Est. March 31, 2000 38,219 Previous Hits April 14, 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 |
Collins' Classic Collection of Crazy Classmate Capers By Collins (CE) Wynn Class of '64 What was the theme song of The Goose Gang? Bony Maroni. Talk about a useless piece of trivia - I even remember most (or some) of the lyrics. This information plus about $3 might buy you a luke warm beer. I searched the web to find the artist was Ritchie Valens and the song was really popular. I got a girl named Bony Maroni She's as skinny as a stick of macaroni But I love her and she loves me And oh how happy now we will be Making love underneath the apple tree Dah Dah Daht Daht Dah Dah Dah (etc, etc) There might have been another verse but essentially the verse(s) just repeated themselves mindlessly five or six times. The song was sufficiently dumbed down to appeal to the intellectually challenged (us) and we could even comprehend the words. An unnamed friend was hauling us around in his Convair Convertible one night when he had the urge to keep time to our sinnging of the song with a sawed off baseball bat using the car's padded dash as a drum. I think I, Mike Smith, and Goose (plus possibly Woody) were present for this memorable event. By the time the song ended the dash had been pulverized with at least a hundred holes in it - proud to say he did that himself and none of the Goose Gang had a hand in it (or, not that I recall). Freedom of Flight As you may recall most of our classroom doors were kept open (for ventilation, I think). One afternoon I was sitting in study hall (not necessarily studying but at least I was there - odds are I was writing a note to Judy Adair) when I happened to look up just in time to see a burning paper airplane sailng over the heads of the students in the classroom across the hall. I can't recall the teacher's name but I do remember that he had a really difficult time controlling his classes. Editor's Note: I have to add a similiar story to Collins'. -TT Dancing Wastepaper The Setting - The "goldfish bowl" room behind Mrs. Park's typing room. The Story - I don't know who the teacher was, but it might have been Mrs. Parks. One of our classmates (maybe Harold Tuck?) brought in a spool of thread I think that he had stolen from Mrs. Vernon's home economics room. He usually sat in the back of the room and starting at his desk he threw the spool over the light fixtures and weaved it and stretched it out to where it dropped to the floor just behind the teacher's desk where the wastebasket was located. He proceeded to tie the end to a crumpled up piece of paper and put the paper back into the wastebasket. All of this was done, of course, before the teacher and many other classmates arrived and class started. So, classes start. As the teacher starts into the lesson, the classmate secretly pulls on the string and the paper comes floating out of the wastebasket, behind the teacher, and without her seeing it. Everyone else saw it and started laughing. She couldn't figure out why they were laughing and pointing and before she could turn around, the paper was lowered back into the basket. Class settles down a bit, and a few minutes later again, the paper levitates out of the trash again. Same story, second verse. This continues several times, each time more and more of the class erupts until finally one other classmate is put on the spot and has to "rat" on the culprit. Funny days and a funny trick. Anyone else remember it and the players in this one-act play? ____________________________________ |
I guess I love familiar surroundings. I was surprised when I ran into a co-worker on the Arsenal who knew about your website. I went to college here and left briefly (four years) to attend Army Intern classes and OJT, tried to get back here immediately and it took that long. Had my twin boys now 22 in Texas when I worked for Army at Bell Helicopter. Now, it may come full circle, because I may get a job with Army again, instead of where I work now at Defense Contract Management Agency in quality assurance. I have worked in aviation and NASA's space station work for 17 years. After a bout with cancer in 2001, anything familiar means more to me now than ever. I would solicit any e-mail, etc. from my fellow classmates. My address at home is lindamann8@hotmail.com. Things I missed most Zesto Dip Dogs (Corn Dogs) Kystal burgers Mullins hamburgers and chili dogs!!!! _________________________________________ |
I Remember "Charlena" by Tommy Towery Class of '64 We only had one response to our Mystery Music from last week. One classmate wrote in: "I have never heard this song in my life". Well, if they haven't then they never went to any of the dances I went to in Huntsville during our Lee days. "Charlena" was one of my favorite songs to dance to at Bradley's or at any of the dances where The Continentals (later The Tics) played. It had a great, what I now learned to call "Beach Music", beat and a mean saxophone rif. The Continetals had two songs that they did that I truly loved (1) "Charlena" and (2) "Talk To Me." I talked to Jerry Brewer, Class of '64 and drummer for the band, about the song one time and he said they never saw the music for it; they just picked it up by ear and sang the words they thought were right. Right before I left Huntsville after graduation in 1964, The Continentals put out a 45rpm record. I don't know what the main song was, but "Charlena" was on the back or "B" side as they call it in the industry. I bought one of the records and took it with me to Memphis. I almost wore the groves off of it listening to it during my homesick period. It has disappeared over the years during the move, but I would love to find someone who still has one to let me copy it. I am very disappointed that none of you remember it but me. __________________________________________ |
Collins' Classic Collection of Crazy Classmate Capers By Collins (CE) Wynn Class of '64 What was the theme song of The Goose Gang? Bony Maroni. Talk about a useless piece of trivia - I even remember most (or some) of the lyrics. This information plus about $3 might buy you a luke warm beer. I searched the web to find the artist was Ritchie Valens and the song was really popular. I got a girl named Bony Maroni She's as skinny as a stick of macaroni But I love her and she loves me And oh how happy now we will be Making love underneath the apple tree Dah Dah Daht Daht Dah Dah Dah (etc, etc) There might have been another verse but essentially the verse(s) just repeated themselves mindlessly five or six times. The song was sufficiently dumbed down to appeal to the intellectually challenged (us) and we could even comprehend the words. An unnamed friend was hauling us around in his Convair Convertible one night when he had the urge to keep time to our sinnging of the song with a sawed off baseball bat using the car's padded dash as a drum. I think I, Mike Smith, and Goose (plus possibly Woody) were present for this memorable event. By the time the song ended the dash had been pulverized with at least a hundred holes in it - proud to say he did that himself and none of the Goose Gang had a hand in it (or, not that I recall). Freedom of Flight As you may recall most of our classroom doors were kept open (for ventilation, I think). One afternoon I was sitting in study hall (not necessarily studying but at least I was there - odds are I was writing a note to Judy Adair) when I happened to look up just in time to see a burning paper airplane sailng over the heads of the students in the classroom across the hall. I can't recall the teacher's name but I do remember that he had a really difficult time controlling his classes. Editor's Note: I have to add a similiar story to Collins'. -TT Dancing Wastepaper The Setting - The "goldfish bowl" room behind Mrs. Park's typing room. The Story - I don't know who the teacher was, but it might have been Mrs. Parks. One of our classmates (maybe Harold Tuck?) brought in a spool of thread I think that he had stolen from Mrs. Vernon's home economics room. He usually sat in the back of the room and starting at his desk he threw the spool over the light fixtures and weaved it and stretched it out to where it dropped to the floor just behind the teacher's desk where the wastebasket was located. He proceeded to tie the end to a crumpled up piece of paper and put the paper back into the wastebasket. All of this was done, of course, before the teacher and many other classmates arrived and class started. So, classes start. As the teacher starts into the lesson, the classmate secretly pulls on the string and the paper comes floating out of the wastebasket, behind the teacher, and without her seeing it. Everyone else saw it and started laughing. She couldn't figure out why they were laughing and pointing and before she could turn around, the paper was lowered back into the basket. Class settles down a bit, and a few minutes later again, the paper levitates out of the trash again. Same story, second verse. This continues several times, each time more and more of the class erupts until finally one other classmate is put on the spot and has to "rat" on the culprit. Funny days and a funny trick. Anyone else remember it and the players in this one-act play? ____________________________________ |
We Are FamiLEE! |
Est. March 31, 2000 38,219 Previous Hits April 14, 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 Huntsville, AL by Linda Brown Mann Class of '65 |
I am sure that with all the things that are going on in this world that a lot of you don't have as much time to write in. We had less than half the hits last week that we had the week before, but perhaps that will change shortly. Collins follows up on last week's story with the second part of his parachute sagas. For all concerned, Cherri has been found. She writes that she has had a lot going on and has been off the computer for a few weeks. We're starting to get responses to our Atlanta Area Mini-Reunion survey and will wait one more week to collect names before we finalize plans. Click on the photo of Atlanta below to fill out a form if you would like your name added to those that plan to attend. T. Tommy _______________________________________ |
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May 17, 2003 Click on photo above if you might be interested in going. We need to start seeing how many classmates are interested. _______________________________ |
Editor's Claim Un-Challenged The Most Illustrious Editor's claim to be the first of any of my Classmates of '64-'65'-66 to ride/drive a Segway has gone unchallenged. It has been suggested that many of you have no clue what a Segway is, much less how to drive one. But, in the future when you see a Cliff Clavin type mailman in shorts riding down your street on one of these, remember that I did it first. ________________________________________ |
Flying Limp Fabric II By Collins (CE) Wynn Class of '64 After becoming a novice military parachutist in 1981, I was assigned to the Army Staff in the Pentagon in Washington, DC. It was an interesting assignment but lacked the adventure of military life that I craved. Knowing I was going to be there a few years I looked around for something thrilling to do and settled on hang gliding. I located a civilian training facility about 50 miles southwest of DC in the mountains and began to go down there every chance I got. I believe I read where Ranier described his hang gliding experiences as "watch the fat guy jump off the mountain" - well, in my case, it was "watch the old guy run down the hill, and run, and run, and run". Hang gliding proved to be far more work than I ever imagined. It seemed to me to be about 10 seconds of ecstasy followed by two hours of grueling manual labor. The 10 seconds had to do with that brief period of time you were actually flying and the two hours dealt with hauling the flapping, unwieldy 50 lb death trap back up the hill. I soon lost interest and forever gave up my opportunity to soar "from the highest mountain". Instead, I opted to fall "from the highest aircraft". A young enlisted man who once worked for me was an avid skydiver who loved to tell jump stories. I remember thinking as I listened to him, "if he can do that so can I because I am much better looking and far more engaging". Sooooo, I convinced two friends of mine to teach me to skydive too, so I would not continue to be at a disadvantage in all the bars we frequented together. They arranged an orientation for me at a place called Horak Field near Pensacola, Florida on an early spring Saturday morning in 1985. The pilot, my two instructors, myself, and my date were the only people there that day. After a brief orientation, they told me put on my gear and get ready to go. When I asked about some additional safety instructions (the military had taught me I needed something to do until I died on impact), I was told that if I was going to cry about safety instructions then we would all just pack up and go home. "Otherwise, put on your stuff, get in the aircraft, and let's go." I believe the aircraft we used that day was a Cessna 172 with all the seats except the pilot's removed. We went twice that day - the first was a 'tandem ride' where I was physically attached to the instructor and we went from about 10k feet. The ride was about 35-40 seconds of free fall time. On the first jump I didn't have to do anything but ride - my instructor did all the work. The second time I went out on my own at about 5k feet using a static line (meaning the parachute opened without any assistance from me). After that I got regularly involved, moved on up to 14,000 feet, bought a 'rig' and skydived practically every weekend for four or five years weather permitting. If you are interested I am sure I can come up with several hundred jump stories - most having to do with either how good I was or how good I looked. John Fulda, John Scales and I often found ourselves jumping together. We jumped from whatever would fly - big helicopters, small helicopters; little bitty airplanes, great big airplanes; balloons or anything else that would get up in the air. Putting all kidding aside (which is hard for me to do), during this period I met some of the most dynamic, energetic, and interesting people alive and had a chance to mix, mingle, and train with the very best there is. I was honored to have been included in the brotherhood. I have attached a photograph of my flying machine. It was a Lazer 282 squae foot nine-Cell Square Canopy with a Round Reserve. In this 'hero' picture, it is in the little blue bag by my left leg with the sunburst emblem. It and the necessary ancillary equipment cost about $2,000 at the time. Sadly, after breaking my right leg twice in military parachuting operations and having six surgeries, my mother (Mother Nature, that is) insisted I give it up so I sold it in 1989 to forevermore live the life of a 'leg' bound to the earth by gravity and able to move around only by walking. Ah, my soaring days were gone but past glories are wonderful memories. I will always remember the deafening roar of the 140 mph rush of air when falling and the gentle quietness of flying under the canopy once it opened. Memories sustain me - "sitting around talking about glory days". Now I spend my days in a lawn chair out on the driveway watching my dog sleep. Oh yeah, had a lot of money one time, too, but I spent most of it on whiskey and women...........and wasted the rest!! ________________________________________________ |
A Note From The Readership Survey by Tommy Towery Class of '64 Earlier this year one of the respondants to our readership survey attached the following comment: "I have noticed that most of the participants are the same people that were the "in" crowd or "popular" kids. But whose fault is that? Not theirs. Even though I was not a member of that group those many years ago, I still like to hear what was going on then and now. I missed a lot back then and I have enjoyed catching up on it." Once again I would like to remind you that as the editor I just assemble the information that is sent in and try to space it out to fit in whatever theme we are currently following. Anyone can send in stuff. The reason that we print things from the same people all the time is that they are the ones that send things in. Of course we have our real staff that is listed at the top of each issue, but that is because they were recruited by the editor based on either their desire to volunteer or by their consistant contributions that seem to be enjoyed by everyone else. I really don't think it is a difference in being in the "in crowd" or not, but who feels like taking the time to sit down and write a memory and send it in. Sometimes even the smallest memory creates a wealth of what Bobby Cochran calls "sidebar" replies. So, take 15 or 20 minutes some night and write us with your own memories and we will share them with the rest of your classmates. _______________________________________________ |
Our Thoughts Are With Randy Goodpasture Ruth T. Goodpasture Died Mar. 30, 2003 Ruth T. Goodpasture of Huntsville passed away Sunday. She was 83. Mrs. Goodpasture was a member of Epworth United Methodist Church for over 50 years. Survivors include her son, Randy Goodpasture of Smyrna, Ga.; daughter, Martha Cheryl Locke (Richard) of Irondale; grandson, Andy Campbell (Nanci); and greatgranddaughter, Erin Campbell, all of Canton Ga. Graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Maple Hill Cemetery with Pastor Bryon White officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 5:30 to 8 p.m. today. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Epworth United Methodist Church, 2102 Epworth Drive, N.E., Huntsville, AL 35811. Published in The Huntsville Times on 4/1/2003. _______________________________________________________ |
From Our Mailbox Subject: Mailing list Karen Tucker Was visiting in Huntsville last week and ran into Patty Pagano who informed me of this webpage. Following info is provided - Karen Tucker Oliver, jacket_olivers@msn.com Class of '65, Conyers, GA. _________________________________________________ |
