Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 279

What Is the Purpose of the Newsletter?

1971 - Dale Ilsley Goldberg - “Hi Art

I find myself wondering what the purpose of the Newsletter is supposed to be. I thought it was to catch up with news about classmates - however, it seems to me it has sometimes drifted in a political direction, and recently, nasty.

Art, in the most current issue of the Newsletter, there was an exchange between Alan Littman and you. I found Alan’s opinion about security to be presented in a thoughtful and respectful way. Your response, however, was to insult him with the use of the word “obeisance,” and to double down on the use of that word to describe him. Help me understand why you found it necessary to insult Alan. This exchange, to me, falls outside of what I understood the purpose of the Newsletter to be - a safe place for people to express themselves.

When I read the Newsletter, I want to hear about classmates’ lives, what has gone on in their lives since graduating from Wheatley, and news directly pertaining to North Side, Willets Road and Wheatley.

Perhaps a different venue can be created (perhaps on Facebook) for those who want to discuss politics, and have arguments with other people. I just don’t want to read it in our high school Newsletter.

I would be interested in other people’s thoughts and feelings about this. Do people want the focus of this Newsletter to be catching up with former classmates and hearing about their lives? Do people believe the Newsletter should be a forum for disrespectful exchanges with one another? If someone does express an opinion, is it unreasonable to expect a respectful response? I really hope others respond to this.

Dale Ilsley Goldberg, Class of 1971”

(((Art Responds - Dale, thanks for the feedback. (1) - I am just as interested in what graduates are thinking, including their opinions, political and otherwise, as I am in whether they are playing pickle ball and how many grandchildren they have. (2) I believe in robust debate about issues. If Jane calls John “wrong,” I print it; if Jane calls John “stupid,” I don’t. (3) I also look forward to feedback on this issue, but whatever it is, I’m not going censor views, only personal attacks (narrowly construed).”)))

North Side Safety

1965 - Michele Parker Ross - “I went to the North Side School. I have fond memories of a time long gone and long lost. Preventive safety is the issue today. Build the fence around North Side. My grandaughter went to the Village School in Syosset not that long ago (10 years), and at that time they already had armed retired police officers on guard at the front door, and a fence around school grounds was eventually put in place.” (((Art responds - How very sad.)))

1967 - Jill Simon Forte - “Art, Your take on the fence around North Side is correct!
The amount of years that no one crashed into the school should alert everyone that odds are it won’t happen again. As the odds-makers in Vegas would put it, VERY low, so, no fence needed. The houses that are right across the street from the school do not have fences around the front of their homes, so clearly they aren’t worried about someone crashing into their homes either. Well, that’s a long way to say you are correct. “

1970 - David Packer - “Hi Art, In response to Matt Smith’s (1980) comments, I for one do not want the Newsletter to be ‘guided’ in any direction, while ‘balanced and respectful’ discussions are up to our classmates, not the Newsletter. I don’t detect any effort on your part to promote a point of view, except to the extent that your personal position is persuasive and a source of interest and respect.

In response to Alan Littman’s (1981) contribution, two points concern me. One is that every community in America must contend with low probability events, and determine whether or not the risk warrants the cost and other consequences of taking preemptive action. This is risk assessment, for which there are also many ‘professionals’ who at least try to assess a situation objectively. These professionals deal in probabilities. In some cases, medical doctors do as well, but more often there is personal experience, an extensive literature, patient trials, etc. to reduce the specific uncertainty of a diagnosis or treatment, as well as the potential consequences of leaving an ailment untreated. To compare security and medical professionals is another one of the many false analogies to which humans fall prey, and the word ‘professionals’ can become a rubric or semantic trap that masks the great diversity of problems, required expertise, and levels of uncertainty subsumed under this term.”

Anonymous - “The school fence debate is just weird.

First, there are many ways to do school security these days that do not consist of an unwanted fence. Here is an example: https://www.edweek.org/leadership/see-which-safety-technologies-schools-are-betting-on/2026/05

Second, as was said by you, Art, law enforcement makes all sorts of recommendations. Some good, some not. There are non-law enforcement organizations that may make the same or different recommendations. Where are they on this? Education organizations. Schools. Safety organizations.

Third, why enter this debate at all? Not everyone agrees on whether there should be a school fence and this debate is not going to change anyone’s mind. Is there such a desire to get into an argument? This Alumni Newsletter should be a space for pleasant conversation - perhaps we should have a fence around debates that go nowhere.”

Art Engoron Follows Up - “How many therapists will tell you that you should not be in therapy. (BTW, Here’s one - Not everyone should be in therapy.). (((And for the record, I do not think that every conversation, in a Newsletter or in life, has to be “pleasant.”)

Photos of North Side Today (from Adam Zaid 1977)

Art Engoron (1967) Writes - OMG, those barriers look like the World War II “Atlantic Wall” that Nazi Germany (unsuccessfully) built to forestall the allies from landing in Western Europe (think “D-Day”)……or maybe like a (typically) bad installation by Christo (and his wife and partner, Jeanne Claude), the Bulgarian conceptual artist.

Graduates

1958 - Steve Nelson - “Since announcing my Substack blog ‘Fire in a Wire’ three months ago in Newsletter Issue # 272, I’ve posted a dozen short weekly articles about different topics related to how electricity is affecting human evolution. Here are some recent ones:

‘The End Is Near’: The human species, Homo sapiens, is inevitably going extinct. A new species is living among us. Are you one of them?

‘Death of an Eagle’: What a live video stream of two bald eagles in their nest in California showed us about human evolution.

‘The Evolution of Music’: From the Stone Age to The Rolling Stones, the beat goes on.

Check out my blog here. Subscribe for free and get a new post in your email once a week.

Thanks for your support.”

1960 - Barbara Nocito Peluso - Deceased in 2024 (not previously reported)

1962 - Howard M. Grindlinger, MD

Howard Writes - “After 2 ½ years of work, my friend and I just finished writing a paper about Prions. It’s now ready for submission to an academic journal.

My next project is finishing a novel! It’s approximately three chapters from completion. I hope that it will take only 2 ½ months, rather than 2 1/2 years.

I knew that Adm. Rickover was NEVER Secretary of the Navy. He hated bureaucracies, and working with him was too difficult. Barry Gordon (1965) was very fortunate to have worked within Adm. Rickover’s sphere.

1966 William Victor Nocito, Jr. - Deceased

William Nocito Obituary - Including Photo

1966 - Leonard Palazzo - Deceased (in 2022; not previously reported):

1966 - Claude Lévy + Marta Pesa - Exchange Students - Photographed Back Then

Mr. Wieler, a Roslyn photographer who donated his services as a gift to AFS (American Field Service) (which still runs student exchange programs) prepping Claude. The result:

Mr. Wieler also photographed Marta:

Claude is from France and now lives in Manhattan. He stayed with the Gross family (Robert 1967 and Jean 1969). Marta is from Argentina and lives in Argentina. She stayed with the Noble family (Diana 1966, Barbara 1968, and Henry 1972). Marta writes, “I am proud to be from Tucumán, the city where Argentina declared its independence.”

1966 and 1967 - Claude Lévy and Art Engoron - In Academia

L-R - Claude Lévy, Art Engoron, and MBDE, at the Columbia University Campus (undergoing construction), 116th Street and Broadway, New York City, August 21, 2026

1967 - Shep Messing and Dolly Parton

1967 - Scott Frishman and Amy Pastarnack Hughes

Scott Writes - “Amy Pasternack Hughes and I had a lovely dinner on Thursday, August 27, at Guilio Cesare in Westbury. There was a lot of catching up and learning about each others’ lives since Wheatley days. She is so nice and sweet, as you you well know, being such good friends with her. She has had such an interesting life, including having six children (four girls and two boys). I give her so much credit for raising such a large brood .”

1969 - Roger Gimbel - Featured in a Stroll Magaine Cover Article - Pages 17-21

Stroll Magazine With Roger Gimbel Cover Article

Fan Mail

1960 (Joanne Festa) - “Thanks again. I look forward to each Newsletter.” ❤️

1963 (Mark Friedman) - ❤️

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1965 (Sharon Neely Halm) - ❤️❤️

1972 (Debra Soffer Beilin) - “Keep up your good works; as you know, you’re much appreciated!”

1974 (Melanie Artim) - ❤️

1978 (William Haft) - ❤️

Non-Wheatley (MBDE) - ❤️

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 275 or so Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 279. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Arthur Fredericks (“Art”) Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833Substack is the home for great culture

Dear Wheatley Wildcats and Other Interested Persons,

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 278,

North Side Safety and Larger Issues

1980 - Matt Smith - Dear Wheatley School Alumni Association,

I was disappointed by the recent commentary regarding the North Side School safety issue. Closing off the school grounds does not seem appropriate for a community that has historically been one of the safest in the country. Having lived and worked in this area for my entire life, including serving as President of the Wheatley Hills Golf Club, I believe the discussion should reflect a better understanding of the community and its residents.

As a longtime local real estate professional and a member of the Wheatley Class of 1980, I also feel that some of the newsletter’s commentary over the years has come across as unnecessarily biased, divisive, and, at times, offensive. That does not reflect the Wheatley Community I remember.

I attended school alongside Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim classmates, and that diversity was an important and positive part of my experience. The Newsletter should encourage that same sense of respect and connection rather than contribute to the division that already exists in the world.

Perhaps it is time to consider bringing in additional editorial perspectives or new leadership. Alumni such as Scott Barshay of Paul Weiss, Class of 1984, may be able to help guide the newsletter in a more inclusive and constructive direction.

These are simply my thoughts, offered in the hope that future discussions will be more balanced and respectful. All the best, Matt Smith, Class of 1980

1981 - Alan Littman - “Wheatley Community,

My name is Alan Littman. I’m a graduate of the Class of 1981 and a former East Williston school board member. During my time on the board, we proposed building a fence around North Side. I remember those meetings clearly, and I remember that the opposition was rarely about student safety — it was almost always about how the fence would look.

I’m seeing the same arguments resurface today, and after the most recent incident — a driver experiencing a medical emergency crashing a car into the school — I think it’s worth revisiting them honestly.

“Nothing has happened before.”

That isn’t a safety plan, it’s a bet on luck. No investor holds a stock because ‘it hasn’t gone down yet.’ Past absence of a tragedy is not evidence that one won’t occur — it’s simply the record so far. Nassau County police have recommended a fence. When the professionals whose job it is to assess these risks give a recommendation, dismissing it because we’ve been fortunate until now is not a serious counterargument.

“It will look institutional, or like a prison.”

Almost everyone raising this concern has a fence around their own home. I do too, and I’d gladly trade it for the more thoughtfully designed fence we proposed for Northside years ago. Aesthetics are a legitimate design consideration — they’re a reason to push for good design, not a reason to reject a fence outright.

“A fence won’t stop a determined attacker.”

True, and no single measure will stop every possible threat. That’s not an argument against layered security, it’s the reason for it. If you search for “why fences don’t work” or “why armed guards don’t work,” you’ll find articles supporting whatever conclusion you already hold. The professionals recommending these measures aren’t claiming any one of them is a silver bullet — they’re describing a layered approach where each piece reduces risk.

On security staffing:

I support having armed, trained personnel — off-duty or retired police — at our schools. Nassau County law doesn’t currently permit civilians to carry on school grounds, but retired and off-duty officers are a real option worth pursuing. An unarmed guard, in a worst-case scenario, is often just the first person put at risk.

A question worth asking:

Has any community that suffered a school shooting ever said, beforehand, “this could happen to us”? Nearly all of them believed it couldn’t — until it did.

I understand that some of the people most invested in how the campus looks attended these schools decades ago, when the safety landscape was very different. I’d ask that we weigh their aesthetic preferences against the safety guidance of the professionals we’ve asked to advise us today.

I’d like us to focus on our children and follow the recommendations of the security professionals, even where that means the campus looks different than it used to. I support this fully — including personally contributing toward getting it built.

Alan Littman

Class of ’81, former East Williston Board of Education member”

Art Engoron (1967) Responds - Alan’s repeated obeisance to security professionals reminds me of that aphorism, “To a hammer, all the world is a nail.” Not surprisingly, if you ask a security professional what should be done in a situation, the response will be, “provide security.” That’s what security professionals do. That’s their institutional bias.

Alan Littman (1981) Replies - “Art, ‘obeisance’ is an odd word to use for taking professional guidance seriously. When your doctor recommends a treatment, do you follow it because you’re a blind subject bowing to authority, or because you value expertise you don’t have? I’d guess the latter. I extend the same courtesy to the Nassau County police when they assess a physical security risk at a school — that’s not obeisance, it’s respect for people who do this for a living and have seen what happens when communities don’t.

Your hammer-and-nail line is clever, but it proves too much. By that logic, we should discount any professional’s recommendation in their own field, since of course a security expert recommends security, a doctor recommends treatment, an engineer recommends structural fixes. If ‘the recommendation matches their job is disqualifying, no professional advice survives — including whichever experts you’d cite to make a case against a fence. That’s not skepticism, it’s a way to dismiss any conclusion you didn’t want to hear.

I’m not asking anyone to defer to security professionals on aesthetics, or on how to run the school, or on anything outside their expertise. I’m asking that on the narrow question of physical risk to students, we weigh the judgment of the people trained to assess it. That’s the same standard I’d apply if my oncologist told me something I didn’t want to hear.

Alan

Art Rejoins - I stand by what I wrote - ‘Obeisance’ is an uncommon word, but it is appropriate here……this, from Google’s A.I.: “blindly following a……powerful influence.” Alan is not blind, but he’s asking us to suspend, or at least downplay, our personal, independent judgments.

Alan’s doctor analogy is based on a false premise, to wit, that I follow doctors’ recommendations. Often, I don’t (and I am perfectly healthy at 77). BTW, my wonderful doctor knows that often I don’t follow her advice; she is philosophical and good-natured about it.

Nassau County police recommendations have a certain facial appeal; but a fence might attract the notice and stoke the imagination of evil-doers and could trap people on the inside; and those recommendations probably do not take aesthetics into account (with which the police are not being tasked).

I don’t suggest “discounting” expert opinion; I suggest assessing it independently, including considering its source. I don’t think that we should go to war every time a general recommends it.

The school district should not ignore security professionals’ advice, but neither should it follow it blindly.

I oppose guns in general, and I adamantly oppose guns in schools……which, it is well-documented, occasionally results in tragedy.

Finally, I own and live in a private house in the New York City suburbs, and despite Alan’s generalization, I do not have a fence around it (and anyway, there’s nothing worth stealing).

The Great STEM Debate

Barbara Burri (1971) Writes - “I disagree with Dr. Howard Grindlinger (1962) about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). I was certainly a benefactor of a strong STEM education at Wheatley, going on to engineering school, an MBA, then working in high tech as a systems engineer and IT director before going back to school in the veterinary medicine field. And yes, there has been a time where the STEM subjects were not promoted, but at least here in New England, that time is over. There is a lot of activity promoting STEM in the schools around here, and interestingly enough, while he alludes to ‘charter schools’, one of my former Girl Scouts is now the principal of a charter school whose focus is Arts and STEM, and the activities those children do are intensive, educational, and often astound the adults who get the privilege of seeing the resulting activities. STEM is not dead, and it is very much encouraged in the schools in my area.”

Local Museum Report

Renee Gershen Nadel (1960) Writes - “Hi Art, I recently learned of a museum that may be of interest to folks still living in the ‘old neighborhood.’ The Museum of Disability History, the only museum of its kind, is located at the Viscardi Center in Albertson. The address is 201 I.U. Willets Road. There are over 125 artifacts highlighting the fight for equal opportunity for people with disabilities. I have not been there, but it sounds interesting and certainly unique. Thanks, Renee

Graduates

1962 - Howard Grindlinger, MD - “Hyman Rickover was too abrasive and perfectionistic a soul to manage any administrative position. He remained a full Navy Admiral but never became Secretary of the Navy.

However, both in Education reform and in the Naval Submarine Fleet, he was felt to be too valuable to allow to retire. He remained in the Navy as a Uniformed Admiral (at the end of his career) for over 60 years!

1965 - Barry Gordon - “I worked for Admiral Rickover for six years when I was with Westinghouse Bettis right out of Carnegie Mellon. However, I only had a chance to see him when he visited our laboratory. He loved our scanning electron microscope! He was an outstanding engineer, but was not much of a materials corrosion person. In fact, I would not have such a great career rusting and busting materials if it wasn’t for his selection of poor corrosion resistant alloys in the nuclear industry. I teach Rickover’s ‘Technical Program Principals,’ ‘Organizational Program Principals,’ and ‘Submarine Engineering Objectives’ in my nuclear corrosion classes.”

1967 - Shirley Vogl Quarantello - Bomb Scares During My Wheatley Years

Shirley Writes - “The few bomb scares that were called in (probably by my classmates) were nothing more than a chance to go outside on the school grounds for a short time while the lockers were checked. None of us were afraid that they would find a bomb. It was a lark, and we all knew it. I miss the world as we knew it. I also look back on my years at North Side fondly in those times of innocence. I am so sad for those growing up in this world today.”

1967 + 1968 - Shep Messing (1967) and Leslie Wolowitz (1968)

Leslie Writes - “I just finished a New York Post crossword puzzle from Aug 4 in which a clue was ‘soccer commentator Messing’ and the answer was ‘Shep.’”

1967 - Art Engoron - Around Town

L-R - Art, MBDE, Scott

Art and MBDE under water

1974 - Richard Lowell - “Art: In your most recent Newsletter, one of your alum submissions (from Howard Grindlinger, MD, (1962)) advises that Admiral Hyman Rickover was a Secretary of the Navy.

As a graduate of the Naval Academy and an officer in the Navy submarine fleet back in the late 70’s and early 80’s — and more importantly, having been personally interviewed by Adm. Rickover — I can say that he was never Secretary of the Navy. He was – for quite some time - Director of Naval Reactors - and generally considered the Father of the U.S. Nuclear Navy. He was, also, a cantankerous, quirky, and amazing historic individual.

I mention this only because Dr. Grindlinger noted that he had co-authored an academic paper addressing Adm. Rickover that had passed a first review and was expected, ultimately, to be published. I would ask you to reach back to your Wheatley alum contributor and recommend he look into this issue before final publication.

I would have graduated from Wheatley in 1974, but after an upbringing in Roslyn Heights, I ended up moving to Pennsylvania in the middle of 9^th grade. I still maintain friendships with many Wheatley ‘74s with whom I’ve been friends since elementary school.

Rick”

Fan Mail

Faculty (Stephen Ehre) - ❤️

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1964 (Davida Tunis Philips) - ❤️

1965 (Barry Gordon) - “Thank you for the latest Wheatley School Association Newsletter, # 277, especially because it included Howard Grindlinger's (1962) article on Admiral (and fellow landsman [I am also a Polish Jew]) Rickover. Thank you again for all your hard work for us Wildcats!”

1967 (Barbara Smith Stanisic) - “Thanks again, Art, for another great issue.” ❤️

1968 (Patti Garin Abelson) - ❤️

1974 (Richard Lowell) - “Thanks, as always, for all you do on behalf of Wheatley.”

Non-Wheatley (MBDE) - ❤️

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 275 or so Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 278. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Arthur Fredericks (“Art”) Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 277,

Correction

The name of the “mystery movie” about little league baseball that Steve Nelson (1958) and Michael Jablon (1961) wrote about in Issue # 276 WAS, INDEED, “This Is Little League.” The “not” was a typographical error (or, more accurately, a SNAFU). I apologize for the confusion.

North Side Safety

ICYMI (In case you missed it)

Report on North Side Crash

News Report of Crash into North Side

Rick Jalonack (1966) Writes - “I attended North Side School a long, long time ago. It was a wonderful place. Being interested in ‘Probability.” I wonder what is the total number of autos that have crashed into North Side School since it opened. In my opinion, the fencing will not deter someone who is intent on scaling any form of fencing. I assume ALL the doors to the school are secured and any approved person is closely monitored. Have all personnel been instructed as to what to do in the event of an intruder? Is that ‘instruction’ reinforced on a regular basis? Is an armed guard present when students are there? What I’m saying is there are many, many ways to protect against unwanted entry. A fence may keep individuals out, but it will certainly give the impression of an armed camp……or worse, a PRISON. Have all the measures noted been enacted? A fence is the VERY last item that might be considered and all of the other mechanisms should be deployed first.”

(((Art Engoron (1967) Writes - I am unalterably opposed to guns in schools!!!

From AI - “Research tracking campus police behavior and use-of-force incidents in K-12 schools and universities has documented numerous instances of severe physical injury and occasional fatalities resulting from police intervention in student fights or non-compliant behavior. There are also documented safety incidents where armed personnel on school property have unintentionally mishandled or discharged firearms, raising ongoing public safety debates regarding guns in schools”)))

Rebecca Consolo Freer Freedman (1968) Writes - “These are sad times, indeed, when schools have locked doors and teach children the procedures they need to adhere to if there is a “live shooter” in the building.

Back when I was at North Side, recess, field day, and even a fun walk at Christmas, to the house of my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Mingus (off campus!), were done without physical boundaries. We felt safe, free and joyous. Aren't there enough fences and walls in this world already?”

BTW, I read to children in a neighborhood school twice a month as part of the ‘Read to Me Program.’”

Benjamin Ross (1967) Writes - “No fence & no wall! Put a row of bollards along Hillside Avenue in front of the school. That will keep drivers out while letting kids in.

No reason anyone should drive fast on that two-lane road. Bollards right up against the roadway, within a few inches, will slow down the drivers without actually obstructing traffic.”

The attached picture is more what I'm thinking of, for keeping drivers where they belong, not for stopping terrorists.

Art Engoron (1967) Writes - My esteemed classmate, Ben Ross, is a traffic and transportation expert.

1976 - Dan Knudsen - “Don’t fence North Side in!!”

Graduates

1962 - Howard Grindlinger, MD - “I just finished co-authoring an academic article on Prions (a very interesting group of ancient enzymes and etiologies of rare dementing disorders) with a friend and colleague. It passed first peer review. If it passes the second peer review, it will likely get published. It was a job with many headaches (and much learning) but no payment.

Rickover schools were our answer to the onset of the ‘Cold War’ and to the Soviet Union’s Sputnik, the first object made by humans to orbit the earth. The schools were as important to President Eisenhower as the Interstate Highway System. He was more proud of Rickover Schools (Hyman Rickover - Secretary of the Navy) than his golf scores.

-I have a novel to finish, as well.

-So, I remain busy with writing long into my retirement.”

Howard explains Rickover Schools:

“Wheatley came into existence because it was part of Admiral Hyman Rickover’s (a Jew) effort to overhaul the American Education system.

-Admiral Rickover began his attack on the American Educational system in 1955, the same year he launched ‘The Nautilus’, our first nuclear-powered submarine. Admiral Rickover eventually went on to create the Navy’s Nuclear Submarine Force, and he was its overall Commander.

In 1957, the Soviets successfully launched Sputnik into orbit, with a payload of only 1.5 Kg. Besides their rocket’s success, it proved that they had capabilities to launch Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) with guidance systems that we had no clue yet how to build.

-Between 1957-1959, the expensive Vanguard Missile Program FAILED 8/11 times. In 1959, Admiral Rickover and VP Nixon (oddly) visited Soviet and Polish school systems- from middle years to graduate studies. Regardless of what was staged or not, it convinced Rickover that a stricter, more STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) oriented academic structure was needed.

So were created, nationwide, a group of schools to become the future of the next era of progress. ’War will be won in the education battlefield,’ Admiral Rickover was quoted as saying.

-Because of an increase in population on Long Island, and with the offer of a site, Wheatley was born!!! Teachers had to have master’s and even doctorate degrees. Dr. Ed Thomas, our first Black Science teacher, held an ABD (“all but dissertation”) Doctorate in Chemistry.

-It only took us from 1959 to 1973 to put a human on the Moon!!!

-I write this because the views of Wheatley graduates of how Wheatley came to be are woefully inadequate. We owe Admiral Hyman Rickover and President Eisenhower for our excellence!

-Sadly, today, the ‘STEM’ program has fizzled like Vanguard rockets. I won’t list the crucial consequence of ‘charter schools’, home schooling, and even politically foolish Universities, Harvard being a wonderful but terrible example. Harvard and its disgraced, now resigned, President provide a cautionary tale of how far we’ve devolved from the Rickover System that brought us to the Moon, to a United Culture of Excellence, and to Wheatley!!!

-This is a wonderful and complex story to research. I hope that some of you pick up the gauntlet.”

1965 - Erik Calonius and Gibb Geery

Erik Writes - “Hello, Art.

Back in the 1950s, I remember a baseball film being made on the diamond behind the North Side School. I’m not sure if it was the Whitey Ford film—rather, I thought it was a TV commercial. And I believe it starred Kenny Yagoda (1965).

Another comment: One of our classmates recently recalled admiring the tall columns at the front of the North Side School following the fire, and reading into them that they represented stength in the face of adversity. It’s funny, because I was standing there at one point as well, this as the demolition crane grabbed the pillars and removed them. What struck me was the realization that the pillars were not solid marble, as I had imagined, but merely hollow cylinders of wood. My lesson, as a fifth grader, was, “don’t equate the outward appearance of strength as strength to the core.”

I also want to remember my good friend Gibb Geary. As kids, we played guitar together, often disturbing the kids who were piously playing folk music, with our renditions of the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Dion and the Belmonts, and The Ventures. We skateboarded all over Long Island, even tackling the big hills in Great Neck. We also played in a jug band with our good friend, and lovely person, Stu Deaner, who died in a car wreck a few years later. We surfed Gilgo Beach, and once we were picked up by the highway patrol hitchhiking along Meadowbrook Parkway. We had to go to court, and Exhibit One was our hand written sign, “To the Beach.” They let us go, and we sang “God Bless America.”

When I graduated from Ohio Wesleyan, I returned to Long Island to find Gibb there, as lost for direction as I was. Fortunately, a college friend called. He had moved to a place called Cambridge, Mass. I went up, loved it, and returned to Long Island. Gibb and I got into my car (a 1958 English Ford) and moved up there, finding a cheap apartment on the poor side of Beacon HiIl. I got a job working on a printing press near Fenway Park (the 5 pm to 4 am shift) and Gibb joined me.

Things were good, but then Gibb lost the job. He ended up driving a delivery van for a grocery store. One day, he came home and told me that the engine was talking to him. He had become schizophrenic. In the ensuing years, we lost contact. The last time I saw him, he was living in a dark old apartment. It had a wrought iron frame bed. On the nightstand was a stuffed black raven on a perch and next to it, a handgun. About 15 years ago, he somehow found me living in Charleston, SC. After that, we spoke frequently. I learned all about his life as a homeless person. His girlfriends. His conversion to the Muslim religion, of the change of his name to Saleem. Of the attempts by the city to evict him. Of the fire that burned down part of the house he was in, killing one of the other men who lived there. I always spoke to Saleem as a friend, a buddy—never as anyone who deserved my pity. I offered to lend him money. He refused. One time I sent him a check for $400. He had nothing, but he returned it. When he was dying, I was relieved when his brother Scott told me that his friends from the Muslim Brotherhood sat over him and took care of him. And when he died, they washed his body, dressed him in white, and laid him to rest with their prayers.

Gibb, as I hope you know, was handsome, a gifted artist, and brilliant beyond my ability to keep up. The cartoons and sketches he passed over to me in geometry class were why I still don’t know obtuse from acute, and I never will.

I wish that I could say that, looking back, I‘m satisfied with the help I provided for Gibb, but I know I didn’t do enough. It’s hard.

I remember when he was being evicted, I told Saleem that if the state forced their way in, we were going to get Judge Arthur Engoron (1967) to call those bastards and say, “He’s not some bum. Get your hands off him. He’s one of us.” It never came to that, but he was one of us.

Erik

1967 - Linda Caterino - “My 12-year-old granddaughter, Alessandra Stoutner, has had her first publication in the Newsletter of the Armenian Museum of America. She wrote about her great-great-grandfather, Vartan Margosian, who was a well-known Armenian musician. His family was killed during the Armenian Genocide in 1915, but he himself had already immigrated to New York, in 1908. While Vartan was employed as a photoengraver, his passion was music.

He opened a small, privately-owned record company independently to record and release traditional Armenian music (“A&T Records,” later “Margosian’s Records”). He recorded at least 66 records and over 122 songs with 100 to 300 copies per record release. Vartan was known as the “Nightingale of Kharpert” because he played, sang, wrote, and recorded traditional folk music from the Kharpert region of present-day Turkey. Vartan sang and wrote lyrics in Armenian, the Western Armenian dialect, Turkish, and Kurdish. He played violin and the oud (similar to a guitar). Vartan played and recorded over the Gimbels Department Store Radio Station in 1924 and 1925. Some of Vartan’s songs were original pieces, while others were traditional songs from Armenia. Vartan’s music had traditional folk melodies and tempos and included multiple instruments, such as dumbaks (drums), piano, clarinet, mandolin, oud, Kanon (like a zither), and violin or fiddle. His music has been compared to Appalachian Blues music because it is folk music with some elements of improvisation with a broad emotional range. Alessandra has inherited some of Vartan’s talents. She sings and plays piano and electric guitar.

You can hear the recordings and read Alessandra’s essay at this site:

Vartan Margosian Armenian Recordings

Portrait of Vartan Margosian (left) and Alessandra Stoutner (right).

1968 - Claudia Aufhauser - Rebecca Consolo Freer Freedman (1968) Writes - “I was saddened to read about the passing of Claudia Aufhauser in 2014. She and I were very good friends in 7th grade and spent lunch time having long talks about life, family, boys ( I had a crush on her older brother Keith), and the world in general. I always wondered where she went. I will miss her.”

1968 - Bruce Ellison - “Hi Arthur, I still have a lot of memories (of all types) re my Wheatley experience. I wish my grandkids could benefit from a quality early education like we received and took off from.

I was one of Leonard Peltier’s attorneys for the past 50 years, through his trials and appeals, where there were convictions. I was also mostly a briefcase holder for his co-defendants, who were found not guilty by reasons of self-defense in the deaths of the two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975. That was my interesting first 2 years of practice.

(((According to Wikipedia, “Leonard Peltier (born September 12, 1944) is a Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) who was convicted of murdering two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents in a June 26, 1975, shooting on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.”)))

1975 - Frank Engoron

L-R - Art Engoron (1967) + Frank Engoron (1970) - West End Avenue Lobby, July 2026

1984 - Scott Barshay - Prominent Attorney

Career at Paul Weiss discussed at length in New York Times Article:

Scott Barshay 1984 - Man in the News

Fan Mail

Faculty (Stephen Ehre) - ❤️

1962 (Howard Grindlinger) - “Many thanks for your extensive work to connect Wheatleyites over these many years.”

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1964 (Steve Simmons) - ❤️

1965 (Mitch Ditkoff) - ❤️

1965 (Judy Lutrin Sidran) - “Thanks for keeping us all connected.”

1966 (Richard Jalonack) - ❤️

1967 (Jill Simon Forte) - Thanks. As usual, I get to read names of some people I had long forgotten about, which makes me smile .” ❤️

1968 (Rebecca Consolo Freer Freedman) - “Many thanks to both you and Keith for the work you do on the Newsletter.❤️”

1968 (Bruce Ellison) - “Thank you for the Wheatley Newsletter.”

1970 (Mitch Shapiro) - “Enjoying the hard work you put into making the Newsletter the success it is….”

1972 (Debra Soffer Beilin) - ❤️

1974 (Melanie Artim) - ❤️

1974 (Bob Berta) - “I love the Newsletter.”

1977 (Peter Fitzpatrick) - “Thank you, Art. I appreciate the Newsletters.” ❤️

1996 (Joshua Effron) - ❤️

Non-Wheatley (MBDE) - ❤️

Unknown (Ellen Jacobs) - “Thank you for compiling the Wheatley Newsletters and sending them out. I am sure that is a tremendous amount of work.”

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 275 or so Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 277. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Arthur Fredericks (“Art”) Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 276,

Late Breaking News

East Williston Board of Education renews calls for perimeter fencing after SUV crashes through elementary school

The school was empty at the time of Sunday’s crash.

Jonathan Gordon

Jul 27, 2026, 10:17 AM

News Report of Crash into North Side

“The East Williston Board of Education renewed the district’s calls to install safety and security measures outside of North Side Elementary School, one day after a car slammed through the school’s library after a driver suffered a medical emergency.

East Williston Superintendent of Schools Danielle Gately and board President Mark Kamberg both delivered public statements at this morning’s previously scheduled special meeting following executive session.

“The safety of our students, staff and visitors remains our highest and most important responsibility,” Gately said.

“Yesterday evening’s incident at North Side School was a stark reminder of how quickly unexpected events can occur,” Kamberg added.

Nassau County police said a 77-year-old man was driving a Jeep when he suffered a medical emergency that forced his SUV off the road and into the building at 110 East Williston Ave.

Neighbors said traffic is usually bad on that stretch of road, even at the time of the crash, when they didn’t hear it until first responders showed up.

“Hopefully everybody is okay, and then you worry about the driver,” East Williston resident Nyna McKittrick said.

The district said the building was empty during the crash, but there are piles of books, windows and other library materials scattered across the ground inside.

The debate over the fences around North Side Elementary School heightened in 2019, when the district began construction on the 6-foot fences after receiving approval from the State Education Department.

The district said the fence was necessary to keep students, staff and faculty safe from intruders walking freely onto the campus.

Work stopped after a group of residents sued, alleging that the district failed to apply for the proper variances from the village for the fence’s height.

The district contended that it didn’t need to apply because it was authorized by the state.

A judge initially ruled in favor of the residents, but the district appealed the decision and in 2024 a State Appellate judge reversed the lower court ruling and sent the case back to continue litigation.

“The accident that occurred yesterday would not have been prevented by the fencing currently proposed,” Kamberg said. “However, the district’s original plans envisioned a comprehensive approach to protecting the entire campus. Those plans included perimeter fencing as well as a stone wall retaining wall along the East Williston Avenue property line.”

Work has not restarted as the case remains open.

News 12 reached out to the village of East Williston, the State Education Department and the attorney who brought the lawsuit against the district and is waiting to hear back.

As for yesterday’s damage, Kamberg said the district is working with its architect and the State Education Department to come up with a plan to have the wall and library fixed in time for the upcoming school year.”//

A student wrote - “Hearing anything about North Side on 1010 WINS radio is quite unusual.”

(((Art Engoron, 1967 Writes - I STRONGLY oppose the fence. “Don’t fence me in.” Can anyone identify what part of the school, east or west, north or south, the vehicle struck?))). Bing Crosby Singing Cole Porter and Robert Fletcher's "Don't Fence Me In,”

Administration

L-R - Art Engoron (1967) and Rick Simon (Wheatley Principal 1995 to 2008) in Stresa Restaurant, Northern Boulevard, Manhasset, July 16, 2026

Graduates

Mystery Presented

REPRINT FROM ISSUE # 275

1958 - Steve Nelson - “Seeing Whitey Ford’s picture in Issue # 268 of the Wheatley Alumni Newsletter reminded me of a small mystery that I’m hoping one of you can solve. Whitey, of course, was a star pitcher with the Yankees, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1950 before serving in the Korean War for two years and returning to the Yankees in 1953. That spring I was in 7^th grade at the Willets School and played for the Buffaloes in the Roslyn Little League. Art Rollini ’59 was on the team too.

One Saturday morning in May, all of the Roslyn Little League teams were summoned to be at Roslyn High School in uniform, where a film was being made about Little League starring Whitey Ford! He was a big hero of mine, both of us being left-handed throwers and on the shorter side, although I wasn’t a pitcher. I remember seeing him there, but I was just one of a couple hundred kids playing ball in the background.

I never heard anything more about the film, and I’ve struck out trying to find anything about it online. Who knows, maybe it was never completed. Whitey passed away in 2020. I’m hoping some ex-Little Leaguer from Wheatley who played Little League at the time knows something which can solve the mystery of the missing movie.

Mystery Solved

1961 - Michael Jablon Writes - “Dear Steve,

The lost movie you are looking for is not titled ‘This Is Little League.” I was fortunate to have Jerry Bronfeld as my manager of the Tigers in the Roslyn Little League, and he was also the writer, director who happened to work for RKO Studios. I also had a very small part in the movie. The world premier was shown at the Roslyn Theater with special guest Jackie Robinson.

I was able many years later to procure a copy of the movie. As luck would have it, I met and became friends with Jack Lang, a sportswriter at The Long Island Press and the Secretary/Treasurer of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BWAA). Jack knew everyone in the baseball world, and when I told him about the movie, he referred me to Jeff Idelson at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

Jeff asked me if I could send him a copy of the movie, which I did, and now The Roslyn Little League is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Best regards,

Michael Jablon

Steve Nelson (1958) Writes - “Mystery solved! And thanks to Michael Jablon ’61, I know much more about the “mystery movie” than I ever thought I would. I knew Wheatley would come through!

1964 - Susan Obrant and Jesse Samberg

Susan Writes - “Jesse, thank your for your amazing story “against the wind.”

1964 - Jesse Samberg (1964) and Ellen Solow Holzman (1964 and Faculty) - Ellen Writes “I listened to Jesse Samberg tell the story of his cousin as I sipped my morning coffee, and I was riveted. So beautiful and sad and yet redemptive. Thanks for the link!

Also, Scott Reich (2001) was the sports editor of The Wildcat when I was the advisor, and so I am terribly proud—but not surprised—that he is having such a successful career as a writer. He was a pleasure to work

1966 - Marjorie Silver Writes - “Dear Arthur,

I’ve been meaning to write for your amazing Newsletter for decades, and yet somehow never got around to it—until now. Your Newsletter # 269 sparked some memories (and still it’s taken me many weeks to respond!)

I played Mary Lou Wingate in ‘John Brown’s Body’, which that Newsletter featured, and while my MCI (mild cognitive impairment) may have erased some memories, I can still recite a few lines from that play:

“Mary Lou Wingate,

As tightly made

And as hard to break

As a rapier’s blade.

Let us look at her now.

Let us see her plain.

Those tiny hands of her generation

That gathered the reigns of the whole plantation...

(At least that’s how I remember it.)

The other reason I was moved to write was seeing the photo of Charlene (“Shotzi”) Krakauer in the photo from Maui. Charlene was a classmate and a friend; also, she, Susie (Rosen) Kutch (’65)—my next-door neighbor on Hilldale Road in Albertson, and my best friend in childhood--and I attended Pierce Camp Birchmont together in New Hampshire (Yes, run by the same family who owned and operated the district’s school buses, at least back then).

So, here’s my bio in a (large) nutshell.

I married Jonathan Silver (1965) in 1969. (Sadly, Jon passed away recently, as was reported in an earlier Newsletter). We attended law school together at the University of Pennsylvania, and both thrived there. That was followed by terrific federal clerkships in Philadelphia for both of us: Jon on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals with Judge William Hastie; I, a marvelous clerkship with Chief Judge Joseph S. Lord, III of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Our son, Josh, was born in 1975. Unfortunately, I suffered what was to be my first of several bouts of major clinical depression (MCD) after Josh was born, and Jon and I separated shortly thereafter.

I suffered several separate bouts of MCD in the following two plus decades—halted now for over 20 years ago by finding an effective antidepressant that has continued to keep me well. I have had a good life and rewarding career in the law. First, with what was originally the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in the Regional Attorney’s Office in NYC, and then as the Chief Regional Attorney for the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education.

However, I knew in law school that I always wanted to go into law teaching, having been a strange bird who loved law school. In 1983, I joined the faculty of New York Law School. It was a mixed experience. I loved teaching; however, I was one of only two faculty women when I started; the other, much older, never spoke to me.

I met Doug Block in 1981 in an American Sign Language course at The New School (another, rather amusing, story). Doug and I married in 1985. Our daughter, Lucy, was born in 1989 (and is now expecting her first child at the end of August!)

In 1989, while I was pregnant with Lucy, I was denied tenure. I was devastated. It was the first “academic” setback I had ever experienced.

Happily, in 1991, I received an appointment at Touro Law Center, where I had wonderful colleagues who became close friends. I thrived there. In recent years, before my retirement this past December, I had been on “half load;” teaching a seminar for externs placed in civil, government, and public interest practices. The curriculum I created focused on helping my students develop their professional identities, ones that would enhance their well-being and that of the clients they would serve.

While most of my original colleagues had already retired, my goal had been to be the first octogenarian female member of the faculty. However, while I still loved the teaching and belonging to several academic communities that shared my passions, being at Touro just wasn’t fun anymore. I retired as of December 31, 2025, and am now a Professor Emeriti. Doug, a documentary filmmaker and producer, and relatively recent Substack writer, continues doing what he loves.

Some of you may already know about my history of major clinical depression and anxiety, happily in remission for 20+ years. I have written and spoken about it and shared it with my students and others to help destigmatize the shame for those suffering with mental illness.

In that vein, I want to take this opportunity to “come out” to all of you about my cognitive health challenges. In the spring of 2023, I was diagnosed with MCI: mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer’s. For eighteen months I received bi-weekly infusions of Lecanemab (leqembi), one of only two drugs approved by the FDA for the treatment of MCI. In June I “graduated” to weekly self-administered injections of the same drug. Since retirement I have been committed to destigmatizing this condition, much as I have done regarding major depression and anxiety.

If any of you want to reach out to me—whether because of concerns about your own cognitive health, or about those of a loved one—please do. You can still reach me at my Touro email, msilver@touro.edu, or at my personal email account: msilver965@gmail.com.

So, Arthur, I have every reason to expect you will receive this before you read my obituary. And I thank you for all you have done and continue to do for the Wheatley community.

Finally, I am very much looking forward to the Class of 1966 reunion in the fall!

Best to all,

~ Marjorie Silver

1966 and 1967 - Robert Eastman (1966) Writes: “OK, I had a big crush on Helene Feiner (1967) in High School!”

1964 and 1967 - Lauren Jacoby (1967) Writes - “I listened and watched Jesse Samberg’s (1964) story on The Moth about his cousin Fred. It was gorgeous.”

Lauren Jacoby (1967) and Bird (non-Wheatley)

Mitchell Stephens - Kibitzing About New York’s Most Important Sports Teams

KIBITZING ABOUT IMPORTANT SPORTS TEAMS

(((click to get to the video and to hear the audio)))

1968 - Claudia Aufhauser - Deceased (in 2014, but not previously reported)

Claudia and twin brother David Aufhauser (1968) moved to Stony Brook after 9th grade.

Claudia Aufhauser Obituary

1970 - Cathy Gerson - Deceased

Cathy Gerson Funeral Home Obituary

Steven Lee Writes - “My beloved wife of 50 years, Cathy Gerson, passed away on June 30th, peacefully in her sleep, with family present.

Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Cathy always longed to spread her wings. She graduated from The Wheatley School in 1970, and she was very proud to be a member of the Wheatley Community. As a college freshman, she attended Moore College of Art in Philadelphia but found it to be too structured. So in the Fall of 1971, rather than return to Philly, Cathy decided to join her older sister in Boston.

She enrolled in the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston and also double majored in education at Tufts University in nearby Medford. After receiving a working scholarship from the Museum School, Cathy moved into a loft/studio in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston, where she created ceramic sculptures, pottery and custom tiles. With her studio and scholarship in place, Cathy worked so hard that she graduated in two and a half years. Sadly, in 1976, Cathy lost her home, her studio, and her business when a fire destroyed the six-story factory building where her loft was located.

Cathy also became drawn into a more commercial side of ceramics as she began a production pottery line that is both practical for everyday use but also very displayable as art. She named it “gersonware” and the business was formed to create and produce pottery for stores and galleries all over the country – and continued for 30 years.

Commissions, whether pottery or tile, had been exciting departures from the steady pottery work supplied by gersonware. From extremely large urns decorating corporate hallways, to intimate custom architectural tile art installations, Cathy explored the freedom that clay allowed. In particular, she loved to sculpt tiles, to defy two dimensions and provide texture.

This recent focus on her tile creations attracted a wide and diverse group of commissions from architectural to institutional. Inspiration that has driven kitchen back splashes, wall tile art for hospitals and corporate walls, outdoor pieces and many sizes of Gerson totems; pieces that are often infused with small found objects from Cathy’s travels. Many wall murals and totems grace hospital walls in the Boston area.

After moving to North Carolina in 2013, Cathy explored her love of antique cars by creating classic cars in sculpted, free form ceramic tiles. These tile wall pieces capture the style of the cars, from the thirties to the present. These works provide the canvas for sculpted forms with unique and personal glazes and whimsical touches. She personally designed, cut, glazed, assembled and sometimes installed her pieces.

Sadly, Cathy experienced a second life trauma when she lost her home and studio in the 2024 floods caused by Hurricane Helene. A close friend in Birchwood, Tennessee took Cathy in afterwards. This is where Cathy moved and set up a new studio..

Cathy leaves behind her husband of 50 years, Steven Lee, and a son, Zachary Gerson Lee; a sister, Sue Gerson Whitney (1967) and her husband; a cousin, Nancy Feldman and her husband; a cousin, Neal Jacobs and his wife; and many in-laws of the Lee family. Also, all her friends from North Carolina and Massachusetts.

Cathy will be cremated and her ashes spread as she wished. No memorial is planned at this time.

Cathy Gerson and Steve Lee, by the Albemarle County Courthouse, Charlottesville, Virginia, where they got married by a justice of the peace on May 1st, 1976.

Renewing their vows on their 45th anniversary, in front of a minister.

Cathy loved to fish.

Cathy was delighted to gift Jay Leno a classic 1955 Buick Roadmaster tile wall mural at Cherokee Casino in Cherokee, NC.

Cathy and Steve

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Lupus Foundation of America. www.lupus.org”

Fan Mail

1960 (Raymond Roller) - ❤️

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1964 (John Sullivan) - “Many thanks, Art, for you perseverance in preparing and publishing the Newsletter. While I am not a ‘ground up’ Wheatleyite (no North Side or Willets Road), I enjoy the historical perspectives.”

1964 (Davida Tunis Philips) - ❤️

1966 (Suzanne Stone) - ❤️

1967 (Lauren Jacoby) - “Hello Arthur, Thank you so much for many many years of the Alumni Newsletter. I imagine and hope it’s been a labor of love.”

1967 (James Seaton) - “Thanks as always for your tireless work.”

1967 (Barbara Smith Stanisic) - ❤️

1967 (Jill Simon Forte) - “Thank you, Arthur……nice nostalgia to think about 😊💙☮️.”

1968 (Nancy Lagin) - “Thank you for all your caring work with the Newsletter.”

1969 (Maddy Nathanson) - ❤️

1972 (Nancy Davis) - ❤️

1972 (Jeffrey Kargman) - ❤️

1974 (Melanie Artim) - ❤️

1974 (Jessica Hill) - ❤️

1996 (Joshua Effron) - ❤️

Non-Wheatley (MBDE) - ❤️

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 275 or so Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 276. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Arthur Fredericks (“Art”) Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833

Dear Wheatley Wildcats and Other Interested Persons,

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 275,

Class of 1966 60th-Year Reunion

The Class of 1966 60th-Year Reunion will be held in New York City on Saturday, 10/17/26, at the home of Susan Bryant and classmate Larry Fox. Official invitations will be emailed in early August. If you are a member of the Class and you are interested in attending and you still have not responded, please contact Diana Noble Rubinger at DIANA4425@GMAIL.COM or Suzanne Stone at MSHB2000@AOL.COM.

Graduates

1958 - Steve Nelson - “Seeing Whitey Ford’s picture in Issue # 268 of the Wheatley Alumni Newsletter reminded me of a small mystery that I’m hoping one of you can solve. Whitey, of course, was a star pitcher with the Yankees, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1950 before serving in the Korean War for two years and returning to the Yankees in 1953. That spring I was in 7^th grade at the Willets School and played for the Buffaloes in the Roslyn Little League. Art Rollini ’59 was on the team too.

One Saturday morning in May, all of the Roslyn Little League teams were summoned to be at Roslyn High School in uniform, where a film was being made about Little League starring Whitey Ford! He was a big hero of mine, both of us being left-handed throwers and on the shorter side, although I wasn’t a pitcher. I remember seeing him there, but I was just one of a couple hundred kids playing ball in the background.

I never heard anything more about the film, and I’ve struck out trying to find anything about it online. Who knows, maybe it was never completed. Whitey passed away in 2020. I’m hoping some ex-Little Leaguer from Wheatley who played Little League at the time knows something which can solve the mystery of the missing movie.

1964 - Walter R. Wendel - Now known as “Wendel R. Wendel”.

Sue Skarka Miller (1964) Writes - “I’m quite certain that the young man in the North Side photo is Walter Wendel. He later changed his name to “Wendel Wendel” and referred to himself as ‘Wendel Squared.’ I believe that he went on to build geodesic domes.”

AI Writes - “Wendel R. Wendel is a key innovator in geodesic dome and space-frame engineering.”

1964 - Jesse Samberg - Storyteller

Jesse Samberg tells a story

1967 and 1968 - Helene Feiner and Randy Danto

L-R - Randy Danto (1968) and Helene Feiner (1967) - Bend, Oregon

1967 - Mitch Stephens and Art Engoron

L-R - Art Engoron and Mitch Stephens, Park Side Restaurant, Corona, Queens, NY, July 8, 2026

1970 - Gregory Fitzpatrick - The photo in your most recent newsletter of legendary stock car race driver Richard Petty and Maya Sabot Paveza (1988) reminded me of the bicycle trip I took with my wife in 2023 to Watkins Glen, New Yor, where we saw the bricks along the sidewalk of all of the famous racers that had competed there.

Cheers from Colorado

1973 - Kenneth Moskowitz and Peter Simel

Far left - Ken Moskowitz; Far right - Peter Simel (both 1973)

Kenny Writes - “Your brothers (Danny and Gerry Engoron) and Peter Simel (“Palm Beach Pete”) and I (all 1973) all played basketball as the “Bengyfield Bombers. A photograph of Peter is hanging in the Wheatley Cafeteria as one of the most famous
Graduates. He is my padel partner in south Florida……small world out there.

1974 - Carol Leifer - A Dream Come True

Carol Leifer and Mel Brooks - Orso Restaurant, NYC 2002

MEL BROOKS TURNS 100!

Meeting Mel… never in my wildest!

Carol Writes - “Lori and I at dinner with the greatest couple ever – Amy Yasbeck & the comedy legend, John Ritter.

I see Mel at the back of the restaurant - at the time working on “The Producers” on Broadway. I fangirl out & tell Amy and John how my father played “The 2000 year-old Man” record so much when I was a kid  that I could lip sync it. And what an influence his original, smart and hilarious comedy had been on me.

Well, John gets up & brings Mel Brooks back to our table! I was dying. And Mel was everything I dreamed he would be, such a sweetie. And I got to tell him how much I loved him - words can barely express.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEL! You are everything to comedy and everything to me!

And thanks, John Ritter, for making this girl’s dream come true. You are missed.”

L-R - Susan Kolinsky, Carol Leifer

1975 - Steve Witkoff - Special Envoy

2001 - Scott Reich - Baseball Book Author

Scott Writes - “Dear Art, I’m proud to share that my new book, One Day in September: Baseball, Brotherhood, and the Birth of the All-Star Game, came out July 7 and is available for order. The book uncovers the remarkable true story of how a forgotten 1917 charity baseball game—featuring Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and other legends—gave rise to one of America’s most enduring sports traditions. It’s a story about baseball, but even more about friendship, generosity, and the moments that bring people together. Readers can buy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or their local bookstore. Some advance praise is below:

“Scott Reich’s One Day in September is the best baseball book, the best history book, the best book period that I have read in a long while. Like Lawrence Ritter’s The Glory of Their Times, it captures how baseball became ‘king’ in its early days. Like David Halberstam’s Summer of ‘49, it illuminates an epic moment in American life through the lens of sport. And like Roger Kahn’s The Boys of Summer, it evokes nostalgia not for sentimentality’s sake, but as a reminder of the importance of community, service, and the civic virtues necessary to sustain both. Readers will enjoy—treasure—every chapter. Scott Reich joins an elite group of writers exploring the intersection of American sport, culture, and history.”
— David Eisenhower, bestselling author of Eisenhower at War: 1943-1945

“As a long-ago Boston TV sportscaster, I’ve known of New England’s first true chronicler of baseball—Tim Murnane—for decades. But until Scott Reich’s extraordinary telling of the humanity that coalesced around his family after his tragic passing, I had never heard of the story of the Murnane All-Star game. This book…is a true tapestry of baseball and American history.”
— Keith Olbermann, Award-winning journalist and broadcaster

“Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, Reich uncovers a forgotten chapter of baseball history that feels both surprising and essential. By the final page, you’ll wonder how this remarkable story remained untold for so long.”
— Darren Rovell, Emmy Award-winning sports business reporter, ESPN & CNBC

“As someone who spent my career in major-league clubhouses and played in many All-Star Games, I can tell you there’s nothing like stepping onto that field. In One Day in September, Scott Reich captures the pride, history, and emotion that have made the All-Star Game such a lasting part of baseball’s story.”

— Alex (“A-Rod”) Rodriguez, former Major League Baseball all-star

“Scott Reich’s One Day in September is a lovely, elegiac book…Lavishly illustrated, carefully researched, and affectionately told, it brings to life not only a game, but America and the game of baseball at a crossroads.”
— Kevin Baker, author, The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City.

I also host the Curveball podcast, where I explore life’s unexpected turns with authors, athletes, entrepreneurs, and other remarkable guests, examining how adversity, setbacks, and unforeseen challenges can become sources of resilience, purpose, and growth. You can listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more of my work on my website."

Best, Scott Reich, Wheatley Class of 2001

Fan Mail

1960 (Joanne Festa) - “Thank you, Art, for sharing the Wheatley news.” ❤️

1961 (Deborah Kerstein Brosowsky) - “I’m excited to see some 1980s & 1990s graduates checking in on this great Newsletter. Thanks for sharing.”

1962 (William “Bill” Cerillo) - “Thanks again, Art, for the work you and Keith do in keeping the Wheatley spirit alive!”

1963 (Marcia Friedman Mayer) - ❤️

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1964 (Susan Skarka Miller) - “I love the Newsletter.”

1965 (Barry Gordon) - “I appreciate all you have done through your unending support of your fellow Wheatley alumni.”

1965 (Sharon Neely Halm) - “As always, a great read, with so many memories.” ❤️

1966 (Sylvia Kay) - “Thank you for all the work you do on the Alumni publications.”

1968 (Joane Filler-Varty) - “Thanks for your dedication to our Newsletters.”

1968 (Lois Hegyi Goldstein) - ❤️

1968 (Leslie Wolowitz) - “I look forward to reading the notes. Keep up the good work.”

1970 (Gregory Fitzpatrick) - “Thanks for all you do with the Newsletter.”

1977 (Laura Slaski) - ❤️

1980 (Lawrence Michael Weiss) - “Hi ART: I love the Newsletter and all you do for the Wheatley community. Everyone knows me as “Michael.” Legally my name is “Lawrence Michael Weiss.” I have used “L Michael Weiss” professionally. Again, thanks for the Newsletter.”

1988 (Maya J. Sabot Paveza) - ❤️

1996 (Joshua Effron) - ❤️

1996 (James Lohmann) - ❤️

2001 (Scott Reich) - “Thanks for all you do.”

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 273 Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 275. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Arthur Fredericks (“Art”) Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 274,

The North Side Inferno

Ellen Cathy Genat Hoffman (1964) Writes - “The boy on the right, with the dark hair and suit jacket, might be Walter Wendell, later just known as “Wendell.”

Administration

Darrell Lund - Superintendent (1979-1987) - Deceased

Robert (“Bob”) Freiman (1962) Writes - “Dear Art: I was so sorry to hear about the passing of Darrell Lund, a wonderful and inspirational person. I am a Wheatley graduate (1962), having gone through the schools since first grade, continued to live in the community when my kids went through the schools, and had the privilege to serve on the Board of Education in the late 1970s and early 1980s, coinciding with Darrell’s tenure as Superintendent. It was an important time in the District’s history, and he provided a bridge to our continued excellence and growth.

Darrell understood children and the basic concept that great education comes from inspiration, from the spark that evolves in the classroom among the teachers and those growing, impressionable people. All of the elements of the school district needed to be organized to support that function. Darrell was a visionary and an excellent communicator with high standards, a well-developed educational philosophy, a sympathetic but strong leadership style, and a good heart. He saw his role as Superintendent as encouraging principals and teachers to support each other and to take risks, that he would protect them against well-intended failures, so that kids could learn and grow, and that he would educate the Board and the community to provide the financial support and commitment to the schools that were the elements needed to support the kids. I was so sorry when he left the District and moved on to other challenges.

I suspect most of our generation did not know of Darrell Lund, but he was an important presence at the time of his tenure.

I had not communicated with Darrell in recent years, but he inspired me and lives in my heart. He will be missed.

Thanks so much, Art. Best, Bob”

Maya Sabot Paveza (1988) Writes - “Art, I was a student representative to the Board of Education during Dr. Darrell Lund’s last year as Superintendent. He was inspiring, warm, thoughtful, and very focused. He did the district so much good. I wish the best for his spouse (John) and his family, and I thank them for sharing Dr. Lund with us all.

Graduates

1961 - Gene Razzetti - “Art, I thoroughly enjoyed Frank Corrado’s (1965) reference to our common (but highly uncommon) 12th grade English teacher. Miss Elsie E. Bodnar. While my earlier English teachers (Mr. North, Mr. Heubsch, Mr. Storm/Mrs. Meisel) were great, Miss Bodnar took high school English to a yet undiscovered level of elegance and sophistication. The ‘extras’ that I remember doing in her class included: (1) writing a poem and reciting it aloud; (2) Memorizing and reciting a good poem (written by a real poet) aloud; (3) reading/playing a part in a scene from ‘Macbeth’ in the classroom; and (4) actually sitting at her desk and explaining the meaning of a ‘Macbeth’ scene to the class.

Dedicated, industrious, and hard-working, 3:00 PM for us often came at 8:00 PM for her. Best to all, Gene.”

1965 - Bob Halper Writes - Inspired by Frank Corrado’s (1965) story in the most recent Newsletter:

Thanks for the memories, Frank. I don’t remember encouraging you to audition for “John Brown’s Body,” so it was probably my twin brother, Andy Halper (1965). I do remember, however, Ms. Bodnar’s assignment to pick a Shakespearean soliloquy to recite—with feeling—for the entire class. I did not, as you did, select a classic, opting instead for the Drunken Porter Speech (also from Macbeth). While less well-known than the ‘...tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow...’ speech, it nevertheless has substance and a measure of personal relevance. I chose it because I could relate to the porter’s condition, and because I knew I could play it for laughs. My final two years of high school were spent with schoolmates for whom weekends consisted of attending wild unsupervised parties in Roslyn and Great Neck. I’m sure some of you reading this were there as well. With parents away on vacation and no activities off limits, these affairs were a bacchanalian revel. Although underage at the time, refreshments were purchased for us by irresponsible adults loitering in front of local liquor establishments. Often imbibing myself beyond a sensible norm, the speech spoke to me. Besides, I knew no one else would choose it, eliminating any possibility of negative comparisons. My performance—as I choose to recall—was well-received and the laughs gratifying. Only a decent student, socially awkward at times, and a mediocre athlete (although I had heart), humor was my meal ticket throughout the trials and tribulations of high school.

Sorry that you missed our 60th-year reunion last October. It would have been good to say hello after all these years. Reunions are not about seeing the classmates you’ve stayed in touch with, but seeing those with whom you haven’t.

For those unfamiliar with the drunken porter speech I will end with my friend Chat’s summation:

The famous drunken porter speech appears in Macbeth, specifically in Act 2, Scene 3.

The scene comes immediately after Macbeth has murdered King Duncan. A porter, apparently hungover and imagining himself the gatekeeper of hell, answers persistent knocking at the castle gate. His comic monologue includes jokes about drink, sin, and damnation.

The speech is notable because:

• It provides comic relief after the intense murder scene.

• The porter’s references to hell reinforce the idea that Macbeth’s castle has become a kind of hellish place.

• It contains one of Shakespeare’s most famous comments on alcohol, describing how drink “provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance.”

The opening of the speech begins:

“Here’s a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key.”

This scene is often called the Porter Scene and is one of the most discussed examples of comic relief in Shakespearean tragedy.

1965 and 1967 - Barbara Ashley and Mara Danziger Robinson - Small World

Barbara Writes - “Who would imagine discovering a fellow Wheatley alum in the tiny town of Rognes in the south of France?!

1967 + 1981 - Art Engoron and Rob Walzer

L-R - Art Engoron (1967) and Rob Walzer (1981) across the street from the Great Neck Diner (where they had brunch), June 20, 2026.

1969 - John DeGroat - Found on Facebook

1970 - Candice “Candy” Maller Sherman and Lisa Weizenegger

Candy Writes - “I was 12-years-old when my family relocated from Bayside, Queens to East Williston. As you can imagine, the transition to a new location and school at that age was dramatic. Fortunately, for whatever reason, Lisa Weizenegger took pity on me and showed me the ropes. I have an endless array of stories and memories of our adventures at Wheatley and beyond.”

1972 - Charlie Nash Writes - “I just ran into Marc Geller Class of 1972 at our 50th-Year Class Reunion at Grinnell College. I believe that four of us Wheatley ‘72 graduates attended Grinnell College. It was a great experience!”

1974 - Bill Meyn - “I cannot top the notion of standing inside a laser (1958 - Edward Brown). That is way cool! In a low tech comparison, I have stood inside an 18 foot tall rotating class 1 Fresnel lens while it was in operation at Point Conception Lighthouse.

https://sbmm.org/point-conception-lighthouse-first-order-fresnel-lens/

The link has a short time-lapse video of the restoration and rebuilding of this lens in a Santa Barbara museum (scroll down a bit). Working in support of West Coast lighthouses early in my Coast Guard career made up for some of the drudgery of doing office-bound planning work late in my career.”

1988 - Maya Sabot Paveza - “Recently, a few of us from the Class of 1988 met on Zoom to discuss planning for our 40th-year reunion in 2028. Myself, Soraya Mosleh Brooks, Amy Levine, and David Polonet were able to attend. Amy Warman Kates and David Mahaffey were unable to attend but are also involved. We are looking at possible locations in Manhattan for April 2028. Ideally, a restaurant with a private room for a cocktail and light fare style event. We are also looking to reconnect with some of the classmates who may not receive your wonderful alumni Newsletters. Other members of the class have been on other calls, and we have a rough committee set up. We have a Facebook group for the Class of 1988, and I would be happy to hear from anyone who is interested; my email address is MAYA311@GMAIL.COM.

If anyone is crossing the Delaware Memorial Bridge, my office is between the roadways on the Delaware side, at the ‘Delaware River and Bay Authority’ offices. Happy to greet anyone who wishes to drop by. I have a view of the Northbound roadway facing Veteran’s Memorial Park from my office. I am the Digital Content Manager for the Authority in the Communications & Marketing Department, and I love my job. We have the Bridge, five airports in Delaware and New Jersey, and the Cape May - Lewes Ferry. We are preparing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first bridge span, and I was honored to have designed the logo for the event, which will be held on August 12, 2026.

We are also unveiling our Ship Collision Protection System, which made national and international news following the tragedy of the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. The project began more than 10 years ago, and the work was completed last fall, with four 80-foot “dolphins” on each side of the river protecting the Delaware Memorial Bridge foundation from ships, such as the freighter that hit the Key Bridge.

If anyone is in Cape May or Lewes and would like to take the Ferry. I am happy to share a “friends and family” discount with my Wheatley family.

Attached is a photo of me on top of the bridge with my Intern, Sloane, last year,

And here is a photo of my daughter (Lindsay) and me at her honors event at Elizabethtown College last fall.

And here is a photo of me with a guy I was teasing at one of our airports about taking his potato chips; turns out he is pretty important in NASCAR (Richard Petty, super nice guy).

Best to all! Maya Sabot Paveza 1988”

WildCat Pet Gallery

Zelda is Richard Goodman’s (1963) six-year-old, 90 pound German Shepherd

Fan Mail

1962 (Robert Freiman) - “I much appreciate what you do in keeping the Wheatley community alive for all of us and keeping us abreast of the joys and sorrows we are all experiencing. The Newsletters enable me and others to revisit some very meaningful times in our lives and to interact with the complex emotions they evoke.”

1964 (Natalie Cobb Wentworth) - ❤️

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1964 (Davida Tunis Philips) - ❤️

1965 (Frank Corrado) - ❤️

1967 (Jill Simon Forte) - “Another fun read.”

1968 (Ilene “Cookie” Levine) - ❤️

1970 (Jane Madison) - “Thanks for all you do.”

1970 (Candice Sherman, a.k.a. Candy Maller) - “Thank you for all that you do to maintain the Newsletter and coordinate communication. We all appreciate all that you do.”

1972 (Jeffrey Kargman) - ❤️

1980 (Elissa Heil) - ❤️

1987 (Joseph Fina) - “Thank you for doing this for us.”

1988 (Maya Sabot Paveza) - “Thanks so much!! I truly enjoy your updates.”

1996 (Joshua Effron) - ❤️

Non-Wheatley (MBDE) - ❤️

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first xxyyzz Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 274. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Arthur Fredericks (“Art”) Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 273

The North Side Fire Flares Again

Mark Bond (1963) Writes - “What impressed me the most as I stood looking across Hillside Avenue at the front of North Side was how it closely resembled my poster depiction of a collapsed in, burned out shell of a building. However, I had not captured the image that has remained with me from long ago. All of the Greek Columns at the entrance were still standing, white against the emptiness and rubble behind them.

They still make Schaefer ‘Snorkle” fountain pens. My wife bought me one after I told her the story of losing my prize in the fire.”

Scott Geery (1967) Writes - “I grew up on Orchard Meadow Road. It meets Hillside Avenue (a/k/a East Williston Avenue) directly opposite the North Side front doors, so I had pretty near a front-row seat.

Just a tidbit about the photo of Mark Bond (1963) accepting his first place award for his very creative poster.

One of the runners up - to the left of Mark (blond hair; dark sweater) - is my brother Gibb Geery (AKA Saleem Pernath) (1965). I recall the photo and remember the poster hanging around our house for a while; I don’t know who the other artist is. There was some talent happening back in the day.” (((Can anyone identify the student on the right, with the dark hair? - AFE)))

Administration

Darrell Lund - Superintendent (1979-1987) - Deceased

Darrell Lund—educator, philanthropist, author, and civic leader—died peacefully on June 9, 2026. He was 87 and a resident of Briarcliff Manor, NY. Born in Calais, Maine, one of seven children of Edith Mahar Lund and Fred Lund, he is survived by his spouse of 46 years, John Chow; his sister-in-law, Celia Lund; 11 nieces and nephews; and a devoted community of friends. A church service and celebration of life is planned for Saturday, September 19, 2026, 11AM, at the Reformed Church of the Tarrytowns, 42 N. Broadway, Tarrytown, N.Y. 10591. Reverend Jeffrey Gargano will officiate.

Darrell’s career spanned teaching, principalships, and superintendencies across several states, including Illinois, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Educated at Bridgewater State University, Rutgers University, and Northwestern University, he built a distinguished career in public education leadership and, in retirement, continued to serve as an interim superintendent and consultant. His work included district consolidation, facilities planning, administrative restructuring, superintendent searches, and program reviews. He endowed a scholarship at Bridgewater State University (Bridgewater, Massachusetts) that continues to help students pursue their dreams. Beyond education, he was active in community and international service, helping establish a foundation that supports a primary school in Tanzania, serving with organizations that support immigrants, and fostering educational exchange programs with schools in Shanghai. He also maintained a lifelong interest in English watercolors, both as a painter and as a collector.

Betty O’Connor Bradley (Fabled North Side and Wheatley Teacher) once wrote as follows: “A special thanks to Dr. Darrell R. Lund for imbuing the faculty with the thought that good ideas originate from the teaching staff and it is the responsibility of administrators, the Superintendent, and the Board not only to support but to nurture them and approve them after studying each and every proposal from schools carefully and accepting or rejecting them. You were a breath of intellectual stimulation! By the way, you were the first Superintendent who majored in History and taught before you continued your administrative requirements to receive a Ph.D.

I was so glad to be the President of the Teachers’ Association during your tenure. Yes, I know you demanded excellence and we, the faculty, defended our proposals and some you found fairly good, others were exceptional, and these proposals were put into practice. For that our faculty thanks you more than you will ever know — Now you do!

Karen Bartscherer (Faculty) Writes - Darrell Lund influenced me significantly as I began my career, and I admired him tremendously. Eventually, I came to love and cherish him as an incomparable friend. My husband (David Israel (Faculty)) and I socialized with him often.

L-R - John Chow, Darrell Lund (Superintendent), Karen Bartscherer Israel (Faculty), David Israel (Faculty)

L-R - John, Darrell, Karen, David

L-R - David, Karen, Darrell, John

Darrell Lund Obituary

Graduates

1958 - Edward Brown - “I am a member of The Wheatley School Class of 1958 – the FIRST class. We started in Mineola High as the Wheatley building was under construction. But then we were moved over to Wheatley to complete our Junior and Senior years. We were the class that set the school’s customs and traditions – the school colors, motto, “Wildcats” nickname, etc., and we set it on the road to becoming the number one public high school in the nation, which it remains to this day.

You can probably tell by my Class year about how old I am now, but I am still ‘vertical and on the right side of the grass!’ After graduation, I spent the next 55 years working in/with/around/etc. the Department of Defense (now the Department of War). It was a great career – exciting, traveled around the world. The worst part of it was having to retire when the organization I was with said that I had ‘aged out.’

Over the years, I raised three great kids, all high achievers, who later married and gave me seven grandkids – also really fine individuals, for which I feel deeply blessed.

I am now living as a “snowbird” – half the year in Florida and half the year outside of Boston (and you can figure out which half is where!!). I stay physically very active – running, biking, working out with a trainer – all seven days of the week.

But the worst part of retirement is being BORED so much. After all, I spent a large part of my career as a PhD physicist working on laser technology (think of Star Trek devices!!). I like to relate how once I even stood inside a laser – not in a laser laboratory, but actually INSIDE a laser!!!!

I think about Wheatley from time to time, especially when I glance at my Wheatley diploma hanging on the wall in my office. And I sometimes look at my Wheatley yearbook and try to remember some of my classmates. I hardly ever get back up to Long Island anymore, but if any of my classmates would like to get in touch with me, I would really like that. My e-mail address is eabrown41@gmail.com .

And so I will now close by saying (of course!) …

GO WILDCATS!!!

(… and as they used to call me)

Little Eddie Brown

1962 - John Kapinos - American Dreamer

John Writes - “Art, I recently published a book called ‘Achieving the American Dream,’ subtitled ‘A First Generation American… Story’ which is available on Amazon both in hard copy and digitally. I thought some of my classmates might be interested in reading it.

I have moved around quite a bit over the years and am currently living in a unique Retirement Community called “Shell Point” in Fort Myers, Florida.”

1965 - Frank Corrado - “I read with some personal interest the posting concerning the production of ‘John Brown’s Body’ that took place in April, 1965. To say it brought back memories would be an understatement. What I hadn’t remembered, however, was that my last name was misspelled in the program. The scanned inclusion of said document in the posting clarified that dubious distinction.

I don’t recall having had any intention of trying out or auditioning for the play back then, though I did harbor secret yearnings of being an actor when I wasn’t knocking balls around with bats or golf clubs or hallucinating that Tony Napoli would at long last throw me a touchdown pass in my undistinguished tenure on the Wheatley football team (he never did, of course, but at least I was spared the likelihood of dropping it.)

What I do recall--or think I do--is that there was an assignment in Ms. Bodnar’s English Literature class in which we were required to perform a soliloquy from Shakespeare. I had attended Richard Burton’s Hamlet multiple times in 1964, when he played the role on Broadway, and I thought I had his cadences and intonations down pat, and with very little notice, and a good deal of bewilderment to those within earshot, would launch into a no-holds-barred imitation of the flamboyant Welshman for no particular reason at all.

SO…when it was my turn to fulfill the Bodnaric assignment, I chose the “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” speech from Macbeth, unashamedly channeling Burton as I imagined he would have given it. Immediately upon completion of the dread task, and with no small measure of nervous sweat issuing from my pores, one of the Halper lads, Andy or Bob (1965), or possibly both, stormed towards me and informed me that I simply HAD TO BE in the upcoming play!

‘What play,’ I asked.

‘John Brown’s Body,’ he/they replied.

‘Never heard of it,’ I assured them. Which was a lie. I had the recording.

‘Well, you have to be in it!’

I had no idea what authority my esteemed colleagues possessed or what strings had to be pulled, but sure enough, I ended up appearing in the play and giving pseudo-Burtonian voice to an assortment of characters, none of whom I remember in the least, except that I chose to perform one as an Irishman just to do the accent--which I have no doubt was decidedly inauthentic.

I occasionally wonder if I hadn’t given that speech in Miss Bodnar’s English class, and if I hadn’t been strong-armed by one or more Halpers, whether I would have enjoyed/endured a career in the American regional theatre that has spanned more than half a century and brought me into close proximity with some of the great plays and roles in the literature. Including Hamlet, albeit in my own voice.

One thing I do know, however, is that I never have had my name misspelled again.

Frank Corrado, Class of 1965

1967 and 1968 - Helen Feiner (1967) and a 1968 Graduate

Helene (1967) Writes - “Hi, this was wild - I play mah jongg every Monday with a group of women that I’m getting to know better. One of the women and I really clicked. Long story short, it was Randy Danto - Wheatley 1968!!

1967 - Art Engoron - Interviewed on CBS News

Art Engoron on CBS News (You will have to click and endure short advertisements)

Another Link; Same Interview

1968 - Asoka Bandarage - Speech in Hamburg, Germany

ASOKA BANDARAGE TALK IN HAMBURG

1969 - Paula Panzeca Foresto Writes - “My fellow 1969 Wheatley classmate and neighbor Gerry Gersh’s Friends World College experience going around the world was beyond incredible! You were a very brave soul, Gerry!”

Paul Rosenfeld (1971) Writes - “Reading all these North Side fire stories brought to mind a song we sang as we exited 6th grade (1965). Looking back, it’s not a nice song, but I just remembered parts of it:

Cheer boys cheer, the school is burning down,

Cheer boys cheer, it’s burning to the ground,

Old man Heroy (the principal) is slowly turning brown,

It’s a hot time, in the old town, tonight.”

6th graders were such idiots!

Critic Corner - Death of a Salesman Lives

Martha Weissberg (1965) Wrote - “As difficult as it is to keep watching Willy Loman’s self-deceptions, plenty of us remain moved by just how dangerous those deceptions are. I remember being introduced to the play by Mrs. Meisel or perhaps Mrs. Kennedy in eleventh grade and the conversation that ensued after our reading of Miller’s “Tragedy and the Common Man,” an essay to which Helen Shaw in a recent Sunday Times alludes in her fine response to the new production of the play. We were encouraged during that long ago discussion to consider (or reject) the universality of Willy’s predicament. Coincidentally, in a recent NY Times, Eric Alterman recalls sitting next to his father, who wept throughout a 1975 production of the play and confesses to his own tears during a 2012 performance: “From its opening night in February 1949 to the current and ecstatically reviewed revival, ‘Salesman’ has been a play that cracks the steeliest of men and women.” (NYTimes, 4/15/2026)

Miller’s plays refer to the conflicts of his era, “our” era for the oldest of the Wheatley alumni, but are not as deadly dated as Art Engoron (1967) would have us believe.”

Fan Mail

1958 (Edward Brown) - “I enjoy reading the Wheatley Newsletter very much.”

1962 (John Kapinos) - “Thanks for keeping us up to date on our alumni and on happenings at Wheatley. Thanks again for all you do.”

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1965 (Jane Goldenberg Fire) - “Thank you to Arthur and everyone who contributes in any way to this always-a-source-of-joy-and-pride Newsletter. Best to All - Jane”

1965 (Sharon Neely Halm) - “My favorite day of the week is when the Wheatley Newsletter arrives. Thanks, ART!!!

1966 (Richard Jalonack) - “Art, whatever you say, I couldn’t have said it better. Keep on doing what you’re doing.”

1967 (Robert Bordiga) - ❤️

1967 (Scott Geery) - “Yet another great issue, Artie. Thanks again.”

1967 (Jill Simon Forte) - “What a look back at ‘kids” from our ‘old’ school.”

1968 (Rebecca Consolo Freer Freedman) - ❤️

1968 (Ilene “Cookie” Levine) - ❤️

1968 (Carol Wisker) - ❤️

1972 (Jean Kappes) - “Art, It is always inspiring and uplifting to hear about the Wheatley Alumni. I appreciate your efforts along with everyone else that contributes to this Newsletter. It’s been wonderful to connect and hear about all those Wheatley students who have become some really interesting and incredible people. Thank you for all you do!!”

1972 (Lori Waltzer Bernstein) - “Thank you for all of your hard work in keeping us Wildcats connected. I treasure each edition.”

1983 (Reese Wain) - “Thank you so much for pursuing this Wheatley endeavor.
I very much enjoy the frequent mailings. Please keep up the great work.”

1996 (Joshua Effron) - ❤️

???? (CLE) - “Wow! Newsletter Number 258 was a wonderful issue, with so many contributions taking us to parts unknown, both here and abroad, only to end up with Mrs. Brescia looking beautiful at the astonishing age of 106. Congratulations to Gene Razzetti, Francine Rosenberg, Gerald Gersh for sharing their personal stories. And to Denise Paine: well said and the proof is in the puddin’. I’d much rather read about the explorations, successes, failures, and life’s lessons (surviving Vietnam; a scorpion; Malaria; a 5-day coma?!) lived and endured by other Wheatley graduates than read regurgitations ad nauseum of the strained divisive dialogue assaulting us day by day in the media. This month’s (February) Newsletter was downright entertaining!”

Non-Wheatley (MBDE) - ❤️

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first xxyyzz Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 273. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Arthur Fredericks (“Art”) Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 272

San Francisco Bay Area Reunion

Larry Rosenthal (1965) Writes - “Art, A fine time was had by all at The Fifth Annual(?) Unofficial San Francisco Bay Area Wheatley Reunion Potluck—TFA(?)USFBAWRP. The weather was perfect, the company excellent, and the memories plentiful. Best, Larry

Larry Rosenthal - 1965

Bill Meyn - 1974

L-R - Peter Siegel (1966) and Alice Wilkins (1966)

L-R - Peter Siegel (1966) and Mark Luria (1961)

L-R - Andy Gains (1982), Larry Rosenthal (1965), Aldine Gordon (Wife of Barry Gordon, 19xx)

Laura Herbst (1974) and Mark Luria (1961)

Group Photo One

(Left to right)

Row 1

Laura Herbst (74), Shelly Levinthal (68), Barry Benioff (Shelly’s partner), Heather

Roselaren (Steve’s wife), Larry Rosenthal (65)

Row 2

Steve (Rosenthal) Roselaren (67) (in cap)

Row 3

Bill Meyn (74), Mark Lauria (61) (in print shirt)

Row 4

Barry Gordon (65), Alice Wilkins (66), Peter Siegel (66)

Group Photograph Three

Row 1

Laura Herbst (74), Shelly Levinthal (68), Peggy Datz (Larry’s partner), Heather

Roselaren (Steve’s wife), Larry Rosenthal (65)

Row 2

Bill Meyn (74), Steve (Rosenthal) Roselaren (67) (in cap)

Row 3

Alice Wilkins (66) (in striped top), Mark Lauria (61) (in print shirt)

Row 4

Barry Gordon (65), Aldine Gordon (Barry’s wife), Peter Siegel (66)

Group Photograph Four

(Counter-clockwise starting with Alice in striped shirt)

Alice Wilkins, Laura Herbst, Aldine Gordon, Larry Rosenthal, Barry Benioff, Shelly

Levinthal, Barry Gordon (standing), Mark Luria, Peter Siegel

L-R - Peter Siegel and Mark Benioff

L-R - Barry Gordon and Peter Siegel

Larry Rosenthal, Aldine Gordon, Shelly Levinthal

L-R - Laura Herbst and Andy Gaines

L-R - Peter Siegel and Shelly Levinthal

L-R - Mark Luria, Shelly Levinthal, Barry Benioff

L-R - Larry Rosenthal and Aldene Gordon

The North Side Fire Flares Again

Mark Bond (1963) Writes - “It might be every young boy’s dream to be called in the morning and hear a friend shout, “THE SCHOOL BURNED DOWN!!!”

I promptly raced to the North Side School to see a vision that very closely resembled that of my winning fire prevention poster. The contest I had entered and won 1st Place in was sponsored by the East Williston Fire Department and the school Art Department. My prize was a Schaefer Snorkel Ink fountain pen. My cherished pen was unfortunately in my school desk and destroyed, and the cruelest of ironies was that the fire was caused by the Art Department’s ceramics kiln!

That’s Mark in the middle.”

Val Gomes (1978) Writes - “Hi, Art, I found the following link when I was researching the fire at North Side. Others might appreciate it, too.
http://www.oldlongisland.com/2014/04/the-northside-school.html

June 19th

What anniversaries occur on June 19, 2026? The 161st Anniversary of June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of slavery; the Fifth Anniversary of June 19, 2021, the first Juneteenth Federal Holiday; and the 10th Anniversary of the first edition of The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter. Edition # 1, modest in scope but immodest in ambition, is printed below in full:

• Alumni Site

• 60th Anniversary

• Register

Wheatley Alumni Monthly Newsletter

Number 1: June 19, 2016

Dear Wildcats and Wildcat Supporters,

Welcome to the first issue of The Wheatley School Alumni Association Monthly (more or less) Newsletter.

The Wheatley School 60th Anniversary Celebration

Of course, the Big News is that alma mater is celebrating its 60th Anniversary with a festive, all-classes gathering over the weekend of October 14-16, 2016. Details, registration information, and an up-to-date list of the 355 or so (and counting) graduates who have already registered (or indicated that they intend to) are easily accessible at www.wheatleyalumni.org In all likelihood, the next such event won’t be until 2031, 15 years from now.......so what are you waiting for? Register now (and save fifteen bucks over the walk-in price).

Smart Kids

Elliot (”Ike”) Evans, the Class of 1965’s stalwart Class Correspondent, brought to our attention that Wheatley’s most recent average SAT scores were the sixth highest on Long Island. Here are the top six districts, in descending order, and our interpretation thereof:

• Jericho School District: A bunch of nerds; their football teams are so bad they even lose to ours.

• Roslyn Public Schools - Teach to the test.

• Great Neck Public Schools - (No snide remarks; the editor’s kids go there.)

• Herricks Union Free School District - Teach to the test.

• Syosset Central School District - Teach to the test. Basically a bunch of Jericho wannabes.

• East Williston Union Free School District (i.e., Wheatley) - Smart kids; great teachers.

Recent Departures

We note with sadness the recent passing of several alumni:

Class of 1965: James Sanford (”Sandy”) Dickey - Died June 4, 2016. Was a marine engineer. Leaves behind sisters Alice, 1962, and Elizabeth, 1963.

Class of 1967: John Farnsworth Stedman - Died June 5, 2016. Was a church (Presbyterian) elder and community leader. Leaves behind brothers Jim and Matt; was predeceased by brother Michael, 1970.

Class of 1974: Stuart Raeburn Strachan - Died March 1, 2016. Was a lawyer, surfer, and sailor. Leaves behind sister Leslie, 1967, and brother Kenneth, 1968.

In Closing

Especially as this is our inaugural issue, we welcome suggestions and items for inclusion (and any corrections).

Editor

Art Engoron
The Wheatley School Class of 1967

Contact Art:

artengoron@gmail.com Tel: 646-872-4833

© Wheatley Alumni Association 2016

Graduates

1958 - Steve Nelson - “I’ve started a blog on Substack about topics related to human evolution past, present and future. I’ll be posting about once a week, as inspiration strikes. I hope you’ll check it out.

With Mount Everest in the news recently after the miraculous escape from death of a Nepali guide, my post this week is about surviving at high altitude and evolving to live there.

Next week: how fire became the foundation of human existence and fueled our evolution, until the Titanic struck an underwater mountain of ice.

The week after: when the Artemis II crew saw the Earth from space, they shared with all astronauts an evolutionary awareness about life on what Carl Sagan called that “pale blue dot.”

Who knows where I’ll go from there.

“Steve is a very innovative thinker.” – Julien Hennefeld, Wheatley ’58, Harvard ‘62

1959 - Nan Bauer-Maglin Writes - “I am announcing my new book: LOVING ARRANGEMENTS: Stories About Modern Living and Loving

Love songs and Hollywood romances make it all sound so simple: you find your soul mate, move in together, get married, never stray from the path of monogamy, and live happily ever after. But real life tends to be more complicated. Many couples pursue alternative living arrangements, and some even pursue alternative loving arrangements.

The twenty-nine personal essays in this collection offer a variety of perspectives and experiences with nontraditional relationships and forms of cohabitation. The contributors include married couples who live in separate cities and single people who find companionship through communes and cohousing. These essays also present varied outlooks on the practice and ethics of having multiple partners, with some embracing large polycules while others opt for ‘monogamish’ relationships. Everyone has a different story to tell, from close friends living together to form a chosen family, to couples navigating the shifting boundaries of their relationship as one partner begins a gender transition. With contributors across generations and representing the full ethnic and cultural diversity of the United States, “Loving Arrangements” demonstrates the myriad ways that we live and love today.

---------

Dr. Nan Bauer-Maglin, Professor Emerita

The City University of New York

nan.bauermaglin99@ret.gc.cuny.edu

212.260.0771

Widows’ Words: Women Write on the Experience of Grief, The First Year, The Long Haul, and Everything In Between (Rutgers University Press, May 2019)

Gray Love: Stories About Dating and New Relationships After 60 (Rutgers University Press, January 2023)

Loving Arrangements: Stories of Modern Living and Loving (as of June 2026)

1965 - Roger Nierenberg - The Name Game

Lorraine Gallard Writes - “Dear Art: In a recent Newsletter, someone reminisces about ‘Rodney’ Nierenberg. The correct name is ‘Roger Nierenberg,’ though during high school we called him ‘Roddy.’” (((His formal name was “Roger”; his nickname was “Roddy,” not “Rodney” - AFE)

1974 - Cleo Cacoulidis - “I graduated from Wheatley in 1974 and have not kept up with anyone from high school days. Moreover, I have been living and working overseas for the last 18 years, so I’ve really not had much contact with New York, particularly Long Island, in quite a while. However, I recently learned that someone I once knew well died, also quite a bit ago, in July 2000. He would have also been in the Class of 1974, although he never graduated from Wheatley.

I hope that someone may have heard something about his passing or kept up with him over the years. I felt so sad to know that he died at only 44 years, and I’d like to know what happened. Anyone with information could contact me by email: CDC.CLEO@GMAIL.COM

His name was Frank A. Schwalbach, Class of 1974. He passed on 25 July 2000.

Fan Mail

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1964 (Davida Tunis Philips) - ❤️

1965 (Jeffrey Orling) - “Terrific!!!”

1966 (Lorraine Gallard) - “Thanks as always for the Newsletter. VI definitely enjoyed seeing the program for ‘John Brown’s Body’ in an earlier edition.”

1966 (Diana Noble Rubinger) - ❤️

1967 (Barbara Smith Stanisic) - ❤️

1974 (Bob Berta) - “Hey Keith and Art----Always a great item to find in the email. Keep up the exceptional work.... always a good read......./s/ Bob Berta, Class of 1974

1978 (Val Gomes) - “Thanks again for all you do for all of us, Art.🌷”

1996 (Joshua Effron) - ❤️

2007 (Stacey Engoron) - ❤️

Non-Wheatley (MBDE) - ❤️

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first xxyyzz Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 272. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Arthur Fredericks (“Art”) Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833

Thanks, Mark. Sorry everyone.

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 271

San Francisco Bay Area Reunion - Tomorrow, Sunday, June 7, 2026 - Noon to 4:00 PM

Larry Rosenthal (1965) Writes - “Hi Art, Randy Danto (‘68) and Mark Geller (‘72) have joined Andrew Gaines (’82), on the “Hopefuls” list, and Mark Luria (’61) and Alice Wilkins (’66) are now confirms, along with Laura Herbst (’74), Peter Siegel (’66), my brother Steve Roselaren (’67), Barry (’65) and Aldene Gordon, and yours truly, for The Fifth Annual(?) Unofficial San Francisco Bay Area Wheatley Reunion Potluck—TFA(?)USFBAWRP Sunday June 7, noon - 4pm, in my Berkeley back yard. Last minute additions welcome…just email me at larros99@gmail.com.

Best, Larry”

Wheatley’s Mock Trial Team

The Wheatley School 2026 Mock Trial Team

Bottom Photo - Back Row - R-L - Nassau County District Court Judge Maxine Broderick; Wheatley Social Studies Teacher Justin Portente, the teams faculty advisor (considered the “General Manager”); David Schwartz, the team’s outside attorney advisor (considered the “Coach”); Art Engoron (1967)

The annual Nassau County Bar Association Mock Trial Awards Dinner was held at the Nassau County Bar Association building in Mineola, NY, June 3, 2026. In the tournament for the academic year that just ended, the Wildcat mock litigators came in second to the team from Massapequa. In May, Massapequa represented Nassau County (District Seven) in the state finals in Albany, which Hunter College High School, in New York City, won.

The North Side Fire Flares Again

Donna Kenton (1963) Writes - “Hi Art, I remember the North Side fire vividly. I assume that sirens awakened me. I opened my bedroom blinds and could clearly see the huge flames going up to the sky. We were only about a block or two away. I can’t say I liked school. I was extremely shy. So I was very surprised to find myself crying. I woke my mother and brother (Gary Kenton, 1968), and we stood at my bedroom window watching the whole thing. Then, the next day, we went to see the charred remains, which was so sad. I was in the sixth grade, and Mr. Foerschner was my beloved teacher. Our classroom was gutted. We spent the rest of the school year at Wheatley and then began the seventh grade there.

I have another interesting story about North Side. I believe I’ve mentioned that I volunteer at the Innocence Project. At one of its gala’s, I was talking to the husband of one of my friends there, and I learned that he was a retired corrections officer. He was young enough to have started his second career and it turns out that he is part of security at North Side School! He loves it there. Small world!

😊 Donna Kenton’63

Rebecca Consolo Freer Freedman (1968) Writes - “I was a second grader at North Side School, and I still have vivid memories of the fire. I was to recite a poem that day. I was terrified. I was worried I wouldn’t remember it and most of all terrified to recite it in front of others. The night before, I prayed with all my heart that somehow I would get a pass. When I awoke that morning and found out that my beloved school burnt down, I thought I was responsible. But also so relieved. My belief in the power of prayer was born that day. Since that day, over the years, I have come very close to dying. Prayer and my belief that I was saved for a reason gives me peace and a strong desire to help make the world a better place.”

Graduates

1960 - Linda Sue Beattie Koole - Deceased

Ken Martin (1960) Writes - “Art, My good friend, Linda Sue Beattie Koole, passed away on June 2, 2026. She is survived by her husband, Peter, of 60 years; two sisters (June Beattie Hilton,1964, and Beverly Beattie Schell, 1969), two children; four grandchildren; and two great-children. There will not be a funeral service, but a memorial ceremony is being planned for the fall.”

1961 - Camille Napoli Cannizzo - “I am the very proud Aunt of Professor Philip Napoli.”

1965 - CORRECTION - Lorraine Gallard (1966) notes that Roger Nierenberg (1965) was misidentified in a recent Newsletter as “Rodney.” His formal name was “Roger”; He went by “Roddy”; he was not known as “Rodney.”

1972 and 1973 - Let’s Party!

L-R - Robin Freier Edwards (1972) and Jim Klepper (1973) at The Hamlet Golf and Country Club, Commack, NY

1975 - A Fun Evening at Silvana, 300 West 116th Street, New York, NY, Featuring The Wildcats, Wheatley’s Classic Rock & Roll Band, Composed (mostly) of Members of the Class of 1975

L-R Front Row - Mark Lubin, Susan Davis, Toni Buckner (all 1975)

Susan David, Master of Ceremonies.

L-R - Randy Rosler (1978) and Art Engoron (1967)

Other Photos from the event follow:

2027 - Sunidhi Ajmera

Sunidhi Ajmera (2027) and Art Engoron (1967) at the annual Nassau County Bar Association Mock Trial Awards Dinner at the Nassau County Bar Association building in Mineola, NY, June 3, 2026. Sunidhi aspires to be a lawyer, and she is well on her way!

Fan Mail

1961 (Camille Napoli Cannizzo) - ❤️

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1966 (Lorraine Gallard) - “Thanks for the Newsletter.”

1968 (Leslie Wolowitz) - “Art, I look forward to reading the alumni notes every week. Thank you.”

1972 (Sheri Nathan) - ❤️

1978 (John Mazlish) - ❤️

1996 (Joshua Effron) - ❤️

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first xxyyzz Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 271. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Arthur Fredericks (“Art”) Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 270,

San Francisco Bay Area Reunion

“Larry Rosenthal (1965) Writes - Andrew Gaines (’82), plans to swing by, joining hopeful Alice Wilkens (’66) and confirms Mark Luria (’61), Laura Herbst (’74), Peter Siegel (’66), my brother Steve Roselaren (’67), Barry (’65) and Aldene Gordon, and yours truly, for The Fifth Annual(?) Unofficial San Francisco Bay Area Wheatley Reunion Potluck—TFA(?)USFBAWRP, Sunday June 7, noon - 4pm, in my Berkeley backyard. Interested Wildcats, please email me at larros99@gmail.com. Out-of-towners welcome!”

The (Arguable) Greatest of All Times Athletes.

Top row - L-R - Billie Jean King, Evander Holyfield, Chris Evert, John Elway, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan

Middle row - Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, Pele, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jack Nicklaus

Bottom row on right - Joe Montna

The Intruder, identified - Henry Pullman (1967), wearing a long red tie.

Intimate Tour of Ireland In August Offered.

Wendy McClure (1979) Writes - “I am leading an intimate (13 participants) Vocal Sound Healing Tour of a Lifetime to Ireland & Scotland this August 4th--18th! There are still a few spots available, and you “Fun Wheatleyites” are most welcome to join us!

Enjoy beautiful sacred sites & stone circles with an Irish Tour Guide and a wonderful Tour Bus. Revel in breathtaking landscapes and feel the peace and wonder of these Celtic Lands! The flyer & event blogpost will give you details. Would you like to join us?!

Gwendolyn@vocalsoundhealer.com.

Dr. Gwendolyn McClure, Ph.D., L.M.T.

https://vocalsoundhealer.com/2026-voices-stones-celtic-isles-ireland-scotland-tour-8-4-8-18-2026/.

https://vocalsoundhealer.com

https://www.youtube.com/c/GwendolynMcClurePhD

https://linkedin.com/in/vocalsoundhealer

https://t.me/+TUBFXFiyDo04YmMx

https://www.facebook.com/vocalsoundhealer/

The North Side Fire Flares Again

Elvira (“Vivi”) Cilmi Kunz (1964) Writes - “Hi Art, I would like to add to the North Side fire memories.

My family lived on Brown Street, approximately five blocks from North Side. Every morning, my siblings and I would gather the kids from the block and head down Congress Ave. to the school. On the morning of the fire, we were stopped by a staff member (?) a block away from the school (Downing St.) and told to go home. It wasn’t until other students starting arriving that there was talk of a fire.

The staff member confirmed that the news was true, but we weren’t allowed to get any closer.

When I got home, my mother thought we were telling a ‘story’! I tried to convince her that it was true. She knew how much I loved school, so she was a bit confused. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that she received a telephone call confirming the fire.

The entire experience upset me greatly. North Side School was my second home, and I adored the teachers and staff.

Having it burn down was pretty devastating.

Later on, we were grateful that it happened during the night and that we weren’t in class at that time.

Getting back there for our last year was a blessing. Mr. Robert (“Bob”) Foerschner was amazing. He guided us through our final year with grace and discipline. He and I worked together in the summer programs for many years, and we became good friends.

I will always treasure my days at North Side.”

Ron Judkoff (1965) Writes - “Art, I lived close to North Side, especially if I cut through a couple of backyards. I have had a sneaking suspicion for the last 70 years that I may have caused the fire. We had art class last period the previous day. Everyone had a clean-up assignment, and for some reason, I have had the niggling fear for the last 70 years that my job may have been to turn off the kiln! I didn’t always pay close attention to what teachers were saying back then. My wife, Carolyn Stoloff (Willets Road School and Wheatley 1965) pooh-poohs this notion and assures me that no teacher (the art teacher’s name escapes me) would trust this to a 9-year-old without checking and that anyway, wouldn’t the kiln have had a high temperature automatic shut-off that must have failed? I fervently hope this is the logical explanation and that, in any event, the statute of limitations is long passed.”

Graduates

1965 - Anthony Napoli - “My son, a professor at Duke, gave a commencement speech at Boston University, where he received his Master’s degree. He has an interesting take on the future of AI.”

Philip Napoli speaking at Boston University Commencement

(((Highly Recommended - Art Engoron)))

1965 - Leslie Rakoff Cohen - “I still recall the lines from John Brown’s Body "lies a-moldering in his grave" in a Rodney Nierenberg 1965) musical composition.”

1966 - Robert Eastman - “I would have loved to be on Maui with four of my old friends!”

1968 - Andy Forstenzer and Mark Gross - With Friends in California

L-R - Debbie Forstenzer, Mark Gross (1968), Andy Forstenzer (1968)

L-R - Andy Forstenzer (1968) Debbie Forstenzer, Mark Gross (1968), Mark’s friend Lori.

1968 and 1974 - Mark Gross and Elyse Rame Beyer

1972 and 1974 - Glenn Monk (1972) and Elyse Rame Beyer (1974)

L-R - Elyse Rame, Beyer Susan Monk, Mark Goldberg, Glenn Monk (1972)

Mark Goldberg and Elyse Rame Beyer (1974)

L-R - Elyse Rame Beyer (1974), Mark Goldberg, Susan Monk, Glenn Monk (1972)

L-R - Elyse Rame (1974), Mark Goldberg, Glenn Monk (1972), Susan Monk

(((Elyse Rame Beyer’s husband Mark Goldberg did not attend Wheatley and should not be confused with the Mark Goldberg (1969) who did.)))

1974 - Bill Meyn - “I am humbled by the achievements of so many Wheatley graduates, whose stars have illuminated the world so brightly. By comparison, my own life may qualify as a Horatio Alger story, whose heroes boast of modest accomplishment. Forty-five years as a mid-level public servant in the Coast Guard is something, anyway, for a guy who had one foot in the Coast Guard Academy front door upon High School graduation and another foot on the path to an unknowable future. I'll never know if I gave up a chance for greatness or grinding poverty when choosing the more secure path. In retirement, my last remaining ambition is to someday be a terrible burden on society. My friends tell me I have already achieved that status (LOL).

From the Archives:

Richard Levy (1975) Writes - “Just FYI, the photograph of Dan Engoron (1973) beating Bruce Pandolfini in a chess game was from the fall of 1972 or the winter of 1973. Fischer played Spassky in the summer of 1972, so Dan’s victory occurred after Bruce commentated on the world championship match. Bruce also appeared in the film “Searching for Bobby Fischer” in a brief cameo, but more interestingly, the chess coach character named Bruce Pandolfini was played by academy-award-winning actor Ben Kingsley. Bruce also appeared in the series “The Queen’s Gambit” as the host of a chess tournament at a high school. And he, along with former World Champion and possibly GOAT Gary Kasparov, were the chess advisors for that series, which is well respected by the best chess players in the world for its accurate portrayal of brilliant top-level chess games.

I also beat Bruce Pandolfini, on his next visit to Wheatley. I still have the trophy for that victory. I think Dan received a similar trophy.

Rich,
Richard S. Levy, M.D.

Fan Mail

Faculty (Karen Bartscherer) - ❤️ “Always a pleasure to read about Wheatley folks. Your continued care and crafting of this Newsletter is truly remarkable and genuinely appreciated.”

1960 (Joanne Festa) - ❤️ “Thank you, Art. I enjoy the Newsletter.”

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1964 (Ted Rothstein) - “Looks great, Arthur. Keep these coming!!”

1964 (Davida Tunis Philips) - ❤️

1965 (Sharon Neely Halm) - ❤️

1965 (Leslie Rakoff Cohen) - ❤️

1966 (Alison Kent Bermant) - “Another great Newsletter.”

1966 (Claude Levy) - ❤️

1967 (Jill Simon Forte) - “Another fun read about some of the Wheatley ‘kids.’”

1967 (Barbara Smith Stanisic) - ❤️

1968 (Rebecca Consolo Freer Freedman) - ❤️

1968 (Mark Gross) - “I appreciate all the effort you put into the Newsletter.”

1968 (Shelley ‘Sheli Nan’ Hershcopf) - ❤️

1969 (Maddy Nathanson) - ❤️

1969 (Debra Segall) - ❤️

1970 (Karen Hurvitz Shea) - “Thank you so much. I appreciate what you do.”

1974 (Elyse Rame Beyer) - “Thank you for all you do to keep our Wheatley community strong.”

1975 (Mark Lubin) - “Art - another good read... thanks!”

1976 (Dan Knudsen) - “I love receiving the Newsletters.”

1981 (Brian Seidman) “Many thanks to you and Keith for the Newsletter.”

Non-Wheatley (MBDE) - ❤️

1971, 1994, or 2003 (Felicia) - ❤️

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 268 Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 270. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Arthur Fredericks (“Art”) Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833

Here’s Mark Lubin, Guitarist:

A final reminder for the New York area Wheatley reunion this Sunday (May 31) evening at Silvana in Harlem. All graduates and friends of Wheatley are welcome. No cover, minimum or RSVP necessary.

Silvana is located at 300 West 116th Street near Frederick Douglass Blvd. (8th Ave). Street parking is available, and there is a parking garage close by on W. 115th St., near Frederick Douglass Blvd.

Music will be provided by the Wildcats (Class of ’75 Band) from 8-9pm.

Here’s Sheli Nan, Composer

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 269,

San Francisco Bay Area Reunion

“Larry Rosenthal (1965) Writes - Andrew Gaines (’82), plans to swing by, joining hopeful Alice Wilkens (’66) and confirms Mark Luria (’61), Laura Herbst (’74), Peter Siegel (’66), my brother Steve Roselaren (’67), Barry (’65) and Aldene Gordon, and yours truly, for The Fifth Annual(?) Unofficial San Francisco Bay Area Wheatley Reunion Potluck—TFA(?)USFBAWRP, Sunday June 7, noon - 4pm, in my Berkeley backyard. Interested Wildcats, please email me at larros99@gmail.com. Out-of-towners welcome!”

Quiz for Sports Mavens - Name those (arguable) GOATs (and the intruder)

Local News and Reactions

Edward B. Ryder IV (1973) Writes - “Somewhere heavenly, north of Glendale, Queens, the Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneersohn is kvelling at the result of the litigation arising from the religious discrimination via zoning changes of the Village of Old Westbury.”

Local History

Westbury Manor was built in the the 1880s by the Titus Family, descendants of Quaker settlers. It was so solidly constructed that its walls were a yard-thick, with interior partitions filled with sand and brick. Interior woodwork was all heavy walnut. The house and farm land were sold in 1910 to John R. Hill, and the house was moved from the north side to the south side of Jericho Turnpike. During WWI, Mr. Hill enlisted in the army and rented the house to Mrs. Robert Bacon, wife of the U.S. Secretary of State, who used it as a residence for young women volunteers at Camp Mills. The Manor House was sold after WWI, but during the Great Depression, it reverted back to the seller, when the then owner was unable to pay mortgage interest and taxes. The entire Hill family moved back into the house and lived there until 1946, when it was again sold and converted into a restaurant, the Westbury Manor. A large part of the clientele at that time was from the United Nations, then located at Sperry’s in Lake Success, and from nearby Roosevelt Raceway patrons. In 1961, the restaurant was acquired by Carl Hoppl, who operated it until 1981. It has been sold twice since, still operates as a restaurant, and is one of Long Island’s premier wedding and event venues.

The North Side Fire Flares Again

Ellen Genat Hoffman (1964) Writes - “Hi Art, Once again, the info about the North Side fire is wrong. It occurred in 1957, not 1958 as apparently reported by ChatGPT.

I enjoyed seeing Kenny Lang mentioned in the item. He lived next door to my family, and he is the person who called our house to report that we couldn’t go to school that day because it had burned down. I don’t remember who answered our telephone, but we didn’t believe him until his mother got on the phone to verify it. We went to the corner of our property, which was only two houses away from the east side of the school, which burned completely. It was just a shell.”

The Art Room kiln exploded, causing the fire. The original 1917 part of the school burned. The 1948 wing was pretty much OK. Amazingly, the original section was rebuilt in time for school in the Fall.

Art Engoron (1967) Writes - Ellen is correct that the fire occurred in 1957, not 1958 (as more than one A.I. source claimed). I thank Ellen; my 1967 classmate Richard Friedman, who helped me research this pressing issue; and my 1967 classmate Kenny Lang, who got the ball rolling.

Kenny Writes - “Talk about the North Side fire brings back so many memories of neighbors and of being young. The fire might have inspired me, many years later, to join the East Williston Fire Department, for which I volunteered for nearly 20 years.”

According to The New York Times, a “fire on March 2, 1957, that severely damaged the original North Side School, marks a dark day in village history.”

NY Times mentions the North Side School Fire

The Mayor of Wheatley’s Corner

Art Engoron (1967) Writes - My estimate that The Wheatley School production of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” was in 1966 apparently was off by several years!

“Gene Razzetti (1961) writes: Art, as a member of the Stage Crew back then, I believe we did ‘The Crucible’ during my junior year (1959-1960). The following year, under the madcap direction of Mr. Howard Storm, we did “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” with stellar performances by classmates Kent Salisbury, Joan Mahoney, Tim Jerome, David Cohen, Richard Amster, Bari Mittenthall Mears, and other great kids that I can’t recall. Pals Bill Stang (1961), Neil Tiebout (1961), and I spent the time creeping around backstage throwing light switches, raising/lowering curtains, and moving props.

Mr. Storm excused me from English class one afternoon so that I could help prepare the stage. He then marked me absent on the attendance sheet. That brought me to the principal’s office for the first and only time of my high school years. The principal chalked it up to Mr. Storm’s case of Opening Night Jitters and let me go.

Best to all, Gene.”

Janet Gohlke Dyer (1962) remembers performing in it. “Yes, 1961 sounds about right. I never associated the Salem witch trials with the McCarthy hearings.”

Administration

L-R - Art Engoron and Rick Simon (Wheatley Principal 1995-2008) - May 6, 2026, Opus Steakhouse, Jericho, New York, Charity Event for The Inn, Hempstead, New York

Graduates

1961 - Michael Jablon - “I just finished reading Nancy Kurshan’s (1961) book, ‘Levitating the Pentagon and Other Uplifting Stories: A Life of Activism,’ and it is a must-read. I never realized what an influential person she has been.”

1965 - Andrew Doyle - Versatile Actor

Frank Doyle Writes - “Hi Art, My brother Paul (‘Bud’) Doyle (attended Wheatley for 7th and 8th grades in the late 1950s and early 1960s); and I, Frank (attended Wheatley in 8th and 9th grades, 1972-1974) were going through some of our mom’s old papers and found this program from April 1965, in which my brother Andy (graduated Wheatley in 1965) starred as both Lincoln and John Brown. Interesting memories for me, as I recall sitting through both nights as a 6-year-old, and I can still hear the chorus in my ears 61 years later....”John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in his grave.” I love the Newsletter, as I went to East Williston schools all though Ninth Grade, and my four older brothers attended Wheatley at some point, with Jim 1970, Tom 1967, and Andy 1965 graduating from Wheatley.

Best, Frank M. Doyle

Retired and living in Burke, Virginia

1966 - Reunion on Maui

L-R - Charline Krakauer Fredericksen, Allan Silver, Janet LaGattuta Maffei, Eliza Berman Brady

1967 - Lynn Robinson Braff - Amy Jacoby Budish (1970) Writes - “Seeing Lynn Robinson Braff’s name brought back nice memories of the afternoons she and my sister Beth Jacoby Deitch (1967) spent playing guitar together on our den couch.-’Ole’ Stewball was a racehorse…’? Or am I hallucinating?”

1967 - Art Engoron - On his 77th Birthday, May 22, 2026, with close friend Scott Siller, Esq., at Stresa, on Northern Boulevard, Manhasset, New York

More proof that Wheatley Wildcats are everywhere - At least one Wheatley T-Shirt made it to Paris:

1969 - Susan Shapiro - “Sometime in the 1980s, my parents and I attended a Long Island Sports Hall of Fame dinner at which famed horse jockey Eddie Arcaro and our own Shep Messing (1967) were honorees.”

1974 - Dane Tessler - Amy Jacoby Budish (1970) Writes - “Thanks for the beautiful tribute to Dane Tessler. He and my brother Jeremy Jacoby (1974) were good pals from the time they were young, and you never knew what unique mischief would unfold when those two got together! Clearly, Dane lived a rich life and will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know him.”

Students

Priscilla Dany and Art Engoron in The Wheatley School Gymnasium, April 21, 2026, during what was essentially a College Fair for Wheatley, Herricks, and Paul D. Schreiber (a/k/a/ Port Washington) High School Students. (((Yes, that’s a Wheatley T-Shirt underneath my shirt and sweater.)))

From the Archives:

Yup, my brother Danny Engoron, 1973, defeated “peer chess master” Bruce Pandolfini at an exhibition at Wheatley. Pandolfini went on to become a Chess Master and a flamboyant commentator on the famous Bobby Fisher versus Boris Spassky World Championship Match in Iceland in 1972 and other famous chess matches. Pandolfini is also a member of the United States Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri.

Fan Mail

1960 (Raymond Roller) - ❤️

1963 (Marcia Friedman Mayer) - ❤️ “I loved your personal essay! Thank you for all your work.”

1963 (Lynne Howard Severe) - “Hi Art, Edition # 266 grabbed me….the incredible obituary about Dana (“Dane”) Tessler (1974), your personally honest note, the note about Marilyn Monroe and Sheli Hershcopf (1968), and the memories stirred by the new website “writing about our generation”….each unique, yet with the common thread of making me feel proud to be a Wheatley grad. Thank you all.”

PS: Art, you are definitely not hamster-like in any way.

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1964 (Davida Tunis Philips) - ❤️

1965 (Ira Kent) - “Art, I among many others greatly appreciate your continued effort in publishing the Newsletter. The older we become, the more enjoyable it is to relive wonderful memories!”

1965 (Sharon Neely Halm) - ❤️ “I so look forward to reading the wonderful Wheatley Alumni Newsletter. Thank you so much for doing this, Art.”

1965 (Laurel Osrow) - ❤️

1966 (Alison Kent Bermant) - “For whatever reasons you do this, we are all the richer for your having taken on this roll. Many thanks!”

1966 (Claude Levy) - ❤️

1966 (Suzanne Stone) - ❤️ “Great Newsletter again....loved the Lauren Karasyk Ryan Oakley and John Oakley matchmaking story - and the Paris pics.”

1968 (Rebecca Consolo Freer Freedman) - ❤️

1968 (Joan Edelstein) - “Hi Art, Thank you so much for doing such an amazing job of keeping the Wheatley community together…….and for another great Newsletter. You and Keith have the gratitude of so many of us.”And to Patti Garin (1968) -I LOVE the pic of you and Lester. You two made me smile a lot!”

1968 (Ilene “Cookie” Levine) - “Thank you for spending so much time and effort to make our Wheatley Alumni Newsletter the best that there is. You have brought so many people together.”

1969 (Susan Shapiro) - ❤️

1969 (Jill Wattel Stockinger) - ❤️

1970 (Mitch Shapiro) - “Keep up all the good work you do in keeping the Wildcats in touch with each other.”

1972 (Jean Kappes) - “Art, I am always inspired and uplifted to hear about Wheatley Alumni. I appreciate your efforts, along with everyone else that contributes to this Newsletter. It’s been wonderful to connect and hear about all those Wheatley graduates who have become some really interesting and incredible people. Thank you for all you do!!”

1996 (Joshua Effron) - ❤️❤️❤️

Non-Wheatley (MBDE) - ❤️

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 268 Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 269. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Art

Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 268,

Class of 1976 50th-Year Reunion

The Wheatley School Class of 1976 50th-Year Reunion has been scheduled for October 17th, 2026. Anyone interested can contact Charlie Cassely at ccassely@yahoo.com for details. (((Art writes - This is the same day as the Class of 1966’s 60th-Year Reunion. Great Minds Think Alike. Make sure that you don’t go to the wrong reunion.)))

San Francisco Bay Area All-Class Reunion

Larry Rosenthal (1965) sends a reminder that in less then a month The Fifth Annual(?) Unofficial San Francisco Bay Area Wheatley Reunion Potluck—TFA(?)USFBAWR.P-- will be held on Sunday June 7, 2026, noon - 4pm, in his Berkeley back yard. Rich Weissman (1972) is 99% sure he’ll be there and Mark Luria (1961) and Alice Wilkens (1966) are hoping to make it as well. Previous confirms are Peter Siegel (1966), Larry’s brother Steve Roselaren (1967), and Barry (1965) and Aldene Gordon. Interested Wildcats, can email Larry at larros99@gmail.com. Out-of-towners welcome!

The Wildcats Rock & Roll Band Performs in Harlem - Reunion

Reminder - Wheatley Reunion in Manhattan - 5/31/2026

There will be a New York area reunion featuring the Wildcat Class of 1975 Band at Silvana in Harlem (300 West 116th Street, near Frederick Douglass Blvd.) at 8pm on Sunday, May 31. All Wheatley graduates and friends are welcome. No cover, minimum, tickets or RSVP’s necessary.

The Mayor of Wheatley’s Corner

Excerpt of Interview with Arthur Miller about “The Crucible”

Submitted by Webmaster Keith Aufhauser (1963). Miller mentions “Death of a Salesman.” The Wheatley Drama Club performed “The Crucible” in or about 1966.

Froggy the Gremlin

Scott Frishman (1967) also answered Steve Hanft’s (1966) Andy Devine question correctly and on time: “As far as an answer to the Andy Devine Froggy the Gremlin question, the answer is “Plunk Your Magic Twanger, Froggy.”

Local News - Old Westbury

After an 18-year legal battle, one of Long Island’s wealthiest towns just paid a $19 million price for blocking a synagogue.

The Village of Old Westbury fought for years to stop Rabbi Aaron Konikov and Chabad-Lubavitch of Old Westbury from building a shul on his 9-acre property.

Instead of approving it, the town changed its zoning laws—requiring houses of worship to sit on at least 12 acres—effectively shutting the project down.

That decision sparked a federal lawsuit that dragged on for nearly two decades.

Now, a U.S. District Court judge has finalized a $19M settlement, closing the case.

A costly reminder: blocking religious freedom doesn’t just come with headlines—it comes with consequences.

Graduates

1958 - Steve Nelson - “In 1987, I launched a business which, for nearly 25 years, produced an ongoing series of videos about ‘hot trends and cool products’ in cable television and consumer electronics. Over the years, we did hundreds of on-camera interviews with movers-and-shakers, including Ted Turner, taped at CNN in 1988. His PR people took this photo afterwards of me and Ted, and at my request he signed it.

Steve Nelson (left) shaking hands with Ted Turner

It was the only time I asked an interview subject for an autograph, but Ted was special.

Many years later, I was staying in a hotel during a cable TV expo. I was awakened one morning by someone having a loud telephone conversation in the room next door. I could only make out bits and pieces of it, but I would recognize that distinctive voice anywhere: Ted Turner. What got him all het up? Problems at CNN? Details of a business deal? No, it was something else near-and-dear to him: his herd of bison.”

1967 - Betty Baer and Lynn Robinson Braff - Still Going Strong

L-R - Lynn Robinson Braff and Betty Baer (Both 1967)

Betty Writes - Dear Art, At long last, Lynn and I figured we would contribute something to The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter:
Lynn and I have been best friends since 6th grade at the Willets Road School. We settled in different parts of the United States and followed different paths, but we have remained connected. With more time (that is becoming less time) in our retirement years, we’ve shared our love of the outdoors on yearly vacations with our spouses, often off the beaten track, from Colorado to Maine. After 61 years, we continue to have new adventures, and we never run out of things about which to talk.”

1967 - Kenny Lang - “Hi, Arthur, You and I were in the fourth grade at North Side at the time of The Fire. I left my home to go to school that morning and did an absolute double take when I saw what had occurred. My father‘s best friend was a volunteer fireman who responded to the call that night. For a while, our class did a split schedule at the Willets Road School, going half a day. Regards, Kenny”

(((According to ChatGPT: A “‘disastrous fire’ that burned part of North Side School occurred on March 2, 1958. The school, originally built in 1917, required extensive rebuilding after the fire.”)))

1967 Shirley Vogl Quarantello - The Graduates

Shirley Writes - “Hi Art, My grandson graduated college yesterday, his brother is graduating high school and my granddaughter is moving up to high school. Time marches on too quickly! Stop this train (great John Mayer lyrics!)”

L-R - Granddaughter, Tom Quarantello, Grandson (College), Shirley Vogl Quarantello, Grandson (High School)

1967 - Art Engoron - Last week, I was in Paris visiting a Parisian friend and touring the city.

Art and friend on a bridge over the River Seine

Art and friend in the Musée d’Orsay (designed by Gustave Eiffel as a train station)

Art and friend in front of the Assemblée Nationale

1969 and 1970 - Susan and Mitch Shapiro - Dad Pictured With Sports Luminaries

Front Row - Rod Gilbert - New York Rangers Hall of Fame Hockey Player

Middle Row - L-R - Stan Shapiro, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, two unknowns

Top Row - Mickey Mantle

At the Swan Club in Approximately 1990

1973 - Lauren Karasyk Ryan Oakley and John Oakley - A Happy Couple

Lauren Writes - In the summer of 2016, Art Engoron (1967) asked me to work on The Wheatley School’s 60th Birthday Party by inviting the 1973 graduates. While doing this, I had a conversation with classmate John Oakley. John and I got married in May 2017, all because of Art. So, thank you, Art, for being the best matchmaker ever, and for all you do for every Wheatley graduate. We are presently in Italy, finishing up a day of touring Positano, on the Amalfi coast. We think about Wheatley often, and how lucky we are to have gone there. I’ve told my 97 1/2 year-old mom that as well, and now I’m going to call her to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day.❤️

WildCat Pet Corner

Lester is Patti Garin’s (1968) 40-pound, five-years-old, very sweet Goldendoodle.

Fan Mail

1963 (Marcia Friedman Mayer) - ❤️

1964 (Natalie Cobb Wentworth) - ❤️

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1964 (Elvira “Vivi” Cilmi Kunz) - “Hi Art, I always appreciate your time and efforts. Every Newsletter brings another memory spark of good times. We need to smile more, and you help that cause. Thank you!”

(1965) - Laurel Osrow - ❤️

1966 (Claude Levy) - ❤️

1966 (Marjorie Schuh Silver) - ❤️❤️

1967 (Scott Frishman) - “Hey Art, A great Newsletter, as usual, and I love your explaining with such sincerity why you have enjoyed publishing the Newsletter, as well as organizing our 1967 class reunions, as well as The Wheatley School birthday party reunions.”

1967 (Jill Simon Forte) - “It’s always good to see the Newsletter and read about memories.”

1967 (Barbara Smith Stanisic) - “Thank you for keeping us all updated on the latest Wheatley news. It’s truly a pleasure to be able to share our news with the alumni. Thank you, Art, for all your hard work.”❤️

1967 (Shirley Vogl Quarantello) - “I am loving the Newsletters. Thank you so much for all you do!”

1970 (Luis Rios) - “Art, I compliment you for keeping us up-to-date on all that happens. I did not realize how important high school was! May God continue to bless you.”

1974 (LauRha Frankfort) - ❤️

1974 (Cathy Michaelson Lieblich) - ❤️

1974 (SuZanne Zenker Gilbride) - ❤️

1975 (Mark Lubin) - “Art - thanks for preparing and circulating these Newsletters.”

1996 (Joshua Effron) - ❤️

Non-Wheatley (MBDE) - ❤️❤️

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 266 Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 268. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Art

Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 267,

Correction - Wheatley Opened its Doors in 1956

Ellen Genat Hoffman correctly pointed this out as follows;

“Wheatley’s doors opened in September 1956, not 1958. The first graduating class graduated in June 1958. The class arrived as juniors, and spent two years as the oldest class. The first couple of classes had only approximately 80 students in them. There were a lot of unused classrooms. After the North Side School fire, the 4th, 5th and 6th grades from there moved to the junior high wing.”

(((I apologize for my “senior moment.” - Art)))

The photo might have been from 1958; but the doors opened in 1956

Class of 1976 50th-Year Reunion

The Wheatley School Class of 1976 50th-Year Reunion has been scheduled for October 17th, 2026. Anyone interested can contact Charlie Cassely at ccassely@yahoo.com for details. (((Art writes - This is the same day as the Class of 1966’s 60th-Year Reunion. Great Minds Think Alike. Make sure that you don’t go to the wrong reunion.)))

The Mayor of Wheatley’s Corner - Part 1

Donna Kenton (1963) Writes - “Art, I’m so glad that you wrote why you do this. We all know that it takes a very long time. So I want you to know that I know you, respect you, and greatly appreciate you. I’m not the envying kind, but there’s much about you and the life you’ve created to envy. My goodness, you became a New York State Supreme Court Justice!

I often tell people that I’m friends with more people from high school now than I ever was in high school, being the incredibly shy girl that I was. It’s because of two things, first, being on my class reunion committee, and second, being friends with you.

I’m certainly grateful that you’re the Mayor of Wheatley, and I will definitely take credit for naming you that. 😊”

Gerry Gersh (1969) Writes - “So, Art, it took you 265 publications to tell us what we all wondered about?!! Why does Art put all the work in for us - lucky Wheatley grads? Your answer did not disappoint. ‘I like making people happy.’ And that makes your ‘glory’ glorious! None of us can truly fathom the time and effort you put in, but many have speculated. You knitted a tapestry none of us expected, but we treasure it, and it helped jog our memories about somethings called ‘youth,’ ‘innocence,’ ‘dreams.’ We all thank and love you, Art, for running on that treadmill. When do we throw you the party?!”

MBDE Writes - “After having read many Wheatley Alumni Newsletters, what strikes me about them is how they perfectly illustrate that creating connections is foundational work, almost a vocation, a mission. In addition to nostalgia, they provide generational anchoring; they transform an alumni network into a truly living, structured community, sustained over decades.

Behind the sometimes light tone (“hamster on the wheel”), I perceive a more demanding reality: the patient construction of a collective memory and a gentle social influence, where everyone still exists in the eyes of others, and I find that beautiful.”

Graduates

1966 - Steve Hanft - In the previous issue (# 266), Steve asked if anyone could name the device that Andy Devine often asked ‘Froggy’ to ‘plunk’ on the Saturday morning TV show ‘Andy’s Gang.’ The correct answer, ‘Magic Twanger’ (as in ‘Plunk your Magic Twanger, Froggy’) came from Robert Eastman (1966), Steve Shakin (1966), Art Engoron (1967), Howard Kirchick (1967), and Bruce Artim (1971).

ANDY DEVINE AND FROGGY

Art Adds - My research, confirming my memory, came up with the following expanded version :

“I’ve gotta gang

You’ve gotta gang

Everybody’s gotta have a gang

But there’s only one real gang for me,

Good old Andy’s gang!

Pump your magic twanger Froggy!

Hiya kids!

Hiya, hiya, hiya!”

1969 - Susan Shapiro - “I've never seen any theater production of ‘Death of a Salesman,” but Nathan Lane being in the current Broadway production drew my interest. My mom still remembers seeing ‘Death of a Salesman’ in 1949, when she was dating my dad. That surprises me, as I always thought that they only saw musicals.

My dad, Stanley Shapiro, was one of the first Jewish members of La Gorce Country Club in Miami. His good friend, Eddie Arcaro, the famous horse jockey, sponsored him. One of the other members of the club was Joe DiMaggio. Joe moved his locker next to Dad’s because another member was bothering Joe. Dad and Joe often had lunch in the grill and played golf together. Joe would often ask my dad questions about baseball facts the answers to which Joe did not know, but my dad always did!

One night, my mom and dad went to the movies and had dinner afterwards. Joe and Eddie and a bunch of other men were having dinner together. They asked my parents to join them, at which time Joe announced to the group: ‘There's a lady in attendance, so watch your language!!’ Mom enjoys telling this story, adding, ‘Joe was truly a gentleman.’

L-R - Joe Di Maggio, Fran Shapiro, Stan Shapiro, at Gulfstream Park Race Track, Florida, home of the Florida Derby, in 1996 

L-R - Stan Shapiro, Joe Di Maggio, and Eddie Arcaro on Eddie’s 80th birthday

Dad took my brother Mitch's (1970) son, Steven, to play golf, and Joe was there. In those days, Steven, then approximately 11-12 years old, was playing baseball back in Smithtown. Joe asked Steven, ‘What position do you play?’ Steven replied, ‘Catcher.’ Joe asked, ‘Do you want to grow up to be like Yogi Berra?’

Best, Susan”

1974 - Dane Tessler - Colorado Host

Dane Tessler's Guest RV

The Mayor of Wheatley’s Corner - Part II

I print the following, somewhat reluctantly, under the rubric of “a point of personal privilege.” Richard Friedman (1967) wrote it in the 72nd year of our fast friendship (we met in 1954, as North Side School kindergarten students):

Art, In your essay explaining why you publish The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter, you wrote in part:

’But I came up with three reasons, which I think still hold, and which I will list in no particular order.

I was doing it because being in contact with everyone and throwing parties is fun.’

Agreed!

‘I was doing it because people appreciated it, and I like making people happy.’

Agreed!

‘And I was doing it for “the glory.” I couldn’t redo high school; and my college career was mostly miserable; but I could become a somebody. I could stand out from the crowd. People would know me, respect me, appreciate me, and might possibly envy me. Even after all these years, I still have difficulty defining “the glory,” but I still feel it. And to quote the Gershwin Brothers, “They can’t take that away from me.”

Art, I appreciate your sincerity, openness, and ability to be vulnerable. Nobody could be more insightful about yourself than you. I admire that in you.

“I sense there is a ‘but’ coming.”

Yes, and here it is. How I disagree with you about yourself might be more indicative of your personality than one might think. “But I could become a somebody.” Art, you have always been a somebody. From the very beginning, going all the way back to your earliest days at North Side. You started off as a ‘little shrimp sickly’ person, yes. But everything you took on you excelled at! You may not have been the best, but you were always way above average at all you took on. You were the best at chess, though. I cannot possibly fashion myself as a psychiatrist here, so I could be very wrong. But, since you said that you wanted to ‘become a somebody,’ and I say that you have always been quite a ‘somebody,’ maybe there is/was a feeling of inferiority here, though from my perspective, for the adult AFE, that should not be the case.

“I could stand out from the crowd.” Same kind of thinking. You have always stood out from the crowd. Perhaps you did not realize or appreciate it. In high school, between your academic achievements and your participation in many of the top echelon activities, you most definitely stood out. I always thought so. Why didn’t you? Different perspectives, perhaps.

“People would know me, respect me, appreciate me, and might possibly envy me.”

More recently, since being a judge at the levels you were at, I think you achieved the status of people knowing, respecting, appreciating and possibly envying you. But in this case, it appears that you wanted this to apply to the graduates of the school of your youth, as you have had these distinctions in your professional life. Most people would be very happy for this to be the case in their graduating class. I don’t know if its true, or if it applies to you that you want this to apply for the 10,000 Wheatley graduates to know you, etc. Perhaps I find that hard to believe, as most of these people you will never know, other than as a statistic.

Feeling the “glory” from what you do is the quality that I can definitely confidently attribute to you for what you have been doing. It feels good to bask in the glow in the glory of doing something that is a significant accomplishment and is recognized by so many people. This is something that I can buy into, Art. It comes from the very positive feedback you have received from hundreds, if not thousands, of people who appreciate the hard work and hours of your time that you have put into this. Something that you never had to do, but yet you do it and do not ask for anything in return. This is your labor of love, and instead of getting tired or burnt out in doing it, you only get better and have expanded from your original concept.

There is no argument as to whether or not I am correct or not. This is my opinion of your opinion! Is something like that permissible? “How can I submit a critique or opinion on your opinion? That is your opinion, to which you are entitled. But, in looking back as to what I wrote, it’s possible that I have a higher opinion of you than you do! Thus, that is how I disagree with your opinion about yourself. I am not questioning your integrity. I am not questioning your being vulnerable. But, from my perspective, I guess I see something different than you do from my perspective, which continues to develop even as it approaches 72 years.

Fan Mail

Faculty (Karen Bartscherer) - ❤️

1960 (David Eastman) - “Way to go and thank you.”❤️

1964 (Ellen Genat Hoffman) - “Reading why you publish the Wheatley Alumni Newsletter was great. The work sounds very fulfilling.”

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1965 (Barry Gordon) - “Thank you for the history of the Wheatley Alumni Newsletter! What can I say? You’re a mensch! Thank you for all you do for us Wildcats!”

1965 (Bob Halper) - “A very good essay, Art. Nice and honest. Well-written to boot.”

1965 (Louise Kampa Triano) - “Art, as usual, you are a joy! I laughed and cried at your “Why I do the Newsletter” story. I know I speak for everyone when I say, ‘thank you’ for keeping us together. I don’t think the Class of 1965’s reunion last October would have been the success it was without ‘Art’s Newsletter.’ You are making a lot of people happy.”❤️

1966 (Suzanne Stone) - “We are blessed that you found your calling as OUR MAYOR - whatever the reason....thank you, thank you, thank you!!!❤️”

1967 (Michael Cave) - “As you wrote in your essay, you found a way to develop a tremendous community with your Newsletters. You have touched many hearts and souls, and you continue to bring people together with special memories of their lives.”

1967 (Barbara Smith Stanisic) - ❤️

1969 (Maddy Nathanson) - ❤️

1969 (Paula Panzeca Foresto) - ❤️

1972 (Arlene Acker) - ❤️

1974 (Melanie Artim) - ❤️

1974 (Marla Romash) - ❤️

1974 (SuZanne L. Zenker-Gilbride) - ❤️

1977 (Linda Watnick Lebowitz) - ❤️

1981 (Rob Walzer) - “Life hasn’t been the same without your Newsletter.”

???? (Elias Croft) - ❤️

Non-Wheatley (MBDE) - ❤️

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 266 Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 267. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Art

Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833

Welcome to the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 266,

The Origins of The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter

Art Engoron (1967) Writes - Several years ago, Mitch Stephens (1967) and a non-Wheatleyite North Carolinian named Neil Offen created a website that Neil describes as follows:

“Writing About Our Generation is a website focused on the continuing adventures of those of us born between World War II and Woodstock. Our stories range from ranking the best Beatles songs to ranking the best inventions of our lifetimes, from a paean to the joys of lunching to complaints about downsizing. And we publish a new story almost every day. To get on our mailing list, or to write for the site, send an email to writingaboutourgeneration@gmail.com”

Hearing about my Wheatley School Alumni Association activities, Neil recently asked me to explain them. I wrote, and earlier this week he published, the following essay:

Why I’m My High School’s Scribe

Written by Arthur Engoron

The Wheatley School—which, despite its highfalutin’ name, is a public school—opened its doors in September 1958 in Old Westbury, Long Island, New York. I graduated in 1967, along with 251 other baby boomers. My four brothers were also “Wheatley Wildcats.” In 1960, the oldest one brought home a copy of the school yearbook, the Aurora.

I was hooked; I perused it endlessly; I wanted to get to know all of those people; I wanted to connect with them.

And to a certain extent, I did. What follows explains why some people call me “The Mayor of Wheatley.”

In 1980 two friends and I organized our original class reunion (losing about $500 when the original venue went bankrupt). I organized a 25th, 30th, 40th and 50th mostly by myself. In or about 1985, a classmate asked me why I was doing this.

I had to think for a few moments, “Why was I doing this?” Why does the hamster run on the wheel in its cage? I was mostly just doing it.

But I came up with three reasons, which I think still hold, and which I will list in no particular order.

I was doing it because being in contact with everyone and throwing parties is fun.

I was doing it because people appreciated it, and I like making people happy.

And I was doing it for “the glory.” I couldn’t redo high school; and my college career was miserable; but I could become a somebody. I could stand out from the crowd. People would know me, respect me, appreciate me, and might possibly envy me. Even after all these years, I still have difficulty defining “the glory,” but I still feel it. And to quote the Gershwin Brothers, “They can’t take that away from me.”

At Wheatley, I was slightly built, academically good-but-not-great, hardly “Most Likely to Succeed,” and maybe deep down inside, I felt that I had something to prove.

Fast forward a few years, and I realized that computers (word-processing and databases) and, later, the Internet, would allow me to expand my horizons to include all the school’s graduates (approximately 10,000 at last count). So, freed from photocopying, moistening stamps and sealing envelopes, I now have a website, WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG, and I publish a Substack Newsletter (“The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter”) every week or two (currently, I am working on Issue # 266).

The tools have changed, but the goal of maintaining a connection has remained the same.

Part of the fun is that Wheatley was, and is, a great school; in 2003, Niche rated it “Number One in the Country!” Accordingly, its graduates have had thought-provoking lives and careers, and they contribute noteworthy essays. As I often say, “I’m only as good as what people send me.”

All of this takes enormous time. Estimate how much, and then add a zero or two. So why do I continue to do it?

I’m still making people happy; fan mail (a regular section in the Newsletter) keeps pouring in over the transom. I still enjoy being in contact with people and throwing parties. I edit almost everything that I publish, and I enjoy the challenge of improving writing. And there’s still that ineffable “glory” thing.

Or maybe I’m just a hamster.

Carnegie Hall Concert

Sheli Nan (Hershcopf) (1968) Writes - Dear Wheatleyites - I hope to see as many of you as possible at the June 5th Carnegie Hall concert described below. I am excited that two of my works will be performed. A ticketing link is provided. Note that complimentary tickets for friends, family, and colleagues are also available.

If you would like any, email me for the details. Shelinan.muse@gmail.com

Presented by PARMA Recordings

Ovidiu Marinescu, Cello / Carl Cranmer, Piano

RESURGENCE VOL. 3: New Works for Cello & Piano

Friday, June 5, 2026, 8:00 PM, Weill Recital Hall

RESURGENCE VOL. 3 reunites cellist Ovidiu Marinescu and pianist Carl Cranmer

in a collection of emotionally rich, stylistically diverse works ranging from an

atmospheric homage to Chopin to works shaped by friendship, memory, and the

natural world.

Get Tickets

Tickets start at $30 ($25 + $5 fee)

Student and Senior Discount Tickets Available at the Box Office

Program

Works by James Chenevert, Ferdinando DeSena, Warren Gooch,

Ivar Lunde Jr., Sheli Nan, Pierre Schroeder, and John Spence

I hope to see you soon!

🤗💥🎹💥❣️🎶❣️

Sheli Nan

Composer Performer

Teacher Author

www.SheliNan.com

The American Prize

Graduates

1961 - Gene Razzetti - Gene Writes - “Great to hear from classmates Nancy Kurshan and Tim Jerome. They continue to impress and inspire.”

1966 - Steve Hanft - “Art, I have a question for alums who spent time watching children's TV programs in the 1950s: What device did Andy Devine often ask Froggy to ‘plunk’ on the Saturday morning TV show ‘Andy's Gang?’" (Answer in next issue.)

1967 + 1969/1968 - Arthur Engoron and Christopher “Chris” Srinivasan/Vasan

L-R - Art Engoron (1967) and Chris Srinivasan/Vasan (1969/1968) - Pepolino, May 2022 (submitted by Rosemary Ann Vasan, April 2026)

1974 - A. Dana (“Dane”) Tessler - Deceased

Gregory Cave (1974) Writes (“with permission from Dane’s wife, Elizabeth”) - It’s with great sadness and grief that I share with you the following obituary.

Dane Tessler, 69, passed away on April 7, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. Born on August 28, 1956, in Charleston, South Carolina, Dane lived a life as vibrant as the places he called home. From his early years in Tokyo and New York to his later adventures across Florida, Texas, and Colorado, Dane always chose the scenic route.

Dane’s education took him from St. Mary’s International School in Tokyo, to The Wheatley School in Old Westbury, and to Bard College in Annendale-on-Hudson, where he studied film. These formative years laid the foundation for a life filled with curiosity and diverse pursuits. His professional path was anything but conventional. He began working in textiles with his father, then embarked on a series of ventures that reflected his entrepreneurial spirit and wide-ranging interests. Dane piloted flights around Key West, co-owned a pizza shop in Tampa, and later went digital with multimedia sales. He was an early Internet pioneer, a self-taught website designer, a totally legal mixed CD publisher, and an eBay reseller.

Dane loved flying high and playing music. Let’s never forget his band, Mighty Megabytes, performing live around St. Pete Beach, Florida. His creative outlets included songwriting, HAM radio, photography, woodworking, sailing, road trips, and above all, living in his camper in his “barn.”

Dane owned a lovely piece of property overlooking the beautiful town of La Veta, Colorado, near the Sangre de Cristo (“blood of Christ”) mountains (part of the Southern Rockies), which turn a beautiful deep red color at sunrise or sunset). The property had a giant steel building that Dane called his “barn” and in which he kept two recreational vehicles. I would go out there a few times a year, and I would refer to it as “glamping” (i.e., glamorous camping). I would sleep in the smaller recreational vehicle, and Dane would sleep in the large one. We spent many a good day and night in that beautiful environment.

The Dane we all knew was not someone who kept things bottled up. If something crossed his mind, it was likely to be said soon after. Unfiltered humor was simply how he connected with people, whether it was a perfectly timed one-liner or a boundary-pushing joke. He unsubscribed from censorship and believed that levity was not optional, reminding all of us, even in difficult moments, to toss something out there to smile about, even if (or especially if) it raises eyebrows.

Dane was never one to follow a well-worn path. He made his own way, usually at his own pace, guided by his own internal compass. He never asked much of anyone, just that if you were willing, you could come along for the ride. Whether it was a spontaneous road trip or a photo mission, a story about his beautiful grandson, a shared curiosity, or a wandering conversation that would go off track, being with him meant stepping into (or being held captive in) Dane’s World for a while. And if you did, you knew exactly why he was unforgettable.

He leaves behind countless wonderful moments, big and small, that will keep showing up in our lives. May Dane’s memory bring comfort, and maybe even some laughter, to all who knew him.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Elizabeth Tredwell Tessler; his son Joseph Robert Tessler and daughter-in-law Sophia Vipul Shah; his daughter Caroline Tessler Pinkowitz and son-in-law Andrew Jacob Pinkowitz; his cherished grandson Eli Steven Pinkowitz; and his sister Leigh B Tessler. He was predeceased by his parents Ramon Tessler and Ricki Tessler as well as his parents-in-law A. Robert Tredwell and Helen Marsh Tredwell.

A Celebration of Life is planned for May, 2026

Critics Corner

Art Engoron (1967) Writes - I found the following essay on the Quora Website. As with everything I publish that I haven’t written myself, I don’t vouch for its accuracy. In the prior two issues (## 264, 265), I reviewed and discussed the current Broadway production of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.”

“Was Arthur Miller a bad husband to Marilyn Monroe?

Arthur Miller was a cold-hearted intellectual who never loved Marilyn Monroe.

He never even bothered to show up at her Los Angeles funeral.

‘To me it was meaningless to stand for photographs at her graveside.’

Miller did not want to be part of the media frenzy that developed around her funeral.

He was disgusted by the attention that came with a movie star on Marilyn Monroe’s scale.

Over the years, there have been suggestions that Miller married Marilyn for her money or for the good publicity to counteract his refusal to name Communists to The House Un-American Activities Committee.

On the other hand, Joe DiMaggio was inconsolable at her funeral, weeping uncontrollably, leaning over Marilyn’s casket, kissing her on the lips,

and whispering, ‘I love you, I love you.’

The grief stricken baseball star ordered six long-stemmed roses, three times a week, to be placed on her grave….forever.

To Marilyn Monroe fans, it is a long, heart-breaking subplot, a tale of two very different ex-husbands.”

Fan Mail

1963 (Mary Lee Holley Cerillo) - “Thanks for your hard work.”

1964 (Natalie Cobb Wentworth) - ❤️

1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️

1965 (Sharon Neely Halm) - ❤️

1974 (James Elefonte) - ❤️

1996 (Joshua Effron) - ❤️

???? (zblue22dog) - ❤️

Non-Wheatley (MBD) - ❤️❤️❤️

The Usual Words of Wisdom

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 264 Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website:

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 266. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Art

Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833