Name: Judy DeGrazia Blomsterberg () on Friday, February 2, 2001 at 09:40:26
E-Mail: JUDYWUDY@att.net
Maiden: HappyBirthdayAndrew
Class: 64
City and State: Torrance, CA
Message: Happy Birthday to my brother, Andrew.. I see it's Kathy Jensen's birthday too.. how ironic because Andrew and Kathy are still long lost friends from when my folks had the Italian deli on Haw Blvd in the 80's and Kathy was a sandwich maker there.. so was Larry Guidi..the Mayor..(he was head sandwich maker) & thanks to Billine Spencer Flynn '66.. who just bought her PROM NITE tickets...
Announcement: For the younger set, I've decided to let you have your "MOSH PIT"..(whatever that is) just as long as you can do it to a Tommy Edwards tune and you clean up afterward. Now I have to go and find out what the h**l a MOSH PIT is. Last note, MAUREEN MANNING & PAT DESMORE .. I promise to play "In the still of the night" if you just get your tickets...!!!! (boy, everyday it's something new)
Judy D.. On a quest
I think a Mosh Pit is where the younger Cougs do the Mosh Potato.....anyway, as long as they aren't jumping off a stage into a sea of humanity.

Name: Fred Fritsche () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 22:38:32
E-Mail: flfritsche@aol.com.
Class: 57
City and State: Rancho Palos Verdes, ca
Message: Hope to see everyone in August.

Name: Brother Bob Jensen () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 20:26:41
E-Mail: robertjensen@satco-inc.com
Maiden: putanothercandleonmybirthdaycake
Class: 71
City and State: LA,CA
Message: Greetings: I would like to take a moment and wish my tall, thin, little sister Kathy Jensen-Robinson a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY. She will be 39 for the very first time tomorrow (02-02-01). If you get a chance please email her a Happy Birthday. She is at slavekate@aol.com

Name: Sharon MacDonald () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 19:47:57
E-Mail: rmac@genevaonline.com
Maiden: Badger
Class: 63
City and State: Burlington, Wisconsin
Message: Hey, Doris, my mom used to do the same thing ..... sit at the stop light and rev the engine and then beat the car next to her when the light turned (she had an old blue Plymouth Fury retired police car). She still laughs about those days.

Name: Bob Melendrez () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 17:22:27
E-Mail: Strongheart@pacificwest.com
Class: 1971
City and State: Redondo Beach, CA
Message: Just a note to send condolences and prayers to the family of Janis Stoops Poropat ('71). Janis was a classmate of mine for many years, and I am so sorry to hear of her passing. The class of '71 has lost a wonderful and beautiful friend...

Name: John Baker () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 16:29:14
E-Mail: jb1@cougartown.com
Class: 62
City and State: Lomita, CA
Message: Hi Cougs, I wanted to follow up on the funeral of Cougar Janis Stoops-Poropat. You can sign her Memorial Guestbook online by clicking here. Thanks Cougs.

Name: LGW () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 16:25:18
E-Mail: lgeelew@pacbell.net
Maiden: Geele
Class: 76, no 75
City and State: Los Altos, CA
Message: Dear John, Now I am truly under a complete cloud of midlife angst. It's not enough that no one I've contacted from my class will speak with me (so I'm going to defect to the class of 75 -- they'll take anyone I've been told), but you took away my star, too. Or maybe I should run away and join Leuzinger (same as joining the circus, right?). . . .
Maybe the flea circus. Hey Laura, I didn't take away your star. Go back and hit the Reload or Refresh button on your browser. It's there...honest.

Name: Walter Holt () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 16:03:10
E-Mail: walter_holt_hhs66@hotmail.com
Class: 66
City and State: Mission Viejo, CA
Message: Was That Camera on the Lolipop Tower or the Silver Tower? I remember a certain classmate of mine Liked to try to shoot out the lights on the silver tower. Mike funny story, I'm sure most of us have experienced the "lets get drunk while our parents are out or away" and can relate to that story. Darrel Jones c/o 66 reminded me the other day of one of our sessions over at Hollyglen Park that I had forgotten about until he mentioned it. Of course I remember having a party for a week while my mom was in the hospital, and tried to put that one over on her & got caught. I thought I would never get off restiction, but that was one Heck of a week.

Name: Doris () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 16:01:46
Maiden: Donaldson
Class: '57
Message: More discoveries! THE CASUALS CLUB held their dances at the Veterans Hall in Lennox. Do any of you guys who got tickets for racing around town ... you know, the ones who got to know the Hawthorne cops ... remember a motorcycle cop who went by "Mac"? I believe it was short for his last name and I also think he might have been a Sgt. HELP? Which reminds me of a funny tail about my Mother. She would sit at a stop light and rev the motor of the car if there was some young stud with a hot looking car sitting next to us ... as if she were going to have a little race. Then she would fool us ALL and try and beat the sucker! GAWD! She was fun and she was an "older" Mom, which made it twice the fun!
I think your mom beat me once.

Name: Laurie Kelleher () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 15:09:55
E-Mail: lauriekelleher@hotmail.com
Maiden: Bednarski
Class: 74
City and State: New Yawk, New Yawk
Message: Patty: I don't remember any funny brownies that the drill team sold, but I do remember almost half of them getting kicked off the squad for getting drunk one night. Was anyone out there a part of the exiled squad?

Name: Don Di Tomasso () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 13:50:48
E-Mail: dond@ix.netcom.com
Maiden: Was Smith
Class: 75
City and State: Torrance,CA
Message: Does anyone remember seeing a strange two hour cartoon in Nyman Hall. I think it was French. Started out with two crazy-looking characters sitting on a island...that is all I remember...I must have fell asleep for most of it? Perhaps Cougs from 71 through 76 might have been exposed to such artistry...

Name: Bill Jensen () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 13:49:30
E-Mail: william.jensen@trw.com
Maiden: Eye on Hawthorne
Class: 63
City and State: Hawthorne Heights 90250
Message: I have been doing some checking into the water tower camera. A fellow that worked for the City of Hawthorne for 45 years remembers the camera. I was informed that it was for surveillance and City Manager Joy West put it up sometime during the 60's. He did not remember the exact year. A cable ran down the tower and underground to the City Hall were a monitor was set up in a small room. The citizens protested vigorously at the city hall meetings. They feared that the camera would be looking into their yard and windows. The citizens were successful with their complaints and the system was operational only for a very short time.
Interesting, Thanks Bill

Name: Doris () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 10:09:05
Maiden: Donaldson
Message: JOHN ... are you saying the camera on the water tower was there in the 50's? Maybe even on the OLD water tower in the 40's? I can't figure the "civil defense" theory in the 60's and 70's, but as always, I'm interested in your ideas. AND I LOVE THAT STEEL-TRAP MEMORY OF YOURS! UNBELIEVABLE!! Wish my memory were 1/3 as good as yours! And isn't Mike Backus' storytelling marvelous!??!! Write a book about Hawthorne High and the City of Hawthorne, for that matter, with that sense of humor thrown in. It would be a BEST SELLER ... well, at least amongst us COUGARS!
Doris, I didn't know there WAS a camera until a few days ago. I think we could find out from Steve Anderson HHS60 through Jim Sloey HHS66 and see when and what the camera was all about.

Name: Judy DeGrazia Blomsterberg () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 09:07:20
E-Mail: JUDYWUDY@att.net
Maiden: don'tmakemecomegetya
Class: 64
City and State: Torrance, CA
Message: This is for GARY LENTS-DIZZY LIZZY-BILL DANA- COLLEEN TROTT & TERRY O'RYAN-SHELA NOLAN..and anyone else that's on the fence about committing to PROM NITE in Aug 2001... Follow these instructions:
Arrow up to the top of this page~(just above Paco's Pics) press the TOMMY EDWARDS hyperlink & click--turn up the volume, close your eyes..and just listen.. If you don't buy a ticket after that you're too pooped to pop, too young to appreciate good music or just plain brain dead.. In that case, I'll have to pull out the SKYLINERS singing "This I swear". Don't make me come get you!! Now, where's my body pillow, Ivan. I've just got to slow dance to Tommy...
Judy Wudy.. Dancing in the bedroom..with Ivan

Name: Paco () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 02:00:08
E-Mail: doo4usc@aol.com
Class: 61
Message: Mike Backus, Very very funny stuff! It almost sounded like you graduated in 1961. Deja Vu all over again!!

Name: Sherman Berman () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 01:54:24
E-Mail: srbranigan.srb@verizon.net
Maiden: "I'm Suekings Sister"
City and State: Catsouttathebag
Message: Mike Backus, I am enjoying your reminiscences, and THANK YOU for taking the heat off of me. My goodness what a stir... everyone can calm down now, I'm off the sauce this week...
And thanks too for leaving the Bierman name out of your story.

Name: Paavo Ogren () on Thursday, February 1, 2001 at 00:30:29
E-Mail: Paavoo@jlwa.com
Class: 1980
City and State: San Luis Obispo CA
Message: So where is Diane Bedard?

Name: Gary Lents () on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 23:18:08
E-Mail: glents@cybertelmail.net
Class: none
City and State: Vista
Message: Judy, Judy, Judy....not fair! I can't stand the pressure....but I'll say definately maybe. Hmmmm, Jerry Skaff is coming eh?...reminds me, what ever happened to Nancy Notterman c/o '66? And Judy, did you find any others that don't post that have said maybe????

Name: Mike Backus () on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 22:33:31
E-Mail: michael@backusstudio.com
Class: '74
City and State: Eugene, OR
Message: Misspent Youth, Part 3; The Inquisition.
We sat in our friend's living room, all of us realizing that we had been through something strange. Somewhere in between normal and vomiting it seemed like we were having a good time. My friends didn't look quite right. Their skin color looked kind of like people do when they're under cheap fluorescent lights. A bit blue green. Only they weren't under fluorescent lights. They WERE blue green! Slowly the group recovered and we began to talk about what had happened. "Do you think we'll get busted?" The collective chewed on that for a while. Finally someone said, "Look, our parents never did anything like this. They're clueless." We thought this over for a minute and saw the obvious truth in it. "Yeah, our parents never did this kind of thing. We're FINE!" We all relaxed, secure in our parent's stupidity. We made some more small talk, then limped for our separate homes. About an hour later I got the first phone call. "R------'s mom came home, smelled the puke in the house and got mad as hell!" "Oh God!" "Yeah, then she called S-----------'s dad" "@#*%" This was bad. As bad luck would have it, the first place that the outraged mother called was the very place where we had holed up post party. It gets worse. The REASON she called there was that this particular father was a member of the Hawthorne P.D.! She knew that our gang moved like a ten legged animal, hanging out first at one person's house, then the next. The son of the HPD officer was always in the pack. Who better to sweat the truth out of the perpetrators than one of Hawthorne's Finest? This was not the kind of stupidity that we'd been hoping for. As it played out, R------'s mom came home, smelled wine vomit overlaid with a thin veneer of Glade Pine Scent Air Freshener, and figured out what was afoot. A quick look in the trash revealed mostly empty bottles of alcohol that only alchies and ignorant teenagers will drink. Once she loosed the Professional on us, he played 'Divide and Conquer', grilling first one suspect and then the next. Each and every one spilled his guts for the second time that day. I waited for my turn at interrogation, but it never came. All of my friends had said the same thing; "Mike Backus was there but he didn't drink. He was trying to clean up the mess when we started puking." Apparently 'designated mopper' was not a punishable offense for minors in Hawthorne during the '70s. I saved my own adventures with alcohol for college.
So Steve Stonebraker was there too huh??!!!

Name: Sharon () on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 21:07:35
E-Mail: hawthornehig66
Maiden: Moore
Class: 1966
City and State: Long Beach, CA
Message: There was a camera on top of the watertower? What agency manned it, and why? Bob, maybe you could e-mail me with some excerpts from your paper, it sounds really interesting. Where did you get your research info.
JB & CT have done it again. I have connected with two people from the past. One is Mary Johnson. We lived on Menlo Avenue together and had a pretty long walk to school. We got to know each other pretty well during our 3-1/2 mile conversations. We had to walk in the rain, snow and sleet. It was awful, and uphill both ways too. Now we just need to get these two people and their spouses to cruise night, the reunion and prom night. Thanks JB.
That's great Sharon. I too had to walk from Cedar Av to HHS, but sometimes we'd catch the train on Broadway and Cedar and ride it to school..........uh in the snow, sleet, and rain of course.

Name: v5 () on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 20:04:27
E-Mail: pvalencia2@aol.com
Class: 1974
Message: Mike Backus involved with drunkards? Unbelievable. Especially because the event didn't translate into a dilbert-esque type cartoon series. Laurie, I think I remember watching Silent Running at the Dome, too. But maybe old Clayton was interested in the potential artistic palette offered up by the feature film Soylent Green. Perhaps it was a misinterpretation. I mean "Soylent Green" sounds like it deserves some kind of gov't grant. I think it's a good thing that Mr. W. has relocated to Utah because he might just be the type to see the potential in "The Matrix" and become interested in using the premise as a research resource for solving California's current power crisis. :0) I'm so glad that you brought back to mind those Nyman Hall movies. I don't think they were "B" movies, simply older ones. Glenn, you should add information on the Mr. Roberts stuff - that's really interesting. Back to the extracurricular activities, I have to say, I do remember the Drill team selling some interesting Brownies one time.
Soylent Green always sounded like a new miracle laundry detergent to me.

Name: Bill Jensen () on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 20:01:49
E-Mail: william.jensen@trw.com
Maiden: Who's watching me now?
Class: 63
City and State: Ingledale Acers
Message: I remember the camera on top of the Hawthorne water tower. It was used to keep tabs on John Baker during his street racing days! Now seriously, I do remember the camera. However I do not know why it was up on top of the water tower. I suspect that the fear of civil disobedience may have had something to do with it. You know, there were some Rowdy's in Hawthorne. This may have concerned our city fathers.
Being the 60's. it probably had to do with Civil Defense. It was probably tied in with all the sirens that went off on the last Friday of the month at 10am.

Name: Warino, David () on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 19:01:57
E-Mail: Warino@earthlink.net
Class: 1980
City and State: Playa del Rey, Ca
Message: Derek & Denean, You both did an exceptional job of the 1980 reunion. David

Name: Doris () on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 19:00:32
Maiden: Donaldson
Class: '57
Message: BOB JENSEN ... I did not know there was a camera in the water tower either! And I lived directly across the street from it ... well not "directly - directly"; our house was actually DIRECTLY across the street from Hawthorne's city yard (you know, the big 8 or 10 foot block wall), but never knew a camera had been installed in the water tower! Of course, I had long since moved and I think my folks sold the place in the late 60's so maybe it was AFTER I lived there. I wonder why in the world anyone would want a camera there!!!!??? And is it still there? The camera, I mean.

Name: Bob Jensen () on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 16:39:42
E-Mail: robertjensen@satco-inc.com
Maiden: I'vegotmyeyeonyou
Class: 71
City and State: Los Angeles
Message: As I was going through more of my stuff from my school days I ran across a paper I wrote regarding the camera atop the Hawthorne water tower. The paper was titled ?Big Brother is Watching?. I believe it was 1968. I was just wondering who remembers all the controversy that this camera caused in the city of Hawthorne? Does anyone know what promoted the installation of the camera? Was the camera functional? How long was it in service? In today?s world we rely on security cameras, traffic cameras and probably would not give it another thought. If you have any information please let me here from you. PS. Lets see more of you 70's people on the PROM LIST. I'm on a quest for the one and only JUDYWUDY.
I didn't know there was a camera..........

Name: Doug Medina () on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 14:59:58
E-Mail: gulliblebum@cs.com
Class: 80
City and State: Murrieta, Ca.
Message: Hi Russ Jacobson, No direspect man. It was all from a kids perspective. Glad you remembered me. I just remember a cool Plymouth Roadrunner that you had. It was parked in front of your house I think. It was sooo many years ago. Yeah, actually you did help corrupt me in a way. I always liked SPEED. Had a 89' Ninja ZX 10 with a top end of 170 mph! I would have partied with you back then, cept' it was 1972 and I was only ten! I would have preferred a Pineapple Crush and some candy cigarettes from Stellinos' Mkt.! I did however make up for that lost party time later on!!
I was just bustin' yer sack brother!
God Bless Russ, Jim & Jo Bensons' nephew Doug Medina Garden Grove HS class of 1980

Name: Jan Chauncey Norton () on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 14:43:40
E-Mail: jan.norton@eds.com
Maiden: Chauncey
Class: 1971
City and State: Hawthorne CA
Message: Janis Stoops Poropat - Class of 71 - passed away on Friday - Jan. 26. She had been fighting cancer for some years. We will surely miss Janis!!!!
A loving wife, mother and friend passed away on Friday January 26, 2001. Her husband Craig Poropat and three daughters Jill Christine, Lisa Ann and Christy Lee Poropat survive her. She is also survived by her mother Gertrude May Stoops of Escondido, siblings Marsha Ann Vifquain of Phoenix, F. Riley Stoops of Huntington Beach and Charles B. Stoops of San Diego, as well as numerous in-laws, nieces and nephews who love her dearly. Janis was born on June 12, 1953 in St. Louis, Missouri and moved to the Los Angeles area at the age of 1. She has been a resident of Palos Verdes Estates for the past 16 years. Whether it was as Captain of the Hawthorne High School Drill team, sister of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, graduate of UCLA, principle of the family business, Edco, or mother to her daughters, she always approached life as a challenge and a positive attitude that is 100% Janis.
Visitation will be Wednesday January 31st from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the White & Day Mortuary ------ 310-379-2446
3215 N Sepulveda Blvd
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266-2453
A memorial service will held at 3:30 PM Thursday February 1st at
St Peter's Presbyterian Church ------ 310-377-6882
6410 Palos Verdes Drive South
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275-5836
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made In Memory of Janis Stoops Poropat to the Breast Cancer Care and Research Fund ------ 310-791-6295
23430 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 350
Torrance, CA 90505

Name: Patti Smith () on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 12:27:15
E-Mail: grnidl80@mediaone.net
Maiden: Smith
Class: 68
City and State: Cypress, CA
Message: Fun Haven! Haven't thought of that place in years, but it was one of my brother Bob's (c/o '64) (John, you can find a pic of him in the junior class of the '63 El Molino) favorite places during Jr. High (Dana--I went to HIS). Bob always did love to have fun, and still does. Big Bro Mike (c/o '58), do you remember the time Bob put one of those exploding charges in Dad's cigar (or was it cigarette? I was all of 7, so my memory is fuzzy). One of the few real (and very fond) memories I have of my Dad. And while I have you here, happy belated birthday to my Biggest Bro! You once said that 30 was old...how does it feel to be TWO old? (pun intended) Thought you got away, didn't you? I had to step up the razzing and do it semi-publicly! Re: Nyman Hall movies...I don't remember them at all...were they discontinued during the 60's or something? Looking forward to February 10, when Art Paton, c/o '67, is coming from Illinois to visit several of us Cougs.
Sorry Patti, but I don't have a 63 El Molino. Noon Movies in Nyman Hall that I remember were Heaven Knows Mr Allison, Sayonara, and Gigi.

Name: Laurie Kelleher () on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 at 11:52:43
E-Mail: lauriekelleher@hotmail.com
Maiden: Bednarski
Class: 74
City and State: New York, New York
Message: Patty, We went to see "Silent Running", starring Bruce Dern with Mr. Williams at the Dome theater on Sunset Blvd. Maybe I missed Soylent Green, but I remember Mr. Williams picking Silent Running because of the beautiful shots they used. I also remember going to the 75 cent show in Hermosa Beach. In fact I went to the last show they had there, Woodstock and Mad Dogs and Englishmen. When the movies were over, everyone started ripping up the theater to get a little something to remember it by. I still have the arm to one of the seats.