“Lies! Lies! All of It, Lies!” Winter-Spring 2012 Jericho High School Issue No. 26 ’69-’70-’71-’72-’73 Online Newsletter Our 10th Year of Reunion-y Excellence!

Official Propaganda Tool of ’69-’73 JHS Alumni

Yearbook to Facebook 2 SharonIn Sussman this Kusek is- (’72), ClassClass ofof ’72’s’72’s 4040--YearYear ReunionReunion ComingComing UpUp sue: Joe Piscitello (’69), Cindy Rosa June 23, 2012 Pelzar (’71), Roberta Matican 1 Feldman (’73), Michael Milgrom (’71), Melissa Gordon 2

Yurucko (‘72), Gwen Dowsey

(’73), Meryl Cantor Lewis (’72)

Nooz About Yooz 3 Bob Simon (‘72), Amy Lubow 3 Downs (‘72), Larry Friedman (‘69), a tribute to Mr. Louis Boroson, reunion update 4 Takin’ Care of Bidness: 6 Jerichonians at Work Ken McLaughlin (‘69) 6

Cartoons by Dan Clurman (’72) 11

Beatles ’75: What Would the 1112 Beatles Have Sounded Like if They’d Stayed Together 12 Another Five Years? Listen and Find Out

Our Annual Romance Issue ♥ Lori Small (’73) + Seth 18

Cohan (’73) 15 ♥ David Kass (‘69) 22

♥ Eileen Feirman Fraser (’70) 25

♥ Patty Ryon (’72) and 29 Stephen Spiers (’72) ♥ Beverly Weissman (’72) and 30 Steven Marksohn (’71) 17 ♥ Gail Murphy (’71) 1931 ♥ Manon Fielding (’72) 2536

Faculty Lounge 40 Mr. Robert Hoffman on the 28 Education Crisis

Fan Mail and Threatening 47 Letters 34

Rachel Glickman’s New York 48 New York A girl, a camera, and the great- est city in the world!

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 2

In our travels around cyberspace, we frequently come upon photos of former classmates, especially on Facebook. Can you believe how good everyone looks?! Maybe they’re all robots. Yep, that must be it.

Cindy Rosa Pelzar Matuza (’71) Sharon Lee Sussman Kusek (’72) Roberta Matican-Feldman (‘73) Jericho, NY Carlsbad, CA New York, NY

Joe Piscitello (‘69) Meryl Cantor Lewis (’72) Bayville, NY New York, NY

Michael Milgrom (‘71) Melissa Gordon Yuruckso (‘72) Gwen Dowsey (’73) New York, NY Medford, NY Roseboom, NY

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 3

In Tribute Mr. Louis Boroson Mr. Louis Boroson, undoubtedly one of the most popular faculty mem- bers ever to teach at Jericho High School, passed away in November at the age of eighty-four. The most fitting tribute we could think of is to in- clude just some of the comments that JHS alumni wrote in emails and Do the clean-cut young folks above look posted on our JHS Facebook page. familiar? They should. Their images graced Wedding Bells the Jericho School News newsletter that “I still remember where I sat in his class: second row from the was mailed to your parents to let them door, first seat. (Pretty sure that Janet Rhoads sat right behind know just what it was you were supposedly doing on weekdays. me.) Mr. Boroson almost had me convinced that trigonometry was in my future. He was a truly great teacher.” — Debra Schwartz (‘71), Ann Arbor, MI

“Mr. Boroson was one of the best teachers (if not the best teacher) I ever had in public school, college, or law school. He actually made math inter- esting, which is no small feat for someone who much prefers words to numbers.” — Lawrence Friedman (‘69), Bridgewater, NJ

“So sad. One of the great teachers and an inspiration to all of his students.” — Donna Rabena Queenan (’71), Reunion Update Amityville, NY

Date: Saturday, June 23, 2012, 7:30 “One of my favorite teachers. He got me through algebra. May he rest in peace.” — Bonnie Colgan Kosonovitch (’73), Saint Joseph, MI p.m. to 4:30 a.m.

The Homestead, 107 South Street, “Jericho was fortunate to have him as a teacher. I was fortu- Oyster Bay, LI. nate to have seen him a few months ago.” Bruce Steiner (’68), New York, NY For the JHS class of ’72 and friends,

including all other classes! “I am ♥ broken.” — Wendy Foxmyn (’72), Leeds, MA Cocktail hour, open bar, dinner buf- fet, dancing, music, giveaways, fabu- lous conversation, and lotsa laughs. Mr. Boroson with his wife, Florence, last Cost: $90 per person through May 1; spring at the JHS $100 after that. Alumni Hall of Fame Awards dinner at Click here for your invitation: →●← Milleridge Inn. Click here for information on where to stay, including discounted group If you’d like to read rates at three area hotels. →●← about Mr. Boroson’s life, click here for the Click here for the LIRR train sched- article about him in ule to Oyster Bay (station just a few the Fall 2005 issue. blocks from the Homestead). →●← Continued on page 4

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 4

Mr. Boroson

Continued from page 3

“He was such a nice man, as well as a good teacher.” — Amy Klinow Hal- Continued from page 3 sey (’71), Miami, FL

Wedding Bells for Larry “Mr. Boroson was Friedman (’69) truly a wonderful man. Math not be- Some exciting news from Lawrence ing my strong suit, Friedman (‘69) of Bridgewater, New had it not been for Jersey: “Leslie Smith and I got married that sweet soul, I'd in November at the Basking Ridge still be in high school.” — Jane Country Club in New Jersey. It’s the Altvater Duda (’72), Tarpon second marriage for both of us. Leslie Clockwise from top left are Ian, Keith, Springs, FL and I are the all-American modern baby boomer love story. We met on Dan, and Amy (Lubow) Downs. “I used to tell Mr. Boroson Match.com, and after a mere five and that he was really a social a half years, we are newlyweds. It’s Catch Up with Amy Lubow studies teacher in math kind of ironic, though, that we grew up Downs (’72) teacher drag. Because back about five miles apart on Long Island in eleventh grade, when bomb (Leslie is a 1972 graduate of East Amy Lubow Downs of Brooklyn writes scares were practically a Meadow High School), but met in Som- with an update on her and her family: scheduled activity at JHS, he erset County, New Jersey after we both “Our son Ian is graduating from used to regularly interrupt divorced.” Cornell this year and is applying to math class to discuss with us Congratulations to Larry and Les- medical school. And our son Keith the political and social issues lie! is enjoying his freshman year at SUNY of the day. Sometimes school New Paltz, where he is seemed divorced from the majoring in vocal perform- real world, but not in Mr. Bor- ance.” Amy works at the oson’s classroom. A fantastic world-famous Macy’s in teacher and person.” — Philip Herald Square, and her Bashe (‘72), Baldwin, NY husband, Dan Downs, is a middle school art teacher in Brooklyn and a wedding “I loved Mr. Boro- photographer. son. I’m so glad that I got tell him what a great Bob Simon (’72): Jungle Fever teacher he was at

For the foreseeable future, cancel any the last reunion, in plans you might have for Tuesday 2010. I actually remembered nights, because you’re going to want the things he taught me when to watch the new TV series The River, my boys took math in high produced by our own Bob Simon. The school. And I can't even re- show premiered on ABC-TV member what I had for lunch Continued on page 5 yesterday!”— Deb McLaughlin

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 5

much, spending eighteen of the last twenty-four months on location in Austin, Texas, and Hawaii. “The best quote about liv- ing in Hawaii,” says Bob, “was uttered by George Clooney's Matt King in The Descendants, Continued from page 4 when he ranted, ‘My friends on on February 7, in a special the mainland think just be- two-hour episode. cause I live in Hawaii, I live in During Bob’s successful paradise. Like a permanent four-decade career in Holly- vacation: we’re all just drinking wood, he’s produced such hit mai-tais, shaking our hips, and shows as CSI: New York, City catching waves. Are they “My morning commute to the Diamond Head of Angels, and The Agency, as nuts?’ That voiceover, accom- Film Studios.” well as several TV movies. panied by visuals of the home- Some of his early credits in- less on Waikiki and bumper-to- clude Miami Vice, as first as- bumper traffic in Honolulu, tell sistant director, and coproduc- a good part of the story. ing some two dozen episodes “It's not at all a bad place of David Lynch’s classic Twin to be, especially on vacation,” Peaks. He also produced a he continues, “but living there, dramatic series called Jericho. your entire world shrinks and (Funny, I don’t know about any is connected by two roads— of you, but don’t recall ever and that’s not a metaphor! having received residuals.) “Making TV is a sixteen- Now comes The River. hour-a- day job. Some days are Where is Dr. Emmett Cole? even longer, but the great The popular wildlife expert and thing is that every day, and TV star (played by Bruce every show, is different. “This is the Magus midway through construc- Green- “In Hawaii, it’s trickier tion. While a real boat was used in the pilot, it wood of than in other locations, was impractical for many reasons. So I devised Star Trek), because goods and services a plan to make a floating set that draws a mere who’s are separated by three thou- eight inches.” been film- sand miles of ocean and a ing his three– to six-hour time differ- trek ence with vendors and associ- around the ates. It’s necessary to work world with with nice people, and a real his wife, Tess, and son, Lin- plus is to have good scenery coln, has mysteriously gone and weather. We shot the pilot missing in the Amazon, and his for The River in Puerto Rico, family, friends, and the crew and when ABC picked the embark on a hazardous jour- show up, I was glad to get ney to find him. Joe Anderson them to support moving the (The Twilight Saga: Breaking show to Hawaii, which has Dawn Parts 1 and 2) portrays better jungles. “This is me with Hawaii governor Neil Abercrom- Lincoln Cole, and Leslie Hope “This show is an incredible bie in front of a Styrofoam billet, which will (24) plays Tess Cole. challenge,” says Bob, “but become the side of the boat. You can see the Bob lives in Los Angeles, sometimes that’s what makes circles showing porthole placement.” but he hasn’t been there the job so much fun.” ◘

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2011 Page 6

rowing up in the Princeton Park section of Jericho was I figured that I’d get a traditional liberal arts education the best. Debi McLaughlin and Cheryl Rassell were my and then decide later what I wanted to do after I gradu- best friends.Takin’ We were Care called ofthe “three Bidness! musketeers” ated. Albany was a good school for that. The liberal arts and were inseparable. We were all tomboys — even classes were small—maybe twenty-five to thirty stu- dents—whereas organic chemistry and biology classes were held in lecture halls designed for two hundred or three hundred people. As a college senior, I wrote a few political satire pieces for the Albany Student Press. But throughout col- lege, I was training for a career in journalism without even realizing it. I used to be famous among my friends at SUNY Albany for waiting until the last minute to write all my term papers. If I had one due at nine o’ clock in the morning, you can bet that I wouldn’t start it until mid- night. Then I’d work through the night, surrounded by about fifty different books. I’d read a little bit from and a little bit from that one, wind up with a fantas- tic bibliography, and finish just in time--much like a news- paper reporter hustling to make a deadline. My sister can vouch for this, incidentally. Debi also went to SUNY Albany and was a freshman in 1972, my senior year there. Since she was a state-champion typist, I some- times used to dictate my longer papers to her. As graduation approached, I knew that I wanted to

go to grad school. It came down to either law school or getting a master’s degree in journalism. I remember picking up an LSAT study guide with sample questions and thinking, Hmmmm, I probably could do okay on this Ken McLaughlin (’69) test. But I don’t like the questions they’re asking! So I decided to go with journalism, and I’m happy I did. It’s Regional Editor, San Jose Mercury News been a wild ride. San Jose, California A Top Priority: Someplace Warm! [email protected] I didn’t go to my SUNY Albany graduation; my college girl- friend and I were already in Europe, where we traveled I didn’t really do much writing for three at Jericho High, oddly enough. months. I wrote a couple of opinion Then I pieces for the Jer-Echo my moved senior year, but that was back to about it. In fact, even as an Albany, undergrad at SUNY Albany, it where I wasn’t until my senior year froze my that I began viewing writing as butt off, so a potential career. At Jericho, I I started pretty much stuck with the Here today, hair tomorrow. At left, Ken’s checking standard academic curricu- ’69 yearbook photo, and (above, far left) out grad lum, very heavy in science and at SUNY Albany. schools and math, and I initially stayed on that track in college. came across information about the master’s program in Later I switched my major to psychology but even- journalism at Stanford University. Hmm, I thought, Palo tually decided to become an English literature major, Continued on page 7

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 7

Growing Up on Dewey Street

My sister and I are very lucky in that our parents still live in the same house in Jericho’s Oakwood neighborhood. They’re both eighty-five years Ken McLaughlin old and doing really well. It’s Continued from page 6 sort of weird, though, when I come home to Jericho; I feel Alto, California! That sounds warm! I like a sixty-year-old high think I’ll apply there. I drove across school student! Debi (’72) and I still have the same bedrooms! I don’t know the country in September 1974 and a lot of people who have that experience of approaching retirement age have lived in Northern California ever with their parents still living in their childhood home. since. It’s funny: When you tell peo- It’s amazing, thinking back, how many kids there were in our neighbor- ple that you live in California, they hood, all roughly the same age. Across the street from us were Annie, Howie, Sharon, Martin, and Teri Koff; and Sandy, Lisa, and Cheryl Rassell. naturally envision you strolling along the beach in a bathing suit, with per- Annie (’72), Cheryl (’72) and my sister were the three tomboys of the petual sun and eighty-degree tem- neighborhood. In fact, they gave themselves boys’ names. Debi was peratures. But Northern California is “Richard,” Annie (’72) was “Mike,” and Cheryl (’72) was also “Richard.” different. First of all, the Pacific Two Richards and a Mike. They were best friends. Ocean is freezing year-round. We Other kids on our block included Joey and Nancy Reale; Gene and may not have snow, but we do have Tracy Boragine; Bruce and Keith Steiner; Bobby and Chrisy Grosse; Peri, seasons. It just takes about three or Abby, and Dina Arlen; Fran Cordasco; Robert, Michelle, and Neil Martin; four years of living here before you Danny, Patricia, Tommy, and Marybeth King; and Greg and Bobby De- finally sense them. Pasquale. and Marie Grace Astore lived next door. Stanford had a terrific journalism program. When I graduated, how- spect, I was lucky to start at a small and was tutored on the history of the ever, we were in the mid-1970s re- paper because I got Janea taste and of husband so Edpaper. , Even though it was twenty cession, and jobs were hard to come many parts of the newspaperwho’s originally busi- fromyears later, all of the people who’d by. This was true in most fields, but ness. East Northport. Thebeen instrumental in winning the especially in journalism. Nearly eve- The Watsonville Registercouple- wed in 1986.Pulitzer were still there. At the time, rybody our age idolized Woodward Pajaronian was considered a really reporters still banged out stories on and Bernstein and had read All the good small newspaper. It had won manual Royal typewriters. In a lot of President’s Men. Young people were the Pulitzer Gold Medal for public ways, it was exhausting; I don’t know flocking to journalism schools. I service in 1956 for exposing a cor- if I could do it at this age! If you wound up at a small daily newspaper rupt district attorney. On my first day wanted to research an issue, you in Watsonville, a small agricultural there, I received a tour of the town, had to go back into the morgue to city in Santa Cruz County. In retro- got to view the Pulitzer scrapbook read yellowing newspaper clips, or, worse, go through rolls of microfilm. It could take a few hours, sometimes Everybody’s Got a Story to Tell — Even You! days. Now if you have a question about something you’re working on, How about sharing it in the pages of your JHS Classes of 1969-1970- you just go to the other side of your 1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter? Feel free to write it yourself or, as screen, and you get the answer in a is usually the case, feel like a real big-shot and be interviewed over the few seconds. phone. Interested? Contact Phil at [email protected]. Watsonville was a very self- contained community, so it was a fun Continued on page 8

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 8

editor, which meant putting out the year or two before that, I’d tried eve- business pages one or two days a rything to get a foot in the door at the week and writing business stories Mercury News; I was even willing to the rest of the time. Although the work on the copy desk if necessary. Times was a suburban paper, it And then I get a phone call out of the looked at itself as a bigger paper. I blue asking me if I’d be interested in would regularly go to San Francisco being an assigning editor there. It to cover various business and finan- was like, Wow! How did this happen? cial stories. At the time, I thought Ken McLaughlin that I would stay in business writing, My Best Year in San Jose? I Spent It Continued from page 7 because my goal was to make it to a in Hawaii major metropolitan paper, and I al- place to start off, just because I ways thought that writing about busi- I spent my first seven years at the really got to know so many of the ness would be my ticket. But after Mercury News editing. This was long people there. I covered city hall, po- just eleven months at the San Mateo before the Internet put such a dent lice, and the courts, giving me a good Times, a friend of mine who was fa- in the newspaper business. We had grounding in basic journalism. I miliar with my reporting called and ten morning editions and five eve- learned a lot, and quickly, because asked me if I’d be interested in be- ning editions. I was an assistant city you really don’t have much of a coming an assistant city editor for editor, then the state editor. My job safety net at a small paper. If you the afternoon edition of the San Jose was to edit the California pages and start off at a big newspaper, your Mercury News. This was in late to send reporters all over the state. article gets heavily edited by an as- 1982. Strangely enough, about a Continued on page 9 signing editor, then two or three other people on the copy desk—as well as three or four senior editors if GoGo toto Woodstock?Woodstock? it’s going on the front page. At a small paper like the Register- OrOr ParkPark CarsCars atat TamTam Pajaronian, there are veteran editors O’ShanterO’Shanter GolfGolf Club?Club? to show you the ropes, but you have to learn how to self-edit and write YouYou Decide!Decide! fast—sometimes two or three stories Jane and husband Ed , in a day. Nineteen sixty-nine waswho’s really originally an incredible from year, as was 1970. The In addition, I volunteered for changes going on in societyEast Northport.were amazing. The For instance, if you look at the tasks that didn’t involve reporting. pictures in our high schoolcouple yearbook, wed in 1986. hardly any of the boys had long hair. Sometimes I’d fill in for the wire edi- But within just six months of graduation, nearly every guy had grown his tor or the city editor, or learn how to hair long. design the entertainment pages. I I was pretty involved politically. I can remember vividly when President even got to write editorials once in a Nixon invaded Cambodia toward the end of my freshman year. At SUNY while. I’m really glad I did it that way. Albany and other colleges across the country, the students went on strike. It’s always amazing to me how many Then the Kent State shootings happened on May 4, 1970. Many universi- people in journalism have spent their ties, including mine, just shut down for the rest of the semester. entire careers on just one side of the The summer between high school and college, I was supposed to go to desk. A lot of reporters have no inter- Woodstock with my good friend Bob Romanoff (’69). But foolishly I decided est in being editors—and vice versa. to make some extra money that weekend and park cars at the Tam Being versatile definitely makes you O’Shanter Country Club in Brookville. Bob went to the festival, and I was so more valuable to a newspaper, espe- upset with myself for missing one of the defining events of our generation! cially in these times when so many After that, I promised myself that I would go to every major event, no mat- journalists are being laid off. ter what. In the fall of 1969, I went to Washington, DC, for the first big anti- From Watsonville, I went to a war moratorium. I went to a Black Panther rally at Yale University in the midsize paper, the San Mateo Times. spring of 1970. My thinking was, I missed Woodstock. I have to make up My title there was assistant business for it!

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 9

about Asia and opened up a whole new world to me. For instance, I had this Japanese history professor who spoke fluent Japa- nese and Russian. He was an expert on the Russian Far East and Japan. One day he took the Gannett Ken McLaughlin fellows into a small room Continued from page 8 and showed us these old films of the Rape of Nank- After a while, I thought to ing in 1937–38, when Ja- myself, Boy, I’d like to be a pan’s Imperial Army mur- reporter again. What am I dered hundreds of thou- Definitely pays to have a family member living in Hawaii: doing sitting behind this sands of Chinese civilians sister Deb (‘72) visits Ken during his 1990 fellowship. damn desk? and used mass rape as a My ticket off the desk weapon of war. I can still wondered how Americans Vietnam was, compara- was to apply for a journal- remember thinking, How would be treated in Hanoi. tively speaking, a blip of ism fellowship at the Uni- come I didn’t learn any of I remember walking the history. The Vietnamese versity of Hawaii. The Gan- this in college? I really be- streets of the city shortly had fought the Chinese for nett Foundation fellowship came an Asiaphile. after we landed, and it centuries; then the French was designed for American Best of all, as part of seemed like every inch of were there for a long, long journalists who wanted to the program, you received the sidewalk was covered time. The people’s attitude learn more about Asian- a grant to visit the coun- with vendors selling every- seemed to be, “Forget American communities tries that you had studied. thing from old bicycle tires what happened. It’s not and Asian countries. You I spent two months in to cigarettes. Within one important. Let’s move on.” got to pick the part of Asia Southeast Asia in 1990. At block, there were perhaps Once I got back from that you wanted to focus the time, Vietnam was in- ten people all selling the Southeast Asia and re- on. I chose Indochina be- stituting its policy called same cans of Coca-Cola. turned to the Mercury cause San Jose has more Doi Moi, which means JaneThis and is husband a Communist Ed , News, I began covering the people of Vietnamese de- “Renovation.” Basically, country?who’s originallyI thought. from Vietnamese-American, Chi- scent than any other city the country was just begin- EastWhat Northport. I learned wasThe nese-American, and Cam- outside of Vietnam. ning to emerge from the thatcouple even wedin North in 1986. Viet- bodian-American commu- Talk about paradise: I Dark Ages. I remember nam, the people’s nities. I was one of the was paid a generous sti- flying into Hanoi and notic- entrepreneurial spirit had founding members of the pend to study in Hawaii for ing these lake-sized cra- not been crushed by the newspaper’s Race and ten months! I took Viet- ters in the ground. government. And Saigon Demographics Team, namese language courses “What are those?” I was still pretty Western- which was formed because and studied the Vietnam- asked a professor who had ized. It was almost like be- California was undergoing ese culture. It was sort of joined the same Indochina ing in Bangkok, even back such rapid demographic strange being so inter- tour. in 1990. changes. When I first ested in Vietnam, since I’d “They’re bomb cra- You might think that moved to Santa Clara spent so much of my time ters,” he replied, “from the the Vietnamese would still County in 1974 to go to as a college student hop- American bombing during have harbored a lot of re- Stanford, the county was ing to avoid the country. the war!” sentment toward Ameri- about 80 percent white; by One thing I learned was Seventeen years after cans. Quite the opposite; the late 1990s, it had be- that my education at SUNY the bombing had stopped, the people I met were ex- come a majority-minority Albany was so European- the effect on the land- tremely gracious. Remem- country. The Mercury News centric. Studying at the scape was still very, very ber that the Vietnamese was expanding rapidly, and University of Hawaii gave noticeable. It was almost had been fighting outsid- we became known for cov- me a different perspective spooky, and I suddenly ers for decades. Our war in Continued on page 10

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 10

language deficits and learning disabilities. He goes to a school called the Morgan Autism Center in San Jose. Christopher has accomplished lots of things that we never thought he’d be able to do. And we can only hope he’ll continue to progress as he gets older.

The Newspaper Crisis—and an Emmy

The San Jose Mercury News, the newspaper of Silicon Ken McLaughlin Valley, is now part of something called the Bay Area Continued from page 9 News Group, which is owned by the MediaNews Group. Basically, MediaNews owns almost every major newspa- per in Northern California with the exception of the San ering Asia and Asian- Francisco Chronicle. The Oakland Tribune and the Con- American communities tra-Costa Times, which are really well. We had a bu- big East Bay papers, and the reau in Vietnam—the first Mercury News are essentially American newspaper Ken’s son, Christopher, one huge paper now, with bureau since the war— now fifteen, above, and, zoned editions. as well as in Japan. So at right, with his mom, My job has changed, as I got to do some report- Nicki Pecchenino. has the way we report the ing from Vietnam. news. I covered the 2010 Santa Cruz, where I live, is an interesting place. California governor’s race for It’s nicknamed Surf City, but in a lot of ways, it’s about a year and a half, and I reminiscent of Big Sur in the 1960s. We still have spent the next year as gov- a strong hippie element, and the city has been ernment and politics editor. In dubbed the People’s Republic of Santa Cruz. We January I was named regional had a socialist mayor a few years ago who was consid- editor, supervising a team of reporters in the state capi- ered the conservative on the city council. tal and around the Bay Area. Their stories are designed It’s a stunningly beautiful area. One of the main to run in all editions, mostly on page one, so they have to roads, Highway 17, is this serpentine highway that cuts writeJane storiesand husband that will Ed be , interesting to everyone in the through a mountain range. For me to get from Santa Baywho’s Area —originallynot just infrom Silicon Valley. Cruz to San Jose takes about forty-five minutes of pretty EastPeople Northport. say that Thenewspapers are dying. Yes, the tradi- treacherous driving. You’ve got to be a hardy commuter. tionalcouple newspaper wed in 1986.model is in trouble. But at the same But I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Northern Cali- time, in a lot of ways, it’s an exciting time to be in jour- fornia has become my home. nalism because we’re trying to come up with a new digi- I met my wife, Nicki, in late 1978. She’s originally tal model that will push journalism forward. Nobody from the small town of Freedom, which is just outside of really knows what’s going to work. When you talk to Me- Watsonville. At the time, she was leading a political diaNews honchos, they’ll admit that they’re throwing group called Freedom On Guard that was seeking to pre- twenty things against the wall and hoping that one or two vent Watsonville from annexing Freedom. I covered the of them will stick. story. Ethically, a reporter shouldn’t date a news source, A lot of people have talked about “pay walls” as the but luckily, her group quickly amassed enough signa- future of newspapers. I’m not so sure. A lot of papers tures to stop the annexation from going forward. So the have tried, but only a few, like the Wall Street Journal story was no longer a story, and Nicki and I started dat- and the New York Times, have had success charging for ing a few months afterward. We finally got married in digital stories. Most of the papers that set up pay walls 1991. quickly abandoned them. The problem is that unless all She was the chief-of-staff to a county supervisor and newspaper websites start charging for stories at the was involved in local politics for years. Now she’s home same time, the public will go to the free ones. My feeling taking care of our fifteen-year-old son, Christopher. is that the digital genie is out of the bottle, and you’re That’s a full-time job and then some because he’s on the never going to put it back. autism spectrum. He is a really sweet kid but has severe Continued on page 45

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 11 T O O N S C A R T O O N S C A R T O O T O O N S C A R T O O N S C A R T By Dan Clurman

About Dan: “I have been a coach and educator for the last thirty- plus years, delivering train- ing and classes in nonprof- its organizations, universi- ties, and corporations. “I assist professionals, business people, couples, and students to more skill- fully navigate life transi- tions, as well as improve their communication and presentations. I also have a small practice as a Fel- denkrais® practitioner, a movement-based form of education. “I've cowritten a few books, Money Disagree- ments: How to Talk About Them and Conversations With Critical Thinkers, as well as a book of poems and drawings, Floating Upstream.” These toons are taken from Dan’s most recent book, You've Got to Draw the Line Somewhere, available for $15 at http://www.dantoons.com. Daniel Goleman, best- selling author of Emotional Intelligence, has this to say about You’ve Got to Draw the Line Some- where: “impish but pointed, edgy and astute, wise, and just plain funny.”

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 12 BB EE AA TT LL EE SS ’75’75 What If the Fab Four Had Stayed Together Five More Years? A Re-imagine-ing ...

ven the most fervent Beatles fans would probably agree that the four members’ solo from E 1970 on, as good as they often were, paled in comparison to the Fabs’ twelve albums recorded be- tween 1963 and 1970. But of course John’s, Paul’s, George’s, and Ringo’s efforts alone couldn’t match the music they made to- gether. First and foremost, there was the difference in the caliber of the songwriting. On a typical Beatles LP, you had five or six stellar compositions by McCartney, an equal number by , and a pair from Harrison. (I’m referring to the albums released in England, not the chopped-up versions issued here in the States by Capitol Records in an effort to generate more sales by releasing more “product.”) Now, with the breakup launching all four into de facto solo careers, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison were each responsible for penning a dozen songs per LP. Naturally, not all could be up to the level of their best material. The fractious sessions for both the White and es- In addition, although Lennon and McCartney had pecially had been fraught with tension, but Ab- pretty much stopped writing together as early as 1964, bey Road, recorded after Let It Be, in the spring and they did sometimes lend each other spare parts of summer of 1969, had been a reasonably pleasant ex- songs—perhaps most famously on Lennon’s “A Day in perience for everyone. What if they’d decided to see if the Life,” to which McCartney contributed a scrap of a they could maintain that same level of creativity and ca- song that he was working on (“Woke up / fell out of bed maraderie, while allowing members to pursue side pro- / dragged a comb / across my head …”). jects—as Lennon had already been doing with new wife And, lastly, on their own, they missed that intangible (Two Virgins, Life with the Lions, Wedding Al- element: the musical and personal chemistry forged bum) and his (“Instant Karma,” “Cold through years of recording, touring, and being cooped up Turkey,” “Give Peace a Chance,” and the LP Live Peace together. The four Beatles could honestly critique one in Toronto)? George, too, had released two albums of another’s ideas or performances. But how likely was it largely instrumental music, Wonderwall Music and Elec- that, say, the session bassist hired to play on a Lennon tronic Sound. solo album would pipe up, “Um, John, that second verse If you combine the best moments from the individual is a little too vague …”? Probably not very. And Lennon’s Beatles’ solo albums from 1970 to 1975, it’s clear that and McCartney’s growing competitiveness, while gener- the group could have had another five years of producing ating friction, also pushed the two of them to not settle consistently strong music, with frequent flashes of bril- for anything but their best work. liance. On the following pages, here is what albums might very well have sounded like from 1970 to Okay. So what if the Beatles hadn’t broken up publically 1975. If you want to actually hear the imaginary albums, on April 10, 1970, six months after Lennon had privately just click on each song. informed the others that he was through with the group? Continued on page 13

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 13

BEATLES ’75 Continued from page 12 1970

All Things Must Pass (released November 1970)

Side 1

1. “Wah Wah” (Harrison) 2. “Maybe I’m Amazed” (McCartney) 3. “” (Lennon) Harrison (left), the quiet Beatle no more; at right, 4. “It Don’t Come Easy” (Harrison; sung by Ringo) Lennon, king of pain. 5. “That Would Be Something” (McCartney) 6. “Isn’t It a Pity” (Harrison) A song of John’s also gets cut, so he re-records 7. “Mother” (Lennon) “Power to the People” with the Plastic Ono Band and re- leases it as a solo single. In contrast to the lush George Side 2 Martin production that characterizes George’s songs, Lennon’s are stripped down and spare, while Paul’s, 1. “What Is Life” (Harrison) aside from the gorgeous “Maybe I’m Amazed,” are home- 2. “Man We Was Lonely” (McCartney) spun, a reflection of his current life on the farm with wife 3. “Awaiting on You All” (Harrison) Linda. 4. “Love” (Lennon) Ringo is Ringo, the George-penned “It Don’t 5. “Every Night” (McCartney) Come Easy,” which earns him his first Beatles hit on lead 6. “All Things Must Pass” (Harrison) vocals since “Yellow Submarine.” The drummer becomes 7. “God” (Lennon) the first Beatle to record not one but two solo albums in 1970–71, Sentimental Journey, made up of standards, followed by Beacoups of Blues, reflecting his longstand- Just six months after the erratic Let It Be, which, rumor ing love of American country music. had it, would certainly be the Beatles’ final album, they Critical praise for All Things Must Pass is muted— quickly record All Things Must Pass, which serves almost ”Sometimes groovy, sometimes self-indulgent, but, over- as George Harrison’s coming-out party. The success of all, pretty much a gas,” sniffs magazine— his songs “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun” on but the LP jettisons three hit singles (“Maybe I’m gives George both the confidence and the Amazed,” “What Is Life,” “It Don’t Come Easy”) and out- clout to insist that he get more than the usual two spots sells Let It Be and Abbey Road combined. on the next LP. With a considerable backlog of strong material, he lands six songs on the somber but elegant 1971 All Things Must Pass, more than either Lennon or McCartney. However, one new song of his “My Sweet Lord,” Imagine (released October 1971) doesn’t make it onto the record. When George debuts it for the other Beatles, they fall over laughing before he’s Side 1 finished the opening chorus. “I liked that song better the first time I heard it!” 1. “” (Lennon) shouts Paul. 2. “Smile Away” (McCartney) “Yeah,” adds John, “when it was called ‘He’s So 3. “” (Lennon) Fine’!” 4. “Apple Scruffs” (Harrison) In rejecting “My Sweet Lord,” the Beatles inadver- 5. “Back Off Boogaloo” (Starr) tently rob George of his first tune to hit number one. But they also spare him $2 million in multiple lawsuits for having plagiarized the 1963 Chiffons hit. Continued on page 14

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 14

short ditty about his BEATLES ’75 better half, “La La Continued from page 13 Lovely Linda,” which introduces the LP Side 2 closer, “Uncle Al- 1. “Art of Dying” (Harrison) bert/Admiral Hal- 2. “” (Lennon) sey,” Imagine’s lone 3. ““(McCartney) number one hit. The 4. “Ooh My Love” (Lennon) anthemic title track, 5. “Mumbo” (McCartney) by John, reaches number three. Side 3 Another Lennon 1. “Monkberry Moon Delight” (McCartney) standout, the acidic On Imagine, Ringo contributes his 2. “Oh! Yoko” (Lennon) “How Do You Sleep,” third composition to the Beatles 3. “Beware of Darkness” (Harrison) laces into Allan Klein, canon: “Back Off Bangaloo,” 4. “The Back Seat of My Car” (McCartney) who almost became a hit in spring ‘72. 5. “How Do You Sleep?” (Lennon) the Beatles’ second manager. Paul, opposed to Klein from the start, urged Side 4 Mick Jagger to impress upon the others how the shady 1. “Imagine” (Lennon) New Yorker had rolled the Stones, and apparently the 2. “” (McCartney) warnings finally sank in. They choose to stay self- 3. “I Don’t Want to Be a Soldier” (Lennon) managed for the time being. “How Do You Sleep?” re- 4. “I’d Have You Anytime” (Harrison) minds many listeners of another Lennon song about 5. “La La Lovely Linda” / “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” someone who disappointed him: “Sexie Sadie” (originally (McCartney) “Maharishi”) from the White Album.

The sprawling twenty-song, four-sided Imagine invokes 1972 the White Album in its variety of styles. Lennon and

McCartney dominate this time around, although Harrison places four songs, one per side. In addition, the Beatles Living in the Material World (released November lead guitarist organizes the Concert for Bangladesh and 1972) releases a single, “Bangladesh.” John and Paul inten- tionally keep their distance, so as not to upstage George. Side 1 “You don’t want it to become a bloody Beatles show,” 1. “Hi Hi Hi” (McCartney) Lennon tells him. “They won’t remember why they’re 2. “Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long” (Harrison) there in the first place.” So only Ringo joins Harrison, Eric 3. “My Love” (McCartney) Clapton, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, et al., onstage. 4. “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” (Harrison) John and Yoko issue a Christmas single “Happy 5. “Big Barn Bed” (McCartney) Xmas (War Is Over),” and Paul, angered by the troubles 6. “New York City” (Lennon) in Ireland, puts out his first solo effort, a spirited rocker titled “Give Ireland Back to the Irish,” in early 1972. Side 2 McCartney, Harrison, and Starr cringe privately when 1. “Living in the Material World” (Harrison) Lennon plays them “Oh! Yoko” on acoustic guitar during 2. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (McCartney) the sessions. Although Mrs. Lennon is no longer quite 3. “Deep Blue” (Harrison) the barnacle that she once was, she still turns up at ses- 4. “Get on the Right Thing” (McCartney) sions too often to suit the others. But not wanting to of- 5. “Try Some Buy Some” (Harrison) fend John, the others go along. “It’s a nice little toon,” 6. “Live and Let Die” (McCartney) Paul whispers to George. “Just pretend he’s singin’ ’Oh! Yo-ho.’ A pirate song.” Uniformly regarded as the Beatles’ least substantial LP, Still, given the longstanding competitive between the Living in the Material World finds the suddenly Less two, McCartney can’t help himself from knocking off a Continued on page 15

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 15

BEATLES ’75 6. “” (McCartney) 7. “Mind Games” (Lennon) Continued from page 14

Side 2 Than Fab Four scrounging for material. had 1. “I’m the Greatest” (Lennon) moved to Manhattan with Yoko Ono in 1971; his only 2. “Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me”) (McCartney) composition is an energetic love letter to his newly 3. “So Sad” (Harrison) adopted home. 4. “Bluebrd” (McCartney) But “New York City” wasn’t the only song that John 5. “Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)” (Lennon) wrote for Living in the Material World. Far from it. No 6. “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-five” (McCartney) sooner did he and Yoko relocate to America than he be- 7. “” (McCartney) came enamored of the radical left and fell under the sway of such non-Mensa figures as former Yippie Jerry The title Band on the Run could have summed up the Rubin and David “” Peel. Beatles’ circumstances in 1973. They were trying to out- When he showed up in the studio bearing songs run their past as well as maintain their status as the about the recent deadly shootings at Attica State Prison world’s most important, influential band, in the face of and, fascinatingly, for an erstwhile chauvinistic Liverpud- challenges from artists such as the Rolling Stones, the lian, the women’s liberation cry “Woman Is the Nigger of Who, Elton John, and Led Zeppelin. the World,” the other Beatles were appalled. Of the four, Paul McCartney is by far the most deter- “It’s just too … strong, John,” said Riingo, typically mined to make up playing the diplomat. “It’s rubbish,” grumbled George, for the lackluster nearly inciting a fistfight. George, Ringo, and Paul stood Living in the Mate- firm in opposing the overtly political songs. In the end, rial World. He winds John decided to release them in collaboration with up writing half of Yoko’s own caterwauling protest songs. The album, the LP’s fourteen Sometime in New York City, was a dismal failure critically songs. Ordinarily, and commercially, and for the first time since Let It Be, John Lennon would the group appeared to be fraying. have felt resentful— Lennon barely turned up to sessions, and what he and undoubtedly heard—especially McCartney’s treacly “My Love,” and, would have been inexplicably, “Mary Had a Little Lamb”—left him disen- motivated to come chanted, to put it mildly. Ironically, Material World places up with a few extra four songs in the US Top 10: Paul’s “Hi Hi Hi,” “Live and tunes of his own— Let Die,” and the aforementioned “My Love,” and but he is distracted George’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth,” with by two personal cri- the latter two songs reaching number one. ses. (Above): A “Photograph” of Despite the commercial success, clearly the group is Weighing heav- George, who penned the song of once again at a crossroads creatively and personally. ily on his mind is the same title for Ringo to sing. the Nixon admini- (Below): John with escort-consort stration’s hounding , his marriage to Yoko 1973–74 him in its attempt to (and lots of alcohol) on the rocks. deport John, in Band on the Run (released December 1973) large part for his political activism of Side 1 the previous year. 1. “Jet” (McCartney) Perhaps that is why 2. “Out of the Blue” (Lennon) none of his four 3. “Photograph” (Harrison; sung by Ringo) songs is even 4. “” (McCartney) Continued on 5. “Dark Horse” (Harrison) page 16

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 16

BEATLES ’75 4. “Nobody Loves You (When You’re Down and Out” (Lennon) Continued from page 15 5. “” (McCartney) 6. “What You Got” (Lennon) remotely topical. Maybe he’d gotten the political slo- 7. “Venus and Mars”/”Rock Show” (McCartney) ganeering out of his system, or maybe he’d been wounded by the poor reception afforded Sometime in The Beatles were always bewildered by the way that New York City. Instead his songs on Band on the Run Capitol Records sliced up its UK recordings for America. address the other crisis in his life. In April, Yoko had So Beatles ’75 is as much a celebration of their longevity thrown him out of their new apartment in the Dakota, on as it is a poke at their US label, which in 1964 had Manhattan’s West Side, for general bad behavior. chopped five songs from Beatles for Sale and added the Except for the sardonic “I’m the Greatest,” which the single “I Feel Fine” b/w “She’s a Woman” to create Beatles had considered letting Ringo sing until George something called Beatles ’65. The group re-creates the Harrison gave him “Photograph” instead, Lennon sounds cover shot of them sitting under umbrellas. both distraught and apologetic. On the bluesy The song distribution on Beatles ’75 is reminiscent “Aisumasen (I’m Sorry),” he confesses, “And when I hurt of the mid-1960s: seven for McCartney, five for Lennon, you and cause you pain / Darlin’, I promise I won’t do it and two for Harrison. As usual, Paul comes up with sev- again.” eral infectious rockers Yoko may have been listening, but she wasn’t buying (“Junior’s Farm,” “Rock Lennon’s contrition—at least not yet. The couple remains Show”). But he also con- separated for eighteen months, most of which John tributes the uncharac- spends in Los Angeles with his new companion, May teristically biting “Letting Pang (hand picked for him by his wife, oddly enough), Go,” which, with its and all too often with a drink in his hand. “My lost week- gnarly paint-peeling gui- end,” he would later call it regretfully. tars, sounds like a Only his song “Mind Games” makes the Top Ten. But cousin of Lennon’s har- “Photograph” became the first Beatles number one to rowing song about ad- feature a lead vocal from Ringo. Paul, meanwhile, sup- diction, “.” plies the rockers—”Helen Wheels,” “Jet,” and the title And the ragtime “You track—all of which crack the Top Ten. Band on the Run Gave Me the Answer,” dominates AM and FM radio throughout 1974 and puts written for his father, to rest the whispers that the Beatles have finally reached James, is clearly related the end of the line. to the White Album’s

“.” (Above): Paul ponders what to 1975 As for John’s songs, do next. ! A tour! they continue in the (Below): It wasn’t Yoko who Beatles ’75 (released January 1975) deeply personal and con- broke up the Beatles, it was fessional vein, reflecting Sean! Side 1 the ongoing torment of 1. “Junior’s Farm” (McCartney) his year-plus separation 2. “” (Lennon) from Yoko, spent ma- 3. “Listen to What the Man Said” (McCartney) rooned in Los Angeles. 4. “Can’t Stop Thinking About You” (Harrison) In the raw, autobio- 5. “” (McCartney) graphical “Steel and 6. “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” (Lennon) Glass,” its string ar- 7. “Letting Go” (McCartney) rangement borrowed from the equally acidic Side 2 “How Do You Sleep?,” 1. “#9 Dream” (Lennon) he unsparingly eviscer- 2. “ and Titanium Man” (McCartney) ates himself: 3. “This Guitar Can’t Keep from Crying” (Harrison) Continued on page 17

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 17

BEATLES ’75 Take that, after he stands backstage at con- certs by Led Zeppelin in the spring, Continued from page 16 Tricky Dick! and the year’s biggest tour, the Roll- ing Stones’ tri-yearly trek around the “There you stand with your L.A. world. tan …” “C’mon!” he urges John, George, “You were separated from your and Ringo. “Let’s get and mom when you were small…” show ‘em who’s really the World’s “How does it feel to be off the Greatest Rock & Roll Band!”—a mild wall?” dig at Mick, Keith, and company. For On the funky “What You Got,” once, this is not met with cries of John shrieks, “You don’t know what “You’re daft!” (John) and “Never! you’ve got until you lose it … So Never! Hare Krishna!” (George). baby, baby, baby, give me one more In fact, by the fall, the Beatles chance! … It’s such a drag to face begin seriously investigating the pos- another day.” sibility of a summer ’76 tour, timed Lennon had become increasingly both to mark ten years since they self-conscious about the fact that last stood onstage together, as well none of his songs had reached num- as to coincide with the US bicenten- ber one in the five years since performances, weary of the inces- nial. 1969’s “.” For the sant madness that surrounded them But then Yoko broke up the barreling “Whatever Gets You Thru wherever they went and held them band. the Night,” he asks his friend Elton hostage in hotel rooms. But it didn’t John—probably the biggest solo artist take long for Paul to try convincing Beautiful Boy in rock & roll the past few years—to the others to tour again, which he play and sing on it, putting him believed would give them all a shot Not really. On October 9, 1975, in the select company of Eric Clapton of adrenaline after having spent John’s thirty-fifth birthday, she gives and Billy Preston as the few outsid- 1967 and 1968 in the recording stu- birth to the couple’s only child, Sean. ers to appear on a Beatles recording dio. His suggestion was dismissed Just two days earlier, the Lennons session. without discussion, although he did had received the joyous news that Released in advance of the al- manage to coax the group into the with the disgraced Richard Nixon out bum, in late 1974, the song tops the famous January 30, 1969, rooftop of the White House, the US govern- charts, obligating Lennon to make performance for the album and ac- ment had decided to drop its case good on his promise to join Elton on companying film Let It Be. against John, meaning that he would stage for a few numbers at his Madi- By mid-1975, though, the idea of soon receive his green card and son Square Garden concert. Yoko a full-scale tour is actually under con- could become an American citizen by attends the show, and that’s where sideration. By then, the Beatles real- 1981. the couple’s rapproachment begins. ize that rock concerts have changed The two events leave John emo- By the time Beatles ’75 is re- since their last appearance on Au- tionally spent. In December, he calls leased in January, John is back living gust 29, 1966, in San Francisco. for a meeting at the Dakota. at the Dakota with Yoko, and within Rather than drown out the music “I’m done being a Beatle,” he weeks, she is pregnant, at the age of with deafening prepubescent tells the others while cradling Sean. forty-two. screams, audiences now actually “At least for now. Which, unexpectedly, would spell listened. George and Ringo experi- “You know, me own father left the end of the Beatles. enced this at the 1971 Bangladesh me when I was little, and I basically concerts and were thrilled to finally did the same thing to poor Julian. And in the End ... be heard, while John felt energized And I’m not gonna do that to Sean by his onstage appearance with here,” he explains, nodding at the Elton John. infant sleeping in his lap. After their tumultuous 1966 world As usual, McCartney is the most The others, while disappointed, tour, the Beatles had sworn off live enthusiastic of the four, especially Continued on page 47

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 18 It’s Our Annual Romance Issue Read About Five Couples Whose Love Is the Stuff of Romance Novels!

Lori Small (‘73) + Seth Cohan (‘73) Gail Murphy (’71) + Gail Croskey Manon Fielding (‘72) + Ken Cohn

David Kass (’69) + Esta MillmanKass Eileen Feirman (‘70) + Bruce Fraser

can’t remember what I did last week, but I can tell

you the exact date that Seth and I went on our first date: June 12, 1971. We were in tenth grade, and Lori Small (’73) Ihe came over to my house on Schoharie Court in Princeton Park to study for the English final in Ms. Estelle Stern’s class. and Seth Cohan (’73) I met Seth through one of my friends, Carol Jupi- ter. He had just moved into the Jericho School District; he lived on Wheatley Road in Old Westbury, right across from Robin Hood Day Camp. In fact, his mother still lives there. If they’d moved just a short distance down Wheatley Road, he would have been in the Wheatley School District, and we might never have met. Continued on page 19

“This is us in June 1973, on our way to our senior prom. Our class had the distinction of holding its prom in the cafeteria. This picture was taken in my parents’ living room. “Splendour“Splendour inin thethe Afterward, we and a few couples went to a comedy club and PlantingPlanting Fields”Fields” then to Jones Beach to watch the sunrise.”

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 19

Lori + Seth Continued from page 18

Anyway, Carol knew Seth through a mutual friend at sleepaway camp. My first memory of Seth was seeing “I think that in a this handsome boy hobbling on happy marriage, crutches, due to a broken ankle, the two partners down the main hallway at Jericho find a rhythm High School; the one near the front that they can door where the buses dropped off dance to everyone. He was wearing a T-shirt together.” and jeans and had a knapsack on his back. Seth first noticed me at an away basketball game between Jericho and Plainedge. He was sitting next to Lester Scheinfeld and asked him who that girl was. “Oh, that’s Lori Small,” Lester told him. “She’s ... okay.” Seth felt differently, thank good- ness. We began going out together and had been a couple for two years by the time of graduation in June “Seth first noticed me at an away basketball game 1973. between Jericho and Plainedge. He was sitting next to We went to separate schools. Lester Scheinfeld and asked him who that girl was. ‘Oh, Seth was studying business at that’s Lori Small,’ Lester told him. ‘She’s ... okay.’ George Washington University in Washington, DC, while I went to Syra- Seth felt differently, thank goodness.” And here they are, cuse University. I started off in the forty-one years later. liberal arts program there but gradu- ated from the University of Maryland with a degree in psychology. That I checked out the University of Maryland. Lisa Stewart from my grade was a pretty long distance in the was going there, and she kindly showed me around and let me stay over- days before Facebook and Skype night at this really nice apartment where she lived. I just bumped into Lisa and so on. But it soon got a lot recently, and I reminded her about that, and how nice she was to do that for shorter, because I hated Syracuse! I me. After my sophomore year, I transferred to Maryland with a friend of just couldn’t take the weather, with mine, who became my roommate. I suppose that another attraction of the all the snow. Even when it wasn’t school for me was that it put me just a half hour away from Seth. snowing out, it was always gray and overcast. Relationship Status Report, 1974 Seth visited me there a couple of times. Once, in April, he flew up from Seth and I were on and off during our college years. We’d see each other Washington, and all he had to wear whenever we were home for holidays, and also sometimes on weekends, were shorts and a sweatshirt. Well, either in DC or in College Park, Maryland. Syracuse had a major snowstorm Looking back, it was very smart of us not to put parameters on being that weekend. “What kind of a place together all the time. We let each other breathe. That’s probably why we’re is this?” he asked while shivering. It still together to this day. At that young age, you have to experience being really does get to you after a while. with other people to make sure that you’re with the right person. At least it did to me. Continued on page 20

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 20

Lori + Seth Continued from page 19 “I think that in a happy marriage, Both of us graduated in May 1977. My graduation present from my parents was two months in Europe. I the two partners went with another one of my closest friends from Jericho, find a rhythm that Hope Weinrod. We spent eight weeks there and had a they can dance to wonderful time. Then Hope went off to graduate school, together.” and I went home to Jericho. Seth began his career at Wil- liam Esty, an advertising agency, in Manhattan and com- muted daily with Beth Stewart (’73) for almost two years. One day he and I were in the kitchen at my parents’ and sister also grew up in Princeton Park, and they all house, and my mother said bluntly, “You know, the two went to the same sleepaway camp as me: Camp Natchez of you have been dating on and off for seven years now. in West Copake, New York. I became very close to Cliff’s What are you waiting for?" wife, and the four of us spent a lot of time together; for a Maybe it had an effect. We finally got engaged, while we were like The Honeymooners. around Mother’s Day 1978 and married just four months In 1982 we moved to the Bay Bridge Condominiums, later, on September 9, at the Pine Hollow Country Club in in Bayside. You know the one right at the foot of the East Norwich. Obviously, there wasn’t any need for a Throgg’s Neck Bridge? We loved it there; had a three- long engagement, since we knew each other so well. bedroom apartment. Seth and I had a great time during After a ten-day honeymoon in Spain, we came home those years and did a lot of things together. We certainly to our new lives together. We started off in a one- took advantage of being so close to the city, with its res- bedroom apartment in Jamaica Estates, Queens, right taurants and museums and all. You know who else lived off of Hillside Avenue. The first and last stop on the F in our condo development? Jocelyn Sussman (’73)! train. The two of us commuted together to Manhattan, In all, Seth and I were married for six years before we where I worked in the garment district. had our first child. It was just us and our golden retriever. Cliff Rosen from the class of ’72 and his first wife We have three daughters — twenty-seven, twenty-three, lived in the same building as us. Cliff and his brothers and twenty — and when I’m with my youngest, some of her friends’ mothers are ten years younger than I am. That’s when I start to feel a little old! But then, as you age, you certainly have more pa- tience, more time, and more perspective. With Hannah’s birth in 1992, we decided that we needed more space, so we moved to a four-bedroom home in Dix Hills, Long Island. One of the first people to wel- come me to the neighborhood was my former high school gym teacher and tennis coach, Mrs. Karen Schwartz. I’d always been a decent ath- lete as a teenager, especially in tennis; I was the number two singles player my senior

Vacationing in St. Thomas: (left to right), Hannah, Lori, Danielle, Ali, and Seth. Continued on page 21

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 21

Lori + Seth of friends. They’re like Laverne and Shirley, Continued from page 20 together all the time. One of the most won- year. Mrs. Schwartz was a realtor; I derful things about our have to say, she looked terrific! new son-in-law is that Neither of us commutes to Man- he loves Dani and Han- hattan anymore. After taking years nah almost as much as off to raise our daughters, I went he loves his wife. back to work in the human resource Hannah is a sopho- department at a cancer testing lab in more at SUNY Bing- Plainview. As for Seth, who’s an in- hamton. Like me, she On October 22, Ali became Mrs. Ali Cohan Altman. vestment advisor, he’s run his own first went to another company since the late 1980s: LAD college, Miami Univer- Associates. That’s L for Lori, A for Ali, sity in Ohio. It’s funny: she went there partly to get away from Long Island, to and D for Dani. Hannah, of course, experience something new, but hated it. They call Miami University J. Crew U. hadn’t been born yet. He just moved There are very few Northeasterners there, and after a few months, she his office to Garden City and created found that all the things she wanted to get away from, she missed terribly. a new company called RCA Capital Right now, she’s undeclared. Hannah is a fantastic swimmer; for the past Group after many years at 375 North three summers, she’s been a lifeguard at West Hills Day Camp in Hunting- Broadway in Jericho. Every so often, ton. She’ll be there again this summer. I’ll drop in on him at the office, and Some of my proudest moments have been when each of our girls got Bat maybe drive through my old Mitzvahed. I never had been. But about four years ago, I decided to study for neighborhood. A number of the my own Bat Mitzvah at our synagogue, Temple Beth Torah in Dix Hills, along houses have been knocked down with five other adult women. We became very good friends, and we still get and rebuilt. It’s very different from together once a month for dinner, which has been very nice. Getting back to when we grew up there. Hannah, she and her high school boyfriend have been dating for two and a My parents sold our house (I still half years. He goes to college in Michigan. Sound familiar? The two of them remember our old phone number: recently decided to take a break, so that if they wanted to see other people, 433-2857) almost twenty years ago. they could. In many respects, it’s just like Seth and me thirty-five years ago. They lived in North Shore Towers for Seth and I are very lucky in that not only that we did grow up together five years and then moved to Boyn- but also that it worked, and worked really well. We’re truly best friends. We ton Beach, Florida, along with the have an empty nest now, with the exception of our black Labrador, and we rest of Jericho, it seems. They're do- really enjoy being together. Even if it’s just doing the small things together. ing well. Like beginning our day with coffee and discussing life. I always say that in a happy marriage, the two partners find a rhythm to dance to together. Ali, Dani, and Hannah Ali and Matthew’s wedding day, October 22, was incredible. Incredible. It was so magical that for me it was like getting married all over again. That’s Ali, our oldest, just got married in how beautiful it was. In a funny coincidence, I had arranged Ali’s bridal October. She works in sales for shower for last June 12: exactly forty years to do the day since my first date WhitePages.com, and her husband, with Seth. I said to her, “Maybe this is meant to be, because June 12 holds Matthew Altman, is in sports public such importance in our lives.” Our wedding anniversary is September 9, but relations. They live in Manhattan in Seth and I always celebrate each other on June 12. the same building as our middle When we walked into the ballroom at Ali’s wedding, the band struck up daughter, Dani. Ali and Matt are on Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight,” one of our favorite songs. We the eleventh floor, while Dani lives were dancing together, and for me, it was very much an out-of-body experi- on the eighth floor with her room- ence. It was just a perfect moment that will stay etched in my memory for- mate from Indiana University. Dani is ever. Seth and I have been through so many of life’s milestones together, an account manager in a digital ad- but marrying off a daughter is just indescribable. Sometimes we’ll pinch vertising agency called MediaMind. each other and just marvel, “Can you believe how much we've been through The two sisters really are the best together?” ◘

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 22

ne of my interests while grow- ing up in Jericho was playing tennis, and it was through David Otennis that I later met my wife. I’ll get to that in a moment. Kass (’69) My family lived on Hedgerow Lane, in East Birchwood. My sister, and Esta Phyllis, is from the class of 1971, and my brother, Lawrence, gradu- Millman ated in 1975. Phyllis now lives in Columbia, Maryland, and Larry is down in St. Petersburg, Kass Florida. Besides tennis, I ran track and also played the cello in the school orchestra. Mr. Arnold, of course, conducted the orchestra. He was very talented and a pretty incredi- ble guy; we were very lucky to have him. I still like classi- cal music to this day, as does my wife; we have a sub- scription to a miniseries at the New York Philharmonic and attend concerts every so often. I went from Jericho to SUNY Albany. My original plan was to go into premed, but I had a rude awakening in my freshman year, when I took chemistry and calculus and realized that this just wasn’t for me. In addition, this was 1969, the height of the Vietnam War, and a lot of stu- dents were applying to medical schools then; you didn’t really stand much chance of getting in if your undergrad grades were below an A-minus. So I saw the handwriting on the wall and realized pretty early on, fortunately, that I’d better go into a different career. “Of Cleavage I could have done what some of my good friends were doing, which was to major in history or English, and Codpieces” both of which I loved, and then apply to law schools. But my father, who passed away in 2004, was an account- ant, as was my uncle. It seemed like something I could do. I took one accounting course while still a freshman, originally planned to share all food, but their idea of and I thought, This isn’t bad; it’s pretty logical. I can do “food” was popcorn, potato chips, and beer—not just on this. And I wound up getting a degree in accounting. Sundays, but all the time. We wound up fending for our- I landed a job before I even left Albany, with Touche selves. Ross, the Big Four accountancy firm. At the time—this By the summer of 1976, I was staying with my par- was 1973—Touche Ross used to send recruiters to cam- ents (they kept the house until 2002 or so; my mother pus, and if they liked you, they had you come in for a now lives in an independent- living community near my more extensive interview in New York City, which is what sister, in Silver Springs, Maryland) and working in my happened. So I went down to their New York office dur- father’s and uncle’s accounting firm. So that was my ing a school break and had an interview there. situation when I decided to attend a tennis party at the I spent one year at Touche Ross and another at Woodbury Racquet Club. Reich Weiner and Company, while living in Jackson Heights, Queens, with two roommates. One was my “Oh, This Will Never Work!” buddy from Jericho, Danny Weaderhorn, also from the class of ’69, and the other was a fraternity brother of Every Friday night, they held a singles tennis party, where mine from Albany who also worked in Manhattan. That for about $25 you had a deli dinner and two hours of setup lasted a year. We were sort of like the Odd Couple, court time. So even if you didn’t meet anybody, you’d get only with two Oscars and one Felix. I was Felix. We’d Continued on page 23

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 23

David + Esta Continued from page 22 a nice, athletic evening out of it. My opponent in one doubles match was Esta, who is one year and one day younger than me. She’d just come back from attending a tennis camp, so she played extremely well that night. Plus, she had a wonderful part- ner, so I remember that my partner and I didn’t get too many games off them. The two of us started talking, and that she was an account- ing major, and, like me, was studying for the CPA exam. Oh, I thought, this will never work! Esta thought the ex- act same thing, it turns out. But I de- cided to ask her out anyway. For our first date, we went peach picking in Wildwood State Park, out on the Island. We brought a picnic Sean, David, Joshua, and Esta Kass. The whole family enjoys hiking. lunch, and—it’s funny the things that you remember—Esta brought leftover lobster. lot longer, including me. At one point, togethers. My father and uncle al- She’d gone to Goucher College in I felt that things were moving along a ways believed that you should have Baltimore, originally as a language bit too quickly. Maybe I ought to see an office—theirs was in Manhattan, major. But she later earned a mas- if this is really right, I thought. So I on East 42 Street, around Third Ave- ters in accounting at C. W. Post. As I actually asked Esta if she would nue—whereas my father-in-law al- said, we were both preparing for the mind if I saw some other girls, just to ways felt that you should have your CPA exam. Esta had the foresight to be sure. We laugh about this today, office in your home, so that you sit for all three parts (problems, the- but back then, she wasn’t laughing. could work whenever you wanted. So ory, and law) at once, whereas I took She said yes, but it was a very unen- there was a difference of opinion on theory and law together, figuring that thusiastic yes, which I picked up on that score. I’d be able to spend more time study- right away. I realized that if I did go I came to practice more like my ing for them. The problem was, you out with other people, I would lose father-in-law, whose firm I joined. had to pass both of them at the her. And I also realized that wasn’t Now, both he and my uncle were at- same time. One time I passed law such a good idea. torneys in addition to being CPAs, and failed theory, and another time I I like to say that Esta kind of and they encouraged me to go to law passed theory and failed law. The pushed into proposing. I did, and we school. “It’s a terrific combination,” third time, I finally put it all together. got married in November 1977 at they said. In 1978 I began a four- Esta, though, passed all three at the Temple Judea in Manhasset. year night school program at St. once. However, she was using some John’s University. It was a hectic of my notes! All in the Family time, although I was lucky in that my According to my wife, within just firm did its best to accommodate me three weeks of dating, she knew that Esta’s father is an accountant, too, by letting me take off for exams. I I was someone she’d wanted to and a cousin of hers also worked for passed the bar in 1983. marry. Now, she didn’t tell me this the firm. So between her family and Esta, too, was working full-time then, of course. Women always seem mine, we had six accountants. It with her father. Then, around 1992, to know so fast; it takes the guys a made for some interesting family get- Continued on page 24

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 24

David + Esta some writing for professional jour- work from home when our sons were nals such as the Nassau Bar Asso- growing up. There was always some- Continued from page 23 ciation Journal and Nassau Lawyer. body here when they came home Like any two people working to- from school. Sean, our oldest, is we decided to form our own com- gether, sometimes my wife and I twenty-nine; Joshua is twenty-six. pany, Kass and Kass. Sometimes have differences of opinion about They’re both attorneys, and they people will hear that we work to- how certain things should be han- work for the same law firm, De- gether and say, “I could never work dled. If it’s Esta’s client, she does bevoise & Plimpton, in the city. Sean alongside my spouse!” But all in all, things her way, and if it’s my client, I went to Yale University and Harvard Law School, while Joshua attended Haverford College and NYU Law School. Right now the older one is doing intellectual property law, and the younger one is doing more corporate law. The two brothers live together on East Ninety-fifth Street.

Take a Hike

Our first date was outdoors, and Esta and I have always loved nature. We go hiking whenever we can. We have a timeshare in Maine, by Acadia Na- tional Park, our favorite place. On Long Island, it’s a little harder to find places for hiking. The green- belt trail that goes through Bethpage David, Esta, and Sean in Portugal And David and Esta in State Park, from the Northern State last fall. (“Joshua missed that trip.”) Mexico in January. Parkway all the down to Sunrise Highway is ... nice. But it’s not exactly I’d say that working together has ac- decide what to do. One thing we’ve Acadia, with glacier-cut lakes. I think tually brought us closer. First of all, always agreed upon, however, is to it’s twelve miles round trip. There is we have our own areas of expertise. operate the business out of our also a beautiful stretch of beach at For instance, Esta is very experi- home in Roslyn, which is where Esta Orient Point, on the North Fork, with enced in handling market research went to high school. At one point, we a bike path. In addition to hiking, we firms and medical firms, while I do kept a small office, but after a while I like to travel abroad: we went to Por- the accounting for restaurants and found that people would call at off- tugal in September, Cancun in Janu- bakeries and other small busi- hours, and you’d have to say, “Oops, ary, and in May we’re going to Malta. nesses. left your file in the office; I’ll have to Continued on page 30 Nowadays, I find myself also do- to you tomorrow.” It made ing more law than I used to do. I’m no sense to maintain an office. managing attorney in New York State One thing about working at for the law office of Victor W. Luke, home, though, is that you could con- which specializes in personal bank- ceivably work all the time. You have ruptcy and debt negotiation. I make to make up your mind, basically, that appearances in court for them on come dinner time—around six thirty some of the bankruptcy clients. I just or seven o’clock—the workday is sort of troubleshoot within the state, over, unless there’s some deadline so that if something goes wrong, I’m that you absolutely have to meet. We the backstop. I’ve also been doing especially appreciated being able to

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 25

met my husband, Bruce, forty years ago, during the whole lot to do there. Uptown had a few bars, several second half of my sophomore year at SUNY Gene restaurants, a movie theater, and that was about it. One seo. There I received a degree in early childhood night in January 1972, a few of my girlfriends and I went Iand elementary education. I really loved my college up to the Palace Theater to see The Summer of ’42, star- years, but, being in the midst of New York’s snow belt, ring Jennifer O’Neill. Remember her? Afterward we went the weather could get pretty nasty in wintertime. The to one of the local bars for a few drinks. There we met campus overlooks the Genesee Valley, so strong winds some Triangle fraternity guys from Rochester Institute of and snow would blow across the valley and throughout Technology, located about thirty miles north of Geneseo. the campus. Sometimes you had to walk to class facing No, Bruce wasn’t one of them. We all struck up a backward. If you didn’t, you could hardly catch your conversation, and I actually started going out with one of breath. Geneseo winters were also much too long, and it them. He invited me to a party at their frat house, and always seemed like spring would take forever to get that’s when I met Bruce Edmond Fraser, a mechanical there. engineering student and a reservist in the Air Force Na- I made some really good friends in college, and I’m tional Guard. He grew up on a dairy farm in a small town still friends with a few of them today. Geneseo was a typi- called Sandy Creek, about an hour north of Syracuse, not cally small upstate New York town, so there wasn’t a far from Lake Ontario. Bruce, who is five years older than me, was a senior at RIT when we met. For our first date, he picked me up in his black 1969 Pontiac LeMans, which he called “the Hummer.” No sooner did we leave my dorm, get to the top of the hill, Eileen Feirman Fraser and were about to turn left onto Main Street, than I no- ticed flashing lights behind us. “You’re not going to believe this,” I said, “but I think (’70) and Bruce Fraser a policeman wants us to stop.” Sure enough, we got pulled over. Bruce, ap- parently, didn’t come to a full stop at the stop sign and hadn’t yielded “Fiery Passion, with a the right of way. We had traveled, maybe, all of Side of Fries and five hundred feet. I thought to myself, Hold the Mayo” Hmm, this date is off to a good start. Fortu- nately, my date was just given a warning instead of a ticket, and we made it to a steakhouse restaurant without fur- ther incident. And al- though it was a Satur- day night, strangely, no The bride and groom in one else was there. “Hot Love — October 1979, at the recently Bruce joked that he had opened Milleridge Cottage. reserved the whole With a Side of Fries, place just for us. We continued to date through May, when Bruce graduated from RIT. He began working as an engineer at Hold the Mayo!” the Newport News Ship Building and Dry Dock Company Continued on page 26

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 26

Eileen + Bruce ous political campaigns and social projects over the years. My family, Continued from page 25 (my parents and my older brother, Jack, the class of 1964 valedicto- in Newport News, Virginia, so we rian) while at the dinner table every spent the next two years in a long- night, would usually talk politics and distance relationship. It was difficult. discuss current events happening Really difficult. I remember the two around the world. I believe, generally of us having these long, long phone speaking, in government transpar- conversations once or twice a week. ency and making the truth known, Bruce visited me at college as much but as a result of my employment at as he could, and when I graduated in the CIA, I can tell you that there were 1974, he attended the ceremony, some instances where it was proba- along with my parents. I have my bly better for the country not to know grandmother to thank for that. She Graduation day, 1970 certain sensitive information. graciously offered her ticket to him. Working for “the Agency” brought “That weekend, in 1979, Bruce and I closer distance-wise but Graduating College Just in Time for everything clicked, and I not all that much closer emotionally. the Recession realized that I was finally Langley, located just outside Wash- ready to ‘settle down,’ and ington, DC, is a good two hundred The midseventies were a really tough miles north of Newport News, and Bruce was the one I wanted to time for people seeking teaching po- Bruce did visit me a few times. By sitions, and not just in New York spend the rest of my life with.” then, he was twenty-eight and ready State. After sending out well over to get married and start a family. I one hundred resumes while still at was just twenty-three and not ready school, I was getting nothing but re- ginia.” I thought to myself, Well, I for those things yet. We were at dif- jection letters from those schools want to get to Virginia; maybe this is ferent stages in our lives. I was al- that bothered to reply to my applica- a way! ways determined to establish a ca- tion. Hardly anyone was hiring. After I applied and got a job, although reer and live on my own after col- graduating, I came home to our the process took many months. I fi- lege, and now I was finally getting house on Yates Lane, in West Birch- nally entered on duty in March 1975. that opportunity. Our relationship wood. I was also looking for a teach- It turned out that, at least in my cooled, and we seemed to be going ing position in Virginia, in order to be case, the position wasn’t for a clerk- in different directions. Eventually, in closer to Bruce, but it was the same typist but for someone to work in the late 1976, we broke up. story there. Office of Security, scheduling ap- Soon after that, I decided to ap- I became very frustrated and pointments for people who needed ply for the special agent’s training wanted to do something-—anything. I special clearances. The position en- program within the Office of Security. even applied for factory jobs, but I tailed dealing with people from all After all, I was a college graduate, always heard the same story: “You’re the different government agencies, and I wanted to enter the profes- overqualified. Why would you want to including the White House, as well as sional field. Unfortunately, I didn’t work here?” I remember being inter- the military. I met so many new and make it into the program, but my viewed by this man at a small factory interesting people every day, and I bosses encouraged me not to give in Hicksville. “My daughter is in the considered myself very lucky to be up and to reapply for the next class. same position as you,” he said sym- working in such a “cool” office. Up until then, the CIA had never ac- pathetically, “but I wouldn’t let her I have to say that working at the cepted women into this program. I work here, either.” The reason, of Central Intelligence Agency changed decided to reapply the next time the course: she was overqualified. my perspective somewhat. I’ve al- class was offered. This time, I made One day, while perusing the Help ways considered myself to be a politi- it, along with two other women. That Wanted section of the New York cally aware liberal (with progressive class was made up of three women Times, I came across a tiny, tiny ad tendencies). At Jericho, I belonged to and about ten men. Not bad odds! that read, “People wanted for clerk- SAM—the Student Action Move- One of the women, still a friend of typists at the CIA in Langley, Vir- ment—and I’ve volunteered in a vari- Continued on page 27

Photo courtesy Grandma. Thanks, Grandma!

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 27

Eileen + Bruce two later, I went to visit him at his home, in Knoxville, where he’d taken an engineering position with the Ten- Continued from page 26 nessee Valley Authority. That weekend, everything clicked, and I realized that I was finally ready to “settle mine, went on to become the SAC, or special agent in down,” and Bruce was the one I wanted to spend the charge, at one of the country’s major field offices. . rest of my life with. To cut to the chase, Bruce proposed After going through months of training, I was given in May 1979, and we decided to get married that Octo- my first assignment, and the rest is history. I was enjoy- ber. My only request was that our wedding day be on an ing my new career, and it was keeping me quite busy. I’d even-numbered day. I know, call me a little crazy! dated around some and then started going out steadily My mother was a little stunned by the news. That with a guy I met through my previ- didn’t give her much time to plan ous job. The relationship lasted the wedding. Since I still lived quite a while, but it too came to and worked in Virginia, most of an end. the legwork was going to fall to her. I explained that Bruce really “I Had a Very Strange Feeling wanted to get married that fall. Come Over Me” “So, Mom, you’re going to have to try to make it happen.” And One Sunday afternoon, my par- she did. The wedding was one of ents were leaving for home after the first to be held at the newly having spent the weekend visit- opened Milleridge Cottage, in ing me in Arlington, Virginia. I Jericho, and turned out to be a walked them out to the parking very lovely affair, if I do say so lot of my apartment complex and myself! It was great to get mar- waved good-bye as they drove ried in the town where I grew up. away. Then I headed back up to Bruce had offered to quit his my apartment. I don’t know how job at TVA and move up to the to explain it, but I had a very DC area, but I decided that I strange feeling come over me—as would leave the CIA and join him if something were going to hap- in Knoxville. Soon after that, it pen, but I didn’t know what. I had was discovered that I had a tu- never experienced anything like mor on my pituitary gland. It was that before. I guess you could call secreting a hormone, preventing it a kind of foreboding. Just a few Keith, twenty-eight, and me from getting pregnant. It was hours later, the phone rang, and Kate, twenty-six, at Reading successfully removed at the it was Bruce on the other end of Terminal Market. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minne- the line. sota. As a result of that opera- He wanted to come see me. At first I said no. After tion, our son, Keith, was conceived exactly one month all, it had been three years since we had broken up, and after I underwent the surgery. Our “miracle baby” was I was dating someone else, although casually. Anyway, born in July 1983. Two years later we moved to Orlando, we started writing each other, and a few months later, I Florida, because Bruce had gotten a job offer from Mar- invited him for the weekend. We did the usual DC sight- tin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin Corporation, a major seeing thing, and we both had a pleasant time. When I defense and aerospace contractor) that he just couldn’t was driving him back to the airport, we were talking, and refuse. he asked, “Well, where do you want this to go? Do you Our daughter, Kate, was born in January 1986. When want to start seeing me again?” When the kids were little, I worked as a stay-at-home I didn’t know what to say. Finally, I replied, “Let’s just mom, doing some volunteer work on the side. Once Kate see what happens.” But as I was driving home, I started entered first grade, I at long last made use of the teach- to cry. I thought, I don’t know what to do! I just couldn’t ing degree I’d earned almost twenty years before. I be- stop crying the whole way home. Then I decided that I came a substitute teacher and taught for seventeen must have been crying for a reason. One thing I did know years in the Orange County Public School System here in was that I missed Bruce while we were apart. A month or Continued on page 28

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 28

Eileen + Bruce Tracy, an oncologist, is finishing her Florida, and was diagnosed with mild residency this June and is busy inter- to moderate early dementia, proba- Continued from page 27 viewing for jobs in several different bly Alzheimer’s type. So, as I said, states. Working long hours at a hos- things have changed, and we will Orlando. Subbing was really the ideal pital, searching for a new job, and probably stay here in Orlando, taking job for me while our kids were grow- just not knowing where you’ll end up it one day at a time. ing up. I enjoyed it very much. living all make it difficult to plan any- Also, my father lives down here Now Kate is all grown up and thing, let alone, a wedding. Bruce now. He and my mother had moved currently in South Korea, teaching and I are so very happy to welcome to Orlando in January 2006, but my English at a private academy. When this wonderful young woman into our mother passed away just five months she first told Bruce and me about family. We love, and are very proud later. Dad then went back to an as- this position, frankly, we were dumb- of, all three. sisted-living facility on Long Island, founded. Almost instantly, we real- not too far from where my brother ized the real reason for all those Ko- “Life is What Happens to You While and his wife live. But, of course, it’s rean language classes she was tak- You're Busy Making Other Plans” so much more expensive to live up ing at the Korean embassy in DC. —“Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy),” there. So my brother and I moved Whenever I’d ask her why she was John Lennon Dad down here once again. He re- learning Korean, she would insist it sides in a very nice assisted-living was just for fun . . . Not! Bruce and I had talked about possi- facility just a few minutes away from Kate left for Korea last Septem- bly moving up to Delaware sometime us. He just turned ninety-five in Janu- ber and will be there for an entire after his retirement, but our circum- ary, and aside from having some de- year, with no time to fly home in the stances have recently changed, mak- mentia and the typical aches and interim. Prior to this, she’d taught ing us think twice about a move. pains for a man of his age, he’s do- children in various villages in Thai- My husband took early retire- ing quite well. land for three months. While there, ment from Lockheed Martin in Au- So that’s our story so far. Maybe she earned a certification in teaching gust 2010. Over the next few the beginning doesn’t sound all that English in foreign countries. She’s months, I noticed certain changes in romantic to you, but we kind of think also taught English to Japanese stu- his mental state, particularly his it was and continues to be. Bruce dents at Harvard and Stanford Uni- memory and his ability to perform and I complement each other well. I versities for two summers while she certain tasks. Last summer, he was can be kind of nutsy and act like a worked at People to People Interna- tested thoroughly during three visits silly thirteen-year-old at times, and tional. Kate loves to travel, and this to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Bruce is okay with that. He is the kind of work really more mature one in appeals to her. this marriage and Keith is a graphic rarely acts nutsy! We designer who lives both have good and works in Philadel- senses of humor and phia. He’s employed make each other at a design firm called laugh a lot. Bruce is a the Bressler Group. A good joke teller and an few months ago, he amazing storyteller. proposed to his long- He’s also quite intelli- time girlfriend, Tracy, gent, generous, and when they were vaca- considerate. He would tioning in the High- do anything for me, lands of Scotland. and I would do any- They’d originally thing for him. He truly planned to get mar- is the love of my life. ried this coming Sep- And with that, tember, but now set- here’s wishing every- ting a date has been one a happy Valen- put on hold because From left to right: Tess, a Westie, Kate, Eileen, Keith, and Bruce. tine’s Day! ◘

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 29

The Jericho High School Artist’s rendering. Projected opening date for JHS Couples Class Couples Hall of Fame* Hall of Fame: 2083.

All This Reunionizing Over the Past Ten Years Has Led to Two Intra-JHS Marriages!

The JHS class couple of ‘72, together again!

Stephen Spiers (’72) and Patty Ryon Spiers (’72)

As good karma would have it, Stephen and I both lived in Florida when we got in touch with each other over ten years ago. This was quite amazing, since the last time we had seen each other was on Long Island, in the mid- 1970s. We both love Florida living. For example, today was January 22, and Stephen and I were outside in T-shirts and shorts. Steve was working on his newly crafted eight- foot workbench in the garage, while I was out back trans- planting onions, parsley, dill, and chamomile. In 2005 we went house hunting and ended up hav- ing a small house built to our design, in New Port Richey. We moved into it more than five years ago. We gradually transformed the backyard into seven garden beds. Luck- ily for us, in Florida, we have two growing seasons. We grow most of our veggies and herbs. Suffice it to say, this has become more than a hobby. We are serious garden- ▲ Patty with grand- ers; however, it is lots of fun, lots of exercise, and very daughter Ashlyn, rewarding. We have a freezer full of vegetables, and we whose parents are son have dried herbs in the pantry. Rob and his wife, Our collective families (my three sons and Steve’s Stacy. two daughters) have expanded. We now have four grand- ◄ My Three Sons. “I sons, two granddaughters, and another baby boy due in am not short, they are March. Included in that bunch are four-year-old identical just tall: six-nine, six- twin boys who look just like their grandpa! seven, and six-five.” Stephen and I love our life together. It is a wonderful feeling to share your life with your best friend, and an old ◄ Cuteness alert! comfortable friend, at that. We sort of picked up where Pierce, Beck, and we left off so long ago. We have had some challenges, Kennedy, Steve’s but we make a good team, so the challenges are easier daughters’ children. to handle. February 22 will be our ninth wedding anniversary! Continued on page 30

* Sorry, Pete Rose, you can’t get into this Hall of Fame either.

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 30

Class Couples David + Esta Hall of Fame Continued from page 24 Beverly and Steven both grew up in East Birchwood but really “The two of us didn’t know each started talking, and I other in high school. Beverly Weissman (’72) and Steven Marksohn (’71) found out that she That all changed on July 16, 2004, was an accounting when Steven came major, and, like me, to Frank’s Steaks in was studying for the Jericho for the Friday CPA exam. ‘Oh,’ I night preparty to the Art- thought, ‘this will class of ‘72’s Com- never work!’” munal Fiftieth Birth- day Party at Steve’s Last year, I turned sixty, Pier 1 in Bayville. He and Esta turns sixty this and Beverly were year. I have to admit, it was deep in conversa- sort of a big deal. But the tion, which they ex- way I see it, so long as you pected to continue have your health, it’s your the next day at the state of mind more than main event. But Ste- anything else that deter- ven was coming mines how old you feel. down with a bad cold In November my wife and I and was unable to will be celebrating our thirty- make it. fifth anniversary. That’s a The two of them long time. might have been the We did go through one proverbial ships that difficult period some years pass in the night had ago. Esta started to develop Steven not emailed these very severe migraine Beverly a few weeks headaches and would be- later. They began come very short tempered. I dating, fell in love, didn’t understand how bad and got married in the pain was and took it per- 2006. The next year, sonally. Steven, who has two For a time, I thought our grown sons from his marriage might be on the first marriage, and rocks. I even began corre- Beverly adopted two sponding with some other That’s son Zen in the newborns, Kai and ladies, which Esta found out blue shirt and tie, and Zennie. about. That actually turned daughter Kai in the pink The couple live in out to be a good thing, be- top, with Steven and Manhattan, and, cause it forced us to discuss Beverly. “I think I am the says Bev, are already the situation and give each happiest person alive,” in the process of other another chance. she says. Sure looks like picking out schools We went on from there, it! for their four-year- and here we are! ◘ olds.

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 31

matrons through the Sheriff’s Office, or they lectured in schools and stuff. I wanted to do real police work. Although I was not five nine, I was athletic. In Jericho, I played on every girls team there was: field hockey, basketball, volleyball, and softball. I was one of Mrs. Schwartz’s “Leaders” in gym class. It was like the Blue Key Club of phys ed. We wore these little wind- breaker jackets, and we’d assist Mrs. Schwartz by getting out the balls and other equipment and so on. Janet Rhoads from my class was one; so were Karen Fisher and Hally Laddy from the Gail Murphy (’71) class of ’70. l decided that the best way for me to become a policewoman & Gail Croskey would be to earn a bachelor’s degree. If the police department G frowned on adding women, I was going to make myself the best candidate Artist’spossible. rendering; And itprojected seemed opening to me date: that spring four 2183 years of col- + lege was better than the required two years. My parents were not very—what’s the best way to say this?— supportive about me going to college, period. They thought that I When Hearts Attack was just going get married anyway and waste all that education. That attitude wasn’t exactly uncommon then. So I won a PTA Not a Mycardial Infraction— scholarship to pay for Nassau Community College and put myself through the rest. There were only about five or six schools in the A Love Story! country offering degrees in criminal justice. I got accepted to Washington State University and Central Missouri State Univer- sity. Out-of-state tuitions were very high then. I went with CMS, located in Warrensburg, Missouri, because it was cheaper; I also grew up in White Birch. From about tenth got free books, and you know expensive college textbooks can be. grade on, I wanted to be a police officer, Going from Jericho to the Midwest was a tremendous adjust- because I thought that would be interest- ment. As soon as I opened my mouth, people would say, “You Iing work. Every day is different, you get to be must be from New York!” They called me the rabble rouser from outside. And I had a good head for analyzing the East because I questioned everything. In the women’s dorm, evidence. At first I considered becoming a fo- where I lived, they actually locked the doors at eleven at night. rensic scientist, but then I took eleventh-grade Not the men’s dorms, only the women’s. And they had all these chemistry with Dr. Barbara Krahm, which killed rules about when you could wear your bathrobe and pajamas— any ambition I had in that area. I did okay, but I and even when you were allowed to wear your here up in curlers, knew I wouldn’t be able to master college-level not that I ever did. Even for 1973, this was pretty bizarre. I re- chemistry. member reading these rules in the college rulebook they’d sent From Jericho, I attended Nassau Commu- me, and thinking, There’s no way they’re serious about all this. nity College, which was a great place for some- They were quite serious! I asked the administration why they had one wanting to become a cop, because that Continued on page 32 was where all the policemen went to school. By the way, did you know that back in 1971, men were not required to have an associate’s de- gree in order to join the force, but women were? It’s true. A woman I met at NCC sued the Nassau County Police Department to make the requirements equal. Which they finally did— except that then they added another provision that discriminated against women: suddenly, all officers had to be five foot nine. The few women that did become police were usually what we called “Officer Friendlys”: they didn’t Gail (l.) with her partner of fifteen years, Gail Croskey, at Long have any real duties except for becoming jail Island’s Tobay Beach the day after the 2007 “Reunion in 3-D.”

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 32

Gail + Gail “This is the longest relationship I’ve ever had, and I Continued from page 31 have to tell you that it took me a really long time to these sorts of rules. They didn’t completely trust somebody about everything that I particularly like being asked that feared, and that scared me. But now that I’ve done question, and their answer wasn’t it, Gail was the one to do that with, and I’m happy much of an answer: “because it’s that she’s still with me.” always been that way!”

Missouri State Highway Patrol Officer Murphy cer, but I was always under scrutiny. If I came in second in production—which is based on paperwork, the number My ultimate goal was to return to Long Island after I of tickets issued, and so on—they’d want to know how graduated and become a Nassau County cop. But no come I wasn’t number one. I felt like I always had to fight one in the tristate area was hiring. Fortunately, the to keep my job. Missouri State Highway Patrol had nine openings, and I So I could see that my career path there was never got hired—out of a field of one thousand—as only the going to be great. I got close to a couple of the guys, and third woman in the history of the force. They weren’t they would tell me privately that they felt it was unfair used to women officers, or black officers, for that matter. how I was being treated, but they weren’t prepared to (One black trooper, frustrated by never getting promoted, say or do anything, because they all had their own fu- filed a lawsuit and won, and that’s the only reason that tures to think about. there is a black person above the rank of sergeant even One major change between the time I started and today.) 1980 was that now officers had to be polygraphed. One Of the two women before me, one had quit, and the of the questions was, “Have you ever felt sexual feelings other had married a fellow trooper and quit. No one for a person of the same sex?” Well, there was no way I thought I was going to last, either, and they didn’t espe- could pass that. Because if I said no, I’d fail the poly- cially want me to. The troopers’ wives in particular. They graph and get fired for lying. And if I told the truth, I’d get were upset about the idea of me being on patrol with fired for that, too. Talk about a lose-lose proposition. their husbands. They thought it would create too much At the time, I was pursuing a relationship, and I of a temptation for the men. As if their husbands never wanted to take time off to sorts things out. I thought encountered women any other place! about a maternity leave, although I wasn’t pregnant. I If they’d known I was a lesbian, they probably would- asked my superiors if an unmarried female officer be- n’t have raised a fuss. But, then, I didn’t know that I was came pregnant, was she entitled to take time off to have gay. I still thought I was straight. When, during the back- the baby and then come back to work? No, they said, ground investigation, they asked my friends if I had the because that was conduct unbecoming an officer. It “normal” feelings and drives that women were supposed seems so bizarre now, thirty-plus years later, but it was a to have, they all said yes. I was dating a man at the time, different time. probably to convince myself that I was straight. The poor guy ... the background investigator really put him through A Drive to Drive the mill. Warrensburg was about fifty miles from Kansas City. One of my jobs as a trooper was working at the weigh The “big city.” Since I was from New York, they based me station, scrutinizing truck and motor coach traffic. It was out of Lee’s Summit, which is a suburb of KC. A lot of the our duty to make sure that the vehicles’ licenses were up men on the force couldn’t adjust to working in the city— to date; all that kind of stuff. I noticed that the bus driv- they especially didn’t like all the traffic lights—so I was ers always seemed so happy. They’d tell me, “Oh, this is assigned to supervise the downtown gas stations that best job. I’m making so much money, and I get to go all provided state vehicle inspections. I was on the force over the country.” That got me interested in driving. One from 1974 to 1980, during which time I finally realized day the vice president of Greyhound came out to the that I was gay. But I didn’t tell anyone. Just being the weigh station. He said to me and a fellow trooper to only woman on the force was difficult enough. I was com- come see him if we never needed a job, “because I can pletely dedicated and gung-ho about being a police offi- each anybody how to drive a bus; but the one thing I Continued on page 33

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 33

We were all fired and told Gail + Gail that we could have our old Continued from page 32 jobs back—but at five dollars an hour. No thanks! can’t teach is customer service.” And I soon found a new job one thing about the Missouri State as director of safety for the Highway Patrol: we were exception- Kansas Department of ally polite, even when we were hand- Transportation, located in ing out speeding tickets. Topeka. It was a very pres- So, four years later, I went back tigious position, but it paid to see this man and ask him for a less than two-thirds of what job. Greyhound wasn’t hiring, he told I had been earning with me, but its competitor Trailways was. Trailways. And I was still log- He called Trailways, put in a good ging almost as many Artist’smiles rendering; projected opening date: spring 2183 word for me, and they hired me. behind the wheel as a bus The things that the bus drivers driver, because I continued had told me over the years turned to live in Kansas City— out to be absolutely true. Driving a seventy-five miles away. Here’s the view from the window of Gail’s bus is fun. At last count, I’ve been to Why not just move to Topeka mobile “office.” That’s Mount Hood in the forty-six states. You do something and be done with the long distance. different every day. And mostly you commute? No offense in- make your own rules; it’s like it your tended, but I just couldn’t see myself living in Topeka! Kansas City was ship, you’re in charge, no direct su- small-town enough. pervision, which I like. Also, I got to meet a lot of people. I had most of “Civil Service! You Should Go Into Civil Service!” the American League baseball teams on my bus, and almost all the pro Did your parents ever nag you, “Go into civil service! You’ll have a steady job football teams, which was kind of for life!” Well, my parents did. I got hired by the post office in Missouri as a exciting. rural carrier. I enjoyed it, but what I really wanted to do was to drive a trac- The only drawback was that, as a tor-trailer. I had a commercial license, and, obviously, I knew how to drive a relative newcomer with no seniority, bus, but I’d never driven a tractor-trailer before. So I contacted a truck driv- my home terminal in Kansas City ers’ school, took a ten-hour course, passed, and applied for a driving job could “trade” me to other bases that with the post office. needed drivers. So I worked out of a They would not hire a woman for that job. Why not? They just didn’t. I home base in St. Louis for a time, I took the necessary test, and I was told that I’d failed. also worked out of a home base in “Failed? What was my score?” Chicago, I also worked out a home “We can’t tell you that.” terminal out in Quincy, Illinois, I also “Well, who graded it?” worked out of a home terminal in “We can’t tell you that either.” Muskogee, Oklahoma, and I also “How can I find out?” worked out of a home terminal in “You can’t.” Denver, Colorado. “Who can I write to?” I stuck with it for two reasons: “Nobody.” one, the pay was so good—more than I finally had to go to my US senator, whose office actually had a special twice what I’d earned in the Highway department for postal workers, because there are so many postal issues. Patrol—and I kept being told that this The post office is a good job, but it’s a terrible employer. Eventually the post was an unusual situation; the econ- office relented and let me take the written test again. I got a ninety-one. All omy was down, bus travel was way I’d need to become a driver was to pass the road test. Except that nobody down, and Trailways wasn’t hiring from the post office would give me the test! Finally, one of the testers heard new employees, but eventually this about my situation and thought that it wasn’t fair. To his credit, he secretly would end. I would never find out. In gave me the road test when the big bosses weren’t around. And I passed. 1987 Greyhound bought Trailways. Continued on page 34

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 34

sive. Also, I took one look at all its In 1995, after more than twenty Gail + Gail hilly roads and imagined myself load- years in the Midwest, I moved out to Continued from page 33 ing and unloading these eighteen- Portland and began working at a hundred-pound mail containers. I post office there. Problem solved, right? Not ex- could just see me rolling down one of actly. I was given the job, but I wasn’t those steep hills, like you see in the Gail, Meet Gail allowed to actually drive! So I had to movies. file a union grievance, because in A friend of mine lived in Portland, Not long after I arrived in Oregon, I the postal workers contract, it clearly Oregon, so I picked her brain about met Gail Croskey, my partner for states that the post office will do possibly transferring there. One thing more than fifteen years now. She nothing to discourage promotions, that intrigued me about the city was lived in a little rural town called Dun and to go from a letter career to a that it is very gay friendly. So is San dee, about twenty miles from Port- driver is considered a promotion. Francisco, of course, but more for land. Gail, who’d been married and It took a year, but I won, getting gay men. That’s true Artist’salso of rendering; Seattle. projected long opening since date: divorced, spring 2183 has three grown the job as well as the back pay. How- I’d say that Portland is controlled children, thirteen grandkids, and two ever, no one wanted to train me. Af- more by gay men than it is by gay great-grandchildren, and she’d just ter all the official barriers were gone, women, but that’s largely because, come out as a lesbian. We were in- they said it was “bad luck” to have a as a rule, gay men earn more money. troduced by a mutual friend named woman in the cab of the truck. It Still, it has a large lesbian popula- Beverly. She thought we’d be perfect took several more months to find tion, along with Provincetown, at the for each other, because Gail is very someone on the night shift who tip of Cape Cod, and Northampton, funny, and people seem to find me wanted to sleep in the passenger Massachusetts, which is near where funny. Plus, we both had the same seat while I drove the truck and my older brother (JHS ’67) lives. My first name. made all his deliveries. sister (JHS ’63) lives in a gated com- But I’d just broken up with some- Another problem was that I’d munity on the Georgia-Florida border. one, and the last thing I was looking come in with a reputation for being a for was to jump right into a “troublemaker.” I decided to look at new relationship—especially possibly leaving the Midwest, be- since my ex- was still living cause, to tell you the truth, I never with me. Gail and I liked felt like I truly fit in. Even though I’d each other right away and adjusted my accent, I was always talked on the phone quite a viewed as a New Yorker. I still could- bit after that. Meanwhile, n’t tell anybody that I was gay, and it our friend kept bugging us, was difficult to find other lesbian “Did you call her? Did you women. All this undercover stuff just call Gail?” Finally, one night began to get tiring. You know, Mid- we went out to dinner at a westerners like to say that they’re local restaurant called Stan- very friendly, and they are: to people ford’s. That would have who are exactly like them. But been our first “official” they’re not very tolerant of anybody date. who’s a little different, and I’m not Things turned serious just referring to sexual orientation. after about six months. We Since postal work is a federal gov- disagree about this, but ernment job, I could transfer anyway, Gail says it became serious so long as they had an opening. in 1996; I say it was 1997. In 1992 or so, I took a January You know the stereotypical vacation to San Francisco. I’d never joke about lesbians? On the been there before. The weather was second date, the U-Haul nice, especially compared to the Mid- Since moving to Oregon, Gail (lower r.) has shows up, and they start liv- west, where it’s often hot and humid, sung with two choirs: first, the Portland ing together. Well, it’s based especially in the summer. However, Lesbian Choir, and now the Aurora Chorus, somewhat on truth. The first San Francisco is extremely expen- made up of both gay and straight women. Continued on page 35

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 35

Gail + Gail The Truth About Oregon Weather cause I was surrounded by men, and what do men talk about? Mostly Continued from page 34 Everyone always talks about how sports and sex. Well, I love the Yan- kees, but you can’t talk about that, much it rains in Portland, but the night that Gail stayed at my house, truth is that the total amount of because outside of New York, every- she stayed for two weeks. Eventu- rain is the same as in New York. body hates the Yankees! As for sex, I ally we got our own place, in the It’s just that it rains more often. But could have talked to them about that southeastern section of Portland. We I love the climate here, especially (maybe even given them a few point- lived on the side of Mount Scott, since I work outdoors. We have ers), but I don’t think they would which is an actual dormant volcano. greenery and flowers all year have appreciated my perspective. So It’s not very big, through; about an round, and the summers here are I relied a lot on joking around. eight-hundred-foot elevation. absolutely beautiful. We’ll have This is the longest relationship practically no rain over the sum- At Long Last I’ve ever had, and I have to tell you mer, with temperatures from sev- that it took me a really long time to enty to eighty-five every day. I never came out as a lesbian during completely trust somebody about the three years that I worked at the everything that I feared, and that post office in Portland, because al- scared me. But now that I’ve done it, high a rate of pay as possible! That’s though the state of Oregon provides Gail was the one to do that with, and all I’ve ever wanted. It just so hap- protection from discrimination due to I’m happy that she’s still with me. pened that in most cases, the jobs sexual orientation, the post office, as The one constant in our relation- I’ve wanted had traditionally been a federal agency, does not. And most ship is our sense of humor. We find held by men. of the people there were very preju- the same things funny, and no mat- But after a while, my coworkers diced. I met a two gay fellow employ- ter what, no matter how bad the started to come around. I’m friendly ees early on, and they urged me to situation is, we end up laughing to- by nature and love to tell jokes. I’ve stay hidden. gether. We’ve both been through even done some standup comedy “We know you’re gay,” they said, some terrible and stressful times, here in Portland. Believe me, postal “but don’t say anything, because it’s both independently and together, workers, who are comrades in suffer- terrible here.” I even changed my and we know that we can always ing, need a laugh and love a good name—in my other life as a chorus count on each other. joke. Especially postal jokes. If you’re singer—because I didn’t want anyone In fact, I was going through a funny, then everybody’s like, “Oh, from work to find out. stressful time during the first few she’s funny!” I had to tell jokes be- Continued on page 39 years we were together. Despite Port- land’s reputation as a gay-friendly Three Great Postal Workers city, and it is, generally, the environ- ment in the post office was poison- Jokes! [Rimshot! Cymbal Crash!] ous from day one. The people there Courtesy of Murphy O’Brien were actually more prejudiced against women than the people I’d left behind in Missouri! 1. Remember the Marilyn Monroe stamp? They At least there, I’d finally gained had to make it a self-adhesive. Too many guys acceptance. They’d shunned me at were licking the wrong side! first, because I’d won my grievance 2. You know how the post office is big on com- against the post office for not letting memorative stamps? They've just come out me become a driver; I’d hear com- with one for the oldest profession: prostitution. Gail and colleague. ments like “Oh, you’re just here to Yes! It's a 47-cent stamp, but if you lick it, it's a make a point,” or “You’re just here to dollar! break down a barrier.” No, I didn’t 3. Outside every employee entrance to the post office, there is a sign with want the job because women were- a silhouette of a pistol in black, circled in red with a red line across n’t being allowed to do it, my goal it. It's a symbol for “No Guns Allowed.” There are . The sign is was the same as with any job I’ve there for the postal workers who can't read! ever had: to do interesting work at as

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 36

y parents and younger brother, Jay, moved from Flushing, Queens, to Princeton Park in time for me to start second grade at the Manon Fielding (’72) MRobert Seaman elementary school. We lived on Wayne Street. and Ken Cohn The summer before my senior year, we moved to North Carolina. One of my best friends, Marian LoMurro, moved away at the same time. I used to hang out with her, Patty Ryon, Mindy Wertheimer, and Wendy Weader- horn, who was my closest friend while growing up. The two of us used to double date together. Anyway, my dad, an accountant, had worked in the Empire State Building, but he took a job in private industry as financial vice president for a company located just outside of Char- Artist’s rendering; projected opening date: spring 2183 lotte. For me, it was a major culture shock. Also, the move meant leaving behind my first love, Barry Cohen, from “Passion“Passion the class of 1971. I’d gone out with Michael Osit before that, but we were young. My relationship with Barry was in pretty serious. Looking back, I’d say I went a little wild in and crazy down there compared to how I was while living in Jericho. Fashion”Fashion” No sooner did I start at my new school than I discov- ered that I was pregnant. It was a very emotionally upset- ting time. I didn’t tell my parents; I ran away up to New York to have an abortion, then came back to North Caro- lina. Barry and I soon broke up because the distance just made it impossible to keep our relationship going. In September 1972 I entered East Carolina Univer- sity, in Greenville, North Carolina. I also started seeing a just taken some kind of drug—I think it was PCP—and she twenty-five-year-old guy I met there. I brought him home, was urinating on the floor. I remember thinking, This is and my parent hated him on sight. They sure didn’t like the worst possible thing that could ever happen to me. him any better after we got busted together for drugs. Definitely not my finest moment. Of course, my parents It’s actually a funny story; sort of like an old Cheech and flipped out. Chong routine. What happened was, my boyfriend had I’m such a loyal person, though, that I maintained bought me a little bag of pot for either my birthday or for the relationship while my boyfriend was “away.” My mom Thanksgiving. One night we and dad insisted that I leave pulled up to his house in his Manon and the state, to get me away car, and there were cops in Ken. from him, and enrolled me the driveway. at Hofstra University, so I “Don’t get out of the was back on Long Island. car—” he started to say, but Not for long, though. I was already halfway out When my boyfriend was re- the door, and I proceeded to leased, we got back to- trip and fall into a mud pud- gether in North Carolina, at dle. And the tiny bag of which point my mother actu- marijuana fell out of my ally disowned me! She pocket. wouldn’t talk to me for five My boyfriend went to jail years. for a year. I merely got The two of us decided to booked and placed in a cell drive out to California; made with this woman who had Continued on page 37

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 37

Manon + Ken Manon’s Travels → Start Here: Flushing, Queens Continued from page 36 1961: Jericho, NY 1971: Charlotte, NC the whole cross-country trip in just 1972: Greenville, NC (East Carolina U.) 1972: Hempstead, NY (Hofstra U.) three days. We ended up living in a ●● ●● ● 1974: High Point, NC house with the roadies for the rock ● 1975: Los Angeles, CA (Cal. State U.) group Flo and Eddie, better known as 1978: Charlotte, NC ● Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, 1980: Myrtle Beach, SC ●● ● ● 1980: Framingham, MA the two leaders of the Turtles ● 1981: Cambridge, MA (“Happy Together,” “Elenore,” “It ● ● ● 1984: Chicago, IL Ain’t Me Babe”—you remember). We 1987: San Francisco, CA 1989: Atlanta, GA got to go to all these concerts for 1995: Hillsborough, NC free, which was pretty cool. I at- Artist’s rendering; projected opening date:2001 spring to present: 2183 Durham, NC tended California State University, graduating with a degree in psychol- ogy in 1978. band! I had a roommate, and I said out that the best chiropractic college I never went any further with it, to her, “If this works, I’m going to in the country was practically down though. My romance with my boy- meet someone very special within a the street from me. I did a lot of re- friend finally came to end after six year, and we’ll see what happens.” search, including interviewing sev- years, and I returned to Charlotte. Eleven months to the day, this guy I’d eral local chiropractors, and I was Over the years, I’d become inter- met, also a Buddhist, asked me out impressed by how much they ested in nutrition. I decided to get my on a date. I turned around to my seemed to love what they did. I master’s degree in nutrition at the roommate and said, “This is guy I’m thought, I’m going to pursue this. University of Massachusetts Am- going to marry.” And, sure enough, Now, it usually takes three and a herst. It was supposed to be a really we got married exactly one year half years of schooling to become a good program, but I found it to be later, in 1987. doctor of chiropractic. But with a too conservative; I was interested in The very next day, we moved to newborn, I completed the program in a more holistic approach. While San Francisco, and, in 1989, to At- five years. I don’t know how I man- there, I started doing data entry for a lanta. You know the old saying, “Be aged both, but I did. company in Cambridge, and I found careful what you wish for?” Well, I My husband and I split up the that I had an affinity for anything realized in hind- year that I graduated. Amanda was computer related. The company had sight that in five. We could have moved any- been started by some eighteen-year- wishing for a where, but I decided on North Caro- old programming prodigy who’d de- husband, I had- lina. By that point in my life, it was veloped a program for dentists. My n’t been specific where I felt most at home. In addi- job was to teach them how to use it. enough. I’d for- tion to my brother, I have a sister, The company got bought by the gotten to ask for Brooke, who is nine years younger National Dental Association, located a husband I’d than me. So she was only eight when in Chicago, so in 1984 I moved get along with. we left Jericho. She’s spent most of there, which is where I met my first By the time we her life down South, as has Jay. They husband. moved to At- both live in Georgia now and defi- Manon at lanta, the mar- nitely see themselves as more or sixteen. “Be Careful What You Wish riage was al- less Southerners. For ...” ready in trouble. I’ve lived in so many different The good thing is, in 1990 we had places that my affiliations are a little In Chicago, I became a Buddhist. our daughter, Amanda, who is the bit different. But I like North Carolina; Now, Buddhists have a special chant blessing of my life. it’s a beautiful state, and I’m very that you use when you wish to make Right around the same time, I comfortable there. (My parents now something happen. I was told that I decided to become a chiropractor. I live, along with the rest of Jericho, it could chant for anything. The first believe that life brings you where seems, in Boynton Beach, Florida. thing that came to mind was a hus- you’re supposed to be, and it turned Continued on page 38

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 38

Manon + Ken young woman. She cer- Manon ’n Roz tainly takes after her fa- Continued from page 37 ther height-wise, because I’m just five foot three, and Roslyn Appelbaum Not only do they constantly she’s close to six feet tall. and I were really good run into old friends from She began towering over friends throughout Jericho there but also from me by the time she junior high and high Flushing, where we’d lived reached high school, which school, but then we before.) was ... kinda scary! went our separate Amanda and I lived She’s very vivacious ways. We recon- first in Hillsborough. Then and people oriented. I’d nected at the class of in 2001 I moved my prac- say that she’s similar to ’72’s thirtieth reunion (the one in the gym) and discov- tice, and the two of us, to me in some ways, but ered that we had a lot in common: both single moms at Durham. The reason I she’s a lot tougher than I theArtist’s time, rendering; with daughters projected opening around date: the spring same 2183 age. When chose that city was be- was at her age. She plays Roz’s daughter, Jess, was considering going to college cause it is so multicultural, the cello, and for a time at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she with a real mixture of peo- had considered studying stayed with me several times. ple from all over, which I music in college or acting, We’re really close friends again. Roz has been really like. That was re- but she realized that as amazing. When Ken and I were going through a rough flected in the school that much as she loves the patch, she and I used to talk on the phone every night. Amanda attended. It was arts, that’s not what she What’s great is that she lives in Colorado, which is two the polar opposite of Jeri- wants to do for a career. hours’ behind me time-wise, so we could talk late at cho, where we were so ho- Amanda started college in night. Roz really helped me through that period, and for mogenous! Another thing New Orleans but is now us to be good friends again has been just wonderful. that I like about Durham is studying international busi- its lively, rich cultural ness at Appalachian State Above: Manon (l.) and Roslyn Appelbaum (r.) at the scene. University, in the North class of ’72’s 30-year reunion on May 4, 2002. My office is clear on Carolina mountains. the other side of the city, but it’s not as if we have A Northern Belle Meets a name is Ken Cohn, and and his family have a dense traffic like in New Southern Gentleman he’s from North Carolina. cabin up there. York; I can usually drive to He’d developed neck One day I was in my work in twenty minutes or I spent my first ten years trouble, and a friend of his office, and I overheard him so. Being a chiropractor for back in North Carolina as a had referred him to me. talking about it and how the past two decades has working single mom. Start- Yes, that right: he was a beautiful it was. So I been extremely rewarding. ing when Amanda was patient of mine. Now, I blurted out from inside my In a way, it’s like being a around fifteen, I decided never think of male pa- office (and I can’t believe country doctor, in that you that it was time for me to tients in that way. Never! that I did this), “So, when get to spend time with your finally start dating again. My assistants might, are you taking me, al- patients and really get to I never expected to fall though. Sometimes they ready?” And he blurted know them. I’ve had pa- for a Southern man, to tell would look at a guy and back, “Well, how about this tients for fifteen years who you the truth; I always whisper to each other, weekend?” started when they were thought that I would con- “Hey, he’s got a cute butt!” Now, again, we didn’t young, and now I’m treat- nect better with people I’d shush them. “Oh, you have that kind of relation- ing not only them but also from up North, in a num- are kidding!” ship; we were friendly, not their kids. To have those ber of ways—culturally and After about four flirtatious. I was like, Ohmi- kinds of relationships is otherwise. The classic months, Ken and I had God, I can’t believe that I priceless. Southern gentleman just developed a friendship, just opened this up. But I Naturally, my life has did not appeal to me. but a doctor-patient type of said okay. So there I was, revolved around my daugh- So who did I end up friendship. As I mentioned, going to a mountain cabin ter. Amanda, now twenty- marrying? Why, a Southern I love the mountains of with a guy that I didn’t one, is really a wonderful gentleman, of course! His North Carolina, and Ken Continued on page 39

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 39

Manon + Ken Gail + Gail died in 1993 and 1998, respectively, be- cause I just didn’t want to hear it. Continued from page 38 Continued from page 35 The post office in Portland had man- aged to get rid of one woman after an- really know that well. That One of the first things I did when I other. My turn came in 1998. I won my was four years ago, and arrived in Portland was to join a group job back after eighteen month, then filed we’ve been together ever called the Portland Lesbian Choir. With a civil suit, which dragged on until 2001. since. over one hundred members, I figured it’d From then on, I was out as a lesbian. About a year into the be a good way to meet other women. The You know that I love to drive, so I got relationship, we had some gay chorale movement is a good way for a job test driving trucks for a freight line major disagreements, and gay people to get into the community, do company. At one point, Gail got laid off it looked like we might outreach by appearing “normal,” you from her job as a computer operator, and break up. But then we both know, and create happiness through she too learned how to drive a truck. The took stock and realized song. Artist’s rendering;two projected of us opening went date:trucking spring together 2183 as “team that we definitely did not Those of you who know me from Jeri- drivers,” which are very much in demand, want to be apart. Whatever cho would think that singing as part of a because as a team, you’re able to keep our problems were, they chorus would be the last thing I’d do. I’d the truck on the road constantly. One of were workable, and we tried out for the high school chorus, but you sleeps while the other drives, were both willing to work you had to sing solo for the audition, and whereas single drivers are required at it. We’ve gone to coun- I was too self-conscious; I preferred sing- by law to pull off the road and get eight seling, and Ken was a ing as part of a group. It fell to poor Mr. hours of rest after fourteen hours on more-than-willing partici- Norton to inform me that I couldn’t sing. duty,or ten hours of driving. pant, which to me showed Fortunately, there was no similar Gail and I both love driving. We even great self-awareness. I audition for the Portland Lesbian Choir. drove cross-country (in a car, not a trac- really admire that about Anyway, at some of our performances, tor-trailor) to attend the 2007 reunion of him. they’d hand out programs listing all the the classes of ’71-’72-’73. I’d gone to my One thing that con- group members’ names. What if someone class’s tenth and twentieth reunions. I cerned me some at first is from work attended a concert (not that it wasn’t crazy about either one, honestly, that Ken is eight years was likely), and saw my name? I’d be because there the conversations were all younger than me. He’s al- fired for sure. about comparing careers and the schools ways dated women that So I changed it to Murphy O’Brien. My you attended. But at the “Reunion in 3- were a little bit older than stage name, I call it. If someone from D,” it was more about rediscovering each him, so this was no big work happened to see me standing on- other rather than giving PowerPoint pres- deal for him. Once I really stage singing, that didn’t worry me. Be- entations of personal accomplishments. thought about it, I realized cause then, if they tried to get me in trou- I had lots of great friends while grow- that age is meaningless. ble, they’d have to explain what they were ing up—Lorraine Triggiani Grant (’71) was We like the same things, doing at a performance by the Portland probably my closest friend—and it’s al- including music: the Ea- Lesbian Choir. But with my real name in a ways great to see everyone and catch up. gles, Stevie Ray Vaughan, printed program, they could claim that We all experienced a very special time in Cajun music. We love go- someone else had given it to them. our lives together, and the reunion was a ing down to New Orleans Being in the closet, you would hear wonderful experience. ◘ to listen to music. This people’s true opinions on ho- year, for Ken’s fiftieth mosexuality. About those gays birthday, we’re going to the that live across the street. Or Austin City Limits music whatever. Even some of my festival in Texas. friends in Missouri had prob- We love to work out lems with and go hiking together. it, which was why I didn’t tell We’ve been on the Appala- them until after I had moved chian Trail. The longest to the West Coast. I never that we went camping to- even came out to my own Continued on page 46 mother and father, who Gail2 on the road again.

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 40

Wanna learn what some of your former teachers are up to? other countries in the world, and the quality of education is certainly one Then drop in, pull up a chair, set a spell, but most of all — criterion. The countries that have the NO TALKING ! — at the ... best outcomes on world evaluations are Finland, Singapore, and South Korea, all of which have strong Faculty teacher unions, highly paid teachers chosen from the best and brightest young people in their colleges and Lounge universities, and very little diversity in their student population. The best US students compare very favorably with the top students from these countries. It is interesting to note that in the United States, the states with the weakest unions and right-to-work laws—for instance, Mis- sissippi, Alabama, and South Caro- lina—have the lowest scores in the country. It should be pointed out that most of the conservative critics of Table for One ^ “For most teachers, their day doesn't Teachers’ Roundtable end at three thirty. eachers have been in the news a lot lately, often scapegoated, There are papers to it seems, by certain politicians and in certain quarters of the correct, lesson plans T media. I thought it would be interesting to do something a little to be made, and bit different in this issue’s “Faculty Lounge” and solicit our former emails to be teachers’ opinions about the state of education in the United States. I answered from both emailed them about a dozen questions and looked forward to pre- students and par- senting a sort of roundtable discussion. ents … In many Ahem. Only Mr. Robert Hoffman, who taught social studies and schools, teachers are economics, among other courses, at Jericho from 1966 to 2002, ‘on call’ almost completed the assignment. So here are his views, in a fascinating, twenty-four hours a insightful essay, along with input from another JHS social studies in- day between email structor, Mr. Ira Greene, who left teaching long ago to become an at- and Twitter.” torney. As for the rest of your teachers, rest assured that their par- ents have been contacted and will be coming in for conferences.

The teaching profession is a hot recessionary time, the attempt to public education come from the topic today regarding a very complex privatize public education, the attack ranks of private elementary and sec- ecosystem called schools. Most of on all unions, both public and pri- ondary schools. A whiff of snobbery the comments are quite negative vate, from conservatives, and issues seems to emanate from our right- towards teachers and teachers' un- such as the tenure and the amount wing colleagues. ions. The criticisms center around of time teachers work per day and The public must also realize the comparisons of test results of US year. that teachers’ unions, like all un- students with students from other Globalization has resulted in the ions, owe their allegiance to their countries, the cost of education in a United States being compared with Continued on page 41

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 41

Mr. Robert Hoffman Continued from page 40 paying members. Although 95 percent of the time teach- ers' unions and the interest of all concerned groups are compatible, there are situations when conflicts collide. New York governor Andrew Cuomo said last week that he is the state's student advocate. Emile Voigt was my advocate as president of the Jericho teachers’ union from 1970 to 2002. Both are looking out for the best interests of their constituents. Taxes are also a major bone of contention, particu- larly on Long Island. As the gap between the 99 percent and the 1 percent has increased, the middle- and lower- class home owners, who have seen their houses deval- ued, feel great animosity toward the school tax. Many complain about teachers who “work half a year, make Mr. Hoffman, above, big salaries, and can't be fired due to tenure.” Someone with the class of has to be made the scapegoat. Teachers “fit” the narra- 1973’s Robin Bergman tive quite nicely. and Diane Freedman at There are numerous misconceptions regarding the 2010 Intergalactic teaching and the teaching profession. For most teach- Space Party reunion, ers, their day doesn't end at three thirty. There are pa- and, at right, in the ‘73 pers to correct, lesson plans to be made, and emails to Imperator yearbook. be answered from both students and parents. During the summer, many teachers take professional and col- lege courses. The duties of the classroom teacher have also in- creased, and they are many and varied. Technology, di- Is it any wonder that 50 percent of all new teachers verse student populations, and societal expectations are leave within five years? major reasons for these new obligations. The introduc- Outside forces have also contributed to the changing tion of new technology and the rapid change within the dynamic of schools. Schools must compete with outside field has place additional burdens on teachers. Learning sports programs, computer games, and numerous other the skills and keeping up with the changes take tremen- activities that detract from the school experience. dous time and effort. In many schools, teachers are “on Schools and education may not be the number one fo- call” almost twenty-four hours a day between email and cus of some students. Twitter. And, of course, all institutions—family, church, gov- ernment, and education—have suffered a decline in re- The Changing Classroom spect and authority. The country seems to be having a nervous breakdown in spirit, and a general malaise has The number of students with special needs has also settled over America. risen in the last twenty years. In any given classroom of Students who arrive at schools well nourished, twenty to twenty-five, there may be five with learning healthy, ready to learn, and from families with a stable disabilities, three with attention deficit/hyperactive dis- home and a steady income are probably doing as well, if order, two who are gifted, two who speak limited Eng- not better, than students did during the so called lish, and three who have behavior problems. Each of “golden age of American education” (whenever that these students is to be taught differently, according to was). As mentioned previously, our students at the top their individual situation. The energy that goes into this of the educational ladder compare favorably with stu- is enormous, particularly with the great stress on individ- dents from other countries. It is the increased diversity ual and school wide test scores. And, of course, there of our student population, the rise in the poverty level of are numerous faculty and curriculum meeting to attend. Continued on page 42

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 42

Mr. Robert Hoffman times. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, our cul- ture was in a state of flux. Civil rights, women’s rights, Continued from page 41 war protests, dress codes—you name it, and it was up for discussion. We started student-faculty committees to our students, and the changing cultural mores that address the topics of the day and their implications for have resulted in the poorer evaluations of our students education in Jericho. There seemed to be a much greater as compared to those in other countries. personal relationship between teachers and students. During the 1940s and 1950s, many very bright One year a student had a Thanksgiving party at her women, whose career paths were block in most areas, house for students and teachers, and 80 percent of the went into teaching. As women's ca- faculty attended. Things that were reer possibilities began to expand, happening in society had a direct im- those women chose more lucrative pact on their lives. Teachers were occupations. Today our supply of highly respected. Seldom did parents teachers is not necessarily the “best “Today our supply of complain about grades. It was differ- and the brightest” that our society teachers is not nec- ent era. has to offer. The major reason, I be- essarily the ‘best and In the 1980s and 1990s, educa- lieve, is that we do not value the pro- the brightest’ that tion and schools began to change. fession as we did in the past, as our society has to Parents became much more involved demonstrated by the relatively low offer. The major in the educational process, for better compensation for teachers in most reason, I believe, is or worse. Teachers’ authority began states. that we do not value to erode. Because of the emphasis on Also, some experts explain our the profession as we testing, there was greater standardi- falling scores to the diversity of our did in the past, as zation of instruction. Teachers who student body and the changing be- demonstrated by the taught the same subject had to be on havior of our young people. In 1950, the same page at the same time. Indi- relatively low 40 percent of seventeen-year-olds vidual teachers could not deviate into dropped out of high school. Their compensation for areas of their expertise but had to “scores” weren't recorded. Today a teachers in most follow the curriculum in a lockstep larger proportion stays for graduation states.” fashion. Creativity had been drained and many attend community col- from the classroom. leges. But estimates indicate that 60 Personally, I don't believe that the percent of incoming community col- Regents exams had a great deal to do lege students and 30 percent of freshmen at four-year with the quality of education in Jericho. (For one thing, colleges need remedial reading and math courses. today the Advance Placements tests are much more im- According to Robert Samuelson, a columnist for portant to the students than the Regents exams.) Most Newsweek, motivation has weakened for many students Jericho students were motivated to learn either because because they don’t like schools, don’t work hard, and of their interest in the subject or to obtain good grades don’t do well. While technology has changed the enter- to get into college. Their parents expected their children tainment world of fun and games and communications to do well, and many provided tutors if the kids were hav- have taken the form of iPods, Twitter, email, and ing difficulties. Most of the children in Jericho came from iPhones, the yellow buses still roll up to the school build- fairly affluent homes with available resources that en- ing, students go into boxlike classrooms, and teachers hanced their children’s education. are still the major voices in the classroom. I’m not saying Many Jericho teachers taught the regent's curriculum this is wrong or bad education. It’s just that schools but would expand their teaching to include supplemen- have not kept pace with the changing world our kids tary information that brought deeper meaning to the ma- were born into. Outside the classroom is much more in- terial. Issues and other interesting aspects of the sub- teresting than inside. jects—not necessarily part of the regent’s curriculum— would be discussed. Our dear friend Mr. Lou Boroson “A Different Era” would devote ten to fifteen minutes of each class to is- sues relating to the lives of his students. Most did very The early years that I taught in Jericho were exciting Continued on page 43

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 43

Mr. Robert Hoffman Mr. Ira Greene on Standardized Testing Continued from page 42 Ira Greene, who taught history and well on the math Regents. I am social studies at Jericho from 1966 proud to say that I believe the major- through 1973, is a practicing attorney ity of teachers in Jericho did not in Brooklyn. You can read all about teach solely for the test, as many him in our summer 2010 issue (no. teachers in the country do today, but 24) just by clicking here: → ● ← rather to give their students a mean- ingful educational experience. I am so pressed for time lately that, unfortunately, I cannot write as much The Purposes of Unions and Tenure as I'd like. However, I must say that I always looked at the Regents exami- As stated before, teachers’ unions’ nations as lifesavers. For a lot of bright expressed purpose is to protect but troubled kids, those exams al- teachers’ rights and provide for their lowed them be graduated on time. general welfare. Because union Under New York law today, a person getting a members’ compensation and bene- 65 percent on a Regents exam cannot fail that fits are usually higher than those of subject area. In my day, in the 1950s, it was nonunion workers, there is natural 75 percent, and my results on the English Regents animosity toward all unions today, allowed my to be graduated with my class. particularly in the present economic When I became a teacher, the exam saved climate. In Indiana and Wisconsin, some of my weakest students, too. The Regents labor union activities have been tests, I believe, are the only standardized exam we greatly weakened. Other states are should keep. It is strange that New York State considering similar laws. In addition, seeks to eliminate the Regents, while the entire country seems hell bent state pension costs are a large part on creating standardized exams throughout the year. New York City mayor of state expenditures, adding to the Michael Bloomberg is determined that performance tests are the key. I do eagerness to curb union's power. It not agree, and I’ve talked with NYC high school students who complain to should be recognized that the labor me that their instructors' “teaching for the test” has made high school dull, union movement in this country has painful, and even intolerable. The key to learning will always be spontane- been the back bone of a thriving mid- ity and student involvement in problem solving. dle class. Stan Katz was my ninth-grade math teacher in New York City. When I Tenure allows for teachers to be first came to Jericho and saw him, I introduced myself and told him that I provided a fair trial if he or she is still remembered how creatively interesting his algebra classes had been brought up on charges. Its major pur- to me more than twenty years earlier! I still remember what he did in that pose is to protect teachers’ freedom long-ago algebra class. That was 1954! Would you believe? of speech in the classroom and to I think that the Internet has made learning much harder for the stu- protect against the arbitrary dis- dents of today. To learn, one has to concentrate on new concepts and missal of teachers because of ad- facts. The constant interruption of the BlackBerry and iPhone weakens the ministrative disagreements or per- ability to concentrate on a specific problem. sonality conflicts. Tenure does not guarantee a teacher’s employment but does guarantee due process of and others have learned it quite well. ductees at the Jericho Hall of Fame law. As in all professions, there are the rave about teachers who, when they The tenure law becomes contro- good, average. and poor workers. were teaching, were universally criti- versial when it is used to defend the However, in teaching, the lines cized. My advice to students is, if you dismissal of a “poor” teacher. Teach- are blurred and blended. Teachers want to evaluate teachers, wait until ing is both an art and a craft. Some who are liked by some students are five years out of school. Most won’t are “naturally born” to the profession disliked by others. I have heard in- Continued on page 44

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 44

Mr. Robert and introduce merit pay. As 1972 2012 Hoffman suggested ear- Continued from page 43 lier, the states “Explain these bad with the strong- “Explain these bad grades!!” grades!!” remember or comment on est unions tend the average teacher, but to produce the they will have vivid memo- best results, not ries of the “good ones” only in the and “bad ones.” United States There are many teach- but also in ing and learning styles. other countries. One size does not fit all, whether it be a teacher or Merit Pay: Not a student. This is not to a Good Idea imply that there are no bad teachers. I know one when Standardized test results one of the few professions has been dropped in liter- I see one, but I can't really have little to do with good in which we have little con- ally every case. Merit pay define it accurately. This is teaching but rather as a trol over who our “clients” does not improve educa- the major reason it is very measure of students’ abil- are, but we are rated on tion but merely rewards a difficult to dismiss a ity to take tests. There is their outcomes. Students’ few teachers on some arbi- teacher on grounds of be- scant evidence that these learning is affected by trary scale. A Vanderbilt ing inadequate. tests encourage teachers many factors, including University study on merit Test scores have be- to become better at help- prior learning, family back- pay found that students come popular in evaluating ing individual students; in ground, classroom and whose teachers were of- teachers because it is a fact, some studies show school culture, access to fered up to $15,000 a year pseudoscientific method that these tests protect private tutors, and learning for improved test results conceived by bureaucrats “bad” teachers by hiding disabilities. register the same gains as to make judging teachers their lack of skill behind What's more, by using those whose teachers easier and thereby raising narrow goals and rigid test scores to evaluate and were given no incentive. In the quality of education in scripts. ultimately determine com- addition, merit pay the United States in a rela- And there is little data pensation for schools, we can erode cooperation tively inexpensive manner. to indicate that punishing are adding to the corrupt- among teachers and lead Anyone who has ever been schools with low test ing influence of high to a negative school cli- in the classroom for any scores and rewarding stakes testing. When mate, including tampering significant time knows that schools with high scores money for school districts, with students’ grades. teaching and learning are improves anything. The salaries and even firings Merit pay is not the pana- much more complex activi- only notable feature of stem from these tests, it cea some believe it to be. ties than test scores indi- standardized test is that it pushes everyone involved So what would improve cate. Using test scores as is easy to administer and to do well on them at all US education? To find out, the major evaluative tech- score, and relatively cheap costs, including cheating. it is necessary to discover nique is the equivalent of to develop, as opposed to Scandals in Washington, why our schools are in rearranging the deck what is really needed to DC, the Atlanta school sys- trouble. Most economists chairs on the Titanic. Both improve schools. In addi- tem, and New York City have estimate that teach- are doomed to failure. tion, teachers who are demonstrates the corrup- ers are responsible for The major remedy cur- judged by the tests to be tive effects of these tests. about 10 percent to 20 rently in vogue to improve highly effective one year And merit pay is no percent of the variation in education is to weaken may be ranked lower the magic solution for improv- students’ scores, and that teachers’ unions, evaluate next, depending on which ing education. It has been external factors influence teachers and schools on students end up in her or tried many times in about 60 percent. standardize test scores, his classroom. Teaching is schools in the past, and Continued on page 45

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 45

Mr. Robert Hoffman Ken McLaughlin Continued from page 44 Continued from page 10

Assuming that this is true, Newspapers have to then the main impetus for come up with another eco- improving schools must lie nomic model designed to outside the system. And the make money off of Internet factor that is most responsi- advertising. At the Mercury ble for the decline of educa- News, we have an iPad edi- tion is the increased levels of tion and have hopes for poverty in this country. Can that. The sense is that we anyone credibly believe that will eventually charge a the mediocre overall perform- premium price to get the ance of US students on inter- “dead-tree version” of the Ken (r.) with collaborator Dai Sugano at the Emmy national tests is unrelated to newspaper, and maybe Awards ceremony in Manhattan last September. If the fact that one-fifth of half that price to sub- you’d like to see the Torn Apart project, including American children live in scribe to the paper on Ken’s article, the half-hour video, photos, and more, poverty? the iPad or another tablet click here. According to the US De- computer, which is really a partment of Agriculture, one friendly medium. in four children come to Although newspapers are struggling, It was a terrible situation: the father school undernourished, and most of them are still making decent had been arrested for drunken driving 49 percent of all children born profits, and they’ve done it through con- and deported. He was the family’s in this country are born into solidating, sharing content and closing breadwinner, working sixteen hours a families that receive food foreign bureaus. In our case, we got rid day at a Mexican restaurant to support stamps. Undernutrition in of all our foreign and domestic bureaus his wife and six children, ranging in age young children has been (the Mercury News had actually set up a from four to seventeen. After the dad linked to delayed growth and New York bureau a year before the was deported, the family went from a motor development, lower 9/11 attacks) several years ago. But solid middle-class lifestyle to living in a IQs, behavioral problems and the irony is that there has never been a shelter and receiving welfare and food decreased attention, deficient time in the history of journalism when stamps. And US immigration authorities learning, and lower educa- reporters’ stories have been so well were also trying to deport the mom. But tional achievement. read. When I covered the California gov- the kids were all born in this country Combine these factors ernor’s race, it was just amazing how and are US citizens. with a culture of poverty that many people read the articles online. I’d I had covered the immigration issue promotes gangs, violence, get emails from all over the world. pretty extensively from 1994 to 2000, drugs, and single-parent fami- One story that I was involved with, a but I had never been to a deportation lies, and you have a concoc- multimedia project titled Torn Apart, hearing. So it was fascinating to attend tion that does not bode well was nominated for a national Emmy the mom’s hearings. The judge in the for academic excellence. Is it Award last year. Dai Sugano, an award- case seemed really smart, knowledge- any wonder that our schools winning photojournalist and videogra- able, and compassionate. She eventu- are in deep trouble compared pher, had come to me early in 2010 ally ruled against deporting the mom. with other wealthy nations? because he wanted to work on a project When you work on a project like that, But the solutions to these related to immigration. It soon occurred sometimes you need a little bit of moral conditions are costly and po- to us that nobody had ever taken a long, outrage to keep your reporting energy litically explosive. And as the hard look at how a single family could high. But we played the story right down inequality in income and op- be torn apart by US immigration law. We the middle. And we decided not to write portunity continues to rise, spent four months looking for a family it or release the video until there was a our education issues will be to report on before finding the Jimenez- decision in the mom’s deportation case. with us long into the future. ◘ Mota family of San Mateo. Continued on page 46

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 46

Ken McLaughlin Mercury News had a brutal series teach them everything from how to oflayoffs, and every time it hap- cover a fire to writing science fea- Continued from page 45 pened, I’d ask myself, “Well, what tures for newspapers and maga- else could I do?” Perhaps I could be- zines. It was a documentary, so if we had to come a public-relations person at It’s a pretty intensive program. I follow the family for a year, that’s some Silicon Valley tech firm and tell them, “Even if you don’t become how long Dai and I would wait to tell make twice the salary. But then I’d science journalists, the skills that the story. We didn’t want to influence look at the job description and think, you are going to learn here in terms the judge’s decision in any way. Who wants to do that? I got the best of critical thinking and writing are Torn Apart first appeared in the job in the world. Most journalists, I just so important that you’re always Mercury News in September 2010. think, got into the field not for the going to be able to get a job.” Be- Last summer, the National Academy money but for the love of writing and cause so many people don’t like to of Television Arts and Sciences the love of reporting current events— write or aren’t very good at it, being named it one of six nominees in the getting a backstage pass to life. in love with words gives you so many category of “New Approaches to I also teach in a science- opportunities. You’re able to dig into News and Documentary Program communication program at the Uni- so many issues and meet so many ming: Documentaries.” The cere- versity of California at Santa Cruz. different kinds of people. mony was held at Lincoln Center in The class consists of ten people, all I’ve now been at the San Jose Manhattan at the end of September. scientists, half of whom have PhDs Mercury News for three decades. We didn’t win, but it was still a heady or even MD degrees. These are peo- Even with the collapse of the news- experience. ple who’ve decided that they want to paper industry in recent years, I’ve So all in all, it’s an exciting-slash- become science journalists rather never regretted the decision to go scary time to be in journalism. The than scientists or physicians. We into journalism. ◘

ship where I had that kind of com- age, have become just like sisters; Manon + Ken patibility. That was really welcome at we’re all one big happy family. So my Continued from page 39 this stage of my life. We really con- story has a happy ending. ◘ nect on every level. gether was three nights. I had a good One thing I forget to mention is time, but I’ll tell you, I don’t think I that we hardly see each other during want to carry a backpack anymore. the week, because I’m at my office Fortunately, we have five dogs be- all day, and Ken, a mechanic at Lig- tween the two of us. One of them is gett Group for twenty-six years now, pretty big, so I’ll get him to carry it works the night shift. I’m sure that a for me. lot of you are thinking, How can you I have to say that I get along with not sleep together during the week? Ken better than any man I’ve ever But it actually works for us, and on been with in my life. Physically, we’re the weekends, we’re inseparable. definitely compatible, and I had We’d planned on getting married never, honestly, been in a relation- two years ago. Ken was married be- fore, too, and has a twenty-six-year- old son and a twenty-one-year-old daughter. His daughter objected at first to her dad’s remarrying—so we held off. Manon’s twenty-one-year-old Kind of. We eloped on New daughter, Amanda, is studying Year’s Eve 2010. We told his family international business at when we came back, and every- Appalachian State University. body’s cool now. In fact, his daughter She’s also done some modeling. and my Amanda, who are the same You can see why.

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 47

class for an entire day! I agreed. He BEATLES ’75 Fan Mail and laughed as I left. (I think I was late Continued from page 17 for Mathletes.) Threatening Letters When I got home from school, I asked my father—then the president “I just need to get off the of the New York State Chapter of the merry-go-round for a “Comments? American Association of Attorney- while,” John tells the Feedback? Certified Public Accountants—the question. Of course, I was right. I other Beatles. “I’m Fan mail from some asked him to write Mr. Voigt a letter, thinking maybe five years. which he did, and I gave it to Mr. flounder?” That would be the end of Voigt the next day. He fumed and 1980.” said that he would have to confirm it. He then proceeded to ignore me. aren’t totally surprised. Still, a heavy Yet Another Mr. Voigt Story! Being kind of shy back then, I silence fills the room as everyone waited awhile, then walked up to him contemplates the significance of The article in the last issue about after class one day and again quietly breaking up the biggest musical act Mr. Emil Voigt brought back a mem- asked if he had confirmed my infor- of the twentieth century after almost ory concerning this somewhat unfor- mation. Mr. Voigt said that he had, thirteen years spent recording—and gettable teacher. (I am deathly afraid and I asked him what day he would eighteen years since Paul, then fif- of snakes to this day). be carrying my books. He said, “I’ll teen, saw a sixteen-year-old John As you may remember, Mr. Voigt get back to you.” Lennon performing with his skiffle was kind of convinced that he was I had to ask seven or eight times, group , which he soon the smartest man to walk the earth, and he waited until the next-to-last joined. and he and I got into an argument day of regular classes. I believe I had “We understand, John,” Paul over the federal income tax rate. This to accuse him of welching before he says at last. “Your family comes was in ninth grade—maybe 1967? gave in. Finally, he said he would first.” He’d said that the highest mar- carry my books from class to class There are tears all around, but ginal rate ever in the United States the next day, and he did, all day. It smiles too. John, never comfortable was 70 percent. I knew that it had was the last day he could possibly with sentiment, attempts a joke. been 91 percent (and also a 77 per- have paid off the bet. He was visibly “Ah, I’m just kidding! Fook the cent bracket) during World War II. unhappy, which I found very funny! kid!” he says, pretending to toss the Incidentally, federal taxes are baby out with the bathwater. “Let’s now my life, as a small-town South- Howard Newman rock, boys!” Then he turns serious. ern lawyer. (Okay, everybody here in (’71) “Look,” he says, “I’m not saying Florida thinks I’m a New York lawyer this is permanent. I just need to get because I still have that thick accent. Palm Beach off the merry-go-round for a while. I can’t seem to lose it, not even after Gardens, FL I’m thinking maybe five years. By having married a girl from Memphis.) then, Sean’ll be in school all day, and Mr. Voigt asked me if I wanted to howigail@ I’ll have done me paternal duty, or make a little wager. I asked him what bellsouth.net whatever you call it. he had in mind. He indicated that he “Five years from now,” he muses. had three afternoons of filing that “That would be the end of 1980. needed doing, and I was a smart kid Christ, I’ll be an old man by then! and certainly capable of it. Forty! You too, Ringo. “What if I win?” I asked. He “But it could be interesting to smirked and said no chance. pick things up again at that age.” “Just humor me,” I said. “If you He stands up, pointing at Sean to want to make a bet, you have to put indicate it’s time for a diaper change. something up.” So he thought about “So give me a call then. See you it, and said that if I were right, he ‘round, you luffly Beatle people.” ◘ would carry my books from class to

JHS Classes of 1969-1970-1971-1972-1973 Online Newsletter • Winter-Spring 2012 Page 48

Concept: A girl. A camera. And Rachel Glickman’s the greatest city in the world! 1 “Mr. Beefy” is a skateboarding dog that lives on the Upper West Side. Seriously. A skateboarding dog! View of the Flatiron Building on a really 2 pretty Union Square kind of day! Penguins on the beach in Patagonia. It 3 was a crazy sight! Fashionable footwear to hike Perito 4 Moreno Glacier in El Calafate, Argentina. Check out my Facebook page for more pictures. It was amazing! Here's a sentence I never thought I'd 5 say: I went to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Business travel. Most of the locals pre- fer to get as many people on their motor- bikes as possible. This is a pretty typical example, but sometimes it’s whole famlies and the dog. 1 4 International 2 edition!

3

5 2