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Monday Update
A weekly newsletter dedicated to those
who remember Vallejo as it once was.
Vallejo
Apaches
St. Vincent
Hilltoppers
Hogan
Spartans
St. Patrick/St. Vincent
Bruins
March 16, 2015
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Erin go Braugh
The Monday Update is published weekly, on the
John O’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
To receive a free subscription and have the Update sent directly to your
email address, Copy and Paste this Constant Contact link to sign in
http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?llr=sgdgubfabandp=oiandm=110
4935062738andsit=488a8u8fbandf=86b2e114-7c49-4af9-8033-a44a643b7ea5
Hello Classmates, Schoolmates and Friends:
In this edition: Diane Backovich ‘61, Doug Barskey ’60, Les Bates ‘58, Gary Baysmore ’62, Margie Buck-Barnett
’61, Ron Collins ’60, Shirley Cooper-Coyne SV56, Glenn Dyson ’66, Lafayette “Bud” Eaton ’61, Carol EgidioMurray ’63, Tina Fowler ’92, Gertrude Gaillard-Strong ’40, Connie Gorman-Metz SV58, Shirley Harris-Radder ’61,
Brenda “BJ” Johnson-Green ’64, Sharon Kent-Harris ’62, David Macdonald ’56, Bart Ney HH89, Gary Pheatt ’62,
Carmela Piccolo-Coakley ’58, Terry Platt-Lerseth HH63, Greg Pontarolo ’68, Bill Rieken '65, Skip Sallade ’54, Susie
Schumutz ’59, Charlie Spooner ’60, Jack Stiltz, and Dalt Williams ’51.
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 College
Year Only (ie: ’60) = year graduated from VHS
Index
This ‘n’ That ............................................................................................................... 2
The Mailbag .............................................................................................................. 7
Apache Review of Arts by John Parks....................................................................... 16
On the Sidelines ........................................................................................................ 22
The Occasional Spoonful by Charlie Spooner ’60 ..................................................... 23
Paperback Writer....................................................................................................... 27
A Stroll Down History Lane........................................................................................ 28
In Memoriam ............................................................................................................. 32
The Last Word ........................................................................................................... 32
MU Calendar of Upcoming Events ............................................................................ 34
Public Service Announcements ................................................................................. 35
Addendums ............................................................................................................... 36
The Fine Print ............................................................................................................ 38
As you can see, the Monday Update Masthead has a new look. Hope you like it. Let me
explain the reason for the change. When I began publishing the MU in 2005, it was solely
intended for my Vallejo High School Classmates of 1962. (That’s the reason that the logo on
the old masthead had 1962 written under it.) Pretty soon, thanks to Paul Wright ’61, who
forwarded it to all of his classmates, the MU began to take on a wider audience. Eventually it
was picked up by Vallejoans across the entire spectrum, representing all of the local high
schools. Today, I estimate, we have around 1,500 readers, although, certainly, not everyone
reads it every week. Our subscribers span over 75 years – from 1939 into the new millenium.
I believe that it’s finally time to recognize our diverse group of readers… it is, clearly, no
longer just the Vallejo High School Monday Update. I hope no one is disappointed and I look
forward to feedback from you, our valued readers.
This ‘n’ that:
The send-off for Roger Petrie last Monday was something you would expect for a Head of
State. I’ve never seen St. Basil’s Church so packed. It was standing room only, literally.
That just shows you in what high
esteem the Petrie family is held in,
beginning with mom and dad, Molly
and Larry Petrie. Roger was loved by
many, many people and the turn out
for his funeral reflected that love.
It was a very emotional day and I know
it was rough on the family. We send
our love to them as they begin the long
healing process.
Jim & Joyce Lamb-McClary ‘62
‘62 Classmates Loretta SmithMcCracken & Kent Love
Frank Bodie ‘59, Dianne Ingram-Mahler ‘62 & Rich
Imhoff ‘59
Friends since third grade: both ‘62
Ron Garton & Rich Gunderson
Regina & Jerry Orr ‘61 and Jack Higgins SV62
After the Mass and the burial at All Soul’s Cemetery, we gathered at the USA World Classics
Event Center in downtown Vallejo for a reception. The place was packed.
Those who had not been to events at the USA World Classics Event Center, were surprised at
its existence. It used to be the bowling alley across from the Greyhound Bus Station on
Sonoma Blvd. Entrepreneur Buck Kamphausen converted it in a museum/reception hall
several years ago.
I sat with Eddie Hewitt ‘59, wife Cindy ‘59, Joel Butler ‘59, Lance Thelan ‘60, Frank Bodie ‘59, Nancy HopkinsMatlock ‘60, and Carolyn Vecchio-Brown ‘60
Dayle & Fred Kerstad SV63
Charlene Imhoff-Davidson ’61
Pete HH63and Lynn PetersAncheta HH64
Dennis Petri ‘62/Linda Rolff-McHale ‘63
Dick Branch ‘62,/Cooky Longo ’65
The irrepressible Mike Coakley & the indefatigable
Jerry Orr ’61
Sharon Stratmeyer-Jacobsen ‘62
& Diane Brinkman-Imhoff ’62.
Friends since first grade.
Katie Stout-Jacks ‘60 & Rich Imhoff ‘59
...
Reprinted from the Vallejo Times-Herald
VALLEJO CELEBRATES ROGER PETRIE’S LIFE
Petrie a ‘Beacon of good’ who ‘gave and gave’
By Richard Freedman
Roger Petrie may have been a backup
quarterback at UCLA, but when it came to a
passion for life, for friends and family, and for
giving to those less fortunate, he definitely had
Hall of Fame credentials.
Justin Torento, 26, looks at a poster board
filled with photos of the man he calls ‘Uncle
Rog.’ He and hundreds of family and friends
of Roger Petrie attended a reception on
Monday at the USA World Classic Car
Museum in Vallejo.
The 1,000 attendees at Petrie’s Celebration of Life at St. Basil’s Church on Monday morning were
proof.
“Roger was a beacon of good,” said the Rev. Alfredo Tamayo.
Petrie, Vallejo chiropractor for 20 years, Hogan High School graduate and lifetime local, died March 3
from organ failure. He was 51.
“We all loved Roger,” said Deme Stall-Nash, a cousin who — like so many attending the service —
will always remember Petrie for his omni-present smile “and willingness to help people whenever
asked.”
“Whenever we were hurt, he took care of us,” Stall-Nash said. “To lose him at such a young age has
been very sad. He has left a legacy.”
“He was just a giver. I thought I was a giver, but Roger came along and put me to shame,” said
Dennis Petri, who surrendered his own chiropractic business to his nephew. “He came in 1990 and
booted me out in ’95,” said Petri, managing to smile. “He did an excellent job. An absolutely super
job.”
Roger Petrie’s reputation as a chiropractor was rivaled only by his reputation as a person.
“He was just one of those guys,” said family friend Neal Garton. “Everybody loved Roger. He was just
a good guy, an old-time Vallejoan who will be sorely missed.”
At the post-service reception Monday afternoon at the USA World Classics Event Center downtown, a
dapper Tom Kittlin paid respects. It was about 5 years ago when Kittlin became a Petrie patient.
“Doctors,” said Kittlin, “wanted to do surgery. I started going to Roger. I didn’t have surgery. He was a
great doctor.” As was typical, the doctor- patient relationship went beyond adjusting backs.
“I like sports; he liked sports,” Kittlin said. “I was a Raiders’ fan. One time I said to Roger, ‘Maybe the
Raiders need a chiropractor.’ We talked football a lot. He’s going to be really missed. He helped a lot
of people.”
Harry Diavatis knew Petrie’s parents, Molly and Larry Petrie. And when Diavatis needed a
chiropractor, the choice was obvious. “He saw me through a couple of car accidents,” Diavatis said.
“Roger was a very caring guy with a good sense of humor.”
Former stellar Vallejo boxer Mario L’Esperance and his 26-year-old son, Mario Jr., were two of
Petrie’s pall bearers. And L’Esperance was honored.“It’s tough to bury a good friend and Roger was a
good friend to everybody,” said L’Esperance, meeting Petrie for the first time 32 years ago as a skinny
18-year-old boxer with a wicked left jab.
“He was always at my side,” L’Esperance said. “He took care of me. He loved boxing. Roger had a
big heart. He wanted to help everybody,” L’Esperance said.Petrie chose the perfect occupation for his
physical and social talents, L’Esperance added .“Some people do their jobs for a paycheck. Roger
was doing what he loved.”
Drew Trujillo, the Vallejo PAL boxing director, claimed Petrie as a friend for 15 years. “When I heard
he passed, I was absolutely shocked,” Trujillo said. “I’m still heart broken. It’s real sad.”
Rochelle Thurber met Petrie 40 years ago. She was in seventh grade at Springstowne and Petrie was
in eighth grade. “He always acted like you were the only one in the room,” Thurber said. “He had a
big smile, a big hug. And no matter what was going on with him, he was always interested in what
was going on with you. When he died, my heart just broke in two for the whole family.”
Rich Curtola, delivering the eulogy at St. Basil’s, addressed Petrie’s three children — Kelsey, Melissa,
and Nicholas — and reminded them that the community will always be there for them and their
mother, Debbie Petrie. Curtola said Roger was 8 when the two first met.
“He had that Petrie look — piercing blue eyes, an intensity, and a passion for life that made him who
he was as an adult,” Curtola said.
Curtola said Petrie took the chiropractic oath of caring for people — “give strength to the sick, relief to
the suffering” — and “my dear friend lived that oath every day of his adult life. His kindness and
generosity touched thousands in his way-brief but expansive life, He has left a void and we have to
step in and fill it.”
“He gave and gave and gave. It was his nature,” Dennis Petri said. “Roger once told me, ‘Nothing in
life is worth having if you can’t share it.’”
...
The Mail Bag
From: Connie Gorman-Metz SV58
Thought you might want to have a few Irish Jokes for your MU.
(1) Leprechauns are annoying little creatures who can disappear
whenever they feel like it!
Of course, They're men!
(2) What do you call those small green buildings inhabited by Irish
wee folk?
Leprecondos!
(3) The Irish have to be the most passionate people in the world!
Who else would stand in a line to kiss a rock?
You have your Greek and Italian sayings. Now you have just one from the Irish!
(Happy St. Patrick's Day)
Thanks, Connie… have a wonderful day filled with blarney, the way only the Irish can. LOL
...
About those Cataracts…
From: Diane Backovich ‘61
Hi Harry,
I just had cataract surgery last week and will have the other eye done on the 18th of March. It’s easy,
breezy. No pain and the results are fantastic! When I went into the surgery room they asked me to
sit in this strange chair. It looks like a dentist chair without arms and it was tilted so that if I tried to sit
in the chair as instructed, It looked as though I would just slide right out but they said not to worry,
once as I tried to be seated, they rotated the chair in a flat position. Then they did the usual, EKG
monitor, O2 monitor, IV line put in for sedation, and hair net. The doctor finally came in and marked
the eye that would be operated on and off she went. Then the “gas man” came in and scared me to
death, said I would not be put to sleep but would only be given a sedation in the IV line and the doctor
would be giving me a topical pain medication. But not to worry, I remember nothing, was sound
asleep during the procedure and woke up feeling just fine. You will have drops to put in your eye
about 4 times a day and I had to wear a eye patch overnight for 5 days and was told to not sleep on
my stomach. I had a follow up the very next day and see my doctor again later this week. Now my
eye looks scary but I have no pain and I can see so much better out of that eye. I cannot wait for the
second eye as it is so much worse with vision only 20/70, and that’s corrected. I would not do both at
the same time. You do have to take it easy for a few days following surgery so why overdo with a
double surgery. I would wish you good luck but it’s just not necessary, you will be fine.
From: Skip Sallade ‘54
Harry, after 60 years of wearing glasses, a year and a half ago I almost failed my DMV test. My
optometrist advised me that he could not help me unless I had cataract surgery. I did so shortly after
at Kaiser in Vacaville. I had both eyes done, two weeks apart, and I would recommend this as you
have to wear an eyepatch for protection for a few days. Although you can see well within hours of the
operation. The operation is a piece of cake and takes about 30-45 minutes with an hour recovery in
post op. I opted to have new lenses which allowed my distance sight to be perfect and I stand
outside and look in wonder at things in the distance that were previously a blur, even with the aid of
glasses. I still use glasses for reading and up close work. They gave me the option of having
distance sight in one eye and close sight in the other but I declined that. A friend of mine had it done
that way and said that he adjusted to it, although I notice he walks in circles a lot. Good luck with
your surgery, they will soon be calling you Hawkeye.
That’s fine… just as long as they don’t call me a Red Hawk!
From: Lafayette “Bud” Eaton ‘61
I got cataracts in both eyes, although not simultaneously. I had intra-ocular transplants 7 years apart.
Although it is unnerving to lie there and know they are working on your eye, it is painless and doesn’t
take very long (assuming the surgeon is competent). The result for me was completely positive—I
have almost stopped using glasses! Those of you who remember me from VHS will probably
remember that I wore classes all the time (except in sports), because I was quite nearsighted. I still
use glasses occasionally to read fine print, but except for that, I’m still enjoying being able to see in
the distance without glasses. Should you do them one at a time or both together? Good question; I
can see benefits both ways. If you can handle 24 hours without seeing, it might be better to get it over
with in one shot. If not, schedule them a week apart or so; within 2 days after one you should feel
completely recovered. Go for it Harry, you’ll be glad you did.
From: Gary Baysmore ‘62
So Harry, you have cataracts; so do I. I had my left eye done about two years ago. Needless to say I
was nervous too, especially when I found out they perform the procedure while you are awake. If you
want to allay your anxiety you can go on line and actually watch the surgery being performed. I know
I felt better after watching the video.
I do not recommend having both eyes done at once; it’s just not a good idea. One more thing, the
drugs they give you to help you “relax” prior to the surgery are great; it’s been two years and I still
remember. Give me a call and we can talk. Good luck
Thanks, Gary, but I think I’ll pass on the video… I’m a little on the squeamish side. The less I
know, the better. Thank you all for your input. (I understand that Jim Coggburn ’63 just had
cataract surgery too.)
...
From: Margie Buck-Barnett ‘61
This is a photo of me with Melinda Rushin-Kuong '82 at the Harvard General Store in Harvard,
Massachusetts last week reviewing the Arrow Yearbooks. At my January DAR meeting honoring
high school Good Citizen winners from surrounding high schools, I spoke with one of the
mothers. We amazingly discovered we had graduated from the same high school, this being
significant as I have lived in Massachusetts since 1967 and no one even has known where Vallejo
is. Not only that, we had our wedding receptions at the same place, the officers club on Mare
Island. Melinda recognized Mr. Gross from the photos and said he was the principal when she was
there. She also had Mr. Innes for biology as I
did. She said Hogan was considered the better
school in those days, and she did not attend
football games at VHS due to threat of
riots. She lived on Mare Island, and her mother
was the last person to leave the base when it
was shut down. Her son Philip is waiting to hear
if he has been accepted at Annapolis this year,
his backup school being Harvard. She is married
and has a daughter, too. Do you have readers
from the 80's?
Margie, we have 11 subscribers from the decade of the 1980s, and we would certainly
welcome more. I have a question for you, Margie. We use to call your sister, Cay, “Bucky”.
Did your classmates call you “Bucky?” Just wondering…
...
From: Shirley Harris-Radder ‘61
“But what does he know about cataracts... he drives a jeep!” Loved it.
Do you realize that the blurb about the young singer on page 11 said she won Holland's Got Talent in
1913 ... is that date correct?
Shirl… your first comment put you on my preferred readers list. You’re the only person that
seems to appreciate the effort I put into all that “clever” writing. Your second, comment,
however, where you point out what appears to be an error on my part, is a bit picky, picky,
picky, and might just take you off of the preferred list and on my Mel Brooks list. Careful…
...
From: Susie Schumutz ‘59
After I hugged Molly and Larry Petrie following the service at St. Basil's, I tried to find you since I had
seen you earlier, but could not find you. Anyhow, I wanted to give you a HUG too !!
Sorry I missed you Susie… I could have used a good hug , so next time I see you, you can
give me two hugs.
...
From: Brenda “BJ” Johnson-Green ‘64
Hi hd: I noticed a picture of Melvin Holmes ‘58 as one of the baseball players in the 1956 Hogan
Junior High School photo in the Monday Update, 3/9/15. I then thought about his passing and I don't
remember seeing the obit in the MU.
The jokes last week really kept me laughing. I like the new format. There weren't enough jokes this
week.
Thanks for the info on Melvin Holmes. His obit is in the In Memoriam section of this MU. I’m
glad you like the new format and I’ll add more jokes, just for you. Try this one on for size.
A widower and a widow. had known each other for a number of years being high
school classmates and having attended class reunions in the past without fail.
This 60th anniversary of their class, the widower and the widow made a foursome
with two other singles. They had a wonderful evening, their spirits high.
The widower throwing admiring glances across the table. The widow smiling
coyly back at him. Finally, he picked up courage to ask her, "Will you marry me?"
After about six seconds of careful consideration, she answered, "Yes... yes I will!"
The evening ended on a happy note for the widower. But the next morning he was
troubled. Did she say “Yes” or did she say “No?”
He remembered asking the question but for the life of him could not recall her
response. With fear and trepidation he picked up the phone and called her.
First, he explained that he couldn't remember as well as he used to. Then he
reviewed the past evening. As he gained a little more courage he then inquired of
her. "When I asked if you would marry me, did you say “Yes” or did you say
“No?”
"Why you silly man, I said ‘Yes. Yes I will.’ And I meant it with all my heart."
The widower was delighted. He felt his heart skip a beat.
Then she continued. "And I am so glad you called because I couldn't remember
who asked me!”
Contributed by Shirley Cooper-Coyne SV56
...
From: Glenn Dyson ‘66
Don't get worried about the Sonora Pass, Harry. Seriously though, it is somewhat difficult with a
number of hairpins going down the other side. If I were you, I would just as soon forget about that
specific drive.
I hope you're going to be in town in early July. My 16 year old son is going to work on my fraternity
brother's ranch in far north-eastern Nevada for six weeks beginning July 4th weekend. My buddy's
family has about 30,000 acres of deeded land and leases another 200,000 acres from the BLM,
raising cattle and growing hay. This is going to be a real adventure, as my frat brother is also a horse
vet from UC Davis. So my son will not only work learning all the aspects of growing hay, baling and
bucking, he may get to work in the vet barn. In addition, he'll get room and board and make $80/day
and get to live with 4 or 5 other boys from the Elko area in a bunkhouse. I am jealous of him as I
never had that type of opportunity and I know this is going to be an adventure he will remember all his
life. I'm driving my son to Nevada as my wife will remain in Dallas for summer classes at Univ. of
Texas - Arlington. From Elko I plan on heading towards California to see friends in Merced, Fresno,
Tulare and my sister in Bakersfield. Then home to Texas. Thought I might meet you at Truffle Berries
for lunch the week after the 4th of July!
As of this moment July is clear and I’d love to get together with you… just give me a date
when you’ll be in my neighborhood. We could also invite any of your old buddies from Vallejo
if you like. Just tell me who to contact. On another subject: If you truly never had the
opportunity of being around horses, you can have visitation privileges to my daughter’s horse
providing you shovel out the stall. LOL.
...
From: Sharon Kent-Harris ‘62
I understand, through Joe Mortara, that a memorial for Nick Arvis will be held after his daughter has
her baby. She is almost eight months pregnant. and did not want to hold it now, for fear she would
miss it.
Also, this is the COTA donor page I mentioned to you for Justin Fowler. Justin is a young man who
had a lung transplant at Stanford a few years ago. Even with this miracle, he continues to have health
issues and frequent hospitalizations for infections. He spends several hours a day with breathing
treatments. His family has made great sacrifices to continue to pay for his.health care. His father ,
Rob was a 1989 St. Pats classmate of my son Ryan.
They have a donation page at
http://cota.donorpages.com/PatientOnlineDonation/COTA/forJustinF/
Our fellow readers have always been so generous, I thought this family is certainly deserving.
From: Tina Fowler ‘92
To: Sharon Kent-Harris ‘62
A little over two years ago, Justin was battling end-stage Cystic Fibrosis, and we were told to say
goodbye, as he would be gone by the end of that weekend. The very next day, however, (February
15, 2013), Justin received his miracle and a donor (whose family we’ve never met ) gave him the gift
of continued life – a pair of lungs. Since then, he’s dealt with a persistent infection resulting in
pneumonia and battled rejection numerous times. He still requires numerous procedures and
overnight stays in Palo Alto, time consuming mucus clearance, and takes lots, and lots, and lots, of
medicine. He has managed to balance the treatment of those things with going back to high school,
spending time with his girlfriend Angelina, watching SF Giants games and listening to music!
Justin has been through so much in his battle with Cystic Fibrosis! Through it all, he wakes up each
day with a huge smile on his face and a genuine excitement to see what happens next. He inspires
everyone around him to love life, and to embrace each day. During his many stints away from home,
(He spent long periods of time in-patient at both UCSF and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, and
lived at the George Mark Children’s House in San Leandro, for the better part of two years), the
Coyne Family (Mike (SP/SV89) Faith, MIckey and Brendon) set up a Facebook page “Shoutout
Justin” so that friends could post pics with a sign that let Justin know they were thinking about him.
People starting going places just to be able to post pics! Take a look at if you need a little uplifting!
At this point, Justin’s transplant-related expenses are still a bit overwhelming. If you would like to
help, you can do so by donating directly to his fundraising page on the Children’s Organ Transplant
Assoc. (COTA) website (http://cota.donorpages.com/PatientOnlineDonation/COTAforJustinF/). The
money is held in an account, and when transplant-related costs are submitted, they are reviewed and
then reimbursed to our family. It really helps! And if you have family members who have kids waiting
for transplant, have them talk to Tina to talk about how much COTA can help them!
ALL three of us are lifelong Vallejoans! Rob graduated SP/SV89, I am an APACHE ‘92 and Justin
graduated from St. Vincents, and is currently working on graduating high school.
Justin, with dad Rob, & mom Tina
Justin “at work.”
Ralph & Sharon Kent-Harris ‘62, Justin & Ryan
All SP/SV89 Roger Clemens, Rich Patten Mike
Harris SP/SV89
Coyne, Rob Fowler, and Justin. Ryan is seated
Both of these pictures were taken during the recent fund-raiser at the China wok
Thanks for the update, Sharon. It really makes me sad that there are so many people in need
and so few resources for them. I truly feel so helpless for this brave young man that it brings
tears to my eyes. Justin should be out with his friends playing baseball and not strapped to a
hospital bed. Also, it has been an incredible burden upon his families resources. It seems that
I am constantly asking my MU readers to take out their checkbooks and help. Some of you
can afford it and some of you can’t. If you have it in your heart to help this young man, please
do so. Just get out your credit card and go to:
http://cota.donorpages.com/PatientOnlineDonation/COTAforJustinF/ It’s easy… I just did it.
...
From: Terry Platt-Lerseth HH63
Hi Harry,
Thanks for putting my cousin Donna’s obit in the MU. She was such a kind and loving person who
wasn't always very lucky in life. She did love Vallejo and all the friends she had here. In lieu of
flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to:
The Donna Elaine Clark Memorial Fund,
c/o Terry Lerseth
108 Stanmore Cir.
Vallejo, Ca. 94591.
Any donations will be greatly appreciated... Thanks again, Harry
...
From: Gary Pheatt ‘62
This photo was taken just before Christmas when classmate Wayne Landers and his wife, Diana,
drove all the way over from where they live in Arizona to my daughter’s house in Southern California
just to take me to lunch. I was overwhelmed. Wayne and I have been friends since 1958 and over
the years, since we got out of high school, we have tried to get together, but one thing after another
prevented it. We did make the 20 year reunion but health issues on both sides prevented us from the
last event
Gary Pheatt, Wayne and Diana Landers
(Inset is their 8th grade yearbook photos from Franklin Jr. High in 1958.
...
From: Greg Pontarolo ‘68
Here I am with my OLDER sister Gloria Pontarolo-Taft ‘66 at the
Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame.. Ha! She looks younger!!!
Look at it this way, Greg… of course she looks younger…
she wears make-up and you don’t. LOL (Just kiddin’
Gloria, just kiddin’… please don’t hurt me.)
Congratulations, Greg, upon your induction into the Sports
HOF with the VHS Apache Football team of 1967.
...
From: Charlie Spooner ‘60
Nice work this week with the tribute to Roger Petrie. Also, loved the poem by Roger Ashlock, one of
the great guys of our neighborhood.
...
From: Dalt Williams ‘51
Thanks to your continuous support, Jazz For All Occasions (JFAO) was recently recognized as one of
the Top 10 Bands on ReverbNation!
Congratulations are in order. Dalt and his band will be at the Sticky Rice Bistro in Fairfield on
Saturday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday May 2 at 6:30 p.m. They will be appearing at the
Sardine Can in Vallejo on Sunday, April 12 at 5:00 p.m.
...
When people see a cat's litter
box in our home, they always
say, “Oh, have you got a cat?”
Just once I want to say, “No, it's
for company!”
Contributed by Carol Egidio-Murray ‘63
...
From: Bart Ney HH89
SPARTANS are fierce warriors!
Everyone knows that. Ya know what everyone else knows? At the end of an impossible battle the
fiercest of them are slain at Thermopylae. That's my little literary entry into saying the Spartans vs.
Apaches Alumni Football Game has been put off indefinitely. There will be no game on March 27th.
Alumnifootballusa.com is still willing to put on the game if there are players. Unfortunately we couldn't
get the critical mass together for a successful game. That said there was an incredible response from
the older Spartans, in particular the teams from 1989 and 1998. The Apaches had many young
players showing up to their practices. Tackle football isn't Softball or Soccer. You can't just show up
and play and then expect to survive. You have to practice. You have to commit yourself to getting in
shape. It's a great pursuit and an awesome sport.
I had a great time and learned and relearned so much. Playing with my fellow alumni from Vallejo
brought me back to my roots and reminded me of who I am at my core in a way that looking through
old yearbooks and having a cookout with friends just can't do. You have to stare across the line on
4th and long at some ugly Apache that in that moment, hates you and does not give a damn if you
can't make it to work the next day after what goes down in the next 5 seconds. I had forgotten that
feeling of competition and challenge. It was exhilarating to feel it again.
I'm moved by how we all came back together as well. We vary rarely got close to brawling and at the
big scrimmage when it was all over having both teams meet at the 50, put their hands in and yell
Alumni was an experience I'll never forget. Playing with my brother is an experience I won't forget
and reconnecting with my old team mates and new ones from other years was so unique and
positive. Even if there never is another game between the Hogan Spartans and the Vallejo Apaches
this effort over the past several months showed me that the spirit remains. For now though we'll have
to see what the future brings.
Fellow Spartans, remain Hard, stay Strong and never let that sword move far from your hand. . .
...
The Apache Review of Arts
.... how we roll: @@@@>>
By John Parks
PRINTED BACK ISSUES OF M.U. TO BE AVAILABLE ---- Over the years I printed copies of the
Monday Update througn February 2014 and, after first checking with Jim Kern, recently boxed them
up for transport to the Vallejo Museum. Jim said he has a volunteer preparing them to be available to
the public. Not sure what they have in mind but sooner or later you can stop by the museum to
peruse years of the MU til your heart's content.
WHO PUT IT THERE?
WHAT WAS THEIR PLAN?
THEN WHAT HAPPENED?
CALIFORNIA'S OWN ---- John
Steinbeck said: "A writer out of
loneliness is trying to communicate like
a distant star sending signals. He isn't
telling or teaching or ordering. Rather
he seeks to establish a relationship of
meaning, of feeling, of observing. We
are lonesome animals. We spend all
life trying to be less lonesome."
\
AND SPEAKING OF FEELINGS ---“In an essay published in 2007, a Tom
Wolfe argued that the newspaper
industry would stand a much better
chance of survival if newspaper editors
encouraged reporters to "provide the
emotional reality of the news, for it is
the emotions, not the facts, that most
engage and excite readers and in the
end are the heart of most stories."
He said there are exactly four technical devices needed to get to "the emotional core of the
story." They are the specific devices, he said, "that give fiction its absorbing or gripping
quality, that make the reader feel present in the scene described and even inside the skin of a
particular character. "The four: 1) constructing scenes; 2) dialogue — lots of it; 3) carefully
noting social status details — "everything from dress and furniture to the infinite status clues
of speech, how one talks to superiors or inferiors ... and with what sort of accent and
vocabulary"; and 4) point of view, "in the Henry Jamesian sense of putting the reader inside
the mind of someone other than the writer." In a couple of paragraphs in The Electric KoolAid Acid Test, written more than 40 years ago, he showcased his four chosen techniques in a
description of the Merry Pranksters bus test run:
They took a test run up into northern California and right away this wild-looking thing with
wild-looking people was great for stirring up consternation and vague, befuddling
resentment among the citizens. The Pranksters were now out among them, and it was
exhilarating — "Look at the mothers staring at us!" — and it was going to be holy terror in
the land. But there would also be people who would look up from out of their poor work-adaddy lives in some town, some old guy, somebody's stenographer, and see this bus and
register delight, or just pure open-invitation wonder. Either way, the Intrepid Travelers
figured, there was hope for these people. They weren't totally turned off.
The bus also had great possibilities for altering the usual order of things. For example,
there were the cops. One afternoon the Pranksters were on a test run in the bus going
through the woods up north and a forest fire had started. There was smoke beginning to
pour out of the woods and everything. Everybody on the bus had taken acid and they were
zonked. The acid was in some orange juice in the refrigerator and you drank a paper cup
full of it and you were zonked. Cassady was driving and barreling through the burning
woods, wrenching the steering wheel this way and that way to his inner-wired beat, with a
siren wailing and sailing through the rhythm.
A siren? It's a highway patrolman, which immediately seems like the funniest thing in the
history of the world. Smoke is pouring out of the woods and they are all sailing through leaf
explosions in the sky, but the cop is bugged about this freaking bus.”
AND SPEAKING OF WRITING,
NOTE LOCATION NUMBER 33
ON THIS OLD MAP OF
VALLEJO ---- “Where the writer
was born”! Anyone have any
idea who the writer is, that is
being referenced??
CELEBRATING THE 92ND BIRTHDAY OF HANDLEY WARD---- my oldest cousin, with relatives.
HERE'S YOUR CHANCE ---- to hear some really good LIVE
music featuring the other Roy Rogers, one of Vallejo's best
ever on guitar! Empress Theater, Sunday, May 2.
LITTLE KNOWN FACTS DEPARTMENT ---- “In the early
1900s, Vallejo was home to a Class D minor-league baseball
team, referred to in local newspapers sometimes as the
"Giants" and other times simply as "The Vallejos." Pacific
Coast League star and future Chicago White Sox center
fielder, Ping Bodie (grandfather to our own Frank and
Stephanie Bodie) played for Vallejo during the 1908 season in
which the team reached the California state title game. The
team was disbanded in the early 1920s.”
NEPHEW CODY ---- reports this “Churro Dog” is now
available in Arizona. Gives a new dimension of meaning
to “Bust a dog”!
IT'S OUT IN ASHBURN. ---- I treated daughter Jillian, and her
husband Matt, to lunch here. Akira is Japanese for “sunrise,
bright, intelligent, or clear". I had a “roll combo” that included a
California roll, a salmon roll, and a tuna roll. At Sushi restaurants
in CA do they sell rolls named “California”??
It is 1959. It is the cusp of the coming revolution.
We still like Ike. We are still afraid of Sputnik.
We read Life magazine and Sports Illustrated
where the athletes grow up shooting hoops
in the driveway, playing catch in the backyard.
We sit on our sectional sofa. My mother loves
Danish modern. Our pants have cuffs. Our hair
is short. We are smiling and we mean it. I am
a guard. My father is my coach. I am sitting
next to him on the bench. I am ready to go in.
My sister will cheer. My mother will make
the pre-game meal from The Joy of Cooking.
Buster is a good dog. We are all at an angle.
We are a family at an angle. Our clothes are
pressed. We look into the eye of the camera.
“Look ‘em in the eye,” my father teaches us.
All we see ahead are wins, good grades,
Christmas. We believe in being happy. We
believe in mowing the lawn, a two-car garage,
a freezer, and what the teacher says. There is
nothing on the wall. We are facing away
from the wall. The jungle is far from home.
Hoses are for cleaning the car, watering
the gardens. My sister walks to school. My
father and I lean into the camera. My mother
and sister sit up straight. Ike has kept us
safe. In the spring, we will have a new car,
a Plymouth Fury with whitewalls and a vinyl top.
“From Our House to Your House” by Jack Ridl
I'LL BET THAT “BEACH” WAS
NEVER REALLY “SANDY”!
19
ON MARCH 11th I SAW MY FIRST
DAFFODILS IN BLOOM FOR 2015 ---just west of Richlands, NC. In celebration
of fast-approaching SPRING, here are the
tulip and rose stamps just issued by your
U.S. Postal Service:
AND CHECK THESE NEW STAMPS FEATURING THE WORK OF MARTIN RAMIRIZ. ---- This
artist was born in 1895. “Having migrated to the U.S. from Tepatilan, Mexico in 1925, Ramírez was
institutionalized in 1931, first at Stockton State Hospital, then, beginning in
1948, at DeWitt State Hospital in Auburn where he made the drawings and
collages for which he is now known. At DeWitt, a visiting professor of
psychology and art, Tarmo Pasto, came across Ramírez's work and began to
save the large-scale works Ramírez made using available materials, including
brown paper bags, scraps of examining-table paper, and book pages glued
together with a paste made of potatoes and saliva.
His works display an idiosyncratic iconography that
reflect both Mexican folk traditions and twentieth-century
modernization: images of Madonnas, horseback riders,
and trains entering and exiting tunnels proliferate in the
work, along with undulating fields of concentric lines that
describe landscapes, tunnels, theatrical prosceniums,
and decorative patterns. He died in 1963. Since then his
drawings and collages have become some of the most
highly valued examples of “outsider art”. Any of you care
to share your art here?
WINTER SUNSETS IN VJO CON’T----
credit Julto Balolong
20
two Eric Dugan masterpieces:
SMOKIN' ACROSS THE COUNTRY FROM VIRGINIA TO CALIFORNIA: “THE PROMISED LAND”!
It's the song of the week by Chuck Berry. Enjoy it right here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-46hyvEV5k
My father's parents moved about 1905 from northern Georgia to enjoy raising their family in “the
promised land”.
Thank you, readers for your continued indulgence
and good will!
John
jvp444@yahoo.com
...
21
On the Sidelines
Jeff Gordon began in 10th place at the Camping World 500 at the
Phoenix Raceway yesterday and for the second half of the race was
running third. With a dozen laps left there were a couple of cautions
and they didn’t seem to help Jeff at all. He ended up in 9th place.
Next Week: Auto Club 400 at the Autoclub Speedway in Fontana, CA.
...
CC Sabathia threw 29 pitches in a simulated game Thursday, and
the Yankees pitcher said that everything went well.
"I'm not hurting. I feel good," Sabathia said. "That's the only
way I'm judging myself right now."
Sabathia is coming off a knee injury that limited him to just
eight starts in 2014.
...
Medicare - Part G - Nursing Home Plan
Say you're an older senior citizen and can no longer take care of yourself. The government
says there's no Nursing Home care available. So, what do you do? You opt for Part G.
Our plan gives anyone 65 years or older a gun (Part G) and four bullets. You are allowed to
shoot four politicians. This means, of course, that you'll be sent to prison where you'll receive
three meals a day, a roof over your head, central heating & air conditioning, cable TV, library,
and all the Health Care you need.
Need new teeth? No problem. Need glasses? That's great. Need a hearing aid, new hip,
knees, kidney, lungs, sex change, or heart? They're all covered.
As an added bonus, your kids can come and visit you at least as often as they do now!
And, who will be paying for all of this? The same government that just told you they can't
afford for you to go into a home. And... you can get rid of 4 useless politicians while you're at
it. And now, because you're a prisoner, you don't have to pay any more income taxes.
Is this a great country or what?
Now that we've solved your senior financial planning, enjoy your week.
Contributed by David Macdonald ‘56
...
22
The
Occasional
Spoonful
By Charlie Spooner ‘60
Ten Days in March
1.
Off to the gym again this morning.
Got to keep at it, to fight the steady
waning of strength and stamina.
The golf ball lands closer and closer
to where it took flight. It is neither the club
nor the ball. Merely the player.
Once I looked in the mirror and saw
A World Class Jock, able to master
any sport I chose. Now there is someone
different staring back, an old, tired-looking
gray-haired dude. A World Class Altacocker.
So it’s off to the gym again this morning
where there’s a treadmill with my name on it.
Artificial walking for a former jock.
2.
A beautiful sunrise over the Saddleback Range,
another sunny day in store, eighty-five degrees
in March. Pity those poor folks back East
with snow up to the eaves, snowplows fighting
to keep the streets passable, while in the OC
our concern is to apply the right sunblock.
Three hundred sunny days a year,
that’s what my son Matt promised
when we decamped for Southern California.
In reality, it’s more like three hundred forty.
I think I’ll wear my new shorts today.
3.
Samantha sings “Castle on a Cloud”
and tears fill my eyes. The joy and love
I feel can’t be contained, at least not
without a tissue. How did this little one,
with barely twenty-eight months practice,
wrap her tiny fingers so completely
around my heartstrings? It’s a magic
23
trick I’ll never understand, but
somehow she knows: she’s got me.
God willing, she’ll never let go.
4.
Out to retrieve the newspaper this morning,
the sun just beginning to peek over the
eastern ridge. The air is crisp and for a moment
I consider a nice long walk to start the day.
The thought passes as I remember the coffee
brewing in the kitchen and the comfortable
couch with my butt print imbedded upon it.
There will be plenty of time for walking
after I digest the Sunday Register, that faithful
chronicle of conservative Orange County, defender
of individual freedom and the right to keep it all.
Let all those freeloading tree-hugging illegal
immigrant Cadillac welfare queens earn their own.
Remind me to dust my portrait of Richard Nixon
and write a letter to the editor praising
Dick Cheney as a damn fine president.
5.
Much talk about heroes these days –
who is one, who is not, how do you judge?
Chris Kyle’s name comes up, thanks to a movie
called American Sniper. Michael Moore
tells us that snipers are cowards. He lost a relative
to one in WWII, so he is quite certain, righteously
indignant, as only Michael Moore can be.
But aren’t snipers simply weapons of war,
just like hundreds of other weapons systems?
Some are designed to kill millions of souls at a crack,
the innocent along with the guilty. Let God sort ‘em out.
The crew of the Enola Gay flying toward Hiroshima:
Heroes or not? Like Harry Truman, you make the call.
Weapons—snipers included—should be spared the debate.
It is only the cause that can be judged, and then
only by the victor in the final battle.
6.
There are only five things to pursue in this life:
Love, beauty, compassion, justice, and a job.
Minus those elements, life doesn’t amount to much.
Justice is where the fault lines exist, where we divide
into tribes to build our fortresses and our armies,
where we seek to smite our perceived Amalekites.
“Do not forget!” Isn’t that what God commanded?
(It depends on whose God is commanding.)
Justice rests in the hands of our leaders,
our patriotic duty: to get in line and send our
24
sons and daughters to enforce today’s decrees.
Tomorrow’s justice may wear a different face,
then what will yesterday’s sacrifices mean?
We are left with love, beauty, compassion,
and the hope that we can pay our damn bills.
7.
Someone mentions a name
and suddenly it is 1957 again,
ninth grade, fourteen years old,
your fuzzy flattop slicked back
on the sides with Dixie Peach.
The sky was the limit then,
nothing beyond your reach.
You could move like the wind
and leap to touch the rim
given a running start.
That was the year you read
Great Expectations in English class,
when all the guys underlined that
famous line: “All of our intercourse
did pain me.” Thank you, Mr. Dickens.
Did it all really happen the way
you remember it? Or is your memory
as fuzzy as that flattop?
8.
It’s Spring again, or nearly so,
time for ballplayers to migrate
to Florida and Arizona for training.
Hope springs eternal through March,
every team in first place, for now.
It’s time to find my copy of Bull Durham
and watch it for the thousandth time.
There should have been a sequel:
Bull Durham Redux. Crash makes it to
The Show as a manager; Nuke returns
as his pitching coach; Annie & Crash are
married with children. Too bad we couldn’t
sell the idea to Ron Shelton. Then again,
it’s better to quit while ahead,
Like Hoosiers, or Breaking Away.
Can you picture Hoosiers II or
Breaking Away – Again?
And yet, Annie Savoy was right:
Crash would make a fine manager.
9.
I love my little pill box
with its snap lid compartment
for every day of the week.
25
It was easy when I only took
one or two pills a day,
but now the count is up
to five or six. I get confused.
Ah, but my pill box keeps score
reminding me what to take
and when. Who invented this
ingenious tool? (Wish it was me.)
10.
It’s Sunday evening again
and I’m waiting anxiously
for the Monday Update to arrive—
all those pictures and stories,
and news of old friends,
perhaps a verse from Mr. Collins,
the ARA from John Parks,
even a photo of Hank McGraw!
And through it all rings
the voice of Harry D,
the tie that binds, crusader
for good causes, his heart
on his sleeve, his checkbook
in hand. Where would we be
without him? I know Sunday
evenings would never be the same.
Hmmm… well, Charlie, so now I’m a crusader, am I.
Well then, perhaps you’d like to join my club.
...
Mick and Paddy were walking in Covent Garden in London. It was
their first week in the capital and they were a bit naïve.
'Lord above Paddy, this is a great city,' says Mick.
'Why's that Mick?' responds Paddy.
'Well, to be sure,' explains Mick, 'where else in the world would
a complete stranger come up to you, make idle chat, invite you to
dinner and then offer you to spend the night at their house?'
'Begorrah, ' splutters Paddy, 'did that happen to you?'
'No,' says Mick, 'but it happens to my sister all the time.'
26
...
Okay, Readers, send in that little short story, essay, poem, remembrance or
whatever, you always thought deserved to be published and we’ll use it here.
“Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?
It took me years to write, will you take a look?”
Paperback Writer
Wings From Heaven
Her wings tucked aside
she touches again this earth
the dawn gently presents her glide
awaiting day break
and brilliant sunsets
to fly through a million suns
silent wings lift her once more
Readying a home anew
sharing where she lived
to skies left once flown
this ethereal flight
away is she a heavenly part
Now lifting her beautiful head
stillness born of contemplation
given to last with life on earth
children of time
family of fortune
Among tasks of sowing seeds
in daily deeds
walking through time
wings tucked aside
until day break
Flying through the night
brilliant sunsets
timeless lady of a million suns
...
Q: What is Irish diplomacy?
A: It's the ability to tell a man to go to hell in such
a way that he will look forward
to making the trip.
27
A Stroll Down History Lane…
A place to share your memories…
before they disappear forever.
From: Gertrude Gaillard-Strong ‘40
This was a Housing Authority doings. At that
time Jim Richardson (on the right) was head of
Maintenance. I do not remember the name of
the other man. He is familiar.
I don't know the date of this picture
but it was in the forties. It was some
place at one of the Housing Authority
Projects.
Person on the left was Chub Usher,
center was my husband Bill Strong
and at the top on the scaffold was
Frank Wilkes. I don't know who the
other people were.
28
This was at some Vallejo Housing
Authority doings in the '40s. Don't
know all the names but I bet there
are fathers of some in the picture.
Bill Strong was my husband and
your Billy Strong's father.
This was Vallejo Housing
Authority in the 1940s.
On the back is written "At
NATOL Dance". I
remember this was an
organization that they
had nicknamed "Knot
hole". They had
meetings and dances
and dinners. The main
office of Housing Auth.
was down at Ryder
Street. This may have
been at that building.
Bill Strong is on the right
and the man in the center with the suspen-ders was Glen Piersol. I do not recognize the other people.
Thank you so much, Gert, for sharing your memories with all of us. You’re a treasure.
...
From: Les Bates ‘58
It was fascinating reading about the history of Chabot Terrace and its demise. I have a small footnote
for it, and there are probably others out there also.
I guess most of the housing was torn down shortly after WW2, but we know some remained standing
and were used for Vallejo JC starting in 1957. This included a Gym, rec room, and who knows what
else. One other housing unit became the Greenskeepers/snack bar at the newly built Lake Chabot
Golf Course around the 1955-57 time frame. It could have come from Floyd Terrace, but since
29
Chabot Terrace was right across the highway, I always assumed it came from there. When did Floyd
Terrace get torn down? There might be other old units around town from Chabot or Floyd Terraces,
or even Carquinez Heights? The Federal Terrace Housing turned out pretty decent after a lot of
renovation.
...
Wife gets naked and asks hubby, 'What turns you on
more, my pretty face or my sexy body?'
Hubby looks her up and down and replies, 'Your sense
of humor!
Contributed by Bill Rieken '65
...
From: Jack Stiltz
Harry, I'm sure you have received a lot of names coming in on the Ranger's Hall picture. Judy and I
did see our two sisters. My sister Jeanne Stiltz in front row center at bongo drum with Mike Coakley
and Judy's sister Susan Pennington / Don Carnes on far right front row.
From: Carmela Piccolo-Coakley ‘58
Harry, I can't believe that you didn't recognize anyone in the Beatnik Party photo! Mike said to tell
you, "The person you admire most is sitting on the floor in the center of the photo to the right of the
drums". And that would be Mike Coakley! Haha
Mike, Roy Miller, Hank MacKenzie and Ron Kuhn, along with a few others, put the party together. He
thinks everyone just chipped in whatever money they had. They bought kegs of beer and had a
record player that played 45's to dance to. And all the girls brought food. It was in 1959 at the
Ranger's Hall. They just decided to have a Beatnik party, since Beatniks were the big happening.
Mike said there was no trouble that night. He was dating the Chief of Police's daughter, Jeannie
Stiltz!
The sign on the back wall that reads "NARCS GO HOME" was already there. The Ranger's Hall was
the place to party! And really, there were not a lot of problems back then. Maybe a few fights. But
those were the good ol' days! And lots of good memories.
BTW, we have this photo framed, and on the wall in the office, along with all the other "Me, Me, Me"
photo's of Mike! hahaha.
Nice seeing you for a quick minute at Roger Petrie's funeral today. It was a wonderful celebration
honoring a really good kid who became a really good man!
30
Here's a list of names Mike remembers.
L-R: First Row is: #1 Gertie Palagi, #2 Dorothy Mackenzie, #6 Jeannie Stiltz, #7 Roy Miller, #8 Mike
Coakley, #9 Tommy Smith
2nd Row: #5 Harley Prentis, #9 Millie Kilpatrick, #10 Clark Millholland
3rd Row: #5 Hank Mackenzie, #6 Joan Martin, #7 Ron Kuhn, #8 Ronnie Dow
Top Row: #2 Frank Palagi, #5 Cecil Jenkins, #8 June Croft, #9 Jim Millholland
He thinks he could probably remember a few more, but
he's gone blank. You might hear from a few other "old
timers" that can add to it.
Carm, for a man of “advancing years”, he did just
fine.
...
Contributed by Doug Barskey ‘60
...
31
In Memoriam
Melvin Holmes ‘58
Oct. 28, 1939 - Oct. 16, 2014
Melvin Holmes, "Pops", 74, of Benicia, passed away Oct. 16,2014 at Kaiser
Hospital in Vallejo, after a long illness. Melvin was born in Liberty, Mississippi
on Oct. 28, 1939.
Melvin was a 1958 graduate of Vallejo High school and an active member of
King Solomon MBC in Benicia. Melvin retired from Safeway in 1998. He
enjoyed fishing, tennis and was an avid Giants, Warriors and 49ers fan.
A funeral service was held Oct. 23, 2014 at King Solomon MBS in Benicia, with
Rev. Kevin Armstrong officiating.
...
The Last Word…
The loss of loved ones is never easy. When you lose a mother or father or grandparent, it’s
usually not totally unexpected, particularly if they’ve been in residential care. It still isn’t easy
and creates a void in our heart. Imagine then, the anguish of losing a child… that’s just not
the right order of events… not supposed to happen. I think that’s why so many of us grieve
for our friends, Molly and Larry Petrie on their loss. Of course, we’re adults and, at least
intellectually, we understand… but what about the children and grandchildren… the younger
they are the harder it can be for them to deal with. So it is with my family. I have lost both of
my older brothers, way too soon. Tony, the first to go was only 70, and Jim, the oldest of the
three of us was 76. Tony, the middle brother, left behind 4 grandchildren who still are coping
with the loss of their “Papou.” (Greek for grandfather.) I received this picture and note last
week from my niece Anna Maria, about her young son, Gus, who plays little league baseball.
Gus was only 5 when his Papou was taken from him, but he still remembers him well.
“As you may know, every time Gus gets up to bat, he says a
prayer to my father, does his cross, and then sends his
prayers up to papou. Roger got the entire routine on camera,
and this is the last photo of the sequence. It breaks my heart,
a little, to see it, because I miss dad so much, but warms my
heart, all the same, because Gus adores his papou! He said
he’s been talking to papou a lot lately!
Another thing that happened is that our coach’s wife came up
to me and said her husband is in awe of Gus and how polite
32
and respectful he is toward his teammates, the other coaches, and the game of
baseball. He always answers “Yes coach, No coach, etc…”. His actions remind me of
my father, and it’s a bit freaky!”
My brother was a doting “Papou,” and was as proud of his four grandchildren as he was of his
two daughters. And when my other brother, Jim, died, I inherited the mantle of “patriarch” of
the family, I can tell you I’m very proud of my nieces and nephews, as well. C’est la vie.
...
As I write this, most of my fruit trees are in blossom. The only
ones that haven’t blossomed, as of yet, are my apple, pear
and pomegranate trees. I was sitting outside looking at the
mosaic of color, when I realized what the blossoms actually
represent: they are promises of things yet to come. Pretty
soon the blossoms will fall off revealing the tiny fruit that is
currently developing under their “skirts.” Barring a torrent of
rain, most of the fruit will stay on the tree which will give me
the unpleasant task of
thinning out the crop. I
hate doing that… I’d
like to keep every bit of
fruit that is developed,
but I know that if I were to do so, it would affect the size
of the fruit and even possibly damage the tree by
breaking over-laden branches.
I do, however, have two trees that never blossom and, yet, produce delicious fruit. Can any of
you guess the tree?
...
I finally got around to planting my heirloom
tomato seeds indoors. In about 4-5 weeks they’ll
be ready for transplanting into the garden. I still
have lots of heirloom tomato seeds and the offer
to share with MU readers is still good. Here’s
what I have available to send to you should you
want to try your hand at growing a few tomatoes.
Nebraska Wedding
Huge 4” round orange tomato (shown above)
Black Krim .................................. Very large dark red to brownish color tomato
Aunt Ruby’s German Green ...... Large fruit (up to 18 oz.) with a greenish yellow tinge
Cherokee Purple ........................ Dark dusky pink color with medium size fruit
Brandywine................................. Amish tomato looks like a potato plant… large fruit
Persimmon ................................. Large (up to 16 oz.) yellow tomato
Caspian Pink .............................. Large pink fruit up to 1-2 lbs.
Abe Lincoln ................................ Dark red medium size fruit… delicious
Venus .......................................... Small compact plant ideal for porch or patio.
33
Send me a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) and I’ll send it back with your choice of
seeds: Harry Diavatis, 5087 Green Meadow Court, Fairfield, CA 94534
...
Enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day
… thanks for starting your Monday with me… hd
…and this last one tis for the little lassie, Shirley Harris-Radder ’61,,,
An Irishman, by the name of O'Malley proposed to
his girl on St. Patrick's Day. He gave her a ring with
a synthetic diamond.
The excited young lass showed it to her father, a
jeweler. He took one look at it and saw it wasn't
real.
The young lass on learning it wasn't real returned to
her future husband. She protested vehemently
about his cheapness.
'It was in honour of St. Patrick's Day, 'he smiled. 'I
gave you a sham rock.'
...
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
VHS Class of ’65 Fifty Year Reunion Weekend
August 14, 2015 Warm up
Vallejo Yacht Club
Ausust 15, 2015 Dinner / Dance
Zio Fraedo’s-Vallejo
...
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Time
TBA
TBA
Public Service Announcement
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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.)
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Vallejo High Class of ’65
50th Reunion!
SAVE THE DATES!!
Party on the Vallejo Waterfront!
Friday, August 14, 2015 – Warm-up at the Vallejo Yacht Club
Saturday, August 15, 2015 – Dinner at Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant
Details and reservation information will be mailed this Spring!
Please contact LAHOLLI@pacbell.net with your current mailing address, contact
information for other classmates, and/or names of classmates who have passed away.
CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU IN AUGUST!!
...
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
Edmonds, Annabelle
Fawcett, William
Fears, Jeffrey
Koontz, Linda
Lewis, Isac
Linville, Robert
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Roberts, Alice
Roberts, Ken
Rollins, Thomas
Amsbaugh, Dolly
Asbe, Howard
Avery, Barbara
Barber, Fred
Baumann, David
Becky, John
Borowski, Janet
Bradeen, Susan
Bradhurst, Shirley
Cambe, Benito
Diaz, Thomas
Edgar, Shirley
Guarin, Joseph
Harris, Norman
House, Duanna
Howe, Joan
Jensen, John
Johnson, Jesse
Keith, Sandra
Kelly, James
Kelly, Judith
Kent, Helen
Kersting, Pamela
Kimzey, Linda
Marquez, Sally
Martin, Doug
McMurphy, Donna
McBride, Dan
McNairy, Thomas
Mitchell, Robbie
Murchison, Jerry
Neal, Denise
Nichols, Sharon
Oliveira, John
Padilla, Priscilla
Pulliam, Harry
Reedy, Carolyn
Salsedo, Pamela
Simon, Margaret
Southerland, Ronald
Tackmier, Lynn
Talley, Gwendolyn
Trefethen, Janice
Wartburg, Patricia
Weber, Donald
Wilson, David
Wilson, Ellen
Zumwalt, Joseph
...
THE FINE PRINT
The Monday Update
Publisher/Editor: Harry Diavatis
Published: Weekly
First Edition: Oct. 26, 2004
Circulation: 1,331 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 new millenium. 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
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Class size:
Located:
Missing:
Deceased:
Total on File:
433
198
140
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.”
...
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. 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
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
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71
72-74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
Total
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
41
1
1
13
6
11
5
8
Send your check to:
Harry Diavatis, 5087 Green Meadow Court, Fairfield, CA 94533
40
1
10