I was the recipient of a big time "pay it forward" act recently and what makes it more

surreal, it was from a perfect stranger!

Walter Relling
Do tell Walter.
Cheryl Gries Brown 1972

Wow! I'd like to hear more about it!

Marcia Diamond Sandler 1971

Well I was at my fishing spot and got a call. I needed to go home. I was careless and
slowly backed my truck out of my parking spot and clunk....I backed into a guy was
stopped at a stop sign behind me. So I tell him listen, here's my insurance info but I
would really prefer to pay to have it fixed. He says let me think about it I'll call you
tomorrow. So he calls me and says the car is a beater, I don't need the money and I'm not
going to fix the dent so let's just forget it! I bought a thank you card and sent him a check
to buy him and his wife dinner. Saved me a big headache. How about that!
Awhile ago, I was at the grocery checkout and told the cashier I wanted to pay the
grocery bill for the person ahead of me. See, sometimes if you do something nice,
someone does something nice for you!
Walter
Nice!!!
Brenda Palmer

Very nice.
Carol-Ann Luisi Saletto 1975
That's nice.
Kerry Hill (Shown above with Bud Harrelson)

Pay it forward.
Donna Mezzacappa Scala 1972
A note from Walter to DonnaI willrest assured. Paying it forward is good.
A note from Cheryl to WalterGreat story Walter. Comets paying it forward.

You know Walter; good things come to good people. Youre the best. God bless my
friend.
Deb Mac
This would never happen in Miami. God story Walter. You be a good man.
Tod Raphaely

This would never in a million years happen in Germany.

Cathy Rowan 1975

Tod Raphaely I lived in Germany for 4 or so years. This would never happen. Prior to
that Hong Kong. Same situation.
A note from Cathy to Tod Hicksvillians do it right. Hicksville was the BEST place to
grow up. Best neighbors ever. We were ALWAYS there for one another through thick
and thin. Where in Germany did you live?? I have been here twenty-four years24 years
too long. LOL
A note from Tod to CathyOutside of Heidelberg in a town called Neckargemuend. It
is along the Nekar River. What brought you to Germany?
A note from Cathy to TodLove Heidelberg... Long story... Met my husband while on
vacation here in 1993. Moved here 6 weeks later. A decision I made way too quickly and
sometimes regret. Get homesick all the time.

Germany, the most tidy country I have ever visited. Keil, circa 1986.
Walter
A note from Cheryl to WalterI had a friend who lived in Kiel, Germany.

If I recall correctly, it was Lynn Donnelly who inspired the pay it back grocery thing.
Right?
Walter
You reap what you sow. It applies to everything in life.
Carol LoCastro-Gallinat

Now it's your turn to Pay It Forward!

Don Engelman 1969

On another note
Things are happening at Hicksville High School and Kevin Carroll will tell you about
them:
I had the opportunity to meet with some of the Administrators at HHS and review plans
for some upcoming projects. If you have driven by the back of the HHS on Newbridge
Road anytime in the past 6 weeks, you will note the demolition of the old grandstand and
the construction of our new grandstand. The new grandstand will be up to code for
security, safety and ADA specifications, and will include 14 spaces for wheelchair and
companion seating. It will also include a new press box.
Within the next week, we will be breaking ground on the new baseball field, with
construction set to end by Oct 13 (in time for homecoming). After homecoming, we will
begin construction of the new Softball Field on the east side of the campus.
By the end of September, work will begin on our renovations to the HMS track and field,
which will include 4 lanes around the track (approx. 400M) and 6 lanes along the
straightaway. The field will be turfed and lined for football, soccer and lacrosse.
During the summer, there were many upgrades and renovations to our facilities, most
notably the complete renovation of the boys Physical Education locker-room and the
Boys Varsity locker-room. The Phys. Ed. Locker-room is near completion and the
Varsity Locker Room is now being used by our football teams.
Lots more planned for the future.
Alexa & Tom ONeill at Yankee Stadium (Tom is married to Marlene Schoenberg 1964)

Dear EditorsI can't wait till the first of every month because that's when I get my
favorite newsletter. Keep up the great work. I now live in Akron Ohio and still miss
Hicksville and Long Island. Unfortunately retirement doesn't afford me to live there
again or I'd be back.
The reason I'm sending this note is for some unknown reason I haven't received any
birthday card or recognition of my birthday for a couple of years. This one is the big 70
and maybe I'm going into my second childhood but I sure would like to receive a card
from you again. Never thought I'd make it this long and I thank God everyday that I'm
still relatively healthy and enjoying life. Thank you for your attention to my silly request.
My birthday is November 18th, 1947. I was a proud member of the HHS Class of 1966.
Robert (Bob) Gerrets

BobSorry to see you excluded but the reason you have not received a card for several
years is because the email address we have on file is incorrect. Birthday alarm sent a note
back to me that the card was not delivered. We will make the adjustment using your
current email address on the birthday list. Glad you are relatively healthy and enjoying
life. Keep up the good work at addressing your health going forward. I'm going to be 75
in December and I know what you mean about making it this far. Hicksville is not the
same as it was when we walked the halls of Hicksville High. I was back in 2011 for our
50-year reunion and a tour of Hicksville was an eye opener. The once quaint community
needs a transfusion.
The Sweet Shop is still going strong. Had a very pleasant lunch with a couple of my
classmates. I'm living now in Augusta, Georgia and am very happy with being out of
Hicksville. I owned Liberty Plumbing and Heating Supply with partner, Ted Swedalla
from the class of 1964.' We had our grand opening on West John Street October 22,
1977, moved to Burns Avenue in 1985 and the new location on Lauman Lane around
2000 (where the old Farmers Market was) is still going strong.
Buffalo Bob Casale

Leave me one positive word that starts with the THIRD letter of YOUR first name. It can
only be one word! Then copy this to your wall so I can leave a word for you.
Buffalo Bob Casale

NiceLynne Lombardi 1971

A note from Buff to LynneAccording to your many friends, nice is your middle
name!
EnergizedStephen Goldstein 1966
A note from Buff to StephenI bet you needed energy when you ran the 50 Year
Reunion.

RespectMary OShaughnessy Cleary 1961

A note from Buff to Marya perfect fit for youa trait you show to everyone!

LooneyBill Wahne 1979

A note to Bill from Buffalo BobOnce a loon, always a loon. Anyone who eats chum
on a fishing trip has got to be Looney

Yuk! Yuk for the chum remark! But Remarkable for my word.
Barbara DiBella Dowd 1962 (shown above with husband John Dowd)
A note from Buff to Barbaradont knock it until you try it! Sushi is a big industry!

AwesomeDiane Cuti Germain 1962 (shown above with husband Joe Germain)
A note to Diane from Buffalo BobA great word that truly is you!!!
A note to Buffalo Bob from DianeI wasn't thinking about myself, but my life in
general -ups and downs but mostly awesome I consider myself lucky and blessedDiane
A follow-up note to DianeI was thinking of you and know you've had a good life with
a great guy. Could you want for anything more???...Buffalo Bob
SmileLisa Dorais Wissler 1971
A note to Lisa from Buffalo BobA very pretty smile that is infectious

NiceLinda Mastrosanti Aragoncillo 1961

A note to Linda from Buffalo BobNice is good but is a short change to your true
personality and that is wonderful, sweet and pleasant
A note to the Buff from LindaThank you, that is nice of you to say.....youre a good
friend....you always have nice things to say to everyone.....

IntelligenceI is 3rd letter of Elizabeth. Just wanted to clarify my post using IBeth
Mangani Knipfing 1961
A note from Buff to BethIf you used the T in Beth, the word of the day is Terrific

United!...Lauri Spector 1978

A note from Buff to Lauriwe all would be United if we could simply have some of

your Brazilian Cheese Balls

LoveEileen Wieditz Moore 1963

A note from Buff to Eileenand Eileen continues to spread the love
VirtuousDavid Teitel 1968
A note from Buff to Davida trait that should be part of everyones life

NiceAnn Lynn Brough Stougaard 1961

A note from Buff to Ann Lynnstill a pretty woman who is more than nice

CaringRicki McKenna 1962

A note from Buff to Rickithat one word is only part of this gals repertoire.
Ricki is raising money for Houston Food Bank.

NuttyConnie Casella Shein 1964 (Kristi Allen * Donna Lagana * Connie)

A note to Connie from Buffalo Bobhopefully not nutty like Bill Wahne!!!

RemarkableCarol Mack Berry 1963

A note from Buff to Carolobviously Carol is referring to life since graduation

SincereSusan Germann-Mongno 1964

A note from Buff to SusanNot hard for Susan because sincerity is the root of her
demeanor

Joe Carfora SuperJoe Carfora 19621 (shown above with his lovely wife, Sharon)
A note to Joe from Buffalo BobYou're lucky because you can use "E" or "S" Joe or
Joseph and I can use only "B" Bob or Robert LOL
A note to Buff from JoeYou're right! Two "e" words came to mind that have more
than one definition; effusive and egalitarian. I'll leave it to you to find their positive
definitions !
A note back to JoeThose are spelling bee candidates...I can see one of the contestants
asking, "What is the definition"? "What is the origin of the word"? "Please use it in a
sentence"! "Are there any alternate definitions"? I positively looked up the definitions
and I'm still in a fog. Plus, as a matter of fact, I have a pair of homologous chromosomes
The last word from JoeExactly why I chose to use the "s" in Joseph! (You took my
bait!)

ThankfulPatti Bilancia Posillico 1962 (Shown above with husband Joe Posillico)
A note from Buff to Pat and JoeIf we use the E in Joe, we can use the word Joe
Carfora mentioned aboveJoe Posillico is Effusive
Driving to the store and thinking to myself for 50+ years I have been shopping , planning
and cooking 3 meals a day. If I deduct eating out once a week that's approximately
52,700 meals. Today my thought was " I'm tired" but then- I should be thankful I can
shop, buy and feed my family.
Diane Cuti Germain

Photo from Cheryl Gries Brown

A note from CherylI attended the annual 9/11 Memorial service this morning
hosted by the Hicksville Fire Department on Strong Street. It was a beautiful honor to
those innocent people whose lives were cut short by terrorists. I met George Howard's
sister Geri-Ann. Her & her husband came in from Colorado for this service. She shared
some wonderful stories with me about her brother, George and she knew my brother,
Jimmy. Hicksville people, no matter where they live, are connected in a very deep way.
Thank you to the volunteers of the Hicksville Fire Dept for their service to our
community. Feeling emotional in Hicksville, New York.

As the Hicksville Train Station under goes another renovation, I searched for and found a
picture of my Grandmother,

Hilda Riedlinger Karman, on the tracks a hundred years ago. Her brother Gus Riedlinger
( "Don't Cuss Call Gus") owned a gas station on the corner of Broadway and Old Country
Road.
Robert Karman 1971 Trinity Lutheran
Thanks for the anniversary card and for thinking of us. It was much appreciated.

Jacqueline MacLean Bausk & Joe Bausk 1950

Thanks for the birthday card and for thinking of me. It was much appreciated.
Marcella Yenick Croan 1953

Thanks for the birthday card and for thinking of me. It was much appreciated.
Stu Orton 1954
Thanks for the anniversary card and for thinking of us. We cannot believe its 59 years
and we often wonder where the time has gone! It seems like only yesterday that we got
married but our bodies tell a different story. It was much appreciated.
Rudy Frey 1954 & Dolores Etzel Frey 1956

Thanks for the birthday card and for thinking of me. It was much appreciated. I have
many memories of old Hicksville High and you and the other editors at HixNews do a
wonderful job each month.
Bob McWilliams 1955
Thank you for the anniversary card and for thinking of us.
Ed Osborne 1956 & Mary Fuller Osborne 1957

Thanks for the birthday card and for thinking of me. It was much appreciated.
Patty Bryan Carstons 1957

As always, its nice to hear from those back home. Many thanks for the card and for
thinking of me. It was much appreciated.
Pete Foster 1957 (shown above with Jen and Dale & Len Cuccaro)
Thanks for the anniversary card and for thinking of us. It was much appreciated.
Dot Hoffman Salzberg 1957 & Fred Salzberg

Dear HixNewsThank you for the lovely card. It was a marvelous day, being kissed by
hurricane Irma. We had to evacuate Singer Island but, luckily, we had a house to come
home to because, Irma, being a lady, changed her mind and decided to go to the west
coast instead of the east sparing us a direct hit. Lots to clean up and replant, though. Hope
to have a calmer day next birthday.
Bonnie Scharr Papes 1961
Editor noteplease see what the Papes family experienced during Irma later on in the
newsletter

Thanks for the birthday card and for thinking of me. It was much appreciated.
Janet McMenamin Butcher 1962 (shown above with husband, Harry).
A note from HarryThank you, too, for the anniversary card. Janet and I always enjoy
the HixNews cards. Married now for 52 years and proud of 4 kids and 7 grandchildren.
We are both retired after successful business careers. Now traveling and spending time
together and with our extended family who fills our days with joy. We do a bit of
community volunteer work that is rewarding as well. Who would have thought that a first
date for the HHS Junior Prom in 1961 would result in such a great life together?
Thanks for the anniversary card and for thinking of us. It was much appreciated.
Karen Hubner Jenkins 1962 & Myron Jenkins
p.s. and thanks for the special birthday card to Karen!!!
Thanks for the birthday card and for thinking of me. It was much appreciated.
Harold Glazer 1962

Thank you all for this birthday wish. This one was especially noteable as we were waiting
and watching for Irma, a most unwelcome visitor. She shut down all the restaurants in
town. We are okay after the onslaught and can tell a story or two.
Barbara DiBella Dowd 1962

Thank you so much for the birthday card and for thinking of me. It's hard to believe so
much time has gone by since we were in high school...and the years are going faster and
faster all the time. We'd best make the most of every single day.
Helen Luna Carr 1963 (shown above with husband David Carr)
Thanks for the birthday card and for thinking of me. It was much appreciated.
Patricia Kozak Koch 1964

Thanks for the birthday card and for thinking of me. It was much appreciated.
Santo Carfora 1964

Thanks for the birthday card and for thinking of me. It was much appreciated.
Larry Senn 1964
Thanks for the anniversary card and for thinking of us. It was much appreciated. 48 years
and counting. Thanks for thoughts and a great newsletter.
Carol Dukeman Piacenti & Vince Piacenti 1965
Thanks for the birthday card and for thinking of me. It was much appreciated.
Mike Patoka 1965

Thank you for the anniversary card and for thinking of us. It was much appreciated. We
celebrated our 41st anniversary waiting for the power to come on after hurricane Irma.
Fortunately, we had no damage. The power came on, after 72 hours in the dark, at
precisely 11:59pm on our anniversary. Needless to say, this will be a most memorable
anniversary that we will never forget.
Cheryl Canfield Ward & Bob Ward 1966
We are sitting here in Hobe Sound, Florida waiting for the arrival of Hurricane Irma.
Thank you for the anniversary card because it brought a smile to my troubled heart.
Denise Eisele Felipe 1969 & Juan Felipe
Editor note Hope you ride the storm without any major damage. Back in 2009, my
business partner Ted Swedalla from the class of 1964 and me, we were on a fund raiser
for Guard Dogs of America. Ted was riding his bicycle from Key West to Charleston to
raise money. I had a motor home and was the front man for him going from campground
to campground waiting for his arrival. We stayed in Hobe Sound overnight. A really nice
place to live.
love yah buffalo bob casale

Yes, we love it here. Thank you for the prayersDenise

Editor notesee a hurricane Irma story as told by Denise below

Thanks for the birthday card and for thinking of me. It was much appreciated. I miss New
York and always like reading about my old hometown Hicksville. I remember my 50th
birthday when I was on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera with my dear friend and some
family members. It was a great time.
Frances Kosinski 1969

Bob & HixNews editorsMy wife Carol Ann and I thank you and the Gang at Hix
News, for thinking of us on our anniversary.
John Ohrnberger 1976

Victoria Koumou from the class of 1964 recently joined the Classmates
website.

Fran DeCabia, class of 1960, has a new email address. Anyone wanting to contact Fran
please send a note to editors@hixnews.com and we will make the connection. Same
goes for Irene Evans Beresford also from the class of 1960.
Thanks to Chris Andersen from the class of 1967 for this ancient photo!!!

Thanks to Linda Piccirelli from the class of 1960 for her great investigative work!!!
The Famed Frosted Malt, that many of us had at Gertz Department Store, is alive and
well in Cleveland Ohio. It seems that way back in 1931, Nathan Weber, who owned a
custard shop in Rocky River Ohio, was introduced to the Fresh Ice Cream Machines.
These machines were originally designed for dairies and are made without iron because
iron tends to remove flavor from dairy products. Mr. Weber ordered two be made for his
store. Originally, these machines were cast in sand molds, then machined and the finished
product consisted of 4 sets of barrels and paddles.
Those two machines are the last ones made and are now making delicious custard at
Weber's Premium Ice Cream in Cleveland, Ohio. The American Society of Mechanical
Engineers wanted them donated, however, the present
owner Mr. Dave Ford still uses them every day.
The Frosted Malt usually was a small counter situated close to an escalator or elevator
and really attracted customers. The product was so thick that it was unable to firm up
enough to sit in a cone. It was decided the Malt be put in old fountain glasses. When
finished with your treat, you returned the glass to the counter and said glass was washed
in a sink that was located underneath the counter. Well in 1974 the FDA decided that it
was unsanitary and the counters should have dishwashers. There was no room that could
accommodate a dishwasher so that failure ended the treat as we know it.
I had a phone interview with Dave recently and he commented that, one day, a woman
came into his shop and ordered a Frosted Malt. As she tasted it she flipped out saying
"this is it, this is what I got at the department store". The woman was from New York and
marveled at the many memories the amazing taste brought back. Dave suggested that
many have tried to duplicate the product but it cannot be accomplished using a blender.
Its the machine!!!
My suggestion to Dave was to create a recipe that could be used at home. He said he
would try but wasn't sure it would work as blenders have steel blades that corrupt the end
product. His parting thought to me was that if is able to create an equal product, he will
let me know.
Until such time, you will all have to travel to Cleveland, Ohio to Weber's Premium
Custard & Ice Cream or go to their Site for more interesting tidbits on our favorite
custard. http://webersvintageicecream.com/the-famed-frosted malt/

You can view a video about why Webers is better

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9M7pEdWIY0

Hi Bob!...Here are pics of the original sales brochure for the Glenbrook Splits. The first 4
are the 4 panels of the brochure. The last photo was a tear sheet from a newspaper. I
recall the model home was on the corner of Newbridge and Glenbrook Roads, which
looks like the model here. There was a Mrs. Rogers who, I believe, was the realtor.
Enjoy!
Robert DAmico 1978
Mrs. Rogers lived on my street, Rim Lane, before she moved to your location. She was a
friend of my parents.
Dennis Kearney
A note from Robert to DennisWow - amazing !

An October 23rd, 1949 advertisement from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. This is the
development on the northeast side of where Bay Ave and Bethpage Rd meet. At the time
you had a choice of either a Bendix washing machine or a GE Refrigerator! Hmmm...
Cold beer or clean clothes?
Vin Fallacara 1977
That is great!
Jeanne Dagna

Yes, thank you, I'll take the fridge and cold beer please. 5 minute drive to Bethpage State
Park??? Ha!
Sandy Meyer Sanger 1977
A note to Sandy from VinThat caught my eye too. I doubt it was 5 minutes in 1949
Our home was built for $5,000 in 1950 over by Cantiague park.
Donna Treutler Daniels

I grew up on Franklin Street which runs between Bay Avenue and Bethpage Road. We
always called the neighborhood in the ad Zelda Park.
Ellen Baumgartner 1969
A note to Ellen from VinSo, it was the development inside of the triangle?
A note back from Ellenyes. There was a small development of cape cods. About 7 on
Franklin and 2 on Bay and 4 on Bethpage Road. All the rest were old houses around us.
We were next to the ones who sold the property we were all built on. Mr and Mrs Smith.
There was a small farm on the triangle itself. A rooster used to crow every morning.
A note back from VinThanks Ellen, I'm glad you straightened me out. The description
of the farm's location had me thinking it was across Bethpage Rd.

My parents in 1950 bought their LEVITT house in the "A" section for 6,700 with a 30
year mortgage.
Marian Davis Bombria Hofferber
I'll take 10!
Tom Galati

The Constitution Song

https://biggeekdad.com/2017/08/the-constitution-song/

If Irma hits Florida as a level 5 hurricane, I definitely will need someone here to help in
identifying the cement slab that my house used to rest on! Go Yankees!
John Econopouly 1949

JohnArt Lembke forwarded your email to me. I am an editor of the Hicksville High
School Newsletter that we publish every month. Art sends me lotsa things that I put into
the newsletter. Hopefully, there won't be too many entries relating to Irma. We all hope
you and all the Hicksville classmates and Floridians get spared the brunt of the storm.
Praying for all. If you aren't familiar with HixNews go to http://hixnewscom and check
out the newsletter. Almost every issue dating back to 2000 when we began this journey
can be located in the archives section that can be found in the menu at the top of the
home page. I recognize the name Econopouly mainly because Mary O'Shaughnessy
Korothy Cleary mentioned the name over the years. I seem to remember a connection to
the Sweet Shop in Hicksville. Give me a shout back when you have a moment. Thanks.
Buffalo Bob Casale

Artie spends lots of time on the net and is a great source on many topics...he's a good
person. We have some good discussions politically for I'm a flaming Liberal and after
lots of frustrations with the GOP still trying to define where he stands.
Sweet Shop:
My father migrated from Greece in the late 1880's, sold hot dogs for a nickel at Coney
Island; saved his $ and in 1925 bought the Hicksville Sweet Shop...had three sons that
graduated from HHS, Nick "43". Gus "46" and John "49". Brother Gus and I took over
the biz in the early 50's and sold it in 1971.
Sweet shop today has mini-reunions, approx 12 people for due to aging, not many are
still alive. Whenever I visit my old village always stop in and talk to the customers (most
were children who I knew from yesteryear)...tis always a wonderfully warm experience
for me.
Yes I do read your paper and by the way have almost a dozen ex "Hicks" living in
Floridatwas a great era. Thanks for the note and thanks for the dedication you put in
for your Newsletter.......greatly appreciated. Ya'sa!
John

Just received this e-mail from John EconopoulyAll is wellalmost zero damage
thanks for your concern.
Art

I just called Elfriede "Kix" Hinck, a classmate from our class of 1949, and a very good
friend who lives in Sarasota. She went to a shelter at noon on Sunday and arrived back
home at noon today. No damage to home, just a lot of broken branches around the house.
Her power came on shortly before I called.
Art
Rapallo, Italy

Many of our readers have experienced the recent Hurricanes, Harvey & Irma, and
survived. Please write a story that can be included in the October issue of HixNews.
Hope the masses didn't suffer too many losses!
Love yah Buffalo Bob Casale

Thank you, Bob, for your message. After 8 days of no power and no land-line phone, I
see the importance of having an alternative power source that is not dependent upon
overhead utility lines. Hurricane Wilma in 2005 resulted in 14 days of no power here in
Plantation, Florida as we were in a major strike area where giant trees hit the utility lines
and tornado force winds added to the overall destruction. Again, with Irma, the utility
lines went down after trees fell on them. In-ground propane appears to be the energy
source of choice in this area. Any other energy ideas are always of interest to me and I
would appreciate that information. Best to everyone.
Helen Penner Ackerman 1956

Dear BobHere in Hobe Sound, FL we survived Irma pretty well. We lived in a cave-
like setting for more than a week due to the galvanized shutters on all the windows. The
darkness made me claustrophobic however my husband, Juan, carried on like a trooper
He was born in Cuba so he has had quite a bit of hurricane experience. He remembers a
huge hurricane that struck Cuba in 1944. He has told me that most Cubans now living in
the United States remember the fierceness and the fury of that storm very well.
We hunkered down here during Irma and we were able to make a few hot meals using a
Coleman camping stove. We purchased it in early 2005. We have made good use of it
through Wilma, Matthew and now Irma. It has two propane burners that will prepare a
pasta dinner in no time. Unfortunately we had to throw out the contents of the
refrigerator/freezer but truly that was probably the worst part for us. There was no
damage to our home but the amount of trees and tree limbs that came down will keep the
landscape workers busy for quite a while.
Our community is coming back to life and we had our first mail delivery this past
Wednesday. The last of the shutters came down yesterday so hopefully the rest of the
hurricane season will be a lot less exciting. Take Care.
Denise Eisele-Felipe 1969

I live on Singer Island, a barrier island north of West Palm Beach. A very beautiful,
wonderful place to live, usually. I say usually because whenever a hurricane
threatens.....we must evacuate. It doesn't happen often, and if it's a CAT 1 or 2, it isn't too
bad. But Irma was a CAT 4 with the possibility of going to a 5.

I've lived in this same house for 50 years and raised 4 kids here. I'm a neat and tidy
person but also sentimental to a fault. Example: those of you who have children
remember when they were in kindergarten; they laid on a piece of brown paper on the
floor while the teacher drew an outline of them which they colored in to look like
themselves. I still have those - 4 of them. They're rolled up neatly in a closet with lots of
other things from their childhood. I have my old brownie camera, my marbles in a felt
bag, a brown Teddy bear that my godmother gave me as infant, tiny sandals my father
had someone make for me when he was stationed in the Philippines during WWII, among
other things.
So when we have to evacuate what do I take? I packed 6 boxes with photo albums, the
family Bible, the Waterford crystal glasses, assorted Baccarat and Waterford vases
purchased in Europe on business trips before my husband retired, a mosaic done by a
Vatican artisan, a picture of the face of Jesus with a Polish prayer written under it
(translation on the back) that hung over my Grandmother's bed, and a few other
sentimental items and underwear. Yes, I packed underwear, along with shorts and tops,
some shoes and dresses since we thought the house would be under 10 ft. of water from
the storm surge of a CAT 5 storm. I needed clothes. It's funny how your mind works
under stress. Two days before the storm was supposed to hit, my son-in-law and
grandson started bringing the potted plants I have in the front and backyards into the
garage. We brought all the pool and patio furniture into the living and dining rooms so it
wouldn't blow around, rolled up area rugs and laid the bottom ends of drapes over
furniture. We have impact glass windows now so we don't have to board up anything
except the front door. After putting together 2 boxes of food, we left my car at my
daughter's house which is in a non-flood zone, and drove to my son's house in Palm
Beach Gardens where we stayed for 2 days until it was over.
It may have been over, but it was just the beginning of clean-up. We have a generator, so
life wasn't so bad during the cleaning up and putting back. Our younger son hooked up
an antenna to our TV since we didn't have cable. It took 4 days to get power back, we
have to re-landscape the front of our house, and replace several pieces of screening which
had landed in the pool. The roof stayed on, no water in the house ....... not too bad.
I have been through several hurricanes over the last 50 years here in Florida, but maybe
because of my faith or my age - I'm learning to let go. I had to let go of most of the
material things I have and put into perspective what is really important. My 4 children
and 6 grandchildren are all safe and sound. Everything else can be replaced or I have the
memories. We're getting too old to keep doing this. A new house where we wouldn't
have to evacuate wouldn't be so bad. We're thinking about it. The first day after the
storm was my day to open the church and set up for mass. It was also my birthday. I
have a lot to be grateful for and pray for all those affected by Irma and Harvey.
Bonnie Scharr Papes 1961

This is a tale of 2 people and a hurricane. We lost all power during the onslaught of Irma.
and had power restored after several days. If you are familiar with where we live, the eye
of the storm flattened out right on top of us.
The end result was more wind than rain. Fortunately, we did not get hurt and a real plus
was the structural integrity of our home held up! This seemed to be the never ending
storm. Our son Jerry provided us with a generator and we moved into our garage (shed).
It's a 16x16 foot structure and we were fortunate to have a small air conditioner and TV
that provided us with creature comfort. The generator works with propane bottles and it
kept us cool. We did a TV marathon watching every game show from the 1960s! We had
a small refrigerator for water, soda and beer. We had, too, an assortment of Chef
Boyardee in cans that Rod ate cold out of the can! I didn'tcould not stomach it and we
had no barf bags. I had water with crackers and some coffee drinks.
Our community looked like a war zone with so many old trees down that blocked roads
and several landed on homes in our community. It was an overwhelming disaster for
many Floridians. For 2 plus days, nothing was open and the stores when opened had very
little stock. We did visit our local Restaurants and McDonald's, but it was food. We had
tap water for showers that was ice cold! We had stocked up on bottled water before the
storm.
With power restored, we were able to empty our refrigerator and freezer. The contents,
warm and gushy, left a nasty odor that needed to be neutralized. Also a large amount of
smelly clothes needed to be washed. I did let them air dry in an effort to prevent mold.
We lived through 2 big hurricanes in 2004. We lived on the space Coast. They had more
strength but moved faster. Irma was much harder to deal with and we are older and not as
strong and very mobile. Rod mentioned that he doesn't have what he thought. He will be
72 on his next birthday and with cancer that affects the body, his thoughts were a reality.
My injury and MS contributes to slowing us down. Jerry came out a lot and Ross offered
to help and with their assistance, we survived. Well a FYI to our familyMom and
Dads house did not get any damage. I don't have time right now to write individual notes
so please share this note with anyone who would want to know that we are ok...Talk
soon.
LoveSue Donner Merkler 1968 & Rod Merkler 1964.

Bonnie...Thanks for sharing your heartwarming story. I am glad you all survived along
with the important things in life. Glad, too, that Sue and Rod survived the storm.
Henry Lichtenstein 1959 (Shown above with Trish)
We were very fortunate during Irma. We have lived in our new home, located in the
Sarasota, Florida area, for nearly three years and never had to put up hurricane shutters
before. We had hired two different contractors to do this for us, but after one year
contracts with each, they backed away due to higher liability insurance rates if they
continued to do the work. Knowing Florida had not suffered a serious storm in about
thirteen years, we decided to risk leaving this to ourselves, rather than putting up
accordion shutters that are easy to open and close. Most of our neighbors did the same.
Finding the work rudimentary, but difficult at my age, even with the help of neighbors,
we were fortunate to hire two young men who finished putting up the shutters for us and
also took them down after the storm passed. While many of our neighbors traveled north
after preparing their homes for the storm and reported traffic and gas availability issues,
we decided to go to a local elementary school shelter, less than two miles from our
home.
We can't say enough about how well run the shelter was, especially knowing the
volunteers who ran it had not run a shelter in about thirteen years, or had never run one at
all! The shelter took reservations to accommodate 1,700 people and by Sunday
afternoon, 9/10 was completely full. I made a reservation late Saturday morning and we
decided to go to the shelter that afternoon in order to secure a decent spot for the duration
of the storm. People brought in sleeping bags, air mattresses and lawn chairs to make
themselves as comfortable as possible and the shelter even accommodated dogs, cats and
other pets for people staying there, with the pets put up in cages in a closed off area of the
school. We were fed three times a day in an orderly fashion in the school's cafeteria and
even had a 97 year old lady entertaining the food line with songs she sang, with many
singing along. There were three TV's within the cafeteria to follow the storm by.
Thanks to Irma's reduction to a Category 2 hurricane by the time it hit us, we received the
all clear on Monday morning, 9/11, after spending only two nights there. The volunteers
who took away time from their own families to help at the shelter were informative,
pleasant and courteous at all times. They were also joined by a few National Guardsmen
and Sheriff's department officers who helped out. We came away gratified to meet such
great volunteers and other people staying at the shelter and not having to travel north with
the traffic and lack of gasoline.
Given all the bad news in Texas from Hurricane Harvey and the same on many
Caribbean Islands and the Florida Keys, we came away feeling definitely blessed to have
dodged Irma's fury.
Getting our home back in order after the storm was also a chore. Even with two young
men taking the hurricane shutters down, there were many other things to put back in
order from lanai potted plants to many exterior wall hangings, a lanai TV and even
rehanging the lanai cage doors, which we took down to allow the storm wind to pass
through and hopefully not damage the lanai cage.
We were extremely fortunate to not have any damage to our home and to not even lose
power. Some shrubs and a small tree were damaged, but can easily be replaced or fixed.
While they are expensive, we are now in the process of adding the accordion shutters to
our home. They will make the hurricane preparation job easy in the future and add to the
value of our home.
Our hearts go out to all those who suffered the wrath of both Hurricane Harvey and Irma
and are now suffering from Hurricanes Jose and Maria. We paid our good fortune
forward with a donation to the Red Cross and we urge everyone who can to donate to the
disaster relief charity of their choice.
Joe 1962 & Sharon Carfora
Please add my name to Hicksville news - Ginny Piccirilli (maiden name is Grams). Class
of 1973. And please add my husband, who is deceased to list - Bill Piccirilli, Class of
1972. Died 11/08/2016. Thank You.
Ginny

John Resch 1968 Angelica Tritschler Resch 1969

Was looking to find the name of the group that played at our 1968 Senior prom. I know
the group Earls Pearls played for some time but as I remember well maybe do, there was
a younger group that played more hip songs. Does anyone remember that group name?
Also today my wife and I are celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary. We currently live
in Navarre Florida. We both retired in 2012 Our anniversary celebration is heading to
Africa for a multiple week photo safari and it seems just in time as Hurricane Irma is
heading our way. Our greatest achievements are our daughter Stephanie, sons Eric and
Greg and our little Munchie David (Stephanies son 3 years old).
As far as work goes, myself I spent 39 years working for the US Government, Research
and development centers in Philadelphia, Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois, ARDEC in
Picatinny NJ. Angelica spent her work years in several exciting activities, production
process coordinator for a major computer/printer copier manufacturer, Owner Operator of
a female owned business in Illinois for 13 years and medical/nursing field.
We both have multiple post graduate degrees as we considered education and maintaining
awareness of new developments in our respective fields extremely important.
Participation in the Z project during 1967/68 time frame helped build that foundation.
Our Math and science teachers, Mr. Thibadue, Mr. Massi and I forgot the name of our
Chemistry Teacher sparked that interest and deserve our thanks. If anyone else is out
there and remembers the group it would be good to hear from them.
And a special thanks to our German teacher Mr. Echstien, danke shone fur alles.
John Resch and Angelica

JohnHow did you find us??? Thanks for the information on you and Angelica.
I looked through the 1968 yearbook and there's nothing about the prom...have to look
closer. Don't know if you've been watching America's Got Talent? There's a 9-year-old
girl named Angelica Hale that wants to be the next Whitney Houston. After listening to
her, she certainly has a shot at being that great. If not, check her out on You Tube.
Happy Anniversary. 56 years ago today, I left for navy boot camp at Great Lakes.
buffalo bob Casale

Got a hit on year book msg. Anton Murray, but forgot about it for awhile. Was doing a
lot of Eastern Europe travel. I was lead on resolving problems as depicted in national
Lampoon's film last year "War Dogs". Goggle Non standard ammo program (Picatinny
Arsenal) there may still be team pictures, program objective s and projection on the
billions of dollars used. Go back to early 2008- 2010 time frame. Bull of folks were
exhausted by amount of work, travel etc and have either retired or moved on to other
jibs. My daughter who is a government procurement specialist surprised me when she
walked into one of our meetings having been assigned to help clear up original
procurement team processes. We developed specs and procedures to resolve quality issue
and performance of armaments. We visited most Eastern Europe production facilities in
Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Bosnia, Russia, etc. Also went to Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq,
several of the "stan" countries, old Soviet bases, Turkey, Spain. It was something we
corrected in less than a year, qualified several USA companies to act as our agents. Etc.
A correction on the movie is there was no triangle of death, the Chinese ammo issue was
correct but problem identified was poor quality and function. A year or so after we
cleaned up the processes, two other government offices started using our model to
purchase weapons and helicopters. Also rolling Stone magazine who made the film noted
black market comments on ammo quality improvement was made. Guess we did our job
maybe too wellJohn
Michaels aunt

Gerry Bracero Callejas passed away this week. Her obituary can be read by going to
https://shar.es/1SJLm1 She was married to

Ruben Callejas, and both were graduates from HHS, class of 1953.
Janine Endsley Way 1977

I am burdened by a heavy heart today. I had to make the decision to let my little

Baci cross over the Rainbow Bridge. I know it was the right decision so she would be
free from pain. My heart is broken; my gut feels like I've been sucker punched. When we
first adopted Baci from the Humane Society, there was a sign on her pen that read
"Ismile" (all together, no spaces). Not sure what that meant until we walked right up to
her and she grinned her beautiful teeth at us. She was forever known from that point on as
"Smiley". A huge thank you to the staff and doctor's at Animal Hospital of Ft
Lauderdale for always showing her the best care I could've ever asked for. Madison & I
will be okay but there will now be a void in our daily life. I love you my little Baci
Perugina Spector!
Lauri Spector 1978

Thanks for keeping the Hix site going. Thinking about our schoolmates who may be
living in coastal Texas
Lillian Giller, George Gilligan
and others, probably), I checked today (8/29/2017) for new info. Not a criticism but Bill
Fink is on the Memorial list twice. I've been in touch with John Pizziarella and he is
well. He and I are Navy vets and we were troubled by the news of recent collisions of
USN vessels with other ships. To say nothing of the 2016 presidential election and its
aftermath. I'm still resident in Manhattan. Been here since 1967. Any Comet
Manhattanites local around here?
Gene Yetter 1959

Gene, thanks for pointing out the duplication. It's fixed.

Roger Whitaker, webmaster for hixnews.com

Hey BobI just looked at the newsletter and noticed your comment about nothing
concerning Jack" Roberts. Jack is already listed in the Memorial section, class of 1957.
I always admired Jack, a great athlete and person. I never forgot the advise and
encouragement he gave to me as a 9th grader trying out for the baseball team.
John Pizza Pizzariella 1959
Thanks, John. Hope you are doing okay. I am still fighting some issues, the worst is
mobility. I started to have balance problems several years ago. Felt like I was going to
fall over and was light headed. I did fall and fractured my ankle one night (almost two
years ago). When I was able to get up and walk around, I needed to hold onto something
or I was going down again. Use a walker now to get around...a tremendous turnaround
considering I covered 100 yards in 10 seconds back in the day. I needed to word the
comment about Jack Roberts differently. Obviously, someone sent in a notice about his
passing but I looked back and found nothing to corroborate his passing. I guess I should
have said that. Hard to believe it's almost ten years since I retired. Warm Regards
buffalo bob

Do you remember

Russ Redman? He was also fast and ran in the 880 relay. Hmm, he was a year in front of
me so maybe he was before you. Anyway I read an article in Newsday a few weeks ago
about his passing. He evidently was a long time Newsday employee. Take care. John

JohnI went back to my archives and found some information about our old track days.
Check it out...brings back some memories.
 Jim Grosso Ivars Bemberis Bobby Schaal Mike Sherin

Ah, so you did know Russ. Yes, it does bring back some memories, for me, pole
vaulting, and running when Coach Bowers made me run. I was pretty quick, not as fast as
you, but pretty fast. I raced a track star in the Navy, who thought Id be easy. I had him
for most of the 100, but he caught me in the last 5 yards. Good memories. Take care
Bob.
John
I had a chance to play flag football with the staff in Pensacola when I made my second
tour in Cryptography School in the fall of 1964. I was CT2 and they allowed me to play
on a temporary basis. We had a good quarterback who could let it fly. I wasn't tested yet
and told him that I was going straight up the middle and left the defenders holding their
jockstraps. He hit me on the fly and that started a relationship that brought us to the final
game against the marines. They had seen some of our games and I was a
target...tripped...punched...tackled and got pretty banged up.
Needless to say, I didn't have many chances to catch a pass the entire game.

The bruise on my eye was from an elbow and the scraped face was when I was tackled
and dragged along the ground.
A note to JohnWhat surprised me was the fact that Jim Grosso ran in one of the races!
He was over six feet tall.
Yea, I remember Jim running with us and thought it weird him being so tall. I also
played flag football in the Navy; we were cruiser division 4 champs for 1961-62. We
were coming back from the Med in the fall of 1961, and there was a flag football
tournament in Norfolk, but the ship was going to Boston to drop off the Admiral. So we,
the team, got high-lined to the USS Surbachi, AE-21 which was going to Norfolk, so we
could play in the tournament, which we won, I still have the jacket somewhere. We had a
couple Marines on the team, one was from Hicksville, but I cant remember his name.

Do you remember when

Walter Lehman broke his arm or wrist when a pole vault went wrong? When Walter
eloped with Lynn Boardman, they spent their first day with my sister, Eileen and Chris
Heidt at my house. I've emailed Walter several times and had no response. What is funny
is that when I ran a 10 flat at Great Neck South, both Bowers and Earl had me at 9.9 but
the official from Great Neck did not agree. Then I ran a 21.6 220 at the counties. Both
were best times for school records but didn't count because only times from home meets
were recognized. Most of our meets were away because our facility was a disaster. Don't
remember anything being done to modernize. There is a major change coming according
to the school board.
Bob

Yea, I remember that day in 1958.

Les Leviness, Walter, and I, were going to try to pole vault. First day, Walter breaks his
arm. You remember we vaulted into a sand pit back then. So, the sand was low in the pit
and he lands on the pole which straddled the pit, arm first, him on top, breaking his arm.
Unbelievable set of circumstances for that to happen. I didnt know that Walter and
Lynn eloped. Last I heard Walter was living in Lake Mary, Florida. I called him trying
to get him to come to our reunion. That was for our 40th, so almost 20 years ago. Time
flies.
John

Dear EditorsIs there a contact person I can call regarding the In Memoriam section of
your August 2017 newsletter? In the In Memoriam section of your newsletter, you have
Carol Romaine listed with the Class of 1963 deceased. Was your information vetted
before you posted the name in the newsletter? Thank youMichelle McHugh

MichelleOur classmates normally send a note to HixNews when someone passes.

We don't really make an effort to confirm the death of someone who passes when we
only have a maiden name. All death notices on the Social Security site are posted using
the married name. If you know something different regarding Carol Romaine, please let
us know. If you have a married name, that would be helpful. Please advise at your earliest
convenience. Thanks
Buffalo Bob Casale

Carol is my mother and she has not passed. Please update your newsletter.
Michelle
Glad she is still around. Too many of our classmates have passed early in their lives.
Are you a Hicksville grad??? If so, what year. I don't see your name on the master
Google list. Sorry for the error.
Buffalo Bob Casale

When will you be removing her name on the newsletter?

Fri, Sep 22, 2017 03:41 PM

Her name has been removed from In Memoriam.
Roger Whitaker, webmaster for hixnews.com

Thanks to Barbara DiBella Dowd 1962 for the following

A lawyer had a wife and 12 children and needed to move as his rental agreement was
coming to an end for the home where he lived but was having difficulty finding a new
home.
When he said he had 12 children, no one would rent a home to him because they knew
that the children would destroy the home.
He could not say that he had no children, he could not lie. After all, lawyers cannot and
do not lie.
So, he had an idea. He sent his wife for a walk to the cemetery with 11 children.
He took the remaining one with him to see homes with the Real Estate Agent.
He liked one of the homes and the agent asked : "How many children do you have?
He answered, "12 children.
The agent asked "Where are the others?
The Lawyer answered with a sad look, "Theyre in the cemetery with their Mother.
And that's the way he was able to rent a home for his family without lying.
MORAL: It is not necessary to lie. One only has to choose the right words.
Lawyers Don't Lie ...they are creative...and don't forget: Most politicians are lawyers.
2 pounds cubed beef stew meat (I cut into smaller pieces)
1 15.25 ounce can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 15 ounce can green beans
1 15 ounce can carrots with juice
1 15 ounce can sliced potatoes with juice
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
Salt & Pepper to taste (I dont add saltonly some pepper)

Then I add, to enhance the flavor

I 32oz box low sodium beef broth

1 1.25 ounce package Lipton beefy onion soup mix
1 package McCormick slow cooker savory pot roast
1 package McCormick onion gravy mix
1 package Lipton onion soup/dip mix
1 package Campbells slow cooker sauces Tavern Style Pot Roast

Put all the enhancing ingredients into a separate bowl and mix thoroughly.
Then put all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on LOW for at least six hours.
If you want more liquid, add another box of beef broth. (I dont because I want a thicker broth)
Also you can add baby spinach leaf at the very end because it gets smaller when cooked!!!
If youre wearing socks, be very cautious because this recipe will knock your socks off!
Hearing for the first time
https://biggeekdad.com/2015/08/can-you-hear-me-now/

Doggie Rescue
https://biggeekdad.com/2015/12/two-dogs-in-a-canoe/

Guilty as charged
https://biggeekdad.com/2017/08/guilty-german-shepherd/
Stunning China
https://biggeekdad.com/2015/08/stunning-china/

Thanks to Barbara DiBella Dowd class of 1962

Adrian Alecia Alexandria Arthur Anthony Angela
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/YvT_gqs5ETk?rel=0

Italian lifeguard dogs

https://biggeekdad.com/2017/08/lifeguard-dogs/