Rosalee May (Rosie) O'Day (Mason)

Here is my ninth grade picture from Hilltop Junior High.  The pictures were taken by homeroom, so everyone has the last name beginning with M, N, O.

Rosalee May (Rosie) O'Day (Mason)

Just wanted to pass along greetings and good wishes from Mrs.Barbara Rivard, who taught chemistry, life science, and earth science when we were at Hilltop.  Here is her message to Treasa Struble Skiles, who contacted her about coming to the reunion.  And her message to me.

HI TREASA:

 HAS IT REALLY BEEN 50 YEARS?  SOMEHOW IT FEELS JUST LIKE YESTERDAY.

SORRY I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND.  PRESENTLY MY FATHER IS 96 AND NEEDS SOMEONE WITH HIM ALL THE TIME. 

I WISH YOU ALL WELL.  GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU AND YOUR EXTENDED FAMILIES.

KINDEST REGARDS,

BARBARA RIVARD  

HI ROSIE:  YES, OK TO POST MY E-MAIL IN THAT I REALLY MEANT IT FOR ALL THE 1964 HILLTOP GRADUATES, ESPECIALLY   THOSE WHO HAD TO PUT UP WITH ME AS A VERY NEW TEACHER.   THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT  FOR ME. 

GOD BLESS,

BARBARA RIVARD

Madeline Bazzel (Hooper)

Hey Karen     I can't remember his name but one was from south africa.

Madeline Bazzel (Hooper)

Karen just go a glimps of your question the first time.  Reread the notice totally and yes it was Brian Belcher.  The memories sure come back when you hear a name.  Last I heard Brian and his wife were living in the states.

Patricia Lee Leckman (Banner)

Thanks, Rosie, for posting the fifth grade class composite and the football picture.  Can't remember how I have possession of the football photo, but we sure had a good time at the games!  Much more fun than the teams did playing, I am sure.  Especially the previously mentioned game where we were in a rainstorm and as the team members tackled each other, we in the cheer squad were hit with a small tidal wave.  Ah, the teen years and the experiences!

Madeline, I agree, a name brings back memories.  I wonder how many are still somewhat accurate :-)

Do we have any faculty coming?  50 years is a long time!  We do seem to be doing rather well with our graduating class--Weren't we a class of over 400?  Anybody know?

Michele Lynette Adney (Aldrich)

Sigh!  It was fun to see that 5th grade picture from Rosebank.  I did actually come up with some of the names.  But, once again.....where was I?  LOL!  Since I came after the school year had started, I probably missed "picture day" because I WAS in Mrs. Ecklund's class.  Goodness!  I really need to dig out my yearbook and start brushing up on people & names.  If I can just pin myself down to book my flight, I will be there on Saturday night.  (Hmm - sounds like a song. )

Theodore William (Ted) Grigg

Karen and Madeline,

Brian Belcher was indeed the exchage student in 1963/64. I believe he was from South Africa, if memory serves me right. You may recall that wavy hair of his. ? He was agreat guy.

Ted

Judith Anne (Sydney Ocean) Tyce

I remember learning to dance by watching American Bandstand. I remember doing crazy fun things with Robin, Barbara, Tommy k. and Roger Bish including a YMCA trip to Yosemite...getting dressed up real crazy and running around scaring people in the lodge. There were some wild bus trips with Don Morse and the YMCA including a couple weeks long one being the first school bus to cross the boarder and go all the way past Mexico City. We hit a cow, sleep in a fire station and got as far as a small village called something like Peatsla.

sydney ocean ( Judy tyce)

Roberta Ann (Robin) Chavez (Groefsema)

I have the group picture taken at the Pyramids, Sydney, will bring it along with elementary school pictures from Ella B Allen.  Those were the good old days.  Robin

Patricia Ilene Berry (Hodges)

Karen,

His name is Brian Belcher.  As Madeline said he was from South Africa.  I think I heard that he was in Santa Monica.  Not for sure about the last part.  Would really like to see Brian though, he sat right close to me in homeroom.  See you soon, Pat

Rosalee May (Rosie) O'Day (Mason)

I remember it was Brian Belchers from South Africa and Stella Gerlein from Columbia.  I know that Brian still lives in California.  I remember them both being very nice and participating fully  in the school activities, but I can't recall with whom they lived. (Anyone out there remember?)  They were both American Field Service students.  Our son was an AFS student to Turkey for his junior year at Hilltop.  I found a Luz Stella Gerlein in Columbia on Facebook and messaged her.  We'll see what she says!

Michele Ruth Walter

Michele Aldrich .. Hurry up and book that flight...I am (and i am sure many others) looking forward to visiting with you!  :)

Patty Leckman:  your picture in Rosie's most recent class photo is adorable!

Bruce Wilson

Foreign Exchange Rates:

As I recall, Robbie Bartlett's mom, whose name I remember (Muriel), was very active in the American Field Service (District Representative) and the girl from Iceland lived at the Bartlett abode for a while.

5/22/1973 CV City Council meeting minutes:

Mayor Hamilton presented Mrs. Muriel Bartlett ... The students, representing the countries of Brasil, Denmark, England, Ethiopia, France, Italy, Sweden and Yugoslavia are attending Bonita, Bonita Vista, Castle Park, Chula Vista and Hilltop High Schools...

So, what was the student from Iceland's name? What was the name of the exchange student had to return because she arrived with child (not seeking political asylum as far as I know)?

What was the first year that Castle Park High graduated students?

Treasa Struble (Skiles)

Hi Patty- To answer your question, we have a couple of faculty members attending the Friday night mixer--Coach Tomlinson and his wife (he's also playing golf that morning) and Billl Padelford. We hope a few others will join us. Unfortunately, several of our favorites have gone to that big classroom in the sky. BTW, Mr. Demos sent a nice note that he would be unable to attend but wished us all well. We are happy that he and his wife will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this year.

Patricia Lee Leckman (Banner)

Treasa-Thanks for the names.  Tomlinson and Padelford were some favorites in our class, don't you think?  It will be good to see them again.

Michelle-Thank you for the compliment on the fifth grade photo.  My mother did not agree and refused to buy the package.  She was out-of-town and I had created my own hairstyle.  You always looked beautiful and haven't changed a bit!

Sydney (Judy) -The YMCA trips were so much fun and full of great memories for me.  I later took children from the schools I was teaching on trips but we hired tour guides, hotels, and airlines.  Not a single clobbered cow or slow moving truck to hit, no sleeping in fire stations and spending much time sliding down the pole were included in those memories.  Don and your mother, Eleanor, must have been very trusting to take all those kids into Mexico so many times and all of the other wonderful places we visited.  And to think, it was all done with that old school bus the Y bought.  Life-changing for me.  Anyone else agree?  Any one have any photos?  I have one and would love to see any others folks have of those trips.  Too bad it took so long to develop inexpensive digital cameras.

Note to all--

The flights should be worth the cost to come and rub shoulders with all of our charming classmates from high school.  When can you be seventeen again other than at your high school reunion?  We have made our reservations.  Looking forward to see you all there. 

John Carleton Cowherd

These pictures are from the YMCA trip to Mexico at Christmas, 1961.  Our hotel, me on a donkey, and the bus after we hit the cow.

Bruce Wilson

Hey John:

Did ya get the license number of the bus? It looks like you did.

Great name for a hotel. What city?

Who is that on the other side of the donkey? It kinda looks like George Kelly (or Phil Knisely).

Bruce Wilson

The Castle Park Class Creator page only seems to have one profile on it, but there are a number of photos. Most of these folks look about right, but I think Blondie may be a ringer.

https://www.classcreator.com/Chula-Vista-California-Castle-Park-Senior-1964/class_gallery.cfm?gallery_link_id=17552

Here's the Chula Vista committed attendees list as of right now:

Barrington, Joe and Sharon

Barrows-Bothwell, Joanne (Sherburne) and David

Bell, Carol (Ehrhart) and Graham

Best, Vickey (Drum)

Bishop, Mike and Guest

Blakely, Jack and Pamela

Bodie, Joanne (Skaloud)

Bolander, Glen and Diana

Breakfield, Bob

Bumgardner, Jim and Darleen

Chapman, Gary

Cox, Lee and Lou-anna (Pierce)

Craig, Bob

DeGour, Rick and Pamela Wright

Donohoe, Pat and Sam Bernstein

Dumas, Doreen (Gurley)

Erickson, Gloria (Williamson)

Estrada, Jackie (Harper) and Batton Lash

Fike, Jerry and Diana

Fox, Connie (Alder)

Gourley, Dana (Mattes)

Gregson, Rick

Hahn, Roy and Larry Walker

Hamels, Kathy (Hawkins)

Hargis, Doug

Harris, Barbara (Johnston)

Henley, Kay (McVey)

Hood, Jacquie (Connoley) and Bob

Kjos, Otto and Hazel

Lane, Bud and Nancy

Leonard, Joe

Marquardt, Miriam (Martin) and Jim

Mason, Dennis

Massey, Bill and Gretchen

Matt. Glenda (Douglas)

McClain, Rosie (Vega) and Rollin

Moeller, Jan

Neighbors, Eddy and Kelley

Poiron, Darla

Poschman, Lee Ann (Rouse) and Kirk

Rarick, Karen (Zeutzius) and Terry

Rindone, Jerry

Rizer, Patti (Sloan)

Scull Toni (Mercurio) and Dennis

Smith, Tom and Peg

St. John, Barbara (Ater) and Larry

Stankoski, Barbara (Thompson)

Sundquist, Judy (Gibson) and Steve

Surrell, Rick and Sue

Syverson, Virginia (Payne)

Timmins, Diana (Church) and Cathy Clayton Schreck

Veazie, Greg

Virchis, Alice (Miranda) and Gilbert Miranda

Patricia Lee Leckman (Banner)

John-

Terrific photos.  So good to see them.  Thank you for posting them.

Was the photo from our stay in Mazatlan?  I rinsed my toothbrush under the running water and spent some sad times in the bathroom.  At least there was a bathroom!

Is that Don Paxton near your donkey ride?

Your wonderful photo tells me that the damage to the bus is less than my recollection.  I remember we did some serious bus pushing after one of the altercations.  Time awaiting repair was also included in the trip.

Who is that next to Mr. Comer? 

Didn't he teach Spanish?  I remember the time we went into Baja and he was driving his low riding Pontiac or something like that and had to back up to detach the damaged muffler.  We were abandoned by the custodian who had adopted a village and we were taking humanitarian stuff to the village, but the custodian was tired of waiting for Don to arrive with the bus and left us.  Did we ever find the right village or did we just find one along the way?  Any one remember that trip?

Judith Anne (Sydney Ocean) Tyce

The trips are kinda mixed up in my brain! On the Mexico trip the bus doesn't look very damaged but the radiator was damaged so we stopped somewhere in the desert after the cow hit and some of us wandered off to someone's abode and bought big round pastry things from them for 2 cents each. Eventually we figured we could limp to the next town if we kept pouring water into it and get it repaired there.

Do you remember that at one point my brother Bob ...a year and a half younger than me.. was driving the bus? That happened because the guy who was supposed to be a driver when Don Morse would sleep decided to play chicken with a bus coming the other way on a narrow bridge? Don was up on top of the bus with all our luggage when this happened! So that guy got banned from driving and my brother took over.  Amazing we all survived those adventures!

Michele Lynette Adney (Aldrich)

Michele & Patty, flights booked!!!  I'll see you there!  I have a question about the "Mixer".  Did you have to sign up for that or can it be a last minute decision?  I am coming to the Saturday night dinner but wasn't sure about Friday night.

John Carleton Cowherd

For those who were in Mr. Benjamin's Social Graces classes:

John Carleton Cowherd

About my Mexico trip pictures.

Hotel La Siesta was in Mazatlan.  The thing I remember about the bathrooms was the window in the shower that looked out onto the outside corridor.  I talked to people through that window.

I don't know who that is outside the hotel. I didn't write any names on the pictures.

I think that is Don Paxton with me in the donkey picture.  Wasn't he younger than us?

Patricia:  Thanks for the Rosebank photo.  That is me in the lower right hand corner.  I recognized a lot of people, and could even put names to some of them.

Rosalee May (Rosie) O'Day (Mason)

Hey everyone, thanks for the great memories of the YMCA caravans.  I never went on them in high school, but I was a counselor on many of them when I was at Southwestern College. I do remember Don Morse well.   I think Jon Miller was the director of the Y when I got involved, and Ben Casey was the program director.  We had so much fun on those trips to Yosemite, Canada, Arizona, Big Sur.  They were great opportunities for kids to camp who otherwise never had the experience.

John, thanks for the Mr. Benjamin obituary.  As it turns out, there were a lot of our classmates who went to Mr. Benjamin's classes -- more than I imagined.

Rosalee May (Rosie) O'Day (Mason)

Hi Michele,

I am so glad you booked your flight!!!  The Friday night event is open for everyone to come without money down or a prior reservation, but we wanted an idea of a number so we can warn the restaurant.  As it is, we are hoping they can accommodate the 200 we know are coming.  It's going to be fun party both nights!