Current Stories
The story doesn't have to be pretty. Just tell it to us and we'll edit it until you barely recognize it.
A Small Town, More Than a Dozen Stories or Less
Do you have a cute story to tell? Well, save it. Only enter stories that don't involve animals, kids, or medical conditions. In general, the stories are about Ithaca-related things or about what people are doing now. Other than that, anything goes. How can you contribute? Use the Contact Us tab to send the story along with a photo if you have one.
From Bob Fab
"I am doing a Vietnam style countdown. I’m like a cherry in brand new fatigues.
"I am doing a Vietnam style countdown. I’m like a cherry in brand new fatigues.
Supposedly, an American Male Caucasian of European descent will live 76.61 years. With a December 14, 1944 date of birth, the magic date is July 26, 2021. July 26th? Viva Fidel? I already crushed the New York State Retirement System who informed me in 2002 when going over pension options that my Drop Dead Date (very sensitive representative) was October 16, 2016. They are losing money on me. As with everything else, there are winners and losers.
I have already passed my parents, brother, aunts and uncles and grandfathers. I doubt the reasons can be attributed to clean living, sobriety, and prayer at all times. I am inclined to credit Timothy 5:23 – “”Drink no longer water. Take a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine own infirmities” and being a horseplayer. Did you ever notice horse trainers live forever? Every day is a new day to look forward to. “A bad day at the track is better than a good day anywhere else.” We tell ourselves that.
Once I get past July 26th (do I dare leave the house?), I go after the grandmothers. Grandma Stockwell who lived to be 77 is in my crosshairs. Grandma Fab will be a challenge as she lived to be 91. She died like Vito Corleone. She was out in her tomato garden and grape vineyard and the dog came into the house after dark to break the news. But, just when I thought I had the bases covered, I had to go deep on family genealogy and discover a Niles Stockwell in Central NY who lived to be 103 in the 1850’s. His 3rd wife was 30 when he married her at age 88. It didn’t turn out too well for the gold digger. Like the other wives, he buried her. I wonder if he had life insurance policies on his wives. Fuhgeddaboudit. I don’t need 103.
You recall how depressing it was upon arriving in Vietnam when someone asked “How many days?” and you had to say “364.” You could ask that question to any soldier at any time and they didn’t have to think about it. They knew exactly how many days “and a wakeup” were left.
They will think I am Cuban the way I will carry on, on July 26, 2021. However, I am thinking of the line from the “The Quiet Man.” Red Will Danaher: “He will regret it until his dying day, if he ever lives so long.”
When you're the only one from Ithaca in the room, this statement is inevitable.
Jeopardy! Loves Us
The game show, Jeopardy! must love us. Early in 2011, Lyn Thomas (formerly Lynette Bulché) was a contestant on the show. She won a gazillion dollars or close to that. The second time was in June, 2011. But first, for those of you living under a rock, Jeopardy! is the game show that gives the contestants the answers, and the contestants must supply the question. For example, if the answer is "1962", the contestant would provide the question which is "Which is the best class ever to graduate from Ithaca High School?" Press the >Lyn (Bulche) Thomas on Jeopardy!< button below.
The question in June, 2011 was "What is Ithaca?" What answer could possibly lead to this? "The most beautiful city in the world." No, that wasn't it. "The cloudiest city in the world." Nope, although possibly true, that wasn't the answer. Let's see what it was.
But first a little background. It showed up as a Daily Double, so the contestant had an incredible amount of time to determine the correct question. Second, the category was "New York Cities & Towns" which is clearly a confusing subject for people who think New York only has one city. Press the >Ithaca on Jeopardy!< button below to see the entire interaction.
>Lyn (Bulche) Thomas on Jeopardy!<
>Ithaca on Jeopardy!<
The game show, Jeopardy! must love us. Early in 2011, Lyn Thomas (formerly Lynette Bulché) was a contestant on the show. She won a gazillion dollars or close to that. The second time was in June, 2011. But first, for those of you living under a rock, Jeopardy! is the game show that gives the contestants the answers, and the contestants must supply the question. For example, if the answer is "1962", the contestant would provide the question which is "Which is the best class ever to graduate from Ithaca High School?" Press the >Lyn (Bulche) Thomas on Jeopardy!< button below.
The question in June, 2011 was "What is Ithaca?" What answer could possibly lead to this? "The most beautiful city in the world." No, that wasn't it. "The cloudiest city in the world." Nope, although possibly true, that wasn't the answer. Let's see what it was.
But first a little background. It showed up as a Daily Double, so the contestant had an incredible amount of time to determine the correct question. Second, the category was "New York Cities & Towns" which is clearly a confusing subject for people who think New York only has one city. Press the >Ithaca on Jeopardy!< button below to see the entire interaction.
>Lyn (Bulche) Thomas on Jeopardy!<
>Ithaca on Jeopardy!<
Linda Post and Mary Wellington Daly meet in Tucson. Are they scouting out locations for future class reunions?
Linda and Mary Report From Arizona
June 23, 2012
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Hi Reunion Committee,
June 23, 2012
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Hi Reunion Committee,
I can imagine how busy you all are as you gear up for the 50th. Truly wish I could be there. Through mutual friends here in Tucson, Linda Post (Wheeler) and I learned that we live about a mile from one another here in Tucson. We met yesterday for lunch and had great fun reminiscing and trying to get caught up on 50 years of living :-)
Best to all our IHS 1962 classmates. Do have fun, and do chronicle the weekend well.
Mary Wellington Daly
Rock On!
Ithaca makes the national news! Check it out...
video.msnbc.msn.com/rock-center/46430923#46430923
By the way, who was Ithaca's mayor when we were in High School? Does anyone remember?
Ithaca makes the national news! Check it out...
video.msnbc.msn.com/rock-center/46430923#46430923
By the way, who was Ithaca's mayor when we were in High School? Does anyone remember?
I get around.
Walk This Way
According to the AARP Bulletin for Jan-Feb 2012, Ithaca is a good place to walk. Since it's so hilly, who's doing the walking and are they walking up and down the hills? In any case, congratulations to Ithaca for making some positive news which these days is difficult to do.
According to the AARP Bulletin for Jan-Feb 2012, Ithaca is a good place to walk. Since it's so hilly, who's doing the walking and are they walking up and down the hills? In any case, congratulations to Ithaca for making some positive news which these days is difficult to do.
Retire?!? What's that???
See the article on the web (12/25/2011). You might be surprised. Click on the following link: > clients/41687/File/The%2010%20Best%20Places%20to%20Retire%20in%202012.pdf <
...From a Yahoo article that got mostly trashed for suggesting that our generation and future ones will ever be able to retire. But, still, they said nice things about Ithaca.
See the article on the web (12/25/2011). You might be surprised. Click on the following link: > clients/41687/File/The%2010%20Best%20Places%20to%20Retire%20in%202012.pdf <
...From a Yahoo article that got mostly trashed for suggesting that our generation and future ones will ever be able to retire. But, still, they said nice things about Ithaca.
Tom's claim that he doesn't look anything like this today was unfounded. Except for the hair color, the tie color, the piercing steadfast eyes, etc., he looks exactly the same as he did in high school.
The Prez Speaks
This is the letter Tom McCarthy sent to the Class of 1962. It was formerly on the home page of this website, but has been moved here so that it will have a permanent home. The following replicates what was on the home page before it was moved here as its new home. There are too many homes in this paragraph. Sell one and move into a condo in your favorite resort area.
The Prez has emerged and has sent us a letter. Unlike other Presidents, Tom McCarthy was elected for life, something he did not anticipate. However, he has assumed the mantle of power with grace and vision. To read his message, click on THE PREZ SPEAKS. It will bring tears to your eyes. Or maybe that's just because it's allergy season.
This is the letter Tom McCarthy sent to the Class of 1962. It was formerly on the home page of this website, but has been moved here so that it will have a permanent home. The following replicates what was on the home page before it was moved here as its new home. There are too many homes in this paragraph. Sell one and move into a condo in your favorite resort area.
The Prez has emerged and has sent us a letter. Unlike other Presidents, Tom McCarthy was elected for life, something he did not anticipate. However, he has assumed the mantle of power with grace and vision. To read his message, click on THE PREZ SPEAKS. It will bring tears to your eyes. Or maybe that's just because it's allergy season.
Chuck Klaer...Is this guy for real?!?
For Chuck Klaer's life history, click HERE. Anyone who writes three pages gets their own entry in the Stories section. Follow Chuck to Europe, Asia, and around the world.
For Chuck Klaer's life history, click HERE. Anyone who writes three pages gets their own entry in the Stories section. Follow Chuck to Europe, Asia, and around the world.
"The place is a wreck! Don't go near it!
Ithaca: A Wreck
Read all about it! Click HERE.
Dancing with the Stars!
Can a small town girl make it BIG in the big city? Click on the DIANE link and be entertained by one of our more celebrated class members...Diane Bower!
Since the tree is gone, there is no picture to take. Instead, here is a tree that partially fell over. It will just have to do until someone submits a photo of a pine tree in a school quad that has fallen over and has been taken away.
Vandalism of symbolic tree at IHS forces its removal
By Topher Sanders
ITHACA — The pine tree in the middle of Ithaca High School's quad area likely witnessed many first kisses in its 40 years there.
The tree was cut down on Sunday after vandals gouged a large portion out of its truck with a chainsaw. The gouge made the tree unsafe because it could have fallen at any time, said Karen Rachetta, assistant principal at Ithaca High School.
The tree was planted in 1966 by the senior class and has graced the cover of numerous IHS yearbooks, said Rachetta, a former student at the high school. “It just really symbolized Ithaca High,” she said. “Every time I walked by that tree it was a connection to past students and teachers.” Superintendent Judith Pastel called the incident “senseless” and “heartbreaking.”
The vandalism was discovered on Sunday by custodial staff. The tree was cut down several hours later. The Ithaca Police Department is investigating the matter. The school provided police with surveillance images of the incident, Rachetta said. Rachetta wouldn't give details about any possible video footage of the vandalism. One school official did video the tree's last moments as it was being chopped down, Rachetta said. The military funeral song, “Taps,” can be heard as the video plays.
Rachetta said feelings about the incident are mixed among the student body with some students being upset and others showing indifference. Two students even attempted to boost the school's spirits about the incident by nailing a smaller pine tree to the stump of the former pine. Other students kicked the smaller tree down sometime during the day. “Some of our freshmen haven't been here long enough to understand the meaning of the tree,” Rachetta said. The school plans to place a tribute to the tree on their bulletin board and a blog has even been created in honor of the tree.
cbsanders@ithacajournal.com
Originally published January 10, 2007
Pepper the Skunk
The Skunk and The Bear
The skunk/bear mystery and controversy began in the early 1980’s. The IHS skunk mascot made its first appearance in 1947 when a deodorized skunk was purchased from a ranch in Wisconsin for $15 and sent to a group of Ithaca High students. That skunk made an escape the following year, but he had left a lasting impression. In 1953, when the Pep Club was first organized, the skunk came back to life in human form, as the Pep Club’s mascot. The “official” IHS skunk mascot, Pepper, was introduced in the 1955 Annual. He grew in popularity over the years and was well-loved in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Then there were those in the early 1980’s who felt that a skunk was an inappropriately smelly mascot for Ithaca High School. A campaign to change the mascot from the Li’l Red Skunk to the Li’l Red Bear began. A school wide vote resulted in victory for the bear. The first sketch of the bear appeared on the end pages of the 1983 Annual, and in 1985, Trip Park, 1983 artist, provided a series of bear sketches for the cover and dividers of the yearbook. Soon after, a student dressed in bear costume appeared at pep rallies, football and basketball games, and the bear became “official.” Now sadly, there is a division among alumni between those who knew and loved Pepper the Skunk and those who have known only the Li’l Red Bear and are therefore too ignorant to understand what they're missing. -Thanks go to Rita MacDonald for this story.
The skunk/bear mystery and controversy began in the early 1980’s. The IHS skunk mascot made its first appearance in 1947 when a deodorized skunk was purchased from a ranch in Wisconsin for $15 and sent to a group of Ithaca High students. That skunk made an escape the following year, but he had left a lasting impression. In 1953, when the Pep Club was first organized, the skunk came back to life in human form, as the Pep Club’s mascot. The “official” IHS skunk mascot, Pepper, was introduced in the 1955 Annual. He grew in popularity over the years and was well-loved in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Then there were those in the early 1980’s who felt that a skunk was an inappropriately smelly mascot for Ithaca High School. A campaign to change the mascot from the Li’l Red Skunk to the Li’l Red Bear began. A school wide vote resulted in victory for the bear. The first sketch of the bear appeared on the end pages of the 1983 Annual, and in 1985, Trip Park, 1983 artist, provided a series of bear sketches for the cover and dividers of the yearbook. Soon after, a student dressed in bear costume appeared at pep rallies, football and basketball games, and the bear became “official.” Now sadly, there is a division among alumni between those who knew and loved Pepper the Skunk and those who have known only the Li’l Red Bear and are therefore too ignorant to understand what they're missing. -Thanks go to Rita MacDonald for this story.
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