Etcetera for July 2026
Check out this new video about the rejuvenation of Mid Island Plaza/Broadway Mall. Click here
Emails from Readers:
I wasn’t notified about the combined ’66-’68 reunion recently, but I wondered if there was interest in a ’67 60th reunion.
Cheers,
Rick Hasbrouck ‘67
In Memoriam
Neal Pizzariella, Class of 1961, passed on June 13, 2026. Thank you to his brother, John, for notifying us. Neal is interred in Calverton National Cemetery.
John Berlenbach, Jr., Class of 1962, passed on July 10, 2026
Pam Poole, Class of 1967, passed away in 2024. Thank you to Lewis Furman for informing us.
Ralph Sirico, Class of 1965
Kenneth Petersen, Class of 1965, passed away July 6, 2026
Michael Krummenacker, Class of 1968, passed away Feb. 28, 2026
Veronica Gertrude "Roni" Wilde, Class of 1958, passed away June 27, 2026
Joseph Schlosser, Class of 1965, passed away June 3, 2026
James E. Barton, Class of 1957, passed away May 22, 2026
From Ron Wencer:
My friend James Bell passed away on June 13th , 2026. Although he was a member of the HHS Class of 1963, Hixnews readers more likely will recall him as a teacher; he taught at the Middle School, and then at the High School, for a combined total of 30 years. This picture is from the Faculty section of the Middle School's 1987 Meteor Yearbook:
Jim grew up around the block from me; I first knew him as our Long Island Press paper boy. I moved away in the 1960s and lost touch. I met him again 30 years later, on a trip back to Hicksville, and we found that we shared many interests. Despite his modesty, I would gradually realize that I'd never known anyone who had read more books, had read them more thoughtfully, and who was more willing to graciously listen to other people's opinions than Jim Bell.
He was rather imposing physically, but those who knew him realized that he was a gentle soul. Ironically, when he first applied for a teaching position in Hicksville, he was told that some of the students in the Middle School needed to be intimidated, and a tall Vet who had survived the jungles of Vietnam seemed just the kind of teacher that was called for! In reality, he never liked talking about his experiences in 'Nam. He much preferred discussing the works of, say, Dostoevsky, or Augustine of Hippo.
Jim's online memorial can be found at
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/hicksville-ny/james-bell-12925317
