Shaker Heights High School
Class Of 1962
Our Pride is Showing
We will be posting here your accomplishments, accolades, honors, tributes, achievements, and triumphs that bring you satisfaction and pride…… along with any interesting little anecdote or information about you, your children or grandchildren (or GREAT-grandchildren) you'd like to share. We hope you will take the time to share your pride with classmates and longtime friends. Now is the time and this is the place to do it!
August 15, 2022
Gail Bass Arnoff
I was one of two 2022 Mentors of the Year for the College Now program, which mentors college students who are the first in their family to attend college. Sandy, my third mentee, will attend OSU's College of Optometry. Nia is a teacher in Houston, Texas, and Athena ia a doctor in NY. I am looking forward to mentoring another student starting in the fall. I also mentor international students from Case and JCU. My current mentee, who will receive a PhD in Nursing from Case in 5/23, is here from Oman with her three young children. I have loved getting to know students from Rwanda, Belize, Greece, Japan, China, Honduras, and Tanzania.
August 9, 2022
Gail Kronheim Neustadt
Thank you to Cheryl Lester Siegel and her committee for arranging, yet another high school reunion, our 60th, but who’s counting? Reconnecting in September 2022 will be especially significant given the dwindling circle of our classmates.
In preparation for this gathering, I’m eager to share my status as a published writer and my subsequent Blog, “Sky Writing,” which can be found on my new website at www.authordylanweiss.com.
Hoping that some of you have a chance to take a look, share your thoughts and let me know if you wish to be added to the MailChimp reader list.
Please join me as I share the back story of my writing career on my website blog, “Sky Writing,” at www.authordylanweiss.com. See ya soon!
Gail Neustadt AKA Dylan Weiss 
March 14, 2022
Ellen Bravo
Our classmate and friend, Ellen Bravo, has a new novel out titled, Standing Up: Tales of Struggle, written with her husband, Larry Miller. The book highlights those Imbolo Mbue calls the “deliberately unheard” — the people who clean bloodied hospital sheets, forge parts for sewer pipes, arrange flights, process checks, all while caring for kids and relationships and wrestling with multiple forms of oppression. Bravo and Miller share the moments when people grasp that oppression isn’t normal or inevitable, that change is possible and that they can be part of the change. As the characters slow down, stand up, form unions, leave an abusive relationship, or stir up good trouble, they entertain and enlighten, make us laugh and rage, encourage us to love deeply, and to keep finding ways to fight for justice.
You can order Standing Up from Hardball Press or from your independent bookseller. Go to ellenbravo.com for more information and upcoming events. Let Ellen know if you want to help plan a virtual event for our classmates!
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*January 3, 2020
Dorothy Tapper
Our classmate and friend, Dorothy Tapper Goldman, is proud to share with us that selections from her foundation, COLONISTS, CITIZENS, CONSTITUTIONS, will be exhibited at The New York Historical Society 27 February-- 30 May 2020. The exhibit will have very rare Americana founding documents. Beginning in June, this exhibit will travel to the Museum of the American Revolution from 12 June--5 July 2020. Dorothy's copy of the Declaration of Independence will be exhibited at Asia Society (NY) along with 2 pieces commissioned by famous Chinese artists who will respond to the document; 3 June-30 September. Dorothy cordially invites us to visit the exhibit of selections from her foundation. Her catalog/ book, titled COLONISTS, CITIZENS, CONSTITUTIONS is available on Amazon. The website will be available for viewing by the end of January 2020: www.colonistscitizensconstitutions.com Dorothy writes, "There is an elegant forward in the book by my dear friend, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. VISIT and ALWAYS VOTE!"
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December 11, 2017
Jim Mittelman
Our classmate and friend, Jim Mittelman's new book is titled Implausible Dream: The World-Class University and Repurposing Higher Education, published by Princeton University Press. "It addresses a major societal issue: the political and economic impact of the shifting missions of knowledge institutions. Weighing into public debates about higher education, I explain why the “world-class” paradigm of excellence prevalent today is untenable for most universities and propose alternative ways forward."
October 11, 2017
Gail Kronheim Neustadt
Congratulations to our friend, classmate, and independent author, Gail Kronheim Neustadt, whose book, Sebastian's Tale, was selected as a finalist in the 2017 TAZ (The Authors' Zone) Author Awards.
Gail writes: “Sebastian’s Tale,” by Dylan Weiss (my pen name) is winning an award! It's the first book in “Skunk Tales Trilogy,” published in October 2016 by Red Engine Press. It’s prequel, “Norton’s Tale” was just published a few months ago and I’m working on the third, “Abigale’s Tale” now.
“Sebastian’s Tale” is thought to be the only book published for tweens through adults that addresses the perils of unconventional natural gas extraction (fracking) which has taken a terrible toll on the beautiful Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as other states. Fracking causes irreparable harm to the air we breathe, the water we drink, and threatens life itself. As an allegorical fantasy, the animal characters tell the tale! I write in honor of my greatest treasures, my children and grandchildren as well as future generations hoping to motivate readers to become involved in the protection of our environment." Click here for Gail's website (to be accessed through your browser rather than Google). http://www.skunktalestrilogy.com.
September 17, 2017
Gerry Hawes
Congratulations to our classmate and friend, Gerry Hawes, on the following:
Forty-five (45) were Selected for Prestigious Individual Medal Awards
During an awards banquet, held in the historic Menger Hotel in San Antonio, on September 9th, the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) announced its 2017 Medal Winners. The award recipients were listed in alphabetical order by Genre-Subcategory, medal won, and book title.
Literary Fiction -- Silver Medal
QL 4, by James Garrison
* The Albatross, by Gerry Hawes
Maine author and Gilmanton resident Gerry Hawes, who recently was awarded the Silver Award in Literary Fiction at the Military Writers Association of America's annual convention, visits Gibson's Bookstore to share his novel The Albatross, which follows the life of commercial airline pilot Jack Rheinstrom and the protagonist’s near-death experience and real-life struggles. Without revealing too much, the book pivots on the tragic flight of United Flight 811 in 1989. The Boeing 747 was 16 minutes into its journey to Sydney, Australia when the cargo door suddenly popped open at 22,000 feet and nine passengers exited the flight and fell to their deaths.
About the author: Like all boys, Gerry Hawes had a romantic dream---his was to someday fly a plane. And that he did, first in the Air Force in peace, but also later in the Vietnam Nam War, where he was awarded the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. But his ultimate goal was "the airlines," which he finally achieved. He has seen a lot of things up there during 50 years in the skies and he would very much like for you to join him. Just for a while---he has something to say.
(see the first Our Pride is Showing entry about Gerry's book, The Albatross at the bottom of this page)
August 14, 2017
Gerry Hawes
Good News! Gerry Hawes' book, The Albatross, has scored high enough to qualify as one of The Military Writers Society of America's 2017 Award Finalists. This means that he has won either a Gold, Silver or Bronze medal. On behalf of the Shaker Class of 1962, I offer Gerry our congratulations on a job well done.
(see the initial, Our Pride is Showing entry about Gerry's book, The Albatross, below )
July 17, 2017
Jonathan Green ( Johnny ) shares the folllowing announcement:
As the Road Captain of American Legion Riders chapter 132 in Oro Valley, AZ, I am riding my Harley-Davidson in the 2017 Legion Legacy Ride from Dodge City, Kansas to Reno, Nevada 8/12 to 8/17/2017. This is a 1400 mile run and I will be riding another 1800 miles to get there and back. Legacy Run is a fund-raiser for scholarships for the children of post-9/11 KIA & 50% or more disabled veterans. I am doing this at my own expense to raise money for the Legion's Legacy Fund. Will you donate? Go to Legion.org. Click the "donate" box and select "Legacy Fund" from the drop-down choices. I will not know that you have taken me up on this so let me know through this website if you do. Thank you!
June 18, 2017
Richard Hugh Schwachter, our classmate and friend, wrote a memoir entitled "The Imperfect Logic of the Heart" concerning codependency. There is a chapter dealing with Shaker Heights High School that might be interesting to some of you. The book and Kindle edition can be found on Amazon.
Another classmate and friend, Ellen Bravo, has published a book. She writes:
"My novel, Again and Again, is a good read for yourself and friends and family who love a good political thriller." Here's the description:
If sexual shenanigans disqualified candidates for Congress, the U.S. would have no government. But what if the candidate wasn’t a garden-variety adulterer? What if he was a pro-choice Republican supported by feminist groups – and also a college rapist whose secret could be exposed by a leading women’s rights advocate? One woman’s choice could determine control of the Senate, the course of a friendship, and the fate of a marriage.
You can read testimonials here and order at your favorite independent bookstore or online here.
* The first entry to Our Pride is Showing is submitted by, Gerry Hawes, our classmate and friend, who is the author of a newly released novel, The Albatross. Gerry, the recipient of the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, is just the one to write such a compelling story and authoritative accounting of life in the world of commercial airlines. Many of us who read the book will recognize familiar names from our very special class of 1962!
Autographed copies of The Albatross, are available for purchase directly from Gerry Hawes ( email: ghawes7693@aol.com ).
Soft-bound edition $18.95 No tax and free shipping
Hard-bound edition $24.95 No tax plus shipping
Although non-autographed books are available on Amazon.com, if you order The Albatross through Gerry he will personally endorse it and also absorb the shipping cost for the soft-bound edition only.