Monday, September 20, 2010

A Good Time Was Had by All

The Golden Anniversary of the Point Arena High School Class of 1960 was a great success because alumni of classes 1950 through 1967 made it their reunion too. We filled the Gualala Community Center with about 100 attendees - the total of alumni, spouses, and family members. We began by milling around and talking while munching hors devours (and occassionally picking up a drink or two from the Point Arena Knights of Columbus bar) for the first two hours.

What a noisy bunch!

Just like the hallway at PAHS between classes.

Then we lined up and passed in a quick and orderly fashion through the buffet line, and filled up on Leslie Bate's scrumptious Chicken Marbella with flat noodles, salad, bread, and topped off with choice of dessert cake.

Not only was the buffet line more orderly and efficient than anything I saw in Air Force Basic Training - you can hold all your Air Force jokes - a teacher told me he always told his students that the Air Force was the best alternative to military service - but everyone quickly and neatly bussed their own dishes.

After dinner it was time for Foghorn Annual trivia. I gleaned a lot of information from annuals and photos from 1950 through 1962. Out of that exercise a quiz was produced - click on this link to go to it.

The quiz was a great success, if you discount the fact that no one remembered any of the things that had been written for Foghorn last wills and testaments.

Next we did class photos, aided greatly by the participation of Walter "Dale" Mason. In comparison with getting the class groups together for pictures, herding American short-hair cats is a lot easier.

Finally we danced to music provided by our DJ, William "Willie B" Brown.

The reunion started to wind down. Tired celebrants went out into the night, wending their ways to their very nearby motels, hotels, and guest houses.

A stalwart clean-up crew consisting of my brother Ron, Sam Oglesby, Walter Mason, Claire Farnsworth, and myself soon had all the chairs and tables put away, and all the linens bagged and decorations taken down and packed for next time.

About that time our Reunion Angel, Kristin Carnes - she planned and organized the decorating -  and her husband Steve came by to pick up the linens and table decorations and haul them back to the rental agency.

The next morning Alice and I hosted a most enjoyable post-reunion brunch at our house - egg and sausage casseroles provided by my sister-in-law Kathy, a variety of munchies and champagne provided by the Surf Super Market (and two bottles of champagne from our guests). Munchies were munched, mimosas were inbibed, and copious quantities of coffee and tea washed it all down.

And all the while everyone was chatting comfortably and enjoying the view of redwoods and coast.

At a moment of weakness during the reunion I committed to doing another one in five years. The acceptance of my offer was deafening, on the third try. The first time I offered to do it you could have heard a pin drop.

Anyway, after the success of the post-reunion brunch, I'll have a lot to think about the next five years. Somewhere between the two activities of this reunion is probably a really good idea for what should be done at the next one.

Everybody please stay in touch. I will be updating this website, primarily with more biographies as I plead and cajole alumni to provide them, and with pictures when Walter Mason and others email them to me.

Hail to the Pirates!

Trivia Quiz

Who was a majorette in 1950? Joey Combs


Played in the band? Vern McNamee, Joan Tock, Ginger Tock, Sharon Ohleyer, Peggy

Remstedt

Music teacher – Fran Nix

When was the first undefeated football team? 1954

Who played on it? Larry Girelli, Dennis Craig



1955-56



Principal - Walf Oglesby

Girls’ PE – Joan Blach

Typing – Ethel Hood

Coach – Ken Snow

English – Bill Sapsis

Band – Glenn Cochran

Science – Walt Weymouth

Ag – Billy Woodward

Custodian – Walt Smith

Cooks – Bertha Flint and Flora Hendrickson



1957 Music – John Allen



1958 Science – Milton Nitch

Math – Simon Ashiku

Home Economics – Margarette Biaggi

Bus Drivers – Al Garris, “Holly” Holloway, Reed Farnsworth, Al Phillips



1959 – Science and Math – Richard Long

English – Lucille Ornbaum

Agriculture and Shop – Francis Springer

New bus drivers – Arnold Ormsbee, Wendy May



1960 Principal – Charles Barber

Coach – Leland Stanford III

History – Ed Garret

Music – Wayne Nadeau

Science – Peter Schneeman



1956 Student Body President – Charles Cabassi

1956 Foghorn Staff – Carol Ohleyer, Judy Parnett



Who willed their “ability to get into trouble and stay there to Ruth Petersen, and to Coach one pack of gum” – Carol Ohleyer

Who willed “my athletic ability to Edwin Schuler and my ability to stay out of trouble to Byron Opperman.” – Charles Cabassi

Who willed “my bottom locker to any midget who can get near it” and “my good luck I’ve had to Ruth and Carolyn Yeaman.” – Judy Parnett

Who willed “my long nose to anyone who thinks they can keep it out of Mr. Oglesby’s office” – Carolyn Yeaman

Who willed “my ability to wear a pixie hair-do to Barbara Duncan, and the wart on my leg to Shirley Reynolds for the end of her nose” – Cheryl Acquistapace

Who willed “my ability to get along with Mr. Snow to Jan Johnson” – Barbara Craig

Who willed “my extremely high grades to Bruno Fistolera” – Walter Mason

Who willed “my ability to play basketball to Bob Titus” – Gene Price

“my place as majorette to Lynda Scaramella” – Betty Cook

“my chewed off fingernails to Kathne Carr” – Jerry Ledford

“my losing arguments with Coach to anyone who won’t take them serious and my position of first chair trumpet to Dennis Ferguson” – Joan Iversen

“my ability to talk too much to all of next year’s Civics Class and my ability to eat to anyone who needs it” – Janet Black

“my temper to Mr. Oglesby, to put with his” – Marcella Carver

“my ability to convince teachers that I am passing my classes to Tony Choate” – Gary Nissen

“my job on the annual staff to anyone with a lot of ambition, and my hard-to-blow clarinet to Alice Parks” – Carolyn York

“my job at Biaggi’s to Larry Norman” – Jim Walker

“my flyboys to Arlene Baker, and my good grades to Carol Potter…” – Pat Ciolina

“my ability, if any, to any athlete who might be in need of it” – Matt Piper

“will graduate – I hope! – Chuck York

“my football jersey, number 65, to anyone who will wash it” – Dennis Osland

“my ability to get along with all my teachers to Gary Swift” – Alice Parks

“all the hair on my chest to Ernie Ford to put on his chin. To Marilynn I leave a ring, the ring from my Roi-Tan cigar” – me

“my big ears to Mr. Garrett to put on his little pointed head” – Jeff Nelson

“the fuzz on my chin to anyone with hair on their chest” – Jim Spurgeon

“will “Mr. Gilbreath” to anyone who thinks he can learn the part” – Stan Solbeck



Two of the 1957 Cheerleaders are here – Jerry Ledford, Carolyn Yeaman

Who is missing? Ruth Petersen

Walter Mason’s nickname – Dale

Cheryl Acquistapace’s nickname – Flame

Carolyn Yeaman’s nickname – Speedy

Gene Price’s nickname – Gene

Barbara Craig’s nickname – Babs

Carolyn York’s nickname – Porky

Gary Nissen’s nickname – Gravy

Betty Cook’s nickname – Curly

Joan Iverson – Dimples

Jerry Ledford – Leadbellie

Paul Key – Keysters

Barbara Duncan – Dunk

Anna Miller – Red Heifer

Mary Lou Ciolina – Pat



One of the four cheerleaders is not here – Sue Acquistapace

Which are here? Cheryl Acquistapace, Carolyn Yeaman, Carol Ohleyer



1962 – Coach – Ed Garrett

English – Raymond Nelson

Math and Science – Victor Kingwell

Math and Science – Kenneth Kurtz

Commercial – Mary Borchers

Band – Leslie Irvin

Home Economics – Carol Slavens

JV Coach – Bob Bada

Industrial Arts – Tom Bennett

Custodian – Harry Turner