Who Let the Dogs Out??
Tillman and Tyson featured on the CBS Early Show practicing for the Rose Parade float
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Burbank volunteers work to finish Rose Parade float
By Connie Llanos, Staff Writer
Updated: 12/30/2008 12:30:55 AM PST
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A 30-foot-tall snorting dinosaur, laser-blasting spaceships and oversize popcorn containers complete with butter scent.
These are just some of the elaborate features that volunteers with the Burbank Tournament of Roses Association were trying to complete Monday afternoon as the deadline to finish their floral masterpieces for this year's Rose Parade drew closer.
To get the moving pieces of art done on time and in top shape, seasoned volunteers like Ginny Barnett have made 24-hour shifts on the days leading up to the event a tradition.
"It's a lot of work but I wouldn't know what to do with myself during the week between Christmas and New Year's if I didn't come here," the Burbank resident said.
Like Barnett, thousands of volunteers across the Southland have been working for months on their floats, submitted from all over the country.
Since 1890, the annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses has rung in the new year for parade spectators - now including millions of television viewers - who wait every year to get a glimpse of the elaborate floats, as well as marching bands and equestrian teams that compete for accolades at the event.
Others look forward to the annual event for its athletic action. This year the Rose Bowl will host a showdown between the University of Southern California and Penn State - true to the Rose Bowl's old tradition of matching the Pac-10 and Big Ten champs.
Still for volunteers like Barnett, who has been working on floats in Burbank for 17 years, the real satisfaction is found in getting your hands on the float.
"It didn't take long for me to get hooked," the computer technician said as she glued crushed and sifted marigolds onto a foam road - mustard for a three-foot hot dog that sat nearby.
The feat of putting together the bigger-than-life floats - this year Burbank's float tops out at 43 feet long, 28 feet tall and 18 feet wide - is the ultimate arts and crafts project. It tends to hook people like Beth Weinstein, a stained-glass artist who Monday delicately placed white flower petals onto a giant soda-cup lid. A Miami resident, Weinstein volunteered with the Burbank float team three years ago, when she came to visit family. This year, Weinstein persuaded her husband to take the 3,000-mile trip with her to work on the float again.
"It really is an amazing experience," Weinstein said.
But not every volunteer is a natural-born artist. Thirty-year float volunteer Pat Wilson said she always shied away from painting or drawing.
"It's the sense of starting a big project and watching it come together that I enjoy," Wilson said.
As the warehouse buzzed with the sound of drills and welding, the blue eyes of first-time volunteer Katelyn Bauer, 9, stood wide open as she stared at the float.
"I am so surprised by how big everything is; look at the popcorn tubs - they're huge," Bauer said of the 4-foot-high vessels.
At a cost of about $100,000, putting together an impressive float is not easy for a nonprofit corporation.
The Burbank entry will go up against $400,000 and $500,000 floats produced by professional float builders.
But for Steve Edward, design chairman for Burbank's float team, the challenge of finishing an ambitious project every year, relying solely on volunteer hours, is exciting.
"Those floats are more consistent," Edward said.
"But in our float you can see the different techniques employed by different people ... You can see the community's work."
connie.llanos@dailynews.com 818-713-3634
Parade entries, in order of appearance
http://www.tournamentofroses.com/
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Diana Ziegler Larsen Snowbound in Portland, Oregon
Thanks for the update, Diana... WOW!
Here is the snow level in front of my house on December 22. It continued to snow through December 26!
What a storm!
Snowbound from the 19th-27th! Was snowbound the week before as well from earlier storms when I was able to get out twice, briefly for med. appts. Schools closed Dec. 15 due to snow.
I wish I could figure out how to send you all the pics on the same email and don't want to send you one after another so this is it folks!
Happy Happy 2009 ahead!
Love,
Diana
Here is the snow level in front of my house on December 22. It continued to snow through December 26!
What a storm!
Snowbound from the 19th-27th! Was snowbound the week before as well from earlier storms when I was able to get out twice, briefly for med. appts. Schools closed Dec. 15 due to snow.
I wish I could figure out how to send you all the pics on the same email and don't want to send you one after another so this is it folks!
Happy Happy 2009 ahead!
Love,
Diana
Holiday Fun
Hope you all are having a good time with family and friends. Please send a photo to share with us!
My granddaughters, Lauren and Hannah
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My granddaughters, Lauren and Hannah
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Monday, December 22, 2008
Happy 60th Birthday Cathy!
Thanks Carol! It is now 12:03am, so I am officially 60 yrs old *** sigh *** and currently, I'm waiting for my flight which has been delayed one hour. So I will celebrate after I arrive in Panama City, FL. Btw, did you know that in Germany, people plan and prepare their own birthday parties? Pretty good idea I think.
I am so glad to have had you as a friend for all these years.
You truly are aspecial person.
May you have a wonderful 60th year and have many more to come.
Carol Nicholls Lebrecht
I am so glad to have had you as a friend for all these years.
You truly are aspecial person.
May you have a wonderful 60th year and have many more to come.
Carol Nicholls Lebrecht
Sunday, December 21, 2008
YIKES!!! Happy 60th!
Thanks Cathy for remembering & for the great photo. I'll be on a plane taking the red eye tonight to Florida to see my children and grandchildren for Christmas and am waiting for the airporter even now. My daughter told me on the phone earlier today, "Yes, you are old but you don't look 60 nor do you act it" and then my 11 year old granddaughter got on the phone and "You're not old, Grandma!" Hahahaa!
Carol Nicholls Lebrecht, Jeanne Sproul, Cathy Nicholls Coyle, Cathy Palmer, Cynthia McCarthy and Jeani Crichlow
Hey CP:
Tomorrow you will be celebrating your 60th Birthday!
I have attached a photo of some friends celebrating your "19th" Birthday at our house on Olive Avenue in Dec. 1967!
I hope you have a wonderful birthday and Merry Christmas with your Family!
Your Friend,
Cathy Nicholls Coyle
Carol Nicholls Lebrecht, Jeanne Sproul, Cathy Nicholls Coyle, Cathy Palmer, Cynthia McCarthy and Jeani Crichlow
Hey CP:
Tomorrow you will be celebrating your 60th Birthday!
I have attached a photo of some friends celebrating your "19th" Birthday at our house on Olive Avenue in Dec. 1967!
I hope you have a wonderful birthday and Merry Christmas with your Family!
Your Friend,
Cathy Nicholls Coyle
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Happy Holidays!! from Donna Luce Neitman
Thanks for the update, Donna, and glad to hear that your foot is doing better. Your home looks beautiful covered in snow even though the white stuff is spoiling your holiday but Jan 1 will be here before you know it and then you can see your children & grandchildren!
Hi Cathy,
I wanted to say Happy Holidays to all and send a little update. My foot that I broke on the cruise is healing slowly but gets better each day. It's been rough going up and down the stairs here at home and now of all times Spokane is having a record snow fall.
It snowed 2 ft. yesterday and more is predicted for next week. Larry shovels the driveway every couple of hours. My daughter, husband and two granddaughters are suppose to fly up from L.A. next week but it's looking as though that trip may be canceled.
Of all the years to break records in Spokane. My mother and brother moved to Rathdrum, Idaho (which is about 20 miles from here) from the Burbank area in August and they are getting hammered with the white stuff too. The only problem is I am unable to get to their houses. So Christmas this year is going to be very dismal. Oh I forgot to tell you I'm married to Scrooge. Ha!!!
On a happy note I will be flying (I hope) down to Burbank on New Years day and will be staying at my daughters in Moorpark, so I will get to see my granddaughters, family and friends.So Happy Holidays to all who are reading this!!
Love,
Donna (Luce) Neitman
Hi Cathy,
I wanted to say Happy Holidays to all and send a little update. My foot that I broke on the cruise is healing slowly but gets better each day. It's been rough going up and down the stairs here at home and now of all times Spokane is having a record snow fall.
It snowed 2 ft. yesterday and more is predicted for next week. Larry shovels the driveway every couple of hours. My daughter, husband and two granddaughters are suppose to fly up from L.A. next week but it's looking as though that trip may be canceled.
Of all the years to break records in Spokane. My mother and brother moved to Rathdrum, Idaho (which is about 20 miles from here) from the Burbank area in August and they are getting hammered with the white stuff too. The only problem is I am unable to get to their houses. So Christmas this year is going to be very dismal. Oh I forgot to tell you I'm married to Scrooge. Ha!!!
On a happy note I will be flying (I hope) down to Burbank on New Years day and will be staying at my daughters in Moorpark, so I will get to see my granddaughters, family and friends.So Happy Holidays to all who are reading this!!
Love,
Donna (Luce) Neitman
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Heartfelt Thanks from the Dibble Sisters
Pam Kirkwood forwarded the following email from Cheryl Dibble BHS '64. Cher and her sister Pam Dibble '65 lost their home in the Sylmar fire last month (read more). We continue to pray for the Dibble sisters...
Hi Pam and Loopers...
I don't know where to begin. I can't thank all of you Loopers enough who responded with donations towards helping both me and my sister out after we lost our home in the Sayre Fire in Sylmar. This goodness was so totally unexpected from the people I knew in school to those that I didn't know...... God Bless you all ! It was so very much appreciated and I can't tell you how this helped in our replacing some items that we lost.
We were ordered out by the police late Friday night of Nov.14th and what we could take with us... is all that was left after the fire swept through and destroyed everything in its path. It looked like a war zone in our community. Nothing left. We saved all our animals but one, we lost a bird..... we saved some clothes, saved the computers, saved the important papers.... but everything else is gone, All the photos from the time I was growing up, all my books, clothes.....well, just look around your house and imagine it all being destroyed by fire and thats what we lost and have to replace bit by bit. Fortunately I had insurance, but even that takes time to deal with. For 2 1/2 weeks after the fire, we were at the disaster center everyday filling out forms etc. from all the different companies setup in there to assist you. It was non-stop from 8am in the morning to sometimes 4 pm in the afternoon, day after day. I've never filled out so many forms or waiting for ages in lines for your turn to be called so you could fill out more forms.
Its times like this, you hear about it on the news when others have gone through something like this.... but to expenience it first hand is a nightmare. You can't believe it really happened.... its also during a time like this that you see how the good people that are still out there come to your aid... its unbelieveable. On that following Wed. when we were allowed to go back in and dig through the ashes to see if we could savage anything, all we retrieved is what you could put in one hand.... and that one hand of burned up and scared items is what once represented a house hold full of items.
I loved my house, from the garage to the wet bar and the gated community that we lived in was a wonderful place to live. To see it now is still to this day hard to take. It looked like a bomb was dropped on all of the 500 homes that were consumed by this fire. At one point the firemen thought they could save the community, but those 80 mile an hour gust of winds were to much for even them and they had to run for their lives. Even now you can see where they dropped their hoses, and where some melted into the pavement. The firemen called it a flash fire that rolled through, like an ocean wave rolling towards the shore. I've enclosed a photo of the destruction and you can see how this fire proceeded, where the tops of the trees in the background looked untouched and everything lower is burnt.
Again I just want to thank everyone... you were a God send..... may God Bless You All !!
Love,
Cher Dibble
Hi Pam and Loopers...
I don't know where to begin. I can't thank all of you Loopers enough who responded with donations towards helping both me and my sister out after we lost our home in the Sayre Fire in Sylmar. This goodness was so totally unexpected from the people I knew in school to those that I didn't know...... God Bless you all ! It was so very much appreciated and I can't tell you how this helped in our replacing some items that we lost.
We were ordered out by the police late Friday night of Nov.14th and what we could take with us... is all that was left after the fire swept through and destroyed everything in its path. It looked like a war zone in our community. Nothing left. We saved all our animals but one, we lost a bird..... we saved some clothes, saved the computers, saved the important papers.... but everything else is gone, All the photos from the time I was growing up, all my books, clothes.....well, just look around your house and imagine it all being destroyed by fire and thats what we lost and have to replace bit by bit. Fortunately I had insurance, but even that takes time to deal with. For 2 1/2 weeks after the fire, we were at the disaster center everyday filling out forms etc. from all the different companies setup in there to assist you. It was non-stop from 8am in the morning to sometimes 4 pm in the afternoon, day after day. I've never filled out so many forms or waiting for ages in lines for your turn to be called so you could fill out more forms.
Its times like this, you hear about it on the news when others have gone through something like this.... but to expenience it first hand is a nightmare. You can't believe it really happened.... its also during a time like this that you see how the good people that are still out there come to your aid... its unbelieveable. On that following Wed. when we were allowed to go back in and dig through the ashes to see if we could savage anything, all we retrieved is what you could put in one hand.... and that one hand of burned up and scared items is what once represented a house hold full of items.
I loved my house, from the garage to the wet bar and the gated community that we lived in was a wonderful place to live. To see it now is still to this day hard to take. It looked like a bomb was dropped on all of the 500 homes that were consumed by this fire. At one point the firemen thought they could save the community, but those 80 mile an hour gust of winds were to much for even them and they had to run for their lives. Even now you can see where they dropped their hoses, and where some melted into the pavement. The firemen called it a flash fire that rolled through, like an ocean wave rolling towards the shore. I've enclosed a photo of the destruction and you can see how this fire proceeded, where the tops of the trees in the background looked untouched and everything lower is burnt.
Again I just want to thank everyone... you were a God send..... may God Bless You All !!
Love,
Cher Dibble
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Greetings from Jeanne Barron Aikman
Hi Cathy,Just thinking of you often these days and wondering how you are doing. I'm thinking this birthday could be your 60th but I'd hate to assume in case you get one more year of the glorious 50ies. It's amazing, isn't it, to realize how many years we've been playing on this planet. I hope your celebration is a joyous one indeed.
What are your holiday plans? Traveling east or staying home? I'm not sure yet how mine will work out. I'd love to have my girls here. Mom and sisters usually join us but there are several issues this year that might complicate things. So, we'll see.
Speaking of mom, I'm wondering how you'd feel about posting something on your blog on her behalf. I believe she has a possible mold problem in the back bathroom which could require new flooring. I'm not sure how to go about finding help for her. You know, finding someone she would feel comfortable with coming into her home and giving her a fair deal. I'm going to check out Angies list and see if I can set up some appointments for estimates if I wind up going down during the holidays. It would be great though to support our BHS community with work etc. Let me know your thoughts.
The school year has been great so far. We are completing our first semester before the holidays so it has been a little more intense than usual. Our National Art Honors Society club won First Place in the San Jose Christmas in the Park contest with a theme of Dr. Suess and the Joy of Reading. The students did a phenomenal job constructing a large book (8 feet sq) that rests on a stand with Who-ville emerging from the pages. The tree is filled with familiar characters made of papier mache with books and baubles as ornaments. Personally, I love the green eggs and ham.
They worked after school and weekends for months. I loved it when they reflected back to when they had the original idea on paper and then when they realized all it took to bring it into being. I'm so proud of them. It was fun for me to return to the woodshop and have them work with the power tools. Ahh, the smell of the sawdust. I miss it though I wouldn't trade it for working with the clay.
For two weekends last month, I studied with two different sculptors and expanded my own experience in sculpting faces and heads. It was fabulous. We had live models one weekend. I have sent along a photo. Also, the last photo shows how I dressed it up in my classroom for the holidays with a santa hat and beard. It gets some chuckles.
The following weekend had a different twist. Not so "sacred" ha! especially when we purposely dropped it when we were done. I think that was the most fun. Attachment is always an issue and this method really helped lighten things up. I sent those photos too.
One of the groups has decided to continue on and we met Saturday for the first time. It was great and we even had a live model. This is so nurturing for me and I'm pleased we will get together often. It has been a long time since I've done any of my own work as I'm usually just doing example pieces for instruction purposes.
It's been fun sharing this stuff with my students too. It's definitely put a kick in my step.
Hmm, the clock is ticking and 5am always comes a bit early for me. I'll send this along and again, send you big hugs and wishes for a wonderful birthday.
Enjoy the photos.
Love,
Jeanne
Anthony
And this is a photo of my students' entry to San Jose Christmas in the Park.May our collective sense of humor brighten all our days throughout this holiday season and well into the new year.
--- end ---
Hi Jeanne,
Yes, we can post your email on the blog and see if anyone can help your mother.
Is it my imagination or am I correct that when we went to Miller, we were not allowed (or discouraged??) to read Dr. Suess books?
And yes, I'll be 60 in just a few days (Dec 22) and it is for sure WEIRD. But to celebrate, I'll be taking the redeye from Californy to Florida to spend the holidays with my children and grandchildren and my daughter's new 160 lb Mastiff pup - click here to see photo!
Thanks for the great pics, Jeanne.
hugs,
Cathy
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Don Ray ('67) has Another New Blog
Thanks Don for the Blast from the Past...
(Note: Blogging is sooooo easy... plus it's free and fun! Just click on the orange and white 'B' logo at the top left corner of this page to read how.)
SUBJECT: Some nostalgia for you
Howdy,
I’m trying to learn how to embed videos, so I built this little blog for practice. You might get a kick out of it.
http://donraymusic.blogspot.com/
I’ll be adding a lot more to it. If you get a chance, would you try the “Subscribe to this Blog” link to see if it works?
Later!
Don Ray
(Note: Blogging is sooooo easy... plus it's free and fun! Just click on the orange and white 'B' logo at the top left corner of this page to read how.)
SUBJECT: Some nostalgia for you
Howdy,
I’m trying to learn how to embed videos, so I built this little blog for practice. You might get a kick out of it.
http://donraymusic.blogspot.com/
I’ll be adding a lot more to it. If you get a chance, would you try the “Subscribe to this Blog” link to see if it works?
Later!
Don Ray
Friday, December 12, 2008
Memorial for Gary "Gig" Christensen (BHS '64) Dec 20, 2008
We lift our prayers for the Christensen family during this time of loss...
More sad news.... Gary "Gig" Christensen passed away November 30th, after a long battle with cancer. He was in the Laughlin/Bullhead City area at the time.
I attached Gary Christensen's Senior Photo for your blog to go along with Pam's Loop news.
Thanks.
Cathy Coyle
Hi Loopers,
We just received the following information from Tom Veatch '65 regarding the Memorial Services for Gary "Gig" Christensen BHS '64...
Pam and Jon
Hi Pam & John,
I wanted to let you know that I found out yesterday that Gary's brothers, Larry & Rick, are having a Memorial get together for him on Saturday, December 20th, 10am to 2pm, at the Burbank Veterans of Foreign Wars, located at 1006 W. Magnolia Blvd, for anyone interested in attending.
Hope all is well with you & your family.
Tom
MORE
Gary "Gig" Edward Christensen
March 18, 1946 - November 30, 2008
Married Janet Barnes, BHS '64 in 1966
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Memorial for Bev Warner Richards (BHS '65) Dec 9, 2008
December 9, 2008 UPDATE from Cathy Nicholls Coyle
John and I attended the Memorial Service for Beverly Warner Richards today. It was a very nice, heartfelt service. 
The following is an excerpt that her brother Courtlandt (Corky) Warner (BHS '62) wrote on her Memorial program:
"Beverly N. Richards was a resident of Burbank since birth. She graduated from Burbank High School and USC. Beverly was a dental hygienist for 25 years and held a patient relations/accounting position at Burbank Hearing Clinic (owned by her brother Corky) for 12 years. Beverly is survived by son, Chad, daughter, Kara, five grandchildren and two brothers, Joseph and Courtlandt Warner. Beverly was a devoted daughter, sister, mom, wife, grandma, mother-in-law, friend and employee. She loved her family. She will be remembered for her vibrant and compassionate personality. She had the most beautiful and engaging smile. She loved to give and receive a warm hug. As an optimist she fought to overcome her set backs. She understood God's love for her and allowed God's love to shine through her."
Rest in Peace Bev.
Beverly Norine Warner Richards
August 26, 1947 - November 29, 2008
FIND A GRAVE Link
ORIGINAL POST
May the Lord bless Bev's family during this difficult time of loss. Below is an email from Pam and Jon Kirkwood:
Hi there Loopers...
We really hate to start off the holiday season with sad news, but we thought you would want to know the following... We are very saddened to tell you that Bev Warner Richards '65 passed away last Saturday, November 29, after a long illness.
The Funeral will be at The First Presbyterian Church, 521 E. Olive Ave. Burbank at 11:30, the 9th of December (Tuesday).
Anyone wishing to send condolences to Bev's family can mail them to her daughter:
Kara Richards
10321 Woodward Ave.
Sunland, CA 91040
Bev leaves her brother Courtlandt Warner, daughter Kara Richards, her son Chad Richards and 5 grandchildren...
We will always remember her as a beautiful person, inside and out...and will never forget her "tradmark smile"...
May God Bless her and and her entire family.
And from Trudie Lombard Hentze:
Bev was a beautiful lady and will be sorely missed by her family and friends, of which she had many. After all, she was voted BHS 65 "Most Popular!"
Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you,
Trudie Lombard Hentze
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Reminder: BHS Centennial Book Makes a Great Gift!
Below is the latest BHS Newsletter which talks about buying a Centennial book for a gift. And I have to agree as I gave both my sisters one and they each love it! In fact, now their children and friends who are BHS alumni are buying copies.
Burbank High School - Newsletter - BHS Centennial Book makes a great gift!
The BHS Centennial Book is getting great reviews and makes a perfect holiday gift! Order your copy now, before we break for vacation on Dec. 19.We sold over 900 copies of the book and still have plenty more available. We need to sell 700 more copies to cover our costs. Please help us achieve this goal. The Limited Edition Centennial Book may now be purchased online for pick-up at BHS or to be shipped to you. Click here to read more or to purchase the book, and get your copy before they are gone. There will only be one run of this book. Makes a Great Holiday Gift - shop now!
Purchase options:
Order online with a credit card for pick-up or shipping.
Purchase at BHS front office (7:30 am - 4:00 pm M-F) with cash or check.
Online order form: click here to read about how to download and print the book order form.
California residents (tax included) $43.30 (pick-up), $50.45 (shipped to your home). Non-California residents $47.15 (shipped to your home).
We need your financial support to help cover the cost of putting on the Centennial!Please help us complete Centennial projects, cover book costs, and establish a scholarship fund for current and future BHS students by making a tax deductible donation to the BHS Centennial Foundation. Click here to donate using a credit card. If you would like to donate with a check, please contact us to have a donor envelope mailed to you. Thank you for your help and support!
Burbank High School - Newsletter - BHS Centennial Book makes a great gift!
The BHS Centennial Book is getting great reviews and makes a perfect holiday gift! Order your copy now, before we break for vacation on Dec. 19.We sold over 900 copies of the book and still have plenty more available. We need to sell 700 more copies to cover our costs. Please help us achieve this goal. The Limited Edition Centennial Book may now be purchased online for pick-up at BHS or to be shipped to you. Click here to read more or to purchase the book, and get your copy before they are gone. There will only be one run of this book. Makes a Great Holiday Gift - shop now!
Purchase options:
Order online with a credit card for pick-up or shipping.
Purchase at BHS front office (7:30 am - 4:00 pm M-F) with cash or check.
Online order form: click here to read about how to download and print the book order form.
California residents (tax included) $43.30 (pick-up), $50.45 (shipped to your home). Non-California residents $47.15 (shipped to your home).
We need your financial support to help cover the cost of putting on the Centennial!Please help us complete Centennial projects, cover book costs, and establish a scholarship fund for current and future BHS students by making a tax deductible donation to the BHS Centennial Foundation. Click here to donate using a credit card. If you would like to donate with a check, please contact us to have a donor envelope mailed to you. Thank you for your help and support!
Monday, December 1, 2008
The Follis Sisters
Bless your heart, Pierrette... I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your mother in 2006 and then of your husband last year! Praying that the Lord heals and comforts your heart. And I imagine your little granddaughter brings wonderful joy into your home these days.
Dear Cathy,
Thank you so much for continuing to send out your newsletters, you are doing such a wonderful job! It is so nice to hear about others that went to Burbank High back when I did.
Many of the students that went to Burbank attended Luther Burbank Junior High School and were lucky enough to have a class or two with my mother, Betty Follis. Mother passes away July 29, 2006. After the funeral in Las Vegas, my husband and I came out to Burbank for the burial in October 2006.
That was the first time in 35 years that I'd been back. It was interesting to see what has changed, like Burbank High! And to catch up with Shirley Root Benson and her daughter (who is named after my sister Cindy). Since then, Shirley, Cindy and I have visited several times, this past Summer, Shirley came and joined me in Denver and we drove down to Santa Fe to visit my sister Cindy and her husband at their house. I have lived in Denver for the past 25 years and totally love it.
My husband passed away last December after a long fight with emphysema. So this year I have sought to move my career in a new direction and adjust to my new circumstances. I have a wonderful daughter who is a partner with the KPMG accounting firm, and a 19 month old granddaughter. As I am rapidly coming up on my 60th birthday, I am truly looking forward to 2009.
Life is good! Merry Christmas to all!
Pierrette Follis Ray
Pierrette3@aol.com
Dear Cathy,
Thank you so much for continuing to send out your newsletters, you are doing such a wonderful job! It is so nice to hear about others that went to Burbank High back when I did.
Many of the students that went to Burbank attended Luther Burbank Junior High School and were lucky enough to have a class or two with my mother, Betty Follis. Mother passes away July 29, 2006. After the funeral in Las Vegas, my husband and I came out to Burbank for the burial in October 2006.
That was the first time in 35 years that I'd been back. It was interesting to see what has changed, like Burbank High! And to catch up with Shirley Root Benson and her daughter (who is named after my sister Cindy). Since then, Shirley, Cindy and I have visited several times, this past Summer, Shirley came and joined me in Denver and we drove down to Santa Fe to visit my sister Cindy and her husband at their house. I have lived in Denver for the past 25 years and totally love it.
My husband passed away last December after a long fight with emphysema. So this year I have sought to move my career in a new direction and adjust to my new circumstances. I have a wonderful daughter who is a partner with the KPMG accounting firm, and a 19 month old granddaughter. As I am rapidly coming up on my 60th birthday, I am truly looking forward to 2009.
Life is good! Merry Christmas to all!
Pierrette Follis Ray
Pierrette3@aol.com
Sunday, November 30, 2008
It's a Small World!
Pam Kirkwood ('64) just forwarded this email from George Covin ('65) - thanks Pam!
Hi Pam And Jon,
While on our anniversary vacation (35th) in Carlsbad, CA over Thanksgiving week my wife and I went shopping in Carlsbad Village. My wife shopped, I watched.
After going through many shops I told my wife Shirley, lets go back to the hotel. She said just this last one. I said OK but I will just wait outside. Well after awhile I went in to find her. I started to talk to the sales person behind the counter. We were talking about how nice the weather is in Carlbad as a opposed to where she grew up. So I asked where that was and she said that she grew up in the San Fernando Valley. I asked where and she said Burbank. I then asked what school she went to. She said Burbank High class of '67. I couldn't believe it.
Her name is Leigh Rugee Crossen.
What are the odds. Amazing.
Take care,
George
Hi Pam And Jon,
While on our anniversary vacation (35th) in Carlsbad, CA over Thanksgiving week my wife and I went shopping in Carlsbad Village. My wife shopped, I watched.
After going through many shops I told my wife Shirley, lets go back to the hotel. She said just this last one. I said OK but I will just wait outside. Well after awhile I went in to find her. I started to talk to the sales person behind the counter. We were talking about how nice the weather is in Carlbad as a opposed to where she grew up. So I asked where that was and she said that she grew up in the San Fernando Valley. I asked where and she said Burbank. I then asked what school she went to. She said Burbank High class of '67. I couldn't believe it.
Her name is Leigh Rugee Crossen.
What are the odds. Amazing.
Take care,
George
Thursday, November 27, 2008
David Dupree ('66) 1948-2008
Sad news on one of our BHS alumni. Thank you for the email, Kathy - you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers...
Hi Cathy,
I really am enjoying your BHS newsletters, etc.
I do have some news for you to put in, although it is sad. I have just found out that my brother, David C. Dupree, has passed away at the age of 60. He was the class of '66. We had no word of him for almost 30 years. Long story. Apparently he had recently been living in Tarzana, Ca. Cause of death: cardiovascular disease.
Thanks for all your hard work keeping us all informed about BHS. It is much appreciated.
Hugs,
Kathy Dupree
OBITUARY
From the Burbank Leader, November 2008
David Carey Dupree, Burbank native was born November 13, 1947, died October 29, 2008 in Tarzana, California. He was 61.
He is survived by his sister, Kathleen E. Depree (BHS 67), and brother, Richard Lee Bowen.He was the son of the late Donald E. Depree and Lois Stiles Dupree, and graduated from Burbank High School in 1966.
Monday, November 24, 2008
BHS Bulldog Marching Band & Color Guard
Watch the Burbank High School Bulldog Marching Band and Color Guard perform at the 55th Annual 2008 Arcadia Band Review Festival of Bands held in Arcadia, CA, yesterday, Nov. 22nd - Great job, Bulldogs!
source
source
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Thanksgiving Humor
And from Carol Nicholls Lebrecht, some Thanksgiving fun!
Cathy,
Here is some Thanksgiving humor for the season.
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Cathy,
Here is some Thanksgiving humor for the season.
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
John Muir Jr High School (now John Muir Middle School)
Today is the 45th anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination and I was thinking about where I was on that day. It was 1963 and we, the BHS class of '67, were in 9th grade - some at Luther and the rest of us at Muir. (The other Luther students and all those from Jordan Junior High went to John Burroughs High School.)
I remember standing in the hall between classes when someone said, "The President's been shot!" Stunned by those words, I didn't know what to think. Years later after the movie, "JFK" came out in 1991, more questions arose. Today, I doubt the 'official' story the world was told.
In any case, it is interesting that I just received the following email from Cathy Nicholls Coyle regarding John Muir. I'm not sure who did the graphic, but I remember watching them make it in my art class - a linoleum or wood carving - pretty cool! Thanks Cathy.
Look what I found...
Hi CP:
I was looking through some old paperwork and came across this old John Muir Junior High School Promotion Program from 1964. Thought it would be good to share with our classmates who attended John Muir. Maybe those who went to Luther and Jordan can scan and post theirs too.
Cathy
(Click on program to enlarge)
--- end ---
A LITTLE MUIR HISTORY...
The Burbank John Muir school building still looks the same from when we went there 1962-1964!
Known as John Muir Middle School today, the school first came into being in 1922 when a separate school for the 7th and 8th grades was organized and called John Muir Intermediate School. John Muir started out with less than two hundred students and six teachers. The John Muir Parent Teachers Association was formed in 1923 and has been an active, integral part of the school ever since. The 9th grade was added to John Muir Intermediate School in 1925 and the name of the school was changed to Burbank Junior High School.
At this time there were 670 students and about 25 teachers. In 1929 the name of the school was changed once again, to John Muir Junior High. The school's original location was at 220 East Grinnell Drive. In 1952, its current buildings were completed and the school was moved to 1111 Kenneth Road.
From 1922 up until the present time, John Muir has had 11 principals. The first principal was Elliot B. Thomas who served for 8 years. Allan H. Burnside served the longest amount of time, 19 years, from 1962 to 1981. Under the tenure of William Kuzma, John Muir once again experienced change, sending the 9th grade to the high school and receiving the 6th grade from the elementary schools, becoming John Muir Middle School.
I remember standing in the hall between classes when someone said, "The President's been shot!" Stunned by those words, I didn't know what to think. Years later after the movie, "JFK" came out in 1991, more questions arose. Today, I doubt the 'official' story the world was told.
In any case, it is interesting that I just received the following email from Cathy Nicholls Coyle regarding John Muir. I'm not sure who did the graphic, but I remember watching them make it in my art class - a linoleum or wood carving - pretty cool! Thanks Cathy.
Look what I found...
Hi CP:
I was looking through some old paperwork and came across this old John Muir Junior High School Promotion Program from 1964. Thought it would be good to share with our classmates who attended John Muir. Maybe those who went to Luther and Jordan can scan and post theirs too.
Cathy
(Click on program to enlarge)
--- end ---
A LITTLE MUIR HISTORY...
The Burbank John Muir school building still looks the same from when we went there 1962-1964!
Known as John Muir Middle School today, the school first came into being in 1922 when a separate school for the 7th and 8th grades was organized and called John Muir Intermediate School. John Muir started out with less than two hundred students and six teachers. The John Muir Parent Teachers Association was formed in 1923 and has been an active, integral part of the school ever since. The 9th grade was added to John Muir Intermediate School in 1925 and the name of the school was changed to Burbank Junior High School.
At this time there were 670 students and about 25 teachers. In 1929 the name of the school was changed once again, to John Muir Junior High. The school's original location was at 220 East Grinnell Drive. In 1952, its current buildings were completed and the school was moved to 1111 Kenneth Road.
From 1922 up until the present time, John Muir has had 11 principals. The first principal was Elliot B. Thomas who served for 8 years. Allan H. Burnside served the longest amount of time, 19 years, from 1962 to 1981. Under the tenure of William Kuzma, John Muir once again experienced change, sending the 9th grade to the high school and receiving the 6th grade from the elementary schools, becoming John Muir Middle School.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Emergency Loop
Just received this email from Pam Kirkwood and if you can help, thanks so much.
Hi there Loopers...
We would imagine you are all making ready for next week's Thanksgiving Holidays...We would ask you to remember all of those who have lost so much in last weekend's devistating fires here in Southern California.
Specifically, we have 2 classmates who lost their entire home in a matter of minutes last Saturday night. Cheryl Dibble BHS '64 and her sister Pam Dibble '65 lived at the Mobile Home Park in Sylmar that was almost totally destroyed...Pam and Cheryl got out with only the clothes on their backs, their pets and a couple of important items. Everything is GONE!
I just talked to Cher this morning. They are temporarily staying with an old friend from High School, Phill Hayes '65...Cher related to me the horrors of Saturday night...What a nightmare for all...They will probably be going back tomorrow to sift through the rubble and ashes...
I told her that in these times, we all have to help each other. She said that "prayers" were what they needed most and I told her that went without question. I told her that I would alert the "Loop" and we would see what happens.
Cher was able to buy some clothes and the insurance company told her to keep all of her receipts...We are thinking that probably the most useful things to help them get back on their feet would either be cash donations or gift cards...If any of you feel you can help, please send your donations to:
Cheryl and Pam Dibble
c/o Phill Hays
26588 Shakespeare Lane
Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381
Cher can be reached on her cell phone:
(818) 205-5876
They managed to get their laptop out when they evacuated and can receive email at cwolf11@ca.rr.com
Not sure how often they check it, as they are still pretty much in shock and are busy contacting insurance companies and figuring out what to do next.
Thank you for your prayers and any help you might be able to give, Loopers...
Take care and a Blessed Thanksgiving to you and yours...
Love, Pam and Jon
Hi there Loopers...
We would imagine you are all making ready for next week's Thanksgiving Holidays...We would ask you to remember all of those who have lost so much in last weekend's devistating fires here in Southern California.
Specifically, we have 2 classmates who lost their entire home in a matter of minutes last Saturday night. Cheryl Dibble BHS '64 and her sister Pam Dibble '65 lived at the Mobile Home Park in Sylmar that was almost totally destroyed...Pam and Cheryl got out with only the clothes on their backs, their pets and a couple of important items. Everything is GONE!
I just talked to Cher this morning. They are temporarily staying with an old friend from High School, Phill Hayes '65...Cher related to me the horrors of Saturday night...What a nightmare for all...They will probably be going back tomorrow to sift through the rubble and ashes...
I told her that in these times, we all have to help each other. She said that "prayers" were what they needed most and I told her that went without question. I told her that I would alert the "Loop" and we would see what happens.
Cher was able to buy some clothes and the insurance company told her to keep all of her receipts...We are thinking that probably the most useful things to help them get back on their feet would either be cash donations or gift cards...If any of you feel you can help, please send your donations to:
Cheryl and Pam Dibble
c/o Phill Hays
26588 Shakespeare Lane
Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381
Cher can be reached on her cell phone:
(818) 205-5876
They managed to get their laptop out when they evacuated and can receive email at cwolf11@ca.rr.com
Not sure how often they check it, as they are still pretty much in shock and are busy contacting insurance companies and figuring out what to do next.
Thank you for your prayers and any help you might be able to give, Loopers...
Take care and a Blessed Thanksgiving to you and yours...
Love, Pam and Jon
Saturday, November 15, 2008
More California Fires
November 16, 2008 UPDATE
CLICK HERE to see maps showing locations of the fires.
We continue to pray for families and firemen and women who may be in harms way.
View Larger Map
Original Post
Folks, let's continue to pray for safety and protection for those in danger of fire. Just received this email from Cathy Nicholls Coyle:
Subject: The Sayer Fire is threatening Santa Clarita!
Hey CP: We are being threatened by fire again! We were suppose to go to a Memorial in Burbank this morning but couldn't go because they closed the 5, 14 and 210 Freeways. We would have to go to Ventura and then drive back to Burbank....
Attached is the Santa Clarita Emergency Notification link:
City of Santa Clarita Emergency Information
Photos from Cathy's backyard
source
View Larger Map
MORE VIDEOS
source
source
CLICK HERE to see maps showing locations of the fires.
We continue to pray for families and firemen and women who may be in harms way.
View Larger Map
Original Post
Folks, let's continue to pray for safety and protection for those in danger of fire. Just received this email from Cathy Nicholls Coyle:
Subject: The Sayer Fire is threatening Santa Clarita!
Hey CP: We are being threatened by fire again! We were suppose to go to a Memorial in Burbank this morning but couldn't go because they closed the 5, 14 and 210 Freeways. We would have to go to Ventura and then drive back to Burbank....
Attached is the Santa Clarita Emergency Notification link:
City of Santa Clarita Emergency Information
Photos from Cathy's backyard
source
View Larger Map
MORE VIDEOS
source
source
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Veteran's Day Memorial Ceremony
Thanks Cathy and thanks Mike!!
Hey CP:
Yesterday at the Veteran's Day Ceremony at McCambridge Park I ran into Mike McDaniel, BHS Class of 74, and co-author of the Burbankia website.
He had a wonderful display of World War I uniforms.
He said that it was the first time ever for these uniforms to be displayed.
In July 1917, 177 Burbank men registered for the draft. In September, they reported to American Lake in Washington for training. Mike has found the names of 84 of those men. The list is posted below:
Since Burbank did not keep good records during this time, Mike is hoping that maybe one of our BHS alumni may know other names that he could add to this World War I Veterans list. If you do, please email your information to Mike McDaniel at mmcdaniel@ci.burbank.ca.us.
Thanks!
Cathy NIcholls Coyle
Hey CP:
Yesterday at the Veteran's Day Ceremony at McCambridge Park I ran into Mike McDaniel, BHS Class of 74, and co-author of the Burbankia website.
He had a wonderful display of World War I uniforms.
He said that it was the first time ever for these uniforms to be displayed.
In July 1917, 177 Burbank men registered for the draft. In September, they reported to American Lake in Washington for training. Mike has found the names of 84 of those men. The list is posted below:
Since Burbank did not keep good records during this time, Mike is hoping that maybe one of our BHS alumni may know other names that he could add to this World War I Veterans list. If you do, please email your information to Mike McDaniel at mmcdaniel@ci.burbank.ca.us.
Thanks!
Cathy NIcholls Coyle
Classic 60's TV: George Carlin
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Linda Muruz, class of '66, sent out an email tonight to her class which included a link to the following article on high school reunions which I hope you enjoy as much as I did!
Forty years after high school, a famed writer finds...
You Can Go Home Again
By James Grady
Parade Magazine
Publication Date: 09/28/2008
source
This year, 8 million Americans are expected to attend their high school reunions—even though a national survey says 65% of reunion attendees don’t want to go through those years again.
Personally, I couldn’t wait to escape adolescence, to be somebody besides that gawky kid in my graduation photo. Yet, strangely enough, I’m one of those eager faces who showed up at my high school reunion. So why did I—and the 7,999,999 other people—go back?
This July, I finally found out, when I flew to my hometown of Shelby, Mont., to attend a reunion for everyone who went to its lone high school during the 1960s.
My rental car cruised into town along Main Street, where people called me Jimmy, not the James on my business cards today. The Roxy movie theater now has a brick façade, not there when my father was its manager. Old stores are gone, and vacant windows reflect little traffic.
I saw the white box house where I grew up. How could it have been so small? I drove past the home of my unrequited adolescent crush, Linda, wondering if she and her husband would come to the reunion. Sprinklers hissed on the football field where I learned how to get knocked down, get up, and get knocked down again. And looming at the edge of town was the sprawling two-story pink cement building—my high school.
On Friday night, each of the graduating classes met at designated taverns. My 1967 class had 87 boys and girls. A third of my classmates and some spouses (not mine, who declined with a smile) gathered at the Tap Room, a wood-paneled bar decorated with a class banner.
Amid squeals and laughter, I met friends wearing name tags that we sometimes needed. We swapped data about work, children, grandchildren, and what happened to our parents. Heartaches were related in stoic sentences, and nobody—nobody—whined.
We snapped pictures. We marveled at who went to prison and whose environmental entrepreneurship might help save the world. We were proud that Sandy, the woman voted “Most Likely To Succeed,” is now a counselor helping veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. We spoke gently about our own strung-out alums who were not there but whom we hoped still might recover. Nobody dwelled on politics or religion. E-mail addresses got jotted on the back of motel receipts. We kept scanning the crowd to see who came. (Linda and her husband didn’t make it.)
What struck everyone I talked with is how little we actually knew back then. Lorna, a university staffer who was voted “Most Representative” of our class, told me: “We didn’t know who we were.” Nutritionist Mary Jeanne, who’d been voted “Best All Around,” said that she secretly thought she was the only one who was “scared and didn’t have a clue.”
None of us knew that one of the seemingly happiest guys in our class spent his nights using his fists to save his younger sister and mother from his stepfather’s beatings. Now a successful local businessman, he told me: “I thought that’s how it was for everybody.”
Reunions change reality. As one celebrant remarked, “The 10-year reunion is about impressing your former peers—showing them, and perhaps yourself, that you made it. By the 20th reunion, you get to just be yourself.”
Eleven years ago, at our 30th reunion, Wally sought out Randy. He had always felt a special connection, though they’d never dated. He walked up to her and said, “I came to see you.” Then he walked away. “I was so scared,” Randy told me. Two years later, she and Wally married, and they’re still going strong.
Gary, one of the reunion organizers who never left Shelby, whistled for the crowd in the Tap Room to quiet down. His voice trembled as he read the list of those forever gone: “Mike Jodrey, Rick Mauritson, Sue Turner…” We cheered for each name, but we didn’t cry. Instead, our emotions came out in the classic high school reunion hugs—hugs from someone you treasure more now than before. The hug from the woman you can’t remember who says she’d know you anywhere. The hug from an old girlfriend who was so right to dump you, the hugs of those who once shared hairbrushes in the girls’ room. Gene the airline tycoon hugged Kirby the family farmer. Sid the professor hugged Jesse the truck driver.
The hug meant we’re still here.
Driving to the airport, I felt valued and validated, glad I had gone, gladder to be returning home. I clicked on my left blinker. Like any experienced motorist, I checked my mirrors—and saw my old pink high school.
Just one last glance, and then it was gone.
James Grady is the author of “Six Days of the Condor.” His latest novel is “Mad Dogs.”
Forty years after high school, a famed writer finds...
You Can Go Home Again
By James Grady
Parade Magazine
Publication Date: 09/28/2008
source
This year, 8 million Americans are expected to attend their high school reunions—even though a national survey says 65% of reunion attendees don’t want to go through those years again.
Personally, I couldn’t wait to escape adolescence, to be somebody besides that gawky kid in my graduation photo. Yet, strangely enough, I’m one of those eager faces who showed up at my high school reunion. So why did I—and the 7,999,999 other people—go back?
This July, I finally found out, when I flew to my hometown of Shelby, Mont., to attend a reunion for everyone who went to its lone high school during the 1960s.
My rental car cruised into town along Main Street, where people called me Jimmy, not the James on my business cards today. The Roxy movie theater now has a brick façade, not there when my father was its manager. Old stores are gone, and vacant windows reflect little traffic.
I saw the white box house where I grew up. How could it have been so small? I drove past the home of my unrequited adolescent crush, Linda, wondering if she and her husband would come to the reunion. Sprinklers hissed on the football field where I learned how to get knocked down, get up, and get knocked down again. And looming at the edge of town was the sprawling two-story pink cement building—my high school.
On Friday night, each of the graduating classes met at designated taverns. My 1967 class had 87 boys and girls. A third of my classmates and some spouses (not mine, who declined with a smile) gathered at the Tap Room, a wood-paneled bar decorated with a class banner.
Amid squeals and laughter, I met friends wearing name tags that we sometimes needed. We swapped data about work, children, grandchildren, and what happened to our parents. Heartaches were related in stoic sentences, and nobody—nobody—whined.
We snapped pictures. We marveled at who went to prison and whose environmental entrepreneurship might help save the world. We were proud that Sandy, the woman voted “Most Likely To Succeed,” is now a counselor helping veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. We spoke gently about our own strung-out alums who were not there but whom we hoped still might recover. Nobody dwelled on politics or religion. E-mail addresses got jotted on the back of motel receipts. We kept scanning the crowd to see who came. (Linda and her husband didn’t make it.)
What struck everyone I talked with is how little we actually knew back then. Lorna, a university staffer who was voted “Most Representative” of our class, told me: “We didn’t know who we were.” Nutritionist Mary Jeanne, who’d been voted “Best All Around,” said that she secretly thought she was the only one who was “scared and didn’t have a clue.”
None of us knew that one of the seemingly happiest guys in our class spent his nights using his fists to save his younger sister and mother from his stepfather’s beatings. Now a successful local businessman, he told me: “I thought that’s how it was for everybody.”
Reunions change reality. As one celebrant remarked, “The 10-year reunion is about impressing your former peers—showing them, and perhaps yourself, that you made it. By the 20th reunion, you get to just be yourself.”
Eleven years ago, at our 30th reunion, Wally sought out Randy. He had always felt a special connection, though they’d never dated. He walked up to her and said, “I came to see you.” Then he walked away. “I was so scared,” Randy told me. Two years later, she and Wally married, and they’re still going strong.
Gary, one of the reunion organizers who never left Shelby, whistled for the crowd in the Tap Room to quiet down. His voice trembled as he read the list of those forever gone: “Mike Jodrey, Rick Mauritson, Sue Turner…” We cheered for each name, but we didn’t cry. Instead, our emotions came out in the classic high school reunion hugs—hugs from someone you treasure more now than before. The hug from the woman you can’t remember who says she’d know you anywhere. The hug from an old girlfriend who was so right to dump you, the hugs of those who once shared hairbrushes in the girls’ room. Gene the airline tycoon hugged Kirby the family farmer. Sid the professor hugged Jesse the truck driver.
The hug meant we’re still here.
Driving to the airport, I felt valued and validated, glad I had gone, gladder to be returning home. I clicked on my left blinker. Like any experienced motorist, I checked my mirrors—and saw my old pink high school.
Just one last glance, and then it was gone.
James Grady is the author of “Six Days of the Condor.” His latest novel is “Mad Dogs.”
Friday, November 7, 2008
Vintage Photos of Burbank
Found the following old photos while surfing the internet...
BHS 1950
Source
Olive Street 1940
source
Aerial Trolley Car
source
Burbank Public Library - Built 1935
source
Burbank Train Station
source
Terminal Drive-In Restaruatnt outside Lockhhed Air Terminal, Burbank 1940
source
Air Jamaica stewardesses demonstrate the L-1011 at Lockheed plant in Burbank, 1969
source
BHS 1950
Source
Olive Street 1940
source
Aerial Trolley Car
source
Burbank Public Library - Built 1935
source
Burbank Train Station
source
Terminal Drive-In Restaruatnt outside Lockhhed Air Terminal, Burbank 1940
source
Air Jamaica stewardesses demonstrate the L-1011 at Lockheed plant in Burbank, 1969
source
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