Reunion2014Feedback
This page is for feedback about the reunion. If you would like to add your thoughts, please feel free to send them to dmcneil4@cox.net or sgartrell1@gmail.com and we would be happy to post them (the good, the bad and even the ugly). Thank you!
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To the Reunion Committee
I don't know if anyone could have had a better 50th reunion and it is all because of the work you all put in. I just want to say thank you for a most wonderful weekend. The location was fantastic and reuniting with classmates was heartwarming. You and the rest of your committee did an absolutely fabulous job. I am also so thankful that you all kept encouraging me to come because Coach McGrath was coming. That really made the weekend special for me. And I have to give Sandy credit as well as she kept encouraging me to go, and telling me I would regret it if I didn't go......she was so right.
My only "con" to the weekend is that it wasn't long enough to get to talk with everyone. Again, thanks for a perfectly planned weekend of reconnecting.
Dave (Forsberg)
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To the Reunion Committee
I don't know if anyone could have had a better 50th reunion and it is all because of the work you all put in. I just want to say thank you for a most wonderful weekend. The location was fantastic and reuniting with classmates was heartwarming. You and the rest of your committee did an absolutely fabulous job. I am also so thankful that you all kept encouraging me to come because Coach McGrath was coming. That really made the weekend special for me. And I have to give Sandy credit as well as she kept encouraging me to go, and telling me I would regret it if I didn't go......she was so right.
My only "con" to the weekend is that it wasn't long enough to get to talk with everyone. Again, thanks for a perfectly planned weekend of reconnecting.
Dave (Forsberg)
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To a great committee staff,
I just got home from New York last night and wanted to thank you all for the outstanding job you did in putting together a fabulous reunion to celebrate our 50th year. It exceeded my expectations in every way. A special thank you to Don who worked so hard in putting together an incredible website plus the wonderful video that entertained us throughout the event. Not only were the pictures of the way we were plus the current day excellent but the music choreographed along with the video took us back to an earlier time. The segments In Memoriam and the tribute to our military veterans was an outstanding addition to the past and current pictures of our classmates.
Without all of the hard work, the turnout would have been far fewer. The Crowne Plaza was a good choice. The hotel rooms were nice and the two evenings were perfect in their ballroom with the drinks and refreshments. Having Coach McGrath and two of our teachers who said that they remembered me was an extra benefit. It was so nice visiting with everyone. It was certainly a once in a lifetime experience in which I am very happy to have participated. I know that there is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into such a successful event and I thank you all so much.
Thanks for everything. You have much in which to be proud. You could go into the event planning business for sure.
Best wishes and I hope to see you all again.
Eileen Zuckerman Silverman
I just got home from New York last night and wanted to thank you all for the outstanding job you did in putting together a fabulous reunion to celebrate our 50th year. It exceeded my expectations in every way. A special thank you to Don who worked so hard in putting together an incredible website plus the wonderful video that entertained us throughout the event. Not only were the pictures of the way we were plus the current day excellent but the music choreographed along with the video took us back to an earlier time. The segments In Memoriam and the tribute to our military veterans was an outstanding addition to the past and current pictures of our classmates.
Without all of the hard work, the turnout would have been far fewer. The Crowne Plaza was a good choice. The hotel rooms were nice and the two evenings were perfect in their ballroom with the drinks and refreshments. Having Coach McGrath and two of our teachers who said that they remembered me was an extra benefit. It was so nice visiting with everyone. It was certainly a once in a lifetime experience in which I am very happy to have participated. I know that there is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into such a successful event and I thank you all so much.
Thanks for everything. You have much in which to be proud. You could go into the event planning business for sure.
Best wishes and I hope to see you all again.
Eileen Zuckerman Silverman
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Thank you, I had such a wonderful time all weekend. You all did such a wonderful job putting our reunion together. I keep thinking about it all day today. Looking forward to the next time we meet again and I will keep in-touch.
Rita (Naclerio)
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Rita (Naclerio)
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Once again , KUDOS for such a great weekend! You guys did a super job and everyone had a wonderful time.
Best,
Dick (Harniman)
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Best,
Dick (Harniman)
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Well wasn't that a lifetime experience!
We all had so much fun seeing everyone fifty years later-OMG- the committee deserves to be posted in the Clarkstown Hall of Fame. Many thanks again for your time and devotion which we all so much appreciate.
Rhona (Steckler Schneiderman)
p.s. where did all those years go?
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We all had so much fun seeing everyone fifty years later-OMG- the committee deserves to be posted in the Clarkstown Hall of Fame. Many thanks again for your time and devotion which we all so much appreciate.
Rhona (Steckler Schneiderman)
p.s. where did all those years go?
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Please thank (the) committee for giving me a wonderful memory of my High School days and reuniting me with fellow classmates. I know a lot of thought and planning was done for this fabulous event. I only regret that I didn't attend a Saturday function or Sunday brunch to connect more with classmates.
Please keep your website going with updates. I know it's a lot of work but I believe a lot of classmates who didn't or couldn't attend will allow them to keep in touch with activities.
Thanks again and hope to see you at future reunions.
Arlene Freiermuth MacDonnell
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Please keep your website going with updates. I know it's a lot of work but I believe a lot of classmates who didn't or couldn't attend will allow them to keep in touch with activities.
Thanks again and hope to see you at future reunions.
Arlene Freiermuth MacDonnell
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I would like to add my very important two cents to the remarks so far on the site concerning the reunion weekend. Since I was "lost" for so many years, I'm glad that Don Fenbert persevered in finding me. What I thought was really neat about the whole weekend was the fact that our whole class treated the spouses as if they really were part of the group...which they were! It was GREAT to see all those faces. And yes, where did the years go? Regards to all, stay well, 'til we meet again!!!
Newt Powell
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Newt Powell
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Hi....this one really had a big impact on me and and many others who spoke with me. We are feeling very acutely the sense of old age creeping up on us and the need to reflect on where we came from and who we've become. All of you are still the wonderful people you were 50 years ago, but now your fine qualities have been magnified through the lens of experience! It was a wonderful weekend, and I hope that there'll be a way to have a sort of private "Facebook" for us through the terrific work that Don has done on the site.
Fare well, my dear friends.
Ellen Pulis Murphy
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Fare well, my dear friends.
Ellen Pulis Murphy
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Hi Don,
Just want to congratulate you and the reunion committee for such an awesome job.
Cannot thank you enough for all of your hard work and dedication making our Class of '64 - 50 Year Reunion such a success and a very memorable event.
Looking forward to seeing all again at our 55th.
Take Care and Good Health to All!!!!
Regards
Barbara Farsetta
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Just want to congratulate you and the reunion committee for such an awesome job.
Cannot thank you enough for all of your hard work and dedication making our Class of '64 - 50 Year Reunion such a success and a very memorable event.
Looking forward to seeing all again at our 55th.
Take Care and Good Health to All!!!!
Regards
Barbara Farsetta
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The card is much appreciated as I struggle to deal with the chaos of an incomplete, redone kitchen/living room (It's that open concept design) and an impending, week long cruise along the coast of Maine. I cannot tell you how moved I am that so many classmates took the time to think of me. Obviously I don't have all their addresses, but I'm sure our own Energizer Bunny, Don McNeil, will be able to convey my heart-felt appreciation to one and all. His emails seem to indicate that I really missed a great time.
Don Swenson - (Don was unable to attend because of illness and received a card signed by most at the Reunion)
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Don Swenson - (Don was unable to attend because of illness and received a card signed by most at the Reunion)
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Just wanted to add my "2 sense" to all those who preceded me. Thanks so very much for a most memorable,and " best" ever reunion!!! This was really special! Though it's been 50 yrs.,the reunion really brought back a cascade of memories!! Though we all knew one another, just being together again solidified a special bond! I especially loved the " West Nyack" luncheon. Just to see all who attended was terrific!!! Loved the cruise, and hanging out with everyone! Thank-you for all the committee did to make this a great reunion! We definitely will attend the 55th,( can't wait). Go RAMS!!,
Darlene Eardley Maguire
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Darlene Eardley Maguire
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CHS 50TH ANNIVERSARY REFLECTIONS:
First, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Don M., Ralph, Steve, Jim, Ellen, Joan, Don F., and anyone else who was on the committee whose name I have left off. It was a great weekend and we are all grateful for the hundreds of hours you put it. All of the planned events, Don's videos, the venue, the picnic, the food were all perfect. My only complaint is that it did not last long enough.
It was a weekend I was looking forward too for a long time with a combination of great anticipation and a twinge of sorrow. Could it really be sixty-three years ago when some of us met for the first time? Could it really be fifty years ago since the most fun year of my life? Could it really be thirty years ago since we met in West Nyack for the twentieth reunion?
I could write thousands of pages of my impressions of our last weekend together, but that will have to wait for another time. What I would like to say briefly is that last weekend confirmed for me what I have hypothesized for a long time. During those school years I took so much for granted about what was going on around me. What I would not realize for years is that many of my classmates were very special, very smart people, and that all of us collectively, were part of a unique group of people. We likely became that way because of the parents we were so lucky to have and the teachers who nurtured us. We were fortunate to have been brought up in a community that valued education so much that they were actually willing to pay for it.
As I looked around the room Saturday night I couldn't help but feel how lucky we all were to have been the beneficiaries of the wealth (not money) bestowed upon us by our parents, teachers, and community. How lucky we all were.
As for the women in the room, I'm not ashamed to say I fell in love with all of you all over again. When I say you are all so beautiful, I'm not just referring to physical beauty, of course. I'm referring to your beautiful spirits and souls, that became so evident the other night. What a wonderful group of people you all are. Beautiful in the true sense.
One of my few regrets is that many of my classmates lost contact with one another after graduation and that we did not all grow old together. What rich lives we would have all lead.
The beautiful In Memorium tribute that Don put together was very sad. What great friends we all lost. One who was not mentioned was Bob Doscher, who transferred out of CCHS our last year. We were close friends since the second grade and although a talented artist, he lived a tragic life. We lost him years before he left us, and it was all so sad.
So little time, so many conversations I wanted to have; with Dave Forsberg and Bobby Lawson about our football team; with Patty Wissig about her world travels; with Dave Fuchs about his gigs with Doc Carney. So many stories I would like to hear.
I propose that we use this reunion as a starting point for renewed friendships, renewed conversations, the re-kindling of old interests, and more visits in the future. For Phyllis, Ellen, Shelly, Joan, Sue, thanks again for the years of constant laughter. For Jimmy and Karen Damiani, thanks for your hospitality for all my autumn visits. And to the committee, keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to #51 next summer!
Sending pix to Don for distribution soon.
Frank Eberling
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First, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Don M., Ralph, Steve, Jim, Ellen, Joan, Don F., and anyone else who was on the committee whose name I have left off. It was a great weekend and we are all grateful for the hundreds of hours you put it. All of the planned events, Don's videos, the venue, the picnic, the food were all perfect. My only complaint is that it did not last long enough.
It was a weekend I was looking forward too for a long time with a combination of great anticipation and a twinge of sorrow. Could it really be sixty-three years ago when some of us met for the first time? Could it really be fifty years ago since the most fun year of my life? Could it really be thirty years ago since we met in West Nyack for the twentieth reunion?
I could write thousands of pages of my impressions of our last weekend together, but that will have to wait for another time. What I would like to say briefly is that last weekend confirmed for me what I have hypothesized for a long time. During those school years I took so much for granted about what was going on around me. What I would not realize for years is that many of my classmates were very special, very smart people, and that all of us collectively, were part of a unique group of people. We likely became that way because of the parents we were so lucky to have and the teachers who nurtured us. We were fortunate to have been brought up in a community that valued education so much that they were actually willing to pay for it.
As I looked around the room Saturday night I couldn't help but feel how lucky we all were to have been the beneficiaries of the wealth (not money) bestowed upon us by our parents, teachers, and community. How lucky we all were.
As for the women in the room, I'm not ashamed to say I fell in love with all of you all over again. When I say you are all so beautiful, I'm not just referring to physical beauty, of course. I'm referring to your beautiful spirits and souls, that became so evident the other night. What a wonderful group of people you all are. Beautiful in the true sense.
One of my few regrets is that many of my classmates lost contact with one another after graduation and that we did not all grow old together. What rich lives we would have all lead.
The beautiful In Memorium tribute that Don put together was very sad. What great friends we all lost. One who was not mentioned was Bob Doscher, who transferred out of CCHS our last year. We were close friends since the second grade and although a talented artist, he lived a tragic life. We lost him years before he left us, and it was all so sad.
So little time, so many conversations I wanted to have; with Dave Forsberg and Bobby Lawson about our football team; with Patty Wissig about her world travels; with Dave Fuchs about his gigs with Doc Carney. So many stories I would like to hear.
I propose that we use this reunion as a starting point for renewed friendships, renewed conversations, the re-kindling of old interests, and more visits in the future. For Phyllis, Ellen, Shelly, Joan, Sue, thanks again for the years of constant laughter. For Jimmy and Karen Damiani, thanks for your hospitality for all my autumn visits. And to the committee, keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to #51 next summer!
Sending pix to Don for distribution soon.
Frank Eberling
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As a spouse who attended the reunion, I would like to send my thanks and appreciation for a wonderful time. I had no idea what I was " getting into" when I told Newt that I would go with him especially since I did not know anyone except for fun stories Newt had told me over the years about some of his fellow classmates. No need for any concerns! Everyone was so welcoming and kind. I was made to feel like I was a part of the group. Thank you to everyone for a truly enjoyable weekend. Special kudos to the planning committee who did an awesome job. Thanks again.
Valerie Powell
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Valerie Powell
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To the reunion committee: what a wonderful reunion you planned! I second the thought that you all need to consider going into event planning. I know how hard you worked to make this a special occasion for all of us and you certainly succeeded. Heartfelt thanks for a memorable weekend!
Kate Kelemen
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Dear Gang,
Now that the dust has settled a bit (!!) - just want to add my voice to the chorus of appreciative classmates, for all the effort you all put in towards making our 50th reunion such an amazing weekend!
It was truly lovely, heartwarming, and just great in so many ways.
Can't thank you all enough.
And the photos that are posted on the website are terrific.
Happy winter and beyond,
Julie Marshall (and Glenn)
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Now that the dust has settled a bit (!!) - just want to add my voice to the chorus of appreciative classmates, for all the effort you all put in towards making our 50th reunion such an amazing weekend!
It was truly lovely, heartwarming, and just great in so many ways.
Can't thank you all enough.
And the photos that are posted on the website are terrific.
Happy winter and beyond,
Julie Marshall (and Glenn)
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I have read and reread the wonderful comments and compliments expressed to the Reunion committee by my classmates who attended our spectacular 50th Reunion. What came to mind as I read each of your thoughtful and perceptive statements is, "I could not have said it better myself". As in the movie, Ghost, I give a resounding "ditto" sent with love for all your expressed sentiments of appreciation and acknowledgment to the committee and to the Clarkstown High School class of 1964.
May we continue to "Rock ON" until our next reunion.
Andrea Del Regno (Casella)
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May we continue to "Rock ON" until our next reunion.
Andrea Del Regno (Casella)
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Dear Reunion Committee,
You guys are the best!!!! Thank you for providing an outstanding reunion weekend.
It was great to see everyone and rekindle friendships.
If any of you ever come to Birmingham, Alabama, please let me know. I would be delighted to show you our beautiful city. We are known for our sweet tea, great food and southern hospitality.
Until our next reunion, take care and God Bless!
Susan Butler Brown
You guys are the best!!!! Thank you for providing an outstanding reunion weekend.
It was great to see everyone and rekindle friendships.
If any of you ever come to Birmingham, Alabama, please let me know. I would be delighted to show you our beautiful city. We are known for our sweet tea, great food and southern hospitality.
Until our next reunion, take care and God Bless!
Susan Butler Brown