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December 2000
Volume 1 Number 3
Happy New Year, 2001, Wow! Wonder how many times the
old movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" will be
rerun on TV? Many thanks to those of you who have taken
the time and made the effort to share with the rest
of us. We invite the rest of you to share news, memories,
links, querries, whatever. This is the only way to keep
this newsletter going out each month.
Vicky Penner: Homemaker of Tomorrow
Remember When - Ray Muller '55
Our Traveling Alumni - June Olsen
Cullen
News of Our Alumni
Vicky Penner: Homemaker of Tomorrow
Linda and I have been researching our respective family
trees and go through every box of papers we find looking
for leads. Recently, Linda found some copies of "The
Comet" which her mother had saved. In the March
12, 1958 issue it was announced that Vicky Penner had
received the Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow award.
We contacted Vicky and asked about the award. We received
the following and laughed along with Vicky:
"There is a story behind the story on the Betty
Crocker Homemaker of America contest.
Even in high school, I was an avid reader with what
was essentially a photographic memory. It's a skill
that has served me well as a reporter and editor. However,
in high school, I was one rotten home ec student. I
used to drive the teacher nuts (was it Mrs. Clarke?)
because I couldn't sew a straight line and couldn't
cook too well either.
Let me digress for a moment to put this in perspective.
My grandmother, who lived with us, did all the sewing
and cooking when I was a kid, while my mother worked
as a secretary for my father. Her mother actually forbid
her to step in the kitchen! When my grandmother died,
my mother, naturally, took over the cooking. Her first
attempt was a roast turkey, which she proudly showed
off to the family. One thing, though. She forgot to
take out all the packed stuff on the inside before throwing
it in the oven. After that, we ate out a lot).
Getting back to home ec. In addition to being a terrible
cook, I was also a terrible seamstress. I remember having
to make a gore skirt. It seemed that everyone else's
mother knew a lot about sewing. My mother did not, so
when we went to go shopping for fabric, we picked out
a pretty red fabric that was probably the worst material
you could use to sew a skirt. Plus, neither of us knew
any of the sewing terms that everyone else seemed to
know. I never did wear the skirt I made. All the seams
were crooked, the hem a disaster and, well, the zipper
took a dozen attempts which drove the teacher wild.
Now, knowing all this, here comes the Homemaker of Tomorrow
test, a short answer quiz.
Around the house, we had this Guide to Being A Better
Homemaker paperback that gave you all sorts of information.
It ran about 500 pages and was, essentially, unread
at the Penner household. (My mother must have bought
it in a weak moment). Being totally undiscriminating
about my reading matter, I picked up the book and read
it from cover to cover, till about 3 a.m. My photographic
memory kicked in at the test. Hey, multiple choices
were a snap. I went in, took the test and didn't think
anything about it until a few weeks later when a very,
very distressed Mrs. Clarke called me in. She was at
a loss to explain why I had the highest score over all
her home ec majors. As in most instances, I was bad
at a retort. I just smiled. That made her madder and
she walked out of the room. So they gave me this really
awful looking gold plated pin for having a photographic
memory. It still makes me laugh.
ncidentally, I finally did learn to cook--probably
at the expense of most of my friends. I don't think
it was a coincidence that starting around the age of
18 or 19, my college chums and family kept giving me
cookbooks for the holidays and for my birthday. I think
they were universally inscribed "Use This. You
Need It."
If you can bear with me, I must tell you about the
first dinner party I ever made. It was two or three
years after I graduated from Hicksville. It was for
my best friend, Meg Geraghty and her boyfriend, Bob
Gary (now her husband of close to 39 years) and my college
beau, Ted Gibney. The menu consisted of fried chicken
and mashed potatoes courtesy of A&P. The piece de
resistance was going to be the dessert, a fancy jello
mold. It was the first time in my life I had ever made
jello, much less a jello mold. It came out perfectly,
shimmering and wobbling in the candlelight as only jello
can do. Ted offered to cut it and he did...except that
the knife broke in his hand. I hadn't added enough water.
My dessert, in essence, had the consistency of rubber.
They all ate it. Meg (who was at my wedding) and I still
laugh about it.
I have come a long way. Several months ago the daily
newspaper here did a feature on my veggie bouquets that
have become my entertainment trademark. They are bowls
filled with fantasy flowers made out of veggies. So
much for Homemaker of the Year."
Vicky Penner Katz Whitaker, '58
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Thanks to Ray Muller ('55) for the following
Remember When
A computer was something you saw on T.V.
from a science fiction show of note
a window was something you hated to clean...
And a ram was the cousin of a goat.
Meg was the name your girlfriend
and gig was a job for the nights
and now they all mean different things
and that really mega bites
An application was for employment
a program was a T.V show
a cursor used profanity
a keyboard was a piano
Memory was something that you lost with age
a cd was a bank account
and if you had a 3 1/2"floppy
you hoped nobody found out
Compress was something you did to the garbage
not something you did to a file
and if you unzipped anything in public
you'd be in jail for awhile
Log on was adding wood to the fire
hard drive was a long trip on the road
a mouse pad was where a mouse lived
and a backup happened to your commode
Cut you did with a pocket knife
paste you did with glue
a web was a spiders home
and a virus was the flu
I guess I'll stick to my pad and paper
and the memory in my head
I hear nobody's been killed in a computer crash
but when it happens they wish they were dead.
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Our Traveling Alumni - June Olsen Cullen
Before June Olsen Cullen left for a trip to Europe
we asked her to tell us all about it when she returned
home to Florida. Following is her report:
"We left home on election day -- flew to Madrid,
spent a week touring Spain including Toledo, Seville
(our favorite), Cordoba, Granada, Valencia and Barcelona.
We boarded the M/S Norwegian Dream in Barcelona, stopped
in Cadiz, Spain and Funchal, Madeira -- one of the most
beautiful places anywhere, especially at night, as the
ship sailed at 8PM and we stood on the deck until it
was only a speck in the darkness. The 6-day ocean crossing
was my favorite part of the trip; must be my Viking
blood -- I love sailing. This ocean crossing was smooth
sailing, even the Captain said it was exceptionally
calm. We docked in St. Thomas, then San Juan where most
of the passengers disembarked. We (and 200+ others)
stayed on for another week (NCL had made us an offer
we couldn't refuse for a piggy-back sailing) in the
Caribbean.
We arrived back in Florida on 12/3 -- almost one month
away from home, missing most of the never-ending discussion
of the election, having to finish the laundry and bill
paying before getting a flying start toward Christmas.
It's good to be home!"
Happy Holidays to all my Hicksville friends!
June Olsen Cullen
(1958)
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News of Our Alumni
-
Subject: News (FROM LILLIAN MANZO-RAMIREZ, '61,
ARIZONA)
Hi,
I am forwarding a letter I mailed to Mike W.--It
has news about Tom Woodruff, graduated in '61, receiving
2 lungs the day after Thanksgiving. Any questions,
just ask me. I will keep you posted on his recovery.
After you read this letter it will bring you up
to date as of today, 12/18.
Lillian Ramirez
Hi Mike-
Life is good. I have excellent news about Tom Woodruff--he
got a call Thanksgiving night to hurry into the
Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in NY for his lung
transplant!!!!! He was given TWO lungs the following
day and this Friday it will be 1 month. This is
a good sign because they say that if there will
be "rejection" it usually starts to happen
within the first month. He is heavily sedated because
of the pain, but he was taken off the ventilator
(they are trying to get him to breathe on his own)
today. I've been in touch with his landlord who
is also a friend for many years (Larry).
He visited Tom Friday and he said he doesn't look
great, but is doing as well as can be expected.
He can't speak due to his throat being damaged &
sore from the ventilator, and I guess the drugs
for the pain make him sort of "lost" He
doesn't make too much sense, loses his thoughts
and can't move either of his arms to write. They
get him up & into some sort of a bed-chair,
and I guess every day makes him stronger. My friend's
daughter went through this twice because the first
transplant didn't work---this kid is 33 and that
was 2 years ago and she just had a baby last year.....so,
the prognosis is good so long as there isn't any
rejection.
Because he is in ICU, there is a limited amount
that anyone can do---not much room with all the
machines---I called the gift shop right in the hospital
and they checked to see what I could send him---so
I had them send up a Milo-smiley face balloon. Larry
said they have it hanging over his bed and he kept
pointing to it while Larry was there. All I can
say is to ask everyone to say as many prayers for
him and I will keep you posted. It is really amazing
what they can do--sort of mind boggling.
I know what you mean about going back to old haunts--
I am also hoping we have a reunion...I am planning
on going.
The holidays will be crazy for me starting this
coming Saturday---my grand daughter Emily will be
christened and EVERYONE will be arriving Saturday
from NY. My Dad should be quite the arrival--first
time meeting his Great Grandchild--my Dad is very
emotional so there should be wet eyes at the airport.
My son & my youngest daughter will be the God
parents and they are also arriving Saturday. So
it should be a crazy week---and I am looking forward
to all of it's craziness.
I don't know if I told you, but I bought a "summer"
home---to get out of the heat--up north about 1
1/2 hour drive. I really paid for the land because
the mobile home on it was trashed..... So being
the type to accomplish the impossible I've been
going up on the weekends for about three months
and doing work and really not investing anything
except time...well this past week the bargain carpet
was installed----amazing.
It has now been upgraded from a trailer to a "mobile
home". Actually, once I cleaned the filth,
and I mean filth, it wasn't too bad. There is no
garbage pick up, you have to go to the dump and
pay $5 a visit, so the slobs that were renting this
thing for years kept hiding their bagged garbage
UNDER the mobile home. It took 2 truck loads to
empty underneath. Can you imagine the smell. It
was very bad. Extremely neglected to put it mild,
but I only paid $30K for everything, the double
lot is worth $50K and now I just found out after
my "time investment" the mobile home is
worth about $30K. But the best thing is this is
really in the desert---I have the greatest neighbors,
so helpful, not pretentious, and I just love it
there. 3 weeks ago I actually had a bull & 3
cows grazing in my front yard-now that's country.
Its open range and they can go wherever they want.
(I have to work on getting fence gates) The funny
thing about this is when I stay overnight on long
weekends, I hate to come back to the rat race----.Guess
its safe to say I wouldn't last long in Hicksville-the
last time I was back there it took almost 20 in
traffic just to drive through town. Awful.
The holidays in the desert are terrific. People
light up their houses like crazy. Its easy because
you aren't battling the cold so they just go nuts
with lights. They light up anything that doesn't
move--cactus, rocks, you name it, it gets lights.
The zoo also has "Zoo lights" and it takes
about 1 hour to walk through their display. It's
beautiful. We don't have snow, but you do know that
it's Christmas everywhere you go.
Have a great holiday, and the best ever New Year.
I'll keep you up to date on Tom.
Rosenwasser, Mike (CCI-Atlanta) wrote:
How is life treating you these days? Christmas in
the desert must be a bit strange. Although I do
remember that there was some big hail storm during
a golf tournament last year so you do see some colder
stuff falling. I find myself wanting more and more
to go back to my old haunts in and on Long Island.
Must be some closure I'm looking for or trying to
find a bit of my lost youth. I sure hope there is
a reunion next year for our class. I will make it
come hell or high water.
Have a terrific Holiday season and a spectacular
New Year, Lillian.
Mike
DEC. 21, 2000 UPDATE TO OUR REQUEST FOR TOM'S ADDRESS:
There isn't really any address yet.....hold that
thought. Since Tom is in ICU it is VERY limited
as to what he can receive. I talked to his doctor
today... He is still not off the ventilator. They
were trying to wean him off but he just couldn't
breathe on his own soooo he is back on the damn
ventilator.. He is finally alert the doctor said,
so I asked him to just tell Tom that I called and
that there are a lot of people praying for him.
He can't speak either, because of the ventilator.
Just as soon as I find out that he is able to receive
well wishes I will let you know immediately. Right
now, just ask EVERYONE to pray. As for e-mails,
that would only jam up his computer at home. From
what I understand, once he is able to breathe on
his own, he will probably go into a rehab center
for a month. Sooo lets just "mental wave lengths"
him out of ICU and into a regular room at the hospital.
If I don't write again before Xmas, have great holidays.
And I promise, I will e-mail you immediately when
he can receive anything.
Lillian
GET WELL SOON, TOM. OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU.
-
Not to blow my own horn, (no one else will) My
company was featured in Newsday's Plugged in section
on Wednesday Nov. 29th page C-15 They had a nice
color photo of myself and my partner fellow Hicksville
graduate (I'm not sure what year) Bill Knudsen
Best Regards,
Andy Carr
Hi,
This is the location of the article, I can scan
it for you and send it tomorrow. I attached the
photo that went with it. Basically there was a paragraph
on us and a mention of our website www.cardiscs.com
A Tradition Transformed / Animated greeting cards
and online design services make holiday cards anything
but routine YES, VIRGINIA, at one time Christmas
cards were considered a time- saver. More than 150
years ago, a very busy Englishman, Sir Henry Cole,
asked a friend to design a card so he wouldn't have
to labor penning holiday letters to his friends
at the end Author: Rita Ciolli. STAFF WRITER; Size:
10K; 11-29-2000; Page Number: C14; Section: PluggedIn
Regards,
Andy Carr (1982)
ED. NOTE: I HAVE ATTACHED THE PICTURE. HOPE I DID
IT RIGHT! PKD
-
A little follow up to the picture that Butch Allan
sent of the Twin Tones with Allan Freed...I sent
the picture to Don K. Reed at WCBS-FM with a note
saying that the picture was taken at the Apollo
Theater circa 1958...etc...
I was closing the shop (Liberty Plumbing & Heating
Supply) last night when the phone rang...it was
Don K. and he thanked me profusely for sending the
picture, explaining how it brought back memories
and he knew Allan Freed personally...but the picture,
he thinks, was taken at the Brooklyn Paramount.
He said he remembered the two blonde boys, real
good looking and just nice boys. I explained that
contact was lost around 1978 and asked if he knew
how we might find them. He said he would ask around
and make a plea over the radio station, so, anything
could happen. Merry Christmas to all....
Warm Regards...
Bob Casale (class of '60 or was it '61???)
-
We received a request from Joyce Clements Anglim
and Mickey Anglim '59 now of Tampa, Florida for
some help with locating several of their classmates.
They had already located 250 people of the 300 in
their graduating class of 1959. We tried and received
the following reply to our question "What are
you planning?"
In a message dated 12/26/2000 10:14:33 PM Eastern
Standard Time,
grandmagadget@netscape.net writes:
Messages have been sent. Maybe they would like to
join us in receiving the newsletter.
What are you two planning? It might be interesting
to the rest of the readers. The next newsletter
will go out Jan. 1, 2001.
Did you ever think we would live to see this day?
"Thanks once again. We have addresses, phone
numbers and e mail addresses for 5 of them so far.
We have been looking for them for over 40 years.
The last reunion in 99 was so successful, that we
have decided to stay on top of it in an effort to
find the missing 50. I think we did a pretty incredible
job. We had reunions at 10 and 20 years and then
again at 40. I had saved on index cards the addresses
for the 20th. It was a place to start and thanks
to computers it has all been wonderful. Our next
probably will not be until 2004, although some of
us Florida kids do get together once in a while.
-
The key to the reunions has always been a heavy
turnout and we knew up-front that Reunions Unlimited
would not search as well as we do. It has been incredibly
rewarding."
-
joyce and mickey anglim '59
Pat Koziuk,
Florida
Linda Piccerelli,
New Jersey
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