LATEST LIST OF ATTENDEES - 50TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION

Charlie Stevenson is coming from MONTANA!!!  YEAH, and thanks to JD for encouraging him!!!!  Todd Kamp and Paul Silman are joining us too.

Here is the latest list of attendees for all events of our Reunion weekend.

SPEED SURFACES IN ST. LOUIS

No, I don't mean fast cars, drugs or any such, I mean Jim Herb of Lowell, Michigan.  I'll never be able to stop calling him Speed, but he does now go by Jim.  He and lovely wife Jan were in St. Louis on July 11th on their way down to Branson for a vacation and Jack and I picked them up at their motel and we had a great dinner at P J's in Kirkwood.  Juicy burgers and fries, beer, a bit of wine, and great conversation made it a very fun evening.  Then of course we drove around Kirkwood seeing some old haunts.  We went by his house on Flower Hill Court in Glendale, and as we drove in that area he pointed to many a house remembering the names of our friends who lived there...as I recall mostly girls!  Imagine that!  That neighborhood has held its beauty over all of these years with lovely landscaping, well-kept

homes, and so forth. Isn't this just SO Kirkwood?  Jan is Jim's second, younger, wife...he's one of our classmates who has been educating children for decades!  But their last has now flown the nest so they can relax and enjoy life a bit more freely.  Having lived in Pittsburgh for some years, they are big Pirates fans so we had some good sports conversations.  Thanks for a great visit Jan and Jim, let's do it again sometime. You should come to town next month!  It's not too late.  My treat at PJs!  FIND JIM ON FACEBOOK - Jim Herb w/Greenridge Realty - he has some interesting interior design pix on his page as well as real estate "stuff"...check it out!
 

ANOTHER TOPIC I HAPPEN TO LOVE - KIRKWOOD ARCHITECTURE - SOMEWHERE SPECIAL

I have written about this topic in the past, in fact for years.  There is something so special about this architecture with its glass blocks, glazed tiles, garage doors, and the

unique layout of the setting.  Now of course it's gone, but classmate Roxie Guels Rassi sent me this article recently and I can't resist....but I will also tell you, at the Museum of Transport in Kirkwood, you know right on Barrett Station Road south of Big Bend, you can see a part of the facade rebuilt.  It is nestled in the room with some very cool cars which are not-to-be-missed features of the Museum.  While you are in town, a trip there will be mind-blowing ~ it's grown SO much since our childhood.  Our classmates Dave Beardsley and Bob O'Neill give abundant time as volunteers there, Bob's having been at it for over 50 years!!!  And now we've roped in my hubby Jack.  My son automated their Friends database while he was still in High School.... I remember going there with my dad as a child.  And NO, I did not smooch in the train tunnel but I know some of our classmates did!  At any rate, Coral Courts Motel was a landmark in Kirkwood for a long time...and I love asking our classmates, "Do YOU have a Coral Courts story?"  Thanks again Rox for the memories....

Another Viet Nam Veteran story

Please make time to scroll down and visit my several posts regarding our class Veterans.  As we prepare to gather for our 50th Anniversary Reunion, let us remember all of our friends who gave so much.  This article is from the Kirkwood Advertiser (called The Advertisers in the heading) on June 27, 1968 and courtesy of ever-devoted KHS65 member Roxanne Guels Rassi, who we can thank in person because she is attending our reunion.  I've just added a new label, Veterans Affairs, so you can quickly go down the right side to the list of labels and click the link to Veterans Affairs and you'll see all the posts with this label.

STORIES FROM OUR MATES, I LOVE TO GET THEM!!! CHECK THIS OUT!

Our classmate Lary Lazier has retired from a long and stellar career as a fireman in Kirkwood...my late husband's great grandfather was one of the very first firemen in Kirkwood, so the department is a favorite Kirkwood 'thing' of mine.  Ken McBride and Lary have been buds for a long time, as Ken recently reminded me the photos here are from 35 years ago, as he says "YIKES".  These are from November of 1980.  Another reminder from Ken is that the pole dancer is now 50 years old - wonder if she's still dancing?

Herewith Ken's commentary:  

Lary and I used to like establishments with cheap beer and 'interesting' patrons. Originally the cats were his then he pawned them off on me since his new wife would not allow him to bring them along. They were never declawed and were very much bad boys, destroying a lot of furniture, street fighting, and, of course getting us kicked out of  the upscale establishment shown in the picture.  

Checkout the hair-do and 50s ashtray!  Thanks Ken and Lary for sharing - always fun to see our friends having FUN!  Have to wonder what was the fate of Goliath??  Come to the reunion and ask Ken!

KHS NATATORIUM NEWS - INVOLVES OUR REUNION !!

An additional bit of excitement for our reunion weekend.  KHS65 member Tom Walker reportedly will be with us at the reunion, and it's his parents mentioned here. Continue reading below for notes on our Stellar Senior Swim Team:

From the Development Office at KHS ~
"Dear Friends of Kirkwood High School,

The Walker Natatorium is nearing completion. We have our fingers crossed that the last several swim meets (Sept. 29, Oct. 6 and Oct. 8) for the Boys Swim & Dive Team will be held in the Walker Natatorium.  The Girls Swim & Dive season begins November 9  and the Water Polo season begins February 22.

EXCITING NEWS: An anonymous donor has established a challenge! The donor will match dollar for dollar every donation - up to $100,000 - given to the Legacy Fund for the Walker Natatorium! Every dollar given to the Legacy Fund will be used to assist with maintaining the Walker Natatorium.

The challenge officially starts when we "turn on" the water to fill the pool (target date is September 12), and the challenge will end on October 10 at 10 am - the date of the KHS Class of 1965 reunion tour of Kirkwood High School. The KHS 1965 Boys Swim Team was the first Swim Team State Champions! [Our reunion tour of the school will also be the "ribbon cutting" for the new pool since KHS65's swim team won the first state championship!]

Please help us meet the challenge and "fill the pool" by making a donation to the Legacy Fund for the Walker Natatorium. Donors who give $3,000 and up will be recognized on the Major Donor Wall within the Walker Natatorium. All donations over $100 will be recognized within the Walker Natatorium. Our goal is to raise $3 million to establish the Legacy Fund and use the interest earned from the fund for general operational costs such as utilities, water testing and balancing and equipment inspections. In future years, the funds may be used for equipment repairs and replacement.

The dedication for the Walker Natatorium is in the planning stages. Detailed information will be sent in the very near future.

Included in this e-mail is information related to the history of our aquatic teams. We believe it is important to remember the coaches, parents and community members who have always supported our student athletes in the aquatics.

Please join us and consider making a donation during this exciting time in history. You can go to www.walkernatatorium.org, call or text 314.600.7773 or email ginger.cayce@kirkwoodschools.org.

It is THE YEAR OF THE POOL!

Ginger Cayce
314.600.7773
Kirkwood School District
Community Relations & Development

Kirkwood High School Aquatic Teams History

Girls were not allowed to play in sanctioned competitive teams until the passage of Title IX in 1972. Girls began competing on the boys team in 1973, and in 1974, female only teams were formed. The girls swim team was added during the 1974-75 school year after a group of female swimmers successfully advocated for a team.

It was Coach Wilson Stocker [who died 4/22/15] who stepped up in 1975 and volunteered to coach the first KHS Girls Swim & Dive Team. Coach Stocker did not receive monetary compensation for his efforts, but his memory is held in high esteem by many female athletes.

In 1962-63, the first Boys Swim & Dive Team was formed. The three state champion titles were all coached by Coach Wilson Stocker, 1965, 1966 and 1972! Swimmers who swam for Coach Stocker were known as "Stockers Strokers."

The first Co-Ed Water Polo Team was formed in the fall of 1996. The first coach was Richard "Hoot" Newman."
From our 1965 Pioneer :
SWIMMERS SPLASH TO STATE VICTORY
We had an undefeated (9-0) season  as Coach Stocker predicted!
KHS set 2 records in the State Meet, the 200 yard medley relay team of Gary Birum, Bob Casey, Chuck Comfort &  Dan Clark posted a new mark of 1:48.1 and team captain [the late] Bob Casey captured the 100 breastroke with a 1:06.0. 
Other KHS65 members of the team were:  Rusty Nelson, Wylie Dawson, Charlie Stevenson, Andy Bastman, Lee McLaughlin and Craig Conway [currently known as Mr. Lee Bennett just in case you didn't know  :-)) ]