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NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2025 🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂 🍁🍂SUMMER REUNIONS Fall Is Here, I’m Back! I was enjoying the subtle change in weather in October that comes with the arrival of birds migrating from the northeast and gathering on powerlines until they make a last push to their final destination along with human snowbirds.  This is also the time of year to get started with outdoor projects that are impossible (now at this age) to tackle in summer, like our 30 year old fence.  Having finished the first five sections along with several trips to Home Depot, we woke last week to two days of record breaking cold weather in Florida. It snapped me out of my summer slumber and a reminder to get inside and work on our newsletter.  Of course when it’s cold here, I know it’s gotta be really cold back on Long Island and I always go outside and stand facing north to feel that northeast wind from Long Island hit me in my face while my backside is warmed by the sun. If you follow me on...
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NEWSLETTER JULY 2025 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞 SUMMER REUNIONS A Summer of Reunions I am sorry to be so long between newsletters.  I have heard from a few who missed them and I promised to resume but I had to take a break because, frankly, the big push for the reunion past and life gets in the way.   Rich Kuester called me in back in April about it, noting that "It's already six months since the reunion" and I promised I'd get them going again but first I had to wrap up excursions and details for a cruise my Mom is planning (at 94!) to Italy followed by my own vacation planning for June, a 30 day - 30th Anniversary Road Trip that took Ron and I over 6711 miles from Florida, up the east coast to New England, Canada, Wisconsin and back again. It was incredible and if we are Facebook friends, all my pictures are there. Along the way we experienced several reunions of our own.  We got to see family we haven't seen in forty or more years,  Ron's cousins in Ma...
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NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2024 🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃 🦃🦃🦃The  Reunion Wrap Up! It Was Great! With Thanksgiving upon us, I want to say how thankful and grateful I am to everyone who attended our reunion to our hardworking reunion committee for making it happen. Everyone, and I mean everyone, had a fantastic time and the proof is in the smiles in all the pictures.  The weather was perfect!  Three days of sun and 80 degree weather. The hotel was just the right size for our Destination Reunion.  The rooms were great and the food was fantastic at the event, at the hotel's Patio Bar & Grill and in the surrounding area restaurants.   Tuesday evening Meet & Greet at the hotel private event room, Cafe Med For everyone that was curious, our final headcount was seventy four in attendance from both classes.  Last minute decisions were made to attend by Susan Marchetti Pais & her husband Ruben who planned to drive but ended up flying in from Long Island, Todd ...
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 NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2024 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 REUNION CHECKLIST 15 DAYS AND COUNTING! It's here!  It's time!  Over two years of planning our Destination Reunion are behind us and we are down to a checklist! This morning we are learning the worst of what Hurricane Helene gave the west coast and panhandle of Florida and our thoughts and prayers are for everyone in her path.  The wind bands extended 100 miles from her center and registered 144 MPH as as category 4 major hurricane so it was hard not to feel her affects anywhere on the west coast.  Those of us on the east coast of Florida experienced two days of intermittent squalls and no flooding as Helene churned up the Gulf Wednesday and Thursday and that includes our Destination Reunion Hotel in Deerfield Beach which is safe and sound awaiting our arrival! We have a few classmates arriving on Monday, as well as the whole committee. Most classmates arrive on Tuesday so they can enjoy our Meet & Gr...
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NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2024  🏫 🏫 🏫 🏫 🏫 🏫 🏫  🏫 🏫  🏫  🏫 🏫 SCHOOL DAZE BACK TO SCHOOL! There's lots of Back To School shopping happening now in Florida because it's tax free until August 11th!  We'll be running into lots of buses on the road next week all trying to learn their routes.  At the same time, parents will be jockeying for position and spilling out into the road trying to drop kids off at school. I never got dropped off at school and I never missed a bus.  Smith's Lane was just over half a mile from my house and I walked there for first, second, fifth and sixth grades. I took a bus in third grade to Winnecomac and in fourth grade to Wood Park, the newest schools at the time.  If you recognize yourself or can name some kids below, let me know!  First Grade!  Aren't we adorable!  Plaids and suspenders were all the rage apparently!    Second Grade!  I know it says Grade 1 but the sign is wrong! ...
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NEWSLETTER JULY 2024

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 NEWSLETTER JULY 2024 🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞   🌞   SUMMER SHENANIGANS! Summer is definitely here!  Across the country, all schools are out on summer break.  Some kids will travel, some will work or go to camp and yes, some will get into trouble.  It was summer in Commack and look what I found in an old photo album from back in the day ( and I did not get into trouble but I did have an accomplice! )  Jamie Blackwood at Jack-in-the-Box on Jericho Turnpike, Commack , N.Y.      Photo Credit: Barbara Ficalora A few observations...  First, check out the sneakers!  They are still cool and I know because I ran into a teen recently wearing a pair and I made sure to compliment her on her footwear. Second, how about the price of a burger!  And how about the diverse menu?  I can tell you for certain I never ordered a taco until I moved to Florida and I can't believe they served shrimp, which I also ...
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