Hicksville's Middle School building celebrated its 75th birthday this past week with a fanfare and program worthy of the institution which has graced Jerusalem Avenue since 1924. The leaders of the school's erection and administration who were present for the school's 50th Anniversary, in 1975 are no longer with us (School Board President Frank Chlumsky, Trustee Henry Brengel and 36-year principal, Miss Mabel Farley), but today's School Board President, Mrs. Nancy Callari, trustee Richard Pfaender, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edward Finn, headed a list of dignitaries present.

The school leaders and PTA officers were joined in the school's 75th Birthday Party by a galaxy of political leaders: Assemblyman Marc Herbst; Country Executive Tom Gulotta's representative, Thurman Johnson; County Legislator Judy Jacobs; Nassau Comptroller Fred Parola; and Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto.

Among the guest speakers was Richard Evers, public library and Gregory Museum historian. He had spent his teaching career in the landmark building when it was the Hicksville Junior High School. "It was my home for 28 very happy years," Evers said, recalling the 7th and 8th grade social studies classes he taught and the colleagues and principals looming large in his memory: Mabel Farley, Leon Gallaway, Bernard Braun, Albert Glass, William Feigan and Gerald Klein and Fred Healey, whose dozen Nassau Country championship banners for cross-country running team hung proudly in this very gymnasium.

Superintendent Dr. Finn spoke movingly of the spirits which made our school building, the attachment graduates have long afterwards, for the memories which linger, of school mates, teachers, lessons and activities we recall when we see our one-time schools. Master of Ceremonies, Stephen Aronowitz, middle school principal, made the large assembly of students, parents and guests welcome and recalled with pride his years of association with the middle school and its vibrant, striving students.

It was an evening of fun and nostalgia. Student officers, Ashley Adams, vice president of the Student Council, and Kerri Miltenberg, president of the Honor Society, spoke of their school pride. There was a 75th birthday cake and the huge gymnasium rang in the tunes of Happy Birthday and Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here.

A wonderful spectacle was the sight of students and some parents and Assistant Principals Dr. Barbara Mrozik and Ms. Robin Leaking line dancing to the calling of that veteran of Jones Beach square dance music, Primo Fiore. It may well be that middle school dances henceforth may include some line dance interludes. It certainly got the boys out on the dance floor.

On the way to refreshments in the cafeteria, many people were enraptured by a large display of photographs taken over 75 years. High school, Junior high school and middle school photographs from the Public Library and Gregory Museum collections were beautifully presented by the Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association Committee, Mrs. Alex Budano, Mrs. Denis Schmidt, and Mrs. Susan Tancor and Public Library Local Historian Richard Evers who videotaped the 75th frolic for the library's audio history collection.