The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 285French Culture; Judy Collins; Takemi Ueno; Football; Dr. Wills; Alfred Culliford; Ira Horowitz; Marjorie Newmark; Jill Simon; Shirley Vogl; Dolly Parton; Joel Harris; Steve Schurkman; 1975 +1980 Guys
Dear WheatleyWildcats and Other Interested Persons, Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 285. Cultural Differences: France vs. the U.S.Alison Kent Bermant (1966) Writes - “Many thanks to Claude Lévy (1966) for his marvelous remembrances of his life with the Gross family and being a member of the Class of 1966. His recounting of the cultural differences was truly fascinating. My only quip was that I never heard of anyone saying that they ‘belonged’ to their school. Claude, I’m looking forward to seeing you at our reunion. The AFS (American Field Service) program certainly enriched our Wheatley experience.” Judy Collins Concert at WheatleyArthur Brown (1967) Writes - “My brother Edward (1958) and I went to a Judy Collins concert in the Wheatley gym when I was in 8th or 9th grade. Physical education teacher/coach Bill Lawson was on guard at the gym entrance. Edward knew him, so Bill admitted us for free. I asked Judy for her autograph and a photo, and she gave them to me.
Years later, I was working in radio in Atlanta, and the station which I was with promoted a Collins concert at the Fox Theater. As I was with the station, I got back stage, and Judy remembered the Wheatley concert and asked how the promoter of it, Kent Sidon of the Guitar Workshop was. I said that, unfortunately, he had died of an overdose.” Wheatley Wildcat Musical PerformanceTakemi Ueno (class of 1983) will perform with the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra on Friday, Oct. 30, at 8 PM, at the Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew (263 W. 86th St. at West End Ave.) in Manhattan. The orchestra will play Holst’s “Planets” and Walton’s viola concerto. Tickets for students and seniors are $25. Advance tickets for non-students and non-seniors are $27 at the orchestra’s website (nasorch.org), but Takemi can get them for $25 at rehearsal. The last rehearsal is Wed., Oct. 28. Please contact her at uenot@hotmail.com if interested. Wheatley FootballClaude Lévy (1966) Writes - “The fall of 1965 started badly for the Wheatley Football Team, which lost five consecutive games against teams from neighboring schools, each time without scoring a single point. With the support of the administration, for whom this situation was becoming intolerable, a large festive bonfire was organized on the evening of October 29, with the cheerleaders’ mission to encourage participants to come and support the team the next day. I went to the bonfire with Bob Sarnoff (1966), but the event did not attract crowds, and seniors were conspicuous by their absence. Was it a lack of school spirit at Wheatley? The reluctance to face cool and windy weather? The reason was that seniors were in conflict with Walter, W. Wathey, Wheatley’s Principal. The latter had deprived seniors of access to the Senior High Social Space until further notice. Normally, this space was open to them to meet in a friendly way in case classes were cancelled, without being forced to use the library, where silence was required. This sanction was motivated by the deplorable state in which users had, for some time, left the place by leaving papers, orange peels and other garbage lying around. The principal summoned the students and gave them a speech with well-chosen effects: first, the yell of a thunderous voice amplified by the microphone, then, in a softened tone, the expression of the hope of better behavior, confidence in the fact that most of the students were brave young people, etc. The next day, October 30, 1965, at home, the Wildcats managed to score 7 points against the Floral Park Knights; they lost the game, 19-7, but at least the scoreless streak ended.” (((editor’s note - Another memorable bright spot of the game—and the season—was an epic 3-yard touchdown run by Dominick Foresto (1967), followed by a successful point-after-touchdown pass from Timothy Saletan to Ronald Rapaport (both 1966). The 1965 season is remembered by alumni and former players as the year the program ‘hit bottom’ due to being structurally outclassed by heavier, more numerous opponents. The Wildcats only managed to score a single touchdown in multiple stretches of that season.))) FacultyDoctor Godfrey Wills - Music MasterArthur Brown (1967) notes and quotes as follows - “Dr. Godfrey W. Wills was a legendary, long-time music teacher and choir director at Wheatley. Affectionately known by decades of students as the school’s ‘music master,’ he wrote the school’s official alma mater and spent his career introducing generations of Wheatley Wildcats to classical compositions, opera, choir performances, and musical theater. In The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters, former students frequently credit him as a foundational mentor who deeply influenced their careers and lifelong love of music.” Arthur Writes as follow: “I enjoyed being with Doctor Wills; he made school easier. I stammered, and the teasing and bullying was very bad, but Doc was always there for me. To make things better, I took chorus and every music class given.”
Front Row - Sandy Brodkin (1968), Ellen Neely (1967), Heidi Kaplan (1969), Stephanie Moerman (1968), Laurence Schiller (1968), Bruce Potts (1968), Arthur Brown (1967), Tom Glaser (1968) Middle Row - Patricia Cirignano (1969), Melissa Davis (1967), Joanne Petretta (1968), Wendy Aibel (1968), Tom Boland (1967), Robert Michaelson (1968), Carl Wirth (1967) Top Row - “C. Wilson” (?), Linda Simmons (1968), JoAnn Skarka (1968), Donna Brescia (1968), Dan Silver (1967), Alan Cole (1969), David Rissmeyer (1967)
Graduates1961 - Alfred Culliford III - Deceased 1961 - Ira Horowitz - Deceased 1961 - Marjorie Ann Newmark Shelley - Deceased 1967 - Jill Simon Forte - “Hi Arthur, I loved reading the memories from Claude Lévy (1966), the exchange student from France; so interesting to hear the differences. Mary Lee Holly Cerillo (1963) brought back memories of Bob and I seeing the Beatles perform in Shea Stadium. Years later, our music store in Roosevelt Field sold Zildjian cymbals, among other instruments. So I enjoyed reading about Mary Lee’s connection to Zildjian, too. I also enjoyed Paula Panzeca Foresto’s (1969) memorabilia from Dominic Foresto (1967). I was friendly with both of them for some years after I graduated. Paula’s dad was our electrician, because he knew my father-in-law. He might have done some work on the houses my father-in-law built in Bethpage in the 1950s. Also, my granddaughter, Hailey, recently got married in a small, private ceremony in a garden. She and Connor honeymooned in Greece and England and had a fantastic time (see below). We cat-sat for them; the have the sweetest cat around! Hailey (Art’s former judicial intern) will graduate from law school next May.”💙☮️
Connor and Hailey 1967 - Shirley Vogl Quarantello - Paying Respects to Dolly Parton Shirley Writes - “My family and I live in Tennessee, five minutes from where Dolly Parton lived. The day after she died, we drove over to pay our respects. In the following photo, taken in front of Dolly’s house, my granddaughter, Ella, 14 y.o., is with three of her friends; Ella is second from the left. The color they are all wearing is not a coincidence. We will all miss Dolly.
The truck in the following photograph was also in front of Dolly’s house. The bed of the truck is full of flowers people left, which were distributed to hospitals and nursing homes.”
1972 and 1996 - Joel Harris, Jeanne Zaino Petti, Karyn Pesner
L-R - Joel Harris (1972), Jeanne Zaino Petti (1996), Karyn Pesner (1996) Joel Writes - “Hi, Art, Wheatley graduates are everywhere! This small world just keeps compressing! Recently, I was at the annual Pat LaFontaine Companions in Courage Main Street Mile in Farmingdale, New York. I was the photographer for the second half of the race (the after party). I was speaking with my friend, Karyn Pesner, and she introduced me to her friend, Jeanne Zaino Petti, who ran the race with her husband. Karyn works with Bob Nystrom, who is active with Companions in Courage (Pat LaFontaine’s charitable organization). I do some photographic work for CIC.
1973 - Steve Schurkman Writes - “Dear Family and Friends, It is with great sadness that my family and I share that our beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, friend, and colleague, Hon. Judith J. Gische, passed away on the evening of Friday, September 25th. Her funeral was September 29th, at the Sutton Place Synagogue. Burial was at Sharon Gardens (273 Lakeview Avenue, Valhalla, NY). We are so thankful for all of the kind words and expressions of support from our family and friends as we grieve and remember Judy. In lieu of flowers, we welcome donations to the Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging & Cancer or the The Blanche Gische and Helen Schurkman Endowment Fund for Elder Justice at the University of Buffalo Law School. Please feel free to forward this information. Any questions can be directed to Courtney (908) 723-2360. Love, Steven, Zach, Ethan, Amy, Dawn Steven A. Schurkman Benamin Y. Kaufman, President of the Jewish Lawyers Guild, Writes as Follows: It is with profound sadness that the Jewish Lawyers Guild mourns the passing of our dear friend and esteemed colleague, Hon. Judith J. Gische, Z’L, who passed away on the evening of Friday, September 25th. Justice Gische received her B.A. and J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo and began her judicial career in 1990, when she was appointed to the Housing Court of the City of New York. Justice Gische was elected to the Civil Court of the City of New York in 1993, appointed an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court in May 1997, and elected to the Supreme Court, New York County, in 2008. In 2012, she was appointed by the Governor to the Appellate Division, First Department, where she served with great distinction until her retirement from the bench. Most recently, Justice Gische served as Senior Counsel at Blank Rome in New York City. In 2017, the Jewish Lawyers Guild had the great privilege of honoring Justice Gische with its Benjamin N. Cardozo Award, recognizing her distinguished service to the judiciary, the legal profession, and the community. Justice Gische is survived by her husband of more than 40 years, Steven Schurkman, Esq.; their sons, Zachary and his wife Rachel, and Ethan and his wife Courtney; her grandson, Henry; her sister, Amy; and her close childhood friend, Dawn. Justice Gische was a wonderful wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, colleague, and friend. She touched so many lives throughout her distinguished career and will be deeply missed by her family, friends, colleagues, and the entire legal community.” The Jewish Lawyers Guild extends its deepest condolences to Justice Gische’s family and loved ones. 1980 - A Gathering of Guys
L-R - Kenneth Breslin, Gregory Sichenzia, William Reilly, Brad Schwartzberg, Robert Bernstein, Gary Correnti, Todd Cooper, Brian Barnett, William Reynolds, Robert Perelman, Jeffrey Mester and Larry Rush Brad Schwartzberg Writes - “Twelve of us (all from the Class of 1980) traveled from different parts of the country to meet in Nashville a few weeks ago. It was a wonderful couple of days to enjoy old friends (literally 😊), catch up and listen to some good music.” 1975 - Four Guys Relaxing on a Couch
L-R - Andy Orshan, Mitch Rieders, Andy Schwartz, Mike Sadowsky (all 1975), at the East Northport Peter Andrews store. Back Then-Willets Rd. Kindergarten 1955
Thanks to Dan Silver (1967), Laurel Brandt (1968), and Jo Ann Bregman Miles, we are getting somewhere. The following identifications are problematic/questionable, some more than others. Front row (sitting): ???, ???, Barry Gold, ???, Steve Miller Second Row: ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, Judy Bregman, ??? Third Row: ???, Steve Rosenthal, Michael Brandt, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, Howard Senft, George Krauss Fourth Row: ???, Steve Wechselblatt, ???, Phil Kane, ???, ??? (((Art says - I would vouch for Barry Gold, Judy Bregman, and Mike Brandt, and I’m fairly confident of Steve Rosenthal, Steve Wechselblatt and George Krauss.))) Further identifications, anyone? Fan Mail1965 (Sharon Neely Halm) - 💜 1966 (Alison Kent Bermant) - 💜 1966 (Claude Lévy) - 💜 1967 (Arthur Brown) - “Thanks for all you do for us, including keeping us informed.” 1967 (Richard Mark Friedman) - “The extra work that you put into each issue of the Wheatley Alumni Newsletter ‘highlighting’ some of the stories and people being featured has made each issue that much more enjoyable. In place of a huge amount of reading and scrolling down, I know ahead of time what to look forward to, and it makes reading that much more enjoyable. Great job! All the time that you put into this merges the past and present together, often bringing memories back as to what it was in those years that had a lot to do with the lives we have subsequently lived and who we are today! Thanks.” 1967 (Jill Simon Forte) - “All smiles from Newsletter # 284.” 1978 (William Haft) - 💜 1980 (Brad Schwartzberg) - “Thank you for all your hard work on the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter.” A friend (MBDE) - 💜💜💜 Unknown (“Mike”) - 💜 The Usual Words of WisdomAll 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. Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 282 Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website: The 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 edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style 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, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967 ClosingThat’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 285. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary. ⏳ |
