Name: Elizabeth Aleccia ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Dec 8, 2007, 10:56 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Estrada
City & State: Redondo Beach
E-mail
Message: Merry Christmas Everyone! I was thinking about all you Hawthorne Cougars on my way down from Wilshire Blvd today. I took La Brea to La Tijera all the way through Inglewood, Lennox, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Torrance, to Redondo Beach. I haven't taken that route in probably 20 years. I saw the old May Company with the gold tile front, and Market and Regent Streets where we used to do our Christmas shopping in the 50s. Regent Street had the best holiday homes back then. Our Girl Scout Troop went Christmas caroling in Inglewood because the houses were decorated so amazingly. I remember driving into Inglewood in the back of the family station wagon, in my pajamas, to see the lights and lawn scenes. To tell you the truth, I thought the old neighborhoods were looking pretty good today. It's cold, blustery and wet tonight, a great night to decorate your tree and have a hot toddy. Hope you all have a great season of parties, celebrations, shopping, gift giving, gift getting and all around good times. May 2008 bless you all with good health, great fun and Peace on Earth. Dizzy Lizzy the Christmas Goddess

Name: Cheri Longanecker ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Dec 8, 2007, 8:13 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Longanecker
Class: 1965
City & State: Yuma, AZ
E-mail
Message: Christmas memory - going downtown LA with my mom and seeing the big department store windows. Broadway, May Company, Bullocks. They had the best animated window displays.

Name: Armand Vaquer ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Dec 8, 2007, 7:34 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1972
City & State: Tarzana, CA
E-mail
Message: "Best Christmas memories as a child and as an adult." Good topic, Mr. C. As a child, naturally one getting all those toys under the tree. Since the 15th anniversary of my 39th birthday is coming fairly soon, they all blend in. But what stands out are the decorations in downtown L.A. in the late 50s/early 60s (the days when people still shopped in downtown). On a more personal level, it was being with family members who are no longer here. As an adult, seeing my daughter happily opening her presents when she was growing up.

Name: Loretta Cuiper ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Dec 8, 2007, 5:21 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Morelli
Class: 1962
City & State: Hawthorne, Ca
E-mail
Message: Many wonderful Christmas Time memories, but the one thing my family did every year, was celebrate our Granpa Calla birthday on Christmas Eve. It was a big thing for all of us, my five cousins and I would all be over Grama and Granpa's home, we would do your normal Birthday party, get our cake, soda and as we got older we would get a little wine or maybe something a little harder. After the party, off we would go to my Aunt and Uncle's house and Santa had been there and left us all kinds of gifts under the Christmas Tree. Most times we all would go to the Midnight Mass. As all of us cousins got older, we still continued celebrating his Birthday, my Daughter Darla, and my cousin Sue's daughter Donna even have that memory of going to Great Granpas house for his Birthday party, then back to my Aunt and Uncles home to see what gifts Santa left for all of us. Our Grandfather lived to his 95th Birthday and we continued to celebrate Christmas Eve at my Aunt and Uncle's house until they both passed. It has been a few years, that all of our parents are not with us. Most of us do get together, some live out of state, or citys far away, but us older cousins have remembered those beautiful time's and some of our children remember the Christmas Eve Party and Santa coming to Auntie and Uncle's home. To all Cougartown folk, we wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. John thank you again for our Cougartown. Love ya........

Name: Ron Reinholdson ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Dec 8, 2007, 5:13 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1965
City & State: Claremont, CA
E-mail
Message: Most memorable Christmas present: When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I got a Pogo-stick as a Christmas present. I wore it out on Christmas day. Dec 26 it went in the trash.

Name: John Crotty ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Dec 8, 2007, 11:59 am - HHS Time
Class: 1969
City & State: Hermosa Beach
E-mail
Message: New Seasonal topic perhaps??? Best Christmas memory as a child and as an adult!!!!!

Name: Mary Ann Walton ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Dec 8, 2007, 6:12 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Walton
Class: 1961
City & State: n
No E-mail
Message: Sorry, JB, but I've got a football story I must share. Our Nashville team won their third state title in a row last night, 42-26. My step-grandson ran an interception back for the put-it-away TD. Our small town had over 4,000 in attendance at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock (our population's 4,600!) We are blessed with superior coaches, a strong administration and, of course, community support. Our Scrappers now join an elite group of much larger schools that have been back-to-back-to-back champions. NHS' also blessed with a supportive booster club, the Scrapper Moms, other good sports teams, clubs and an outstanding academic record as well. As we say, "It's Great To Be A Scrapper." I hope that someday soon our Cougars can return to the status of their Glory Days.

Name: Howard "Paco" Duran ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Dec 7, 2007, 4:12 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1961
City & State: Lake Forest
E-mail
Message: I must be getting old, I'm freezing my young butt off. Well, I've received pics from TWO Cougs. Put your lights up this weekend, take pictures, and send them to me. Sharon and I are off to the malls so we can shop til midnight!!! Cowabunga

Name: Diana Hunt ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Dec 7, 2007, 2:56 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Escovedo
Class: 1971
City & State: Lomita, Ca.
E-mail
Message: John..I just finished reading a heartbreaking editorial in our local newpaper, the Daily Breeze from Leland Whitehouse (class of 65), who had reference Cougartown.com and the "Vietnam" memorial pages. My heart is breaking after reading his editorial thoughts and now more than ever in these times of the current war, I know that I will never forget the courage of these young men or any soldier who has gone to protect my freedom as an American. Thank you John for having those pages, as we must NEVER forget.

Name: Richard Labriola ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Dec 7, 2007, 12:39 pm - HHS Time
City & State: Buenos Aires
E-mail
Message: John, I?ve been skimming all of the feedback pages and I?m up to 910. I did see that Bud and Wade organize an annual golf tournament in May, but I live in Buenos Aires Argentina and have no plans to visit the US anytime soon. If I were there I can assure you I?d be the first in line, not to mention the other get-togethers you guys always have. Next week I will send you a post card from this beautiful city.

Name: Linda Dietrich ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Dec 7, 2007, 9:57 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Dawson
Class: 1969
City & State: Not Sure
E-mail
Message: John I am so sorry it has taken this long to write on here. Maybe you have forgot who I am. My big brother is Steve Kristof. Anyway what a shock to see I was on the 100 list. Down in the 90's but still on there. Wow!! My life has been very crazy the past few yrs. but to make a long story short we have sold our home in Kansas City, MO and moved into our RV, 5th wheel trailer and spending the winter in Southern Utah, beautiful place and not too cold. Just 100 miles outside of Las Vegas. We have a mail forwarding address in South Dakota and we are licensed there but that is as far as we go with that. No state tax or personal property tax to pay. Many full time RVer's either use SD or Texas as a state of record. Anyway we are happy campers not having to cut the grass, pick up leaves or shovel snow. Thank you for all you do. I get to brag to everyone about CT and how it has brought friends back together and I have also made new friends too. I would love to hear from anyone who remembers me. Thanks again and Happy and safe Holidays to all.

Name: Richard Labriola ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Dec 7, 2007, 6:21 am - HHS Time
Class: 1974
City & State: Buenos Aires
E-mail
Message: While working at Trader Joe?s Manhattan Beach in late 94 or early 95 Dirk Baily (?73) an old golf teammate from HHS walks in the store. We hadn?t seen each other in 20 years so we had a chit chat and caught up on what we could in five minutes. Before he leaves I asked him if he kept in contact with Geno Effler (?73), also a former golf teammate and a good buddy of Dirk?s. He told me that he occasionally talked to him and that he was now the public relation manager for KIA Motors. We finish our conversation, say goodbye and that was that. Little did I know that a few months later in 1995 when I moved to my native Argentina I would actually see Gino on CNN being interviewed regarding the growth of Kia Motors. If there was a moment in my life where I could say ?wow what a small world?, it was that moment. I was in another country and on TV I was watching Geno Effler a person that I had shared many moments with on the school golf team and some outside the golf ambience. For example I remember going to Geno?s house a few times to play a killer hockey game he had. Anyway I thought I would share this story with all of you, its sort of a Cougar sighting of a different kind. If anyone could let Geno and Dirk know of this posting it would be great. Finally I would like to send all Cougars a big hello from Argentina.

Name: jim hess ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Dec 6, 2007, 10:29 am - HHS Time
Class: 1965
City & State: bishop,ca
E-mail
Message: I'm not the best source of information for the following, but I felt deeply that really good friends of mine and especially of my dear brother Richard, have been having some hard times. Jim Jackson lost his son in a freak accident. My heart and thoughts go out to him and his family. In the same class (1969), Ken Mercurio tried to take over where Evel Knievel left off-flying over his bicycle handle bar and living to tell, probably part of the story. I'm told his recovery was none less than remarkable. Best to both of my friends. jim

Name: Ray Smith ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Dec 6, 2007, 10:09 am - HHS Time
Class: 1981
City & State: Portland, OR
No E-mail
Message: Wow..what an incredible week we had with the rain here in Portland area. Flooding in just about in all areas which reminded me of how Hawthorne had its share of floods in the 30s and 40s until THEY....yes...THEY..fix the problem. I wished those engineers can come here and do the same. What was the cause of Hawthorne's floodings and how was the problem finally fixed?(I take it sewers were filled in during the 40's to 50's?). I only recall going to the dry sewer bed 1 year when is was raining hard (my house was facing it on 116th street then it goes under 116th street to all over town) and seeing at most maybe a foot of water after a good rain storm. My friend MIKE and his friends actually walked under those sewer and tall tales were told how they walked in the sewers all the way to the fourm. Was the water level in the canal/bed was ever higher? (these questions I guess could be answer by people who lived from 116th street to 120th Ave).

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Dec 6, 2007, 9:49 am - HHS Time
Class: 1962
City & State: Spinnaker Cove, Ca
E-mail
Message: John Boy; I don't know who Chucko's daughter took after, she was adopted.

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Dec 6, 2007, 7:51 am - HHS Time
Class: 1962
City & State: Spinnaker Cove, Ca
E-mail
Message: Hey, John Boy; Here's a little bit of useless trivia. Jerry Rogers' brother Bill Rogers was married to Chucko the clowns daughter back in the 60's. Jerry and Bill both went to LHS, Jerry is no longer with us(RIP), but was a really good guy and had some fast cars back in the old days.

Name: Ingrid Larson ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Dec 6, 2007, 7:36 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Larson
Class: 1974
City & State: Long Beach, CA
E-mail
Message: I admit it - I've been lurking in the background for some time now, without posting anything. In fact, I can?t recall the last time I contributed something to the Feedback page. But that doesn?t mean I haven?t been spending time in Cougartown! I still look forward to checking in regularly to see who has been involved in the most recent Cougar Sighting, or what?s been added to this extensive website. There?s always something new here, and over the years there?s been a lot of good stuff that?s come out of John Baker?s hard work ? rekindled romances, long-lost friends found again, and thank you?s spoken that had been left unsaid for too many years. But still, it?s hard to imagine we?ve reached 1000 pages of feedback. I can remember back when there was quite a stir over reaching the 100 page milestone ? and look where we are now. And since we continue to get newcomers all the time ? we end up with an ever larger pool of Feedback contributors. So the 10,000 page mark can?t be too far away. But, still, I admit, it was quite surprising when I discovered that I managed to get a spot on the ?Top 100 List.? I guess if I want to hang on to my ranking, I?ll have to be sure to pipe in every once in a while. Just keep up that superlative work, John, we love what you?ve done so far ? and we?re looking forward to more great stuff in the future. What you?ve given all of us is worth far more than the meager bucks we send your way ? Transparent plug for Cougartown Dues.

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Dec 6, 2007, 7:26 am - HHS Time
Class: 1962
City & State: Spinnaker Cove, Ca
E-mail
Message: Hey Keith; I stand corrected, I just saw that Hawaii's Q/B is up for the Heisman. Maybe you do have some bragging rights, he's a dark horse in the running but has a chance, good luck.

Name: Donnie Jones ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Dec 5, 2007, 7:30 pm - HHS Time
City & State: Huntington Beach,CA
E-mail
Message: I had good past times WITH chucko. I have pictures of Chucko and myself in Lakewood, Ca. Later in my life I became a CLOWN "SNIFFLES" THE Klown. I'M 60 YRS NOW AND ENJOY LIFE. YOURS IN SMILES SEA YA sniffles