Dear Hearts & Gentle
People:
It's
a beautiful day in old Lexington. Temp is
about 73, sunny, fleecy white clouds, and some of the trees are hinting of fall.
We had some much-needed rain this week, and Mother Nature responded to that.
It's been a very dry couple of months here. We could use
more.
On
the other hand, dry may be good. The West Nile Virus has been detected in
Lafayette County. Sprint Park, across from the new movie theater, was dedicated
last week. Sprint is allowing the city and Lexington Pride, a committee of
Lexington Community Betterment Assoc., to build a "pocket" park. It
will be a nice little green area with benches and period lighting where people
can sit before they go to the movie - or before they visit the new steakhouse
and brewery in the old brick building on 11th St; or after they stop in at the
new candy shop/ice cream shop on 12th St. All of this is on Franklin and may be
in operation before the end of the year.
Another big boost for our local pride came when Lexington
4 Life received a $250,000 donation from a local lady, Margaret Gray. You'll
recall the Lex 4 Life project will be a complex housing the Senior Citizens
Center, a medical and dental clinic, a day care center, and an early childhood
training center, all under one roof. This is the first of its kind in the state
and is receiving a lot of attention. Donations would be most welcome. They are
tax deductible under the current IRS regulations.
Two
class reunions are being planned. Shirley
Collobert '50 Guevel-Jones
writes:
The Class of 1950 is
planning a 53 year reunion in 2003. Someday when I have more time, I
really will write more.
Shirley, I'm
waiting.
Another Shirley
chimes in (Briggle
Miller):
Regarding a
paragraph within Donna Lutz Dye's comment, she
quotes "A few words about Miss Bess, the piano teacher. I noticed the
comments about her rapping knuckles. Is there anyone out there who really
got their knuckles rapped? I'm not coming to her defense, as you will see
later, but just wonder if she ever really did that."
She rapped MY
knuckles, and I switched to her sister for my piano
lessons!
Then Shirley rapped my knuckles because I forgot to print the
following in TLC #44:
The LHS Class of 1953 will
hold its 50th reunion the weekend of October 10, 11, 12, 2003. SAVE THE
DATE. Details to come later.
Continuing on with memories (brace yourself) of Miss Bess, this
just in from Norma Homfeld Barney:
Just had to add that
I too took piano lessons from Miss Bess... I know she knew her stuff. I do
remember her sitting beside me on the piano bench cleaning her toenails as I was
trying to play... If you did not hit the right note she would rap you on the
knuckles but not hard. .. Glad to hear others thought she was sorta a witch...
but now we know better.
Jan
Jiovenale '57 Tubiolo:
(Speaking of "Snaps" Hulver's photos)...this is like a 'taste of home'!!
I love it. Fantastic pictures !!! I'm so
glad you're doing so much for all of us misplaced Lexingtonians and please, pass
my appreciation on to Wally too. I'm sure I'm only voicing
everyone's feelings about TLC and the snaps of home. My picture file is
getting bigger and bigger, thanks to you.
AND NOW A NEW DEPARTMENT:
Missing or Lost
Persons:
Jack
Gueguen asks:
For some reason, Zelma
Wilmot came into my memory this morning, and I resolved to see if I can find out
something about her whereabouts. I think you might be in touch with her
younger brother, Roger, and he would surely know. Zelma was a year or two
ahead of my class, which would be either '49 or '50. We used to have
"intellectual conversations" while exploring woods, hills, and the
river edge before high school. We both worked for Esther Bowers at the
Odessa.
I could ask Roger, but it
would be better if he or Sue wrote to all of us. And, on the subject of Missing
or Lost
Persons: several are still seeking whereabouts of John '57 Graves.
NEARLY NEW DEPARTMENT:
Confessions
I'll bet more than one of
you guessed who the culprit was in the "Boiler Down 14th St. Behind
Maid-Rite" Caper. Yes....it was none other than.....Wayne
Tabb!
He gave me permission to unveil his
identity, but I'll never do so without the culprit's blessing. So, am I to
assume that Wayne and I were the only ones out there who ever got into
trouble??? 'Fess up, People! It's good for the soul.
And one more new category "We met
at Maid-Rite." Yesterday I had a long conversation with Norman Vialle who
claims he was so busy working all the time he never noticed anything that went
on around him. However, he did allow that a number of couples have told him they
either met at Maid-Rite, or courted there, and one couple even went there on
their wedding day! A couple whose names you would all recognize go to Maid-Rite
every year on their anniversary. First one to guess gets a free subscription to
TLC!
A final note: Many of you are already
enjoying Growing Up in
Lexington. If you haven't gotten around to it yet, the books are
available by sending $15 to Marilou Edwards, 53 Perth Dr., Bella Vista, AR
72715.
Your devoted scribe,
Susan
TLC #45: Sept. 22, 2002