03/24/06 - NNHS Newsletter
All I've Got to Do

"But will they come when you do call for them?"

- William Shakespeare
 

   Happy Belated Birthday to    Richard Marshall ('66) of VA, who celebrated yesterday without us. 

   Happy Birthday today to one of my friends from waaay back at Magruder School,    Olivia House Brickey ('65) of VA.  Have a Beary Happy Birthday, Olivia!

   And Happy Birthday tomorrow to    Billy Williams ('57) and to    Bill Hobbs ('66) of Northern VA - who sweetly brought me a white corsage to the last open reunions of '64 and '65. 

    Many happy returns to you all!

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/Happy-Birthday.html

Just a quick note to make you aware of the plans that are underway for the 45th Year Reunion of the NNHS Class of 1961. Class Vice-President,    E. D. "Buddy" David ('61) of VA is assisted by   Jane Monfalcone Simmons ('61) of VA with respect to this reunion, which will be held July 1st & 2nd, 2006 at the Radisson Hotel in Hampton, VA.

   Thanks, Joe!

   I do love it so, John!  Feel free to contribute whenever you like.  Your movie theater images were a big hit - especially with me!  Thanks so much! 

   Oh, yeah, that's true, all right.  It's one of those privacy issues.  I myself was separated for so long from so many dear friends that I've posted several of my email addies in as many places as I could find in the hope that some of them would find me - and it worked.  But most people are not quite so open as I am.

   Once I obtain permission, however, I'll gladly post email addresses either on one of the several class contact pages, or on the Alumni List, or on both - as I just did yours!

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/contact-ALL.html

     http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/contact-1960.html

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/alumni-list.html

   The latter is a great solution for people from other schools, should they so desire.

   Thanks, Al! 

May I suggest that   Fred Fields ('45 - of CA) and I each provided a couple of pieces to a puzzle with respect to the Wooden Bridge over the passenger track at the terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad line in Newport News. Since it was a wooden bridge and had a lot of traffic, I am sure it was replaced one or more times long before the time I remember the work in the late 1960's. Mr. Carl Floyd was grateful that he secured the job as he was just starting his construction business when he won that contract to build the wooden bridge, and he was very proud of his work.

I was very excited to find that    Ronnie Burroughs ('60 - of VA) is one of your newsletter subscribers. Chances are he would have a few photos of the municipal pools that were operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation when many of us worked at the pools. Wouldn't hurt to ask him, right???
 

   Yeah, y'all ought to take a few moments and read over the Alumni List. 

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/alumni-list.html

   I think you'd be surprised at some of the names you'll find listed there.  Sometimes even  I'm surprised to see all those names!

   But no, it certainly wouldn't hurt to ask.  You know my motto (or one of them, anyway), "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

   Oh, Ron-nie, got pool pics??

   For those of y'all who may have forgotten, the pool is where I first met Joe back in 1957, when he tried valiantly to teach me how to swim.  Go read the page.  Some of those stories are hysterical!

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/old-stomping.html

     http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/OOSG-S-Z.html

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

Thanks, Adonis!

   Hmmm, as I was looking, I also found this one entitled "Life", and it seems rather ironic, if not altogether tragic:

http://www.plethoreum.org/dunbar/gallery/Life.asp

   He got me with that tragic one, though.......:

"We count our joys not by what we have,
But by what kept us from that perfect thing."

   Ouch.  And you're right; he certainly had a way with words and feelings.  Many of Dunbar's poems (which you may also opt to hear read by Herbert Martin) are available here:

http://www.plethoreum.org/dunbar/gallery.asp

   By the way, it's nice to know that someone is noticing the quotations!  Thanks, Cousin Pam! 

Carol

On your Our Old Cars page

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/our-old-cars.html

You have a section where the cars are not identified but left in question. Having worked in the auto industry over 20 years before changing careers and also being a car enthusiast, here are their identifications for you...

John Shepherd ('55) and Doris Bowden ('55) are in a Morris Minor Convertible. These imports are hard to date but probably a 1953. His license plate is 1954 - back when we changed plates every year instead of sticking a new year sticker on them as we do today.

  George Coussoulos ('58) and group are in and next to a 1946 Plymouth DeLuxe.

  Pat Goodwin ('60) is behind a 1958 Ford Fairlane.

Frank Benson ('59) and group are on and next to a 1957 Lincoln Premier Convertible.

And the last picture of the General Auto Sales dealership - These are 1960 model year cars - on the front row are 1960 Plymouth Furies and the red car is a 1960 Plymouth Valiant.

Hope that helps? :-)

Eric S. Huffstutler
BHS '75

   Boy Howdy!  You're a Renaissance man, Eric! Thanks so much!  Your labels have been added:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/our-old-cars.html

Thanks for the Happy Birthday.

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/Happy-Birthday.html

It is hard to believe I can no longer start my age with a 5 but now a 6. I just don't know how it got here so quickly. But I am certainly grateful, I am here to enjoy it.

   Isn't that such a funny feeling?!?  I remember a night back in 1968 when I was talking with some friends.  One asked me when I was born.  I told her 1947, and a very wistful look passed over her face, and she said softly, "That's the year I graduated from high school."

   And I watched her for a bit as discreetly as I could, and it was obvious a whole cavalcade of memories was playing through her mind, and I thought, "Hmmmm, I wonder how that must feel?"

   And now "I R 1".  Semi-sad giggles!

Are only the class of 66 able to tour our alma mater or is it open to any of us? It would be awesome to see it again.

   AHA!!!  A marvelous question!!!  OH, YOWZERONI - I certainly hope that's open to one and all, especially after the way I've been hyping it!        

   Oh, Reunion Com-mit-tee - Could we have a ruling please??

Thanks again for your constant work. You are a marvel.

   Thank you, Cookie!

I had to write about the coal piers, too.  My dad, Al Clendenin, was a Customs Inspector who spent many hours boarding those ships at the coal piers.  Our Sunday drives usually ended down there, watching the coal cars turn upside down and dump their contents.  My brother and I thought it was so cool!  Just like you, I thought my dad was the most wonderful man on earth.   One of my proudest days was when he took my whole fifth grade class from Deer Park Elementary School down to the piers to tour and board a ship.  He worked with other Customs Inspectors whose sons went to NNHS -    Clyde Point ('64),    Joe ('63) and    Bobby ('64) Wright,    Rollie Hamel ('66).
 

   Thanks so much, Melody!   We'll see you and Jimmy in September, right?!?

   Tommee, why am I not the least bit surprised that you're the first one to know this answer?!?

  Gloria (Woolard Price - Hampton HS - '65 - of FL) ... love that hairdo! Your boyfriend's car was a 1970 Chevelle SS.

   AHA!!!  Thanks, Tom!  I added that correction to the page:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/our-old-cars.html

Later ...

Tom

   Thanks again, Babe!

   WOWZERONI-RINI-ROONI!!!  That's mighty impressive!

   Now if only I could locate that torn photo of mine.  I put it in a safe place.  Hmmmm........

   Thanks so much, Eric!

   And she can sing, too!  For further details, see:

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

   Thanks for sharing this again, David!

   Thank you, Fred.  I do get such a kick out of seeing how our lives are so interwoven together!

   Thank you, Jean!  That's probably the reason that song has been whirling through my head all week.   Things happen, and they happen so quickly, and nothing is ever the same again.

   And that's another reason I keep harping about attending reunions.  I don't simply encourage y'all to think about it if you're bored, or if you've nothing better to do with your time.  I beg and cajole and all but twist your arm, because I think it's so vitally important.  Certainly, they're fun and entertaining, but to me that is so secondary to it all.

   I firmly believe we should always avail ourselves of every opportunity to see the people we love and tell them just how much they mean to us.  Of course, as is my usual fashion, I seriously doubt that I said any such thing to a single soul at any of the several reunions I've attended lately.  I hope the obvious joy on my non-poker face, and a few delighted hugs and kisses and squeezes and giggles somehow communicated all of that for me when I was too excited to speak the things that were in my heart.

   Uh, oh....  I seem to be choking up again..........  Not that I ever do.....

   By the way, I was somewhat startled as I looked for that song to see it listed with gospel favorites. Somehow I'd never put it in quite that context, and personally find the lyrics equally applicable to all major religions.  And while we've spent the last year or so celebrating all holidays and everything else together, I don't generally just throw out such numbers.  But I knew it was pointless to argue with my head.  That number just wanted to be played.  I was delighted to find what I thought was a beautiful version of it.  I'm glad you liked it! 

   Thanks again, Lady!

I don't usually recommend products, but I would encourage everyone to give satellite radio a test.  The selection of music is not to be believed, especially the oldies.  Lots of choices and no commercials!  Both XM Radio (www.xmradio.com) and Sirius (www.sirius.com) offer a free 3-day trial on your computer, so you can see what's out there.  It's kind of like having    Dave Spriggs ('64 - of VA) doing your programming every day.

   COOL BEANS!!!  I'll alert my resident gurus in charge of such things.

   Thanks, Dave!

   Well, see, the thing is, Karen, you look even better now than you did in high school - which I hardly think is fair, but must surely be very pleasant for you!

   Your poignant story made me laugh and cry all at the same time, which is no mean trick.  I hope the rest of y'all enjoyed it as much as I did.  Thanks so much for sharing it with us, Karen! 

WOWZERS!  Isn't she beautiful?!?

  George Fenigsohn ('65) of VA dancing with his mother, our regular substitute teacher, Mrs. Ida Fenigsohn of VA

Carol Buckley Harty ('65) of NC and her sister, Eleanor Buckley Nowitzky ('59) of NC

   Thanks, Dave! 

   I promised the other day to work on many things, and somehow worked on several others instead, until I finally collapsed.  I'll try once more to finish today.

   And by the way, if I haven't told y'all lately, I do love you.  You've brought an incredible amount of joy and fulfillment into my life.  I've always been a happy person, but these last several years with y'all have been the happiest of my life.  And I'd say a buncha more mushy stuff right about here, but I suddenly can't seem to see my keyboard..........

   Y'all take extra good care of each other!  TYPHOONS FOREVER!