Name: Britt Stonebraker ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jul 8, 2009, 12:00 am - HHS Time
Class: 1978
City & State: Kingman AZ
E-mail
Message: I did a little checking and Neil Jennings was Principal at a school in Moraga CA for 21 years, he has just retired as of July this year, here is a link to a page with his picture

Name: Britt Stonebraker ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 7, 2009, 8:49 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1978
City & State: Kingman AZ
E-mail
Message: Connie is right Mr. Jennings first name is Neil I remember he had a green 71 mustang I thought was cool

Name: James Armour ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 7, 2009, 8:22 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1970
City & State: Acworth, GA
E-mail
Message: At five minutes and six seconds after 4 AM on the8th of July this year, the time and date will be 04:05:06 07/08/09. This will never happen again

Name: Larry Biller ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 7, 2009, 5:07 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1967
City & State: Portland,Oregon
E-mail
Message: Didn't Tom DeMary ride into the gym on a motorcycle whilst campaigning for student body prez?

Name: Kell C. ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 7, 2009, 2:57 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1967
City & State: ENGLEWOOD OR
E-mail
Message: I got this message sometime back from Baby Dave Collins..I'm sure some of you remember him..He didn't go to HHS but did hang at Fosters with my brother, John Cortes and others..here is his message if you can help just email ME.
Do you know anyone -- maybe your cousin Robin or whoever -- that would have known John Mathews that used to hang at Foster's (or knows someone that knew him)? He had a beautifully clean yellow 57 Chevy. What I'd like to find out is any of the following: what John's father's first name was. if his father was in Army, his rank and where stationed still live in Hawthorne? if i remember right he lived between Hawthorne Blvd and Prairie Ave on 120th or 118th. It would really be cool to find this out. There may be a family connection that I'm trying to chase down.

Name: Steve Fraser ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 7, 2009, 2:31 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Laguna Woods
No E-mail
Message: Did Michael and Joyce attend HHS?

Name: Connie Gaston ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 7, 2009, 2:19 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1979
City & State: Lomita, CA
E-mail
Message: Ray, think Mr. Jennings first name was Neil, but won't swear to it...

Name: Michael M Kratz ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 7, 2009, 11:50 am - HHS Time
Class: 1971
City & State: Vegas
E-mail
Message: I'm watching the Michael Jackson Memorial Live on TV. And I'm sorry hear Former television actress Joyce DeWitt has been arrested and charged with alleged drunken driving, in in El Segundo yesterday.

Name: Matt Peterson ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 7, 2009, 9:21 am - HHS Time
Class: 1974
City & State: EDH, CA
E-mail
Message: John, I am surprised CT is open today. I thought you would be at the memorial. Any Cougars get stuck in the downtown traffic?

Name: Mike Shay ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 7, 2009, 7:25 am - HHS Time
Class: 1961
City & State: Cerritos, CA
E-mail
Message: Hello All; Thank you J.B for the kind birthday wishes, and may I be the first to wish you a happy (August 28th) birthday as well. Just finished a great weekend with the kids and grandkids coming over for a BBQ on Sunday, a round of golf with some good friends Monday AM, coming home to a very well sung "Happy Birthday To You" voice mail from my favorite "joined at the hip" friend, and Barbara taking me to see the new "Public Enemies" movie Monday afternoon. Thumbs up on all events. Speaking of birthdays, Happy Birthday Jerry Rigney, we love you buddy! Hope to see all at the car show. M.S.

Name: Anita Bell ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Jul 6, 2009, 11:47 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Harmon
Class: 1969
City & State: Fair Oaks, Ca
E-mail
Message: Happy Birthday to my once "just down the street" neighbor Marna Niles. Have a Decadent Birthday Marna!

Name: John Baker ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Jul 6, 2009, 7:31 am - HHS Time
Class: 1962
City & State: Lomita, CA
E-mail
Message: A great big Happy Birthday to a "joined at the hip friend" for the last 50+ years, Mike Shay HHS61. Have a great birthday today, Mike. See you next weekend.

Name: Henry Cooper ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jul 5, 2009, 9:55 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Redway Ca.
E-mail
Message: To Sharon, Steve and other Tom DeMary Disciples: Toms son won a Long Drive Contest last year which was featured on the Golf Channel. Real Cool. As to his Leadership in Student Government I Personally thought it was Fine But I recall Schroeder And Graves stating one night at D&W sharing a Bottle of Red Mountain that the election was fixed? Henry Cooper Class of 66

Name: Sue Walsh ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jul 5, 2009, 3:13 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Jolly
Class: 1961
City & State: Hesperia Ca
E-mail
Message: Karen, thank you so much for sharing Mary's letter with all of us. It really was how we lived our very simple life. What was better than living in Southern Ca.??? NOTHING

Name: Sharon Bierman Branigan ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jul 5, 2009, 1:38 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Bierman
Class: 1976
City & State: San Clemente CA
E-mail
Message: Holy Cow! Tom DeMary!!! We lived across the street from the DeMary's on 115th and Doty back in the 60's. They had a pool and would share it with the neighborhood families during the summer. What lovely people Gert and Delmer were. Their boys were older so we didn't have contact with them but I'll never forget the sign in the pool area, "Welcome to our OOL. Please notice there is no "P" in it. Please keep it that way." I honestly cannot ever remember getting out of the OOL to "P"; my sincere apologies to the DeMary's. Sure would like to thank Tom for his family's generosity to the neighborhood. Not many folks would be so welcoming these days. Most of us don't even know our neighbors these days! Mr. Jennings - he was assistant teacher in my 5th grade class; he trained under Mrs. Brunk - anyone remember her? I was terrified of her! Looking at her picture now (class pic) she looks like a lovely, stylish lady. She didn't take any crap, that's for sure.

Name: Patty Sanborn ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jul 5, 2009, 11:44 am - HHS Time
Class: 1979
City & State: kansas city, MO
E-mail
Message: Hello to all the people I knew at good old HHS. It would be great to hear from some of you. Psanborn@mchsi.com. Best Wishes

Name: Ray Smith ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jul 5, 2009, 5:00 am - HHS Time
Class: 1981
City & State: Portland, OR
E-mail
Message: Long time no write! I been away 8 months due to computer failure and refused to buy a new one! lol....anyway, not sure about what people know of facebook but I started looking at it last summer and finished it recently and added so many new friends on it. I did alot of name searching and found my ex next door neighbor! She didn't go to HHS (she moved in 1980) but we had a wonderful time talking to each other. I was shocked from the stories she told of her growing up (she's a blonde cute gal) who it seems she always finds herself in fights in the neighborhood (being picked on from time to time since her 1st day in elementary school) and this was in the mid/late 70's. I guess growing up on 116st was bringing out the gangs into the area (Doty Crips to name one). That sadden me. Also, I am finding more people living in the Nw's in my class era and it is so nice to know they're nearby. So if anyone has any doubt about facebook I say "Go for it". I like it better than myspace.
Does anyone remember the former 6th grade teacher(of York Elementary School) and former Principle of Hawthorne Imediate School "Mr Jennings"? I need to know his 1st name. I seem to unable to remember it.

Name: Steve Fraser ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Jul 4, 2009, 8:13 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Laguna Woods
No E-mail
Message: Yesterday I was in a hotly contested golf game at Meadowlark GC Huntington Beach with the "Usual Suspects", mainly alumni Cougs. We came to the 14th, the adjacent green. Looking out to the 16th, Pettlon recogized the figure in a safari hat with stogie. We agreed, it was Tom DeMary 66', Student President. We chatted briefly, and Tom told us that he had a brand-new, shiny, 2009 HIP! (May) Adios, Steve

Name: Larry Biller ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Jul 4, 2009, 8:57 am - HHS Time
Class: 1967
City & State: Portland,Oregon
E-mail
Message: Have a good 4th of July. Lots to be greatful for even in these days. Went to Portland Blues Festival last night and saw one of my old favorites Johnny Winter. Great show! Last time I saw him was in 70 with Rick Derringer at El Monte Legion Stadium. That was great too. Have fun.

Name: Karen Kuehl (kk) ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Jul 4, 2009, 7:38 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Graham
Class: 1959
City & State: Vista, CA
E-mail
Message: John, I received this nice letter from a gal who contacted me after reading Ctown. I'd like to share her letter with our classmates.
Hi Karen! Lots of folks from So. California visit the Cougartown.com site...our own high schools don't have anything worth looking at, and the nostalgia factor is pretty high! I can't even recall how many years ago I read one of your messages where you mentioned your brother, Ron (Graham), and something clicked. When I dated Ron, he spoke many times about his sister, Karen, and the Hawthorne High School connection was too much of a coincidence even though I had forgotten that Ron attended Hawthorne HS. Then I searched Ron's name, read the lovely tribute you wrote, and realized that he had died. Memories are always fun, though, and I know you will get a kick out of this one. When I first met Ron in 1976 or 77, he told me that he had gone to high school with the Beach Boys. Being a cool girl from California, I had heard lots of celebrity stories, so I mentally said, "Yeah, yeah. You and the whole world!" and didn't really think about it much. When I read your tribute to Ron, lo and behold...I found that he REALLY DID go to school with the Beach Boys! Can't tell you how many times I've giggled to myself about the cynicism I had developed growing up - EVERYONE I knew was connected, in some way, to someone famous. Uh...John Wayne's mother lived near us...AND I once met Roy Rogers at an IHOP!!!! :-) Everytime I see your name or posts on the Hawthorne HS site, I feel a bit connected to Hawthorne High, even though I attended Lakewood HS. It is such a joy to read about the things that were common to all of us growing up in the 50's and 60's in Southern California. When I visit 'home,' it really doesn't feel like home anymore. My memories are the best of my childhood and it's true, you can never go back. When I picture the perfect day, it is taking the bus to the beach (too young to drive) with my brothers and watching all the kids we know pile in with their surfboards at stop after stop...the wind coming up in the afternoon, and NO RESPONSIBILITIES except to rub baby oil all over our bodies and 'cook' until done. Of course, we NEVER got 'done' because how tan was tan enough????
Weren't we all just lucky to grow up where we did, WHEN we did? More than lucky...we were BLESSED!! We were the cool kids and we KNEW it...you could always tell who the 'cousins from Minnesota' were, huh? We were the ones they wrote songs about and I do believe that we were living those lyrics, Karen. My grandparents lived in San Diego...and there were NO shortcuts. We just drove the coast, through orange groves, with the windows down. Never owned a 'real' coat until I left CA. We lived where everyone else wanted to be, and were the first ones to do just about everything. When my Kansas-farmboy husband met me, he didn't know what hit him! :-) I was everything he had imagined a California girl could be and all these years later I still call myself the 'California Kid.' Nothing ever seemed impossible to me, probably because I grew up where the movies really did come true - it's an attitude and magnanimous approach to life - arms wide open, yelling, "Hell yeah!" Our lives seemed bigger than real life when I compare my childhood to those of others. We walked barefoot everywhere, didn't we? And we didn't have to be rich to live a rich life - who could understand that now? Guess I feel doubly blessed to have been raised in an enclave of Texans in California! If everything is bigger in Texas, it only grew more so when transplanted to CA...we had it all. The two states with the biggest doses of confidence combined. Ahhhh - I am just basking in the awesomeness of it all, Karen. My younger brother passed away in 1983, and over the years, he is hardly mentioned and his friends have all but vanished from my life. I just wanted to let you know that I sometimes think about your brother and what a darling man he was. My heart was never broken so sweetly! :-) Ron was such a gentleman and I know you must miss him still. -Mary White Woodard/Houston TX

Name: Jim Sloey ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jul 3, 2009, 10:27 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: so;vang
No E-mail
Message: the 4th has a very significant meaning with the Sloeys other THAN the Declaration of Independence which does not in any any way undermine our significance to the 4th, but 47 years ago Jack and Velda decided their boys did not need to endure 30 below zero temperatures 5 months a year and moved from the hinterlands to Hawthorne. Thanks DAD AND MOM! Happy 4th to all Cougs just happy to be part of the group!

Name: Michael M Kratz ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jul 3, 2009, 3:41 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1971
City & State: Vegas
E-mail
Message: Happy Birthday America!

Name: Susan King ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jul 3, 2009, 10:23 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Bierman
Class: 1974
City & State: Thousand Oaks, CA
E-mail
Message: Cougar Sighting! Vegas - 07-01-09. Sis, Lori and I heard that Aunt Shell (Michelle BuGuy Bierman - 74) and kids were meeting in Vegas for a girls weekend so we did the 24 hour turnaround tour and crashed their party! While we were there, got to see Gloria Valencia Achrem (76) and daughters. Exhausted but couldn't miss the opportunity to see any of them! I think this could become an annual event!

Name: Laura Iorio ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jul 3, 2009, 4:35 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Rasch
Class: 1982
City & State: Austin, Texas
E-mail
Message: Just wanted everyone to know that my ex-brother in law, Michael Semeniuk (class of 67) died yesterday after a battle with cancer. He was a special man and will be missed. He's survived by his wife Rita, son Gene and brothers Tom (class of 73) and Mark (class of 77).

Name: Gary Morgan ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jul 2, 2009, 9:25 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1963
City & State: camarillo CA
E-mail
Message: Roy Seib....Are you there?

Name: Valerie Jokela Armstrong ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jul 2, 2009, 9:02 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1974
City & State: Long Beach, CA
E-mail
Message: Hello! I attended Eucalyptus Elementary School with Patty Valencia, Joanne Lyons, Lisa Bush, and many other great kids. I moved to the Seattle area after 6th grade and lost contact with my So Cal friends. I have never forgotten that group of girlfriends. Talk about girl power - we invented it! I now live in Long Beach. Anyone who remembers me from Eucalyptus can contact me at valeriebeth@verizon.net. I have a Facebook page under the name Valerie B. Armstrong. I'm currently a teacher at San Pedro High School.

Name: Jack Dicus ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jul 2, 2009, 9:20 am - HHS Time
Class: 1968
City & State: Miramar Beach, Florida
E-mail
Message: Skip mentioned surfing so many times, I just had to go down and catch a few this morning. Everyone have a safe and happy 4th.