WECATON NEWS REPORT!! -- 04 MAR 2005:

Bonnie Writes:

My life overFLOWS with excitement, right now! Not only is Bike Week 2005 here (officially, on Friday, but the area is bursting at the seams, already), but WC Florida Spring Fest is just barely more than a month away!!! I simply cannot believe that, can you? Oh, it's going to be SUCH fun again, this year!!! We already have so many of us committed to be here. We will spend the day together and prattle on until daylight has long since come and gone, just as we did last year. JO ANN STEMLEY, 1960, will again serve as our gracious hostess and provider of our meeting place.

Now listen, there are just a handful of you who are giving me cause to worry. I haven't heard from you, but you were there last year, and we certainly expect you to be with us again, THIS year, hear? Where are you, LINDA L. MCAFEE, 1957, ROBERTA A. RICE, 1960, DEDE K. FAHRNEY, 1960, MADELEINE D. CAMPBELL, 1960? What about you, Tom (and I refer to RONALD D. "TOM" FEE, 1958)? You SURE better be there!! We were all CRUSHED, when you didn't make the holiday brunch. I refer particulary to BRUCE E. CHENOWETH, 1958, who mentioned his disappointment, throughout the event. I wasn't too thrilled, myself. I expect to see YOU there, no matter WHAT, CURTIS A. KEMP, do you hear me? And hey, KOKOT - O'NEAL, we can't even HAVE this thing if YOU two aren't here! Write this down: Windhover Condominium Clubhouse, 5987 Windhover Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. Got it? Now, write down these numbers: 937 252-8172 and 407 248-8324. Those are JoAnn's phone numbers and she'll get the calls, regard- less of which number you dial. Furthermore, you can also input the street address of the clubhouse and your own starting address (including zip codes) on websites such as Expedia.com, and get to-the-inch directions on how to drive there. So there will be NO EXCUSES for being absent, hear? Even the gorgeous and popular CAROLYN E. "TOOTIE" PENCE, 1959, has written that she will be with us this year. How great is that? I sure HOPE so, Tootie!! EVERYone wanted to see you last year, especially 1961's DONNA J. RICHARDS and 1960's NANCY E. "COOKIE" BOWIE, who has also already confirmed attendance from her home in Washington. Rumor has it that another 1959-er, GARY E. BARNES, will also join us.

Let's get to our alumni-input news, bearing in mind that we will return to our event schedule for more positive reinforcement on the importance of attendance. (Was there ever any doubt?) With the usual influx of PSA's, jokes, political satire, and various updates, we heard from 1954's WILLIAM L. MCNABB, 1957's DARELL L. TOBIAS, 1958's ROBERT W. "SMITTY" SMITH, BRUCE E. CHENOWETH, SUE E. SOWERS, 1959's GARY E. BARNES, 1960's LONNIE M. THACKER, LINDA J. SNELL, JUDITH A. STALDER, C. SUE MCCLOUD, STEVEN M. KOKOT, EULA FAYE TAULBEE, LINDA L. SHANK, 1961's SANDRA S. HOLLINGSWORTH, JANET L. WALTERS, 1962's RICHARD C. CALL, JOHN E. MCCLELLAN (?), and 1971's PAMELA K. SHIPLEY. ("Apothecary John," please confirm you class year, will you? Thanks.)

So now we move to the personal news e-mails and I just have to begin with one which came in from my 1960 classmate, SHIRLEY SUE MILLER, who so amusingly opened with, "Just checking in after 45 years!" It was so great to hear from you, Shirley, and we all do so look forward to seeing you in October. Shirley wrote that she is happy someone "picked up the banner" for WC news. Of course, Shirley, you're referring to my WeCaTon News Reports and I do so wish I could take all the credit for being so innovative. However, that's very far from accurate. I simply found myself one day, about 4 years ago, writing the same things over and over to 3 of the 1961 girls, NANCY J, ERTEL, EDNA L. GRAY, and JUDY L. SAMUELS. (They are my "charter members.") So it occurred to me I should write it just once and send it to all three. So I did. Well, Edna told another and then Nancy told another and Judy told another and now, here we all are! So it was truly just a huge and wonderful and rewarding accident!! It has also proven to be a great labor of love. To each faithful reader, I extend my very sincerest gratitude, for without all of you, there would be no WeCaTon News Report. So be careful not to give ME too much of the credit. I view this as joint effort.

It is to that end that I delightedly announce the addition of yet one more WC alumni to our list. It is none other than 1962's MARSHA JEAN NELSON. She is the sister-in-law of 1961's JAMES E. CURTIS and the cousin of 1957's DARELL LEE TOBIAS. She also lives right here in Florida, so we're sure expecting to see you at our April 3 gathering, Marsha! We have also FINALLY put back 1960's CHARLES V. CARTER, after a few very trying long-distance phone calls. Charles, I thought I was a bit "technically - challenged," but you make me feel very good. Ha! Charles sent out his first ever e-mail to me only last week. But at least he's back on the list! We also have an e-mail address change for our teacher, DAVID COLLINS, and his 1961 spouse, CHRIS LYN CLEARY. So if anyone has "lost" them, let me know. Another party we'll be expecting is 1961's (or is it 1962) JAMES E. KECKLER. (Please confirm that class year for me, Jim.) Jim is already here in Florida!

Among others who are already here in Florida are my cousin, JUDITH LYNN SAMUELS and I presume you'll be there this year, right Judy? I've also had some good exchanges with two more confirmed attendees, GARY R. FRANK and ROBERT W. BRANE, both 1961, as well as DONNA J. RICHARDS and PAULA R. WILSON, who are in that same class. Our 1961 people are very gung- ho WC, folks! They really shine, when it comes to seeing each other, maintaining contact, and attending events. They set a shining example for us all. Bob and Gary have very likely made it to Florida by now, Paula also lives here, and Donna has her reservations. Judy and I have been keeping up a running exchange on the trials and tribulations, as well as the plusses, of having a retired husband at home with you, every day.

Does anyone out there have a spare 1959 yearbook? I had only one and Bob Brane bought it about two weeks ago. The next day, Gary asked for one. But those 1959 books were scarce as hens' teeth and I had to pay up the ying-yang for the extra one I had. I haven't run onto any-more of them yet, but Gary gets the next one.

EDNA L. GRAY, 1961, spent the month of February in Key West, with her husband. Boy, did she ever dodge some nasty winter weather! Edna, I hope you're coming back down for Spring Fest! Where on earth are you and Frank, PATRICIA LYNNETTE GARRETT? I've called you repeatedly. I've had a lot more luck reaching EULA FAYE BAILEY. She and I chat, pretty regularly. As luck would have it, I'm hearing that 1958's WILLIAM R. HOWARD just may not make Spring Fest this year. We CAN't have THAT, Bill! You're just going to have to work out something. There may be people there with whom you might to chat, you know!! Get to work on him, Bruce and Tom!! Bill and I shared an amusing little exchange about "character books" from high school. Do you all remember those? Wouldn't it be just a hoot to read one of those things, NOW? How I wish I could find one of mine!

Also checking in were two more 1958-ers, K. JUNE CRUTCHFIELD and her spouse, JAMES E. RICHARDSON. June confirmed the date for our crown jewel event for 2005, the annual alumni dinner/dance, as being on October 8 at the same place as last year, which is the big Holiday Inn down by the Dayton Mall. "Keep The Party Alive For 2005!" That means our Frisch's Frolic (the brainchild of 1960's MICHAEL WEST) will be held on Friday, October 7 from 6pm until ???. So mark your calendars, folks! The ship has already sailed for anyone being able to say, "Oh, I'll go next year," as we all are very painfully aware.

Speaking of that, I must report a couple of negatives. I'm happy to say it's not a report of the death of a WC alumnus. However, the mother TOM ZECHAR passed away, reported Donna Richards. I'd known her all my life, as well as the entire Zechar family. Then there is a particularly tragic thing to report involving VERLA JEAN WARD. Don't most of you remember her? She was a dear friend of mine throughout school and she spent her senior and junior years at Chautauqua. Anyway, she wrote me just recently that her grandson was killed in an auto accident last July. She didn't say how old he was. I also spoke at length last week, with AARON COUCH, whose oldest son is terminally ill with the same strain of cancer which took the life of Aaron's wife, Kay, about 3 1/2 years ago. So let's all keep Aaron and his son in our good thoughts. Life is just so fragile!

During the early part of February, my fellow Miami Shores Kid, WALLACE ROBBINS visited Florida, in order to help with the home of sister SHIRLEY, who was preparing to sell and move back to Ohio. I had tentative plans to drive over and visit him while he was here. It's not that far. But Mother Nature had different ideas and my plans went awry when I contracted the cold from hell and was practically bedridden for two weeks. He was in Brandon, a suburb of Tampa, and he spent a lot of time with his other old Miami Shores pal, 1959's JAMES L. LINDSEY. I'm sure they talked a lot about Jim's sister, the late JUDY RAE.

We had a check-in from 1983's RICHARD D. WELLS and I was gratified by that. I'd like to get more news from a few of the more recent classes, so perhaps Rick's e- mail will help to promote that. He confirmed that the late Terry Kerns was the father of his classmate RUSTY KERNS, 1983.

There was also e-mail from 1965's STEVEN F. SHADE and he needed to know the dates of death for several of our grads. Among those was 1965's LOUIS G. HECK, JR., who passed away on February 8. As some of you may recall, Lou had somehow managed to be credited in his obit with being a founding member of the singing group, The McCoys, who made, "Hang On, Sloopy." Well, as it turns out, that was a complete fabrication. Lou had nothing to do with them at all. I suppose Steve said it best, when he wrote that Lou had a tendency to "gild the lily" a bit while he was in school and that he hadn't outgrown the habit, even in death. Also questioning the legitimacy of that claim was the sharp-eyed NANCY J. ERTEL, who even researched it on the internet and she didn't find it, either. So, I guess that's just the way it is, sometimes, eh? In any case, please report all WC deaths to Steve, as he needs the info for our annual bulletin list. Nancy and I also had a couple of great exchanges about family genetics and geneaology.

Around February 21, 1957's DARELL TOBIAS moved up to North Carolina. I sure hope that doesn't mean we won't be seeing you, come April 3, Darell. Speaking of that, 1960's SHIRLEY J. TUDOR telephoned me, just yesterday. There is a chance she will not be attending. She told me she's encountered huge medical bills, what with her terrifying accident in November, wherein she sustained a concussion. She also said that, although she is coming along fine, she just isn't quite "right" yet. So let's keep our collective fingers crossed.

In the arena of positively wonderful news, is that of the safe return home, only last Saturday night, of my nephew who served in Iraq for over a year. As most of you are well aware, he is the only child of my sister, 1956's JUDY A. RISNER. Watching the national news has been just horrid for the past year, as I'll bet many of you also know.

MICHAEL WEST, 1960, writes that he would like to have a list of all the WC websites. I'm completely lost on that front. Nancy, Steve, can you help him out, please? We also had an exchange about movies. Boy, talk about timing! What with the recent Academy Awards, I was finally inspired to go last night and see, "Million Dollar Baby." What a story! What a movie! Have you all seen it yet? It's easy to see why it won, in all the categories it did. I also have to say that Clint Eastwood, in my opinion, was just as great in that role, as was Jamie Foxx, in, "Ray."

As I rush to my conclusion, and hopefully off to Bike Week, I will tell you that I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my company from British Columbia, who will be flying into Orlando tomorrow. I'm also deeply immersed in the preparations for a Risner Family Reunion in Tipp City on May 22, and tonight, I will humbly accept an award from the Chamber of Commerce at a special ceremony, for my 20 years of community service toward motorcycle events. I also have a press deadline to meet, for my newspaper at 6pm, and a business meeting with one of the people who are developing a parcel of ground near my residence (a friendly one, I might add).

Keep that WC news rolling in, hear and DON'T miss WC Florida Spring Fest on April 3! Don't!!! As you can see, I really DO have to "rush to my conclusion." So as always, I leave you all with my usual wish for glowing health, great happiness, peaceful serenity, and boundless prosperity. Ciao!

---And there you have it! More at 11--- B
- posted by Mikey @ 7:17 PM