ALUMNI NEWS

Send your news to Robyn and she'll include it here. Your long lost friends want to know what you're up to now. New Grandkids? New house?
Kids on the softball team? Tell us about your business, what do you do for a living?
What do you do for fun? What's your passion? What are you up to these days?
Whatever you'd like to share with your alumni.


February 8, 2010
I've been discovering friends on Facebook. Chuck Hudson, Curtis Hall, Pam Lambiase, Ann Armstrong, Barbara Paris - Zeuch, t g Engels, Jay Evans, Robbie House, Linda Gerringer and many many more. If you want to connect in real time with many compatriots from the old days - join facebook. You can keep your info private by stating who you do and don't want to share info with. And just avoid the aps and games to stay private. You can email me (Robyn) and I'll hook you up.


August 19, 2009
Message from Belinda Blain's husband, Jim


Belinda left us today at 1130am PST; it was very peaceful, as were her last few days in a row -- a true blessing.

I don't think I mentioned this before, but when Dr. Fisher presented the options for B several weeks ago which led to my decision to initiate the palliative care she subsequently received, he claimed to be "vexed" by the unexpected emergence of cancer in her brain/spine. Dr. Fisher said that, during his career, he had only seen one case of peritonial cancer (for which she was treated, with success) that had migrated to the brain/spine; if this was the case with B, it would be a highly unusual event. However, he felt it was much more likely that breast cancer cells not eradicated 12 years ago were the likely culprit because such cells frequently travel to the brain/spine -- which is one reason why it is so important to catch breast cancer early. In any event, the root cause of B's brain/spine cancer would be unknown until a pathology report could be generated, which will be done, with our full support. So... in the end, and from a purely physiological perspective, B either remained unique (re the origin of her brain/spine cancer) or double tough (it took two different cancers to bring her down). Both would be in character for Belinda.

On a related note, B also made a final gift to Stanford -- and the broader study of cancer -- by allowing researchers to to use appropriate tissue in support of stem cell research related to finding a cure for breast/uterine cancer. In light of B's medical history, the Stanford researchers were delighted by her willingness to literally give a part of herself to this cause...

As mentioned previously, there will be no formal ceremony marking B's passing -- at her request. Should you feel inclined to do something, B asked that you do whatever comes naturally -- a family outing, a gathering of friends, a random act of kindness, etc. -- and simply think of her in the process. Belinda touched all of us in different ways, but the one thing we all have in common is that she made each of us feel very special. So please feel free to remember her in your own special way...

Thank you for your support over the months; your care/concern/love has been very gratefully received and been a source of strength when we needed it the most.

Jim

'Belinda - a Celebration of Life'


On September 27th, the first Sunday after B's birthday, the Blain girls and the Roberts girls invite friends and family to gather together to share the impact B had on our lives. (I told her recently we would have a birthday party for her.  : )  She liked the idea. B always loved a good party and we know she'll be with us.

Those of us who can - will walk down Grandview Nature Preserve where we walked with her for meditation with nature. Afterwards, we will meet at mom's near Gosnold's Hope Park. (Anyone not able to walk is still welcome to join us at mom's.) Please bring food to share and whatever adult beverages you'll be drinking. (We'll have soda, coffee and chips and dips.)

Also bring photos, greeting cards and stories for show and tell.
You can email Robyn or go to Belinda's website for more information.




November 10, 2008
I will be traveling to DC for President Elect Obama's Inauguration Ceremony in Jan 2009.
I'm going just to be there, whether I get a ticket to the swearing-in ceremony or not.
If anyone else out there is going and would like to hook up on the mall and
celebrate this victory with friends, contact me Robyn.
Let's exchange cell numbers so we can all find each other on the mall.
They are expecting at least a million and a half people.
November 20th is one day after the official birthday celebration of Dr Martin Luther King Jr
(a NATIONAL HOLIDAY)
And our country is also celebrating the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln.
President Obama will be standing on the opposite end of the Washington Mall from where Martin stood
(at the feet of the Lincoln Memorial) in 1963 when he said these words:

Four Score Years Ago, a great American under whose symbolic shadow we stand today . . . .
I HAVE A DREAM that my children will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

This January it will be Six Score Years Ago.

IMAGINE.



November 5, 2008
Jon Buriak (former drummer for 'Hunger') had a stroke this past July while he was visiting here in Virginia.
He spent over a week at VA Beach General before going home to Saint Louis to start therapy.
He is considering retiring here in the Peninsula.
You can reach him by email at Jon
or by snail mail at 300 N. 4th St, Apt 2808, St. Louis, MO 63102.
He would love to hear from friends.


November 3, 2008
Been going through the pages on this site updating links. Went to one of Jim Hewin's links and saw this note
Due to the webmaster's (James Hewin) illness we will not be creating any new pages in the near future.
Friends of Jim may want to investigate


October 28, 2008


Just got an email from John Acord. You may remember him as one of the members of the band, 'Rain"
along with Garland Reece, Steve Hooker, and Tom Harris. They all went to Bethal - class of '73.
He was also in 'Cabbage' who became 'Power Plant'. Joshua Tree, CA is his home now.
Listen to his own hauntingly beautiful songs on You Tube or My Space, just search John Acord on either of those sites.
He sent me some photos which will go up on site soon.





October 25, 2008


Had drinks last night at Jimmy Ferguson's restaurant, 99 Main in Newport News. I just had to walk across the street - I spent the early evening volunteering at 96 Main - Barack Obama Headquarters. Lass was visiting from NY and she met me there. She looks fabulous and has an acting part in "Damages" with William Hurt that will air on tv this January.

Also met with Pat and Barbara Wright. Pat just found the site in Sept and sent me several photos and has many more. Now that it's getting cold out I'll be uploading photos everyone's sent me. Turns out Pat & Barbara are Jimmy's neighbors and they share a love of world travel.

This is Pat on the right. He's been a merchant seaman since 1975. The boat is the M.V Cape Race.



From Pat's email:
"I inadvertently stumbled onto your incredibly cool site while "Googling" some old friends. I am not sure we have met but on the other hand there is an excellent chance at sometime our paths have crossed as we have a number of friends from way back in the day in common: i.e. Joe Witkowski, Terry Stead, Henry "Chink" Bass, Jack Ellis, Gary Thon, Tommy Prothro, etc. I was looking for Guy Greenman and up popped your site. I saw Mike Gardner on there and he told me a little bit more about the two of you. I grew up in Denbigh, just down the street from Terry Stead and Elmer "Mac" McCarty as well as my next door neighbors the notorious Nesbits! I used to listen to Robert Cray practice down the street at Vincente "Butch" Labador's house in his first band: One Way Street (of course they were represented by Check productions) with Bill McCann on bass. Anyway you had just posted that you want to know about people and photos etc. Don't know if this is what you are looking for but I have plenty more. I graduated from Denbigh in 1972 and have done more than my share of roaming around but I still keep coming back here. I have been going to sea as a merchant seaman since 1975. For a long time I would do sound for bands while I was at home but it has been a while. I've been married to a wonderful gal, Barbara Jolly, for 26 years who also went to Denbigh although we didn't get the ball rolling until 10 years after I got out of school. She and her sister Lynn Jolly lived at Orleans Court (who didn't) way back when. We have raised 4 children and now we are on our own again and having a ball."

Pat also sent some great photos to share on the site.



Sept 2008


Liz and I were in CA in September this year and visited Cathy & Richard Lambert at their home in Penngrove. They are here with their 3 year old grandson, Tyler.

We had dinner with Cathy & Richard and Gaylene Urquhart and later that week Cathy, Liz and I visited Healdsburg in Sonoma Valley and then had dinner at their house.
Cathy & Richard live in a gorgeous rural setting with cows and llamas in the pastures around them.

When Richard told Tyler it was bedtime, Tyler demanded "Two Bucks"!
That cracked us up and then Cathy translated for us - Tyler was actually asking for his standard "Two Books" at bedtime.


Dec 5, 2007
Frankie Ourada is still out there. Got an email from her saying she'd come if there were another reunion.

Heard from Lucille and Woody Nordan. They have a new email address and there is a link to it on the roster page.

Rusty Springfield is trying to find Doug Cowart. If anyone knows where he is, please have Doug get in touch with me and I'll give him Rusty's email address.

Also heard from Laura Cameron Bowman, 11-26, she has an email link on the roster page. She went to Ferguson, was married to Peter Poulos. She is now in Richmond and knows that John Moore and Vickie Roberts live in Richmond as well. Laura told me about "Paper Glass" and "Rael", bands that I did not have on the history page but I do now. Paper Glass was Pat 'Bubba' Gainer, Peter Poulos, Danny Tyer, Jerry Collins, Larry 'Moochie' Elkins, Ronnie 'Noodle' Smith. After Paper Glass, Peter and Moochie joined Troll Foy and John Moore in Rael. Rael did a season of 'Hair' at a Tidewater dinner theater. Laura is going to dig up some photos for us.

Today I got an email from Sylvia Klose who used to live with Tim Puchaty (now deceased). She would like to contact Richard Puchaty. If anyone has contact info please tell him to get in touch with me and I'll give him Sylvia's email address.


November 9, 2007
John Chester just found the site. He lives in Virginia Beach, has his own audio/video installation company, and is in a band with Jamie Jones - Flashback 5. There is an email link to his name and a link to the band's website on the roster. His sister Shelly is married to Kevin Nealon, they live in Hampton. He knows that Steven House lives in San Francisco and is an architect and Larry Elliot lives in Pennsylvania and is a lawyer. Sadly, he also told me that Theresa Flowers and Rick Rowell died this year.


September 28, 2007
Some of the "news" items are being moved to "memories" page


Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Got an email from Dennis (Ski) Majewski. He told me that Gary Johnson, an old friend and artist who lived in Buckroe and Phoebus in the 60s and 70s, is featured in an art show at Retro's in Williamsburg. The premier is November 1st from 5-8 pm and the show will go on until November 25th. Retro's is at 435 Prince George St in Merchant's Square. 757 253-8816.
Dennis also sent me a recent photo of the "Buckroe Boys". Check the photo page.


Friday, September 22, 2007
The benefit for Pat (Bubba G) Gainer at Marker 20 was a huge success. Big turnout, great music, generous friends. Pat shined, and he had just had radiation that morning. He sat in with each band. Marker 20 donated 10 percent of their proceeds. Email Pat


Greg Semos sent this in 2006 Our favorite family photo


Sept 10, 2007
Robyn Renz

I've let this site lag for a few years but in the last few weeks I've been inspired to get it updated. I've added email links to: Buzz Bessette, Tyronne "Troll" Foy, Boh & Francis-Gainer Davey, Charles Wickersham, Jim Hewin, John Tudder, Vince Poulis. I've made some corrections, sadly added a few friends to the deceased list, updated the music site with places some of us still meet. I've been going through emails that I saved but never posted. You will start seeing them here. If you don't see an email link on this page - check the roster.

Sheryl Dunnigan-Buriak (now in Missouri) heard about the site from her ex - Jon. She is visiting family in Tidewater next week. We will be meeting at Goodfellas open mike night on Tuesday Sept 18, 2007. Come and join us for one of our mini-reunions! Check the music/events page for address and phone number.


June 2006
Tom Yeager

well at this point i have one years experience in the nashville music matrix and i am getting to be a real seasoned warrior........i know longer say DUH as often anyway....... feel like an old pro sometimes when i think of those that have left already-but that's nashville-all the arrivals and departures are the reason that the greyhound station is one of the most happening places in town-lol........coming here at age 52 to try to break into the music biz is something reserved for the clinically insane so i am glad i brought my credentials......but right now i got both male and female leads adding music and vocals to some of my lyrics......they aint national names but you never know-with my material they may break into the charts........i generally get pretty good compliments on my writing.........from folks here........sometimes"hey that's very good" to "well it doesn't suck" and sometimes "yes it does suck"......whatever -i am a big boy.....i am glad i came here to give it the old college try.........i live about 4 blocks from music row-in the central city area-well they call my neighborhood belmont.....on wedgewood avenue at 12th........music row starts at 16th and wedgewood.......i do the honkytonk crawl right often-showing my stuff and checkin out new singers...nashville is good for makin hookups.....most likely that you will make progress with a small indie label and go from there.............everyone wants to go straight to SONY but that aint likely.....its a small needle to thread just to make it onto a smaller label......... even the big time singers are going into independent distribution cause they are tired of being ripped off and jerked around by the big labels...CMA FANFAIR is wrappin up now and they say this was the best year yet...funny how i used to say "dam tourists" when i was driving around virginia beach........you find yourself in the middle of a zillion tourists in town for fan fair and u really got something to deal with.............trying to get from one bar to another on broadway was like roller derby .........course they are the ones who made nashville what it is.........i must say the singers in the tonks really know how to work the crowd....... they play for min wage and tips and hawk their homemade cd's.............and they invite folks off the tour buses to come onstage and sing cause the audience loves it and that's a pretty much guaranteed $5 tip when u let some old gal off a tour bus come onstage and sing "crazy" by patsy cline.....as someone who has heard what seems like half of america sing that song onstage at the tonks-its still the #1 record of all time.....but thankfully i dont even try to sing cause i could clear out a bar faster than a fire alarm......and i admit it........well yall-have a good virginia summer.....for those who care to drop me a line my emails are writertomyeager@yahoo.com and writertomyeager@aol.com a special yo and hello to all my fellow ferguson high class of 71 classmates........i still cant believe they tore our school down..... oh well-bye for now......


December 29, 2005
Heard from Glen Herndon today. He's recovering well from liver transplant surgery. His son-in-law donated part of his liver to keep Glen alive. Aren't people amazing? How can you be more generous than sharing parts of your body?

Peppy Owens expressed a desire to hear from Kelly Daniels. If anyone knows where she is, please let her know Peppy has an email link on the roster page of this site.


December 8, 2005
Mike Monahan is in town from Colorado every couple of months and Billy and I have seen him often. Had a great evening when he was in town a few months ago (when it was still warm). He drove down from Richmond with Mark McClelland and we met at Marker 20 with Maria-Layton Baker, Billy Layton, Rhonda Brogdan and Mark Stahmer.
Tommy Prothro will be in town for Christmas. He's visiting from Carlsbad CA where he moved last year. We hope to all meet at Goodfellas one night while he's here. Tommy has visited with Mike Johnstone and Mac McCarty out in CA.
Debbie Grow-Freed and Jimmy Freed are living in England now. There's an email link for Debbie on the roster.
Recently found - Buzz Besette found Rick Perry in Nashville - there's a link to his website on the roster.
Peppy & Morna Owens. We have an email link for them on the site.
Vaughn found Pat & Michele Belt. Michele's maiden name is Pongratz. He also found Guy Greenman and Dan McFarland.
Debby Nelson saw the site link on the KHS reunion site and sent an email and a photo of Buzzy Jones.


November 21, 2005
Peppy Owens is alive and well! In case there's a few of you who don't know, Peppy was co-owner and co-founder (with John Nelson) of The American Lighthouse Club in 1968. I just got an email from him today and he wants to hear from everyone! Click here: Peppy
He's looking forward to a big reunion 2006. He and his wife, Morna Williams-Owens, will try to meet us at Goodfellas the same night we're meeting Tom Prothro. Sounds like a mini-reunion in the works.


September19, 2005
Glen Herndon had a liver transplant at MCV on September 12th and is doing well.
Tommy Prothro lives in Carlsbad California now, I'm so jealous. That's in san Diego County where I lived for 10 years before moving back here. He's visited with Mac McCarty and his family.
Scott Sechman is in touch with Mike Johnstone, they are both in California and they may play a gig together.
Dean Weaver is a real estate agent in the Research Triangle, great area. Gorgeous gardens and lots of colleges.
Tom Yeager is working hard in Nashville - trying to make a mark in music.
Linda Brown will be coming to town for a family wedding.


August 10, 2005
I sent out a mass mailing a few day ago to see how many of my addresses were valid. So far, the following people are intersted in a 2006 reunion: Alan Gray, Billy Etheridge, Buzz Besette, Debbie Gaddy, John "Sly" Bateman, Lloyd Binger, Rick Burroughs, Mike Gardner, Rhona Brogdan, Debbie Livingston, Deb "Lass", Ed Hazelwood, Eric Hansen, James Hale, Jamie Jones, Jo Link, Maria Layton-Baker, Johnny Baker, Bill Layton, Scott Jacobs, Tom Hudgins, Barbara Quinn, Bobby Murray, Bonnie Powers, Cheryl Rizollo-Pool, David Marsh, Liz "Pygen" Roberts, Mike Monahan, Sidney Pollard, Tommy Prothro, Carol Sue Stern-Feist, Dean Weaver-Mueck, Ellen Schugam-Newman, Walt Redmond, Bill "Byrd" Sechman, Lori Shackelford, Lucy Stanley-Nordan, Woody Nordan, Mark Wampler, Mark Whitaker, Bob Schlagel, Steve Sloop, Steve Trivett, Tommy Shaw, Joe Witkowski, Tom Wiatt.
Many emails were returned to me as undeliverable. Now that broadband is here a lot of addresses have changed. I'll be passing out info to everyone I see out, at Goodfellas or wherever. I've been checking local high school reunion sites to see if I recognize names.
YOU CAN HELP find friends, give them the web address, have them email me, send me their email addresses.
If anyone is not on internet, I will snail mail updates.
Thank you - Robyn


July 15, 2005 Rhonda Brogdan sent me email with lots of old photos I'll be posting. Photos of Mandy Sanderson, Walt Redmond, Don Beale, Henry Bass, Leigh Regal, Donna Dudash, Louis Weinstein, Mary Ann Adams, Doug Moore. Rhonda also got us in touch with Mike Monahan who is in Boulder Colorado. There are email links to Mike and Rhonda on the roster page.

Also from Rhonda - Brenda Brown is married to Morris Causey and living in Poquoson, Linda Brown is a nurse in Texas.


Stan Burnell and Lydia Brinkley were married on June 26th at their home in Portsmouth. It rained but lightly. That's good luck, to have rain on your wedding day. The skies are very happy and so they water you to make your love grow, as they water new seedlings to make them grow. Congratulations! I took lots of pics of guests with their umbrellas. Soon to be on-line. Stan and Lydia are honey-mooning in Disney World.


Scott Jacobs sent me this update on Warrior Town's gala in August.
WARRIOR TOWN * KECOUGHTAN HIGH SCHOOL REUNION OF ALL OF THE 1970'S * check out their web site and get on the list. Debbie Quesnel of KHS 75 is organizing this. Her email is on their site. They now have 397 people signed up.
www.WarriorTown.com


Yesterday I visited Bonnie Powers in the hospital. She had chest pains at work on the 14th and her brother made her go to the hospital. After many tests it was determined that she needed an angioplasty and they transferred her to Riverside.


Tuesday, April 12, 2005. Talked to Belinda Tocco Childress on the phone for a while yesterday. I had to call her because I noticed girl scouts with cookies around town and I realized, for the first year since I've been back on the East Coast, I did not get a call from Belinda selling cookies. She's been having health issues and we talked about healthy eating, the benefits and dangers of prescription drugs, diabetes, tofu. Belinda is working part time at the Hampton School Board. Phil Childress is selling cars at RK Toyota (if you're in the market for a car ask for him). We talked about another reunion. I think summer of 2006 would be good. That'll give us a year to make contacts and clear our schedules for the reunion weekend.


email from Tom Yeager April 4, 2005 . . . i may be one of the most talented or untalented writers ever to set sail for nashville but hey why not try just the same . . . some folks get my stuff and some dont . . . thats cool..all of you in music and the arts have been there . . . all you can do is just believe in yourself and run the gauntlet . . . i admire those who have done that . . . at 52 with no track record in music or writing i am possibly considered one of the long shots but again you never know-its just crazy enough to happen . . . bruce hornsby was best new artist at the grammys after 10 years in the biz. . . so anything is possible . . . i am right now pretty consumed with setting up the logistics of my move to nashville . . . not that i have alot of stuff or expect a brass band to greet me there . . . i have booked a flight for may 5th and am going thru a couple of roommate services on the net . . . i did sign up for nashville writers group so that should be some help-to feel like i am more a part of the nashville creative community-collaboration-networking whatever . . . one of them actually emailed me and said hello and welcome etc etc . . . that was nice-have to buy him a cup of coffee or a drink someday for being the first to say hello from nashville creative community . . . one of my potential roommates is part of a mother daughter singing team doing gigs at clubs and events in the south . . . no its not the judds . . . but if i can make it anything is posible for them as well . . . so little old me and my clothes are flying to nashville may 5th and my computer equipment is going by UPS cause you cant put that stuff on a commercial airliner anymore i reckon-post 9/11 kinda thing i suppose . . . whatever . . . bill gurley who is now teaching music and living with his beautiful/talented wife in northern neck of virginia . . . has been nice to hook up friends from the old days . . . again-great job yall did with the website . . . later . . .
tom


Email from Bob Schlagal: Hey,
I don't have exact dates for this but Norm "Bud" Lawrence died about 9 or 10 years ago out in California, unhappily of an overdose. He played bass in the Mustangs, a hot mid-sixties group that in some ways was the progenitor of the Wild Kingdom. He was a very bright, talented guy who joined the Air Force to sidestep the draft and never found his stride when he returned.
Norm's brother Bill Lawrence, last I talked to him, was a high school French teacher in Middleton, TN.
Hope all is well,
Bob


Email from Eric Hansen: Hello!
Haven't seen you girls in some time... been busy on this end - still w/ White Raven (Fred) but more interestingly the BoyzenBerries have been putting together a Demo CD, and are planning to go public - 1st appearance outside of coffee houses on April 30. Since the last parties, we've reformulated significantly for the better and are focusing on originals... a unique almost goofy light "pop" niche not being explored locally or anywhere I can tell.. Tina Micula sings lead and writes the songs, Kim (my wife) and Canda Lambert sing backup, me on bass, Gary Weaver on Drums, and Mike Olson on lead.. We recently added George Yacus on keyboards (he wanted in on this after hearing the CD - he's not in this CD) which amounts to a full merge with the well established "Phun Doctors" band as our backup band. Everything is all live.. no electronic, sequenced music, or studio dubs. Recordings/production isn't perfect as we pretty much chose the best of 2 or 3 takes on a given song with minimal mixing as opposed to a serious studio effort. If you want to hear another song, drop me a line...
Beginning to think about parties for this year...!
Eric


Tommy Prothro writes  :   I've been working in my studio and teaching myself banjo, mandolin, and lateley I've picked up the dobro. I bought 2 roundnecks and one squareneck. They're the bomb! I working towards making an album and I've got some good starts going, but it's a long process when you're doing everything by yourself. It'll be awhile before I get a grammy I'm afraid.
Tell everyone I said "HI" ...
Tommy


Scott Jacobs sent me an email to let me know that Stan Meade died of liver cancer on March 17, 2005.


On February 20, Ricky Burroughs sent me a link to a memorial for his and Kay Gsell-Justice's daughter Gem who passed away in August 2003. Gem was at the Lighthouse Reunion with them in July 2000.


March 14, 2005, email from Mike:     Mike Gardner is putting his modern rock band "Ground Zero" back together. The band is complete with the exception of a vocalist. Anyone interested in singing modern rock, please contact Mike Gardner. If any of you old hipsters don't know what modern rock is...... Nickelback, Creed, Shinedown, RedHotChiliPeppers, Fuel, 3 Doors Down, on and on. We also play some funky stuff, with a rock twist!


I heard from Buzz Besette today, March 3, 2005. He's playing in a 6 piece Rock n Roll band every Wednesday at Kelly's in the Outer Banks. He's also in a Jazz Trio that plays at the Ocean Boulevard Restaurant in Kitty Hawk on Fridays. The Outer Banks Music Showcase has opened. It's a family style music showcase that plays a variety of shows and tunes and Buzz is their keyboardist. You can reach Buzz from the Events page.


I got an email from David Grace in February 2005. He is planning a trip to the Hampton area in May and hopes to catch up with old friends. Check with Robyn as the time approaches.


Vaughn Deel is considered cancer free!


Lucy Stanley and Woody Nordan were married in 2004. Woody is still playing in Tidewater, sometimes with Snuff, sometimes other gigs. You can contact them here.


On March 5th, 2000 Corey Michael Trivett was born. Corey is the son of Lakota and Summer Trivett. Lakota is Steve Trivett's son.


Kay "Gsell" Justice has been in the travel business for 20 years and has owned her own business for the last seven years. Check it out!
Gloucester Travel Service
Rt. 17 Hayes Shopping center
P.O. Box 739, Hayes VA 23072
Phone: 804 642-4430, Fax: 804 642-4336

Peace will take you home!



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