Tom Kelley

Hey Lin, in fact I do still tap dance, sort of. I've always liked it and thought about it, and about 3 years ago, a fabulous stage show came to town, called Buckets and Tap Shoes, and it was a couple of brothers who tap danced, non-stop, for 2 hours, and I was thrilled and memsmerized and inspired, and the next day I went online and bought a pair of tap shoes. They mostly gather dust, but I go through periods when I put them on and practice. It's a lot harder than I remember, and I haven't found a mentor or teacher, yet, but I am making progress, and it's a good workout. And then, last night, coincidentally,  I drove to Iowa City, an hour away, and saw Savion Glover perform, live. Amazing. He ranks among the best, at the moment, and I was re-inspired.

I have no idea whatever happened to Gordon Tonner, after he left town, in the 8th or 9th grade. I'd be very curious to know. And I have vivid memories of that 7th grade Kiwanis Talent Show, because it was so emotionally traumatic for me. It was exicitng and terrifying, and embarassing and humiliating, all at once. As you can imagine, it was hugely UN-cool to be a tap dancer in the 7th grade. As you remember, my mother was enormously talented in many areas. Being nurturing and understanding were not high on that list.

But, I secretly liked tap dancing, even though I would never admit it to anyone, certainly not my friends or my mother. And I was pretty good, and I'm getting a little better now, but I won't be entering any talent shows in the near future.

Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

the lady with buddy manco is his wife, and yes that is johns wife,fun nt.

Larry Gilbert

Kel, at least you and Gordon had the b***s to get on stage and strut your stuff.  I'll always remember the Kiwanis talent shows, if only because of a girl singer (whose name I can't remember) who became a protege of Uncle Jake's on the Giant Tiger talent show.

Also remembering your mom constantly trying to put a band together.  You on keyboards, and the rest of us on anything we could figure out how to play.

Finally - doesn't anyone else remember going to Camp Cheerful because of Safety Patrol?  Some kind of combination camping/training to protect the lives of our little classmates?

Guy Cartwright

Hi Larry 

The young girl/lady on the Gene Carroll Talent Show was Andria Carroll.  She ended up attending BW the same time that Debbie went to BW.  I assume that she was related to Gene Carroll but don't know that for sure.

Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

hey guy, andrea wasnt related to gene carroll, now do you know this? shelley van winkle and her sister penney-shelly was in 9 th grade i think, went on the gene carroll show , and won the 1st prize trophy- singing lollipop,lollipop.,that trophy was hugh, they had to compete for a few weeks, but they won.

Guy Cartwright

Nancy

 I did not know about that.  That's really neat.  Thanks.  

Karl Marcussen

Was Camp Cheerful the camp that the fifth and sixth graders went to? The classes at Wooster went to a camp that was around Broadview Heights/Brecksville or in that area. I have tried to remember where it was, but the memory isn't working in that aspect. Thanks.

Patrick Gillespie

Gene Carroll was the MC for the Talent show, but do you remember Harris Gillespie represented

Kiwanis at the event. And, did any of you go downtown to the Uncle Jake show and find out that his

elevator was a fake!!! You got in, the door closed and you simply walked out the back. I was so dissapointed!!

Music director was Frank Strasek, lived on Lake Rd. He played the trumpet with a hand puppet.

Linda Peate (Powrie)

Tom:  So glad you joined the conversation.  We LOVED to watch you tap dance.  You & Gordon were so good.  But you were better.  Our singing couldn't compete w/that! (Remember Janet Kiehl?) Anyway, it's amazing you bought tap shoes & practice like that.  It gets harder to moved the old legs, but am sure it's somewhat like riding a bike!  You remember the basics  I hope you come to one of these mini reunions!  It's been yrs. since we have seen you.  That's not fair! 

By the way, at Kent you may have read that Gordon's aunt was our landlord when my husband went to school.  We bought a dog once instead of paying the rent, & they were so kind about it  Fred just worked a few more hrs. the next month to pay them for the previous month's rent.  Aaahhh youth!  Anyway, I worked full time & Fred definitely began working on his schoolwork to get out of Kent when the riots hit instead of playing golf! Got out in 2-1/2 yrjs,  Went yr. round..  Don't know how, but he did. 

Please be on this site more often Mr. K.  And think about coming to the next mini.

Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

i was on uncle jake, when we left got a box of crackers, and a can of hot chocolate,and that elevator was so fake, just bounced your head up and down-what a let down.

Lynn Jaenke (Erb)

Pat and Nancy beat me to the punch about Uncle Jake.  I too remember being excited to go on and ride THE ELEVATOR!   What a disappointment to find out it didn't go anywhere and we just walked out the back.  Kinda like finding out that Santa and the Easter Bunny weren't real.

Does anyone remember the commercial on TV, usually on Sunday morning for Watkins Furniture.  Anytime I meet someone named Watkins now, I have to restrain myself from yelling out W-A-T-K-I-N-S (several times over).  

And, of course, I remember the Milk sign that poured milk and was always such a thrill on the few nights I was driving home from something in downtown Cleveland, and it was dark out.  How long did that sign keep going? Since I moved away essentially fifty years ago, I don't have a clue.  I am starting a new topic in my message here, but the computer won't let me start a new paragraph!  What's with that? I took up tap dancing at around forty, when my kids were teenagers.  It was so much fun.  Imagine my surprise to find out that I had been pregnant with our third when I danced in the recital with all the little kids.  He's so much younger than the others, but a great young man, who is in Haiti right now doing surgery.  Who says old eggs are always bad?

Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

lynne, that was my milk sign, went we went downtown, i would look for that sigh lighted up, my dad said that was my milk, i loved it, i watched it through the back window watching it fill up and then empty, god i loved that sign,who knew a little kid could like something some that like that.,beats all the games the kids play now adays.

Lynn Jaenke (Erb)

Yeah, I guess the milk sign was pretty low tech by today's standards, but I'll bet we kids got as much excitement from that as kids today with their non-stop over the top games and technical stuff.  Make no mistake, I love (and am addicted to) my computer and iPhone and iPad mini, but I am so happy we didn't have that stuff when we were growing up.  .......this message forum will not let me start a new paragraph.  WhenI hit return it shoots it up to the top...frustrating!  Anyway, another memory....and I don't know if I brought it up before.  But one night I was playing broom hockey down at RR Park, where they used to make a skating pond in the winter, and there was this unbelievable display of pure red Northern Lights.  Being a child of the fifties, being taught to fear a nuclear blast, I immediately thought we were going to die.....sigh.  Once I realized we weren't, I could enjoy the beauty of the sight...still one of my favorite things in the world.  Was there anyone else there that night?  

Linda Peate (Powrie)

OK. So who remembers the Higbee windows at Christmas & eating at Higbee's restaurant. They had fake stoves w/dinner inside & you got to take the oven home. Only time I ever ate all my veggies & food! Then we would go to Sterling Lindner to see that absolutely HUGE.  Went up all the floors from the ground up. Then we would get to go see Francis the Talking Mule.  He even gave you a neat gift.  It was yrs. later I found out mother/daddy had to buy the presents!  That was SUCH a thrill.  We continued taking our kids to Higbee's when they were small.  My daughter, Tahnee, would say "oh mommy, do we get to ride the Rapid Trampits downtown first?"  She loved it!  Wow, it's amazing how many things we had forgotten that so impacted our lives & memories.  And I LOVED that milk bottle coming out of town.

Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

i loved that huge tree downtown, and then looking at all the windows dressed up for xmas with moving people figures, thats why i love xmas story, so much fun when i was alittle kid, so pretty and unreal for us,walking the square to see the pretty lights, gosh i loved that.

but who remembers halloween, behind  the ingersals, after trick and treating, we had powered donuts and apple cider, for the people of rocky river,there was so many people there, and the windows chalked with pictures and then voted on to see which was the best.it was like a parade at nt., so much fun,you sure dont see that now adays. this was done in the parking lot,and people were handing out these snacks.i know mike kelly remembers this, cause we were talking about it once, oh the good old days.

Lynn Jaenke (Erb)

Okay, so I won't even try to make paragraphs anymore here....just one long run-on thought.  I also loved the whole "going downtown" for Christmas.....the huge tree, the windows....oh, it was so much fun for a little kid!  But I had totally forgotten about Frances, the Talking Mule!  What a hoot to remember that now!  ....Halloween...I don't remember the cider and doughnuts part, but I do remember painting with some group I was in (girl scouts?) on a window of a store that sold women's clothing right across from the Hotel Westlake.  I don't think we won the contest, but I distinctly remember doing it.  Easter was always memorable also....it's so different now, at least here in Vermont...we always got new outfits from head to toe, and corsages and everything.  Maybe that still happens in River, but it sure doesn't here!  Another memory I have is of going to the Valley on field trips and also with Biology club with Mr. Bonn (?), who I had a slight crush on.  I remember learning to identify wildflowers, and just loving being in nature.  I have often thought that although I didn't know it at the time, it would definitely influence the huge interest and love I have for the natural world as an adult.   Just the way the trips to Severence Hall, where I would be actually lost in almost a trance listening to the orchestra.  I know that influenced my love and appreciation of good music.  We just don't know what will really touch a child, do we?

Sarah Eakin (Webster)

Yes I remember Halloween behind Ingersolls when I was maybe 5-6.  Mostly because my mother wouldn't let us trick-or-treat--she said it was begging.  So we went every year to the parking lot party.  I was dressed as Dorothy Collins the cigarette girl--what was my mother thinking!!  I wasn't allowed to trick-or-treat until I was in 7th grade.  That year we went down Aberdeen to the cookie lady's house--everyone knew she made homemade cholate chip cookies.  We weren't poisoned--we didn't die!!

Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

who didnt have a crush on mr. bonn, with those beautiful blue eyes, and quite voice,what a guy. easter we had our little white gloves,hat,corsage, and a easter outfit.so much fun,here's lyle and me,and her's 5 of us at another easter,of course i'm in front,lyles behind me

Ellen Aspinwall (Templar)

And a purse....always got a new purse for Easter.

Here's word from our lady of the heart.  She'd love to hear from you all!

Linda Peate (Powrie)

So Fred's brother, Max, was store manager when the Xmas Story was made.  After 9 p..m., Hollywood came in & spent hours converting store inside & out & out on street to look like it did back then. His son was standing in the Santa line giving the evil eye to whatever his name was when he tried to take Randy & cut in line. He has glasses & a cap on.  Then at the end of that scene, Max's daughter, Chrissy, was on Santa's lap & Santa says, "Bye bye, Chrissy".  And down the slide she goes.  Wow, that took a lot of work for sure. Decorations looked the same too. And Easter it was a hat w/ribbon streamer down the back, white gloves, a purse and spring coat.  Today, people go to church in ripped & torn jeans, looking like they just got off a boxcar!  Dressing up is a thing off the past.  I dress up many times just because I like to!

Holly, I am sooo glad things will get back to where they should be. Do you take cyclosporine? Fred used to observe Dr. Barnard (think that was his name) when he first began heart transplants as he worked for Sandoz who made the anti-rejection drug cyclosporine.  Sandoz donated wings at different facilities for transplants.

Speaking of Fred, he is being transported by ambulance to Riverside Hosp. here in Col. from the e.r. in Westerville I took him to. Best E..R. I ever encountered.  In within 10 min. & medicated within 1/2 hr. Has a severe bowel obstruction so we won't know till next week if he will require surgery. I swear every time we get ready to go to Fla. crap happens.  But I will take it one day at a time.  But we didn't need this.  Prayerful people, please start now!! He has lost over 20 lbs. & looks so sick it breaks my heart.  And the pain is horrific.  I will outweigh him pretty soon.  Crohn's is a nasty, ugly disease.  But no one said life is fair.

Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

lyn, i also knew people who were in xma story,i love that movie. so sorry about fred, keeping him in ,my prayers, my list keeps getting longer everyday,so glad as always to see you.

holly, you also are in my prayers, what a strong lady you are,keep hanging in there.

i know you guys all remember the may pole, with all those colorful ribbons, so much fun,wish that stuff was still around for the kids of today. and at kensington,at xmas we would go into the auditorium, and get a xmas decoration for our tree, i l remember a styroform gingerman, and in kdg. i also still have a letter from santa adressed to me in the envelope and all, he wrote something ,then signed it santa,i remember being so happy that santa found me at school.,its probably worth some money, its in good condition, but i wouldnt trade it for the world.,i've shown my grandkids quite a few times.how can i remember some of that stuff years ago, and cant remember now sometimes,good old age. love all these memories, keep them comming.

Sarah Eakin (Webster)

I still have my styrofoam Santa, with a little pipe cleaner hanger, and hang it on my tree every year.  That and a glass ball (also from Kensington) with my name written on it.

The first time I saw "Christmas Story" was here in Tennessee, and I kept thinking that sure looks like Cleveland.  Then found out it was.  My favorite line is the one about getting your eye shot out.  The movie made me a little homesick and memory weary for the years we went downtown to see the store windows and the giant Sterling Linder tree.

Lynn Jaenke (Erb)

I also have a glass ball with my name written on it.  I think Mrs. Jontzen made them, and I'm not sure we got them at Christmas time or not, but mine still goes on my tree every year.  But my favorite ornament is a construction paper Santa Claus that I made in kindergarten.  It has cotton for the beard.  How it has lasted for 64 years I don't know, but my family knows it is my most sacred decoration to put on the tree, and always has a place of honor, but away from dogs and babies!  

Fred Thomas

Growing up drenched in nuclear fallout, breathing tetra ethyl lead fumes and living with the possibility of WWIII and total nuclear destruction didn't bother me in the least..  Duck and coverr drills were  fun and broke up some of the routine of school.  I looked at the bones in my feet using one of those flourescope machines at the shoe store every chance I got, even though my parents yelled at me every time.  My feet grew mostly straight but glow somewhat.  HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!  My mercury laced fillings are still in good shape.

Looking at the map of the US and Canada every day for 6 years made me aware of geography although in somewhat of a distorted way.  Baffin Island in Northern Canada must have been huge I always thought until I looked at a globe.  How can it be that these young skulls full of mush can't find Florida on a map?  We should find that old Kensington Elementary School map and send it to them.  90% of what I ever needed to know was accomplished by the 6th grade.

Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

fred, i remember those machines you put your foot in, that was so neat, i forgot about them.who remembers if you took a bus trip into lakewood, you had to pay a extra nickle for crossing the bridge, that made the fair 15 cents,wow,also who remembers rr days down at the beach, they had all sorts of games, i remember one where you had to put your shoes in a big pile with every bodyelses , they blew the whistle, you had to find them, and put them on, i won, i got a big silver dollar, and then at night the fireworks were on the beach, wow, so much fun, and didnt cost anything.. we use to go to the beach everyday and swim, so much fun.