The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 128
Featuring Monk Moncure's Memories
Dear Wheatley Wildcats and Other Interested Persons,
Welcome to The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 128.
According to Substack, in the first 24 hours after publication, Newsletter # 127 was viewed 3,281 times, was “liked” 28 times, and received seven comments. In all, 4,698 email addresses received Newsletter # 127.
All underlined text is a link-to-a-link (or, occasionally, an email address). Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the link that pops up, will get you to your on-line destination (or address an email).
The Usual Words of Wisdom
Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 127 Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at
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 use it all the time; it (usually) works!
I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I do not vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me.
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 and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967
Corrections
Writes Nancy Newman Elghanayan (1962) - Art, Oops—I now realize that in the note I sent you a week ago about former Wheatley teacher Stuart Doig, I mistakenly listed my class as 1966 (my college graduation year) rather than 1962. Apologies to you and my classmates.”
1979 - Scott Schnell and Neil Solomon - Partnership
Writes Neil - “My friend and classmate Scott Schnell and I partnered to create a technology-enabled home care delivery system for frail and high-risk Medicaid patients. Our organization, MedZed, now cares for very vulnerable people - providing medical and social services in the home - in 9 states. It is the most emotionally rewarding activity of my career.”
‘Hood History
Writes Ken Gallard (1968) - “Neil Sullivan, former East Williston School District Superintendent and father of Roger (1961) and Michael (1963) Sullivan was on the cutting edge of equality in education. He took a leave of absence from our district to superintend in Prince Edward County, VA to help a school district that was significantly segregated and predominantly Black. I'd love to hear Michael's recollection of same. Hopefully he will expand on that going forward.”
Writes Michael Sullivan (1963) - “My father, Neil Sullivan, was the Superintendent of Schools for the East Williston School District from 1958 to August of 1963. Before coming to the EWSD, Harvard awarded him a doctorate, and he had maintained close relations with the School of Education. During this time the EWSD gained a great deal of recognition for its excellence, particularly the district’s innovative non-graded curriculum. The combination of Harvard and the excellent reputation of our school district came together with a surprising result. What follows is the story of what happened after Neil Sullivan left the East Williston School District.
First some key events that directly or indirectly impacted the next 12 months:
1950...Barbara Johns of Prince Edward County, VA, lead the first student strike, demanding better schools for the Black students of the Country.
1954...Brown v. Board...strikes down the “separate but equal” concept found in Plessy v. Ferguson. Segregated schools were inherently unequal. One of the plaintiffs in this case was Dorothy E. Davis, a student from Prince Edward County, VA.
1954...Southern states launched their “massive resistance” to the Brown decision.
1959...As part of this “massive resistance”, Prince Edward County, VA, closed their public schools. White students were given tuition grants to attend private schools. Black students received no assistance and were left with no public schools to attend.
January 1963...President Kennedy notes in his State of the Union address that “Something has to be done about Prince Edward County”
June 1963...the killing of Medgar Evers and racial strife in many parts of the country.
August 1963...The March on Washington Washington for Jobs and Freedom
August 1963...Prince Edward Free Schools are founded
June 1964...Griffin v. Board...Supreme Court rules that Prince Edward County must provide free public education for all. Leslie Griffin was a student at the Free Schools.
1972...Morgan v. Hennigan...Boston Public Schools are ordered to integrate their schools under the direction of Judge Arthur Garrity.
Tasked by President Kennedy, Attorney General Robert Kennedy set out to find a solution to the four year closure of Prince Edward County schools. RFK decided that some sort of school system needed to be created for the students of the County. An RFK aide contacted the Harvard School of Education and asked for a recommendation for someone to head a school project in Prince Edward County. Due to his experience with non-graded instruction, Harvard recommended East Williston’s Superintendent.
Neil received a request to meet with the Attorney General in New York City. Would he take the job of creating and operating this proposed school system for the students of Prince Edward County. Neil agreed but wanted to discuss it with the EWSD Board. The Board was keen to support the project. They released Neil from his contract. He immediately left for Prince Edward County.
After returning from the March on Washington my mother gave me the news, we were moving to Farmville, VA. I said goodbye to my girlfriend (and future wife), Susan Temple (‘63). My Mom and I rented a U-Haul trailer, we loaded up some items, and we left for Virginia.
By the time we arrived, my dad had rented a small house outside Farmville. The school system was set up as a nonprofit and named the Prince Edward County Free Schools. The project received funding from various foundations. Book publishers donated books and materials. Neil hired 100 teachers, administrators, support staff, bus drivers, janitors, etc. My mom, a qualified teacher, became the district’s reading specialist. It was “all hands on deck.” All this needed to happen in three weeks. Somehow despite the chaos, the Free Schools opened on September 16, 1963.
The atmosphere surrounding the schools was extremely tense. Death threats were received by many, including my family. That fall our house was shot up by night riders. With shots hitting the house, we called the County police for help, but they saw no reason to respond. Shortly thereafter, Kennedy ordered Federal Marshalls to Farmville to protect the members of the Free Schools.
Despite all the threats, the students were making tremendous progress. After four years with no schooling, illiteracy was common. The non-graded approach used in our EWSD was having an effect. Whole grade level improvements were being made, frequently within just a month. The Free Schools integrated faculty was a first for Virginia. The Free Schools were going to be a success.
In early May, 1964, Robert and Ethel Kennedy helicoptered to Farmville. In one of his first public appearances since the death of John, Robert waded into a swarm of students. At the end of the day, Free School student Susan Saunders presented Robert with bag of 1800 pennies donated by the students for the Kennedy Library. Many biographers have reported the Free School visit had a lasting impact on Robert, confirming his strong commitment to civil rights.
As the school year ended that June, the Supreme Court handed down its decision on Griffin v. Board. Leslie “Skip” Griffin and all the other Free School students had the right to a free public education.
Following the completion of the Free Schools project, Neil and Martha moved to Berkeley, CA, where he led the integration of the public schools. This was the first city with a population over 100,000 to fully integrate its schools.
From 1969 to 1972, Neil was the Commissioner of Education of the State of Massachusetts. Over those three years he worked toward the integration of the Boston Public Schools. Opposed by the all-white School Committee, which Louise Day Hicks and John J. Kerrigan lead, Boston was torn apart by violence. It was not until 1974 that the integration of the schools began.
After ten years of struggle Neil and Martha moved to back to California, where Neil took a position heading the Department of Education at California State University Long Beach. He continued to work with school districts around the country with the goal of quality integrated schools.”
Writes Ilene “Cookie” Levine (1968) - “I just read Ken Gallard’s comment in Newsletter # 127 about discrimination in membership at the Wheatley Hills Golf Club. Every time my mother and I passed the golf club, my mother would make a comment about how they didn’t allow Jews there. She was clearly upset by this. I guess it was hard for me to understand, because I had never personally experienced discrimination. And yet there it was, right in my own backyard.”
Writes James Wallach (1969) - “Hi, Art, Before I graduated from the Willets Road School, a number of my closest neighbors moved out: Richard Messmer, The Naylor family, The Seiler family, Larry Garvin, and The McGinty family. Coincidence?”
Appreciations of the Wheatley Faculty
Writes Craig Artim (1969) - “Dear Art and Company, my Stu Doig story is that both his father and grandfather worked on constructing the Empire State Building. And when his father and coworkers stopped working on their floor, word trickled up to his grandfather and he immediately stopped working. “If my son isn’t working, then I’m not working!” Apparently they cleared things up, as the building was completed in a mere 13 months (from March 17, 1930 to May 1, 1931). I was in Mr. Doig’s first educational and existential T-Group excursion. What a class! He crammed a whole semester of History into the last two weeks so we could all pass the test! Plus, we were in touch with our feelings. I would love to hear from or about anybody in that unique class. Regards, as always. Ciao!”
Writes Mitch Shapiro (1970) - “I recall Messrs. Tierney, Devlin, Taslitz, Pagliaro, Cautela, Wheeler, and so many others. May those who have passed rest in peace.”
Writes Todd Glickman (1973) - “Mr. Fradkin usually taught Latin, but he filled-in as needed in French. When the bell rang at the end of class, he’d bellow: ‘La cloche a sonné! La vache sacrée est arrivée!’ (‘The bell has rung! The sacred cow has arrived!’)”
Graduates
1958 and 1961 - Steve Nelson and Rhoda Kalkin Schneider
Writes Rhoda - “I previously sent, and you previously published, a photograph of me taken the evening that I attended the 1958 Senior Prom with Steve Nelson (1958); but I just found this photo of both of us taken that evening. How young and cute we looked and how clean cut we looked compared to the way they dress today for proms!”
Writes Steve - “Where in the world did I get that bowtie? I assume that I rented the outfit from somewhere. Note the pocket square and cummerbund that matches the bow tie.”
1960 - John Moncure - East Williston School District Reflections
Writes John - “My memories of Wheatley go all the way back to the North Side School, because they are all a part or the same experience. I will try to list them chronologically, but I may be off here and there. They almost all involve a great deal of camaraderie and laughter - except for the first part.
I was left back in sixth grade. Mrs. Sherman told my parents that I was "the runt of the litter.” My birthday is in April (04/17/1942), so I was very young for that class. Clearly, I was not as physically developed as my classmates, including Johnny Votano (1959).
When I entered my new class (1960), I was determined to keep my mouth shut (not easy for me) and try to do the best I could in athletics, because being the runt of the litter meant being picked last when teams were comprised (academics, unfortunately, were secondary for a good deal of my Wheatley experience).
I fondly remember dance class in 6th and 7th grades. I loved to dance, even though it was not cool. The most fun was running to Hildebrandt's afterward. The girls, in their pretty dresses, got rides from their fathers, while the boys ran - perhaps a mile. The guys would arrive in a lather with our shirts out, laughing and jostling. No wonder the girls sat in separate booths.
I remember walking down Fairview Avenue toward Dixie Howell's house one fine, fall evening. Glenny Roth was with us and we were kind of setting him up - telling him about bad things that had happened on that road, etc. As we passed a big pile of leaves (owners piled leaves at the curb), Paul Hennessy jumped out with a shout. Glenny jumped in the air, shrieked, and was last seen flying down one of the side streets.
We played tackle football in Dixie's "Pony Field,” which ran along School Street. We would play every Saturday in the fall. Two distinct memories from those games come to mind. First, the Tough Guys - Dennis Hunt (who shaved, for Christ's sake) and Dennis Lyzak among others. This is when we were faced with real hitting because those guys enjoyed inflicting pain.
I particularly remember Lyzak carrying the ball and coming right at me, in the open field, and I knew all of my teammates were watching. (Throughout my athletic career I craved peer approval). I remember a good collision and, after it was over, being surprised that I wasn't dead. I had laid him out - the first time I had ever done that. This was the first time I went "to them and through them," as Mr. Davis would say - even though I had no concept of what that meant. I remember that everyone was watching. I didn't want to get killed, but I had no choice; perhaps that was my motivation in getting up.
But, of course, the best memories of the Pony Field football contests were the co-ed tackle games. Jack Langlois was, I believe, the best tackler of co-eds Wheatley has ever produced. In addition, after the tackle, in order to ensure that the tackle was secure, Jack would make several aggressive rolls with arms, legs (and, presumably, hands) flailing. A true gamer! The girls started getting smart and wore heavier and heavier clothing to these contests. One could see the disappointment in Jackson's demeanor - no more post-tackle rolls. Finally, the girls were so heavily padded that it sort of became a unisex game - and all the fun went out of it.
When we attended the Willets Road School there was the famous football game between Northside and Willets. It was the first time we got very pumped up for a game. The girls came, not as cheerleaders but to cheer and, of course, that made the peer pressure even greater. Paul “Bick” Keister had a heart murmur so couldn't play, and he was sort of the coach/manager. I don't remember who was quarterback, but Dixie probably was, because he was the leader of the pack back then (though I don't think that he really cared). I remember playing halfback and scoring twice. I think the score was something like 28 to 7, advantage North Side . We were exhilarated and pulled down the goal post - which hit Bick on the head on the way down. Whenever I hear "the day we tore the goal post down" in the song, I think of Bick lying there.
During Dr. Wills’s music class at Willets, Dixie yelled ‘Air Raid,’ whereupon we all dove under our desks, causingDr. Wills to weep. I was ashamed. Later, we had a nice visit with the principal.
Sophomore year (the undefeated football year) was the year that set the standard for the rest of our athletic experience at Wheatley. Dixie played a little varsity football, but I think the rest of us just sat in awe of such physical prowess. Doug Kull was my hero. Doug was not a gifted athlete. When he ran, as he gained momentum, he resembled a suitcase falling down stairs. He was inelegant but tried harder than anyone on the field. He had so many wonderful character attributes. He was nice to us, and he was President of the G.O. (the “General Organization,” the student government). I think, then, that I decided that I wanted to be just like Doug. He became a priest, I became a lawyer. One of us maintained his selfless character.
Richard Perlin had an auto accident and almost killed himself. The stitches on his face made him that much more intimidating. He looked (and sometimes acted) like Frankenstein.
Eddie Kritzler flashed in front of a full gymnasium of girls. All of them acted scandalized but were peeking through their fingers.
In class, Mr. Rosenstein kicked the guys' feet that were sticking out - saying something like ‘Oh, excuse me.’ Mr.Rosenstein's pre-test admonition was, ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be, but this, above all else, to thine own self be true.’
One chemistry lab we had a substitute teacher…….big mistake. She was short. Ken ‘Martino’ Martin was my lab partner, I believe. He concocted a small explosion or diversion, and we all circled around an imaginary body. The substitute was so short she couldn't see over us. Martino yelled, ‘Billy, Billy, get up, get up.’ The substitute said, ‘Oh, my God,’ and fled the room. I think we then had a nice visit with the principal.
Barry ‘Beebs’ McNutt was one of the funniest and nicest guys in our Ninth Grade class. In Ms. Bodnar's class we had long columns of chairs, front to back. I was sitting in the second row, the fourth seat from the left (B4), and Beebs was sitting in the fifth row, the fifth seat from the left (E5). Ms. Bodnar would go up and down the columns, leaning over to comment, privately, on each student's work. She was was going down the aisle next to Beebs, and he was facing forward, towards me. I tried to engage him in whispered conversation. To distract him, I finally said, “"Beebs, do this hard,” swinging my right hand, palm facing back, away from my body. He did, and hit Ms. Bodnar hard, right on her bottom. I immediately faced forward, and all I could hear was a female voice saying, "Barry!", and he said, "Oh, oh" and started laughing. Well, to her great credit, she did not overreact and eventually started to laugh also. She was a good sport and a GREAT English teacher.
• We once locked Mr. Ouchi out of his room. He was short, and all you could see was his little fist knocking on the glass. After about a minute of laughter, someone opened the door, and we all felt bad.
In Dr. Sylvia Scheinin's Spanish class, Hennessy went into her closet, up front, before class. I put a piece of wood in the runner, which in essence, locked the door. When she came in and started to take attendance there was silence at Hennessey's name, though I was laughing so hard I had my head on my desk. Finally, after approximately 10 minutes, there was a tapping, a gentle rapping, at the closet door. Dr. Scheinin opened it and, after remonstrating Hennessey, started to laugh as well;
Mr. Porcino's motto was, ‘Time will pass. Will you?’ He wrote “Keep Laughing” in my yearbook. " I doubt that that was intended as a positive comment.
Senior year one of our favorite stunts, in the crowded halls, was to wait until a freshman boy was walking behind a senior girl, at which point we would grab his arm at the elbow and push his hand into the girl's bottom. Irate, she would turn her anger on the freshman, who dissolved into a puddle of embarrassment, as we excused ourselves and passed by. That stunt didn't last too long, as the girls caught on and we were busted.
One of my favorite stunts was with Martino. I don't remember who originated it - I think he probably did, but we both did it all Senior Year. We would wait until after sports practice, as parents were arriving to give rides. We would all linger in the lobby, waiting for a parent to drive up. When a car arrived, Martino (or I) would ask a freshman, ‘Want a ride?,’ and he would say, ‘Sure.’ We'd say, "That's my mother there. Just hop in and say that I offered you a ride home. I'm running to my locker to get a book I forgot." It worked every time. The unsuspecting freshman would say, ‘Hi, Mrs. Moncure. I'm Joey. Monk said you would give me a ride home.’ The reply, inevitably, was something like, ‘Who is Monk?’ It worked all year long. I'm sure that we had a lot of freshmen pissed at us.
Driving opened up a new world of potential trouble for us. On Friday nights we would cruise, with Charlie Zimmerman driving, starting when he was 16-years-old. We would pool our resources and come up with approximately $2.00, most of which we spent on “big boys.” One night he had a couple of beers, pulled into a gas station, and ran over the attendant’s foot (they had attendants back then). The poor guy was hopping up and down, in great pain. With great aplomb, Charlie said to him, "$0.83 worth of regular, please."
We would also cruise in Chuck Shaffer's father's ‘clergy-wagon.’ It looked like a hearse, except that it said ‘Clergy’ in the back/side windows. We would drink beer and ‘moon’ surprised drivers from the back window.
After wrestling team practice the auxiliary gym was sweet misery. When we had to ‘make weight’ we kept the heat high and our rubber suits on. We would lie in close clusters sweating and telling jokes, etc. However, Hennessey's favorite trick was to tell a rookie about the guy the rookie had to wrestle in the next match. He was always ‘Bill Svaboda.’ Bill was the toughest, meanest wrestler on Long Island, broke a kid's arm the last match, and the rookie's eyes always grew as big as saucers. I believe that some rookies didn't make weight because of this.
During the same ‘making weight’ misery periods, Hennessey would always tell the Freshmen about Marty Corbett. He told them that Marty gave ‘fuzz wipes’ and, sometimes, even gave ‘half snuffs.’ I would interject, ‘She gave me the best half snuff I've ever had.’ The Freshmen, not wanting to be naive, would inevitably say, ‘No!
Really? Does she really do that?’ and we would both say, ‘Honest.’
Senior year, Chuck Gregg, a junior, wrestled Junior Varsity heavyweight. Now Chuck was called "Monster"because he looked like Frankenstein. He was big and looked mean. Well, we watched his J. V. match as he was getting taught a lesson by a better wrestler. The guy got him in a ‘guillotine,’ which is a painful move using one’s legs to stretch one’s opponent. It was a pinning combination, and Monster was clearly suffering. Suddenly, Mrs. Monster, his mother, came running out of the stands and hit his opponent with her purse. The ref stopped the match and defaulted
Monster (he was going to be pinned, anyway). However, Hennessey and I made his life miserable for the rest ofthe year. We would scream, in a high pitched voice, "Stop it! Leave my Monster alone!" every time we saw him.
I remember riding the bus home from wrestling matches, with Walter Brunner doing his ‘Running Bear’ song and dance in the isle of the bus. Another Walter Brunner story - at the year-end wrestling championships, we all had to suck hard to make weight at the competition site. Walt wrestled heavyweight and never had to make weight. He brought a hot plate and made bacon and eggs- selling them at a high price to all but teammates, who got discounts.
The night before I left for Kings Point, ‘Beast Barracks,’ Charlie Zimmerman, Phil Gaynor, Paul Hennessey and I went to a drive-in movie. Paul (‘Fifi’) Mann drove his dad's car, with a case of bottled beer in the trunk. He parked the car, and we placed the speaker on a partially opened back window. We proceeded to talk about our past adventures and anticipated future adventures. As we drank more beer, the stories got funnier and funnier, and we became more boisterous. Finally,someone threw a beer bottle out the other back window - only it was closed. Fifi did not like that broken window at all, but the rest of us thought it was hilarious. He was very pissed off and decided to leave - which he did- without taking off the speaker from the other window. As he dropped me off from the car with two broken windows, the last words I heard him say were "My father's going to kill me."
And there are many more funny stories.
I want to emphasize the importance of the education I received at Wheatley. I had more Ph.D teachers at Wheatley than at Kings Point. I learned how to write at Wheatley. My Wheatley teachers had a particularly lasting affect on me. I had my “eureka experience’ in math with Mr. McCormack in Geometry. I became confident, and, therefore, good at math in his class. I received really good grades in math, through college, thanks to him.
Mr Doig, Mr. Mullen and Ms. Knapp sparked my interest in history, which remains my favorite subject. My library is filled with books on history. David McCullough is my favorite biographer; I have all of his books. I taught history and political science at New Hampshire College for three years.
Ms. Bodnar, Colonel Hawkins, and Mr. Storm taught wonderful English courses and had us read great literature. I remember being forced to memorize poems - and can still recite my favorite, ‘Invictus.’ I was a bad speller, though - I never got ‘obfuscate’ right.
And Wheatley taught an SAT course in 1959 - which must have been revolutionary. I raised my scores by 100 points in both subjects from the PSATs to the SATs.
For me, any reminiscence of the ‘Wheatley experience’ is centered on athletics. Next to my father, Jack Davis influenced me and my development as a person more than anyone else. He coached me in football and baseball. I survived Law School thanks to my Wheatley education, more so than to my Kings Point education.
A recent article by David Brooks in the New York Times quotes sociologists who say that sports encourage various virtues in many young men - and so it was with me.
I have omitted from my reminiscences most ot my sports memories, because there are so many and would bore most of you, except for my teammates. I loved football the most and lived for Mr. Davis' and Mr. Lawson's approval. I firmly believe that it was the peer pressure associated with football that caused and enabled me to become an athlete. I desperately wanted to play varsity my Junior year and would do anything to find a position. I ended up as a 155 Ib. center, would you believe!
We used to have ‘bull in the ring,’ in which everyone on the team formed a circle and one man was in the middle. It was a harsh test of courage, because the middleman called out one of his teammates to tackle/block one on one. I always chose Matt Sanzone - the biggest, baddest guy on the team, not because I wanted to get killed, but for peer/Mr. Davis's approval. Football gave me the confidence, determination and tenacity in all the sports in which I've competed all of my life - and in most everything else I've done. Both hard work to achieve a common goal and the sacrifice of self to team bred a camaraderie I have never had since. Senior year with my teammates on the football team was something I'll never forget. I loved practice - I loved the sled (yes). Mr. Lawson would say, ‘Come on, ladies.’ I loved the cool autumn afternoons and, best of all, the games. Wrestling, then, for me was a great sport to keep in shape for baseball. I didn't realize it in high school, but wrestling was the sport for which I was physically best suited and the one in which I would achieve the most success.
'I loved baseball. I loved the grass and always played with a blade of grass in my mouth. I loved catching- with the whole field in front of me- setting players like chess pieces. Catching Al Jerome, Charlie Napoli at short, Steve Putterman and his pretty swing, Stu Flome and his collision in center field, which cost him his spleen and, Steve Buchalter. Buchy didn't get to play much. But in one of our final games, Mr. Davis put him in as a pinch runner on first base. We were ragging him from the bench and he started to clown it up - and got picked off. I fell off the bench laughing- Mr. Davis didn't think it was very funny.
Wheatley athletics laid the groundwork for a lengthy athletic career. One year of college football; four years of college wrestling; three years of AAU wrestling while in Law School; three years of Navy wrestling (two-time all Navy champion at 149.5); two years of Navy flag football; one year of fast-pitch softball (Navy - Memphis); two years of slow pitch softball (Navy - Brunswick); 15 years as volunteer assistant wrestling coach of Bowdoin College - until I dropped the program in 1987; 8 years of long-distance running (an obsessive-compulsive person's perfect sport); 1999 to date - volunteer assistant squash coach- Bowdoin College; 21 marathons (4 Boston, 3 New York, Personal Record of 2:56:24) 15 years of squash competition (played in 10 Nationals);
As a result of all the above, my body has, bit by bit, been falling apart. I am told that I'm an ideal candidate for a new knee. One of the hardest things about writing this has been to decide how to do it. I tried to be personal but not too personal. I've left out references to my romances (Linda; Bev; and Sandy, may she rest in peace) and the other girls/women of whom I am very fond, not because they weren't important in my memories. Actually, at some point in our progress through the years, girls/women took over. Hormones always prevail.
I consider myself very lucky to have been educated in The Wheatley School system. Perhaps even more important than the wonderful education I received are the friendships and relationships formed during that era that have remained with me. I am fortunate to have known all of you, and I thank you for making this part of my life so happy.”
1964 - Michel Garin - Dinner at Gaonnuri, NYC, 11/22/2023
L-R - Michael Garin, Art Engoron
1965 - Jeffrey Orling - A Best Friend
Writes Jeff - One of my best friends back at Wheatley was my classmate Roger “Roddy” Nierenberg ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Nierenberg. He lived at the corner of Shelter and Snapdragon Lanes. His father, Gerry (Gerard) was an expert in negotiation and communication strategy: Gerard Nierenberg. We listened to his father's "lectures" about general semantics. Actually it was interesting.….but not to me as an adolescent. Roddy was into classical music, played trumpet... and did well in it. Another friend I recall was Norman Resnicow, who was very bright. His father was an author and an audiophile.
I have lost touch with the people from my Willets Road and Wheatley past, which I regret. But the present always seems more important until it's the past... and then it fades.
Since I began reading The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters my interest in my friends from back then has increased. I am looking forward to a reunion.... where I might meet some of them. I doubt I could recognize anyone... 60 years! If there is another reunion, I will attend. I suppose if people from the distant past are living "close" to me, in Westchester, I might actually meet with them.
I think someone needs to do an interactive map of the Metro Area showing where Wheatley people are living…..or at least a list searchable by location. Of course lots of people have moved out of the NYC metropolitan area. But I definitely think this nostalgia thing is common. I know Merry (my sister.. 2 years ahead of me, Class of 1963) became very interested in seeking out people from Wheatley and went to a reunion or two. But I am the last living member of my family, as both Merry and Alan (1966) have passed. I think I would/will attend a reunion.
My college friends are no different.….all scattered to the four winds. Some from the Drama Department come on my radar because of their profession. For some reason, I let all those acquaintances and friends slip away. Stupid.
I often think I would walk right past someone from Wheatley today, because how could we recognize each other after all this time? I sometimes try to recall the people from my past.”
1966 - Elizabeth Strauss Denes - Deceased on November 18, 2023
Writes Sister-in-Law Leslie Buckner Strauss (1967) - “Liz suffered from multiple myeloma and leukemia. She passed at home in Ronkonkoma with her loving husband John, daughter Jeanine, and son Jason by her side. Many may remember her magnificent soprano voice, which she continued to enhance at the Manhattan School of Music and Juilliard. She had an infectious laugh and loving nature. She will be missed by many, especially her brother Richard. She had been suffering for a while; she’s in a better place now.”
1972 - Mitch Shapiro - “Art….putting together the newsletter is no small feat. The more stories all of us hear, the more stories that continue to appear from the silent’ readers…..I encourage every graduate to share something that the rest of us can enjoy reading about. My wife, Donna, gets to read this despite the fact she grew up in LevittowN. She is impressed by the accomplishments and caliber of students who have come out of Wheatley.
1983 - Reunion Photo - Andrew Peter Saridakis - “Hi Art and fellow classmates of 1983! Great to see everyone in the photo at the 40th reunion. Unfortunately, again I was not able to attend. Oh well. . . I am looking forward to the next reunion, in the meantime, I can always be reached at Andrew@cfipilot.com. All the Best, Andrew”
Fan Mail
1960 (John “Monk” Moncure) - “Thanks, Art, for publishing the Newsletters. I appreciate your efforts on all of our behalf’s — a lot of work.”
1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️
1965 (Howard Klepper) - ❤️
1965 (Ira Kent) - “Thanks, Art, for all that you do to bring back great memories!”
1965 (Lynne Levinthal Barr) - “Thank you, Art, for all the nostalgic journeys contained in a well-written venue.”
1965 (Jeffrey Orling) - “I am a big fan and love to read your ‘releases’; I much appreciate them. Thank you, Art!”
1965 (Laurie Woods) - “Art, I appreciate all you do.”
1966 (Allan Silver) - “Arthur, Thank you for publishing the Newsletter. I look forward to reading every issue. Best Regards, Allan Silver”
1967 (Jo-Ann Dembo Gordon) - ❤️
1967 (Bruce R. Orosz) - “Tremendous to read all the clips. Awesome” 😎
1967 (Jill Simon Forte) - “Got the newsletter and as usual loved it. Memories....like the corners of my mind.” 😉
1968 (Andy Forstenzer) - “I applaud the immense effort you willingly apply to publishing the Wheatley newsletter.”
1970 (Maria Giordano Gittleman) - ❤️
1970 (Mitch Shapiro) - “Art, Putting together the Newsletter is no small feat. The more stories all of us hear, the more stories that continue to appear from the ‘silent readers.’ I encourage each graduate to share something that the rest of us can enjoy reading about. My wife, Donna, gets to read the stories despite the fact she grew up in Levittown. She is impressed by the accomplishments and caliber of students who have come out of Wheatley. As always, Art, thank you for your wonderful dedication to keeping us informed with these stories.”
1972 (Joel Harris) - “Thank you, Art…..The Newsletter is always an ‘awesome read.’ I hope my son Bryan (Class of 2001) reads this too.”
1972 (Janet Schaffel Fraga) - ❤️
1973 (Steve Blumberg) - ❤️
1977 (Peter Fitzpatrick) - ❤️
1973 (Andrew Peter Saridakis) - “Thank you, Art and Keith, for all you do to keep us Wheatley graduates connected.”
1975 (Maria Elefonte Steinberg) - ❤️
1976 (Robin Firetog Glanzberg) - ❤️
1978 (Elaine Schattner) - ❤️
1980 (Thomas Valicenti) - ❤️
1981 (Susan Garfinkel Cykman) - ❤️
1985 (Brian Williams) - “Art, I read every issue, and I greatly appreciate that you find the time to keep this going.”
2004 (Kerry Nienstedt Wystrach) - “I always look forward to sitting down and reading these after my kids are down. Always looking forward to the next one. Love all the old stories. Thank you!”
???? (Paige ????) - ❤️
???? (Pam ????) - ❤️
Closing
That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 128. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.
Art
Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967
646-872-4833
never a dull issue👍
Another great newsletter! Thanks Art!