Juanita shares pixs

Thanks Junaita Geoff for sharing the photos with me.
Kevin Mahan (86), Danny ZELL(86)
think Derek Webster (88) is on the left.

btw; Does anyone have contact with Danny or what became of him?




Perry Lane (87), Juanita Vaughn (87), Dwight Peyton (87), Johnny Abney (86), Robert Miller (86)

Mike Matheny hasn't changed...

Cheryl/Janet-

Thanks for continuing to 'hunt" me down!

Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend this week due to some scheduling conflicts. However, I would very much look forward to being "allowed" to attend the 25th Reunion.

My contact information is listed below and feel free to use accordingly.

Keep me posted on any other events/gatherings as I am out in LA/Sacramento often. State of California is now a client of my company, so rest well at night knowing that your security, safety & overall wellbeing is being entrusted to a Foothill Grad.....(???)

Give my best to everyone and I apologize in advanced for my perpetual 'tardiness / absence'. (see not much as changed since the days of FHS)

Best Regards'

Mike Matheny

2009 reunion **UPDATE!!!!**

Ok so we just got word that there's another class reunion taking place, at the same time as ours. So after brain storming (both Janet and I) we've decided to CRASH the class of 85!!! Yea!!! (this means ALL classes are invited)

WHERE: Cactus Valley Mexican Resaurant
STREET: Rosedale Hwy.
TIME: 7PM

YOU pay for your food and drinks.

So come and join those of us who are still able to get around and, who haven't moved out of the Bakersfield area!

If you have any questions simply hit the reply button. And if you have already given me an answer that you won't be attending the Saturday event then, don't sweat it out. Your good. :)

Hugs to all.
Cheryl Caswell
661-345-7413 (cell)

Summer 2009 and what are YOU doing

We want to know what in the world your doing these days! Hit reply and post!
Thanks to Rhonda for posting this image up on Facebook. Gawd talk abt memories... sigh.
:o)

FHS looses another member...

Close, Caroline Grace St. John

View/Sign Guest Book
Caroline Grace St John Close passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on January 29, 2009 from a sudden stroke. Born in Boonville, CA October 18, 1925, the daughter of Harold and Dollie St John, Caroline grew up in many beautiful places throughout California as her father worked for the California Division of Highways. She graduated from high school in Exeter, CA and began college at San Jose State. Her education was interrupted when she met and married Dean Close in 1944, and later by the births and parenting of three daughters. She was finally able to finish her BA and teaching degrees at Fresno State in 1963. She later returned to earn an MA in English. Caroline lived her vocation as a teacher for 47 years. She spent a year teaching migrant worker's children at Camp McCollum in the Salinas Valley in 1948. She taught high school English in Modoc County, Arvin and finally Foothill High in Bakersfield for 35 years. She inspired and cajoled three generations of students to think and write clearly. She taught the joy of the written word to advanced placement and struggling students alike. She was a pioneer in bringing English as a Second Language and Minority Literature to Kern County. After retiring from the Kern High School District, she taught English as a Second Language at Bakersfield College for ten more years and tutored elementary students until 2007. She never met a student whose promise she could not see. Caroline loved to travel, was an avid gardener and birder and delighted in anything to do with the natural world. As she had done with her own children, she mentored eight grandchildren in the delights of books, nature and service to others. She remained active in politics, her church, and busy with family and friends until her death. She is survived by her daughters, Catherine Close and husband, Nathan Kaufman, Christine Noguera and husband, Roger Noguera, and Caroline Close and husband, Douglas Cheshire and by eight grandchildren: Caroline, Scarlett, Blake, Laura, Miriam, Roger Elon, Elizabeth and Christopher as well as two great-grandchildren: Clara and Ryan. Friends and family will miss her and treasure her memory. Services will be held at Wesley Methodist Church on Saturday, February 7, at 11:00 a.m., with a viewing at Greenlawn Mortuary (3700 River Blvd.) Friday, February 6, from 4 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to Caroline's favorite charity, Heifer International, www.heifer.org are suggested. Caroline Grace St John Close 1925 - 2009 Greenlawn Mortuary
Published in the Bakersfield Californian from 2/5/2009 - 2/6/2009

Greg Ninefeldt from the class of 87

Just browsed through the pics you posted from the get together shindig! Glad everyone was able to attend. Nice to see a shot of Carin also. Good work on keeping the blog going! -Greg Ninefeldt class of 87

Funny abt the blog! It helps if EVERYONE who visits the sight would, send something to blog about. YOU for example; what are you doing? Where you living? with wolfs on that land you recently bought? Having tea with Big Foot lately? TELL US!!! Also; send a photo!!!!
-Cheryl

Dean shows his tattoo

Rocking to the Clash

Manny Pena now

Looking forward to that fishing/camping trip. *wink*

OLDtime friends

Rhonda her bestfriend (since jr. high)

Dean Lara, Cheryl, Janet and Jose
** I've known Dean since first grade, Jose 3rd grade I think and Janet since hmm errr 4th? **
Dean said our First grade teachers name and I personally cringed. Old bat had a paddle that she'd use on us students who wouldn't mind in class.

YOUR 40th Birthday party!!!

Dean Lara and friend looking through yearbook

Darin Harshman, Ronnie and Manny Pena talk iPod

Party Animals

Talking abt Choir trips

Manny telling jokes to Cheryl and Carin

wishing everyone a happy birthday

Darin Harshman

Patrick and wife

still TOTAL party animals after all these years!

Rhonda get's a yearbook signed by classmates

Kevin showing us how to work that toy


Rhonda!!!!!!!

Christy!!!


Ronnie loves cake.


Happy 40th


Dean Lara and Charlie Haycock
(Sorry for blur image I had a few too many to drink that nite)


Discussing next reunion
Oct 16th, 2009

Happy 40th!!!!

More photos coming!!!

8 Days!

I can't believe our yearly get together is 8 days away! See you at Don Perricos next Saturday!

Take On Me!

LOL Love this!

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Toby loves costco

He's still HOT 22 yrs later:

"I didn't know we had a reunion, let alone a 20th."

I know a few people that has asked me over the years who were in track; What ever happened to Toby? NOW I can tell em that I've spoken with him. Toby; please consider on joining us for our 40th birthday party (well, 40 for most of you that is. ;) ) Hopefully with the info I gave Toby, he'll be with us in 2 weeks. Forget work Toby; call in sick. COME and join your former classmates for a once a year get together! PARTY!!!!!

Say greetings to Manny!!!

Another former classmate of ours will be at the bash. Talk about being a hard one to track down. Almost as tough as Mike Matheny was. Then again, I'm still working on trailing a few other classmates down and having little success. Welcome back Manuel!!!!!

count me in!
Manny Pena

It's October! Time to Catch Up! Reunite! Celebrate!

Hey kids! It's October! It's time for our yearly get together. Last years October get together at Rusty's was a blast and very well attended.

This years reunion event is a 40th Birthday party for ALL OF US! Happy Birthday to US! Kellie Thompson (Farquhar), suggested a birthday party so we have her to thank for reminding us all that our 30's are officially over. LOL



This years event will be held at Don Pericos Mexican Restuarant in Bakersfield.

When: Saturday October 18th, 2008

Time: 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Where: Don Pericos Buffet



Address: 2660 Oswell St. Bakersfield, CA 93306

Phone: (661) 871-2001

Food: Mexican Buffet and Birthday Cake

Price: 11.95 Per Person (Pay at door. Price includes drink. No host bar.)

Note: There will be free appetizers for those of you not eating.

Everyone will recieve a birthday present!

So, please, join us for a fun evening of catching up. We only go through this life once, time passes quickly, we don't want to lose touch again!

See you all October, 18th at 6:30 PM

* You don't have to RSVP but if you're coming, feel free to leave a comment on the blog, drop us an e-mail and please, please, PLEASE, help spread the word. And, as always, members of other classes are welcome to join us.

The FHS 1988 20 YEAR REUNION IS ALMOST HERE!

Remember the class of 1988??? Their class reunion is this weekend and YOU can join in on the fun and recall the days at "Dear ole Foothill High". Renew those friendships and catch up with what has been going on in each others lifes since we left the campus. Attend their 20th reunion! *Note from Cheryl* I don't know abt ya'll but, our 20th wouldn't have been a huge success if, it wasn't for Michelle Garland who basically gave us many ideas for our reunion. Hope to see everyone at the their 20th reunion and... sorry for the late notice! (BTW: can't wait to see the "SPECIAL GUESTS!!!")

HUGE hugs.
-Cheryl Caswell


If you do plan on attending please call me at 661-827-9373 or 661-932-5444, Christy at 661-742-5703 so we can prepare you and your guest's "stuff" =) Hope to see you on Saturday! Oh and if you haven't heard we will be having some "special guests" in attendance that is sure to make the evening more fun than ever! You won't want to miss it! It's the Big 20! Hope to hear from you!

The FHS 1988 20 YEAR REUNION IS ALMOST HERE!

Hi there! We're sending this notice by email as we are not doing a physical mailing this year in an effort to cut event costs. All details are in this message below with additional information posted online at: classmates.com under 1988 reunions and events and on our myspace page at: www.myspace.com/fhs1988. Looking forward to seeing you soon. All payments must be received by Thursday, July 31, 2008. Looking forward to a great event! Please pass this along to any classmates you have access to by email. (You may have received this email in hopes you can locate a fellow classmate or relative)

MAIN EVENT:

Saturday, August 9, 2008 from 6:00 pm -11:30 pm
Adult only event at Coconut Joe's Private Beach Club
located at 4000 Easton Drive Suite 2 in Bakersfield, California. (Located off of California Avenue and Hwy 99)
This is the main event which includes Dinner and Dance and a lot of fun and activities. Casual attire.

What's to eat:
2 pieces of tender chicken - marinated in Coconut Joe's secret blend of island spices and fruit juice and grilled to perfection over their famous mesquite grill. Next they add 2 ounces of succulent marinated tri-tip beef, a delicious tossed garden salad (with signature oil & vinegar dressing), and beans (prepared with spices and water!). Finishing off this huge platefull, with a Pyrenees sour dough roll (with butter), and freshly made chunky salsa.
Your meal also includes Iced Tea and Lemonade

PICNIC EVENT:
Sunday, August 10, 2009 at Yokut's Park located off of Mohawk and Truxtun Extension. A map will be provided the evening of the dinner event on Saturday.
Family-Fun Potluck Picnic 10:30am - 4:00pm
Bring your lawn chairs, picnic blankets, dish to share and your icechest and get ready for a day of family-fun! *paper goods and supplies provided

EVENT PAYMENT INFORMATION:
Total package is $55.00 per adult (no cost for children at Sunday event) no price break for attending one event only.

Make checks payable to: FHS 1988/Garland and mail to:
FHS 1988
701 Deseret Way #A
Bakersfield, CA 93309

OR make payment online through Paypal at:
www.paypal.com sending payment to address:
michellegarland2003@yahoo.com (note FHS 1988)

IMPORTANT:
***Event price includes, dinner and non alcoholic beverages, bartending company, photographer at site, facility and rentals, DJ, activity supplies, name badge printing/covers, event prizes and souvenirs.

There are no price breaks available if you choose to only attend one of the events over the other etc. Our event costs are fixed and in an effort to keep pricing as low as possible for attendees we depend on the flat rate to meet our budget. Thank you for your understanding! =)

*20 Year memory booklets will be offered at an additional fee for order at the event by the Dunning Co. photographer.

Classmate located!!!!

Cheryl,

It was nice hearing from you.

I’m sorry I missed the reunion but hopefully I’ll get to make it to a future one. Please keep me updated on any events planned in the future.

God Bless,

Denise James (ROBERTS)

Denise; I'm SO happy to have located you. Funny on how we all connect in one way or another (she's my grand-nephews counselor at Foothill). ;o) -Cheryl

Heeeeeeeerrrrrrreeeeeeee'sssss JOHHNNY!!!!!

Remember Johnny Abney? Who doesn't remember, Johnny??? He recently sent some updated pics and sent in his answers to the questionnaire! Check 'em all out below!

You can e-mail Johnny at: jla67@comcast.net




What did you do last night?

Watched Back To The Future Part 2

What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Not very fond of breakfast.

How many hours a night do you sleep?

6 to 8hrs

What is your favorite hour of the day/night and why is it your favorite?

9pm. Peaceful.

Where do you live now?

Colorado

Why did you move there?

Job Opportunity

Do you like living there? Explain.

Yes. It is a very peaceful place to raise a family; the weather is the best as far as winter goes. Lots of lakes, mountains, many things you can do to get away from the normal everyday routine.

What did you do in the years right after high school?

I join the military. I was in for 5yrs.

Tell us about your family? Kids? Spouses? Lovers? Partners? Divorces?

I have 6 kids. 3 boys and 3 girls. Their ages range from 6 to 18.

Do you have a job outside of your home?

No. I am in business for myself.

Do you like your job?

Yes I like being a business owner.

Is it the job you thought you would have when you were back in High School and you contemplated the future?

For the most part yes. Being a business owner was something I was always interested in.

If you could have any job in the world what would it be?

Congressman.

What was your happiest day last year?

When I realized that life is so precious when you really begin to reflect on what is important

What is your biggest regret from the last 20 years?

Not following my Dream sooner.

Do you miss high school? What things do you miss about it?

I do not miss high school particular. What I do miss is the choirs that I was in and all the musicals I was involved in.

What is one of your favorite memories from high school?

When I got a standing ovation, in a play I did when I was a Junior.

What is one of your worst memories from high school?

Not having a car to get around in.

Who were your best friends in high school?

Robert Miller, Eric Brument.

Have you kept in touch with them?

No.

How is your life different than the life you thought you would have after high school?

It is a lot different because as one gets older you begin to realize what is important.

Who was your favorite teacher?

Greg Lapp

What was the biggest life lesson you learned in high school?

Be yourself. Don’t try to be something you are not.

Who was your favorite pop music band in high school?

Chicago

Why do you want to attend a high school reunion?

To see whatever one looks like.

Why do you NOT want to attend a high school reunion?

But I do want to attend.

Are you nervous about attending your high school reunion? Explain.

No. Everyone has a story and it’s important to know what that story is because each individual is important.

Do you like answering these questions?

Sure.

Do you have any tattoos? What are they?

No.

What is your favorite food?

Italian

Are your parents still alive? How are they doing?

Yes. My mother is doing fine. Not sure how my Dad is doing.

Are you happy with the way you look these days? Please explain.

Yes. It is amazing the things we do to continue in improving the way we look. It’s an amazing thing to get older.

If you won the lottery what would you do with the money?

Invest in multiple projects that would include retirement, savings, fun, yourself, charity.

Are you religious? Spiritual? Agnostic? Is there a God?

Religious- No. Spiritual- Yes. Yes there is a Superior entity out their.

What do you watch on TV?

Law and Order “Criminal Intent’, TV Land *some of the older shows from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

What are your all-time favorite movies?

Rookie- with Dennis Quaid. Rudy, The Gladiator with Russell Crowe.

In what ways have you changed the most from high school?

I went from 90 pounds to 185. Calmer, not as hyperactive.

In what ways are you the same from high school?

I did a lot of changes.

Tell us about three of your happiest experiences since leaving high school.

The birth of my children, self realization, moving to Colorado.

What do you like most about yourself?

That I realize who and what is important in Life.

What would you most like to change?

To continue to change my out look so I don’t get complacent in my thinking. That I will continue to have an open mind so I can continue to expect change since change is constant.

Do you talk on your cellphone while driving?

Have a blue tooth

Tell us something that very few people know about you.

I read a lot books that deal with the perception of life and what we as an individual can do to change ourselves to make this world a better place.

What would you like to happen at the reunion? What would leave you satisfied? What do you NOT want to happen at the reunion?

Everyone show up. To see the ones that I hung out the most with in choir. That few people show up.

Did you enjoy answering these questions?

Sure.

Tell us something interesting about yourself that wasn't covered in the above questions.

I continue to study the pulse of different industries that deal with the economy, religion, and personal growth of the aspects that we as an individual play in creating every aspect of our daily lives.

1988 20 yr reunion

I'm going! Anyone else? Ronnie???? -Cheryl

20 Year Reunion Dates Confirmed!!!!

Hi there!!!! The Class of 1988 Reunion Activites are in the works and we want to hear from you! PLANNING MEETING: We are holding a planning meeting on Saturday, February 9 at Marie Calendar's on California Ave. in Bakersfield, CA. Bring pics, yearbooks and your fond memories to this no host luncheon and catch up with old friends... The official reunion activity dates are scheduled for Fri, Sat and Sun August 8,9 and 10 in Bakersfield. Visit Classmates.com and be sure to check out www.myspace.com/fhs1988

from Christy Green and her SON!!!!

"i just saw jan thorworth has put his info and photo on classmates. saw him on the unfound list on the fhs blog.

Also, i wanted to let everyone know that i had the baby. I found out i was pregnant 2 days before the reunion. i have attached his picture. you can post it on the blog. i know i was telling everyone the night of the reunion i was pregnant so thought it would be neat for everyone to see the finished product. lol. Anyhoo, i will make a point to be at the next get together. i'm from 88 class but loved seeing ya'll!! Take care....Christy Green (Do you remember me Ronnie) LOL!!"

Johnny Abney and Lueder Myer

Johnny Abney is happily living in Colorado. Drop him a line! Say hello!

jla67@comcast.net

And Lueder (Weidemann) Meyer has surfaced as well.

luederweidemann@aol.com

FHS looses longtime administrator

Long, Jerry Roger

Jerry was born in Roseburg, Oregon, the only child of Frank W. and Jewell M. Long in 1936. He graduated from Roseburg High School in 1954 then attended Oregon State University. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biology in 1959 and a Master's degree in Zoology in 1960. While attending Oregon State he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He spent his summers driving an ambulance for his family business. Jerry grew up in the Roseburg, Oregon area where he enjoyed hunting, camping, and fly fishing. He also loved rock collecting and caring for a wide variety of pets, including a baby alligator that he bought in the 8th grade. When he was 10 years old, Jerry won the Douglas County Marble Championship and played in a state competition against players of all ages. He placed 2nd in the state. After graduating from college, Jerry moved to California to join the Kern High School District as a teacher at McFarland High School. At this time, he was selected as one of 30 educators from across the country to receive a grant from the National Science Foundation. This award gave him the opportunity to attend a summer program studying anthropology at the Arizona State College campus in Flagstaff. During this summer program, he met Janet Cappleman who was teaching in Hayward, CA. The two were married in December of the same year. Jerry later became a counselor at McFarland High School and then continued his career as an administrator at Foothill High School and Shafter High School, where he was interim principal for a semester. He retired in 1994 from the Bakersfield Adult School. Jerry absolutely loved working at the Adult School. He became great friends with the staff and felt it was very rewarding to help adults complete their education. Retirement gave him time to study and enjoy his many hobbies including collecting Native American art, antiques, and rock collecting, and panning for gold. In the last 10 years, growing orchids became Jerry's passion. He had one greenhouse that had approximately 300 plants and was planning to build a second greenhouse soon. He enjoyed traveling to orchid shows, studying and reading about various types of these exotic plants, and he especially loved to cultivate and grow the beautiful flowers himself. Jerry was also an avid reader, raised California desert tortoises and was quite fond of his two constant companions and pets, Andy and Susie, his toy poodles. He met every other week for breakfast with a group of retired, Kern High School District administrators, who were also cherished and beloved friends over the years. Jerry was a member of the Golden Empire Orchid Society and First Presbyterian Church Jerry is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Steve Turner of Bakersfield; and his son, William Long of Seal Beach, CA. In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to be made to Jerry's favorite non-profit organizations: The Nature Conservancy, the American Cancer Society, and First Presbyterian Church. Services are scheduled for Monday, December 17, 2007, at 10:00 a.m., at the Hillcrest Memorial Park Chapel in Bakersfield, CA. Jerry Roger Long May 11, 1936 - Dec. 8, 2007

Gale Wright says....

HI!!!!!!!

She's been working for the Golden Empire Transit (GET Bus) for the last few years and is blessed with several kids. WELCOME BACK GALE!!!!!!

Classmate found at Foodmax

Went to Foodmaxx (corner of Chester Ave going into Oildale). I love shopping there. Such wonderful Bananas (cough). Anyway; while my best-friend Amazon and I were walking in the frozen veggie area, a Hall and Oates started to play and we stood there with the door open to the bags of corn; belting out tunes and shouting to each other abt what we wore. A clerk who was near by was giggling and singing along with us.
"Hey! your an 80's fan!" We said
"Yep and proud of it. I even wore parachute pants back in those days". She proclaimed with a cheeky grin.
"Say; when did you graduate?" I asked.
"1986 from FHS". Was her reply.
I marched up to her and let on... "OMG! Why weren't you at the reunion? I'm Cheryl and went to Foothill. Even served on the committee!"
She had no idea abt the 20 yr reunion. Dam! So many people who aren't on the web have been having this problem which, is why everyone needs to keep their eyes and ears pealed when your out shopping. Who knows who you may run into?
She has our website address and next week when I go back to pick up my turkey, I'll double make sure that I get her contact information. Maybe take a pix of her!
Name starts with a "T"... knew or dated Shannon Eudy.

Reunion Weekend DVD, (9 Parts)

The class of 1986 from Foothill High School had a three day event in Bakersfield, Thanksgiving Weekend, 2007.

Day 1 was a roller skating event at Rollerama, day 2 was a "Back to the 80's" party, and day 3 was a family BBQ.

It was a great weekend. Enjoy the video. If you were in the class and you would like a DVD send us your address and we'll mail you one.

You can view the entire video on our website: http://1986fhs.com/home.htm

You can also view it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=FHS1986
Part 1




Part 2



Part 3



Part 4




Part 5



Part 6




Part 7




Part 8





Part 9

Rusty's Pizza Parlor was a BLAST!!!!!!!

Very fun!

Thanks to Janet Brown for organizing it!!!!



Here's the list of people who showed up as well as some pics.

Shawn Adams
Janet Brown and Jose Espericueta
Christy Ballard, Charlie Haycock and their son
Darrell Dalke and his wife and daughter
Monet Davis
Debbie Dominguez
Darren Harshman
Christine Kohn and her husband
Ronnie Larsen
Debby Long
Carrin Maddox
Robbyn Madsen
Pam McCoy and her Family
Georgia Moore and her husband
Kevin Mahan
Bryan Minyard
Cameron Parsons and his wife and kids
Sandy Presson
Kim Wood
Dawn Wood

I hope I haven't forgotten anyone!

Hopefully, we'll see the rest of you next year, the third week of October, 2008, for our annual get together. Mark your calanders now: October 18th, 2008

News, News, News!

DVD
The DVD of last years reunion is DONE and the copies have been burned. I'll be handing them out Saturday Night at Rustys Pizza Parlor during our "yearly get together". We are going to screen it at Rustys and then everyone will get a copy. If you can't make it Saturday night I'll be mailing you a copy if I have your address. Please send me your current address even if you think I already have it. If you were at the reunion last year you are on the DVD. And if you came to the BBQ with your kids then your kids are probably on the DVD, too. And Sophia valles and Darrell Dalke were NOT at the reunion and even they are on the DVD! It's like magic! So if you want to see what your kids said about you, come to the party Saturday night at Rusty's or send me your address. They have a big screen TV at Rusty's so it should be pretty fun seeing it like that. And you can drink alcohol at Rusty's so that's good, too. There's no cost for this event except BYOP: Buy Your Own Pizza.

Rustys
The details about Rustys are below in a previous posting so scroll down to find out about it. I have no doubt it will be a fun night and Janet and Jose have already picked out their costumes! I'm trying to talk Kim Wood in to dressing up, too. And I'm bringing candy so if you crave free candy, and who doesn't, you should be there for sure!

Friday Night Football
Goergia Willoughby and Monet Wright have talked about possibly going to the football game on Friday Night. Kim Wood and I might join them. So if any of you are interested in going, let us know and we can meet up there!

Next Year
Janet Brown have I decided to officially make the third weekend in October the date of our yearly get together. We think it's easier to have a once a year get-together and spread the word about that than to wait 5 years and try to find everyone again. So just know that our next get together in 2008 is the third weekend of October. It won't always be at Rusty's but we will be doing something every year at the time. Other classmates from other years are always welcome to attend as well. So keep a mental note of that and when you run into long lost classmates, let them know that our next get together is "The-Third-Weekend-In-October, 2008"!

Babies
I heard a rumor that Cynthia Bicknell had a baby! Congrats. I haven't spoken to her directly but I heard it through the grapevine! Congrats, Cynthia! We can't wait for pictures.

That's all for now!

Have a great Thursday and I'll see some of you Saturday Night. Ciao! Ronnie

REMINDER: PIZZA PARTY OCTOBER 20TH

Man, doesn't that just sound so high school!

"We're having a pizza party on Friday for the class."

But it's true! We are! October 20th at Rusty's Pizza Parlor.

We're gonna watch the DVD of the last reunion. Eat Pizza. Wear a Halloween costume! Just general craziness!

Help spread the word to anyone interested in attending. There's no charge just buy your own pizza!

We really do want to do a simple yearly get together so we don't all lose touch again! So don't be shy, come on down. Peoople have already started confirming and it's gonna be fun. And they sell beer, too, so what else do you need to know! See you there! Details below!

Details:
Where: Rusty's Pizza Parlor 3303 Niles Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93306
When: Saturday, October 20th, 7 PM
What: Eat Pizza, watch the DVD, drink beer, laugh with old friends.
Why: Because we miss you already.
Who: FHS Alumni and significant others.
Charge: Zero, nada, nothing, zip!
How Long: They close at midnight, soooo....midnight?

Steve's last email

"How is everything going? I have been reading over the blog spot and seeing everyone's messages, it is remarkable how everything is so different and yet the same. Yes I am back in Iraq again, I was here in 2003, actually 2002 in Kuwait and later as a part of the initial push into Baghdad. Do you remember the TV reports of that long convoy and the mother of all storms? I was down there somewhere. But now I am up in the north outside of *** **** as an adviser, I am part of an 11 man team that you hear about once in a while, the guys who are training, and advising the Iraqi Security forces so that they can take over and we can go home. My tour is almost up thank God, I have another 104 days left in country and counting every second until I can return home to the land of 7-11. Anyway take care, let all know that I had wished I could have been at last years reunion and this years as well."

Steve Townsend: Our Man in Iraq!http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

I'm happy to report that our class produced a bona-fide American hero. Steve Townsend sent in his questionnaire and he's in Iraq on the front lines, defending our country. It's an honor to post his answers. Read below to find out about the fascinating life of Steve Townsend! Welcome back, Steve! Stay safe!

You can e-mail Steve here: townsendsteven@hotmail.com


What did you do last night?

-I chatted with my wife for a bit and then read a book

What do you usually eat for breakfast?

-Whatever I can grab

How many hours a night do you sleep?

-It varies, sometimes a couple of hours, sometimes ten

What is your favorite hour of the day/night and why is it your favorite?

-The morning hours, between five and seven. Everything is new, the day has yet to begin and for a brief moment all is peaceful.

Where do you live now?

-My home is in Augusta, Georgia

Why did you move there?

-I am stationed there; or rather I was but should return soon

Do you like living there? Explain.

-I do, the people are friendly and for the most part considerate. The location is great, roughly two hours from either Atlanta or Savannah and yet far enough away from the big city and tourist locations.

What did you do in the years right after high school?

-Pretty much stayed in trouble, I basically went from job to job not really paying attention to what I should have been, looking to the future.

Tell us about your family? Kids? Spouses? Lovers? Partners? Divorces?

-Well the military is a tough place for relationships, I have been divorced twice. I do have one son from my first marriage, Garrick who is now 15. I am now married to an extremely awesome woman, who has two daughters from a previous marriage, although I am not their actual dad I feel as though they are mine, no different from my son.

Do you have a job outside of your home?

-Way outside

Do you like your job?

-Good question, at times I hate it, it can be very demanding and unforgiving and as of late an emotional rollercoaster ride that cannot be described in words. There are moments however when there is nothing that I would rather be doing, times when the sacrifices are almost worth it.

Is it the job you thought you would have when you were back in High School and you contemplated the future?

-Actually we had a math teacher, and I do not remember his name, I do remember him talking about the Air Force. So I guess he is the one that planted the seed so to speak, but no I did not think about joining the Army, shoot I didn’t even think of the future.
If you could have any job in the world what would it be?

-Fulltime Dad

What was your happiest day last year?

-When my wife and girls moved to Georgia

What is your biggest regret from the last 20 years?

-That I didn’t save more

Do you miss high school? What things do you miss about it?

-Not really, it would be fun to go back to certain events but in general no I do not miss it

What is one of your favorite memories from high school?

-Forgetting my lines in a play

What is one of your worst memories from high school?

-Forgetting my lines in a play

Who were your best friends in high school?

-Jeff Rangel

Have you kept in touch with them?

-No

How is your life different than the life you thought you would have after high school?

-I had thought that I would stay in California for a while and work with my father
Who was your favorite teacher?

-I really didn’t have one favorite

What was the biggest life lesson you learned in high school?

-That the world is never as it seems

Who was your favorite pop music band in high school?

-Pop?
Why do you want to attend a high school reunion?

-To see familiar faces, reminisce, it is never the same from a different perspective
Why do you NOT want to attend a high school reunion?

-Silly, silly question, I would love too!

Are you nervous about attending your high school reunion? Explain.

-Of course, too not be remembered by your classmates is a scary thought, even if the memories are not ones that I may want to relive, like acting in a play wearing green tights and forgetting my lines.

Do you like answering these questions?

-Not really, but hey it is rather neat to remember, sometimes; see question two
Do you have any tattoos? What are they?

-Yes, a Lion and an Eagle

What is your favorite food?

-Anything my wife cooks

Are your parents still alive? How are they doing?

-Yes, my Father now lives in Costa Rica, and my Mother is doing fine in Washington State
Are you happy with the way you look these days? Please explain.

-I have grown into it, I think

If you won the lottery what would you do with the money?

-Payoff bills, take a great vacation and plan for retirement

Are you religious? Spiritual? Agnostic? Is there a God?

-I am in a sense, I am not exactly sure what sense but I do believe

What do you watch on TV?

-Usually the Suite life of Zack and Cody, Somebody’s declassified something, the Food network, and if I am really lucky CSI

What are your all-time favorite movies?

-The Natural

In what ways have you changed the most from high school?

-My outlook on life in general, I have come to realize that destiny is a choice that must be decided for yourself, oh and drugs do not bring happiness!

In what ways are you the same from high school?

-My teeth are still crooked

Tell us about three of your happiest experiences since leaving high school.

-The day I brought my son home from the hospital, the day my wife said “yes”, the day I returned from Iraq, the first time

What do you like most about yourself?

-My accomplishments

What would you most like to change?

-Some of the things I failed to accomplish

Do you talk on your cellphone while driving?

-Only to my wife and kids

Tell us something that very few people know about you.

-I would love to write a book

What would you like to happen at the reunion? What would leave you satisfied? What do you NOT want to happen at the reunion?

-I think this question may be dated some, but when I do meet up with everyone I would like to feel as though I was amongst friends. I know that I only spent a year and half with some of you however in that time I made some wonderful friends, and I would imagine some will not know who I am. So I would be satisfied by rekindling old relationships and making new ones. I do NOT want to stand on a stage in green tights and act in a play by Shakespeare!
Did you enjoy answering these questions?

-Rather I enjoyed sharing some things about me than answering the questions
Tell us something interesting about yourself that wasn't covered in the above questions.

-I am currently in Iraq again, this time I am advising one of the Iraqi Border Battalion Commanders on communication security. I have spent over 19 years in the U.S. Army and I am looking forward to retiring soon.

Kim Wood and Noah

Kim Wood came to Oceanside last weekend for a visit. We had a blast. Her son is the most adorable child on the entire planet. Everything he said and did cracked me up. Here are some pics for ya'll. Enjoy!



PS Kim will be at the October 20th pizza party for sure!

I Think This Is Easier Cheryl...

If you are interested, here is my "MySpace" page. This is easier than posting pics everywhere.

press here!!

Doyle Huntsman

Doyle' & Vicki Huntsman welcomes Savhannah Skye Huntsman home...

Hello Savhannah !!!



Daddy's little clone(ette)!!


So, what can I say?? She's....well......


PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!

Though, I may be just a tiny bit biased.

Her mother and I welcomed Savhannah into our world on April 29, 2007. Since then...everything has changed. Only for the better I have to say. Ummm..except for the cost of child care..OUCH!!

Life here in Ohio is going pretty well at this juncture, though I do miss the West coast. I doubt seriously I will ever be able to move there again, but I do plan a visit one of these decades. So. those few of you who know me or care, don't give up hope..In the immortal words of the "Governator"..."I'll be back!!"

Till then or my next semi-annual post,
Good night now!!

Foothill looses another Trojan

Jon Serna went home to be with his Lord on August 31, 2007. Jon was born October 16, 1965 in Bakersfield, CA to Henry and Eva Serna. He attended Foothill High School, graduating with many honors in 1983. Due to his high SAT scores he was invited and attended Harvard University the summer of 1982, taking Psychology, Calculus and Law. At age 17 he attended U.C. Berkeley majoring in Environmental Science and with a minor in Education, graduating with a BA Degree. In 1991 he married Ming Du. This marriage produced two children where were the loves of his life. He moved back to Bakersfield as a single dad in 1998 with his two children. He went back to Cal State- Bakersfield getting his teaching credentials in Chemistry and Biology. He taught at Foothill High School for several years before moving back to Davis where he continued his teaching career. Jon was preceded in death by his father, Henry Serna; grandparents, Emmanuel and Chrysoula Tatarakis and Henry M. and Rose Serna; as well as his brother, David Pat Lance. He is survived by his daughter, Jalin, age 14; and son, T.I., age 12; his parents, David and Eva Lance; brother, Ricky Lance, uncles, Nick Tatarakis and wife, Loretta, Mark Tatarakis and wife, Frances; aunts, Dean Cummings and husband, Bob, Pauline Williams; and many cousins and special friends. Jon loved sports, the outdoors, hiking in the mountains but his favorite was spending time with his family. He had a very loving and generous heart. He was quick to forgive and not to judge. Jon always had a smile on his face regardless of the way he was feeling. He will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved him. A Trisagion service will be held at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 401 Truxtun Ave., at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 5th. The funeral service will also be held at St. George Greek Orthodox Church presided by Father Joseph Chaffee, at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, September 6th. Burial immediately following at Hillcrest Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Ricky Lance, Richard Allen, Mike Tatarakis, David Scott, Eric Slagle and Mike Williams. Honorary Pallbearers will be Nick Tatarakis, Mark Tatarakis, Bob Cummings, Jerry Cummings, Harry Chickenlenis and Jack Smallwood. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. George Greek Orthodox Church Memorial Fund or to your favorite charity. Jon Michael Serna Oct. 16, 1965 - Aug. 31, 2007

Welcome Scarlett!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sophia Valles has had her baby and we have a great pic. Enjoy! Isn't she beautiful? Congratulations Sophia. You can send Sophia a congrats note at:

svbligh@cox.net


From Sophia:

Scarlett Elizabeth was born on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 at 10:48 a.m. After two days of “mild” labor (not fun!) she was born via c-section. I am sending two pictures. The first is what she looked like at birth. The bruising was due to being “sunny-side up” and causing me all the pain for two days. The second photo is a recent photo without the bruising.

Scarlett is a very sweet baby and we are all getting along well. Steven has his moments, but overall he is a great big brother. Scott and I are adjusting to our growing family. We know we are very blessed!

Thanks to all who have been such a great help during our transitional period. We hope to introduce you to Scarlett very soon.

Love,

Sophia & Family

From Darin Harshman

Hi guys,

Darin Harshman here. I was wondering if you could tell me about Wayne Myers. I bought his 1986 yearbook from eBay, as was curious about who would sell a piece of memorabilia like that. It was like $5.

His picture isn't in the book, and he isn't listed in your list on the FHS page.

What happened to this guy?

A lot of writing in it, so must have known quite a few 86 grads. I can't remember him, although the name seems familiar.

Let me know, I'd love to return it if it was lost or something.

I will probably be bugging you guys again, as I had fun last time.

See ya soon,

Darin

the wooo's of not making it to the reunion

Hi Cheryl,

I have a weird job, and even a weirder question... I have to "bid" my vacations for the next year in Nov, being as I'm not going to make it to the halloween reunion, I was wondering if you (and Ron) have thought about next years reunion, and when it might be so I can "bid" that time off so I can attend.

I hope all's well with you, I'm going through another divorce, after 3 yrs, I'm not having my luck with women, work however I've been driving the local transit bus (like GET) for going on 11 yrs now.

thanks if you can help me out with this

Robert

Like Robert Miller, there's other classmates that have to plan a year ahead for vacation. Perhaps those folks out there can put in for sometime in November (thanksgiving you turkeys!). Post now and let the group know if your in the same boat as Robert, Mike, Chris, Sandy and several others.

what ever happened too...

Our classmates? Ever wondered? Only way your going to find out is, you have to attend those reunions and the annual get together.
And if we're lucky, maybe, JUST MAYBE!, you'll reconnect with other classmates from other graduating classes or perhaps grew up with (Right Brian??)

Another classmate located!

Say hello to..... Stacey Lane!!!!!


Stacey is married with 5 (or was it 6) kids and has 3 grandchildren!!!!

Our 2nd Annual FHS Get Together is ON!!!!! October 20th 7 PM

We were serious at the reunion when we said we want to try and have a yearly get together. We don't want to lose touch with ya'll. So this years reunion-get together-party (call it what you want) is gonna be a "Halloween, Pizza-Eating, DVD-Watching, Night" at Rusty's Pizza Parlor on Niles street. The fun begins at 7 PM.

Janet Brown has already reserved the big room with the big screen TV so the night should be a blast.

We're going to be handing out the 90 minute DVD of last years reunion as well as watching it. Since it's Halloween we'd love you to dress "festive". You don't have to go all out but wear something amusing or silly or scary or interesting.

There is no cover charge, no fee, no registration. Just show up. Buy your own pizza and beer and say hello. Let us know if you're coming so we can make sure we have enough DVD's for everyone. And feel free to wear your badges from the 2006 reunion. We'll bring the left-over badges from last year in case people show up who weren't there last year.

We'll probably start watching the DVD around 8:30 so if you want to see how you made a fool of yourself last year or hear what your kids had to say about you, be at Rusty's no later than 8:30.

EVERYONE who is at the reunion is on the DVD so it should be a hoot watching it.

If you're pretty sure you're gonna be there, let us know, so we can start a simple list on the website but if you decide to come at the last moment, that's cool, too.

This is a super-casual event. Just friends getting together for pizza and laughs. We hope you'll join us. And if you have photos from the reunion, please bring them.

And kids from other classes are welcome, too. It was really cool last year having people from other classes join us for the weekend, so hopefully you'll join us again.

And if you're out of town but you need to come to Bakersfield to visit your parents, the weekend of October 20th would be a GREAT weekend to do that!

So, that's what we're doing this year!
Hopefully, we'll see you all on Saturday, October 20th. Have a great summer.

Details:
Where: Rusty's Pizza Parlor 3303 Niles Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93306
When: Saturday, October 20th, 7 PM
What: Eat Pizza, watch the DVD, drink beer, laugh with old friends.
Why: Because we miss you already.
Who: FHS Alumni and significant others.
Charge: Zero, nada, nothing, zip!
How Long: They close at midnight, soooo....midnight?

RustysPizza.com

Check the blog and the Web site for periodic updates.

Our Web Site: 1986FHS.com

Our Blog: FHS1986.blogspot.com

Breaking News: Sophia Valles had a baby!!!!!!!!

"Yes, we have added to the Bligh family. Scarlett Elizabeth was born on Wednesday, June 27 at 10:48 a.m. She weighed 7 lbs., 13 ozs. and 19.5”. She is healthy and doing very well. I still need to get my pictures organized and I will e-mail them out soon!

Since I am now sleep deprived, I’m off for a nap. I hope all is doing well!

P.S. I will remind her one day that she was the reason I didn’t make it to my high school reunion!"

___________

Send her a note and congratulate her:

E-mail: svbligh@cox.net

FHS gets hit

Instead of looking at the obits to see if I'm dead (first thing in the morning) I saw the following:

Foothill High takes hit

College group grants shortened accreditation

BY LISA SCHENCKER, Californian staff writere-mail: lschencker@bakersfield.com Saturday, Jun 23 2007 8:40 PM

Last Updated: Saturday, Jun 23 2007 8:53 PM

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges recently accredited Foothill High for only the next three years instead of the normal six.
Foothill is now the fifth Kern High School District school to get the three-year term instead of six. Colleges generally only accept students from accredited high schools. Normally, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges renews schools' accreditation every six years. The accrediting association sometimes gives schools shorter terms when it feels the schools need to improve in certain areas.
Foothill and the other four schools' accreditation isn't in danger, but the shorter terms aren't exactly glowing endorsements, either.
"It's more of a blow to the ego than anything," said Bob Schneider, principal at Highland High, which also has a three-year term. East, West and Bakersfield highs also have three-year terms.
Last year the association gave six-year terms to about 430 schools, three-year terms to 94, two-year terms to 23, one-year terms to four schools and denied accreditation to four others, said George Bronson, the group's associate executive director. The western association serves California, Hawaii, Guam and several other locations. Other accreditation associations serve other parts of the country.
"It's not necessarily a bad thing," Bronson said of the three-year term. "It's just a matter of there are a number of issues we want to make sure they're dealing with appropriately."
Those issues, as well as Foothill's successes, are documented in the association's 40-page report on the school. A committee composed of educators from across the state put the report together after visiting Foothill in mid-March.
The report praised the school for its strong special education program; open communication between staff and families; academic support; International Baccalaureate program; nurturing and supportive staff; strong administration; and extracurricular activities, among other things.
However, it also called certain issues "critical" for follow-up. The committee called on faculty and administrators to spend time reviewing exit exam results for certain groups of students in order to develop a plan to improve scores. The committee also suggested Foothill improve instruction and activities for students learning English and increase parental involvement when it comes to academic and extracurricular programs and planning, among other things.
Foothill Principal Brenda Lewis -- who started the job in March, just days before the visiting committee arrived -- said the school will work over the next several years to address all the areas the association cited. She said she wants to focus on getting more students to reach proficiency on the exit exam and raise academic performance.
The report praised Lewis and her transition to the school.
District Director of Instruction John Davis said he thinks part of the reason Foothill received the three-year term instead of six is because it ranks in the bottom 10 percent statewide in academic performance. Often, he said, the accrediting association gives three-year terms to schools that rank in the bottom 10 percent to 20 percent of schools statewide.
"We just feel at this point the Western Association of Schools and Colleges might be having a difficult time giving a six-year term to schools that fall in that category," Lewis said. "But we feel we're doing a good job here at Foothill. There's always room for improvement."
Highland's Schneider said he's optimistic about the association's next visit to his school in 2009. He said Highland could exit Program Improvement -- a federal program for schools that don't make enough progress toward the goals of the national No Child Left Behind law -- before the the next accreditation visit.
He said Highland has worked since the committee's last visit to improve in certain areas and continues to do well in others.
"We now offer every possible opportunity for remediation for our kids who haven't passed the (exit exam)," Schneider said. "That affects graduation rates, and we're working really hard on that."
Among other things, he said, the school also plans to pilot a new program next year to help students who read below grade level.
Lewis said Foothill is also prepared to take action on the committee's recommendations.
"We're going to look at those and address the issues they mentioned, and continue to provide quality instruction for our students," Lewis said.
Foothill facts
Foothill, the latest Kern High School District school to undergo an accreditation evaluation, had to complete a self-study as part of the process. School staff, parents and students worked to examine the school and reported their findings to the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Here are some highlights of that report:
• 165 of some 700 freshmen who started at Foothill in 2005 did not graduate from eighth grade.
• Out of those 700, only 83 could read at a seventh-grade level or higher.
• 36 percent of Foothill parents did not graduate from high school.
• 22 percent of parents have some college or a college degree.
• Foothill is one of only 33 public high schools in California and the only one in Kern County to offer the International Baccalaureate program.
• Foothill’s enrollment grew by about 20 percent to more than 2,600 students between 2001 and this past school year.

-Cheryl

Georgia Moore, MSW

Dear Old Foothill High

Mark Long is FAMOUS!

Well maybe not famous but he sure knows lots of celebrities. He sent this today and I told him we should post it. Enjoy

_________

What a whirlwind this weekend has been! Not what I had expected, but more awesome than I could have predicted. I went to LA with my friend Alan, and thought I was going to the Grammy's. Miscommunication- what I went to was far more exciting! We volunteered and worked for the Grammy Foundation, which is the funding source for MusiCares. I recommend looking up MusiCares on line by going to www.musicares.com to learn more. MusiCares supports struggling artists that fall on hard times, from burial needs for former music artists and helping support victims of HIV/AIDS to helping artists recover from addictions.
I was able to attend the sound check and rehearsal of the performers that were asked to perform for the charity and was able to meet artists such as Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode and special guests John Frusciante, Victor Indrizzo, Vincent Jones, Josh Klinhoffer, and Ray Luzier. They performed two of my favorite Depeche Mode songs, and then each signed the guitar we had brought for auction. Next on the list was Army of Anyone, a new band featuring Richard Patrich of Filter, and Dean & Robert DeLeo from Stone Temple Pilots with Ray Luzier. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jr. was next, performing with Noah Hunt and Double Trouble's Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon.
The Guest of honor was Chris Cornell, lead singer from Sound Garden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog. He received an award for his support to Mapfund, which is a direct charity of MusiCares that helps musicians.
All of the performances were great. One of the biggest excitements was being in the Green Room shuffling celebrities over to our table to autogragh more guitars for auction. One of the coolest intorductions I made was to Alice Cooper. He came in and the people from our team were not able to reach him in time, so from where I was standing I was able to walk out in front of him and cut him off. Of course, once I did, I introduced myself and asked if he would mind signing our memorabilia. It was funny that I caught him, because he nearly slipped by, and we were waiting for him specifically to sign several article for charity.
I met Garret Morris from the original SNL and Steven Valentine from CSI and many others. The whole day was incredible. Not only did I get the chance to see some of my favorite bands perform sound checks AND perform later, I was able to meet them. Best of all, I helped a great charity. Well, that was my weekend in a nut shell! Hope you enjoyed the read!


M. David Long

You can e-mail Mark at: mdavidlong@yahoo.com

Happy Easter!!!!

From the Bakersfield Bunnies
:o)

-C & D

Whew! About the reunion DVD...

Ok people, I have just finished the first major edit of the reunion video. It has turned out to be a ton of work and it's been hard to cut because there's so much great material of you all acting like fools and falling down while rollerskating. And don't get me started on the kids at the BBQ! The kids are sooooooooooooo adorable and funny. I actually feel lucky that I get to edit this thing cause I didn't shoot all the footage so I'm getting to see and hear things I would never have seen otherwise. You'll see what I mean. One of my favorite moments is when Joe Torres is asked if he has any kids and he says, "Not that I know of." LOL

Anyway, I hope to have the whole thing done in the next week. Then we have to make copies and send them out. Don't expect to see them for another few months, mass-producing a dvd and shipping them out is a complicated process but you WILL all get one for sure. We are also talking about having a screening night where we will all get together and watch it, so stay tuned for that.

And yes, I had an amazing lunch with Darrell Dalke, Sophia Valles and their fabulous families. Darrell and Sophia both married great people and they both have adorable children. I got them on video which I will include on the DVD but I'm not gonna post pics, I want to keep you suspense, but trust me, they both look great and you will love seeing them on tape!

Ok, that's all for now. I'm finally feeling settled in Oceanside where I plan on living for a while. Thank you for being patient and I hope to see you all again sooner than later.

Keep on blogging and sharing your lives. We still average about 20 readers a day even though the blog hasn't been updated in ages. So clearly, somebody is reading this blog, so we should give them something to read.

And thank you to Cheryl for the story about the other reunion. I hope I live long enough to attend our 70th reunion!

Ciao for now!

Ronnie Larsen

Reunion, reunion ANOTHER Reunion!!

It amazes me that the BHS Class of 1937 will be holding their 70th class reunion. Let's show BHS and other local highschool around Kern County that, FHS Class of 1986 will hold their own 75th reunion; in the year of 2061. We'll out do them all!!!!
For those of you who don't subscribe to the local newspaper online... here's the article:

Class of 1937 jazzed for 12th reunion event

BY MARYLEE SHRIDER, contributing columnist | Monday, Apr 2 2007 10:05 PM

Last Updated: Monday, Apr 2 2007 10:36 PM

Their numbers are dwindling at an alarming rate, but for the last remaining members of the Kern County Union High School class of 1937, that's reason enough to party on.

And so they shall, two weeks from now at Wool Growers Restaurant where they will gather to celebrate their 70th class reunion.

It's a reunion for the record books, at least here in Bakersfield, where organizers gathered recently to finalize the details. They're still on the lookout for fellow "survivors" and are hoping word of the milestone event will flush a few more from the brush. The crowd at last year's reunion -- the class has held them annually since 2002 -- numbered about 53, including alumni, their families and caretakers.

Organizers invited me to sit in on the planning session as they did in 1997 when, as a reporter intern, I covered a similar meeting for their 60th reunion.

Why, I asked, do they continue to host reunions?

It beats funerals, they said.

The '37 grads, each now 87 or 88 years old, were a little grayer and moved a little slower than when we last met, but reminisced easily about the days of their youth in Bakersfield, when "there was nothing south of Brundage Lane but cotton fields and nothing east of Mount Vernon Avenue but grazing land."

Their class was the largest and last graduating class of Kern County Union High School, now known as Bakersfield High School. The student body then was huge, with around 530 graduating seniors. The school even had boys and girls dorms then to house students who lived in far-off Kern communities like Kernville and Frazier Park.

Marjorie Weringer Gillette was one of 25 girls who lived in the dorms.

"A busload of us would come down from Lake Isabella on Sunday night and the bus would take us home on Fridays," she said. "There was a lady who stayed with us in the dorm -- she was really devoted to us girls."

In the days before World War II, when a gallon of gas cost 13 cents and rebellion meant wearing pants dirty enough to stand up by themselves, life was simpler, teens were "satisfied with less" and didn't struggle with the problems they do now, the classmates said.

They'll share those memories and more when they gather April 21 for what will be their 12th reunion. Distracted by kids, careers and a war, the class didn't hold their first reunion until 20 years after their graduation. They held another 10 years later, before making time for reunions every five years.

These days, they find it prudent to hold the reunions annually, said John Boydstun, planning committee chairman.

"We eat, we have a few laughs," he said. "I walk around with a microphone and give each person three minutes to say anything they want. The tough part is shutting them up."

For some, the tough part is just getting there, but the reunions have become an annual "human connection" they don't want to miss. Just how many more reunions organizers can pull off is anyone's guess, but a 75th or even an 80th should surprise no one. Not with this class.

"I'll come as long as I'm able," Boydstun said, as his classmates nodded in agreement. "As long as others want to come along."

Wonder what we'll look like by the time that our 75th rolls around?

Darell Dalke and Sophia Valles

Hey all,

I'm having dinner with Sophia and Darrell this week at Darrell's house in San Diego on Sunday. I'll take the video camera and get them both with their families on tape and include it on the dvd that I hope to edit very very very very soon for you all. Sophia is very pregnant but I'm not sure that's widely known yet. Well it is now. LOL

And as per the reunion dvd...I'm aiming to have it done in the next month and there is some discussion that we will all meet up in Bakersfield and watch it somewhere. So that should be fun.

Have a great week. I hope everyone is well. Be happy.

Ronnie

Mary Storie (now Dean) has surfaced!!!

She wrote to tell me she had heard that she was considered MIA (missing in action). She says she'll do her questionnaire when she gets some free time. So there we have it, another classmate located! Welcome back Mary Storie.

TERRY HULL gives that Red rose

From the newspaper yesterday

By Flor Hull, Contributing writer | Tuesday, Feb 13 2007 8:03 PM

Last Updated: Tuesday, Feb 13 2007 8:03 PM

Our names are Terry and Flor Hull. We have been married 11 years.

Photos:

We met on Christmas, by mistake. His mom thought we knew each other and she put us in the picture together and both of us just stood next to each to each other and took the picture and after that day, we knew God had put us together.

Our first date was on Valentine’s Day.

We fell in love immediately and he asked God (that), if I was the woman for him, to send him a sign. He asked if I was the one, to send him a red rose; if I wasn’t the one, to send him a yellow rose.

Terry worked at a convalescent home and one of the residents one day had two roses in a vase (one yellow and one red). She went over and handed him the red rose and said, “Here, take this to your girl.” He then knew I was the one.

He asked me to marry him on my birthday.

Ronnie!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to our Ronnie

from ALL of your classmates of 1986

Kern County Barbies

Have you all seen the new Kern County Barbies? If not, click below.

http://baketown.blogspot.com/2007/02/new-kern-county-barbies-for-sale.html

Our Poor Little Neglected Blog

It seems we've all gotten super busy but I just wanted to let everyone know I hope to begin editing all the video footage from the reunion and you will all get copies. in the meantime, enjoy this pic from our beloved Shawn Adamas:
Hopefully in March. Have a great week and a happy Valentines Day

Glenda Kelley says hi!

"I was an Alumni of 86. My name Glenda Kelley. I ran into Billy Cotton today and was told about the website. I have lived in Bakersfield since Grad. I was wanting to be put on the mailing list. I was wondering if our class ever did anything. I have enjoyed looking at all the pictures. How fun. Thank you Glenda"

You can e-mail Glenda at: lbeaver1@bak.rr.com

Chris Turner

They still come!!! Here's our newest, returning classmate. Welcome back Chris!!!!

Ronnie,

Is there a way to add me to the list?
My name is Chris Turner. I was in the class from 1982-1984. My parents moved, but I've always been a Trojan at heart. I was in your Biology class with Mr. Worthington. I actually travelled to Bakersfield after I graduated to watch my true class of 86 graduate. I'd like to attand the next reunion and be on a contact list. Let me know if it is possible to be included and I'll send you my info.

Chris

Happy New Year!!!!

-Cheryl

Quinn's brother

The Committee would like to send our condolences to Quinn and family with their recent loss.

-Cheryl

Salazar, Colt Jake
Colt Jake Salazar, a proud Chumash Indian named for the fastest gun in the West and his maternal great-grandfather, was born July 17, 1984 in Bakersfield and passed away December 17, 2006 as the result of an auto accident. Colt was the much much loved fourth son of Cathy and Abe Salazar, the "spoiled rotten baby brother" to Quinn (Laura) Salazar, Tate A. Salazar, Ty (Sophia) Salazar, and the bestest uncle EVER to Rose. He was adored by his grandmothers, Jeannette McLaughlin of Bakersfield and Billie Hunt of Advance, MO and loved by his aunts and uncles, Larry (Carol) Waddle of Advance, MO, Janet (Don) Hester of Chaffee, MO, Susan (Max) Mabrey of Florissant, CO, Nancy (Don) Weber of Cave Creek, AZ, Jim Hunt of Pueblo, CO, Betty (David) Delaney of Anderson, CA, Alan (Angela) Salazar of Paso Robles, Duane (Bonnie) Salazar of Redding, CA, tons of cousins, and more friends than we could ever count. Colt was the spark that lit up a room and light of our lives. Colt attended Fairfax Elementary and Jr. High, and "Class of 2002 Bled Black and Gold" of Foothill High School, following in the steps of his parents and three older brothers. He began playing soccer at age four and still played whenever he could ? he was on the original Gunners Club Soccer team, coached by Jay Gore and Simon Tobin, the best mentors ever. He was All-Area SYL Soccer Team his senior year. Colt also loved playing ice hockey, golf, wake and snow boarding. His brother Quinn was his idol, on and off the pitch. Colt loved working and battling with his brother Tate and building their business, Salazar Plastering. There were never two brothers closer than Colt and Ty ? all for one and one for all. His was his Dad's "cowboy" ? if only girls hadn't gotten in the way. He was his Mom's "favorite" ? just ask him. Viewing, Thursday, Dec. 28, will be from 4-8 p.m. at Hillcrest Memorial Park, Services will take place Friday, Dec. 29, at 10:00 a.m. at Hillcrest, conducted by Brother Mike Eskew of the Church of Christ, and followed by the traditional Chumash Burial Ceremony, coordinated by Colt's uncle, Alan, Pallbearers will be Colt's brothers, Quinn, Tate, and Ty Salazar, his uncle, Duane Salazar, and life-long friends, Tim and Tom Jaime. In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution can be sent to the Rose Salazar Scholarship Fund. We will miss Colt every day, every second of our lives. Parents ? stop what you're doing, hug your child, tell then you love them. Our Colt will live on in every blade of grass on every soccer field in the universe. Colt Jake Salazar July 17, 1984 - Dec. 17, 2006
Published in the Bakersfield Californian on 12/28/2006.

Merry Christmas!

ho ho ho

A Happy Holidays everyone! I miss everyone terribly. When's that dinner party???

-Cheryl

Joseph Torres is a "Wise Man"

Just got back from attending the "Walk through Bethalam" up at the 7th Day Advn Church at East Hills Mall.

Joseph Torres is playing one of the "Wise Men". I swear he blushed when he say me.

"I thought you wouldn't recognize me"

"Honey; I'd recognize you anywhere! Good job!!!"

So for those of you who are here in Bakersfield and are looking for something to do with the family during this holiday season; try doing the walk. Last evening is tomorrow. So GO!!!!!

Cameron Parsons sent this! Very funny!

Click the link!

http://www.ricker.us/snowglobe.swf

All about Kandi Hicks!

Kandi was at the reunion, looking fabulous...she sent in her answers but I've been crazy busy and am just getting around to uploading them. I'm putting all of her answers here, not just an excerpt. I know I have video of Kandi so once I get that edited you can see how great she looks. She flew in just for the reunion. Thanks for coming, Kandi! We hope you'll stay in touch.

Ronnie

________

What did you do last night?

Went shopping after work.

What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Coffee and what ever you can eat and drive with.

How many hours a night do you sleep?

8 hrs.

What is your favorite hour of the day/night and why is it your favorite?

8 pm time to relax with my husband

Where do you live now?

Ari

zona.

Why did you move there?

My husband went to college here and wanted to move back.

Do you like living there? Explain.

Yes, no more foggy days.

What did you do in the years right after high school?

Attended Bakersfield college 1 year than went on to dental assistant school and partied a lot with Cliff Johnson and friends

Tell us about your family? Kids? Spouses? Lovers? Partners? Divorces?

Married at age 30 ( thought I would never find a great guy) to My husband Patrick we have to great pets / Babies Kona( dog) and Phoenix (cat)

Do you have a job outside of your home?

Yes /an orthodontic asst.

Do you like your job?

I do like my job most days. Just wish that my high maintenance Tiffany wearing patients could find the right end of the tooth brush.

Is it the job you thought you would have when you were back in High School and you contemplated the future?

No.

If you could have any job in the world what would it be?

Too many to choose from.

What was your happiest day last year?

Spending the weekend at the beach with Patrick.

What is your biggest regret from the last 20 years?

That I did not spend more time with my sister who passed away.

Do you miss high school? What things do you miss about it?

Yes and no I miss the care free attitude / no worries.

What is one of your favorite memories from high school?

Dressing Todd Sweeny but like a Cheerleader and trying to get him a date.

What is one of your worst memories from high school?

Old boyfriends (could not pick a nice one if I tried at that time)

Who were your best friends in high school?

Renee Johnson, Colleen Donohue, Ranee Oberlies.

Have you kept in touch with them?

I talk to Renee Jaso/Johnson at least once a week Colleen ever once and a while and hope to see Oberlies at the reunion

How is your life different than the life you thought you would have after high school?

I move away and I thought that I would live in Bakersfield forever (moving was the best thing I ever did).

Who was your favorite teacher?

Mr.. Edmondson - Great man

What was the biggest life lesson you learned in high school?

To treat people the way you wish to be treated.

Who was your favorite pop music band in high school?

Surf punks, Howard Jones and Janet Jackson to name a few.

Why do you want to attend a high school reunion?

To see old friends.

Why do you NOT want to attend a high school reunion?

I will be there.

Are you nervous about attending your high school reunion? Explain.

A little.

Do you like answering these questions?

Ok.

Do you have any tattoos? What are they?

Heck no do you know what age does to those things, it is not pretty.

What is your favorite food?

Mexican food and it shows.

Are your parents still alive? How are they doing?

My Dad passed away about 13yrs ago my Mom is remarried to a great guy and retired in Oklahoma.

Are you happy with the way you look these days? Please explain.

No I need to lose weight and work out (I wish I was as fat as I thought I was in High school)

If you won the lottery what would you do with the money?

How much money are we talking? It is all relative

Are you religious? Spiritual? Agnostic? Is there a God?

I know that there is only one way to God the Father and that is through His son Jesus Christ, so yes, I believe in God.

What do you watch on TV?

House, OC.

What are your all-time favorite movies?

Sweet Home Alabama and Fools Rush In to name a couple.

In what ways have you changed the most from high school?

I am much nicer.

In what ways are you the same from high school?

I love to hang out and have fun.

Tell us about three of your happiest experiences since leaving high school.

Getting married, going to Jamaica, bringing Kona home.

What do you like most about yourself?

Honesty.

What would you most like to change?

I worry to much about small crap.

Do you talk on your cell phone while driving?

Blue tooth, baby.

Tell us something that very few people know about you.

I graduated from Bible school.

What would you like to happen at the reunion? What would leave you
satisfied? What do you NOT want to happen at the reunion?

Hoping to see Colleen and others / no drama.

Did you enjoy answering these questions?

It's ok.

Tell us something interesting about yourself that wasn't covered in the above questions.

You will have to ask me at the reunion.

Lunch and Scrooge

Hey Cheryl and everyone else out there -

I'm up for Scrooge and lunch! Anyone else out there? Come on - Christmas should not be the time for rushing and chaos, it is a time of reflection. We need to slow down and simplify. One way to remember what the meaning of Christmas is all about is to go watch the Nativity Story, excellent reminder!

Love to all!

Suzanne

Lunch anyone?

I don't know about you guys but, I'm ready to call and plan a luncheon. I miss our Saturday with one another!

Anyone interested?

We could go eat burgers like this one over in the dale. :-)

Christmas with Mr. Norwood

Ever wonder what became of our teachers or counselors that we once had back in high-school?

I was looking through the paper this morning and a name, jumped out at me.

Roger Norwood.

Remember him? He was staffed at Foothill for a long while, before retiring not too many years ago. He helped seniors through the rough times of that last yr in school. Where to go onto College? Should they go onto College? etc.

I forgive him for his remarks to me in his office in April of 86. "Don't go to college, your not fit".

Pftttt right. I personally think he was pissed after finding me, walking along the locker area in the "D" wing, when I should have been in my Biology class taught by Mr. Reim aka Gumby.

I thought they were suppose to be encouraging students to further their education, not just stop after highschool was over and done with. I'm glad I went on and (almost) completed my degree. I plan on going back in the near future to complete it and move on and get that MFA in Photography, and come back to Bakersfield College and teach.

Anyway; here's the article that I was reading in the paper. For those of you who are still in town and, want to do something with the family during this Christmas season (and are on a LOW budget); consider on taking in this Christmas Program that was directed by Roger Norwood.

Better yet; let's plan on meeting up as a group and going!!!! What do YOU think?

Reply.

Let's hear your thoughts.

-Cheryl

'Scrooge' returns to church stage

BY MARK BARNA, Californian staff writer
e-mail: mbarna@bakersfield.com | Friday, Dec 8 2006 3:55 PM

Last Updated: Friday, Dec 8 2006 3:59 PM

Sometimes what is needed during the bustling holiday season is a pit stop -- a casual night out that's edifying, entertaining and inexpensive or free. Several Bakersfield churches are holding holiday events that offer just that.

Photos:

Marley draped in the chains he forged in life visits Scrooge during "The Gospel According to Scrooge" at First Assembly of God on California Avenue.

"The Gospel According to Scrooge" has a cast of 50 who sing and dance to the accompaniment of a full orchestra.

"The Gospel According to Scrooge"

Where: First Assembly of God, 4901 California Ave.

When: Dec. 15 at 7 p.m., Dec. 16 at 2 and 7 p.m., and Dec. 17 at 6 p.m.

Cost: Free but seating is limited

What: "The Gospel According to Scrooge" was adapted from Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" decades ago and has been performed on countless stages. First Assembly's musical production includes more than 50 actors and a full orchestra. Many of the musicians are from the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra.

First Assembly has produced a Christmas musical every year since 2002. This will be the second year in a row for the "Scrooge" production. Three thousand people attended last's year's performances, said Roger Norwood, First Assembly creative arts director.

"Our goal is to offer entertainment for the whole family that everyone can afford," Norwood said in an e-mail.

New chat area

Hey, everyone!

I just set up a bulletin board/forum system on my website. Hopefully, this will make it easier to keep track of our conversations and avoid e-mails with "RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE:" in the subject lines.

I've made it so no one other than registered members can browse the forums, and registration has to be approved by a moderator (just me at present). This is for security and to try to keep spammers out.

You can visit at http://www.jacpat.com/forum/. I will approve all memberships as soon as I get the e-mail from the server.

Patrick McNeal

Meet Dr. Mercy Rubio

Another of our classmates has turned up and answered the questionnaire. What a fascinating life Mercy has led. Check it out!

Click here to see updated pics. Blogger is being weird today.

PS Mercy actually sent this in last week but things were so crazy with the reunion I didn't have time to upload it. And I'm still accepting questionairres but I will be uploading them very infrequently. So if you send one it may not be uploaded for a while.

Anyway, here's Mercy!

______

What did you do last night?

I went shopping with a friend and then we had a nice dinner.

What do you usually eat for breakfast?

I eat Cheerios with yogurt. I know it sounds gross, but it is actually rather tasty!

How many hours a night do you sleep?

On average, I get about 6-7 hours of sleep.

What is your favorite hour of the day/night and why is it your favorite?

My favorite hour of the night is 11pm. This is the time when I am all comfy in bed and I get to read for leisure.

Where do you live now?

I live in Washington, DC.

Why did you move there?

My job brought me to DC.

Do you like living there? Explain.

I love living in the district. What is there not to love? It is the nation’s capital. There are many great places to eat; there are a lot of things to see and do; there is always something going on; and public transport is great. I must admit the only thing that I dislike about the district is the humidity in the summer. I am not a happy camper on very humid days. Oh I almost forgot, there is one addition minor limitation -- this is one expensive city to live in. Housing, food, and drinks are expensive, but it all balances out by the numerous free museums in town.

What did you do the years right after high school?

I attended Cal State Bakersfield. I graduated with a BA in Sociology in 1991 and then I went off to the University of Michigan for a MA and PhD in Sociology. I also completed a post-doc in Nursing at the University of Michigan. I truly enjoyed my time in Ann Arbor and did not want to leave!

Tell us about your family? Kids? Spouses? Lovers? Partners? Divorces?

My family (dad, mom, sister and brother) live in Bakersfield. I am the only one who lives outside of California. It is not easy being away from my family, but I try to visit as often as I can. I have remained single.

Do you have a job outside of your home?

Yes, I am Assistant Director of Individual Fellowships, Division of Adult Translational Research and Treatment Development, at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. The federal government likes short titles!

Do you like your job?

Yes, I do like my job a lot. It is very stressful, but somehow I don’t mind. The stress keeps me on my toes and I am never bored. My supervisor is super cool and my co-workers are just the nicest people. I am really fortunate.

Is it the job you thought you would have when you were back in High School and you contemplated the future?

No, I never thought I would get a PhD. Plus, I never imagined that I would work for the federal government and live in the district. I envisioned that I would go to Cal State become a teacher and stay in Bakersfield.

If you could have any job in the world what would it be?

I am not sure about this. While at Cal State Bakersfield, I aspired to become a university president, now I would say…Secretary of Health and Human Services.

What was your happiest day last year?

I cannot pin point one day in the last year when I was the happiest, but I was one happy Wolverine when the University of Michigan beat Notre Dame at South Bend in September. GO BLUE!

What is your biggest regret from the last 20 years?

I don’t have any regrets. I do wish, however, I was closer to home to spend more time with my family. My parents are getting older and I wish I could get to see them more often. I also miss Nieves and Jesse a great deal. We just have a blast when we are together.

Do you miss high school? What things do you miss about it?

No.

What is one of your favorite memories from high school?

One of my favorite memories is graduation. My parents gave me a car as a graduation gift. It was the first and only car I have ever owned.

What is one of your worst memories from high school?

I don’t have any.

Who were your best friends in high school?

My best friends were my sister (Nieves Rubio who is still one of my best friends) and Carmen Pinon.

Have you kept in touch with them?

Clearly, I have stayed in touch with my sister, but I did not so with Carmen.

How is your life different than the life you thought you would have after high school?

It is different in every way possible. I moved away from Bakersfield in 1991 and have not looked back. I am pleased that I have had the opportunity to meet people from all over and I have traveled to some of the places I have always wanted to visit. There are a few more places I would like to visit and they are certainly on my “things to do” list.

Who was your favorite teacher?

My favorite teachers were Dr. Pauley and Mr. Fontaine. I attribute my appreciation of Shakespeare to Dr. Pauley and my ability to F-O-I-L to Mr. Fontaine.

What was the biggest life lesson you learned in high school?

I would really have to think about this one…

Do you like answering these questions?

No.

Do you have any tattoos? What are they?

No.

What is your favorite food?

I enjoy Italian, Thai, and Sushi – I am currently a modified vegetarian (I don’t eat meat, but I do eat fish), and these cuisines provide me with options.

Are your parents still alive? How are they doing?

I am very blessed that my parents are alive. They live in Bakersfield and thank God they are well.

Are you happy with the way you look these days? Please explain.

Yes, I am content.

If you won the lottery what would you do with the money?

What kind of jack-pot are we talking about? Are we talking about peanuts or something obscene and offensive? If we go with obscene and offensive, then I would make sure my parents had enough money to live a comfortable retirement. I would pay off my sister’s mortgage. I would buy my brother a house. I would put some money away for my own retirement. I would not retire because I would get bored. I would certainly take some time off from work to travel and check off some of the places on my “things to do” list. I would buy a bigger place in DC. I might also get a couple of vacation homes one in Vail, Colorado and another in San Sebastian, Spain. I must I admit don’t ski, but I like the silence after a good snow storm. I don’t like sand between my toes, but I like looking into the vastness of the ocean. I would also give money to the various Catholic churches I have been a member of.

Now, if we are talking peanuts, then I would buy a cute new pair of shoes and put the rest of the money in my IRA account.

Are you religious? Spiritual? Agnostic? Is there a God?

Yes, I am religious. In fact, I am an alter server at Saint Matthew’s Catholic Cathedral in DC.

What do you watch on TV?

Law and Order, public television, Michigan football on Saturdays, and what ever is on when I am having a lazy evening.

What are your all-time favorite movies?

My favorite movies are Forrest Gump, When Harry Met Sally, Casa Blanca, Like Water for Chocolate, and Water.

In what ways have you changed the most from high school?

I am a modified vegetarian and in high school I would have never contemplated it. I also don’t go by Mercy anymore. My junior year in college I decided that I preferred to be addressed by my birth name—Mercedes. I have been Mercedes ever since.

In what ways are you the same from high school?

Not sure, I would have to think about this one…

Tell us about three of your happiest experiences since leaving high school.

The first was when I defended my dissertation and I became Dr. Rubio.

The second was my PhD graduation. My family and close friends were there to celebrate the day with me. It was a happy day indeed.

The third was when I purchased my condo. I must admit I was both happy and nervous. Who likes having a mortgage? That afternoon, I realized I had entered into a serious 30- year commitment and I was officially a full fledge adult.

What do you like most about yourself?

I like that I am a very independent woman and that I can laugh at myself.

What would you most like to change?

Nothing, except that it would be nice if DC was closer to Bakersfield, so I could spend more time with my family.

Do you talk on your cell phone while driving?

No, because I do not own a car. There is no need for a car in the district. The metro takes me everywhere I want to go.

Tell us something that very few people know about you.

I was photographed with President Bush and the First Lady at a Cinco de Mayo event at the White House. The framed picture is displayed in the entry way of my condo. My Republican friends like the picture and my Democrat friends see the irony and humor. Let’s just say it is often the topic of conversation when people come over.

Tell us something interesting about yourself that wasn't covered in the above questions.

I love to dance. I joined the Ballroom Dancing Club while at the University of Michigan and had a blast. Basically dancing kept me somewhat sane while I wrote my dissertation. Plus, I learned to waltz, fox-trot, mambo, swing, cha-cha, samba, etc. About 6 months ago, I took country dancing lessons at the Kennedy Center. I never know country dancing could be so much fun! In order to keep my dancing skills current I go Salsa dancing on Monday nights. There is nothing like telling sweaty guys that my name is Maria!

One Week Later!

I can't believe the reunion was over a week ago. My head is still spinning. I wanted to write a blog about all the funny and amazing things I heard, witnessed, and experienced but I'm still trying to get my life back. I didn't realize how consuming the reunion had become in the last few months. I heard a dinner is being planned in the next month or so as well as viewing of the DVD once I've edited all the footage from all three weekends. In the meantime, check out all the pics on flickr. If you need the username and password contact the amazing Patrick McNeal:

biotron2000@gmail.com

Have a great week everyone and thank you so much for all the cool thank you e-mails many of you have sent in. I'm thrilled that everyone seemed to have a great time. I know I did!

Now, let's not lose touch again!

Ronnie

The Reunion

I had a great time at the reunion. It was great to see everyone. I really do miss seeing everyone from high school. If I didn't talk to any of you I probly did not recognize you. Like Jason Williamson, Stephanie K, and a lot more. I know everyone knew who I was, I look the say just older. I put some pictures on the web site Patrick created for us. Thanks to the entire gang you all did a great job at creating a wounderful reunion. I wish I could have stayed longer but I had hurt my back and could hardly stand the pain for much longer. I would love to go to NY but I have never been in a plane who will ride with me I'mmm scarrrred....Patricia White

PICTURES

Whoever posted the picture of me and my hubby on Flickr, could you please email it to me at VSG2@PGE.COM or SuzanneFimbres@yahoo.com. Any pictures would be appreciated.

Suzanne

Lets stay together !!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to say that the re-union was a success ... I have been checking the blog and it appears that everybody had a great time ...I know I certainly did . It felt like we had not even lost a day . When it comes time to do another get together I want to help put it together . Ronnie says he wants to fly everyone who wants to go to New York for a weekend and see a couple of Broadway shows ..............NOT!!!! kidding . I hope everyone stays in touch ...Please e-mail me at wyntknsn@yahoo.com and call me at 209-631-7391. Cameron.SandyP,GeorgeM ,RobynnM,RonnieL,Janet(scooter)Jose,LoriG,RichieM,ElizabethB,StephanieK,PatriciaW,IreneV,CliffJ,ShawnA,MarkL,VincentR,RussB,PatrickM,RobertM,VickiH,RuthF,CherylC,Jami&Rick,KimW...............I hope to hear from you guys really soon.....Take care Wayne Atkinson

emails are pouring in!!!

from our classmates. Here's a few samples....

Hi Cheryl just wanted to say ya'll did an awesome job on the reunion I had the time of my life.

Patrick McGonigal

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write, but you know how that goes.
Trying to get caught up after being gone for a week.

I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you for doing such a great
job with the reunion.  We had such a GREAT time!!  I truly appreciate all
the hard work and time you and everyone involved put into this reunion.
Everything was so well organized and an absolute blast!!
Thanks again and stay in touch!  Merry Christmas!!
Love to all,
Monet and Stephen Davis

Hey Cheryl...looks like you had fun!!! Was that Lori Johnson in the pic with you in the park? I couldn't tell...

Thanks!

Tonya

Gerald Rupe!

I just got this e-mail from Gerald via the Flickr page:


You've been sent a Flickr Mail from geraldrupe1:

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

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

:: to all of u


Wish I had made it but u guys and (especially girls) r
lookin great. Write me at geraldrupe@hotmail.com. Your
friend and mine Gerald D. Rupe

Football Time

Gina Cameron just let me know the championship football game between Foothill and Garces is Friday, December 1, at 7:00 pm at Liberty High School's stadium. You can probably get ticket information from Foothill at 661-366-4491 (scary - that was from memory!) Go Trojans!

MEMORIES!!!!

Ronnie is madly working on the video for the DVD. Would you believe that he has 5, yes, 5 hours of video to go through and edit...along with all of the pics that were taken! And, darling Patrick has set up the Flickr account for anyone that would like to download pics for viewing. The estimated time frame for the DVD will be atleast one month and then Ronnie and I will set to the task of sending all of you a copy. It was decided that instead of a memory book, a DVD would be more practical and not stored away somewhere and forgotten. Besides, I know that if someone filmed me falling on my butt at Rollerama, it will be on there! And Ronnie shot lots of footage of the kids on Sunday. Who doesn't want to see their kids on video???

So, please be patient...all good things take time.

By the way, it was wonderful to see all of you this weekend. I sure hope that everyone had a great time...know I did! And I am hoping to see you all again soon.

~Robbyn

Photo site

Hey everyone!
We now have a site for photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/foothill1986/ , so go by and take a look. Send me a note if you want to upload pictures and I'll give you the login info.

Patrick McNeal

Tonya Flannery says...

Hey Cheryl...looks like you had fun!!! Was that Lori Johnson in the pic with you in the park? I couldn't tell...

Thanks!

Tonya

Post Your Pictures

If anyone happened to take their own pictures during the reunion, it would be mighty kind of you to post your pictures to the blog so EVERYONE can enjoy the photos. There were several people who couldn't make it to the reunion who desperately wished they could have and posting your photos might ease some of their sadness over not having been able to attend. So, come on everyone.... either download those digital images or go get that film developed and send it in! (Don't forget about a great new service that is available from most photo developing locations; you can have the pictures put onto a CD!! That way, if you don't have a scanner, you can download the pics straight from the CD via your computer!)

Holy Moly!

I don't even know what to say. My body is sore, my heart is full and I'm ready for the next one!

This is NOT a final good-bye

but a see you later instead. Figured out why my head was hurting soooo much. I was in need a HUGE cry. Words can't express the love I feel for everyone of you; my classmates. Let us not look at this 20yr reunion but, of a home coming. A family of friends who might have grown up together from the 'eastside' of town or up on the hill. We're all the same.
This weekend wouldn't have been a huge success without the help of the committe:

Ronnie
Robbyn
Kevin
Georgia
Patrick
Suzanne
Janet
Michelle
Christy

You guys are an awesome bunch and I can't wait to start working on the BBQ get together for next yr. (We'll start working on plans in Feb).

Please let us keep our re-newed friendships alive and keep in touch with each other. If we're states apart, don't let that hold you back from picking up that phone, and call to say: "hey! little Johnny made the basketball team or, Sarah made me a grandmother!" or "I'm running for State Governor". Makes no difference. CALL.

-Cheryl Caswell
Co-Chair Reunion Committee

Cheryl, Joe, Lori, Kim, Patrick, Lora

What a weekend!

I just want to say "thank you" to everyone involved and everyone who attended the reunion. It was an amazing weekend and I truly enjoyed meeting, re-meeting and talking with every single one of you. I was pleased to be reminded of the fun times I had in school (and that I actually had fun times!).
Let's try to keep in touch; it's easier than ever with the Internet. My e-mail address is biotron2000@cox.net; feel free to get in touch any time. I'll post pictures to my website soon, and I'll post a link when they're up.
Patrick McNeal

Sharing the love.... BUCKO'S PICTURES!!

Thought I'd share a few of pictures taken on Friday night at Bucko's and Rollerama.

It was truly fantastic seeing everyone so happy and excited to see each other!! Thank you so much to every person on the reunion committee who selflessly worked so hard for an unimaginable number of hours to make the 20 year reunion for the class of 1986 possible!!

It did my heart good to see everyone after all these years and it did my SOUL good to finally see and hug my wonderful friend Mark Long again...thought I had lost contact with him forever!

BBQ today!

Don't forget!!! BBQ with your classmates is today at 11am - 4pm. BE THERE.
Beach Park

Music flashbacks

I'm so having music flashbacks right now. Remember our Senior prom (if you attended or didn't) what was the theme? What was the movie that was ranked number 1 with all the kids of our time?
Trying to think of something to wear at tonites event? Try watching 80's flicks. Breakfeast Club, 16 candles, Pretty in Pink. Love the clothing!!! -Cheryl

Rollerama

I have to say, last night was a blast!! Everyone was having a great time, and if anyone didn't have fun...I couldn't tell. I hope you all enjoyed the entertainment of me falling...SEVERAL TIMES...but what can I say...I had fun! Tonight is going to be even better!

Can't wait to see you all again...and those of you that weren't with us last night...see ya soon!

Take me too; Funky town!

Thanks to the Alumni last night who made an appearance! No bones were broken (with the exception of a vein in a wrist) but we still had fun!
Who showed up?

ALL your committee members; Ronnie, Cheryl, Robbyn, Georgia, Janet, Suzanne, Michelle, Christy, Patrick, Kevin.

WHO showed up and skated their hearts off?

Monet Wright (All the way from Tenn!)
Brain, Shawn, David Maples, Felicia, Carin!!!!, Sherry, Richey, Jose, Israel, Vince, Pat, Roy, Joe!, Scott!!!!!, Jackie and Janet Garza, and soooo many others!

Don't forget; Coconut Joe's tonight. 6:30pm. BE THERE. Bring your name badges (those that were at the rink last nite). Others who didn't go last night; we have a badge for you. If you weren't in our grad class; EMAIL US and let us know your coming so that we can get one made for you. 1986fhs@gmail.com

telephone confirmation!!!

Richey Meeks!!!!! He and wife will be at CJ's on Saturday nite and can't wait to see everyone!

Sandy's Your the best

Hey everyone tonight is the night !!! I 'm very excited to see everyone .. I went with Ronnie last night to Robynn's house and Robynn has the cutest and well behaved kid's I've ever met ...seriously ...and wow what a cook she is ...Thanks again Robynn. Now on to Miss Presson, Sandy I just read your answers and I really got a kick on how you answered all your questions. I have never heard of anyone liking Echo and the Bunnymen , they are one of my favorites ....I'm sad that we lost touch and I will never allow that to happen again (: I promise .... I also want to say When I met Ronnie last night I hadn't seen him in 22 years and it was like not a day went by and I think we're all gonna feel that way "or I hope so" ..Alright , have a good day everyone and see you tonight ....Wayne

Money Money Money

If anyone from our class wants to attend the reunion but absolutely does NOT have the funds right now, please contact us! If you want to be there, we want you to be there, so please, contact us.

Name Badges for EVERYONE!

HERE'S THE DEAL!

We were up til 3 am making badges at Robbyns house last night. Robbyn Madsen is really the glue holding this whole thing together, but more about that later. But anyway, the reason I am telling you this is because we want you all to know that we made name badges for EVERY single person in the class, we even made them for people we know aren't coming. So if you wake up this morning and decide you want to join us, we would LOVE to have you! Your name badge is waiting!

Sandy Presson answers EVERYTHING!

I normally just put an excerpt on the blog and post the rest on the website but things are getting pretty busy right now as you can imagine...HOWEVER I really wanted to post Sandys' answers because she will be joining us for the weekend and because so many of you have asked about her so without further ado...HERE'S SAAAANDY!!!! And Sandy, if you're reading this, I can't wait to see you! Ronnie

What did you do last night?

Drove home from San Diego, unpacked a few things, then crashed out

What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Coffee….then whatever is handy to snack on around 10.

How many hours a night do you sleep?

Would love to get at least 8 hours a night, but it doesn’t always happen. I LOVE to sleep in on weekends.

What is your favorite hour of the day/night and why is it your favorite?

My favorite time of the day or night is when I’m taking a shower. I just love it! I can stayin there until I run out of hot water, and most days I do! It used to drive my father crazy.
Where do you live now?
Good ol’ Bakersfield
Do you like living there? Explain.
No, it’s not my favorite, but the economy is great. That’s all I’m going to say on that…..
What did you do in the years right after high school?
Right after high school?? PARTY! Then the usual school, job and work.
Tell us about your family? Kids? Spouses? Lovers? Partners? Divorces?
No kids, no spouses, therefore, no divorces. Still looking for the right one, who I can spend
the rest of my life with, and if he never comes along, I can still say that I have had the
time of my life while I was looking!

Do you have a job outside of your home?

Sure. I am an RN! (How many people did that just surprise??)

Do you like your job?

I absolutely love my job. Everyday is challenging and yet so rewarding. It can be a wee bit scary knowing that someone’s life is in your hands, very humbling in everyway, and quite emotional on occasion. But when all is said and done, knowing that you have helped someone,and hopefully made a difference, is so rewarding!

Is it the job you thought you would have when you were back in High School and you contemplateed the future?

No! I had no idea what job I would have back then.

If you could have any job in the world what would it be?

Wow! In the world? It would be to NOT have a job!! As long as I had some cash flow, I would love to travel, and see the world!

What was your happiest day last year?

Snorkeling with giant sea turtles in Hawaii, or the 4th of July. It’s a tie!

What is your biggest regret from the last 20 years?

Uummmmm, I don’t do regrets, sorry.

Do you miss high school? What things do you miss about it?

I miss the carefree lifestyle and hanging out with all my friends. Being able to eat
Weinerschnitzel or nachos from 7-11 on a daily basis. Going to assemblies…(right…)

What is one of your favorite memories from high school?

When Jennifer learned to play quarters at Bruce Bryant’s house, all those days spent at Lake Ming, Jan barfing at the fair when he got off The Hammer, and graduation!!!

What is one of your worst memories from high school?

Right after high school Jerry Litrell was killed. It was so awful because it was so dumb and we were so young.

Who were your best friends in high school?

Jennifer Gilbraith, Patty Bella, Shelly Moore, Angie Francis, Kathy Waite, Jan Thorwarth Lisa Tolman, Wayne Atkinson, Valerie Shumaker, Ranee Oberlies, Jason Williamson, Stephanie Kirkland ……and who didn’t love Ronnie??

Have you kept in touch with them?

How sad, but not really. I stayed in touch with Angie for a long time, since her son is my god-son. But I am so excited about seeing everyone again!!

How is your life different than the life you thought you would have after high school?

Well, I’m not married, not rich, still live in Bakersfield………but no regrets!!

Who was your favorite teacher?

Mr. MacGuire. He was so easy to talk to, and always made me laugh. He could drive that school station like no one’s business!!

What was the biggest life lesson you learned in high school?

#1--My parents WERE right!!

Also that I had so much more to offer than all of the shallow things that I was into then.

Who was your favorite pop music band in high school?

Air Supply, Hall & Oates, Styx………..just kidding!!!! The Cure, The Clash, Oingo Boingo, Modern English/English Beat, Duran Duran,
Echo & the Bunnymen, Prince, Adam Ant, …whew…..Van Halen, Motley Crue—but they weren’t really “pop” music.

Why do you want to attend a high school reunion?

Would like to see everybody again, rekindle some old friendships, tell stories, laugh, cry

Why do you NOT want to attend a high school reunion?

I can’t find anything 80’s to wear!!! AND I have been holding out in hopes that Matheny would be attending………where is that guy?? He is the one person that I am most curious about!

Are you nervous about attending your high school reunion? Explain.

Nope!

Do you like answering these questions?

Sure. Some of them made me think.

Do you have any tattoos? What are they?

Tattoo virgin.

What is your favorite food?

Mexican food any day, any time. I also LOVE P.F. Changs—yeah for Jennifer!!!! My favorite came to Bakersfield.

Are your parents still alive? How are they doing?

My parents are great!! My mom is my best-est friend, and I’m still daddy’s little
girl.

Are you happy with the way you look these days? Please explain.

Is this a trick question?? I still think (and tell people) that I am 28. However, I think that I may start reversing this and telling people that I’m 48, hoping that they say how great I look for my age

If you won the lottery what would you do with the money?

Travel.

Are you religious? Spiritual? Agnostic? Is there a God?

Another trick question??? Well…. I think I’m agnostic…

What do you watch on TV?

Hooked on Grey’s Anatomy, Nip Tuck and What About Brian. Otherwise I would prefer music or reading.

What are your all-time favorite movies?

Shawshank Redemption, The Notebook, Pulp Fiction, Finding Nemo, When A Man Loves a Woman, Tombstone, Simon Birch.

In what ways have you changed the most from high school?

I’m certainly not as shallow as I was then. More sincere. I just love people for who they are on the inside.

In what ways are you the same from high school?

I still like to have fun and goof-off. I push things to the limit when I think I can get away with it!

Tell us about three of your happiest experiences since leaving high school.

Graduating from nursing school, being released from active duty with the Navy and the third I can’t put on a public website!

What do you like most about yourself?

My sense of humor and fun-loving nature. The ability to put people at ease.

What would you most like to change?

I chronically run late to everything! I would love to be one of those punctual people.

Do you talk on your cellphone while driving?

You’re kidding, right?

Tell us something that very few people know about you.

…..then everyone would know! Let’s just keep it a secret! Otherwise I’m pretty much an open book.

What would you like to happen at the reunion? What would leave you satisfied? What do you NOT want to happen at the reunion?

I think it would be great if everyone that made it had a fabulous time. I would also like Mike Matheny to make it! I’m just excited about seeing everyone again. I do not want for Ronnie or Cheryl to feel unappreciated by anyone. They have worked so hard on pulling this all together. Man, when do you guys sleep??

Did you enjoy answering these questions?

It was fun.

Tell us something interesting about yourself that wasn't covered in the above questions.

I sometimes sport around driving a 1963 Corvair that I bought about 8 years ago, and
refurbished with the help of may dad. It has only 2 speeds but is so much fun to drive. I get the attention of all the old guys.

the Ole Mighty HOBO Bag!

Purchase your raffle ticket from Michelle Garland or Christy Green on Saturday nite!!!

This is the bag that both Ronnie and Kim has been bickering over. Both of them want it but should I give it up?

...

Nah!

Well ok, I will.

The designer is BCBGirls. I suspect tickets will sell fast for our raffle drawing of items so get them when you come through the door!

Thanks to Foothill Frosh-Soph Wrestler and Band member Adam (my nephew) for being a willing model.

-Cheryl

Eat Breakfast!

You'll need energy for skating.

The Only You You've Got

Remember this after dinner!

Time for Timer

I must be a pizza!

Sunshine on a stick!

Sorry, can't help myself!

Got a hankerin'?

This will tide you over until that bird comes out of the oven!