WECATON NEWS REPORT!!! 12 JUN 2007

Yes, it's me again! I'm just like the bad penny, huh? But I'm hoping I'm not soon going anywhere. So let's brace up for this next onslaught. I'm beginning this one on Saturday, June 9, at 12:15 pm., so just for fun, let's see how long it will take me to complete it. I'm of the opinion that it will be several days, if not longer. As a rule, I usually sit down and pound away for about 1 to2 hours, depending upon what I'm doing on any given day. At that rate, I normally get them done in several days. I also include all material which arrives, during my typing time, by the way.

So many of you have written and asked for updates on how my move has gone and how we like our new house. So I'll give you a brief rundown. We are quite literally taken with Tennessee, and I do mean both of us. It's a picturesque and beautiful state, to say the very least. This northeastern region, where we have fortunately landed, albeit quite blindly, is a tiny piece of paradise. A simple trip to the grocery or the drugstore will allow you to see beautiful, natural, lush landscape. The climate is incredible (which was a real surprise), and we adore being able to sit on our huge, raised deck and view the Holston Mountain Range. This is the best thing I've ever done, in my life, and no amount of money would ever get us to return to Florida, even after having lived there nearly 30 years. We're both amazed to feel this way!

Our reverie, however, is about to be soundly put to rest. Ha! At the end of this week (Friday, June 14), my two children, their two mates, and the remaining 4 of my 5 grandchildren (one is already with us), will be arriving on our doorstep, en masse! It's a good thing this house is as big as it is.

As most of you are well aware, I'm quite close to my classmate, THOMAS D. YOUNG (1960) and perhaps even closer to his wife, Sandi, who is doubtless one of my favorite people on God's green earth. She and I have wonderful, in-depth, humorous conversations about every topic there is, especially about our kids. Sandi is terribly intelligent, very street-savvy, and also incredibly wise about the ways of the world. So she and I agree on the idea that the folks who do the TV sitcoms should finally wise up and stop showing all the scenes where children are saying, "Well, I can't do anything THIS weekend. My parents will be here and you know how THAT goes!" as they raise their eye-brows to their hairlines in the most Groucho Marx-ish manner.

Instead, we believe there should be a sitcom about parents whose nest is empty (as most of ours are), where the parents say, "Oh, my God! What on earth will we ever do, with all the kids and grandkids here at once? How will we cope with that? HOW did we let this happen? I don't think we can get through it." THAT seems much more realistic than the other way around, quite frankly, don't you think? In any case, I'm going to try hard to get this bulletin done by Friday afternoon, since life as we know it, will not be the same for us for roughly another month, after that.

So let's begin as we always do, with those who have sent me forwarded materials. They include 1955's NORMAN E. JACKSON, FREDA P. FLETCHER; 1957's DARELL L. TOBIAS, ERCELL P. PHILLIPS; 1958's RONALD D. "TOM" FEE, WM. L. HOWARD, DONALD I. MCCOY, BRUCE E. CHENOWETH; 1959's BETSY R. MURPHY, GARY E. BARNES; 1960's J. DAVID MAYS, FRED L. DOOLEY, JR., RICHARD S. HOLT, EDGAR L. KELLY, CAROLYN SUE MCCLOUD, STEVEN M. KOKOT, MICHAEL S. WEST, DELORES K. "DEDE" FAHRNEY;1961's PAUL R. BEARDSLEY, SANDRA L. BROCK, JOHN W. OBERLIES, JR., SALLY LYNNE GILLETTE, P. LYNNETTE GARRETT , SHARON K. WENDELKEN, LARRY D. GILBERT, BARBARA J. TURNINGTON; 1962's RICHARD C. CALL, BARBARA T. O'NEAL; 1971's RODNEY R. GABBARD. So thanks to all for letting us know you're around and still with us. We'd all love to have some updates on your personal life, too, and of course, I know that many of you have sent us exactly that. We'll be covering that news as we go.

There were two deaths during this bulletin period, of which I'm aware. I don't believe either of them were WC alumnus. The wife of 1959's GARY L. SIZER, Karen Crader Sizer, passed away on April 21. I had sent you all a special bulletin which covered that, but just in case it was overlooked, I'm mentioning it in this newest bulletin. Gary and Karen had been wed for 44 years, so Gary is surely a bit lost. We're all pulling for you, Gary, and do hope that you will join us this year at WC functions. Gary's daughter-in-law, SHARLENE N. MERKER, Class of 1987, sent me a notice about this. She's married to their son, JEFFREY A., another WC alumnus, and is also the daughter of my lifelong friend, 1960's SHIRLEY J. TUDOR. We all wish you well, Gary, and send our sincerest condolences upon this sad occasion. My thanks also to 1960 classmate RICHARD S. HOLT, for forwarding a copy of the obit which appeared in the DDN. You're always so great about that, Richard. I do appreciate it so much.

The other death of which I am aware is that of Ora Brown Melzoni. She was 91 years old and was the mother of THOMAS D., JR., HOWARD, and 1959's CAROLYN MELZONI. It was amazing how I learned of this one, though. As you all well know, I now reside in Kingsport, Tennessee. I'm an avid newspaper reader and I read the obituaries every day, even though I do not know anyone here. As I scanned the names in the obits on about the last day of April, there was that name, Melzoni. I read further, and sure enough, it was the ones from WC. Mrs. Melzoni had lived in this area, in nearby Pennington Gap, Virginia, at the time of her death, so that's why it was in my local paper. So we all extend condolences to the Melzoni family, also.

We've also got a few illnesses and mishaps to cover, so let's get those out of the way, too. On May 2, the wife of 1960's THOMAS D. YOUNG, Sandi, took quite a serious spill at her place of employment, and broke her right arm. Sandi is doing well, though, and Tom has been very diligent in caring for her, as she recovered. (I shall NOT write any details about just how diligent he WAS, though. You'll have to consult with the family mischief-maker, Jennifer (Sandi's first- born) for that one, I'm afraid. Anyway, we all wish you a full and speedy recovery, Sandi!

As it happens, Tom is also going to probably have to have some sort of surgery on a blocked, carotid (sp?) artery, in the very near future. The blockage came to light, during a routine x-ray, just about two weeks ago. The doctors continue to gather more information and will probably do something very soon, I'm told. On June 24, Tom will be 66. We all wish you the very best, Tom, and a very healthy and quick recovery, in the event you do have surgery.

The wife of 1960's CHARLES V. CARTER, Pamela, is thriving now. I just spoke to them, the other night, and Pam says she's doing great after her treatment for breast cancer. She says she's feeling fine and she anticipates no further complications. That was great news. She tells she and Charles will be coming down to visit. I can scarcely wait!

Also suffering from breast cancer is Class of 1961's JAQUELYN N. LESHER. As many of you will recall, Jackie has been married for many years to 1957's PAUL H. PETTIT. They live in Waynesville and she apparently recently found out about the breast cancer. She's undergoing chemo and radiation and is so far doing well, I'm told. But she has specifically asked for the prayers and good thoughts of her fellow WC folks, and I'm sure I can speak for us all when I write, "Not to worry, Jackie, you've sure got that! We're all pulling for you and wish you a full recovery."

In the Class of 1971, RODNEY R. GABBARD, has serious back problems and his mobility is terribly limited. Let's all pull for good things to happen for Rod. He's a former firefighter and a veteran. We all wish you the best, Rod!

Also having a few health problems is 1961's SALLY L. GILLETTE, and we don't know a lot about that one, but spouse, 1960's CHARLES A. "BUD" LOWMAN III, has indicated that he feels Sally will soon be fine. We all sure hope so, Sally. You know we all wish only good things for you. By the way, Sally, Pam Carter said to thank you for calling her. She tried to return your call, but the number had been changed. Pam and Charles are in the book.

The news doesn't seem good for 1958's RICHARD L. SCHINDLER. I received a forwarded e-mail from his classmate, WILLIAM R. HOWARD, who'd received a note from another 1958-er, REX E. HEETER. Rex wrote that Richard is terribly ill, having a tough time keeping up his nutrition, and is just so weary all the time. Rex further wrote that Richard's wife, Jean, is very encouraging of contact from old friends, which might help to inspire Richard. He's fighting a hard battle against his cancer, I'm told, but very weak right now. So let's keep him uppermost in our prayers and good thoughts, too. We're all in your corner, Richard! Keep up your strength and keep fighting as hard as you can, please. Thanks very much, Bill, for letting us know about Richard.

From 1959's BETSY R. MURPHY comes a report on her niece, 1961's OTHEL MURPHY. She remains in a care facility, wrote Betsy, which is located in Lima, Ohio. Betsy says Othel is very weary and sometimes cries for long periods of time. She says she tries to recognize people and sometimes you think she does, but other times, she probably doesn't. Her husband remains a constant, and is devoted to her care. We all send our best to Othel, Betsy, so if there's some way to let her know, please do.

Also on the ill list, but hanging in there, is my old pal and fellow Miami Shores Kid, CHARLES A. HIGH, JR. Charlie called me recently. We try to talk at least 5-6 times each year. Charlie has had numerous and extensive surgeries, mostly relative to his heart. His wife of many years, Carolyn, is relegated to a wheel- chair, due to a couple of strokes and Charlie remains totally dedicated to her 24/7 care, in spite of his own serious health problems. We all hope you will both be improving, Charlie. In the meantime, I'm sure we all admire your determined dedication. I know I sure do!

So as you have all just read, we have a number of our alumni and/or related people, who are ill or recovering from recent accidents and/or surgeries. Let's pull for all of them, as I know we all do, anyway. If you know of someone who is ill, please let them know we all care deeply about their welfare and we'd like to be made aware so that we can offer support and send cards and e-mails and visit and call, when possible, etc. I know we have some among us who are more private than others about their health issues. Certainly, that is their right. But just know there are many people in the ranks of WC alumni who do care about your welfare and your recovery. ";Nuff said!"

At one point during this bulletin period, I thought I had, "lost," our wonderful world traveler, 1960's ROBERTA A. RICE. So of course, I swung into immediate action to find her again, as her e-mail was returned briefly to me. I actually dropped her a postal note, to which she quickly responded. Her e-mail server, it seems, was just out of whack for a bit, and all is well again. We've no intention of losing you again, Roberta! You're our international connection to the world of travel and you long ago became an important part of our network! I, for one, would also like to see and hear a lot more of your twin, HARRIET Z. RICE, too! Are you out there, Harriet? Write us a line!

Also among the, "lost," (and actually, still lost) is none other than my old pal and fellow Miami Shores Kid, W. BAILEY HAWKINS. All of Bailey's e-mail is being returned to me, for some reason. I've been on a mission to find some way to restore him to the list, including even trying to find an alternate address for his brother, A. REED HAWKINS. So far, though, no luck! Can any of you give me a hand with this one? I'm fairly certain that Bailey is right there in WC, living on Carnation Drive, and in the phone book. So why can't I get a good e-mail address for him, eh?

Recently, we'd also lost 1959's WILLIAM H. FULLER and 1955's CARL R. MAYS. But thanks to a diligent effort by their 2 sisters-in-law (Becky Fuller and Annie Mays, respectively), we got both of them back into the loop. We don't want to lose ANYone!

Since my move, I've now hosted 10 sets of visitors and/or houseguests---yes, 10! We have immensely enjoyed each and every single one, I might add. My 11th set of visitors will arrive Wednesday, will depart Friday morning, and the 12th and 13th set of company will arrive on Friday, in the persons of the two units of my children's families, as you already read. Among prior visitors was cousin JUDITH L. SAMUELS and spouse, Bill Van Cleef. They arrived prior to Memorial Day Weekend, spent a couple of nights, and then went on down to the tourist area in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Dollywood, and the surrounding areas.

We had a great visit and went out to eat several times and sat on my front porch a lot, viewing the mountain range and all the wild birds, whom we regularly feed and water. Judy and I stay in pretty close touch and we have numerous conversational exchanges about the foibles of having retired husbands at home, the astronomical costs of senior health care, and trying to figure out ways to keep husbands out of our kitchens. Ha! So far, we haven't managed to solve these very weighty issues of pith and moment, but we do keep trying. Judy and Bill continue to take regular 2- and 3- day trips, here and there, as Bill's health permits. He has been having some problems with his legs, but is being treated.

Back on April 23, reported Judy, none other than 1957's LINDA L. MCAFEE came walking into the local Eagles Lodge (which Judy's husband runs), just to visit with Judy. Linda was with her husband and Judy reports they had a great visit. That's terrific! As it happens, Linda is the current president of the Eagles Lodge in Crescent City, Florida. She resides in near-by Samsula. As many of you may recall, I once rode my Harley-Davidson over to her house about 3 years ago, side by side with 1957's DARELL L. TOBIAS, on his own Harley-Davidson. We had a nice visit that day. We need to hear a little something from YOU, Linda! Where are you?

For those of you who just may not be aware of it, I got a number of wonderful photos, during this period of bulletin news. Further, we have our own blog for them, courtesy of 1960's MICHAEL S. WEST, who is quite solicitous of posting all of them for our collective view-ing pleasure, along with all of my bulletins, for those of you who might want to do a bit of, "catch-up," reading. That blog is as follows: ( www.wchs.blogspot.com ) So let's use it as often as possible and do remember to thank Mike for his efforts. Anyway, let's get to the photos, shall we?

First came a great photo of siblings, 1955's ROGER P. DUNCAN and his sister, 1953's JACQUELYN A. DUNCAN, who was the homecoming queen of her class, as I'm sure many of us recall. Jackie went on to marry WOODROW W. "WOODY" BOWMAN in 2004, late proprietor of the recently-razed WC institution, Woody's Supermarket, in 2004. She would also sadly go on to become his legal widow, when he died just last July. As sad as I was about his death, there's a part of me who was glad he didn't see the store as it was being demolished.

This photo was sent through the efforts of Roger's 1955 classmate, NORMAN E. JACKSON. He and Roger and the late E. EARL JENKINS were quite a trio in the 1950s, as they cruised through Frisch's in a convertible, smiling all the way around the parking lot. I don't think there was one female student, from junior high school to the senior class, who didn't have a big crush on at least ONE of them. I sure know I did! All 3 of them were Silver Screen/Photoplay handsome, so they made quite an impression. (Remember those 2 old movie magazines?) As it turns out, though, Norm told me he was carrying a huge torch in those days for you, 1954's JO ANNE MCCLURE, an "older woman." Did you know about that, Jo Anne? It's always terribly amusing to rehash all of these things, in later years, I think. Anyway, that's a great photo, Norm! I am now forwarding it to Mike, even as I type, and thank you so much for sending it.

Speaking of Mike, folks, he sent me a great shot of the black bear who walked across the back porch rail of his and Sally's Gatlinburg mountain chalet home on May 9. It's a wondrous shot and what a beautiful, big animal! Mike, don't forget to post that, please! Just in case you don't have yours any longer, I'm forwarding this back to you, so that all of us can view it.

An absolutely fabulous photo came to me, courtesy of Annie Mays, wife of 1960's J. DAVID MAYS. Naturally it's a shot of our own, "WC Royal Family," the Mays clan, as they convened in The Villages, Florida. They aren't ALL present, but there are 5 of the 6 surviving brothers and their wives/significant others. It was on or about April 23. In the photo is 1955's CARL R., 1957's GARY D., 1963's DOUGLAS M., GREG (of what year?), and of course, Dave. The photo and an accompanying article also appeared in an upcoming edition of The Villages Paper. How fitting! Thank you SO much, Annie, for sharing with all of us. We all love the Mays Family!

Then there is always the plethora of wonderful shots of the newest "toys" of my dear friend, 1958's BRUCE E. CHENOWETH. Bruce never disappoints and he didn't this time, either. Bruce has recently purchased a new motorcycle, red and white, and very snazzy. I think he and longtime companion, 1971's PATTY JO WHEELBARGER, are burning up the southern Ohio roads, with some quality Spring/Summer-soon riding, and I'm green with envy, frankly! You two stay safe out there, Bruce and Patty!

But that's not the end of Bruce's toys, folks! On June 3, he won a trophy with his oh-so-gorgeous Model A, at Ohio's Lancaster Car Club Show. Be sure to take a gander! It's a stunning, old car, just gorgeous. So big congratulations, Bruce! I'm so thrilled for you, as I do know how much you enjoy that sort of thing. I am not at all surprised by your victory. What a beauty! He also took second place in a local car show on April 21 with his 1956 Oldsmobile 88. Soon, Bruce will need his own, dedicated trophy room (but I'll bet you already have one, don't you, Bruce?)

We've got a couple of new sign-ons, folks, and I'm so happy with every name we add, aren't you? It's such a thrill knowing that another one of us is alive and well and reading the bulletins. I remain humbly thrilled by the extensive interest in this bulletin and I again want to thank each and every one of you. My pal, 1960's THOMAS L. WOLF, JR., always refers to you all (and himself) as my, "legion of readers." How I do love it! This time, we add 1963's FRANCES J. PEFFLY. We are all so pleased to have you with us, Fran! Please do make it a point to come to the WC functions and, in your spare time, please do send us a little bio of yourself---married? kids? ages? grandkids? life's work, etc., okay? We'd love to read about your life.

The same goes for our other new addition, 1958's REX E. HEETER. Welcome aboard, Rex! It's been a while since I heard your name, but I vividly remember you and I know we all hope you're doing well. You be sure to come to the WC functions, too, PLEASE! It'll be your class' 50th next year, so you need to do a trial run this year, and show up and get reacquainted with everyone, okay? For Fran's sign-up, thanks to her classmate, ANNA MAE STOKES, and for Rex's sign-up, we thank the joint efforts of two his classmates, RICHARD L. SCHINDLER, (who's been sending all my bulletins to him for quite a spell, I'm told, and it was unbeknownst to me, so thank you, Richard) and WM. R. HOWARD, who's the one who suggested adding him directly to the regular list.

Lots of us are out there, criss-crossing the U.S. on our trips, some of us in RVs. I haven't heard anything in quite a while from our full-time RV residents, 1960's WILLIAM O. WALKER and his WC-honorary spouse, Karen, so I'm wondering what's happening there. You two had that accident several months ago and we are all awaiting an update on the status of your health and on the latest location. So write us, please!

That other WC-honorary spouse, Becky Fuller, wife of 1960's GERALD A. FULLER, does a jam-up job of keeping us posted and she writes some great reports for us all and also supplies us with terrific photos. The Fullers have recently spent time with the Walkers and with classmate JOANN K. STEMLEY and her spouse Ron Hall. I've already sent those photos to you, Mike, but just in case they got lost in the shuffle, I'm sending them again, so that they can be posted with all the others. (Are you worn out yet? Ha!) You all recall, I know, that last great report from Becky, which I sent to you in its entirety. There was no way to improve on her report, that's for sure. We all greatly appreciate what you do, Becky! Among my greatest wishes are that of seeing the Fullers, the Walkers, or the Halls (aka Jo Ann Stemley) pulling into my driveway in their big RVs and having a nice visit.

Apparently, also still gallivanting around the country is 1961's JOHN W. OBERLIES, JR. I constantly get the instant replies from John's office, which say he's out of the office until a certain date. Write us a line, John, and tell us about your travels, please.

Will my, "mystery donors," please identify themselves, even if only to ME, so that I can thank you? I promise not to put your names in the bulletin, if that's what you want (and obviously, it is). I refer, once again, to two people among you who have anonymously sent me $100 bills. I know it's from WC people who are on the bulletin list because the typewritten note in one of the envelopes reads, "I so love your bulletins! You must spend a great deal of time doing these and spend a great deal of money on paper and ink supplies and such. Please put this in the WC kitty." The other one says (and it's in block printing, handwritten, but I could never identify the writer), "You are a true WC treasure, if ever there was one. There's a very special spot in heaven for people like you. Add this to the alumni fund, please." I know the two of you are not going to come clean and tell me who you are. But I also know you are reading this bulletin and that you both do still live in Ohio. So just let me say thank you so much for your contribution to, "the alumni effort," and I shall put those funds to good use for us all. In the future, at least let ME know who you are, will you? I'd love to properly thank you and I promise anonymity. Thank you both for your wonderfully-kind words of praise, whoever you are. I love doing the bulletins as much as you love to read them!

Those were not the only wonderful words of praise I received, though. From 1961's much-loved JACK L. GODBY came a brief note, stating (as always) how much he enjoys the bulletins, too. Thank you, Jack, and I hope you're doing wonderfully. Where's your little brother, W. THOMAS GODBY? Tom, are you still out west? Drop me a line and fill me in on the latest!

Also very complimentary was 1959's JAMES L. LIND -SEY. Jim wrote that he's doing okay and he also said he'd give anything to see his old cronies again, the HAWKINS brothers, A. REED and W. BAILEY. He wrote about their many basketball games in Miami Shores. Those were great days, Jim! We just didn't realize at the time, how quickly they'd end. Jim also reported that old cohorts, PETE BAILEY and SONNY WILLIAMS, still live right there in Miami Shores. They were both best buddies with CARL F. ROBBINS, first husband of my late classmate and close friend in junior high, B. ARLENE OGAN. I'll have to keep a sharp eye peeled for Pete and Sonny when I next go rolling through Miami Shores. I'm told that Pete looks exactly the way he did, 40 years ago, so he shouldn't hard to spot.

As much as I hate to pass along this info, I simply can do nothing else. As I've been typing here, I've just gotten mail on my machine from Class of 1961's P. LYNNETTE GARRETT. In it, she advises me that a man named Bill Stanley has been killed recently in a tractor-trailer crash. He's the son of CAROLYN MELZONI's sister, wrote Lynn, and I think Carolyn is Class of 1959. Is that correct, Lynn? But why don't I know the sister's name, who would be mother of the deceased? In any case, he was 49 years old and an ordained minister, someplace in Moraine City. He had 3 children. Lynn further wrote that he was a WC alumnus, but I went through the books for 1975, 1976, and 1977, and didn't find him. That does not mean he wasn't, however. I also went online to the Dayton Daily News obituaries and didn't find one for him. I believe this to be factual, though, and sorry I don't have more details for all of you.

Lynn and I always maintain good contact, so she tells me all the news she gets. So far, she's never told me one thing which is erroneous, so that's why I'm sure it is legitimate. On June 7, reported Lynn, she met with 4 of classmates (SALLY L. GILLETTE, CAROLE J. LEWIS, DONNA J. RICHARDS, and JANET L. WALTERS). A good time was had by all, reported Lynn, Donna brought photos of her new grandbaby (was it September, Donna?) and everyone caught up on all the latest gossip. The 1961 class does a great job of maintaining contact and they make it a point to schedule time for each other. They've done that, all through the years and it sets a great example. Way to go, you 1961-ers! Keep up the good work. Lynn also reports that she had contact with yet another Miami Shores Kid, HARRIET BURKE. Why isn't Harriet on our list, Lynn? Let's try to do that.

Lynn gets around pretty well, when it comes to contact with WC people. She and husband, Frank, are our official, "land baron couple," since they own no less than 5 houses and 2 of them are in Nevada. While they were there during April, at the one they keep for themselves, cousin (mine) JUDITH L. SAMUELS and her husband visited Henderson and spent some time with them. Lynn said they had a great time. Hey, it's time for you and Frank to come to Tennessee, Lynn! You've already BEEN to all the other states. Get down here!

Okay, MURL E. HUFFMAN, what's this I hear about you having had some sort of surgery done, earlier in the year, down in Cincinnati? Is this correct? I'll bet it is. It came from a pretty reliable source, who shall remain nameless. Foul! Foul! Foul! We always tell you EVERYthing! (We're all still afraid NOT to do so. Ha!) So why didn't you tell us about this, so we could send cards and flowers and follow up with a few of our pesky phone calls, eh? "Enquiring minds want to know!" How about a little report, telling us of your procedure and how it went? Of course, if this should be just some unfounded rumor, then let me know and I shall retract all queries. Please be aware that we all hope you are in glowing health.

Exchanges continue with 1957's SHIRLEY ANN HILE and, although she's not going to make her class' 50th gathering, we still hold out hopes of seeing her on the next Sunday morning for the brunch. Shirley was once a Tennessee resident, too, and is talking about being one, once again. I can sure understand that, Shirley! I can't imagine ever living anywhere else now. We're all going to miss you fiercely at the dinner/dance.

Many thanks to 1961's JANET L. WALTERS for the address of JACQUELYN N. LESHER. I wanted to send a note to Jackie, which I did. Janet reported she is feeling fine and also told me that brother, DANNY L. WALTERS, 1960, is also in good health. It's always great news to be able to report having good health! We will see you both in October, Janet and Danny! (We WILL see you both, won't we?)

Once again, I'm going to thank 1958's WILLIAM R. HOWARD, publicly, for helping me to find my longlost, childhood cousin, to whom I now live very near. She's in Bristol, along with another, much-older cousin (85) who may not have many years left. Thanks to Bill's detective work, I was able to connect with these folks, who are among the tiny number of relatives still alive on my mother's side. We've had several wonderful visits and continue to see each other regularly.

Bill was recently in contact with 1959's CAROLYN E. "TOOTIE" PENCE, he reported. Bill says Tootie has moved back down to Melbourne, Florida. I remember that she'd moved back to Ohio from there, several years ago. But I guess she wasn't happy in Ohio and she probably missed her sisters, with whom she is very close. I believe most of them are in Florida. So send us an e-mail, Tootie, and let us know how you're doing. Your WC fan club is alive and well, and I still get a lot of queries about how you are and where you are. We hope you'll come to the dinner/dance!

Bill continues a so-far wonderfully-successful recovery from a bout with cancer, back in February. He and I shared a reminiscent exchange about our humble beginnings in Miami Shores and a few of our many adventures there. I always enjoy that.

The latest news from 1960's EULA FAYE BAILEY is that the buyer for her Overland Park, Kansas, condo has failed to qualify, as so often happens these days, in what I'm told is a really faltering real estate market. I know, first-hand, that it's terrible in Florida and hardly anything is selling. In my own former neighborhood, I am personally aware of two homes which have now been on the market for nearly 2 years. But Eula Faye is holding open houses every Sunday, she tells me, and getting lots of lookers. She wants to move to a smaller place and become a renter, she says. She also loves her new job. However, due to the condo NOT selling, and due to family commitments, I'm just crushed to have to report that Eula Faye has told me she's NOT going to make her normally-annual trip to Tennessee this summer. We had planned a visit and I know that you, Mike West, had also been looking very much forward to seeing here, while she was here. I'm terribly disappointed!

Also looking to sell her condo in Centerville (I think) is 1961's SALLY L. GILLETTE. She writes that she and spouse, 1960's CHARLES A. "BUD" LOWMAN III, are really looking forward to settling into a place which they can call, "ours," rather than, "his," or, "hers." But they want out from under the expense of maintaining 2 homes and I can sure understand THAT! I did that on two different occasions, myself, and will never again do it. It's just not my cup of tea. Sally and Eula Faye, we all wish you a lot of luck in selling your places!

NANCY J. ERTEL, 1961, writes that she's working on a page for her website which is concentrated on the Great Smokey Mountains area. Well, it's sure a great area to highlight, Nancy. I've never seen a prettier or more unspoiled area in the entire U.S. I guess I'd best stop bragging so much about it, or else everyone will be coming here. Ha!

My old pal, EDGAR L. "EDDIE" KELLY sends fond greetings to everyone. He writes that he's doing well and looking forward to our next gathering. Well, I sure hope so, Eddie! After the splash you made in October with your beautiful Highland kilt outfit, it just wouldn't be the same without you. We all also look forward to meeting you, Marilyn!

So now we come to the issue of our dear, departed, Woody's Supermarket, don't we? How kind you all were, to have spirited away so many bricks for me from the construction site. Without that, I'd never have been able to entertain the idea of constructing a small garden area at my new home, using only Woody's bricks. Of course, I'll have to get them from the many homes. But on my list of thanks are 1957's "nameless lady" (who requested anonymity because she actual-ly circumvented the no-trespassing sign to get them for me; 1958's WILLIAM E. HOWARD, BRUCE E. CHENOWETH; 1959's GARY E. BARNES; 1960's RICHARD S. HOLT. I do appreciate the efforts of each and every single one of you. I also appreciate materials which were sent to me by 1960's PHILIP H. WOLFORD and 1987's SHARLENE N. MERKER. Jim Lindsey specifically requested one of the bricks and both Bill Howard and Gary Barnes jumped right in and said they'd be sure he gets one. Hang in there, Jim, as I'm sure one of them is going to send you one, very soon.

This next thing is worth sharing. I got such a kick out of it, when I read your e-mail, Bill Howard, about those bricks at Woody's demolition site. Only those of us who are WC kids can appreciate this. He wrote, "The people who are tearing down that building simply have no respect for how important that place was to all of us." I had to smile and agree, as I'm sure we all do. You're so right, Bill! Neither does anyone else. My husband just shakes his head in amazement about the reaction of us all, to the demise of Woody's. He doesn't, "get it," nor will he, ever!

From 1958's DONALD I. MCCOY came several news -worthy tidbits. Don writes that he drives through the old Miami Shores stomping grounds with regularity, just to see how things have changed. I know what you mean, Don. I do it, every time I'm there. He continues to try to contact 1955's CARL R. MAYS, but had the same problem I did, with mail being rejected. As I've earlier written, Carl apparently changed his e-mail address, so try this one and see if you get through, Don ( cnmays02@yahoo.com ). I can't imagine Carl having any problem with any WC people having his e-mail address, so I hope this works for you. Carl, if you're reading this, please contact Don. His e-mail address is ( don@insurancestoreofohio.com ) So I hope you two get, "hooked up!" Let me know.

As most of us are aware, Don is still very active in the world of music and belongs to a group whose name is "Moment in Thyme." They do a lot of folk music and will soon release a CD. His son, Chris, is also into the music scene, lives in Columbus, and his group will be doing a European tour in July. Great news, Don, and thanks for the report.

From 1963's SHIRLEY ANN RANKIN came several e-mails about stuff she and husband Terry are doing and where they are. They're working in the tourist sector in Pigeon Forge at Dollywood for the summer. They had lived in California for years, Shirley wrote, but said the cost of living out there was just insane. (Hey, this sounds familiar to me, too, Shirley!) So they found Tennessee (just as I did) and decided to live in this state.

Shirley and Terry are living in their RV at Eagles' Nest RV Park in Pigeon Forge, for the season. She's at the candy and ice cream shop at Christmas Place on the Parkway, so if any of you get in that area this summer, be sure to stop and see Shirley. I want to go there, but it doesn't look very promising for me to make it this year. But Shirley, many thanks for your offer to get me tickets and accommodations. I'm thinking it will likely be next summer before I can get away. Thanks for your wonderful report and enjoy your summer! Terry and Shirley have a Disney Cruise set for October 27 through November 10, so I guess they'll be ready for a well-deserved rest by then.

Back to Gary Barnes! I must inform all of you that he and Pat are great-grandparents. I'm thinking I've put that in one of the earlier bulletins, but here's a tidbit from Gary which I have NOT yet written. He sent a report in which he wrote that he played golf on April 20 with several old golfing buddies and friends, who included 1960's MONTY ESTEP and CHARLES A. "BUD" LOWMAN III, and 1959's JOE E. STOMPS. Hey, Gary, why isn't Joe on our bulletin list? Isn't he married to 1961's DONNA PRICE? That would be a double-header. Let's work on that! Over the past few years, I've repeatedly heard that you, Monty Estep, are a world-class golfer. Is there any truth to that? I'm betting there is, as I've heard it from SO many, even the golf-addicted GARY L. WARLAUMONT, 1960. It just MUST be true!

Okay, are you still reading this, 1959's. BETSY R. MURPHY? Help me through this, will you? As Betsy was writing her report to me on the condition of her niece, Othel, she included a bit of info on Othel's sons. I believe I already mentioned that one of Othel's sons is wed to one of LARRY A. BOWMAN's (Class of 1959) daughters. Well, if I'm correctly reading your e-mail, Betsy, you're writing that a granddaughter whose genes are collectively shared by Othel and Larry, is now living in California, and shooting some sort of cosmetics ad for a big company, right? That's kind of a neat piece of news, eh? As all our longtime readers are well aware, the very chic Betsy and her equally- dashing 1960 spouse, T. BARRY RUSSELLO, have long served (to me) as the glowing example of how chic and dashing we can all be, even in our 60s. I look forward to seeing you both in October.

Another of our alumnus is also a chic-looking lady (we have many, of course) and I refer to 1961's EDNA L. GRAY. Each time I see you, Edna, I can't help wonder -ing how you always look as you do. That seems to be a common trait in the women of the Class of 1961, I have noticed. But I got a long and newsy e-mail from Edna, this time, folks! Of course, I had to prod her a bit, but that was okay. You're an informative, newsy e-mail writer, Edna, just what I like!

Edna's husband had some surgery in April and he's slowly coming along. Hang in there, Dick, and get better soon. Edna wrote that she loves seeing her old friends and is always up for a visit. Sadly, she and Dick aren't traveling as much as they once did, so I do sorely miss those wonderful travelogues. When Dick recovers sufficiently, be sure to take another trip and write me a report, Edna! Edna expressed concern for the illness of classmate, Jackie Lesher, and she also reported that her sister, 1960's FLOSSIE J. GRAY is doing well and stays very busy. Edna enjoys all her flowers and her birds and squirrels. We'll all see you soon, Edna, and thanks for writing.

The last piece of WC news was sent to me by 1961's RICHARD L. DOLL. This is so interesting to me, I've saved it for my final topic, purposely. As many of you are well aware, Dick is a retired history teacher, who has an abiding interest in archaeology. He resides in Westerville, Ohio, in the section known as Little Turtle. He has recently discovered the presence of an Early Woodlands Indian campsite, no more than 600 yards from his home. So he's very excited, of course, and has spent much time there.

In the course of this discovery, he's found a number of artifacts which are of historical significance. He took them to the Ohio Historical Society where he was told that some of the arrowheads could be as much as 800-1000 years old. The stem of one of them could even be 2000 years old, he was told! He also found scraping tools which are about 200 years old. This is VERY exciting!

As a result of his discoveries, he will be completing a form which allows him the distinct honor of naming this site. As soon as he gets approval, he's going to let me know what the official name is. That's just terrific, Dick! I know you must be very excited by this. By the way, all of you who might wish to see a few of his discoveries can soon go to our blog where the photo will doubtless be posted. I'm forwarding it to the long-suffering Mike West, who's always so diligent about this. I was going to include this in my earlier list of photographic submissions, but this one was so significant, I felt it deserved its very own section, don't you agree? And so goes yet another feather in the cap (pun intended) of our terribly-talented WC alumni!Thanks so much for that report, Dick! Be sure to give us the follow-up and congratulations on your very, very significant accomplishment.

Okay, that wraps up all the WC e-mail since my last WNR bulletin. So do me a favor, please. If you're just bored and have nothing else to do, go through this report and count the number of WC names which are included. I'm sure it's not more than maybe 40-50, if that. What's my point? Well, you KNOW I'm going to tell you! In case you're unaware, there are roughly 450 of you on my list (i.e., "legion of readers," the phrase coined by my MIA pal, 1960's THOMAS L. WOLF, JR.). So where is the news from the REST of you? If you're reading this, then you've got news, okay? So many of you who read this, are NEVER in it. It's also been a very long time since I heard from a lot of you. As I keep telling you all, without all of you, there is NO bulletin! I am nothing more than merely, "the typing handmaiden," of the news you all send to me. If you don't send it, I can't put it into the bulletins. If I don't get enough news, then there IS no bulletin! I need to hear about vacations of all kinds. I want to know all about grandchildren and new cars and home additions and new homes and moves and illnesses and accidents and surgeries and all the special accomplishments (such as those outlined in the previous paragraph). Sadly, I also need to know about the deaths. I know summer is here and that means vacations, so there's lots of news out there. SEND IT TO ME!!! Do you like the bulletins? Then you must be a PART of them or I can't do them. Thank you, one and all.

With that mild admonition, I shall close this edition of the WeCaTon News Report. But before I do, I must let you know that you need to plan ahead to attend our crown jewel event, the annual dinner/dance, which will this year be held on October 13 at 6 p.m. at the big Holiday Inn ballroom, just west of I-95, and just east of the intersection of Routes 741 and 725. Obviously, our spotlight class this year will be that of 1957. DO NOT MISS THIS EVENT!!! Reservation forms will be sent. If you do not have one by about the first week of September, go online to ( www.wchsalumni.org ) and download a copy by following the prompts. STEVEN F. SHADE, 1965, maintains this website. He's also an alumni officer. Get those forms remitted to another officer, 1958's K. JUNE CRUTCHFIELD, in a timely manner. These folks, along with 1971's THOMAS A. DORSEY and 1948's JACQUELYN A. CRITZER, are the ones who work like dogs to make this event come together for us all. Let's help them in every possible way.

Okay, I'm really going, this time.It's a good thing, too! I have just received a phone call indicating the arrival next week of those guests who will be my 14th(!) set of visitors to my new home (or is it 15th?) By the way, remember when I said I'd see how long this took, in the very first paragraph? Wel, as I sign off, it's 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, June 12. Not bad, not bad! In any case, I've got lots of cleaning to do! As always, I leave all of you with my sincerest wish for glowing health, great happiness, peaceful serenity, spiritual harmony, and boundless prosperity. Ciao!
-- Bonnie --
- posted by Mikey @ 1:27 PM