The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 173
Reunions (1964, 1974, 1984), Photos, a Senior Day Motorcade Map, and More
Dear Wildcats,
Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 173,
Class of 1964 - 60th-Year Reunion - 9/19
Time is running short,,,
Don’t miss out on The Wheatley Class of 1964 60th-Year Reunion.
Thursday, September 19, 2024, 5 PM at:
388, a restaurant at 388 Willis Ave. Roslyn Heights, NY. 516-621-3888
Handicapped accessible and close to the LIE and Northern State Parkway.
Cost is $65 per person (plus tax and tip) for a private room, with good Italian food at a decent price.
No payment is due in advance. Just let me know if you plan to come (or not). Partners are welcome.
The following people have said they are coming to the reunion:
Gary Briefel, Vivi Cilmi Kunz, John Corwin, Richard Friedman, Helen Garfinkel Lobel, Ellen Genat Hoffman, Jim Jerome, Rick Kaplin, Gail Knetzer Iannotti, Jim Lerner, Steve Lewis, Ron Miller, Steve Morris, Jim Paley, Joann Pedone Kiernan, Ted Rothstein, Jim Russek, Beth Sack, Jesse Samberg, Karen Schaller Hampton, Steve Simmons, Sue Skarka Miller, David Sobolow, Ellen Solow Holzman, John Sullivan, Davida Tunis Philips, Nancy Gittleson Hodson, Meryl Moritz, Laurie Rubin English, Michele Sklaire Jacobson, Kay Shamitz Leibowitz, Brian Stone.
Plus, the following people are hoping to come: Jackie Axel Butensky, Barbara Goldman Krause, Richard Ilsley, Lynn Walsh
Respond ASAP to:
Nancy (Gittleson) Hodson
516-972-2135 (cell)
Class of 1974 50th-Year Reunion - 10/19
Class of 1984 40th Year Reunion - TOMORROW - SATURDAY, AUGUST 17
Writes Gina Potenza (1984) - “Hey Fellow Wildcats……Lets Catch Up!
When: Saturday August 17, 2024, 7:00 pm
Where: Davenport Press, 70 Main Street, Mineola, NY 11501
Of course there will be food and drink.
We will also be dancing to our 80s favorite tunes!
Cost: $125 per person.
If you have not yet paid, please bring cash to the door.”
All taxes and gratuities are included in the final price!
Looking forward to seeing all of you!”
JFK & LBJ
Jesse Samberg (1964) Writes - “For a fascinating inside look at the transition and accomplishments/mistakes, read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “An Unfinished Love Story” about Goodwin’s and Kearn’s relationships with JFK and LBJ.”
Graduates
1967 - Carl Wirth and Art Engoron - Dinner Companions
L-R - Carl Wirth and Art Engoron, Piccolo’s Restaurant, Mineola, NY - 8/14/2024
1968 - Tom Glaser, Jill Silvering Glaser, Drew Orione - Smooth Sailing
L-R - Tom, Jill, Drew
_L-R - Tom, Jill, Gail Orione (Drew’s wife), Drew
Tom and Drew
1969 - James Wallach - “Hi, Arthur, I am writing about an amazing man to whom I owe a great deal of my self-confidence. Joe Draizen conducted a ‘judo’ class every Tuesday night at 7:30 in the basement of Temple Beth Sholom. Kids came from all over but mostly from Wheatley and Roslyn High Schools. No kid was turned away, and it was completely free. I remember classmates Robert Senft, and Jon Rutenberg. Others came and went, but I stayed through high school and even came when I was home from college. Anyway, I guess this is my way of recognizing a really special man, ‘Uncle’ Joe Draizen. I look forward to seeing who responds in the next newsletter.”
1970 + 1973 - Susan Blumberg Lande (1970), Jody Blumberg Coletta (1973), and Laurie Blumberg Schwartz (1973)
Laurie Writes - “My sisters and I went with our parents to Tea Garden Inn in Williston Park for Chinese food. I remember Paper Barn next door, BIG D, and Smiles Five and Dime stores. We would ride our bikes to these places and to Devlin Field, right off of Bengeyfield Drive, for baseball games.
Our dad was one of the Chiefs of the East Williston Fire Department. We were so proud when he would march in the Memorial Day parades down Concord Street.
North Side Elementary School, where we would flip and trade baseball cards, was always fun. These are all great memories for me.”
1970 - Bruce Goldsmith - To Nancy Drummond Davis (1972) - “Hi, Nancy. Your dad was a woodworking influence on me. My parents got tons of his wonderful teak furniture, which I now have and love. Coffee table, carved headboard, monk's chair, dining chairs and tables. Amazing craftspersonship.”
1971 - Andrew Rosen - “Watching the Olympics last week got me thinking about how much I enjoyed running track at Wheatley. Our 4x100 relay team was Seth Katz, me, Dan Wolf, and Bruce Schwartz. Katz, Rosen, Wolf & Schwartz…..sounds like a law firm. As I recall, we were undefeated until the regional meet, where we placed third. Fun times. Steve Linde (1971) mentioned the all-you-can-eat fried chicken dinnerat HoJo’s. There were about 20 of us, divided into three weight classes. There were plates piled high with bones. I remember us being ‘encouraged’ to leave.”
1971 - Dan Wolf - “Art - I was at the infamous HoJo dinner Steve Linde (1971) mentioned. I remember it as our ‘last supper’ because one of our brethren was caught with chicken in his pockets.”
1972 - Steve Krakauer - “Hi Art, I wish I had the recollection powers that many fellow alumni have displayed! I share with you a few on various topics. Cheers, Steve
On restaurants:
My family also ate regularly at the Roslyn Cafe or got a pizza to go. But for a change, once in a while we would eat at Ricky's on Willis Ave. I think they had tablecloths!
We also frequented Leong's (later called ‘Bruce Ho's’) on Northern Boulevard for Chinese food. For a change, we would eat at August Moon, but I don't recall where it was.
Andel's is where I bought all my Topps baseball cards, Bazooka bubble gum, and, where every Sunday I would go with my dad to pick up the NY Times and the Herald Tribune, the latter because it had the comics and a television guide (pre TV Guide).
Then there was Squire's delicatessen in Great Neck. The thickest and largest sandwiches I ever saw, and the rarest roast beef. The owner ran a tight ship. He stood on a platform near the door, and when patrons walked in, he had this clicker that would summon a server to seat you. Later his son took over, and he looked exactly like his father, and had all the same mannerisms, and the clicker!
As for Lorraine (or was it Patricia?) Murphy's, when my cousin Charline ('66) worked there, my plate was never without a pop-over!
On the Bengeyfield Drive area:
I lived on Turf Lane in the Country Club Section, so I didn't spend any time in that area, except once. My dad had mentioned to me that there was this rich guy who built his own road out to eastern Long Island. The road is long gone, or absorbed into some current roads (I think Veterans Highway runs on part of the route), but that there were the remnants of a bridge that crossed Roslyn Road. Of course, he was referring to the old Vanderbilt Motor Parkway (link). Anyway, I told Eric Entine about it one day, and we decided to ride our bikes and find it. We did, although heavily concealed with greenery, on both sides of Roslyn Road, over which long ago there had been a bridge. We took our bikes up the embankment on the west side and rode in that direction until the the Long Island Rail Road tracks, over which a trestle still existed. Just about then a train passed by, slowly, approaching the East Williston Station at Hillside Avenue. As we were watching it the engineer leans out and yells up at us to get off the bridge, or he'd call Mr. Vanderbilt. I don't recall if that scared us or not. The trestle was removed a decade or more ago. Looking at Google Maps’ satellite view (link), you can see the remnants of the Parkway between Bengeyfield Drive and Croyden Court.
On Senior Class activities:
Two traditions: Senior Day and the reading of the Senior Will.
Senior Day in 1972 was a perfect, sunny day. Of course, it started with the Motorcade. I've attached a sketch that we were given showing the route, starting at Temple Beth Sholom at 8 am. After finishing in the gym parking lot, it was off to Jones Beach for the day. That evening we had our Senior Night (don't call it a prom!) at the Holiday Inn in Westbury. We were supposed to have George Carlin as the entertainment, but he cancelled at the last minute. Instead, we had Ace Trucking Company (link). I don't think anyone had heard of them, but they were funny. I have few memories of the rest of the day, other than arriving home early the next morning as my dad was leaving for work.
The Senior Will was read in the auditorium, but I don't remember when. Our class's was 21 pages, mostly double spaced, so I won't include it here. As well, some entries don't pass the test of time, or are a bit cruel - ah, teenagers! Here are a few that might get a chuckle or groan. I've not included any that had classmates names (which is most of them):
The class of '72 leaves Mr. Nixon the White House.
To Mr. Ehre: an office he can open for kids who need a groovy father figure and a degree in Freudian Psychology.
The Seniors leave Mr. Brandt that great novel: "250 Unfinished Plays."
The stage crew leaves the stage - a mess.
The choir leaves Dr. Wills a choir, yet to be found.
The Senior Class leaves Merle Levine a profound statement.
The stage crew leaves all the keys that Mr. Nixon said they have to all the people who don't have them.
The Class of '72 leaves Mr. Pagliaro in conflict with the youth of Wheatley. Ha!
The Senior Class leaves Mr. Agatstein - concerned.
The Senior Class leaves the parking lot empty.
If there's anyone in my class that would like a copy, please email me for a pdf.
1972 - Jackie Obrant Millstein - I’ve been chuckling ever since I read Nancy Drummond Davis’s (1972) bit of history about the Wheatley Varsity Jacks Team. I am honored to have been remembered as their star player. In 2004, I was a freelance art director and sent out several self promotion pieces in a campaign entitled “The Art of the Game." Too short for basketball and too easily winded for soccer, I found my niche on the Wheatley Varsity Jacks Team. My natural talent for the only varsity sport that was played sitting Indian style on a dirty gymnasium floor garnered me the nickname of ‘Jack’e, Queen of the Flying Dutchman.’ I got a freelance gig at a great advertising agency and became their Creative Director, which led to Chief Creative Officer/owner until I retired this June after close to 20 years.
1978 - Joanna Faber - Wow, the name Gunderson really grabbed my eye and sparked some memories. She inspired me at the tender age of 7, to challenge the omnipotence of adults. In that way she changed my perspective on the world. Here’s how it came to pass…
Every morning Mrs. G would ask us to name the 3 most important things in the world. The prescribed answers were: Love, Truth and Beauty. We kids would wave our hands eagerly for the privilege of giving the correct answers, and Mrs. G would write these holy words in big block letters on the upper right corner of the chalk board, where they would grace our view all day.
One afternoon, when we were doing “independent reading” she checked my book and told me I was skipping pages. I protested hotly, but she insisted that she knew how fast children could read. I was aggrieved and bewildered, because why would I do that? I would miss part of the story if I skipped pages! After that, whenever she came to check on my reading I turned back a bunch of pages and pretended I was at an earlier point in the book, but I kept my finger as a place holder so I could flip back to the story as soon as she left. I thought about how she preferred a lie to the truth.
Now I really wanted to put her love of truth to the test. We had a daily routine where Mrs. G would go around the room asking students to name something beautiful we had seen. One day I answered “my lunch box,” because it was red plaid, and I had picked it out myself for its beauty. She gave a disapproving look. The next day, with my heart beating hard, I decided to tell a deliberate lie. I chose my lie carefully, because I knew she loved nature. It was raining that morning and I told her that on my way to the bus stop I had seen a puddle with the reflection of a tree in it, and the ripples in the puddle made the reflected leaves and branches look wavy. She beamed with pleasure! I beamed internally. I have proven that she prefers a lie to the truth!!
One day we had a very serious discussion. Mrs. G was going to reveal to us the most important thing in the whole world. Not love, truth and beauty. Even more important than those sacred concepts! But first she wanted us to guess. I remember that a boy named Glenn, who was in the advanced reading group, guessed “reading.” Nope, that was not it. Mrs. Gunderson gave clues: it was the most important thing everywhere on earth, over hills, in every city, town and house. Now I knew the answer. I raised my hand in great excitement. I called out in a confident voice. LIFE! Mrs. Gunderson said, “No, but you’re very close. The answer is PEOPLE.”
I was outraged. I remember going home and ranting to my mother. Why does she think people are more important than any other animals? Just because she’s a person! That’s wrong! I was certain now. A kid could be right and an adult could be wrong. Mind-blowing.
After that Mrs. G called on someone every single day to say what the most important thing in the world was, and then wrote PEOPLE on the board over the words Love, Truth and Beauty. I never raised my hand. I knew that if pressed, I would refuse to say it. It was a scary thought, but there were always plenty of enthusiastic hand raisers, so I was never put to the test.
PS On a positive note, I didn’t realize at the time how special it was to have a teacher urge us to appreciate the beauty of art, dance, music and nature. Mrs. G regularly took our class on “beauty walks” in the neighborhood around the school. When we returned we would each have a chance to share something beautiful that we had observed on the walk, such as the sound of the dry, crunchy leaves under our feet. That was pretty cool.
Fan Mail
Faculty (Mark Meyers) - ❤️
1963 (Marcia Friedman Mayer) - ❤️
1964 (Susan Obrant) - ❤️
1965 (Louise Kampa Triano) - ❤️
1965 (Sharon L. Neely Halm) - ❤️
1965 (Jeffrey Orling) - “Always a fun read. Thanks…”
1966 (Claude Levy) - ❤️
1967 (Steve Miller) - “I appreciate all that you do, Art.”
1969 (James Wallach) - “Art, best one yet!”
1970 (Jacquelyn Finger Hall) - “Hi Art, Thank you for all your effort preserving this website!! You bring joy to many people every month! I look forward to each Newsletter!!”
1971 (Cakky Braun-Evans) - ❤️
1971 (Andrew Rosen) - “I eagerly look forward to the Newsletters. Thanks for keeping us all connected.”
1972 (Sherry Goldberg Gottlieb) - ❤️
1972 (Jackie Obrant Millstein) “Art, I love the new format and look forward to reading each newsletter. Many thanks.”
1974 (Melanie Artim) - ❤️
1974 (Gregory Cave) - “Another great read……thank you, sir, for your dedication and continued service to this wonderful school.”
The Official Notices
All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up, will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.
In the first 24 or so hours after publication, Wheatley Alumni Newsletter # 172 was viewed 2.657 times, was liked 11 times and was commented on once. In all, 4,722 email addresses received Newsletter # 172.
The Usual Words of Wisdom
Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 172 or so Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at
The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website
Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.
I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot and do not vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a fact-checking department.
We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967
Closing
That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 173. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.
Art
Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967
646-872-4833
Another memorable edition Art. Thank you.
Cliff, 65’
Great as always Art. What happened to all the 1966 graduates? Never see any posts from them