It is at least a couple of years since I have attempted to write anything along these lines; I have had a note from webmaster Ron Abbey – in Tavares, Florida, who has kept this Site open for about a decade and he suggested that I might add something in the order of what I used to churn out for the Peekskill Herald and for Tommy Antonucci’s magazines.

Let’s get started:

I’m not sure about the general knowledge concerning OUR Peekskill High School building, more recently the Peekskill Middle School, which is soon to be demolished to make way for a new state-of-the-art Middle School on the same site. Construction of the latter is moving along nicely and it should be ready for occupancy by September for the start of the 2008-2009 school year.

Our City Historian, John Curran, PHS 1963- has a pile of commemorative booklets concerning OUR Peekskill High School, sponsored by the class of 1951, spearheaded by Bernie Yudowitz, and John tells me that copies can be had by contacting him at the Peekskill Museum, 914-736-0473 or at brainman2u@yahoo.com and the cost will be Two Dollars to cover handling and mailing charges. It really is well worthwhile, and once the wrecking ball had done away with the building this may be the only real reference to memories which one may have. (My copy of the Searchlight, which I took to our fiftieth anniversary reunion, disappeared that night. If someone out there from the Class of 1943 has an extra copy with nice things said about “Jack” or “John” it might very well be mine and I’d love to have it back.)

There has been much concern about the preservation of those lovely murals dating from the 1930′s. I’m told that, once again, Bernie and his group are making a real effort to have them removed properly and that a suitable, display space for them be found somewhere in the community. It is a really tough job, as I understand it. The Homestyle Bakery on Water Street, which makes the best NewYork-Style cheesecake, regularly hires youngsters from the High School to work behind the counter; last Spring, I was shopping there and the young lady waiting on me was wearing one of the those Tee-shirts with a full list of the current year’s graduating class printed thereon; “Class of 2007, I asked her, “I was the Class of 1943.” “Oh, my God” she replied.

The other day I was standing on line at the Peekskill Post Office just behind Phil Hersh; Lou Panzanaro, Jr. was just behind me. Our conversation, naturally enough turned to sports and the progress of Lou’s PHS basketball team this year. They swept the regular season’s schedule and as of this writing they have won the Sectionals and are marching toward the Fourth Straight New York State Championship; a truly remarkable feat. Phil says that Lou is the finest high school basketball coach in the United States and I won’t argue with that assessment.

Lou’s father, now 93 years old, was one of my childhood heroes when he played with the Armory Big Five basketball team in the years just before World War 11. Lou Sr. was a fine PHS player who was offered a full scholarship to play with Claire Bee’s LIU team, then among the finest in the Country. In those Great Depression years a job which made a little money was important to families. Lou, Sr. never misses a practice nor a game.

Lou, Jr. went out for basketball in High School and didn’t make the cut; he was edged out by a classmate, one George Pataki, who went into another line of work. Phil went to college at Arizona State, where Bobby Valentine was his roommate and good friend. Phil has been Bobby’s lawyer and confidante ever since. He tells me that Valentine’s team in Japanese major league baseball is starting spring training for this season. He also told me that a documentary film is being made for Japanese television about Valentine and his team and Valentine told him that Andrew Jenks, whose family resides just down the street from Phil’s family, is making the film.

Andrew’s mom, Nancy is a nurse with Hudson River Health Care. It is, to coin a phrase, a small world, and all roads seem to lead to Peekskill.

Plans are in place for the nineteenth annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Peekskill on March 15 th , a Saturday afternoon, and Vincent “Fitz” Vesce is this year’s Grand Marshall, who will don the traditional top hat with, I’m sure, a lot of pride. This parade is usually the most fun of any parade during the course of the year, with a lot of smiling youngsters joining the line of march. Joe Brady’s pipes will lead the way. It really is more of a stroll than a martial parade, with the tempo set by the shortest legs of the shortest child along the way. Many of the detachments have special routines worked out for performance before the guests of honor on the reviewing stand so the relatively short distance takes a lot of time to be traversed, and no one seems to mind a bit. All of those who practiced many hours at step-dancing classes all winter long will have the chance to show off their progress.

I I am not really sure whether this article is what Ron had in mind; I shall send it off to him and if it meets with his approval perhaps we can continue on a relatively regular basis. It would be good for my ego; perhaps you would enjoy what I have to say from time to time.

In the mean time, be very good to each other.

c.2008 Jack Burns