Gary Martasin

I worked in public education for 36 years. 26 with the Hickman Mills School District. When I retired from there in 2000 I had been the Director of Public Relations and Communications. After 3 months of retirement that summer, I went back to work - in Blue Valley. I was a counselor at Blue Valley North High School for a couple of years, then the Assistant Principal at North for another 5 years. Over the next 5 years, I moved around a bit and worked at Olathe Northwest as a lead counselor, University Academy Charter School as the Director of Student Services and as the Director of Public Relations for the Missouri Charter School Association.

After putting up with the cold and snow in KC for 60+ years, we decided to pack our bags and move to Scottsdale, AZ in 2012. We loved it there - what's not to love (except the heat of summer - but it's a "dry heat".) In 2021 we made the move to Austin, TX, where our son's family resides. Great being close to two of our grandkids - and closer to our other three grandkids, who lived in Florida (Heather and family moved back to KC in 2023).

It's now 2025, and we have moved back to Kansas City. Scottsdale and Austin were fun, but it's great to be back in KC. We are living in the Blue Valley area and have enjoyed seeing old friends again. And, with our daughter being back in KC, we get to see our other grandkids a lot more, which is very special.

Okay - I wasn't in the choir like most of you (but, I was in the band) ... probably because of the bright orange uniforms and white spats that were so cool. I wasn't on Student Council and I didn't play any sports. But, I remember that my one claim to fame at Southwest came in my senior year.

For some reason (I think because I was on the newspaper staff), I was asked to be the "WHB - 710, High School Reporter." I remember calling into the radio station once a week and speaking to Phil Jay. My job was to give updates of all the events/sports activities at SW for the week. I also got to list the week's top three songs. I remember that for about three or four weeks in a row, I picked, "Suite-Judy Blue Eyes" by Crosby, Stills & Nash.

I guess now, fifty years later, the truth can be told. I really didn't take a poll or a student vote of the most popular songs - I just picked the ones that I liked the best.