We held our Fall luncheon today, Wednesday October 19th, at Manero's
Steakhouse in Greenwich, CT, for the final time at this famous landmark.
The building will be torn down and replaced by condominiums. The
restaurant has been unable to find a reasonable replacement location.
Turnout was pretty good, considering the poor memories of our retirees,
the cost of gasoline these days, and the drying up of our pensions.
Ken and Kari Perkins drove some 4 hours from New Hampshire to join us.
And many others drove up to 2 1/2 hours. Mike Perry and Hank Lopez-Cepero
collected money and sold raffles at the door, until relieved by Ted
Garrity and Howie Aronson. And Ray Amato and Jan Conover helped out
during the raffle.
Recently retired Doug Garrett, who was based in DCA but retired to
Killingworth, CT, joined us for the first time.
Dorothy Gates, widow of retiree Bill Gates, also joined us and offered
to help attract more wives and widows to attend the luncheons. The
ladies' presence is very helpful in keeping the guys in line.
A search committee has been established to find a replacement for
Manero's. Mike Perry, Jim Lattimer, Hank Lopez-Cepero, Ted Garrity and I
will scour the countryside, lunching far and wide, and we'll be
deducting the costs as medical expenses, essential to our mental health.
Two of our retirees have lost their ALPA pins with battlestar, and are
looking for replacements. Please contact me if you have a pin to offer
them.
Once again the NY Skyscrapers are contributing raffle monies ($200) to
the United Airline Retired Pilots Foundation, which helps support needy
UAL retired pilots and their widows. If you can read this, you probably
are ineligible to apply for benefits from the foundation... yet!
Next luncheon for the indomitable Skyscrapers will be held during the
Spring of 2006, at the Montclair Golf Club in NJ. So start saving your
money if you'd like to join us.
Our lunchgoers included:
Ray and Sharon Amato, Howie Aronson, Bud and Mary Berlingeri, Jim Brady,
Jan and Patty Conover, Ed and Ona DeChant, Ron and Betty Denk, Bob
Duckworth, Wayne Erb, Ray Furlan, Doug Garrett, Ted Garrity, Dorothy
Gates, Jack and Janet Hansen, Fred Harris, Al Heller and Judy Barteau,
Jack Hill, Pete and Judy Kohlsaat, Mattie Kosonen, Hank Lopez-Cepero,
Augie and Margaret Miller, Neil O'Malley, Ken and Kari Perkins, Mike
Perry, Gene Peterson, Charlie and Bobbi Pocher, Dave Redfield, Bob
Schaet, Pete Sofman, Chan and Mattie Stoughton, and Woody Woodworth.
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