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JULY 2009 HI GANG -- TIME FOR ANOTHER NEWSLETTER. WE HAVE INPUTS FROM LOTS OF FOLKS, SOME OF WHOM WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM IN A LONG TIME, PICTURES FROM VARIOUS LOCATIONS, AND THE USUAL UPDATES. THE MAIN SUBJECT THIS TIME HOWEVER IS A REUNION NEXT YEAR. 2010 MARKS 50 YEARS SINCE GRADUATION, AND LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING ABOUT A REUNION, SO IT'S TIME TO START THE BALL ROLLING. IT WOULD BE NICE TO GET A FEEL FOR A CONSENSUS AS TO WHEN WE MEET AND WHAT WE DO DURING THE REUNION.
IF YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SERVE ON THE REUNION COMMITTEE, LET ME KNOW VIA EMAIL OR PHONE, AND I WILL PUT ALL THE VOLUNTEERS IN TOUCH. THUS FAR CAROLYN (GRIECO) HILL AND SUE (MCKINLEY) CARPENTER HAVE VOLUNTEERED THEIR SERVICES WITH PARTICULAR INTEREST IN PUTTING TOGETHER A MEMORY BOOK LIKE THE ONE WE HAD IN 2000, AND WHICH WAS VERY WELL-RECEIVED. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THERE IS SOMEONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO CHAIR THE EVENT, OR A COUPLE OF FOLKS WHO WOULD SHARE THE PLANNING. IN ANY CASE, PLEASE RESPOND WITH YOUR PREFERENCES AND IDEAS. WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO GET ORGANIZED, ALTHOUGH IN THE PAST WE HAVE NEEDED ABOUT SIX MONTHS LEAD TIME TO GET A BLOCK OF ROOMS SET ASIDE. ONCE THINGS START TO MOVE, WE WILL HAVE A REUNION WEB PAGE, UPDATED REGULARLY. i WILL ALSO SEND MAIL UPDATES TO THOSE NOT ONLINE, AND IF YOU HAPPEN TO TALK WITH CLASSMATES WHO ARE NOT ON OUR EMAIL LIST OR WHO DON'T "DO" INTERNET, PLEASE PASS THE WORD.
on a related subject, here is a very interesting note from don reynolds, class of '41, who coordinates alumni activities for the "old guard" classses ('41 - mid fifties, more or less.) You can look at the "old guard" web site, which has lots of fascinating information and pictures, at this link: http://www.hghsoldguard.org/ here is the text of don's message:
We are holding a multi-class reunion Oct 16 weekend at the Mt
Kisco Holiday Inn. registrants come from '40-'55 or so. We have over 60
registered at this early date. Understand thegroup is multi-class.
We call the group of graduates "The Old Guard" derived not
only from their age but the fact that they hold significantly to the "old
Bell School."
Your class, 1960, according to my rotten ability to add and
subtract must have been freshmen when the last class graduated form the old
school. 1957.
Did you then move, as sophomores to the new school out by the
Digest?
If I am correct then your class,'60, should be the last class
logically included
within the years of the "old guard". This honor will
automatically give your class toll free cruising on the Saw Mill between
Hawthorne Circle and Katonah.
If any of your group would care to attend this re-union have
them contact our Chappaqua manager, Al Hutin...(.email.)..Hutins
2 @ aol.com
(I CAN'T DECIDE IF BEING CONSIDERED PART OF THE "OLD GUARD" IS GOOD OR NOT. BTW - AL HUTIN IS THE HUBBY OF OUR FORMER AND BELOVED ART TEACHER, TONI PACKS.)
NOTES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY:
I did my best to include all the inputs received since the last newsletter. If I left something out, let me know, as I can easily update this page and will happily do so! Not too long ago, out of the blue came a message from Dick Prezzano, class of '61. He, like many others, happened to find our website and sent a nice update. Dick was friends with many people in our class, as you probably remember. Here is what he had to say and a nice picture too. I haven’t been back to Chappaqua for quite some time. In 1992, we relocated from Darien, CT to Westlake Village, CA. After 35 years with Nestle USA, I retired in 2002 and we decided to stay right here (3990 Oak Hollow Circle, Westlake Village, CA 91362). The weather is pretty special which allows me to play lots of golf. All is well with my family and I’m, also, happy to report that all is well with my four brothers (Peter, Bill, Bob & Paul) and their families. We have all been very fortunate. Attached is a photo of our family (my wife, Jan, and our 3 children.......Aimee, Matt and Calley) which was taken a few years ago. As I’m sure you know, it’s tough to get everyone together at the same time. And you can contact Dick at dick.prezzano@roadrunner.com. It's always nice to hear from schoolmates from other classes, and we have several on our mailing list now!
As most of you no doubt know, an '84 Greeley grad by the name of Larry Meyers recently published a book/biography of Mr. Barlow, the famed "Boston Blackie" of Greeley. Several classmates have read it, and Reid Reynolds has provided a review/commentary of the book, which you can find on the "...And Other Stuff" page. Here is a note Reid sent about the book when he sent me his review. Reid also makes an interesting suggestion regarding a possible activity for the reunion. The book is available at Amazon.com.
Don't know whether you recall or not, but when
you tipped us off to the pending publication of Teacher of the
Year:The Mystery and Legacy of Edwin Barlow I volunteered to
write a review for Herd in the Halls II. As you may be aware, the
publication was delayed a bit but it finally came out around the
first of the year. I read it immediately but put the review project
on the back burner while finishing up another writing assignment.
The review is now complete and I am attaching it for your
consideration.
I have shared the review with Larry
Meyers ('84) the author and he in turn has shared others' reactions
and a request that you delay posting the review for a few weeks
while he finalizes a deal with Amazon to sell Teacher of the Year.
Knowing that you publish on a schedule best known to you, I'm
sending it along now just in case tomorrow is the cut off for the
next issue. (I believe one can order copies of the book from the Web
site cited in the review while the details of the Amazon deal are
being worked out.)
One thought I had after reading the book and
writing the review is that a potential activity for our 50th would
be a round table discussion of how we view, from the perspective of
our 50th, the influence the Chappaqua schools and the community on
who we have become. What do you think?
(Ed. note -- If you have read the book and would like to send in your comments, go ahead and I will be glad to publish them as well.)
Jack
Duncan checked in with some pretty good news, and a cute picture
with his granddaughter. Jack recently underwent prostate
cancer surgery, and as he reports, things look good.
Nick Bowen has
also found retirement impossible to maintain -- too many callings.
Here's his latest note about his calling.
I'm going back to work, but this time it's what I really want to do.
I'm going to pastor our latino church. It's all in Spanish. The guy
who planted the church in 2004 is going back to Chile and asked me
to take it. At first I said no, but then I realized
that it's what everything in my life has been pointing towards - the
Spanish, the music, Bible school, all that. Nick was always a big Hank Williams fan as you probably recall. Me too.
Peter Davidson checked in with a
quick note, and the news that he is not doing his usual west coast
motorcycle trip this year, which he reports he will miss a lot.
Here is his brief input:
Short, but as always, informative and to the point.
Nancy Luan, Ben Lewis's neighbor, who also maintains some Internet sites about Greeley sent me an interesting article about Greeley schools in the late 50s. It all came from a site called http://newcastlenow.org/ Anyway, I have put all the stuff she sent, which includes a list of all the teachers during the 57-58 school year, on the ".... And other Stuff" page. The site itself is pretty interesting. Check it out if you are so inclined.
Anita (Lindholm) Smith reports on
her current activities and included a couple of nice pictures.
As you will see, she has also been in touch with Christina
Olsson and Jack Duncan.
Ed and
I just got back from visiting our grandsons, Evan (3) and Kyle
(1) in
Hebron Kentucky. We visited them last May and ran, and walked for
the handicapped children for five miles on the Cincinnati walking
bridges. I am now a grandmother for two boys: Evan ( 3 in Feb.) and Kyle (1 in April). Needless to say Ed (my husband) and I hardly hear
from our son. They are busy raising two boys, and working too. My
We just returned home from a 7,300
mile trek back to my Denison reunion and then up north through
Canada and Glacier National Parks.
What wonderful places. Here
are a couple of pictures from the
trip.
Lake Louise
from across the valley......
Here is
the latest from Ed Rodier
and Cathy (Ciulla) Rodier.
It is great to hear from them after so many years.
Here is the latest from Mary (Glynn) Early. (Well, actually it is from last July, just after the last newsletter -- sorry to be so long posting it.)
Here is
Lynn Norton's update on all
the things happening in her life:
Christmas 2008 Dear Friends, This year my travels took me down memory lane. As a floundering teenager after high school, I traveled to Germany and spent two months with an aunt and uncle. It was a fantastic experience and I had vowed I would go back. I even took German in college in preparation for my return. This year I took a European river boat trip. Our journey started with a few days in Belgium and visit to Bruges. Then on to Amsterdam with the obligatory tourist visit to the red light district. So many of the “ladies” were so young. After Amsterdam, we boarded our boat and went down the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers ending out trip in Vienna. Along the way we had many stops and visits to small, old cities and , of course, many ancient castles along the way. The food on board was great and the lectures very informative. I have gotten spoiled traveling with small groups and this ship had 120 passengers which is bigger than traveling with a group of 18 that I am used to. By the way, I forgot all the German I had learned in college. It was great visiting many of the same sites I had visited as a teenager and seeing them with a more mature eye. My fantastic idea of selling my rental house in Denver for a 1031 exchange in Arizona did not materialize. I found fantastic, reasonable properties in Arizona but my house in Denver did not sell. It was on the market for 7 months and I certainly have missed the rental income while it was for sale-my tenants were not cooperative in keeping the house clean and tidy for showing so had to have them leave. There was very little interest initially and towards the end had more interest but no offers. Word to the wise-invest in a “stager” if you are going to sell a house. The house is back up for rent but no takers yet. This year has been weird weather wise. We had several days during the winter months when we had snow on the beach. Snow and snowy roads create total havoc in a beach town. Then in May we had 2 days of record high temperatures-high 80s one day and 93 the next. This may not seem like a big deal to many but, again, Lincoln City can’t handle weather extremes. No air conditioning, no fans-just lots of complaining. I am still working part-time at the Inn at Spanish Head. Wages are still awful but it pays for my travels and keeps me on my toes. Another advantage is health insurance including dental coverage. Lincoln City is a seasonal community and the financial downturn has hit here hard also. Interestingly, the one local business that is not laying off but hiring is McDonalds. Like everyone else, my 401K took a nose dive. Fortunately, my pension from PERA in Colorado seems solid and is positioning me better than many retirees. I will be in Lincoln City for Christmas and New Years. Then I will drive to Arizona to spend some time in Palm Desert, Tucson and then visit my brother in Gold Canyon. Foreign travel will be in May to Turkey this year-with a small group of 16. I still enjoy my walks on the beach with the ocean sounds as tranquil music to my ears. I now have some knee problems that limit walking distance but shorter walks and sitting in the sand reading a book are still my idea of a great life. Hope you have a wonderful holiday and a debt free new year!!! Best Always, Lynn Norton
One of the really great things about having the newsletter is that we hear from so many of our former teachers. Here is the latest from Mr. Rex Thrasher --
And a
brief note from Kirby Oak,
who, like many of us, keeps getting lured out of retirement, but
doesn't give up on the idea......
Closed my office in DC 31 July and now
begin my second retirement. Still have some client work to do,
but will work out of my house in Maryland for a while. Do not
plan to cut all ties to the DC area for at least a year and will
not put the house on the market until next summer at the
earliest. Promised the tax consultant who is taking over most
of my clients that I would work out of his office in DC part-time
next tax season.
Cindy Rose brings up some interesting philosophical points and as usual, her letter is lively and fun. (The opening line refers to an observation I made during our email exchanges that she seems to have a wonderfully irreverent sense of humor.) Thanks for the compliment (it's one of my
proudest achievements) but irreverence has gotten me into a LOT of
trouble over the years. I can't seem to shut it off when I should.
I guess that is enough for now. If you have inputs, send them and I will put them on a "Page 2" to the newsletter. This site is easy to update, so don't be shy. Please let us know your ideas/preferences for the reunion. Remember, volunteers are always welcome!
As always, your faithful editor remains -
Dave Williams 14801 110th Ave E Puyallup, WA 98374 253-905-2751
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