Name: Bonnie Driscoll ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-May 4, 2008, 5:50 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Brodeur
Class: 1980
City & State: Laguna Hills CA
E-mail
Message: Hi Everyone, I havn't been on Cougartown in awhile and I have missed it. I did get in touch with people on the Alumni list. This is an Awesome Site. Thank you John For this site. I loved High School. Anyways I heard of the passing of a Favorite Art Teacher. Even though I did not know this Teacher. I know the impact Teachers make on our lives. We always remember that teacher or teachers that touched our lives in a special way. I did reach a favorite teacher of mine Mr.Allen , I had in Freshman English in 1976. I also loved Mr. Sloan as well. Anyways I just got a new Computer and look Forward to the feedback and checking in on a regular basis.

Name: edward schatz ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-May 4, 2008, 4:49 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1970
City & State: lakewood, ca
E-mail
Message: Although I never had an art class at HHS, my wife, Carol Schatz (Ricroft)c/o 75 did, and indeed had Mr. Williams as an instructor. She passes along her condolences to the Williams family at this time of his passing. She said she had enjoyed him as her instructor, and I pass along mine as for the passing of a HHS teacher.

Name: Talia Pacheco ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-May 4, 2008, 3:03 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1998
City & State: Hawthorne, Ca
E-mail
Message: Hello! First off, I have to say, I love this page. It's amazing what a community HHS grads have and I'm proud to be one of them. So, this year is time for my class's 10 year class reunion. Several classmates and I have asked around to see if anyone had anything in the planning stages, but there was nothing. So we've decided to pick up the ball and plan something. Our question is, to those who have organized these before... Any tips, suggestions, standard operating procedures that might be able to help us out?? We are open to any and all advice so please feel free to email me. Thank you so so much and hope everyone is well!! All the best, Talia Pacheco Class of '98

Name: Jody Weller ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-May 4, 2008, 11:35 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Halberg
Class: 1959
City & State: Long Beach CA
E-mail
Message: THANK YOU COUGARS for the GREAT TURN-OUT at the Cinco de Mayo Party at the VFW last night. Always great to see all of your smiling faces. And JOHN BAKER you are the GREATEST for keeping us all together all these years.

Name: Andrea ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-May 4, 2008, 10:05 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Rossi
Class: 1982
City & State: hawthorne
E-mail
Message: Just this morning I was telling my son about my art teacher in High School , and that he MADE us listen to classical music and I didn't like it but I did what I was told...and my son looked at me and said ..''that was a good art teacher cause you know how to draw real good'' .........wow! And now I log onto Cougartown and read of Mr.Williams passing.......so sorry for your loss Willams Family...........

Name: Karen Tamulonis ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-May 3, 2008, 8:12 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Avena
Class: 1964
City & State: Seabeck, Ca
E-mail
Message: I'm heartbroken to hear of Mr. Williams passing. I will miss him terribly but will always remember how much he inspired me to pursue my art. I can honestly say he was the BEST teacher and friend I had throughout my schooling.

Name: Jean MacErnie ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-May 3, 2008, 6:48 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Caldwell
Class: 1968
City & State: ALbq NM
No E-mail
Message: Sorry to hear about the passing of Mr. Williams....He was one of my favorite teachers at HHS. I remember him playing his favorite music while we worked on projects. Especially "Chances Are"....I wasn't into his music but it was relaxing. I remember I would paint and keep in time to his music at the same time. I hope no one else noticed that! My prayers go out to his family.

Name: Armand Vaquer ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-May 3, 2008, 3:41 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1972
City & State: Tarzana, CA
E-mail
Message: That's terrible news on Mr. Williams. It seemed that he was enjoying his retirement and in good health and now suddenly this. I seem to recall that he played the soundtrack to "2001: A Space Odyssey" in class. R.I.P.

Name: Keith D. Jones ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-May 3, 2008, 3:27 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1976
City & State: Las vegas
E-mail
Message: Yes the Rineharts moved in when I was probably around 12 or so. Can't really remember. He was a fireman. Craig, Krista and Heidi I think were the kids. I think as nutty and crazy as I was and my dad was so loud and boisterous kind of made them think of us as dysfunctional. Which I guess we were.

Name: Patty Saville ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-May 3, 2008, 2:46 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Valencia
Class: 1974
City & State: Laguna Beach, Ca
E-mail
Message: What sad news. I am so glad to have had my phone call with Mr. Williams. I will always consider him one of the finest teachers, a great coach and a good friend. My deepest condolences to his family.

Name: Ricki Farrell ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-May 3, 2008, 1:40 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Valencia
Class: 1961
City & State: Tucson AZ
E-mail
Message: It was with great sadness in my heart to report that Clayton Williams passed away yesterday from complications from pneumonia. I'm still too upset to write more. I got the call from his daughter Krista. He, as you all know, was the finest high school art teacher ever and a great inspiration to many. My prayers are with his family.

Name: Steve Fraser ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-May 3, 2008, 8:58 am - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Laguna Woods
No E-mail
Message: Keith.....did you live next to the Reinhardt's?

Name: Keith D. Jones ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-May 3, 2008, 12:05 am - HHS Time
Class: 1976
City & State: Las Vegas
E-mail
Message: Wayne don't worry about the post length. I have quite a few of that length. I am like you it takes me time to explain something. I live at 5336 W. 137 st. It was the 4th house from the corner near Isis and 137 st. I lived there since being born 1958 till 1977. My parents were there since the 50's.

Name: Wayne Gratiot ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-May 2, 2008, 5:20 pm - HHS Time
City & State: Summerland, CA
E-mail
Message: Thanks for the nice welcome, Cindy. I agree with John's comment about "well said". That is the way we should all feel about our time spent in Hawthorne. Memories of our "childhood" seem to be more intense and full of happy thoughts than most memories about the rest of our lives. Luckily, I am well into my 2nd childhood and enjoying life just as much as my 1st childhood and a button on the sunvisor in my old Mini Cooper pretty much says it all. It says: "I may be getting older, but I refuse to grow up!" I always get a lot of comments about it at any car events my Mini is involved in. I'll be sure and remember your kind words whenever I post about my Hawthorne memories in this great "Time Machine" John has created.

Name: Cindy Wernicke ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-May 2, 2008, 2:49 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Maxson
Class: 1963
City & State: Stagecoach, NV
E-mail
Message: Wayne Gratiot, Please do not edit yourself or your stories, I really enjoyed reading what you had to say and had to wipe the tears from my eyes as I was trying to read it. Just so you know, I didn't graduate from HHS either, I left Hawthorne in my Jr. year. I have been to most of the 63 reunions and have attended quite a few Ctown functions, nobody cares if you went to HHS or not, you are from Hawthorne that is what this web-site is all about. Welcome, Cindy

Name: Wayne Gratiot ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-May 2, 2008, 1:10 pm - HHS Time
City & State: Summerland, CA
E-mail
Message: Ahh, thanks for explaining the run-on paragraph John. I was worried I was doing something wrong. I'll try to keep track of the length of my posts since I tend to ramble on a lot when talking about something I like. For instance, if you go to the So Cal British Motoring Forum online and look in the General Chat section for the "Ventura/Santa Barbara Backroads Fun Run" thread, the first post wherein I describe the entire run is even longer than my first post here. There are pics of the run in another thread "Wayne's Run" so you will be able to see my 67 Mini Cooper that I am bringing to the Cruise Night in August. I tried to send John a pic, but all he got was letters and numbers.
While I'm here there is one more thing I wanted to let people know. On Wednesday, April 30th in the LA Times, there is an article on the front page titled "Flames ravage but also reveal" about finding old plane crash sites after big fires in our So Cal mountains. As the article continues on page A16, they talk to a retired schoolteacher and self-trained aviation archaeologist from Mission Viejo by the name of Pat Macha. Sure sounds like it is your old teacher as I saw mentioned a few times while I have been going thru the Feedback posts. There is a picture of him also. He sure sounds like a teacher I would have loved to have had in school. Is it him?

Name: Harry Plotkin ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-May 2, 2008, 12:20 pm - HHS Time
City & State: Harbor City, CA
E-mail
Message: Paco,Your fifteen cent a week allowance (which I promised and never paid) is now worth over $491.00. The check is in the MALE.Dad

Name: Michael Kratz~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-May 2, 2008, 11:44 am - HHS Time
Class: 1971
City & State: Vegas
E-mail
Message: "Our Swampy Past", Leuzinger Farmhouse, It would make sence. In reading, "The History of Hawthorne" by Robert S. Hartman. It made reference of abundant water fed by springs that flowed through the present day cities of Playa dl Rey, Inglewood and El Segundo.

Name: Wayne Gratiot ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-May 2, 2008, 11:11 am - HHS Time
City & State: Summerland, CA
E-mail
Message: Hey Keith. Believe me, I had a bunch of paragraphs in my post and yet it all showed up as one big alphabet-gone-wild mess. Sorry about that. If I had known that would happen, I would have split it up in a couple of posts. Keith, I also noticed that you lived on 137th St. across from the Hollyglen Park. We were 5314. Where were you?

Name: Jerry Miles ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-May 2, 2008, 11:00 am - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Fair Oaks, CA
E-mail
Message: Now just wait one minute here. I know how time sometimes warps the memories but what I am reading is just beyond belief. There was a vacant lot on Felton directly between the Assembly of God and the Del Aire Baptist churches. On this spot my friends and I invented makeshift bunkers, dirt clod bombs, and the fine art of playing war. All I can presume is that the rest of you surely must have wandered by and spied on us now claiming these memories for your own. Just to the Northeast of this location were two more vacant lots covered with small hills which we often invaded with our bikes. So obviously we invented BMX also. To the Southwest was the true Okefenokee that inspired so many childhood adventures that their relating would fill a book. And as was mentioned, the police were not called nor did our parents worry. We were not getting in trouble but just having fun. Didn?t we grow up in a fantastic place? Also, I would like to announce I just posted a new video about the history of Hawthorne on CT Video?s. And as I have used almost all the resources I have so far had available if anyone would like to share snapshots they may have of early Hawthorne or things Hawthorne related, please do not hesitate to email them to me. If enough come in on a particular subject I would be happy to compile them into a new video and share them with all of CT. Thanks.

Name: Steve Fraser ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-May 2, 2008, 9:33 am - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Laguna Woods
E-mail
Message: Everybody's salsa is the best, and chili too. But if hot sauce is your cup of tea, try "Dave's Insanity". Hard to find but each drop (one works) is explosive. The antidote is on the bottle! And NOT use water. Ice cream is good.