Est. March 31, 2000 37,565 Previous Hits March 31, 2003 Editor:Tommy Towery http://www.leealumni.com Class of 1964 Page Hits This Issue e-mail ttowery@memphis.edu Staff Writers : Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly , Joy Rubins Morris, Cherri Polly Massey, Paula Spencer Kephart, Rainer Klauss, Bobby Cochran Staff Photographers: Fred & Lynn Sanders Contributers: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 |
Collin's Classic Collection of Crazy Classmate Capers By Collins (CE) Wynn Class of '64 Man Down THE SETTING - Perhaps later the same summer evening as Pass Out (but equally possible a year before or a year after) and about half a block south of Optimist Park one street to the east of 5th Street. THE STORY - Under cover of darkness, three or four young men are working the backalley in hopes of borrowing some coke bottles from back porches to sell for cigarette money. They are having a fairly successful evening when one notices a police car with a spotlight scanning the area. Concluding that escaping was a higher priority than buying cigarettes, the bottles were dropped immediately followed by a wild, headlong flight at full speed across a dark backyard. A few seconds later a loud gutteral strangling sound was heard followed by a ground shuddering thud. A young man whose name I won't mention but whose initials are Walt Thomas had just caught a clothesline at neck height while in a full out run causing his body to quickly extend to the horizontal and fall heavily to the ground. Although an unfortunate circumstance for Walt it was sure fortunate for the rest of us (according to that great American, Mr. Spock, the good of the many outweighs the good of the few), for just then the Officer swept the spot light over the backyard; since Walt was flat on his back gagging and moaning, the officer saw nothing, and soon departed the area. We had dodged justice by the slimmest of threads. Emergency Evacuation THE SETTING - How many went swimming in the indoor pool at the Downtown YMCA? My partners and I enjoyed ourselves there many times until an event one day caused us to lose our enthusiasm for the place. In fact, I don't think we ever returned. This little snippet is set to the music of 'Jaws'. THE STORY - We were all splashing about and gleefully trying to drown one another when a loud, insistent whistle sounded followed by a stern authoritarian voice ordering out of the pool immediately. It seems one of my colleagues had made a rather large and ugly personal deposit which was floating lazily in the deep end of the pool. Here I would like the record to show that, under oath, I pledge to all that it was not me. Although no one ever confessed to the crime, I have my suspicions based on some of my friend's past performances and their fairly obvious and crippling character flaws. ____________________________________ |
Coming In On A Wing And A Prayer; And, Oh Yeah - One Landing Gear by Mike Boggs Class of '64 I commited aviation for the first time when I was about 14 years old. I joined the Civil Air Patrol Cadets and went on the summer training trip to Maxwell AFB. We flew down on a C-47, a big twin engine WW 2 transport plane. I was in love! At Maxwell we got to take a ride in a T-33 jet trainer. Talk about a rush! We did loops, rolls, a Cuban 8 and other fun stuff. The brave pilot even let me take the stick and talked me thru several rolls. Hot damn, Sky King! Now, jump forward 14 years when I got the bug to take up flying . I bought a hang glider. See the fat boy run off the mountain side? What fun. I did learn to fly it, but after dragging a wing tip on a low turn while landing and cartwheeling a couple of times, I decided to try "real" flying. I started flying lessons at Guntersville Airport. About half way thru I bought a 1946 Aeronca Champ airplane. It had a 65 horse power engine, a wood prop, no radio, no electric starter and was a flat ball to fly! Two seats and 85 miles per hour. I flew it every chance I got and as you said I became an airport bum. I had just gotten divorced, so I had lots of time to hang out at the airport. One fine Saturday I was out doing touch and goes with one of my "bum" friends. For some reason I was flying from the rear seat with my rather hefty passanger in the front. I was coming in to land and was just at the point of "rounding out" when he put both his arms up and held on to the tubing over his head. This blocked my vision out the front for a second and caused me to smack the ground pretty hard. We bounced back up in the air and I went to full power to go around and try again. Then I noticed the left wheel was pointed to the left a bit. The gear leg had broken half way thru ! I came around to land with my heart beating ninety to nothing. I killed the engine and the prop stopped in line with the wings, so I didn't have to worry about breaking that wooden club. I made a normal landing and then the gear leg slowely folded up and the left wing went down. We made a big curve to the left edge of the runway and went off into the mud just as the wing tip touched the ground. Mud... did I say that it had rained for two days? Did I mention that the door on the right side of the plane was not on? I cleaned 20 pounds of mud out of the cockpit. It turned out that the gear leg had heavy corrosion on the joints and would have failed sooner or later. I had the plane back in the air two weeks later and I flew from the front seat from then on. ___________________________________ |
From Our Mailbox Subject: Lee High School David McDaniel Mr. Lee High School 2003 Mr. Towery, As a graduating senior this year from Lee, it was quite exciting and pleasurable to visit a web page dedicated to past years of Lee. I was actually looking for the soccer schedule, (yes, there is a soccer team now at Lee, and we are actually second in the area!) when I stumbled on the page. Seeing pictures of people that have matured into adulthood, yet, reliving memories of high school days was enjoyable, even though I have never met any of you. It is sort of humorous, because all the stories and pranks that you all talk about, similar situations still go on today. Within my four years at Lee, we have had three principals. Due to that, I have noticed the school beginning to decay. Up until this year, the school was going to the pits. I can proudly say, that our new principal this year, Dr. Harry Smith, is doing WONDERS!!!! The classes of 64-65-66 would be proud. The basketball team came in third in the state this year. Baseball is ranked fifth right now. Football was area champs, but could not advance due to suspension. Soccer team is second in the area at the moment, and 9th in the state. I'm not sure if the magnet program had started when you were there, but it is still thriving. The choir is nationally acclaimed, and performances are demanded by multiple busninesses and organizations. The scholar's team is ranked first in the city and third in the state. Overall, Lee has had a successful year. May God bless you and all the alumni. ______________________________________________ Subject: Flying Woody Beck Class of '65 Tommy, I enjoyed your flying stories. Maybe one of these days, we can go for a spin in my C170. Take care and keep the dirty side down. ________________________________________ Subject: Praise Rainer Klauss Class of '64 What a fine issue this past week! Tommy, it was great to finally see the Tri-Pacer and read more about your flying days, military and recreational. Annette, you can borrow anything you want from my articles--just keep on sending us stuff. I was interested, of course, in your VonBraun connection. Just last year I found out that one of my neighbors grew up in Huntsville and used to caddy for VB at the Huntsville Country club. Joy, thanks for a very gripping fear-of-flying feature. Collins, your "Crazy Classmate Capers" was a wonderfully structured piece, with its thoughtful and sober beginning and its wild finish. The two viewpoints: the mature man looking back, taking stock, and then the crazy teenage drama. It was perfect. It cracked me up. Fantastic writing and evocation. Who the hell thought of that "game"? ______________________________________ |
Collin's Classic Collection of Crazy Classmate Capers By Collins (CE) Wynn Class of '64 Man Down THE SETTING - Perhaps later the same summer evening as Pass Out (but equally possible a year before or a year after) and about half a block south of Optimist Park one street to the east of 5th Street. THE STORY - Under cover of darkness, three or four young men are working the backalley in hopes of borrowing some coke bottles from back porches to sell for cigarette money. They are having a fairly successful evening when one notices a police car with a spotlight scanning the area. Concluding that escaping was a higher priority than buying cigarettes, the bottles were dropped immediately followed by a wild, headlong flight at full speed across a dark backyard. A few seconds later a loud gutteral strangling sound was heard followed by a ground shuddering thud. A young man whose name I won't mention but whose initials are Walt Thomas had just caught a clothesline at neck height while in a full out run causing his body to quickly extend to the horizontal and fall heavily to the ground. Although an unfortunate circumstance for Walt it was sure fortunate for the rest of us (according to that great American, Mr. Spock, the good of the many outweighs the good of the few), for just then the Officer swept the spot light over the backyard; since Walt was flat on his back gagging and moaning, the officer saw nothing, and soon departed the area. We had dodged justice by the slimmest of threads. Emergency Evacuation THE SETTING - How many went swimming in the indoor pool at the Downtown YMCA? My partners and I enjoyed ourselves there many times until an event one day caused us to lose our enthusiasm for the place. In fact, I don't think we ever returned. This little snippet is set to the music of 'Jaws'. THE STORY - We were all splashing about and gleefully trying to drown one another when a loud, insistent whistle sounded followed by a stern authoritarian voice ordering out of the pool immediately. It seems one of my colleagues had made a rather large and ugly personal deposit which was floating lazily in the deep end of the pool. Here I would like the record to show that, under oath, I pledge to all that it was not me. Although no one ever confessed to the crime, I have my suspicions based on some of my friend's past performances and their fairly obvious and crippling character flaws. ____________________________________ |
The Power Of A Website And Good Friends by Tim Kephart (I heard it was your anniversary for the website and thought I could contribute a story for your site. I think it gives a human side to your website that some people might miss from time to time.) I know the Lee Alumni website space is reserved for Alum, but since it is the anniversary of the site, I felt I could contribute a story that illustrates the power of a website and good friends. Most of you knew my father Dwight Kephart. He played football for Lee among other things, and from what I've heard he was quite popular with the ladies. He went on to earn a Bachelor's and Master's degree from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He met my mom, Paula (Spencer during high school) while at Lee and they were married in 1969 after she graduated from UNA. I'll have to make her go over the dates because I am horrible with numbers. My father died in March of 1996, which left my mom with the task of taking care of my brother and me. This task was especially tough on my mom because she suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, and other permanent physical problems. Add to that the fact I had an especially tough time dealing with the death of my dad before I even graduated high school. I really wanted him to see that and I know he did, but to have him there in person would have been, well just what the doctor ordered so to speak. So here's my mom left with a handful, to say the least, in my brother and me. She did more than probably ten websites could hold to keep the family going full steam ahead and not let any problems get the best of any of us. She helped get my brother through UAH with a Bachelor's Degree in Biochemistry. He's now working for UAH and NASA and has had several items published in different scientific journals, and has had experiments taken to the International Space Station. I was a little bit of a different story. I didn't really want to do anything right after my father died, including go to college. Enter mom. She basically didn't give me a choice, and at five feet tall, she's quite an imposing figure. She didn't push me too hard but made sure I got things together and got moving in school. I graduated from UNA with a Bachelor's Degree in History in 2000. Okay, enough with a little history, the question is where does the website come into play for me. Well, I don't remember the exact date she found the website (at her age she might not either, kidding!) but she has been a regular viewer of the website for at least a few years. I had to teach her the basics of how to surf the Internet, which was a sight in itself. I can't tell you the countless times she was brought to tears by different stories, or laughed out loud at different jokes, pictures, etc. It really brought back old memories to her that she shared with me. She began to use e-mail and correspond with people on the website about school memories, etc. The site really helped her to remember the good times and about all the people she remembered, or she remembered my dad knew, which is where the rest of the story is. I applied and was accepted to the University of Missouri's School of Journalism Master's Program this year. Columbia, Missouri was my destination, and for someone who had only been north of Nashville once, that was way too far north. My mom had exchanged e-mails with one of my dad's friends and football teammates named Bob Cochran. It turns out that Bob lived in St. Louis. This naturally got my mind going, and I asked her to try to get a time when we could meet Bob when I moved to Columbia. He was as kind as anyone could have ever thought about being. My mother and I arrived in St. Louis but she had unfortunately hurt her eye. Bob came to meet us and took time out of his day to take my mom and me to an eye clinic in St. Louis. I spent the afternoon getting to know him, listening to stories and telling some of my own. He dropped my mom and I off at our hotel and gave me his contact information in case I needed anything. For me, that was phenomenal because I knew no one in the area and was as nervous as you could be about moving that far away from home, even at my age. But there's more, Bob even went so far as to help me out when I flew home from St. Louis last week by dropping me off at the airport and letting me borrow some killer Blues CD's. (I'll give them back I promise, right after I rip them onto a CD for myself.) My story is simple, but the path that got me there is quite complex. It amazes me how a simple thought for a website reuniting classmates led to my mom finding lost friends, including one who has been a great friend to me. Some people don't think a website can have much power, but I beg to differ. This website has reunited old classmates and old friends and allowed a new generation of kids to discover their parents lives, which by the stories I have read and heard, honestly are messed up, *just kidding*) Never let anyone tell you that websites and e-mails can't change lives because they really can. For the creator, thanks for helping my mom, and especially me discover friends from the past who can help me move into the future. For the classmates, always try to keep in touch with your old friends and classmates. You have such a wonderful resource created for you in the Lee website, use it! You never know when you won't get that second chance to talk to that old friend from school. A lyric from one of my dad's favorite bands, can be a trivia question for everyone. "Fools," said I, "you do not know Silence like a cancer grows Hear my words that I might teach you Take my arms that I might reach you" _____________________________________________ |
My family was relocated to New Orleans in June of '63. We moved into Metairie in Jefferson Parish. It was that summer I met Victoria Bess Utterback. We were married in June of 1967 and she remains my bride and best friend today. (She attended the 1995 and 2000 reunions with me.) In Metairie I graduated from East Jefferson High in May of '64. In September I enrolled in what was then Louisiana State University at New Orleans and graduated in 1968 with a degree in Government - International Relations. I had dreams of law school or state department work. However, with the war in Vietnam raging, to avoid being drafted I joined the Marines and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in November after completing the Officer Candidate Course in Quantico, VA. In December I reported to Pensacola, Florida to begin pilot training. I 'busted my chops' through primary and ground school to earn the privilege to fly jets. In March of 1969 we were transferred to NAS Meridian, Mississippi for basic jet training. On 1 October, I was involved in a nearly fatal auto accident. After a week of semi-comatose intensive care in Laurel, Mississippi and when I was stable enough to travel, I was transported by naval ambulance to US Navy Hospital in Pensacola. The Marines issued permanent change of station orders so that Vicki could be relocated from Meridian back to Pensacola. In February 1970, after being declared fit for return to duty, I was given temporary orders back to Meridian for completion of the remaining flights there. In April of 1970 I was ordered back to Pensacola for basic air-to-air gunnery training and my initial carrier qualification (wow...what a hoot). Vicki was pregnant with our first child and being just three weeks from delivery was declared unfit for travel. We were held in Pensacola for an additional six weeks. I had a desk job during that period and had no opportunity to fly. In June of 1970 we were ordered to NAS Kingsville, Texas for advanced jet training. I was "so far behind the 8-ball" with my disruptions in training that I was transferred to the Naval Flight Officer (navigator) course. In February of 1971 it was back to Pensacola and to Brunswick, Georgia, in July for advanced training to become a bombardier/navigator for the Grumman A-6A Intruder. I was designated a Naval Flight Officer in September. After three years of active duty, my three-year commitment was about to start. We were stationed at MCAS Cherry Point in Havelock, NC for three years. Most Marines refer to this assignment as the 'pit' (as in arm pit), but we became very active in our local church and enjoyed our entire stay there. (Note: By the time I was finally ready for an operational squadron, the Vietnam War was over. A career killer as a Marine...but maybe a lifesaver otherwise.) I was released from active duty in November of 1974 and went to work for EDS. My first assignment with them was in Gahanna, Ohio, an eastern suburb of Columbus. We were there a year. In November of 1975 we were relocated to temporary housing in north Dallas, Texas for intensive computer programming training. Upon completion of that I was assigned to the programming staff in Dallas. In April of 1976 we purchased our first home in Plano, Texas, about 24 miles north of downtown Dallas. We made the decision never to move again. That home is our home today. I currently work for Texas Instruments here in Plano. In August of 2002 my family and I opened the Coffee Haus - Eastside Village in historic downtown Plano. Our daughter (child #3), now married and mother of two is the store's manager; our son (child #1) is the kitchen manager and lead shift supervisor; Vicki is the bookkeeper and part-time nanny to our two grand children - Eliot (just turned 5) and Emily (born in September). I guess we are here to stay. The things I miss most about Huntsville: People Parks The simpler times The aquatic center - now gone Scouting My moped Field hockey on the tennis courts before class Stacking lockers Mugs Up Roller skating ______________________________________________________ |
We Are FamiLEE! |
Est. March 31, 2000 37,565 Previous Hits March 31, 2003 Editor:Tommy Towery http://www.leealumni.com Class of 1964 Page Hits This Issue e-mail ttowery@memphis.edu Staff Writers : Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly , Joy Rubins Morris, Cherri Polly Massey, Paula Spencer Kephart, Rainer Klauss, Bobby Cochran Staff Photographers: Fred & Lynn Sanders Contributers: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 |
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How I Ended Up In Plano, Texas by Richard "Ricky" Simmons Class of '64 |
It's our third birthday. A special thanks to all you classmates that have contributed e-mails, stories, photos, and memories over the last three years, and especailly to the current staff that assist me with ideas and their contributions. When I first started the site, I had no idea that it would become a weekly newspaper. It was initially started to spread the word about the 2000 Reunion. A weekly publication is more frequent than we published back at Lee. And as the task to create it became greater, several saw the value of continuing what I started and volunteered to help out. Early contributions from Collins (CE) Wynn and Terry Preston were greatly appreciated. I owe a special thanks to Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly, Joy Rubins Morris, and Cherri Polly Massey who were added to the staff to meet the government minority requirements. Fred and Lynn Sanders became our eyes to the changes of Huntsville when they volunteered to collect photos of anything and everything that we needed. The loss of Terry Preston was a great loss to all of us because with his passing he took untold memories and laughs for all of us. As we continued to grow, Paula Spencer Kephart, Rainer Klauss, and Bobby Cochran joined our group to add their insight, and sometimes warped humor. I have said many times that as the editor, I consider it my job to take all the pieces and put them together in one place, and that is what I do. I write when the mood hits me, or when I need something to round out an issue. If I had to do it all, Lee's Traveller would not be the media it is today. To celebrate our birthday, we feature a story from an unexpected source. His insight into the feelings of all of us is a breath of fresh air. T. Tommy _______________________________________ |
1946 Aeronca Champ |
Atlanta Area Mini-Reunion Set For May 17, 2003 John Drummond, who has been instrumental in the drive to host a mini-reunion, has given in to the wishes of his Atlanta neighbors, Tom and Linda Provost, and their desire to hold the reunion at their house. Linda writes: We will be happy to provide the following: sodas, bottle water, plates, napkins, a ham and a turkey, rolls for sandwiches and condiments. We would like to ask those coming to the event to bring their own liquor/beer or wine and a side dish (appetizer, dessert, or a dish that could be served with ham and turkey.) Something simple. I think what is most important is to have a fun evening with friends. We're open about the time....6 or 7ish maybe? Would the classmates rather have an afternoon gathering? Directions to our house will be posted later. For now you can start making plans to come to: Tom and Linda Provost 3841 River Mansion Dr. Duluth, GA 30096 770-242-6048 We will ask in a week or so for the names of those who think they will attend. ___________________________________ |
A Blast From The Past - These Hornbuckle Record Shop coasters recently showed up on e-Bay and I missed out on them at the last minute. Anyone remember them? ______________________________________ |
Travelers From Lee by Rainer Klauss Class of '64 Take a look at the top of the website for a second and you'll see that this journalistic vessel was launched on March 31, 2000. That's right, we're celebrating the third birthday of this incarnation of the Traveller. Established as an information clearinghouse for the 2000 reunion, it has become under the articulate, inspired, energetic, and lighthearted leadership of Tommy Towery and his talented, dedicated staff a lively gathering place and a haven of memory, support, and understanding. This cooperative effort bears an apt name: we are all travelers from Lee, returning here to share our stories, thoughts, and feelings. As preparation for this birthday announcement, I took an excursion into the galaxy of high school alumni websites this afternoon. (To boldly go.) Friends, there may be other sentient life out there somewhere, but what I found was bleak. I scanned some robotic, cold-looking sites, but came across nothing like our compelling format, the weekly features and commentary, the wide and varied array of contributions. I admit that I was only able to run down seven pages of hits from that wonderful Internet search engine, Google, before my supervisor demanded my attention, but from what I saw we've got a lot to be proud of, a lot to be thankful for. So, what has this site meant to me? A resident of Planet Snellville, one of the static moons of Atlanta, I came onboard the LHS Traveller II about a year ago (Captain's Log, April 8, 2002). Before the happy day that I discovered this site, I can't think of anyone from the class of 1964 that I was still actively in touch with. (I had some intermittent contact with Dr. John Drummond and Sherman Banks, '65). We had missed the reunion of 2000 because we moved and dropped off the database. We were lost. But then we were found. Over the next few months, many friendships were renewed through emails, phone calls, and the Huntsville mini-reunion in July. I hope my contributions have made clear how happy I am to be in this grand company again. One more thing: go back into our archives and read that first dynamite article, Tommy's recounting of Halloween 1963. What a fine, vivid piece of writing! What a way to kick things off, eh? _____________________________________ A Birthday Gift by Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly Class of '64 In honor of the site's third birthday on March 31, I'd like to tell all of you that I consider the Traveller on-line a gift to me every week! I cannot begin to tell you how much it has enriched my life. I've enjoyed reading about all of you and what you've been up to through the years, as well as the personal correspondence with many of my old friends and a lot of new ones! It's amazing that so many of us still keep in close touch after so many years apart. The Traveller has been an instigating factor in many cases. I know Tommy doesn't want any praise for his wonderful editing job -- but too bad! I think this is one of the best sites I've seen anywhere, with outstanding participation. Something like this doesn't just happen -- it needs a captain at the wheel to keep us on course each week. Tommy always has an idea for a story when I need one, and he always manages to pull it all together week after week -- which is no small feat. We even have weekly on-line staff meetings!! I've enjoyed working with all the staff and reading their outstanding articles. The site is full of SPIRIT -- the spirit of the LHS Classes of '64, '65, and '66 and the other class members who often check in with us. My thanks to Tommy, the rest of the staff and to all of you for the contributions which make it the best on-line site anywhere. Happy Birthday, Traveller! And, Mrs. Parks, if you're reading this, thanks for teaching us about the newspaper business forty- something years ago. ___________________________________ |
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Mullins Resturant Highlighted in New Southern Living Magazinne by Tommy Towery Class of '64 The April 2003 issue of Southern Living, the icon of all that is beautiful and good about the South, has a section on a Weekend Getaway in Huntsville. For Saturday morning, under the heading of Flowers and Fine Wine, they write "Wake up to breakfast at Mullins Resturant in the Five Points section of town. Nothing fancy - just your basic bacon and eggs ($2.65) with a pancake on the side ($1.75) and some of the fluffiest biscuits around." I guess calling Mullins a resturant instead of a drive-in or cafe might attract more out of town visitors. You members of the Saturday morning Lee High get together need to let us know if you see any extra out of town guests there. Some of you Huntsville ex- patriots might like to get the issue and read it. It talks about some things that we remember, but some of the suggested eating and shopping places are unknown to me. ___________________________________ |
A Word For Our Driver's Education Graduates The National Transportation Safety Board recently divulged they had covertly funded a project with the US auto makers over the past fifty years, whereby the auto makers installed black boxes in high performance cars in an effort to determine, in accidents, the circumstances in the last 15 seconds before the crash. They were surprised to find in 43 of the 50 states, the last words of 61.2 percent of the drivers, were "Oh, Shit!" They were even more surprised to find that in a series of accidents, all in vehicles driven by the same driver, George Lehman Williams, his final words before the crash were, "Hey, hold my beer and watch this." |
Happy April Fool's Day! - The Traveller Staff |
