“To make GAA great... communicate and participate”

VOL. II, No. 10 _____________________________________________ December, 2004

We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas,

we wish you a Merry Christmas . . . and a

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

General Membership Meeting

The annual general membership meeting of the Galileo Alumni Association will be held on Thursday, January 13, 2005, at 6:30 pm in Room 210 at the Galileo Academy. All members are urged to attend as the revised by-laws will be presented for ratification.

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Newly-Elected Officers Announced

The newly-elected officers of the Board of Directors of GAA were announced at the November meeting of the Board. They are: Jim Dresser (1951) – President; Bernard Valdez (1949) – Vice President; Joe Scafidi (1950) – Treasurer; and Janet Sullivan Neilsen (1953) – Secretary. They will assume their duties in January.

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School Spirit and Alumni Spirit

(an editorial)

School spirit is a driving force that is present especially during athletic contests and other school events. It is embodied in the desire to belong to a group of single-minded students intent on furthering the achievements of their school. They form a cohesive unit that drives the machinery of the school. Just attend a football game or the Song and Yell Contest, and you’ll see what we mean.

Alumni, by their nature, are going to be laid back. After all, many of us are not spring chickens. Yet we have the pride of alumni that students who are in the midst of classes don’t have the time to show. Alumni can look back on their student days and recall the good and bad times, the teachers they had, the classes they attended, the sports they played and watched, and the activities they participated in. Participation is harder to come by as school and classmate ties are lost. If we adhere to the motto, “Once a Galilean, always a Galilean,” we should not let our ties be broken. The key to preventing this from happening is communication followed by participation. Mel Chiarenza (Class of 1952) recently introduced the slogan, “To make GAA great, communicate and participate.” To paraphrase another writer, participation is something for you to do, not just something for you to have done to you or for you. This is a strong call to ALL alumni to come forward, make yourselves known, and get involved in GAA. If you do, you will have converted school spirit into alumni spirit and have helped to make GAA great.

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Joan Lucchesi Ertola Scholarship Award Established

Through the generosity of the Ron Ertola family, the Joan Lucchesi Scholarship Award has been established. An annual scholarship award of $1,000 or more will be presented to a worthy Galileo senior student.

To be eligible for the award, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Be graduating in June of each calendar year.

2. Currently be a student at Galileo with all high school credits earned at the school.

3. Have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

4. Continue on to a community college or four-year college.

5. Show an outstanding commitment to the school, student activities and the community.

Application:

1. The Galileo Scholarship Committee will consider completed applications.

2. Personal statement: Plans for the future. Why they feel deserving of the award. Information about themselves, family, background and educational achievements and goals, etc.

3. Two letters of recommendation from a counselor, teacher, faculty member or employer.

Interested persons are invited to make contributions to the scholarship fund by mailing their donations to Galileo Academy of Science and Technology, 1150 Francisco Street, San Francisco, CA 94109. Please make checks payable to Joan Lucchesi Ertola Scholarship Fund.

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December happenings: It’s that time of year, office parties, lunches, dinners, gift-giving, family gatherings for the holidays . . . various groups have their annual lunches involving alumni and friends. Seems most of them take place at Caesar’s Restaurant or Pompei’s. Jim Dresser attended three such affairs in a single week at Caesar’s. Jim recommended several restaurants for us to try – The Firefly, A16, Delfina, Chez Papa, and we have placed them on our list. He also raved about “White Christmas”, the Irving Berlin musical now playing at the Curran Theatre. Bill Dito has reservations for later this month.

The Four Meatballs (minus one) will meet for their annual Christmas dinner at the Buckeye Roadhouse in Mill Valley on December 16^th. The missing Meatball, Ben Dito (1951), passed away earlier this year, but will be there in spirit, chiming in with harmony on the ukelele. The group includes Art Leones, Jim Dresser and Paul Lamphere (who was born on the same day as yours truly) and will be joined by some long time friends: Cliff Righetti (who was in kindergarten with Ben and me), Bob Figone (Washington High, 1953), Paul Guidry and Jim Cunningham, the “famous photographer”, sans camera. Jim photographed me with Actress Sharon Stone at the restaurant three years ago, but Costco lost the film.

Principal Margaret Chiu proudly announces that Galileo is nearing its enrollment limit. Recently parents and students attended the School Fair at Bill Graham Auditorium. The Galileo R. O. T. C. placed first in competition, beating out Lowell High School. It was the first time Lowell had not placed first overall. Galileo is also applying for the California Distinguished School Award and the California Technical and Career Distinguished Award. Go Lions!

Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer: What did your parents want you to be? Mine wanted me to be a doctor.

From the back of my mind: Babe Ruth never took steroids. Instead he drank beer and ate hotdogs (a lot of them).

Question I should ask Dr. Bill Wattenburg: Why do cats’ eyes shine in the dark?

Personal thought for the year-end: Life is so good, a natural high. A smile, a sunset, an innocent animal. Friends, relatives, strangers. Helping someone in need when they don’t ask for it. A thoughtful gesture when it is not expected.

Thought for always: Helen Keller said: “Never bend your head, always hold it high. Look the world straight in the face.”

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Save this date. Spread the word. Bring your family.

WHAT: “The Wiz,” presented by the Belasco Theater Company

WHEN: Saturday, February 12, 2005, at 2:00 pm.

WHERE: Del Valle Theater, 1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek, CA.

COST: $20.00 per ticket

Buy your tickets early! The GAA has reserved a block of tickets for this sponsored event. Ed Belasco, an alumnus of Galileo High School, is the producer/director of this show. Those of you who have seen past performances, such as “Annie” and “Flower Drum Song,” know you will be in for a big treat. Ed has gathered some of the best youth talent in the area. Make this a fun day and get together with your friends/family after the show for dinner in the Walnut Creek area.

Please mail your check payable to GAA ($20.00 per ticket) along with your name and address to: Janet Neilsen, 2974 Limestone Road, Alamo, CA 94507. If you have questions, please call 925-837-8664 or email janneilsen@juno.com.

Deadline to purchase tickets: January 20, 2005.

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GALILEO SPORTS HALL OF FAME
INDUCTEE DINNER

Seating is limited, so submit check with your contact information ASAP. Deadline for reservations is April 30, 2005.

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Reno 50s Reunion

Wednesday, May 4th, 2005 - Friday, May 6th, 2005

The flyers (over 200) went out via US snail mail this weekend to those who attended in the year 2000.  All classes, family and friends are welcome to join the group & hopefully the application forms will be shared.

Contact phone numbers are Alfred Jeung 415-5013, Alvin Joe 650-3418642, Dawson Lee 408-266-1532, Ernie Russo 415-897-7254.

Cost: $180.  SINGLE OCCUPANCY, WED. RECEPTION (FREE HORS D’OEUVRES)

THURSDAY, DINNER & DANCING TO DJ MUSIC.

Cost: $250   DOUBLE OCCUPANCY, WED. RECEPTION (FREE HORS D’OEUVRES)

THURSDAY, DINNER & DANCING TO DJ MUSIC.

Reservations will be limited. FULL PAYMENT due no later than March 20, 2005.

The flyer has an area with food selection, golf  and slot information.

Make checks payable to "Galileo 50's Reunion"

Mail to: Jennie Wong Lee

640 27th Ave.    SF  CA 94121

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LETTERS

Hi! I’d like to know where Mr. Enos’ wife got a custom Gal jacket made? –Richard Lee (1964).

Editor’s Note: Please call Rusty or Dolores Enos at (telephone number supplied to Richard by email) for information.

Pink’s? That gastronomic disaster? Pass me the Tums. Next time take a detour to Teds in Aliso Viejo, Orange County. The fish and chips cover a full platter. But order only 2 pieces of fish. I once ordered 4 pieces despite the help’s warning. Had to walk 5 miles to digest the giant portions. Trader Joe’s? I always overspend; too many good things, wine just one among them.

Upscale restaurants in L. A. Try Valentino’s. Wish I could remember the name of a pizza joint on La Cienega, a short distance below Pico Blvd. Best kept secret upscale restaurant in town. Behind the pizza joint is an elegant back room with a superior menu.

On the subject of pizza, I introduced my college chums to that delicacy. But, in those years, finding a place that served it was almost impossible. In North Beach I was treated as an alien from Mars when I asked for it. “Oh, you musta be froma da back East; we donta maka it here.” Finally, after much searching (because my friends were increasingly curious about the item) we located a restaurant in San Mateo, of all places. Much later we found a restaurant in downtown San Francisco that also served it. Then, a few years later, even Woolworth’s on Market Street offered pizza. But North Beach still puzzles me. – Harvey Tepfer (1946)

Editor’s Note: I didn’t need Tums for my delicious Pink’s hotdog. Thousands of Los Angelenos can’t be wrong! In fact, I had two hotdogs. Pizza is everywhere now. Wolfgang Puck has a gourmet pizza. A16, a hot new San Francisco restaurant in the Marina, specializes in it. When I was a mere 15 years old, my church’s basketball coach treated the team to a pizza dinner on Broadway in North Beach. He ordered an extra large pizza for each of us! I burned my inner lip on the hot pizza (it was my first experience) and felt it for days.

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GAA DONATIONS

$600 to The Pendulum

$500 to the Dragon Boat Race

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GALILEO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
FINANCIAL STATEMENT

November 1, 2004 – November 30, 2004

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See GAA’s alumni page in The Galileo Pendulum

beginning in January, 2005!

To receive your free copy by postal mail, join GAA by sending in

your donation of $25 today!

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WRITERS/REPORTERS WANTED!

For articles and stories on alumni, events, whereabouts of graduates for this newsletter. No mastery of English required, just your willingness to communicate and participate. Contact the Editor.

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If you would like to promote your Galileo event on the GAA website

editorgalileoobserver@yahoo.com and/or webmaster@www.galileoalumni.org.

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The OBSERVER Is For All

Galileo alumni, family, friends, students, faculty . . . anybody and everybody, The Observer is for you. If you haven’t already done so, send in the email addresses of anyone you know who would like to receive a FREE emailed newsletter every month or so. We’d like to reach as wide a range of readers as possible. Send the email addresses to: Webmaster@www.galileoalumni.org.

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Correction: In the last issue of The Observer, we incorrectly listed the time for the Galileo graduation ceremony as 6:30 pm. It will take place at 2:00 pm. The correct time is listed below.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

January 13, 2004 – GAA General Membership Meeting, Galileo, Room 210, 6:30 pm
Revised by-laws will be ratified by those present

February 12, 2005 – Belasco Productions’ The Wiz, Walnut Creek

April 17, 2005– Dragon Boat Tournament, Lake Merced

May 21, 2005 – Galileo Sports Hall of Fame Dinner, SF Italian Athletic Club

June 8, 2005– Galileo Academy Graduation Ceremony, Masonic Auditorium, 2:00 pm

(Additional information on these and other events at www.galileoalumni.org.)

 BACK ISSUES OF THE GALILEO OBSERVER CAN BE VIEWED AT WWW.GALILEOALUMNI.ORG.

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IMPORTANT

For all EDITORIALLY-RELATED comments or suggestions, please address your emails to www.editorgalileoobserver@yahoo.com.

For all TECHNICAL problems (non-receipt of newsletter, etc.), address your emails to webmaster@www.galileoalumni.org.

Thank you.

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The Galileo Observer invites your letters, memories, inquiries and suggestions. All submissions are subject to editing. Send them by email to: editorgalileoobserver@yahoo.com, or by postal mail to: Galileo Observer, care of Galileo Alumni Association, 1150 Francisco Street, San Francisco, CA 94109.

GAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President: Jim Dresser (1951)
Vice President: Bernard Valdez (1949)
Secretary: Janet Sullivan Neilsen (1953)
Treasurer: Joe Scafidi (1950)

Directors
Mel Chiarenza (1953)
Frank Clima (1951)
Nina Pattini Clima (1950)
Diane Wall Cowart (1965)
Sisvan Der Harootunian (1951)
Monica Parenti Kirkland (1953)
Kay Lazzari Michelis (1953)
Fred Setting (1950)
Cordy Porter Surdyka (1953)
Augie Venezia (1953)

Committee Chairpersons
Public Relations: Cordy Porter Surdyka (1953)
Membership: Diane Wall Cowart (1965)
Database: Mel Chiarenza (1953)
By-laws: Monica Parenti Kirkland (1953)
Communications (Newsletter): Sisvan Der Harootunian (1951)
Webmaster: Vaughn Spurlin (1960)

FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION, VISIT THE GALILEO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WEBSITE,
WWW.GALILEOALUMNI.ORG.

Comments? Contact the Galileo Observer editor
last updated 18December2004
© 2002, 2003, 2004 Galileo Academy of Science and Technology Alumni Association of San Francisco