January, 2012
New Year's Wishes
May you get a clean bill of health from your dentist, your cardiologist, your gastro-enterologist, your urologist, your proctologist, your podiatrist, your psychiatrist, your plumber and the I.R.S.\
May your hair, your teeth, your face-lift, your abs and your stocks not fall; and may your blood pressure, your triglycerides, your cholesterol, your white blood count and your mortgage interest not rise.
May New Year's Eve find you seated around the table, together with your beloved family and cherished friends. May you find the food better, the environment quieter, the cost much cheaper, and the pleasure more fulfilling than anything else you might ordinarily do that night.
May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them. May someone love you enough to forgive your faults, be blind to your blemishes, and tell the world about your virtues.
May the telemarketers wait to make their sales calls until you finish dinner, may the commercials on TV not be louder than the program you have been watching, and may your check book and your budget balance - and include generous amounts for charity.
May you remember to say "I love you" at least once a day to your spouse, your child, your parent, your siblings; but not to your secretary, your nurse, your masseuse, your hairdresser or your tennis instructor.
And may we live in a world at peace and with the awareness of God's love in every sunset, every flower's unfolding petals, every baby's smile, every lover's kiss, and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of our hearts.
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June, 2011 - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all of our dads and grand dads - and also some great grandfathers among us, as well. Here's a thoughtful quotation in the spirit of the day which we can all relate to:
"My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."
~Clarence Budington Kelland
HELLO EVERYONE:
I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO SAY HELLO TO ALL.
WISHING ALL YOU A WONDERFUL AND BLESSED EASTER AND A GRAND PASSOVER.
FINALLY SPRING IS STARTING TO BLOOM HERE IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA OF WASHINGTON, D. C. IT IS SUCH A MARVELOUS SITE TO SEE THE SPROUTING OF THE TULIPS, DAFFODILS AND KNOWING THAT WE ARE ALMOST GOING TO START FEELING HAPPY AND BLESSED THAT WE ARE STILL HERE. THE IDEA THAT PERHAPS IT WILL NOT BE TO LONG WHEN WE CAN GATHER TOGETHER AGAIN AND APPRECIATE HOW " LUCKY" WE ALL ARE TO HAVE BEEN TOSSED INTO THAT MARVELOUS PERIOD OF OUR LIVES SPENT AT DWIGHT MORROW HIGH SCHOOL AND THAT MOST OF US CAN STILL STAY CONNECTED BECAUSE OF OUR ATTACHMENTS SO MANY YEARS AGO.
THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR SO MANY OF YOU WHO CONTINUE TO KEEP US UPDATED, CONNECTED AND LOVE WHAT YOU DO FOR US AND YOURSELFS. THANKS TO JON, ROSARY, BARBARA, JAY, ALAN, SHARON WHO HAS LEFT US AND SO MANY OTHERS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POSTINGS AND OUR WEBSITE. MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU.
BEST WISHES TO ALL......LOUISE
Quote of the month: "Baby, it's cold outside."
February, 2011 - Happy February, everyone - especially our classmates in FL and AZ! You don't know what you're missing. Above is a recent view from my back door, typical of our Northern NJ weather this year. Haven't seen the ground since early December. Don't ask what that big, white lump is on the right - probably some poor shrub that wishes it were anyplace else right now, but I can't remember what the pre-snow landscape looks like at this point, so who knows? What about you, wherever you are? How is winter treating you? (No gloating, please, FL, CA, AZ!) Send us some photos that we can post here on our site. Meanwhile, Happy Valentine's Day, Presidents' Day, etc., to all, and most of all, think warm thoughts.
January, 2011 ~ It's a new year, and first off we want to wish all of our classmates a happy and healthy 2011. Soon plans will be afoot for our 55th reunion (can you believe?), and we'll be seeking your input once again. It's not too early to start thinking about what kind of an event we'd like it to be, as well as time and venue. Watch our website for more info in coming months and, above all, let us know your thoughts on the subject.
Your site administrators have been a bit lazy lately -- have you noticed? We want to change that in the coming year with more interaction, and more input from class members. So drop a line and let us know what's doing with you. Weddings, graduations, trips, babies, celebrations? Profile updates are in order. Inquiring minds want to know....
Speaking of profile updates, we continue to enhance the site with increased abilities to edit and tweak photos, add videos, live chat and more. If you need help with any aspect of editing your bio, let us know. By now, you know how to contact your site administrators, and we're ready and willing to assist any time.
Meanwhile, with the new year still young, here's a brief rundown of the year that was, for us as a group:
In April, we celebrated our collective 70th birthday in Amelia Island, FL, as you know...or maybe don't? If you don't know, you'll find lots of pictures here on our Home Page and in the links below to attest to the fact that a wonderful time was had by all who attended. "All who attended" being the wonderful folks pictured below, along with our pianist, whose witty repartee and great playing made our evening sparkle.
We've included names below (finally) for this picture, as suggested by several classmates who weren't in attendance. As time permits and memory holds up, we'll try to do this with as many of the pix here on the site as possible.
L to R: Don Mason, Lei and Rich Crance, Peter deJong, Barb Lowell, Charlie (Bob) Eltinge, Bev Kiley, Jerry Danker, Ginnie Gates, Tod Puletz, Phyllis Townsend, Audry Puletz, Stu & Rita Lestch. Kneeling: Pat Mielbrecht, Beth Danker, Bob the Piano Man, and the lovely Jacqui Mason. Not shown: Bob Mielbrecht (photographer), Gerry and Sandy Sokolik who, as usual, had a plane to catch, Rosary & Jon Bittmann (home with a pain in the neck...no, I mean a real pain!), .
Having missed April's festivities, by August, the Bittmanns were looking around for an excuse to get the locals together for another classic Bittmann fete, and the recent retirement of a couple of classmates, Rich and Barb, seemed like as good an excuse as any. As always, we gathered, we gabbed, we ate and celebrated. The weather didn't quite cooperate and, frankly, nobody even seemed to notice. It was a delightful day.
A November "meeting," was as close as you'll get to the Algonquin Round Table or a Lambs' Club Roast, when about a dozen DMHS alums met at the Emerson Hotel for a leisurely, laugh-filled lunch. Class of '58 attendees included Danny Brovero, Tommy Conklin, Steve Meier, Jay Shapiro and Jon Bittmann. Also on hand, from class of '57, were John Pyrros, Tom McCaffery, Bob Kaplan and Barry Druskin. Never-before-revealed tales of football, baseball, Coach Baldwin and Brody were the order of the day. We do this about every six months, which lets enough time pass by for us to forget which stories were told, freeing us to tell the same stories the next time around.
Come December, Jon & Rosary once again generously opened their home for another class of ’58 get-together. There seems to be a certain magic about a gathering at the Bittmanns’, and this was no exception. A surprise visit from our own class Santa, Alan Hembrough, capped the day and, as Jon mentioned in his recent email letter, it really did bring out the child in all of us with everyone clambering to have a photo taken with Santa. Here are a few:
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Alan has honed his Santa persona to perfection over the years and not only looks, but acts the part of one superb Santa. Thanks, Alan, for taking time out from a hectic holiday schedule to join us and lend a little holiday magic to the occasion.
Sadly, 2010 wasn't without its losses, and we'd be remiss if we didn't mention....
Bill Arp, Ridgefield, who passed on April 12, after a brave battle with multiple myeloma. Billy will always be remembered for his dedication and hard work on behalf of our troops, as well as being a devoted husband and grand dad and a great friend to all who had the pleasure of knowing him.
Tom Bellini, Englewood, on February 10. We do not have much detail on this; any further information and/or memorials would be appreciated, and can be added to our In Remembrance page. http://www.northjersey.com/obituaries/87308952_Thomas_V__Bellini__Jr_.htm
Patricia Ford Cherry, Oradell, on December 20, following a long illness. Again, not a lot of detail, but if you follow the link here you will find a very nice triibute to Pat. http://www.veronews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13061:patricia-f-cherry-70-vero-beach&catid=69:vero-beach-obituaries&Itemid=224
Margaret Cotter, Englewood, on November 26, 2010. AKA “The legendary Miss Cotter,” as Jon aptly noted in his email in December. How fortunate we all were to have this dedicated woman as our teacher. She is fondly remembered and well regarded by generations of DMHS students and faculty.
Donald Ohnegian, Betsy George Ohnegian's beloved husband of 48 years, on December 13. Don was a lifelong Maroon Raider, a terrific husband and father, a world class gardener and, like so many of us, a true disciple of Coach Baldwin.
Each of our friends has a story and a legacy. We have lost their presence, but they remain in our hearts always. Your remembrances here on the website will continue as long as the site continues, and are comforting to read, for family members as well as classmates.
So, as we roll into 2011, here’s a toast to life and friendship. While we’re here at the party we might as well dance.
