BINNEY---GOW---HANMER---MEISSNER---POMNITZ

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an abbreviated issue of our newsletter.  Why?

"Life is what happens while we've made other plans."

"Life" takes precedent over "plans".

WE PLANNED to hold The Family Reunion for July 2003 but felt it was best to cancel it when LIFE brought the SARS viral infection to Ontario.

WE PLANNED to have Ed Pomnitz's full invaluable attention for producing this newsletter.  Ed usually provides the pictures and graphics and color you've seen in past newsletter.  BUT, real LIFE fouled-up his careful plans for moving both his business office and household.   (Ed Pomnitz, our Webmaster/historian, moved from one address to another... and still did not get outside the City limits of Parma, Ohio where he's been living these many years!  His phone numbers remain the same.)

WE PLANNED to have several articles of family history and current events ready for this newsletter, when LIFE dictated it was to be otherwise.

HERE ARE THE NEWS ITEMS FOR YOUR ATTENTION:

PASSAGES:

WE MARK THE DEATH, and celebrate the life of - WALTER (Wally) WESTENBERG, born 4/29/30, died 6/20/03 at home in Stanwood, Michigan after a valiant 3-year battle with multiple myeloma, leaving a large hole in the lives of wife Lila (Binney), two daughters (Dawn and Robin) and two sons (Scott and Greg) and their families, including 4 grandchildren.  He was a golf legend in his Canadian Lakes community, known for his delight in helping others with their game as well as for his wins, for his outspokenness(!), his ability to fix most anything, and as an inspiration for Faith to many.  As one old friend phrased it, "He was such a force."

NEW ADDRESSES:

-Edwin Pomnitz, Sr now lives at
7891 Marborough Avenue
Parma, Ohio 44129-

-Jean Binney Smith moved from Mesa, AZ to the home of her son, Mike:
3217 Westminster,
Kentwood MI 49512
616-464-6108-

FAMILY NEWS:

-THE BINNEY BASH (in Southampton, Ontario) turned out well!  A good turn out, reasonable weather, good company.  Angelo and Ruth Borras came on Saturday.  She had some letters from grandma Christine Pomnitz that talked of early visits to Southampton that were fun.  Still waiting to get the pics developed.  Perhaps some day there will be a digital camera around. - (From Jim Wyche)

QUESTIONNAIRE TO GET YOUR INPUT - TO SET DATES FOR OUR FAMILY REUNION - IN SUMMER 2004

The Family Reunion for Summer 2003 was cancelled due to the infectious disease (SARS) in the greater Toronto area this Spring and early Summer.

Plans are now being made for rescheduling the postponed Pomnitz Family Reunion for the SUMMER OF 2004.  Donal and Marion (Gow) McKeown are quite eager to be hosts for the event in Fergus, Ontario.  (Please note that this means that our 'every-two-year-reunion' clock is being re-set so that the Reunions will be held 2004, 2006, 2008, etc.)

We want to select dates which will allow the greatest number to attend.  Therefore we need your input and advice on the appropriate dates.  This is important, since many folks apparently want or need to be able to plan a half year or more ahead.

We've come up with possible dates, trying to insure we are not bumping into holidays or other events.  Please rank the dates listed below as your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice.  (This will allow us to identify the date that most of us can attend.) Then, send this back to us by September 15, 2003.  We will then announce the Reunion Dates this Fall for the summer of 2004...

TO RESPOND BY E-MAIL: Rank the dates (below) in order of your preference.  SEND to editor@pomnitz.net

TO RESPOND BY POSTAL SERVICE please rank the dates (below) in order of your preference and place it in an envelope addressed to:

Art Meissner, Editor
Pomnitz Family Reunion
15 Three Oaks Road
Rhinebeck NY 12572-2675

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND LIST YOUR PREFERENCES FOR THE 2004 POMNITZ FAMILY REUNION IN FERGUS:

LIST 1st, 2nd & 3rd CHOICES.  PLEASE SEND BACK BEFORE SEPTEMBER 15, 2003!!!

_______- JULY 17-18, 2004
_______- JULY 24-25, 2004
_______- AUGUST 21-22, 2004

(Thank you!  All responses will be tallied.  You will receive notice of the final selection this Fall of 2003.)

OUR PURPOSE WITH THIS NEWSLETTER:  to share items of possible interest for the "greater Pomnitz Family".  The 181 family names mentioned in the Family Tree are listed at http://www.pomnitz.net/history/surnames_list.htm.  Please do send suggestions or ideas for future newsletters: they will be taken seriously.

FAMILY T-SHIRT AVAILABLE!!
- Full information for ordering a Pomnitz Family T-Shirt is at http://www.pomnitz.net/wc/t-shirts.htm

About the Shirts:

- THE GRAPHICS printed on each shirt were graciously designed and donated by Kathy Kelm-Cronin (daughter of June Meissner Kelm).  Kathy is founder and Director of NISDA (Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts).  You can get a peek at what she does by going to http://www.nisda.org.

- THE TAG inside the neck of the drawing of the Coat of Arms says "Einfuhr Aus Deutschland" ("Imported from Germany").  That means YOU, not the shirt.

- THE GUY MODELING THE SHIRT (with that sleek male physique) is none
other than our esteemed Web Meister, Edwin Pomnitz, Sr.

*

SERVICES OFFERED TO FAMILY MEMBERS: Please contact Ed Pomnitz regarding these services at webmaster@pomnitz.net.

-PHOTO GALLERY II: Family members can load their own family photos directly onto our website for all to see.  The Pomnitz Family Web Photo Gallery II can be found at:  http://www.pomnitz.net/pg/gallery_ii.htm.

We would like to see at least one photo of each family member posted here.  You can include a title and description of your photo as well as "keywords" to help others search for your information.  Please follow the categories that have been supplied.  If you require a new category, please E-Mail webmaster@pomnitz.net with the photo category you would like to see added.

Join in the FUN.  Registered family members can post new photos, leave comments and even vote on any of the photos in this area.

Registration is simple.  Just use your FIRST and LAST NAME when asked for a USER NAME.  Then select a PASSWORD of your choice and provide a valid E-Mail address.

-AUTOMATED SUBSCRIPTIONS: As some of you may have noticed, our automated online subscription service has been down.  Complications during recent updates of our host's operating system clobbered our mail list database.  A subsequent newer release of our mail list software, which we were holding for, was delayed by the software vendor.  We anticipate re-install of our mail list software and a rebuild of the database within the next two weeks.  In the interim, please notify editor@pomnitz.net of any new addresses or address changes you require (to receive of this Newsletter and/or Web Update notices).

-CHAT ROOM ACCESS: The family website now offers family members (only) their own 'chat-room', where you can (at no cost to you) chat with others anywhere in the world.  You can find it in the "In Touch" area, http://pomnitz.net/intouch/index.htm and just click on "Family Chatter".  This area requires a USER ID and PASSWORD.  Contact webmaster@pomnitz.net for your password.

-INTERNET DIAL-UP SERVICE: Family members are offered an economic way to get to the Internet as well as having e-mail AND their own Web Site, if desired. Ed Pomnitz' computer consulting company (FXtra) which handles the technical side of "Pomnitz.net", is also able to offer Family Members a low-cost connection to the Internet, called "EZDial".  A special offer for low-cost EZDial is available in both the US and Canada, is economic ($15.95 USD per month) and reliable, with no pop-up ads, no-spam, privacy (does not sell your e-mail address), no set-up fee, free web space, unlimited access.  If you are interested and want to join-up, you need to go to http://www.fxtra.com/deal and enter this PIN number when prompted: "ae80701".  If you need more information before you do, contact Ed at webmaster@pomnitz.net via e-mail.  The added benefit to us all is that Ed's company will donate another $2.00 per month to the Pomnitz Family Fund, which helps to underwrite our website and our other family activities.

CONTACT INFORMATION: To Subscribe or Un-subscribe to this Newsletter, or to correct names and addresses, please do so online at:

http://www.pomnitz.net/news/newsletter/subscriptions.htm

or send a regular postal letter to the address below.

PLEASE DO SIGN OUR GUEST BOOK on your next visit to The Pomnitz Family Web: http://www.pomnitz.net.

SEND E-MAIL REPLIES TO editor@pomnitz.com. Replies by regular postal mail may be sent to Art Meissner, Editor, Pomnitz Family Newsletter, 15 Three Oaks Road, Rhinebeck, NY 12572-2675, (845) 876-6407 OR TO OUR ASSOCIATE EDITOR!! Nancy Meissner at nlmeissner@aol.com.

NEXT NEWSLETTER is tentatively scheduled for November 1, 2003.  It will contain a summary of then-current Family news as well as any articles submitted by family members.  Please help by submitting newsletter items no later than October 15, 2003.  You do not have to do a lot of writing: Just list WHO in the Family did WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE.  ("How" and "Why" are optional.)  We will edit it for a future issue.  THANKS!