11/28/05 - NNHS Newsletter -
There's a Kind of Hush

"Some people will believe anything if you whisper it to them."

- Miguel de Unamuno
(29 Sep 1864 - 31 Dec 1936)

   Hey, Linda!  I'm not sure if we solved a mystery or created another one, but welcome aboard anyway!

   The confusion arises from the fact that I keep my address books with only first names - which made perfect sense five years ago, when I knew everyone in there quite well.  Now it seems there are eleven Linda's and I would be wildly prevaricating if I called them each a close personal friend.  So unless you're receiving email notifications from me at that other AOL addy, it might be that the Linda you mentioned is another person altogether.  Or maybe she's your invisible twin or something!  GIGGLES!!!  But I do not know who she is, only that she asked to be added after the feature article ran in the Daily Press while my systems were all down.

   But I do remember who you are, strange as that may seem, because we both know that we never knew each other.  I had even added your married name to your gorgeous picture in my '61 Anchor way back in the day.

   So now I've added the "real you" everywhere else.  Thanks for writing, and I'm glad you're enjoying everything!  Send us your memories; we never tire if hearing them from everyone.

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

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

What an truly incredible offer! 
Thanks so much, John! 

I posted this here:

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

I also wanted to let you know how much Aretie and I enjoy and appreciate the work you do in maintaining this web site.

Bless You,
John Patterson (NNHS - '59)

   Oh, my goodness!  You're choking me up, John!  Thank you!

Dear Carol,

Thanksgiving just past and Christmas on its way brings back memories of the season in downtown Newport News. New York City has its Macy Day Parade, but in downtown Newport News in the Fifties we had a Christmas Parade, too. Although I can’t remember for sure, it seems to me now that it was held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, rather than the first Saturday in December as many communities do now.

In our Christmas parade we had inflatables, too. They rode on platforms on wheels. I’m sending a picture of one of the Christmas parades. My father took the picture from the second story of his restaurant, the Sanitary, located on the southeast corner of Washington Avenue and 31^st Street, so we are looking north on Washington Avenue toward 32^nd Street. You can see Nachman’s Department Store marquee in the picture. Leggett’s is beyond Nachman’s, and beyond Leggett’s you can make out the sign for Hofheimer’s Shoe Store. Hanna’s Dress Shop would have been across the street from Hofheimer’s. In the foreground of the picture the Christmas lights are visible stretching from light pole to light pole.

At night the stores were open late for the holiday shopping and the red and green lights shone overhead with a star with white lights at each intersection. You can make out one of the stars hanging in the intersection just above the second inflatable animal’s head. When the stores stayed open late, the streets were crowded with people. All up and down the avenue we shopped at Nachman’s, Leggett’s, Hanna’s, Hofheimer’s Shoe Store, the Parisian Shop, La Vogue, Blechman’s, Punch n Judy, Whelan’s Drug Store, Woolworth’s, Epes Stationary Store, Barclay’s Jewelry Store, Barr Brothers Jewelry Store.

Whelan’s had a cosmetic counter that fascinated me in my preteen years. Each week of the year I took my Christmas Club Savings Book to the First National Bank to deposit my 25 cents. The teller tore out a coupon and marked each deposit on the stub. One Christmas I went to Whelan’s to spend my Christmas Club Savings on an elegant set of Evening in Paris toiletries for my mother. I fell in love with the midnight blue and the white sateen lining the box . What dreams of glamour the set evoked! Another Christmas I went to Whelan’s to buy her a gleaming gold-toned brush and mirror set that I was sure was like the one on the Queen of England’s dresser!

It was an exciting season. When I was growing up in Newport News, stores closed everyday at 6:00. At some point in time, they began to stay open on Friday nights until 9:00 but that was about it. The holiday season was different! The Christmas parade signaled the start of the later closing hours. Stores stayed open late, and it was exciting to go to Washington Avenue to see the Christmas lights and the displays in Nachman’s big glass show windows. Crowds of shoppers thronged the streets.

There was a store on Huntington Avenue near 34^th Street or so, I think,  that had all sorts of fascinating toys for kids and was a favorite place of mine during the holiday shopping season. I can’t remember if it was a Western Auto Store.  Santa Claus was either at Nachman’s or Montgomery Ward. I don’t remember if he was at both stores or if he was at one store and then in later years moved to the other. I do remember going to Montgomery Ward’s basement to see Santa. He looked so much the part that I was convinced he was the absolute, real guy that lived at the North Pole.

My mental image of Santa was formed by the Coca Cola calendars on the wall of Sam’s market. Sam was an elderly man who wore a cap all the time and ran a small fruit and vegetable place on the side of 32^nd Street opposite Nachman’s, just below Washington Avenue. He was located near Mrs. Fox’s candy store. Cheney’s Studio was in that same area. Mrs. Fox had great candy that I think she made. The reward that most motivated me was candy from Mrs. Fox’s. Anyway, Sam’s Coca Cola calendars of Santa Claus formed my ideas of what Santa looked like and the Santa at Montgomery Ward looked just like that to my eyes.

Newport News also had parades during Fire Prevention Week and Armed Forces Week. I am sending two more pictures from parades. I’m not sure which parade the picture of the fire truck is from, maybe a Fire Prevention Week parade?  In that picture you can make out the sign for Tops Grill. I can’t remember exactly which block that was in and could not figure out from the City Directory Pages on the website here. I’ll try again another time. The photo of the people watching a parade I would guess is from an Armed Forces Day parade judging from the dress of the bystanders, for that parade was held in May. I think the crowd there is standing in front of Woolworth’s.

A couple of other things: Thanks for posting the pictures of my father’s restaurants. In the Then and Now page it states that the  Colony is now gone. Actually the restaurant is still there though my father, of course, no longer owns it. About a month ago I took my father downtown and we walked along Washington Avenue where the restaurant is still located. We’ll be in NN in December and I’ll take a picture of the “NOW” and send it to you.

   That will be super - thanks!  I changed that description:

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

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/OOSG-C-G.html
 

   When I was a little girl, how I loved those Christmas lights!  Oh, sure, other towns and cities had nice Christmas displays, too, but I was convinced that downtown Newport News had all the "real" lights.  I loved those parades, too!  And how thrilled and proud I was when I reached high school to actually march in them with the great NNHS Typhoon Marching Band!

   I've posted them and your words on the Downtown page.  The page is waaaay too long already, and surely needs to be split somehow, but I can't seem to think of a way, and this is certainly the place where all this belongs.

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

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/OOSG-C-G.html

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

  Betty Takis (Ferguson HS - '65) had two sisters and a brother. The sisters are, as noted in previous newsletters,    Tessie ('62) and Flossie. Tessie is the oldest. Flossie is second while Betty was the youngest of the girls.  Flossie is married to Jimmy Kaligos and they own and operate the Hang It Up Frame Shop and Art Gallery on George Washington Highway near Tabb Lakes in York County. Flossie and Jimmy have two sons. The girls’ brother,  Sofos ('69), was the youngest of the children. Their family and my family went to the same church.

Hope you enjoy the pictures. Later I will send some of Buckroe that I found in the family collection and one of the faculty processing in the 1959 Commencement Ceremony.  

Take care. Blessings to you and everyone.

Fondly,

Aretie

   If you and John were having a little contest with each other to see who could make me cry harder, we may just have to call that a draw, Aretie!  Thank you so very much.  I can't even find the words to express my gratitude adequately.  Of course, that could be because I'm a big ol' crybaby and keep clouding over....

   You know, Jean, it is just a real shame we didn't know each other just a little bit better while we were still in high school.  We seem to think just alike in so many ways!  Thanks!  I'm glad you liked that one.  I think you're gonna love the December Newsletters!  Sooooo, two of us will be happy, anyway!  WILD GIGGLES!!!

Got this newsletter ok (as opposed to earlier when the site went down...) and would you mind asking   Barbara Brewer ('69 - of VA) to email me?  I don't have her home email. How exciting she went to Greece!!!  She used to sing with me in Virginia Choral Society!  We grew up together!  Thanks

Sarah Sugah

   Certainly, Sarah Sugah!  How fun!

   Anyway, I added the clipping to Coach Conn's page:

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

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

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/teach-Julie-Conn.html

   And I've added all three of your pictures to Famous Marines - 'cause Marines have special privileges:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/famous-marines.html

   I never have finished stabilizing those Famous Military pages, or adding the forty-eleven names I recently was given....

   And to keep things "uniform" (just a little pun), I'll need your full given name, your date and place of birth, and your occupation title(s).

   Thanks, Tim!