02

The theme of today's bonus issue was prompted by some increased interest shown recently (for unknown reasons) by several assorted family members and friends of mine in one of the strangest pages on our entire website, the wonderful Saga of the Two Trains:

I'm still catching up on my backed up mail, so this may jump around a bit, and is nowhere close to exhaustive, so please keep bearing with me. Thanks!

Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday, played between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts.

In connection with this, I have a true story to relate to you. While we were in Chicago's Midway Airport on Thursday, the following 14-word message came over the loud speaker:

1. Linda Ray Letchworth Enochs ('60) of TX via Fred Mays ('60) of VA - 02/03/07:

From Fred Mays ('60) of VA - 01/31/07 - "Located Linda Letchworth Enochs, '60":

Carol:

I am so excited to let you know that one of our classmates in the class of 1960, Linda Letchworth, has been located, after being non-locatable since approx. 40 years ago. I was so fortunate to have had lunch with Dave Spriggs ('64 - of VA) and Dave Arnold ('65 - of VA) last Saturday and I mentioned that Linda Letchworth was one person in our class that I would really like to see. I was in the first and second grades with her at "new" Magruder School, plus I graduated with her in 1960. I also went to the same colleges as she. Well, Dave Spriggs, our resident expert, jumped on this request.....he has software that I know not of.....he emailed me last Sunday and gave me all I needed to contact her. I actually called her tonight. She is one day older than I. We will both be 65 in July, July 1 for her and July 2 for me. She was thrilled to know about your website and of Karen Weinstein Witte's Class of 1960 Newsletter. She would love to receive each..... Her email address is that of her husband....she said to use this....

I mentioned several classmates and she spoke of her friendship with Joan Lauterbach Krause ('60 - of VA) and was so sorry to learn that Joan is a widow....She knew nothing of any of our classmates and was sad to learn of the classmate deaths.

Carol, I have been too busy and have several of your fantastic letters to read.....I will do this tomorrow. I just wanted to let you know the exciting news about Linda......

Take care, Fred Mays, '60 of Newport News, VA

SUPER!!!

Hello, Joe, you Sweetie-Pie! I had a fabulous visit, thank you! Six of our seven children were there, and our three daughters-in-law, and all nine of our grandchildren. Only Dale (Harty - Hillsboro HS, IL / American School, IL - '02 - of VA) was unable to join us, as he couldn't leave his studies for that long at SVU. We all missed him terribly, as it has been several years since some of them have seen him. Having Eleanor (Buckley Nowitzky - '59 - of NC) with us was a real treat, though!

From Bill Campbell ('54) of VA - 02/02/07 - "Hoaxes on our illustrious website":

OH, NO!!! Every time I think I'm getting fairly decent at spotting questionable items so that I can check them, I bite for another one. Thanks for keeping us in line, Bill!

And speaking of hoaxes, my #5 son, Nathaniel Harty (Hillsboro HS, IL - '97) of IL spotted one sent to us recently by my #2 son, Brent Harty (Hillsboro HS, IL - '90) of IL - who apparently inherited his mother's gullible gene:

THE STAMP

Please read the following story and follow the instructions at the end! Thank You .

Like most elementary schools, it was typical to have a parade of students in and out of the health clinic throughout the day. We dispensed ice for bumps and bruises, Band-Aids for cuts, and liberal doses of sympathy and hugs. As principal, my office was right next door to the clinic, so I often dropped in to lend a hand and help out with the hugs. I knew that for some kids, mine might be the only one they got all day.

One morning I was putting a Band-Aid on a little girl's scraped knee. Her blonde hair was matted, and I noticed that she was shivering in her thin little sleeveless blouse. I found her a warm sweatshirt and helped her pull it on. "Thanks for taking care of me," she whispered as she climbed into my lap and snuggled up against me.

It wasn't long after that when I ran across an unfamiliar lump under my arm. Cancer, an aggressively spreading kind, had already invaded thirteen of my lymph nodes. I pondered whether or not to tell the students about my diagnosis. The word breast seemed so hard to say out loud to them, and the word cancer seemed so frightening.

When it became evident that the children were going to find out one way or another, either the straight scoop from me or possibly a garbled version from someone else, I decided to tell them myself.

It wasn't easy to get the words out, but the empathy and concern I saw in their faces as I explained it to them told me I had made the right decision. When I gave them a chance to ask questions, they mostly wanted to know how they could help.

I told them that what I would like best would be their letters, pictures and prayers.

I stood by the gym door as the children solemnly filed out. My little blonde friend darted out of line and threw herself into my arms. Then she stepped back to look up into my face. "Don't be afraid, Dr. Perry," she said earnestly, "I know you'll be back because now it's our turn to take care of you."

No one could have ever done a better job. The kids sent me off to my first chemotherapy session with a hilarious book of nausea remedies that they had written.

A video of every class in the school singing get-well songs accompanied me to the next chemotherapy appointment.

By the third visit, the nurses were waiting at the door to find out what I would bring next. It was a delicate music box that played "I Will Always Love You."

Even when I went into isolation at the hospital for a bone marrow transplant, the letters and pictures kept coming until they covered every wall of my room.

Then the kids traced their hands onto colored paper, cut them out and glued them together to make a freestanding rainbow of helping hands. "I feel like I've stepped into Disneyland every time I walk into this room," my doctor laughed.

That was even before the six-foot apple blossom tree arrived adorned with messages written on paper apples from the students and teachers. What healing comfort I found in being surrounded by these tokens of their caring.

At long last I was well enough to return to work. As I headed up the road to the school, I was suddenly overcome by doubts. What if the kids have forgotten all about me? I wondered, What if they don't want a skinny bald principal?

What if.

I caught sight of the school marquee as I rounded the bend. "Welcome Back, Dr. Perry," it read. As I drew closer, everywhere I looked were pink ribbons - ribbons in the windows, tied on the doorknobs, even up in the trees. The children and staff wore pink ribbons, too.

My blonde buddy was first in line to greet me. "You're back, Dr. Perry, you're back!" she called. "See, I told you we'd take care of you!"

As I hugged her tight, in the back of my mind I faintly heard my music box playing . . . "I will always love you."

Breast Cancer Stamp Booklet

It would be wonderful if 2007 were the year a cure for breast cancer was found!!!!

The notion that we could raise $35 million by buying a book of stamps is powerful! As you may be aware, the US Postal Service recently released its new "Fund the Cure" stamp to help fund breast cancer research. The stamp was designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland. It is important that we take a stand against this disease that affect so many of our Mothers, Sisters and Friends.

Instead of the normal 37 cents for a stamp, this one costs 40 cents The additional 3 cents will go to breast cancer
research. A "normal" book costs $7.40. This one is only $8.00. It takes a few minutes in line at the Post Office and
means so much. If all stamps are sold, it will raise an additional $35,000,000 for this vital research. Just as important as the money is our support. What a statement it would make if the stamp outsold the lottery this week. What a statement it would make that we care.

I urge you to do two things TODAY:

1. Go out and purchase some of these stamps.
2. E-mail your friends to do the same.

Many of us know women and their families whose lives are turned upside-down by breast cancer.
It takes so little to do so much in this drive.

We can all afford the $0.60. Please help & pass it on.

Thank you, Karen. That's a beautiful story, and gives us all hope. So many of our ranks have been touched by this dreadful disease..

In checking on the stamps (as I needed to buy some anyway), I ran the story through snopes.com, and while it had been true, it seems to have expired:

Just to triple check, I went to the post office site and looked at 12 pages of stamps, but it is no longer available:

This is now covered on the main page and on this and each successive Newsletter. Shortly it will be posted on the Reunion Pages as well.

REUNION REMINDERS:

Reunion information is ALWAYS posted very near the top on the front page, and on the Reunion Page section:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion-page.html

Henceforth, it will be repeated here, lest you forget:

The NNHS Class of 1966
is sponsoring an
NNHS February Fling
on Saturday, February 24, 2007 from 6:00 to 10:00 PM at Angelo's Restaurant on J. Clyde Morris Boulevard
for members of all classes.
It will be completely casual. Just come in for some dinner or just to say hi.

Please pass this on to any class alumni and ask them to contact Dee Hodges Bartram if they would like to come.
Just e-mail her at dhbartram@cox.net or call her at 868-8443, so that she can have an accurate count
so Angelo can decide if he needs more waitresses that night..

In case of bad weather, call Angelo's at 599-5727 to make sure the dinner is still on.

The NNHS Class of 1960
will hold a
Typhoon Informal Reunion
on Saturday, August 4th, 2007 at the lovely beach
home of Mary Ann Edwards Elliot on Willoughby
Spit. This will be an afternoon into evening beach
party with covered dish dinner.

CONTACT:

Karen Weinstein Witte

14314 Wadsworth Dr. Odessa, FL 33556

813-920-9498

kwitte@tampabay.rr.com
AND CHECK THIS WEB PAGE FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION - 01/12/07:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion-class-of-1960.html
The NNHS Class of 1962
will hold its 45-Year Reunion
on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, September 21, 22 and 23, 2007 at the Point Plaza Suites, 950 J. Clyde Morris Boulevard, Newport News, VA 23601.
Suites will be available that will include breakfast
on Saturday and Sunday.

Visit Brenda's 1962 Web Page:
http://geocities.com/typhoonmom1/

AND CHECK THIS WEB PAGE FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION - 01/22/07:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion-62-planning-mtgs.html

The NNHS Class of 1957
is planning its 50-Year Class Reunion,
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,
September 7, 8 and 9, 2007
at the Omni Hotel in Newport News, VA.
More details to follow!
The NNHS Class of 1958
is planning its 50th Anniversary Reunion,
Friday and Saturday, May 16 -17, 2008.
The Noble Gathering

More details to follow!

From Tom Norris (Hampton HS - '73) of VA - 02/02/07 - "Amazing chalk drawings on the road"
(#1 in a Series of 28):

Y'all take care of each other! TYPHOONS FOREVER! We'll Always Have Buckroe!


`1924 Beacon`	`1935 Anchor`
`Emma Jeanette Ward (Wright)`	`June Class Dedication to Miss Dorothy Crane`

		Dear Carol, Nothing personal intended. The only reason I sent this to you is because it has a beautiful Cat as you will see. Besides, "MEN" are the only ones with smelly feet ??? Your Friend, Herbie WILD HYSTERICAL GIGGLES!!! Thanks, Herbie Darlin'!

		This little guy in the picture was in a vehicle that visited my shop last year. I thought these critters were vegetarians but my mind changed after this groundhog chewed up over a thousand dollars worth of wires. The customer was very happy I snapped this picture because the insurance adjuster told me he would have never have believed a groundhog would do this. After toying with an animal control officer for a couple of hours the wire chewing varmint left on his own.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006