Dear Wheatley Wildcats and Other Interested Persons,
Welcome to The Wheatley School Alumni Association (“TWSAA”) Newsletter # 194.
Scam Warning - Recently, a Wheatley graduate received an email addressed to “Wheatley Alumni” and advertising $35 “lifetime memberships” in a supposed organization calling itself “AlumniClass,” allegedly located in “Spokane Valley, WA.” None of that has any connection to The Wheatley School Alumni Association. At best, such “membership” is probably totally worthless; at worst, it is probably a dangerous scam. TWSAA has never taken a penny for what we do, and we don’t intend to.
Adds Webmaster Keith Aufhauser (1963) - “AlumniClass.com is a real business, but it is not affiliated with The Wheatley School in any way. Caveat Emptor.
LA Aftermath - Environmentalism Debate
In light of Ken Gallard’s comments on oil and alternative energy in the last newsletter Art asked me for a few more words on the subject. If a picture is worth a thousand words, here is a chart, courtesy of energy analyst, Professor Charles Hall, showing the EROI (Energy Returned on (Energy) Invested) values required to support increasing societal complexity. The blue values are well established while the yellow ones are a bit soft but still illustrative. To understand how it takes energy to get energy think of a cheetah. If it uses its energy reserves only to chase down and eat a small rabbit, it will not survive because the EROI is less than 1. By contrast, the oil age catapulted us to the peak of the pyramid in a century more or less, even though as one anthropologist put it, we are like a fish in water. Energy is the last thing we think of when considering the environment around us. It might be worth noting that increasing complexity can have diminishing returns, and we see some of that playing out in possibly perverse ways today. But that's another story.
[[[The above lines, in descending order, read as follows:
Minimum EROI for Conventional Sweet Crude Oil
Activity —— Minimum EROI Required
Arts and other —— 14:1
Health Care —— 12:1
Education —— 9 or 10:1
Support Family of Workers —— 7 or 8:1
Grow Food —— 5:1
Transportation 3:1
Refine Oil ——1.2:1
Extract Oil ——1.1:1
As suggested above, the oil industry exists because of physics, not politics, as well as the fundamental, evolutionary need of species to acquire energy from the environment. Indeed, although policies such as oil depletion allowances and other tax incentives serve to inflate oil company profits (but also provide money to reinvest in drilling), it is the physics of EROI and our energy cravings that guarantee a thriving oil industry. The problem today, aside from the collateral damage of climate change and other forms of pollution, is diminishing returns on investment in oil and gas regardless of tax incentives. The giant fields that once provided EROIs of 50-100:1 are all known and depleted, requiring energy intensive enhanced recovery techniques. Fracking is energy intensive and has or will peak in the US soon. Heavy oil in Canada and Venezuela also has a lower EROI because it must be extensively processed using large quantities of water for the resulting crude to flow in a pipeline and/or be refined into useful products. We humans always go after the low hanging fruit first. Fossil fuels are an energy dense storage of pressure-cooked solar energy in contrast to the daily and diffuse flows of solar energy that solar panels and wind turbines must manage to capture, much like photosynthesizing plants (we had a solar economy of sorts in the 18th century).
As Ken Gallard mentions, the. Taos/Santa Fe area is a good place to deploy solar panels at scale both climate-wise and because of the relatively low population density and energy demand. However, the EROI of a similar deployment in Spain was between 3 and 9:1 according to a comprehensive study involving the chief engineer of the project (for full disclosure, I published the book entitled Spain's Photovoltaic Revolution). not because of policies or the absence of adequate tax incentives, but because of the limitations of the energy technology itself. Maybe solar will become more efficient, and indeed wind turbines can provide a higher EROI, but intermittency in both cases requires large-scale energy storage batteries that themselves add to the already large environmental footprint, mining for critical rare earth elements (using fossil fuels), and the resulting geopolitical conflicts for control of these limited deposits that we see emerging today. Highly touted biofuels generally offer an EROI barely exceeding 1:1, except possibly for Brazil, where there are multiple growing seasons for sugarcane. But like all energy crops, sugarcane takes over valuable agricultural land and the yield is enhanced using fossil fuel-based fertilizers. There is no free lunch. As humans, we want to believe that we are in control, but ultimately it's the physics, stupid (apologies to James Carville).
A Wheatley Presenter
Beatles Exploitation Albums in 1964 - Presented by Bob Koenig (1980)
Saturday, Apr. 26, 2025 - 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
The Shelter Rock Library Community Room, 165 Searingtown Road, Albertson, NY
“Join us for an exciting exploration of the Beatles’ 1964 Exploitation Albums, a fascinating chapter in music history! Discover the rare, lesser-known albums that capitalized on the Beatles’ global fame, and learn how these records captured the frenzy of Beatlemania. Perfect for music enthusiasts and Beatles fans looking to dive deeper into this unique era of the Fab Four’s impact on pop culture!”
CONTACT: (516) 248-7363 x 233
1982 Yearbook STILL Wanted
A 1982 graduate would like to purchase a 1982 Wheatley yearbook. Price subject to negotiation. Contact me if interested. ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM
Faculty - A Dissenting Voice (Republished) and Several Responses
David Hechler (1968) Wrote - “I am amazed that people have heaped praise in your pages on Mr. Ouchi. Wasn’t learning the rules and parts of speech over all those years enough? He decided it would be better for us to ditch that language (which the rest of the country used and uses) and replace the parts of speech with “X,” “Y,” and “Z” words (along with whatever else he stirred into that alphabet soup).
From 1974 to 1982, I taught high school and junior high school English in California. Good thing I learned grammar from teachers who used that boring old vocabulary before The Ouchi Revolution arrived.”
Ronnie Lynn Moore (1965) Writes - “I took the Linguistic class that Mr. Ouchi taught. He made learning grammar fun! Silly and fun went hand in hand in learning. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it made learning the rules and parts of speech easy!
Mr. Ouchi taught styles of writing. Each student took a different author's writing and analyzed how it was created. Thank you to Mr. Ouchi!!!!”
Art Engoron (1967) Writes - I never took a course that Mr. Ouchi taught, and I don’t think that I ever interacted with him at all. He probably never even knew who I was. But I once read, on a Wheatley hallway bulletin board, that he used “boing” as if it was an actual word, as part of a learning lesson or tool. I thought it was silly and condescending, and I still do.
In an analogous context, several years ago I taught a child to read using standard phonetics, and I fanatically support that method. I was aghast when a reading teacher told me that some methods use the shape of words and various memorization devices to teach reading. Not for me are such methods! Sometimes tried and true is best.
I think I once heard that Mr. Ouchi was a renowned linguist, but I have not been able to confirm that. Wikipedia does not have an entry for him.
Here is a contemporary notice from Joe McCormack, a colleague of Mr. Ouchi, about Mr. Ouchi’s passing:
From: The English Department
To: All
We are sorry to inform you that one of the long-time members of our faculty, Ed Ouchi, passed away last Saturday, October 4th, 2008, after a long illness. There may be a Memorial Service at Wheatley later in the year. If you wish to do something, you may contribute to The EWTA Scholarship Foundation in Ed's name. It may be sent to Wheatley c/o Bob Bernstein. Ed was a very special person. Remember him in your prayers. Love.
Joe (McCormack)
Received 10/10/2008 -- Posted 10/12/08
[Note Messrs. McCormack and Bernstein lived long lives but are no longer with us.]
Eva Resnicow (1968) Writes - “Mr. Ouchi was part of a group in the mid-1960s that was experimenting with using structural linguistics to give high school students a deeper understanding of the way language worked as a system. It was meant for students who had already mastered traditional grammar. They came up with the system of replacing the root of a word with a nonsense syllable, in our case ‘boing,’ so that we would focus on the affixes. This was very advanced for the time, and I thought it was fascinating!”
Wheatley Football (back when that was not an oxymoron)
Note - The Wheatley School building first opened its doors to students in the fall of 1956. That season, coached by Jack “Cat” Davis and “Wild” Bill Lawson, the football team practiced in the back of the Willets Road School, played junior varsity opponents, and went 4-1-1 The one loss was to Sea Cliff (later renamed “North Shore”) High School, and the one tie, 6-6, was to East Meadow, Doug Kull having scored Wheatley’s one touchdown. The following year, in the fall of 1957, the team included many members of Wheatley’s first graduating class (1958). Led by quarterback Stephen Perlin (1958), the team went 8-0, including four shutouts. All games were against varsity squads from larger schools. The season culminated in a dramatic 7-0 win over a Seaford Vikings team that had gone 6-1 until then. Steve scored the winning touchdown on a five-yard quarterback sneak, and Kull plunged for the extra point (back when extra point yardage was worth only one point, not two). The Wildcats were forced to secure the victory with two savage late-game goal-line stands. Over two seasons, the team had a 12-1-1 record. Glory Days, indeed.
“Glory Days”
Matt Sanzone (1959) Writes - “The years go by in the ‘wink of an eye,’ but the experiences for many live on, recollected with tinted, softened, and sepia images of those days, unlike a classroom experience, which can be enervating. Playing on a team leaves an impression, sometimes indelible, of the fight and fury of a contest, experienced over the course of a ‘season,’ with each week’s contest defined by a battle of wills, which must leave a mark……and does. With apologies to the very fine Wheatley teachers, and there was a plethora of them, football practice for two hours kept our strict attention. It is hard to put into words the bond that evolved between your teammates, coach, and school. I cannot say the same for any forty-five minute instructional class. Again, sincere apologies to Mr. Rosenstein, Mr. Porcini, Mr. Ouchi, and Mr. Loring……Mr. Storm being the exciting exception. Coach Davis's charisma made us hang on his every word. Coach Lawson’s command kept us in line and alert. It was a long time ago, sixty seven years and six months to be approximate, that the saga and legend began.
The inaugural football program for The Wheatley School (this will be the last time that I will use the official name of our alma mater) was in the fall of 1956, in which the team played a Junior Varsity schedule and finished 4-1-1. Many of us were beginners, with our only experience being after-school touch football. We played on the Willets Road field. For home games, we dressed in the Wheatley locker room and then rode on a school bus to Willets Road. We were a work in progress. The team lost its final game to Sea Cliff High School, which later became North Shore High School. Coach Davis had placed a lot of emphasis on that game, saying it was important because we would open the next season against them. That was not to be the case. After the game, several of us stopped in to talk with coaches Davis and Lawson. We found them sitting in a darkened Physical Education office, commiserating over the loss. That left an impression on me about how important the game was to them.
August 1957 -The Second Year - The Team Goes 8-0
Don Kleban (1958), Mike Stapleton (1958) and I reported for pre-season physical exams. I remember Mr. Brightman, the Wheatley Athletic Director, commenting to Coach Davis: ‘Here’s some of that beef I was referring to.’ Each of us topped 200-pounds by more than a few!
The unquestionable leader of the team was quarterback Steve Perlin (1958), who died in 1967 while flying a Marine Corps fighter jet. From the very first day back in 1956, he, among all the seniors on the team, was “The Guy.” I can tell you that this senior group, hardened by a year in Mineola High School, was tough, cocky, and talented. I won’t dwell on the ‘character’ of many, but there is a story about each one that is unique. I think both Mr. Davis and Mr. Lawson knew what they had and understood that they had to maintain a firm hand. Many of us had been in ‘scrapes’ the previous year, sometimes pushing the proverbial envelope, landing a few of us in Mr. Wathey or Dr. Boyan’s office.
I don’t know how many guys were on the team at the end, but I counted between 27 and 31, plus ace team manager, Bob Holley (1958). In addition to coaches Davis and Lawson, coach Tierney helped. Mr. Cautella, the future Junior High football coach, was the videographer. (What happened to all the films of those games is unknown.)
Almost all of the teams we played had significantly more students than did Wheatley. Between 80-90 students per class was our range. However, there was a ‘lot of fight’ in the Wheatley dog. After each game, coach Davis would light up a cigar, which he kept dangling in his office window as a reminder of the challenge that lay ahead for the team. It was almost ceremonial as he lit the cigar in front of the entire team, accompanied by a rousing cheer from us. In my yearbook, Coach Davis wrote: ‘How many cigars will you be responsible for next year!’ Not as many as I would have liked.
Although some of the games were not high scoring, the defense was ferocious. They posted four shutouts and allowed only six touchdowns for the entire season, while the offense scored 23!
The last game of the year was at Seaford High School. They were 6-1 until then. It was a tough game, not our best in some ways. The day was rainy, the field muddy, and almost every play was a 2 or 3 yard grind. For the entire season, coach Davis would use an unbalanced line on short yardage situations. In that game, we probably ran half the offense unbalanced. Doug Kull, our fullback, would stick his head behind a wall of blockers: Center Charlie Schmidt, left guard Robert Oldoni (who shifted to right guard); Don Kleban (who shifted to right tackle); Mike Stapleton (who shifted to right end); and I lined up as a second tight end. All of us, except Oldoni, weighed over 200 pounds. On short yardage, we were rarely stopped. Because of field conditions, even fleet halfbacks Eddie Kritzler and Johnny Votano were never able to break loose. However, Perlin finally scored for us, on a five-yeard quarterback sneak. The 7-0 score tells you what kind of a game it was……a test of wills. The Seaford crowd was disappointed, and some of them were angry. Our bus was hit with rocks as we drove away.
However, nothing was about to spoil the team’s joy and accomplishment. When we finally arrived back at school, the locker room hosted an impromptu victory celebration. Coach Davis, Mr. Wathey, and Dr Boyan were paraded into the showers, fully dressed. Coach Davis was even still smoking his cigar when he was soaked.
Offense - The Starting Lineup.
Offensive line: Howard Shaffer, Robert Schnipper, Robert Oldoni, Charles Schmid, Donald Kleban, Michael Stapleton, Matt Sanzone (All 1958 except Matt Sanzone, 1959)
Backfield: Stephen Perlin, Edward Kritzler, Douglas Kull, John Votano (the latter two alternating) (All 1958 except John Votano 1959)
Defense - The Basic Setup
The team played a 5-4-2, essentially a nine-man line; 5 down linemen, 4 linebackers and 2 safeties.
Mr. Wathey after the soaking.
Coach Davis savoring the victory.
Long Island Press story about Wheatley’s 29-14 victory over W. Tresper Clarke High School.
Paul Hennessy (1960) Writes - “Hola Amigos, Good job, Matt, of conveying the spirit and achievements of that storied ( & undefeated) band of brothers👍. Another key factor in the 7-0 win over Seaford was a booming punt 50 to 60 yards, by sophomore Garrett “Zeke” Zebrowski that pinned Seaford deep in their own territory late in the game. The Seaford program for the event named us ‘Wheatley Hills High.’ Maybe the author was familiar with the Wheatley Hills Golf Club just down the road from us.”
Bob Holley (1958) Writes - “Matt Sanzone's fine piece (‘Glory Days’) on the 1956-1957 Wheatley Wildcats football teams really hit home. What I remember best from the Seaford triumph was Zeke Zebrowski’s 50-60 yard punt that sealed the deal. I helped tear down the goalpost at game end and still have some splinters saved from that... The Seaford fans were pretty unhappy about everything-- thus the stones! Indeed, the Seaford clan must not have taken us very seriously, because their fancy game program named us incorrectly (see attached).
I was team manager in 1956-57, while transforming from super-nerd to quasi-jock. My duties included making sure everyone was wearing properly fitting equipment. Our senior year, Coach Davis appointed me as a press liaison to report carefully the details of each game to Newsday and the L.I. Press for their Sunday editions. I always tried to do the same with the N.Y. Times, but was successful only once there, with the Seaford win.
My dad took a bunch of photos at Willets Road because he took a great interest in the team; I think there's even an 8mm reel he took of a touchdown. I later found to my great astonishment that he was a first-string player on his 1930 varsity H.S. football team.
When our newly hired coaches took over their duties at Wheatley in the fall of 1956, they had a world of obstacles to overcome— limited funds, a barebones playing field with no bleachers, nascent “school spirit,” and a group of very frustrated and inexperienced athletes, who had been deliberately and methodically excluded from most teams at Mineola H.S. That first late summer day of JV football tryouts, who in his wildest dreams would have ever thought that rookie Jack Davis and crew could get by all that and produce such successful teams? My relationship with the coaches was a bit unusual. I wanted to play football, but my parents nixed that (“you’ll get hurt”), so, instead, I became the team manager— the equipment/uniform stock-boy, the play/record keeper, and general ‘go-fer’ assistant to those men. For a young person, I had a unique vantage point to watch real team building.
Those of us who have been on a good sports team know how much of one’s character can be built from that experience. Those of us who have been lucky enough to have been on an undefeated team have something even more special… So, thank you for those great days, and our great team, Wildcats coaches! One for all, and all for one!
I wish I could remember more of the details of those eight winning games, but memories do fade. I think the concept of being undefeated kind of snuck up on us… no one had that in mind until fairly late in the season. I think maybe it first occurred to me after the fourth game; we had already won games we weren’t supposed to, and we had a big one (the fifth) coming up the following Saturday at Syosset. We journeyed way out to some god-forsaken place in Suffolk County— Half Hollow Hills (scary name— like where Ichabod Crane might dwell!). It was extremely cold, and almost everyone on the team had the flu— including some of the coaches. There were a lot of doubtful starters and substitutions were a must throughout the game. To make matters worse, pretty early on, quarterback Steve Perlin cut the hell out of his cheek [as if Steve needed any more scars!], and Zebrowski had to come in suddenly to lead the offense; I think someone got some stitches into Steve and he was able to play some more, but overall it was a very, very harrowing day. In spite of everything, the defense excelled, Votano did his usual scampers, and we won 14-6. I think maybe we knew after that day that we were something pretty special. I did.
And, boy, memories do fade. I was unable to attend the 2006 Wheatley commemoration, and I caught up on events via a special edition of the Wheatley newspaper. I saw a story about the undefeated football team and a note about the last game at Seaford. Somehow, in spite of being the team record keeper and the person who called in the game results to the newspapers, I had gotten it into my mind that we tied the last game 7-7. I even wrote that to the Wheatley Alumni Newsletter. Later, after looking at our yearbook, I saw there that we won the game 7-0. Frustrated, I pulled down the 1957 N.Y. Times story (that I had originally called in) from their historical archive to convince myself that we were undefeated and untied. I think my confusion stems from the fact that by the time of the last game we were definitely uptight about staying undefeated— forget about the untied part. The game was surely as close as any I can remember. I know now that we scored once in the second quarter and protected that lead for the rest of the game. Quarter four seemed to last an eternity, and Seaford came very close to scoring several times. The thing I remember most was that toward the end of the game, Zeke Zebrowski punted the ball 50+ yards back to the Seaford 10 or 20; they never recovered from that. The final whistle blew and we attacked their goalposts.
The Jeff Philipson story gets weirder and weirder. My museum contains detailed rosters and play descriptions for all eight 1957 varsity football games. ‘Jeff Philipson’ is only listed on the detail rosters for the first five games. The only actual play time recorded for Jeff was for the first two quarters of the harrowing Half Hollow Hills contest (game #4). I found a program for the Father & Son Athletic Banquet, held inJune 1957 preceding the undefeated varsity football year. I also found a program for the Dececember 1957 Victory Football Banquet which was held at the end of the fall '57 varsity play. Jeff is listed as a member of the varsity team in both programs. The third discovery was the program for the Father & Son Athletic Banquet held on June 5, 1958, following the successful 1957 varsity football season. Jeff Philipson is also listed as a varsity member in that program. It's not really clear in two of the programs exactly which varsity team(s) a member may have played on. The 1958 Aurora yearbook shows that Jeff (in addition to being Senior Class President - wow ) was a member of some football, basketball, and baseball teams during his two years at Wheatley. He has a nice photo in the varsity basketball section of Aurora, and that is my chief remembrance of athlete Jeff, as I ran the scoreboard for many of the home games. I also found a yellowing sheet showing the 1957 status of each varsity football member for Equipment, Physical, Parental Consent, and Insurance. Except for Fall 1957, it's undated……but for whatever reason, five names have been crossed out: Allan Deutscher, Jeff Philipson, John Salonen, Charles Shapiro, and Al Gordon. None of these five appear on all of the eight football game detail rosters, so I'm assuming they dropped out for some reason during the season. None of the ‘dropouts’ appear in the Aurora photo of our undefeated 1957 varsity football team.
It's a shame that I have so little info about the 1956 JV season, and maybe someone else kept some clippings. I only have one from the final game with Bethpage. It states that our first year stats were 4-1-1, and that the stars of that last game were scorers Steve Perlin, Jeff Philipson, and Johnny Votano. So my conclusion from all of this is that Jeff was definitely a Wildcat, and indeed a quite speedy back, at least on the JV team. For whatever reason, he didn't play much on the varsity squad and dropped out before the 1957 season end and before the '58 Aurora football team photos were taken.
In response to Matt Sansone’s memory that Jeff Philipson was an offensive back for Wheatley’s football team in its Nov 1957 win over Seaford High School, I have come to the conclusion that Matt may have been thinking about someone else. I have scanned all eight of the official newspaper reporting forms I used to report key 1957 football game facts to the news media. These forms were designed by the coaching staff to assure that we could provide pertinent information to newsmen in the most efficient way.
There’s a world of information contained in this report data, and it seems only fitting that I should not be the only one possessing it. I feel certain that looking over the information for Wheatley’s eight 1957 games will jog some memories and clarify some puzzles.
In the case of Jeff Philipson, although he seems from one media report to have been a quite active JV player in the 1956 season, he was present for only five of the 1957 varsity football games, and we can only verify that he actually played during two quarters in Game # 4 at Half Hollow Hills.
One of the game reporting sheets (Game#1) shows that Jeff was wearing uniform # 31. We also have scanned an official 1957 Wheatley Team Roster and determined that, although his name/data was crossed out, #31 was originally Jeff’s assigned jersey number. Interestingly enough, about the time Jeff disappears from the individual game reports, the # 31 jersey is being worn by sophomore Frank LaMendola, who didn’t play in Game#1 or Game #2, but is now suddenly playing throughout almost all of the last six games, and scoring points! Indeed, If you view the attached Seaford game program, # 31 LaMendola is specified as Full Back (FB) in the “Probable Starting Lineup.”
So, taking all this together, I have no way of knowing what would stick in someone else’s memory, but Matt has an excellent one to recall that sub Allen Gordon (1958) once ran onto the field without his helmet (HILARIOUS) .. So, I wonder if that #31 is what made Matt think that Philipson played in the Seaford game, when it was really LaMendola.
Jeff Philipson apparently left the team after 1957 Game # 5, and that seems to be why his name was crossed off the Wheatley Team Roster. My bet is that he may have wanted to get ready for the basketball season because he was also a star player on that 1957-58 Wheatley varsity team.”
Matt Sanzone Responds to Bob Holley - “Bob, I think you are on the right track regarding Jeff. He probably didn’t finish the season due to injury. Also, Allan Deutscher (1958) did start out on the'58 team but left, and Allen Gordon (1958) was on the team for a brief time but left after the Plainview game. In that game, Coach Davis sent him in, and in his excitement in getting into the game, he ran onto the field forgetting to wear his helmet. Some things you remember!”
John “Monk” Moncure (1960) writes “Guys—it was such an honor to be a part of that team—even though it was a small part—consisting of getting regularly trashed in the offensive line and as linebacker. One of the lasting memories of the Seaford game was the bus ride back to Wheatley—the wheels hardly touched the road—and I believe that beer was a part of the celebration—tho that part is pretty remote because the ‘Big Guys’ were all in the ‘back of the bus.’ Being a part of that team “set the standard” for the rest of my athletic career—-which has been long and diverse—-including wrestling, baseball, squash and long distance running—and enabled me to coach at various levels; it provided lasting and much loved memories. Many thanks to all teammates—John (a/k/a—Monk)
Paul Giarmo (1976) Writes - Art, I was a regular wide receiver in my junior and senior years.
The first-ever reference to Wildcat football of which I am aware appears on page 19c of Newsday, Monday, October 15th, 1956. It was a short re-cap of the game, played at East Meadow High School, against their j.v. team on Saturday, October 13th, 1956. It mentions that with five minutes left in the game, Doug ‘Cole’ (really Kull), tied the game at 7-7 ‘in the football inaugural for the new Wheatley High.’ So there you have it.
Wheatley enjoyed winning seasons in football for seven straight years, 1956-1962. In 1963, the Wildcats finished with a final record of 2 wins and 6 losses. And you know what happened after that……sigh. And yet we still fielded varsity, junior varsity and junior high teams. The 1963 varsity team alone had 30 players, judging by the yearbook photos. If we could only get a turnout like that today!!
I will always have the utmost respect and admiration for our gridiron heroes from those early years. What they accomplished on the football field is amazing, especially since the school was brand new and so small.
That our current Wildcats cannot replicate the spirit of those early pioneers, and we remain the only high school in Nassau County without its own football team, break my heart. In fact, recently, I was speaking to a young woman in a Planet Fitness who was wearing a Wheatley cheerleader tee-shirt. I told her that I graduated from the school and played Wildcat football for four years. Both she and her friend were absolutely flabbergasted that Wheatley ever had its own team, which just goes to show how little interest there is in the sport at our Alma Mater. And her friend thought we were still together with Carle Place. I told her that we were now playing on Herricks' football team (one on Varsity, six on j.v., but originally 10). So last fall I was wearing Highlander blue instead of Carle Place green or Wildcat red, LOL.
If only we could gather our remaining gridiron greats and present this memorabilia to the Administration in a meeting to generate interest not just in the sport of football but also in our school's history. If Carle Place and East Rockaway, both schools smaller than Wheatley, can support football programs, then we should be able to as well. Just sayin'.
Paul ( ‘The Gridiron Guru’) Giarmo”
Graduates
1961 - The Bengeyfield Band - Corrections and Addendum
Corrected Caption - The guitarist in the black hoody with a pipe is David Berkowitz (1961). The guy in the gray jacket playing the harmonica is Peter Nelson (1961). The young guy on Mandolin is Josh Wilner (1965). The guy in the white pullover playing the banjo is Bob Kramer (1961). The guy in the black sweater playing the washtub bass is Richard Amster (1961). The guy in the reddish shirt with the fiddle is Peter F. Wolf (1960). The singer is Nancy Kurshan (1961).
Steve Nelson (1958) writes: It was a nice surprise in Issue # 192 seeing my brother Peter Nelson (1961), the harmonica player in the photos of The Bengeyfield Band. There and in issue # 193, Josh Wilner (1965) is identified as playing a guitar. Actually, it’s a mandolin. My brother Peter says that Josh was a talented multi-instrumentalist. Nancy Kurshan (1961) seems particularly interested in watching Josh pick it, a classic instrument in a bluegrass lineup like that.
Jack Wolf (1967) mentions that his brother, Bengeyfield fiddler Peter F. Wolf (1960), has sometimes been confused with the front man for the J. Geils Band, Peter Wolf (who has a new book out). I never made that mistake, because the rocker Peter Wolf is an old friend of mine from my days as manager of The Boston Tea Party rock club, where he often performed, as did rock gods like Jimmy Page (in The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin) and Lou Reed (in The Velvet Underground). My time at Wheatley was at the height of the 1950s rock ‘n’ roll era. I did my homework while listening to DJ’s Alan Freed and Dr. Jive on the radio. That was my folk music.”
Jim Paley (1964) Writes - “I enjoyed reading Peter Nelson’s and Jack Wolf's reminiscences of the music scene on Bengeyfield Drive in East Williston. When I first started playing the guitar in 1962 or 1963, I took a few lessons from Peter F. Wolf (1960), which started my appreciation for the instrument and also for the music that was prevalent in Greenwich Village in the early 60s. I didn't know Woody Mann (1970) at that time, but imagine my surprise when I spent one of many weekends at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch in Pomeroy, Ohio and Woody was there as one of the instructors. We were both surprised by the Wheatley connection and what followed was a weekend filled with stories of Woody’s lessons at the home of Reverend Gary Davis and playing some of the tape recordings that he had saved (and cherished) over the years. It was certainly a weekend to be remembered, and I was so saddened to learn of Woody's passing a few years ago. I know that I would still be playing the guitar now had I not lost the use of my right hand following a cerebral hemorrhage in 2016.
Thank you, Peter and Jack, for bringing these memories back to life!
1967 - Mini Reunion in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
L-R - Peter Kaplan, Lorraine Eisner , Ginny Bindman, Judy Orgel and Scott Frishman
Scott Writes - “We had a great time with so many memories.”
1967 - Dominick Foresto - Trip to Washington
Paula Panzeca Foresto (1969) Writes - I came across this photo recently and thought fellow alumni might enjoy a walk down Memory Lane. My future husband, Dom, can be seen kneeling in the 2nd row, 3rd person from the left (dark jacket, big smile). Mr. Goldwasser, who ran Peak Tours, is in the top row, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and tie, just to the right of the two women toward the center.
Middle Row - Gilbert Katz (1967), George Dreier (1967) (?), Dominick Foresto (1967), Robert Hecht (1967), ???, Debbie Friedman (1967) (?), ???, ???, ???, Jimmy Bressman (1967) (?), Steven Lax, Tom Glaser (1968), Phil Mariani (1967) (?), Jay Peiser (1966) (?)
Back Row - Marshall Jablon (1967), ???, Bobby Scandurra (1967) (?), Doug Martin (1967), Paul Nissenfeld (1967) (?), Paul Tankersley (1967) (?), ???, ???, Peggy Meisel (faculty) (?), Joseph Goldwasser (faculty), Richard Schwarz (1967) (?), Lee Fein (1967), Dennis Pensa (1967) (?), ???, Charles Bell (1967), Manny Casamassima (1967)
Key - “(?)” means uncertain. “???” means unknown.
Please help us identify the others, and I will publish again next newsletter!
1967 + 1972 - Scott Frishman, Amy Cohen, and Rick Frishman
L-R - Scott Frishman (1967), Amy Cohen (1972), Rick Frishman (1972)
Writes Scott Frishman - “Hi, Art, My brother Rick and I were out to dinner at Seasons 52 in Boca Raton, Florida, and lo and behold Amy Cohen, Wheatley 1972, spotted Rick and asked him if he was Rick Frishman. She graduated early and left Wheatley in 1971. Yet another Wheatley coincidence in Florida. Fancy that. Scott”
1973 - Todd Glickman
L-R - Todd Glickman and Art Engoron, inside Pepolino, NYC, March 5, 2025
Todd Glickman and Art Engoron, outside Pepolino, with the Jenga Building, 56 Leonard Street, in the background.
2004 - Perri Nemiroff - Award Winner
Collider's Perri Nemiroff Wins the Press Award at the 62nd Annual Publicist Awards
“The results are in for the 62nd annual International Cinematographer's Guild's Publicists Awards, and we're thrilled to report that Collider Senior Producer Perri Nemiroff isn't coming home empty-handed. The host of the site's Ladies Night and Collider Forces series, among many other things, has won the Press Award in a race that featured Rotten Tomatoes's Jacqueline Coley, Variety's Angelique Jackson, Entertainment Tonight's Nischelle Turner, and freelancer Kara Warneramong its nominees. She was honored at today's luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills alongside Publicist of the Year Award winner Rachael Roth and International Media winner John Nugent of Empire Magazine UK.
Steven Nemiroff (1970) Writes - “Art, my daughter Perri, who graduated in 2004, just won this prestigious award. I am so proud of her.
Fan Mail
1965 (Jeffrey Orling) - “Thanks”
1967 (Jill Simon Forte) - “Thanks again, Arthur. Memories of my young years with Bob 😊☮️: seeing him perform in the Varsity Review, following him all around the school saying how great he was, seeing him in his Corvette while walking to Jo-Ann Dembo’s house 😄……and the rest is history 🤣☮️”
1969 (Paul Ingrassia) - “I always enjoy reading about fellow Wheatleyites. Often a name will come up that brings back memories of my time there. Thanks so much for creating and editing this great Newsletter.”
1973 (Edward Ryder) - “Another well crafted piece of erudite writing, motivated by the eleemosynary orientation of the editor. In plain English: well done, Art!”
1974 (Bob Berta) - “Art, keep up the great work with the newsletter.”
1975 (LeAnne Grillo) - “Thanks for all you do to keep these newsletters coming. They are great.”
1976 (Paul Giarmo) - “Thanks Art , as always.”
1979 (Gwendolyn “Wendy” McClure) - “Thanks, Art.”
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 # 193 was viewed 3,327 times and was liked five times. In all, 4,737 email addresses received Newsletter # 193. For all of February, TWSAA Newsletters were accessed 9,737 times.
The Usual Words of Wisdom
Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 193 Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at
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 # 194. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.
Always enjoy reading the Wheatley newsletter . (Natalie) Cobb Wentworth class of 64.