La Canada High School Class of 1971 Reunion

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La Canada High School Class of 1971 Memories Current Page

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11/25/05 From Dan Brown

 I remember a few things about LCHS, FIS and Oak Grove Elementary.

At LCHS, Brooke Samuelson and Robin LeFevre were good friends. So were Cindy Flick and Vanessa Belcher. So were Gary Robinson and Jim Anawalt. So were Steve Schroyer, Jim Catlin, and Chris Beck. So were Tim Clark and Rob Culp. As were Gail Lawrence and Theresa Knowl and Cathy Roberts and Katheleen Gallagher. Maybe these friendships started in the elementary schools they went to respectively. I came into LCHS with a elementary school friendship with Bob Gonzales, Robert Tisch, Terry Gagnon, Gary Headrick, John Frolic, John Iverson, Tim Clark and Bill Porter. Tim played the clarinet and Bill played the drums one day in the Oak Grove Elementary playground, much to the delight of schoolchums. My teachers at Oak Grove were K-5, Mrs. Green, Mrs. Fucciolo, 2nd grade?, Miss Hanover, Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Chambers. Mr.Jackson shot the hoops with Bob Tisch and Robert Gonzales which is probably why they became our basketball stars at LCHS.

Made friends with Leigh Zeitz after I wrote a creative story at FIS Lyman's class about him being the abdominable snowman found in the San Gabriel mountains, after which he was shorn of the long hair and adopted. Years later I went over to Leighs'home where he showed me the magic tricks he was working on. Cindy Kirsten came over and asked for the story so I gave it to her. She was one of the "smart" girls like Cathy Roberts, and Katheleen Gallagher whom I used to play 4 square with at Oak Grove before the girls started keeping the guys out of the game for being to competitive instead of just having fun. Christi Williams, Betsy Nosotis, Mary Hastings and John Frazee lived up Belita Ave at that time. Betsy was always real kind to me. I was friends with Nyles Batson and Matt Siebert at FIS also, Nyles lost his father back then as did John Frolic later in a boating accident. I like Miss Shivelys art class. I sculpted a sitting bear that she asked if she could have, so I gave it to her. Mr. Gibson was my summer school creative writing teacher, I enjoyed that class. I made a cloud chamber for science class and the teacher lined up the whole school to see radioactive particles ionize a supersaturated rubbing alcohol mist with a thin silvery streak lit by a projector lamp.

Joe Melendrez and I were friends at LCHS. So were Redge Bendheim and I, I remember a day he came over and we played catch throwing a ball over my home. Redge Bendheim and Bob Thackara were friends. Bob and I went for 2 weeks during a LCHS summer to Camp Pendelton and had the Marine reserve sergeants get us into shape for football season. Remember Bill Bungartz, bless his soul, and Don Kansteiner dressed as Nazis on Slave Day, the day after the girls bid on guys to raise money for a charity.

Back in elementary school, I went over to Terry Gagnons home and he showed me his chicks 'liberated' from Flintridge Riding Acadamy. He named them Peat and Repeat, Count and Recount.

Also Gary Headricks mom, Elaine was a great cub scout leader. I was scared silly to be with Barbara Kraus in 2nd grade in the middle of the Maypole dance.
She had freckles then, they disappeared by high school. Years later during LCHS I got over my fear of dancing at Cotillion, where we had a live dance band and learned how to dance various steps wearing formal clothes. I remember Terry Alburger and I winning a dance where they threw rubber balls from the sidelines.
Mary Horrall, who was good swimmer up at the YMCA was there also. In grade school I went over to Chris Cox's home where we stuffed an oversized coat with other clothes and tipped each other over so we couldn't stand up. Had a lot of laughs.

I remember a party at Tina VanCina's home during LCHS when the parents weren't home like many of the weekend parties. Zan Zak had a party too. Remember sneaking into Greg Baumers' dads' restaurant at the bottom of Angeles Crest Hiway and eating while we played poker in the wee hours of the morning until we got caught.

Played poker over at Gary Robinsons, next to Gary Anawalts home more than a few weekend nights. I think I remember, Ralph Clevenger, Brett Waters, Steve Schroyer, Jim Catlin, Joe Melendrez, Phil Young, Chris Beck, Mark Stanley and Tuck Meador there. A lot of these guys met down at 51st Street in Newport where we body surfed. I remember cracking up when I saw 4 of them walking one behind the other with their flippers on like a funny caterpillar. I think Bob Thackara did a flip and landed on his feet.

I loved body surfing so much I cut some classes in 1971 and drove down there myself to body surf.

Went over to Tuck Meadors and shot some bumper pool at his nice Flintridge home.

One time, I think it was Brett Waters and Joe Melendrez and one other in my blue 62 Impala headed west on Foothill Blvd, my car caught on fire form a leaky fuel pump and flames were shooting out from under the dash till we coasted to a stop from burnt brake lines, opened the hood and threw some sand on the engine fire.
That effectively stopped us from going to see a B rated flick at the movie theater.

At LCHS I liked Mrs Ginzton and Mrs Poulson the best. I thought my coach, Mr. Malachai(spelling?) was the best for me as I received MVP with Henning my junior year. Mark Rentscher was the quarterback and we used to play football in the summer at LCHS before school started, as well as Don Kansteiner. Pat Hamilton, the tennis star, used to draw mazes during class and got me into it. Jim Knowles and I started an Explorer group that met a the Church of the Lighted Window, but we didn't have an adult sponsor, so it fizzled, Jim moved to Connecticut. Remember Fred Hauter beating me out for class vice-president, was I ever nervous giving a speech in front of the whole school at the gym.

I remember Steve Manning and Michalene Tomczyk teaching us all it was okay to hold hands and hug in public. I remember Greg Jensen about to marry an upper classwoman.

Also Jay Muller was suppose to take off to New Zealand after graduation. I saw Laurie Wincher at Eugene, Oregon, U of O one day, she had a boy friend. I was going to OSU in Corvallis at the time.

All in all, high school and before was a time filled with adventure and many good memories, I was a shy about girls my own age. A few years later I had a nice conversation with Dixie Whatley (class of 1970) who was working the Special Olympics in West Hollywood, this was after her newscasting days.
Also met John Bodner (class of 1972) at a art festival I did in Tugunga and he had an operation correcting his disability, looked quite normal, I am happy for him.

Believe me I had a lot of crushes on various girls, depending on who I was looking at at the time:) At least I managed a hello when I saw them.

Have a few pictures I'll send when I get a chance, including Terry Gagnon, John Iverson and I in a cub scout uniform for Mr. Jacksons 4th grade class. Billy Porter, Chris Cox and Ed Engels are in that photo also. Christi Williams is wearing her Brownie uniform. Have some graduation pics also.

Well I hope I've given a few of you
some reminder into our glorious past and may you all have many more years of confident happiness.

Much Obliged
Dan Brown aka Honor Seed ( an artist name)
 

01/20/03 I was in the first graduating class. It was neat being juniors because there were no seniors. SSSo, we were the senior class for two years. But, we had to put up with a lot of mud the first 6 months. The back service road was not paved yet and the walk area between the library and the gym was not paved yet. That is why all our signatures are in the edge of the concrete. Harlan Hal Updegraff  1958

01/18/2002 I found more drama pictures.

All I remember from the play Stage Door is one word from my lines "lepidopterist".       I was so stressed about managing the maniacal laugh my hearing didn't work until after the laugh was done, and I heard the audience's laughter in American Dame and, of course, Alice in Wonderland

I found pictures from a party at my sister's house with my high school classmates. 

  Mike Collins, Christine Armstrong     Carol Moore Nancy Lazare Frank     Pryzybyla John Rudy

I found pictures from a Christmas party during high school. 

08/31/2001 "We were sitting in psychology class. We weren't supposed to be bored, but of course we were. Mr. Roberti stood in front of the class acting as though he looked especially groovy that day in his Nehru jacket while he elaborated in detail on some subject which he considered to be of enormous gravity. As he continued lecturing, we noticed a tape dispenser slowly levitate from the top of Mr. Roberti's desk, rising into the air until it sat suspended about three feet above his desk. As Mr. Roberti continued his lecture, all eyes were glued to the floating tape dispenser behind him. Roberti kept talking, thinking we were paying attention to him. A pair of scissors slowly rose from the desk joining the tape dispenser in mid air. It was getting hard to keep a straight face but we managed. Soon the scissors and the tape dispenser took turns rising slowly and then gently drifting down behind Mr. Roberti's back while he droned on.

In the back of the class, Gary Headrick sat in control of the situation. Having managed to sneak into the classroom and string fishing line over the T-bar ceiling and through the fire sprinklers, he could control the tape dispenser and the scissors from his desk. I don't think any of us heard one word of that lecture."

06/23/2001 "were you in any plays with sandy.....i was in winnie the pooh with him....what fun"

I remember Michelle Colella telling me in high school about a childhood experience where she truly believed Santa had arrived on her rooftop. She also told me that she sleeps on her back with her arms crossed on her chest.  Cheryl Moore

I remember our family's 2 month trip over the summer across the United States and Canada, and watching the moon walk in a motel room.  Cheryl Moore

I remember that neighborhood kids I had been babysitting were in the elementary creative dramatics class I taught while in high school.  His name was John Van Wyse? Cheryl Moore

  I remember playing the part of a Communist teacher in the United States. Communism had taken over the United States, and the elementary teacher was cleverly, and covertly evilly, twisting the little childrens' minds over to communism.  When the teacher had to sing a song accapella (sp?), I don't know who it was more painful for - me or the audience *rueful grin*.  

05/31/2001 "I too was in Alice in Wonderland. I was a flower and something else. I have many wonderful memories of Mr. Barker's Drama class. I think you and Scott were in with me for the full four years of high school. I always thought Mr. Barker was trying to tell me something: I played a dead person in Our Town, a girl who commits suicide in Stage Door and the only part that I tried out for and got they cancelled the play (it was something like Diamonds are a girls Best Friend).  Remember in Alice In Wonderland when Marilyn (can't remember her last name) drew red hearts on her face and they didn't come off. They stained. She was one of the playing cards.  I remember it was   that played the card." 

remembers riding the school bus with

'70 remembers as 's friend and that Cheryl had a sister (I guess twin) that was in the same grade.

04/24/2001 's post on Scott's site helped me remember a few things, and I wanted to post some of my memories before they slip my mind again...Cheryl Moore

I remember the stress of an upcoming wedding kiss in Our Town. Cheryl Moore

04/25/2001   "I was the boy in Our Town (I'm blocking on the name) I played opposite you.   was the stage Manager. I remember it all very well as it was my one and only drama performance. I believe I flubbed a few lines.  I look forward to catching up with you in October."   

I remember the amazing fun costumes made by the art dept for Alice in Wonderland. Cheryl Moore

05/10/2001,   "I was touched (in a nostalgic sort of way) by your reference to "Alice in Wonderland". I was in that play too, although I can't recall what it was I played (made a dynamite impression on me). I remember your 'Alice' though, the best I'd seen, or hope to ever see for the rest of my life."  

I never forgot the sight and sound of 's performance in American Dame. Cheryl Moore

I remember a blond freshman was playing a part in American Dame, and didn't understand the joke told by her character. I remember running in off stage to quickly tell her before the curtain opened, "Now when you say, 'Honey, you mustn't be too efficient. Not on your feet. You don't let them know what you can really do until you're ready for a divorce' pause before saying 'Not on your feet' and wait for the laughter to get quieter."  She did pause. The audience got the joke and lol. She still didn't get the joke, looked surprised by their laughter, and didn't quite wait for the laughter to die down. Cheryl Moore

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