"This. Changes. Everything!"
Mattie 3.0, a character I had created in the early 2000's for a few stories I had written who had been defictionalized in 2084 -- which is where I was spending my time since getting transported through a portal in an app in my cell phone to the future -- was *very* excited when I told him about the old man I had met on the corner of Bourbon-not-Bourbon street in Old Orleans.
"I know we had planned to head toward Chicago in a week or two ... but if you found a way to get to the original New Orleans, then you need to follow up on it. I will check with my handlers in the IntransiGents in the morning, but I am all but certain that they will want you to take advantage of that offer. We've heard rumors of that city's continued existence -- despite it being at the bottom of the bay of Mississippi -- but we thought it was just conspiracy theorists having their fun."
I wanted to temper his enthusiasm.
"To be clear, though," I countered. "It was just some random man on some random corner who was trying to recruit me. I can't vouch for his authenticity or anything."
"It doesn't matter," he replied. "You *have* to pursue the lead. We *need* to know if it really exists ... and we *need* to know if they will join us in the Fourth Uprising."
I hesitated before I responded.
"I can't possibly go by myself. I mean I just arrived here from my era and I don't want to do anything to interfere with what is happening in these times."
"Sure ... sure," said Mattie 3.0. "I was cleared to go with you to Chicago ... but I'll have to find out whether I can join you on the other journey. Let's head back to my apartment and figure things out."
And so Mattie 3.0 and I walked through the back alleys of Old Orleans, just a time travelling man with his defictionalized creation navigating the world of 2084, planning and plotting for the next adventure -- an adventure about which I'll tell you more on the last day of the month next. Until then -- this is Ilion in 2084 using Troy-in-2018's social media to stay in touch with those of you who are about to experience the "first" Uprising. I understand it to be New Year's Eve in your time ... and so I wish you the best as you plan and plot for *your* upcoming adventures in 2019.
Monday, December 31, 2018
Random Memorial for Monday 12/31/18
(Which is also the way we close out this year's dead celebrity tune trilogy [for 2018 ... 'cause I'm not always the timeliest]).
As you may know, I loves me an obscure reference .. and so it excites me to recall one of Nanette's last TV roles on 'The Golden Palace' when she (spoiler alert) stole Miles away from Rose ... but it excites me even more to have found a clip from a Carol Burnett show that featured Nanette AND Sonny and Cher AND Carol and Harvey and Lyle to post below.
Oh no Nanette (not to be confused with 'No No Nanette') -- you will surely be missed.
UM ... *THIS* SONG ... FOR *ALL* THE WINS!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVh-jant-Yo
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #1
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're ending it all with the all-time-for-our-time number-one most-memorable English teacher par-excellence THOMAS WEIBLE (seen here all smiley in his yearbook pic, bonus link below to a relatively recent feature that his retirement home did on him [click the box with him on the cover to read it]).
I will say this, though ... if you interacted with Mr. Weible in some form or fashion and didn't walk away knowing that you were supposed to honor Shakespeare on the anniversary of his birth/death each year in late April and/or, you don't pronounce the word poetry as such: PO-ET-REE (not po-uh-tree), then did you *really* interact with Mr. Weible? All kidding aside, he deserves his spot at the top of this list because his passion was contagious -- and so he made reading exciting for students at all levels ... and although he clearly cared about *what* he was teaching, it was also true that he cared even more about those *to whom* he was teaching.
And, on a personal note, I consider it a privilege to have known "Tom" outside of the classroom -- because he and I (and "Ray" Heberlig [half of #10 in this series]) all worked together at the Owen Landis auctions on Tuesday nights at Roots and Friday nights at the Green Dragon (if you are from my hometown/central PA, then you immediately understand these references). It's always something special when you get to figure out that your teachers are actually real people too ... and Mr. Weible may have been one of the "realest".
Here's to you, Mr Weible!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO THE AFOREMENTIONED FEATURE:
http://www.stoneridgeretirement.com/stoneridge-living-magazine.htm
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Sunday, December 30, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #2
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering support staff extraordinaire MRS. KEESEY (seen here in her yearbook pic, bonus link below to the last countdown I did for our 25th reunion that included a feature on her).
If you didn't get to interact with Mrs. Keesey, I can honestly say that it was your loss. In the classroom, she worked with students who needed extra support ... and it was the perfect job for someone like her that had such a great big heart -- and a great big laugh that went along with it.
And, on a personal note, although I might not have needed academic support, she teamed up with Mr. Miller (#8 in this countdown) to give me the kind of personal and emotional support that I did most desperately need. By the time I was in my senior year, I was signing myself out of any study periods and hanging out in a number of places I had claimed as my own -- including her office. At some point, she just became "Polly" to me -- and she even let me store my personal belongings there (as the evil stepmother at home had a tendency to throw out anything of value to me). She's high on this list because she was one of those in school who saved me and put me on a better path once I ran away from home and set out "on my own" -- a misnomer for sure as I went out "on my own" with dozens of people like her in my corner.
Here's to you, Mrs. Keesey!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK THE LAST TIME I SPOKE HIGHLY OF HER:
https://capcognition.blogspot.com/2014/08/bonus-post-fond-memory-10-lhs.html
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Saturday, December 29, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #3
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering everybody's friend JOHN COLES (seen here in his yearbook pic, bonus link below to an article with a more modern take as to whether teachers should be friends with students).
As I remember him, he was a big bear of a man with a booming voice and a ready smile and a tendency to throw his arm around you (back when that gesture wasn't problematic) -- and although I don't know for sure, I'm guessing he had Sunday gravy at his house on the regular. The other thing that Mr. Coles had going for him was that he was in charge of student government, which means he liaised between the administration and the kids ... and which means the students always felt like he was fighting for them.
And, on a personal note, I actually had little to no interaction with Mr. Coles. I had other social studies teachers (his main subject) ... and I wasn't seriously involved in extra-curriculars in high school due to some family constraints. All that said, though, I know full well that he would place high in any popularity contest ... and so he places high in this list as well.
Here's to you, Mr. Coles!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO AFOREMENTIONED ARTICLE:
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2011/10/response_can_teachers_be_friends_with_students_--_part_one.html
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Friday, December 28, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #4
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering KAREN MILLS (seen here in her yearbook pic looking a little bit like a Supreme Court Justice, bonus link below to the spot on Amazon where you can buy what I can only assume to be is one of her favorite books).
In retrospect, it may very well have been that Mrs. Mills was "woke" before her time -- a strong woman with high standards back in the late 80's when that wasn't necessarily encouraged or appreciated. Diminutive? Sure -- but with RBG vibes long before RBG was the star of her own movie. And boy did she love vocabulary ... as our weekly Word Wealth quizzes demonstrated. So. Many. Words.
And, on a personal note, she provided tremendous amounts of guidance to me -- in English classes in both 9th AND 12th grades -- and she was responsible for sharpening my critical thinking skills. I can still remember another student commenting that he didn't get as much feedback from her as she had given me on our papers, to which she replied by asking whether or not he wanted to be graded as hard as she was grading me. I am, to this day, grateful for the ways she challenged me.
Here's to you, Mrs. Mills!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO WHERE YOU CAN BUY YOUR OWN COPY OF WORD WEALTH:
https://www.amazon.com/Word-Wealth-Ward-S-Miller/dp/003041931X?fbclid=IwAR1TJY7aIz4sHDO8DLs2mTwH9QU-TqzsBvWsejFO0d_dRAOaPQ5G4hVJZKw
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Thursday, December 27, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #5
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering TIMOTHY GARVEY (seen here in his yearbook pic looking about as old as many of the students, bonus link below to what seems to be his current job bio at MMI Prep somewhere else in Pennsylvania).
It makes sense that Mr. Garvey is still teaching (as opposed to all the ones on this list for whom I found retirement or obituary notices), because he was most certainly one of the youngest (if not THE youngest) employed at our school. The rumor was that he was a spy undercover at the high school (the truth was that he worked for the FBI for a bit), and this teacher who tried to teach us physics (and succeeded for the most part -- more about that in a minute) also had the classroom in the auditorium building that was the farthest away from all the others -- over by the suspension room. That made it super difficult for you to make it to whatever class you had after his in the Library building -- and since I'm almost certain he was also my homeroom teacher that last year, I was only too well aware of that fact.
And, on another personal note, I probably owe him an apology because although I was a pretty good student all through high school, my senioritis started a few months early, and I spent most of Physics passing notes back and forth in an epic way day after day -- instead of learning what I was to be learning. I'm not necessarily saying he gave up on me at that point ... but I sure do recall him shaking his head a lot in my general direction ...
Here's to you, Mr. Garvey!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO WHAT SEEMS TO BE HIS CURRENT PROFESSIONAL BIO:
https://www.mmiprep.org/Faculty/Staff/Administration/timothy-garvey.html
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #6
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering professeure DEBORAH GROFF (seen here in her yearbook pic with one of her many scarves, bonus link below to an article from the local paper about an art show the French club [and Spanish club] apparently took to the William Penn museum).
Mrs. Groff taught French -- and she also was the teacher most likely to slip into a high school boys' rêve humide (unless the boy was a pre-gay, and then he probably just liked her for her couture).
And, on a personal note, I never had a French class ... and so I only knew her for two things: 1) as the subject of a lot of inappropriate teenage boy gossip and 2) as someone who took her small town students all the way to Europe every so often -- which maybe kind of explains why she's showing up so high on this countdown.
Here's to you, Mrs. Groff!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO THAT ART SHOW REFERENCE IN THE LOCAL PAPER:
https://newspaperarchive.com/lebanon-daily-news-may-11-1973-p-8/
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #7
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering the last of the working couples that will be featured -- JOSEPH and RYNELL CELASCHI (seen here in their side-by-side yearbook pics, bonus link below to what seems to be their engagement announcement in the local paper from way back when).
Mr. taught social studies ... Mrs. taught English ... and both were vibrant and active and taking care of all of us whilst also raising a big brood at home (some of whom followed in their parents' footsteps into the education field). The other similarity? Neither one tolerated any smart back-talk from the students (Mr. in particularly, but that's a story for another time). I have to assume they are now at least retired as I have no idea how they'd handle kids nowadays with their advanced levels of smart-assery.
And, on a personal note, my memories are all of Mr., seeing as how I didn't actually have Mrs. for any of my classes. Mr. Celaschi, though, was close to one of my older sisters, and so he was fully aware of my family situation as it started to become a problem. Plus -- Mr. Celaschi will always be the answer to the question unique to my generation of "where were you when the space shuttle Challenge exploded", as we were in his class and he was quick to turn on the television so we could watch the coverage during that milestone event.
Here's to you, Mr. and Mrs. Celaschi!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO WHAT I THINK IS THEIR ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT:
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/5315635/
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Monday, December 24, 2018
Random Memorial for Monday 12/24/18
(Yep, it's the *second* of my annual dead celebrity tune trilogy [although super late as it's for 2018]).
Here's the thing ... I became a Mahoney fan back in 1987 when he was on the big screen with my fav Cher in 'Suspect'. Although I wasn't a regular 'Frasier' watcher, I knew enough to know that he was a superdad to cute Moose aka Eddie. (And, as such, I refuse to believe the stories that Eddie was replaced by his own son late in the series OR that Moose had a tendency to bite John every chance he could.)
Since this is all about tunes from those whom we've lost, I've searched the youtube and I've decided to include TWO closing montages from TV classics that feature the dearly departed: ER ('You're Nobody til Somebody Loves You') and the aforementioned Frasier ('On the Sunny Side of the Street').
You who taught us that gruff can still be lovable ... you will be missed.
JOHN AS YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN HIM:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUbnWpidvHc
MAY YOU ALWAYS FIND YOUR WAY TO THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvIpe0uN6F8
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #8
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering the quietly anti-establishment STEPHEN MILLER (seen here in his yearbook pic with a toothpick, bonus link below to a list of the 100 most common last names in the US).
First -- a quick explanation for that bonus link. I usually try to find something personal on the interwebs to go with these posts, but between 'Stephen' and 'Miller' being way too common as names and someone of the same name aligned with the current President making a fool of himself every time he opens his mouth, there was no relevant link to be found. Second -- I will forever think of math teachers Mr. Miller and Mr. Yenser (seen earlier in this list) as buddies who owned their classrooms and ran them somewhat separately from the rest of the school, with their own set of rules and rewards for the students they liked.
And, on a personal note, Mr. Miller was another one of those teaches who took me under his wing, letting me hang out in his office, recognizing that things weren't right at home without ever really talking about it overtly, and providing me with a "safe space" long before the millennials thought they were the ones to invent such a thing. Our connection lasted even after high school, most memorably when I fed him information about one of my friends who had transferred from the suburb school to the city school and that ended up in his class after I graduated so that he could tailor algebra quiz word problems to private jokes that we shared. He was one of the best ... both in and out of the classroom.
Here's to you, Mr. Miller!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO A LIST OF THE TOP 100 COMMON LAST NAMES IN THE US:
https://www.rong-chang.com/namesdict/100_last_names.htm
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Sunday, December 23, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #9
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering (the late?) German teacher außergewöhnlich LARRY HECK (seen here in what seems like a paparazzi photo that was his official yearbook pic, bonus link below to what seems to be his daughter's engagement announcement that makes me think he has indeed passed despite not being able to find an obituary online).
Back in the 80's when foreign languages were the classics and not "Java" or "Mandarin" or "no longer a requirement", high school kids had to choose between German, French, Spanish or Latin. And those of us who chose German got to experience the (occasionally dark) humor of Mr. Heck.
And, on a personal note, it makes absolute and complete sense that he makes a top 10 list that I'm coordinating because he was my teacher in 10th grade ... and in 11th grade ... and in 12th grade ... as I was one of those amateur linguists who took German all four years of high school (on my way to what would eventually be one of my triple majors in college). There was even a little tutoring room with a window into his office that he let me use as my one of my own spaces to hang out once I started making my own rules about my own schedule.
Here's to you, Mr. Heck!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO THE AFOREMENTIONED ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT:
https://www.ldnews.com/story/life/announcements/engagements/2016/04/27/heck-markley-plan-2017-wedding/83562722/
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Saturday, December 22, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #10
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering yet another "couple" that were both employed by the high school: JAMES HEVERLING and RAY HEBERLIG (seen here in their yearbook photos [Heverling in bottom left, Heberlig in upper right], bonus link below to a modern development that would have solved the problem that we had with these two).
Okay, okay ... clearly I jest. Unlike the Rothemels and the Chepluises featured before in this countdown (and the one other couple still to be mentioned later in the top 10), Mr. Heverling and Mr. Heberlig (b, no n) were NOT an actual couple. Their names were similar enough to confuse students though -- at least until those students figured out that Mr. Heverling dissected Shakespeare's iambic pentameter and Mr. Heberlig (b, no n) dissected frogs and rats and other animals.
And, on a personal note, I was lucky enough to have BOTH of them as my instructors, and I have to say that they made the top 10 for a reason -- they were some of the best of their kind at the school. Both had a reputation for being cranky and prickly and unkind to those that didn't meet their high standards ... but I can remember making both of them laugh. Well, I made Mr. Heverling laugh (both WITH me and AT me). The most I ever got out of Mr. Heberlig (b, no n) was a smile -- but that was rare enough that I considered it a win.
Here's to you, Mr. Heverling and Mr. Heberlig!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO A NEW TREND OF CALLING TEACHERS BY FIRST NAMES:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-01/students-on-first-name-basis-with-teachers-titles-become-old/9379138
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Friday, December 21, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #11
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering recently retired teacher DEBRA ALLWEIN (seen here in her yearbook photo, bonus link below to the school board minutes congratulating her upon her retirement in 2012).
Before I found that link, I was all but certain that Ms. Allwein taught English ... but her aforementioned retirement notice says "special education" and now that's starting to ring a bell. Maybe she taught both? Or maybe my recall powers are failing me after working on this list all month long?
And, on a personal note, what I most certainly *do* remember is that she was somewhat flighty ... or, if that comes across as pejorative (and it most certainly wasn't intended that way), I most certainly *do* remember that she was somewhat free-spirited with a high pitched mellifluous speaking voice ... and that she was an angel to those who needed her most.
Here's to you, Ms Allwein!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO MS. ALLWEIN'S RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT:
http://www.lebanon.k12.pa.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Minutes.06.28.12.pdf
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Thursday, December 20, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #12
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering math teacher EUGENE YENSER (seen here in his yearbook photo, bonus link to the announcement in the local paper from 1965 when he got a band award when he was in school).
Our high school was the "urban" school ... and that's not "code" for a diverse student body, as even our "urban" school was whiter than a Trump rally ... but literally, we were the kids who lived in the city, whilst those in the surrounding farmlands and rich housing developments went elsewhere. That's all the long way to say that for whatever reason -- and I place the blame fully on the image that Mr. Yenser cultivated -- I think of him not as one of us ... but as a farmer who drove to work on a tractor to teach us kids math. (I'm pretty sure that's an exaggeration. I think.)
And, on a personal note, Mr. Yenser was one of the lucky few who got to teach something called "unified math" back then, which I now think of something like the "common core" of its day. Sure, it was "math" ... but it was "math" dressed up as something experimental that would help children grasp mathematical concepts in a shiny newfangled manner. Or, to sum it all up in two words for those who know: z-clock arithmetic (on which we had a chapter each year).
Here's to you, Mr. Yenser!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO MR. YENSER'S BAND AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT:
https://newspaperarchive.com/lebanon-daily-news-may-28-1965-p-21/
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #13
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering school nurse RITA GROY (seen here in her yearbook photo with decidedly pursed lips, bonus link to her engagement notice in the local daily news is below).
I have no idea what the life of a school nurse is like currently -- although I imagine them to be pretty much a pharmacist dispensing adderall and edibles all day long -- but back then school nurses were bullshit detectors who had to determine whether the onset of your sudden illness was in any way related to your lack of preparedness for that day's quiz/test/etc.
And, on a personal note, because I always go looking for a companion link for these posts, I now know that Rita was short for Nerita (a common Greek name) ... and that Groy was actually Ward Groy ... and that Nerita E Ward Groy was the daughter of a Peiffer -- which is my maternal grandmother's family name. So now I have to go research to see if maybe I was related to the school nurse all along and never knew it!
Here's to you, Mrs. Groy!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO MRS. GROY'S ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT:
https://newspaperarchive.com/lebanon-daily-news-jun-02-1955-p-36/
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #14
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering the late always happy-go-lucky* JAY PUTT (seen here in his yearbook photo, bonus link to his obituary is below). *Except for that one time when everyone was talking instead of typing, when we knew he was super-pissed because we had never seen his temper before.
What with how all of us in our graduating class is heading rapidly toward the *30th* anniversary of that event, we all are of an age where we had to learn typing in high school. On a typewriter typing ... with corrector tape and all ... although, as I recall, by graduation, word processors were becoming a thing (young folk might have to google that reference) and Apple IIcs were in our labs (again -- google it if you need to). Thanks to Mr. Putt's class, I was ready to hit the ground running in that early era of personal computers.
And, on a personal note, Mr. Putt always looked out for me (in the rough and tumble world of typing) because he was one of the teachers who was close to one of my older sisters who had graduated a few years before in '84. 'Cause let's face it -- to know a Neidermyer is to love a Neidermyer.
Here's to you, Mr. Putt!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO MR. PUTT'S OBITUARY:
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ldnews/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=168116345
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Monday, December 17, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #15
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering MS. HARTMAN (seen here in her yearbook photo, bonus link is below to a list of "the most epic hall passes" ever).
Last name "Hartman" ... first name "Ms." ... just as it is listed in the yearbook. I guess the power of the position of chief hall monitor (in addition to many other tasks she executed in the school buildings) required a certain distance between her and her subjects so that no one felt too comfortable with her that they might take advantage of a friendly relationship if seen in the circular halls of our school without a pass.
And, on a personal note, I was of course exempt from having to produce a piece of paper (actually, it was more like a lined index card made from a different color each month) -- not because I had a personal relationship with the hallway warden (to this day, I still do not know her first name), but because I was innocent and harmless and everyone of the adults loved me and let me do what I wanted -- because I really just wanted to read and do more homework. (Note: this was long before the age of school shootings ...)
Here's to you, Ms. Hartman!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO THE BEST MUSTACHES OF ALL TIME:
https://www.boredteachers.com/humor/the-20-most-epic-hall-passes-teachers-have-ever-made
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Random Memorial for Monday 12/17/18
(In other news, it's (way past) time for my annual "dead celebrity tune trilogy" [in this case, for 2018]).
First up in this year's set is the (late) Queen of Soul herself ... a voice that only comes along once in a lifetime ... and that will live on forever despite her passing because of her amazing and prodigious body of work (including this underrated tune of hers from her "slumping sales" years that is kind of one of my new favorite love songs that she ever did).
Understanding the context that I was a child who grew up in the late 80's ... you whom I knew as Pavarotti's stand-in for 'Nessun Dorma' ... and as George Michael's duet partner from 'I Knew You Were Waiting for Me' ... and as every milliner's best friend much later in our lives ... I sincerely hope that you now know 'Who's Zooming Who' ... and that you always know that you will be forever remembered and greatly missed.
UNITED TOGETHER (FOREVER):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytxEIqzltIQ
Sunday, December 16, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #16
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering MICHAEL WEBB (seen here in our yearbook exactly as I picture him, bonus link is below to Esquire's ranking of the 10 best mustaches of all time -- sadly, his didn't rank).
He was the man ... the myth ... the mustache ... the teacher known as Mr. WEBB. As I recall, he also had a connection to girls' sports in our school, coaching basketball at some level. (Since I wasn't exactly 'sporty' in high school ... and I certainly wasn't 'girls sporty', someone over on the Facebook will have to correct me if I'm wrong.) I *also* could have sworn that I saw that he recently passed (of a sudden heart attack?) ... but I couldn't find proof of that tonight when I tried to find it on the interwebs.
And, on a personal note, I had double the exposure to the mustache early on in my high school life, because he was both my homeroom teacher as a freshperson AND he taught me 10th grade English. In both cases, I remember that he just kind of looked at me bemusedly most days, not quite sure what to do with me ... or maybe he just had "resting bemusement face".
Here's to you, Mr. Webb!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO THE BEST MUSTACHES OF ALL TIME:
https://www.esquire.com/style/grooming/advice/g1648/best-mustache-ever/
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Saturday, December 15, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #17
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering MR. JEROME and MRS. FAYE CHEPULIS (seen here in this awkwardly cut and pasted picture from our yearbook, bonus link is below to a quote from Jerry Chepulis when Lebanon-famous Frank Reich Sr passed).
I have absolutely no idea if guidance counselors of today are like guidance counselors of yore, but Mr. and Mrs. Chepulis ruled the guidance-roost at our high school, with Mrs. getting her claws into you as a freshperson ... and Mr. being the one who worked all the necessary back room deals as you graduated to put you on the right path for your future. They are also the second (of three) married couples at our high school during our time taking just one spot in the countdown.
And, on a personal note, I spent lots of time in their offices -- from the early ASVAB days (it turns out I had a problem with square pegs in round holes and was NOT a good candidate for military conscription) to that time previously mentioned when they signed me out of an ill-deserved in-school suspension. I can't say for sure whether it was that I was in need of a lot of counselling ... or maybe a lot of guidance ... or maybe I just had found a safe place to go to be my high school self in that room down the hall before the superintendent offices full of college marketing material and such.
Here's to you, Mr. and Mrs. Chepulis!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO "JERRY'S" QUOTE ABOUT PA FAMOUS FRANK REICH JR:
https://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/03/former_penn_state_and_steelton.html
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Friday, December 14, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #18
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering ROBERT (BOO) SIMMERMON (seen here in his picture in our yearbook in one of his many many ties, bonus link is below to one of those creepy sites on the interwebs that implies he's still alive and living in Cornwall).
Ties, ties and more ties. That's what I think of when I think of Mr. Simmermon, as his office was full of them -- ties of all sizes ... ties just hanging there ... ties in his space for no known reason. That -- and how I seem to recall that he had the whole school guessing as to why his nickname was Boo. You know how the Joker has so many background stories that no one really knows the truth? I feel like his "Boo thing" was the same ...
And, on a personal note, despite the fact that I did theatre in college, I wasn't a part of the plays with which he was affiliated during our time in high school. Seeing as how I had a different Humanities teacher, I also can't say that I had the pleasure of being taught by him. It didn't matter, though, because every one couldn't help but be affected by his manic high-strung energy just walking through the halls. As my memory serves me, he was the "Robin Williams" of our little school.
Here's to you, Mr. Simmermon!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO THE INTERWEBS THAT SAYS HE'S ALIVE AND IN CORNWALL:
https://www.mylife.com/robert-simmermon/e768424341468
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Thursday, December 13, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #19
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering BETTE TOEWS (seen here in full late-80's style from her picture in our yearbook, bonus link to the school board minutes I found on the interwebs that shows she was teaching as late as 2012 below).
Back when we were in school, foreign language was a requirement -- and the only choices were French, Spanish, Latin or the subject Bette taught (and the one I took for four years) ... German. Although you probably could have guessed that she taught that class by looking at the spelling of her name.
And, on a personal note, I actually did not have Fraulein Toews as an instructor, because when I was taking German 1 my freshman year, Mrs. Toews was out on maternity leave and we were all taught by Mrs. Bomberger instead (who was a short term replacement and did not make it all four years to be in our yearbook). All my subsequent classes in later years were taught by the *other* German teacher, who will show up later in this series. All the same, I did see her around every now and then in those later years for clubs and stuff after she made her return.
Here's to you, Mrs. Toews!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO THE 1965 NEWSPAPER REFERENCE:
http://www.lebanon.k12.pa.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Minutes.03.19.12.pdf
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #20
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering (WILLIAM) BEN LINN (seen here looking a little like Paul LYNDE in his picture from our yearbook; bonus link to the announcement in the local paper about the senior play he directed -- in 1965! -- below).
To be clear, this listing is not of the tabloid variety, and so what Mr. Linn did on his own time outside of the school that eventually got him into some trouble won't be mentioned (except for that "blind item" style comment), and instead we'll remember his long career at the high school that led him to be the head of the English department by the time my class matriculated.
And, on a personal note, he taught me both English and Humanities (a class I imagine they might not even *have* any more) and he will forever be remembered as the teacher who got the ball rolling on investigating my home life (after a two person dramatic skit I wrote for an assignment that was pretty much a cry for help) AND as the teacher who played the 70's Cher Vegas concert one day on videotape for unknown academic reasons.
Here's to you, Mr. Linn!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO THE 1965 NEWSPAPER REFERENCE:
https://newspaperarchive.com/lebanon-daily-news-nov-18-1965-p-41/
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #21
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering THE ROTHERMELS -- both BARBARA and CRAIG (seen here in their pictures from our yearbook; bonus link to some creepy webpage that tells you what kind of car he drives below).
Okay ... okay ... maybe it's not quite right to lump Mr. and Mrs. together as one person in the countdown ... but, as it turns out, the Rothermels weren't the only married couple working at the high school -- and they won't be the only couple to be featured together in one spot in this countdown (more will be revealed as we get closer to #1 this New Year's Eve).
And, on a personal note, I actually never had *either* of these popular instructors. I'm all but positive that Mrs. taught English and Mr. taught Math -- it's just that neither one taught ME English or Math in my four years there. Maybe someone reading this post over on the Facebook will have a favorite memory of both (or either) to share.
Here's to you, Mr. and Mrs. Rothermel!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO THE CREEPY WEBPAGE:
https://www.mylife.com/craig-rothermel/e142369936068
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
Monday, December 10, 2018
30for30: Most Memorable Teachers/Staff #22
The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering the late IRWIN E STUCKEY (seen here in his picture from our yearbook; bonus link to his obituary below).
Truth be told, we may have once or twice theorized that Mr. Stuckey and Mr. Norman Bates had similar tendencies, but that was just because chemistry is hard, and kids in 10th grade trying to learn chemistry have to have some kind of outlet for accepting the fact that not all of us can memorize the periodic table AS HE REQUIRED ... and so we lash out and say inappropriate things about our teachers.
And, on a personal note, it is a true statement that I may remember the safety speech he gave us about the special chemical shower above the lab station (a metal cord you were supposed to pull if someone somehow accidentally got acid on them) than the atomic mass of thallium (204.3833, according to the interwebs).
Here's to you, Mr. Stuckey!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO HIS OBITUARY:
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/lebanon-pa/irwin-stuckey-4356732
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
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