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Monday
Update
December 15, 2014
The Monday Update is published weekly, on the
John Bunter Memorial Computer
by Harry Diavatis, who is solely responsible for its content.
Please send correspondence, photographs and archival information to
harrydiavatis@aol.com
The Monday Update is posted every Monday on www.VHS62.com
(Seven years of back issues are available to view.)
To receive a free subscription and have the Update
sent directly to your email address, go to
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People corresponding with the MU are requested to always include their complete name
(including maiden, if applicable) and their school and grad year. It makes my job easier.
Hello Classmates, Schoolmates and Friends:
In this edition: Steve Bleamel, Ken Bryant ‘55, Alva Cammarata-G, Jerry Cook ’58, Steve Cotter, Glenn C Dyson
’66, Patty Gallagher-Stanton SV63, Karl Jacque ’60, Keith Kjar ’64, Dave Kuehl HH66, Tom Libby ‘61, Roberta
McCapes-Cotter ‘68, Don McDermott '48, David Macdonald ’56, Paul Newton ’64, John Osborne ’55, Carmela
Piccolo-Coakley ’58, Tami Post-Lamb ’64, Jo Anne Richardson-Conley ’61, Micaela Robinson-G, Gregory ShafferG, Sharon Shallenberger-Cocanour ’63, Jim Snoke ’61, Marty Stiewig ’57, Linda Tholmer-Anderson, Kathy
Thurman-Robin, and Frank C. Wimberly ’61.
Key:
HH = Hogan HS SV = St. Vincent’s HS SP = St. Patrick’s HS FF = Former Faculty
G = Guest VJC = Vallejo JC SCC = Solano Community Collee
Year Only (ie: ’60) = year graduated from VHS No indicator after name = VHS Class of ‘62
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Index
This ‘n’ That ............................................................................................................... 2
The Mailbag .............................................................................................................. 7
Apache Review of Arts by John Parks....................................................................... 15
Comedy Corner ......................................................................................................... 19
Who You Calling an Old Geezer ................................................................................ 21
On the Sidelines ........................................................................................................ 22
A Stroll Down History Lane........................................................................................ 22
Newbies .................................................................................................................... 26
In Memoriam ............................................................................................................. 26
The Last Word ........................................................................................................... 28
MU Calendar of Upcoming Events ............................................................................ 33
Public Service Announcements ................................................................................. 33
Addendums ............................................................................................................... 34
The Fine Print ............................................................................................................ 35
This ‘n’ that:
I’m afraid this MU will begin with some bad news. Gordon Shaffer ‘48,
a Vallejo icon, unexpectedly passed away on December 10. I was
notified by his longtime friend and associate David Macdonald ‘56
who copied me on an email he had received from Gordy’s son,
Gregory Shaffer.
From: Gregory Shaffer-G
To: David Macdonald
Sad news… Dad passed away this morning. The plan was for dad to go to
a skilled nursing facility today or tomorrow and then after a few weeks to hopefully move to a senior
apartment setting. Alas, things do not always go as planned. Dad died peacefully and with no pain
this morning about 7 a.m.
I talked to Dad on Sunday, November 30th and he had a great chat, including sharing our enthusiasm
for the upcoming annual photog holiday gathering. On Wednesday December 3rd we chatted and he
sounded tired, but again a nice conversation. He was admitted to Kaiser on Saturday, December
6th and didn’t seem to be getting stronger. And, then the call this morning from a very kind doctor.
They had checked dad’s vital signs at 6:30
a.m. and all was well, about 30 minutes
later his heart stopped.
L-R: The Photographers at the annual
luncheon in Davis are Chuck Campbell,
David Macdonald, Gordon Shaffer, his son
Gregory, and Joe Ponti. All worked for the
Times-Herald (Gibson Publications).
Dad loved his photog buddies. We will
have a celebration of dad’s life in early
January.
2
From: David Macdonald ‘56
To: Gregory Shaffer
Boy, is this a shock,
Gregory, I will always remember the dark room days with your dad and all the things he taught me in
news photography. He was certainly a great news photographer and did well in weddings too.
Please be assured that he was a good man in all matters and I will always respect him for his abilities
and the skillful things he taught and advised me in photography and citizenship. I hope we can
continue our friendship and memories of your father.
I’ve known Gordon Shaffer since around 1961 when he was a photographer for the Vallejo
Times Herald and would photograph VHS football games and along with Wes Gibson would
take the Mira Theatre publicity photos. I worked very closely with him while I was at Cal State
Maritime, particularly when I served the dual role of Athletic Director and Public Information
Officer. I considered Gordy a good friend, as well as a very talented photographer. He was a
subscriber to the Monday Update and would frequently send in stories and pictures. He shall
truly be missed. My sincere condolences to Gregory, Irene, and to Gordon’s many friends.
Vallejo has lost part of it’s rich history. Gordon’s obituary can be found in the In Memoriam
section of this MU.
...
PLEASE SEND IN YOUR HOLIDAY GREETINGS NOW!
The Monday Update Holiday Edition will come out on December 22.
Please take the time to be included in this special
edition, by sending your Christmas/Chanukah/Holiday
wishes to the Monday Update. It would be great if you
would take the time to participate and join in on the
holiday spirit by joining in on this MU Community
Christmas Card. I would be very pleased if you all took the time to
participate.
...
Camp Fire On Line Auction Report…
From: Roberta McCapes-Cotter ‘68
First of all, thank you for a wonderful Christmas party. Food was great
and, of course, the company the best.
3
I have attached a short update and thank you for the Camp Fire auction. I so appreciate all your
efforts in promoting this event.
Thank you to everyone who participated in Camp Fire Golden Empire/Camp Gold Hollow’s on line
Auction. We grossed $2,507, which is not bad for our first time and for only 27 items that we got
donated. Next time will be even better with even more items. If you would be interested in working
with me to organizing our auction for next year, just let me know.
For those of you who were high bidders, I will be processing your bids and getting your items out to
you as soon as possible. Thank you again for all your support and efforts in letting your families and
friends know about our auction.
For those of you who donated items for the auction… Thank you! Without your generosity and
creativity, we would not have had such great items and such a good variety of items for bidders to
choose from.
It is not too late to support Camp Fire and Camp Gold Hollow with a donation before the end of the
year. Simply go to http://www.goldenempirecouncil.org/ click on “Make a donation today” and you can
make a tax deductible donation.
Roberta, next year will be bigger and better. Congrats on a job well done.
...
The Great Benicia Flood of 2014…
My son Jason always wanted a waterfront restaurant…
4
...
Stay Tuned…
The following letter written by Tom Ovens of Vallejo was taken from the Times-Herald opinion
page and raises some interesting points about the recent School Board elections.
It’s amazing to me that anyone could claim, as letter writer J.T. Miller (“More silliness”, Dec. 4) does,
that “the democratic process worked quite well” in the recent school board election.
Let’s start with the situation of Dr. Porter. When a candidate files, he must state that he will accept the
position if elected. Soon after filing, Dr. Porter was faced with a dilemma. The district offered Dr.
Porter a teaching position which, if accepted, would make him ineligible to accept a position as
trustee. Both Dr. Porter and the school board knew this. To complicate matters, the deadline for
withdrawing his name had passed by a day or two when he accepted the district’s offer.
The district made its offer extremely attractive. He was hired without the normal interview process,
without a teaching credential in the subject he was to teach and with a generous perk to his
retirement. Could the hiring have been motivated as an efficient way to remove a formidable
opposition candidate to the incumbents? We will never know the answer to that.
After a brief campaign, John Lewis suffered a severe injury and tried to remove himself as a
candidate but the ballots were already printed, so his name, along with that of Porter, appeared on
the ballot. The democratic process that J.T. Miller lauds seems to me to have quite a flaw when there
is no provision for informing voters that two candidates whose names are on the ballot will not serve.
Should voters have been informed? Certainly! The problem is that since there is nothing written to
direct the registrar of voters what to do, it did nothing. The 12,162 cumulative votes for Lewis and
Porter were essentially wasted. There is no way to tell who would have won the top three spots had
voters been properly informed.
J.T. Miller says the democratic process worked quite well. I think the process was a mess!
One thing is clear. There were many more votes for change than for the status quo. Aside from
Porter, who I am not considering since he did not make his views known, there were five candidates
for change. The vote for change was spread between all five. There were two incumbents who
certainly received all votes for the status quo. The five for change got 29,048 votes. The incumbents
got 14,662.
Porter placed second in the election but refuses to serve which creates a vacant seat J.T. Miller
claims “normally in a situation such as this ...” and goes on to list the steps in the bylaws for
appointment of a trustee. The obvious problem is that the bylaws were designed for a midterm
vacancy and have no relevance to the current situation. The bylaws ignore the fact that an election
just took place.
Candidates threw themselves into the fray and were grilled repeatedly in public forums and the press.
They were judged by the voters who were misled by a flawed voter handbook that listed names of
people as candidates who would not serve. The board can either compound the flaws in this election
and take the arrogant stance that the four of them know better than the 6,534 who voted for
Cayangyang. Or the board can go through whatever formalities are necessary but also use common
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sense; it can honor the will of the voters and name Cayangyang, who is next in line with the highest
number of votes, as trustee.
I will go a step further to say that I don’t believe that any of Porter’s or Lewis’ votes would
have gone to Ubalde or Wilson and it would have been a rout. I had heard that “rumor” before
that Porter was given the teaching job so that he would drop out of the race for School Board.
I wouldn’t put that Machiavellian scheme past the current superintendent and Board.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the School Board is on Wednesday, December 17.
The plot thickens. My guess is that they won’t appoint either Ruscal Cayangyang or Hazel
Wilson. It’ll be some other person that is willing to “play their game.”
...
World Series Trophy at Foley again
It didn’t hit, pitch, field or run. Yet, it’s become the King Tut Exhibit of baseball — at least in the Bay
Area.
The World Series Trophy, compliments of the San Francisco Giants’ nail-biting victory over the
Kansas City Royals, is again making a stop at Dan Foley Cultural Center in Vallejo, with the 2014
version set for a display and photo opportunity Sat., Jan. 20 from 4-6 p.m.
The prized golden statue made a tour stop here after the Giants’ 2010 and 2012 championship
seasons, attracting 2,500 and about 4,000 fans, respectively. And Anthony Kenaston, recreation
supervisor of the hosting Greater Vallejo Recreation District, sees no reason why as many or more
won’t turn out for the third go-round.
“Every season is different,” Kenaston said. “We will continue to be excited
about this opportunity.”
Katja Zimmerman, Junior Giants Coordinator for the Giants’ Community
Fund, accepted GVRD’s application Thursday to bring the trophy to
Vallejo. The Trophy Tour begins
Jan. 8, running until Opening Day April 5. The tour includes the 2010 and
2012 trophies.
Kenaston believed Vallejo’s previously well-attended pit stops helped
secure a date this time around, with the 85 Junior Giants League
communities eligible.
“We were just fortunate enough to host it again,” Kenaston said.
The World Series Trophy appearance is something positive for the
community, Kennaston said.
“Just like the Giants, people of Vallejo are champions,” he said. “It gives us all hope. We come
together as a community to support one of the many positive things going on. If this trophy
presentation was to motivate one child or parents push that much harder to become successful, then
I know we did our job.”
6
Standing next to the trophy is important to a lot of fans, Kenaston said, because they feel a part of the
team.
Because there’s a wait to get inside Foley and get to the trophy, Kenaston said more entertainment
will be provided to keep those in line smiling.
Coincidentally, recently-retired Giants’ third base coach Tim Flannery and his band, The Lunatic
Fringe, perform at the Empress Theatre in downtown Vallejo the night of the trophy appearance.
Kenaston said he hoped Flannery could stop in and greet the fans.
...
The Mail Bag
We received several responses regarding our Pearl
Harbor tribute in the last MU.
From: Don McDermott '48
Hello Harry, Upon reading the Dec. 8. 2014, Monday Update issue I
noticed that you had asked those MU readers who had been living
in Vallejo at the time of the Japanese attack that took place at Pearl
Harbor on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, to send in their personal story
about that day so I would like to provide my personal recollections
about that point in time if I may.
I was about eleven and a half years of age and lived at 218 McDougal St. in Roosevelt Terrace.
Since it was Sunday, I was at home and I seem to recall that a vehicle which was equipped with an
announcing system was broadcasting the alarming news about the attack as it traveled up and down
the neighborhood streets. It seems that most folks including my parents found it difficult to believe
that the attack had actually taken place but when my dad turned on the radio it quickly became
undeniable. There was a strong feeling of shock naturally and since my father was employed at Mare
Island as a machinist he was pretty sure that things were going to change in regard to his job which
was of course very true.
On the following day after attending school I rode my bike from Roosevelt Terrace out to the Ryder
Street Ferry landing in South Vallejo where I was selling the Oakland Call Bulletin newspaper to the
Mare Island workers as they came off of the ferries after the end of their work shifts. I clearly
remember shouting out the newspaper headlines "Japanese Bomb Pearl Harbor, read all about
it." Needless to say I sold all of my papers that day. An added note is that there was a young
newspaper sales person with me named Floyd Whiteside who was also shouting out the headlines
from the San Francisco News and he also sold all of his publications that day. In a very short time
there was a detachment of Marines who were assigned the duties of making sure that all those who
boarded the ferries at that ferry landing were wearing their shipyard I.D. badges and displaying them
for inspection. Very soon there were also patrol boats that moved along the length of the shipyard
waterfront evidently searching for saboteurs, I suppose. In a short time there were a large number of
barrage balloons strategically set up around the Vallejo and shipyard areas plus some camouflaged
anti-aircraft gun emplacements along the West side perimeter of the shipyard and along Sears Point
highway to the West. There were soon rules put into effect that required all Vallejo residents to put
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up blackout curtains in their homes and Air Raid Wardens toured the neighborhoods to insure that
people were obeying blackout rules when blackouts were required by the sounding of air raid
sirens. Additionally there were certain curfew hours as I recall. Needless to say everyones lives were
certainly changed in many ways after the attack on Dec. 7, 1941. The work force at Mare Island
increased in number quickly and the rest is history.
My best to you, Sally and to all of the MU readers.
From: Karl Jacque ‘60
I was born the year after Pearl Harbor. My dad said he was loading ammunition on Mare Island
Sunday morning Dec. 7, 1941. He went into the U.S. Army and served in occupied Japan 1947-1949
driving ambulance and heavy trucks. I have listened for years to FDR’s Pearl Harbor Speech.
The true words are "A Date Which Will Live In Infamy".
The interesting thing was my father was born in Landau, Germany in 1920 and came to San
Francisco at 2 years of age. He ended up helping rebuild Japan. Not damage from war and Atomic
Bombs, but damage from an earthquake.
From: Ken Bryant ‘55
Harry: You wanted to know if anyone of us old-timers remembered what happened that day. Here is
mine.
I was 5 years old at the time and my dad was a policeman on Mare Island. At about 10:30 a.m. my
dad got a phone call to report to come back to work immediately. He didn’t know why. He had just
gotten off work from a graveyard shift. He came home about 2 hours later and said that the radio
station at Mare Island had received a message from Pearl Harbor that the Japanese had attacked the
fleet. What happened the rest of the day I don’t remember except we were quite excited, too long
ago, but that always stuck in my mind.
Very nice story about Ed Fahey Jr. His father
and my father served on the same ship, the
USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) (The Black Warrior.) I
have some old ship’s newspapers that show his
dad was an Ensign and editor of the
newspaper. Just a little side note.
From: Frank C. Wimberly ‘61
Santa Fe, NM
You mentioned the attack on Pearl Harbor in the Dec 8 issue. My dad, also Frank Wimberly, was an
Ensign in the engine room (steering aft) of the USS Tennessee that morning. He said that when the
USS Arizona exploded the concussion was so great that he and his men thought that their own ship
had exploded. He survived, obviously (I was born in 1943) and spent most of the War as an engineer
aboard the heavy cruiser USS Baltimore.
Our individual memories may be fading, but here on the MU, our collective memories are
fantastic. I want to thank those of you who wrote in about your memories of the Pearl Harbor
attack.
8
...
From: Linda Tholmer-Anderson
I loved your commentary at the end of this week’s MU. Newscasters get on
my last nerve. They always have to over-emphasize everything. The drought
is not over until the lakes are full and water is flowing over the Glory-hole at
Lake Berryessa. But, all you hear on the news is “when will you be able to
put away that umbrella.” Idiots!!
...
From: Jim Snoke ‘61
This is bizarre, Harry. I went to the Lynchburg website for the Tharp Funeral Home to leave a
condolence for Bob Kellerhall, and his name is not posted. It is his wife's name, Bonnie,
instead. Bob passed on November 25th, and Bonnie died on December 5th, just 10 days later. A
terrible tragedy for their family.
Bonnie A. Kellerhall, 73, of Lynchburg, died on Friday, December 5, 2014.
Tharp Funeral Home, Lynchburg, is assisting the family, (434) 237-9424.
Yes, Jim, very strange… please let me know should you learn more.
...
From: Sharon Shallenberger-Cocanour ‘63
Apaches Rule
Dear Harry:
Aaand... better late than never. One more mugshot from the class reunion (50th) a year ago last
October. It was a blast, by the way! (But aren't they all if you bother to go?)
“Shall", Bette and Bonnie
Oct. 2013
Ok, given that our appearances have been
morphed by the forces of time and gravity
(except, mysteriously,for Bonnie ElwoodO'Donnell), it's good to know our hearts still
beat as one. You could also subtitle this photo
"Brain Trust." So I'm pretty sure everyone
secretly thinks their class was the best, but I
have to say the VHS-HHS Class of 1963 was
something special. (You may remember ours
was the senior class that split when the "new" Hogan High School opened.)
That said, thanks to Bette Liberman-Flushman for setting the bar (high or low, not sure which) at the
Friday night mixer with her defining "Tonight we're all 17 again!" challenge.
9
Also to the wonderful souls who've worked fifty years now to keep gathering us together, I say thanks,
truly, for the labor of love. Henry "Skeeter" Thorpe, most notably, we owe you, buddy! What an
amazing guy. Thanks to him for lovingly organizing committees, reunions and scholarships. For
fifty years! And back to the heart to heart conversation with Bette the night of the reunion. We waxed
long and philosophical, wondering together what made Vallejo such a unique place because it WAS a
special place to live and grow up, filled with great people. Wonderful, nice, unforgettable people. I
miss it still. I'll always love my Class of '63 compadres.
It's a little embarrassing this is coming so long after the fact, but, oh well~ I have
ADD and as you like to say-- I'm old.
Thanks for all you do, Harry.
You? Old? Never “Shall,” never. See that’s the advantage of hanging out
with people who “knew you when.” We still see you with our “youthful
eyes.”
...
From: Marty Stiewig ’57
Apache
Harry, I certainly don’t intend to stir things up in the bird world, but the reference to the pileated
woodpecker might need a little fine tuning. There is a lot of discussion among some bird-watchers
that maybe he was a pileated woodpecker, while others in the bird-brained community would swear
that Woody just has to be a red-headed woodpecker.
However, according to Walter Lantz's press agent, the idea for Woody came during the producer's
honeymoon with his wife, Gracie, in Sherwood Lake, California. A noisy acorn woodpecker outside
their cabin kept the couple awake at night, and when a heavy rain started, they learned that the bird
had bored holes in their cabin's roof. As both Walter and Gracie told Dallas attorney Rod Phelps
during a visit, Walter wanted to shoot the thing, but Gracie suggested that her husband make a
cartoon about the bird, and thus Woody was born.
Although based on an acorn woodpecker, Woody shares many characteristics in common with the
pileated woodpecker in terms of both physical appearance as well as his characteristic laugh, which
resembles the call of the pileated woodpecker. These similarities are apparently the result of the
artistic license of the creators, and have caused much confusion within the birding community
amongst those who have attempted to classify Woody's species.
However, I do want to congratulate John Parks for the proper ID of the pileated woodpecker shown in
the picture. A lot of casual observers wouldn’t know what they were looking at.
Here are one of my pictures of
an acorn and a red-headed
woodpecker. I guess I have to
go along with the press agent,
but I’m sure the argument will
go on until the time when
people say, Woody who?
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Harry, to you and yours, have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year… As Woody would
say: “Heh heh heh heh ha!”
Well, it’s certainly nice hearing from all you “bird-brains.” LOL
...
From: Glenn C Dyson ‘66
Harry, I've heard you mention a couple of times that you and Sally "may" not stay in your home for but
a few more years? I would offer this as food for thought. I think leaving your home would be a bad
choice. By staying in your home, a place you've both known and find comfort in keeps your inner self
in balance. You have your memories of good times there and maybe a few bad ones also, visits with
close family and friends, you have a wonderful, beautiful and very fruitful garden and pets to take care
of (and pets, even "cats" offer comfort and solace). You can hire help when you need to to fix the little
things that come with owning a house, the ac, the plumbing, the electrical, the appliances, etc. No
need to do any of that yourself. Younger neighbors will take the garbage to the curbside, and the
short walk to the mailbox gets you out of the house also. When you can't drive to go to the store, or
the Doctor or see your friends, someone will always drive you, your family, grandkids, and neighbors.
When your health or the body starts to fail when you least expect it, you can get help to come in to
clean, cook, wash clothes. If you need some nursing there are so many services that will have a
nurse come to your home to check your meds, check your vital signs and poke you here and there. If
you need aid in bathing, dressing, or just a kind word or two there are Christian volunteers, and
elderly services who volunteer to do these things with nary a complaint and usually lots of smiles and
kind words.
But... until you or Sally cannot do any of these simple things please stay at home, enjoy the comfort it
brings and the memories! You will live longer, be happier and be healthier.
Take care my good friend!
Glenn, thanks for your concern. I know that lately I seem to be preoccupied with aging
(maybe turning 70 has something to do with it. LOL) but
that’s not the entire story about why we may leave this
lovely home. The biggest issue with our home is that it’s a
2-story and the flight of stairs leading up to our bedroom is
not getting any shorter. If we were to move it would be to a
1-story home. I’ve even looked into the cost of putting in a
small elevator (way too costly), or one of those stair lifts
(about $7-10 grand).
But, since we’re on the subject of houses allow me to go on
a little memory ride. The Diavatis family probably had the
same experience as many of you, in that we were raised,
primarily, in a 2-bedroom, 1 bath home, and there were 5 of
us. All of the homes, to the best of my recollection, were
what you might call “humble.” There was nothing
ostentatious about my parents and that’s understandable seeing as how them came from
impoverished conditions in the old country. My parents couldn’t have dreamed of living in a
home as large and luxurious as the homes that I, and my brothers, have lived in. Sally and I
11
moved to the Green Valley area of Fairfield in 2003 after having lived in a small (1100 sq. ft.)
home in Benicia for 30 plus years. Circumstances (which I won’t go into now) allowed up to
move “up” into a nicer bigger home (3,650 sq. feet) with 6 bedrooms and 3 full baths. The
downstairs bedroom was converted into my library/office and one of the upstairs bedrooms
became Sally’s quilting room. Sally and I enjoy entertaining, and the size of the home lends
itself to that. Of course, our regular readers know that I love my backyard and we’ve made
several improvements. That’s probably what I would miss most… my fruit trees, raised
garden beds and patio.
My primary concern, as I have aged, is what I call Rule #1 for older foks: DON’T FALL.
Falling, unfortunately, can mark the beginning of the end for many of us. It’s so much harder,
at our age, to recover from a broken hip or other major injury. The body just starts to rebel and
shut down. I try to be as careful as possible whenever I negotiate our steps… almost to the
point of paranoia.
So there, you have it… my rationale for why we may need to find some other “digs” in the near
future. Sally and I agree, however, that the one thing we don’t want is for our children to pick
out our assisted living home. LOL
...
From: Kathy Thurman-Robin
Hello Harry and all. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.
I'm up to my eyebrows in flour and powdered sugar doing my yearly Holiday baking and candy
making for the family and friends. I usually sew, crochet, or craft gifts for everyone, but this year my
Santa's Elf room is taking time off for remodeling. It will be up and running early next year, though. I
feel that it just isn't the holidays unless I make something for someone. I've been doing that for
probably 45 or so years.
Thanks for the heads up about the wonderful Taylor house in Glen Cove. When I lived down there,
we would go visit this beautiful site, filling us with joy and awe. I've scheduled the show to record on
the 15th. This year we will be visiting Candy Cane and Lollipop Lanes in Vacaville.
Last weekend we went to the Vacaville Cultural Center to see "Christmas In My Hometown". The
music and singing was heartwarming.
Juan Caducio, my old friend. You finally caught up to me. 70 is not bad at all. (if I ignore the painful
joints. hahaha) Congrats!! Happy Happy Birthday.
...
From: Micaela Robinson-G
I'm in a documentary making program at Tamalpais High School in Marin County. For my final
project, my group and I are profiling the recent mascot change at Vallejo High and were wondering if
you were interested in being interviewed about the topic.Since you are an alumni we feel that you'd
be a really reliable resource! Hope to hear from you, thanks!
12
Certainly, Micaela, I would be happy to be interviewed to share my point of view.
...
From: Jerry Cook ‘58
Australia
Here's some seasonal, and Apache colour, from down unda for you
and readers, Harry. The Poinciana's are all in full bloom here now.
All the very best to everyone for the season and the next year!
Also, very glad to see swimmer Dick Hegeman
‘55 finally put in the Vallejo Sports Hall of
Fame. He was a world record holder of the
short course 50 yd freestyle while STILL IN
THE VALLEJO SCHOOL SYSTEM! Who else can say that they had a world record in a sport while
still in the Vallejo system? Hegeman was at the Vallejo JC level, but it is still just amazing. Strange
how such a fantastic accomplishment could be ignored for so long, but as you and readers point out,
Vallejo HIgh and administration is in need of an overhaul of people in its sad workings. Destroying
the long used school name Apache is absurd, for a start. To use the Indian name is in HONOR of
Apaches, not against them… a big duh. I hope it gets reinstated asap! Ban ignorance!
Dick Hegeman's record was 23.1 and I saw him do a 22.8 and then a
22.7 at the Vallejo Plunge with Frank Wetmore timing one afternoon.
Dick looked like he was crawling over the top of the water, not in it. It
gave me goose bumps to see such a great champion swimmer at Vallejo.
Wetmore also introduced some of us to the great Olympic coach at the
Santa Clara Swim Club, George Haines, with a swim meet there. I was
able to work out under him later. He was fierce! Ever see a coach get so
angry to make swimmers perform, a deck chair would get smashed? It
made me more determined to go better too, better than NBL records,
especially after Vallejo, at SJS College and I swam hard about 9 miles
every day to get myself in the top 6 world wide at 4, but I never got as far
as Hegeman. I stupidly got involved with a girl in my sophomore year,
and although I had a real chance to go faster in the next 2-3 years, getting involved with the gal put
an end to it. I really blew it, what a fool to not go after a world record instead. I felt it in me, able to do
it. Having an SJS and state record was not near as good, and girls should have been put off for
awhile, as for getting serious. I ended up working 4 jobs at one time instead, while still at school and
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through the summers. 4 hour sleeps normal and often less, only 30 minutes. Crazy, eh? Girls.
Damn expensive I reckon. My own fault to not see it then. It made finishing school a lot more intense
and difficult. Then my brother, also a good swimmer, was killed for being a passenger in a car driven
by someone on booze, age 21. That put me back in Vallejo, near my parents, and then I moved to
Australia early '66..home of the "Australian crawl" freestyle. I got right into the surfing, out of comp
etetive swimming.
I so reveer what Dick Hegeman accomplished. He kept his focus and worked hard, the best swimmer
ever, out of Vallejo! Wetmore was a great coach, also perhaps the best ever at Vallejo.
I would also say Susie Schmutz is the best swimmer right now, for others suffering cancer, if not
speed. Good on you Susie, you are what’s amazing now. We are both cancer survivors. Stay
inspired!
Susie, is one of a kind.
...
From: Tom Libby ‘61
Palm Desert
Good Day Harry, I thought I would share my solar story:
First let me say I did not feel I wanted to spend out of pocket to pay for the solar panels, I feel at my
age I wanted to keep what money I could, so I opted to go with the no money (sort of) I meet with the
solar company representative and they asked for the SCE billings for the year and added up all the
KW hours used +- 24,000 and they break down the KW hours that SCE will supply which is in our
area Tear 1 & 2 on the billing which amounts to about 9,000 KW +- then they determine the amount
of solar panels needed to get me to the +- 24,000 KW. In my case it ended up being 42 solar panels
to generate the balance of KW needed.
This comes to the part of no money (sort of) I pay the solar company for my house $203.00 a month
plus whatever Tear 1 and or 2 is billed by SCE. My solar fee goes up each year by a small percent
this year it is $208.00 per month.
I do not have to pay for the install of the panels or electrical connections, NO money out of pocket at
all. Being a contractor I picked a company that may have cost me a couple of dollars a month more
but they were the best in communication, install, service and they came out and spent most of the
day to see if I would have any interference blocking the sun to the panels before installation. They
checked the roof to see where the framing was to install the rails that hold the panels.
I saved between $800 to $1000 the first year as I run the A/C here in the desert during the summer a
lot and I have (4) zones and summer months my bill is in the $600 range for about (4) months. It’s
less at Frankie’s house as he goes around naked with a sprits’ fan.
I feel it has been well worth it and a good selling point if you want to sell your home.
Well that’s my story on solar.
A very interesting story, too. Especially the part about Frankie prancing around “naked.”
That’s an image that, I’m afraid, will stick with me for a very long time. So here’s a quick
14
question for you: When you go to sell your home, what if the prospective buyer doesn’t want
the solar? Are you required to take it down at your expense and to pay any sort of penalty?
...
The Apache Review of Arts
. . . Please don't harsh my mellow.
By John Parks
LOUIS POPOLOSKI ---- thank you for that fascinating account of your
swimming career! The “Valley of the Moon” swim place you referenced is
Morton's Warm Springs Resort. Here's a link to their site: http://mortonswarmsprings.com/ As a
kid I really loved going up past Napa to those similar places: Vichy Springs and Oak Lake Park. I
didn't know about Morton's until I discovered it while exploring back roads when I had children of my
own. I subsequently took the kids over there a few times to enjoy experiences like I'd had at the
Napa Valley resorts.
MARYLAND STREET FIRE STATION ---- Remember going there to see
those really great decorations? It was a "must see" stop at Christmas time
back then, like “Candycane Lane”. Every year there was something new,
all hand-made and hand-painted – very special. No prefab plastic store
bought imports. Real fireman-fashioned creations.
That's Robin McGee on the right,
the fireman tragically killed in
action in 1980.
credit Sharon Payne, Dennis Carslund
A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS! ---- I'll use one of these “Pennies From Heaven” provided by
Brianna Brubaker. No, hold it, that was a couple weeks ago in Spooner's “Executive Suite” play. This
version is from the '50s, by the Skyliners, the song of the week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4-vaG-hWto
LOS TOLTECOS ---- is the restaurant out in Ashburn that
daughter Jillian chose for the birthday lunch I treated her
to. Decor, service, music, and food: all good.
LIKE WALKING THROUGH A DUST DEVIL ON A
BENICIA SCHOOL PLAYGROUND ---“Life... It moves you along even if you don’t want to
go! You get picked up, like a leaf in the wind. Life... It is
what happens when you are busy doing something
else. In the twirls and swirls you don’t pay much
attention to details. Then, one day, the wind sets you
15
down. Years and years have passed by. You take a look around and it is a different world. And you
wonder when and how everything changed.” S.B Coyne
Wait, for now.
Distrust everything if you have to.
But trust the hours. Haven’t they
carried you everywhere, up to now?
Personal events will become interesting again.
Hair will become interesting.
Pain will become interesting.
Buds that open out of season will become interesting.
Second-hand gloves will become lovely again;
their memories are what give them
the need for other hands. And the desolation
of lovers is the same: that enormous emptiness
carved out of such tiny beings as we are
asks to be filled; the need
for the new love is faithfulness to the old.
Wait.
Don’t go too early.
You’re tired. But everyone’s tired.
But no one is tired enough.
Only wait a little and listen:
music of hair,
music of pain,
music of looms weaving all our loves again.
Be there to hear it, it will be the only time,
most of all to hear
the flute of your whole existence,
rehearsed by the sorrows, play itself into total exhaustion.
"Wait" by Galway Kinnell
A SALAD BY ANY OTHER NAME ---- Watergate cake has a cover-up icing and is full of nuts.
Watergate SALAD is also also full of nuts. But the origin of the name is obscure. The Kraft said that
it developed a recipe for Pistachio Pineapple Delight in 1975 -- the same year that pistachio pudding
mix came out. Kraft, however, didn't refer to it as Watergate Salad until consumers started requesting
the recipe for it under that name. Kraft said when the recipe for Pistachio Pineapple Delight was sent
out, an unnamed Chicago food editor renamed it Watergate Salad to promote interest in the recipe
when she printed it in her column. Neither the article nor editor has been tracked down, however.
The Denver Post, in its Empire Magazine of June 27, 1976 published a recipe for Watergate Salad. It
was a concoction thought up by a sous chef at the Watergate Hotel in DC. It was then served at
brunch most weekends. Watergate Salad took off in popularity during and after the presidential
scandal of that name. Syndicated household advice columnists Anne Adams and Nan NashCummings, in their "Anne & Nan" column of October 9, 1997 reported that name came from the
similar "Watergate Cake" (which shares most of the same ingredients). "The recipes came out during
the Watergate hearings.”
FACT---- There are16three times
as many chickens on the planet
as people. No wonder they're so
frequently seen crossing roads.
NO, it's not a UFO.! ---- Since 1964 Pearl Harbor survivors and their families have remembered
December 7th by relighting the historic Beacon atop Mount Diablo's summit.
The “Eye of Diablo”, as it’s known, was
extinguished in 1941 just after the attack on
Pearl Harbor. In 1964, Fleet Admiral
Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief of
Pacific Forces during World War II, relit the
beacon the first time and suggested it be lit
every year on this date to honor those who
served and sacrificed in this war.
THE HILLBROOK INN ---- in the Eastern panhandle of West Virginia is a nice place to visit, even if
it's just for an evening meal like I experienced recently.
It is situated on the first land George
Washington ever owned. “In 1750, 18year-old George came to this area to
survey for Lord Fairfax. He had astute
business instincts, even at that early
age. He invested his earnings in 453
acres along Bullskin Run, and later
added another 1,558 acres. It was in
Frederick County, Virginia (now
Jefferson County, WV). By 1755, he
built a small stone building where he
stayed during his brief visits to the
plantation. This house was called
Rockhall and was situated about 200
yards west of today's Hillbrook Inn.
Washington leased most of the remaining land in 200-acre parcels to tenant farmers. His leases
were very precise. Each tenant should build a 20’ dwelling and a good 40’ barn, plant and care for
specific crops, install certain “creatures,” erect and maintain fences, plant an orchard and vineyard
and preserve the woodlots without over-cutting. Wealthy landowners like Lord Fairfax and
Washington did not want to grant tracks of land to speculators (like themselves). They wanted people
who planned to live and farm the land. So, they required all sorts of things: sometimes that an orchard
be planted, for example. The most typical requirement was for the patent holder to build a house of a
certain size. In Northern Virginia, Fairfax (and those who got their land from him) often required the
17
house be built of stone to demonstrate that the patent holder was serious about the endeavor.
Washington owned his large Bullskin tract until his death in 1799.
After WWI General Frank Bamford owned the property and built a home here modeled after an inn he
loved in Normandy, where he had stayed. So it is fitting that Hillbrook should now be a country inn in
the European tradition.” Like those, you wait in a living-room style reception area until you're called to
the dining room at the appointed meal hour. This is the only place in the U.S. I've seen “WC” on the
restroom door – and also the only place I've seen the waitress blow into a four-foot long stainlesssteel tube to ignite the log just added to the fireplace. Highly recommended.
BTW, it was owning this particular real estate that made Washington eligible, as a landholder, to run
for public office. He ran to represent this area in Virginia's House of Burgesses – and lost the
election. But the next time he won. In those days they kept records of how people voted. In doing
genealogical research I was pleasantly surprised to find that my ancestor, David Vestal, had an older
brother, John Vestal, who voted for Washington both times.
MOVIETONE NEWS ---- My favorite movies are ones that tell
stories of earlier times, that are, or could be, true, and that conclude
on some positive, if not inspirational, note.
The Homesman disappointed on the third criterion. It is a
sequence of harsh tragedies and is not recommended. But it does
give one a better under-standing of the bitter experiences many
people faced in settling the new frontiers of western expansion.
(My earliest Mull ancestor in America came from the German
Palatinate, about 1715, to settle with his family in western North
Carolina -- only to be killed by Indians. Luckily some children
survived.) The darkness of the movie's poster and the R rating are
appropriate.
EXPANDING ---- If you've ever toured Washington, DC you
probably stopped at the Kennedy Center where so many excellent musical and theatrical
performances happen. Well, they've just
announced a major expansion and here is
an architectural rendering of what they've
got planned. They're even planning a
presence on the Potomac River!
If you'd like more detailed images on this
project they're connected by this link.
http://www.kennedycenter.org/pages/exp
ansion/index#anchorlink
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IN THE WORLD? MAYBE SO. ---- Mare Island was noted after the war as "THE MOST STRATEGIC
NAVY YARD IN THE WORLD" in the Times Herald supplement , March 9, 1947!
courtesy John Osborne and Tracy Valine
Assuming the best of intentions,
John
jvp444@yahoo.com
...
Comedy
Corner
Join the battle of the sexes by sending your idea of what passes
for humor to the Monday Update. Please try to keep it clean.
After all we have old people reading this stuff. “
For the Hers… from Alva Cammarata-G
Doug Smith is on his deathbed and knows the end
is near.
His nurse, his wife, his daughter and both sons,
are with him.
He asks for two witnesses to be present and
a camcorder be in place to record his last wishes.
When all is ready he begins to speak:
19
“My son, Bernie, I want you to take the
Mayfair houses.
My daughter, Sybil, you take the apartments over
in the east end.
“My son, Jamie, I want you to take the offices over
in the City Centre.
"Sarah, my dear wife, please take all the
residential buildings on the banks of the river."
The nurse and witnesses are blown away as they
did not realize his extensive holdings.
As Doug slips away, the nurse says, "Mrs. Smith,
your husband must have been such a hardworking man to have accumulated all this
property".
Sarah replies, "Property ? .... the asshole had a
paper route!"
For the Hims…Keith Kjar ‘64
A funeral service is held for a man who just passed away.
As the pallbearers carry the casket out, they accidentally
bump into a wall.
They hear a faint moan.
They open the casket and find that the man is actually alive!
He lives for 12 more years and then dies.
They have another funeral for him. At the end of the
service, the pallbearers carry out the casket.
As they are walking, the wife shouts, "Watch out for that
wall!"
Oh, what a loving thoughtful wife…
...
20
“Who you callin’
an Old Geezer?!”
This feature will appear in large font to make it easier for
some of you to read.
Corky and Bill, two friends, met in the park every day to feed the pigeons, watch the
squirrels and discuss world problems. One day Bill didn't show up.
Corky didn't think much about it and figured maybe he had a cold or something.
But after Bill hadn't shown up for a week or so, Corky really got worried. However, since the only time they ever got together was at the park, Corky didn't know
where Bill lived, so he was unable to find out what had happened to him.
A month had passed, and Corky figured he had seen the last of Bill, but one day,
Corky approached the park and - lo and behold! - there sat Bill! Corky was very
excited and happy to see him and told him so.
Then he said, "For crying out loud Bill, what in the world happened to you?"
Bill replied, "I have been in jail."
"Jail" cried Corky. "What in the world for?"
"Well" Bill said, "you know Cindy, that cute little blonde waitress at
the coffee shop where I sometimes go?"
"Yeah," said Corky, I remember her. What about her?"
"Well, one day she filed rape charges against me, and at 90 years old, I was so proud
when I got into court, I pleaded "guilty."
"The judge gave me 30 days for perjury."
Contributed by
Steve Bleamel
...
21
On the Sidelines
The latest news on athletes with Vallejo roots
CJ Anderson, had another stellar performance in the Bronco’s victory
over the San Diego Chargers yesterday, as he rushed 29 times for 85
yards and caught 2 passes for 11 yards. Denver prevailed 22-10.
...
A Stroll Down History Lane…
A place to share your memories…
before they disappear forever.
From: Paul Newton ‘64
Hi Harry, We are slowly cleaning out my MotherIn-laws house because she is in assisted living
and probably will be there till the end. While going
through the mess Linda found this folder that the
readers should enjoy. My Father in law Harry Barnes was a friend of Dave Beronio and he got hold of
these drawings, I don't know how he got them but these drawing tell how great a sports artist Dave
Beronio was.
22
23
Wow, Figgy! What a treasure trove collection. Were these the originals or were they copies?
...
From: John Osborne ‘55
After reading input to your MU (in an earlier issue)
directly from Ed Fahy Jr. ‘66, and follow-on comments
from Les Bates, '58, about Ed Fahy Jr. and his
father who was a Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Commander , it seems to me appropriate for the
Holiday season (and shortly after a Pearl
Harbor Anniversary) to recognize the contribution
that Vallejo and Mare Island "Warriors " have made.
The first couple that married at St. Peter's Chapel on
Mare Island in 1902, Charles Fiske and Helen Hawke,
had a daughter, Rebecca, that married Arnold Schade,
a Navy officer stationed at MINSY. They lived on
Mountain View Ave in Vallejo in 1940. Arnold would go
on in his military career to become a highly decorated
Vice Admiral. Read about Arnold's valor
at http://projects.militarytimes.com/citations…/recipient.php
He was Executive Officer of the U.S.S Growler (SS215) during WWII and took control after the Captain of
his ship was killed during an attack. Other valor awards
are also included at that site.
We can enjoy the Holidays as a result of the sacrifices
of many, many more Vallejo citizens and the armed forces "Warriors" at Mare Island that maintained
freedom!
John, thank you for taking the time to remember Vice Adm. Arnold Schade, just one of
hundreds of our American heroes who fought to keep this country free. We should never
forget the sacrifices made by so many in all of the wars/actions that the U.S. has partaken.
...
24
From: Dave Kuehl HH66
This past summer, my wife (Donna Trower,
HH67) and I toured through the Midwest.
While in Iowa, we found the crash site where
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson
(The Big Bopper) lost their lives in a plane crash
(the day the music died, Feb 3, 1959).
We also went by the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake,
IW where a monument is displayed as a tribute to
their last concert.
When we got home we had to watch old DVDs (The
Buddy Holly Story & La Bamba) to reinforce the impact these singers
had in our young lives.
BTW - trivia notes: Buddy's proper spelling of his last name is
Holley. His first 45 rpm records accidentally misspelled his last name-and he let it go. Buddy's wife, Maria, reportedly never went to his grave
site in Lubbock TX. Donna in Richie Valens' song "Donna" was Donna
Ludwig, his real high school sweetheart, who is now a mortgage broker
in the Sacramento area. Love the MUD! Enjoy the holidays, and
Happy New Year!
Dave, what memories you’ve brought back… In a little over 2 years, Buddy Holly managed to
become etched in our psyches for as long as we live. His top songs were: That'll Be the Day;
Peggy Sue; Oh, Boy!; It Doesn’t Matter Anymore; Maybe Baby; Think It Over; and Rave On.
Ritchie Valens is remembered for Donna and La Bamba and for being the first Latino to gain
popularity in the “new” music.
And of course who could ever forget The Big Bopper? “Ohhhh, Baby, you know what I like.”
I have all of their songs and your post inspired me to play them. Such memories.
...
25
From: Patty Gallagher-Stanton SV63
I’m sending you this picture showing the Hanlon Theatre with
waitresses from Peter Pan. I’m so sorry I don’t know their names,
nothing was written on the back. This had to be taken around, or
about, 1946/1947.
The marquee reads James Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life. It also
looks to be a double feature, but my eyes can’t make the whole
thing out. Okay… I did a movie search of that era. It could be
Seven Were Saved which was a WWII movie made in 1947.
Patty, you’re absolutely right… I went to a close up of the pic
and the other feature was, indeed, Seven Were Saved.
Thanks for sharing.
...
This week’s Newbies
This week we welcome Rich Changus, Margie Jorgenson-Fraser ’66 and
Bill Fraser HH63.
Our subscribers list is now up to 1309.
...
In Memoriam
Gordon A. Shaffer ‘48
January 25, 1930 - December 10, 2014
Gordon A. “Gordy” Shaffer, a resident of Vallejo for over 70
years, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on
December 10, 2014. Gordon was born in Oakland, CA,
graduated from Vallejo High School in 1948 (a proud
Apache), and served his country in the Korean War in the 76th Engineering
Construction Battalion as a company clerk and then photographer. In 1947
Gordon began his full-time work for the Vallejo Times-Herald. After returning
from the war, Gordon resumed his job as a photographer with the Times-Herald
where he worked for almost 30 years, making many life-long friends. In
addition Gordon also worked for the Vallejo Independent Press (VIP) and owned
26
his own photography business.
Gordon is survived by his wife, Irene Shaffer. They married in 1995 in Ft.
Lauderdale, FL prior to one of the many cruises they enjoyed together.
He is also survived by son, Gregory
(Sheri) Shaffer of Grass Valley, CA
whom he had with Josephine Shaffer
(deceased); and by step-children, Jeff
Bandura and Denise Diewert.
Ever civic minded Gordon served as the
president of both the Vallejo, and White
Rock, BC Chambers of Commerce, as well as the White Rock Rotary Club
in Canada. He was the first to sign-up when volunteers were requested. He served as coordinator for
the Vallejo Day trip to the S.F. Giants for 20 years; started the Christmas tree lighting contest in
Vallejo; and spearheaded the time capsules placed at the Peace Arch Border Crossing between
Blaine, WA (USA) and White Rock, BC (Canada). Gordon proudly held dual citizenship in the United
States and Canada.
Gordon left behind a legacy of friends and positive impacts on those he
met. Among the lessons he shared with others were: It’s nice
to be nice, (this was his life credo); Be a participant not a
spectator of life; Determination has great merit, (he never
gave up on what he believed in); Humor has beauty,
importance and brilliance in our lives; and the sharing of the
saying, “If that’s the worst thing that happens to you today
you’re lucky.” This final lesson, constantly acknow-ledged, ia
that when you compare your trials to others, you’ll always see
that things are not as bad as they seem.
Those wishing to make memorial donations may do so to one of Gordon’s
favorite charities: The Nature Conservancy, the Vallejo Naval Historical Museum; and the Human
Society of the North Bay.
A celebration of life will be held Friday, January 9, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at Colonial Chapels, 1000
Redwood St., Vallejo, Ca. 94590, with a reception to follow at Moose Lodge #468, 337 Nebraska St.,
Vallejo, CA 94590. Arrangements under the direction of Colonial Chapels.
...
William McDuff ( Mac ) Andrew ‘63
February 14, 1945 - November 16, 2014
William McDuff (Mac) Andrew, age 69, went home to be with the Lord on
Sunday, November 16, 2014. Mac died at Evergreen Hospice House in Albany,
Oregon, after a long battle with MDS and Leukemia.
Born February 14, 1945, in San Francisco, California, he lived in Vallejo, and
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Vacaville, before he and his wife settled in Waldport, Oregon in 2005. A 1963 graduate of Vallejo
High School, he worked for the state of California, retiring in 2001. Mac was a member of the Masonic
Lodge in Vacaville, and affiliated with the Masonic Lodge in Newport, Oregon.
He was also a member of Central Coast Fly Fishers in Waldport, and Longview Hills Fishing Club in
Newport. Mac was an accomplished origami folder, as well as an active knot tier. He was active at
Kid’s Fishing Day in Waldport, and often gave out zipper pulls and key fobs to the kids and their
parents, as well as to hundreds of other people throughout Lincoln County. Mac will always be
remembered for his smile and twinkle of mischief in his eyes.
Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Kimberly (Jacobs) Andrew; dear friends: Kevin (Terry) Ives of
Fairfield, Ron (Denise) Miller of Florida, and Joe (Samantha) Velasquez of Livermore; niece, Rebecca
Jacobs of San Antonio, Texas; and cousin, Richard (Hilda) Rousay of Canada.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, January 17, 2015 at Waldport First Baptist
Church, 2620 Alsea Highway, Waldport, Oregon. Ashes will be scattered at sea.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are encouraged and should be mailed to either Waldport
First Baptist Church, 2620 Alsea Highway, Waldport, Oregon 97394 or through the Bible Radio, PO
Box 7100, Pasadena, CA 91109
...
The Last Word…
For a few days now, I’ve had this “discombobulated” feeling and I wasn’t sure why. Nothing
seemed to be right… almost as if (to quote Shakespeare) “time is out of joint.” I couldn’t quite
put my finger on it, and then… “EUREKA!” I finally realized what the problem was. I have yet
to receive my Christmas Amaryllis from Crag and Claudia Parker. Is that even possible? For
6 Christmases in a row we’ve been given the opportunity to watch the little bulb burst open
with a long green stem and then follow that with the opening of the trumpet like blossoms, as
if signaling the season. (Sometimes it’s so late it signals the Valentine season.)
2008
2009
2010
2011
PARKER! Wherein’ell is my Amaryllis??
28
2012
2013
Hold the phone… hold the presses…
I am so embarrassed. Guess who and what showed up at our
Annual Christmas Pot Luck party Saturday night? Yep, the
Parker’s and my amaryllises. (Or is it “amarylli?) I am so
relieved.
Here’s my darling Claudia Downs-Parker ’63, with my
darling grandson Steven, and my darling Amaryllis’…
I’m so sorry I doubted you, Crag and Claudia. (But next time
don’t wait until the last damn minute!) LOL
...
Do you have a friend that attended Vallejo High and still bleeds
Apache Red & White? If so you might consider buying them an
Apaches Forever shirt for Christmas. I still have 6 left: Mens- 2 medium 3 large and 1
women’s large
...
I received a most unexpected phone call on Friday. It was from Sylvia Owens, the widow of
my dear departed friend, teammate, and classmate Randy Owens. Apparently, Sylvia, while
going through some of Randy’s things, found my phone number and on a whim called it. We
had a very nice conversation. Sylvia is going through a very tough time this Christmas: first,
the loss of Randy which occurred almost 6 years ago and more recently the loss of her son
Isaiah Randolph "Ikey" Owens , who on October 14, 2014, was found dead due to a heart
attack in his hotel room in Puebla, Mexico, aged 39. Ikey an American Grammy Award
keyboardist, had two remaining concerts in Mexico in support of Jack White's album,
Lazaretto, which were cancelled. The band had played in Mexico City three days earlier, in
Puebla one night before the incident, and were scheduled to perform in Guadalajara the day of
his death.
...
Sally and I had our annual Christmas
Pot Luck in our home Saturday night
and as usual we had a great time
visiting with friends, most of whom
I’ve known for over half a century. As
usual the food that everyone brought
was very good and more than ample. I
don’t think anyone went home hungry.
29
Tami Post-Lamb ’64
and Cooky Longo ’65
add to the buffet table.
Carol EgidioMurray ’63
provided the
most incredible
little individual
lasagnas.
It’s always a pleasure
getting together with
friends like Gail GreigBoblitt…
and Bill Wagley ‘61
L-R: Pauline Dennis-Bunter, Joyce
Sjogren-Waller HH64 and
granddaughter Nikki
L-R: Gail Olsen-Smith, Joyce Coggburn
& Loretta Smith-McCracken
Carmela Piccolo-Coakley ’58 and hubby Mike look
adoringly at each other. *Hmmm… what’s with that?)
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Long time friends and classmates… (L-R) Gail
Greig-Boblitt, Sharon Kent-Harris and Loretta
Smith-McCracken.
The weather was amazing. We were sandwiched
in between two storm fronts and yet it was such
a nice mild evening that many of our guests
spend time outside around a blazing fire.
Above (L-R); Linda Tholmer-Anderson, Steve
Bleamel, Crag Parker, Mike Houston ’61 Melvin
Brooks and Loretta with her back to the camera
(which is how she prefers)
L-R: Lorraine & Mel Brooks, Steve Cotter
and Roberta Cotter (back to camera)
(L-R Linda Tholmer-Anderson,
Wes Brown & John Ranacis ‘61
From: Jo Anne Richardson-Conley ‘61
Dear Harry and Sally,
Annie and I want to thank you and Sally so very much for the wonderful party you had tonight. The
food was excellent and great friends to see. We really enjoyed ourselves and thank you again.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you folks. Thanks again…
31
From: Tami Post-Lamb ‘64
Dear Harry and Sally,
Ed and I want to thank you both for such a wonderful party!! Oh my gosh the food was
fabulous, love the Greek potatoes!!!and the Tri Tip was perfect!!
Your guest list was the best, we had so much fun visiting with friends and people we have not seen in
years. Ed is amazed at how many people can remain connected and close after all the years, its like
we never have been apart. Thanks to the MU :))
I have a little more info on the annual Christmas party of the Vjo/Hogan girls party. Carol CadloniTedesco, hosted the party in her beautiful home and Bob was the official photographer- he did a good
job and we have some nice pictures. We had good food and lots of visiting!!!.
Harry, another year has gone by and you are the King--you do so much for all of us, you can't
imagine. We all look fwd. to Monday for the MU, to see our friends and the projects that are going
on. Thank you so much and Sally for keeping us all together. We love you. Merry Christmas and the
best New Year ahead.
From: Steve Cotter
Dear Sally and Harry: Just a short note to thank you for inviting Berta and me to your Christmas
party. We really enjoyed ourselves. Your house was festively decorated both inside and out and was
truly inviting. Both the food and company were excellent. I especially appreciate your
thoughtfulness in saving us a convenient place to park. That was great! You two are the
consummate host and hostess and we had a wonderful time. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
From: Carmela Piccolo-Coakley ‘58
We had a great time at your party tonight. Thanks again for including us. Merry Christmas and
much love,
You are all very welcome… thanks for spending time with us.
…and to all a “good night…”
(It’s hard staying awake when you’re approaching 71 in a couple
of months.)
...thanks for starting your Monday with me... hd
.
32
If your class is having an event within the next year let us know and we’ll keep it posted on the
Calendar.
MU Calendar of Upcoming Events
Date
Event
Place
Time
March 7, 2015
March 27, 2015
Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame Induction
Vallejo/Hogan Alumni Football Game
Dan Foley Cultural Ctr.
Corbus Field
3:30 pm
TBA
Public Service Announcement
33
ADDENDUM ONE:
Reunion and Event Announcements(Send us your upcoming events and/or reunions
and we’ll post them here every week until your event.)
This space is available.
For those of you who are members of a class that ends in
the number “0 or 5” (1945, 1950 etc), It’s not too early to
begin publicizing your reunion event.
...
ADDENDUM TWO: Missing Classmates
(Reunion committees: Send me your list if you want it posted here.)
HOGAN HIGH CLASS OF 1965
MISSING CLASSMATES
Please contact Barry Fredenburg @ bgfredenburg@yahoo.com
Ailes, Dennis
Alexander,
Sharon
Alvarado, Michael
Amsbaugh, Dolly
Asbe, Howard
Edmonds, Annabelle
Koontz, Linda
Roberts, Alice
Fawcett, William
Lewis, Isac
Roberts, Ken
Fears, Jeffrey
Guarin, Joseph
Harris, Norman
Avery, Barbara
House, Duanna
Barber, Fred
Baumann, David
Becky, John
Borowski, Janet
Bradeen, Susan
Bradhurst, Shirley
Cambe, Benito
Howe, Joan
Jensen, John
Johnson, Jesse
Keith, Sandra
Kelly, James
Kelly, Judith
Kent, Helen
Linville, Robert
Marquez, Sally
Martin, Doug
McMurphy,
Donna
McBride, Dan
McNairy, Thomas
Mitchell, Robbie
Murchison, Jerry
Neal, Denise
Nichols, Sharon
Oliveira, John
Rollins, Thomas
Salsedo, Pamela
Simon, Margaret
Southerland,
Ronald
Tackmier, Lynn
Talley, Gwendolyn
Trefethen, Janice
Wartburg, Patricia
Weber, Donald
Wilson, David
Wilson, Ellen
34
Diaz, Thomas
Edgar, Shirley
Kersting, Pamela
Kimzey, Linda
Padilla, Priscilla
Pulliam, Harry
Reedy, Carolyn
Zumwalt, Joseph
...
THE FINE PRINT
The Monday Update
Publisher/Editor: Harry Diavatis
Published: Weekly
First Edition: Oct. 26, 2004
Circulation: 1,309 subscribed
(est. readers 1500+)
The Monday Update was originally intended to serve as a newsletter for members of the VHS Class of ’62. Over a period
of time, members of companion classes (1960, ’61, ’63, and ’64) and from Hogan and St. Vincent’s, indicated an interest
and began participating. Today the Monday Update has a wide and varied range of readership ranging from 1937 and
into the 1990s. We also have several -guests” who have no direct affiliation with Vallejo whatsoever but are able to relate
to the era.. Anyone who has an interest in, or is nostalgic for, our era is welcomed to participate.
Back issues from as far back as 2007 are available on line at www.VHS62.com. To subscribe to the MU go to
www.VHS62.com and click on the Link- Sign Up for Our Email Newsletter.”
There is no charge for accessing the Update… just the expectation that subscribers will periodically “contribute”
something to the overall effort, such as a personal update, archival pictures, news, memories, anecdotes, true
confessions etc… anything that may be somehow relevant or interesting to our readership as a whole.
The Editor reserved the right to print, delete, or edit contributions at his discretion and is solely responsible for the content
of the Update. If you send us an email and DO NOT want it published in the Update please be sure to state as much, and
we will respect your wishes. The MU respects your privacy. Personal information, including email addressess and phone
numbers, will not be given out without your permission.
The Monday Update is not financed by, nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions of: Vallejo High School; the VHS
Class of 1962; or the VHS ’62 Reunion Committee. (And it sure as hell doesn’t reflect the Vallejo School Board!)
...
The Official VHS Class of ’62 Web Site
http://www.classreport.org/usa/ca/vallejo/vhs/1962
Administrator: Bill Strong
Asst. Admin: Harry Diavatis
Class size:
Located:
439
Missing:
196
Deceased:
136
Total on File:
771
All members of the VHS Class of ’62 are listed on the site including Missing and Deceased
classmates. Members of VHS ’62 are asked to log on to the site, register, fill out a profile and send in
a current picture. Non class members may also participate and should log on as “guests.”
...
35
YEARBOOKS ON CD
Thanks to Bill Strong, many of the Yearbooks from Vallejo, Hogan, and St. Vincent’s are available on
a CD. (Also quite a few of the Junior High Schools.) The MU will be happy to send you a personal
copy, of your choice, on a CD for a free will donation towards the Class of ’62 party fund. The
average donation has been $35. You may order up to five (5) yearbooks for the same donation.
Year
1929
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44-47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72-74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
VHS
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
HHS
SVHS
VJH
HJH
FJH
Sol JH
Springs JH
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
36
84
85
86
87
88
Total
1
1
1
1
41
1
1
1
13
6
11
5
8
Send your check to:
Harry Diavatis, 5087 Green Meadow Court, Fairfield, CA 94533
37
1
10
38