TLC #64: June 8, 2004
Dear Hearts and Gentle People:
The old hometown is gearing up for busy days during the
rest of this month. First the Heritage Days festival, followed immediately by
the Lewis & Clark commemoration. The reenactors will overnight at
Lexington's new Riverfront Park on June 17. If any of you are able to come
for the events...or just to sightsee...or eat a Maid-Rite...you will not be
disappointed.
A word of caution: when you approach 16th & Main
your heart will ache. The demolition of the former LHS is in full swing. We plan
to include pictures on the web page, but I warn you they are graphic! In
all truthfulness, I urge you not to look. Just keep your memories
intact.
This is the website for Miss USA, obviously,
and the winner is none other than Missouri's Shandi Finnessey who came to
Lexington when the Cannonball 6 theatre opened. She was delightful, and we're
happy for her.
I am working on making TLC as reader-friendly as
possible...and would appreciate some feedback. Do you like having different
colors so you can differentiate the letters that come in from my own
scribblings? Yes, I know. If it's in different colors, you can simply
delete my part. But you don't know what you might miss.
Some young whippersnappers read about the recent
reunion of autumn chickens (class of '56 plus one from '57) and then had
their own
From Lucia Cope '59 Hulston
The last weekend of April we had a gathering
of five "old" friends in Baltimore: Charlotte Skelton Guiberson, Marian
Johnson Buchanan, Molly Benson Homan and I stayed at Hotel Anne Thompson Johnson
in Baltimore, Maryland, and we had a ball. The fun and laughter which
carried on into the wee hours of every morning had the affect of three years'
worth of therapy! Charlotte and Anne had lunch with Ike before the rest of
us arrived, and he arranged for a nice capitol tour for the rest of us, although
we didn't get to see him. With the exception of Marian, we'll all be in
Lexington for our 45th class reunion in September. We girls reflected
often about how much of who we are has to do with where we came from, and how
much TLC has expanded our understanding of that very special place.
On Memorial Day my sisters and I were joined
at the cemetery. Shelly, Marcia and I always enjoy reconnecting with
Lexington and family roots in the cemetery, but are saddened a bit to realize
that we are probably the last generation of our family, at least, to have that
connection, as the cemetery is such a familiar part of our old stomping
grounds.
My grandfather and Mr. Aull had a couple of
garden plots in Lexington, where among other things, they raised peonies.
Back then they seemed to come into bloom close to Memorial Day, and my
grandmother had a little business of using those peonies to decorate the graves
for people who lived far away. When she died, I took over that business
for a couple of years, and I couldn't understand the social element of Memorial
Day at the cemetery, as I felt it was quite solemn. Now, however, I
understand, as we have always enjoyed seeing old friends in that place on that
day. This year, sadly, we didn't see anyone we knew. But especially
since my son is in his second tour of duty in Iraq, I was keen to reflect on the
VFW's (or American Legion's) effort to recognize the veterans of former wars,
and I'm hoping there will not be one new flag designation there for the current
armed conflicts we are involved in. Those were my thoughts when we drove
by 1814 Franklin and saw their service flag on the front door. I was moved
to tears.
Down at the river, to scatter our uncle's
ashes, we were flabbergasted at the riverside park efforts underway! Man,
what an expanse has been cleared! We're curious to know what measures have
been taken for flood waters not to destroy these efforts, as has often been the
case in the past. The project surely looks exciting! I guess the
Lewis and Clark re-enactment has been the motivation behind this effort.
There is a poster up at my local library branch announcing the Lexington
celebration mid-June.
From Mary Ann Mullen '57 Lane
(This is a note she sent to webmaster Bob '58 Ball, but
I suspect it will bring back similar memories to many. They were preparing
costumes for the talent show that succeeded the old
minstrels.)
Let me refresh
your memory about the costume event. As I recall, Rosemary Maxwell, Jackie Walker, you and I were
consolidating our collective talents on the creation of those costumes. I
further recall that your contribution was largely verbal, consisting of witty
remarks of "encouragement." Other people in the number had someone in their
families with sewing abilities and so their outfits were done. My mother
claimed to have the same sewing talent you mentioned (sewing on buttons);
therefore I was without means
for getting one made. That is when you guys came to the rescue. It was a fun
afternoon for me because we did a lot of laughing putting those things
together.
One other thing, that Spanish II class must
have been a dandy. I was looking through my yearbook and there were many
notations referring to that class. Poor Miss Mautino---I can appreciate what
she must have gone through because I now teach high school students.
(Economics and Humanities) I'm
living in Columbia, South Carolina and am really enjoying the newsletter.
From Nola Redden '58 Banister (She and her husband have
retired, again, to Arkansas)
Just wanted to say I am really
enjoying the TLC issues. We just returned from a little trip to NC to celebrate
Frank's and his twin sister's birthday. Was a nice trip but home is so
good. We are getting some landscaping done on our yard finally and
enjoying doing some planting. Golf is in full swing now and I love to play
often, as long as my back stays OK.
A lot of people chimed in about Wulfekammer's. The first
was from Lucia Cope '59 Hulston.
I can't vouch for 1930's since I
wasn't born until 1941; but I'm sure Wulfekammer's was located in the green
building when I was shopping there. I even remember going upstairs one
time with Clara (who could really verify the location) to look through some shoe
boxes one time. We had to exit the store and enter a door next to it to go
upstairs.
I also think there had been a hair
salon upstairs at one time. Think my mom took me there for a perm
once when I was in grade school. Don't know who worked there.
And I also think Shirley Jiovenale
managed a Mode-O-Day store for a few years where the Maytag store was.
Don't know if it was before or after Maytag.
For awhile, at least, wasn't there a bakery in
the green building next to the library? If not there, then where was
it?
Then came the definitive word, from
Harry Dunford
The information contained in the flyer posted on
Trails Regional Library is not quite correct. I think a former
librarian had that printed and it is not quite right. The building in 1967
was 3 story. The top floor had originally been the "Redmans Lodge." Ed Morris
and brother Logan had purchased the building and put in their combined furniture
and appliance store on the ground floor. I had an office on the second floor and
also Merchants Credit Bureau of which I was a partner also had an office in
another room.
Sometime in October the building caught fire and
was pretty completely demolished with the floors mostly falling in to the
basement. The credit bureau was able to salvage most of our files which were in
4 x 6 files draws up against a wall. We had several thousand files at that time.
We then relocated to an office over the Victory Cafe and remained there
until the bureau closed in 1997.
At the time of the fire, the 3rd floor was
occupied by the Lexington Jaycees and designated "Jaycee Hall." We lost all of
our memorabilia, plaques, trophies, etc. John William Morrison will also
remember this as he was active in the Jaycees at the time.
Larry Hunton did not rebuild the building; it
was rebuilt by Ed Morris. The building was about 90% new and of concrete block
instead of the original brick. Larry worked for Ed until Ed sold out
and then Larry took ownership of the building. Ed's dad, M. V. was often at the
business and had had a stroke which caused him to use some cuss words sometimes
inappropriately but it was overlooked because it was the result of his stroke
and he had previously been a successful businessman with the Maytag franchise
down on Franklin.
Wally Hulver worked for Wulfekammer when he was
in high school and knows a lot about the history of the building. Just thought I
would let you in on "the rest of the story."
A great note from Jan Rider McCoy
You do make me
homesick!
Thanks, Jan. I think.
John '57 Lefman rediscovers us:
This fall will be the 50th anniversary of
the 1954 championship football team. This team should be honored at a
halftime of a football game this fall.
I had a stroke two years ago. It paralyzed
my left side. I have recovered somewhat and I am able to take care of
myself.
Do you have Paul Fenner, Joe Pack or
Mike Larkin email addresses?
No, John, I don't. Possibly someone is our vast
listening audience will send those in...if they exist. Welcome to the TLC
"family."
From Bette Phipps '59 Thomas
Was there an idea to have a "reunion" for
TLCers? If so, let me know. I'll start putting coins in my piggy bank for
lipo, face lift, full-body tucks, & last but not least, giant botox lips,
like Melanie Griffiths or Courtney Love. I calculate that at a quarter a day,
I'll be ready by 2014. Maybe I should do 50 cents a day to include cost of
motorized wheelchair.
Must go jump in the hot tub now with my CA
wine in one hand and my delicious tofu/brown rice appetizer in the other. In
between bites & sips, I'll meditate, chant & feed my bio back. (Just
keeping up the northern California reputation--actually I'm going to turn
off the TV & go to bed, but don't tell anyone!)
Then, later, her
creative juices absolutely swamped her:
If you see spelling errors please correct.
(It's very mortifying to a former Eng. teacher w/an MA yet to find mistakes or
"human error," esp. when I'm the human.) .
You may note my devious plan,
just in case I don't benefit from the new diet detailed below at reunion time,
to still reap compliments on my "weight loss" when I appear with not quadruple,
but only double, chins.
Just
following up on my question in the last TLC about a '59er reunion: I got my
invite in the mail & wanted to let the hundreds of classmates who called,
wrote & phoned know that yes, I'm hoping to come. FYI, I want it
stated for the record that I currently weigh as much as a rock & a hard
place combined, have quadruple chins & can only wear clothes made of flour
sacks. (I buy them from an exclusive boutique in the Haight-Ashbury, where they
are made from pure imported hemp, hand-sewn & tie-died, with heartwarming
embroideries of Jerry Garcia, his family & pets, and bearing a pungent, but
unplaceable, odor which somehow reminds me of the Haight in the 60s.
But,
with the help of my New Diet, I hope to get my weight down to just the rock or
the hard place in time for the reunion. I also wanted to let others in on an
amazing new diet product I'm using. Long available exclusively to
celebrities, ballplayers and other millionaires, this incredible product is now
available to one and all--including YOU! It's Dr. Bill's New & Improved
Fat-Blaster PLUS with Collagen! It contains essential oils and extracts that
will amazingly melt away pounds while you sit & stuff your face with
pretzel/mustard ice cream. (My, and I'm sure everybody's, #1 fave
flave!)
Made deep in the heart of remote, exotic Serenghetti, Idaho, Dr.
Bill's FB PLUS contains not only rare oils & extracts (Dr. Bill would list
them, but they're so rare & exclusive that he doesn't know how to spell them
& you wouldn't know what they are anyway. Besides, it might get the
attention of the FDA & ATF, and we don't want that now, do we?)
Anyhow, this miracle product also contains 80% alcohol to aid digestion & a
few other things.
How often do I take it, you ask. Well, the recommended
dose is 1-shot glassful 4X daily, but if you have a lot to lose, you can take it
6-8X a day. Since I want to lose a whole big bunch, I'm doubling the upper
limit. Let your judgment be your guide. Dr. Bill's motto is DRINK A LITTLE OR
DRINK LOT; IF YOU AIN'T THIN, HAVE ANOTHER SHOT!
How, how, you ask, can I
obtain this exclusive product that only rich people, movie stars & Bette
whats-er-name can chug? It's so easy--just cram 50 bucks in an envelope.
(Dr. Bill's no sucker, he's not gonna take a check that'll bounce faster than a
line drive off a brick wall.) Lucky for you, I happen to be the exclusive world
distributor of this fantastic product that also eliminates boils, shingles and
athlete's foot! Just send your cash-stuffed envelope to Bette Whats-er-Name,
Casa Muchas Dollores, TacosRNosotros, MX. And in no time or about 26 wks,
you should receive your life-time supply of 3.14159 fl. oz. For a larger
size, Dr. Bill's AFTERLIFE SPECIAL/YOU SHOULD LIVE SO LONG size of 453.59237
grms. is ON SALE now for only an arm and a leg (FYI, this is not a tasteless
joke, as Dr. Bill in addition to being a mediconutritionologist is also a former
morgue attendant and has a nice little sideline in spare body
parts.)
Gene
Boyer checked in with a reminder:
Thanks again for doing a great job
on TLC. Please remind everyone that Mr. Whitney's birthday is the 19th of
June.
Consider it done.
And now I bid you a fond farewell with hopes to see
some of you at the upcoming fine festivities....
Your devoted scribe,
Susan
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