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03/12/05 - NNHS Newsletter - The Twelfth of Never

Dear Friends and Schoolmates,

Today isn't really the Twelfth of Never; it's the Twelfth of March, but it's close enough. Besides, this is one of my all-time
favorite songs in the world. Thanks for finding it for me, David!

Okay, you KNOW you're stressed when you don't know what day it is. Yesterday's Newsletter was somehow dated
03/10/05. DUH!!! I'll try not to think about it if YOU don't!

From David Whitley ('67) of VA - 03/07/05:


Summer of 1965 - Virginia Beach Mary Johnson, Nancy Ames ('68) (hidden behind David), David Whitley ('67), and Kay Johnson ('68)	1958 - 7700 Roanoke Ave. "holding my new baby sister, Susan, in front of our new(market) house - what a punkin head on that girl"	"still holding my dear sis, Susan, at Mom and Dad's house a few years ago"

Thanks, David! Soooo - three girls and you at the beach?!? Very nice, Sweetie! WILD GIGGLES!!!

While I'm thinking of a logical place to place the last two, I posted the first image on Odds and Ends:

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

From Fred Field ('45) of CA to Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 03/09/05:

Hello Dave, Wed. Mar. 9, 05 copy to Carol Harty

I'd like to offer some minor clarifications to your piece about WGH in Carol's 3-7.

The WGH building by the Boat Harbor was completed in 1935. It was a very small building and mainly
housed the transmitter equipment. My father took me to visit the station in about 1940 and I was given
a little tour. There was no studio although there was a small desk with a turntable. It was there only
in case of loss of connection to the studio. The station engineer would then make a brief announcement
and put on some canned music.

The studios were originally located within the Warwick Hotel, then in a second floor site on Washington
Avenue above the old Grant's store - the little one on the West side of Washington Avenue. Later the main
studio site was shifted to the Portlock Building in Norfolk, but a small auxiliary studio was added in a
building adjacent to or attached to the Warwick Hotel. There was also a "remote" in the Daily Press building
on 25th Street, mainly used by Edward Travis, DP reporter who also announced the evening news. He had
a fine delivery and was often cited by English teachers at NNHS as a model of elocution.

Some historical (though mostly technical) info. about WGH appears in my PARC Heritage article which can
be found at:

http://www.members.cox.net/kt4qw/findex

This will take you to an introductory page for a history of amateur radio on the Virginia Peninsula. There are
two pictures of me on the first page you see. If you can stand it, click on "More about Fred" which will take you
to another page with two more pictures. One of these is from Dec. 1947 - a few days after I got out of the U.S. Navy.

Next arrow back to the first page. On the left side of that page is a column marked "Features."

Click on "Biographical Sketches." The bios. are in last name alphabetical order. The bios. which have
information on WGH include: Aylor, Dale Jr., Herndon and Needre.

In the above, Dale and Needre disagree about the pre Boat Harbor location of the transmitter. Both agree it was
originally in the Warwick Hotel. Dale says it was then moved to the Washington Ave. site, but Needre insists that Washington Avenue was only a studio.

The Hotel site used only a crude wire antenna. The first tower was erected at the Boat Harbor transmitter site,
but was demolished shortly thereafter during a storm (see Needre). The second tower stood until about 1945
when it was replaced by a huge tower in anticipation of FM becoming dominant. The decision was made by the
station owner who was not a technical expert. He had planned the much taller tower to also be used as the AM
radiator. Unfortunately the extreme height distorted the radiation pattern and WGH lost its Delmarva coverage.
And as you probably know, FM took a very long time to become dominant.

Some good background on WGH is in the 1946 book, Newport News' 325 years. When last on the Peninsula
(2003) I was in a used book store in Phoebus and they had several copies for sale...........

WOWZERS!!! Thanks, Fred! Your notes PLUS the 1930 image sent to us earlier in the week by Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA
are now posted on the WGH page:

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

Thank you, Gentlemen!

From Jean Poole Burton ('64) of RI - 03/09/05:

Maybe a web page entitled "parents and our dates"

Hi Carol, your story about your Mama and Bing...got me thinking about some of my own parents and dates stories...
I begged my parents to let me go on a date for two years...only problem was I had not been asked! I only dated
three guys in our class...was never allowed to go to dances at Magruder or Willis or anywhere....finally went out
with a nice young man in our class...we went to see Louis Armstrong in Norfolk and we took the bus. That was
pretty out there in those days, not many white people in the audience...the performance was wonderful and memorable.
When we got back my mother had locked the front door...as usual. We knocked on the door and she came to the door
in her summer sleeping attire...one of Dad's old t-shirts and a pair of underpants! I wanted to die right then. Please
Jesus take me to heaven NOW! I did not die and she went screaming down the hall! telling Daddy, "George, that boy
saw me like this!!!" My Daddy was laughing his ...off and his reply was "Well, you d--- fool, why did you go to the door
like that....you knew she was out with a boy..." Needless to say that was our last date...I asked him at our 40th reunion
if he remembered that...and he did and we had a great laugh about it! We have never let my mother forget it either!
Love, Jean

GIGGLES!!! At least you had the good judgment not to mention his name, Jean!

I suppose I thought that Bing had faded off into oblivion somewhere, but he's living in Isle of Wight County and is as well-known
as ever. I had no fewer than four responses to my lapse in judgment for printing that. Sigh. That was almost my Biggest
Bozo Blooper, and I'm crediting that tiny little mini-stroke completely for it. Surely I would never have done such a thing!

Well, okay - maybe one more; I'm sure Henry won't mind.... much..........

If y'all knew my mama, this story will ring a true and clear bell in your minds. She was a HOOT!

It was during Christmas break of our senior year. Several of us had decided to have some sort of group date but with
separate cars, meting at the theater (probably the Paramount) and someplace for sodas and fries afterwards (I've no idea
where that might have been - perhaps Antine's). So Henry Hoyle ('65 - of Northern VA) had asked me to go with him, and
I was trying to be dignified.

Moment #1 was right off the gitgo. It was only a day or two before Christmas, and for unknown reasons we had done NO
decorating - no lights, no tree - nada. This to me was cause enough for embarrassment, and I apologized profusely. Trust me,
the fun was just beginning.

The three of us were standing around in our living room at 1353 Roanoke Avenue chit-chatting, when Henry spotted the
wartime portrait of my daddy in his Army uniform. I started making some scholarly reference to the Sam Brown belts he was
wearing in that image, when I saw my mama step back out of Henry's range of vision, and begin shaking her head in a frantic
attempt to shut my mouth. But it was too late. I had related one of the marvelous tales she had told me when I was a small child,
and accepted everything she said as the gospel truth, not recognizing her outrageous sense of humor (like the time I took a box
of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda to class for show and tell, and proudly assured one and all that my mama had posed for that
famous logo). This story was even more humiliating, because presumably I was old enough to be able to tell the truth from a joke.
Alas, such was not the case. I carefully explained to Henry that the Army saw fit to discontinue the use of Sam Brown belts following
the war when they recognized that the enemy forces were using them to hang the soldiers to better enable torturing them. Oh, the
humanity!

Trying to summon whatever dignity was left to me (and there was precious little, trust me), we left for the movie, and I mumbled
another few words of apology for the lack of holiday decorations. I should have noticed the gleam in my mama's eye then....

I will never know how she managed to accomplish what she single-handedly did next in the space of - what could it have been,
three hours??? When we arrived back home, I noticed that the large bush by our door was covered in multi-covered lights, and I
said to Henry, "Oh, look - she put up some Christmas lights!" Uh-huh. Then we reached the door, and she opened it with a wicked
grin on her face more suitable for a Halloween haunted house, rubbing her hands together in a sort of Dracula-like gesture, and
said with an evil laugh, "Won't you come in?"

It was incredible. There was a full-sized live tree, completely decorated. That alone should have taken up more than the time
we were gone, but she had only begun. No surface was left unscathed - and the "decoration" was hideous and gaudy and unlike
anything the world has ever seen. There were awful garlands of plastic poinsettias draped over the doorways. There was a
grotesque Chinese Santa Claus atop the console radio. Every human image in the room - including my daddy - had been
transformed into Santa Claus, with the use of Scotch tape and cotton balls. Above the sofa we had a large Belgian tapestry of a
couple in Venice being propelled in a gondola. The two men were now both arrayed as Santa, of course, but the woman's upraised
arm was now graced by the eight-inch long lock of hair I had saved (right after I angrily cut my hair short when I came home after
having my senior portrait made), dangling obscenely from her armpit!

I was speechless. Henry was speechless. There was nothing to say, really. And who would have heard it above Mama's
triumphant giggles, anyway? It was one of her finest moments.

From Al Farber ('64) of GA - 03/10/05:

Carol.....Leprechauns young and old are always looking for that pot of gold..... This is that time of YEAR to be Irish and Green....and ENJOY that brew if you know what I mean.....So as the legend has been told you should always be BOLD and LOOK for that BIG pot of GOLD.........

TYPHOONS FOREVER ..... al CLASS of 64.

HAPPY GIGGLES!!! Thanks, Al! If truth be know, all of my many Irish ancestors wore the orange rather than the green,
but for St. Patrick's Day, EVERYBODY wears the green, so we'll just keep that as our little secret!

Don't y'all forget to check your patches of moss (ya DO have moss patches, doncha?) at 0600 on St. Patrick's Day to see
if you can spot a leprechaun. I do that every year. I've never found one yet, but I know they're in there. It's just a matter of time.

From Fred Field ('45) of CA to Charles Wickes ('45) - 03/10/05:

Hello Wickes - Charles & Ralph, Thurs. Mar. 10, 05

copies to Paul Gresham, Carol Buckley Harty, & Sandi Bateman Chestnut (Betty Savage Palmer's dau.)

The below obit. popped up in Daily Press yesterday. The middle name rang a bell and I immediately
thought of our Walter Reed principal, E. V. Stowitts.

Did a simple SS Death Index search and found these:

Lois Stowitts, b. Nov. 26, 1904; d. May 12, 1997 in Orange Co., VA

Emory Stowitts, b. Aug. 2, 1896; d. Dec. 1970 in Orange Co., VA

Mr. Stowitts was a most interesting man - seemingly pompous and strange, yet very personable
to individual kids, especially the boys. I often wish I had known more about him. He has been identified
with various given names. I think in our time he was E. Von Stowitts. Now we know that E. was for Emory.
Not sure if Von was a corruption of Vorhees, or if he used the German formal prefix, Von. I seem
to remember there were other names strung in there too...........

Somehow we always envisioned teachers and school officials as sort of regal persons, framed alone in their
roles. It is interesting that Mr. Stowitts had a daughter whose age was almost the same as ours. I felt a similar revelation recently at the death of the daughter of NNHS math teacher Peter W. Allan Raine. Who ever
thought of him as a family man?

If I had a chance to live my life over, I'd surely pay more attention to meaningful people whose path I crossed.
At least we can honor them with our memories.

Fred

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

POQUOSON - Patricia Stowitts Schott, 75, entered into rest on Monday, March 7, 2005, at her residence. She was raised in Hilton
Village and was a graduate of Warwick High School. She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Poquoson and a
former member of Emmaus Baptist Church in Poquoson and a choir member there for many years. She was a member of the Hilton
Women's Club. She was a talented artist and was a devoted flower gardener. She was preceded in death by her parents, Vorhees
and Lois Stowitts, and by a brother, Perrier Stowitts. She is survived by her husband, A.N. "Niel" Schott; her sons and daughters-in-
law, Steven N. and Nancy Schott of Poquoson, Thomas W. Schott of Hampton, and Timothy D. and Charlene Schott of Yorktown, Va.;
a brother, Thomas W. Stowitts and his wife, Shirley, of Weldon, N.C.; four grandchildren, Steven Schott, Lauren Schott, Michael
Schott and Kylene Schott; as well as two great-grandsons. A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 10,
in Trinity United Methodist Church in Poquoson by Rev. James Thomas. The family will receive friends at the residence. In lieu
of flowers memorials may be made to Personal Touch Hospice, 732 Thimble Shoals Blvd., Suite 203, Newport News, VA 23606

Daily Press 3-9-05

Thanks so much for your insights, Fred!

From Terry Seay ('67) of VA - 03/12/05:

Thanks for all that you do... this is truly fun stuff... I'll send along a picture of Bill Rash ('67)
and me ('67) holding an unnamed damsel in distress. We also spend a lot of time with Dale
Mueller ('64).... all live at Buckroe Beach...


Bill Rash ('67) and Terry Seay ('67) at Buckroe Beach	Bill Rash ('67), Distressed Damsel, and Terry Seay ('67)

I'm glad you're enjoying it all, Terry - I know I am!

Ah - to live at Buckroe Beach! I do believe that is my oldest fantasy! Y'all have fun! (I know that's superfluous. Is it also redundant?)

If I haven't already done so, I will be posting your images on the Buckroe Beach page:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/buckroe-beach.html

Thanks again, Terry, y'all are looking great! LOVE those crazy shirts!

From Cathy Slusser Hudson ('64) of VA - 03/12/04:

Hi Carol: Just wanted to let you know that Helen O'Brien Kellis died on Thursday March 10, 2005. She was
an NNHS Graduate. Her Obituary is in today's Daily Press. Helen was a Turlington when she was in High School.
I believe you may have remembered her son Danny O'Brien ('69). He was a musician had his own band and
just recently passed away. He lived in Gloucester. Hope all is well with you and you are feeling better.
Catherine Hudson

Helen Turlington O'Brien Kellis

YORKTOWN - No more suffering...Life's last breath turned into a smile as God reached through the heavens to claim
his child, Helen O'Brien Kellis, who died Thursday, March 10, 2005, at her home with her children by her side. Born
in Washington, D.C., April 21, 1917, Helen moved to Newport News in 1923 and became a lifelong member of St. Vincent
dePaul Catholic Church. A graduate of Newport News High School, she was a volunteer at the Back Door Ministry of St.
Vincent dePaul, President of Degree of Pocahontas, President of the Mothers Club, President of the Catholic Woman's
Club, and a member of the Hilton Senior Citizen Club. Being of strong Christian faith and loved by many, Helen was the
lifeblood of her family and friends. She never met a stranger and her house was always open. She always made
sacrifices to see that the needs of her loved ones were met; leading by example and touching the lives of many, her life
and love for her family was a living legacy to all those she touched. She especially enjoyed spending summer vacations
at her place in Southern Maryland with family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Daisy and Athey Turlington;
husband, Michael J. O'Brien; husband, Eddie G. Kellis; son, Danny J. O'Brien; and her brother, James D. Turlington. She
is survived by her daughters, Patricia O'Brien Delles and husband, Gerald, Helen K. Lehman and her husband, Robert;
two sons, Michael J. O'Brien and Timothy J. O'Brien and his wife, Denise; two brothers, Thomas E. Turlington and Athey D.
Turlington and his wife, Betty; sister-in-law, Mamie Turlington; 10 grandchildren, Sharon Urban, Robert Hill, Richard Hill,
John Hill, Anna Petrolia, Christopher Canfield, Heath O'Brien, Timothy O'Brien II, Amy Dixon and Danny O'Brien Jr.; and
10 great-grandchildren. A prayer service will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Peninsula Funeral Home followed by visitation
until 8 p.m. A funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Monday at St. Vincent dePaul Catholic Church by Father Robert
Ruth followed by burial in Peninsula Memorial Park. The family wishes to thank Brookside Home Health, especially Hope
and Christy for their devotion and loving care. Memorial donations may take the form of donations to St. Vincent's Backdoor
Ministry, 230 - 33rd Street, Newport News, VA 23607.

Published in the Daily Press from 3/11/2005 - 3/12/2005.

Oh, my goodness. Thank you, Cathy. Yes, I certainly remember Danny - and I remember Danny and the Delnotes, too.

I'm sorry to learn of this latest sad news. We will keep the family in our prayers.

MORE REUNION IMAGES:

From Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 03/12/05:

These images were taken from the disposable cameras which were placed on each table, Saturday night, October 23, 2004:


Pauline Collins Shofner ('65) of VA and Norman Olshansky ('64) of FL	Norman Olshansky ('64) of FL and Angie Ray Smith ('64) of VA	Angie Ray Smith ('64) and Glen Davenport ('63) of VA; Jeanette Parrish Houston ('64) of VA; Pauline Collins Shofner ('65) of VA; and Larry Moran ('65) of VA	Drema and Bobby Callis ('64) of WV	Sarah Puckett Kressaty ('65) and Lou Kressaty of VA


Debra Moran and Larry Moran ('65) of VA	Janice McCain Rose ('65) and Charles Shofner of VA	Pauline Collins Shofner ('65) of VA and Fred Rose of VA	Janice McCain Rose ('65) and Fred Rose of VA	Pauline Collins Shofner ('65) and Charles Shofner of VA


Charles Shofner of VA; Janice McCain Rose ('65) and Fred Rose of VA; and Todd Givens ('65) of Northern VA	Charles Shofner and Pauline Collins Shofner ('65) of VA; and Janice McCain Rose ('65) and Fred Rose of VA	Carol Buckley Harty ('65) of NC (Corsage courtesy of Bill Hobbs - '66 - of Northern VA - Thanks!) (I crocheted that lace myself)	Sarah Puckett Kressaty ('65) and Lou Kressaty of VA; Paul Harty and Carol Buckley Harty ('65) of NC - and our Band Candy Bars!	Rick Billings ('65) of NC and Wayne Stokes ('65) of VA


Pauline Collins Shofner ('65) and Charles Shofner of VA	Dave Arnold ('65) and Pam Smith Arnold ('65) of VA	Charles Shofner of VA; and Sarah Puckett Kressaty ('65) and Lou Kressaty of VA	Paul Harty and Carol Buckley Harty ('65) of NC; and Wayne Stokes ('65) of VA	Pauline Collins Shofner ('65) and Charles Shofner of VA

WOWZERONI!!! This is the ninth batch that Dave has sent (okay, it's the first one I've passed along, but, you
know.....), and I think these are the best of the disposable table-top camera images so far! Thanks so much! Now that I
just discovered a simpler way of doing these, I'll be getting to the earlier batches soon. Thanks again, David!

I'll be adding these to the other reunion pictures right away:

^{http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/REUNION-PICTURES-2004.html}

Y'all have a good day - and take care of each other! TYPHOONS FOREVER!

Love to all, Carol

==============================================

NNHS CLASS OF '65 WEB SITE: http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com
PERSONAL WEB SITE: http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/cluckmeat

==============================================

The Twelfth of Never

- Paul Francis Webster & Jerry Livingston

(Johnny Mathis)

You ask me how much I need you, must I explain?
I need you, oh my darling, like roses need rain
You ask how long I'll love you, I'll tell you true
Until the twelfth of never, I'll still be loving you

Hold me close, never let me go
Hold me close, melt my heart like April snow

I'll love you 'til the bluebells forget to bloom
I'll love you 'til the clover has lost its perfume
I'll love you 'til the poets run out of rhyme
Until the twelfth of never and that's a long, long time
Until the twelfth of never and that's a long, long time

You ask me how much I need you, must I explain?
I need you, oh my darling, like roses need rain
You ask how long I'll love you, I'll tell you true
Until the twelfth of never, I'll still be loving you

Hold me close, never let me go
Hold me close, melt my heart like April snow

I'll love you 'til the bluebells forget to bloom
I'll love you 'til the clover has lost its perfume
I'll love you 'til the poets run out of rhyme
Until the twelfth of never and that's a long, long time
Until the twelfth of never and that's a long, long time

"The Twelfth of Never" midi courtesy of http://www.garyrog.50megs.com/midi/
at the suggestion of Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 02/24/05
Thanks, Dave!

"The Twelfth of Never" lyrics courtesy of lyrics courtesy of http://www.angelfire.com/ma2/Gem3/twelfthofnever.html
also at the suggestion of Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 02/24/05
Thanks again, Dave!

Roses Divider Line clip art courtesy of http://www.wtv-zone.com/nevr2l82/bars34.html - 02/24/05

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