The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 139
Catching up on some October, 2023 emails.....and other goodies
Dear Wheatley Wildcats and Other Interested Persons,
Welcome to The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 139.
According to Substack, in the first 24 hours after publication, Newsletter # 138 was viewed 3,582 times, was “liked” 22 times, and received five comments. In all, 4,746 email addresses received Newsletter # 138. For all of February the Newsletter was accessed 9,156 times.
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 138 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 frequently; it usually works!
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
Faculty Appreciation
Writes David Berwald (1970) - “Who can forget Mr. Melvin Rosenstein's famous call to his ‘chemis tree’ students, ‘Listen as these words of wisdom issue forth from my ruby reds unto your pink and shell-like.’ He lived after retirement in West Palm Beach, across the street from my father-in-law, Ed Juris (Patty Juris, 1972). It was fun to discover this when we met him in his official capacity directing traffic at the West Palm Beach Airport arrivals area sometime during the mid-1990s.”
Writes Alan Peterson (1975) - “I would like to second Karen Bartscherer's (faculty) appreciation of Betty O'Connor Bradley (Newsletter # 138). A day of frustration for Ms. O'Connor ended as a day of enlightenment for me.
One day in late 1971, there was one class where everyone was either apathetic to the assignment or just didn't ‘get it’.….myself among them. With about 20 minutes left to that very unproductive session, an exasperated Ms. O'Connor unexpectedly gave up, handed everyone a sheet of composition paper and said, ‘Write. Just write. I don't care what you write about, just write!’
Most of my classmates were somewhat shocked to see Ms. O'Connor's demeanor take such an extreme turn, and many just sat there. But for me, after a minute or so of staring at the page, words somehow just came. For the rest of the duration, the world's most dreadful and nonsensical chum flowed from my pen. It read like [underground cartoonist] Robert Crumb got together with [animator] Tex Avery to redesign the Universe. It was embarrassingly bad but it wouldn't stop. And when I got home, I was so fired up that I wrote three more pages of that tripe. It wasn't emotional writing, it wasn't filled with catharsis or tearfulness, it was just me spraying Cheez Whiz around the room, laughing all the while.
Without an assignment forcing me to write within the constraints of the curriculum, I was free to just go nuts ... AND with the permission of my teacher to boot. It wasn't just ‘coloring outside the lines, THERE WERE NO LINES! I had never experienced this before, and suddenly, writing was fun and exhilarating.
Every teen somehow eventually finds a creative pressure-valve to their frustrations; whether it's through artistic encouragement (thank you Aaron Kuriloff), or bad emo poetry. For me, it was Betty O'Connor essentially saying, ‘I don't care what you write about. Just stay outta my face for the rest of the class.’
Fast forward about 16 years: I was writing a regular column for a broadcast trade publication. I gathered a few select clippings and mailed them to her with a note, saying, ‘This would not have been possible without you. Thanks for the jumpstart.’ I never heard back from her, but I want to believe she received them.
I should note that Ms. O'Connor never collected those class papers, so we were free to take them with us or pitch them. As laughably lousy as they were, I still have all four pages of that drivel in my memories box, marking the actual moment when writing became joyful and not just a lesson.”
Graduates
1958 - Jeff Philipson - Remembered
Writes Matt Sanzone (1959) - “Jeff Philipson was a halfback, along with Eddie Kritzler and Johnny Votano, on the 1958 undefeated football team. Jeff was just a nice guy. RIP.”
Correction - According to a 1960 Graduate
“Larry Nagler, the outstanding tennis player produced by our little school, did not win the U.S. doubles title at Forest Hills with Allen Fox or anyone else, for that matter. I was a classmate of Larry for two of his years as an undergraduate at UCLA. After his college graduation, Larry went to law school. He has a successful law practice in LA. To the best of my knowledge, he has yet to repair an inguinal hernia or perform cataract surgery.”
1964 - Public Notice - A graduate would like to know if anyone plans to organize a 60th-Year reunion. Will anyone step up to the plate? If so, contact Art.
1964 - Michael Garin - Greetings from Beijing
1965 - Jeff Orling - Appreciated by Laurie Lutrin (1968) - “I loved reading Jeffrey Orling's heart-felt struggles down memory lane, so like many of us. I have wonderful memories of Jeff at my house, usually visiting my sister Judy Lutrin (1965), but always a welcomed guest. My Dad was very fond of him. Regards to you Jeff. - Laurie Lutrin”
1965 - Jeffrey Orling - “Sometimes I try to go back and remember all the neighbors in the “S” Section. I do remember when we moved in back in 1950, when I was three... there were very few tall trees, and you could see forever. There was a ‘woods’ ... that's what we called it... behind the backyards of the block of Shelter Lane, Shadetree Lane and Snapdragon Lane. We were told that we lived on what had been a farm.
There were very few large trees. I suppose they bulldozed everything ... sub divided... paved the streets and sidewalks. Lots happens in 70 years. I need to go back and drive around the neighborhood.
I wonder about the history of the Levitt development we lived in. How did it come about? I do remember we would drive on a "Northern State Parkway" to NYC. It's still there, but it's widened and not recognizable. Here’s an interesting read about it.
Wikipedia Entry for the Northern State Parkway
1965 + 1967 - Jonathan Silver and Art Engoron - Dinner at Giorgio’s of Gramercy
L-R - Art, Jon - February 26, 2024
1968 - Get Togethers in January in Florida
L-R - Jill Silvering Glaser; Jed Berman; Jed’s wife, Randy; Tom Glaser: Todd Strasser; Todd’s girlfriend, Barbara Kaplan. Delray Beach.
L-R - Jonathan Rosenbloom, Jed Berman, Mark Gross, and Andrew Forstenzer. Longboat Key.
1968 - Laurie Lutrin Kaufman Goodmark - “Although I did not graduate at Wheatley with my class in 1968, all my childhood memories are from there. I loved seeing the photo of the group of woman from my class together and looking great. Regards to you all, Laurie Lutrin (Kaufman, Goodmark)”
1968 - Reunion in 2016 - Reprinted from The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 123
L-R - Patti Garin Abelson, Joan Edelstein, Joan Filler-Varty, Susan Goldfeder Weiss, Arlene Rappaport, Kathy Kram, Ilene “Cookie” Levine.
Correction - According to a 1969 Graduate
Writes Nelson “Nick” Willick – “For the record, I’m afraid my sister’s (Ilona Willick Guzman, 1974) recollection is clouded by the passage of time and her affection for me. I was not a track ‘star’ by any stretch of the imagination. And the only sprint record I may have been involved with (my memory of it is not so good either) was as part of a 400-yard relay team. I honestly don’t remember if that team (the members of which might have been Doug Colucci, Steve Orlins, Gary Horowitz, all 1968, and me) actually set a record.”
1969 - Lynn Greenbaum - Funny Girl - From a Show Last Year
1971 - Samir Touhamy - Deceased
Writes Steven Brautigam (1971) - “I am sad to report the passing of Samir Touhamy, Class of 1971. He was a real friend of mine and others. A self-made man later in life, he had relatives and friends in many places around the world. He was amazed when he moved to Old Westbury and started Wheatley in the ninth grade. He studied hard, played sports, and made friends.”
2003 + 2021 +1967 - Jason Zeller, Aarushi Jain, and Art Engoron
L-R - Jason Zeller, Art Engoron, and Aarushi Jain - A mini-reunion.
Fan Mail
Faculty (Ed Tronolone) - ❤️
1960 (Rochelle “Shelly” Levine Dicker) - “So proud to be a Wheatley graduate! I love keeping up with peoples' lives.”
1961 (Richard Kopelman) - ❤️
1962 (Dick Glassman) - ❤️
1963 (Barbara Gottesman Miller) - ❤️
1964 (Sydell Horowitz Weiner) - “Art, thanks again for a terrific Newsletter! It’s always great to read about the teachers and students who helped shape our lives.”
1964 (Davida Tunis Philips) - ❤️
1965 (Jeffrey Orling) - “Art, Yet another great read. Thank you!”
1967 (Arthur Brown) - “You do a great job, and I thank you.”
1967 (Jill Simon Forte) - “Fun to keep fresh my memories of the days in Wheatley (even though I didn't appreciate them at the time).”
1969 (Lynn Greenbaum) - “Your continued commitment to the Wheatley Newsletter and keeping in touch with everyone are inspiring and commendable.”
1969 (Sarah Rosenberg Aldag) - “Seeing the Newsletter appear in my inbox is always nice.”
1969 (Susan Roth) - ❤️
1970 (Amy Jacoby Budish) - Each newsletter triggers memories of a person who we encountered during our school years. The work that you do touches many lives in a positive way!”
1971 (Merrie Sesskin) - ❤️
1971 (Laura Soll) - ❤️
1977 (Peter Fitzpatrick) - ❤️
1983 (Erica Rubrum) - Thank you. ❤️
1988 (Maria Russo Stern) - ❤️
A Friend - “Seeing the Newsletter in my inbox is great! I always looking forward to the next one.”
Closing
That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 139. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.
Art
Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967
646-872-4833
Love these stories of teachers and fellow classmates. To Jeff Orling, what great memories of the ‘S’ section! I’m sure if we went back for a visit, very few homes would look thr same!
Hi all,
I’m interested in planning a 40th year class reunion for Class of 1984. If anyone has started process or knows of anyone else who has initiated process please write to me at gr8newyorker@aol.com.
OR if you would like to help me I would love to hear from you. Looking forward to making a night to remember and to reconnect. Hope to hear from someone soon… Gina Potenza