Hawthorne Feedback

Name: Bob Jensen ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Apr 27, 2006, 4:27 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1971
City & State: Los Angeles
No E-mail
Message: I remember the very first time over Thrill Hill. I was accompanied by Larry Hoffer, Roland Poltash, and Bryan Larsen and was driven by Jim Armour in his fathers Ambassador station wagon. It must have been a V8 as I remember the wagon became airborne. After I got my license I found that my Mom?s Sedan de Ville and my brothers Coupe made Thrill Hill and E ticket ride. In regards to the 747?s, does anyone remember United Airline?s 747 Deli Flight to Honolulu? The stewardess pushed a cart with a smoking volcano (dry ice and Hawaiian Punch) my first trip away from my parents.

Name: Norma Leonard ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Apr 27, 2006, 2:59 pm - HHS Time
City & State: Hawthorne, CA
E-mail
Message: Followup comment regarding Steve Feinberg....he will be showing his pencil drawings at the Hermosa Art Walk on Thurs. May 11 from 5-9 on Pier Avenue...please check out his beautiful work.

Name: Keith D. Jones ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Apr 27, 2006, 1:01 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1976
City & State: Kona, HI
E-mail
Message: I remember when I was in Cub Scouts we took a tour of LAX. They showed us a scaled model of a new plane that will be in service the next year. It was the 747. It was the length of a football field I remember them saying.

Name: Neil Larson ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Apr 27, 2006, 12:15 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1971
City & State: Crestview, FL.
E-mail
Message: The Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet began regular commercial flights in January 1970 from LAX. I remember the first 747 to take off from LAX. The plane approached the dunes at the end of the runway with a very flat angle. It seemed like forever before it gained enough altitude but at the last second it pitched up at a radical angle as the tail looked like it was going to skid against the tarmac. During that era there were several old roads off Imperial which tracked Northward across the airport. One of these roads went through the commercial terminal which was home to the Flying Tigers Airlines (shipping). Another went up into the original Playa Del Rey residential neighborhood which nestled on the west end dunes. We affectionately referred to a west bound section of this road as it crested over the dune as THRILL HILL. The concept was to accelerate up the hill so that your vehicle would become airborne. Most nominally powered cars could not develop the Horsepower needed to gain the speed which was desired for this feat. So trips to Thrill Hill were taken on a semi regular basis with any muscle car that could be "acquired". One such vehicle was a Midnight Blue 1970 GTO, property of Mr. Hermie Kretch owner of Inglewood Tire. Besides the initial shock of not being able to see the other side of the road while in the air at 49 "PLUS" mph, was a profound feeling of a queezie stomach due to the neutral gravity. Thus Thrill Hill became a hot spot to take a date as bragging rights not only for the ?Thrill? but also the view and a place to park. The view included a West bound panorama of the Pacific Ocean & East bound was an endless line of commercial airliners taking off from LAX & flying right over your head. Plus the bonus of a chance glimpse on Friday nights of the proverbial Submarine races. Does anyone else have any tales from Thrill Hill?

Name: Bud Rhoades ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Apr 27, 2006, 12:00 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1974
City & State: The Shore
E-mail
Message: I want to thank everyone for the fantastic response to our 3rd annual golf tournament. Most of you have already sent your fees in and I thank you for being prompt. However there are a few of you that need to cut that check and get it in before May 15th, see the banner on this page for my address.
We have an amazing cross section of Cougars this year in addition to the usual suspects. This will be the largest contingent of former and current Cougars to ever tee it up at one time. The number of 1st timers is up dramatically over last year.
Also please do not forget the kick-off party at Dori Gestones restaurant Gaetanos scheduled for Friday night the 19th, its going to a great night as well.
Well get out and swing those sticks and get ready for another day in the park. Remember its best ball so DONT WORRY ABOUT YOUR GAME!!!....unless your an Effler.
Bud

Name: Marilyn Ross ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Apr 26, 2006, 11:34 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Wisham
Class: 1956
City & State: Garden Grove, CA
No E-mail
Message: Your new reunion listing is a great idea. My husband and his friend are currently working to find 1957 alums from El Segundo High for next years reunion. He has been on the Internet and phone for weeks and weeks it's driving him (and me) crazy. If anyone out there knows a 1957 El Segundo grad that hasn't been contacted please E-mail me.

Name: Anita ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Apr 26, 2006, 11:03 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Harmon
Class: 1969
City & State: Fair Oaks, Ca
E-mail
Message: First of all to Chris (c/o '71), yes Albert and Claudio Okumbe were gentlemen of the truest sense and always a delight to talk with. But if you happen to have a 1969 El Molino, look on page 206. You will find them pictured at the bottom of the page there, as "Knights". And JB, the new CT Information System is OUTSTANDING! Everyone needs to give it a little click and get on board.

Name: Alan Nelson ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Apr 26, 2006, 8:34 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1973
City & State: The River!
E-mail
Message: Loved the new Nostalgia #6. Brought me back to how I first got into surfing. When I was 5 or 6 my Dad would take us to the beach down by 5 corners. He'd rent those rubber and canvas inflatable surf mats for us to play in the waves. (I think my nipples are still raw.) He thought I'd just float around near the shorebreak, and not venture into the heavies. Well. He was wrong. After a few weeks of that, he rented a real surfboard for me to try. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Name: Joanne ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Apr 26, 2006, 6:13 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Bulmer
Class: 1959
City & State: Auburn Washington
E-mail
Message: THANKS so much for the name of that drive in..........The Lighthouse.........was going nuts trying to remember it!! Glad someone keeps it all together!!!!!
Thanks too for this great site.........So good to see familiar faces from time to time....... If anyone out there knows anything about LOUISE BUFKIN JOHNSTON I would appreciate hearing about her. I tried e-mailing from the alumni list but to no avail.

Name: Horendo Mendoza ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Apr 26, 2006, 5:57 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1981
City & State: Berlin, Germany
E-mail
Message: Sorry, Connie. I must be getting old. Wasn't trying to neglect you. I forgot to include you and a few others. Today, as part of my trip to Europe, I'm in Berlin, Germany. I flew in here just a few hours ago and, boy, are my arms tired.

Name: Jerry Miles ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Apr 26, 2006, 5:09 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1966
City & State: Fair Oaks, CA
E-mail
Message: I would like to thank everyone who expressed their enjoyment from the Nostalgia Series. It?s funny how a simple email exchange with John Baker and me could develop from a quick slide show I made for John to the series that is being presented now. I very much enjoyed producing them. As NorCal has been a little wet as of late, they did make a nice rainy day project. The sun has finally peaked out from behind the clouds and I am going to be on sabbatical from the movie business. But there are several more that have not been shown. I hope you get pleasure from them too.
And now for a little unpaid advertisement. John Baker worked very hard on the CT Information System and did a fantastic job. It is very secure and will provide a way to make all the reunions well attended. But the only way it will work is if you sign in. So before you forget, click the banner of above and add your information. I promise it?s almost painless.

Name: joseph mailander ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Apr 26, 2006, 3:19 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1975
City & State: inner city, LA, CA
E-mail
Message: John, I much appreciate the invite to comment on Senior Square, but first---and forgive me if this has been the subject of prior discussion---but wasn't there a time in the 1960's when the pathways at HHS were marked with mock-streetsigns? Things like Cougar Way, etc.? I recalled those first with awe and wonder as a knickered lad veering onto campus to play hide and seek or its far better variant, "Ditch." (I could write at least a bagatelle on the enthusiasm with which a game of "Ditch" [variantly known as "Ditch'em" among the bourgeoisie]) might suddenly spring from a posse of seventh graders suddenly struck with the idea. A game of ditch could unfold over the whole campus or even a whole city block...you traded off speed versus size when selecting teams, for smaller guys could fit into tighter spaces, but speedsters were the key to releasing prisoners....To return to the instant matter, Senior Square certainly inspired one with both shock and awe. But I must report that sometimes after school we who liked to play chess (that explains a lot, no?) would sneak into Senior Square after school to play our games. I don't remember which was more dangerous---being spotted by seniors Gene Skulick and Wade Greasby while in Senior Square as a freshman, or drawing the black pieces against Dave Wang, even then on his way to Cal Tech---but I do know that I felt far more comfortable running from Greasby (who was so drunk on the fabled "jump pass" as a quarterback for Coach Otto that I half expected him to suddenly spring into the air and toss a rock or two whilst chasing me) than playing a Sicilian Dragon against Wang, with his slide rule dangling from his belt...peace and boat drinks to all.

Name: Connie Gaston ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Apr 26, 2006, 2:06 pm - HHS Time
City & State: San Pedro, CA
E-mail
Message: Horendo Mendoza...I'm hurt you forgot me after all these years...and we spent so much time together. Hope you'll post again.

Name: Carl Tank ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Apr 26, 2006, 6:37 am - HHS Time

Class: 1971
City & State: Los Angeles, CA
E-mail
Message: An update regarding this year's Multi-Class Reunion; The Classes of '71 & '72 are inviting '68 through '74 to join us; SATURDAY / SEP. 30, 2006 / 6PM-Midnight We had to secure a NEW LOCATION, but the date and time remains the same. We have a teared pricing structure for this reunion to encourage early ticket purchase, which will aid in our planning efforts. We are not using a reunion company for this event as we have in the past. This reunion ?gig? will be in a casual indoor/outdoor setting at what was the old "Red Onion" on the water in Redondo. It is now the
Harbor Drive Restaurant Lounge
655 North Harbor Dr. - Redondo Beach, CA. 90277 -- (310) 379-2900
http://harbor-drive.com./
PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS EARLY!!
There are a limited number of tickets available.
$45 per person, if paid by June 15 **
$55 per person, if paid July 15 **
$65 per person, if paid August 15 ** through Sep. 15
Includes buffet dinner, DJ, snacks, drink ticket, and more!
If we do not have a current email address for you, please email us so that we can get you in our data base. If you have been updating at Cougartown, or Classmates you are all set! If you have a "snail mail" address for a fellow Cougar, PLEASE, download the mailer form our site; http://multiclassreunion.net/
and get the form to them. If you would like to be a representative for a certain year, other than '71 or '72, please email us, and I will add you to our email contact list on the site. Except for the mailing addresses from the last reunion, we will be relying on email and the website only for this reunion. Again, we will only be snail mailing to those who we had a mailing address for in 2001, whom we feel may not have Internet access. Space will be limited for this event!
Make your check or money order to;
?HHS Multi-Class Reunion 2006?
* Mail to: HHS Multi-Class Reunion 2006
P.O. Box 421, Manhattan Beach, CA. 90267-0421

Name: Armand Vaquer ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Apr 26, 2006, 2:16 am - HHS Time

Class: 1972
City & State: Tokyo, Japan
E-mail
Message: Thought I'd see what's up while my dinner is digesting. Been in Japan since the weekend. On "Skipper" Frank Herman, he passed away a few years ago as did the local Bozo the Clown, Vance Colvig. I am curious if ol' Chucko the Birthday Clown is still alive and kicking. The last I heard (which was many moons ago) he was working at the late, great Jungleland in Thousand Oaks (remember that place?). Sayonara!

Name: Bonnie Lou Cozby ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Apr 26, 2006, 1:08 am - HHS Time

Maiden: Simmons
Class: 1971
City & State: Ocean Park, Wa
E-mail
Message: Jerry Miles' Nostalgia #6 brought back memories of the year my husband and I first started dating. It was "the summer of "69", and Charlie Cozby ('69), Eddie Strange ('69), Rick Cozby ('71), Sandy Adamson ('71) and I spent almost every day on the sand and in the water at the Manhattan Beach pier. We played casino when it was flat and body surfed when it wasn't. One day a set came through that cleared the beach. All five of us were in the water and we swam like mad to get over the top of the first wave. It was a true "outsider". Everyone made it but Rick. When we looked back towards the beach it was like a huge broom had swept it clean more than halfway up the sand. People were plopped everywhere, Rick included. As we rode over the next swell, I swear our heads were almost level with the pier. I can still feel the butterflies as we sailed down the back side of that second wave. The set passed and we made it back to shore. It was amazing!

Name: Chris Knight ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Apr 25, 2006, 9:35 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Fall
Class: 1971
City & State: Boyne City, MI
E-mail
Message: Anita, In response to your question did anyone remember the Okumbe brothers?
I was involved in AFS and I also happened to live only a couple of blocks from where Albert and Claudio were staying with a family member. I used to walk to and from school every day with them. They were two of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet, real gentlemen and very polite. They came from wealthy, political families.
Their proper English accents and those big smiles were wonderful! If I remember right they were cousins, not brothers. I can't find any photos of them in the El Molino under Seniors, nor in the section for Exchange Students. I wonder why.
Unfortunately when they were at HHS it was during the bad Watts Riot problems and when I would walk with them I would get all kinds of racial hatred directed at me for being with them. People driving past us would yell and make threats, gesture and one time a car full of white guys tried to drive up on the sidewalk and nearly hit us.
Having moved from a small town in northern Michigan to Hawthorne only a few years earlier, the whole blacks VS whites thing was unknown to me and I never could understand it. Albert and Claudio both told me that they thought it was best if I didn't walk with them any more because they were afraid for my safety. It was a bad time and I was sorry that they had to experience such a terrible thing while they were here in the USA.
I still think of them often and hope that life has been good to them. I will always remember our friendship.