Class News
News From Our Far Flung Classmates
Jayne Munck writes: "I am currently living in Brandon, Vermont, which is on the western slopes of the Green Mountains. I work as an administrative assistant for a veterinarian who specializes in integrative care for dogs and cats. I am divorced, have two children -- a daughter Lindsay, age 27, who is a graduate from a SUNY school with a degree in theater arts/technology and a son Jared who is 22 and a designer for a civil engineering firm. Both are single and still living in the Hudson Valley region of New York. My plan is to be able to retire by age 55 and live full-time in the cabin my partner Rick (who is a graduate of Woodlands H.S.) and I are building/designing ourselves on our 65 acres in the Green Mountains. We hope to live a very simple life. Our "children" are two Golden Retrievers and a Welsh Corgi. Many of you may remember my dad as "Happy the Mailman." He passed away last November at the age of 89. My mom, age 87, is still alive and living in the same apartment on Ashford Ave. If you haven't been to Ardsley in a while, you will be shocked at the changes. Can't wait to see you all in September.
Jodie Trapani writes: After a brief marriage to Peter Tulipan (AHS 1970), I moved to NYC around 1978. Working in retail, photo styling, window display and event planning were some of my occupations. I’ve worked for the last 18 years on and off, as a producer of catalogs such as FAO Schwarz, Burberry, J.Jill. I still live in the city (up near Columbia U.). My husband Jonny works at the Metropolitan Opera Costume Shop while also writing and playing music around the city. We have 2 daughters, Emilia -19 (living at home, a sophomore at Parsons) and Rosie -14 (a freshman at Beacon High School, NYC). Margie Newman has pretty much become a member of our family since we reconnected a bunch of years ago after bumping into one another in Union Square. We are especially close every Spring when we don extravagant Easter Bonnets and parade along Fifth Avenue as the City Chicks. More about that later… Jodie Trapani, Ziti55@aol.com
Don Milani writes: After attending college in upstate N.Y., I moved to Colorado for grad school in 1977. Except for 7 years when I lived in Canada, I’ve lived near Boulder Colorado ever since. I’m single and have a 21 year son who is going to medical school next year. I work as a consultant in the computer industry. I look forward to hearing more about the reunion. Feel free to contact me at this email address: don.milani@comcast.net
Marla (Goldblatt) Picarro writes: “I've been living in San Diego since 1978, and have made it back to N.Y. only twice since then - once for a short stay in 1994 and then again this past April for a cousin's Bat-Mitzvah. I love N.Y. and still miss it. Well, we all have whole lifetimes to catch up on, so I guess the website will be the place to do that. I knew most of the girls in the 2nd grade picture, but only some of the boys. It's amazing how well we remember people we grew up with - but like you said, most of us were together for many, many years.”
Laurie (Marnet) Wyatt writes: “I live in Leesburg, Va. My husband Michail is working in Florida at the moment. We might move there next year. We have 2 sons, Zack who is 26 and Rodie who is 21 yrs old. Zack and his wife Abby just made me a Grandmother. On Oct. 1, we welcomed Sofia Cristine to our family. I did make our 10th and our 20th reunions. I will try to come to the 35th. A LOT has happened to me the last 30 years."Amy Kool writes: “I still live part time in Westchester, as well as NYC!”
Steve Mannino writes, “I currently live in Suwanee (How I Love Ya), Georgia, and have for the last 15 years. I’m married to Joy, and have three son’s, Robbie 15, Kevin 10, and Patrick 11 months. I retired form the Telecom Industry after 33 Years (AT&T, Lucent & Avaya), and am currently working as a contractor with SunTrust Banks in Atlanta. We get up to NY twice a year, Summer and Thanksgiving." Georgeanne D'Agrosa Aquino writes: "John and I live in Boston. We have two boys R.J. (14) and Michael (9). John is a bankrupcy attorney and I recently became a reading tutor. We get back to NY to visit our families for all the holidays and special occasions."Mary Ellen Palermo Colontonio writes: "I live in Mahopac, NY and married Frank after meeting him at our 10 year AHS reunion in White Plains at Therese & Gerard Pagello's Raquetball Club. (Remember that reunion?) Frank was the singer in the band we hired to entertain us that evening.... you believe it???? We have been married for almost 20 years now and live on Fairy Island at Lake Mahopac. I have two step children (Sheri 34, Scott 28) and a daughter Patrice (25). Frank and I have two grandchildren (courtesy of Sheri), Jade (7) and Riley (5). I have been working for a telecommunications company for 23 years, and lead their global Human Resource M&A function. Lots of fun, lots of travel! Frank works for a competitor telecommunications company leading the Verizon Sales team. We are empty nesters, Sheri & Scott already on their own; Patrice just moved into her own home and plans a summer 2007 wedding. A 35th reunion sounds great to me!"
David Lustgarten here. I live in Burlington, Vermont with my wife Erica and twin sons Eric and Ben, now 14 years old. I was a solo graphic designer (so much for medicine!) for 18 years before falling backwards into higher education. I now teach art and design at Champlain College here in Burlington. I look forward to catching up with you all, and have many fond memories of school, especially the triangular cinder track -- never seen one like it since!
Neal Schwartz writes: I live in Mount Kisco, NY, with my wife Arlene and three kids ages 11, 15, and 17. After working in corporate America since College for one technology company, I changed careers and own Tutoring Club in Armonk. Now that I work with kids from ages K-12 and sometimes college age, I am constantly reminded of "school". What I have grown to appreciate is how great our education was and the freedom[s] that we had as kids which are long gone. I lived in Albany, NY and Cincinnati, Ohio. I did a lot of domestic and international travel when I worked for NCR and learned how to sleep in planes, trains, and car services. I worked with ATM's for many years and even named some of the ATM machines that you use today. I see a bunch of Ardsley '73 people around and I must say we all look pretty young for our age. I guess 50 is the new 40.... I look forward to seeing the rest of our class at our reunion.
Margery Newman writes: "After graduating from SUNY Binghamton, I embarked on a year long backpacking and sailing sojourn to Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. On April Fool’s Day, 1979, I moved into NYC where I worked for publications and a satellite tv company, nightclubbed, wrote about food, haunted the East Village and publicized gadgets. I used to travel a lot – France, Spain, Portugal, Hong Kong, and all over the States. These days I’m living near Union Square. I’m single, a publicist in the arts and an avid yogini."
Ruth Golumb writes: I'm in Ithaca, NY and am a teacher and a Registered Nurse.
Michael Blackman writes: I have lived in Tampa since 1991 (mblackman@kforce.com) with my wife Patrice (just had our 24th anniversary) and three dynamite kids, Olivia 16, Sophia 14 and Noah 8. After living and working in NYC (Park Slope) from 1982 to 1990, I joined Kforce, then a start up professional staffing co. in Tampa (founded by x-New Englanders with lots of New Yorkers sprinkled in the mix) which has subsequently gone public and is now over a billion dollar national firm. I am currently a member of the Executive Committee and serve as Senior Vice President with primary responsibility for managing our activities in the capital markets. I am very fortunate in that I travel to NY and Boston every few weeks, so all can rest assured that I have not gone over to the dark side and become a southerner. My kids are not allowed to say "ya'all" and I ride my bike to NY Yankee spring training right here in Tampa (Steinbrenner lives two blocks away). My son loathes the Red Sox. However, there is no good pizza, deli, real bagels or Chinese food to speak of. I come home from NY with suitcases of food (primarily from Zabars) and indeed have an H&H bagel every morning. I still play guitar (on the photo page you can find a photo of myself and our CEO playing during a corporate event). The guys at the music store really like us as now we can afford the double stack Marshalls and Les Pauls of our adolescent dreams! As a Floridian, I have taken up scuba diving which I do with my girls as well as play year round tennis. I also still snow ski, but head west to Taos, New Mexico (you will never go back to Vermont again) every winter. It is a long way from the bus trips to Hunter Mountain with Mr.. Miles and Youngberg!. Ultimately, my wife and I hope to retire in Sante Fe which we love and visit often.
Subsequent to (finally) finishing college in Vermont, Patrice and I had a fantastic 8 years living in Park Slope and thoroughly enjoying the city in our pre-kid years. We wish we would have kept our 3 bedroom brownstone co-op with a huge roof deck overlooking Manhattan and NY Harbor. While in NY, I worked at an executive search firm located in Rockefeller Center (Patrice worked at ABC Home Furnishings). The family photo (a few years old), was taken on the deck of the Blackman family home near Great Barrington, Mass. Thanks to Southwest air we fly back and fourth to New England on a regular basis. Like his daddy, my son goes to camp in New Hampshire and the girls studied/hiked/biked in Europe this past summer and are signed up to do it again next year.
Post 73 graduation I spent an uninspired year in college in New Hampshire and then left to volunteer in Israel (just post Yom Kippur War), where I ended out living for the better part of the next three years. Home was a kibbutz on the Lebanese/Syrian border where I ended out running the dairy and avocado orchards as almost all young men were still on active duty in the armed forces. Suffice to say, the experience with the kibbutniks (many of whom I am close with to this day) as well as the volunteers from all over the world was fantastic. War brings out the best and worst in human nature. I also took numerous side trips and spent many a months in the Greek Islands as well as Italy. Those were the days of the dollar going a long, long way. Patrice and I also spent 3 months in Italy post college graduation, I guess this is where our kids got the travel bug.
Let's see, when I think back to Ardsley I think of how lucky we were to only be 10 miles away from NYC and how fortunate I was to get to know the city at a young age. That we had this almost idyllic small town existence that close to the city. How bad some of my elementary teachers were (Ms Seaberg aka Sea Hag). How good most of our teachers were. How crazy a 7-12 high school was. I still freak that my ninth grader is in the same building as 12th graders. We were with 12th graders as 7th graders during the wild and crazy 60's (remember the protest to wear blue jeans led by Fran Morgenstern and my sister Meryl?...now we all want our kids in uniform!). The freedom that we had to explore was amazing as we would ride our bikes everywhere. For today's kids (and too many Americans as a whole), it is all fear all the time. The insane parties in high school and the fact that we survived! Memories of one of my dearest friends, Randy Friedman, who taught us all how precious and fragile life is. The crazy softball league and it how great it was compared to today's "parent centric" kids sports. Pete the bartender at the place next to Carvel. Officer Kraus! Margie's! Working at Epstein's Deli. Eastern Mountain Sports. My 65 VW bug. Sitting under our desks in first grade to "duck and cover" during the Cuban missile crisis (that way we would be safe!). Too many fantastic people to name. Peace to all
Jennifer Morgan says: Can't wait to see as many of you as possible at the Reunion. I live in Princeton, New Jersey, where I've lived for 21 years. Was married, now divorced, but still good friends with my ex. Have a terrific son -- Morgan Martindell -- age sixteen and applying to college. I was executive director of a non-profit organization for many years and then got inspired to write science based books for children in the form of a trilogy. The first book, Born With a Bang, tells the story of the big bang. From Lava to Life, tells about the beginning of life; and Mammals Who Morph tells the human evolution story. My first book won Learning Magazine's Teachers Choice Award and all three have been endorsed by world renowned scientists such as Jane Goodall, Neal de Grasse Tyson (Hayden Planetarium), and Leon Lederman (Nobel Prize winning physicist). I give programs, dramatic storytellings, and lectures. My website is www.UniverseStories.com It's been great. I love it. I live in a 100 year old house in Princeton that I'm renovating. Just learned to sail. Kept in touch with Judith Glixon and Kathy Mattson over the years and we'll all be there at the the Reunion. This is going to be a lot of fun. See you soon.
Laurie Janik here, or at least I use to be known by that name, lol! I now go by Laurie Davis. I moved to the Ardsley school system late in 2nd grade and went to school there through the 10th grade. I reluctantly moved to Worthington, Ohio, in the summer of 1971 as the company my Dad worked for relocated to Columbus, Ohio. Even though I graduated from high school in Ohio, I have always felt like a displaced Ardsley high school graduate. It is hard to change schools and classmates once you've spent most of your formative years in the same school system with the same classmates. I have kept in contact with Laurie Marnet all these years, and when she sent me the Ardsley reunion site the other day I felt compelled to write, so here I am ;-) After looking at the 2nd grade class pictures & reading over the class list, etc. I still remember everyone after all these years............it's amazing what the mind can store! I still live in Ohio, am a nurse and work in long term care/rehabilitation. I love the work I do, just not the politics! I am married & have 2 grown daughters, Lauren (age 26) and Lindsay (age 23). I have alot of fond memories of my days in Ardsley....from the yearly May Day parades at Concord Elementary to loading & unloading the kiln in high school for Mr. (dare I say Master) Bates............those were the days! If you would, go ahead and post this with the class news. My email address is LADavis7777@aol.com Best Regards to everyone from an old Ardsley High School classmate....Laurie Janik
From Andy Kraus: Yes, some of "us" did not stick it out to graduate with their class, but do remain somewhat interested in their Ardsley past. I only stay in touch with a few folks, though I have visited Ardsley quite often since school years (mom lived off Ashford Ave until two years ago). In 1969, I left the hallowed halls of Ardsley High for a Massachusetts boarding school from which I graduated. They were interesting years, but turned out quite well thanks to a very engaged faculty and staff, sports immersion and opportunities for meaningful school leadership. Graduated Ithaca College, where I played football, rowed crew and enjoyed the Finger Lakes. Went to grad school at Temple University and worked as a newspaper journalist for some years in and around Philadelphia. Moved up to Long Island in 1983, got into the PR business, with some freelance writing and coaching crew on the side. Live in Northport, a little gem of a harbor village on the north shore near Huntington. Never thought I would end up on LI (which as a kid always seemed so foreign and weird) but it has been a good move. Married to Jodie Carelli of Yonkers and Valhalla, with a 10-year-old son, Read, who is a great catcher and history and geography wiz. Among the "what ifs" of my life is "what if I had stayed in Ardsley for high school?" and that would have made me a different person today. I am sure it would have made me different, maybe better, but certainly richer for knowing all of you better. My best to all. akraus@epoch5.com
Henry Groth writes, I have been in California ever since 1977 when I came out for graduate school at Stanford. I was an engineer at Lockheed for 15 years before I became a patent attorney. I am now working at LSI which makes integrated circuits for storage and networking applications. I met my wife, Debbie Disney, in 1982. Debbie is a director of nursing at El Camino Hospital, in Mountain View, CA. After a short stint in Palo Alto, CA, we have lived in Santa Clara, CA for the past 22 years. We have two children. Katie is a junior at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo majoring in City and Regional Planning. Ryan is a Freshman at San Jose State.
Hi all, Bill Holiber here.....I've been married for 27 yrs. to Debra Pasciucco class of '71. We have three boys, Robbe 25, Nic 21 and Franke 19. Debra is a potter with the Porchester Clay Arts Center. I've been in magazine publishing for many years and currently I'm President of U.S.News & World Report. We live in Chappaqua with several other AHS alumni. More to share when we see each other..........
Debbie Wilensky writes: I teach non-credit ESL to adults at City College of San Francisco. I'm married with 2 sons aged 10 and 13. My father still lives in my childhood home in Hartsdale (at least in the summer) and I'll continue to visit there every summer- late July- as long as he does.
From Judith Glixon: Hello all! I am living in the Boston area, as of about 5 years ago. I have been working as a cellist for all the years since I left AHS. I also worked as a psychotherapist for a few years after getting my MA in counseling in '96. I met my (2nd) husband, Nelson (an astronomer), in '93. We married in 2000 and adopted our daughter, Rachel AiQi, from China in '03. She's now 4 years old. I'm trying to be a full-time mom, but my piano quartet keeps me working! Can't wait to see you all at the 35th!
Greetings all from Dave Schofield. I'm living in Westchester in Ossining on a sort of "mini farm" with my wonderful wife (of 24 yrs) Lynn and two fine offspring Katie (a sophomore at Brandeis) and Jake (a Junior at Ossining HS and an ace trumpet player). As for the "farm"...2 goats (just pets) and 6 chickens (yes we do get fresh eggs). I make maple syrup every spring and grow various fruits and vegetables (the farmers market is much easier though) We travel as much as possible...last year to Ecuador, and I still enjoy skiing (especially in CO), canoeing, hiking, biking and camping. Nothing exciting with my work...currently involved with the slowly dying business of print ad sales although I do enjoy my adjunct teaching at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry. It will be great to see everyone in the fall!
Susan Wehe Johnson writes: I got the information regarding the reunion from Debbie Wilensky who also lives here in the Bay Area, California. I have also seen Laurie Marnet Wyatt (around 10 years ago). Although I didn't graduate from Ardsley High, I went to school in Ardsley through 7th grade, when my family moved to California. My older sister , Barbara, also went there and my brother Bobby did graduate there and I believe went to his reunion in the last year or two. I remember so many of you, and others names are so familiar. I've been a friend of Bill W. for 27 years. Anyone else in that club? If anyone would like to write, I'm at contactsuej@comcast.net.