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Written by: Ron Wencer, Class of 1964 We can’t remember or discuss our days at Hicksville High without thinking of the word “Comet.” Our yearbook and newspaper were both called “The Comet.” Our athletic teams were the Comets. Eventually, a school mascot dressed as a dog stirred up crowds at games. The dog’s name? Comet. How did this Comet Mania come about? Did people just pick words out of thin air? Well, in a way they did. Early in 1921, newspapers reported that a comet was approaching Earth from the distant realms of the solar system. Although almost no one had ever heard of this particular comet (Pons-Winnecke), the news captivated people, even blasé New Yorkers. In part, this was due to playful reporting, like this article from the Daily News. About eighteen months after Pons-Winnecke left the Earth’s skies, Hicksville High began publishing its first school newspaper, The Comet. I have found no record of who chose the paper’s name, but the fact that it was accepted suggests that Hicksvillians were not immune to Comet Mania. As improbable as this sounds, until the early mid-1940s, few high school teams were given names. Long Island sportswriters wrote about the exploits of “the Hicksville team” or “the orange and black.” It’s hard to prove this, but I have scanned old newspaper sports coverage for the 1920s and 1930s, and also have searched electronically, and I have found no sportswriter who during these years used a team name for Hicksville’s football team. Nor did the Comet yearbooks of this era refer to any team by a nickname. In this context, the Fall 1944 football season proved to be critical. Hicksville got an exceptionally large amount of news coverage, as its team went undefeated, and Hicksville running back Ed Coleman led the Division in scoring. Among the honors he received was being named to Newsday’s All-Scholastic team. I have pored over all the extra news coverage devoted to this team and to Coleman, and in it no team name was used for Hicksville, or for most other Long Island high school teams. I found only two schools that used team names that season: the Garden City Trojans, and the Farmingdale Farmers. However…. At the end of the school year, the 1945 Comet Yearbook sarcastically referred to that team as “the Hicksville Bearcats or Comets or whatever you want to call them.” This suggests that there was interest and disagreement about naming the team. By the time autumn 1945 came around, things had changed: Hicksville’s teams’ name had been carved in stone. Beginning in the Fall of 1945, Hicksville teams were to be called “The Comets.” Written by: Wendy Elkis-Girnis, Class of 1977 Just four and a half hours from Hicksville, between Rochester and Syracuse, you will find 11 lakes. These 11 lakes were carved out by glacial ice 10,000 years ago. The gravel deposits left behind dammed the streams, and the depressions they left behind formed the lakes. These would become the Finger Lakes. They got their name for obvious reasons; they look like outstretched fingers. The Finger Lakes is one of our favorite places to go on vacation. There is so much to see and do. There are museums, parks, hiking, camping, car races, waterfalls, water sports, cheese shops, and wineries. We like to stay in Watkins Glen. Watkins Glen is on the southern end of Seneca Lake. It gives us access to Kueka and Cayuga lakes. We have also stayed in Corning, which is located 30 minutes from Seneca Lake and Kueka Lake, and 50 minutes from Cayuga. Watkins Glen is another favorite place of ours. That's where we usually camp while we're there. I hope that you get to visit the Finger Lakes and fall in love with all they have to offer. Some photos have long captions. Just use the scroll bar to the right of the caption to read the whole caption. History of the Finger Lakes Corning Watkins Glen Seneca and Kueka Lakes Images Finger Lakes - https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/the-icy-origins-of-the-finger-lakes-82448/ Other images taken by Wendy Elkis Girnis Written by: Stefanie Cedar Shames Written by: Hicksville Class of 1976 Join the Hicksville Class of 1976 Facebook page to see the latest news! Hello HHS Class of 1976! Click here for the 50th Reunion video! Many attendees from out of state were there. There was a lovely meal at Patrizia's in Hicksville, N.Y. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FPjJYvseN/?mibextid=wwXIfr Compiled by: Stefanie Cedar Shames, Class of 1977 Etcetera for October 2026 Emails from Readers: *Dear HixNews Editors, *Richard Hasbrouck In Memoriam Patricia A. "Pat" Lockman Gordon, Class of 1962, passed October 9, 2026 Veronica "Ronnie" Bendell Horan, Class of 1967, passed Sept. 18, 2026 George J. Terlikosky, Jr., Class of 1960, passed Aug. 26, 2026. Tom Larkin, Class of 1976, passed Aug. 7, 2026. Compiled by: The Webmaster The following comments on various articles were recently posted by site members. Click on a title if you want to read the comment and/or join the discussion.
Thank you for this series. It's concise, and yet it covers many interesting facts that often get overlooked. Huzzah! For someone who now lives far away, it's nice to be reminded of Hicksville and the holidays. BTW, in years past, there also used to be a coda following the Twelve Days of Christmas season. The attached is from the Mid-Island Herald's first issue of 1959. One of the favorite events of the season is the visit from Saint Nick riding along with the Hicksville Fire Department. I happened to be back in town to witness the arrival of the Jolly Old Elf along with the dedicated fire fighters, and receive the coveted popcorn ball. Happy Holidays to All ! Wonderful story! My wife, Melon, has a similar passion for cars, and by coincidence, is half Lithuanian! The story of her car (same since 1968) is here: www.mga-mk2.com Thank you, Dr Kumpikas, it is a sobering view of authoritarian rule. One I feel we are seeing play out globally. Thank you, Dr. Kumpikas, for this beautiful and moving memoir. When my wife traveled from St. Petersburg to Moscow by rail in 1997, it seems that the trains had not changed very much since your trip from Warsaw to Vilnius. Bill Palmer (HHS Class of 1964) Obviously, you are a dedicated caring American. God Bless. It really is a small World. I can feel your excitement you described. To this date I still have a small group of my good friends . We graduated in 1961. Hicksville bond just lives with you always. I recall during my geometry regents exam, I had an "ear worm" or stuck song syndrome (INMI - involuntary musical imagery ). Still to this day, whenever I hear the song "Cold As Ice" by Foreigner it brings me back to that test. I passed thankfully and had internal musical accompaniment that may have contributed to that outcome. A Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall shout out! Emma Meyer and the Tech Crew are in good company when the Bowery Boys are referenced. Nice work saving the recording of the production. Indubitably the rescue outcome was a success. Bless you for your principles and determination, Bill. Your community is fortunate to be able to look to you for guidance. This brings back good memories. A friend of mine worked there at the Wetsons at the junction with Levittown Parkway. We would stop in a visit when we were out and about. Then when Titus Oaks was there I worked up in Glen Head and would stop after work each payday and pick up some new vinyl.
IntroductionPons-Winnecke?
New York Daily News for February 14, 1921Naturally, the public’s anticipation grew. When June came, so did the comet, and people spent their lunch time crammed together in open places to watch the comet (see the opening photo above). Comet gazers at Battery Park at the foot of Manhattan would be elbow to elbow, straining their naked eyes or using binoculars. If they were lucky enough to own a telescope, and didn’t got jostled, they might get a decent view. Seeing a comet, whether it was large or small by comet standards, was exciting, especially for those who took to heart speculations about a possible comet collision with Earth.Toning Down the Hype
New York Daily News for May 27, 1921As the comet came closer, some newspapers decided to atone for stoking fears of astronomical mayhem; they wanted to make clear that there was no indication whatsoever of upcoming doom. Or maybe those papers’ lawyers just wanted to avoid potential accusations of inciting public panic.
New York Daily News for June 16, 1921Hicksville Embraces Comets
Huntington Long-Islander for January 26, 1923On the Playing the Field
Newsday, November 30, 1944Appendix: Sources of Information
That’s It!
Class of 1977
Finger Lakes
What to See and Do
Corning, NY
Corning Museum of GlassOne of our favorite places to visit is Corning and the Corning Museum of Glass. Prepare to spend the whole day there. Take a workshop or attend one or more of their live demonstrations in their indoor or outdoor theaters. You may even win a one-of-a-kind piece of glass in their drawing during the last show. The exhibits change, so everytime you go, you are greeted by new exhibits, as well as some old favorites. They have 3,500 years of glassmaking history behind their walls. Take a walk through the town of Corning, known as the Gaffer District. A Gaffer is a glassblower. There are some wonderful restaurants and quaint
The Village of Corning, NY shops and boutiques to enjoy and purchase one-of-a-kind items. If you are lucky, you may catch some live music too.
Watkins Glen, NY
KOA Campsite Watkins Glen Watkins Glen can be a sleepy little town, but not during race weekends. Watkins Glen is home to Watkins Glen International Raceway. You can see NASCAR, and 
Watkins Glen State ParkVintage Car races are held throughout the year. Watkins Glen is also home to Watkins Glen State Park. The state park has 19 waterfalls. You can hike the gorge trail and take in the beautiful views along the way. The village itself is quaint, with wonderful stores and restaurants. Stop into Ben and Jerry's for dessert, or check out a local shop.
Seneca and Keuka Lakes
Keuka LakeFrom Watkins Glen, you can check out the Seneca and Keuka Lakes. Both lakes offer amazing views. There is so much to do on either lake. Both are home to wine trails and distilleries. There is a wine for everyone, whether you like them sweet or dry. As for the distilleries, you can taste any type of distilled beverage. If you are not a wine drinker, check out the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail. There are so many great cheeses to taste and pair with your favorite meats or beverages. You might also be interested in the grape juice tastings or craft
My Husband Phil and me at Hazlet winery soda tastings at the various wineries. Or, just commune with nature and go on a hike through the state park or the Finger Lakes National Forest. Take a cruise on one of the lakes or even bring your own boat for a day on the water. Check out the shops and antique stores off the beaten path, or just have a picnic along the lake. Or, if you are lucky, you can take in a marshmallow harvest. 
Marshmallow Harvest
Resources
My name is Melissa Greene, and I am writing to you in hopes of reconnecting with my cousins, Karl Greene (HHS Class of 1965) and Eric Greene (HHS Class of 1961). They formerly lived on 8th Street in Hicksville. Their sister, Susan Greene Pawley, sadly passed away a few years ago, and I am trying to get back in touch with them.
If anyone has any information, or if Karl or Eric see this, please reach out to me directly at:
- Name: Melissa Greene
- Address: 18 Baldwin Place, Bethpage, NY 11714
- Phone: 631-902-9051
Thank you so much for your time and for helping keep our Hicksville alumni community connected.
Warm regards,
Melissa Greene
This is personally enlightening for me. From 1976 through 1981, my family (me, young wife, and young son) lived in Bethpage. Our backyard on North Sheridan Avenue literally abutted the Grumman property, very near the active runway. About 1978, I began to suffer intermittent but severe[…]
