I would also be interested in any 35th reunion plans. 

Sheila Klein, '74

As best as I can recall Gilison's was two or three blocks up W John St. Not too terribly far from the old police booth on the corner of John St and Broadway. Don't recall if Gilison's moved to a new location later. Carl Probst, 1959

Ron Landau sent us a new email address and some info:

I graduated in 1969, my date of birth is September 22, I live in Nesconset (Suffolk), I'm married to Kerry, a graduate of Division in Levittown, and we were married January 7, 1984.  My new e-mail address is in Syosset.  

June (Olsen) Cullen sends along an announcement about an exhibit at:

Long Island Museum of American Art, History & Carriages

1200 Rte. 25A 
Stony Brook, NY 11790-1931

http://www.exploreli.com/ entertainment/localguide/ events/769742,0,5286794.event

Growing Up on Long Island

more than 140 paintings, photographs and artifacts (christening gowns, a prom dress, school ephemera, games and toys, including Jerry Seinfeld's report card, Walt Whitman's school-teaching desk, and a Quinceanera dress from Riverhead) exploring 200 years of childhood of Long Island, from 19th century rural childhoods to the suburban baby boom and beyond

When: Feb. 14 - Oct. 25

Price: $9, $7 seniors, $4 ages 6-17, children under age 6 admitted free

Information:  631-751-0066

1965-Graduated From Hicksville High School

 1965-1966 Attended SUNY at Albany

1966-end of 1967 I attended Nassau Community College, part-time while I worked in Gertz. I worked in Gertz Record Department, which was right by the front entrance, across from Newberry's. To put it into context-"Winchester Cathedral" and "I'm a Believer" were the top hits at the time. During 1967, I worked as a "floater" in Gertz. Like our former Vice-President, I too had 5 physicals for the army. I had 3 complete ones, and I had 2 spot checks. The presence of a pilonidal cyst made me ineligible for the Army. The military even asked me if I would like them to operate on it to make me eligible, but I thanked them and instead went on to pursue a college diploma in the area of teaching.

Beginning the spring semester of 1968, I started attending Nassau Community College full time, and I began taking things a little more seriously. I considered the course list for an associate's degree in liberal arts to be a checklist. I proceeded to take a full plate of courses in the spring semester; I then attended back to back summer sessions and took 14 credits Chemistry 1 and 2 (whatever the course numbers were) along with Economics 1 and 2. In the fall of 1968, "Hey Jude", "The Beatles"(the White Album) and "Those Were the Days" filled the airwaves. I completed my associate's degree in January of 1969. I was not accepted at Cortland State because Albany's transcript never arrived - I hadn't paid my phone bill!! Therefore, my friend, David Berger helped get me a job in Record World-which was inside Time Square Store on Hempstead Turnpike. I worked there from January of 1969 until August of 1969. I had been accepted at SUNY at Cortland. While I worked in Record World, the first Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, and Blind Faith (studio) albums came out. Also, the Who released "Tommy". The Beatle's singles "Get Back" and the "Ballad of John and Yoko" were released. It was also a period where everyone was doing a cover version of some song from the musical "Hair".

I attended Cortland from September of 1969 until May of 1971 when I graduated. I had done my student teaching my last semester of my senior year, and I had a job before I had graduated. In the summer of 1971, with my brand new Ford Pinto, I began my master's degree and had 9 credits before I started my career as an elementary school teacher in    the suburbs of Binghamton, NY. I taught in a relatively small school district (compared to Hicksville) Chenango Valley Central Schools. I was assigned to 5th grade in the Port Dickinson Elementary School. For me, it was like a step into the past. Relative to Long Island-or even Cortland State, the district seemed somewhat of an anachronism. The custodians were upset it you put the kids' desks into groups of 4 instead of them being left in rows. Rows were easier to sweep. However, after a while, I adjusted to the district and they adjusted to me. I taught 31 years in that district, and only in that district. During my first year of teaching, I continued to work on my master's, and I completed it by the end of July 1972. I believe I was the only teacher in the district to complete his entire master's degree during his first year of teaching. My goal was to jump salary columns and also make up for time I had wasted as a 19 and 20 year old.

I was placed on the proper column at the beginning of  my second year of teaching-thus receiving a raise of 14 percent while everyone else-unless they also moved horizontally across the salary schedule-received a raise of 7percent. During my years of teaching, I taught in 3 different buildings and I taught 3 different grades; 5th, 6th, and 4th.

What I am most proud of from my career is the fact that I was given parental permission to take 3 pairs -different years- of students across the country-camping mainly at KOA's and taking tons of slides. The first trip in 1975 was not well thought-out, and it only lasted 19 days. Didn't bring enough credit-and didn't familiarize myself with the land head well enough. The second trip was the best. We traveled in my 1975 Pinto 34 days-seeing everything. This was with one student just out of 6th and one just out of  7th. I was friends with their parents. The kids were very bright, and we saw everything. We even went to lovely Nogales, Mexico, across the border from Arizona. In 1979, I figured some states of the US were skippable from the point of view of a student-so we flew directly to Los Angeles at Easter time. What was cool was the fact that area schools in LA had had their Easter vacation the week before. When you go into Space Mountain 7 times in a row, your eyes become acclimated to the lighting. There were 2 more trips to Los Angeles with students....and then in 1988-being a Beatle fan, flying to the UK in the summer was my next "accomplishment".              

The years from 1989 until 1997 were somewhat consumed with being a caregiver of sorts to my mom, who had moved to the area in 1975-after my Dad had passed away in  1974. She worked in this area-for the county, she retired in 1986, but she developed a lot of illnesses-with a touch of Alzheimer's near the end. A lot of time was spent with her being hospitalized-and juggling my teaching job. She passed away in 1997.

On my own, in 1998, I did the summer of 4 T's. It was a way for me to relax my mind somewhat-and also catch up with people who had left this area. So, I ended up traveling to Arlington, TX, Knoxville, TN, Toronto, Canada and Tucson, AZ. I took 18 airplanes that summer. In the summer of '99, I flew to Arlington again and after staying there a few days, took the student whose family I had visited in '98 to Valencia, CA. We stayed right across from Six Flags at Magic Mountain, which readers would recognize as Wally World, or they'd recognize the roller coaster from the beginning of Step-by-Step, which has water drawn in, to make it look more attractive. If the show ever returns, notice that the water looks unstable (shaky) in the intro to the show. It's placed over a parking lot, which wouldn't look as attractive.

I retired from teaching in 2002. A friend from Hicksville, Frank DiMaio, who had lived around the corner from me found my website on line and contacted me. He and his wife lived in Beaufort, NC. That fall, at first I took a week's retirement vacation on St. Thomas. Then I traveled to Beaufort, NC. It seemed nice. Going out on Frank's boat seemed nice. When I returned, I thought about spending the winter in Binghamton-not working-with snow all around, along with uncomfortable temperatures. I made and impulsive decision to move to NC. I moved there in January of 2003, and I lived there until February of 2008. After 2 years, the novelty had worn off. Where I lived was considered part of the "Crystal Coast" of North Carolina, rents were high, the beaches were nice; they taxed my NY pension. The closest mall was 45 miles away in Jacksonville, where Camp Lejeune is. That was also the closest theater with stadium seating. Eventually, I realized I belonged back here in Binghamton. If it's cold out - stay home. I live in a nice apartment complex with a pool. The rent is substantially less. I don't have to get the whole baseball package to get the YES channel. And the majority of my friends live in this area. I still keep in touch with David Berger, Charlie Brooks, Elaine Villazon and most recently, Francine Phon. I turn 62 in May, meaning I start collecting Social Security in June. I bought 2009 dark metallic blue Cobalt that looks sporty. It actually looks almost as good as my 1994 black Camaro. It's much more relaxing for me here. The South may work out for some people. It depends what you're looking for.

Considering this is beginning of my second year back, and I'm all settled down, I'm looking at this as starting my retirement over. I keep in touch with former students, on Facebook mainly. I'll most likely be at the reunion in 2010. That would be the first one I've attended.

Thanks for reading this...somewhat verbose synopsis of how I spent the last 43 1/2 years. I left out racing my Dad's 67 GTO (Burgundy) in 1966 and 67. I've left out a lot of friends' names, who I miss, but by listing them, I'll leave a bunch out and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. 

Philip McCrea  

My husband, Jim, along with our Golden Retriever, Lily, and I left on our Nordic Tug 42 trawler, Golden Lily, June 25 from Westbrook, CT on our "Great Loop" boat adventure which is taking us around the eastern half of the country, cruising the lakes, inland rivers, intra coastal waterways, and open waters. We have traveled over 4,000 miles so far and have about 2,000 more to go.

On February 18 we left Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, FL after spending 2 months resting up after our long travel since we left home, and headed across the Okeechobee Waterway to the east coast of Florida where we will visit various towns along the ICW to finally spend a month at Halifax Marina in Daytona Beach. We will then resume our travels north to New York City, stopping at various cities and towns, and finally Westbrook. We hope to be home by June 20^th.

The parts we enjoyed the most were visiting the towns in the Trent-Severn Canal in Canada, the peaceful quiet of the Georgian Bay and North Channel, watching the skyline grow before us as we approached Chicago from the east on our 60 mile crossing from the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, and the beauty of the hills along the Tennessee River during our side trip to Chattanooga.

The most difficult parts were being stuck in Alton, Illinois after Hurricane Ike and dealing with flooding water as we headed south, traveling 200 miles of the desolate Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway with ice on our bow and fog in the morning, crossing the 80 mile run from Carrabelle to Steinhatchee on the Gulf of Mexico with 5+ foot seas, and being stuck in the mud in Crystal River at low tide. I'm told it's all part of the adventure!

We have met so many people along the way, met up with friends, and have seen a part of America only seen from the deck of a boat! You can read about our trip on our website: www.goldenlilytug.com

We'd love to hear from any Hicksville alumni in the area are we continue our journey.

Barbara (Jones) Benjamin '66

When Robert Casale contacted me to do a bio sketch of my life after graduating Hicksville High School, I was flattered, but perplexed as to where to begin, and why he picked me.  Then I realized that the picture of me posted on classmates.com that he referred to had two vertebrae hanging on the wall behind me and that they might have stirred up some curiosity.  For those who might be wondering... "No, I'm not a doctor, or a physical therapist, or a forensic scientist."   I've been working for the Athletic Training Education and Adapted Aquatics Programs under the Rehabilitation Science Division in the School of Health Technology and Management at Stony Brook University (quite a mouthful), since the Fall semester of 2000.  The picture was pulled from a group shot of all the staff/faculty/students in the Athletic Training Education Program Laboratory.   In my capacity as Program Assistant, I serve as initial contact in student recruitment and assist in the areas of application, admissions, orientation and graduation.  Along with my business/administrative duties, I have tutored ESL (English as a Second Language) students and staff on campus, and I am proud to say that I have helped families pass their exams to obtain citizenship.

As far as my education, I have a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from New York University and a Masters of Science in Education from Long Island University.  While taking courses for my BA, I served as an Office Manager in the Graduate Tax Program in the School of Law at NYU and lived off Washington Square Park on Washington Place.  That was a very exciting time for me in my life and it came during what I like to call "my prime"- in my 40's.   Prior to that, I had lived in Maryland, about 25 miles out of Washington D.C., where I raised my family.  I have a lovely daughter, who is married, and two wonderful grandchildren.  They live in Michigan and I visit them as often as possible.

When I moved from Manhattan to Long Island in 1994, I reconnected with my roots.  I now attend Trinity Lutheran Church in Hicksville, where I went to Sunday school, received confirmation, and met a few of my lifelong friends.  In February of 2006, I had the privilege of joining 18 volunteers, from two Lutheran churches, who went to New Orleans to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  We were to provide aid and comfort to those families who had experienced tremendous loss.  We were housed in a parochial school and slept in two classrooms that had to be vacated each morning by 7:00 a.m., so teachers could prepare for their day.  Our group had various assignments each day; some did electrical work, some carpentry, but, in the majority of cases, we participated in a process called "mucking".  This entailed the removal of all the contents of the home, items covered in mud and debris, soaked from weeks of being underwater.  We hauled all items to the curb.  We then proceeded to strip the house of all walls and floor covering.  While the families were resigned to the fact that these tasks had to be done, it was hard to watch, as men and women picked through their belongings, looking for some traces of their lives as it was before.  Many just wanted to sit and talk.  We listened.

I experienced many physical challenges during our mission, but, I believe, in my heart, that the hope we were able to provide these grief-stricken families, more than made up for a sore back or a skinned knee.  I still am an active participant in community outreach. Not many people know this, and nor did I realize it myself, but looking back, being active in the community has been a constant in my life.  Through my job, my church and other organizations, I hope to continue to do more, for as long as I can, whenever I can.

Hello Bob,
I recall that you are taking a motor trip this year.  When you get to Maine please give me a call.  I live on an island near the city of Portland.  It is a cool and unique community.  We have the best lobster and seafood.
I take the ferry each morning and night (10 minute ride) to commute to work in Yarmouth.  I hope to retire this fall.
I lost my husband last year after 46 years of marriage.  He had dementia for 4 years prior.  I am glad I kept busy with work.
Thank you for your work on the HIX news.  It is an interesting read.  I was curious if anyone came out for the homecoming game and who won?