The Wheatley
School Alumni Association Newsletter # 276
This
is another "real" Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter
Dear Wheatley
Wildcats and Other Interested Persons, Welcome to the Wheatley
School Alumni Association Newsletter # 276, Late Breaking News
East Williston Board
of Education renews calls for perimeter fencing after SUV crashes through
elementary school
The school was empty at the time of Sunday’s crash.
Jul 27, 2026, 10:17 AM News Report of Crash into North Side “The East Williston Board
of Education renewed the district’s calls to install safety and security
measures outside of North Side Elementary School, one day after a car slammed
through the school’s library after a driver suffered a medical emergency. A student wrote -
“Hearing anything about North Side on 1010 WINS radio is quite unusual.” (((Art Engoron, 1967
Writes - I STRONGLY oppose the fence. “Don’t fence me in.” Can anyone
identify what part of the school, east or west, north or south, the vehicle
struck?))). Bing Crosby Singing Cole Porter and Robert Fletcher's
"Don't Fence Me In,” Administration
L-R - Art
Engoron (1967) and Rick Simon (Wheatley Principal 1995 to 2008) in Stresa
Restaurant, Northern Boulevard, Manhasset, July 16, 2026 Graduates
Mystery Presented
REPRINT FROM ISSUE # 275 1958 - Steve Nelson - “Seeing Whitey Ford’s picture in Issue # 268 of the
Wheatley Alumni Newsletter reminded me of a small mystery that I’m hoping one
of you can solve. Whitey, of course, was a star pitcher with the Yankees,
winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1950 before serving in the Korean War
for two years and returning to the Yankees in 1953. That spring I was in 7th
grade at the Willets School and played for the Buffaloes in the Roslyn Little
League. Art Rollini ’59 was on the team too. One Saturday morning in
May, all of the Roslyn Little League teams were summoned to be at Roslyn High
School in uniform, where a film was being made about Little League starring
Whitey Ford! He was a big hero of mine, both of us being left-handed throwers
and on the shorter side, although I wasn’t a pitcher. I remember seeing him
there, but I was just one of a couple hundred kids playing ball in the
background. I never heard anything
more about the film, and I’ve struck out trying to find anything about it
online. Who knows, maybe it was never completed. Whitey passed away in 2020.
I’m hoping some ex-Little Leaguer from Wheatley who played Little League at
the time knows something which can solve the mystery of the missing movie. Mystery
Solved
1961 - Michael Jablon Writes - “Dear Steve, The lost movie you are
looking for is not titled ‘This Is Little League.” I was fortunate to have
Jerry Bronfeld as my manager of the Tigers in the Roslyn Little League, and
he was also the writer, director who happened to work for RKO Studios. I also
had a very small part in the movie. The world premier was shown at the Roslyn
Theater with special guest Jackie Robinson. I was able many years
later to procure a copy of the movie. As luck would have it, I met and became
friends with Jack Lang, a sportswriter at The Long Island Press and the
Secretary/Treasurer of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BWAA).
Jack knew everyone in the baseball world, and when I told him about the
movie, he referred me to Jeff Idelson at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
in Cooperstown, NY. Jeff asked me if I could
send him a copy of the movie, which I did, and now The Roslyn Little League
is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Best regards, Michael Jablon Steve Nelson (1958) Writes - “Mystery solved! And thanks to Michael
Jablon ’61, I know much more about the “mystery movie” than I
ever thought I would. I knew Wheatley would come through! 1964 - Susan Obrant and Jesse
Samberg Susan Writes - “Jesse, thank your for your amazing story “against the
wind.” 1964 - Jesse Samberg (1964) and
Ellen Solow Holzman (1964 and Faculty) - Ellen Writes “I listened to Jesse Samberg tell the
story of his cousin as I sipped my morning coffee, and I was riveted. So
beautiful and sad and yet redemptive. Thanks for the link! Also, Scott
Reich (2001) was the sports editor of The Wildcat when I was
the advisor, and so I am terribly proud—but not surprised—that he is having
such a successful career as a writer. He was a pleasure to work 1966 - Marjorie Silver Writes - “Dear Arthur, I’ve been meaning to
write for your amazing Newsletter for decades, and yet somehow never got
around to it—until now. Your Newsletter # 269 sparked some memories (and
still it’s taken me many weeks to respond!) I played Mary Lou Wingate
in ‘John Brown’s Body’, which that Newsletter featured, and while my MCI
(mild cognitive impairment) may have erased some memories, I can still recite
a few lines from that play: “Mary Lou Wingate, As tightly made And as hard to break As a rapier’s blade. Let us look at her now. Let us see her plain. Those tiny hands of her
generation That gathered the reigns
of the whole plantation... (At least that’s how I
remember it.) The other reason I was
moved to write was seeing the photo of Charlene (“Shotzi”) Krakauer in the
photo from Maui. Charlene was a classmate and a friend; also, she, Susie
(Rosen) Kutch (’65)—my next-door neighbor on Hilldale Road in Albertson, and
my best friend in childhood--and I attended Pierce Camp Birchmont together in
New Hampshire (Yes, run by the same family who owned and operated the
district’s school buses, at least back then). So, here’s my bio in a
(large) nutshell. I married Jonathan
Silver (1965) in 1969. (Sadly, Jon passed away recently, as
was reported in an earlier Newsletter). We attended law school together at
the University of Pennsylvania, and both thrived there. That was followed by
terrific federal clerkships in Philadelphia for both of us: Jon on the Third
Circuit Court of Appeals with Judge William Hastie; I, a marvelous clerkship
with Chief Judge Joseph S. Lord, III of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Our son, Josh, was born
in 1975. Unfortunately, I suffered what was to be my first of several bouts
of major clinical depression (MCD) after Josh was born, and Jon and I
separated shortly thereafter. I suffered several
separate bouts of MCD in the following two plus decades—halted now for over
20 years ago by finding an effective antidepressant that has continued to
keep me well. I have had a good life and rewarding career in the law. First,
with what was originally the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare in the Regional Attorney’s Office in NYC, and then as the Chief
Regional Attorney for the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of
Education. However, I knew in law
school that I always wanted to go into law teaching, having been a strange
bird who loved law school. In 1983, I joined the faculty of New
York Law School. It was a mixed experience. I loved teaching; however, I was
one of only two faculty women when I started; the other, much older, never
spoke to me. I met Doug Block in 1981
in an American Sign Language course at The New School (another, rather
amusing, story). Doug and I married in 1985. Our daughter, Lucy, was born in
1989 (and is now expecting her first child at the end of August!) In 1989, while I was
pregnant with Lucy, I was denied tenure. I was devastated. It was the first
“academic” setback I had ever experienced. Happily, in 1991, I
received an appointment at Touro Law Center, where I had wonderful colleagues
who became close friends. I thrived there. In recent years, before my
retirement this past December, I had been on “half load;” teaching a seminar
for externs placed in civil, government, and public interest practices. The
curriculum I created focused on helping my students develop their
professional identities, ones that would enhance their well-being and that of
the clients they would serve. While most of my original
colleagues had already retired, my goal had been to be the first octogenarian
female
member of the faculty. However, while I still loved the teaching and
belonging to several academic communities that shared my passions, being at
Touro just wasn’t fun anymore. I retired as of December 31, 2025, and am now
a Professor Emeriti. Doug, a documentary filmmaker and producer, and
relatively recent Substack writer, continues doing what he
loves. Some of you may already
know about my history of major clinical depression and anxiety, happily in
remission for 20+ years. I have written and spoken about it and shared it
with my students and others to help destigmatize the shame for those
suffering with mental illness. In that vein, I want to
take this opportunity to “come out” to all of you about my cognitive health
challenges. In the spring of 2023, I was diagnosed with MCI: mild cognitive
impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer’s. For eighteen months I received
bi-weekly infusions of Lecanemab (leqembi), one of only two drugs approved by
the FDA for the treatment of MCI. In June I “graduated” to weekly
self-administered injections of the same drug. Since retirement I have been
committed to destigmatizing this condition, much as I have done regarding
major depression and anxiety. If any of you want to
reach out to me—whether because of concerns about your own cognitive health,
or about those of a loved one—please do. You can still reach me at my Touro
email, msilver@touro.edu, or at my personal email
account: msilver965@gmail.com. So, Arthur, I have every
reason to expect you will receive this before you read my obituary. And I
thank you for all you have done and continue to do for the Wheatley
community. Finally, I am very much
looking forward to the Class of 1966 reunion in the fall! Best to all, ~ Marjorie Silver 1966 and 1967 - Robert Eastman
(1966) Writes: “OK, I had a big
crush on Helene Feiner (1967) in High School!” 1964 and 1967 - Lauren Jacoby
(1967) Writes - “I listened and
watched Jesse Samberg’s (1964) story on The Moth about his
cousin Fred. It was gorgeous.”
Lauren Jacoby
(1967) and Bird (non-Wheatley) Mitchell Stephens - Kibitzing About
New York’s Most Important Sports Teams KIBITZING ABOUT IMPORTANT SPORTS TEAMS (((click to get to the
video and to hear the audio))) 1968 - Claudia Aufhauser - Deceased (in 2014, but not previously reported) Claudia and twin brother David
Aufhauser (1968) moved to Stony Brook after 9th grade. 1970 - Cathy Gerson - Deceased
Cathy Gerson Funeral Home Obituary Steven Lee Writes - “My beloved wife of 50 years, Cathy Gerson, passed away
on June 30th, peacefully in her sleep, with family present. Born in New York City and
raised on Long Island, Cathy always longed to spread her wings. She graduated
from The Wheatley School in 1970, and she was very proud to be a member of
the Wheatley Community. As a college freshman, she attended Moore College of
Art in Philadelphia but found it to be too structured. So in the Fall of
1971, rather than return to Philly, Cathy decided to join her older sister in
Boston. She enrolled in the
Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston and also double majored in education at
Tufts University in nearby Medford. After receiving a working scholarship
from the Museum School, Cathy moved into a loft/studio in the Jamaica Plain
section of Boston, where she created ceramic sculptures, pottery and custom
tiles. With her studio and scholarship in place, Cathy worked so hard that
she graduated in two and a half years. Sadly, in 1976, Cathy lost her home,
her studio, and her business when a fire destroyed the six-story factory
building where her loft was located. Cathy also became drawn
into a more commercial side of ceramics as she began a production pottery
line that is both practical for everyday use but also very displayable as
art. She named it “gersonware” and the business was formed to create and
produce pottery for stores and galleries all over the country – and continued
for 30 years. Commissions, whether
pottery or tile, had been exciting departures from the steady pottery work
supplied by gersonware. From extremely large urns decorating corporate
hallways, to intimate custom architectural tile art installations, Cathy
explored the freedom that clay allowed. In particular, she loved to sculpt
tiles, to defy two dimensions and provide texture. This recent focus on her
tile creations attracted a wide and diverse group of commissions from
architectural to institutional. Inspiration that has driven kitchen back
splashes, wall tile art for hospitals and corporate walls, outdoor pieces and
many sizes of Gerson totems; pieces that are often infused with small found
objects from Cathy’s travels. Many wall murals and totems grace hospital
walls in the Boston area. After moving to North
Carolina in 2013, Cathy explored her love of antique cars by creating classic
cars in sculpted, free form ceramic tiles. These tile wall pieces capture the
style of the cars, from the thirties to the present. These works provide the
canvas for sculpted forms with unique and personal glazes and whimsical
touches. She personally designed, cut, glazed, assembled and sometimes
installed her pieces. Sadly, Cathy experienced
a second life trauma when she lost her home and studio in the 2024 floods
caused by Hurricane Helene. A close friend in Birchwood, Tennessee took Cathy
in afterwards. This is where Cathy moved and set up a new studio.. Cathy leaves behind her
husband of 50 years, Steven Lee, and a son, Zachary Gerson Lee; a sister, Sue Gerson
Whitney (1967) and her husband; a cousin, Nancy Feldman and
her husband; a cousin, Neal Jacobs and his wife; and many in-laws of the Lee
family. Also, all her friends from North Carolina and Massachusetts. Cathy will be cremated
and her ashes spread as she wished. No memorial is planned at this time.
Cathy Gerson and
Steve Lee, by the Albemarle County Courthouse, Charlottesville, Virginia,
where they got married by a justice of the peace on May 1st, 1976.
Renewing their
vows on their 45th anniversary, in front of a minister.
Cathy loved to
fish.
Cathy was
delighted to gift Jay Leno a classic 1955 Buick Roadmaster tile wall mural at
Cherokee Casino in Cherokee, NC.
Cathy and Steve In lieu of flowers,
please consider a donation to the Lupus Foundation of America. www.lupus.org” Fan Mail
1960 (Raymond Roller) - ❤️ 1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️ 1964 (John Sullivan) - “Many thanks, Art, for you perseverance in preparing and
publishing the Newsletter. While I am not a ‘ground up’ Wheatleyite (no North
Side or Willets Road), I enjoy the historical perspectives.” 1964 (Davida Tunis Philips) - ❤️ 1966 (Suzanne Stone) - ❤️ 1967 (Lauren Jacoby) - “Hello Arthur, Thank you so much for many many years of
the Alumni Newsletter. I imagine and hope it’s been a labor of love.” 1967 (James Seaton) - “Thanks as always for your tireless work.” 1967 (Barbara Smith Stanisic) - ❤️ 1967 (Jill Simon Forte) - “Thank you, Arthur……nice nostalgia to think about 😊💙☮️.” 1968 (Nancy Lagin) - “Thank you for all your caring work with the
Newsletter.” 1969 (Maddy Nathanson) - ❤️ 1972 (Nancy Davis) - ❤️ 1972 (Jeffrey Kargman) - ❤️ 1974 (Melanie Artim) - ❤️ 1974 (Jessica Hill) - ❤️ 1996 (Joshua Effron) - ❤️ Non-Wheatley (MBDE) - ❤️ The Usual Words of
Wisdom
All underlined text is a
link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined
text, and then clicking on the text that pops up will get you to your on-line
destination or will address an email. Thanks to our fabulous
Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale
yourself with the first 275 or so Wheatley School Alumni Association
Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at our website: The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website Also thanks to Keith is
our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or
phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous
Newsletters and other on-site material. I edit all submissions,
even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication
thereof. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA
does not have a New Yorker style Fact-Checking Department. We welcome any and all
text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury,
NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked,
performed, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967 Closing
That’s it for The Wheatley School
Alumni Association Newsletter # 276. Please send me your autobiography before
someone else sends me your obituary. Arthur Fredericks (“Art”) Engoron,
Class of 1967 |
