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Volume 2, Number 5,
December 1997
MIDNIGHT
SUN ONLINE
-The Online Newsletter for
Robert E. Peary High School Alumni-
MSO WEB SITE - http://www.pearyhs.org
INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO: Barbara Pearlman, Bob Clarke, Donald Neal, Donna Dawson Edwards, Eileen Manspeaker Steinkraus, Gary Myers, Glenda Rose, James Luko, John Cino, Laura Burstiner Rosen, Lee Maust, Mary Thomson, Marylah Clark Martin, Michael Peerless, Sherry Delauder, Terry Kilpatrick, and Wayne Fleeger!
HOLIDAY ISSUE
Happy Holidays Huskies:
I first wish to give a big round of applause to Maureen Difulgo Bladen (1976) for her organization of the first annual Peary Alumni Holiday party that was held December 19th at Bauer Rec Center. For a first- time go-around, it was quite successful, and we were met with surprise when our former teachers showed-up at the door! The full listing of attendees, along with photos, will be placed online as soon as we get a hold of them all. Yes, Mr. Clarke made an appearance, but not as Santa Claus! Six 9-lb. honey-baked hams and fourteen turkey breasts .... along with about 35 sidedishes and lots of snacks, and desserts; nobody left with an empty tummy. Thanks to the numerous alums who generously donated gift certificates and passes for door prizes too. And thank you to Mitchell Carr (1976) for his generous gesture in his work to help the needy. Now, as for the inquiry about an open bar next year...... I wish to say thank you for the plaque that was presented to me by the Peary alumni and staff that evening for development and maintenance of the website. As I mentioned to some, I'll hang it over the computers to give myself a kick each time I ask "Why am I doing this?" (Yeah, yeah... because I have no life, I know.)
There are many who volunteer their time and skills to making the MSO the success it has grown into over the past year and a half. All of our online class coordinators, especially Laura Vandevender Collins (1973) who has designed customized pages for her class. Laura also maintains the online Birthday Club. Also to Ken Roseman (1969), who has taken photos for us at several happy hours... plus all of the photos you folks have loaned us from your class events. Thank you to David Thompson (1986), whose technical expertise at the server-end makes this all technically possible, and the company he works for, Clark Internet Services.
Thanks, also, to The Washington Post, The Gazette Newspapers, the Montgomery County Public School system (specifically Class of 1974's Susan Jo Eskite), and the State of Maryland for their recognition of our efforts and for the publicity they have generously provided in print and cyberspace—which has given the MSO more than its share of "official-ness." Thanks to Paula Marshall (1982) too, for mentioning our alma mater during her interviews!
A tremendous amount of work, along with school spirit and community service, is achieved by Neal Pizzano (1976), our Postmaster, greeter, database maintainer, happy hour scheduler, alumni restaurant/bar liaison, alumni association organizer, Hebrew School liaison—gee, what else would you like to do, Neal, give weather forecasts? Neal and I have known each other since Wheaton Woods Elementary... stayed in touch when I moved to Bauer Drive, then lost touch, rejoined at the 1976 20-year Reunion, and the rest is history-in-the-making. Thank you for all you're doing, Neal. Nobody could wish for a finer workaholic!
The past year has been one of lots of hard work and fun, but also one of sadness as we remember those who have passed away while the MSO has been in existence: Susan Burkhardt Earp (1976), Dr. Richard Dumais (principal 1980-84), John Carter (1977), Danny Haynos (1971), Laura Burroughs Porter (1975), Richard Vitek, Jr. (1968), Frank Moore (staff), Jim Gazenski (1976), Nick Idoni (1975), Jeff Varney (1980), and Aaron Goodrich. Aaron was a victim of the Starbucks incident in Georgetown and was the son of Larry Goodrich and Frances Scolnik Goodrich Block (both 1971), and the nephew of Bonnie Goodrich Markovitz and Reva Skolnik Dunning (both 1975), Al Skolnik (1967), and Joyce Skolnik Allman (1965). Most of these fellow classmates have been placed on our online Memorial pages. Our prayers continue.
WEBSITE STATS: We now have 1,123 online with us.... that's about 11 percent of the entire population of students who passed through Peary's hallways. Let's shoot for 30% in 1998. The website has received over 12,100 visits in the past eight months. We'll soon enable a searchable index for the Peary site, thanks to Jim Hardman (1976), Linux and programming genius.
SPONSORSHIP: Thank you to our recent financial supporters of the website. Donation information is available online. As you're probably aware, it isn't cheap to maintain this site!
PHOTOS: Class of 1971 "25+1" Reunion photos continue to arrive, and we'll get them and the Holiday Party photos posted as soon as possible. Thanks to Dave Rush (1971), Lynne Keady Galletti (1978), and Ken Roseman (1969) for recent submissions. Happy Hour photos are posted often, with the most recent being from Outta the Way Cafe on December 12 with the Peter Ferko (1974) and Doug Hambright (1976) band. Gee, remember Early Morning, Oasis, Mystic Blue, The Nowhere Men, Friends of the Family, and "Green-Eyed Lady" and "Vehicle" or "Hitchin' a Ride" and "Ball of Confusion?" Sorry, selfishly displaying my era.
REUNIONS IN 1998: Planning for the Class of 1973 and 1978 reunions is in progress, and for the 1966 50th Birthday Bash. Check the respective class sections on the website for updates on these events. We still have not received word on plans for the Classes of 1963, 1968, and 1983.
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION: Contact Neal Pizzano npizzano@erols.com or Barbara Dentz Riley timm@erols.com if you're interested in joining the Robert E. Peary High School Alumni Association committee. The By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation are available online. See the update in this issue.
ONLINE CLASS COORDINATORS: We're still looking for coordinators for the Classes of 1967 and 1969. Thank you to Barry Bone (1968), Amy Hirsch Edberg (1981), Jeff Davis (1983), Jim Carr (1984), and Marci Anderson Carr (1986) for recently volunteering for their classes. CONGRATS: Beth Leimbach Swanson (1966) and her husband Bill recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and a celebration of life party to mark her first year free of cancer. Many 1966 alums were in attendance.
1966 high school sweethearts Dan Alterescu and Darla Hughes were married November 8th in Mount Airy after they were reunited at the 30-year reunion last year.
Jay Hepner (1975) won Montgomery Community Television's Annual Volunteer Award! Dr. Dunn was in the December 21 issue of the Washington Post Magazine as noted by Sharon Marcus Elswick (1970) in this newsletter—save your Sunday inserts and read about it!
Articles for the January issue of the Midnight Sun Online are due Saturday, January 17th.
Have a safe and great holiday season and happy new year everyone! Come and visit us anytime—the website is awake 24 hours a day (unlike a few of us who are only up and about for 20). Continue to spread the word.
Oh yes... there IS one more thing.... a warm thank-you to all of YOU, our participants and what this website is all about... our alumni. (Every alum I've ever met from Peary is a complete whacko. So, at least, we can all be crazy together in this forum.) We may have experienced Dr. Dunn, Dr. Brennan, or Dr. Dumais... or Mr. Clarke, Mr. Hill, Mr. Boteler, Ms. Vadala, Mr. Gibbs, Ms. Glass, Ms. Dawson, Mr. Luko, Mr. Burlas, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Campitell... and Mabel, or maybe we all didn't. It doesn't matter specifically "who" really, we still have common memories, experiences, and a strange and mysterious bond to Peary High School, classmates and staff alike, that can't be broken. Thanks all.
Bob Lau, Editor/Webmaster The Midnight Sun Online Robert E. Peary High School
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