Sharing old class photos from elementary schools has been one of the themes in Larry Britner's round-robin email, now flourishing undeniably. One of the spin-offs from that has been a trip that Larry and Charles Welch made to North Shore Elementary School.
Thanks to their efforts, principal Nina Deason (who used to teach with Charles at Meadowlawn Middle School) has agreed to offer a tour for North Shore alums at 10:30 am, Thursday, May 15. At the conclusion of the school tour, you will have the chance to eat lunch with some schoolkids a few years younger than you. You can purchase a lunch or brownbag it.
Again, thanks to Larry and Charles for making this an upcoming part of the Reunion Week schedule.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Where We Live
Today I started my preparation for the Memory Book, which you'll see at the Reunion, with the chance to purchase a copy. I'll try my best to get bio information on as many of you as possible, so that you can have a comprehensive view of how far your 1958 graduating class has come (and that's far---with many accomplishments to brag about!)
I thought you might be interested at a preliminary observation I made about where we ended up as far as our mailing addresses. (The following data is subject to change as we find more classmates before May.)
Approximately 44 of us are in St. Petersburg or Pinellas County (although I lumped Clearwater in with the "other places in Florida" category.) About 72 of you are living elsewhere in Florida, ranging from Key West to the Panhandle. The one farthest away is Len Scipioni Scott, who's in Australia. The rest of you (and I haven't created an official count for each of these states yet) are in:
Georgia, Alabama, New York, Virginia, Colorado, North Carolina (7 of you), Hawaii, Arizona, Tennessee, Texas, Washington (state, not DC), Oklahoma, and Kentucky.
Maybe there was something sunny about the Sunshine State that kept a lot of us close to home, but the stories from the rest of you will be interesting to hear when we get together in May.
PS. Several of you are two-address families: you live in St. Petersburg part of the year and then elsewhere (usually North Carolina) for the other part of the year. Lucky you!
I thought you might be interested at a preliminary observation I made about where we ended up as far as our mailing addresses. (The following data is subject to change as we find more classmates before May.)
Approximately 44 of us are in St. Petersburg or Pinellas County (although I lumped Clearwater in with the "other places in Florida" category.) About 72 of you are living elsewhere in Florida, ranging from Key West to the Panhandle. The one farthest away is Len Scipioni Scott, who's in Australia. The rest of you (and I haven't created an official count for each of these states yet) are in:
Georgia, Alabama, New York, Virginia, Colorado, North Carolina (7 of you), Hawaii, Arizona, Tennessee, Texas, Washington (state, not DC), Oklahoma, and Kentucky.
Maybe there was something sunny about the Sunshine State that kept a lot of us close to home, but the stories from the rest of you will be interesting to hear when we get together in May.
PS. Several of you are two-address families: you live in St. Petersburg part of the year and then elsewhere (usually North Carolina) for the other part of the year. Lucky you!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Looking for a Publisher
You may know that Tom Fincher published a novel Pepper Tree Demon. I'm currently editing his manuscript for a novel called Mad Cat County, a suspense tale that takes place in a rural Florida county, starting in the 1960s.
Tom has a knack for grabbing the reader from the first page and keeping up the plot interest. You keep turning pages and get fascinated with some of the weird characters he creates. (There are some normal people, but the weird ones keep it interesting.) There's a sheriff who rules the county, a preacher who "services" his female parishioners, and a wild, hairy kid named BB who lives in the woods.
The novel deserves a publisher, so if you have any connections or if you know someone who does, drop an email to Tom or me with contact information.
Tom has a knack for grabbing the reader from the first page and keeping up the plot interest. You keep turning pages and get fascinated with some of the weird characters he creates. (There are some normal people, but the weird ones keep it interesting.) There's a sheriff who rules the county, a preacher who "services" his female parishioners, and a wild, hairy kid named BB who lives in the woods.
The novel deserves a publisher, so if you have any connections or if you know someone who does, drop an email to Tom or me with contact information.
Picture This Story in a Movie
Bob LaBrant recently sent in a joint bio for himself and his wife Sarah Emery LaBrant. The story is good enough to have its own movie...but until a producer comes along, here's a summary, using Bob's words:
Sarah and I started dating on Jan. 10, 1955 (Editor: We were all freshmen then) We went to the old Fourth Street Drive-In on a double-date with Bob Vannatta. To this day I can't remember who he was with.
Sarah became my soulmate. She was so easy to talk to and hasn't stopped since then. Sarah became a diligent housewife and I worked for Florida Power Corp. for 8 years, finally leaving as a lineman. We produced three lovely daughters during this time.
We went into the hospitality industry as innkeepers in Balsam, NC. With my parents, we operated the Balsam Mountain Inn Hotel for 21 years. (This was a large 60-room inn built in 1908.) Sarah and I also worked seasonally at Al Lang Field, where my uncle owned the concession rights. We did that for 32 years.
In 1990, we bought our own little bed and breakfast (The Friendship Lodge) in Black Mountain, NC. We still own it and operate it seasonally. For 15 years after being at Al Lang Field, we worked at Derby Lane seasonally.
Our three daughters met and married their spouses in North Carolina, and all three live there now. Each has two children. Probably the greatest accomplishment Sarah and I have achieved is our family and the love derived from it.
When asked what we could do if we could live our lives over again, we both agree: we would do it all over again.
For the last 39 years, we have lived at 3600 Poplar St. NE in St. Petersburg (33704) for six months, across from Crisp Park. The rest of the year we have lived at our NC location. Our Black Mountain address is P. O. Box 877, Black Mountain, NC 28711.
Editor's Note: The fact that this tribute to his happy marriage is written by the husband makes the story even more special. We females can easily become sentimental but Bob is one Class Act to share these thoughts about his relationship with Sarah. This would be a movie with a very happy ending.
Sarah and I started dating on Jan. 10, 1955 (Editor: We were all freshmen then) We went to the old Fourth Street Drive-In on a double-date with Bob Vannatta. To this day I can't remember who he was with.
Sarah became my soulmate. She was so easy to talk to and hasn't stopped since then. Sarah became a diligent housewife and I worked for Florida Power Corp. for 8 years, finally leaving as a lineman. We produced three lovely daughters during this time.
We went into the hospitality industry as innkeepers in Balsam, NC. With my parents, we operated the Balsam Mountain Inn Hotel for 21 years. (This was a large 60-room inn built in 1908.) Sarah and I also worked seasonally at Al Lang Field, where my uncle owned the concession rights. We did that for 32 years.
In 1990, we bought our own little bed and breakfast (The Friendship Lodge) in Black Mountain, NC. We still own it and operate it seasonally. For 15 years after being at Al Lang Field, we worked at Derby Lane seasonally.
Our three daughters met and married their spouses in North Carolina, and all three live there now. Each has two children. Probably the greatest accomplishment Sarah and I have achieved is our family and the love derived from it.
When asked what we could do if we could live our lives over again, we both agree: we would do it all over again.
For the last 39 years, we have lived at 3600 Poplar St. NE in St. Petersburg (33704) for six months, across from Crisp Park. The rest of the year we have lived at our NC location. Our Black Mountain address is P. O. Box 877, Black Mountain, NC 28711.
Editor's Note: The fact that this tribute to his happy marriage is written by the husband makes the story even more special. We females can easily become sentimental but Bob is one Class Act to share these thoughts about his relationship with Sarah. This would be a movie with a very happy ending.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Got Mementos?
The Viking Log yearbook for 1958 has been a topic of conversation in our blog and in many emails. But maybe you have, packed away in your boxes of "stuff", other items from your years at Northeast. If you'd like to bring some of those (ticket stubs, pennants, pompoms, whatever) and have them displayed, it would help bring back memories for your classmates.
Personally, I'm going to look for a collection of Nor'easter newspapers from our senior year. If I can locate them (it's like an archaeological expedition), I'll bring the volume to show at the reunion.
Personally, I'm going to look for a collection of Nor'easter newspapers from our senior year. If I can locate them (it's like an archaeological expedition), I'll bring the volume to show at the reunion.
Your Home Town Has Changed
For those of you who have been away from St. Petersburg for 10, 20, 30 or more years, the city has gone through some changes. For example, the downtown area, which was vibrant when we were in high school, went into a decline for a number of years, and then revived in the late 90s.
You will notice buildings downtown that weren't there when you were at Northeast...high-rise condos near the waterfront, a big movie-retail plaza complex that now draws a lot of pedestrian traffic, and even a supermarket (I think it's Publix) where Dew Cadillac used to be just south of Central Avenue.
If there are some places you'd like to re-visit when you get to town, leave a comment at this blog, so we can get you "touristy" information. The Information Center at the Hampton Inn which we will staff wants to help supply you with details, but tell us what you're looking for.
For those of you still living in St. Pete, leave some comments on what you'd recommend for the out-of-towners to check out for changes, improvements, etc.
You will notice buildings downtown that weren't there when you were at Northeast...high-rise condos near the waterfront, a big movie-retail plaza complex that now draws a lot of pedestrian traffic, and even a supermarket (I think it's Publix) where Dew Cadillac used to be just south of Central Avenue.
If there are some places you'd like to re-visit when you get to town, leave a comment at this blog, so we can get you "touristy" information. The Information Center at the Hampton Inn which we will staff wants to help supply you with details, but tell us what you're looking for.
For those of you still living in St. Pete, leave some comments on what you'd recommend for the out-of-towners to check out for changes, improvements, etc.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Memory Book Update
The Memory Books we plan to have available at the Reunion--with a page or half-page (depending on available data) on each of you--is still looking for bio information from a lot of you.
At the very least, if you do not send in the bio information, there will be a page with your name, address, and email address. But here are people who have shared an update of their lives so we can share it with you in the Memory Book:
David Britner, Larry Britner, Linda Crain Cocks, Anne Gloria Dillon-Langan, Frank Kapocsi, Pat Smith Kapocsi, Mardi Kline Zeiger, Judy Nicholson, Kathy Hutchins Hintz, Virginia Payne Pauley, Tom Fincher, Eddie Stinson, Terry Reichelderfer Stinson, John Krege, Trudy Andringa Krege, Clarissa Rogers Hamilton, Charles Welch, Bruce Hugill, Fred McKenzie, Helen Leigh, Jean Davis Brown, Jean Sheridan, Judi Groves, Susan Goree, Rose Marie Cruz, Rosa Lee Ramsey,and Sandra Creitz Logue.
Here's what we're looking for (put your details together and send it to patful01@msn.com):
Current address, name of spouse, names of kids and grandkids, any highlights of what you've done since graduation in 1958 (your choice on what to put in or leave out), your favorite teachers at NEHS, what you remember most distinctly about your years at NEHS, 3 lifetime achievements that you're really proud of, and what advice you would give to the 2008 graduating class.
At the very least, if you do not send in the bio information, there will be a page with your name, address, and email address. But here are people who have shared an update of their lives so we can share it with you in the Memory Book:
David Britner, Larry Britner, Linda Crain Cocks, Anne Gloria Dillon-Langan, Frank Kapocsi, Pat Smith Kapocsi, Mardi Kline Zeiger, Judy Nicholson, Kathy Hutchins Hintz, Virginia Payne Pauley, Tom Fincher, Eddie Stinson, Terry Reichelderfer Stinson, John Krege, Trudy Andringa Krege, Clarissa Rogers Hamilton, Charles Welch, Bruce Hugill, Fred McKenzie, Helen Leigh, Jean Davis Brown, Jean Sheridan, Judi Groves, Susan Goree, Rose Marie Cruz, Rosa Lee Ramsey,and Sandra Creitz Logue.
Here's what we're looking for (put your details together and send it to patful01@msn.com):
Current address, name of spouse, names of kids and grandkids, any highlights of what you've done since graduation in 1958 (your choice on what to put in or leave out), your favorite teachers at NEHS, what you remember most distinctly about your years at NEHS, 3 lifetime achievements that you're really proud of, and what advice you would give to the 2008 graduating class.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)