Jon Breen Memorial Fund
MVHS
100 California Road
Mount Vernon, NY 10552
June 16, 1998
Dear Friends of the Jon Breen Fund,
This past year has been an exciting and interesting one for my family and myself. In regards to my family, we just returned from Princeton, where we were happily able to partake in and enjoy my son Jon's graduation. As you all know and have experienced in one-way or another, it is major milestone in the life of both one's child and family. Officially my wife Linda and I have ascended or descended, depending on one's perspective to the role of empty nesters. Gratefully, for the moment, he will be living in Boston, within shouting distance of our daughter Dana. He'll be working in the internet-telecom field with BBN/GTE.
Aside from all that, I have been involved with Mount Vernon through Project 2000, which is an effort to create a new school of the performing arts, within the current high school, and rehabilitate their existing auditorium into a world class communication and learning center theater complex. Currently we are at the stage where we are forming a tax-exempt entity to begin the process of fund-raising.
As all of you hopefully know, we have been working steadily on our 35th high school reunion, which will take place at the Tarrytown Hilton, located on Rte#9, in of course Tarrytown, NY. I am sure that you have received notice from either our own mailings or from Reunions by Design. With the considerable talents, help and energy of Michael Rosenblum, Susan Satenstein and Ayn Silverman, we have been trying to find other ways to make that whole weekend, October 17th, enjoyable with other activities. I know that we will have a hospitality room available for Friday night and we are looking for another venue, possible MVHS, possibly someone's home, or possibly the hotel for brunch on Sunday.
Through all this activity, I have had a great deal of personal contact with many members of our class. I also know that the active members of our committee have also had numerous and rewarding contacts with long lost friends and acquaintances of their youth. As I reported in my letter of March 15, 1998, many people have called me in response to our mailings, and since then I have spoken to a number of others that wish to attend our reunion, but didn't graduate from MVHS. I have talked to Joan Wishnie Cotrone, Roy Pitchall among others, and Sandy Birkenfeld Marks, Carole Bellew, Sue Wallis Field and recently Jimmy Kurtz. I have also received letters and e-mail from Sue Weiss Gitlitz, Alan Wexler, Gail Bland Wilson, Bill Bernstein, Peter Altieri, Richard Hoffman, Pete Sisto, Paul Luciano and Arnold Siegel.
Besides the normal interaction, I usually stay in close contact with Warren Adis, Alan Rosenberg, Larry Reich, Lewis Perelman, Stan Goldmark and Henry Littlefield. Henry just sent me a card about his upcoming visit to see his daughter in Concord, Mass. Meanwhile Warren Adis and I attended the Award’s evening last night, and presented the Jon Breen Memorial Award to Ms. Sasha Clark who will attend Hofstra next year. As in previous years we were able to say hello to Mickey Boyle, class of 1962, who is now at Education House, and Jim Anchin, class of 1961, who awards a prize in memory of his sister. Warren and I met Commissioner Jim Finch’s lovely wife Charlotte, who was also an award’s presenter. After the festivities Warren and I drove into Pelham, looking for the old Pelham Chateau, but settled at Rockwell’s where we quaffed a few brews and watch the Yankees unfortunately suffer one of their few losses. With all that in mind, please feel free to communicate with me at your convenience or leisure. Both the Jon Breen Fund and the 35th Reunion Committee could use your ideas and wise counsel.
Richard J. Garfunkel