Bruce Frendahl

Bruce Frendahl

NEW ADDRESS: 5707 NW 19 PLACE, GAINESVILLE, FL 32605

ALTERNATE MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 357491, GAINESVILLE, FL 32635

PHONE NUMBER: 352-239-1363

GO, GATORS!!!

GO, CHIEFS!!!

Paul Roberts

Where are the Chiefs of 70'????

Over the years many of our classmates have passed on to the "Great Warpath in the Sky" but many are still around and just need a nudge to be involved in our 45th Reunion.  2015 isn't far away and I'm encouraging each of you to reach out to other classmembers and keep them informed as to what is going on.  I was thinking about our 45th reunion and compairing it to Life being a cup of coffee.

Coffee - Life is Just a Cup of Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."

"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change."

"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

So please, don't let the cups drive you...enjoy the coffee instead. Being happy does not mean everything is perfect. It means you have decided to see beyond the imperfections.

Michelle Tremblay (Schooley)

Paul, this is just great!!!  We need to read something like it every day.  Thank you

Howard Coachman Jr (Mcc '69)

It is with great saddness that I announce the passing of my dear friend and childhood neighbor Alice McCloud. Alice was a library branch manager in Sarasota County, Florida. After a very brief illness, Alice passed away this evening. Please rememember her family in your thoughts and prayers during this most difficult time.

Bruce Frendahl

Howard-

Thank you for the notice. Our classmembers from '69 and '70 seem to be passing at an alarming rate lately.

In Gainesville, I often run into people from South Florida, occasionally MCC grads. Just today at the P.O. I met an older woman who taught at CC Elementary starting in '64. She remembered Principal Marshall, who I remember making the announcement over the PA that President Kennedy had been shot.

I also heard Miami Gardens is in the news again, some police action, but I don't know the specifics. Of course, everyone remembers when hundreds of MCC students walked out of class when police refused to arrest George Zimmerman following the Trayvon Martin (former MCC student) shooting, which made national news.

Paul Roberts

Hello Fellow Chiefs,

Do you know what the difference is between education and experience?

Education is when you read the fine print and experience  is what you get when you don't.

On a more serious note our Class of 70' 45th Year Reunion plans are going well and I wish to thank Gina for keeping everyone informed by posting on this website.  July & August 2015 may seem like a long time away but time seems to get condensed when you're making plans to do something and beore you know 2015 will be here.  I'll continue to send out emails and Gina will continue to pust to this site.  Looking forward to seeing each of you next year.  Please reach out to other classmates through whatever social media you have available to you, thanks!

Bruce Frendahl

Because the current MCC '70 webmaster has independently elected to delete the "MCC Love" section of the website, which included a love poem I had written in 1970 regarding my then-crush Liz Vaughan, I am re-posting it here, for your enjoyment...

I SEEK THE QUIET OF THE NIGHT

I seek the quiet of the night

The darkness of the skies

To hide the troubles of my soul

And tears from loving eyes.

I cherished all my time with you

Each moment lingered on

And now you turn and walk away

My love - my life - is gone.

But someday you'll come back to me

And wipe away my tears

For then will love redeem the time

I lost in lonely years...

Melody Watson (Smith)

This is a poem I wrote back on February 26, 2008 as a wake up call for anyone who has ever avoided a homeless person for they are flesh and blood as are you and I and I worked very hard to open a shelter here in Sanford, Florida for them to help the willing get their lives back in order.  I hope you read and understand the meaning because I too was once in their shoes, but by the Grace of God, I  now have several degrees, business, medical billing and I am a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor, I own my own home as well as 3 rental properties, so "YES" all things are possible with God's Grace and a lot of human assistance.

WAKE UP from the DARKNESS 

How many times have you driven by them,

Just turning your head, so you don't have to see?

How many times have yo seen them walk by you

And pretended, you just didn't see?

Wake Up from the Darkness

They're here and can see,

All those people, the homeless

Were once like you and me!

They once had a life

Had some hope and could be,

A person like you or

A person like me...

Wake Up from the Darkness

It's time that you see,

Only our love can help them

Get their lives back,

So they're happy and free.

Free from hopelessness,

Pain and despair,

Have someone to show them

There's someone who cares.

Wake Up from the Darkness

Before it's to late

For who knows, tomorrow

This could be your fate.

We talk about helping, yet nothing is done,

We just turn our heads,

And sometimes we run.

But sooner or later

We must make a stand,

Everyone is worth saving,

So please; "Put Out Your Hand."

Melody Ann Smith

February 26, 2008

Sandi Bain (Houle)

Beautiful Mel, and such truth, " by the grace of GOD GO thee! "

Melody Watson (Smith)

Thank you Sandi!  Gina told me no one reads the poetry and wants to delete it.  What do you think?

Hope I get to see you at the 45th Reunion next year.

Melody Ann (Watson) Smith

Sandi Bain (Houle)

Hi Mel, good to hear from you! As far as the Poetry, I can't imagine why anyone would have a problem with it, If you're not Interested, don't read it...I've not be active on this site for obvious reasons, living in Texas, for over thirty years, I've missed a lot! BUT, It was Impossible to miss (the separation)!!! Now, it appears that people are starting to catch up with the times, THANK GOD! So, I'm going to be open minded and see how it goes before I make a decision whether or not to join in...I joined up with the ' 69 class about six years ago, they were open to all Chiefs, that felt more like home to me! We had Ernest Betancourt, his amazing poetry would sometimes boarder on being a SHORT STORY! I remember when he first stared a posting, some Chiefs didn't embrace him or, GET HIM, as much as others! Personally he had me at HELLO!!! E., as I liked to call him,( mind you, we didn't know each other In school, but became great buds having bonded on the '69 site) was encouraged by me,  along with Betsy (Wharton) Crittenden who started the site, and Howard Coachman, ( another kid I didn't know in school, who is now a dear friend,) we GOT the poetry to the depths of our souls... We lost E. A few years ago, but his gift of words will NEVER be lost on those of us who were lucky enough to ( get him!) I know I'm long winded, but my point is that the site belonged to ALL of us, thanks to how Betsy initially set it up! And even tho I am a (guest) from '70, Bets, Howard, and many others never made me feel like a guest, just a fellow Chief! Allison, Bruce and I attended their '45th reunion, and got to make history with the first non-segragated Reunion! I'm so honored to have been a part of that...You're probably sorry you ask my opinion by now, Mel, ;) But I can tell you, had we let the Nay-Sayers run E. off the site, we ALL would have missed out on knowing the talent and essence of an incredible fellow Chief! That would have been a crime...San...

Gina Keeler

Melody, Did you not see the poetry page is still on the site, which by the way no other class site has and if you look there is only 2 poems on it.  No one is adding anything to it and the page will more then likely be removed to make room for other pages. I can only figure that Bruce said something to you since within a matter of days you both asked about it, yet I dont understand why you did not see the button for the page and the info on the bottom of the page as to how to post something to it.   I'm doing the best I can to keep the site going. Not many of our classmates are visiting it or singing up. Also Rick does not work the site anymore and the site was not really ours so most everything was what Rick set up and did and wehn I got involved he did allow me to do some changes.  The site is now 100% ours and if I had more classmates giving suggestions as to what they would like on the site I would be more then happy to start putting things on that the classmates want to see.  Our site is open to all MCC Cheifs.  Right now most of the site will be dedicated to our up coming reunion and hopefully the site will be promoted more at the reunion and more of our classmates will get on board.  We also need donations otherwise the site will not exsist at all because I cannot personally afford to pay for it every year to keep it going.  So if you all want to help keep this site going lets be more concerned about getting our classmates on the site, connecting with each other, make suggestions as to what they want on the site and make donations.  This would be more productive then complaining about one page on the site. I am not trying to be rude or make it like your poem is not special but you could have discussed it further with me rather then to put it out their in the forum.

Gina Keeler

Seriously Bruce, is there no stoping you. I independantly decided.  Do you see a lot of classmates on the site.  Who should I ask before I do something on the site.  The page was not being viewed, nor was anyone posting anything on it.  We only have so many pages to work with and ween needed it for something more important and currant for our classmates. There is a page for poems but yes it will more than likely be removed unless i get a lot of people wanting it to remain and adding poems to it.  No other MCC site has a Love or Poem page. Read what I wrote in response to Melody.  This is also not the time for this.  We have a reunion coming up and that is the focus right now. So please Bruce stop.

Michelle Tremblay (Schooley)

Ladies (and Bruce), when I first saw Bruce's post, and then saw the poetry page, I started to ask him why he didn't put it on there, especially since the first entry on that page is his poem, so he certainly must know it exists. Then I went to the bottom and saw the instructions, "If you would like to post anything on this page please go to the User Forum. Then select the item that matches this page’s name to make a submission or leave a comment. It will then be posted from the User Forum to this page."

So, I clicked to post a response here and looked for "the item" called MCC Poetry. The link on the left just takes you to that page, and the icons at the top are all formatting tools. I am at a total loss. I spent my entire career as a computer programmer, not personal computers or web design, true, but I consider myself an above average user. There seems to be something missing, and maybe I am not the only one who can't figure it out.

I didn't get to know you ladies in school either, but I see many of Sandi's comments on Facebook with Bruce and Evan, and I agree with Gina's comments about trying to make things better rather than complain. Melody's poem is right on. Paul's cup of coffee was great! I am so happy to have found this site. It got me back in touch with one of my three best friends from high school, after losing her for all these years. Gina, I sure do appreciate what you are doing; not complaining, just confused.

And Bruce, maybe a private message to Gina to ask for help would have done the trick.

Sandi Bain (Houle)

Michelle, I'm so happy for you, finding childhood friends on this site, what a blessing!!! Your comments were spot on, and I as well would like to thank G., for keeping this site going... You, Michelle sound like you have knowledge that could help this site, would you consider helping Gina, and anyone else who has talent with building sites, I know that when Howard Coachman joined forces with Betsy for the '69 site, they have been a hugh support to each other! So, any "GEEKS" in the house want to step up, I'll bet Gina would be thrilled to have the help! :-))

Bruce Frendahl

A MESSAGE TO ALL '70 MCCers REGARDING POEMS AND POETRY

I am a true poet, prolific at what I do. I read my poems (and other famous ones) publicly every Thursday night here in Gainesville, FL. I believe one of the things Mrs. Dewhurst, MCC English teacher extraordinaire, taught her students to do, EVERY DAY, is to WRITE! So almost every day, 44 years later, I still write...in my autobiography, my journal, or my anthology of POEMS. I also occasionally write letters-to-the-editor or guest columns in the STUDENT newspaper here or in the Gainesville Sun.

Now I see Gina has indicated that it is still possible to add a poem to the "POETRY" section of our website, so I will try again.

But...I am asking all of you to think SERIOUSLY about what sections you REALLY want on the website. As 61 and 62 year olds, IMHO, we need an area where we can be CREATIVE to EXPRESS ourselves, don't you?

-Bruce Frendahl, writer of "The Column" on Mrs. Dewhurst's classroom blackboard

brucefrendahl@aol.com

Paul Roberts

Friend -

"The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity."

Please allow me a few moments to hopefully clarify some concerns/questions raised by Sandi.  For lack of a better term the MCC Class of 70' classmates that have been working on the various activities over the past years are referred to as, "a committee".  In reality this is a group of 15 to 25 or so classmates that pay monthly dues and typically meet every 3rd Saturday of the month. We do not meet in November and December and sometimes not in January.  Meeting attendance is not mandatory but is welcomed.  There are classmates that don't live locally (jn the Miami area) but still send in dues.  The dues are what allowed us to purchase the warm ups for the varsity basketball team last year and most recently pay the downpayment at Shula's Hotel for our 45th Reunion.  The group does have the following officers:  Paul Roberts - President; Alice (Lloyd) Johnson - Treasurer; Terry (Lewis) Thompson - Secretary; Gina Keeler - Corresponding Secretary; Willie Golden - Chaplain; Nat Jackson - Chaplain; Henry (Trey) Thompson - Sgt. at Arms; and Greg Dennis - Sgt. at Arms.  All local members of the group actively participate in the decision making process and have some sort of responsible role in the groups success.

I'm not sure where the idea came from that I have a website and am posting our information to another site because I do not have a site and am not doing any posting.  Gina's role is that of maintaining and communicating through the MCC Class of 70' website.  In reference to funding the site, I offered financial support to Gina when she first accepted her position and she advised me that everything was ok and I advised her that if she needed something to let me know but no matter we would  provide financial support in January of 2015 leading to our 45th reunion.  Gina has been great and we communicate outside of the emails that you all see on the mass distributions.  There is "Unity" in what your classmates are doing and I regret that any feels there is anyone working in an opposite direction.  Hopefully the below excert from communication between Gina and I in January 2011 better explains through Gina's words our direction.

In a message dated 1/14/2011 12:12:34 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, pr1338@att.com writes:

Gina,

        We would like to submit your name at tomorrow’s class meeting for the position of Corresponding Secretary.  But I want to run it by you first.  You have use of the Carol City website and your own account on the classmates events website, but most of all at lunch yesterday you showed a desire to want to productively move forward with working with our classmates in doing something positive as a representative of the Carol City Class of 1970.

Paul I really appreciate you all making me an active part of the team. I love the fact that you all do what you do in the class name and not as individuals or particular group.. you are all great and I so look forward to 2011 being a  great year for our class and the reunification of it as a whole..

Please know that I will be looking to you all to give me info so that what is on the site about activities etc is correct and has your approval as well.  When I did the Classmates.com thing I never thought about who it comes from.. But I figured best thing to do was get it up there and send people to the website.. Plus I have pretty much been riding solo here and doing what I do with no assistance, guidance or direction so it will be good to have some of that..  I did get one new website registration the next day..  Through the website and other sites we can really get the info out. I also have an account on the MCC Alumni site too where I can post things as well.

I am really excited about working with such a well organized and great group of people. Thanks again. Tell the girls to hold a ticket to the dance for m..

Talk soon.. I do have unlimited texting so feel free to text me anytime..

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here, let's dance! - unknown
Sincerely, Gina

Bruce Frendahl

A couple more things...

ONE, if someone does not agree with me or my comments / suggestions / proposals...on ANYTHING, fine...just tell me civilly. I can take it, believe me. I respect everyone's right to disagree. I am HOMELESS and UNEMPLOYED... BUT...I am a human being, a UF grad with a Bachelors and a Masters, and a '70 MCC graduate in good standing. I worked my BUTT off helping to put together not ONE, not TWO, but SIX reunions over the last 40 years. You all know it. NO ONE will EVER tell me to SHUT UP or STOP. My opinion is how I feel about things, and I WILL be heard, just like anyone else in this class, if they want to be.

My longtime naturist activist friend, T.A. Wyner always says, "If ANYONE loses the right to speak, EVERYONE loses the right to hear." Ponder THAT one.

TWO, if someone is webmaster, and has an idea to change things on the class website, but is uncertain how that change might be received by others in the class, to get feedback PRIOR to making the change, he / she can E-MAIL a whole bunch of class members pretty darn easily. Hell, it's 2014, a time of instant communication! Excuses are a thing of the past. Just do it.

-Bruce

Bruce Frendahl

Folks, I have tried to add an old love poem of mine written in high school in the MCC Poetry section, a poem that Gina deleted without informing me. She said it could be done, but I can't figure it out. So, I don't know what else to try.

-Bruce

Sandi Bain (Houle)

Just a suggestion, why not post your Poems here, why have to go to another page anyway, jus' saying...The Pea-nut Gallery...;)

Gina Keeler

Ok guys.  I am seeing that part of the problem is putting everything out there rather than talking individually. This is not a place for all this negative conversation.  As for pages on the website.  We will keep the pages that are actually being used and viewed.  Yes I can send out a mass email and I will get 0 response.  Unfortunaly our class has not been as active on the site as other classes seem to be. I dont get responses when I send out emails.  If there is something that should be on our site it will be on the site. but just because one person wants a page doesn't mean it will be put up  or kept up.  Look at the forum here how many people are writing on it. I see what 5 of us.  Bruce I would really appreciate you emailing me directly if you have negative things to say or wish to try to discredit what I am do on the website.  I am what we have to keep this site going so a little kindness would be nice. So lets try and keep the site an uplifting and happy place to meet our classmates not a place people dread visiting.  We have our 45th reunion coming and I am hoping it will bring us more classmate to the site and that our first united reunion in too many years will be a huge success.

GO CHEFS...

Sandi Bain (Houle)

Happy celebration of your birth, Bruster, (Bruce Ferndahl!)  I wish you a new year of happiness and peace, you are a true survivor my friend! XX 

Bruce Frendahl

Hello, 70ers. The subject of our PREVIOUS separate black/white reunions came up recently of Class of 69's website. When I read it, I thought it would be helpful to those who were confused about why this happened, to post MY explanation. Now, we're ALL getting older, and our memories are not what they used to be, but what I posted below is what I remember. If any of you remember things differently, you certainly can post it on this forum.

REGARDING MCC CLASS OF '70s SEPARATE REUNIONS

How this came about goes way back to our 10th Reunion in 1980. NONE of us ever wanted separate reunions. There was a group of about a dozen of us (all white) who started planning the 10th early in '79. Much later, Paul Roberts (black) came on to the scene, found that we were planning the reunion to be at Pier 66, and suggested we do it at Calder Race Track instead. Well, by that time, we were pretty well committed and had to turn him down. So, Paul began planning a "black" reunion for around the same time.

This development bothered ALL of us on the committee. We made overtures to Paul to join with us, but it never happened. Unfortunately, the separate rerunions continued for the 15th, 20th, 25th, and 30th reunions. As we began planning the 40th, the issue resurfaced, and try as we all might, the two reunions were held the same weekend only a couple of miles apart. Attendees were trying to shuttle back and forth in order to visit high school friends they had not seen in 40 years. Someone contacted the Miami Herald about this, and the article focused on the irony that we had had such great race relations in high school, but there had been separate reunions since then.

Next summer, Class of '70 will hold its FIRST COMBINED REUNION. As far as I know, we of the previous committees hold no grudge against Paul at all. In fact we are extremely happy that he and his committee has taken on the always daunting task of planning this one. We know the amount of work involved. And Class of '70 will PARTY like '69 has NEVER SEEN!

So NOW you know the REST of the story...

Paul Roberts

Memories do get a little blurred over time but facts and documentation remain the same.  In 1980 I was not involved in or knew anything about a MCC Class of 70' reunion.  Although I moved back to Miami in 1977 in 1980 I was just being released from doctors care from a horrendous automobile accident that I suffered in January 1976 while I was living an working in Michigan.

I started working with Southern Bell in January 1981 and got married in September 1981.  My first involvement with any MCC Class reunion as an attendee or organizer was the 20 year reunion in 1990.

Hopefully this clarifies my non-role in any reunion that occurred in 1980.

Angel Bentley (Stokes)

Hi Everyone,

I see that you all have a few differences you're trying to work out, but I'm posting here for a request. I am the daughter of Rosemarie Welker (Bentley-maiden name). She is one of your classmates while my father is from the class of '68...William (Bill) Bentley.  My name is Angelique (Angel) Bentley Stokes. I put this request out a couple of year back, but wanted to ask again.  My mother was murdered in Miami in Oct 1973. I know very little about her as a young girl and don't know any of her friends. If you were a friend of hers or of my father's, I would really love to hear from you. My email is: stokesca@bellsouth.net.

Thanks so much!

Angel