2009 Postings

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12/22/09 - Nancy Laun sends us a Christmas greeting

Nancy & her daughters, Annie & Katharine have finished chopping down their Christmas tree.  Those of you who attended the reunion will remember Nancy as the docent at the Horace Greeley House.  She graduated from HGHS in '61 and her daughters are '98 & '01 graduates.  Nancy is also a trustee-at-large for the New Castle Historical Society.  If you want your memory refreshed about anything you might have forgotten about Chappaqua, Nancy is the one to contact.  

 
 

11/01/09 - we are saddened to learn of the death of Bette's husband Stephen Craig on September 23, 2009)

Craig, Stephen W., formerly of Phoenix, died at the age of 77 on September 23, 2009. His career as a tax and corporate attorney spanned a thirty-five year period in which he practiced law with the firms of Snell & Wilmer; Craig, Greenfield and Irwin; Winston & Strawn and Brown & Bain. Steve contributed to the Arizona Community Council, Arizona Town Hall, ACLU, as well as the Good Samaritan Award at Mt. Hermon in Massachusetts. He encouraged philanthropic organizations including the Jane Wayland Guidance Center for the Children, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival for the Arts, and the Taos Community Foundation once he took up residence in Taos, New Mexico. He is survived by his wife of twenty five years, Bette Craig, his daughters; Amelia Cramer of Tucson, Janet Grossman of Los Angeles, and his son, Peter Craig of Amarillo, as well as his step children, Cheryl Horton and Mitchell Horton and seven grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on November 21st at 3:00 P.M. in Craig Parish Hall named for Stephen's father, Herbert S. Craig, a former minister at Christ Church of the Ascension, 4015 East Lincoln, Paradise Valley, Arizona. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Taos Community Foundation, P. O. Box 1925, Taos, New Mexico 8757

(editor's note - our last known contact for Bette is - craigbettesteve@yahoo.com / PO Box 789 / Arroyo Seco / NM / 87514 tel 506-776-5034

 
 

10/26/09 - The Fenanders send us some pictures of their autumn in Vermont)

The changing colors in central Vermont have been vibrant this year - perhaps because of all that rain in July.

In August our farmer friend created large round bales - pastoral sculpture in our upland meadow. On frosty mornings we could see steam rising.

Best wishes,  Elliot and Phyllis

 
 

10/26/09 - Michael Siczewicz died 10/17/09

Michael J. Siczewicz, a retired schoolteacher passed away peacefully on October 17, 2009 at Bethel Nursing Home in Ossining. Mr. Siczewicz was born September 13, 1921 in Woonsocket, R.I. to Marya and Jacob Siczewicz. A graduate of Providence College, he was a veteran of World War II, serving in Europe for three years. After the war, he obtained his Masters' Degree at Columbia University. He taught briefly in Pleasantville and then transferred to Chappaqua where he taught English and History from 1950 until his retirement in 1985. He is survived by five children, Patricia Gertz of Ringoes, N.J., Stephanie Prentiss of Ossining, Sandra Lee Stein of Cream Ridge, N.J., Dr. Michael Stewart of Media, P.A. and John Siczewicz of Katonah. In addition, he is survived by two sisters Stephanie Siczewicz of North Smithfield, R.I. and Helen Kenworthy of Oradell, N.J. and seven grandchildren. Friends may call from 2-4 and 7-9 PM on Monday, October 19 at the funeral home. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10AM on Tuesday October 20 at St. Theresa's Church in Briarcliff. Interment will be Wednesday, October 21, at St. Stanislaus Kostka Cemetery, Blackstone, MA.

(Editor's note - I remember him well but his picture is not in the '57 yearbook.  I remember being able to spell and pronounce his name correctly.)

 
 
10/16/09 - Judy and sons at Santa Barbara
Well, Judy Fay Donahue  being held up on the beach in Santa Barbara by three of her son's, Kent, Matt, and Joel Wilson on Kent Wilson's 50th birthday October 8th.
That is my bathing suit!
We were surf fishing. Yes, as we get older, we get even happier. Runs in the family same as yours.
 
 
09/18/09 - Hank Carroll, son of Henry and Katie Carroll, passed away on September 10th, 2009

September 10, 2009 Henry C. Hank Carroll II, 25, of Islamorada, FL and formerly of North Syracuse, passed away Thursday from a sudden illness. He was born and raised in North Syracuse. Henry graduated from St. Rose of Lima School and Bishop Grimes High School, Class of 2002, where he participated in baseball, football and basketball. He then attended Buffalo State College and worked at Lourdes Camp as a counselor in the summertime before following his heart's desire to the Keys in Florida. Henry is survived by his parents: his mother, Kathy Lynn Carroll, and his father, Henry C. Carroll; his maternal grandmother, Joan Snell Wheeler; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews; all his friends here in New York, Florida and other parts of the country; and especially the Dream Team here in the Cuse." Services will be 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Rose of Lima Church. Calling hours will be Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at New Comer Funeral Home, 705 North Main Street, North Syracuse, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations in the memory of Hank may be made to St. Rose of Lima Scholarship Fund at 409 South Main St., North Syracuse, NY 13212. To leave a special message for the family online, visit NewcomerSyracuse.com NewComer Funeral Home.

Published in Syracuse Post Standard on September 15, 2009

(editor's note - The Carroll's address is 412 Single Dr / Syracuse, NY 13212-2805 / tel (315) 458-6310)

 
 

08/26/09 - Jim & Deb Kennedy paid us a visit 10 days ago. They were touring PEI and Nova Scotia - a reprise of their honeymoon journey of 2000.  Jim is still involved with wildlife and wetland preservation projects and Deb is on the Executive Board of the New Hampshire NEA.

Jim recalled Jay Overocker, a neighbor in Chappaqua and a '56 graduate of HGHS, and how he and Jay built pipe bombs and distilled alcohol together. The only incident I remember about Jay was his arrest by the local police as he was digging a hole behind the gymnasium the day before graduation ceremonies. The rumor was that he was going to plant a bomb. Jay was later killed while hitchhiking during his first year at college.

 



08/12/09 - Our West Coast editor, Bob, recently returning from summer travels, sends us some info of interest concerning Howard Junker.

Why Howard cannot retire.  http://www.pw.org/content/why_junker_can%E2%80%99t_quit_zyzzyva

And a brief interview with Howard from the San Francisco Examiner http://www.sfexaminer.com/entertainment/Credo-Howard-Junker-on-the-thrill-of-discovering-writers-52604387.html

 
06/23/09 - Katie & Henry Carroll sent us a few pictures from home and on the road. They are both very fit.  The big bruiser to Henry's left is their son Hank who is also fit.






05/30/09 - The ain’t sos’about cholesterol  by W. Gifford Jones, M.D.

Why are people so misinformed about cholesterol when so much has been published about it? After all, cholesterol has become a household name.

It’s hard to go to a social gathering without someone mentioning this fatty substance and his own cholesterol level. But as one wise sage remarked, "It’s not the things you don’t know that get you into trouble. It’s the things you know for sure that ain’t so." So, what ain’t so about cholesterol?

It ain’t so, for instance, that the only cause of coronary artery disease is cholesterol. Life is not that simple, and it’s totally unrealistic to believe that one risk factor sends so many people to the great beyond. Rather, Matthew’s Law is the culprit. It states that "It’s the sum total of several factors such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, lack of exercise, smoking, advancing age, and inadequate fiber in the diet that ends so many lives."

It ain’t so that cholesterol is the devil it’s made out to be. How many know that cholesterol is a necessary part of every cell in the body? Cholesterol is required for the absorption of fats and digestive juices, and there would be no loving without cholesterol, as it is needed to produce sex hormones! We would all die without cholesterol. And how many are aware that some studies show cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs) increase the risk of violent death, suicide, short-term memory loss, and some cancers.

It ain’t so that cholesterol numbers determine whether or not you will have a heart attack. Cholesterol levels of men living in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Stockholm, Sweden, are identical. But the coronary death rate is three times greater in Scots. Maybe they don’t eat as many veggies. Or they drink too much of their own Scotch!

Similarly, ethnic Japanese living in Japan and California have comparable blood cholesterol levels, but those in California have more coronary disease. Is this because of a change in diet or stress on their highways? No one really knows the answers to these questions.

It ain’t so that low levels of blood cholesterol prevent atherosclerosis and heart attack. One of the world’s most famous heart surgeons, a Texan, reported years ago that 30 percent of patients who had a coronary bypass operation had normal blood cholesterol levels.

It ain’t so that the only way our bodies obtain cholesterol is by the food we eat. Most patients are amazed to hear the liver produces 80 to 90 percent of the cholesterol in our bodies. You can’t change the spots on a leopard, and it’s hard to change the genetically controlled metabolism of the liver. Dietary changes help, but it requires a drastic change in food consumption to significantly reduce blood cholesterol.

It ain’t so that the more cholesterol we eat, the more cholesterol is in the blood. The liver’s production of cholesterol is controlled much like the thermostat controls the temperature of our homes. Studies show that the more cholesterol consumed, the less the liver produces. Conversely, if the diet is low in cholesterol, the reverse is true, and the liver manufactures more cholesterol.

Here’s a big "ain’t so." It’s not simply medical science that convinces people to take cholesterol-lowering and other drugs. I often write this column on Lake Canandaigua in upstate New York, so I keep my eye on U.S. health matters. It was recently reported by Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield that, in 2007, in upstate N.Y. alone, $241,530,000 was spent on just one cholesterol drug: Lipitor!

Another $103,580,000 was spent on Prevacid to ease stomach problems, and $74,360,000 on Effexor for depression. The point is, "Thars money in them thar drugs." I find it hard to believe that in one small corner of the United States so many people are suffering from high cholesterol levels, stomach, and nervousness.

We have more than a sick economy these days. We have a population that’s been programmed to illness, a population that now believes that the road to health is paved with pills, pills, and more pills. And it means we have a terribly ill society that keeps pharmaceutical companies flourishing.

Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto.

 

04/26/09 - A story from Judy

Luckily it's raining so I can get the Brownie story out of the way first off and I never want to tell it again.

Roni had brought this old decrepit horse named Brownie up to the mountain with her. Brownie was the horse of her youth and I think must have been about 29 maybe more at the time. Roni has always worked for large animal vets, ridden horses, and been as we say, an animal lover. I am more selective. I like some animals not necessarily horses, who are large and can bite and kick and trample you senseless. Brownie had a pretty good sized wart on his penis. There is just no other way to give you that information. And it is the central part of the story. Roni was subbing I think as a vet tech for a woman vet in the area for a while, I'm not sure she got paid but she did get free or discounted vet services. So she told the vet about the wart on Brownies penis thinking the vet would come up to her place and cauterize it or something. I wish I could tell you that the wart on Brownies penis caused him great discomfort or might shorten his life span in some way to justify what we did to him, but as I remember it was more of an eyesore or disfigurement, I'm not sure which. It isn't too important what Brownie thought as Roni had decided the wart had to go. She tells me that the vet said if we put an elastrator band on the wart it would probably fall off all on it's own. I owned an elastrator. It's an evil looking heavy instrument about the size of a huge pair of pliers that you outfit with a small but thick rubberband like thing. You open the elastrator pinchers and slide the rubber band over a lambs testicles or tail and slip the band off the elastrator and painlessly ( as it numbs the area) the testicules fall off in about three weeks. No reason why it shouldn't work on brownies wart. Just cut off the blood supply and the wart should fall off in due time. Okay

I told Roni from the get go that I was not a horse person and that although I would supply the elastrator and band I was not tying the bell on the cats collar so to speak. Oh I understand she says I know how you are so I have invited Crystal to come up and do that part. Now this did not reassure me in any way. Crystal was young and strong and nimble but she really was certifiably crazy. Schizophrenia. Heard voices, thought the trees were after her, and just generally what you would call under the best of circumstances plain nuts. But she had a good heart and since she couldn't hold a job she was always free to be of some use to us and pretty much would do what you asked of her. Sometimes anyway.

You can keep in mind that we lived way out at the end of no where in the woods on a very high steep mountain. Not your scenic mountain with tall trees and wooded paths but a psycho killer of a mountain with steep drop off ravines, brush 15 feet high and thick and loaded with rattlesnakes, mountain lions, bears, meth labs, booby traps and armed druggies. Not too many people with or without reason came out there. So one cold foggy day Roni, Crystal and I meet down at Roni's place to dewart Brownie. It's awfully muddy in the corral Roni says, why don't I bring Brownie up here on the driveway? Good plan I think. So up from the woods she comes with this huge brown horse on a rope. Seemed like he was 20 hands high, muscled like a stallion, legs like guns on a tank, but I am having no part of this so what do I care? Roni is to hold the horse, Crystal is to handle the elastrator. I'm just there to observe. Well geldings don't go around with their genitals hanging all down around their ankles like men so I end up holding the horse while Roni entices the wart and penis out where Crystal can get at it. Since Roni has had babies at home on the couch, standing by the side of the road at the end of the driveway doing something weird to a horse didn't seem out of the ordinary. Crystal was just crouched under Brownie totally concentrating on her job with the elastrator. I was just concerned that Brownie was going to rear up and flatten me. Although he wasn't doing anything mean, in fact seemed to be rather enjoying the attention, I just closed my eyes and hung on his rope. I heard Roni say, there it is, and Crystal said hold him still, and then the proverbial; oh shit! And I opened my eyes to see Crystal and Roni reaching up into Brownies flanks as the elastrator swung wildly from the wart on his penis. Brownie didn't like that at all! He bucked and kicked and tried to take off down the road with the three of us holding onto him and his penis for dear life. We're wailing and cursing, the elastrator still dangling up under him some where. It was quite a rodeo, dirt, mud, rocks, weeds being torn up. Finally Roni got the elastrator off and we are laying in a pile of legs and arms and bruises under this horse when we hear laughter and horns blowing like you wouldn't believe. There, heads peering out of open car windows, is the mail man followed by a line of other dumbfounded onlookers who had snuck up on us wondering what in the world three women we were doing to that poor old horse.

 

04/24/09 - Three generations of Holsapples - how many of you remember Mrs Holsapple's ballroom dancing classes in the HG auditorium)

Louise Holsapple Westover, her daughter and her mother standing in front of three of her mother's brush paintings.

The paintings are part of an exhibition of oriental brush paintings by local artists at the Hammond Garden in North Salem, NY.

Mrs. Holsapple is going strong at nearly 94 years old!

(
photo & info provided by Nancy Laun)

03/16/09 - Updated news about eating squirrel meat or brains - click here  

03/05/09 – Received a note yesterday from Louise expressing thanks for the memorial to her father on our website. The note, unfortunately, was orbiting postal space for 2 months before landing in Lunenburg. In the best of times it only takes 8 days for a letter to arrive from the US.

Louise also tells us that a week after our 2007 reunion she, Dave, and the family traveled to Africa to trace the route Dave’s father took after WWII while importing wild animals to restock zoos in the US. Louise kept a diary and says she will, one day soon, send us part of it for our website.

In the meanwhile, here is a transcript of Louise’s note.

Dec 30, ’08

Dear Bill,

Thank you so very much for the
memorial that you put together for
my Dad. It brought back many
memories of my days in Chappaqua
with my family. Reading the summary of
my Dad’s life in show business seems
like a lifetime ago and needless to say
I did not inherit any of his talent. It was
a burden to have a famous father as I
just wanted to be like everyone else
I guess. The fantasy of that celebrity life
Is far greater than the reality. I guess I
could write a book on that subject. If life
ever slows down for me I’ll contribute to
your "Home Room" one of these days.
Thank you again. Fondly, Louise W

03/02/09 - From Chef Splatier's research center and test kitchen)

Part of the joy of getting older is the pricks and zingers, stabs and jabs of inflamation. Inflamation we know, is bad for us, linked to all kinds of disabilities, degeneration and disease and frankly we’ve got enough to worry about without having sore elbows, gums, knees feet etc. all the time. There’s plenty of medication around to handle inflamation, but there is also something else you can do about it. Turns out there are inflamatory foods, thinks like potatoes and sugar that increase inflamation. And anti inflamatory foods. Like anchovies, tumeric, ginger  and fish oil.

At first you think, the last thing I need to keep track of is another kind of food that’s good/bad for you. Like there’s not enough to worry about with carbs, fat, cholesterol, and good grief, roughage.

Turns out though, that a low inflamatory diet can be wonderful and really does help more than a little. Unfortunately all sugars like honey and maple syrup are very inflamatory. (For a complete reference for those of us who have rheumatoid and/osteo arthritis, flaming gums and all that other hot stuff, **The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan by Monica Reinagel) has a very long list of what’s good and bad. She also rates them so you can see how wonderful sardines and ginger are and how terrible honey is for a sore joint. Those numerical ratings also let you compensate for a high sugar hit with a good dose of green peppers, ginger and garlic.

So here’s a powerfully anti-inflamatory chicken dish I whipped up last night that Kathryn insisted I write down. Very tasty and redolent of the wild and zingy flavors of northern Spain.

Spain's fifth largest city, Zaragoza, the former capital of the Kingdom of Aragon, is world famous for pain. The Spanish Inquisition, who invented waterboarding and enjoyed roasting their victims over a slow fire, was active in Zaragoza in the fifteen and sixteenth century . More recently, in the Spanish Civil War, Generalissimo Franco, the original Nazi, was pissed because the largest anti-facist (anarchist) militia came from Zaragoza. So Franco's army slaughtered women children dogs and cats after they killed all of the men and boys they could find.

Never mind, this is a pain killer recipe, so lets skip to a happier note. Zaragoza is also a culinary crossroads; Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao and Toulouse (France) are all about 200 miles away. You'll find their influences are all in this recipe.

You should also know that Zaragoza's a party town. "Las Fiestas del Pilar" (Bette, they tell me, is their patron saint) is a major festival day in Zaragoza; they go wild on 12 October, screaming. Viva La Senorita Greeley.

The original Chicken Zaragoza was an AWOL Nationalist molester who is alive and unwell and living in Argentina. He is unrelated to this recipe.


**For a quick guide to inflammatory foods -
http://nutrition.about.com/library/ninflam.htm

Chef Splatier's Pain Killer Chicken (aka Chicken Zaragoza)

Ingredientes
For two with ample leftovers - you’ll need a fry pan and a stew pot.
Plus:
> 3 chicken thighs and 3 chicken legs (or what the hell, cut up
      a whole chicken)
> good sploosh or two of olive oil to generously cover the
      bottom of the pan.
> 1 medium onion sliced in thin rounds
> 4 cloves of garlic chopped
> 2 oz. can of anchovies along with the can’s olive oil
> 1 Tbs. chopped fresh ginger
> 2 green (mildly hot) pasilla peppers sliced lengthwise into strips
> 1 Tbs. of spiced chili pepper or tabasco to taste
> 2 tsp of Turmeric
> bay leaf
> cup of pitted and halved calamata olives - use the canned ones if that
      is all you can get
> 1/4-1/2 cup leftover calamata olive brine
> chicken boullion cube
> bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or similar cheapo white wine,
      a little sweetness is OK.
> good splash of vinegar juice from a bottle of pickled green
      beans (OK, you’re never gonna have a jar of pickled green
      beans handy so any mild vinegar or lemon juice will do)
Método de Preparación
> Get the fry pan hot and pour in enough olive oil to cover the bottom
> Throw in the chicken and fry hot until it’s really brown all over.
> Throw the chicken in the stew pot.
> Dump the excess oil
> Throw the onions and the anchovies along with their oil in the fry
      pan and cook over high heat stirring to make sure the onions gold
      and brown.
> Add the garlic, pasilla peppers and ginger, stir a few times until the
      garlic is soft and gold and throw into the stew pot before the garlic
      gets crisp and bitter.
> Pour the wine and vinegar into the fry pan and stir to scrape up the
      crispy bits (fond). Reduce to about half and pour into the stew pot.
> Add the salt and pepper, turmeric and spiced chili pepper
     (Tabasco Chipotle works fine), bay leaf, bullion cube, olives,
     and olive brine to the pot and cook over low medium for an hour
      until the chicken is tender  and the sauce is intense (about 1/2 hr).
     Salt & Pepper & more chili pepper to taste.
> Serve with rice, sweet potato, or a long scoop of lettuce leaf if you’re
     into denial

02/18/09 - Judy sends us info on Rodger's Band Class lesson) 

Today he out did himself.  He subbed Band. He said the band room doesn't have a desk, that the usual teacher has a little locked cubby area for his paper work. So he was standing on the box ( band stand thing) taking attendance and was using a music stand in front of him for papers and fell backward off the stand. He says he stepped back and just fell over on his  butt but he did it slowly as he does everything now so he wasn't hurt. But it was a smash hit attention getting maneuver for first period band class.

    For his second class he asked if any of the boys had any upper body strength. Two waved their arms wildly so he had them come up and do ten pushups which they did with vigor. Then he told them they were to stand behind him on each side of the box and catch him if he fell. That was a sure fire hit, he says, as for the rest of the day if he wandered his foot a little toward one edge they'd gasp and yell Look out Mr. Donahue! Careful Mr. Donahue!

 I tell you he gives it his all. He is just exhausted when he comes home. And tomorrow he teaches Chorale. The kids love him. I think he is going to become the Forrest Park High School mascot.

02/11/09 - An interesting read by Al Hutin about Chappaqua & the Horace Greeley School from the New Castle Historical Society - Click Here  (submitted by Dick Greminger)

 

02/01/09 - Squirrel news from the editor)

Two years ago I started shooting squirrels.  They were taking over our four bird feeders.  In 2007 I shot over 59 (I kept a record) and last year I bagged 19 (they were getting smarter and avoiding the feeders). At first I worried a bit about karma but now I am too old to be concerned.  I found that several of my friends and in-laws were also shooting squirrels.  A town in Scotland devoted a whole town meeting to the "Squirrel Problem".  I am considering starting a newsletter for squirrel shooters and now gather whatever international news I can.  Here are a few snippets that have been sent to me by concerned shooters - read more

 

01/11/09 - Our Cal-Mex classmate, chef Splatier,  sends us a holiday recipe to warm the cockles of our hearts (not to be confused with heartburn)

Chef Splatier's Bell Ringer Chili

l lb. ground chuck (chunks of chuck would be fine)
1 lb. ground pork (chunks of pork etc.)
1 onion chopped
sploosh of wine
2-5 cloves of garlic chopped|
1 large can of Italian Tomatoes (if you can't lay your hands on your garden globes)
beef bullion cube
1 Tbs Bell's seasoning **
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbs. dried chipotle chili powder (or whatever firepower you can lay your hands on. Tabasco chipotle sauce for example)
salt & pepper to taste
-------------------------------------------------------
-Heat a glug of olive oil in a skillet (the hotter the skillet the better the saute)
-Saute the onions until gold
-add garlic and saute a while longer
-scoop out the onion and garlic and add to your chili pot
-Saute the meat until brown
-Scoop out the meat and add to your chili pot
-Pour off the fat from the skillet
-Add a sploosh of wine to the skillet, scrape up all the brown bits and add the wine and fond to the chili pot
-Add the rest of the ingredients to the chili pot and simmer for at least a half hour or more(Maybe much more, depending on how much wine the chef has on hand.)
-All measurements are guesses and your guess is as good as mine.

-Serve over/with rice, baked potato or, if you want to get trendy, cauliflower steamed in a splash each of water, balsamic and wine

-Y recuerde, estudiantes, chili verdad no tengo frijoles

** You'll find BELL'S ALL NATURAL SALT FREE SEASONING in the little yellow box with the bold and colorful turkey on the front. Once upon a time nine out of ten American moms from Kansas used Bell's seasoning in their stuffing. Now it's getting scarce. It's a blend of rosemary, oregano, sage, ginger, thyme and pepper. Tastes mostly of sage. It's fine stuff from E. Weymouth, Mass. On the other hand you could find it on their website is www.brady-ent.com/products.html#bs.

 

01/02/09 - A Christmas message from Bill.

Remember - you are what you are- don't fight it.  If you want three glasses of eggnog, that's ok. If you want my recipe for magic squares just send an email.

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