The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 104

Is it August yet?

Apr 26, 2023

Dear Wheatley Wildcats and Other Interested Persons,

Welcome to The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 104.

According to Substack, in the first 24 hours after publication Newsletter # 103 was viewed 2,953 times, was “liked” 17 times, and received one (positive) comment. In all, 4,647 email addresses receive the Newsletter.

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then left-clicking on the link that pops up, will get you to your on-line destination.

The Usual Words of Wisdom

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 103 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, mirabile dictu, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material. I use it all the time; it 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

Bay Area Bash - Rescheduled - Three Weeks Later

To avoid a conflict between Mother’s Day and Alma Mater, The Second Annual (?) Unofficial San Francisco Bay Area Wheatley Reunion Potluck (TSA[?]USFBAWRP), is hereby rescheduled to Sunday June 4, 2023, noon-4 PM. Early signups are Barry Gordon (’65) and Roy Nierenberg (’63). COVID rates remain low and we’ll be outside, so no testing needed, but I’ll have little adhesive colored dots available for anyone wanting folks to give them six feet of room. Interested Wildcats, please email me at larros99@gmail.com. Best, Larry Rosenthal (‘65)

Wheatley Career Day 2023 - The Schedule

Speakers addressed Journalism, Education, Law, Law Enforcement, Medicine, Information Technology, Finance and many other careers.

Wheatley Football

Writes Ted Lipsky (1976) - “A quick note to say thank you to my classmate Paul Giarmo for correcting my flawed memory. He is the encyclopedia of Wheatley Football. I wonder if he remembers when we ordered the ‘Spirit of ‘76’ T-shirts as a class? My father took care of that order for us.”

Administration

Walter “Wes” Wathey, Principal of The Wheatley School - 1961-1979

Writes Arthur Brown - “A little note about our graduation: When it was my turn to get my diploma, Mr. Wathey stopped me and told me he was so happy I made it, as he never thought that this day would come. Wes was a great person and was always there for the students.”

Faculty

Dr. Irwin August, Remembered

Writes Seth Bardo (1967) - “Rick Lowenthal’s thoughtful remembrance of Mr. August caused me to reflect on how grateful I am to someone who made a vital impact on my life and who continues to inform my daily practices. Like Rick, I would like to acknowledge and honor his memory.

I’m not surprised that no one can account for Mr. August’s post-Wheatley years, how he spent his retirement time, or even information about his death. He was a private person who made a clear separation between his personal and professional lives. Once I spotted him in a store. Flummoxed, I was unable to approach him, incapable of imagining him in any other context than teacher/ coach, so I fled.

Mr. August was reserved and removed in a way that defined him and gained the respect of all his students. He served as an important role model for his own personal values: dignity, honor, professionalism, kindness.

So how did our paths intersect in a way that continues to influence my life?

In junior high I shared the awkwardness of many of my peers. While I had no interest in a Charles Atlas body, I was embarrassed when I could not complete a single pull-up during a gym test. Resolved to gain a modicum of strength, I went to see Mr. August. He offered to meet with me, suggesting a regular schedule until I had achieved enough confidence to go solo. I can’t remember most of what our sessions consisted of, but this I do recall: early on, when I could not do a single pull-up, he took away the chair that I balanced on to reach the horizontal ladder, leaving me dangling and struggling. Then he placed his hands on my hips and lifted me up so that I could achieve the modest goal of my first (assisted) pull- up.

Due to his guidance and inspiration, I later became a member of a Wheatley fitness team. In my senior year Mr. August chose me to represent our school in a Nassau County fitness competition. I did alright; most notably I achieved the highest pull-up score.

I left Wheatley before graduation to start university. As it was for many classmates, the journey was very different than I had expected. However, one of the continual currents in my life has been a devotion to exercise; a commitment that I credit to Mr. August.

Cycling on Vermont’s roads where my wife and I live, I periodically think about him. I wish that I had had the opportunity to express to him the life changing impression he made on me and the lives of many others.”

Writes Cliff Struhl (1974) - “Art, Dr. August was a man before his time. I can't imagine any other teacher, now or then, that would take a group of high school students, single handedly, rock climbing in the Gunks, or canoeing down the Delaware River on a multi-day trip. Behind his tough exterior he was a warm person that encouraged exploring and pushing personal limits. He was truly an amazing person; from being a tough, fair, and winning cross-country coach to an inspiration to School Within A School members to explore new endeavors.

I will never forget the swimming test before our Delaware river trip, where, after proving we could swim, we got to try to get him under water. No matter how many of us piled on he fended us off, smiling all the time. Some students found him rigid but to me he was inspirational; on my recent climb of Mount Kilimanjaro I actually thanked him for the inspiration to test my limits. He will be missed by many.”

BTW, here is me summiting Kilimanjaro on Feb 12, 2023.”

Graduates

1960 - Valeria Markham - Deceased - She leaves behind sister Ellen Markham Steiner (1972)

1966 - Glen Greenbaum - Babysitting the Lipsky Brothers - Captaining Football

Writes Glen - “I used to babysit the Lipsky brothers in the early-to-mid 60's. In order to get them asleep by 8:30 PM I would take them to Roslyn Jr. High and make them run laps around the track and finish off with sets of pushups and sit ups. I believe that this was Jack Lipsky's introduction to track. They couldn't wait to get home to take showers and go to sleep. At 9 PM my girlfriend would come over to watch Saturday Night At The Movies.

I was captain of the 1966 0-and-8 football team. We didn't have one player over 175 lbs. We got pushed around quite a bit, giving up approximately 30-50 lbs. per player.

1967 - Richard Friedman - Granddaughter Loves Baseball - Play Ball!

Alexa Turinsky Plays Hardball (literally!) With the Boys

1967 - Scott Frishman - Pebble Lane Profusion

Writes Scott - “Hi Art, SuZanne Zenker Gilbride (1974) mentioned Joe Orr. I have not heard his name in ages. I am sure all my Pebble Lane neighbors, the Mishkins, Cohens, Riefbergs, Golds, Frankforts and Kleins, and our Country Club neighbors, the Gelbergs, Kleppers, Lehrers, Siegels, Franks and Barrows, and more that I am forgetting, all used him as well. We only used him to fix our appliances, mostly the washer and dryer. His phone number was one of my Mom’s most important possessions, LOL. He was incredible, and I still remember what he looked like.

Pebble Lane families had an amazing amount of kids just within 2-3 years and mostly 1-2 years apart just on our block. To name a few names: Carol and Allen Wallenstein; Barry, Johnny and Andy Gold; Eric and Danny Mishkin: Scott and Rick Frishman; Ellen and Donald Cohen; Paul, Jackie, and Robbie Riefberg; Barry and Barbara Newborn; Jane, Renee and Amy ( I think) Brody; Larry, Steve, and Robbie Rosenthal; Joanne and David Dembo; David, Maddie and Laura Nathanson; Maxine and Lorraine Eisner; Steve and Peter Nelson; Steve and Laura Hanft (moved into the Nelson’s former house); Merrill and Paul Stanton; Howie and Neil Penkower; Don and Stevie Lansky; Jill and Clifford Gaines (moved into the Lansky’s former house); Janet, Peter and Andy Orshan; Lolly and Jimmy Brandt; Gary and Ronnie Mayne; and Laura and Andy Goetz.

That is some 50 kids.”

1968 - Tom Glaser - Holocaust Educator

On April 20, 2023, Tom addressed a great group of students at Champlain Valley Union High School about his parents’ experiences surviving the Holocaust and his own experiences as the son of survivors. The students’ teacher, Amy Wardwell, first got Tom speaking to schools and other organizations, bringing him “out of his comfort zone.” His talk was recorded and can be heard in full via the following link, which can be shared with anyone and everyone to spread the word.

Tom blends in perfectly with high school kids. He’s in the back row, a little to the left of center, in the dark sweater with his light colored shirt collar showing through.

Tom Glaser Speaking to Students About the Holocaust

1974 (Rick Frishman) - “I remember Joe Orr well. He seemed to be fixing something at our house once a week!”

1974 - Bill Meyn - North Side To Wheatley

Writes Bill - I was a good kid. I was a cub scout and boy scout in troop 262 (I think that was the number) and a pretty good student. But I do have some tales of mischief from the dark side. Does anyone else remember how easy it was to get on the roof of North Side School? A friend and I went up to the tippy top and shot aero-copters off the roof top. They would twirl down all the way to Downing Street and beyond. Yes it was dangerous and foolish. Someone called the cops on us, and we got busted - with an embarrassing ride home to Shortridge Drive in a police car. My friend was grounded for a long while and I lost my weekly allowance (forever). Perhaps this was training for the time many years later when I changed light bulbs at the top of a 705 foot tall radio tower. No fear of heights for me.

From the rooftop of my own house at 24 Shortridge Dr., Mineola, you could see the Northern State and Meadowbrook Parkways and as far away as Roosevelt Field - which seemed far away but it was only 2.5 miles. We walked everywhere. It seems like everything was just a few miles away: North Side 0.4 Miles; Sheridan Bowling Alley 0.4 miles; The Wheatley School 1 mile; Willets Road School 1.5 miles; Mineola Pool 1.5 miles; Roslyn Duck Pond 4 miles. Even the Nassau Coliseum was within reach at 5 miles - although we bicycled there to see the old ABA Nets, with their red white and blue basketballs. In my travels over the years I have walked many miles in Paris, Lisbon, London, Oslo, and elsewhere; now I walk the golf course for exercise. But I am still walking. On a good day I get 10,000 to 20,000 steps on the pedometer. Those 20,000 steps could get me approximately from 24 Shortridge Drive to the Roslyn Duck Pond and back.

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Forum/Soapbox

Writes Jay Cummings (1960) - “Art , you should publish this in your newsletter. The 95% of Wheatley graduates who hate America better get their act together, or else they will see their children and grandchildren die at the hands of feckless liberal progressive moronic politicians who you all idolize!

From: Jay Cummings
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2023 1:10 PM
To: Letters NY Post
Subject: NATIONAL SECURITY BREACH

In a time when all our enemies are making fools of the Biden administration and laughing at America we have 53 Pentagon leaks exposed on line, which will make it easier for our enemies to know American sensitive intelligence defense secrets, putting Ukraine and other allies in mortal danger. Our allies have lost all trust in America. The axis of evil, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, are expanding their military at record speed, as the very stupid liberal politicians keep supplying Ukraine with billions borrowed from China, as our strategic defenses dwindle, which we just might need to fight China, which is circling Taiwan, getting ready to attack. There is talk about American boots on the ground. Here we go again. Biden will get Americans killed, like he did in Afghanistan, but on a much bigger scale. Biden is a 50-year foreign policy buffoon, and now with his power he is a menace to American society. His failed military airheads did whatever he said to do in the deadly Afghanistan withdrawal. Austin, Milley, Kirby, Blinken are all unqualified, failed retreads. We’re in trouble, and it’s getting worse everyday! From 2016-2020 there were no wars and no threat of war! Our enemies fear might and strength. Biden, Obama and Hillary we’re all foreign policy failures; they didn’t understand peace through strength.”

Does Project Veritas Promote the Truth?

And then there’s this, submitted by Jesse Samberg (1964), about culture wars in schools, including EWSD academia. The first sentence reads as follows: The latest salvo in a nationally funded culture war attack on public education took place in East Williston in March as the far right took aim at Nassau County.

Culture War in Schools

Fan Mail

Faculty (Karen Bartscherer) - “Art and Keith, Recalling, reconnecting, reminding, reuniting: all good reasons why you have so many thankful readers. The Newsletter is such a truly good endeavor!❤️😊”

Faculty (Robert Brandt) - ❤️

Faculty (Georgette Macrina) - ❤️

1960 (Alice Horowitz Lainer) - ❤️

1961 (Camille Napoli Cannizzo) - ❤️

1962 (Dick Glassman) - ❤️

1962 (Lois Kass Kleinberg) - ❤️

1965 (Caren Putterman Bass) - ❤️

1967 (Douglas Brautigam) - ❤️

1967 (Arthur Brown) - “Thanks again for all your work.”

1967 (Scott Frishman) - “Another great newsletter, as usual!!”

1967 (Merrill Stanton) - “The newsletter, which is your brain child, has meant so much to all of us. Especially now, at this age, it’s a treasure to share memories and all the ways we are living life to its fullest in the present moment. My best to you.”

1968 (Rebecca Consolo Freer) - ❤️

1970 (Mitch Shapiro) - “Hey Art….another interesting newsletter! As you are told many a time…it’s interesting to hear about past & present events surrounding the history of Wheatley, the teachers involved, and the students who had the personal experiences. As I continue to read each newsletter, I learn things I didn’t’ know and the impact each educator made on all of us. There were many teachers at Wheatley that helped me along the way.”

1971 (Susan Guarino LeClair) - ❤️

1971 (Merrie Sesskin) - ❤️

1972 (Rick Frishman) - “Great newsletter, as usual.”

1976 (Paul Giarmo) - ❤️

1976 (James Juczak) - ❤️

1976 (Ted Lipsky) - “Thank you, Art, for all that you do.”

1980 (Nicholas Bisceglia) - ❤️

1983 (Helen van Doom Keefer) - ❤️

1985 (Sarah Tirgary) - ❤️

???? (Jamie Leigh) - ❤️