MHS, LHS & CHS - Class of '64

Run any marathons lately?

Harmon Bullard has, but not just any old marathon. He ran the mighty Boston Marathon!

The photo on the right shows him a year ago at a gate at the White House, and the one below comes from the marathon.

No one could tell it as well as he did, so here he is in his own words:

Hello All,

Hope this finds everyone doing well. As most of you know one of my long term dreams has been to one day run the Boston Marathon.

Over the last six months or so, I wore out a couple pair of running shoes trying to get back into shape. I didn't want to say anything to anyone for fear my knee wouldn't hold up and I would have to cancel out. But, it did stay intact and I wanted to share my news of the race with you.

It was absolutely out of this world . . . definitely everything that I thought it would be and much, much more. There is no doubt why Boston is considered the greatest and most challenging marathon in the world. The route itself is incredibly grueling and unforgiving. Your legs take a beating during the first five miles . . . downhill. Then, just when you're starting to recover from the downhill and feeling a little comfortable with a level straight a way, along come the hills of Newton. I was able to maintain my slow steady pace through about mile 19 and about 3/4 of the way up Heart Break Hill. From all of my training, I knew that if . . and when I started walking my knee would begin to swell and I would be done for . . . and that's exactly what happen. As I walked to the top of Heart Break Hill my legs literally felt like they had turned to butter. The only thing that keep me going was the crowd. Boston College is located at about mile 20 and I'm sure the entire student body was out cheering the runners on. I was wearing my Maryland Terrapins T-Shirt and they loved screaming "go Terps" and "Fear The Turtle" . . . a turtle is just what I felt like. The noise they created was almost deafening. The wind was bad all day but seemed to intensify the closer we got to downtown Boston. There were periods that I felt like I took 1 stride forward and was blown back 2. The last 5 miles were just incredible. There must have been several hundred thousand folks lining the streets . . . with the majority of them on the last mile. I believe that I slapped most of their hands as I went by. At this point, there was no way to stop . . . the crowd just wouldn't let you.

One of the most inspirational moments of the weekend was Sunday morning, the day before Patriots Day. I went to Mass at Our Lady of Victories (Downtown Boston). The pastor gave a homily comparing the Boston Marathon to the marathon of life. It was excellent. After Mass he invited all of the runners up to the alter for a special blessing. So, with music from "Chariots of Fire" playing in the background about 30 to 40 of us runners received an incredible blessing from the Pastor of this beautiful little church.

All in all it was a fabulous weekend and a fantastic day ! One that I will never forget . . . but also, a good run to finally call it quits on. My only goal now is to get reacquainted with my golf clubs.

Again, hope everyone is doing well health wise .

I'm still on a bit of a "runners high" . . . but living a dream !

Way to go Harmon!

Here's a link to the map of the route.  It's the same one you see on the right only larger.

What a dream and what a remarkable accomplishment. It just proves what a young man can do when he puts his mind to it. Keep up the good work, Harmon. And take care of those knees, with luck they'll last a lifetime.

Eddies Klatt's retirement party

It was quite a send off. The other day Midland Fire Department Assistant Chief Eddie Klatt was the honored guest at a really nice retirement party.

 

Chief Russ Conley was there along with the rest of the MFD brass. They gave their own tribute, said their "good-byes" and read letters to Mr. Klatt from elected luminaries, including one from former President George W. Bush, complimenting Eddie's service to the city.

And check out this nice article in the Midland Reporter-Telegram.

The MFD Chief presented Eddie with numerous gifts, including a very impressive looking chrome plated firefighter's ax. Going to chop some firewood with that, Eddie?

The cake was good, too! Yum!

One year anniversary

It was a year ago. March 29, 2008, was the date, and we were celebrating our high school reunion at the White House. Time flies, huh?

Thanks to Suzanne Scism Hildebrand for the reminder.

Leaving the fire station for the last time

Our classmate Eddie Klatt, Assistant Fire Chief of the Midland Fire Department and all around great guy, is hanging up his bunkers and stashing away his boots. He's retiring from the MFD, and it's party time!

March 27, 2009. Mark your calendars. If you are within a few hundred miles of Midland this is a good time to come shake his hand, reminisce, or just say "Hi."

See you there!

P.S.  The talented Cindy Klatt prepared that invitation.  Pretty good, huh?  Here it is in PDF if you want to save it.

Who is this?

Bird watchers are baffled! Ornithologists are mystified!

Click the photo for a popup enlargement.

1. What is this bird? [OK, we'll give you this one. It's a human dressed like a duck.]

2. Who is it? [Hint: Someone in either the MHS or LHS class of '64.]

ID this person! Leave a comment and give us your guess.

--------------------

We have a WINNER!  March 15, 2009. Suzanne Scism Hildebrand nailed it:

"Aha, it's the Brackettville Flash, or is it Flasher with a rooster hairdo?"

YES! The "Bracketville Flash" is Barbara Barker Dillon.

Every year the Rotary Club of Brackettville has a rubber duck race down Los Moras Creek. The winning ticket is the one with the winning duck's number. The ducks sell for $5 each and the money goes toward a scholarship fund for a Brackettville senior.  Barbara's own words:

"I stroll the grounds dressed as a duck and sell as many tickets as possible. Who can you say no to someone dressed like that?"

Good job, Barbara. And congratulations to sharp eyed Suzanne.

Pop Quiz!

Did you have a transistor radio way back in the day? And did it have a little ear piece? Here's a nifty little Doo Wop Oldies Quiz sent by Sandy Flournoy. See how well you do. Answers are below.

1. When did 'Little Suzie' finally wake up?

(a) The movie's over, it's 2 o'clock
(b) The movie's over, it's 3 o'clock
(c) The movie's over, it's 4 o'clock

2. 'Rock Around The Clock' was used in what movie?

(a) Rebel Without A Cause
(b) Blackboard Jungle
(c) The Wild Ones

3. What's missing from a Rock & Roll standpoint? Earth _____

(a) Angel
(b) Mother
(c) Worm

4. 'I found my thrill . . .' where?

(a) Kansas City
(b) Heartbreak Hotel
(c) Blueberry Hill

5. 'Please turn on your magic beam, _____ _____ bring me a dream.:

(a) Mr. Sandman
(b) Earth Angel
(c) Dream Lover

6. For which label did Elvis Presley first record?

(a) Atlantic
(b) RCA
(c) Sun

7. He asked, 'Why's everybody always pickin' on me?' Who was he?

(a) Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
(b) Charlie Brown
(c) Buster Brown

8. In Bobby Darin's 'Mack The Knife,' the one with the knife, was named:

(a) MacHeath
(b) MacCloud
(c) MacNamara

9. Name the song with ''A-wop bop a-loo bop a-lop bam boom.'

(a) Good Golly, Miss Molly
(b) Be-Bop-A-Lula
(c) Tutti Fruitti

10. Who is generally given credit for originating the term, 'Rock And Roll'?

(a) Dick Clark
(b) Wolfman Jack
(c) Alan Freed

11. In 1957, he left the music business to become a preacher:

(a) Little Richard
(b) Frankie Lymon
(c) Tony Orlando

12. Paul Anka's 'Puppy Love' is written to what star?

(a) Brenda Lee
(b) Connie Francis
(c) Annette Funicello

13. The Everly Brothers are . . ..

(a) Pete and Dick
(b) Don and Phil
(c) Bob and Bill

14. The Big Bopper's real name was:

(a) Jiles P. Richardson
(b) Roy Harold Scherer Jr.
(c) Marion Michael Morrison

15. In 1959, Berry Gordy, Jr., started a small record company called...

(a) Decca
(b) Cameo
(c) Motown

16. Edd Brynes had a hit with 'Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb'. 'What TV show was he on?

(a) 77 Sunset Strip
(b) Hawaiian Eye
(c) Surfside Six

17. In 1960 Bobby Darin married:

(a) Carol Lynley
(b) Sandra Dee
(c) Natalie Wood

18. They were a one hit wonder with 'Book Of Love':

(a) The Penguins
(b) The Monotones
(c) The Moonglows

19. The Everly Brothers sang a song called 'Till I ________ You.'

(a) Loved
(b) Kissed
(c) Met

20. Chuck Berry sang 'Oh, ___________, why can't you be true?'

(a) Suzie Q
(b) Peggy Sue
(c) Maybelline

21. 'Wooly _______'

(a) Mammoth
(b) Bully
(c) Pully

22. 'I'm like a one-eyed cat . . ..

(a) can't go into town no more
(b) sleepin' on a cold hard floor
(c) peepin' in a seafood store

23. 'Sometimes I wonder what I'm gonna do . . ...'

(a) cause there ain't no answer for a life without booze
(b) cause there ain't no cure for the summertime blues
(c) cause my car's gassed up and I'm ready to cruise

24. 'They often call me Speedo, but my real name is . . ....'

(a) Mr. Earl
(b) Jackie Pearl
(c) Milton Berle

25. 'You're my Fanny and nobody else's . . ....'

(a) girl
(b) butt
(c) love

26. 'I want you to play with my . . . '

(a) heart
(b) dreams
(c) ding a ling

27. 'Be Bop A Lula . . .'

(a) she's got the rabies
(b) she's my baby.
(c) she loves me, maybe

28. 'Fine Love, Fine Kissing . . ...'

(a) right here
(b) fifty cents
(c) just for you

29. 'He wore black denim trousers and . . ..'

(a) a pink carnation
(b) pink leotards
(c) motorcycle boots

30. 'I got a gal named . . .'

(a) Jenny Zamboni
(b) Gerri Mahoney
(c) Boney Maroney

Answers:

1 (c) The movie's over, it's 4 o'clock
2. (b) Blackboard Jungle
3. (a) Angel
4. (c) Blueberry Hill
5. (a) Mr. Sandman
6. (c) Sun
7. (b) Charlie Brown
8. (a) Mac Heath
9. (c) Tutti Fruitti
10. (c) Alan Freed
11. (a) Little Richard
12. (c) Annette Funicello
13. (b) Don and Phil
14. (a) Jiles P. Richardson
15. (c) Motown
16. (a) 77 Sunset Strip
17. (b) Sandra Dee
18. (b) The Monotones
19. (b) Kissed
20. (c) Maybelline
21. (b) Bul ly
22. (c) peepin' in a seafood store
23. (b) cause there ain't no cure for the summertime blues
24. (a) Mr. Earl
25. (b) butt
26. (c) ding a ling
27. (b) she's my baby
28. (a) right here
29. (c) motorcycle boots
30. (c) Boney Maroney

So how'd you do?

A letter to the editor

President Bush sent a letter to the editor of the Midland Reporter-Telegram thanking Midlanders for their hospitality during his and Laura's recent visit. It's reproduced below in case you missed it.

Click to enlarge.  There's a 640 pixel width limit for posting, so the print will look rather small. Sorry.

A not so ordinary afternoon at the airport

As you can imagine, it was not an ordinary day at the Midland International Airport on 1/20/09. There was a local law enforcement contingent serving as security at the airport when Laura and George arrived, and Cindy's niece's husband, who is a Sheriff's Deputy, was on the scene armed with a camera, among other things.

He took some tremendous photos which he has generously agreed that we may see. They are posted on Snapfish; Click to see them. Registration is required if you haven't already done so. Thanks, Deputy Rowland.

Eddie's Poster

Eddie Klatt had this poster made and planned to put it up at the Bush Homecoming. The Secret Service intervened and put it inside the tent for the Bushes to see when they arrived.

Way to go, Eddie! Go class of '64!

Were you there?

The class of '64 may have had a pretty good spot right in front of the stage, and some of our classmates' handsome faces showed up on the jumbotron. By the time I arrived crowd was too thick to have made it to that area, but I'm not complaining. It was a huge event and enjoyable from any vantage point. If you are interested, you can read my take on it at George Bush Homecoming.

But I would like to know what you thought about it.  Were you there? We would all love to hear what you have to say.

Udated 1/21/09 1:40 pm: Cindy Klatt has posted a bunch of delightful photos at Snapfish. Click to see them. (Registration required.)

Going to the Bush Homecoming?

If you plan on attending the George and Laura Bush Homecoming in Midland today (1/20/09) and take photos, and if you post those photos to a photo website, please forward the link so that we may post that link here.

See you there!

Newspaper article -- classmates reflect

It's on the front page of the Midland Reporter-Telegram: Midlanders recall visits to White House as surreal, awe-filled moments by Kathleen Thurber, published on Sunday, January 18, 2009 3:09 AM CST.

Classmate memtioned: Robert and Barbara McCleskey, Pete and Evelyn Hogue, Susie Evans, Jan O'Neill, Cindy Klatt and Eddie Klatt. Click to read the whole thing. Or scroll down.

Midlanders recall visits to White House as surreal, awe-filled moments
by Kathleen Thurber
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Published: Sunday, January 18, 2009 3:09 AM CST

Got your ticket yet?

If you haven't picked up your ticket to the George and Laura Bush homecoming on 1/20/09, see Cindy.

More about the Bush family homecoming on 1/20/09

The city website has this information for the general public:

President and Mrs. George W. Bush will depart Washington D.C. on January 20th and head to Midland where they will be welcomed home to Texas! A Welcome Home Rally is scheduled for the afternoon of January 20th.

• Ticket distribution for the Welcome Home Rally will begin on Wednesday, January 14th, at the following locations:
• The George W. Bush Childhood Home, 1412 W. Ohio
•  Midland Chamber of Commerce, 109 N. Main
• Midland City Hall, 300 N. Loraine
• And all of the Kent Kwik locations in the Midland/Odessa area (see below)

Tickets are free but need for admission into the rally. One ticket is good for one family unit – so not every individual or child needs a ticket. In fact, we encourage you to bring your children to this historic event.

There is a 5 ticket per person limit so that we can ensure everyone has the opportunity to attend if they so desire.

Gates will open at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday and close at 4:00 p.m.

Pre-program will begin at 2:00 p.m. and will include live country music entertainment.

Later this week we will announce who will be performing, where exact entrances will be, parking information, and other details about the event.

Everyone is encouraged to attend this historic Midland event and to pick up tickets in a timely fashion.

KENT KWIK TICKET LOCATIONS MIDLAND 3310 West Wall - 800 East Florida - 1500 West Front - 3312 W. Loop 250 North - 2910 North Big Spring - 4101 East Highway 158 - 3300 North Midkiff - 4701 Briarwood - 1001 North Midkiff - 5311 West Wadley - 2315 East Front - 11400 West Highway 158

KENT KWIK TICKET LOCATIONS ODESSA 601 W. County Road - 4203 N. Grandview - 10173 W. University - 9413 W. University - 1001 N. Dixie - 2463 E. 8th 

Members of the class of '64 will be able to obtain their tickets from Cindy Klatt when they become available.

Save the date: 1/20/2009

The President and First Lady are coming to Midland!

OKAY, that's old news. But Cindy has learned that the First Lady has requested a special place at the proceedings for the LHS, MHS and CHS Class of '64 and their families.

When President Elect George W. Bush kicked off his presidency in January of 2001 he made an appearance and gave a talk in downtown Midland before heading to Washington. And now he plans to return to Midland on the day he leaves office. For those of us who appreciate symmetry, this fits like book ends.

The appearance and talk will be at Midland's Centennial Plaza in the afternoon of January 20, 2009.

The appearance and speech in 2001 required a ticket to proceed inside the perimeter, and this one will too. But a special ticket will be required to get into the Class of '64 section. Email Cindy to reserve a spot for you and your family. That's CKlatt-at-aol.com. Act now, she must turn the names in by 6:00 PM Central on Wednesday, January 14.

Once she has the tickets she will make them available at her office. Please don't delay.

See you there!

Tommy Casbeer

Some of our classmates may remember Tommy Casbeer who graduated from Lee High School in 1965. He was predeceased by his brother Dwayne Casbeer of the LHS class of '64. Tommy's obituary can be read here.

Merry Christmas everyone

It's almost that time of year again -- the holiday is here. Santa's checking his list and loading his sleigh. Are you ready?

Here are some classmate messages:

James Coker:

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Suzanne Hildebrand:

Best wishes to all three 1964 classes for a Merry Christmas and a joyous and safe 2009.  2008 was certainly one we will all remember.  To those of you who have stayed in touch with me throughout Ray's illness, I send my sincere gratitude.  The Midland connection always gives me strength.

Thanks everyone!

The Midland Savings Building

Remember the Midland Savings Building in downtown Midland?  The turquoise one?  It was built in 1959, so it was there while we attended high school.  As part of a downtown revitalization program that building came down Saturday, 11/8/08.

A and R Demolition was in charge, and a team of explosive experts from Dykon Explosive Demolition carefully placed charges in strategic locations throughout the building.  And early Saturday morning the switch was thrown.   Boom, boom, boom boom -- pause --- boom.  Then the building began to collapse into a cloud of dust.

A series of 50 photos beginning around the time of the first "boom" until the dust filled the streets can be seen at Sleepless in Midland.  Click to see them.

Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

Today three of us had the opportunity to address the Midland Association of Retired School Personnel at their monthly lunch meeting and tell them all about the White House Reunion.  Cindy Klatt, Eddie Klatt and I did the talking, and Peggy Jezek contributed a CD with a slide show of her photos taken from elementary school through the White House Reunion.

Cindy and Eddie gave excellent talks about the trip, and both were very well received.  The retired teachers were proud that such accomplished individuals came from the Midland school system.  And I got to turn the tables on the teachers with a pop quiz with questions from "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"  And the teachers did remarkably well.

Are you smarter than a 5th grader?  See how well you would do.

1.  5th Grade U.S. History -- Who was the first chief justice to the U. S. Supreme Court?

2.  5th Grade U.S. History -- Published in the 1780's, the Federalist papers were written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and what man who would later become a U.S. president?

3.  5th Grade U.S. Geography -- Which of the Great Lakes lies farthest East?

4.  5th Grade Measurement -- If you traveled two decameters and a hectometer, how many meters would you have gone?

5.  5th Grade Measurement -- How many watts are used during one kilowatt hour?

6.  5th Grade Cultural Studies -- The ancient region know as Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers") was bordered by two rivers.  Name them.

7.   World History -- Which Frenchman was the first European explorer to navigate the Saint Lawrence River in Canada?  (The teachers couldn't get this one.)

8.  5th Grade Life Science -- How many incisors are there in a typical adult human mouth?

9.  5th Grade Health -- Of the 32 teeth in the typical adult human mouth, how many are bicuspids?

10.  5th Grade Astronomy Halley’s Comet is named after an English astronomer. What is his first name?

11.  4th Grade Geometry -- In a right triangle, the side opposite the right angle is called the what:

12. 5th Grade Music -- In the 1720’s, what man composed a series of violin concertos known as “The Four Seasons”?

13.  5th Grade Earth Science -- By definition, an anemometer measures the speed of what?

14.  4th Grade Cultural Studies -- Who was the Greek god of wine?

15.  5th Grade History -- What former US President was the first American to win the Nobel Peace Prize?

16.  5th Grade Measurement -- How many pecks equal one bushel?

Answers:

1. John Jay

2.  James Madison

3. Ontario

4.  120 meters (Decameter=10 meters, Hectameter=100 meters)

5.  1000

6.   Tigris and Euphrates

7.  Jacques Cartier

8.  Eight (flat teeth in front on top and bottom)

9.  Eight

10.  Edmond

11.  Hypotenuse

12.  Vivaldi

13.  Wind

14.  Dionysus or Dionysos

15.  Theodore Roosevelt (1906)

16.  Four

Class of '64 at the Juneteenth parade

Saturday, 6/21/08, the annual Juneteenth parade took place in Midland, and as usual, it was a good one.  But this year parade watchers got a special treat as three members from the CHS class of '64 drove by waving to the crowd.

Earnest Washington is behind the wheel, John Lee is in the back seat, and William Merritt is riding shotgun.

Yea class of '64!!!

Got yours yet?

Have you received your photo from the White House yet?

( A little birdie said we might be receiving them soon!)

Updated 6/3/08 6:10 PM ---  Psssst!  Heard a rumor - someone in Maryland received his photo!!!

Updated 6/4/08 6:30 PM ---  Got mine today, and what a thrill is is to see that photo!

It makes me feel so very grateful that we were able to participate in this event, and I'm sure everyone else shares that feeling.  How lucky we all are to have had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

This is a memory we will cherish forever.  Thank you Mr. President and First Lady!

Still Waiting

We are all probably wondering what happened to the photos that were taken of each of us with the President and First Lady.  Someone speculated that it may be the end of May when we should expect them.  But that was just a guess, it really depends on how busy the photographer and staff are.  Hopefully, there was no intervening event that would push ours into a lower priority -- a wedding perhaps?  In any event, we'll just have to be patient.

In the meantime let's do some playful speculating:

• An over eager prospective occupant did a walk through, opened a door and turned on the light in the darkroom ruining the film.  No?

• How about this:  The photographer accidentally left the lens cap on while taking the photos.  Aw, probably not.

What do you think?

First Lady on Today show

Set your VCR/DVR.  Laura Bush to guest host TODAY.  Subhead:  The first lady will also give viewers a rare look inside the family ranch.

Excerpt:

For the first time in history, the first lady of the United States will guest host America's favorite morning program.

Laura Bush will join America's first family for the 9 a.m. hour of TODAY on Tuesday, April 22.

In addition to her hosting duties, Bush will also give Ann Curry a rare look inside the Bush family ranch in Crawford, Texas.

She will give Curry a tour of the ranch, and explains the "green" eco-friendly design of the home.

Thanks to Harmon Bullard for the alert.

Let's send some "thank you" letters

That reunion was the reunion of a lifetime, an event we will remember forever.  We owe it all to the people who made it all possible, our hosts, the President and First Lady.  And we need to say "Thank You" and tell them how much we appreciated their hospitality.

So let's each write them a letter.  Here's the address:

President George W. Bush and
First Lady Laura Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Will you send them a "thank you" letter?

[Originally posted 4/3/08.  Bumped to the top 4/16/08.]

The Master List

Several people have asked Cindy for a list of phone numbers, mailing addresses, and email addresses of our classmates.  She can make such a list available, however, some people may not want to be on a list that goes out to everyone.

So here's the plan.  To be on that list you must opt in.

If it is OK to give out your contact information to our classmates then EMAIL CINDY.  When finalized, the list will be sent by U.S. mail, but if she does not hear from you before June 1, 2008, then you will NOT be on the list.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the Contact Classmates page for email addresses for those of us who submitted them for listing there.  The list Cindy is preparing is different and will have more information.  Email her if you would like to have your information made available on that list.

A reunion news article worth noting

Ronald Kessler is an author who wrote the biography, Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait of the First Lady.  As he researched his subject, he met several Midlanders, including William Merritt who sent the link to a recent article Mr. Kessler wrote titled  Laura Bush Reunion Bridges Segregation.  Excerpt:

As first lady, Laura Bush has never forgotten her friends from high school and college.  So she invited her 1964 graduating class from Robert E. Lee High School in Midland, Texas, to a reunion at the White House.

What made the event unique was that it bridged Midland’s segregationist past.

Besides Lee High, her hometown had two other high schools when she was growing up — Midland High and George Washington Carver High School.

Kids from Midland High and Lee High mixed socially.  Laura’s high school boyfriend, Harvey Kennedy, attended Midland High.  But Midland was segregated, and Carver was an entirely black school in a black section of town called the Flats.

As described in my book “Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait of the First Lady,” Carver was literally on the other side of the railroad tracks.

Most of the streets there were unpaved.  Even though Carver was a mile from Midland High and four miles from Lee, no one at Carver, which is now closed, mixed with students from the other schools except when the boys played in summer baseball leagues.

For the 44th reunion on Saturday evening, Laura brought all three schools together for the first time. Six graduates of Carver, which had a much smaller graduating class than the other two schools, attended the event. In all, 500 people, including spouses or guests, paid $150 per person to attend. That reimbursed the White House for the cost of the event and also paid for the band.

Yes, it was an historic event.  Back during our school days there was not a lot of interaction between the kids of MHS and LHS and the kids of CHS.  Except for the guys who played summer baseball, most of us did not have the opportunity to meet any of the Carver grads until much later.  We were a world apart back then.  It's a small world today, and we should be grateful to Ms. Bush for helping bring the three school together for the first time.

Lost Items

A few people lost an item at the White House reunion, and Cindy has circulated emails asking if anyone found them.  Here's a listing of the lost items in case anyone can help.

Marsha Robinett - Glasses.  "When we got back to the hotel, my husband had my glasses case in his pocket but no glasses. ... I remember laying them on a table in the blue/green or red room, I just don't remember which room for sure.  I am hoping to find them."

Mary Lee McClure York -Glasses.  "Me, too....lost mine.  Obviously, not wearing them.  Odds are not good, but thought I would ask."

Sally Brady Rock - Fuji disposable camera. "Just joining in on the lost and found websight.  Reporting that I lost a fuji disposable camera Sat. night at the White House."

Linda Landua - Diamond Earring - "I lost a diamond earring at the party Saturday night.  Told the Usher's office that was next to the West dining room but so far they have not found it in cleaning up.  I thought it might have gotten caught in someone's dress or jacket with all the hugging going on.  It looks like a gold open weave fan with about a half carat diamond in one corner.  It is a clip on type and that was the problem.  The earrings belonged to Jeff's mother so they have tremendous sentimental value.  If anyone has found it would they please contact me either through email or phone." [click thumbnail to see photo]

If anyone found any of these items please get in touch with the owner.  Or email me, and I'll let them know.

We have NINE winners!

Joyce Galbraith (LHS) is an Avis representative, and she arranged a group rate with Avis for those among us who wanted to rent a car, remember?  Well, it just keeps coming!

She secured nine certificates each good for for one free Avis car rental for one day.  The plan was to give them away at the reunion, but an opportunity never arose.  So today Midland Fire Department Assistant Chief Eddie Klatt did the honors of drawing names out of a can.  The names were from the list of MHS, LHS and CHS reunion attendees.

Four winners were drawn from the LHS names, four from MHS, and one from Carver.  And the winners are:

MHS:
Richard M. Pitzer,
Sally Brady Rock,
John Clark Braun and
Bill Coombes.

LHS:
Eva Richardson Smith,
Charles B. Lacy, Jr.,
Helen Snody Shifflet, and
Susan Flowers Quicksall.

CHS:  WIlliam Merritt, III.

Congratulations!  The prize coupons will be mailed to each of the winners.  And here's a big THANK YOU to Joyce Galbraith!

The White House -- Laura's touch

At the reunion, Joe O'Neill told us about the March 2008 issue of Architectural Digest which contains an article titled At Home with History in the White House which is about First Lady Laura Bush's influence on the White House interior design.   Excerpt:

“George said he knew this was going to be a job of decisions,” says Laura Bush, “but he didn’t realize he was going to have to make a decision on what kind of rug to have in the Oval Office. So he did what he thinks is the smart thing for a leader to do—he delegated it to me.”

There's a slide show with some very nice photos at the site, check it out.  The hard copy may no longer be available at the stores.

Videos

Announcing a new feature at this website: Videos! Click the hyperlink or look under the heading "The Back Page" on the left and click "Videos."

Want to participate in writing a book?

Christine Mast Gilbert has a proposal:

It seems to me that at our age, some of us are in danger of losing our minds!  Before we lose our memories, I'm proposing a book project in which everyone writes up a couple of pages of precious "Memories of Midland."  People could send the stories to me as text in the body of their email or as Word files.  I would compile them into a manuscript and find a way to self-publish through one of the self-publishing websites where you can get as many books printed as you want for reasonable prices.  We'd publish as many as people order and pay for.  Or maybe we could get some grant money to help pay for it.  I got the idea from a similar project that was done in Austin, to which all Austinites were invited to participate. Topics were suggested: "Where I Live," (referring to neighborhoods),  "What I Really Need," "The Best Day of My Life,"  "My Family's History in Austin,"  "What I See When I Look at Austin," and "My Family's Most Treasured Possession."   Maybe this one should be just by the Class of 1964, or maybe we should spread the word and get anyone from Midland who wants to contribute to do so, or perhaps from other 1950s-1960s classmates. We could also include photos.  President Bush has referred to Midland as the place where he had a happy childhood, so perhaps one slant would be from the perspective of what it was really like in the 1950s-1960s.

Photos!

Do you have some photographs you would like to share?  There are several photo sharing sites on line which will allow photographers to upload photos for viewing by others.  Two sites that don't require visitors to register in order to see your photos are Kodak and Shutterfly.   If you have some photos to share with us upload them to a photo sharing site and email me the link for posting here.

Also, you will probably remember this request (see):  "Please refrain from any additional photographs with the President and Mrs. Bush throughout the evening using your personal cameras.  Many thanks for your cooperation."  So if anyone accidentally took some photos of the President and/or First Lady on Saturday evening with their personal cameras let's not post those.  Thanks!

-------------------------

• Silver Bernal took some fantastic photos!  Click Shutterfly to see them.  (Cookies must be accepted in order to gain access to the photos.)  Thanks Silver!

• Cindy Klatt has some photos she would like to share.  Click Snapfish to see them.  (Registration required.)

• Here are some photos of the Friday afternoon event and the Pre-Reunion that I took and which are available at the Kodak site.  Click Friday photos to view them.  No need to register, just click "View Slideshow" and either click on any thumbnail or view it as a slideshow.  And click Saturday Night to view the pictures from the big event.

• See George Richard's photos at this Snapfish site.

• Here is a link to Christine Mast Gilbert's photos with names!

Note:- It has come to my attention that someone has taken photographs from some of the photo display sites above, and posted them at his own vanity photo display website ( see http://picasaweb.google.com/LoneTreeRick/DCReunionMarch08 ). To do so without the photo owner's consent is, in my opinion, a violation of the photo owner's copyright.  Please refrain from posting any photos you find at one of these websites on any other website without the photo owners explicit consent.  To continue to do so after the photo owner has asked that they be removed is not only undignified but is entirely out of character for members of our class.

In the news

The Midland Reporter-Telegram's reporter Ruth Campbell wrote a nice story about the class reunion.  Click to read it.   Excerpts:

"It was the trip of a lifetime," said William Merritt, one of three Carver grads. "One of the guys said he wouldn't have missed it if he had to crawl to Washington. When it was all over, that's probably how I feel about it." ...

"George and Laura were absolutely fabulous. They were the most gracious hosts you could ever ask for," said Cindy Klatt, who attended with her husband, Eddie. Both are Midland High graduates. ...

"This was just such a special thing first lady and president did for us. It was just incredible to have all our friends from high school. A lot of us had been through grammar school and junior high together. The class just happened to be very close," [Jan] O'Neill said. "It was fun to be sharing it with everyone we grew up with."

And here are Cindy and Eddie Klatt again in an interview with KWES.com.  (Added later - Click to watch it at Youtube.)  Excerpts:

"How many people are so blessed to say 'I went to school with the First Lady and President!' We played baseball together, we studied English together, and now, we went to the White House together.' Neat!" Cindy said.

"I cried," Cindy said. "I think most of the ladies cried, it was just so amazing." "She said a lot of the women were teary eyed," Eddie said. "I think some of the guys were too."

"I kept having to pinch myself," Eddie said. "Sitting in the East Room watching everyone dance thinking 'is this really happening?' It was neat. It was a lot of fun.

And also in the news, Suzanne Scism Hildebrand discovered a fun toy at the Newseum in DC with which visitors can pretend to be reporters and do a brief news report on camera.  Then they are given a code number they can use to retrieve and watch the video.  So, here she is with a friend doing a news report from the steps of the White House about the reunion.  Click to watch it.  (Move over Katie Couric!)

Updated 4/3/08:  Here's a link to the video of the News West 9 interview with Cindy and Eddie Klatt.   Click to watch it at Youtube.

Your committee at work

As noted earlier, someone plans to set up a process whereby we can upload our pictures to a photo display sites.

But in the meantime, I wanted to share this one.  This is your committee and their spouses in a celebratory mood on the afternoon of March 28.

Anyone who has ever served on a committee will appreciate this fact, a fact of which I am quite proud:  All the work done by this committee was done without a single meeting!

That in itself was reason to celebrate.

But in reality, the person we need to celebrate is the First Lady without whose generosity, kindness and support this never would have happened.  Thank you Ms. Bush!

WHEW! What an event!

Harmon (Butch) Bullard sent some links with items about the event. Check them out:

First up, the White House news release;

More from the White House website, and the photo at this page by itself;

More photos; and

A Yahoo slide show.

Thanks Harmon!

In the meantime Rick Grice is setting up a photo upload site so that we can display our own photos.  More about that when the information is available.  Thanks Rick!  (Statement no longer operative.)

Flight delay horror stories

The airline industry has seen better days, and current airline economics have produced some very unfriendly skies for travelers.

One of our classmates received a phone call from Delta at 3:00 AM Thursday advising them that their 9:00 AM flight had been canceled and inviting them to catch a 6:00 AM flight.  Not the most encouraging way to start out a trip.

And Sunday afternoon American Airlines was able to see a phantom storm that no one else saw.  And the resulting flight cancellation, with 20 hours until the next available flight, caused some significant problems for a number of people, including me.

How did your flight go.  Do you have an airline horror story you would like to share?

White House Reunion -- how special!!

Wow!  It is hard to find the words to describe what the graciousness of President and First Lady Bush arranged for us.  It will surely go down as one of the singularly most special and memorable events for all of us.

Our expressions of appreciation and best wishes go out, as always, to President and Mrs Bush.

Important Update!

Jan O'Neill forwarded this important announcement she received from the White House Social Secretary regarding photos at the Saturday night event AND an opportunity to visit the White House Friday afternoon.  As follows:

The President and Mrs. Bush will be hosting a receiving line Saturday night during the Reunion .  This is your opportunity to be photographed with them by a White House photographer.  Please refrain from any additional photographs with the President and Mrs. Bush throughout the evening using your personal cameras.  Many thanks for your cooperation.

In addition to the Reunion Saturday night, the President and Mrs. Bush invite you to the White House on Friday, March 28, to view the historical rooms of the White House and watch the President arrive via helicopter on the South Lawn.  Please arrive to the Visitors Entrance on East Executive Avenue at 4:00 p.m.  Any additional family members who will be traveling with you are also invited to attend.   For those additional family members, please email Sally Jackson  (  sjackson@who.eop.gov  ) in the White House Social Office with their names, dates of birth and social security numbers.  Those who have already accepted for Saturday night DO NOT need to contact Sally; you may just show up at the gate at 4:00 p.m.

Don't forget the  photo ID.

How can we thank you enough?

This reunion is going to be an occasion that we will remember for the rest of our lives, and we owe it all to the First Lady and the President for allowing it to happen.  They are such wonderful people for inviting us into the White House and letting us celebrate this reunion.  I am so grateful that I really don't know if I can express it adequately.  But let me try.

Mr. President and First Lady Laura Bush, I hope we can tell you this in person, but if you happen to visit this website please know that we are extremely grateful to you.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

This reunion will mean so much to all of us.

And if the class members who visit this website are so inclined, please feel free to leave a comment expressing your own gratitude to our magnificent hosts.

The weather up there

Be sure to check the weather report before heading to DC.  Currently the National Weather Service is forecasting the following:

(Updated 3-26-08 4:00pm)
-Thursday 3/27/08  - high of 59°F and a low of 50°F with an 80% chance of showers declining to 50% Thursday night;
-Friday 3/28/08  - high of 63°F and a low of 39°F with a 60% chance of showers;
-Saturday 3/29/08  - high of 52°F and a low of 34°F with a 20% chance of showers during the day, mostly clear night;
-Sunday 3/30/08 - high of 50°F and a low of 36°F, mostly sunny during the day, 30% chance of showers in the evening.

Dress appropriately.

And be prepared to be amazed by the cherry blossoms.  Our regional expert Harmon (Butch) Bullard reports that this is just about the time for that to happen.

One week to go!

Seven days to go!  Or 168 hours.  Or 10,080 minutes.

Or 604,800 seconds.

604,799.

604,798.

604,797.

But who's counting?

Consider a side trip to NYC

Our MHS classmate and DC regional expert Harmon Bullard has been fielding questions about the area, and here are a question and answer that others might appreciate:

Question:  We were thinking of trying to take a train into NYC and go to "Ground Zero".  Is that feasible?  What would you guess the trip would take in hours?  We thought that we could possible sight-see around DC from Sat. through Thursday and maybe plan on this on Friday.

Answer:  Absolutely, and I highly recommend it. It can definitely be done in one day.  There are several bus lines that offer up and back service daily.  However, I think by train is much better.  From Washington D.C. it's about a 3 hour trip on the Amtrak.  Also,  Amtrak's high speed  "Acela" train runs a couple times a day.  While this is more expensive you can shave over an hour off the trip coming and going.  My wife and her girl friends have gone up to the city for shopping or an afternoon matinée by leaving early in the morning (say 6 AM) and catching a late train coming back.  It's a very easy and relaxing trip by train.

The Amtrak will drop you off at Penn Station.  From there I recommend you take the subway (an experience you should not miss) into New York's Financial District.  It's less than a half hour ride.  Get off at Wall Street or one stop before and you are right there.  It doesn't take that long to walk around the ground zero area . . . which is still fenced in.

Afterward, I would head back into Midtown ,Times Square, et al.  And, if you like to shop you've got to see Macy's . . . its out of this world.

New York is such a great place to visit . . . it truly is the town that never sleeps.  And, I believe one of the safest large cities in the entire world.  But, it is expensive to stay there.  That's why the day trip is good.  However, if you decide to visit for more than one day,  my wife and I have learned it's better to stay out on Long Island and come into the city by train.  It's much less expensive than to get a room in the city.  If anyone wants to know anything specific about NYC have them talk to my wife at the Reunion . . . she knows the place like the back of her hand.

You will Love New York! 

Harmon

Getting to the White House

Have you made plans to get from your hotel to the White House on party night?  We originally thought that each person would get there on his/her own.  But many people have asked, so here are some options.

Our classmates will be staying in various places around DC, and those people staying near a Metro station may want to utilize that service.  Here's a fun tool to play with:  the Metro trip planner.  Plug in your location, destination, time and date, and it will tell you the nearest departure time, the duration and the price of the trip.  Pretty cool.

For the people staying at the Washington Marriott there are several options:  Walk, Metro, taxi, Limo or chartered bus.  So let's address each one.

Walk - The hotel appears to be about a mile away from the WH, so it may be within walking distance with sensible shoes.  Heels?  Maybe not.

Metro - It's a few blocks from both the Washington Marriott and the White House to the nearest Metro stations.  So that, too, would involve some walking.  See the Metro trip planner to plot a route.

Taxi - There will no doubt be several taxis available, and the hotel concierge could probably call up some more if necessary.

Limo - There are several limousine services, and some in our group have already made plans to hire one.  Scroll to the bottom of this entry for comments from Barbara Barker Dillon and Audrey Fowler with contact information for limousine services they are using.

Chartered Bus - Harmon (Butch) Bullard has been in contact with the Chariots for Hire bus company.  And here's what he said:

In addition to cars, limos, etc. they also have buses . . . you can see what they have on their home page.  There are 3 sizes of buses . . .   57, 36, and 25 passenger.   The 57 passenger bus rents for $110 plus 20% tax and gratuity per hour;  the 36 passenger is $85 plus 20% and the 25 passenger is $80 plus 20% per hour.

So, if they pick up at the Marriott at 6PM and drop off at the White House at 6:30 and then pick up at the White House at 10:30 PM and drop off at the Marriott at 11PM this would be 5 hours that we would be renting the bus (es).   For the 57 passenger bus this would be 110 x 20% = $132 x 5 hours = $660 or  $11.58 per person R/T provided there are 57 passengers.  You can adjust the times anyway you want . . . say if you want one bus to leave at 5:30, another at 5:45 . . . etc.  also we can stagger the return.  Even if you went up to 6 hours total . . . it's still sounds like a pretty good deal.

They require 25% down once you sign the contract.

So would you like to ride a chartered bus between the Washington Marriott and the White House on party night?  We would need a headcount by Friday 3/21/08, and Cindy has agreed to make the down payment, take the reservations and collect the money from those who use the service.  So if you would like to ride the chartered bus please Email Cindy to let her know.  (If that link doesn't work she can be found on the Contact Classmates page.)

Thank Heaven for Cindy!  What would we do without her?

Updated 3/19/08 2:45 pm -- This just in from Harmon:

Okay,  I've reserved two of these 57 passenger buses ...  I'll send the Terms and Conditions separately.  If we need more I'm afraid it may be "second trips" . . .  I was told the two I confirmed were the last 2 available.  However, we may be able to get a smaller one (36 or 25 passenger) if necessary.  Also, if Jan is able to get our "handicapped" folks to a closer door we may want to reserve a smaller vehicle for them . . . depending on how many we have.  Harmon

Thanks Harmon!

Updated 3/20/08 11:20 am -- At least three of our classmates have arranged to hire limousines through a service called Family First.  Here's some info about them from Betty Huff Mize:

If anyone is still interested in a limousine, the hotel concierge recommended Family First at 571.338.8392.  Ask for Reginald Haskins or Shirley.  He knows about our group coming in.  He quoted $90/hr with 5 hr. minimum on a towncar for 8.  $95/hr with 5 hr min. on towncar for 10.  An extended excursion van for 12 at $110/hr with 5 hr min.  He could also furnish a hummer limo for 20 people.  Would need to contact asap to reserve for Saturday night.

For more recommendations for Family First see comments from Barbara Barker Dillon and Suzanne Scism Hildebrand here and here.  The last one includes info from Audry Fowler about another limo service, Professional Livery at 888-578-5466.  Thanks everyone!

Feelings Expressed

Some people have received their invitations already.  Barbara Barker Dillon got hers and was flooded with feelings.  Here's what she said:

Well the actual invitation arrived today. The primary feeling after opening the envelope was complete awe and the feeling of being very humble. Then the feeling of overwhelming gratitude flooded the scene.

I feel so grateful to our First Lady Laura Bush and our President George Bush. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing this to happen on your "watch". The First Lady was always pure class and always will be. None of this would be happening, of course, without you both.

Another large debt of gratitude goes to the committee that has managed to put this incredible event together. We will always be in your debt for every minute of hard work you have put forth on everyone's behalf.

As of this minute in my life, everything else I've accomplished, other than my children, seems small when compared to my incredible luck in attending high school with such an amazing group of people.

My enduring gratitude to all.

(Pulled forward from this comment.)

Two Weeks to Go!

Or 14 days.  Or 336 hours.

The final, final deadline was 3/14/08.  And here's the latest breakdown from Cindy:

CHS  -    3 Students,  3  Guests
LHS  -  108 Students,  101 Guests
MHS - 159 Students, 125  Guests

TOTAL    499  Coming.  Add President and Mrs. Bush we have 501.  WOW!!

And some people report that they received their White House invitation already!

The Friday Night party -- do you plan to attend?

As we know, Barbara Barker Dillon (LHS) and Harmon "Butch" Bullard (MHS) have arranged a get-together, a Preunion, at the Washington Marriott located at 1221 22nd Street NW on Friday evening, March 28.  This will give us an opportunity to get reacquainted with our classmate friends before the big event on Saturday night.

The arrangements are being finalized, and they need to know how many people to expect.  Do you plan to attend Friday?  Cindy Klatt has sent an email to the people on her email list asking for an RSVP, so please Email Cindy and let her know whether you and your guest plan to be there Friday evening.

Thanks!

P.S.  They had to agree to pay the hotel for this event, and Barbara sent them a check.  This was not included in the fee we sent for the Saturday event.  We don't want to have fun on someone else's dime, so let's make sure no one comes out  in the hole.  There will either be a kitty at the snack table or a person at the door collecting money for the Friday event.  At this time the price per person is estimated to be $10 per person, but it could be higher.  So let's show that we are generous people.  If there's any money left over it can go into the fund for the next reunion.

Classmate Contact Information

We're a mobile bunch, and those old address books got outdated rather quickly.  But many of us are anxious to know which of our classmates plan to attend the reunion, and it would be nice to be able to contact them ahead of the reunion.  However, a  full list will not be published here without permission.

Well, there were some very bright people in our classes.  Case in point:  Cheryl Wilderspin Pannell of the Lee '64 class who made a brilliant suggestion.   Why not set up a page specifically for the names and perhaps email addresses of people who would like to let others know they plan to attend the reunion?  That way their friends can find them, contact them, and make plans to get together.  And it would all be voluntary.  Is that brilliant or what?

So here it is.  It's the Contact Classmates Page.  Please Email Me with your name, school and a brief message you would like to appear on that page.   Please put "Info for Contact Page" in the heading to let me know that it's ok to publish your name, and please specify whether you plan to attend the reunion and whether you do or do not want your email address published there.  And include any brief message you would like to appear on the page.

See you on the Contact Classmates Page!

Updated and bumped to the top.  The Contact Page is a big hit!  If you haven't done so yet be sure to send in your info.

Media Queries

All media queries should be directed to our official Class of '64 Reunion Spokesperson, Jan O'Neill.  If you are a media representative and wish to contact her but do not have her contact information, email me.

Deadline extended -- March 14

Could our high school teachers have predicted that some of the registration submissions would be tardy?

If you sent yours in on time, then kudos and gold stars to you.

The registrations are still trickling in, and here's some good news for people who haven't yet sent them in or maybe don't yet know about the reunion.

The deadline has been extended to March 14.  The registrations must be received by Robert McCleskey at the address on the form no later than Friday, March 14, 2008.

Updated:  Here's the latest breakdown as of 3/10/08 from Cindy:

MHS - 158 Students, 125  Guests
LHS  -  107 Students,  100 Guests
CHS  -    3 Students,  3  Guests
Grand Total =    496 registered.

What to expect

If you filled out and sent in your registration form you should expect to receive an invitation from the White House, as stated on the form itself.  That invitation should provide some additional information, for example, which building entrance we will be expected to use.

The White House wanted all the forms at one time, and since the deadline passed on Saturday, March 8, the plan is to ship all the forms on hand today, March 10.  Once received, people at the White House will prepare their own database, run background checks, and send the invitations.  This process may take several days, and your patience is appreciated.