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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 19th 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 19th 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.
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 Would love to catch up on the HHS news
and get the newsletter. 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 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
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,
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 hixhigh@hotmail.com
and our personal email addresses. Editors I 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 Mabel Farley from 1956 yearbook 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
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