WECATON NEWS REPORT!!! --- 24 September 2004

---Yes, yes, I know that I already said the last bulletin would be the final one, prior to my flying up there. But surely by this time, you all KNEW I was lying, right? It just seems as though e-mails and phone calls and news keep piling up and then something happens which REALLY excites me and I can't stand it, so I have to write another bulletin, so that I can share it with all of you. Isn't that what it's all about?

Well, you can all blame the creation of THIS bulletin on our classmate, JACK L. GODBY, Class of 1961. That's right, it's all his fault. Get this! Not even one hour ago, my phone rang and Jack was on the other end. This was the first sentence he spoke: "Bonnie, guess what? I'm going to come to the dinner/dance!" I was SO excited and the first person to come into my mind was you, DONNA J. RICHARDS!! If not for you, I might never have taken that next step and actually located Jack, because for years, we had all heard he was deceased. But because of you, I actually DID take that extra step, Donna, and now you see what has happened? It's wonderful, just wonderful!

DALLAS K. MATHIS, Class of 1961, was so excited that I'd found Jack, he was just beside himself. We also had several lengthy exchanges about dear Miami Shores. I hope you're coming to alumni weekend, Dallas.

Jack, I know you're reading this because you're on our bulletin list now, so please bear with me, while I "use" you for just a few paragraphs, okay? Hey, what are old friends FOR, if we can't "use" them now and then, right? I happen to know that there are a few of you who are just "mulling it over" about whether or not you're going to be spending alumni weekend with us, instead of going ahead and making that commitment.

Well, give this some thought. As you all know, I just "found" Jack last week! Jack lives alone in New York City, has had 3 strokes, uses a walker, and speaks beautifully, but with great effort. He also does physical therapy and travel is a HUGE effort for him. Yet, he was SO thrilled to know that so many of us want to see him and he was SO thrilled by all your e-mails, that he IS going to be there! So SHAME ON YOU, if you're reading this and you're even HALFWAY considering NOT being there!! SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!!! That goes DOUBLE, if you live in the state of Ohio, and TRIPLE if you live in Montgomery County or any of its neighboring counties and QUADRUPLE if you live in WC or Moraine City or Miami Shores. Cudos to you, Jack! You're truly inspirational and I can't wait to see you. K. JUNE CRUTCHFIELD, Class of 1958, PLEASE include Jack in the reservation plans. It's now September 23 and I know you may not get his reservation money in time. I'll proudly stand good for it, by the way.

Lest we should forget, let's also also take a cue from none other than RONALD D. "TOM" FEE, Class of 1958, who didn't even attend WCHS during his last two years. He went to Miamisburg. But his roots and friends and his fond memories are with WC, and NOT with Miamisburg. Tom NEVER misses a WC function, and indeed, he comes all the way from his Tampa, Florida, home to be there. My hat is off to BOTH Jack and Tom. So if you're one of those folks who's "thinking it over," just make the commitment and be there, hear? You'll really regret it, if you don't. June needs your reservations by September 26. Get them in the mail TODAY! Get over to her house TODAY! Call her TODAY! GET IT DONE!!

Now, let's see, who has checked in with jokes and public service stuff, etc.? Well, there's ROBERT W. "SMITTY" SMITH, SANDRA L. BARSALOU, WILLIAM R. HOWARD, SUE E. SOWERS, and BRUCE E. CHENOWETH, all Class of 1958. There's MICHAEL S. WEST (without whom we would not have a "Frisch's Frolic" on Friday, October 8), LINDA J. SNELL, STEVEN M. KOKOT, CAROLYN SUE MCCLOUD, and GERALD A. FULLER, all Class of 1960, and SALLY L. GILLETTE, PATRICIA LYNNETTE GARRETT, "APOTHECARY JOHN" E. MONTGOMERY, and JUDITH L. SAMUELS, all Class of 1961, JUDY LYNN JAMES and BARBARA T. O'NEAL, Class of 1962. Mike West wants us to have a photographer for the Frisch's Frolic and the alumni bash. Any takers out there? He would love for the party to have a digital camera, in order to simplify posting the pix to the internet. Let him know, please. Thanks.

Recent phone calls, aside from that great one from Jack of this afternoon, also include SHIRLEY J. TUDOR, Class of 1960, DARELL L. TOBIAS, Class of 1957, and also Bruce. Bruce and I are trying to figure out where you are, NINA F. KNISLEY, Class of 1960. Get in touch with one of us! Our gathering is a scant 16 days away! Darell said he's fine, after our recent spate of horrid weather and I did wonder about him, as you all may recall. But we talked for a spell and everything seems to be fine. Can everyone please e-mail Darell, as he changed carriers and lost his e-mail ( Ttobyone@wmconnect.com ) list? I also had a recent, very lengthy chat with CURTIS A. KEMP, and he's SO excited about alumni weekend, he can hardly stand it. He and Maria will be coming up in the their RV. He says he can scarcely wait to see AARON COUCH and EDDIE KELLY! Well, they can't wait to see you, either, Curtis! Shirley and I have also made some visiting plans for my soon- to-be trip.

Okay, so just listen to THIS one! Now, most of you know that I have formed a wonderful friendship over these past two years, with Lynn Garrett. I think you are very special, Lynn, and I just LOVE to spend time with you! Well, Lynn, and her husband, Frank, of whom I am also very fond, have offered me their Yukon to drive while I'm there. I already had made some car rental arrangements, but hadn't picked it up or paid it yet and Lynn & Frank were so persuasive, that I've accepted their gracious offer---shades of you, Bruce, when I had your 929 last year---so now, I will be getting to see Lynn as soon as I step off the plane on the 6th AND she will be accompanied by you, Donna Richards! So this trip is just getting better and better and better! As we were talking, Lynn also inquired about you, Sandy Barsalou, as related to the recent storms.

By the way, folks, speaking of storms, we've got yet one more, and this one is called Hurricane Jeanne. At this writing, she will hit West Palm Beach on Sunday and come up through the center of the state. We'll get some heavy rain and high winds off of her, that's probably for sure, if it follows the currently-anticipated track. As a result of Hurricane Frances, we have a whole, brand-new roof (September 11, 12, and 13) and a whole brand-new heat & a/c system (September 22) and quite a few more items which will be forthcoming from the damage. So I hope Jeanne isn't strong enough to destroy any of our new things. Once again, wish us luck. We're VERY, VERY "hurricane-prepared," although I do hope we never actually get one here. So far, so good. Just those side- storms are plenty enough for me.

WILLIAM O. WALKER, Class of 1960, and honorary WC spouse, KAREN MURPHY, are currently all over Florida, doing claims adjusting for Allstate. They're dodging the storms as they go, and it's almost like playing hopscotch, THIS year! But we're still hoping they take a break and join us in a couple of weeks. Bill Howard, I trust you have sent in your reservation form? We expect to see you there, too! Mike West and Bill were having problems with finding their forms. But where there's a will, there's a way and they were able to download them from the internet.
( www.wchsalumni.org/reservation2004.pdf )
Just hit the print button, fill it out, send your check, and it's done. If you're mailing in your form this late, though, call June and let her know to include you in the count, please! June confirmed that she received my reservation---finally! (By the way, that "finally," meant that I finally remembered to send it to her.)

SANDRA S. HOLLINGSWORTH, class of 1961, is flying in from California. She will also be visiting her sister, who lives in Moraine City, while there. How about that notice about the marching band? Wasn't that a hoot? It came from someone called, "Willow Bill," and I don't know who that is, but it had a 55 after his name, so I wondered if he was a member of that class.

As we all know, I make my share of mistakes, when it comes to getting everyone's class year exactly correct. I might have type-o's in some instances, and in others, it's just that I don't know, nor have I researched it. But I've told you all to let me know, when I do this. Thankfully, you have complied with that request. So I'm "atoning for my sins" in the last bulletin by announcing that 1979 is the correct class year for MARK WARLAUMONT. Mother SALLY GILLETTE let me know, and thanks, Sally. She also took a trip to Michigan on September 10. Did you go to visit your Class of 1954 sister, CAROLYN, Sally? A couple of other welcome corrections came from GARY E. BARNES, Class of 1959. For starters, DAVE SMITH is a member of the Class of 1958, as is RICHARD L. SCHINDLER. Yes, I even screwed up on "TOOTIE" PENCE, but believe me, hers WAS a type-o! I know she is 1959. So that's all the goofs for the last one. I hope I do better, this time.

We also added a couple more folks to our list, aside from Jack Godby, by the way. Gary (Barnes) delivered to us, JOHN W. BYSTREK, Class of 1961, who wrote to tell me that his son is getting married in a lavish ceremony, very soon. Congratulations, John, and welcome to our bulletin list. We sure do hope to see you on alumni weekend. I'm happy to announce the addition of BRENDA TAYLOR, Class of 1965, and younger sister of 1960's DEVONA S. TAYLOR. Anyway, she uses the nickname of Bree and is planning to join us on alumni weekend from her Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, home. Bree and I had a lot of fun exchanges about, "the good, ol' days," when we used to go over to De's house for our slumber parties. We also discovered that we share a love of riding motorcycles, and she wanted to know about RICHARD C. CALL, Class of 1962, next door to whom she once lived. She was quite fond of Rich's mother and wanted to know about her. We also have RICHARD E. KNEER, Class of 1961, who had extensive damage to his Florida home, from the recent storms. But more importantly, Dick has survived a recent heart surgery and I know we all wish him the very best. Dick and his wife, Becky, were a truly delightful part of our WC Florida Spring Fest, this past March. We sure hope to see you both in a couple weeks.

Help, Folks! I'm getting e-mails returned from the follow- ing classmates: there's REED & BAILEY HAWKINS, CHARLES V. CARTER, and JUDITH ANN STALDER . If anyone knows how to reach the Hawkins brothers, please do so, and tell them to call CHARLES A. HIGH, JR., (233 -3193) at his Huber Heights home off Fishburg Road and make sure he gets to the alumni gig and make sure THEY get there, too! Charles Carter will be there, so no problem there. JOANN K. STEMLEY, I'm personally assigning you to the mission of getting Judy and Jerry there. I know you're in touch. Please ask Judy about her e-mail. I also have a new e-mail address for 1960's PHILLIP D. HOWARD and his 1967 spouse, MARIAN K. HUSSEY. It's ( mkphwoody2@yahoo.com ), so note your e-mail address list accordiingly. Also among the\ose who are "curiously absent" of late, is none other than you, GARY L. WARLAUMONT. I've got myself a sneaking hunch that you're planning to blow us all off, once again this year, in favor of a golf outing, just as you did last year. Are you? If so, you'd better 'fess up right now. You've been mysteriously silent and I'm really quite suspicious. ROBERT DARRELL CHRISTOPHER, Class of 1968, is "mulling over" the idea of attending. C'mon, Darrell, stop the mulling and just be there! If you've got further questions, back up and read my opening paragraphs about Jack Godby and Tom Fee! That should put you on an even keel!

JERRY FULLER, as always, will be there. Happily, I am able to report that wife Becky says their Panama City Beach home, by some miracle, escaped serious damage from the storms. JAMES E. KECKLER, Class of 1962 (?) was taking a trip to Florida right after we had Hurricane Frances. How did that go, Jim? Will you be with us on alumni weekend?

DONNA J. TUDOR, Class of 1955, wrote a few e-mails to reminisce about her two majorette sisters, Shirley and DEANA C. TUDOR, and also her cheerleader and home -coming queen sister, DORIS D. TUDOR. Only Shirley and Donna remain now, and both will be present at our alumni weekend, I'm happy to report. SHIRLEY ANN HILE, Class of 1957, wrote of how much she misses Woody's Supermarket. Well, that covers ALL of us, I guess, doesn't it? I still can scarcely believe it's not open any longer, can you?

NANCY E. "COOKIE" BOWIE, Class of 1960, wrote an e-mail, asking about the severity of the storms. Before I even had much of a chance to reply, another one came by and now, there's yet another one. I hope you and JUDI BECKETT have a wonderful visit, Cookie, but I sure do wish you'd both come and join us! ROBERTA A. RICE, 1960, also checked in to tell us about her storm on the "left coast," and said she was out of power for about 6 hours. Are you coming up to Ohio next month, Roberta?

Of course, there are always the wonderful exchanges with NANCY J. ERTEL, Class of 1961, and listen here, Nancy, since Jack is going to come, won't you PLEASE give it JUST a little thought? He'd be SO happy to see you, as we all would! DONNA J. RICHARDS reports that she has a new job and is also going back to visit Virginia Beach. But we'll all be seeing her soon, especially me! I can scarcely wait!

Here's a great announcement. From LINDA L. MCAFEE of 1957 came an e-mail today, in which she announced her engagement and impending marriage. We're all just thrilled for you, Linda. Please let us know when will be the happy day. We all hope to see you and your intended in a couple of weeks.

In the way of great announcements, here's yet one more. My sister, 1956's JUDY ANN RISNER, told me that her son will be returning on leave from Iraq about the 10th or 11th of October. That coincides with the time during which I'll be there. So if that materializes, I'll get to see him. But before I conclude this, I want to know where you are, BOYD H. JENKINS, and where you are, BERTHA J. HOERNER? I haven' t heard from either of YOU in a VERY long time! I hope to see you both next month. I'm also wondering about you, GARY L. SIZER. I wrote you an e-mail and you didn't respond. Will I see you soon?

So with that, I leave you all once again, with my usual wish for glowing health, great happiness, peaceful serentiy, and boundless prosperity. Ciao!

---And there you have it! More at 11--- B

- posted by Mikey @ 11:31 PM