Lee High School - Huntsville Alabama Alumni

Escoe German Beatty, Class of '65 - I'm sure the first lovely is Carolyn Burgess Featheringill. The second I'm guessing to be Gudrun Wagner.

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Carolyn Burgess Featheringill, Class of '65 - I was hoping that no one would recognize me as one of the mystery classmates (the one on the left with the giant bow), but the day was not over on Sunday before I was identified. I remember going to a costume party at Carter's Skateland as a character from the comic strip L'il Abner, and I suppose that the picture was from this occasion. I'm truly thankful that the costume was not an original idea of mine! From what we've seen so far of "the album" of Gudrun Wagner Klaus '65 (mystery classmate on the right), she ought to be able to retire to the Riviera on the proceeds of blackmail alone!

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Sarajane Steigerwald Tarter, Class of '65 - The mystery picture this week is of two gals from the class of '65. Carolyn Burgess Featheringill is on the left and Gudren Wagner Klaus is on the right. Weren't they precious?

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Shut Down East Clinton?

Thursday, July 12, 2007

By CHALLEN STEPHENS

Times Staff Writer

challen.stephens@htimes.com

(Editor's Note: Here's the article in The Huntsville Times that Collins (CE) Wynn wrote about last week.)

Blossomwood renovation could be a catalyst

A rebuilt Blossomwood Elementary School could lead to the shuttering of the second oldest elementary school in Huntsville.

East Clinton Elementary, built in 1938 and located in the Old Town Historic District, finished the school year with 182 students in a building with space for 480. Low enrollment has long made the school a target for consolidation.

Doug Martinson Jr., president of the city school board, said he and Superintendent Ann Roy Moore have talked recently about closing East Clinton. Moore was out of town this week and could not be reached for comment.

A larger Blossomwood would offer a chance to shift some students from the historic homes now zoned for East Clinton, said Martinson. Other students would be rezoned to increase enrollment at Terry Heights and Lincoln elementary schools.

"I think that would be a good option," said Martinson, who represents the East Clinton area and most of eastern Huntsville. "There haven't been in-depth discussions, but it does make sense."

"I think it would be quite drastic because we consider the school the heart of the district," said David Nuttall, past president of the Old Town Historic District. He said the historic association uses the school grounds for meetings and events.

But East Clinton is largely sustained by students who come from outside the Old Town, Twickenham and Five Points historic districts, said Martinson. "It's not serving the neighborhood."

Although the surrounding historic districts are overwhelmingly white, 64 percent of the students at East Clinton are black. According to school system figures, 74 percent of the students there qualified for free or reduced price lunch last year.

East Clinton "is on some valuable property," said Martinson. Some of the oldest homes in the city, many selling in the upper six figures, line the streets near the school.

Board member Topper Birney said the three-acre campus is too small for a new school and could be sold. But he said there could be limits placed on future use because of historic preservation guidelines.

"We'd have to see if it's possible to sell it for other development for residential use," said Martinson. "We'd have to look at the deed."

The school's zone stretches well beyond the historic districts, reaching from Five Points past the courthouse to Memorial Parkway. That zone includes public housing along Monroe Street and neighborhoods north of Holmes Avenue.

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Subject:David France

Faye France

Class of 66

Thank you for all the kind remarks:

Steve Craig, yes they lived on the corner of Windover and Gladstone.

Gale, David had lots of memories and pictures of you.

Marc, I loved his blue Pontiac Convertible, oh the memories.

Jim Beck, I will pass your message along to Debbie, thank you.

Tommy, Thank you for all the many times you have shared your memories of David.

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Subject:Health Update

Greg Dixon

Class of '65

For the many classmates who asked, (okay, maybe three), I am recovering nicely from quintuple bypass surgery that took place last February. It was a bracing experience but I now feel better than I have in 15 years.

In my continuing quest to avoid reasonability for my health, I plan to file suit against Mullins and Shoney's if I can get J.R. Brooks to represent me. However, I recognize that J.R. probably already represents Mullins so I'll have to find someone like Cecil Tipton down in Opelika to take on my case. It could be tough.

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Subject:Don Glenn

Dawn Larson Bettenhausen

Class of '64

I recently heard from the wife of Don Glenn, who transferred to Lee from Decatur High School before our senior year. He died in January 2004, in Phoenix, Arizona, following heart surgery. Mary Ann still lives in Phoenix, as do two of their three children; the other one lives in Las Vegas. He also leaves one grandson. Please let Don's other friends know. Thanks.

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Why Is It Named That?

Greg Dixon

Class of '65

I recently found myself in the Birmingham Public Library one Saturday morning (how pathetic is that?) and came across a little volume entitled Why Is It Named That? Stories Behind the Names of 250 Places in Madison County and Huntsville, Alabama. by one Dex Nilsson (2003). This little piece of fugitive literature may actually be well-know among our astute classmates but in case it is not, I thought I would bring it to your attention. I can see one the famous Towery Quizzes emerging from the book.

For example, my family lived on Mastin Lake Rd. (in Lakewood) beginning in about 1955. It never occurred to me to attempt to find out who or what "Mastin" was. There was a lake on the west side of Lakewood that was one of the coldest bodies of water I have ever expe'rienced and the Lakewood crowd will surely know of which I speak. I repeated tried to get Nancy Milburn to go over there with me but she was having nothing of it.

Anyway, Nilsson"s book says "Captain Francis T. Mastin was a planter who came to Alabama from Maryland as an aide to General Andrew Jackson during the Indian Wars that followed the War of 1812. In 1823 Mastin bought a lot on Williams Street from Clement C. Clay for his home. He and his wife, Ann LeVert Mastin, had two sons, William and Ed, and by the mid-1800's, Mastins owned much land in both the city and the county. Some of that land was north of Huntsville around the street that bears their name?"

Who knew?

If others find this of interest I'll be glad to look up your favorite place name from Mr. Nilsson's book, assuming he doesn't sue me. Who would like to know where Lily Flagg Rd., Bob Wallace Avenue, or perhaps Rison Avenue got their names? For the first in 250 such questions, I will pose the following and let classmates make a guess or do a little research. Of course, you could buy the book like I did but I figure most are too cheap to do that.

Okay, gang, where did "Whitesburg Drive" get its name?

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