Patricia Veresan (Hughet)

Leonard,  I'm sure you play good enough to add to the entertainment for our reunion.  I think it would be really cool to hear you guys play & sing together and do a couple of songs.  You can all practice the night before the reunion.  This is supposed to be a fun & special time at our reunion and I'm sure everyone will enjoy this, as it will add  something  different to our event.  Try to work this out with the other guys and let us know if you will do this. 

P.S. Thank you for your kind words on the committees hard work

Daniel Orlikowski

Hi Patti, I'm pretty much on the same page with Len. It would be fun to sit around and play without intruding on the dinner/ dance portion of the reunion, especially since I doubt that any of us will be bringing any sound equipment with us and you really do need that at a function with any more than about 20 people. I've never played with Larry or Len Or John Greeenberg but I'm looking forward to having some fun with it. Good to hear from you Patti.

DanO

Patricia Veresan (Hughet)

Hi Dan,  I just thought it might be nice to hear you guys jam together for a song or two.  No big performace, just singing and playing with out the big sound equipment.  This would just be a small bit of entertainment (15 min?) I thought it might just be something different and fun, which we are trying to do for the reunion.  Getting you all to play was not ment to be any big deal and I'm just happy that you guys are all coming to the reunion. 

See you there!

Patti

Daniel Orlikowski

Thanks Patti. It'll be fun no matter what happens.

And Len, I'll be at the hotel on Fri. night as well so I hope to see you then. I actually booked thru Sunday night just in case we're having too much fun. We'll be driving as well so we won't have any time constraints. Lots of friends and relatives to see while we're in town. And hi to all of you who have joined in on this forum. It'll be great to see you all.

Robert Stockton

Bill Cox – A while back you threw out a teaser about Maumee, Ohio and never followed up. Okay, I’ll bite. What’s the story? Inquiring minds want to know.

William Cox

Hey!, Bob, sharp, as ever...  I really didn't mean that comment as a teaser,  my fingers aren't nearly nimble enough to get it all down here.  It's not that big a deal,  Being an open minded guy, as I try to be,  I'm always amazed when the little, open ended details of life, come back around and connect.  Even after 30/40 yrs.  I'll lay it out when I seeya in Oct.  Really, no big deal, just interesting..........................Your friend, BillC 

Leonard Capelli

Bob, good try to get something interesting going here again. I have enjoyed the discussions and would like to see some stories from the ladies of Thurston. I know Pam Kilgus has a funny car story, and I know Marilyn Dimitrof  has the funniest story about a date and a dog I have ever heard. Bob, we have a few more, but I tend to get high school and college a little mixed up at times. Long periods of adult beverages, but only the weak brain cells die.  

Richard McKay

I have been reluctant to post anything here as school not just high school was borderline traumatic. I was so introverted and scared of embarrassing myself I did not attend one dance including the prom, although I did ask an underclass young lass, who shall remain nameless, and was told bluntly, "I waiting for Ron Gatzka." Just the confidence builder I needed, eh. I was a wimp when it came to sports, went out for football, could not take the hazing of the freshmen trying out, quit, took swimming class and had a fairly good butterfly. Coach Marcna timed me for a 50 and told me to come practice. I never repeated that time, quite. I did, however did become a Swim Team Groupie. I did have some great times with the sports teams.

Leonard Capelli

Richard, a lot of us were self conscious and shy. Some of us may have dealt with it more effectively, but probably not as much as you thought. You went on to a long, rewarding and very successful Naval career and since you have traveled and cruised to exotic places most of us just dream about. I know, I for one would like to hear more. Looking back I always thought your were a nice guy. You were one of the few besides Bob Stockton at Ashcroft that made the transition to a public school from a very strict parochial school easier. 

James Wooll

I am getting to the point where I want to book plane tickets.  Will the reunion events be on a single day or spread over two days?

Patricia Veresan (Hughet)

HI Jim,  Most people are flying in to Michigan on Friday and leaving on Sunday.  We  are working on plans for  things to do on on Saturday before the Reunion dinner party.  We will announce more of what is going on after the plans have been made.  You should book at lease two nights at the hotel.

See you at the reunion,'

Patti

Robert Stockton

There have been some references to Coach Parks and the track team. Let me share a few of the things I remember.

Freshman year there were just seven or eight guys that made up our ninth grade team at the junior high meets. Before Steve Leuchtman finished his pre-meet routine the opposition would be so depressed that he and Jerry Wiebeck would breeze to a one-two finish in the shot put. Jim Mollard winning the pole vault was as automatic as tomorrow’s sunrise. And with Craig Knudsen smoking all-comers in the sprints I don’t think we suffered a team loss.

Speaking of streaks, unless my memory is failing, varsity and reserve, all four years, undefeated in dual meets.

Remember how we would come off the bus at away meets? On the run, one long line of guys, once around the track and right into a team warm-up at the fifty yard line. The other team always watched and wilted, knowing THS had come to visit.

How about the spontaneous pool parties right after winning the league meets?  Joe Halonen’s first, and I think only, half-mile race and Jerry Wiebeck doing one arm pull-ups, bending Inkster’s goal post into a big U. The whole crew joining in for our rendition of Ricky Nelson’s “I’m a Traveling Man” on the bus on the way home after a win.

And then there were Robichaud’s “Horses,” their unbeaten mile relay team. Individually they were so very fast, much faster than us. The team score was close. Win the relay and they win the meet. It was in the bag. Then the unthinkable, the “Horses” lost. They lost, because we ran as a team, knowing how to speed pass the baton. I can still see the looks of disbelief on the faces of their fans
 

That was the secret of our success. We did have a few actual stars, but most of us were just average guys, motivated and very well coached.

Stephen Leuchtman

I once represented a kid who was elected to be the captain of his high school football team his senior year.  He was in a car accident late in the summer and fractured his humerus, disabling him from playing for the entire season.  He remained the captain and sat on the bench, cheering his buddies on.  The other side moved to dismiss the case, saying his injury wasn't serious and didn't change his life much.  When the rural judge---who was the Pillsbury Doughboy incarnate---asked what the big deal was, I was so schocked that I literally couldn't speak for half a minute.  I finally told him that while I had been All-Big 10 in a sport at Michigan, when I thought back on my sports career, my best memories were of my senior year in high school.

I loved Bob Parks, and I still do.  Like Jonas said of Knotts (and I totally believe him), Bob got the best out of everyone.  Parks was a guy who seldom raised his voice, but who created relationships with the guys he coached (at least me and a couple others I've talked to) where you would sooner poke a stick in your eye than disappoint him.  The only time I remember him raising his voice at me was during a dual meet with Garden City when we were sophomores, and I well deserved it.  I had missed the school record by 1/2" and lost to a guy who never should have beaten me.  After my event, I was swearing up a blue streak---at least for a 15-year old.  Bob Parks told me to knock off the cursing and act with some class---and that I should work harder and destroy the guy in the League Meet.  The next Saturday I broke the school record by over a foot; and I beat the Garden City guy by three feet at League a few weeks later, setting a league record.  If we ever lost a dual meet, I don't remember it either.  The loss to the Garden City guy was my only one in a dual meet after we were freshmen.

Bob Stockton is absolutely right about our mile relay.  It contained four very good guys, but no superstar.  The one star quarter miler we had was Ed Christie, who was All-State in the 440 in '62 in his senior year, placing fourth or fifth.  At the time, you couldn't run the 440 and be on the 4 x 440 (mile) relay in the same meet.  Our mile relay consisted of the second through fifth best guys on our team, and it won the 1962 state championship.  Like Bob said, it was TEAM! TEAM! TEAM!

I still keep up with Parks by e-mail; and with teammates Len Capelli, Craig Knudsen and Dan Orlikowski.  At one time, Dan, Jim Mollard and Edd Kozikowski shared the pole vault record---and if I remeber right, they all went to the State Meet, with Jim placing and being All-State.

We shared something special and it will always be close to my heart.  My thanks to Bob Stockton for the trip down memory lane.

Richard McKay

Detroit filling for bankruptcy. Any impact on the reunion? No law enforcement? Increase in prices. Will there be a trickle down to Redford or Livonia? Or no worries?

Leonard Capelli

Richard, Detroit has been bankrupt for years, but nobody filed. Actually the downtown area is more vibrant than ever. I just spent a few days at the DAC, went to a ball game and several local dtw restaurants including the ROma cafe where my dad used to go in the 20's. The downtown is safe and fun. Being careful of course. The suburbs, where the reunion is being held, is like any suburb in the US. No worries, that I can see. 

Daniel Orlikowski

Great memories of Coach Parks and our track days Bob and Steve.He's actually my Facebook friend and a couple of years ago someone hacked my FB and tried to pull a scam on me using his FB picture and a Russian accent. Of course I could tell it was a Russian accent in print on Facebook. Pretty lame, it was.

And Steve,I think Edd Kosikowski had the pole vault record to himself when we were juniors. Then Mol and I shared it when we were seniors only to have it shattered by Jimmy McCuen ( not sure of the spelling ) a couple of years later. The greatest part of it all was that none of us ever felt a rivalry among us. Mol and I were the best of friends. Edd was a year older and a great guy. And Jim McCuen was this skinny little junior high kid when he came over to the THS track one day while we were practicing and asked me and Mol to help him with the pole vault. So we did.Then during the next couple of years he got all buffed up like Tarzan and broke our record. Great guy though. I ran into him a few years later playing softball at Beech Field and busted his jaw,,,,,,juuuust kidding. He was still a great guy and I'm glad it was Jimmy who broke our record and I think he may still have the PV record after all these years.

And speaking of softball, I have to mention The Buzzards. This was years after graduating but we were a fun team with Jim Hardy, Jack Pilarski, Ken Black, Tim Kearney, who is sadly no longer with us, and a host of other THS grads from other classes, Brian Armstrong, Ralph Sherb, Steve Anselm, and Gary Phillips who passed away last summer and is sadly missed. Needless to say, Pilarski elevated the level of play on the team just a tad. It was like the analogy of Warren Buffett walking into a corner bar and elevating the average income of the bar to an astronomical level. I think he homered every time he was up. Armstrong was no slouch either. Both of them went for the bleachers every time...oh wait!  The bleachers at Beech Field were along the infield foul lines. I remember laughing a lot playing with all those guys and we actually won a championship. If I missed any names of Buzzard teammates shame on me. It's that "old" thing. Oh I did!  Rob Waselewski ( sp ),another great player but not a THS guy. I think he was a friend of Jack's with a really good arm as I recall. Could throw a strike with a softball from deep center field. Alright I've rambled enough and hopefully not embellished anything too much. Hi to everyone on this forum and everyone I've mentioned in print. Hope to see you all in October.

Stephen Leuchtman

Dan, This isn't a THS story, but I became a legend on the Sommers Schwartz softball team by being the only catcher in the history of the Detroit Area Lawyers League to bean a batter. 

In my throwing delivery, my arm was about 45 degrees between being straight overhand and level with the ground.  This wasn't a problem because I threw right handed and almost all of the batters were righties.  One night though, a tall left-handed batter decided to lean over the plate to look at something just as I fired the ball back to our pitcher.  I drilled him in the head.  Of course, in slow pitch softball, no one needed or wore batting helmets---at least to protect them from the pitcher.  The ball hitting the guy's head sounded like a watermelon being dropped on a sidewalk, and he dropped like a stone.  For a couple of seconds, I was scared to death that I had killed him.  When he started to get up, I had some concern that he might take a swing at me with his bat.  Of course I apologized and he couldn't have been nicer.  He stayed in the game, but I kept getting dirty looks from his girlfriend in the stands. 

Daniel Orlikowski

His girlfriend was probably giving you dirty looks because you looked like Nick Nolte, Steve.

Oh and thanks for the email update of THS track and field  records Steve. For those of you who are waiting with bated breath ( or bad breath ) on who now holds the pole vault record, McCuen's record was also shattered by a guy named Boyak. Congrats to you Mr. Leuchtman, on still holding the shotput record for 50 FREAKIN' YEARS!  Impressive indeed.

Catherine Micallef (Kosikowski)

Response from Edd Kosikowski.  Cathy has shared these great stories with me and I have had a great trip down memory lane. One thing I wanted to share is my respect for Bob Parks. It's true, he didn't just coach he was someone you looked up to because he took the time to make a relationship with you.  My first memory of him was in 5th and 6th grade, he was our PE teacher at Fisher Elementary and started building his team at that point. He brought hurdles over to Fisher from High School so we could practice,that's when he taught me to polevault with a bamboo pole.  I later graduated to the Sweadish Steel pole.  I was always jealous of you younger guys with the fiberglass poles.  Thanks for the stats.

Daniel Orlikowski

Nice to hear from you Edd. I think everyone's opinion of Bob Parks is pretty much the same. And he remembers everyone!  Truly a standup guy. Looking forward to seeing you in October Edd.

Leonard Capelli

I have only heard one person say anything bad about Bob Parks and it was in jest. John Fallon, then the president of EMU, commented that he would like to talk to Bob, because he was the driver Ed teacher for Fallon's wife and he couldn't understand how she passed. 

Turns out his wife was Sidney Glush Fallon. 

For those of you that aren't aware, Bob's daughter Sue is the very successful coach of women's Track and Cross Country at Eastern Michigan University. 

William Cox

Hey guys! Help me out, 

  I never really new Mr. Parks, did he leave Thurston in our senior year?  For some reason, I had taken an art class, taught by Mr. Kratz, I think he was filling in for Ms. Holliway.  Or maybe they just needed a class for the less gifted dumbies.  Anyway, I always thought he was the track coach during our senior year.  Mr. Kratz was always pushing me to go out  for track, as was Big Bob Stockton.  Kratz threaten to lower my grade, if I didn't.    I never did, and to this day regretted it................cars & girls had my interest............Funny how things turn out.  I always had a passion for distance running, & biking which I took up in college.  Ran marathons & triathlons for 30years.  Did my last triathlon @ 60yrs. I still dust off the racing bike now & then, and the New Balance shoes get laced up a few times a week, also, don't go very far,  these days, .................Does anybody remember Mr. Kratz,? or is the memory completely on hiatus????????? 

Stephen Leuchtman

Bob Parks left after our sophomore year to become an assistant coach at Western and ultimately head coach at Eastern for many, many years  They named the track there after him.  Bob had several Olympians at Eastern and is a coaching legend.  He is in the NCAA Coaching Hall of Fame.  Don Canham was my coach in college; and Parks was by far the superior coach.

Kratz, who had been the assistant coach, took over the team when Parks left.  As far as Kratz's coaching ability goes, I will say that he was very knowledgeable about art. 

Leonard Capelli

Steve, I am laughing out loud. Jerry Kratz, put in the time, and nobody that I knew quit because of him. He was like a journeyman quarterback in the NFL, he didn't do anything to disrupt the team Bob Parks put together, and somehow didn't get in the way of kids performing at high individual levels.  I remember, he got us some loop films of Perry Obrien to watch, in lieu of knowing how to help those of us who needed help to get better. The problem was we had to steal the projector from the library, because the librarian wouldn't let it out after hours. A favorite memory, was when we were practicing indoors in half the gym, and you put the indoor shot through the divider wall. The look on your face was priceless. One of the few times you were at a loss for words. 

Robert Stockton

Bill Cox - There's nothing wrong with your memory. As Steve L. said, Mr. Kratz was the track coach our last two years.

Personally, I liked him. He may not have been a great coach and he had a tough act to follow, but he was a good guy who did his best to maintain the culture and traditions instilled by Coach Parks. Coach Kratz had an interesting sense of humor, for example, he named his dog "Aristo." Think about it.

Holy Sore Feet Batman!

Marathons, triathlons, just saying those words is painful. The longest I ever ran was in college and it wasn't by choice. Before the season started, weather permitting the wrestling team practiced outdoors. It was all about conditioning. Our coach thought running the four mile cross country course was a nice little warm up before we got to the really fun stuff. Me, I always prayed for rain.