Dear Friends and Schoolmates,   

   Today is the third full day of Passover, and in the Christian world is known as Holy Saturday, but today we're going to celebrate the secular side of Easter, with cute little bunny rabbits. 

   I had a weird dream last night of a scientific experiment gone awry which crossed bunny rabbits and kitty cats - at the waist, sorta of like those centaurs in Greek mythology. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaur

   They were called 'bunats", and there were four of them roaming about in my room - but I digress.....

BONUS #1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj40KK8hNkE - Here Comes Peter Cottontail

BONUS #2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5W7SUhojrA&NR=1 - Here Comes Peter Cottontail - SURPRISE!

BONUS #3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL-4cTOyzKk&NR=1 - Here Comes Peter Cottontail - Gene Autry - with all the nostalgic sound you might expect from such a warped old record.....

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS:

   Happy Belated 80th Birthday to     Dale Parsons, Sr. (June '48) of VA!

From Judy Parsons-Turner of VA - 04/10/09 - "Could you add my blog to the NNHS web page?":

Hi Carol,

My name is Judy Parsons-Turner and my dad, Dale J. Parsons, who was a member of the class of June 1948, just celebrated his 80th birthday (today!). He wanted me to email you and see if you could add this blog entry to the NNHS website:

www.journeylandjudy.blogspot.com

Thanks for your help.

    From Dale Parsons, Sr. (June '48) of VA - 04/10/09:

I have to share this with the world - a birthday card from Judy. What can I say other than WOW. Thank you, Judy.

   WOWZERONI!!! How cool is that?!?

   Your note arrived half an hour after I released yesterday's NNHS Newsletter (and I didn't catch it right away after that), but I added it all in stages as soon as I could, and I'm re-posting it here for the benefit of all the eager beavers who beat us to the draw.

   I snagged, cropped, and compressed the two images and added them as well, not only to the two Newsletters, but to the Alumni listings, and I placed the blog link on the Birthday Page as well:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/04-10-09-NNHS-Good-Friday.html

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/alumni-1959-n-before.html

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


   Thanks so much for letting me know, Judy - and A BIG Happy Birthday, Dale!

   Happy Birthday today to      Brownie Shaffer Haracivet ('62) of VA AND   Susan Avent Hill ('66) of VA AND    Kathy Cooper ('70) of VA!

   Happy Birthday tomorrow to  Harvey Weinstein ('57) AND   Richard Rawls ('71) of VA!

   Happy Birthday this week to:

13 -   Gil Hughes ('64);

14 -   Linda DeShazo Hatchett (’65) of VA;

15 -   George Helliesen ('61) of MI;

17 - David Jones ('57);

18 -   Monty Phillips ('62) of VA AND   Bill Wolfley ('70) of VA!

   Many Happy Returns to You All!

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

  From June Veneris Collie (Hampton HS - '62) of VA - 04/10/09 - "John W. Daniel School":

Hello Carol!

   Thanks, June! I knew we'd be hearing from more Daniel alumni! I posted your thoughts here:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/SITE-MAP.html

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

          http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/daniel-school.html

   Happy Easter to you, too!

    From Frances Goodson Wang ('65) of MD - 04/10/09 - "Hilton Park":

Hi Carol,

I lived on Highland Court between Briarfield and Hilton Boulevard.  Donna Worsham ('65), Keith Pennell ('63), Harold Anderson ('61), Barry ('63) and    David ('65) Hatchett, Pete Tench ('65), Debbie Freeman ('65),   Sonny Goodson ('65) and me,     Frances Goodson Wang ('65) (now divorced), Bobby Kenney ('66) and   Billy Roberts ('63) all lived around or near the full court of post war homes.  

Many of us went to Parkview Baptist. I never knew our neighborhood was called Hilton Park but I forget that sort of thing anyway. There used to be big dances put on by NN parks and recreation on the tennis courts across the street from our house.  It was nice having a park  with tennis courts across the street. A working man's country club if you will. Donna Worsham Lonce remembers the names of people in the adjacent streets much better than I do.   Sue Miller ('64), the Mortimer family, Ann Nuckles, Nancy Dodd, so many names elude me.  It was an area full young people rich in potential.  

There are many fond memories of those times I tuck away in my heart. The area has gone down. Every time I am there, which is rarely now that my father died in '07, it makes me sad to see the neighborhood slipping further and further down. On Christmas morning several of the guys would crowd into our home to see what Santa had brought everyone and to me those communal times were the best. I am a big one for community and family bonds.

   Thanks so much, Frances!

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/SITE-MAP.html

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

          http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/Hilton-Park.html

   Now while our collective minds are in the neighborhood, so to speak, if we could get back to labeling that wonderful old image on the Parkview Baptist Church page:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/SITE-MAP.html

     http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/our-places-worship.html

          http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/parkview-baptist.html

   I think I actually spotted you there, Frances, but I didn't want to jump to any conclusions, so I'll let you tell me yourself!

    Janice McCain Rose ('65 - of VA) has earned the title of NURSE, without having to take state boards.  I think she was in the Future Nurses Club at NNHS anyway.  To provide such care to her husband is truly a sign of enduring Love.  My prayers continue for our members who are experiencing health problems and wish them many good days ahead.

Love, Linda L. Lane

   AMEN to that! Thank again, Lady!

  From Fred Mays ('60) of VA - 04/10/09 - "Cal Ripken, Jr.: The Man, The Hero, The Legend":

Carol:

Hope this finds you well and happy in your new home.  I am so sorry I have been absent for so long.

  My good friend     Mickey Marcella ('54 - of VA) wanted you to please include this in one of your newsletters....it is from him.  Will you please find a place for it?  Thanks my friend Carol...

Fred Mays '60
P.S. Hope you have a very Happy Easter!

   Certainly - and Happy Easter to you, too, Fred!

    From Mickey Marcella ('54) of VA - 04/10/09 - "Cal Ripken, Jr.: The Man, The Hero, The Legend":

Checks should be sent to the Boys and Girls Club of the Virginia Peninsula.  If you are unable to attend the dinner and would like, you may make a 100% tax deductible donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula.  Additional information may be received by calling (757) 223-7204.  This is a once in a lifetime event to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club.  Don't miss the chance.  If you like, you can get in touch with me personally at (757) 249-3800. 

Thanks so much, Mickey Marcella, '54

   WOWZERONI! Thank you, too, Mickey! I'm happy to publicize this! A reminder will also be carried near the end of this and all subsequent Newsletters from now to then!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cal_Ripken,_Jr.

    From Eric Huffstutler (Bethel HS - '75) of VA - 04/10/09 - "NNHS Movies":

Re:         Sydney Dearing ('56 - of TN),      Carol Buckley Harty ('65 - of IL), and     Linda May (Bond Crayton - '66 - of VA)…

Whew, I am so glad that I am not along with my movie obsessions! J

   GIGGLES!!! Not at all, Eric!

Sydney… I was late in starting my collections so before I even purchased my first VHS tape, Laser Discs were on their way out and other types of movie mediums had came and went. Remember the CED Video Disc Players from the early 1980s? They played something along the lines of a phonograph record using a stylus and instead of only sound you had video too. I have one still new in a box and a few movies stashed away. But I was also an early advocate of DVDs when they first arrived in 1996 as "specialty" titles. In fact, I have one of the "very first" titles to show up which is a Imax documentary movie called "Tropical Rainforest". This even predates the very first studio national releases in test markets by Warner Bros. The first DVDs came in clear jewel cases the exact same size and shape as music CDs. Later they became elongated clear cases and even drawer styles until we have the familiar black Amray cases of today. Early on I participated in many movie forums and still do and created a historical timeline. I too replaced my VHS with DVD equivalents and there are some that never made the transition so have them for when I buy a VHS to DVD recorder. Also, don't sweat not being up to speed about BluRay. I haven't made the switch and won't unless a particular titles is not available otherwise. Today's players can automatically upconvert via HDMI cables from standard 480p to HD 1080p. Though not true HD in the BluRay sense, it will make the movie look a whole lot better on your large HD flat screens. And if you do wind up buying a BluRay player, they are backwards compatible and can play the older regular DVDs. I have a high end 42" 1080p HDTV with 120Hz technology and 3D combing. I can make a few adjustment in my settings and watch a movie in what appears to be almost 3-D quality without glasses. People and objects just pop out from the screen.

Film noir is something that takes getting use to today as people have become spoiled with having everything spelled out for them on the screen rather than making you "think"... and they just don't make movies like they use to in general. In fact, I was very disappointed with the new version of "The Day The Earth Stood Still" and prefer the 1951 original you mentioned.

Of recent I have been interested in Samuel Bronston (1908-1994) movies. A producer who poured his profits into the next project and made things from scratch, no matt shots, no miniatures, no green/blue screens until he went bankrupt in 1964 doing so. These include his epics "John Paul Jones" (1959); "King of Kings" (1961); "El Cid" (1961); "55 Days at Peking" (1963), and his last one was "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964) where he built exact full scale replicas down to minute details of Roman buildings complete inside and out. They became tourist attractions and other companies used them as backdrops too but they did not remain because of insurance costs so all were all bulldozed. He was busted, owed millions to Paramount studios and his financial backer, Pierre S. DuPont yet was already filming "Circus World" (1964) with John Wayne. The budget cuts show and that was basically the end of his career. "The Fall of the Roman Empire" is the movie that coined the phrase "They Don't Make Them Like That Any More" because they don't. I have all but "John Paul Jones" in my collection. Even have an earlier WWII movie called "Jack London" (1943). Carol, I too have a fascination for WWII movies and anything related to WWII and the Cold War era. Many war movies in my collection. They fall next in line behind my horror and sci-fi discs.

   I'll leave the horror movies to you, Eric; I'm a big enough Fraidy Cat as it is without deliberately trying to induce heart failure.

   But I did watch two old WWII shows last night (as I AT LAST lay in bed to crochet) - Gung Ho (1943) with Randolph Scott and Go for Broke (1951) with Van Johnson.

Linda, small world. Just yesterday I was passing around the Internet link about Jasmine the Greyhound. I am a animal lover and hate any kind of abuse to them. It was a heartwarming story.

Eric

   Thanks, Eric!

From www.RealAge.com - Tip of the Week - 04/09/09 - "Have a tablespoon of this for healthier lungs . . .":

A Creamy Treat for "Lungevity"

Step one for preventing lung cancer: Say no to tobacco. Step two: Have a tablespoon of vitamin-E-rich peanut butter.

Although many studies have suggested that taking high-dose vitamin E supplements may cause lung cancer, one new study bucks the trend. It revealed a possible lung benefit from dietary E -- the kind you get from peanut butter, nuts, and seeds.

Foods You Can Use
It's another argument for getting the nutrients you need from foods, not pills. In the study, people who had the highest intake of vitamin E from foods had a 55 percent lower risk of lung cancer compared with the people who got the least amount of vitamin E in their diets. Dietary alpha-tocopherol, the type of E found in peanut butter and oil-based salad dressings, was particularly protective. (Did you know? About 15 percent of lung cancers occur in nonsmokers. Get tips on reducing your risk.)

FINALLY:

 From Mark Friedman ('65) of VA - 04/10/09 - "Happy 50th Birthday Barbie.......":

Happy 50th Birthday Barbie.......                     It's about time this happened to her....      OHHH, thank you so much, Mark!

   At last Barbie and I have something in common!

DATES TO REMEMBER:

1. Thursday, April 23, 2009 - See Cal Ripken, Jr. at the Hampton Convention Center.  For details, see www.bagclub.com  - ALL FORMER BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB MEMBERS

2. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 24, 25, and 26, 2009 - The Class of 1954 will hold its 55-Year Reunion.  For details, contact Dr. Harry Simpson at 804-694-0346 or email him at hdsdds@aol.com - CLASS OF 1954

3. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 15, 16, and 17, 2009 - The Hampton High School Class of 1964 will hold its 45-Year Reunion at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. For details, see: www.hamptonhigh1964.com - HAMPTON HIGH SCHOOL - CLASS OF 1964

4. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, September 4, 5 and 6 (Labor Day Weekend), 2009 - The Class of 1969 will hold its 40-Year Reunion at the Point Plaza Hotel, Newport News, VA. For details, see: http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion2009-69.html and contact Jean Baker Howell at hokie13mom@cox.net - OPEN TO ALL NNHS ALUMNI

5. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, September 18, 19, and 20, 2009 - The Warwick High School Class of 1959 will hold its 50-Year Reunion at the Marriott Newport News at City Center, Newport News, VA. For details, contact WHSREUNION1959@aol.com.

6. Friday and Saturday, October 9 and 10, 2009 - The Class of 1964 will hold its 45-Year Reunion at the Newport News Marriott at City Center, 740 Town Center Drive, Newport News, VA 23606: For details, see: http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion2009-64.html - CLASS OF 1964:

Your NNHS 64/45 Reunion Committee is pleased to announce that musical entertainment has been arranged for our Reunion.

On Friday evening, we will dance to the tunes of DJ, Susan Voss. Those of you who attended our “Turning Sixty” Party in 2006 at Spirit Events will remember Susan’s talent and energy.

On Saturday night we have engaged the band, LP & Company, headed by L.P. Butler. I could tell you how great they are, but you can see for yourself on the video at their web site:  http://www.eastcoastentertainment.com/artist/LP_and_Company.html

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

                                   Love to all, Carol

Peter Cottontail

Words and Music by Gene Autry

Here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hoppin' down the bunny trail,
Hippity, hoppity,
Easter's on its way.

Bringin' every girl and boy Baskets full of Easter joy,
Things to make your Easter bright and gay.
He's got jelly beans for Tommy,
Colored eggs for sister Sue,
There's an orchid for your Mommy
And an Easter bonnet, too.

Oh! here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hoppin' down the bunny trail,
Hippity hoppity,
Happy Easter day.

Here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hoppin' down the bunny trail,
Look at him stop,
and listen to him say:
"Try to do the things you should."
Maybe if you're extra good,
He'll roll lots of Easter eggs your way.

You'll wake up on Easter morning
And you'll know that he was there
When you find those choc'late bunnies
That he's hiding ev'rywhere.

Oh! here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hoppin' down the bunny trail,
Hippity hoppity,
Happy Easter day.

"Peter Cottontail" midi courtesy of midi courtesy of http://rats2u.com/clipart/holidays/easter_midi.htm
at the suggestion of Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 07/18/04
Thanks, Dave!

"Peter Cottontail" lyrics courtesy of http://www.grandparentsmagazine.net/SongLyrics/petercottontail.htm
also at the suggestion of Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 07/18/04
Thanks again, Dave!

Dancing Easter Bunny clip art courtesy of http://d21c.com/AnnesPlace/Easter.html - 03/22/05

Egg Line divider clip art courtesy of http://www.horse-races.net/clip/clip-eastclip.htm - 07/18/04

Animated Tiny Birthday Cake clip art courtesy of Sarah Puckett Kressaty ('65) of VA - 08/31/05
Thanks, Sarah Sugah!