Hawthorne Feedback

Name: Debbie Beachler ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Feb 5, 2014, 3:16 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Kilroy
Class: 1971
City & State: The OC

Message: Well, those Gioia's are at it again. Dana Gioia, USC Judge Widney Professor of Poetry and Public Culture, has been named the recipient of the Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry. He is already celebrated here at USC for his poetry, he now is joining a list of the GREATEST contemporary American poets. Wow, that's a mouthful but such is Academia, they love their titles. Congratulations to him, great achievement....still have not run into him yet. Well, now that the restraining order against me stalking Pete Carrol has expired, maybe I can get back on campus soon....Thanks John!! You can read more here

Name: John Pritchard ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Feb 5, 2014, 11:38 am - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: Clayton, CA

Message: Not at all, Janet. It's usually spelled "Euskadi", but there is no z-sound in Spanish, so it's the same word in effect. "Euzkadi" is a popular brand of tires in Latin America. The Basques are all over northern Nevada and north of there. I studied French twice on the island of St. Pierre et Miquelon, off the coast of Newfoundland, where the Basque culture is very important. It may be a legend, but some say that their language is the only one that no outsider can master, that you must be born a Basque to be truly fluent. My Welsh relatives claim to speak the oldest language, and it too is difficult.

Name: Janet Burkett ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Feb 5, 2014, 9:20 am - HHS Time

Maiden: Humphreys
Class: 1962
City & State: Ca
No E-mail
Message: Thank you John Pritchard....you taught me a new word, Euzkadi! Love Basque restaurants and I know there are a number in Bakersfield, but had dinner at an excellent one in Reno when I took my granddaughter up to U of N last fall. I don't remember any in Hawthorne, maybe they were there and I didn't know it. We stuck to basics, steak, burgers, Italian, or Mexican food.

Name: Ken Mercurio ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Feb 4, 2014, 5:44 am - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: Monroe, Ohio

Message: Janet Amuchastegui will be happy to see (when she gets home from work) the birthday wishes from John and John. Yes, she is half Basque, and is so proud of that heritage. Hey, with the Beatles 50-yr anniversary of their Ed Sullivan U.S. debut coming this Sunday, it got us talking about how in 1964, the main topic of conversation among us 7th graders was: "What's your favorite Beatles song?" or "Who's your favorite Beatle?" It was the 7th-grade version of a pick-up line with the opposite sex. hahaha. I still remember my fav song during those early days was "You're Gonna Lose That Girl".

Name: John Pritchard ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Feb 3, 2014, 11:04 am - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: Clayton, CA

Message: Happy Birthday to Janet Amuchastegui, one of our classmates (7th grade for me) with a Basque background. Euzkadi for Ever! Is there a breakfast at the VFW the third Sunday of each month, whether or not Cougartown participates?

Name: Tom Burroughs ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Feb 3, 2014, 8:45 am - HHS Time

Class: 1958
City & State: Prescott AZ

Message: Happy BD Joanie Bradford, Dells Daughter. Bought a lot of gas at that Chevron across from HHS

Name: Jim Hess ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Feb 2, 2014, 7:39 am - HHS Time

Class: 1965
City & State: Bishop, ca

Message: Guess I've got over being called "dumbo" for awhile, Only because Pat Burris always said it with a big smile, but now as I face the mirror in the morning, some of those early year characteristics are creeping back along with the glasses, hearing aids and knee braces....life is good. Go USA in Davis Cup. Watched Bryan Boys kick butt yesterday.

Name: Michael Flatten ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Feb 1, 2014, 11:13 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1964
City & State: waddell,az.

Message: happy birthday to my old friend, Gary Schwarz.

Name: Diane Esparza ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Feb 1, 2014, 2:53 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: russell
Class: 1964
City & State: washington utah

Message: If you're out there Sandra Mark, please email me. We were friends at St Joseph's school in 7th and 8th grade.

Name: Marilyn Ross ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Feb 1, 2014, 2:01 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Wisham
Class: 1956
No E-mail
Message: Happy Birthday to Marion Burkeman. An old schoolmate from back as far as York Ave.

Name: Tom Burroughs ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Feb 1, 2014, 12:41 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1958
City & State: Prescott AZ

Message: To follow up on what Camille has said, I never went by it but my first name is Rolla. Named after a Grandfather after being born on his BD. I remember I think maybe 5th grade Curtis Gabriel & Richard Robison taking chalk & writing Rolla all over the 4 square markers all over the play ground. I think I laughed it off but not happy at the time. Richard's middle name was Morris so I always had a come back with a little change in the pronunciation!!

Name: Camille Hawkes-Gainey ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Feb 1, 2014, 9:07 am - HHS Time

Maiden: Hill
Class: 1959
City & State: Manhattan Beach, a

Message: Ray & John - Those terms of endearment in H.S. only made us the stronger more well adjusted individuals in adulthood. How we react to it is a lesson we all have to learn. And, yes, I'll admit I never forgot it! or when I was called "4 eyes" in the 7th grade when I couldn't see the blackboard & had to wear glasses. We shall overcome! ha. Then, we you adjust well, you are known for a different good reason. I then became "Cat eyes". Boils down to what's inside that counts.

Name: Ray Shelley ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 31, 2014, 9:22 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1958
City & State: Mena, AR

Message: Thanks Tom, and Camille you are so gracious. For some reason noses were a big subject in '58'. It was common place with the guys to chop each other. For example; Don Allen was a big guy, he was so big, when you told him to haul butt, he would have to make two trips.. You say that in front of a bunch of guys, you would get a laugh. Mike Gillespie and I would get into it all the time. A bunch of guys were sitting in senior sq. and I came walking in, Mike said, Shelley's nose is so big, it gets here five minutes before he does... That's funny stuff, at seventeen. Next time I saw Mike, I asked "is that your nose, or are you eating a banana"? See what I mean. This went on all year. Don't ask me why when Camille and I were in front of an assembly, that I asked her "did your glasses come your nose, or did the nose come with the glasses".. Now you gal's out there, how would you like to date a jerk like that?...NOT, I was a lonely guy back in high school and could never figure out why. lol

Name: Karen Tamulonis ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 31, 2014, 7:02 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Avena
Class: 1964
City & State: Seabeck, WA

Message: Hi John, you've done such a wonderful job on this website. I can't thank you enough. I love playing the games but I missed the question about songs but will list some of my favorites from way back when: Connie Francis, My Happiness - Beach Boys, In My Room - Dobie Gray, Drift Away - Janis Joplin, Me & Bobby McGee and last but not least, Gene Pitney, Town Without Pity. I'm really anxious for the Class of 64 Reunion and hope it's a big turnout.

Name: Tom Burroughs ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 31, 2014, 6:59 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1958
City & State: Prescott AZ

Message: Hey Ray, I never saw an attitude. You were just my friend & a guy nobody messed with. My first encounter with the law, Pinky, a motor officer stopped & told me I could not ride my bike on the sidewalk. Scary!! My next encounter came over two years after buying my Cushman motor scooter at age 12. I rode it illegally for over 2 years as you had to be 15 1/2 & have a learners permit to legally operate it. 2 weeks before I was 15 1/2 I had just dropped Gary Kimbrell off at his house after baseball practice & did not come to a full stop at a stop sign by HHS. Got pulled over & the officer asked for my permit! I said I won't have one for 2 more weeks. He made my push the scooter from HHS to the police station & they impounded it. Had to appear in court with my Mom & the Judge said make sure he doesn't do this again! My mother was a little mad & said you would have thought I was a criminal! But breaking the law is breaking the law. Think that was my last law breaking experience.

Name: Don Burns ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 31, 2014, 6:13 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1957
City & State: Downey Ca

Message: Hey Cougs, had a few conversations with Mr Baumgardner in a few places besides the Gunga Din. Joined the HAPS in 51, stayed in a couple months, the got interested in roller skating at the Lawndale Skate Rink, stayed with that until 57, went in the Army. Later Don

Name: Clark Millman ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 31, 2014, 6:07 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1976
City & State: Manhattan Beach, CA

Message: Cougar prodigy sighting! Not a true Cougar sighting but the next best thing. Met Misty Smith today at Lowes in Torrance. She said her mother was Carol Smith HHS'64. They lived on Eucalyptus near Truro. If I can't find a Cougar on a given day I'll definitely take a prodigy sighting!

Name: Camille Hawkes-Gainey ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 31, 2014, 5:23 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1959
City & State: CA

Message: Yeah, Ray....my nose is still not attached to my glasses! (Just had to throw this in since you were talking about your "Bad Boy" behavior in school). I'll let you tell the story if need be. And, again, you are my friend & was never a big deal....actually pretty funny.

Name: Max Roelen ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 31, 2014, 3:05 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1974
City & State: Citrus Heights, CA

Message: All the latest talk about our Beach Boys and other groups of the late 50's, throughout the 60's, got me thinking about the studio musicians who made the groups famous. I refer to The Wrecking Crew. Without them, most of those groups of that era, would not have made it to the top 40 list. That is my opinion. Have a great COUGAR weekend!

Name: Janet Burkett ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 31, 2014, 10:40 am - HHS Time

Maiden: Humphreys
Class: 1962
City & State: CA
No E-mail
Message: I'm with you Peter, loved the Beach Boys "California Girls". But, also loved so many other songs they recorded. I think you know just how good an artist or group is if their work spans generations, and theirs certainly does! Loved seeing them with my granddaughter at the Greek last year....living proof!

Name: Ray Shelley ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 31, 2014, 10:34 am - HHS Time

Class: 1958
City & State: Mena, AR

Message: John, just a quick, I'm sorry I didn't get back to you Tom Burroughs, but I needed my memory refreshed also... Thanks John... Hawthorne Intermediate and the Gunga Din, bring back an incident that occurred while I was in the eighth grade.. When I was younger I use to have an attitude.. Don't know why, I wasn't BAD.. Maybe I thought I was? Anyway, one afternoon I went to the Gunga Din. That was my first encounter with Sgt. Max Baumgardner, Hawthorne Police Department. I observed him watching me. Then he walked over to me, said something I didn't like, (can not remember what it was) but I smarted off something I thought was funny, he looked me in the eye and said, " one of these days we will meet again at the station". I laughed and walked away. It wasn't three weeks later, that a friend of mine and I get into an altercation, with some other guys on the lawn of some elderly folks, and they called the police. Well my friend and I got a free ride to the station, and guess who was sitting there when I walked in.. You guessed it, my buddy Max... He hammered me pretty good. They kept me at the station for about three hours, then drove me home. My folks were not use to having the police bring their children home, so you know what happened to me... My older brother was upset with me and kept calling me a 'Jail Bird', took a while to lose that handle. All ended well. Sgt. Don Williams took me under his wing, I joined the Hawthorne Auxiliary Police, learned what Policing was all about, and am now retired from a career in Law Enforcement. Oh and Max! We eventually became friends. Although, in the back of his mind he may have had a picture of me behind bars..... Sorry for the windy post John....

Name: Peter Nelson ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 30, 2014, 3:50 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1957
City & State: Sun City California

Message: Message The Beach Boys had 4 songs that hit number 1 on the top 40 1. 5-23- 64 I Get Around 2. 4-17-65 Help Me Rhonda 3. 10-22-66 Good Vibrations 9-3-88 Kokomo. Back in 1961 in Long Beach I saw Fats Domino, little Richard, Chuck Berry in concert the price of a ticket was 20 Dollars. My favorite Beach Boys song California Girls PETER NELSON CLASS OF 1957

Name: Dennis Kilroy ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 29, 2014, 9:28 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1977
City & State: OC CA

Message: Hey John one of Hawthorne High's most popular and loved teachers Mr. Pat Macha has release another book available on-line. See the details on his web site or search on Amazon. I just downloaded it. Also look on his site to see when his speaking engagements are, he is very interesting to hear. I have heard him twice. The 2nd time we had him speak at our veterans group. (This might be a cool thing to have him speak at the Hawthorne VFW Post Hint Hint Hint) If he comes back to Hawthorne I am so there!