Est. March 31, 2000 38,219 Previous Hits April 21, 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 |
Whitesburg Drive-In Collins' Classic Collection of Crazy Classmate Capers By Collins (CE) Wynn Class of '64 Drive-In Adventures I recall at least three drive-in theaters in Huntsville: Woody's (in the low rent district of Meridian Street), the Parkway Drive-in which was a bit remote (sometimes a desirable attribute when serious personal matters required attention), and the cadillac of Huntsville Drive-In's, the Whitesburg. Of the three, Woody's was first in the hearts of the neighborhood kids for two important reasons. 1) It was closest to the neighborhood. - about a five minute walk from Rison School up the railroad tracks; and, 2) There was easy foot access over the wire fence on the right side of the theater. Before having the authority (but not the ability) to drive we often made the short trek up the tracks to Woody's to climb the fence and lay in the grass catching a good flick. Occasionally someone would chase us off but more often than not we stayed for the entire evening. We each had our favorites but all could agree on the top two or three movies of all times (from a 13-year-old boy's perspective). Russ Meyer was our favorite producer - he specialized in movies comprised almost entirely of nearly naked full bosomed young ladies. His greatest production was "Vixen" which ranks up there near the top. Another movie, whose producer has long since been forgotten but whose marketing and advertising guy has been memorialized for all time, was "The Birth of Twins". Can you imagine some guy getting possession of a delivery room film and making mega bucks from it simply through advertising and marketing. I can still hear the pitch - "One show and one show only - educational and inspirational - see the miracle of birth." And, just to make sure that every male kid 12 and over came to see it, they added an age restriction of "no one under 16 admitted". No one at the ticket booth ever checked an ID. Some may doubt; just take a look at the advertising archives of the Huntsville Times. After we started driving, a favorite past time became sneaking in some unpaying attendees. The ruse was that two guys would drive up to the ticket booth, pay for their admissions and drive on in, all the while having 2, 3, or 4 of their closest personal friends stuffed in the trunk. Having served in both capacities (driver and stuffee) I can assure you it was great fun - it was all we could do keep from giggling out loud and blowing our cover. There was additional fun to be had by the driver if he simply refused to open the trunk and free the stuffee's - he could just sit there and listen to the mumbling, grumbling, moaning, pleading and cursing of the one's most dear to him. It was absolute power in the purest sense. We were never discovered by the management but we did have an unfortunate circumstance develop once. Our usual band of hooligans was out riding around one night late in the Blue Goose trying to figure out how to get into Woody's when we didn't have enough money between us for even one ticket - which effectively eliminated the "stuffee" guise. A plan was hatched in which we would kill the car lights and drive slowly and quietly in the out door (in other words, drive in the exit gate). Woody's and the Parkway were particularly suited for this maneuver since the exits were well removed from either the concession stand or the ticket booth - the Whitesburg's exit was too well lit besides they didn't show the really "good" movies. As we started up the driveway everyone was tense and anxious. On top of that it was difficult to see the road because there was a bright light pointing out hanging directly over the exit (or, so we thought).Just as we neared the gateway, someone spooked the Goose and we took off like a shot headed directly under the light and into the paradise that was Woody's. All of a sudden the Blue Goose slammed to an immediate full stop from about 30 mph throwing everyone to the front of the car (these were the days before seat belts and supplemental restraint systems). It seems the light was not hanging over the roadway but was firmly affixed to a 4" steel pole set in concrete off to the right side. Because of all the resulting noise, smoke, and confusion we had to drop our movie plans for the evening and retreat quickly. We had smashed up the front bumper without even gaining entrance. Oh well, whatever! There was always tomorrow night. Who are they and what is the source of the following nicknames? Add your own names to the list in future issues. Chis Droop Snuffy Goose Fuzzy ____________________________________ |
New Math ROMANCE MATHEMATICS Smart man + smart woman = romance Smart man + dumb woman = affair Dumb man + smart woman = marriage Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy OFFICE ARITHMETIC Smart boss + smart employee = profit Smart boss + dumb employee = production Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime SHOPPING MATH A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need. |
When I finished my M.S. in 1972, I was ready for a change of scenery - too much ice and snow in beuatiful downtown Urbana. I was pretty disillusioned with the academic climate at that time. My advisor was more interested in debating The Pentagon Papers in the faculty senate than directing research, not that he was ever more than a "bring me results" type of anti-mentor. I sent out 300 resumes (and got accepted to a couple of grad schools in the southeast as a risk reduction,) but only got one offer - from Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville. (This was during the great scientist and engineer employment slump of the early '70's.) I had worked there a couple of summers and evidently hadn't been too ill remembered. Anyway, I took the Teledyne offer, starting there in June after graduation, and entered graduate school at UAH in the fall. Stayed with Teledyne for two years before I entered civil service with the Army to do Concepts Development and Requirements Management. Still with them so there must be some fun and satisfaction in the job. In '90 moved the family to Arab to get daughter Teri into a smaller, more adaptable school system, get out from under Huntsville's tax base, and get a long distance phone call away from the office. Arab's a good place to live if you don't mind being a (nearly) token PhD and de-facto village character. Things I miss most about Huntsville The old Carnagie library on the square, Bon Air restaurant Dwarf restaurant Boots restaurant Jim Foley Mary Sue Faulkner Al Stewart Lois Coon Gary Darby Science Fiction Theater __________________________________________ |
Whitesburg Drive-In Collins' Classic Collection of Crazy Classmate Capers By Collins (CE) Wynn Class of '64 Drive-In Adventures I recall at least three drive-in theaters in Huntsville: Woody's (in the low rent district of Meridian Street), the Parkway Drive-in which was a bit remote (sometimes a desirable attribute when serious personal matters required attention), and the cadillac of Huntsville Drive-In's, the Whitesburg. Of the three, Woody's was first in the hearts of the neighborhood kids for two important reasons. 1) It was closest to the neighborhood. - about a five minute walk from Rison School up the railroad tracks; and, 2) There was easy foot access over the wire fence on the right side of the theater. Before having the authority (but not the ability) to drive we often made the short trek up the tracks to Woody's to climb the fence and lay in the grass catching a good flick. Occasionally someone would chase us off but more often than not we stayed for the entire evening. We each had our favorites but all could agree on the top two or three movies of all times (from a 13-year-old boy's perspective). Russ Meyer was our favorite producer - he specialized in movies comprised almost entirely of nearly naked full bosomed young ladies. His greatest production was "Vixen" which ranks up there near the top. Another movie, whose producer has long since been forgotten but whose marketing and advertising guy has been memorialized for all time, was "The Birth of Twins". Can you imagine some guy getting possession of a delivery room film and making mega bucks from it simply through advertising and marketing. I can still hear the pitch - "One show and one show only - educational and inspirational - see the miracle of birth." And, just to make sure that every male kid 12 and over came to see it, they added an age restriction of "no one under 16 admitted". No one at the ticket booth ever checked an ID. Some may doubt; just take a look at the advertising archives of the Huntsville Times. After we started driving, a favorite past time became sneaking in some unpaying attendees. The ruse was that two guys would drive up to the ticket booth, pay for their admissions and drive on in, all the while having 2, 3, or 4 of their closest personal friends stuffed in the trunk. Having served in both capacities (driver and stuffee) I can assure you it was great fun - it was all we could do keep from giggling out loud and blowing our cover. There was additional fun to be had by the driver if he simply refused to open the trunk and free the stuffee's - he could just sit there and listen to the mumbling, grumbling, moaning, pleading and cursing of the one's most dear to him. It was absolute power in the purest sense. We were never discovered by the management but we did have an unfortunate circumstance develop once. Our usual band of hooligans was out riding around one night late in the Blue Goose trying to figure out how to get into Woody's when we didn't have enough money between us for even one ticket - which effectively eliminated the "stuffee" guise. A plan was hatched in which we would kill the car lights and drive slowly and quietly in the out door (in other words, drive in the exit gate). Woody's and the Parkway were particularly suited for this maneuver since the exits were well removed from either the concession stand or the ticket booth - the Whitesburg's exit was too well lit besides they didn't show the really "good" movies. As we started up the driveway everyone was tense and anxious. On top of that it was difficult to see the road because there was a bright light pointing out hanging directly over the exit (or, so we thought).Just as we neared the gateway, someone spooked the Goose and we took off like a shot headed directly under the light and into the paradise that was Woody's. All of a sudden the Blue Goose slammed to an immediate full stop from about 30 mph throwing everyone to the front of the car (these were the days before seat belts and supplemental restraint systems). It seems the light was not hanging over the roadway but was firmly affixed to a 4" steel pole set in concrete off to the right side. Because of all the resulting noise, smoke, and confusion we had to drop our movie plans for the evening and retreat quickly. We had smashed up the front bumper without even gaining entrance. Oh well, whatever! There was always tomorrow night. Who are they and what is the source of the following nicknames? Add your own names to the list in future issues. Chis Droop Snuffy Goose Fuzzy ____________________________________ |
We Are FamiLEE! |
Est. March 31, 2000 38,219 Previous Hits April 21, 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 Arab, Alabama by Bruce W. Fowler Class of '66 |
Some of you will visit the site before or during Easter and if so, we hope you all have a Happy Easter. This week we catch up on a few stories that have been sitting around and share with you a story by Barbara and another one from Collins. Please be sure to let us know if you are planning to try to attend the Atlanta Area Mini-Reunion. We got a reply back from Woody Beck, Class of '65, who sends his regrets because he will be in Europe during that period. Take me with you Woody! Also, if you haven't shared your story on how you ended up where you are, we'd love to hear from you. We still have several in reserve, but would like to have more. That's about it for this week. Thanks for the support. T. Tommy _______________________________________ |
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May 17, 2003 Click on photo above if you might be interested in going. The following classmates have indicated that they would like to attend: Michael & Sue Griffith Sally Dawly Stroud Betty Jo Scholter Key Sharron Smith Beck Rainer and (maybe Gudrun) Klauss John Drummond Linda Collingsworth and Tom Provost Tommy and Sue Towery (if Cybersavers cooperates) _______________________________ |
Big Spring Swimming Pool Life before Lee by Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly Class of '64 I was born in Huntsville and, believe it or not, only left town for a couple of weeks (when my grandfather was in the Veterans' Hospital in Birmingham) until I was out of high school! I guess I led a very sheltered life. We didn't do vacations in my family. Downtime was usually spent with relatives. That was okay with me. I loved Huntsville and everything about it. My dad had worked at the Dallas Mill before he married my mother, and when I was born, we lived on Stevens Avenue in a duplex. My grandparents lived on the other side. We later lived on Ward Avenue and Humes Avenue, across the street from Pat Mullins, a Lee alumnus. I attended East Clinton Elementary School in grades 1-3 and then transferred (not happily and certainly not graciously) to West Clinton, when my dad started working on the Arsenal and we moved to the other side of town. I'm not going to go into a lot of facts about East Clinton, because I think it has been covered pretty well, and nothing has been said about West Clinton. I'd like to mention the people I remember from East Clinton, however: Rainer, Ann Johnson, Sandy Cole, Mary Jean Ingram, Jimmy Walker, Susan Morring, Mickey Rex, Bill Lowe, and my very best friend, Ann Hucks. Ann later transferred to Lee and married Gary Gates, after they both graduated from Huntsville High School. It's funny how the thing you dread most can turn out to be one of your happiest memories. I loved going to school at West Clinton and loved all of my friends and most of my teachers. My 4th grade teacher, Nell Young, was a direct descendant of Davy Crockett (or was it Daniel Boone?) and in the 7th grade, my favorite teacher was Mrs. Maddox, who later taught at LHS while I was in the 10th grade. There were a few people I wasn't that crazy about, but on the whole, I liked almost everyone. I played outside after school every day with a variety of people, and usually only went inside when it was too dark to see. We spent our afternoons and weekends playing softball, skating on the sidewalks, or riding bicycles. During the 5th grade, Linda Ragland transferred to West Clinton - from Fifth Avenue Elementary, I believe. She was so pretty, and immediately, my boyfriend (the rat) fell for her. That didn't stop our friendship from developing, however, and I still remember the times I spent with Linda as some of the best. We would go swimming at Big Spring Park or sometimes just walk around town. We spent lots of Saturdays at the movies. I loved the old Grand and Lyric - especially the balcony at the Lyric. It was never open enough to suit me, but it seemed as if there were always people up there, anyway. I never felt unsafe in Huntsville during those early years. We could wander down to the Library or the park and feel completely comfortable. Linda graduated with us in the class of '64 at LHS. Wherever you are out there, Linda, thanks for being such an integral part of my early memories. Another good friend from West Clinton, who is also an LHS alumnus, is Linda Sandlin. I learned a lot, living on the west side of town. There were a lot of older kids who had flunked a couple of grades and could sometimes be a bit threaten-ing. Of course, when I first moved there in the 4th grade, it was more than a little disconcerting. I was the new kid then, and had no idea who to trust. It didn't take long, however, to realize that most of the students were just great. There were also those who served as protectors to many of us and taught us how to take care of ourselves. My friend, Sylvia, was one of the lucky few who had a television set in those days. (We didn't get one until I was 13 years old.) One of my fondest memories was when several of us would get together at her house to watch Lassie and Maverick, among others. We also spent a lot of time at the YMCA in the summer, either taking swimming lessons or playing ping-pong. When the 6th grade began, we all were introduced to our new teacher, Mrs. Blackman. She was from somewhere up north (Ohio, maybe), and had a work ethic you wouldn't believe. There were approximately 7 of us to whom Mrs. Blackman gave extra work every night. It would sometimes be almost midnight before I finished all the homework. We had to prepare a current event to be shared with the class each morning, as well as working with other students who were having difficulties with certain subjects. We were also privileged to set up the entire school library under the Dewey Decimal System. Prior to that, it consisted of a lot of books stacked haphazardly on shelves. We took turns serving as librarians and also sold school supplies every morning. We also were called upon to sit with the younger classes until a substitute teacher could be found, and we worked in the office every day. I suppose Mrs. Blackman was the first teacher to spark my interest in writing. She decided that we should present the play A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. We all started writing the "screenplay," but soon discovered that it was my great love, so I finished it happily. I loved that play. I got to play all the ghosts!!! What fun. Those other people in my group who I remember were: Linda Ragland, Nancy Copeland, Wayne Miller, Sandra Spencer (with whom I sometimes correspond), Darlene Sanders, and Annette Miller. I also remember: William Fann, Sandra Sandlin, Linda Sandlin, Tommy Franklin, Linda Sue Smith, June Nale, Larry Barnes, Linda Webb, Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy Harbin, Buddy Locke and James Collins. Those were some of the best memories of my young life. The other reason I loved attending West Clinton so much was that my mother was the bookkeeper at the Huntsville Laundry and Dry Cleaners next door. That meant that I could go over and hang out with her after school and walk to Sandra's or Linda's house to play. I was also only a couple of blocks from the Big Spring Park, the YMCA, the Library, and both movie theaters! I attended West Clinton through the 7th grade. That last year, my friends and I walked to school or rode the bus, when it was really cold outside. It was quite a distance to walk carrying all those books and my clarinet case, too. (Lord, please keep me from adding "uphill, backwards, in the snow" some day!) I was fortunate to have been in band that year with a small group of very talented young people. Our band director was Mr. Sloan, who also directed the Huntsville High School band. He was very patient and spent so much quality time with us. He even took us to Huntsville High to show us off to his other band. We thought we were really something after that! I lived to be a Butler Rebel, and was absolutely devastated to learn that we would be moving back to the other side of town at the end of my 7th grade year. Even though I had dreaded going to West Clinton more than I can ever tell you, I hated leaving it even more. So I guess what it boils down to is that it doesn't really matter where you live, or what school you attend. What really matters is the bonds of friendship you form in any place or town, right? It didn't take me long to settle in at Lee Junior High School. I was again blessed with wonderful friends. Sharon Broyles, Ronnie Bishop, Gilda Wilburn, Terry Davis, Dianne Wilbourn, Charlotte Massey, and Shirley Drinkard were some of my good friends during the 8th grade. I'm pleased to say that Ronnie and I correspond on a regular basis. The bonds of friendship, you know? The burning desire to be a Butler Rebel fizzled under the pride of being a Lee General, but I never forgot (and never will forget) those people at West Clinton, who later went on to Butler and Huntsville High Schools. You all played such a great part in shaping the person I would become and I thank you. ___________________________________________ |
From Our Mailbox Subject: for the Traveller...maybe Richard "Ricky" Simmons Class of '64 Plano, Texas RichardSimmons@ti.com Howdy friends, As for parachuting....I've been interested in flying free since 1968 but have never considered "jumping out of a perfectly good airplane". Does anybody out there remember the art of "stacking" someone's locker? ________________________________________ Subject: article Sherri Gean White Visitor Hello! I was cruising on the internet last night, typing in keyword earches, when this site came up. I have been looking for a long, lost stuffed bulldog toy my sister had as a child; in the Valentine story, one was mentioned, even having the sweater with the name Tuffy on it, as I remember her's having. Would there be a way I could get in touch with this alumnus, Paula Kephart, class of ' 65? Any help you can give me would be very appreciated!! Thanks!! (Editor's Note: I forwarded her note to Paula.) _____________________________________________ Subject: Just a note Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly Class of '64 I really enjoyed C.E.'s stories! And what a picture! Wow! C.E., I think I remember correctly another verse from Bony Maroni (but I could be wrong -- I was once): "Ought to see her rock and roll with her blue jeans on, She's not very fat -- just skin and bones." Glad to hear that Cherri's okay. Hope to hear from her soon. Tommy, about Charlena -- I remember it well from Bradley's and really loved it. But then, I loved everything the Tics did! My favorite to dance to was Wipe Out. Funny, huh? Now, I'd just be happy to climb the stairs well! HA! HA! George Lehman -- I miss Terry, too. It's still almost surreal, isn't it? I still find myself thinking, "I need to send Terry that joke." His answer in reply to a question on a questionnaire I sent him, "Is the glass half-empty or half-full?" bears repeating here. Terry said, "Neither -- It's simply twice as large as it needs to be." File this thought away under "Terryisms worth remembering through the years." (Smile.) _____________________________________ Subject: Mrs. Goodpasture Linda Beal Walker Class of '66 lbwalker@usit.net Tommy, pass along my sympathy to Randy and his family. I remember going to Epworth United Methodist Church with them many years ago. _______________________________________ Subject: Picture of Gen. Lee and Traveller Barbara Seely Cooper Class of '64 TiaBJ@aol.com Hi Tommy, Every time I log onto the Lee website, I look at the picture of Gen. Lee and his horse and remember its origination (I think). Dawn Bettenhausen (sp?) and I (maybe others also, not sure) painted it on the cafeteria wall in 1963. Dawn was (is) an incredible artist, and the method of reproducing the picture on such a large scale was new to me. She drew a grid over the original small image, then we re-created the grid on a much larger scale on the wall. Next, the portion of the picture in each grid was drawn on the wall, one grid at a time. Once the entire image was re-created, the colors were added and a protective coat put over them. It remained on the wall for some years. Is it still there? Dawn went on to be a commercial artist. Anyone else remember anything about this picture/painting? Always enjoy the website! (Editor's Note: The photo was on the wall of the gym, not the cafeteria. We had other discussions in the past about who all painted it, and a few others were involved. No, the picture was the victim of "political correctness" as many other items associated with The War For Southern Inedpendence have become. As for Dawn, I ran into her at a class I was teaching here in Memphis in the early 90's. She was moving to California shortly after class was over. I traded her one of my books for a print of a painting she did of a cotton field.) ________________________________________ Subject: No Lee website! Rainer Klauss Class of '64 gudrun46@earthlink.net Hey! Maybe you've already heard this from other people, but last night and this morning I've gotten the message that "This Page Cannot be Displayed" when I try to access the website. I was gonna give notification that I (and maybe Gudrun) will attend the Atlanta mini- reunion. Do you have any idea about what's going on? (Editor's Note: I sent Rainer a smart-a## answer that simply said "Yes". What went on was that I transferred the registration of the website from one company to another one that charges less. In the trasfer process the name forwarding service took a while to catch up, so the internet did not know where leealumni.com was located. That should all be okay now. This will not affect the service, but is cheaper on me, since I have to pay the bills.) ________________________________________ |
Hey, No Problem Doctor.... Submitted by Bobby Cochran Class of '64 Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true? A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it. Don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap. Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables? A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable stuff. Q: Is beer or wine bad for me? A: Look, it goes to the earlier point about fruits and vegetables. As we all know, scientists divide everything in the world into three categories: animal, mineral and vegetable. We all know that beer and wine are not animal, and they are not on the periodic table of elements, so that only leaves one thing, right? My advice: Have a burger and a beer and enjoy your liquid vegetables. Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio? A: Well, if you have a body, and you have body fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc. Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program? A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain - Good. Q: If I stop smoking, will I live longer? A: Nope. Smoking is a sign of individual expression and peace of mind. If you stop, you'll probably stress yourself to death in record time. Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you? A: You're not listening! Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you? Q: What's the secret to healthy eating? A: Thicker gravy. Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle? A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach. Q: Is chocolate bad for me? A: Are you crazy? HELLO!!!!! Cocoa beans = another vegetable!!! "It's the best feel-good food around!" Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. Have a cookie... flour is a veggie! One more thing: When life hands you lemons, ask for a bottle of Tequila and the salt. __________________________________ |
This Week's Mystery Building Which of you Classmates can remember the name of this Huntsville landmark. I know most of you went there at one time or another, and it has been suggested that this was the destination of one Senior Class Trip. ____________________________________ |
