RED CARPET NIGHT

Before I start I'd like to allay any concerns and correct one thing. I posted an e-mail that I received from Mel Rieff. He wrote the nicest note to me about the website. The concerns may stem from my blog about prostate woes. If you read the blog I let you know that all is well and even if it wasn't it takes that rascal at least 10 years to do you in. As to my health I walk 5 miles every other day and work out at Ballys on those same days. Dolores keeps us on a rather healthy diet and I practise yoga a couple times a week.
Now for the correction. Mel mentioned this is MY reunion. I hope that isn't what you are all thinking because this is OUR reunion. Pat Paul Leider, Howie Moldofsky, Barb Kalfen Halegua, Rochelle Laskov Zuniga and Iris Daglas, to name a few of you, are helping out by calling classmates and bringing them into the site. There is still a long way to go and I'm afraid there are old friends that we will never find. Now to the title "Red Carpet Night". We, Dolores and I, get rapped up in the Academy Awards every year. We try and see all of the nominated movies before the event and I love the pre-show Red Carpet. I know how hard those beautiful people must work to look like that. To quote a line from today's Chicago Tribune "The Red Carpet is one big permission slip to let your inner shallowness roam free. I pretty much set out a bowl of milk for myself at the start and start meowing", Barbara Brotman
That's it for now, Keith

We are a happy group

In talking to and swapping e-mails with many of you I find us a rather happy group. Family life was centered around an extended core including grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and even neighbors. Rarely did anybody move away so we had a good solid core. In generations following ours that pattern changed. Families were uprooted by job transfers or job offers too good to pass up.
I remember talking to aunts and uncles about problems that I would never want to discuss with my parents. We had summertime together with the dinner table often seeing a dozen or more of us sharing the days experiences. I look at today's generation distancing themselves from each other via e-mail, text messaging, twitter, etc. There is little personalization anymore. Soon they will have virtual sock hops and proms (sock hops, what are they). I agree that the advent of computer technology has its advantages, allowing web pages like ours and instant communication with e-mails. I can see that I am boxing myself into a corner here but I hope you can see where I am going with this. I don't have any background in psychology so these are just my personal observations. Now I want to hear your thoughts. Are there any answers? Is the world going in the right direction? Does anybody want to skip school today?Click comments below to start your rebuttal.

I REALLY HATE CHICAGO WINTERS

After 65 winters in Chicago you might think that you get accustomed to suffering but alas it seems to be getting worse. Maybe I feel this way because we just returned from sunny California where it was beautiful day and night. Why don't you leave, one might say, and I answer, in a heartbeat, except the 401K and home values have pushed that dream off a while. I walk to my gym every other day and now I have to climb over huge piles of snow that the plows have pushed onto the sidewalk. OK enough whining Keith. Lets talk about something more pleasant. Iris Daglas had an idea as did Gari-Sue Greene. In conjunction with our reunion, preferably after, why don't we take a nice cruise for a week or two. Gari-Sue said she could arrange the whole thing, just a thought. Think spring, Keith

-------------DROP A DIME-------------

IT TAKES SO LITTLE TO SIT DOWN AND E-MAIL OR CALL AN OLD FRIEND. YEARS HAVE SEPARATED US BUT IT FEELS SO GOOD TO RECONNECT. AT OUR LATEST DINNER THE TIME WENT BY TOO FAST. I WAS A LITTLE TIRED WRAPPING UP A 10 DAY VACATION BUT THE MEMORIES WERE FLOWING OUT AND IT FELT GOOD. CHUCK SCHARF, IRIS DAGLAS, ROCHELLE LASKOV, BEV DUFFEY AND VAL IVERSEN. I HOPE THEY CONTINUE TO MEET AND INCLUDE MORE OF OUR CALIFORNIA CLASSMATES. IT IS SO DIFFERENT NOW. BACK IN SCHOOL THERE WERE CLIQUES BUT NOW WE ARE ALL AT THE SAME TABLE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE OLD DAYS. EVERYONE SEEMED TO HAVE STORIED LIVES AFTER 47 YEARS. LASTLY I WOULD LIKE TO CHALLENGE YOU INTO LIVING A HEALTHIER LIFE SO WE CAN SEE YOU IN 2 YEARS. DIET AND EXERCISE ARE DRUMMED INTO US CONSTANTLY BUT FOR GOOD REASON. KEITH

THE DUST SETTLES

NOW THAT ALL OF THE PRESENTS ARE PACKED AWAY, THE TREE WRAPPED UP WAITING FOR NEXT YEAR AND OUR NEW PRESIDENT HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING IT'S TIME TO EVALUATE WHAT JUST HIT US. UNLIKE THE TWIN TOWERS DISASTER, WHERE WE HAD A SPECIFIC CULPRIT, THIS ECONOMIC DISASTER SNUCK UP ON US FROM ALL AREAS. WHEN I LOOK AT THE PROBLEM THE WORD GREED SEEMS TO POP UP. WE ARE ALL GREEDY TO SOME EXTENT. WE WANT TO IMPROVE OUR LOT AND WHO CAN BLAME US. I HAVE A FRIEND, IS ALSO A CLIENT OF MINE, WHO DOESN'T GAMBLE WHETHER IT BE POKER, FOOTBALL POOLS OR STOCK INVESTMENT. HE SAID HIS INVESTMENT WAS HIS COMPANY WHICH HE RAN RATHER EFFICIENTLY. AS THE CARDS STARTED TO FALL AROUND US AND STOCKS DEVALUED 50% OR MORE HE FELT COMFORTABLE IN HIS DECISION. THEN THE SECOND WAVE ROLLED IN. THOSE THAT WERE HURT CIRCLED THE WAGONS AND SQUEEZED THE BUDGET FORCING THEM TO STOP BUYING. MY FRIEND'S BUSINESS GOT FEWER AND FEWER ORDERS OR LOST ACCOUNTS TO OVERSEAS PIRATES. POINT IS NOBODY WAS UNAFFECTED. NOW WHAT DO WE DO. AS AMERICANS IT IS UP TO US TO LEAD THE WAY, AS ALWAYS, AND START THAT ECONOMY ROLLING AGAIN. THERE IS ALMOST 8% UNEMPLOYMENT BUT THAT LEAVES 92% OF US STILL EARNING. IF WE ALL RELAXED A LITTLE AND WENT BACK TO OUR NORMAL SPENDING HABITS, A LITTLE WISER, PROSPERITY WILL RETURN. IN FACT I'M GOING OUT TODAY AND BUY A COUPLE OF THINGS.

************************2009******************************

Friday, January 2, 2009

WELCOME TO THE NEW YEAR. THIS IS MY 65TH (OR 66TH) NEW YEAR. AS I WAKE UP TO THIS HORRIBLE CHICAGO WEATHER I THINK ABOUT OUR PLAN TO MOVE TO A WARMER CLIMATE. OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR (BERNIE MADOFF) RECOMMENDED THAT WE HOLD OFF FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER. ACTUALLY I HAVE HAD 7 OF THE LAST 8 DAYS OFF AND I HAD TO COME DOWN TO WORK TODAY. I RAN OUT OF THINGS TO KEEP ME OCCUPIED (DON'T TELL MY WIFE). IS THIS WHAT RETIREMENT FEELS LIKE? THIS LOCATING OF OLD CLASSMATES HAS BECOME A FUN HOBBY. IT'S LIKE FISHING. THERE ARE SO MANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE ON THE NET. MY LATEST IDEA WAS TO LOOK IN THE OLDER YEARBOOKS FOR SAME LAST NAMES AND CONTACTING THE OLDER BROTHER. I'M SURE MANY OF YOU ARE MILDLY AMUSED BY MY HOBBY BUT I HAVE RECEIVED SOME GOOD FEEDBACK FROM A FEW CLASS MEMBERS. YOU PROBABLY ARE ASKING WHY DO YOU WANT TO RECONNECT WITH PEOPLE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN OR HEARD FROM IN 47 YEARS AND ALL I CAN ANSWER IS THAT WE HAVE A BOND THAT NEVER WILL BREAK. OUR PATHS ARE SIMILAR JUST BECAUSE OF AGE. WE ACHE, WE TAKE THE SAME MEDICAL TESTS, WE TALK OF OUR CHILDREN AND THEIRS AND WE THINK OF THE OLD DAYS, WHETHER HAPPILY OR BITTERSWEET, AND WANT TO SHARE OLD STORIES WITH SOMEBODY WHO REMEMBERS GOOD OLD NILES EAST. WE WILL ALWAYS BE TROJANS.

PROSTATE ROULETTE

WELCOME TO KATHY AND JUDY'S MERRY MEDICAL CHRISTMAS. AS I MENTIONED IN AN EARLIER BLOG I WAS POSED WITH THE DILEMMA OF WHETHER OR NOT TO HAVE THE PROSTATE BIOPSY. IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE LIFE INSURANCE I WOULD HAVE PASSED IT UP BUT I WENT AND HAD IT DONE. THIS IS NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH. I MET WITH MY UROLOGIST AND AFTER DINNER AND A FEW DRINKS HE PROCEEDED TO JAB ME WITH A LONG NEEDLE WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE. NOW THAT HURT BUT I ONLY WHELPED A LITTLE. THEN AFTER HE WAS SURE IT WAS NUMB HE STARTED SLICING OUT SMALL SAMPLES OF PROSTATE. THAT I DIDN'T FEEL AT ALL. HE KEPT A STEADY CONVERSATION GOING ABOUT HIS HOME LIFE AND THE TIME PASSED QUICKLY. THE WORST PART, I GUESS, WAS WAITING A WEEK TO FIND OUT THE RESULTS. WELL THEY CAME OUT NEGATIVE, THAT'S GOOD, ( CAN NEVER FIGURE WHY THEY CALL SOMETHING GOOD NEGATIVE, I WOULD SAY POSITIVE), SO NOW I HAVE TO CLEAR MY SYSTEM OF THE RESIDUAL BLOOD FOR 4 TO SIX WEEKS. I HAD BETTER GET THIS INSURANCE POLICY NOW OR I COULD GO POSTAL ON THE AGENT. POINT IS THAT FOR YOU GUYS OUT THERE THE BIOPSY ISN'T THAT BAD AND WHETHER NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE CATCHING PROBLEMS EARLY CAN ADD 10 OR MORE YEARS ONTO YOUR LIFE.
I HEARD FROM JIM SLACK AND HOWARD SYLVESTER THE OTHER DAY. JIM WAS HAPPY TO HEAR FROM ME AND HOWARD SAID "KEITH WHO" BUT THEN IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME. I'LL HUG HIM ANYWAY WHEN I SEE HIM. ALL FOR NOW, KEITH

CHRISTMAS CARD ROULETTE

DON'T GET ME WRONG. WE LOVE ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES. THE PEOPLE WE SEE SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR KNOW ALL ABOUT MOST OF OUR ACTIVITIES BUT THE PEOPLE WE RARELY SEE, EVEN THOUGH THEY LIVE IN OUR AREA, FIND IT SUFFICIENT TO SEND A CARD AND ONLY INCLUDE THEIR NAMES. ANYWAY AS IT GETS CLOSER TO THE BIG HOLIDAY WE HAVE HELD OUT SENDING OUR CARDS TO SEE IF WE RECEIVE A CARD FROM THESE DISCONNECTED SOULS CAUSING US TO RESPOND IN KIND. SOUNDS PETTY DOESN'T IT. NOW IT IS THE 21ST AND WE CAN'T WAIT MUCH LONGER OR WE WILL NEED TO WRITE AN APOLOGY IN THE CARD THAT THE MAILMAN LOST OUR CARDS AND WE HAD TO WRITE NEW ONES. IF YOU ARE READING THIS BLOG OF COURSE WE AREN'T TALKING ABOUT YOU.
I THINK I HAVE FOUND WENDY BELGARBO. I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM HER AFTER I LEFT A PHONE MESSAGE. SHE IS (I THINK) LIVING IN MARSHFIELD, WISCONSIN. I ALSO TALKED TO KERMIT CREAGER. HE HAS A HORSE RANCH IN WESTBY, WISCONSIN. WE MIGHT VISIT HIM THIS AUGUST WHEN THEIR AREA HAS A WILD WEST DAYS. CHUCK SCHARF CALLED ME LAST WEEK AND HE WILL BE JOINING US IN TEMECULA FOR DINNER ALONG WITH ROCHELLE LASKOV AND BEV DUFFEY. MY WIFE TOLD ME SHE DOESN'T READ THE BLOGS BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHERE TO FIND THEM AND THUS I REALIZE THAT NOBODY ELSE READS THEM. IF YOU DO READ THEM PLEASE LET ME KNOW. MAY I EXTEND WISHES FOR HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF MY CLASSMATES. KEITH

RETIREMENT

WHAT TO DO WITH ALL OF THOSE EXTRA HOURS IN THE DAY WHEN I FINALLY DECIDE TO RETIRE. THAT IS THE GENERAL TOPIC WHENEVER WE GATHER WITH FRIENDS AND I DON'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER. WE COULD VOLUNTEER, TRAVEL, SIT AT THE COMPUTER AND TYPE THESE CATHARTIC BLOGS OR GET A PART TIME JOB AT WAL-MART (PLUMBING FIXTURES IN AISLE 7A SIR). I MIGHT BE WORKING NEXT TO STEVEN SPIELBERG AFTER THAT MADOFF-PONZI SCAM. HOW ABOUT MOVING TO AN EXOTIC ISLAND (NO MEDICAL CARE), OR A CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRY LIKE COSTA RICA. MAYBE JUST ANYWHERE WARM WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT TRAFFIC IN SNOW STORMS OR SNOWBLOW THE DRIVEWAY.
LET'S HERE SOME IDEAS FROM YOU ABOUT YOUR CHOICE OF ACTIVITIES AFTER RETIREMENT. JUST CLICK ON COMMENT AND WRITE AWAY. KEITH

I HATE NEGATIVISM

I READ IN MY SOON TO BE DISCONTINUED DAILY NEWSPAPER THE WORST OF OUR SOCIETAL PROBLEMS.WE ARE TOO FAT, TOO VIOLENT, TOO SELFISH, TOO GREEDY, TOO UNCARING AND THE LIST GOES ON. WHEN I VISIT WITH PEOPLE WHETHER IT IS ON THE PHONE, ONLINE OR IN PERSON I FIND THAT WE AREN'T ALL THAT BAD. UNEMPLOYMENT IS UP A BIT BUT SHOULD THAT BRING DOWN THE GREAT MAJORITY OF US STILL WORKING. GRANTED MOST OF OUR CLASS IS EITHER RETIRED OR HEADING TOWARD RETIREMENT BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IS AFFECTING US ALL. SPREAD GOOD NEWS AND IT CAN BE AS INFECTIOUS AS BAD NEWS. I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE GOOD OCCURRING IN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO INHERIT OUR LEFTOVERS.
ANOTHER THOUGHT, I WATCHED "IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME" LAST NIGHT. VAN JOHNSON, JUDY GARLAND AND SPRING BYINGTON STARRED IN THIS UPLIFTING STORY. EVERYTHING WAS SIMPLER BACK THEN AND YES IT HAS A HAPPY ENDING.
IN CREATIVE WRITING, WHICH I CLAIM THIS IS, THE MOST IMPORTANT SENTENCE IS THE LAST ONE, THE 2ND MOST IMPORTANT IS THE FIRST AND THE THIRD MOST IMPORTANT IS THE SENTENCE THE READER IS READING NEXT. IF I HAVEN'T LOST ANYONE YET THEN I HAD BETTER THINK OF SOMETHING GOOD TO END WITH. I LOVE HOT FUDGE SUNDAES WITH NUTS AND A CHERRY ON TOP, THERE. KEITH

MOMBAI ATTACK

IF ANYONE HAD A DOUBT ABOUT TERRORIST COMMITMENTS TO CAUSING CHAOS AND KILLING INDISCRIMINATELY THIS PAST FEW DAYS IS QUITE CONVINCING. IF THIS CONTINUES WE WILL BECOME ISOLATED IN OUR COUNTRY UNABLE TO TRAVEL SAFELY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. I CAN'T IMAGINE THE MINDSET THAT TEACHES TERRORISM TO YOUNG PEOPLE TURNING THEM INTO PSYCHOPATHOLGICAL KILLERS. WE HAVE PSYCHOPATHS HERE IN OUR COUNTRY BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN INTENTIONALLY TAUGHT TO BE THAT WAY. WHATEVER THE CAUSES FOR THIS HATRED FOR US, WHETHER IT IS OIL, RELIGION OR IMPERIALISM, WE HAD BETTER DO SOMETHING SOON OR THIS CANCER WILL GROW WAY OUT OF CONTROL.
SORRY, DIDN'T MEAN TO GET SO HEAVY BUT WE CAN LOOK AT THINGS AT A DISTANCE AND AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T IMMEDIATELY AFFECT US WE FEEL SAFE.
MARVIN FEINBERG IS DOING WELL, LIVING IN BUFFALO GROVE AND ENJOYING A SECOND CAREER AFTER RUNNING THE PARK RIDGE SCHOOLS. LARRY DALLIA IS NEAR MADISON, WISC. WORKING FOR THE STATE. MORE LATER, KEITH

I

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

ANOTHER THANKSGIVING IS HERE. AS A KID I LOOKED FORWARD TO THANKSGIVING GIVING THANKS FOR A 3 DAY SCHOOL WEEK. NOW I ENJOY A 3 DAY WORK WEEK. WE WOULD GO FROM OUR HOME AT 4100 BLOCK OF CHRISTIANA IN CHICAGO TO 5900 VIRGINIA AVE. TO ENJOY MY GRANDMOTHERS MASTERPIECES OF FOOD. I WAS A RATHER ACTIVE CHILD AND USUALLY ENDED UP PINNED ON THE COUCH BY TWO OF MY AUNTS. IT WAS SO NICE TO GATHER WITH MY RELATIVES, WHICH WE DID QUITE OFTEN, AND I COULDN'T WAIT TO HEAR MY GRANDFATHER'S STORIES ABOUT LIFE IN SWEDEN AND EARLY CHICAGO. MANY OF OUR CLASS ARE GOING TO ENJOY A NICE DINNER TODAY GIVING THANKS FOR FAMILY, HEALTH A ROOF OVER OUR HEADS. THERE ARE SOME OF US WHO DON'T ENJOY THOSE THINGS AND WILL SPEND THE DAY ALONE. WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO CALL JUST ONE OF THOSE MATES AND SHARE EXPERIENCES OVER THE PAST 47 YEARS. I FIND THIS CAMPAIGN OF MINE TO BRING TOGETHER AS MANY OF US AS I CAN VERY REWARDING. IHAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND NONE OF THEM HUNG UP ON ME. THERE IS STILL A LONG WAY TO GO TO FILL OUT THE LIST OF CLASSMATES AND YOUR HELP IS VERY IMPORTANT. MORE LATER, KEITH

San Diego Visit

Dolores and I are visiting relatives in southern California in January. We will fly to San Diego, then drive to Anaheim, then on to Palm Desert and finally back to San Diego where we will have dinner with Rochelle Laskov Zuniga and Bev Duffey Altes and their husbands. I hope more of you can join us. Contact either me or Rochelle or Bev if you are interested. I called Marvin Feinberg and Jim Dahlquist today. Call Rod Bartels and cheer him up, he has the stock market blues. Did you know that since 1981 all of our presidents have been left handed except "W".I'm not sure which hand Barack uses.

CONGRATULATIONS TO US

HEY, WE MADE IT TO 65. MANAGING TO AVOID GETTING HIT BY A BUS OR FALLING OFF A CLIFF OR ANY OTHER FATE THAT DESTINY HAD WAITING FOR US NOW THE REST IS EASY. OUR BODIES WERE GENERALLY MADE TO LAST UP TO 100 IF TREATED PROPERLY. I RECENTLY GAVE UP HAVING A SWEET ROLL AT OUR MORNING BREAK. I ALSO PASS ON THE COFFEE BECAUSE IT CRIES OUT FOR THE SWEET ROLL. NOW I HAVE GREEN TEA AND IT CRIES FOR A GRANOLA BAR. SOMETIMES I THINK THAT IT WAS BETTER NOT TO KNOW SOME THINGS (LIKE PSA) LIKE MY DAD. HE LIVED TO BE 85 AND NEVER KNEW WHAT PSA WAS. NOW THEY WANT TO TAKE A SLICE OF MY PROSTATE BECAUSE OF A LOUSY NUMBER. I THINK THAT I JUST MIGHT ROLL THE DICE. WE WERE AT A SMALL CONCERT LAST NIGHT. THE SINGER WAS MARGARET STEWART. THE TRIO BEHIND HER WAS THE BOBBY SCHIFF TRIO (HMMM WONDER IF HE IS RELATED TO OUR ROSANNE SCHIFF). MARGARET STARTED SINGING PROFESSIONALLY 6 YEARS AGO AFTER A SUCESSFUL CORPORATE CAREER AND SINCE THEN SHE HAS TRAVELLED THE WORLD ENTERTAINNG. SHE DID SONGS WITH A JAZZ,BLUES STYLE LIKE PEGGY LEE OR JULIE LONDON. HER RENDITION OF "THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE" BY ROBERTA FLACK WAS WONDERFUL. IF YOU GET A CHACE TO SEE HER I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. BYE FOR NOW, KEITH

CHEER UP, THINGS COULD BE WORSE

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. I TALKED TO BOB BLACKSTONE ON SUNDAY AND HE WAS CONVINCED THAT HE STAYED THE REMAINING 3 YEARS AT NILES WEST AND GRADUATED FROM THERE. I REMEMBER THAT WE GRADUATED IN THE NILES WEST AUDITORIUM BUT I KNOW THAT I WENT TO EAST JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEARS. BOB LIVED ON THE SOUTHERN END OF GLENVIEW AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE WERE SOME STUDENTS WHO DID ATTEND WEST AND GRADUATED IN 1961. ANYBODY, ANYBODY.

GOOD MORNING CLASS OF 61

I can't believe I just deleted my whole entry by hitting the wrong button.
Anyway I made a drink for breakfast this morning. I blended carrots, frozen fruit, broccoli, bazil leaf, yogurt and orange juice in my magic bullet blender. Tasted good, tomorrow I'll try nuts also. I've decided to change the name of this section from BLOG to DIARY since I seem to be the only one reading it. Today I will build some shelves in my closet. After 25 years in this house it is about time(comment from my wife, Dolores). After 65 years on this earth we have seen plenty. Nothing that happens should be much of a surprise. The young people today haven't experience much adversity until the past year culminating to a peak in the last few weeks. We know that all things pass and move back to normalcy.
My father-in-law married Coach Basrak's widow. She is still living in an assisted living facility in Niles, IL. I'll talk to myself again soon. Say good-bye Keith

SNOWBALL EFFECT

I DON'T THINK THAT I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS TO TALK TO AND SEE MY OLD FRIENDS FROM NILEHI. WITH THE VOLATILE WORLD WE LIVE IN IT IS NICE TO THINK BACK TO SIMPLER TIMES WHERE WE ONLY HAD 1 OR 2 WORLD ENEMIES. OUR PARENTS WEREN'T WORRIED ABOUT THEIR 401K'S AND EVERYBODY KNEW THEIR NEIGHBORS. I KNOW THAT IT WASN'T ALL THAT ROSY BUT I LIKE TO THINK THAT WAY. RECENTLY I HAVE TALKED TO A FEW MORE CLASSMATES. STEW ROPER IS IN LAKE HAVASU, ARIZONA AFTER A LONG CAREER IN THE MARINES WHERE HE SERVED IN 4 WARS. BOB ZENDER IS WITH MERRILL LYNCH IN CHICAGO AND STILL PLAYS GOLF WITH TOM RAKOWSKI AND MITCH MELAMED. I TRIED TO TALK TO PETER MUELLER (SAN DIEGO) AND BOB SARNOFF (CHICAGO) BUT I COULDN'T GET PAST THEIR SECRETARIES. I SPOKE TO LINDA JOHNSON (DES PLAINES) AND SHARON KUESTER (MORTON GROVE). THEY WERE BOTH VERY SURPRISED TO HEAR FROM AN OLD CLASSMATE. I ALSO SPOKE WITH STEVE ELKINS (HIGHLAND PARK) AND HE MENTIONED THAT ONE OF HIS CLIENTS WAS CAROL VIRGILIO. WE RECEIVED A NOTE FROM BRONSON DAVIS AND HE MENTIONED THAT HE WOULD FORWARD THIS WEBSITE TO BILL FISHER AND TOD WISE WHO BOTH LIVE IN MEXICO. I THINK STEW ROPER MENTIONED THAT THEY WERE IN LAREDO. IF WE ALL CONTINUE TO CONTACT A FEW FORMER FRIENDS FROM OUR CLASS WE SHOULD HAVE THE LINK TO MOST OF OUR OVER 900 MEMBERS. THEN THE REUNION WOULD REALLY BE A BLAST.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN INTERESTING WEBSITE ABOUT THE END OF NILES EAST CLICK HERE. http://nileseast64reunion.org/Being_There/being_there.html

LIFE AT NTHS

The 50 year celebration for Niles West was fun. There were over 400 people there from all the classes and we found several old friends there. I ran into Bob Zender's sister and she told me Bob is working for Merrill Lynch in Chicago. I will call him today. I will also call Peter Mueller in San Diego. More to follow. Our class was represented by Rod Bartels, Ron Hauser, Dick Rehwaldt, Marshall Claassen, Walt Olson, Bruce Mau and me. It was loud at the dinner with all of the chatter buzzing and the "The Buckinghams" causing me to lose my voice. The next day we met at my house for a BBQ and Bob Feinberg also came. We broke out the yearbook and laughed at seeing ourselves as kids.
I plan on working a few more years since my 401K turned into a 301K. I really don't mind since I enjoy the work (I build plastic injection molds for the plumbing parts industry) and my co-workers are fun to be around. Dolores, my wife, works for Trustmark Insurance as a case manager. I work out every other day walking to Bally's, weight lifting and then walking back managing to stop at Starbucks for a Frapacino. managing my shape has become more and more difficult as I age. Having an addiction to peanut donuts doesn't help.
Keep looking for missing classmates on the directory. Keith

LIFE AT NTHS

For the most part I enjoyed my high school experiences at NTHS. I was very shy for most of my four years. It was difficult (no impossible) for me to call a girl on the phone for a date. It didn't help having our only phone sitting in the family room where my parents and sister generally congregated. I remember an incident when Nancy Overton was passing me in the hallway and playfully poked me in the stomach, unfortunately her spiral notebook caught in my sweater and I turned several shades of red as it seemed the whole student body noticed. Well I'm not shy any more. Chuck Worthington, one of my best friends, may he rest in peace, and Emil Lazar, my other best friend, were instrumental in helping me cope with everyday school life. Senior year we formed the India Plaid Society. It was a small group, the 3 of us and Bruce Hirte, and for a while an unnamed photographer for the Nilehilite until we found out that he couldn't get us in the paper. In looking back teenagers could be mean and I hope I didn't cause anyone to feel bad. If I did I am sorry. I am making it a mission to contact as many of you as possible, either by phone or e-mail. So far I have talked to Fred Denkman, Ira Berger, Mike Rothholtz, Harvey Brown, Rod Bartels, Bob Feinberg, Ron Hauser, Marshall Claassen, Walt Olson, Bruce Mau, Dick Rehwaldt, Bev Duffey, Steve Elkins, Gari-Sue Greene and several others through e-mail conversations. After browsing through the directory if you know of anyone please contact them and let them know about this website so that we can continue to add e-mail addresses. This will be your part in helping to bring us all together again. Keith