Dear Wheatley Wildcats and Other Interested Persons,

Welcome to The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 116.

According to Substack, in the first 25 hours after publication Newsletter # 115 was viewed 3,443 times, was “liked” 22 times and received four comments (three positive about the Newsletter; one positive about a teacher). In all, 4,651 email addresses received it.

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link. Left-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 115 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 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

Higher Education

Writes Art Engoron - Intending no offense to Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, etc., here’s a list, according to my records, of Wheatley graduates that attended Harvard College. I would greatly appreciate being told of any errors of inclusion or exclusion.

Last Name Current Last, First Name Year

Hennefeld, Julien 1958

Kotz, David 1961

Aufhauser, R. Keith 1963

Garin, Michael 1964

Amerikaner, Steven 1965

Whack, Harold 1966

Horowitz, Gary 1968

Saletan ,Stephen 1968

Ballen, Ann 1970

Solomon Friedman, Marjorie 1977

Mandelbaum, Stacey 1978

Bookbinder, Joseph 1979

Bookbinder, Ronald 1979

Ueno, Takemi 1983

Sultan, Peter 1989

Solomon, Ian 1990

Rosmarin, David 1997

Ames, John 2002

What’s in the ‘Hood?

Writes Jeffrey Orling (1965) - “The Richard Meier house is on Bacon Road. I wasn't aware of it until I went to Carnegie Mellon University and studied architecture.”

The Richard Meier House on Bacon Road

More ‘Hood History

Writes Michael Garin (1964) - “Hi, Art, One interesting anecdote of the earlier times in Old Westbury occurred on my first formal day at Harvard (where I followed our esteemed webmaster Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963) as Wheatley's second graduate to have been accepted there).  

The entering freshmen were invited to the President's residence to be formally welcomed by the then-president, Nathan Pusey, and Dean of Freshmen, F.  Skiddy von Stade, Jr. We all wore lapel badges printed with our names and the high schools we had attended.  

When I stepped up to shake hands with the Freshman Dean, he looked at my tag and said, "Son, I rode to hounds where you went to high school." His father, among many accomplishments, was Mayor of Old Westbury from 1940 to 1950.

A Wikipedia link for the father, and a Harvard Crimson obituary link for the son, are attached.

Francis Skiddy von Stade, Sr. in Wikipedia

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1995/10/3/former-mather-master-von-stade-dead/

Old Westbury was clearly a different place from Roslyn Heights and East Williston.

Best regards, Michael Garin”

Writes Susan Shapiro (1969) - “I’m glad that we finally know the origin of ‘Bacon’ in the name ‘Bacon Road’ (starting with Robert Bacon, who briefly was Secretary of State under Theodore Roosevelt).

The Buckley Day Camp was also known as “the Buckley Day School.”  I. U.Willets Road ends at that location.

I've always thought that The Wheatley School was named as such because it was two schools in one - a junior high and a senior high.  Not necessarily because the board wanted a prep school-sounding name.

My parents moved to Roslyn Heights because Dad took over the Swan Club, in Roslyn Harbor, which has its own past history as an estate hundreds of years ago.  They almost brought a house in that area.  However, upon looking into the schools, they opted for Roslyn Heights.”

Faculty

Writes Eugene “Gene” Razzetti (1961) - “Art, I love hearing from my classmates about our teachers and coaches, most recently about Mr. Storm and Ms. Meisel. In my junior year I actually had both of them for my English class. The two ‘co-taught’ the class. It was some kind of experiment; I don't remember the goal. However, in the years that followed, I'm sure that Wheatley led the way educationally with all manner of innovation. Anyway, they taught my class, sometimes together and sometimes separately. After class (and sometimes during class) Mr. Storm would dispatch classmate Cornelius Neil Tiebout and me to prepare the Auditorium for rehearsals of "The Crucible," which Mr. Storm directed. Neil handled the lights, and I handled the curtains.  One day, when one player missed rehearsal, I was asked to read his lines. Afterward, Mr. Storm asked me if I had ever considered ‘Dramatics.’  Being an Italian Catholic at Wheatley was ‘dramatic’ enough.

On the afternoon before ‘Crucible’ was to play, Mr. Storm dispatched Neil and me to the Auditorium to handle whatever ‘stuff’ needed to be done before the big opening. That was fine with us, except that, since no good deed goes unpunished, we were marked as absent. That guaranteed an all-expense paid trip to the Principal's Office. 

Mr. Storm had delegated the awesome responsibility of taking attendance to one of the nicest and smartest girls in our class: Elaine ‘The Brain’ Sirota. Elaine did high school in three years but was not clairvoyant. She still needed to be told that Mr. Storm had excused us. 

The next business day found Neil and me standing, toes together, in front of Dr. Clayton Akin. We did not want to say anything, because Mr. Storm could get in trouble for delegating attendance-taking and/or for deciding that we could skip a class to prepare the Stage. We just told Dr. Akin where we had been. He responded: "Mr. Storm was a nervous wreck on Friday, you're dismissed."

With lots of more ‘challenging’ boys in the classes of '60 and '61, Dr. Akin did not need to waste his time with two boring, goody-goodies like Neil and me.  Best to all, Gene”

Eugene A. Razzetti,  Auditor & Management Consultant, Phone: (703) 823-5238 Cellular: (703) 309-2533,  www.corprespmgmt.com 

Lois Kass Kleinberg (1962) - “I remember Peggy Meisel so well. She was my English teacher in 11th grade. I have never had a better English teacher, even in college. I think of her often. Glad to hear she is still going strong.”

Writes Paul Riefberg (1968) - “HI Art, We all know the phrase, ‘Up the creek without a paddle.’ Mr. Bongarzone had a unique way of putting it: "Up that well-known estuary, without a formal means of locomotion".

Writes Michael Berger (1972) - “Hello Art, I want to mention two Faculty Members with whom I had throughly positive and enjoyable experiences while attending their respective classes. One was Reuben Workman, in the Social Studies Department, whom I think was the only Black Teacher in the School at that time. Besides providing the curriculum, I always thought he taught us that our perspectives, and opinions, and outlooks weren’t a function of race, but more a result of a well-rounded and thoughtful education. Secondly, but in no particular order, was Tom Cautela, my Wood Shop Instructor. I spent many hours with him and his patience, learning to use saws and the like, and still coming out of it with all ten fingers. It was a most enjoyable part of the day, because of the immediate gratification that building things presented. I happily note their contributions to Wheatley.”
.

Graduates

1958 - Julien Hennefeld - “My wife and I are living in Bennington Vermont now after 38 years in Brooklyn, where I was a Math Professor at Brooklyn College. I have stopped doing anything connected with math, although my wife accuses me of still having a bad case of "Math Brain.” If you’re not familiar with this affliction, just know that one of its symptoms is a tendency to disrupt ordinary or pleasant conversation by being overly (and inappropriately) literal or precise in interpreting what the other person says. A classic example is: At a Math Conference at Stanford, when a woman asked where the nearest bathroom was, a male mathematician replied, “It’s just down the hall, but if you want the nearest ladies’ room, it’s on the second floor.“ According to some current psychological research, even non mathematicians can suffer from Math Brain. My new interest is writing both political articles and satirical skits.

I have written and produced an AI YouTube video called the “Yiddish Hack,” about Mother G, a computer psychotherapist, whom “IBN“ has “raised from infancy.”  Unfortunately, just before an important, live therapy session, intended to demonstrate Mother G’s amazing ability to get to the root of a patient’s problems, Mother G is hacked by a malicious teenager, so that occasionally Mother G assumes the persona of an angry Yenta, more interested in airing her own grievances than in helping the therapy patient. The “Yiddish Hack” video is available on YouTube. Here is the link:  

1967 - Amy Pastarnack Hughes - “Thank you so much, Robert (“Bob”) Bland, 1965, for that lovely tribute to my late husband, John Hughes.  He really was ‘all that!’ He never spoke about all his achievements. 

I met him in 1970 and quickly (or not so quickly!) learned a bit about ice hockey. I tried to identify the name of a hockey team when John would mention a city. The NHL was expanding from the original six teams then, and when John said a random city I thought he was making it up. He shook his head, laughed, and said we were going to get married anyway! Haha!  So began my journey to ice rinks all over the world.

John truly embraced all my Wheatley friends & stories - he was Canadian. During one of the school-wide reunions he was happy to have Bonnie Krafchuk (1967) stay with us and said that any & all ‘Wheatleyites’ were always welcome.

When John was home in hospice (he had bile duct cancer) Jill (Simon) Forte, 1967, sent us a video of her husband Bob Forte, 1965, playing his guitar and singing ‘Once  in Love with Amy.’ John loved it, and we all sang along with Bob! We so enjoyed that and got a very much needed laugh.  Thank you, Jill & Bob! 

Thanks again to Robert (“Bob”) Bland and to all those remembering John, a true inspiration.” 

1967 - Jill Simon Forte - The latest Wheatley School Alumni Newsletter inspired some memories. The mention of ‘gym’ reminds me that I almost didn’t graduate because I hated that gym suit, and I wouldn’t put it on, so I sat out many times …haha. That was me, the rebel, then and now! 

I also thought of the times walking down the hall, holding hands with Bob Forte (1965). Mr Bentley would say, ‘Break hands, Miss Simon and Mister Forte.’ Bob and I named our first dog after him, ‘Bentley.’

I was happy to see my name mentioned in regards to my remembering classmate Amy Pastarnack Hughes’s husband John. I did know about his skating , even watched him skate one evening; it was scary to watch him on the ice, worried about the brutal action 🙄. I loved him for his kindness, and he had the most wonderful laugh, too. I am still friends with Amy, who was my close friend and neighbor on Stirrup Lane. I will always love her and her whole family. (I tell her that often.)

I did poorly in school 🤣 😉, but that hasn’t stopped me ❤️☮️

1967 - Art Engoron - Pictured in NYC Chinatown with his 2023 Summer Interns

1974 - William “Buzz” Bosshart and Perry Friedman

Writes Buzz - “Perry Friedman and I have known each other for well over 50 years. We do not see each other often, as he is still on Long Island and I am down in Virginia, between D.C. and Richmond.  And Perry has an active Employment Law practice that he enjoys to no end.

I am recovering from foot surgery and going through my files and photos and very much  reminiscing about the past.  Here is a story that came to mind.

My brother Matthew (1984) was one of Perry's first clients.  When Matt was approximately 16 years old he had a baseball injury from a misplaced spike in one of the bases.  He wanted to sue Wheatley and recover enough money ..........for a year's car insurance and, he hoped, a good stereo. 

Wheatley's attorney conferenced the case with Perry and Matt.  The attorney quickly sizes up his opponents., offered some money, and said, “Here you go.….your parents are paying for it anyway.

My brother fondly remembers Perry and his excellent representation.

P.S. Perry has said one of the best things that has happened to HIM is that I married my wife, Jenette.  She has over 30 years of bankruptcy and restructuring experience with matters as large as $16 billion. It's her thing.  From time to time, Perry does take on bankruptcy work, and he always finds discussing Chapter 7 and 11 issues with Jenette very useful. Below is a very grainy, black-and-white photo of the two of them at one of the many Friedman gatherings.

William W. Bosshart, 914 999-0783 WILLIAM.BOSSHART@GMAIL.COM

1979 - David Greenapple - Time Capsules

Writes David - “In the mid-1970s a group of students did a science project by building ‘time capsules’ and burying them in the fields behind Wheatley.  Wouldn't it be great to go back there today and dig them up?  I wonder if the current School administration would support that activity.

Let me know if there are other alumni out there who did the same or would like to come back to Wheatley on a Saturday afternoon and dig them up and have an informal get-together.….David Greenapple - mobile 203-451-9275”

1980 - A Gathering of Guys

L-R - Brad Schwartzberg, Robert “Bob” Bernstein, Jeffrey “Jeff” Mester, Kenneth “Ken” Breslin, Todd Cooper, Robert “Rob” Perelman, Jonathan Breslin (2019)

Writes Ken - “We attended a Dead and Company concert at Citi Field in June, 2023.”

Fan Mail

Administration (Principal Joseph Wiener) - ❤️

Faculty (Georgette Macrina) - ❤️

1959 (Tracey Lanthier) - “A great Newsletter. Thanks for doing this terrific job.”

1959 (Matt Sanzone) - “Art, Great edition. Loved all the research. Good Perry Mason on the east/ west walking detail. I walked many times from Wheatley to our home on Weeks Road and always walked on the golf course side of East Williston Ave. Keep ‘em coming.”

1960 (Joanne Festa) - ❤️

1960 (Alice Horowitz Lainer) - ❤️

1961 (Camille Napoli Cannizzo) - ❤️

1962 (Howard Grindlinger) - ❤️

1962 (Lois Kass Kleinberg) - ❤️

1963 (Carol Abby Benjamin) - “Thank you, Art - I enjoy reading the various comments by Wheatley alumni in the Newsletters.” ❤️

1963 (Jeanne Langlois Kull) - ❤️

1964 (Michael Garin) - “I am always happy to discover that another edition of the Wheatley Newsletter has arrived, and I have especially enjoyed reading the recent exchanges about the history of the community.”

1965 (Jeffrey Orling) - “Thanks, Art”

1966 (Susan Cohen Fuersich) - “Thanks for these great Newsletters. Hearing about everyone is so nice.”

1966 (Alison Kent Bermant) - ❤️

1966 (Allan Silver) - “Art, I have enjoyed reading each and every Newsletter. I hope that you keep up the good work. Best regards, Allan”

1967 (Timothy Boland) - ❤️

1967 (Amy Pastarnack Hughes) - Kudos to Arthur & Keith for putting together all these Newsletters for all of us to enjoy!”

1967 (Barbara Smith Stanisic) - “Great as always, Art.” ❤️

1968 (Paul Riefberg) - “Thanks for your timely, cheerful and entertaining presentation of all the alumni news.  I greatly appreciate it!! We are fortunate to have you.”

1969 (Penny Ostrower Rezeppa) - ❤️

1969 (Susan Shapiro) - “Great Newsletter, as always.”

1969 (James Wallach) - ❤️

1970 (Gregory Fitzpatrick) - ❤️

1972 (Arlene “Ally” Acker) - ❤️

1972 (Jeffrey Kargman) - ❤️

1972 (Sheri Nathan Risolia) - ❤️

1976 (James Werner) - ❤️

1977 (Peter Fitzpatrick) - ❤️

1977 (Jonathan Sternlieb) - ❤️

1981 (Stephen Bertalli) - ❤️

1993 (Antoine Delgrange) - ❤️

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 116.  Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Art

Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967

WHEATLEYALUMNI@AOL.COM

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833