Traverse City Record-Eagle from Traverse City, Michigan • Page 27

Welcome back Gabe Kaplan, as Gabriel Kotter, exhorts one of the sweathogs on the set of ABC television's situation comedy, Back, Kotter." Kaplan's on camera success as a besieged teacher has helped an off-camera teacher by the ABC pkoto name of Rick Neason. The Arlington Heights, substitute teacher is a dead ringer for Kaplan. All he has to do, Neason said, is to Yell, "Hey sweathogs," and the class pays attention. Teachers make the grade as 'Mr. Kotter' look- The twins, who were graduated from Traverse-City HiglrSchool in 1965, were members of the f964 Lake Michigan Athletic Conference championship football team.

The pair also attended Central Michigan University together. Because they were twins, friends seldom called them by their first name, preferring to use their last name in order not to make a mistake. "We pulled all that twin, look-alike stuff," Rick said, laughing. "Yeah, that was fun." Of the two Gabe Kaplan doubles, Rick is the more famous, or infamous, of the two. Articles about him have appeared in high school publications, the Arlington Herald and he recently won a Gabe Kaplan look-alike contest sponsored by the National Enquirer.

"If I want to attract attention, I just wear a suit and tie," Rick said. "He's sort of notorious," Bill said. "When I go into a disco, people have a hard time believing I'm who I say I am." While Bill once had a full beard, Rick was sporting his moustache and curly Kaplan-like haircut for five years prior to the debut of the "Welcome Back, Kotter" show during the 1975-76 television season. Rick became celebrity look-alike status the sweathogs and their teacher became known across the nation. "I've heard about him since he was oh the Ed Sullivan Show," Rick said.

Their looks have to crash a few f. "It's easy to meet Thpy come up to you andi.sa|;;^YpuJopk-like 3 nri ltl lot of people." By MARTIN SOMMERNESS Record-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back. Welcome back, Mr. Kotter, errrr, Mr. Gabe Kaplan oops Mr.

Rick Neason or is it Bill Neason? The Neason twins, who celebrate their 30th birthday. today, have garnered more than the usual amount of attention accorded twins. Each happens to resemble Gabe Kaplan, star of the ABC television series, "Welcome Back, Kotter." To" further complicate matters, both Bill and Rick Neason are teachers, just like Kaplan's Gabriel Kotter. However, neither of the twins has the hassles of the television teacher. In fact, their students treat the Neasons like celebrities.

"The image has helped me a lot with my rapport with the kids," said Bill, a fifth grade teacher in Ravenna. "I've become a lot more popular. Now kids come in and say all this 'Up your nose with a rubber hose' stuff. "It (his resemblance to Kaplan) helps increase their attention span. Kids in the fourth grade are all excited, that they're going to have 'Mr.

Kotter' for a teacher next year." Bill said. Rick, a substitute teacher in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, 111., has none of the traditional problems of the substitute teacher, including unruly students. "They're all on their best behavior so I'll come back and substitute teach again," Rick said. "Actually, it makes substitute teaching easier. Take a principal.

Do they pay attention to him? No. But all I have to do is.say 'Hey and they pay attention. It works real well," he said. College By JUDY GAMBLE Special to the Record-Eagle TRAVERSE CITY For the convenience of students and instructors alike, Northwestern Michigan College has scheduled 13 one and two-day workshops as part of its community service courses for the first time this summer. Barbara Raehl, director of the Community Services Division, describes the new workshops as an attempt to meet the needs of individuals whose work or vacation schedules make it impossible to enroll in five or eight-week sessions.

In an intensive one or two-day experience, much of the same ground can be covered without a long-term commitment. In addition, compact workshops make it possible to employ specialists from outside the Grand Traverse area. Several of this summer's workshop leaders will be coming from Illinois and Indiana as well as southern Michigan. Many of the workshops were planned in respqnse to requests from the community for refresher courses in business skills and supervisory management. The community services office records every request received, Raehl reports.

If there is enough interest, similar workshops may be planned for winter weekends. The first summer offerings will i workshops of a technical nature taught by Tom Lee of the Northwestern Michigan College mathematics department. How to Use Your Calculator will be given Saturday, July 9, and an introduction to the metric system will be offered Saturday, July 16. The emphasis of the metric practical applications and problems of conversiofc Two workshops of special interest to pe6pre positions will be given. The first is Assertive Training For Managers, to be given on Saturday, July 23, and Wednesday, July 27.

This is a spin-off from the.Assertive Training classes previously given by the instructor, Mary Sutherland. In the summer workshop, Sutherland will pay particular attention to discriminating between non-assertive, aggressive and assertive behavior in management situations. Some subjects to be covered will be hiring and firing, giving and responding to criticism, clear definition of work expectations for subordinates and improving communication within an organization: This could be useful for During the summer, when the pair are not busy fooling people or teaching students, they come back to Traverse City. Their parents live at 8214 Peninsula Drive. Their father, Pete, is a cherry grower, their mother, Jean, is a registered nurse at Munson Medical Center.

The twins' younger brother, Tim, 25, is a former school teacher from the Lake Odessa area who is trying to settle in the Grand Traverse region. Although he resembles his brothers to some extent, they said he had not received as much attention because he does not resemble Kaplan as much as they. When the twins aren't spending the time relaxing as they plan to spend their birthday they raise and train race horses that race at several downstate tracks. As for the future, the pair said they do not plan to grow beards just because Kaplan is now sporting a beard. "We'll probably stay the same," Rick said, "If he wants to look like us, that's fine." "He has to stay with his image," Bill predicted.

"He'll be clean shaven in the fall again." Until school starts in the fall, watch out. "I might go into the Holiday Inn or the Park Place: I may just wear my tie and sports coat once in a while for Rick said. 'That person down the way or across the room may look-like Gabe Kaplan of "Welcome Back, Kotter" fame, but don't bet that Kaplan. He could just be somebody cultivating an image. rr; He could be a Neason out having some Traverse City Record-Eagle Page 17 MIRROR IMAGE Is it Bill and Rick or Rick and Bill Neason only their celebrity look- alike, Gabe Kaplan, knows for sure.

The Neason twins (Bill foreground, Rick background) celebrate their 30th birthday today. Both are graduates' of Traverse City High School and Record-Eagle pbotoi by Ktnnelh W. Smith Central Michigan University. Both are teachers. Both capitalize upon their looks in the classroom.

Both have been mistaken for Gabe Kaplan, star of ABC television's "Welcome Back, Kotter." Both raise and train race horses. 13 short courses scheduled workshops leaders in volunteer organizations as well as business firms and community agencies. Managerial Development for Women will be taught by Carol Wrabl, director of Affirmative Action Inc. of Wheeling, 111. To meet Monday and Tuesday, Aug.

1,. and 2, the workshop objectives are to present management fundamentals, explore organizational realities and provide to increase managerial effectiveness. Another workshop aimed at female employes is Assertive Training for the Working Woman on Saturday, July 30. This will also be taught by Mary Sutherland, holder of a masters degree in communication arts and women's studies from Michigan State University. The emphasis will be on enjoying work more, suffering fewer headaches and less frustration.

"Assertion," Sutherland says, "is one tool for effective coping and increasing the potential for finding fulfillment in work through the ability to communicate thoughts, opinions and feelings in a personally satisfying and effective Also designed specifically for women will be "Decision Making for: Women;" on Saturday, Aug. 6. Instructor Joanne Burns is director of the Career Planning; and Placement Center at Eastern Michigan University. She earned her doctorate from Michigan State University and has 23 years experience in teaching, counseling ajjd administration. the with techniques for applying a systematic process to making decisions related-to home, family, work and career.

A variety of exercises, case studies and handouts will demonstrate how people "can learn to identify crucial decision points in their lives, to handle value conflicts, to evaluate and use information effectively and to implement their personal plans. Women In relationships with men may be interested in a workshop called Communication Skills for Couples, to be conducted by Bob and Ellen Brubaker on Aug. 6. The leaden have previously taught this subject as a full-term community service class and led workshops for the Women's Resource Center. "The ability to communicate effectively is an essential part of successful relationships," the Brubakers stress.

The workshop is designed for couples to practice and learn new ways of expressing themselves in honest, straightforward dialogue. Surviving the Loss of a Relationship'is the title of a workshop to be conducted Saturday, July 23, by Maxine Kyckman, therapist at the Traverse City State Hospital and in private practice. The fociis of this workshop will be on various types of IQSS, resulting from death, divorce, separation from loved ones or familiar surroundings, and on reaffirming oneself as a whole person. Some time will be spent on ways of overcoming the effects of'oppressive stereotypes and cultural patterns about single persons, Ryckman says. J.

Russell Townsend and William W. Neher, Ph.D., of Butler University, Indianapolis, will conduct the workshop on Creative Professional Salesmanship, scheduled for Monday, Aug. 8. Topics to be covered include today's selling climate, developing a selling attitude, qualities of a professional salesman, effective personal communication and developing a sales plan for the future. It is intended for both the salesman and the sales manager.

A one-day workshop on the Mechanics and Dynamics of Effective Meetings and 'Programs may be of interest to those concerned with better organization of community and church groups, clubs, service organizations and local boards. Pat Lewallen, a teacher at Traverse City Junior High School, will lead the class in dealing with the mechanics of building a program agenda, use of committees and member involvement, the responsibilities of officers and public speaking This class will be held Wednesday, July 13. An opportunity to understand the "games people play" will be offered in a workshop introduction to Transactional Analysis (TA) on Wednesday, July 20. Bob Brubaker, minister of Central United Methodist Church and experienced group leader, explains that TA is a system for understanding and changing behavior developed by Eric Berne and popularized in the book I'm OK, You're OK by Thomas Harris. In a relaxed, informal setting, participants will learn theory, increase awareness of internal ego states, and explore the ways they relate to other people as well as how to begin to control their own lives.

It is expected that some employers may pick up the tab for the fees charged for these workshops, encouraging their office workers to-take advantage of the special training opportunities. Tax regulations permit an income tax deduction for education expenses undertaken to maintain or improve skills required in employment. Brochures describing the workshops are being mailed to businesses, industries, banks and physicians offices Raehl indicates. Following a somewhat different format will be a special 15-hour workshop called "How to Succeed in College." It will be offered twice, July 19-21 and 1 Aug. 1-4, and will be taught by a group of ten or more 'college instructors and administrators.

The purpose is to provide general and specific tips and pointers to current or future college students of all ages on how to make college learning experiences more significant. More complete information about this offering will be released soon. For a complete description of all the workshops, including content, hours and fees charged, call or stop in at the Community Services Division off fee in the administration building at Northwestern Michigan College. Brochures will be mailed on request. Registration for all the workshops must be accomplished before the date which is one week prior to the starting date, Raehl said.

Many have limited enrollment, so early registration is urged. Fees must accompany registration. If-a workshop is cancelled by the college, a full refund of fees will automatically be made. If a refund request by a participant is received up to seven days before the workshop date, full refund will be made. No refunds can be made after that time.

All requests must be in writing..