Name: Debbie Beachler ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Dec 23, 2013, 1:09 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Kilroy
Class: 1971
City & State: The OC

Message: Hi John!! Wanted to stop by and wish you and all Cougars a very Merry Christmas and Happy, Healthy New Year!! Yes, I too was sorry to hear of the closing of Hollywood Park. My dad took me there to learn how to drive in their huge parking lot. Of course my Dad loved to go there when the ponies were running also. He loved the Daily Double and would often stop by the Cockatoo Inn on the way home from the track. I enjoyed it also as an adult. Ah, good memories. Well, at least we have those. Thanks again John for maintaining this site!!

Name: Cheri Longanecker ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Dec 23, 2013, 12:50 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Longanecker
Class: 1965
City & State: Yuma, AZ
No E-mail
Message: I attended the '63 Jr/Sr Prom at Hollywood Park. My dad worked for ADT and he maintained their alarm service. He kept a bicycle on site to help move around the park. My aunt who was a lead "woman" at North American, took me there on a couple of company holidays when I was a kid. The lakes were neat as were the geese and associated "Goose Girl" I believe she was called. Ah progress. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to all.

Name: Al Murphy ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Dec 23, 2013, 10:49 am - HHS Time
City & State: Helena Montana

Message: John, to you & yours, & all the Cougars, A Big Merry CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Your site is the BEST, I check it every day!! Too bad about the Park, spent a few bucks on the horses there myself. LOL We all have our memories of the OLE days; the Blvd, A&W, etc. & I love to read about them on your site!! Have A Great one & how is Jan doing? Have to ck on him as he is a fellow MARINE! MURPH

Name: Jim Frederick ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Dec 23, 2013, 7:58 am - HHS Time
Class: 1969
City & State: Hanalei Kauai , HI,
No E-mail
Message: Merry Christmas everyone! Ahhhh, Hollywood Park! My uncle who worked there would call my Mom and tell her to send me over to walk the horses after a race "Hot Walker" It paid really well! around ten bucks a horse! And for a kid around 10 or so in the early sixties that was very good $! If i didn't walk a horse i would sit down and sketch them. That's when i really fell in love with horses! Another landmark gone, and now another memory. I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year!

Name: Don Burns ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Dec 22, 2013, 9:29 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1957
City & State: Downey Ca

Message: Hey Cougs, Have a Merry Christmas. I remember selling the Herald Examiner at the SW entrance to the park in the early 50s. too young to know many movie stars, but saw Bing once. Later Don

Name: Doris Donaldson ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Dec 22, 2013, 11:06 am - HHS Time
Maiden: donaldson
Class: 1957
City & State: Twin Falls, ID
No E-mail
Message: Upon reading CT this morning, I felt a lot of nostalgia. With the mention of little Bobby Wankel, it brought back a flood of memories ... he was one of my brother's best friends way back when and he was in and out of our house like he lived there. Don't know how many times I was caught walking from my room to the bathroom in my "all-togethers" and a very red face! Great kid! Love him still! A belated Happy Birthday my dear friend!! And another bit of nostalgia is the loss of the Hollywood Park! I saw it burn down, also "way back when" I was a small child. I also learned to drive in it's parking lot. Went to the races there a couple times with one of my ex's brothers. Lots and lots of memories! Thank you John for this wonderful venue you have provided. Facebook? What's that!!?? Especially compared to our family here at CT! And BTW ... MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of CT!!! And most of all, to our beloved webmaster, JOHN! xo!

Name: Sharon Macdonald ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Dec 21, 2013, 10:38 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Badger
Class: 1963
City & State: Bruceville, TX

Message: John - you mention the Proud Bird on Monday and on Wednesday the plane I was on landed and taxied right by the Proud Bird. Spending Christmas in Waikiki with family. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and all Cougartown!

Name: Jody Weller ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Dec 21, 2013, 1:45 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Halberg
Class: 1959
City & State: hawthorne CA

Message: JB and Cougartown Friends and Family. MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS. Please have a SAFE & SANE NEW YEAR.

Name: Leo Ainsworth ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Dec 21, 2013, 10:03 am - HHS Time
Class: 1964
City & State: Chicago

Message: Carl Wilson's birthday today from the class of 1964. I imagine we will celebrate his life at our 50th reunion next year, Cheers

Name: Eugene Obillo ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Dec 20, 2013, 8:38 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1962
City & State: Harbor City, Ca.

Message: Another part of class of 1962 will become no more after Sunday. Hollywood racetrack which was the site of our prom will be no more. Just another memory. Wish all of Cougartown a very Merry Christmas.

Name: Marilyn Ross ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Dec 20, 2013, 7:25 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Wisham
Class: 1956
No E-mail
Message: Love your Christmas decorations John. The site is so festive. I wish you and all the Cougars a very Merry Christmas.

Name: Lance Shaner ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Dec 20, 2013, 4:29 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1969
City & State: canyon country Ca

Message: Hey Jim I remember you from pop warner and hawthorne high football .I saw your message the other day it was good to see you are doing well . Lot of water under the bridge sinse then but they were great days . Look me up on facebook . Lot of the old team is there .

Name: Bobby Jensen ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Dec 20, 2013, 1:54 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1971
City & State: Cheviot Hills, 64
No E-mail
Message: Hey John, your new color scheme is the same as our living room in 1958! It's so "mid-century modern". Merry Christmas!

Name: John Pritchard ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Dec 20, 2013, 8:56 am - HHS Time
Class: 1969
City & State: Clayton, CA

Message: I passed by the site of the fire early yesterday morning. It gutted a multi-story building in between an insurance office complex and the Chase branch at the northwest corner of the Hawthorne Blvd. and El Segundo Blvd. intersection. The library is maybe 100 yards to the west. What looked like a movie-shoot was in progress inside the derelict mall across the street, so Hollywood has found a use for the structure. The racetrack in Inglewood closes for good on Sunday.

Name: Leo Ainsworth ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Dec 19, 2013, 5:10 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1964
City & State: CHICAGO

Message: HAWTHORNE, Calif. A huge fire in a Los Angeles-area strip mall tore through several stores and caused at least one roof to collapse, but there were no reports of injuries. LA County Fire Inspector Anthony Akins says the blaze was reported at about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday night and quickly surged to a third-alarm fire, bringing out more than 100 firefighters who had to act defensively when it was clear much of the shopping center would be destroyed. TV news helicopters showed a liquor store, a discount store, a Chinese restaurant and a Chase bank branch were among the businesses in the strip mall a few miles southeast of Los Angeles International Airport in Hawthorne. After about two hours firefighters had it mostly knocked down, but they were still dousing pockets of flame.

Name: Mary Ann Martin ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Dec 18, 2013, 10:53 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Walton
Class: 1961
City & State: Nashville, AR

Message: I grew up on all of BBQ Pete's food! Good food. Good man.

Name: Myrna Wood ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Dec 17, 2013, 6:33 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Bell
Class: 1966
City & State: Atascadero, CA

Message: When making the full Cole Slaw recipe for family gatherings, I use a clean ice chest, it works great. My older brother, Tom, worked for Pete's for awhile, our families knew each other from church. Pete taught us to put BBQ sauce on the cole slaw, so that is what we still do. I'm not sure this is an "out-of-sight" recipe, but it is part of our BBQ Pete's experience - a very fond memory of Growing up in Hawthorne!

Name: Gary Bickers ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Dec 17, 2013, 12:17 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1963
City & State: pve cal

Message: My BBQ Pete story: In 1953 my great grandfather flew for the first and only time in his life from Boone Iowa to see my mom. He insisted he take the family to dinner. We went to the best place in Hawthorne we knew, Pete's. Time to pay, he opened his wallet with maybe 30 checks in it, found the one closest to the amount due and signed the check. Pete came to the table and signed off a third party check drawn on an Iowa bank and the check was over 18 months old. He was a good man with great food.

Name: Nancy McConnell ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Dec 17, 2013, 11:51 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Moffett
Class: 1962
City & State: Simi Valley, CA

Message: Sat, Dec 7, I was at a Lakewood YMCA Gymnastics Event for my grandaughter Emily and had a Cougar sighting. Fred Rand and his wife were there for their grandaughter Emily. The two Emily's know each other from the Y. We explained to them that we went to, and graduated, from the same high school 51 years ago. They both made funny faces at that...... something close to "you're kidding" or "you're that old". And Fred reminded me he has a twin....

Name: Janet Burkett ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Dec 17, 2013, 9:16 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Humphreys
Class: 1962
City & State: Ca
No E-mail
Message: Happy Birthday Robin Hood!!! Hope you're having a great day...enjoy! Janet B

Name: Carole Ferruccio ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Dec 16, 2013, 10:31 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Anderson
Class: 1960
City & State: Lake Isabella, CA

Message: Ok John I Want to try the slaw but what kind of oil, which type of vinegar? Thanks, Carole

Name: Susan Adams ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Dec 16, 2013, 5:27 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: nelson
Class: 1969
City & State: Anderson,ca.

Message: John Pritchard, PLEASE forgive me! I meant message for Clark Millman..it was just a joke, didn't mean to offend anyone...Jerry showed me my mistake...sorry Clark, hope I didn't offend you either..guess I'm in the dog house..(or should I say the "Cougar" house..

Name: Ken Mercurio ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Dec 16, 2013, 4:29 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1969
City & State: Monroe, Ohio

Message: John, Janet and I are smiling that you re-posted her BBQ Pete's coleslaw recipe. I can vouch for how good it is, and I get to enjoy it frequently now that she has "discovered" it. She's on her third big batch, and has donated it to potlucks. BBQ Pete's lives on in Ohio!

Name: Carl Rilling ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Dec 16, 2013, 3:17 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1959
City & State: oregon city, ore

Message: My recipe card for BBQ Petes coleslaw says, one gallon cabbage, 1 oz salt, one oz sugar, one qt oil, one qt vinegar. That was from someone named Myrna some years back on Ctown. Still one of my favorites, and I am called to bring it to different functions. Arthur Bryants BBQ in Kansas City, Mo. still has the best slaw as well as BBQ. A favorite of pro teams in the area.

Name: Mike Stallings ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Dec 16, 2013, 2:35 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1974
City & State: San Pedro, CA

Message: Well another restaurant landmark, that I think still had some South Bay period architectural historical significance, has closed. The Buggy Whip restaurant in Inglewood is gone now. It had the biggest Piano Bar in the south bay as this venerable establishment, which was a great steak & lobster dining experience, was around for over 60 years. I remember my parents taking me here in the early 60's and I started taking them back each year for Christmas, about ten years ago. One of the few places left that had Green Goddess salad dressing .

Name: Tom Burroughs ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Dec 16, 2013, 1:22 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1958
City & State: Prescott

Message: Great to hear that the Beach Boys, with the original David Marks are back making great music. Also someone mentioned Dick Dodd & the Standells so I got out my CD recorded live at PJ's & am playing it. This was quite a while before the Dirty Water hit.