Stuyvesant ‘62

The 102nd consecutive meeting of the SHS Class of “62 Local Events Committee took place on August 29th at the home of our class real estate broker, Harry Malakoff. Also attending were: Gary Roebuck; Jay Gottlieb; John Anselmo, Bernie Heller; Arthur Schack; Barry Levine; Fred Brosowsky; Ron Gutterson; Anthony Gambino; Mark Scher; George Gregor; Alan Dombrow; and, after too long an absence, Andrij Szul. Jay Gottlieb graciously catered the meeting with pizza and sandwiches, which he shlepped in from Scarsdale at a cost of $8 per head, including Jay’s tip. We would like to take this opportunity to retract an erroneous statement made in the last minutes: Bernie Heller did not eat a baloney sandwich at the last meeting. Quite frankly, we don’t know what he ate, but it definitely was not a baloney sandwich.

The reunion entertainment committee reported that Elton John was unavailable for the reunion, having previously committed to the Shmulowitz bar mitzvah that weekend at Leonard’s of Great Neck. However, it has been reported that payments for the Reunion events have been pouring in from our classmates. Please do not delay, as seating is limited! Send your checks to Donald Nussbaum before you get “shut out”. Among those reported attending are: Richard Pearl; Jesse Rabinowitz; Stan Mandell; Fidel Nabor; Bill Motzer; Eric Rabkin; George Aprile; James Brust; Richard Rabinowitz; Peter Brown; Jack Shulman; Steven Wallach; Stephen Shestakofsky; Eliot Jacobs; Alan Dorkin; Richard Paolini; Steven Green: and, Bob Pierson.

Alan Dombrow announced that he has a new address but refused to reveal it. A new award for most hair will be presented at the reunion. Barry Levine has already purchased a can of Noxon to shine the plaque while most of the others are using the Noxon to shine their heads.

It has been suggested that our classmates take turns delivering educational lectures at future LEC meetings in order to enable the attendees to take tax deductions for attending. While we are seeking an opinion from our tax counsel, it is believed that we can take deductions for our travel to and from the meeting and for food, beverage and entertainment. Harry Malakoff can more than likely deduct a pro-rata portion of his rent. The scheduled lecture for the next meeting is Gary Roebuck on orthodontic molar positioning.

We are saddened to report that our classmate, Neil Bookman, has passed away. Our thoughts are with Neil’s family. A classmate has shared with us his fond remembrance of the time Neil stepped to the foul line in a basketball game and, before taking his shot, took a hairbrush out of his back pocket and calmly brushed his hair. Neil’s wife, Karen, was kind enough to tell us that whenever Neil was asked where he went to school, he always mentioned Stuyvesant first, before his MBA credentials. Those of you who wish to contact Karen Bookman may do so at karenbook1@aol.com.

Our congratulations go out to our classmate Stewart Margolis (Ms. McGillicuddy’s homeroom) and his wife Lois upon the birth of their first grandchild, Ari Samuel Margolis. Stewart may be congratulated at sgmargolis@aol.com.

Please remember, if you have any news you would like to share with your classmates, please call or write our Grand Poobah, Gary Roebuck at braces1@optonline.net.

Our next meeting will be held on September 26, 2007 at a new venue; Ron Gutterson’s home. Have a safe Labor Day weekend and a Happy and Healthy New Year (Rosh Hashanah) to all.

Finally, in an effort to instill hope and spread a message of peace, the piano on which John Lennon composed “Imagine” is on tour, visiting sites of horrific acts of violence. The piano has been viewed at: Ford’s Theatre; Dealey Plaza; the Memphis Civil Rights Museum; the Oklahoma City Memorial; and, Virginia Tech. On September 11th the piano will be on display at the World Trade Center site. Come join us there. And remember, in the words of John Lennon: “Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can? No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people sharing all the world.”

Thanks to our Anonymous Recording Secretary for his most entertaining and “highly accurate” minutes.

The 101st consecutive meeting of the SHS Class of “62 Local Events Committee took place on July 25th at the home of our class real estate broker, Harry Malakoff, who hungrily attended the meeting after missing the last one.

The meeting was attended by: Gary Roebuck; Harry Malakoff; Jay Gottlieb; Bob Bourne; John Anselmo, Bernie Heller; Arthur Schack; Marc Lubetkin; Barry Levine; Fred Brosowsky; Ron Gutterson; Sy Goldman; Ed Feinberg; and, Phil Radomsky. Barry Levine did an imitation of Mauna Kea, resplendent in an imported 100% silk Hawaiian shirt.

The most surprising event of the meeting was the news that a majority of the LEC members opted to bring their own food to the meeting, causing Jay Gottlieb to cancel his catering plans for the evening. Harry Malakoff, who usually manages to eat the catering leftovers for two to three days after the meeting was forced to make other plans for the rest of the week. The “bring your own” food-fest did however create a great deal of controversy by virtue of the wide range of food brought by the members. Sy Goldman came with a steamed lobster. Gary Roebuck brought his own six-foot hero from Manganero’s. Bernie Heller brought a baloney sandwich while Ron Gutterson ate a ham sandwich.

The meeting began with a moment of silence and a somber tribute to Don Herbert, otherwise known to all of us as “Mr. Wizard”, the 1950’s and 1960’s television icon who inspired many of us to pursue careers in the sciences. Mr. Herbert’s demise, at the age of 89, resulted from a freakish accident when the rubber band, holding a straightened paper clip to a “D” cell battery, snapped, sending the straightened paper clip directly into his heart! We will miss you Mr. Wizard. “Nam et ipsa scientias potestas est”.

We are pleased to report that Bob Bourne’s extensive report comparing various catering possibilities for the Friday night reunion event is now available on DVD for you viewing pleasure. For the special low package price of $29.95 you can obtain the DVD, a sleeping mask and earplugs, shipping and handling extra. Send your orders to: somnambulism.com.

It is with great pride that we report that our own Arthur Schack was the presiding Justice in the recent case of the man whose dog (“Spartacus”) was lost when his van was vandalized. Spartacus, a pure bred mastiff, was captured by NYC animal authorities and placed in a shelter where, in accordance with NYC law, as a stray, it was scheduled to be neutered! With great wisdom and heart-felt compassion, Artie Schack ruled that there was no evidence that Spartacus was Jewish, and accordingly, what the Lord giveth no man shall take away. Justice Schack was later heard to say that his extensive experience with the LEC members made him extremely qualified to decide this case. (New York City v. Spartacus; 320NYS3rd23).

We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting nominations for the coveted “Class Clown” Award. Kindly send in your nominations with a brief description as to why you think your nominee is a worthy candidate for this special award. The winner will be announced at the Reunion. Send your nominations to Gary Roebuck, attention Class Clown Committee. Stand by for future announcements regarding nominations for other awards such as: Class Lover; Class Schnorrer; Best Dressed; and, Most Beautiful.

A number of us reported sightings in NYC of our brother from Seattle, Stan Mandel, during the July 4th week. It is always nice to see you Stan; next time, stay for a meeting so that we can make fun of you too!

It was reported that payments for the Reunion events have been pouring in from the Alumni. Please don’t hesitate; seating is limited; send in your checks before you get “shut out”! The meeting was spent stuffing five inch wide notices for the next reunion into four inch wide envelopes.

Go see “The Glory Days” exhibit currently at The Museum of the City of New York www.mcny.org; 103rd Street and 5th Avenue; Closed Mondays, a celebration of baseball in New York City from 1947 to 1957. Those of you who remember “The Catch”, or Don Larson’s perfect game, or the Dodgers winning their first World Series in 1955, take your kids and “qvell”.

Our next meeting will be held on August 29, 2007. And remember, in the words of Abraham Lincoln: “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him”. Have a safe and happy summer and wear sunscreen!