A LUNCHEON CONVERSATION

At the luncheon March 10, I was talking to a gentleman I hadn't met before. He said he was surprised that so many people would send in a reservation so long before the luncheon. He said that at this stage in his life, he didn’t even buy green bananas. I told him that these people wanted to support the luncheon to ensure that it could continue. (We all know when we sign up months ahead of time that circumstances might change for us and we might not be able to attend, but we also know that without our support there might not be a banquet to decide to go to. A down-payment has to be given to the hotel early to reserve the banquet room.)

Because we are always on the edge financially we also can’t give refunds on reservations except for extreme illness and not until after we have paid all of the bills and know that we have the balance to afford to do so. Most people don’t ask for a refund, knowing that this helps to sustain the luncheon.

The same gentleman then brought up the question of why someone who couldn’t eat should pay the same as everyone else. (His wife had previously had dietary restrictions. I don’t know if they attended that year.) I was so surprised at that question that I don’t remember what I said about that. I could have told him that the hotel bases some of the final tally on the number of people who attend (as evidenced by the number of name tags picked up) or I could have said that people who don’t eat should pay more because they get to socialize more and have more fun than the rest of us. I don't know if anything I said would have satisfied him as he is thinking of this event in strictly monetary terms rather than as a priceless opportunity to connect with old friends and old times.

What would you have said? Email me and I'll add your comment if you don't know how to add one.
Connie CVanHorn@pacbell.net

POW WOW 2007 PICTURES LINK

The Pow Wow 2007 pictures are at http://powwow2007pictures.blogspot.com/
Pictures will be posted as they arrive, hopefully. I don’t know how many the free blog will let me post so I make no promises. Perhaps more of us can create a blog for our own class. It’s free and it’s easy, but it does take time.

Class reps have pictures on http://powwowclassreps.blogspot.com/

JACK H. HILL, FUHS 1939

Hill, Jack H., passed away March 2, 2007 in Fullerton, CA. He was 87 years old, born in Fullerton, June 2, 1920. A graduate of Fullerton High School, he was an accomplished musician as a young man, playing the drums in leading orchestras. He worked for Beckman Instruments as a production manager, retiring after about 33 yrs. He leaves one living son, Alan, and two grandsons, Michael and Garrett.
Published in the Orange County Register on 3/13/2007.
Notice • Guest Book

POW WOW 2007 A HAPPY MEMORY

Pow Wow 2007 is history. Saturday, March 10, found almost 700 happy faces looking eagerly through the crowd for cherished classmates. (Well, some of those faces belonged to non-FUHS guests who had unselfishly agreed to endure another day of sitting at a table wondering where their host could be now, but fortunately, they were rewarded with a great buffet treat. And some have attended so many years that they are now “adopted” into the tribe.)

Thanks go to the class of '54 for doing such a great job. And they had 54 alums attending! Maureen Conner Peltzer, Richard Davies, Monie Younger Canaday, Willa Stedman Vanderburg and Sherry Woods Caplinger were on the committee.

Bob Ollar and Dorothy (Lois) Martin Thomas (both class of '51) gave home-made custom Indian candles to class reps and other lucky people they thought deserved thanks. They have been doing this for several years so many people have been rewarded. I am trying to upload a picture of one of the candles, but no luck so far.

Larry Myers, language teacher at FUHS from ’36-’72, was in the hospital and couldn’t attend the luncheon which was a disappointment to many. One alum I talked to had come specifically to see his old teacher.

Elva Swoffer, PE teacher and FUHS ’39 alum, also had to cancel due to poor health.
Hopefully, we will see both of them next year.

The luncheon handout has information on how to reach Phyl Munn (FUHS ’49) and me so we can all keep in touch. (Phyl wrote to say that the last part of her address needs to include #359. Please add it to your Pow Wow lunch handout on page 4.) Don’t rely on a class rep contacting you as your information in our contact list can change and you’d be lost. Of course, some classes don’t even have a class rep. Remember to contact Phyl or me if you haven’t been contacted about Pow Wow 2008 by Halloween. There is a link to my email if you click on “View my complete profile” by my picture in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

I was surprised to find many of the lunch handouts left on the tables. Remember that they contain information on how to reach committee members.

I’ll try to restrain a rant on out-dated email addresses on the high school web site. Please update yours if it has changed. Add yours if it isn’t there at all. Don’t let this valuable opportunity to stay in touch go unused. We search for you there if we have problems with your email address in our contact list. The hot link is http://members.aol.com/fuhsalumni/alumni.htm

I will have pictures posted soon so check this blog again for more information about that.
Please share your pictures with us by emailing them to CVanHorn@pacbell.net

Someone (probably from the class of '47) lost a pen. It was put in my ziplock bag that contained the card for the class to sign for Barbara Larimer. This is the first time that I gained a pen when loaning one out. (I'm still mad I lost my favorite pen at my 35th reunion when it went around the room and into infinity. Does a relationship to an elephant come to mind? I'm talking about never forgetting, not my size. Be nice.) If the loss of this silver and black "Zebra F-301 BP" pen will affect you emotionally too, get in touch.

LOUISE (HASENMAYER) RILEA FUHS '30

Rilea, Myra Louise 94, passed away Saturday, March 3, 2007 in her home in Orange, CA. She was born in Tacoma, Washington on July 8, 1912. Louise attended Fullerton High School, class of 1930 and Fullerton Jr. College. She married Gerald Keller Rilea and they lived in Carson, CA. During World War II Louise worked as a Tool and Dye maker and she and Gerald were Air Raid Wardens during that time. After the war was over the men she was filling in for returned and she became a Los Angeles County Librarian for approximately 27 years. They moved to Garden Grove in 1973. Louise has been a member of the Woman's Civic Club of Garden Grove for 31 years. Louise moved to the Orange Crest Mobile Home Park in Orange 10 years ago. Louise loved to play bingo, bridge and other card games. She did crossword puzzles every day. Louise loved all of her wonderful friends. She is survived by her son Michael (Joyce, daughter in law); grandson Dennis (wife Cathy); granddaughter Sheri (husband Randy); great grandsons Brian, Bradley, Darren and Tony; and great granddaughters Debbie and Tiffany. Memorial Service will be Monday, March 19th in the "Church Of Our Fathers" Forest Lawn, 4471 Lincoln Ave., Cypress, CA at 11:00 a.m. with Kenneth Collie conducting. Louise will be missed by all.
Published in the Orange County Register on 3/7/2007.
Notice • Guest Book • Funeral home info
The Guest Book for Myra Louise Rilea will remain online at OCRegister.com until April 6, 2007.

The high school directory lists Gerald Keller Rilea as an FUHS graduate of 1926.

NEWS ABOUT POW WOW 2008

News about Pow Wow 2008 will be found here as soon as I get the information in the fall. Hopefully, there will be a blog created to list the names of the people signed up to date, as there was for 2006 and 2007.
Remember to click on "VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE" (under my picture in the upper right corner) to see the other blogs available now. There are pictures available taken at Pow Wow 2006. I will post this year's pictures if you send me any.

HILLCREST PARK

Sunday, March 4, 2007
Hillcrest Park is prime for primping
Fullerton officials are eager to restore city's old park, but costs are high.
By BARBARA GIASONE
The Orange County Register
FULLERTON – Hillcrest Park, long considered the jewel of the city, is losing its luster.
Rains have deepened slope erosion on the 44-acre site, purchased in 1920 for $67,298.
Retaining walls have started to crumble, endangering sports fields and the 1931 Izaak Walton Cabin that was rebuilt in 1996 after a devastating fire.
The northernmost road inside the park, which runs between Harbor Boulevard and Lemon Street, is deteriorating from trucks hauling materials for the new 5 million-gallon reservoir.
City officials are eager to restore the shine – but finding enough money is tough.
"With the costs for asphalt and concrete continually rising, we're talking about a multimillion-dollar fix," City Manager Chris Meyer said.
At its March 20 meeting, the City Council is expected to approve plans for the Lions Field area at the park's northern end — shoring up a slipping retaining wall and adding parking, restrooms, concession stands and a Pop Warner football field. Those improvements could cost as much as $8 million, City Engineer Don Hoppe said.
The City Council will eventually decide how many improvements to make to Hillcrest.
More parking is needed to keep families from parking on Brea Boulevard and putting themselves in danger when running across the busy street for games.
Last month, the council decided to ask for $4.1 million in federal funds that would go toward restoring a 1930s fountain, a war memorial and vegetation.
The fountain, an icon in the early days, hasn't worked for years. Parks and Recreation Director Ron Molendyk said homeless people living in a vault beneath the stone structure were evicted, and a metal covering was installed. Park rangers were hired in May to patrol the park.
Back in the 1930s, Hillcrest was a refuge from disasters. Families camped in tents here after the Long Beach earthquake of 1933, and they came here for higher ground when threatened by the 1938 Santa Ana River flood.
Years later, the recreational area became home for art festivals and peace gatherings.
"Hillcrest should be an adventure to walk through, a learning experience like an arboretum instead of an overgrown park with trashy brush," said Dave Alkema, the city's Parks and Recreation manager. "It's degraded in its present condition. But rebuilding infrastructure comes before beautification."