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I WANT TO WELCOME ALUMNI, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS TO THE 2025 HALL OF EXCELLENCE, OUR INDUCTION CEREMONY.
TONIGHT WE CELEBRATE THE INDUCTION OF NINE OUTSTANDING HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES.
MY NAME IS ALAN FINE, AND I'LL BE YOUR MC TODAY.
UM, I AM A TRAVEL FILMMAKER, CLASS OF 75, AND ALWAYS THE BRIDE'S MADE, NEVER THE BRIDE.
I WILL NEVER BE A MEMBER OF THE PAUL OF EXCELLENCE.
UM, LET'S DO SOME HOUSEKEEPING FIRST.
UH, LET'S BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
DON'T LOOK AT ANYONE ELSE'S PROGRAM.
UH, BEFORE WE BEGIN, I THINK WE SHOULD ALL STAND AND, AND THIS IS A TIME TO SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
MY PGI HONOR OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL MY, DO I INTRODUCE YOU? YOU SHOULD, YES.
LORRAINE USHER IS GOING TO DO AN INVOCATION.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF THIS FOOD AND BLESS THOSE WHO PREPARED OUR MEAL.
THANK YOU FOR THE HONOR OF THIS OCCASION AS WE CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS OF THE HONOREES AND THE HASTINGS ALUMNI THAT SUPPORTS THEM.
BLESS OUR GATHERING AND OUR MEAL WITH THANKFUL HEARTS.
UH, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO TELL YOU A BIT ABOUT THE HALL OF EXCELLENCE, WHICH HAD ITS FIRST INDUCTION IN 2009.
IT WAS FORMED TO RECOGNIZE POST HIGH SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENTS OF HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL GRADS IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES, GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC SERVICE, FINANCE, BUSINESS, AND REC AND RELIGION.
UH, ALUMNI ARE ADMITTED BASED ON STRENGTH OF CHARACTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO COMMUNITY PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION, OR HAVING MADE TREMENDOUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS TOWARD ACHIEVING LIFE GOALS.
REMARKABLE HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI WERE INDUCTED AT THAT FIRST CEREMONY.
TWO OF THEM WERE DISTINGUISHED NOBEL LAUREATES TONIGHT MARKS OUR NINTH INDUCTION CEREMONY.
UH, BUT OVER THOSE NINE INDUCTIONS, WE'VE HONORED SCIENTISTS, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, A REAR ADMIRAL, A NEUROSURGEON, A WORLD RENOWNED MASTER CERAMICIST, AND A CONCERT CLARINETTIST.
AND WHEN IT'S NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT, WHAT THE HELL? WE'RE TWO SQUARE MILES AND WHAT IS IT? THE WATER? SHOULD WE BE THANKING ANACONDA? SHOULD WE HAVE NOT CLEANED IT UP? HAVE WE SLOWED DOWN ON THE NOBLE TS? MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF, UH, WELL, WE ARE HOPING THAT, UM, OUR HONOREES INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ABOUT THE VALUE OF EDUCATION AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
UM, SO WE HAVE A LOT TO DO TONIGHT, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE THREE SECTIONS OF, UH, AWARDS BROKEN WITH LOTS OF EVENING.
UM, JOINING US THIS EVENING, WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE PAUL OF EXCELLENCE.
JOHN AND JOHN ELLARD, UH, THERE IN THE HOUSE.
ALSO, I WANT TO INTRODUCE STAN MEIA, WHO IS OUR, OUR HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT AND VP ANTHONY COSTANTINI WAVE IS OUR VP AND A NUMBER OF ALUMNI BOARD MEMBERS.
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WHO GENERALLY GENEROUSLY VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE ASSOCIATION AND TO ENSURE ITS CONTINUED SUCCESS BOARD MEMBERS.
CAN YOU GUYS STAND? OH, THANK YOU.
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I'M A BOARD MEMBER, CAN I SIT NOW? THEN LET ME INTRODUCE SAM AT THE R PRESIDENT.LIKE ALAN SAID, WE HAVE A LOT TO DO TONIGHT.
SO, UH, LET'S BEGIN BY, UM, UH, INTRODUCING OUR FIRST, UH, PRESENTER, UH, JOHN CHANG.
UH, PLEASE COME UP AND INTRODUCE, UH, GAIL PADIAN, UH, WHO'S ACCEPTING, UH, THE AWARD FOR, UH, HER LATE HUSBAND, ROBERT.
MY NAME IS JOHN CHANG, A CLASSMATE ROBERTS.
I'LL BE PRESENTING ROBERT FOR INDUCTION INTO THE HALL OF EXCELLENCE, AS JAY PRATHER IS UNABLE TO JOIN US THIS EVENING.
ROBERT, KNOWN AS BOB, TO HIS CLASSMATES, IS NO LONGER WITH US HAVING PASSED AWAY A YEAR AGO LAST AUGUST.
BUT HIS LIGHT AND MANY ACHIEVEMENTS STILL SHINED BRIGHTLY.
WE'RE FORTUNATE THIS EVENING TO HAVE ROBERT'S WIFE, GAIL, HIS THREE SONS, MATTHEW, DAVID, AND PHILIP, AND THEIR FAMILIES.
IN MY MIND, BOB'S OVERRIDING INTEREST IN PEOPLE AND THINKING THE BEST OF PEOPLE AND WANTING TO DO POSITIVE THINGS FOR HIS FAMILY, HIS COMMUNITY, AND HIS BUSINESSES, WITHOUT HAVING TO PROMOTE IN A PUBLIC SORT OF WAY AS MANY INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENTS THAT MOLDED HIM INTO THE PERSON THAT HE WAS.
THE FOLLOWING ARE JUST A FEW OF ROBERT'S MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
A PHD IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY FROM PURDUE UNIVERSITY HOLDER OF 80 PATENTS, GREW PADIAN RESEARCH, A CREATOR AND MANUFACTURER OF CHEMICAL FRAGRANCES AND FLAVOR INGREDIENTS USED IN MANY WELL-KNOWN CONSUMER PRODUCTS FROM A DOMESTIC FIRM.
HIS DAD STARTED WITH THREE EMPLOYEES TO AN INTERNATIONAL COMPANY OF 170 EMPLOYEES WITH BRANCHES IN SWITZERLAND AND SINGAPORE ARE SERVING CLIENTS IN OVER 70 COUNTRIES.
FOUNDED DUING BIO, WHICH HAS BECOME A WORLD LEADER IN THE SEC PHEROMONES SYNTHESIS, PROVIDING GREEN ALTERNATIVES TO A TRADITIONAL HARSH CHEMICAL AND SECOND SITES LIVING IN DANBURY, CONNECTICUT AREA.
ROBERT SERVED ON THE BOARDS OF ABILITY BEYOND AN ORGANIZATION PROVIDING SERVICES TO THOSE WITH DISABILITIES, THE DANBURY REGIONAL HOSPICE, AND THE ARMENIAN MUSEUM OF AMERICA.
ROBERT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR HIS COMMUNITY SERVICE BY THE ASSOCI ASSOCIATION OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES, RECEIVED THE GREATER DANBURY GOOD SCOUT AWARD, RECOGNIZED BY THE HABITAT FOR FOR HUMANITY AS A TRIBUTE HONOREE RECOGNIZED BY DANBURY'S MAYOR'S OFFICE AND BY THE CONNECTICUT STATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND HIS LEGACY OF PHILANTHROPY.
ALTHOUGH ROBERT'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE MANY, I BELIEVE HE WOULD STATE WHERE HE HERE TODAY, THAT HIS GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT AND SATISFACTION WERE FOUND IN HIS FAMILY, HIS WIFE, GAIL, OF 47 YEARS, THEIR THREE SONS, MATTHEW, DAVID, AND PHILIP, AND THEIR FAMILIES, INCLUDING FOUR GRANDSONS, I BELIEVE ROBERT'S PARENTS, PAUL AND VICKI, AND HIS 12 YEAR EDUCATION AT HASTINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS PLANTED THE SEEDS OF ROBERT'S MANY FUTURE ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO HIS FELLOW MAN.
THEREFORE, IT IS MY HONOR AS A MEMBER OF THE HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1966 TO NOMINATE ROBERT H PADIAN FOR INDUCTION INTO THE HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL HALL OF EXCELLENCE CLASS OF 2025.
AT THIS POINT, I'D LIKE GAIL TO ACCEPT THE AWARD AND SAY A FEW WORDS.
SO ON BEHALF OF MY LATE HUSBAND, ROBERT, I'M DEEPLY HONORED TO ACCEPT THIS AWARD FROM DUSTIN ROBERT AND TO THE HALL OF EXCELLENCE.
I'M WEARING HIS CLASS OF 66 BADGE FROM THE LAST REUNION.
BECAUSE THAT WEEKEND MEANT SO MUCH TO HIM, TO REUNITE WITH CLASSMATES, UM, SOMEONE WHO HAD, HE HADN'T SEEN IN 50
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YEARS.AND, UH, SOME OF YOU ARE HERE TODAY.
UM, WELL, ROBERT NEVER SAW A RECOGNITION IN HIS LIFETIME.
I KNOW HE WOULD'VE BEEN OVER THE MOON.
HAVE YOU RECEIVED CLASSMATE JAY PRATHER'S CALL ABOUT THE IDEA OF SUBMITTING HIS NAME FOR CONSIDERATION? I WANT TO THANK JAY WHO COULDN'T MAKE IT HERE TODAY, AS WELL AS THE 1966 CLASS REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATIVES LORI BEAN AND THEN KAREN, WHO ALSO WEREN'T HERE FOR THEIR TIRELESS, TIRELESS EFFORT.
AND BEHIND THE, I'M SORRY, BEHIND THE SCENES REPORT WITH ROBERT'S CANDIDACY, UM, WHICH BEGAN ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER HIS PASSING LAST YEAR.
AND THROUGHOUT THE NOMINATING PROCESS, THOUGH HE'S NOT HERE WITH US, HIS ONE WAVERING SPIRIT AND HIS KINDNESS LIVE ON THE WORK THAT HIS BOARD SIGNIFIES.
HIS LOVE FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND RESEARCH IS STILL ALIVE IN THE BUSINESS, UM, THAT HIS FATHER BEGAN.
AND, UM, ROBERT GREW TO 175 EMPLOYEES HERE AND GLOBALLY, AND OUR TWO SONS ARE STILL WORKING, UH, THERE AND THEY'RE HERE TONIGHT.
UM, HIS LEGACY OF GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THOSE IN NEED IS ALSO ALIVE THROUGH THE FAMILY'S CONTINUING SUPPORT TO THE PROGRAMS THAT WERE DEAR TO HIS HEART.
THANK YOU FOR THIS DEDICATION OF EXCELLENCE TO ROBERT'S EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND HIS ACCOMPLISHMENT.
OKAY, NEXT, SCOTT, I I'D LIKE TO ASK, UM, STEVE WILSON TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT HIS, UH, LIFELONG FRIEND AND FELLOW CLASSMATE.
ANN DAWSON, PLEASE COME UP, STEVE.
WE WANNA SEE WHO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? COME ON UP TOO.
YOU COULD HEAR ME IF I SPEAKING TO THE MIC, RIGHT? YES.
I'M NOT TO, WELL, I AM HERE TO INTRODUCE MY GOOD FRIEND, UH, ANN DAWSON.
AS I SAID, I'M NOT USED TO THOSE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, I WASN'T AWARE OF IT BACK THEN, BUT EVEN BEFORE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, SHE WAS ALREADY FOCUSED ON HER LIFE SCULPT AS A A CAREER, THE LIFE GOAL, A CAREER AS A SINGER, ACTOR, ENTERTAINER.
IN HER 1962 YEARBOOK, ANNE WAS VOTED BEST ACTOR, BEST ACTRESS, ARTIST, AND MOST TALENTED.
SHE HAD THE TALENT AND THE DRIVE.
AND FROM EARLY ON SHE STUDIED, PRACTICED, AND REHEARSED TO DEVELOP AND THE SKILLS TO SUCCEED IN THE WORLD OF SHOW BUSINESS, WHICH SEEMS TO ME A VERY CHALLENGING PROFESSION.
I MEAN, EVEN JUST TO GET THE PART THAT YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD GET OR THAT WOULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE, OR TO BE ABLE TO CREATE YOUR OWN ACT AS A SOLO ARTIST, WHICH IS WHAT ANN DID.
AND SHE PERFORMED HER SINGING ACT IN LEADING SUPPER CLUBS IN NEW YORK, IN ATLANTIC CITY TO SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA.
ANOTHER ONE OF HER SUCCESSES, UH, WHEN VENUES FOR COMICS AND SINGERS DISAPPEARING BECAUSE CASINOS AND RESORTS WERE DOWNSIZING AND CLOSING AND FOUND A WAY TO WORK, SHE DID DEEP RESEARCH ON FOUR WOMEN.
AND THEN SHE WROTE HER OWN SHOW ABOUT THEM, WHICH SHE TITLED THE LADIES WITH TALENT, TASTE AND CHUTZPAH, WHICH WAS A TRIBUTE TO FANNIE BRI, BARBARA STREISAND, MOLLY PECAN PECAN, AND SOPHIE TUCKER.
IN HER SHOW, SHE TOLD THEIR STORIES AND ACCOMPANIED BY A PIANIST, SHE SANG THE SONGS THAT MADE BEEN FAMOUS.
AND WHEN SHE SANG, I CAN TELL YOU THAT ANNE REALLY DELIVERED THOSE SONGS.
I CAN TELL YOU ALSO, IT WAS A DELIGHTFUL EXPERIENCE FOR THE AUDIENCE, THE HISTORY AND MUSIC.
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BROUGHT THE LADIES THAT SHOWED TO A WIDER AUDIENCE TO VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND THEATERS, THIS SHOW.AND ALSO SEEING HER DEBUT OF TRAVELING SOLO, FOR WHICH SHE WON A BISTRO AWARD IN NEW YORK AS OUTSTANDING VOCALISTS ARE JUST TWO OF THE REASONS THAT I'M SURE THAT ANN DAWSON CERTAINLY DOES DESERVE, UH, THIS HALL OF EXCELLENCE, HONOR BASED ON HER DEDICATION, PERSEVERANCE, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF HER CAREER.
AND SO, MY FRIEND ANN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
CAN I SEE
THEY HAVE THEIR EXITS AND THEIR ENTRANCES, AND ONE MAN IN HIS TIME PLAYS MANY PARTS.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS WAS BEING A STUDENT AT HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL.
AS FOR ENTRANCES, WELL, I WAS BORN ON THE ROAD, ON THE BACKSEAT OF MY GRANDFATHER'S BRAND NEW CAR.
I PLAYED THE TEACHER IN THE KING AND I IN HIGH SCHOOL.
I SENT A TAPE TO A MUSIC DIRECTOR SEEKING SINGERS FOR THE ALL AMERICA CHORUS SET TO TOUR EUROPE FOR THE SUMMER AND SPREAD GOODWILL.
I WAS ACCEPTED, BUT NEEDED A CHAPERONE.
MY MOTHER VOLUNTEERED SAILING FROM MONTREAL.
SOON IN CONCERT HALLS, AUDIENCES APPLAUDED, AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS BETTER THAN CAMP.
MR. RITZ, A MUSIC TEACHER, SET UP AUDITIONS SO I COULD PERFORM WITH WESTCHESTER STUDENTS AT THE WHITE PLAINS ON, UM, WHITE PLAINS ART CENTER AND THE CONCORD HOTEL.
AND THAT HOTEL HAD A NIGHTCLUB THAT SAT 3000 PEOPLE.
WHEN I PLAYED IT LATER AS A SOLO ARTIST, I FELT RIGHT AT HOME.
AND I WAS ALWAYS GRATEFUL TO THE PREPARATION FOR MY BEING ON STAGE THAT I HAD AT HASTINGS SCHOOL COACH.
MANY OUR GYM TEACHER ADVISED THAT I QUIT CHEERLEADING TO PROTECT MY VOICE.
AND SHE TOLD ME THAT WITH SUCH AUTHORITY, I QUIT RIGHT ON THE SPOT.
UM, AS A COLLEGE STUDENT WORKING IN A BOX OFFICE OFF BROADWAY, I SAW ANNA RUSSELL, AN ENGLISH COMEDIAN IN A ONE WOMAN SHOW CALLED ALL BY MYSELF.
HER MANAGER LIKED MY PERSONALITY AND SAID IF I COULD SING, HE HELPED ME CREATE AN ACT AND I'D MAKE MONEY IN NIGHTCLUBS.
UH ADAMS, OUR GUIDANCE TEACHER, AND ALSO FATHER OF ONE OF MY DEAREST FRIENDS AND CLASSMATE JOHN ADAMS, TOLD MY PARENTS THAT HE HOPED THEY'D SUPPORT MY AMBITIONS BECAUSE NOTHING WOULD STOP ME.
THE LADIES WITH TALENT TASTE AND THE JEWISH WOMEN THAT STEVE JUST MENTIONED, FANNIE, BARBARA, MOLLY, AND SOPHIE, I IDENTIFIED WITH THEM.
A MAN ONCE TOLD FANNIE BRYCE, YOU ARE A LOVELY WOMAN, FANNIE, YOU HAVE SUCH BEAUTIFUL BONES.
AND SHE REPLIED, THAT'S WHY ALL MY LIFE I ATTRACTED SUCH DOGS.
FANNIE ALSO SAID, THERE'S NO THRILL, MORE WONDERFUL THAN A FRIENDLY AUDIENCE, FEELING A FRIEND IN THE DARKNESS TRAVELING SOLO.
MY MUSICAL MEMOIR GAVE A GLIMPSE OF THIS PERFORMER'S LIFE, MY FRIENDS, MY FAMILY.
SOME OF YOU ARE HERE TONIGHT, AND YOU WERE SITTING RINGSIDE AT THAT SHOW.
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THEN, SEEING YOU NOW ONLY REMINDS ME THAT I WAS NEVER TRAVELING SOLO.WELL, UH, UH, THE NEXT PRESENTER IS, UM, ALAN FINE DOING AN IMPRESSION OF ME? OR IS IT GONNA BE ME? IT'S GONNA BE ME.
SO I'M, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT JOHN DAYNER.
UM, IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AGO THAT, UM, SOMEBODY HAD POSTED ON FACEBOOK, UH, A PICTURE OF JOHN DAYNER, ACTUALLY JOHN DAYNER, UH, SAYING THAT HE WAS FROM HASTINGS ON HUDSON.
AND I LOOKED AT THE PICTURE, I SAID, I HAVE SEEN HIM IN SO MANY FILMS, SO MANY TV SHOWS.
I'VE GOTTA DO SOME RESEARCH ON THIS.
SO THANKS TO GOOGLE, WIKIPEDIA, AND A TON OF OTHER STUFF.
UM, I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT JOHN'S CAREER.
AND, UH, I FOUND HIS DAUGHTER, SHEILA, LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY, AND I GOT IN TOUCH WITH HER.
I SAID, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE YOUR FATHER INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF EXCELLENCE.
UM, AND JOHN GRADUATED IN 1932, SO THERE'S NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE LEFT THAT REMEMBER HIM, IF THERE'S ANYBODY
UM, BUT HE HAD A REMARKABLE CAREER, UH, AT HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL, UH, PERFORMING, UM, IN, UH, ALL SORTS OF, UH, PLAYS, UM, WITHIN THE HIGH SCHOOL AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, HE AND HIS MOTHER, UH, WERE WELL RECOGNIZED IN SOCIETY CIRCLES AND AS BEING PERFORMERS.
UM, UPON GRADUATION FROM COLLEGE, HE WENT, UH, TO THE WEST COAST AND WORKED AS AN ANIMATOR, UH, FOR A WHILE WITH, UH, WITH HIS FATHER.
UH, I LEARNED THAT, UM, HE WAS A PIANO PLAYER AND DID ARRANGEMENTS FOR A NUMBER OF DANCE BANDS.
UM, AND, AND FROM THERE HE GOT, UH, INTO RADIO REPORTING AS A NEWSMAN.
AND, UH, HE WON ON BOARD WITH HIS, UH, RADIO STATION, UH, PEABODY AWARD, UH, COVERING THE, UH, FORMATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN 1946.
UM, I READ SOMEWHERE THAT JOHN HAD THE PERFECT VOICE FOR RADIO, AND HE BECAME A RADIO ACTOR IN THE LATE FORTIES UP UNTIL, UH, THE EARLY 1960S, UM, AS A RADIO ACTOR WHEN, WHEN IT WAS DYING OUT.
BUT HE ALSO MADE THE TRANS, UH, TRANSFORMATION, UH, FROM, UM, UH, RADIO IN INTO FILM, AND THEN EVENTUALLY TV AND, YOU KNOW, JUST SOME OF HIS WORK, UM, THAT HE'S BEEN IN, FOR INSTANCE, 12 EPISODES OF GUN SMOKE, UM, ZANE GRAY THEATER, THE WESTERNER RIFLEMAN, UH, TALES OF WELLS FARGO, RAW HEIGHT, GUN SMOKE AGAIN, GUN SMOKE WAS A BIG ONE, UM, MAVERICK.
UM, AND, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER WESTERN TV SHOWS AND MOVIES.
AND HE WAS ALWAYS PORTRAYED AS A VILLAIN, WHEREAS HE SAID IN, UH, IN AN INTERVIEW AS A HEAVY, WHICH I LIKE BETTER THAN A VILLAIN
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, HE, HE WAS VERY, VERY DIVERSE IN THAT HE DIDN'T ALWAYS PLAY THE HEAVY.
UM, HE APPEARED IN, UM, OTHER TV SHOWS, UH, THE ROARING TWENTIES, UH, COMEDY CALLED THE BAILEYS OF BALBOA, UM, BIG HAWAII, UH, ENUS, WHICH WAS A OFFSHOOT OF THE DUKES OF HAZARD.
UM, HE WAS DORIS DAY'S BOSS ON THE DORIS DAY SHOW.
UM, HE'S BEEN ON COLOMBO 77TH SUNSET STRIP.
UM, I THINK HE'S KNOCKED HEADS A BIT WITH, UH, BEN CARTWRIGHT ON BONANZA.
AND HE ALSO TRIED TO SWEET TALK ANT BE UNTIL SHERIFF ANDY STRAIGHTENED HIM OUT.
UM, AND, AND ONE OF HIS, UH, I THINK HIS LAST, UH, TELEVISION, UM, PERFORMANCE WAS HIS ADMIRAL, UH, ERNEST KING IN, UH, WAR AND REMEMBRANCE, UH, WHICH WAS, UM, A STORY ABOUT WORLD WAR II.
SO HE WASN'T ALWAYS THE HEAVY.
HE, HE HAD A VERY, VERY DIVERSE CAREER, UH, APPEARING IN OVER 300, UH, UH, PRODUCTIONS.
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WHERE HE'S TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HIS TIME ON, ON THE DORIS DAY SHOW AND JUST HIS CAREER IN GENERAL.UM, AND, AND HE SAID WHAT HE REALLY LIKED ABOUT BEING ON THE DORIS DAY SHOW, THAT IT, IT WAS, UH, THE CAST WAS HARDWORKING, UH, INVENTIVE, AND A HIGH LEVEL OF ENERGY.
AND HE SAID THAT'S WHAT HE APPRECIATES THE MOST.
AND THAT'S WHAT HE ALWAYS STROVE FOR, UH, IN HIS WORK.
UM, ALSO MENTIONED THAT, UH, EARLY ON, UH, HE BECAME, UM, VERY GOOD WITH HORSES BECAUSE IF YOU'RE APPEARING IN WESTERNS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE RIDING HORSES.
AND, UH, HE, HE KNEW THAT, UH, THIS WAS GOING TO BE, UM, A CAREER PATH FOR HIM APPEARING IN WESTERNS.
AND HE, UH, REALLY LEARNED HOW TO RIDE HORSES AND TO DO IT SAFELY.
UH, JUST LISTENING TO THIS INTERVIEW, VERY INTELLIGENT MAN, UM, YOU KNOW, WISH HE COULD BE HERE TONIGHT WITH US.
'CAUSE THERE'S PROBABLY GREAT STORIES ABOUT HOLLYWOOD AND, AND THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, HE WORKED WITH.
UH, AS SHEILA SAID TO ME, UM, THEY, THEY KNEW SOME OF THE, UH, MAIN ACTORS AND ACTRESSES IN HOLLYWOOD, BUT HE WAS MOST FRIENDLY WITH THE DIRECTORS BECAUSE THE DIRECTORS, WE RESPECTED HIS WORK.
UM, SO IT, IT IS AN HONOR TO, TO HAVE HIM INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME, UH, CLASS OF, UH, 19 32, 1 OF OUR EARLIER, UM, CLASSES.
AND FOR THAT, I'D LIKE TO BRING UP SHEILA DANNER.
YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER FATHER.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I NEED TO SAY AFTER THAT.
I MEAN, HE'S PRESENT HIS ENTIRE CAREER.
YOU, I MEAN, I, I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ANYTHING.
UM, SO I GUESS WHAT I'LL JUST SAY IS MY, YOU KNOW, MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY FATHER, I MEAN, HE WAS, UH, YES, HE WAS A CHARACTER ACTOR, AND HE WAS A CHARACTER IN REAL LIFE AS WELL.
WE LOVED TO, UM, PLAY SILLY GAMES TOGETHER.
AND HE WOULD PUT US IN SOME VERY KIND OF STRANGE SITUATIONS, WHICH I WAS JUST EXPLAINING EARLIER.
THERE WAS ONE EXPERIENCE WHERE WE WERE LIVING IN ENCINO, AND HE WAS PRACTICING FOR SOME ROLE WHERE HE WOULD USE A BULL WHIP.
AND ACROSS THE STREET FROM US, THERE WAS A, A PLACE CALLED THE SISTERS OF SOCIAL SERVICE.
AND IT WAS A VERY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, CASTLE KIND OF PLACE.
AND MY SISTER AND I WOULD GO THERE AND KIND OF SNEAK IN AND SEE, THEY HAD A BOAT LANDING IN A LAKE, AND IT WAS VERY KIND OF OVERWHELMING TO US.
BUT IN THIS PROJECT THAT HE WAS WORKING ON, HE HAD TO LEARN HOW TO USE A BULL WHIP.
AND SO HE TOOK MY SISTER AND I OUT AND, UH, HAD US LAY OUT ON THE PAVEMENT IN THE DRIVEWAY, WHICH WAS A CIRCULAR DRIVEWAY, WHICH WAS RIGHT NEXT TO THE MAIN STREET OF LANAI ROAD, WHICH WE LIVED ON.
AND HE HAD US LAY DOWN ON THE PAVEMENT, AND HE STOOD THERE IN HIS
WELL, OF COURSE, AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME, THERE WAS THE SISTERS OF SOCIAL SERVICE WHO WERE IN THE FISH WAGON, AND THEY DROVE RIGHT BY, SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND JUMPED OUT WITH ALL OF THEIR, YOU KNOW, CLOTHES FLOWING BEHIND THEM, RUNNING OVER TO THIS, HIM SAYING, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO YOUR CHILDREN? MY GOODNESS, WHY ARE YOU BEATING THEM? AND HE'S LIKE, OH, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
I THINK WE'D LIVED THERE FOR LIKE, MAYBE SEVEN YEARS ALREADY.
AND HE SAID, I'M JUST PRACTICING FOR A PARK.
WE'RE GLAD WE, WE, WE KNOW THAT NOW, BUT 'CAUSE WE THOUGHT WE WERE, YOU KNOW, BEATING YOUR CHILDREN
WELL, THAT'S JUST ONE INCIDENT.
BUT HE WAS, UH, HE AS HE LOVED TO FISH, AND HE PROBABLY LOVED THAT, AS I'VE READ IN ARTICLES ABOUT HIM TOO, MORE THAN ANYTHING, WHETHER IT WAS ACTING OR PAINTING OR PLAYING THE PIANO OR ACTING AGAIN.
UM, AND HE LOVED TO FISH, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SHARED TOGETHER, AND THAT HE ALSO DID FOR CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS IN LOS ANGELES FOR YOUNG MEN AND BOYS WHO WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO FISH.
AND, UM, THERE WERE TIMES WE WOULD GO OUT INTO THE MOUNTAINS ONE PARTICULAR TIME, AND WE HAPPENED TO THE THREE OF US.
MY SISTER, MY HIM AND MYSELF WERE IN THE MOUNTAINS, AND
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WE KIND OF WALKED ACROSS A, A DROPPED BEEHIVE.AND WE DIDN'T REALIZE AT THE TIME THAT THAT'S WHAT WE HAD DONE.
SO WE'RE WALKING WITH OUR POLES, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN SWARMS OF BEES ARE JUST GOING UP OUR LEG BEDS UP OUR SHIRTS IN OUR HAIR, AND WE'RE RUNNING BACK AND FORTH.
AND BESIDES THIS WAS ON A CLIFF, AND ON THE CLIFF WAS A RIVER.
AND SO POLES ARE FLYING AND WE'RE RUNNING AROUND, AND FINALLY WE GET FAR ENOUGH AWAY.
WELL, WE'RE ALL JUST COVERED IN BEE STINGS, AND WE GET DOWN TO THE RIVER AND WE CAN TELL THAT HE'S MORE THAN, UH, ST.
WE GO DOWN THE RIVER AND WE JUST, YOU KNOW, SPLASH WATER IN HIM, BE LANDED IN THE RIVER AND SPLASH WATER IN HIS HEAD, BECAUSE WE WERE VERY CONCERNED THAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE SERIOUS PROBLEMS WE DIDN'T KNOW.
BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY HUMOROUS, BUT IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE EVENTS THAT WE FOUND OURSELVES WITH HIM IN OUR EXPERIENCES.
I DID GO TO, UH, SITS WITH HIM ON OCCASION.
ONE OF THEM WAS WHEN HE WAS DOING, UM, THE LEFT-HANDED GUN WITH PAUL NEWMAN.
AND THAT WAS WONDERFUL BECAUSE THE CRAFT SERVICES ON ALL FILMS ARE FABULOUS.
THE FOOD THAT THEY PROVIDE IS THERE ALL THE TIME, AND YOU JUST HAVE TO WALK UP AND ASK FOR A HAMBURGER.
AND I MAY HAVE HAD THREE THAT DAY, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS JUST DELIGHTFUL.
AND OF COURSE, I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE DAY THAT PAUL NEWMAN WAS THERE, WHICH SHOULDN'T MATTER SO MUCH.
BUT ANYWAY,
AND HE HAD HASTINGS HERE, UM, BEFORE HE MOVED TO EUROPE, UM, HE WAS ASKED BY HIS FATHER TO, AND THIS WAS, I THINK AFTER HE WAS DIVORCED, HE HAD A PARAMORE, AND HE ASKED, UM, MY FATHER TO TAKE THE VICTROLA, UH, WITH HIM DOWN TO THE PLACE WHERE HE HAD A PICNIC LAID OUT FOR HIS PARAMORE.
AND HE SAT THERE AND JUST GROUND THE VICTROLA PLAYING THIS LOVE SONGS TO HIS FATHER'S PARAMORE
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY KAREN HASTINGS
AND HE WAS, HE PLAYED THE PIANO BEAUTIFULLY, AND HE PAINTED BEAUTIFULLY.
AND HIS FATHER WAS ALSO AN ARTIST.
I MEAN, WE JUST RUN IN THE FAMILY.
AND IT WAS, AND I HAVE ALSO FOLLOWED IN HIS FOOTSTEPS IN SOME REGARD.
MY SISTER HAS, NOT TO THE SAME EXTENT, BUT IT'S IN THE DNA AND, UM, I WAS SO HONORED AND SO SURPRISED TO GET THIS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD THAT HE HAS GIVEN TO HIM FOR SO MANY YEARS.
AND HE'S, IT'S REALLY A PLEASURE.
AND I I, I WISH THAT HE WERE HERE SO THAT HE COULD ENJOY KNOWING THAT THIS ASSOCIATION HAS GIVEN HIM ANOTHER HONOR AND RECOGNIZING HIS CONTRIBUTION, BECAUSE HE DID, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE ACADEMY AWARDS FOR CHARACTER DIRECTORS, BUT, OR AT LEAST THAT TIME THEY DIDN'T.
BUT HE CERTAINLY, IT'S HIS WHOLE LIFE WAS DEDICATED TO IT.
AND THAT IS REMARKABLE BECAUSE IT'S A TOUGH BUSINESS, VERY HARD BUSINESS.
WELL, DINNER IS, UH, ALMOST READY.
WHILE YOU'RE GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT PART OF OUR, I DO WANNA DO A SHORT COMMERCIAL.
WE HAVE A, A ALUMNI WITH US, JOHN WILLARD, WHO HAS WRITTEN A BOOK, AND HE WILL BE, UH, OFFERING THAT TO
[00:35:01]
YOU GUYS.UH, AFTER THE CEREMONIES, IT IS CALLED ALL ROADS LEAD TO HASTINGS ON HUDSON, A HISTORY OF THE LOWER HUDSON RIVER VALLEY AND NEW YORK CITY.
AND IT'S FULL OF ANECDOTES AND THINGS THAT WILL SPARK YOUR MEMORIES.
UH, JOHN, WILL YOU WAVE SO THEY CAN SEE WHO YOU ARE.
SO NOW, UM, OUR NEXT PRESENTER IS RICHARD TOM, WHO WAS GOING TO INTRODUCE SOMEBODY AND HE'LL EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED.
AND THEN I WILL HELP HIM WITH THE REST OF THE, UH, OF THE, UH, INDUCTION.
I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT HE WAS GOING TO INTRODUCE POLLY CLEVELAND TO ACCEPT FOR HER LATE HUSBAND, THOMAS HAYNES.
UH, BUT SHE'S UNABLE TO BE HERE, BUT HE DID NOMINATE AND HE NEEDS TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS FRIEND.
AND THEN I WILL HELP HIM WITH THE, UM, WHILE THANK YOU.
WELL, BECAUSE, UH, THE PERSON WITH WHO I WAS TO INTRODUCE, NOW YOU'RE REALLY IN TROUBLE,
UM, I WAS TOLD YOU SAY TOMMY HAYNES AND HIS WIFE COULD NOT MAKE IT.
I THINK, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE TOLD YOU.
SO THEY GAVE ME A COUPLE OF EXTRA MINUTES.
SO I WENT TO, UH, I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE, AND MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ADOPTEES.
UM, MY APPROACH TONIGHT IS SOMEWHAT UNIQUE, UH, OR DIFFERENT THAN MANNER, BECAUSE I ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I ONLY HAVE, UH, I AM INTRODUCING TOMMY HAYNES.
I'M GUESSING A NUMBER OF THE PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF GRAHAM SCHOOL.
A UH, AN ORPHANAGE FOUNDED SOME 200 PLUS YEARS AGO BY ISABELLA GRAHAM AND ELIZABETH HAMILTON, QUITE OF A FOUNDING FATHER.
IT'S BEEN A PLACE FOR CHILDREN WITH NO PARENTS IN THEIR LIVES, CHILDREN FROM BROKEN HOMES, AND CHILDREN AT RISK ABANDONMENT MIGHT DESCRIBE THE PSYCH OF THESE CHILDREN SITUATED ON THE BORDER.
HASTING
THE REST OF THE SLUGGY ONES WERE ASSIGNED TO ATTEND HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL.
IT WAS AN EYE-OPENER COMING FROM A VERY STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT TO HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL.
I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SEE A ROOMMATE PERFORM IN A SCHOOL PLAY OR WATCH SOME OF THE OLDER KIDS MODEL MEN AND BOYS CLOTHES FOR A AND S DO PEOPLE OPENING UP THE REMEMBER A AND S SURE.
ANYWAY, OTHERS ENJOYED BEING IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION BY BEING A CLASS REPRESENTATIVE OR CLASS OFFICER.
ONE BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT BODY.
WHEN HIGH SCHOOL, UH, TOOK OVER THE BUILDING'S GOVERNMENT, ONE OF US BECAME A TRUSTEE.
SO SELECTING AN ACTIVITY OR JOINING A CLUB WAS PART OF EVERYONE'S SCHEDULE.
ONE ADVISOR WAS INFLUENTIAL AND ONE OF HIS STUDENTS BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES PROFESSIONAL TENNIS ASSOCIATION FOR 63 YEARS.
IN SHORT, IN SPORTS, EXCUSE ME.
IN SHORT, UM, GRAHAM HAS HAD A FEW MEMBERS OF THE HALL OF FAME HIGHLIGHTED BY AN OLYMPIC GOLD AND BRONZE WINNER.
AND THERE WERE MANY GOOD ATHLETES NEVER TO ENTER THE HALL OF FAME, BUT PROUD TO HAVE EARNED A VARSITY LETTER.
MASON'S HIGH SCHOOL IS RICH IN ACADEMIC OFFERINGS AND EXTRA ACTIVITIES THAT AUGMENTS A STUDENT'S PERMANENT RECORD.
MY HIGH SCHOOL'S CONTEMPORARY PEER PROGRAM IS BY FAR A BEST IN ANY HIGH SCHOOL IN THE NATION.
SOME OF THE COMMUNITY BUS US BY ADOPTING US INTO THEIR FAMILIES.
THE NAMES
[00:40:01]
ALONG WITH HIS WIFE, WHO WORKED IN THE MAIN OFFICE, TOOK US TO LIVE WITH THEM.ON 1 55, ED GULA, TOMMY WENT TO GRAHAM SCHOOL.
TOMMY PARTICIPATED AS THE TEAM MANAGER OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM.
TOMMY WAS TAKEN IN TO LIVE WITH A FAMILY WHILE ATTENDING HIGH SCHOOL, A BRIGHT STAR AMONGST STARS.
SO MY APPROACH TONIGHT WAS TO ENSURE THAT GRAHAM SCHOOL IS REMEMBERED IN THE HISTORY OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON, THE VILLAGE.
THIS IS TOMMY HAYNES AND THIS WIFE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE'S GONNA DO.
IT'S 400 PAGES, BUT EXCELLENT.
AND BECAUSE, UM, POLLY CLEVELAND COULDN'T BE HERE, AND WE WANT TO DO THOMAS HAYNES THE JUSTICE AT THE TIME THAT IS DUE, UH, LET'S ALL READ RESPONSIBLY FROM THE PROGRAM.
NOW, I'LL READ IT OUT LOUD, BUT YOU COULD FOLLOW ALONG, CORRECT MY MIS UH, PRONUNCIATIONS IF THEY COME UP.
BUT THOMAS HAYNES BIOCHEMIST ACTIVIST, UH, CLASS OF 1952, AFTER GRADUATING FROM HASTINGS HIGH, TOM HAYNES ATTENDED THE CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK WITH A BS IN CHEMISTRY IN 1957, AND AN MS IN EDUCATION IN 1959.
HE RECEIVED A PHD IN CHEMISTRY FROM RUTGERS UNIVERSITY IN 1964, WHILE ALREADY AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY AT CCNY.
HE BECAME A FULL PROFESSOR IN 1972, A POSITION HE HELD UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN NINE, IN 2007.
DURING THIS TIME, HE CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON THE BAZAAR PROTOZOAN RO DCIA, AND TAUGHT BIOCHEMISTRY BOTH AT CCNY AND CUNY GRADUATE CENTER.
IN 1971, DR. HAYNES PERSUADED THE NEW PRESIDENT OF CCNY, DR UH, ROBERT MARSHAK, THAT THE COLLEGE NEEDED A BIOMEDICAL PROGRAM DIRECTED ESPECIALLY AT THE MINORITY AND IMMIGRANT STUDENTS IN THE HARLEM NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE COLLEGE.
THIS UNIQUE SIX YEAR PROGRAM WOULD ACCEPT STUDENTS RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL INTO THE FIRST ACADEMIC YEARS OF MEDICAL SCHOOL, SENDING THEM FOR THE CLINICAL YEARS TO A CONSORTIUM OF ESTABLISHED MEDICAL SCHOOLS.
THE SCHOOL ACCEPTED ITS FIRST STUDENTS IN 1973 AS THE SOPHIE DAVIS SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL EDUCATION.
IT CONTINUES TODAY, IT THE CITY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.
IN 1960, DR. HAYNES MARRIED ARTIST ADRIAN RAPPAPORT.
THEY HAD ONE DAUGHTER IN 1969, AVERY HAYNES, FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.
AFTER MS. RAPPAPORT DIED IN 1985, DR. HAYNES MARRIED MARY CLEVELAND IN 1986.
IN 2019, DR. HAYNES PUBLISHED HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY, A CURIOUS LIFE FROM REBEL ORPHAN TO INNOVATIVE SCIENTISTS.
HE DIED OF ALZHEIMER'S IN 2023 AT THE AGE OF 90.
NOW I'D LIKE TO CALL TO THE PODIUM, BARBARA MULLEN TO INTRODUCE LOUIS PECK, PLEASE, BARBARA, TO GET IT TO COLLEGE.
I THOUGHT IT DIDN'T SAY IN THE PROGRAM ORDER.
THERE IS NO THOUGHT THEY WERE FOLLOWING YOU SKIPPED SOMEBODY.
IF YOU GUYS THINK WE SKIPPED SOMEBODY, WE MADE AN AUDIBLE ON THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE.
IF YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, IT MEANS THE QUARTERBACK IS SENT IN THE PLAY.
AND THEN HE WENT, OH, I'M LOOKING AT THE DEFENSE AND WE, WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND WHAT WE DECIDED WAS WE HAVE BENJAMIN KATZENSTEIN HERE AND BENJAMIN KATZENSTEIN, WHO YOU WILL LEARN IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THIS IS A PART OF A A, A FAMILY OF WILLY WONKA'S.
AND WOULDN'T IT BE GOOD TO HAVE HIM LEAD INTO DESSERT? SO THAT IS WHY WE'RE SAVING HIM FOR ON DECK.
OH, HAVE, HAVE, UM, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WHEN I SAW ALL THAT ICE CREAM COMING OUT.
I'M BARBARA MULLEN AND, UM, THIS IS MY ONLY POLITICAL STATEMENT.
[00:45:01]
GONNA SAY, I ASSUME THAT THE FIRST AMENDMENT STILL APPLIES HERE AND FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.TO QUOTE THOMAS JEFFERSON, OUR LIBERTY DEPENDS ON THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, AND THAT CANNOT BE LIMITED WITHOUT BEING LOST.
THE PRESS IS THE WATCHDOG FOR THE PEOPLE.
IT IS TO KEEP US INVOLVED IN OUR GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS.
I BELIEVE MY CLASSMATE LU PECK EXEMPLIFIES EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM, IN KEEPING WE THE PEOPLE INFORMED SO THAT WE MAY ACT RESPONSIBLY AND WISELY AND HOLD OUR REPRESENTATIVES ACCOUNTABLE.
LOU HECK HAS BEEN A WASHINGTON BASED JOURNALIST FOR MOST OF HIS CAREER IN THE PAST, HE WAS NATIONAL AND REGIONAL CORRESPONDENT FOR THE GNET NEWS SERVICE, COVERING CONGRESS FOR 18 YEARS.
LOU WAS AN EDITOR IN CHIEF AND AN EDITOR AT THE NATIONAL JOURNAL'S CONGRESSIONAL DAILY AND THE NATIONAL JOURNAL'S TECHNOLOGY DAILY.
THEY PROVIDE IN DEPTH COVERAGE AND ANALYSIS OF THE INNER WORKINGS OF CONGRESS AND LEGISLATIVE POLICIES AND POLITICS.
A FREELANCE WRITER LOU HAS HAD ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN THE BALTIMORE SUN, THE CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY AMERICAN JOURNALISM REVIEW, AND SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLICATIONS.
HE'S ALSO SERVED AS AN EDITORIAL CONSULTANT FOR TWO BOOKS ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM.
CURRENTLY, LOU IS THE CONTRIBUTING EDITOR OF THE BETHESDA MAGAZINE AND THE CO-FOUNDER AND CONTRIBUTING EDITOR OF THE MARYLAND MATTERS AND ONLINE PUBLICATION OF STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS.
HE HAS BEEN THE CONTRIBUTING AN AUTHOR OF THE LAST FIVE PUBLICATIONS OF THE ALMANAC OF AMERICAN POLITICS.
THE ALMANAC HAS BEEN, AND I QUOTE FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, THE GOLD STANDARD OF ACCESSIBLE NON-PARTISAN INFORMATION ON THE US POLITICAL SYSTEM.
DURING HIS JOURNALISM CAREER, LOU HAS PREPARED THE NEXT GENERATION AS A FACULTY MEMBER OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY'S WASHINGTON JOURNALISM PROGRAM AND THE BUREAU OF CHIEF OF THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON NEWS SERVICE, WHICH PROVIDED DAILY COVERAGE FOR A HALF A DOZEN NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS.
HE HAS BEEN A VISITING INSTRUCTOR FOR THE NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY'S MADILL SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM.
LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A MESSAGE I RECEIVED FROM LOU COLLEGE ROOMMATE AT BROWN, BRUCE MANN BRUCE, WHO IS CURRENTLY A LAW PROFESSOR AT HARVARD AND HAPPENS TO BE MARRIED TO SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN.
SO HE KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT POLITICS AND JOURNALISM.
LOUIS PECK WAS ALREADY A POLITICAL JUNKIE WHEN WE FIRST MET 55 YEARS AGO.
HIS ENCYCLOPEDIC KNOWLEDGE OF EVERYTHING POLITICAL, COUPLED WITH HIS SHARP INTELLECT AND BACKED BY HIS BIG PERSONALITY AND EVEN BIGGER VOICE, HAVE MADE HIM ONE OF THE MOST COMPELLING AND INSIGHTFUL POLITICAL JOURNALISTS I KNOW HE BELIEVES PASSIONATELY THAT GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS ARE IMPORTANT, AND HE HAS DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO SHINING A BRIGHT AND SEARCHING LIGHT ON THEM.
OUR DEMOCRACY NEEDS MORE LOUIS PECKS, AND I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE ONE WE HAVE TONIGHT.
I BELIEVE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM IS GRATEFUL FOR THE ONE WE HAVE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR LOUIS PECK ON HIS INDUCTION INTO THE HASTINGS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HALL OF EXCELLENT.
AND I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE NATION, Y'ALL.
THANKS BARB AND BRUCE MANN, YOU CAN'T HEAR ME, BUT THANK YOU.
WELL, YOU GUYS THINK A LOT OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH HIS WIFE.
HE ACTUALLY GOT BOTH AN MA AND A, UH, BA AT BROWN WITHIN A PERIOD OF ABOUT, UH, FIVE YEARS AND WENT ON TO YALE WHERE I THINK IN SOMETHING LIKE ANOTHER FIVE YEARS, HE GOT BOTH HIS LAW DEGREE AND A PHD.
[00:50:01]
NOW STILL STILL TEACHING AT HARVARD, UH, LAW SCHOOL.BUT BARB, THANK YOU FOR NOMINATING ME AND FOR YOUR VERY KIND REMARKS AS A LATE DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN.
WHY I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF COVERING IN EARLY IN MY JOURNALISM CAREER IN WASHINGTON WOULD INVARIABLY SAY WHEN INTRODUCED WITH SUCH AUDITOR REMARKS.
MY FATHER WOULD'VE APPRECIATED IT, AND MY MOTHER WOULD'VE BELIEVED IT.
UH, SPEAKING OF MY FATHER, I'M A SECOND GENERATION JOURNALIST FOR MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A CENTURY.
MY FATHER BOARDED THE TRAIN JUST ACROSS THE STREET FROM WHERE WE WERE GATHERED TO TONIGHT, AND TRAVELED TO HIS JOB IN MANHATTAN AS EDITOR FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES.
WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT I PLANNED TO FOLLOW HIM INTO JOURNALISM, HE WAS LESS THAN THRILLED
I SUSPECTED, I SUSPECTED, I, UH, IT STEMMED FROM THE TRADITIONAL DESIRE OF PARENTS TO SEE THEIR CHILDREN GO UP, BE MORE FINANCIALLY PROSPEROUS THAN THEY HAD BEEN.
AND HE WAS PAINFULLY AWARE THE NEWSPAPER EDITORS AND REPORTERS AT HI IN HIS TIME WERE NOTORIOUSLY UNDERPAID.
IF HE'S LOOKING DOWN TONIGHT, I HOPE HE SEES THIS HONOR BESTOWED UPON ME BY THE HASTINGS HIGH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AS AN AFFIRMATION THAT IT CAME OUT ALL RIGHT
WHILE BEING AN EDITOR OR REPORTER WAS HARDLY A PATH TO HAN AND SALARIES, MY FATHER BROKE INTO THE BUSINESS IN THE 1940S.
NEWSPAPERS DURING THAT ERA WERE IN FACT HIGHLY PROFITABLE FOR THOSE WHO OWNED THEM.
AS MANY OF YOU AWARE, THAT SITUATION HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE PAST QUARTER OF THE CENTURIES AS NEWSPAPERS AND OTHER GRANTS IS WHAT WE OFTEN CALL THE LEGACY MEDIA HAVE COME UNDER ASSAULT ON MULTIPLE FRONTS.
YES, IT HAS HARDLY HELPED THE CURRENT OCCUPANT OF THE WHITE HOUSE REGULARLY LABELS PEOPLE LIKE ME AS THE QUOTE, FAKE NEWS UNQUOTE, AND THE QUOTE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.
BUT THE PROBLEM PREDATES SUCH NAME CALLING AND, AND ACTUALLY GOES BACK TO THE START OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM AND THE RISE OF THE INTERNET.
NEWSPAPERS PROSPERED FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, THANKS TO LARGE AMOUNTS OF PRINT ADVERTISING REVENUE THAT UNDERWROTE THE LARGE NUMBERS OF REPORTERS THEN COVERING THE NATION'S CAPITAL, STATE CAPITALS AND GOVERNMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
TODAY, THE SOURCE OF THIS SOURCE OF REVENUE HAS SHRUNK DRAMATICALLY, CAUSING MANY NEWSPAPERS TO ELIMINATE BUREAUS IN WASHINGTON AND STATE CAPITALS AND DRASTICALLY CUT BACK ON, ON RECORDING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT MANY PEOPLE THAT WE ELECT TO OFFICE AND THOSE THAT THEY IN TURN APPOINT THE POSITIONS OF POWER, ARE SIMPLY NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
GIVE YOU SOME, UH, QUICK STATISTICS.
MORE THAN 3,200 NEWSPAPERS ARE SHUT DOWN OVER THE PAST TWO, TWO DECADES, AND THE DECREASE IN THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF THOSE THAT REMAIN HAVE DRIVEN REPORTERS, EXCUSE ME, HAVE DRIVEN READERS AWAY IN DROVES.
ACCORDING TO ONE MEDIA ORGANIZATION OVERALL NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION, BOTH PRINT AND ONLINE HAS SHRUNK BY MORE THAN 75 MILLION READERS OR MORE THAN 60% JUST IN A COUPLE OF DECADES.
THE BOTTOM LINE IMPACT IS WHILE THAT WHILE NEWSPAPERS TRADITIONALLY PUBLISHED EDITORIAL OPINIONS ON WHICH YOU MIGHT OR MIGHT, YOU MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT AGREE, WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT WAS THAT THEIR NEWS PAGES CONTAIN FACTS VETTED BY REPORTERS AND EDITORS ON A DAILY BASIS ON WHICH MOST READERS COULD AGREE.
THAT MODEL TOO, HAS BEEN BLOWN APART IN THIS ERA OF SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE ANYBODY CAN POST JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THEY WANT ON THE INTERNET.
I'D AGAIN QUOTE THE LATE SENATOR MOYNIHAN, WHO ONCE FAMOUSLY SAID, QUOTE YOU, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINION, BUT YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO YOUR OWN FACTS.
TODAY, MANY PEOPLE STARTING WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND INDEED BELIEVE THEY'RE ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN FACTS.
AND IT'S TO COME AND IT'S COME AT THE COST OF CIVIL RATIONAL DISCOURSE IN THIS NATION.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS NO SILVER BULLET SOLUTION.
ONE OF THE MANY INITIATIVES TO COMBAT THE STATE OF AFFAIRS, OF WHICH I AM PROUD TO PLAY A SMALL PART, IS THE CREATION OF A INCREASING NUMBER OF NON-PROFIT NEWS OUTLETS AND SITES IN RECENT YEARS TO MONITOR AND REPORT ON GOVERNMENTS AND OTHER LARGE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR SECTOR INSTITUTIONS TO MAKE UP FOR THE SHRINKAGE OF SUCH, SUCH ACTIVITY BY A WIDE SWAT OF THE TRADITIONAL MEDIA.
SO I'D LIKE TO CLOSE WITH A PLEA.
THERE IS A MEDIA OUTLET IN PRINT OR ONLINE IN YOUR AREA THAT YOU FEEL IS WORKING HARD TO PRACTICE JOURNALISM THAT HOLDS PUBLIC OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE.
I ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUPPORT IT TO THE DEGREE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUBSCRIPTIONS OR DONATIONS OR BOTH.
THE WASHINGTON POST HAS HAD MORE THAN ITS SHARE OF CHALLENGES
[00:55:01]
IN THE PAST YEAR, THANKS TO THE FO OF ITS CURRENT BILLIONAIRE OWNER.BUT THE ADMONITION BLAZEN JUST UNDER THE ONLINE LOGO, LOGO OF THE POST HOLDS TRUER THAN EVER, THAN IT EVER HAS IN OUR LIFETIMES.
IT'S THAT SLOGAN, PROCLAIMS QUOTE, DEMOCRACY DIES IN DARKNESS.
IN FRONT OF YOU, ARE YOU WONDERING? WELL TAKE A LOOK.
IT SAYS STAR K WHITE AND IT HAS CHOCOLATE COVERED OMELETS.
OUR NEXT GUEST, OUR NEXT AWARD WINNER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, I'M GONNA INTRODUCE MY FRIEND, UH, DAVID RIGGS AND BEN STEIN, AND AS THEY COME UP, I'M JUST GOING TO SAY MY LITTLE PIECE, WHICH IS I VISITED STAR K WHITE IN THE FACTORY AND THE, THE FAMILY THAT THEY CREATED AND LOVE THAT'S BEHIND ALL OF THE, THE CANS IN MADE IS REALLY SOMETHING TO BE SEEN.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE, UH, PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, STAN AND EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE, UH, IN THE CLUB.
UH, I'M DAVE RIGGS, UH, CLASS OF 75.
I'M INTRODUCING BEN BEN KAINE.
HE'S A DEAR FRIEND, UH, AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE HALL OF EXCELLENCE.
BEN IS THE PRESIDENT OF STARK WHITE, A ROCKLAND COUNTY BASED, A MANUFACTURING COMPANY, WHICH MAKES ICE CREAM, SYRUPS, CANDIES, AND EXTRACTS.
IT'S THE STUFF THAT MAKES ICE CREAM TASTE GREAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR LOGO AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
WHITE BEGAN IN 1890 BY BEN'S GREAT-GRANDFATHER AND REMAINS IN THE FAMILY TODAY, REMARKABLY IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES.
WHEN BEN BEGAN HIS TENURE THERE, THE COMPANY WAS BASED IN A SMALL BUILDING IN THE SOUTH BRONX WITH APPROXIMATELY 12 EMPLOYEES.
IN THE MID EIGHTIES, THE COMPANY EXPANDED MOVING TO A LARGER ROCKLAND COUNTY FACILITY AS STEADILY INCREASING PRODUCTION AND MANPOWER.
BEN WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS ENDEAVOR AND CONTINUED TO LEAD THE BUSINESS IN DEVELOPING NEW PRODUCTS, NEW DEPARTMENTS, NEW CUSTOMERS, AND NEW FACILITIES.
HE TOOK OVER AS PRESIDENT ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO AND CONTINUES TO LEAVE HIS COMPANY WHILE BRINGING HIS SONS ALONG IN KEY KEY MANAGEMENT ROLES.
AS A YOUNG BOY, BEN WAS ALIGNED WITH STAR K WHITE FROM THE START.
HIS MOM TELLS ME THAT IN GRADE SCHOOL, IN ART SCHOOL, IN ART CLASS, WHILE EVERYBODY ELSE WAS DRAWING PORTRAITS OF EACH OTHER OR, OR THEIR DOGS, BEN, BEN WAS SKETCHING PLANS OF THE FACTORY AND, AND WAYS TO IMPROVE IT.
AND HE WAS PROBABLY IN THIRD GRADE AT THE TIME,
BEN HONED HIS SKILLS BY ENTERING AND GRADUATING FROM THE CULINARY INSTITUTE IN HYDE PARK.
SO BEN ALL ALONG WAS PREPARING AND DEVELOPING HIS, HIS FOR HIS EVENTUAL LEADERSHIP AND PRESIDENCY OF THE COMPANY.
GROWING UP IN THE BUSINESS, BEN HAS EITHER DONE OR SUPERVISED ALL OF THE JOBS WITHIN HIS COMPANY, INCLUDING SALES, PRODUCTION, QUALITY, SAFETY, RESEARCH, AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.
I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I WORKED, UH, AT STAR K WHITE AS A SUMMER EMPLOYEE BACK IN THE SEVENTIES.
BEN AND I WOULD, UH, DO EVERYTHING THAT WAS, WAS REQUIRED AND, AND, AND I THINK BEN STILL DOES IT, UH, UH, EVERY NOW AND THEN WHEN HE FEELS THE NEED TO, TO GET A WORKOUT, BEN PRACTICES HUMILITY AND KINDNESS WITH A FAIR AMOUNT OF HUMOR WITH HIS STAFF.
THERE ARE SECOND AND THIRD GENERATION WORKERS AMONGST THE RANKS, MANY LOYAL, LONGTIME EMPLOYEES.
THIS IS TO, IN NO SMALL PART TO BEN'S STYLE, HIS HUMILITY AND HIS ABILITY TO RELATE TO EACH OTHER, TO TO, TO ONE ANOTHER.
HE MAKES IT A POINT TO WEEKLY MEET WITH ALL THE EMPLOYEES, UM, ON THE FLOOR IN THE OFFICES.
UH, IT'S, IT'S QUITE REMARKABLE.
UM, AND, UH, DURING THE INAUGURATION OF, OF THE, UH, NEW PRODUCTION BUILDING IN 2017, WHICH IS THEIR MAIN, MAIN, UH, PRODUCTION FACILITY NOW, ROCKLAND
[01:00:01]
COUNTY POLITICIANS LOADED BEN AND, AND STAR K WHITE FOR HOW IMPORTANT A BUSINESS THEY WERE TO THE COMMUNITY.FOR THE SOLID EMPLOYMENT BASE THAT THEY HAVE PROVIDED.
THERE ARE OVER 150 EMPLOYEES AT, AT STAR K WHITE.
AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S CONTRAST SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE 12 THAT WERE THERE IN THE SEVENTIES AND, AND THE EIGHTIES.
SO BEN AND STOCKETT, RIGHT OVER THE YEARS HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN THE COMMUNITY.
DURING, DURING COVID, THEY, THEY DONATED LARGE AMOUNTS OF, UH, CHOCOLATE COVERED DAMAGE, JUST LIKE YOU SEE AT THE TABLES, TO, TO THE NURSES, TO THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN, IN THE LOCAL AREAS TO HELP WITH THAT EFFORT.
SO BEN CONTINUES TO LEAD STAR K WHITE.
HE READS, HE READS BOOKS RE REGULARLY ABOUT GREAT HI, GREAT FIGURES THROUGHOUT HISTORY, INCLUDING FDR ROBERT MOSES, AND WHO'S THE LATEST ONE YOU READ? SOMERVILLE, A GUY NAMED SUMMERVILLE, WHO I'VE EVER HEARD OF, BUT APPARENTLY IS, IS IS QUITE A, QUITE AN, UH, INTERESTING MAN.
HE'S CONSTANTLY IMPROVING HIS, HIS KNOWLEDGE BASE AND HIS MANAGEMENT ABILITY THROUGH HIS READINGS.
SO INDEED, BEN IS A TRUE INDUSTRY LEADER.
HE'S QUITE WORTHY OF ENTERING INTO THE, INTO THE HALL OF EXCELLENCE.
THANK YOU PATTY, LISA, AND SUSAN FOR, FOR THE NOMINATION.
AND CONGRATULATIONS, BEN AND GOD BLESS.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF MY PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS.
I WANT TO THANK PATTY, SUE AND LISA FOR NOMINATING ME.
UM, AS THOMAS ADDISON SAID, SUCCESS COMES FROM 1% INSPIRATION AND 99% PERSPIRATION.
I WAS A LACKLUSTER STUDENT AT HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL, BUT I WAS INSPIRED BY HASTINGS AND THE PEOPLE AROUND ME.
IT TOOK LEAVING HASTINGS TO APPRECIATE WHAT I HAD ABSORBED.
TO SEE THE HUDSON RIVER AND THE PALISADES DAILY AND GROW UP IN THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY INFLUENCED ME TO APPRECIATE THE GRANDEUR OF NATURE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF GEOGRAPHY, PEOPLE, AND ECONOMICS.
BECAUSE OF THE RIVER, WHICH HELPED CREATE ONE OF THE GREATEST NATURAL HARBORS AND THUS CITIES IN THE WORLD, HASTINGS IS A UNIQUE PLACE.
THE ORIGINAL MAIN PATH ALONG THE RIVER CAME TO BE KNOWN AS BROADWAY, AND THUS WE HAD A REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLE HERE.
BECAUSE OF THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY, WE HAD A CIVIL WAR HERO LIVE HERE, AND OUR SCHOOL WAS NAMED FOR HIM, ADMIRAL DAVID FARRAGUT.
WE WERE INFLUENCED BY FOUR OF THE GREATEST INDUSTRIALISTS AMERICA EVER PRODUCED.
ROBERT FULTON PILOTED HIS STEAM PAST OUR SHORES DURING THE EARLY INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, WHICH IGNITED THE FLAME, WHICH OPENED THE AMERICAN MIDWEST TO THE EAST COAST VIA THE ERIE CANAL.
CORNEL CORNELIUS VANDERBILT BUILT THIS RAILROAD FIRST.
HE, FIRST HE HAD STEAMSHIPS AND THEN HE BUILT THIS RAILROAD, ANDREW CARNEGIE THE IRON.
AND THEN STEEL KING WAS A MEMBER OF THE ST.
ANDREW'S GOLF COURSE WHOSE TEAM CATERED OUR MALE TONIGHT.
AND JOHN D ROCKEFELLER, THE OIL KING, BUILT HIS ESTATE ONLY SEVEN MILES NORTH OF US.
GEORGE GERSHWIN IS BURIED IN WESTCHESTER HILLS, THE JEWISH CEMETERY NEXT TO MOUNT HOPE.
AND MARK AL'S FIRST WIFE IS BURIED THERE TOO, WITH A MONUMENT THAT HE SCULPTED.
JASPER CROY AND JACQUES LIPITZ LIVED HERE TOO.
AND OF COURSE WE HAD FLO ZIGFIELD, THAT THEATRICAL IMPRESARIO AND HIS WIZARD OF OZ.
MOVIE STAR WIFE BILLY BURKE, LIVED HERE.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO WALK THROUGH THEIR ESTATE EVERY DAY FROM FOURTH GRADE THROUGH GRADUATION.
THE PEOPLE OF HASTINGS I KNEW INFLUENCED ME TOO.
I RECALL PARENTS' DAY WHERE PARENTS SPOKE ABOUT THEIR CAREERS AND IT WAS NICE TO MEET GENE ZIMMERMAN BECAUSE I HAD HER BROTHER NAME 'CAUSE IT WAS HER FATHER AS ONE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS I'M ABOUT TO SPEAK OF.
UM, SO I RECALL DAY WHERE PARENTS SPOKE ABOUT THEIR CAREERS.
WHAT PARTICULARLY INFLUENCED ME WAS THE WARNING BY ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES TO BE WARY OF MEDIA MANIPULATION.
I HAVE AVOIDED OVERINDULGENCE IN MEDIA EVER SINCE I READ NONFICTION BOOKS AND LISTENED TO MY MIND WHILE IN NATURE.
THIS HAS INFLUENCED MY BUSINESS CAREER.
WE HAD JACKIE ROBINSON AND GENE KRUPA WERE ON OUR HIGH SCHOOL STAGE.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO WALK JACKIE ROBINSON TO HIS CAR ONE COLD WET
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NIGHT AFTER HE SPOKE, HE GAVE ME HIS AUTOGRAPH AND THAT IS ONE OF MY PRIZED POSSESSIONS.I LOST THREE CLOSE FRIENDS I WOULD LIKE TO REMEMBER TONIGHT.
MATT, NAT MOFF, STEVEN GANS, AND ARTHUR KOSMINSKY.
THEIR DEATHS TAUGHT ME TO CHERISH LIFE AND NOT TO WASTE TIME.
I WANT TO THANK DAVE RIGGS FOR BEING HERE WHO'S BEEN A LIFELONG FRIEND WHO I CHERISH.
MOST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO WISH MY WIFE BARBARA.
IT HAS BEEN HER LOVE, INTELLIGENCE, DISCIPLINE, AND TOLERANCE THAT HAVE ENABLED ME TO FOCUS MY EFFORTS.
IF IT WERE NOT FOR HER, I WOULD NOT BE HERE BEING HONORED TONIGHT, I'D LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR CHOCOLATE ALMONDS.
THAT NOTHING IS, I, I LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH.
SO YOU BASICALLY HAVE TWO INGREDIENTS HERE.
YOU HAVE CHOCOLATE AND YOU HAVE ALMONDS.
AND IT TOOK ME 20 YEARS TO PERFECT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THERE.
WHERE'S THE CHEF? SO ISN'T THAT THE RIGHT NOTE TO BREAK FOR DESSERT?
UM, I'D LIKE TO NOW INTRODUCE BARBARA FRANCIS O'NEILL, UM, WHO WILL INTRODUCE WRIGHT.
I'M BARBARA FRANCIS O'NEILL, CLASS OF 71 AND I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE SUSANNA RECH.
AND I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS TIME, AS YOU CAN READ IN HERE ALL ABOUT SUSAN AND HER WONDERFUL ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
BUT I WANT TELL THE COUPLE LITTLE STORIES ABOUT SUSAN AND, UM, HER TIME HERE IN HASTINGS.
UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH ONE NIGHT IN 1969, SUSANNA RKI AND I WERE IN MR. RITZ'S ROOM AS A THEATER PRODUCTION WAS PROGRESSING UPSTAIRS, WE WERE MEMBERS OF THE COSTUME AND MAKEUP SUPPORT TEAMS AND WE WERE TALKING TO FIND THE TIME BETWEEN OUR DUTIES.
RITA AND I HAD BEEN ATTENDING BALLET PERFORMANCES IN THE CITY AND WERE INTERESTED IN SUSANNA'S YEARS OF DANCE LESSONS.
THE DISCUSSION BROUGHT ABOUT OUR FIRST BALLET LESSON, COURTESY OF SUSANNA AND THE EARLY INTRODUCTION, UH, I'M SORRY, THE EARLY INDICATION THAT SHE WOULD ONE DAY BECOME A PROFESSIONAL DANCER AND INSTRUCTOR.
I'LL ALWAYS BE THANKFUL TO SUSANNA FOR INTRODUCING ME TO BALLET AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND, AND INFORMATION THAT SHE OFFERED THAT NIGHT, UH, TO BOTH EVERYONE.
UM, EVEN WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL, SUSANNA'S DEDICATION TO DANCE MANIFESTED ITSELF IN INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCES AND A CHOREO CHOREOGRAPHED PIECE FOR HER RECITAL OUR SENIOR YEAR.
I ALSO NEED TO TAKE A MOMENT HERE TO GO BACK TO THE SPRING OF 1971 WHEN SUSANNA'S TALENT WAS HUMOROUSLY DISPLAYED IN OUR SENIOR CLASS PRODUCTION OF YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU.
AND SHE PORTRAYED L SIE THE WELL-MEANING AND SLIGHTLY AWKWARD DANCER.
I DO BELIEVE SHE RECEIVED MORE LAUGHS THAN THE REST OF THE CAST COMBINED.
SO NOT SURPRISINGLY, SUSANNA'S RESUME ILLUSTRATES HER CREATIVITY, HER ABILITY TO APPRECIATE AND CREATE BEAUTIFUL SPACES AND HER DEDICATION TO HARD WORK.
SHE PROVIDES READERS OF ALL AGES WITH BEAUTIFULLY, UM, BEAUTIFUL BIOGRAPHICAL STORYTELLING.
ONE REVIEWER OF HER STORY ANNETTE'S FEAST ABOUT JULIA CHILD'S CAT, THE REVIEWER WROTE THE JOY JULIA FEELS FOR COOKING HER HUSBAND AND HER CAT SHIMMERS FROM THE PAGE.
SUSANNA SPENT MANY YEARS AS A PROFESSIONAL DANCER AFTER DANCING PROFESSIONALLY.
SHE TAUGHT DANCE BEFORE TURNING TO FLORAL DESIGN AND ULTIMATELY FINDING HER WRITER'S VOICE.
SHE HAS WRITTEN 11 CHILDREN'S BOOKS, 11, 10.
[01:10:01]
WRONGI WILL ADMIT, I DID NOT REALIZE THE EXTENT OF HER WRITING CAREER UNTIL SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN I WENT TO THE SMITHSONIAN IN WASHINGTON.
THERE I WITNESSED THE POPULARITY, RELEVANCE, AND EXTENT OF HER WORK.
THAT WAS THE YEAR THE SMITHSONIAN CREATED JULIA CHILD'S KITCHEN AND THE EXHIBIT WAS EXTREMELY POPULAR.
AFTER VIEWING THE EXHIBIT, I HAD VISITED THE GIFT SHOP THERE PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED WERE COPIES OF SUSANNA'S BOOK AND YET FEAST.
I STOOD THERE ADMIRING THE DISPLAY WHEN A MOTHER AND YOUNG DAUGHTER CAME TO STAND NEXT TO ME.
I POINTED OUT THE BOOK TO THEM AND EXPLAINED THAT THE AUTHOR WAS A FRIEND AND A TALENTED DANCER WHO HAD GONE ON TO DANCE PROFESSIONALLY AND WAS NOW A CELEBRATED AUTHOR.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE SUBJECT WHEN THAT JULIUS KAT OR THE INCLUSION OF THE DANCER REFERENCE AND THE VISION OF A TUTU TWIRLING THROUGH THE MIND OF A 5-YEAR-OLD.
BUT I LATER SAW THE MOTHER AT THE REGISTER WITH THE BOOK IN HER HAND.
AND NOW I'D LIKE TO HAND OVER THE MICROPHONE TO SUSANNA DANCER, CHOREOGRAPHER, TEACHER, WEDDING DESIGNER AND AUTHOR, AND OH, A FRIEND FROM THE FABULOUS CLASS OF SOME PEOPLE.
UM, AND I WANT TO THANK THE WHOLE COMMITTEE WHO ORGANIZED THIS LOVELY EVENT AND KEEP THE, UM, ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BUZZING AND HUM.
UM, I'M GONNA TAKE ONE OF MY THREE MINUTES TO READ TO YOU, UM, FROM ONE OF THE GREAT BOOKS OF ENGLISH LITERATURE AND A BOOK I HOPE YOU ALL KNOW.
UM, AND THAT IS WINNIE THE POOH AA MILL.
AND AFTERWARD, I WILL TELL YOU WHY I'M LEAVING THIS TO YOU.
ONCE UPON A TIME, A VERY LONG TIME AGO NOW, ABOUT LAST FRIDAY, WINNIE THE POOH LIVED IN A FOREST ALL BY HIMSELF.
ONE DAY WHEN HE WAS OUT WALKING, HE CAME TO AN OPEN PLACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PLACE WAS A LARGE OAK TREE.
AND FROM THE TOP OF THE TREE THERE CAME A LOUD BUZZING NOISE.
WINNIE THE POOH SAT DOWN AT THE FOOT OF THE TREE, PUT HIS HEAD BETWEEN HIS PAWS, AND BEGAN TO THINK, FIRST OF ALL, HE SAID TO HIMSELF THAT BUZZING NOISE MEANS SOMETHING.
YOU DON'T GET A BUZZING NOISE LIKE THAT, JUST BUZZING AND BUZZING WITHOUT ITS MEANING SOMETHING.
IF THERE'S A BUZZING NOISE, SOMEBODY'S MAKING A BUZZING NOISE.
AND THE ONLY REASON FOR MAKING A BUZZING NOISE THAT I KNOW OF IS BECAUSE YOU ARE A BEE.
THEN HE THOUGHT ANOTHER LONG TIME AND SAID, AND THE ONLY REASON FOR BEING A BEE THAT I KNOW OF IS MAKING HONEY.
AND THEN HE GOT UP AND SAID, AND THE ONLY REASON FOR MAKING HONEY IS SO I CAN EAT IT.
SO HE BEGAN TO CLIMB THE TREE.
HE CLIMBED AND HE CLIMBED AND HE CLIMBED.
AND AS HE CLIMBED, HE SANG A LITTLE SONG TO HIMSELF.
ISN'T IT FUNNY HOW A BEAR LIKES HONEY BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ? I WONDER WHY HE DOES.
AND HE CLIMBED A LITTLE FURTHER AND A LITTLE FURTHER, AND THEN JUST A LITTLE FURTHER.
HE WAS GETTING RATHER TIRED BY THIS TIME.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS WHY HE SANG A COMPLAINING SONG.
HE WAS NEARLY THERE NOW AND IF HE JUST STOOD ON THAT BRANCH, CROCK, OH HELP SAID POO.
I DIDN'T READ FROM WINNIE THE POOP BECAUSE OF THE BUZZING BEES.
ALTHOUGH THAT WAS A NICE EXTRA FOR THOSE OF US WHO GREW UP WITH THE BUZZER READING THE HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER, UM, AND THE YELLOW JACKETS.
I READ IT BECAUSE WHEN I WAS IN CHUCK ASHFORD'S ENGLISH CLASS IN HIGH SCHOOL, WE HAD TO WRITE A FINAL TERM PAPER AT THE END OF SENIOR YEAR.
THE ASSIGNMENT WAS TO DO A GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS OF AN AUTHOR'S WRITING STYLE.
EVERYONE ELSE WAS ANALYZING PEOPLE LIKE JANE AUSTIN, JOHN STEINBECK, CHARLES DICKENS, AND HERMAN MELVILLE.
MR. ASHMAN, LET ME WRITE MY PAPER ON AA MILL.
I SUSPECT I HAD A LOT MORE FUN WRITING THAT PAPER THAN SOME OF MY CLASSMATES, ALTHOUGH I'M GLAD I NEVER HAD TO WRITE ANOTHER GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS
UM, BUT I HAD NO IDEA THAT I WOULD ONE DAY BECOME A CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR.
SO I THANK MR. ASHMAN NOW BECAUSE IT WAS IN HIS CLASS THAT I REALLY LEARNED TO WRITE.
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AND ALTHOUGH I HAD TWO OTHER CAREERS, WHICH YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT BEFORE I BECAME AN AUTHOR, WHEN I FINALLY REALIZED THAT I HAD SOMETHING TO SAY IN WRITING, I ALREADY HAD THE SKILLS TO SAY IT.THANKS TO MR. ASHTON'S CLASS, I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY PARENTS, NANCY AND HASKELL REICH, FOR NOT ONLY MODELING EXCELLENCE, BUT FOR BUYING A HOUSE ON LINCOLN AVENUE IN 1963, WHICH ALLOWED ME TO GROW UP IN SUCH A WONDERFUL HOMETOWN.
AND TO THANK THE WORLD'S BEST BROTHER, MY BROTHER MATTHEW, CLASS OF 69, FOR KEEPING THE FAMILY PRESENCE ALIVE IN HASTINGS ALL THESE YEARS LATER.
I THINK IT'S 60, 63 YEARS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO THANK MY HUSBAND GARY GLIO, WHO I MET IN 1978 ON THE TUESDAY NIGHT, NINE 20 AT A GRAND CENTRAL.
AND WHO DESPITE HAVING GROWN UP IN DS BERRY, HAS, HAS BEEN MY BEST FRIEND AND GREATEST CHEERLEADER EVER SINCE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VERY MUCH.
WHEN MAKING THE SELECTIONS, UH, FOR THE HALL OF EXCELLENCE, WE'VE ALWAYS TRIED NOT TO HAVE TWO FROM THE SAME CLASS AT THE SAME CEREMONY SO THAT WE CAN SPLIT THINGS UP A LITTLE BIT AND DIVIDE IT OUT, UH, O OVER, YOU KNOW, TIME.
UM, BUT THIS YEAR WE MADE AN EXCEPTION, UH, TO THE RULE.
UH, MICHAEL TIMNEY AND LOUIS PECK ARE VERY CLOSE, LIFELONG FRIENDS THROUGH THEIR YEARS TOGETHER.
IN SCHOOL AND ONTO THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS IN WASHINGTON.
UH, IT ONLY SEEMED FITTING THAT THEY BOTH BE INDUCTED TOGETHER.
UH, SO MILLIE AL SANCHEZ, UH, PLEASE COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT MICHAEL AND MICHAEL.
MICHAEL, WHERE ARE YOU? OH, GOOD.
UH, THAT'S THE CLASS OF 69 TAYLOR.
IT'S AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY FRIEND MICHAEL TIMNEY.
MICHAEL AND I HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER SINCE WE MET, AND THIS IS RILEY'S KINDERGARTEN CLASS AT ST.
WE SHARED NURSERY RHYMES, PENNY MILK, CONTAINERS, REST TIME, AND CANDY FROM THE CONVENT STORE.
NINE YEARS AFTER NINE YEARS TOGETHER AT ST.
WE GRADUATED TO THE NINTH GRADE AT HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL.
MICHAEL PROVED HIMSELF TO BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
HE WAS EDITOR OF THE 1968 YELLOW JACKET AND WAS DEEPLY ENGAGED IN THE GL AND SCHOOL CAMPAIGNS.
AS A FRESHMAN, HE HELPED AN UPPER CLASS WOMAN, A JUNIOR KAREN WILLIAMS, WHO WAS RUNNING FOR GL PRESIDENT.
BY HAVING HER FOCUS ON THE SEVENTH, EIGHTH, AND NINTH GRADE CLASSES, WHICH COULD ALL VOTE IN THE ELECTION, SHE WON PRETTY HANDILY.
AFTER THAT, MICHAEL WAS HOOKED.
WHILE GROWING UP IN HASTINGS, MICHAEL WAS INTRODUCED TO LOCAL AND NATIONAL POLITICS.
DURING THE HEADY TIMES OF J-F-K-R-F-K AND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, HE CREDITS THE OUTSTANDING HISTORY TEACHERS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL WITH ENCOURAGING HIM TO LOOK BEYOND OUR COMMUNITY TO UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
AFTER GRADUATING FROM HARPER COLLEGE, SUNY BINGHAMTON IN 1973, MICHAEL WENT ON TO WORK FOR 21 YEARS ON CAPITOL HILL, SERVING MEMBERS OF BOTH THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE US SENATE.
HE WAS GIVEN HIS START ON CAPITOL HILL BY US REPRESENTATIVES, SHIRLEY CHISHOLM.
HIS INTELLIGENCE AND HARD WORK WERE ACKNOWLEDGED, AND HE WENT ON TO WORK IN VARIOUS SENIOR POSITIONS, INCLUDING CHIEF OF STAFF TO FIVE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, INCLUDING CHUCK SCHUMER AND PATTY MURRAY.
HE ALSO, AT ONE TIME RAN THE LOCAL OFFICES OF OUR COMMERCE WHEN REPRESENTED PETER PIE.
AFTER HIS SUCCESS AND REWARDING CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE, MICHAEL JOIN JOINED CISCO SYSTEMS INCORPORATED IN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS WHERE HE WORKED FOR 26 YEARS, REPRESENTING THE COMPANY GLOBALLY ON SIX CONTINENTS.
WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE OF WASHINGTON AND GOVERNMENT, HE OPENED CISCO'S FIRST DC OFFICE IN 1998, SUPPORTING WORLDWIDE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, LEADERSHIP, AND US CISCO TECHNOLOGY POLICIES.
MICHAEL RETIRED FROM CISCO AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE ADVISOR FOR GOVERNMENT STRATEGY, LEAVING AN INDELIBLE MARK ON THE ROLE OF PRIVATE BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT COLLABORATION.
[01:20:01]
THIS PAST MAY, MICHAEL WAS AWARDED AN HONORARY DOCTORATE OF HUMANE LETTERS BY THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK.AT THIS MAZE, BINGHAMTON COMMENCEMENT, HE WAS RECOGNIZED FOR HIS LIFELONG DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE, HIS ADVOCACY FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, THE EXPANSION OF BROADBAND, AS WELL AS HIS EXCEPTIONAL CAREER IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS.
HE CURRENTLY SERVES ON THE BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND HAS ENDOWED A SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS SEEKING CAREERS IN PUBLIC SERVICE AND POLITICS.
NAMED FOR HIS PARENTS JOHN AND GRACE MCGUIRE.
MICHAEL HAS BEEN A LIFELONG LEARNER, MENTOR, ROLE MODEL INNOVATOR, A MAN OF INTEGRITY, AND A TRUE EXAMPLE OF THE QUALITY OF THE TALENT THAT HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCED HAS BEEN MARRIED TO HIS LOVELY WIFE, KATHY FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS, AND FATHER TO HIS TWO AMAZING AND SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN, MATTHEW AND GRACE.
IT IS MY GREAT HONOR TO INTRODUCE MY FRIEND MICHAEL TIMNEY AS HE'S INDUCTED INTO THE HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL HALL OF EXCELLENCE 1960.
OKAY, I DON'T THINK I CAN TOP THAT.
IT'S AN INCREDIBLE HONOR FOR ME TO BE INDUCTED INTO THIS HALL OF EXCELLENCE WHEN I GRADUATED 56 YEARS AGO.
I NEVER IMAGINED I WOULD BE STANDING HERE TONIGHT.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MILLIE.
NOT ONLY FOR THAT WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION, BUT FOR PUTTING MY NAME FORWARD FOR THIS HONOR, WHICH MEANS SO MUCH TO ME, MILLIE, OR AS SHE IS POPULARLY KNOWN, KATHY SANCHEZ.
AND, AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS, AS SHE SAID, FROM MRS. RILEY'S SINCE MRS. RILEY'S KINDERGARTEN CLASS, THE ST.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE ALUMNI COMMITTEE FOR INDUCTING ME INTO THIS HALL OF EXCELLENCE.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK MY TEACHERS FRIENDS IN THE VILLAGE AT LARGE FOR INSPIRING AND PREPARING ME FOR MY 50 YEAR CAREER ON CAPITOL HILL AND AT CISCO.
I'M ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO HAVE MY SISTER NANCY, HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY BROTHER JOHN, WHO PREVI, WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY INDUCTED INTO THE HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS HALL OF FAME.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO THANK MY WIFE KATHY FOR WHO HAS BEEN MY FANTASTIC PARTNER FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.
I WAS SO HAPPY THAT I WAS GOING TO JOIN LOUIS PECK IN BEING RECOGNIZED TONIGHT.
LOU AND I SHARE MANY BONDS, INCLUDING FOUR YEARS OF LATIN CLASS UNDER THE ESTEEMED MARY LOUISE CAMPBELL THOMPSON.
IT TURNS OUT THAT LATIN CLASS HAS HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON MY FUTURE CAREER IN OUR FRESHMAN YEAR, AS MILLIE, UH, TOLD US, WE WERE JOINED BY KAREN WILLIAMS, WHO MANY OF YOU WILL REMEMBER.
IN THE SPRING OF 1966, KAREN WAS NOMINATED FOR GEO PRESIDENT.
KAREN WAS CHARISMATIC, WARM, AND SMART.
I ASKED HER IF I COULD HELP HER WITH HER CAMPAIGN, AND SHE SAID YES, THE FIRST OF MANY CAMPAIGNS I WOULD WORK ON.
SHE WAS THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE RACE.
SO I SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS THE BOYS WHO WERE RUNNING MIGHT NOT FOCUS ON THE LITTLE KIDS ON THE SEVENTH GRADERS AND THE EIGHTH GRADERS, YET THEIR VOTES COUNTED JUST AS MUCH AS THE UPPERCLASSMEN.
KAREN TOOK THIS ADVICE AND ONE HANDILY, SO LITTLE FRESHMAN ME WAS NOW FRIENDS AND CONFIDANT OF THE NEW GEO PRESIDENT OF THE LANGUAGE
I LOVE THE EXPERIENCE AND IT TAUGHT ME SEVERAL THINGS.
POLITICS COULD BE A CAREER, IT BECAME A SPORT I WAS GOOD AT.
STEPPING UP CAN HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON OPPORTUNITY.
I COULD BE ACCEPTED BY PEOPLE MORE SENIOR THAN I.
I ENJOYED WORKING FOR AND WITH THEM.
POLITICS CAN BE A ROUGH GAME, BUT YOU CAN'T SHY AWAY FROM A FIGHT.
THAT LESSON ABOUT WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP STAYED WITH ME THROUGHOUT MY CAREER.
I WENT ON TO WORK FOR THREE WOMEN MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND AT CISCO, ALL OF ONE.
ALL BUT ONE OF MY BOSSES WERE HIGH RANKING WOMEN IN MY LIFE.
IF THE LATE KAREN WILLIAMS WERE HERE TODAY, I WOULD THANK HER FOR EVERYTHING SHE TAUGHT ME AND FOR ACCEPTING ME.
A THEN LOWLY NINTH GRADER AS HER ADVISOR, HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL, GAVE ME THE FOUNDATION FOR EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWED A CAREER THAT TOOK ME FROM CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER
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TO THE HALLS OF CONGRESS, TO THE TOP LEVELS OF SILICON VALLEY.SO LET ME JUST SAY THANK YOU TO THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AGAIN AND TO ALL OF YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT, AND THANK YOU FOR THIS TREMENDOUS HONOR.
UH, FOR OUR FINAL INDUCTION TONIGHT, I'D LIKE TO HAVE LINDSEY TAYLOR COME UP AND INTRODUCE JEAN ZIMMERMAN.
UM, JOSEA MA KNOWN GENE SINCE KINDERGARTEN, FIRST GRADE.
ANYWAY, UM, ANYWAY, UH, WE BOTH, UM, NOMINATED FOR THIS, UH, AWARD AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY THAT SHE DID IT.
JEAN ASKED ME NOT TO READ OFF HER BIO THAT HER HUSBAND ELOQUENTLY WROTE FOR ME.
SHE ASKED ME NOT TO RECITE HER NUMEROUS BOOKS THAT SHE PUBLISHED.
SHE'S GIVEN ARTIST, ARTIST RESIDENCY, UNIVERSITY DEGREES.
SO I AM LEFT WITH NOTHING, UH, WITH NOTHING DESPITE NOTHING EXCEPT FOR NOTING THAT DESPITE BEING FIRST GENERATION HASTINGS, SHE'S DEEP HASTINGS.
SHE GREW UP IN HASTINGS AND WENT TO HILLSIDE FARGATE AND HASTINGS HIGH, AS DID BOTH OF HER BROTHERS, UH, ANNIE AND PETER, ALTHOUGH I DID NOT KNOW HER.
THEN AFTER GRADUATING IN 1975, SHE WENT OFF TO COLLEGE AND STARTED HER CREATIVE LIFE OUT IN THE WORLD.
DURING THAT TIME,
MA MOD WENT THROUGH THE ENTIRE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SHE WENT THROUGH HILLSIDE FARGATE.
HASTINGS HIGH WAS A HUDSON NET, BUT I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW JEAN AT THE TIME.
A FEW YEARS LATER, HER NEPHEW STARTED AT THE HASTINGS SCHOOLS WHEN K THROUGH 12.
THEN
I DID NOT REALLY KNOW HER THEN EITHER.
AND THIS IS WHEN I GOT TO BE BECOME FRIENDS WITH JEAN.
NUMEROUS DINNERS, GARDEN PARTIES, MOVIE NIGHTS HAVE ENRICHED MY TIME LIVING BACK IN HASTINGS.
I ONLY MOVED BACK 10 YEARS AGO.
UM, SHE HAS HAD SOME DEEPLY KIND WORDS FOR ME AND PERSPECTIVES THAT HAVE GOT ME THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT TIMES, AND I'M HONORED TO CALL HER MY FRIEND.
AND THANK YOU HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FOR THIS HONOR.
FIRST A WORD ABOUT THIS, UH, NEWFANGLED TECHNOLOGY.
MY VOICE IS PRETTY PERMANENTLY ON THE FRITZ, A RESULT OF THE NEURODEGENERATIVE CONDITION A LS.
SO THANK YOU AI FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO CLONE MY PRIOR VOICE AND GIVE YOU THIS RENDITION OF MY ACCEPTANCE SPEECH.
WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS WOULD'VE THOUGHT I'D BE STANDING HERE TONIGHT.
WHAT I DID KNOW, WHAT I HAD ALWAYS KNOWN.
WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD, I FILLED COMPOSITION NOTEBOOKS WITH MY CHILDISH LOOP SIGNATURE SCRAWLED OVER AND OVER BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVED WRITERS DID.
THE HASTINGS SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE VILLAGE SHAPED ME IN WAYS THAT HELPED ME REALIZE MY DREAM TEACHERS.
LIKE MRS. WEINER AT HILLSIDE ON ONE REPORT CARD SHE WROTE WITH HER EASE IN SPEAKING, COUPLED WITH HER EXCELLENT READING ABILITY, I EVENTUALLY EXPECT TO HEAR ABOUT SOME TRULY IMAGINATIVE, CREATIVE WRITING NIECE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER BORE OUT HER PREDICTION.
THOSE YEARS WERE MORE ABOUT HILLSIDE WOODS DRIFTING THROUGH THAT ENCHANTED FOREST UNDER THE MOON, FANCY MYSELF BY TERMS A WITCH OR A GODDESS.
WE HUNG OUT IN THE MEADOW WHAT THE IMPOSSIBLY COOL OLDER KIDS TURNED AFRICA.
LOOKING BACK TO FIFTH GRADE AT FARGATE MIDDLE SCHOOL, MY MENTOR WAS KEVIN EDGAR.
HE PERCHED ON A DESK AND READ TO US FROM THE WIZARD OF OZ.
IN SIXTH GRADE, MS. BONDER MADE
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AN IMPACT WHEN SHE LECTURED THE CLASS WHILE CHOPPING ON AN APPLE.I LEARNED THEN THAT BEING DIFFERENT FROM EVERYONE ELSE, EVEN ECCENTRIC, BORDERING ON WEIRD COULD BE AN ACCEPTABLE WAY TO GO ABOUT LIFE.
IN HIGH SCHOOL, I DIDN'T DO CONSISTENTLY WELL.
I REMEMBER ONE MATH TEACHER SLAMMING A BOOK ON MY DESK TO WAKE ME UP.
I WASN'T SLEEPING THOUGH, JUST DAYDREAMING.
I ENGAGED IN A FUNNY FANDANGO WEAVING A HAMMOCK WITH MY LONGTIME PAL JOSEPH OF
WE PERSUADED THE POWERS THAT NEED TO GIVE US GYM CREDIT FOR THAT PROJECT.
SPEAKING OF THE BURN, WHO CAN FORGET THE ELEPHANT TREE? THE GIGANTIC COPPER BEACH SCENE OF FRIENDSHIP, ROMANCE.
PROBABLY MY MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT IN HIGH SCHOOL WAS EXTRACURRICULAR, HELPING TO ORGANIZE THE FAT CAT COFFEE HOUSE IN THE BASEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
ACADEMICALLY, THOUGH, THE THING THAT ROCKED MY WORLD WAS AP ENGLISH WITH THE LEGENDARY CHARLES ASHMAN
ONCE I MOVED ON TO COLLEGE, I SAW THAT ASHLAND'S CLASS WAS MORE INSPIRING AND MORE CHALLENGING THAN ANY SEMINAR I TOOK.
I'M GRATEFUL TO MY HUSBAND, GIL BILL, AND TO OUR DAUGHTER MA.
WHEN WE BECAME A FAMILY, GIL AND I DECIDED TO SETTLE IN THE VILLAGE.
MA MADE US PROUD AS SHE WENT THROUGH THE THE HASTINGS SCHOOL SYSTEM AS WELL.
I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE AS A WRITER TO EXPLORE SO MANY DIFFERENT WORLDS TO GO ON AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AND YAK WITH JET JOCKS TO IMMERSE MYSELF IN THE SECRETS OF ANCIENT GREECE TO PLUNGE INTO THE GILDED AGE MANHATTAN OF DEBUTANTES AND SOCIETY BALLS, OR THE NITTY GRITTY OF THE DUTCH BEAVER TRADE IN NEW AMSTERDAM.
MOST RECENTLY, WHEN I BECAME AN ARBORIST, I DECIDED TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT THE AMAZING TREE WORLD AND ABOUT CONFRONTING THIS BEAST OF A DISEASE.
LOOKING BACK ON MY EDUCATION YEARS LATER, I'M STRUCK BY HOW AS MUCH AS I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A WRITER, I WOULD NEVER HAVE GONE ON TO BE A POET THEN TO AUTHOR NONFICTION AND NOVELS, AND NOW A MEMOIR, IF NOT FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF MY HASTINGS TEACHERS AND ALSO THE FREEDOM I ENJOY WANDERING THROUGH HILLSIDE WOODS AT NIGHT, HEARING THE WIND IN THE TREETOPS.
HHS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FOR THIS HONOR.
TO QUOTE MARK DYLAN, I HAVE NOTHING BUT AFFECTION FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SAILED WITH ME.
ALL RIGHT, STAN, MORE CHAIRS FROM THE BLEACHERS.
UM, I THANK YOU PRESENTERS AND HONOREES.
YOU'VE MADE THIS YET ANOTHER WONDERFULLY SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
UH, BEFORE WE CONCLUDE THE, UH, FESTIVITIES, THERE'S A FEW THINGS I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, FINISH ON.
UM, ON BEHALF OF THE HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, WE WANT TO THANK ALL THE ALUMNI, FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS AND CLASSMATES FOR JOINING US FOR THIS SPECIAL ALUMNI EVENT.
UH, A SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED MAKE THE EVENT POSSIBLE.
THERE ARE MANY, BUT LET'S BEGIN WITH LORRAINE USHER AND NANCY ESKA.
THEY TOOK OVER, UH, THE HALL OF EXCELLENCE AS CO-CHAIRS FROM, UH, MYRNA GISH, WHO DID IT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND, UH, THEY, THEY PUT TOGETHER A VERY GOOD SELECTION COMMITTEE.
AND THIS YEAR WE HAD 15 NOMINATIONS.
UM, AND WE COULD ONLY OF COURSE, DO SO MANY, UH, WITHOUT GETTING A BANQUET HALL AND BEING HERE ANOTHER IN TWO OR THREE HOURS
UH, WE'D RUN OUT OF FOOD FOR SURE.
UM, SO IN ADDITION TO, SO RUNNING THE, UH, UH, SELECTION COMMITTEE, UH, THEY ALSO DID ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS, UH, FOR, FOR THE BANQUET TONIGHT, ALONG WITH, UH, NANCY GAGLIARDI
[01:35:01]
WHO HELPED OUT WITH A LOT OF THE DECLARATIONS AND, AND SUPPORT OF, OF THEM BOTH.ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, ALAN FINE FOR BEING MY CO MC.
I KNOW, UM, I HAD IT ARRANGED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY, BUT HE WANTED ME TO TAKE IT AT THE END, AND I, I KNOW WHY, BECAUSE HE WENT BACK FOR A SECOND BOWL OF ICE CREAM
UM, AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK RAT RAZZI AND FOR ONCE AGAIN,
UM, THIS, THIS WHOLE CEREMONY DOES GO UP ON OUR, OUR WEBSITE EVENTUALLY.
UM, SO IF, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, UH, YOU KNOW, CHECK OUT HOH ALUMNI.ORG, UM, OR SEND AN EMAIL TO INFO@HOHALUMNI.ORG AND WE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN, UH, THE, UM, VIDEO IS UP, UP AND RUNNING.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, SUMMING UP, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO THE PEOPLE I'VE MENTIONED, ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUS IN, UH, GETTING THIS TOGETHER TONIGHT.
UH, IT'S, UH, BEEN A HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRODUCTION.
UM, WE ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR CATERERS WHO ARE IN THE KITCHEN RIGHT NOW, THE BISTRO HOUSE.
UM, WE KNOW THEM AS THE BISTRO BOYS, UM, AND THEY'VE DONE A TERRIFIC JOB FOR US, UH, AND, AND OF COURSE, UM, FOR THE SOUTH SIDE CLUB FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THAT THEY'VE GIVEN TO THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
SO, UH, JUST A COUPLE THINGS I I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, POINT OUT TOO BEFORE WE, WE CLOSE.
UM, THIS YEAR EARLIER, UH, IN THE PROGRAM YOU MET, UH, RICHARD, TOM AND, UH, RICHARD HAS GENEROUSLY, UH, DONATED HIS SEASON TICKETS, UH, TO THE NEW YORK GIANTS, WHICH WE HELD A RAFFLE FOR EARLY IN THE YEAR.
SO, UH, AND HE SAYS HE'D LIKE TO DO THAT AGAIN, I THINK, OR MAYBE THE GIANTS.
SO RICHARD, THANK YOU, UM, FOR, FOR THE DONATION, WE RAISED SOME MONEY FOR THAT, WHICH ALL GOES.
SO THE HASTINGS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION'S A NOT-FOR-PROFIT, UH, ORGANIZATION DOING GREAT THINGS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF GRADS AND THE HASTINGS COMMUNITY.
UH, THIS PAST JUNE WE AWARDED 20 WIDE RANGING SCHOLARSHIPS, UH, TO HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL, GRADUATING SE SENIORS TOTALING $29,750.
THE GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS THAT MAKE THESE AWARDS POSSIBLE IS TESTIMONY TO THE GENEROSITY OF PAST GENERATIONS OF ALUMNI LEADING A LENDING, A HELPING HAND TO, TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF GRADS.
UM, AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR HISTORY.
WE WERE FORMED, INCORPORATED, UH, 25 YEARS AGO.
AND, UH, IN HONOR OF THAT ON UH, NOVEMBER 8TH, WE ARE CELEBRATING THE 25TH GALA, WHICH WILL BE AT THE NEWINGTON CROP FOUNDATION, AND TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
UM, WE, WE WILL HAVE, UH, IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING PART OF THE INGS ALUMNI COMMUNITY, UM, WE WILL HAVE SILENT AUCTION, UM, GIFT BASKETS AS RAFFLES, UM, A JOURNAL, UH, THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TAKING ADS OUT IN.
UM, THE FOUNDATION IS DONATING THE USE OF THE BUILDING AND AS WELL AS THE FOOD.
SO IT MAKES, IT MAKES THAT A LOT OF THE MONEY THAT WE WILL RAISE THAT NIGHT WILL GO TOWARDS THE SCHOLARSHIPS AND THE TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE.
UM, IF YOU'RE NOT AN ACTIVE MEMBER, UH, PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING FOR $25 A YEAR, AND YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR THAT ON OUR WEBSITE OR FACEBOOK, UM, WEBSITE AGAIN IS HOH ALUMNI.ORG.
UH, I THINK THAT ABOUT WRAPS IT UP.
SO, UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S IT, UNLESS YOU, THANKS EVERYBODY.