cougartown.com FEEDBACK
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Name: Vicky Zapf ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Sep 6, 2012, 1:00 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Essner
Class: 1967
City & State: Boerne, TX

Message: John, Where are the photos from Chauncey's 90th birthday party? Chauncey and you use to come into Jerry's Barber Shop and Rick & I would like to see the photos. Thanks
Hi Vicky, Yes I still see your brother every month or so. The pictures are on the reunions page. Go to Happenings|Class Reunions on the nav bar, above and look on the left side of that page under Cougartown Get-togethers with Pictures. I moved them yesterday and have been getting email from everyone on this subject. Thanks for asking.
Name: John Baker ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Sep 6, 2012, 11:49 am - HHS Time
Class: 1962
City & State: Lomita

Message: As we all know the HHS Sports Program, along with other Ca. schools, are no longer being funded by the state. In that light, HHS has to find other ways of financing these programs. Our Hawthorne High Alumni have helped out tremendously in the past and hope we can continue to support good old HHS in the future. Please read Principal Mark Newell's letter on this subject and do hope you can help out again this year. Thanks Cougartown for all you do for me and for our Hawthorne High.
Name: Dean Karels ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Sep 6, 2012, 7:45 am - HHS Time
Class: 1965
City & State: tustin

Message: After reading some of the feedbacks it came to me that a visit to Cougartown is just like going back and having a wonderful day in the neighborhood.
Yes it is.
Name: Steve Fraser ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Sep 5, 2012, 12:36 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1966
No E-mail
Message: So, if I don't belong to Facelift, how do I see reunion pics? Come on! I don't need a hour by hour accounting that little Mary Ann just took a number 2. I still call friends on the AT&T...I'll probably burn in cyberspace for saying this...
Burn along with me Steve, just how I feel about FB.
Name: Linda Dill ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Sep 5, 2012, 11:01 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Sutton
Class: 1967
City & State: Redondo Beach

Message: John, Our reunion was so great that no one had time to take pictures. I took a few and Adeline Oddo took some which we posted on facebook. I have contacted Lenora and she "friended" me. I am not sure how to send pictures to CT. If anyone else took pictures, I hope you will share them with us.
Hi Linda, you can email them to me but depending on their size, not more than a couple at a time. Thanks
Name: Bob Milazzo ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Sep 5, 2012, 8:56 am - HHS Time
Class: 1960
City & State: Bakersfield,Ca

Message: I just read the post of Carol Ferges passing and it brought back many many good times that we shared over the years. I can remember spending many days just hanging out at their home in Hawthorne with all the family. It was always easy to find their house because of the school bus that was parked in front (Mom Ferges drove the school bus for many many years). Many years later I ran into the family at Lake Isabella and became close friends with her brother Ralph and remained close to her mother and father. Carol and her family were special to me and she will be missed.
Name: Betty Rodriguez ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Sep 5, 2012, 7:42 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Kean
Class: 1969
City & State: Kingman, AZ

Message: Marion, I can't believe you didn't know about C-town! Does Christy know? Well anyway, glad you're here. It's a happy place. Come back often (cause John is a little jealous of FB). Kidding, John - and Happy Belated Birthday month!
Facebook....what's that? Thanks Betty for your Cougartown thoughts, It IS a nice place huh and thanks for hanging out here for at least the last decade.
Name: Sherry Ward ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Sep 5, 2012, 5:16 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Rout
Class: 1965
City & State: Somewhere in Tennessee

Message: Lenora, I am so sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. I saw some photos from your reunion on Facebook. Here is the page. I am sure there will be many more. I hope these bring you some enjoyment.
Name: Jodi Alexander ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 9:46 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Torgerson
Class: 1975
City & State: Bakersfield, Ca

Message: Today is a very special day for me. I would like to share a letter that I wrote today. I think there are many of us from a small town called Hawthorne that can relate to my story. So here goes...
It was a Tuesday morning; September 4th, 1962 when I awoke to hear my mom saying, time to get up" today is your first day of school. Back then, school started the day after Labor Day. I had been excited about it, but when we walked, out the front door and walked the short 6 blocks to Ramona Elementary, I was wondering who was going to watch my baby brother while mom and I were at school. As we got to the gate to enter school, she stopped and told me, Jodi; mommy has already been to school. It's your turn. So, I slowly walked away from my mom, tears running down my face, and her telling me, I will be standing right here waiting for you when school gets out. All of a sudden, a little girl with dark hair and big eyes walked up to me and said, don't cry, I'll be your friend, took my hand and we walked through the door together. Then terror struck again. Her class was on the right, and mine on the left. She said, I will see you at recess, and she did! My friend taught me how to do a cartwheel, swing on the monkey bars, and we both pushed each other on the swings. But the most special thing she taught me was how to laugh. We left Ramona school, after 6 grade, and entered junior high. Big changes, new faces, but still my friend was there with me. Then off to good old HHS! These truly were some of the best years of my life. I only wish that kids today could grow up in a kinder, safer world like we did. There were boys, football games, did I say boys? There are too many great times and so many fond memories to mention. There were secrets shared that have never been shared with anyone but you and I. We were standing next to each other when we both married. We stood outside a hospital room waiting to hear the first cry from our first born child. Also the first call to share the excitement of going to be Grandma's! So with all this said... Today is June 4th 2012. Teresa Deuel, you have been my BEST FRIEND, For 50 years today! We have shared some of life's best moments together, and some of the worst. Teresa, I want you to know that I love you, and have been blessed to have had you in my life. Everywhere I go, you go. I carry you in the deepest part of my heart! I wonder how many people can say that they have one Best Friend for 50 years? I am proud to say, I have! Jodi
Hi Jodi, What an exceptional story. Thanks very much for sharing it with all of us.
Name: Tom Shelley ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 9:25 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1962
City & State: Beaumont, CA

Message: Denny Unfried jogged another Plaza memory. There were, I believe, 4 office/shop/studio spaces attached to the Plaza theatre building. Two on the north side and 2 on the south. I took piano lessons from Professor Kayes in one of the studios on the south side. Professor Kayes was a very accomplished pianist who had studied with many of the greats of the early and mid 20th century. Piano was his life!! If you sat on that side of the theatre during a movie and it came to a quiet scene, you could just barely hear the Prof. working on some beautiful classical piece. If you listened closely, it was sometimes more entertaining than the movie.
Name: Susan King ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 9:10 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Bierman
Class: 1974
City & State: Thousand Oaks, CA

Message: Today I got a call from my dear classmate, Patty Valencia Saville, V5. She called to let me know, through tears and with a heavy heart, that the Valencia clan has lost a brother. Carlos, HHS class of 68, affectionately known to the family as "the baby of the older kids", passed away Sunday morning and it was quite unexpected. Services will be held on Saturday, Sept 8 at 12 noon at the Upland Chapel/Chaffey Community Cultural Center at 525 W. 18th St., Upland, CA 91784. The six Valencia kids spanned HHS from 1961 to 1976 and touched many lives and have many friends. I thought it was important to let you know. Love and comfort V family - I wish you peace. And to Steve and Sharon, I love you both very much.
Talked to Patty yesterday. Very sad news about Carlos. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Valencias.
Name: Alan Nelson ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 8:17 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1973
City & State: Parker, AZ

Message: Don't remember if it was the first movie I saw at the Plaza, but the one that sticks in my mind is "Jason & the Argonauts" in 1963. And speaking of "Gidget", the inspiration for the Big Kahuna character, Terry "Tubesteak" Tracy, passed away a few weeks ago. The Gidget character came from a girl named Kathy Khoner who hung around Malibu and was taught to surf by Tubesteak. Her Dad, Fred Khoner, eventually took her tales from the beach and authored the original book "Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas" that spawned the movies and TV show, and eventually the Beach Blanket Bingo series. I know this isn't HHS related but, hey, surfing and the beach was a big part of our Cougar culture, and I'll bet a lot of us turned to surfing due to Gidget, Moondoggie and Kahuna.
Alan, thanks for the information. Yes surfing was a big part of our 60s-70s culture.
Name: Lenora Puls ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 7:30 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Mills
Class: 1966
City & State: Murrieta,Ca

Message: Are there any pictures of the class of 67/66 reunion. I was not able to attend, my husband passed away 2 days before.
Hi Lenora, Sorry to hear of your husband's passing. I have yet to hear of any pictures from your reunion but I'm sure someone will surface with their whereabouts. Linda, do you know where they are?
Name: Armand Vaquer ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 4:26 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1972
City & State: Tarzana, Karloffornia

Message: This would qualify as a Cougar sighting if the resident was at home and I was able to see him. While at work today, I found where Brian Wilson lives (he's currently in Australia with the Beach Boys). It is a few doors away from Paris Hilton's residence (I had to stop by her place to deliver some items).
Name: Cindy Wernicke ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 3:44 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Maxson
Class: 1963
City & State: Stagecoach, Nv
No E-mail
Message: Funny, someone just mentioned the movie High Noon, my husband was in that movie, he was one of the kids who ran across the street just before the big gun fight. My Plaza story is that after seeing the movie with my sister Vicki we stopped at the Hawthorne jail to see Mr. Ward the police chief and our neighbor, Mr. Ward was a really nice man but not that day, he put me in a cell and locked the door and walked away, that was so scary for a little girl, I remember it like it was yesterday.
Name: Linda Dill ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 3:20 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Sutton
Class: 1967
City & State: Redondo Beach

Message: Saw many movies at the Plaza but the most memorable was spending a rainy Saturday sitting through Gidget multiple times. Oh, Moondoggie!
Name: Pauline Matthew ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 2:36 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Spencer
Class: 1969
City & State: Oak HIlls, CA.

Message: I had a Cougar sighting today. I was at Stater Bros. and who should I run into, Marion Wright, class of 69. I knew she lived up here in the High Desert, Hesperia but I have never ran into her. We had a great talk and hopefully have lunch one day soon. I turned her on to Cougartown, so hopefully she will take a look at the page.
Hi Pauline, She beat you to it. Thanks for spreading the word.
Name: Marion Romero ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 2:27 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Wright
Class: 1969
City & State: Hesperia, Ca.

Message: I just found out about this site today and I wanted to check it out.
Hi Marion, You haven't been looking too hard, we've been here for 15 years Welcome to Cougartown.
Name: Peter Nelson ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 2:18 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1957
City & State: Corona Calif.

Message: I remember going to the plaza theater in the 50"s my mother gave me a dollar. 50 cents to get in the show, and 50 cents was for a candy bar popcorn and a drink. I liked the westerns, I saw the movie high noon with Gary Cooper in 1952, saw the movie Shane with Alan Ladd in 1953. Peter Nelson class of 1957
Name: Nancy McConnell ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 1:24 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Moffett
Class: 1962
City & State: Simi Valley, CA

Message: On a lighter note. Jailhouse Rock at the Plaza!! Saw other movies also, but this is the one I remember best. lol
Name: Nancy McConnell ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 1:22 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Moffett
Class: 1962
City & State: Simi Valley, CA

Message: A Cougar passing. My sister Judie Moffett Poppleton saw this in the Logan, UT obits. I don't remember her, but I am sure someone out there will. Carol S. (Ferges) Painter (1943 - 2012) Carol was born in Los Angeles, Calif., to George E. and Janet R. Ferges. Carol had a happy childhood with a large extended family and lived in the South Bay area her whole life. She graduated from Hawthorne High School in 1961.
Nancy, Received the sad news about Carol last week. Our condolences to the Ferges and Painter families.
Name: Doris Donaldson ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 11:42 am - HHS Time
Maiden: donaldson
Class: 1957
City & State: Twin Falls, ID
No E-mail
Message: I remember "THE THING" back in 1952 when my first little boyfriend walked me to the Plaza, paid for my ticket, and then promptly went to sit with all the "in kids" down in the front rows, while I sat with a girlfriend in the back of the theater ... never could stand those front row seats! Killed my eyes! And my ears! No matter where you sit in the small theaters of today, it nearly blasts you out of your chair! BTW, will there be any Cruise Night photos or was Paco AWOL from the event???
He was AWOL.
Name: Howard Paco Duran ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 11:25 am - HHS Time
Class: 1961
City & State: Lake Forest

Message: I have a little story about the Plaza, when I was 11 or 12 my father took me to see "The Blackboard Jungle",I can't remember if it was at the start or end of the movie, but when Bill Haley and the Comets started singing "Rock Around the Clock", every "Tennager" in the place got up and started dancing in the aisles..Those of you that knew my father know how unconfrontable I felt. If I had been with my mother she would've been in the aisles with the rest.
Name: Denny Unfried ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Sep 4, 2012, 11:13 am - HHS Time
Class: 1955
City & State: Del Aire

Message: The first movie I ever saw was at the Plaza in 1941 and a real thriller called "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". The highlight of the whole experience was the newsreel which showed a huge anaconda snake caught in the Amazon. Scared the hell out of me and to this day I give snakes a wide berth. On the south side of the Plaza building was "Bob Shultz portrait studio" and during my first couple years of high school he let me help in the lab since all teenage boys can use an extra buck or two. On Saturdays when the theater would show a chase scene our whole lab would shake and we couldn't use the enlarger due to vibrations. Think the big speakers must have been right on the other side of the wall.

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