Subject: RE: More memories
Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 23:50:45 -0400
From: "James Lightfoot" [lightfoj@erols.com]
To:ALL

OK, time to join this. Sent a letter to Terry Fuchs a few weeks ago with some memories, but I'll copy the list and with minimal editing give them here. As with most things, probably should have even more editing, but what the heck, that's why we have a delete button. This has a good number of repeats of other people's thoughts, but the repetition only shows how effective the imprint was!

What was the most popular local radio station? WIRL – 1290 AM (Remember how many FM stations they had in Peoria when we were in high school – one – WMBD, which broadcast classical music.) Remember when WPEO started the first rock, but they had to go off the air at sunset, and WIRL stepped into the breach.

What Chicago radio station played rock music – and was commonly listened to in the evening? WLS – 890 on the dial. And the most popular DJ there – Dick Biondi. OK trivia buffs, what did the initials WLS stand for - World's Largest Store - it was owned by Sears. And no, Walmart did not buy it out when they became the world's largest store.

And some other celebrities – Tom Connor, Gordon Joyner, Chick Hearn (later with the LA Lakers), Jim Jensen (went on to be the weatherman at WBZ in Boston). And can’t remember his name – think it was Harrison at WMBD. And remember when channels 19, 31 and 43 became 19, 25 and 31.

Discussions on whether to go to Sandy’s or McDonald’s? And the 15¢ hamburgers, 10¢ fries, can’t remember the shakes – weren’t they around 20¢. And Kramers, Hunts, and I still remember the Pork Tenderloins at A&W. That and a root beer float. Now that's nutrition!

Cruising Steak’n’Shake? And all the guys in the car knew the girls were looking at them – but God forbid actual contact and talking to them.

And of contact with the opposite gender, remember The Rec – boys on one side, girls on the other. Until some brave souls would break the ice.

Remember South Study Hall and North Study Hall. And remember how raucous South Study Hall was? That was the place for rolling pennies and ball bearings down the aisles as a distraction. And I think it was the old Latin teacher who gave a notorious setup. At least in the war story I heard it was attributed to her. She purportedly got upset with the ball bearings and picked up a couple of them and asked, “All right, now, who has the steel balls?” An anonymous voice in the back of the study hall yelled out “Supermannnnnnnn!!!!” and brought the house down. Have a suspicion this belongs with Urban Legends, but bought into at the time and obviously still enjoy it.

And remember the doowop singers in the stairwell in one corner of the school. Got a great reverb effect.

And intramural sports – I remember the fun we had playing basketball, even though the team I was on was far from stellar.

We only vaguely knew about gay people – and you definitely did not want to wear green and gold on Thursday, which was supposed to be a secret identifier. Funny when I talk to my kids and see how much the generational attitudes and tolerances have changed on this subject. And they changed with the passage of time for most of us, too.

And another thing that changed with time, views on race. We didn't have many black students, but it was a time of change in Peoria and the rest of America. I remember our home room nominated Marcia Wilson to be our representative for Homecoming Queen - and somebody came straight down from the front office to see if we were doing some sort of joke or mocking the school by nominating a black student. She happened to be the best looking girl in our home room, and the barriers were only beginning to come down. We were in the vanguard of a needed change, and maybe you were aware of it, but I wasn't. Mel Irving was on the student council. Lennie Crooks was a good debater - and went on to become an entertainment attorney in New Orleans.

And the Rialto Theatre – who was the guy in our class who led the way for student rates at local theaters – he became a folk hero of sorts and I think he dated Cisty Swain? Need some help here. Also, when we were in high school we no longer worried about Producers Points (the points on Producer’s Milk products - 25 points got you into the matinee on Saturday) – that was kid stuff.

Better to walk to school for miles than suffer the humiliation of riding the bus. Even in the dead of winter. No idea why that idea took over – but it did.

Clothing – Guys: Khaki pants with a buckle on the back, and I’ve forgotten all the symbolism of whether it was buckled or unbuckled; ivy league striped button down shirts; penny loafers and hush puppies.

And on Saturday did you have a fight over who got the family car? In our home my brother and I tangled on this regularly, and were greatly flummoxed when our parents expressed a desire for the car. The nerve that old people would want the car on our night? And the brands of gasoline – remember Traffic Master? Is it still around? My dad got an entire collection of plates and glasses – that was our standard setting at home. You know, the white glass plates with a gold rim. When the folks died, and Bob and I were cleaning up the items left, there were still a whole collection of the dessert size ice cream dishes - and yes, my family now enjoys ice cream from Traffic Master bowls. And the Clark station, where they only sold Premium, but it was open 24 hours. Oh, did your dad have a limit on how much the car could be used – X miles this evening, and the like? I think I could still disconnect or reconnect the odometer in a ’58 Ford in about ten seconds. And guess to within a quart how much gas it would take to get it back where it should be.

And speaking of cars – remember Paul Beard, the “Kar King.” He was a sponsor of late night movies on TV, and how many in our class remember his ditty – “Now don’t be skeered, of old Paul Beard – He ain’t got no larnin’, but he’s as happy as can be, sellin’ good cars natcherly!” Truly forgettable, and no, I don’t know why my brain opted to retrieve this and forget much more important items.

In 1962 we barely knew what or where Vietnam was. How many in our class went there and how many died there? I hope we take a moment to remember them and any others of our classmates who are no longer able to join us.

How hard we worked to earn that “Doctor of Frogology” in Miss Kinhofer’s biology class? And the other great teachers we had – I particularly remember Miss Albright, Mrs Herke, Mrs. Wood, Mr. Bauder, Miss Stepaitis – my brother loved Miss Rice for English, but I never had her as a teacher. Chemistry with "Teddy Bear" Fluegel. Geometry with Mr. Vandeventer. We had a great faculty and owe a lot to them. The only complete loser I remember in the bunch – well, it’s too easy to take cheap shots – who was it that said to Brutus “De mortuis nihil nisi bonum” – Of the dead speak only good - I’ll leave it that it was an algebra teacher and it was not Mr. Bockowitz.

And how did we get along without a huge administration? I remember Mr. Whitaker was the counselor, VP and basketball coach. Here in Maryland we average about one administrator per teacher in our district. And DC is even worse.

And music in our group - Dave Blanchard was a good guitarist, and years ago when I was on the faculty at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas who should I run into - Dave - working for Baldwin piano when it had a factory in Conway. And Wild Child Gipson - this guy was a local Little Richard. Some scholar of popular culture should interview the local rock groups from the start of the era and find out what moved them. Sounds like they are disappearing from the scene.

Well, this is gross overkill. Enjoy.

My wife Pam and I look forward to the reunion. We just celebrated our 25th anniversary last year, and it seems hard to believe that this is the fortieth anniversary of graduating from high school. That used to be just for old people! Thank goodness it's changed. I've enjoyed relating the nostalgia, but we're still a group with a future, and I look forward to hearing about what many of us plan to do with it.

Jim Lightfoot