Name: Kathleen Kinman ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Oct 2, 2006, 9:04 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Streltzoff
Class: 1962
City & State: Moscow, Idaho
E-mail
Message: This is an update on Laralee Brevig. Many of you may know Laralee from the class of 1962. She died this past year. She was an organ donor. Her daughter, Cindy Coley, just emailed me to informed me that she and her sister have been selected to ride in the Rose Parade this year on the Donor Awareness float, in honor of their Mom. One of the recipients of her donations, Chris LeBleu will also be riding on the float. So, those of you who remember Laralee, be sure to look for the float. I know Laralee will be smiling as her daughters ride proudly on the float honoring their mother. If you have not signed up as an organ donor, it only takes a couple of minutes and can save several lives. Some donor's families, such as Laralees have been contacted by the recipients and have become friends with them. Share your life by saving a life. Kathleen Streltzoff Kinman

Name: Baxter Dodd ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Oct 2, 2006, 1:34 am - HHS Time
Class: 1957
City & State: Riverside, CA
E-mail
Message: I believe Britt got everything right except the name of the tribe. As I recall it was the ?Hekawi tribe.? But my ?Troop? got an ?F? in history, if you know what I mean. Well, I think we have rode that one as far as JB will allow.
New subject: I have been enjoying the Paid TV ads for the ?60s, ?70s, ?80s, song collections. What I find interesting is that they run separate ads for each decade but they all have Beach Boys? songs included in each of the decades after the ?50s. Just shows how durable the Boys are. I doff my Cougar beanie to them! --- Baxter

Name: Joyce Miller ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Oct 2, 2006, 12:48 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Sadler
Class: 1962
City & State: Ashland, Oregon
E-mail
Message: Mr. Baker.............just watched your wonderful tribute video from the last Class of 1962 reunion. BRAVO AND THANK YOU!

Name: jeff ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Oct 1, 2006, 8:35 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: mann
Class: 1975
City & State: newhall,ca
E-mail
Message: I see that Dale (One of the funniest men alive) Halbeck had a birthday. Remember when he sang Philadelphia Freedom after being hypnotized in the gym? Belated best wishes to the best pulling guard in 1975! Hey Dale! Remember blocking "Earthquake"? (The times did an article on this huge kid from West High ((I think)) that had to get his equipment from the then LA RAMS. Dale, at all of 162 lbs. tied him up the entire game! Reach out and touch me sometime Dale!

Name: Britt Stonebraker ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Oct 1, 2006, 2:22 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: huh?
Class: 1978
City & State: s
E-mail
Message: Aww geesh Ya guys arn't really lookin that up are you?

Name: james ludwig leece ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Oct 1, 2006, 1:51 pm - HHS Time
City & State: torrance,ca.
E-mail
Message: marla manriquez o,hara, hello, email me back. james leece

Name: Sharon Stowe ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Oct 1, 2006, 12:48 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Ritch
Class: 1972
City & State: Lawndale, CA
E-mail
Message: I had such a great time at Stick N Stein Friday night. Every minute was fun. The evening went by so quickly, it was midnight before I knew it. It was so great seeing EVERYONE. Those of you who thought about coming but didn't, missed a great time. Those of you who organized it I want to say a big THANK YOU. ss

Name: Ernie Nixon ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Oct 1, 2006, 10:33 am - HHS Time
Class: 1963
City & State: Bakersfield Cal
E-mail
Message: Had an interesting experience in Jacksonville Florida two weeks ago. We were there to attend our daughter's graduation, Masters Degree, proud to say. I was in a convenience store, buying a map of Florida and was talking with the clerk. He asked me where I was from, I said Hawthorne Cal. He said that his parents were from Hawthorne also. I asked if they attended H.H.S. He said he didn't know for sure. I did advise him to tell them about Cougartown. We had an enjoyable time at the picnic, thanks John.

Name: Denny ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Oct 1, 2006, 9:37 am - HHS Time
Class: 1955
City & State: Same old place
No E-mail
Message: Maybe that's why I didn't do well in history et cetera. Didn't know about the Indians and Mexicans with that tar on their footsies. Got some on mine 2 but it always seems to wear off. Just a dummy from the class of five five, last century.

Name: John Achrem ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Oct 1, 2006, 8:13 am - HHS Time
Class: 1976
City & State: Las Vegas, NV
E-mail
Message: Bravo....to Jerry Miles & John on the 62 tribute video. What a beautiful job; nicely done with a great choice of music and very moving. Makes you realize just how fleeting life really is and how important it is to cherish our friendships while we still have the chance. Thank you John Baker for developing this avenue of communication; because of your effort, so many Cougars have reconnected/reunited. You have touched the lives of many and we love you for it!

Name: Britt Stonebraker ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Sep 30, 2006, 8:41 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1978
City & State: san marcos ca
E-mail
Message: A little known fact is the Chumash Indians constructed huge canoes of over 200 feet long, and would load them with oil from the La brea tar pits they then developed a stunning new navigation system where they would place half a accorn nut on the bow and the canoe would go wherever they aimed it according to the 1/2nut. They then traveled to Mespotaimia and traded the oil for plants and animals. After many years there was no more plants or animals left just barren desert, they then traded for brains untill they ran out. thats why we have dumb***'s with a lot of oil in the desert over there now.

Name: Baxter Dodd ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Sep 30, 2006, 6:24 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1957
City & State: Riverside CA
E-mail
Message: Speaking of ancient surf/paddle boards, in the 1950s my neighbor in Hawthorne had one of the oldest and longest long boards I had ever seen. It was all wood, hollow, with thin wood covering ribs for strength like an airplane wing. It had a 3 to 4? flat strip of wood around the edge joining the top and bottom. It was easy to see the interior structure because he would crash it every time he took it out. He finally gave up fixing it, threw it out next to the garage and joined the Air Force. Not sure if one caused the other. I had heard stories that some ancient surfers would put small bottles of booze in the hollow body when they had it open for repairs. Then when it got splintered they would take out the revealed bottle and drink it. That way they did not get as upset about crashing it. Hmmm? maybe my neighbor was drunk when he joined the AF. --- Baxter

Name: Ron Reinholdson ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Sep 30, 2006, 11:46 am - HHS Time
Class: 1965
City & State: Claremont, CA
E-mail
Message: Amazing how all that natural tar from somewhere in tne ocean, so prevalent in the South Bay in the 50's and 60's, has all but cleared up. It must just be coincidence that Big Oil has been required to clean up its unloading systems.

Name: Baxter ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Sep 30, 2006, 10:32 am - HHS Time
Class: 1957
City & State: Riverside, CA
E-mail
Message: I beg to differ about the tar not being tar. Can?t blame big oil, Chevron, etc., this time. That stuff was on the beaches a few thousand years before Chevron and big oil showed up. For nearly 9000 years the Chumash Indians used the tar to seal their wood-plank canoes to make them sea worthy when traveling the trade routes between coastal islands and the mainland. They called the tar ?pismu.? Guess what beach they would visit regularly to gather the stuff. And no, I am not going to make a joke about them being early kin to the Blackfoot Indians.--- Baxter

Name: John Crotty ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Sep 30, 2006, 8:50 am - HHS Time
Class: 1969
City & State: Hermosa Beach
E-mail
Message: Absolutely fabulous time last night at the Stick and Stein. Great crowd, of course, they were Cougars!!!! Good turnout too!!!! But, on a serious note....guys, get out your pads and suit up....Hawthorne lost big again last night....42-7....they are 0-5 this year. We gotta show 'em how to win.....even if it takes two-a-days!!!!!!

Name: Ron Reinholdson ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Sep 29, 2006, 9:16 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1965
City & State: Claremont, CA
E-mail
Message: What you folks are referring to as tar is not tar as in La Brea Tar Pits. It's crude oil as in Chevron--refinery, piers, tankers unloading, offshore terminals, etc.

Name: Bob Jensen ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Sep 29, 2006, 2:20 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1971
City & State: Los Angeles -64
No E-mail
Message: Such a quiet day in Cougartown. Hopefully El Segundo (Stick-n-Stein) will be jumping this evening with the class of 71-72 and anyone else who shows up. Hey John, are you going indulge us with your presence?

Name: Heather Ruggirello ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Sep 29, 2006, 1:37 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Reoch
Class: 1975
City & State: Mukilteo, WA
E-mail
Message: Happy, Happy Birthday to Dale Hahlbeck. Enjoy your day and have a cold one for me. Can't wait until next year when we take our "50" cruise! Remember we are all getting tattoos to celebrate! Enjoy your day.

Name: Maria Fitzgerald ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Sep 28, 2006, 11:10 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Juaneza
Class: 1980
City & State: Torrance, CA
E-mail
Message: Ah... those stinkin' tar... I used to get them on my feet whenever I went to the beach. My mom would pour oil (any kind of oil) on paper towel and rub the tar off my feet, while reciting, "like dissolves like." It worked like a charm, everytime.

Name: doris ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Sep 28, 2006, 4:13 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: donaldson
Class: 1957
City & State: TF ID
No E-mail
Message: Is El Porto the same as Playa del Rey used to be? John, you mentioned that one used to get your feet tarred there ... you can STILL get your feet tarred there. Believe I did just that a year or two ago. It was one of those "hot-sand-days" and I was hopping here to there and elsewhere trying to find a little cool sand from and to the parking lot. When I got back from my hop, skippity and jump walk on the beach, in brushing the sand off my feet, I caught a glimpse of a huge black spot on the bottom of my foot ... arrrrgh! Had forgotten all about the tar on that beach! WHAT A MESS!

Name: John Heine ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Sep 27, 2006, 11:34 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1977
City & State: Torrance, Ca
E-mail
Message: Hey Ray, This is my first message on Cougartown.. I logged on because I got emailed in regards to my 30 year class reunion. I happened to check the Feedback. When I saw what you wrote about "Danny Fix" ..gosh I wasn't expecting to see your message on there...You said it all.all those years you and Debbie stayed in touch with him..I know he misses both.. I can still "No BS" Hear his crazy laugh...When I talked to my father in law over the weekend...Lou Jones, Swimming/waterpolo coach from 1955-1985 He said Danny was really missed at the yearly lunch party..three weeks ago. He will be missed.. It's also great to have you as a brother-in-law..John

Name: John Baker ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Sep 27, 2006, 10:43 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1962
City & State: Lomita, CA
E-mail
Message: Just want to thank Dori Gestone and son Vince for a great dinner tonight at Gaetanos in Torrance. Gordon Bell(HHS62) and I showed up to see Frank Oliver(HHS62) play but he won't be there until next Wednesday. There were a couple of guitarists there tonight who were GREAT!!
If you live in the area and have a chance to go to Gaetanos Restaurant on Crenshaw and PCH, please do so, as you will NOT be disappointed.
Thanks again for the fun evening, and sorry we missed you too, Dori.

Name: Carl Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Sep 27, 2006, 8:58 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1969
City & State: Torrance, California
E-mail
Message: More surfin stuff. I think El Porto ends at 45th street and the LA county beaches take over going north. I remember we used to make the long walk from the El Porto parking lot down to the Oil Pier where the tankers used to tie up before they put in the present underwater oil lines. A tough walk as the boards were a lot heavier back then, and there was no bike path to make the footing easier. The sand that built up around the oil pier used to generate great lefts that peeled off the north side of the pier. There was a lawsuit against the refinery after the pier was torn down claiming that that action had destroyed the surfing spot. Part of the settlement included the refinery helping to fund the current jetty that exists just south of the Grand Street parking lot..known today by the locals as "Hammerland". I was particularly interested in the attempt to build an artificial reef just north of the Grand Street a few years back. Unfortunately, it didn't work. They dumped many large sand bags which they felt would trap more sand and eventually create a break. This project known as "Pratt's Reef" is often ridiculed today since it was put in an area that has never had any waves...and still doesn't.

Name: Gary Bickers ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Sep 27, 2006, 2:51 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1963
City & State: pve cal
E-mail
Message: A couple of words about SURF CITY. Santa Cruz has a couple of things going for it, Steamer's Lane and the Woodies on the Wharf car show that features about 200 station wagons on what has to be the best pier in California. Had the pleasure of surfing that area and it has great waves. The water temp is about 10 degrees lower but the waves are great. Surfed all over California, the East Coast and Hawaii; but I never had more fun than 26 St. in Manhattan. Surfing is good, but always better with friends. Still have the trunk patch to prove it.