Linda Wilson Was a Friend of Mine

It was a sad day for me yesterday.  Got one of "those phone calls" that you always dread getting.  Mel Farina in Tennessee informed me that his wife, Linda, had passed away.

She was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and unfortunately, it finally won the battle.

Linda  always made me smile. Our history goes back to grade school days when we played together at recess.  Later, it was girl scout activities, being in the parade, lunches in the cafeteria, junior high dances, and high school memories.

She had four boys: Nicky, Tony, Jerry and Chris.  She had many jobs throughout her life; the last one was in Port Angeles with the Dept of Corrections in the felony probation office.

She married Mel in 2003 and about six years later, they relocated in Manchester, Tennessee.  Linda always tried to make every class reunion she could and her attendance always made the party better. I'm going to miss her -- a lot!

                                                         4th grade, Linda is in back, far right

                                                                  Junior High Days

                                                                         Always smiling

                                           Linda and Mel at one of our reunion parties

                                                2010 reunion. Linda in front in red jacket

                                  Looking at old pictures and remembering when....

                                                       2011 reunion in Port Ludlow

                               Linda posing with her son, brother, and husband

At the casino. We met whenever we could but none of us ever went home rich. Linda sitting in middle.

Recent Alumni photos

Jan Klockers Boutilier, Vice President of the PTHS Alumni Assn, is the official photographer for our organization. She also puts together our newsletter. Below are four photos taken June 14, 2014, at the Elks Club in Port Townsend.  Great job Jan!  As usual. (click on photos to enlarge)

Saying Goodbye to a classmate --Joe Kenney

The class of 1961 lost another classmate this week.  Joe Kenney was born June 23, 1943 and passed away May 15, 2014 in Neah Bay, WA.  He was a popular member of our class and below are a few memories submitted about him, along with a few pictures I've accumulated over the years.

 Joe is 2nd row on left.  This is his 1st grade class in Port Townsend

 Joe is 4th from the left in 2nd row. This is his 2nd grade class

 The first class I had with Joe --3rd grade. I'm 2nd from left, 2nd row. He's on far right, also 2nd row

 Our 20-year reunion in 1981 at Hadlock House. Joe is far right in back row

 Our 40-year reunion in 2001. Joe is guy on far left in the back.

                                               Joe in junior high school

                                                 Graduation picture 1961

                                       Picnic reunion at Port Ludlow-Bruce Chesterfield,Dave Marriott, Dave Worley, and Joe

                                         Picnic reunion at Port Townsend- Joe with Dave Worley, Gary Funston, and Jud Gammage

Reunion with Sharon Young, Karen Jovag, and John Ecker

Memories:

John Ecker:

I think it was 3 years ago this coming November my oldest son Matt and I hunted Elk in an area close to where Joe lived.  I called him a few months before the season and asked him if he would guide us and he agreed to do so.  We were together for 2 days.  During that time he talked about his life and his family.  Joe never had it easy.  I did enjoy our time together and we had planned to do it again the next year but circumstances prevented that from happening and last year I didn't hunt so never got to see him again. 

Let me add that I asked Joe about the "Redskin" name and his thoughts about changing it to something else.  He didn't want the name changed and reminded me the Neah Bay mascot name is the "Red Devils" and no one better tell them they needed to change it.   

Also as an added note to the story --we did not hunt on the reservation but we passed through it to get to where we were going.   When we brought Joe back to town at end of the day we stopped at his sons smoked salmon and jerky store.  The tribal police followed us in and went directly to Joe and asked him if he was hunting with white people and he said yes.  They told him tribal law restricted who he could hunt with and he could never hunt with someone using a state license.  They said they were considering taking his rifle and issuing him a large fine.  He later told me they never did. 

Gracia Feick Peone:

 He was my first crush

Rick Judy:

When I think of Joe I remember him as a really nice person who always seemed to have a positive outlook.  He was one of the first kids I hung out with on the playground when I moved to Port Townsend from little old Chimacum, making me feel better about my new surroundings.  He was athletic, somebody you really wanted on your side when we played foam dodge ball in P.E. with his quickness and dead aim.  He was one of only a couple of kids in P.E. that could scoot up the thirty foot rope in the gym and slap the beam with no apparent effort.

Dave Marriott:

I know there was a story in the Daily News some years ago, about Joe being a carver.  I think you may have sent it to me.  That is what encouraged me to talk to Joe prior to our 40th about his work as a carver and that I was interested in any pieces he was then working on.  At the party at Liz’s home on the Golf Course, I talked with Joe and he showed me a Pook mask he had done.  I bought it from him that day and it is hanging in my office as I write this.  I am proud to have a piece that Joe carved.  It will always give me fond memories of our days in high school and the special, gentle person he was. 

Sharon Sofie:

Tom Moss was bringing a friend's Grand Banks yacht, Her Way, back to Portland from Pender Harbor, BC, in September, 2011.   I was aboard.  We pulled into Port Townsend during the Wooden Boat Festival before continuing on to Port Angeles to fuel up before heading south to Portland.  Thanks to Tom, we docked in Neah Bay.  Tom and I walked from the marina to a fish shop owned and operated by Joe's brother (?) Kim or Kym.  I entered first and heard someone say, "There's my high school cheerleader, Sharon Sofie".  Joe was sitting on an ice chest full of salmon which was mostly sold during our visit.  His family was hospitable wanting to share.  Joe had amazing recall and we three shared wonderful school memories.  We enjoyed our afternoon visit and took photos before we left.    Joe was healthy and happy and that is how I will always remember him.  Joe was proud to be a PTHS Redskin as was his brother, Ron.   Rest in Peace, Bro, until we meet again!

Joe,Sharon,Tom at Neah Bay

Looking for IDs

If you click on each article/photo, I think it will enlarge for you.  Am especially interested in getting IDs on the kids in the snow picture.  It was taken by George Mccleary in PT, and for some reason, that house in the background looks familiar to me.  This was from a slide that Barbara McCleary had reprinted.

  1961 Leader article about the girls running for Queen.

class of 1962 at their 30th reunion in '92. Passing away since then: Fred Morton, Mel Wilkins, Patty Will, Joan Curtis, Dawn Hetrick, and Marilyn Bishop

 4-H float in 1956. Those I can recognize include Joan Curtis, Thelma Murray, Janet Redding, Barbara McCleary, Virginia Shaill, and Patty Grenbemer

 I sure wish I had a larger print of this photo as it's one of my favorites.  I recognize several kids--
 Sharon Bare, Dean Widner, Helen O'Neill, Gail Barrett, Shirley Wallace, Mike Hammers, Joe Nutsford.  It was taken at the Uptown during a Sat. matinee. I may even be there myself but not sure.

This is the photo that Barbara mcCleary is trying to ID. I don't recognize any of the kids but it must be from the late 40's from the looks of the cars.

Email me at cedarrose61@hotmail.com if you have any clues.  Thanks.

Are The Good Times Really Over for Good?

It's been a while since I posted on this alumni blog.  Read a story in the PT Leader this morning that got me ticked off (again) so thought I would post on my Town Kid blog as well as this one.  It's my way of venting...

Subject is the removal of Redskins as the PTHS sports emblem.

One of my favorite lines in a Merle Haggard song – I remember when Coke was a cola, and a joint was a bad place to be.  That’s kinda’ how I feel about my high school sports emblem, the PTHS REDSKINS, being “retired with honor and dignity."

Students, staff, the public, and alumni have all weighed in on this controversy.  Feelings run deep. The new names presented for selection are Redhawks, Riptides and Sasquatch.

 Athletic director Scott Wilson has been coordinating the student selection process and says that he wants to keep the students focused on student-generated names.

 "My job has been to facilitate discussion amongst the students, not to influence their decision. I've heard numerous suggestions from staff and the community but I didn't present those to the students; I wanted the students to think for themselves.”

Kids today are pretty savvy.  Generations change with the times, and I’d be the first to admit that my grandkids are way smarter than I was at their age. I was easily influenced as a teenager, and I’d follow the crowd to be a part of the crowd.  That’s just the way it is.

I like social media, for the most part.  I post on my blogs, public forums, and Facebook but you have to sift through a lot of garbage from time to time too.   Everyone’s entitled to their opinion and that’s okay.  What I don’t like is how the media manipulates public opinion.

They’re always on the lookout for something to make a mountain out of a molehill.  People delight in having a public voice, and before you know it, there’s a problem where none existed before.

 It’s fine to jump into the game and run with the ball when you feel the need to be heard. We've always been opinionated souls and I enjoy the company of people who want to debate. It makes life interesting.  My baby brother and I disagree on this Redskins subject, and while I respect his opinions, I certainly don’t agree with all of them.

I feel passionately about this particular subject because it’s trying to tarnish cherished memories of my youth.  At the ripe old age of 70, my opinions have changed on a lot of issues. Some things that people find offensive, I’ll just never understand.  And some things I will not apologize for not understanding.  It’s called thinking for yourself.  People often get themselves worked up into a frenzy when they’d be better off to work up a sense of humor.

All this hoo-haw about Redskins being a word we shouldn't use is just that (in my opinion) –HOO HAW!  On the other hand, a word we could all work on erasing from our vocabulary is the F word.  It’s everywhere – and yes, I've been known to use it on occasion.  I seem to be using it more all the time – perhaps because it’s become so commonplace in our movies, television, music, and books.

To me, Redskins doesn't refer to the skin color of Native Americans.  They aren't red-skinned anyhow.  Townsend Redskins means football games on Memorial Field under the lights. I’m in the bleachers with all my friends on one side of the field, while my dad and uncle sit on the other side under the covered bleachers. They played Redskin football in the 40’s and always looked forward to these Friday night games.  It means pep dances at the Rec Center with the football players coming in to bask in the glory of a hard-played match.  It means cute cheerleaders and song queens in red and white outfits with red and white pom poms leading us in cheers and songs at basketball games in the gym.  It means riding the bus for away games and cheering on the Redskins in towns that don’t like us. 

It means a bonfire before homecoming and a serpentine through town.  It means the band performing in our parades in May all wearing red uniforms and playing our favorite fight songs. It means pep rallies in the auditorium or gym with students supporting their home team with large banners they’ve painted proclaiming ‘Go Redskins’.  It means wearing little red beanies that say PEP and wearing a white blouse with a red Townsend button when you sit with the pep club and get there early to cheer on the B-Squad.  It means signing everyone’s yearbook at the end of the year, buying a class ring, wearing cap and gown with kids you've known all your life, and it means being proud of saying Port Townsend is where I went to high school. We were the Redskins.

the 1940's

                                                                         the 1960's