Tzu

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Memory Lane

The 5th Set of My Life

Time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all.   I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.

But, here it is, The 5th set of my life and it catches me by surprise. How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that I was only in the first set and the end of the match was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

But, here it is. My friends are retired and getting grey. They move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me, but I see the great change. Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd become.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day!  And taking a nap is not a treat anymore. it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will. I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so...now I enter into this last set of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!!   But, at least I know, that though I made it to the fifth set, and I'm not sure how long it will last. I could get lucky and take this match into overtime. But this I know; that when it's over on this earth, it's over.  A new adventure will begin! Yes, I have regrets.  There are things I wish I hadn't done, things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.

So, if you're not in the fifth set

yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think.  So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!  Don't put things off too long!!  Life goes by quickly.  So, do what​_ you can today, as you can never be sure whether you're in the fifth set or not!

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life....so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!

"Life" is a gift to you.  The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after.  Make it a fantastic one. Live it well and enjoy today. Do something fun and be happy. Have a great day!   Remember "It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver."

Lastly... Consider This

Your kids are becoming you, but your grandchildren are perfect!

Going out is good. Coming home is better!

You forget names. But it's OK because some people forgot they even knew you!!!

You realize you're never going to get any better at anything like tennis. You just want to keep the ball in play a little longer.

The things you used to care to do, you aren't as interested in anymore, but you really don't care that you aren't as interested.

You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV 'ON' than in bed. It's called "pre-sleep".

You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch..

You tend to use more 4 letter words. "what?","when?"....???

You notice everything they sell in stores that's your size doesn't fit anymore"?

What used to be freckles are now liver spots.

Everybody whispers.

You have several sizes of clothes in your closet, most of which you will never wear.

But Old is good in some things:  Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all "Old Friends".

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN; YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE, SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS

Casale's Corner

History Teacher Does the Most Inspirational Thing on First Day of Class

In September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a History teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock , Arkansas did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks in her classroom.When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks. "Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?"

She replied, "You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk."

They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades." "No," she said. "Maybe it's our behavior." She told them, "No, it's not even your behavior."

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom. Kids called their parents to tell them what was happening and by early afternoon television news crews had started gathering at the school to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the desk-less classroom. Martha Cothren said, "Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he or she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you."

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniform, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk.

The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall.

By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, "You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. They went halfway around the world, giving up their education and interrupting their careers and families so you could have the freedom you have. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it."

Then there are those football "HEROES" who will not acknowledge our flag.  They could care less  for the brave sacrifices made by our military. Not many really mourn when a veteran dies, do they?? And yet, when a sports figure or movie star passes, the media makes sure it gets national attention.