Gail Weintraub (Stern)

Check out the Home Page for new reunion dates for our 75+1 Birthday Reunion in 2022.

Nancy Messer

Today I had my second cataract surgery at CEI (Cincinnati Eye Institute).  Obviously I don't know how successful everything was but I wanted to mention something that's involved in the process.  There are 3 different eyedrop medications that are required and can be a real pain to keep track of.  CEI deals with a compounding pharmacy in Montana that combines all 3 medicines in one so you're dealing with 1 drop however many times a day it's needed.  That's a lot easier than the old way of doing it.  If you will be having cataract surgery,  ask the provider how the practice deals with the eyedrop prescriptions. 

Florence (Now Jean) Ager

CATARACT SURGERY:  A CAVEAT 

       Congrats on completing your eye surgery, Nancy. I am confident you will be pleased with the outcome.and wish you well. Thanks for your suggestion about combined drops afterward. It is not surprising that CIncinnati Eye Institute has introduced this convenience, 

       CEI  has long been at the forefront of cataract surgery. Dr. Osher, now Director Emeritus, has developed many of the IOLs and surgical instruments used in cataract surgery. He has written 5 textbooks, founded a professional journal and has won numerous prizes for his films.  My mother was an early bebefactor of his IOl insertion. I was encouraged to watch her procedure on a camera in a separate room.  Hours later, Mother and I went out for dinner. What a change from my father's after-surgery week-long stay at Holmes Hospital, his head held between sandbags. 

           My personal journey with cataract diagnosis began over a decade ago at one of Philadelphia's premier eye hospitals,. An opthalmologist, frustrated by her inability to refract my eyes, blamed "rapidly developing cataracts. " I saw, in sequence, 3 "best doctors" in the field. In each case, I was first told that I had early cataracts and to come back in 6 months, again in 6 months, then suddenly advised that my eyes were worse and that I should have immediate surgery. I agreed to the 3rd physicians's recommendation, This surgeon then referred me fo get an external contact lens for the accompanying eye, 

           The contact lens specialist, an optometrist, told me that my small cataract was not yet affecting my vision! I cancelled the surgery as the hybrid monovision contacts he prescribed restored my vision to 20/20. That was 10 years ago! 
   
        In the interim, I traveled to Cincinnati to consult Dr, Osher at CEI.  After an amazingly thorough exam which took hours, he put the surgical recommendation in context and sent a 3-page evaluation to my internist. This explained that an eye condition (amblyopia in one eye) could limit the effectiveness of surgery, It is worthwhile for me to wait as innovation may provide a more certain prognosis. 
 
           Although cataract operations are among the safest, experience has taught me to proceed cautiously. The focus of surgeons is on doing surgery. They may have the patient return a couple of times before urging It and even suggest that it is preventative. As I see it, the purpose should remain that of restoring vision-- not necessarily enhancing it. In my experience, people who choose such surgery prematurely are often disappointed. Sometimes the vision you have is as good as it gets.

Ann Shepard (Rueve)

Nancy, that one drop medication would have come in handy after my cataract surgery in 2014. I was given a chart to follow after my first eye was done for the three different drops I had to take at different times of day over the course of six weeks. That was complicated enough, but two weeks later, I had to incorporate a different chart for my other eye. That was a challenge, but came through it well. 
Jean, I'm sorry you have had so much difficulty, but found your history of CEI very interesting. One of the doctors at CEI, Dr. Khatana, who specializes in glaucoma,  performed my cataract surgery upon referral from my ophthalmologist. She, and the physician whose practice she took over had been monitoring my high intra ocular pressure for over twenty years. The former doctor took a watch and wait approach, but when the new physician took over the practice, in 2004, she determined the pressure was related to the beginnings of cataracts, but too early to remove. She performed a laser procedure (after I got a second opinion from one of the doctors at Midwest that David Schneider arranged for me) called an iridotomy. That procedure helped for nearly ten years, but the pressure began creeping up again as the cataracts grew. I would not have needed the cataract surgery at that time had it not been for the elevated pressure. I will never forget that Dr. Khatana, after examining both eyes post surgery, told me that my optic nerves were the best he would probably examine that day. With the implant lenses, I don't need to wear glasses except readers. 

Gail Weintraub (Stern)

Check out the Announcement at the bottom of the Home Page which provides details of the latest WHHS Theatre Department play produced and filmed in the Walnut Hills High School Rick Steiner Black Box Theater. Our Class of 1964 Performing Arts Fund is funding the streaming services of this original play. 

Let's support our WHHS theatre students and our class PAF! 

Ann Shepard (Rueve)

Once again, US Nesws and World Report has ranked out alma mater tops in the state. Sursum ad summum!  Go Eagles!!!

https://amp.cincinnati.com/amp/4853030001

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

Thanks, Ann, for reminding me.....

Here is the full US News and World Report on WHHS : #112 in the US!

Sursum ad summum!

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/search?name=Walnut%20Hills%20High%20School&ranked=true&public=true

Stephanie Riger

Dear Classmates,

I am cleaning out old memorabilia and have Remembrancers from 1960, 1961, 1963 (and possibly 1962 if my sister doesn't want it) to give away.  Anybody want them? If you do, please email me: stephanie.riger@gmail.com

I also have U of Michigan yearbooks from 1965 and 1966 that I'm happy to part with.

Warm regards to all,

Stephanie

Margery Erhardt (Schrader)

Unfortunately, I have lost my Remembrancers. I had been hoping to refer to them for a name of a teacher I had in 9th grade who taught Ancient and Medieval history. She was in the annex and had reddish hair I believe. Judy, I believe you might have been in the class. Anyone know who she was…she was an awesome teacher and brought history alive for me! 

Dale Gieringer

 Marjorie -

   You are thinking of Mrs Bechle (or was it Baechle), pronounced "Beckly."
 

   - Dale   

Richard Murdock

Margery:

Being a colossal packrat, I happen to have Remembrancers for every year at WHHS.   There were 3 female history teachers at WHHS in 1961: 

Elda Baechle

Diane Cherry

Frances Sandlin

Dick

Margery Erhardt (Schrader)

Thank you, thank you! She was an excellent teacher - better even than many history professors. Much of what she taught we see today in our current world. She was amazing and the reason I pursued history and taught history for several years! Thank you Dick and Dale!!!! 

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

Hi Margery,

I had Mr. Knab for Ancient and Medieval History.

Paul Simons

Thanks for for mentioning history Margery and for mentioning Mr. Knab, Judy. Looking back, in my opinion he was one outstanding teacher. These days we’re aware of how much outside interests with their own agendas regulate what is taught, and what is forbidden to be taught. For example one family in Texas and other individuals in other places even control what publishers can include in and what they must exclude from the school books, in particular history books, that they sell. Mr. Knab seems to have been one who would just teach what actually happened, as damning as it might be to the traditionally protected social strata.

But I might be looking back through rose colored glasses. We might have learned in passing that slavery was universal in the ancient world and we know it was here until only a few generations ago but nobody ever went into the depths of depravity that exist in the minds and souls of those who practiced it, profited from it, wrote it into law, and to this day don’t regret it.

Becky Payne (Shockley)

I also had Mr. Knab and thought it was a really good class. I remember him discussing the origin of names: He said that the name Eugene (I think it was to Eugene Katona) came from the Greek, meaning "well born" and that the Anglo-Saxon equivalent of that name was "Wilbur." I find that stuff fascinating!

Paul Simons

I find that topic interesting as well Becky. Every word, every name - why? Where did it come from? Of course we can look up the etymology of words.

"Walnut" - from Etymology Online - "Old English walhnutu "nut of the walnut tree," literally "foreign nut," from wealh "foreign" (see Welsh) + hnutu (see nut). Compare Old Norse valhnot, Middle Low German walnut, Middle Dutch walnote, Dutch walnoot, German Walnuss. So called because it was introduced from Gaul and Italy, distinguishing it from the native hazel nut. Compare the Late Latin name for it, nux Gallica, literally "Gaulish nut." Applied to the tree itself from 1600 (earlier walnut tree, c. 1400)."

But who got to call this thing that fell off a tree a "hnutu"?

And "Hills" - also from Etymology Online - "Old English hyll "hill," from Proto-Germanic *hulni- (source also of Middle Dutch hille, Low German hull "hill," Old Norse hallr "stone," Gothic hallus "rock," Old Norse holmr "islet in a bay," Old English holm "rising land, island"), from PIE root *kel- (2) "to be prominent; hill." Formerly including mountains"

Okay, great, but again who first made the sound "holm" that became accepted as meaning a rise in the landscape?

Meanwhile people have serious problems like co-workers who refuse to get vaccinated, true, but that doesn't invalidate other avenues of thought.

Becky Payne (Shockley)

Wow, Paul. Thanks for the free linguistics lecture. Great Stuff! And I love the colorful names of so many British towns and villages - all with interesting histories. 

Dale Gieringer

  I was sad to see an obit today for WHHS graduate Betty Segal.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sfgate/obituary.aspx?n=betty-segal&pid=198528484

   Betty was in the class ahead of us, but we took French together under Mme Troeger and Mr Eyck.  She was a good humored spirit in class.  After graduating, she went to UCLA film school, became a photographer, and settled in the Berkeley-Oakland area.   She later became a trained Swedish massage therapist, specializing in lymphedema massage.   She's survived by her cousin Karin, another member of the WHHS Class of 63 with whom whom some of us had the pleasure of socializing.  - Dale G.

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

On a happier note, I'm passing on to you a link I received to the bigger museums and art collections of the world. Enjoy!

Bruce Fette

Stay safe over there Judy.

Sorry, I didnt mean for my picture to imply anything about rockets. My rockets are purely hobby rockets and operated under safety rules of NAR and Tripoli and only for the fun of a saturday afternoon.

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

Hi Bruce!

Honest - your picture hugging a rocket never entered my mind as being an "attack" on me!!! And besides, unlike you, when I think "rocket" or "missile", I do not get a mental PICTURE. What I get is a SOUND. Or plural, SOUNDS. First, the siren warning, then the boom or loud thud. Like the thump when a firework is fired....

Since 2018, I live in a city of 95,000-ish people, Modiin, and our last warning siren was on Thursday, the 13th. However, every night we are treated to the sounds of nearby booms, some louder than others, usually barrages lasting several minutes, and several times a night. Modiin is not significant in any way, really, and the terrorist rockets seem to have become more accurate. Ummmm, well actually, MOST of the places devastated by rockets are not "significant", just residential.

BTW, If you want to read about a pretty cool strategic move on Israel's part, google (try on ynet news English) "The IDF land incursion that never came" . It was positively brilliant!! This article gives all the details.

Hope you have a great weekend. How's your weather? It is gorgeous here.

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

Forgot to say "THANK YOU"

Paul Simons

Judy I am impressed and amazed by Iron Dome. So little time to react and such phenomenal precision! The IDF must have known something like this could happen - barrages of thousands of rockets necessitating thousands of interceptors. I am also amazed or rather outraged that even as Israelis warn Gazans where they are aiming, trying to hit military hardware and not people while Hamas deliberately tries to hit towns, homes, the airport, that some in this crazy world prefer to side with that. Nauseating.

My question is, how does Hamas assemble all those rockets, and install all those launchers? I know they put them right in the middle of densely populated areas, putting the civilian population at risk and in fact getting them killed.  I remember when the IDF literally forced Jews to leave homes they had built in Gaza. The hope was that the Gaza residents and Hamas the government they elected would turn the Mediterranean beachfront into hotels, resorts, and so on. What did they do? Pumped raw sewage into the sea. That's been the modus operandum in Gaza literally and metaphorically.

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

Hi Paul -

Yep, the technology of the Iron Dome is very impressive. In order to try to overcome its 90+% success rate, Hamas is now employing the crude (but inevitably successful) counter-strategy of throwing over 100 missiles at one target at the same time to overwhelm the Iron Dome. This has had limited success, in that a few missiles have gotten through and done considerable damage to property. HOWEVER, Israelis have been thoroughly indoctrinated about how to protect themselves when they hear a siren, and loss of life has been miraculously low. When I lived in Beersheva, I had 60 seconds to get to a "safe space" before a rocket could land (if it got through the Iron Dome); I now feel rich that I have here in Modiin another 30 seconds! When my daughter was doing a course in Sderot years ago, she had only 45 seconds altogether to find safety..... Beginning in 1995, I believe, all construction of new homes and apartments had to have a "safe room" in the home or apartment. My personal nightmare is being caught going somewhere in my car, or outside, too far from a safe space or underground shelter, so I am stuck at home, reliving the recent COVID lockdown all over again......

All that said, I just read an article on ynet that there are several former IDF soldiers who operated the Iron Domes during their army service who have become sick with various cancers. This needs to be investigated like pronto, even though it seems unlikely.

Bruce Fette

Judy,

We are all glad you are able to stay safe.

It didnt occur to me that my picture could be a mistake until I hit send the first time and saw it. So I quickly updated the text..

Thats an awful lot of rockets. Its hard to imagine that they are producing those rockets in Gaza. Should we assume that the bulk of the rockets come from Iran or from Russia? And what pays for all those rockets. I assume Hamas doesnt have oil to sell?

As for weather here, its been pretty nice here the last week, and expected to be pretty reasonable for the next week, but warmer.

I will see if I can figure out how to change my picture. this time.  Well I tried. But now I get two photos instead.