Hawthorne Feedback

Name: Mary Hymes ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-May 21, 2008, 12:26 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Rose
Class: 1970
City & State: Grants Pass, OR
E-mail
Message: It is with great sadness I need to advise you we lost one of our Hawthorne Police finest, retired Agent Phil Heald, who passed away Sunday. Phil was with HPD for over 30 yrs and I enjoyed working with him for 20 of those years. Back In Feb 08 we also lost another fine officer John "Big Muzz" Musulin who was with HPD for over 20 years. Both of these fine men were like brothers to me and I will miss them terribly. When they teamed up in an Adam car they made quite an impression. Please keep their families in your prayer.

Name: Wayne Gratiot ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 11:00 pm - HHS Time
City & State: Summerland, CA
E-mail
Message: I have to tell a little story related to all the great memories of the Helms trucks being told here. From reading my previous feedbacks, you know that I was "kidnapped" by my parents and moved away to Oxnard in January '60 before I could become a Cougar myself. Many years later in 1974, while waiting for a certain civil service job to open up at the Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station, I went to work for the summer driving a light yellow panel van (not the traditional Helms big square truck) for a Ventura-based bakery home delivery service. The name of the company.....Holms Bakery. They bought some of the old Helms panel van trucks and changed the 'e' to 'o' and other than that were unchanged. They had the long arm that stuck out from the dash and you had to push down on it and it would give you the traditional "toot-toot" or whatever cadence you felt like. One street had a few neighborhood kids that were strangely interested in how the whistle worked and I ended up doing a version of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" whenever I saw them waiting for their donut fix......Back to the point of the story.....I actually got to be a "Helms", uh, "Holms" Bakery driver just like we grew up with in Hawthorne, but in Ventura County. So I became a Hueneme Viking instead of a Hawthorne Cougar (both HHS) and drove a Holms truck instead of a Helms truck even though it was a Helms truck in a "previous life". Some kind of strange karma going on here?

Name: Larry Biller ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 8:48 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1967
City & State: Portland,Oregon
E-mail
Message: Denny, I think the panel truck you're referring to was Paul's Bakery.

Name: jean macernie ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 8:19 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: caldwell
Class: 1968
City & State: albq nm
No E-mail
Message: The other donut truck with the drawers in the back....Golden Crust.....I would eat those donuts only when the Helms guy wasn't around.

Name: joseph mailander ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 4:49 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1975
City & State: los angeles inner city ca
E-mail
Message: Hey John, it's not my place, but sometimes you have to be braver than your place permits, and so I invite all of Cougardom to contemplate with affection and peace the passing of Ms. Olena Key. Though she did what she did quietly and with amazing and poetic grace, she was truly one of the most noteworthy KEYS to the formation of this wondrous diaspora of ages and classes and History that is Cougartown, a community that would be far diminished without her. We who are the beneficiaries of the gentle wisdom personified by her husband Mr. George Key, forever our principal, all owe a debt of gratitude to Olena Key, and we certainly all recognize this much. I'm taking time today to honor her memory, as I know all Cougars are on reading of her passing. John, not only do I LOVE YOU MAAAANNN but I LOVE THE KEYS and what they've done for us, and I will continue to do so FOREVER! Peace to all, joseph.

Name: Denny Unfried ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 4:41 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1955
City & State: Del Aire
E-mail
Message: I still have my Helms souvenir cream puffs. I'm reminded of them every time I tighten my belt so just wear them around proudly. I've been trying to remember the name of the other bakery that used to come around in the blue panel trucks with all the drawers in the back. Anyone??? We didn't even have to leave the house since the cleaners, Jewell Tea, Fuller Brush and several others came to the door. Also Mr. Fasel would bring his department store to you in his large step van and if he didn't have what you wanted it would be in his van the following week.

Name: Jerry Miles ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 3:49 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Fair Oaks, CA
E-mail
Message: Cindy, look at the last line.

Name: Bobby Jensen ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 3:20 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1971
City & State: Los Angeles 64
No E-mail
Message: All The creampuffs that I remember are the used cars that ran through my dad?s agency. Each and everyone a ?Cream-Puff?

Name: Jack Dicus ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 3:16 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1968
City & State: Miramar Beach, Florida
E-mail
Message: A teaspoon or two of sugar, sweetie! :)

Name: Cindy Wernicke ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 2:50 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Maxson
Class: 1963
City & State: Stagecoach, NV
E-mail
Message: Jerry Miles, I found this note in the recipe, this would be a teaspoon of what? (Note: If you add a level teaspoon or two to the cream you whip, it will firm up and stay firm while serving and waiting to be eaten.) Thanks, not that I need cream puffs, but I will try them. Cindy

Name: Jim Gibson ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 12:23 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1967
City & State: Redding, CA
E-mail
Message: In the 2nd grade, I was crossing my street (137th St), near Inglewood Ave., and I failed to notice the 1959(?) Cadillac bearing down on me. I do remember seeing the chrome "bullet"-type bumper as it made contact with me, spinning me around, knocking me back to the curb. The ambulance came & transported me to the hospital. The Dr. looked at my tightly-clenched right hand & pried my fingers open, revealing a lump of a greasy, dough-like substance. It was the remains of the miniature loaf of bread that I had received just a day or two before, during a class field trip to the Helm's Bakery. I was reluctant to give up my edible souvenir, but I was consoled by the fact that waiting at home was the little paper, folding replica of the Helm's Bakery truck. - Gibby -

Name: Steve Eide ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 9:22 am - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Alexandria, VA
E-mail
Message: Many thanks to my classmate Jerry Miles and to you John for the recipe . I will try these out.

Name: Steve Eide ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 8:57 am - HHS Time

Class: 1966
City & State: Alexandria, VA
E-mail
Message: When I read the first posting recently (although the subject comes up every now and then)about the Helm's truck and driver my mind went directly to their cream puffs. A confection filled with a cool custard/cream. Yes they were "expensive", around 20 cents as I remember. The tours of the Helm's bakery out on Venice Blvd (?) was great fun for us third graders. We loved the miniature loaves of bread they gave us. Sure beat the tour of the Starkist tuna processing plant in San Perdo the same year.

Name: John Baker ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 8:52 am - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Lomita, CA
E-mail
Message: It seems as though I inadvertantly erased a few feedbacks the last time I split this page. If yours is missing and you want or need it here, please re-write it. Sorry for the boo boo.

Name: Patty Saville ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 8:43 am - HHS Time

Maiden: Valencia
Class: 1974
City & State: Laguna Beach, Ca.
E-mail
Message: We are saddened to hear of Olena Key's passing. Our hearts and prayers go to George and his family.

Name: Keith D.Jones ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 8:03 am - HHS Time

Class: 1976
City & State: Las Vegas
E-mail
Message: I saw someone mentioned Terry Hartman and his mom. Do you remember there dog "King" (at least I think that was his name). It was part wolf and german shepard. It was the biggest and scariest dog I have ever seen. Mr. Hartman used to walk it around the block where Holy Glen was. I used to be the paperboy for the Daily Breeze in Holy Glen and always was scared when I had to go collect the $3.50 every month for the paper. Mrs. Hartman was very nice but now I find out she made awesome creme puffs and I never got one. I would have rather had one of those than a tip. Does anyone on here remember me as the paperboy. For years it was only me and my brother who delivered the Daily Breeze. We had the biggest route of any paperboy. Riding my stingray bike with my bags tied around the handlebars and throwing the papers with pinpoint accuracy (most of the time)

Name: Arthur La Mere ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-May 20, 2008, 6:47 am - HHS Time

Class: 1973
City & State: Bettendorf Iowa
No E-mail
Message: Best Cream Puffs are at the Wisconsin State Fair. also good roasted corn on the cob lots of butter.

Name: Ray Smith ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-May 19, 2008, 11:56 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1981
City & State: Portland, OR
E-mail
Message: Wow...this week I am BLOWN AWAY by 2 feedbacks postings I read this last few days. The recent one is about Hawthorne Youth Camp. I been there acouple of times and I wanted to Thank John for posting the link to it. It has a really nice picture brochure given out by the City of Hawthorne of the campsite and Lake and it flooded me with some nice memories. I was a quiet little guy back then and I didn't talk too much...just went with the flow but that lake gave me smiles because it was where I won the fishing contest catching the most fish(16) in 1 afternoon. I really had em coming to the shore biting on my hook so fast that I didn't need bait..just dip the hook and they took a bite! Not sure what kind of fish I was catching though but after the contest we let them back into the lake. ANOTHER long time no see was seeing Tammy Levene posting. Even though I don't KNOW her but do know her in a sence. We had the same teacher in the 6th grade at York elementary and both of us was at Hawthorne Intermediate. My buddy really liked her at York. I saw her again when I was in the 10th grade at my baseball game(goooo Oriole's...2 yrs straight champions)...she showed up. I wonder where she been all this time cuz she didn't go to HHS. At 1st I didn't reconized her because 2 yrs have past but I had to do a double take to make sure it was her! She was drop dead gorgeous. Had me speechless but I later found out she was going to Leuzinger(bummer). But, Tammy and I have emailed back and forth this last few days and it was nice to hear she is doing well. I LOVE THIS WEBSITE....you just never know who will drop in writing their 1st posting because I rarely check the Alumi page to see who has checked in and added their name/email to the list. Anyway John...thank you for bringing some of the past back by having this website open.

Name: Diana Hunt ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-May 19, 2008, 9:15 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Escovedo
Class: 1971
City & State: Lomita, California
E-mail
Message: The best cream puffs ever, were made by Terry Hartman's (Class of 73) Mom. Eat one and you swear you'd died and gone to heaven. Helms were good, but Mrs. Hartman had it nailed!!! Other great treats from our wonderful Mom's in the neighborhood were Ronnie Ortega's (Class of 68?) Mom. Her candied apples at Halloween time were the absolute best and you had to make their house the first stop or you wouldn't get one. Each Mom had their own specialty and if you were invited to sample these delectable delights life was good.....

Name: John Crotty ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-May 19, 2008, 7:29 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: Hermosa Beach
E-mail
Message: On the subject of the Helm's Bakery trucks. Did anyone ever have one of their cream puffs? They were huge, and full of a rich, thick cream. As I remember, they were also pretty costly, but...oh yeah! They were kept in a small refrigeration unit near the driver's seat.....you really had to ask for them......I think the driver kept them a secret.....for his own enjoyment.....or....for those special customers on his route!!! I found out from a buddy who always had BUCKS!!!!