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Dear Friends and Schoolmates,  

  I chose this song for today's theme because I don't know of any song named "Ferguson Park", and that's what we're primarily featuring in today's edition.  Besides, this seven minute midi has been sitting unused in my files since 07/08/06. 

BONUS #1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHS8hj4TdT8 - Richard Harris - MacArthur Park

BONUS #2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNknNoCBYfw - Donna Summer

HOMEWORK:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacArthur_Park_(song) - particularly fascinating, as in this passage:

"MacArthur Park"'s odd metaphors and sentimentality have made it a frequent target of parody and ridicule over the years. In 1992, humorist Dave Barry conducted a poll among his readers (as recorded in Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs) of the worst songs ever. Barry's readers selected Harris's version of "MacArthur Park" as the worst song ever recorded, both in terms of "Worst Lyrics" and "Worst Overall Song."
 But, hey, I like it, and it's all about ME, right?!?

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

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS:

HEALTH UPDATES:

1. Bob Hedrick ('58) of VA:

  From Joe Drewry ('58) of VA to Members of the Class of 1958 - 05/10/08 - "Road Trip to MD Anderson":

   Thank you, Joe! Our continued prayers and best wishes go with Bobby and Toni!

    From Norm Covert ('61) of MD and        Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 05/09/08 - "Ferguson Park":

Dave: What a great photo, I can see many familiar landmarks, including the two separate buildings I lived in on Hornet Circle.

I have inserted some remarks near Norm's comments:

Norm: Webdoll,

I send best wishes and appreciation for all you do, plus prayers for your improved body and soul. God does answer prayer.

     Thanks, Sweetie! All is well with my soul!
 
Again Dave Spriggs (’64, VA) has sparked nostalgia with his photo of Ferguson Park;

Dave: The photo came to me from   Bill Lee (Warwick HS - '54 - of NC) pursuant to our discussions about an old baseball park preceding War Memorial Stadium. You can see the park in the upper right of that photo.

also your memory of Stuart Gardens. Dave’s photo prompted me to dig out my volume, “Newport News During the Second World War.” I scanned the attached photo of a slightly different aerial angle of Ferguson Park. I was reminded that Ferguson Park straddled Military Highway (now Mercury Boulevard) to the James River Bridge. Huntington Park was on it northern edge and today I think the War Memorial Museum still sits on land once occupied by Ferguson Park units.

circa 1944	Friday, May 9, 2008
	Here is Norm's photo today.
- Norm Covert ('61) of MD - 05/09/08 Thanks, Norm!	- Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 05/09/08 Thanks, Dave!

Dave: When I lived there from 1953-1955, I ran all through those woods, around that lake, and hung out at the War Memorial Museum.  It and all the FP units existed at the same time, so it was not erected on any former apartment site.

Norm: I have fond memories of Huntington Park, church picnics (Gospel Tabernacle, 600 block, 32^nd Street), fishing at Red’s Pier (not much luck) and playing baseball (couldn’t hit   Dan Rouse’s curve ball), I was No. 7 for the Exchange Club Little League Team at the ball field there for Manager Donald Volhein.

Dave: During my first stint at FP (1947-1949) I seem to have an image memory of that ball field and seeing night league softball games being played there. It was a short walk from our apartment and free entertainment in the years before TV.

Norm: I should add my pal    Buddy Helterbran (’61, PA) played for the Moose, if memory serves me well. I remember a commercial launching pier on the south side of the bridge that    my dad (Rev. Harry M. Covert, Sr.) and I ventured forth for fishing a few Saturdays in a rubber craft designed for sea emergencies, not fishing in the James. We had to be careful with the hooks! The helmsman was dubbed, Quagmire, don't ask me why!

At risk of boring your readers, the historical volume recounts the following housing projects in Newport News: Stuart Gardens, (980 units, “Built by the Defense Homes Corporation with funds furnished by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. The 280 acres on which Stuart Gardens is located was annexed from Warwick County in December 1940, immediately following plans for development of the area.”); St. James Terrace (80; believe on West Avenue and 29^th Street); Seven Oaks (my neighborhood, 220 units, “Built privately with assistance of Federal Housing Administration Insured Mortgages.”); Marshall Courts (353). Listed as Negro housing were Orcutt Homes (148); Harbor Homes (250); Lassiter Courts (350) and Scott Dormitories (250 beds).

The Warwick County listing has: Ferguson Park (1,200 units, “Built by the U.S. Navy in 1940 to care for workers of the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company during the expanded naval program. Later transferred to the Federal Public Housing Authority.”); Essex Dormitories (750 beds); Trailer Settlement (250, “Located at 58^th Street near Jefferson Avenue by the Federal Public Housing Authority. Removed with the passing of the emergency.”); Beaconsdale (229); Betsy Lee Gardens (186); Sussex Hilton (166); East Hilton (114); North Hilton (107); Hilton Park (144); Maury Place (100); White Oaks (30) and Huntington Courts (200). Copeland Park and Newsome Park (5,200 units) were listed in Warwick and Elizabeth City counties, the latter now the City of Hampton.

Dave: I have recently learned that the part of FP shown south (to the viewer's right) of Military Highway and near the river (lower center of the photo) stood on the site of a WW I Army camp, named Camp Hill. It served the same purpose as Camp Stuart and others in the area: a holding area for troops soon to be embarked on vessels headed for Europe.  I am currently researching my theory that 15 identical bungalows were floated from Camp Hill and placed in my neighborhood ca. 1924 - 1926. The timing is perfect (surplus housing at end of WW I); the geography is perfect (you can't float an intact structure too far across open water safely, but Hampton Roads would be a snap); the bungalows have a very military look about them. (see attached images)

Saturday, March 22, 2008, 5:47 PM	Saturday, March 22, 2008, 5:48 PM	Friday, May 9, 2008
Image by Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 03/22/08	Image by Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 03/22/08
- Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 05/09/08 Thanks, Dave!

The bungalows are mostly on Ethel and Lavalette in the aerial photo. You can see how they could easily have been moved from barges and onto their permanent foundations.  Of course, all those arguments apply equally well to Camp Stuart, so I am chasing that possibility, as well.

Norm: In some cases only memories remain of these old neighborhoods. You continue to assemble a unique collection of the history of “Our Town.” Thanks to you and your contributors.

Norm Covert (‘61, MD)

   WOWZERONI-RINI!!! Gentlemen, you both continue to astound me. Thanks so much!

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

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

          http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/ferguson-park.html

  From Joe Drewry ('58) of VA to Members of the Class of 1958 - 05/10/08 - "Loss of another NNHS Alum with ties to the Class of 1958":

   Thank you, Joe!

  From Judy Phillips Allen ('66) of VA - 05/10/08 - "WHY GOD ALLOWS PAIN.....really good!!":

Good analogy!

This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen... 

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'

Why do you say that?' asked the customer.

'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?  Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'

'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'

'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'

'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS !!!!!!!

   This is really good! Thank you, Dear Judy!

     From the Head Cheerleader of 1965, Pam Smith Arnold of VA - 05/11/08, 11:31 AM - "Mother's Day":

If anyone deserves a Happy Mother's Day, it is you......

   Thank you, Cousin Pam! I did indeed have a wonderful Mother's Day!

  From Mike Jeffers ('61) of VA - 05/11/08, 1:23 PM - "Mother's Day":

   What a sweet surprise! Thanks so much, Michael! I did have a great day - Mother's Day has always inexplicably been second only to Christmas in its celebration in our home.....

        From My #2 Son, Brent Harty (Hillsboro HS, IL - '90) of OH - 05/11/08, 5:23 PM - "Happy Mothers Day":

   Thank you so much, Brent! Yours was my first phone call on Sunday; it was ironic that it came before I arrived back home, and that you were the only "child" with whom I was not able to speak that day, despite our phone tag. Your beautiful words here more than compensate for that, and I do so enjoy talking with you frequently.

   Thank you for being my son!

        From Sydney Dearing ('56) of TN - 05/11/08, 9:12 AM - "Postings from    Buz Groshong ('63 - of Northern VA) and other things."

Hi Carol,
 

Wow, what a flood of memories came over me when I saw Buz Groshong's posts.  Buz and his family lived in a brick house on the corner of Hickory Avenue and Hampton Avenue directly across the street from Woodrow Wilson School.  I lived next door to them on Hickory Avenue.  Memory is a fickle thing especially after 50+ years, but when I graduated from NNHS in 1956 I remember there being four Groshong children; Sarah ('61) was the oldest, Buz (then called Buzzy) who was probably about eleven then, another sister Carol ('64), and  Allen ('66).  I remember Allen as a cute little kid with yellow blond hair who was about two years old when we moved in and probably about eight when I left for the military after high school.

 

		I had heard some time ago that Allen had been killed in Vietnam but only recently learned the particulars.  He was a Navy medic assigned to a Company of U. S. Marines.  Medics were not doctors but were usually called "Doc."  The Marines called him Doc Allen.  One of them told him he had to be called Doc Allen rather than Doc Groshong because they had to be able to scream it easily if they needed him in a hurry.  He arrived in Vietnam in February of 1968 just after his 20th birthday.  He was killed in action on April 8, 1968 when he exposed himself to hostile fire to save the life of a young Marine private.  He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the third highest award given for valor in the face of the enemy.  Note: thanks to the USMC Together We Served website for this information.

Buz, if you happen to read this, I apologize if I have gotten any of the particulars wrong.  If so I would be most grateful if you refreshed my memory.

 

Sydney Dearing

   Oh, WOW - such precious memories! Thank you, Sydney! I've posted much of this:

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

     http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/memoriam-all.html

          http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/memoriam66.html

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   From Mickey ('54) and    Carol Moell ('56) Marcella of VA - 05/11/08, 3:23 PM:

Thank you for the updates and we wish you a Happy Mothers' Day!

Love, Carol and Mickey Marcella

   Thank you so much! I hope yours was lovely as well!

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  From Jerry ('65) and    Judy Phillips ('66) Allen of VA - 05/11/08, 4:03 PM:

		Here is our happy looking crew April 26th on the Outer Banks. We're at the Clarion. Great!   We are on our way to dinner after waving for the photographer, Phil.    Oh, such fun - and no one deserves it more! Thanks for sharing this image with us, Sweetie-Pies!
Saturday, April 26, 2008

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PRAYER ROLL (arranged alphabetically, but not necessarily complete):

1.   Jerry Allen ('65) of VA - began radiation for cancer last week of February; it was delayed when he was diagnosed with pneumonia on 02/20/08; update of 03/11/08: recovered from pneumonia, is in his third week of radiation, and seems to be doing well. He is back at work and comes home tired, but overall, he is in pretty good shape; update of 03/24/08: last radiation treatment was Friday; "looking good and feeling pretty good except for very irritated skin and fatigue"; update of 04/05/08: "getting better each day"; update of 04/14/08: "now dealing with a blood clot in his pic line; receiving daily injections in the abdomen and taking antibiotics and blood thinners; feels pretty good in spite of everything and his ATTITUDE is great---as usual"; update of update of 04/24/08: "no longer taking daily abdominal injections for blood clot that developed a few weeks ago; everything is looking pretty good.  The PET scan will be in the next few weeks.  We are expecting good results." update of 05/05/08 - "scheduled for two more chemo visits; will have the first chemo on Thursday, May 8th followed up by an injection on Friday to boost his immune system"; update of 05/08/08 - "did pretty well with the chemo today in spite of the risky business with the procedure without the pic line that was removed due to a clot"

2.   Connie Bloxom Thompson ('66) of MD - multiple heath and financial issues; needing cataract surgery to prevent inevitable blindness ASAP; update of 03/11/08: "SO FAR, 1/2 FUNDS FOR 1 EYE PROCEDURE"; update of 03/28/08: re-hospitalized; $1475.00 received so far; still short of $2000.00 goal; update of 04/28/08 - SEE ABOVE

Connie Bloxom Thompson
2237 Hunter Chase
Bel Air, MD 21015

3. Clyde Bryant ('58) of PA - heart replacement surgery - 12/13/07

4.      Me ('65) of NC - recent (late January) development of congestive heart failure plus the usual financial woes; update of 03/28/08: not as well as I'd hoped to be by now; more downs than ups..... ; update of 04/18/08 - SEE: 04/18/08

5. Emily (daughter of        My Niece Shari) of VA - advancing scoliosis; surgery 03/11/08; update of 03/12/08: surgery went well, running slight fever; update of 03/18/08: had some ups and lows, but is home again; update of 04/14/08 - still in pain, running a fever; update of 04/18/08 - SEE: 04/18/08; update of 05/05/08 - "finally getting better. Her hamstring stretching is painful, but making a big difference. She has years of physical therapy ahead of her, but is doing soo much better"

6. Frances Heath Scott ('62) of VA - inflammation of nerves; due to have been released from hospital on 02/27/08;  update of 04/14/08 - "at home recuperating"

7. Bobby Hedrick ('58) of VA - recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; update of 03/22/08: "doing very well, no pain, just some soreness"; update of 05/10/08: "continues to do well since the surgery for pancreatic cancer and will now begin the follow-up treatment to be decided upon following the consultation and evaluation at MD Anderson (Houston)."

8.        John London (Warwick HS - '57) of VA - lumbar surgery to fix a spinal stenosis [ laminectomy]; will also involve fusion of vertebrae - 02/05/08

9. Pam Pennington Cherry ('58) of VA - congestive heart failure; cardiac ablation procedure - 02/06/08; second surgery on 02/20/08 for aneurysm; update of 03/17/08 - still experiencing difficulty with heart racing, breathing and pressure in her chest; pray that cardiac ablation procedure will not have to be repeated, and that Pam can learn to REST!;  update of 05/04/08 - "in about eight months she will indeed have to have the ablation process repeated. "

10. Tommy Scott ('61) of VA - update of 04/14/08 - "at home recuperating"

11. Jenny Willett Wilson (daughter of the late    Edie Hallett Willett - '63) of VA - 05/05/08 - "underwent a double mastectomy in 2007, has just completed vigorous chemo and is now undergoing radiation treatments every day for seven weeks"

12. All of Us

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 DATES TO REMEMBER:

1. Friday and Saturday, May 16 - 17, 2008 - NNHS CLASS OF 1958:

     http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion-class-of-1958.html - 03/18/08

2. Sunday, May 18, 2008 - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC:

The Athletic Hall of Fame of the Virginia Peninsula Is Inducting    Bucky Keller ('58), 6:30PM at the Hampton Coliseum:

     http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/04-29-08-NNHS-Bye-Bye-Love.html
3. Saturday, June 7, 2008 - NNHS CLASS OF 1957 AND OTHER NNHS ALUMNI   

      http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion-class-of-1957.html 

4. Saturday, June 7, 2008 - NNHS CLASS OF 1961:

Mini reunion at the home of    Buddy and     Libby Blechman David of VA

5. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, September 26 - 28, 2008 - NNHS CLASS OF 1968:

     http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion-class-of-1968.html - 03/31/08

6. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 17 - 19, 2008 - NNHS CLASS OF 1963:

       http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion-class-of-1963.html  - 03/26/08

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   Remember, there's much more to come - next time - REALLY! 

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

Carol Buckley Harty 219 Four Ply Lane Fayetteville, NC 29311-9305   910-488-9408

To donate, click on the gold seal on the left,               or just mail it to my home. Thanks!

MacArthur Park

- Jimmy Webb, 1968
(b. 15 Aug 1946)
 

 Spring was never waiting for us, girl
It ran one step ahead
As we followed in the dance
Between the parted pages and were pressed,
In love's hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants

[Chorus]

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down...
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

I recall the yellow cotton dress
Foaming like a wave
On the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
And the old men playing checkers by the trees

[Chorus]

There will be another song for me
For I will sing it
There will be another dream for me
Someone will bring it
I will drink the wine while it is warm
And never let you catch me looking at the sun
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
You'll still be the one.

I will take my life into my hands and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
And my passion flow like rivers through the sky.
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
I'll be thinking of you
And wondering why.

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down...
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!
Oh, no
No, no
Oh NO!!