11/17/08     Bad Mailing Addresses or No Mailing Addresses:     On the 29th of October I sent out 130 letters to those of you for whom I thought I had a good mailing address; there were 200 others I have no address for at all.  It turns out that I was wrong on 22 of them so far.  They came back with notes that said things like, "Moved, left no address"; "Return to sender"; "Not at this address for the past 10 years"; and "No such number".  I need your help so I am going to list the names and see if you know where they are.  If they are in prison , witness protection, or hiding from a stalker, let those go.  Otherwise, email me (farrellneeley@aol.com) a good mailing address.  Here they are in no particular order: Patricia Duffel Jeffers, Dennis Mikles, Bill Owens, Carl Jeffries, Nancy Velasco Raymond, Rebecca Mize Beck, Thomas Dickey, Dwight Denney, James Bean, Gary Eden, Barbara Wilson Harl, Mary Espinoza Mendez, Barbara Tison Winklepeck, Brenda Ray Toler, Nedra Adams Marks, Cheryl David Cole, Richard Houston, Norma Navarro, Judy Black Ryan, Jana Montgomery Tingle, Kenneth Gaither, and Johnnie King.

11/10/08     Sherry Denise 'Gage' Handy:     Once again it's my sad duty to report on the death of another classmate that I have known since I was a kindergartener.  If you live in Kern County you likely saw the obituary, if not, Jeff Campbell was kind enough to send me the link for posting.  I have cut and pasted it below and here is the link also if your browser won't support the cut and paste job http://www.legacy.com/Link.asp?I=LS000119827195X.

Sherry Denise (Gage) Handy
1954 - 2008
Sherry Denise (Gage) Handy 1954 - 2008 Sherry Denise (Gage) Handy born on January 15, 1954, was released from her pain and went to be with her Lord and Savior on November 3, 2008. Sherry is survived by her daughter, Tracy Handy and boyfriend, Nko; sons, Russell Handy and wife, Kari, Jacob Handy and wife, Ali; three grandchildren, Davis, Makena and Kinsley; parents, Eva and Gene Gage; sister, Kathy Goehring and husband, Leo; brother, Tony Gage. She is also survived by her uncle and aunt, Felix and Sharon Emfinger; several nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends. She was a beautiful, loving, forgiving soul with great stamina and an enormous heart who was never afraid to speak her mind. A memorial service has been scheduled for Saturday, November 8th, 1:00 p.m., at First Assembly of God, 4901 California Ave., Bakersfield. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Cancer Society.

10/29/08     The Letters Are In The Mail:     I started mailing out information on the Class BBQ on the 26th and by the 28th a few of them had already come back due to some of you having moved.  I mailed out 130 pieces because that was all of the addresses I could get from all of the sources I could call on.  I know there are at least 170 more classmates I don't have addresses for.  If you are reading this and you didn't get one, I don't have a mailing address for you.  If you want to be added to future mailings, email me at farrellneeley@aol.com and I will put you on the list.

10/12/08     I Need A Current Mailing Address:     Next week I will begin mailing out information on the Class BBQ we are planning for next May 9th.  I have about 60 'good' addresses that I have accumulated over the past five years.  No doubt, some of them are no longer good and some of you have been paroled by now anyway.  My point is that I would love to have a mailing address and I would be glad to send you information; I promise not to solicit any of you for business purposes, personal loans, or general perversity.  Email them to me at farrellneeley@aol.com

10/12/08     Alumni Golf Tournament:     It was great to see class of 1972 classmates at the annual alumni golf tournament last Saturday out at the Sycamore Canyon Golf Course.  Cyndy Blankenship, Jeff Campbell, James Williams, and I all did our best to represent you.  I'm not saying that any of us produced great golf, but I am saying that we didn't misbehave so badly that the class reputation was besmirched either.  We raised about $10,000 for scholarships for AHS students for next year.  The other big news is that going forward the golf tournament will be known as The Frank Barle Memorial in honor of Mr. Barle and in recognition of both his contributions and his passing this last year.

09/21/08     May 9, 2009, Woody, CA:     I drove through Woody, CA today to drop in on John Culbertson to confirm that we are on for a get together of the AHS Class of 1972 at his place on Saturday, May 9, 2009.  John was gracious as always and showed me his picturesque 25 acre spread.  It has a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains and fits naturally into the rustic setting filled with granite outcroppings, Blue Oaks, and Digger Pines.  We both agreed that we'd have no problem handling 100+ people for a dinner and if we need overflow the Woody Community Hall is just a stone's throw away from John's place.  I will be getting more details out to all of you in the coming months.  In the mean time, WRITE DOWN THE DATE, and then don't plan anything else that will interfere.  If you think I don't have your mailing address, send me an email at farrellneeley@aol.com so I can mail you information.  WATCH THESE PAGES FOR UPDATES...

09/10/08     Charlotte 'Carroll' Burkhead:     I am truly saddened to report the death of our classmate Charlotte Carroll.  Like many of you, I knew Charlotte ever since we were little kids in grade school.  I ran into her at Albertsons on Chester Avenue about three years ago and talked with her in the parking lot; just catching up on life.  Despite the fact that she admitted some health issues, she was upbeat, thrilled with her kids and grandkids,  and as pleasant as ever.  Our hearts go out the Sherman and her kids, grandkids, and family.  The link below will take you to her obituary...Services are Friday at 10 a.m. at the Arvin Cemetery.

http://www.legacy.com/Link.asp?I=LS000117208996X

09/08/08    AHS Men's & Women's Golf Team:    Over recent months a few of the alumni have gotten to know the coaches of the men's and women's golf teams at Arvin.  Coach Diane Batchel is overseeing the women's team and Coach Francisco Morales is overseeing the men's team.  I raise this issue because the programs can use some help.  To that end, things like clubs, bags, gloves, shoes, visors, blouses, shorts, and so forth are always in demand and always in short supply.  James 'Weasel' Williams and I recently put on a drive for the girls team to acquire six new sets of clubs and an equal number of used sets for practice and non-travel team members; in the spring we plan to take the same approach with the men's team.  Right now they still need one more new set of ladies clubs and two more used sets of ladies clubs.  They can also use new visors, blouses, gloves, etc.  IF YOU WANT TO DONATE contact jwilliams42@bak.rr.com or farrellneeley@aol.com to arrange for local pickup or purchase and delivery... Coach Batchel can be contacted through diane_batchel@khsd.k12.ca.us and Coach Morales can be contacted at francisco_morales@khsd.k12.ca.us.  I have to believe that there is at least two or three of you who could help them out.  These kids are just like you were at that age and many of you would never have been able to afford the things it took to play golf; that's why you didn't take the game up until you were 35.  Donate today... 

09/05/08     Class of 1972's Newest Grandson:     I almost forgot to list an important event in my life this past week.  I get so caught up in entering 'class news' that I forget I am part of the class.  On Tuesday night Farrell Neeley (Class of 1972) and Sheree 'Ambrose' 'Neeley' Edwards (Class of 1973) became grandparents again for the fourth time.  Our youngest daughter, Rachel 'Neeley' Hollis' gave birth to her second son, Sawyer Neeley Hollis.  Sawyer weighed in at 6lbs-11oz and was 19" long.  He is greeted at home by his older brother Jackson Cage Hollis.  Mother and baby are doing fine at home in Glendale.  I'll post some pictures when I get a good one where he looks like our side of the family...        

July 30, 2008     Loyd Shires:     When I ran into Mr. Shires at the 2007 Homecoming game, I noticed he looked older, but so did all of us.  It never occurred to me as we stood talking about Arvin High School back in the 1970's that this would be the last time I ever saw him.  Mike Bhone sent out an email alerting many of us to the passing of Loyd Shires on Wednesday, July 30, 2008.  The email noted that the funeral is on Monday at 10:00 a.m. at Greenlawn.  I have no other details at this time, but I'm sure there will be an obituary in The Bakersfield Californian any day.  I will try to post it at that time.

David James "Chuncky" Michael
1954 - 2008
David James Michael "Chuncky" Nov. 18, 1954 - July 12, 2008 Chapel services will be held for David James Michael on Friday, July, 18th, at 2:00 p.m., at Greenlawn on River Blvd. for David who passed away on Sunday, July 12, 2008, in Los Angeles. David was born in Bakersfield on November 18, 1954 to Michael J. Michael and Retha Michael. He is preceded in death by his father, Michael J. Michael and mother, Retha Jo Michael. He is survived by his daughter and son- in-law Ashleigh and Rick Hardy; son, Travis J. Michael, brother and sister- in-law, Steve and Brenda Michael; and his grandson, Braxxton James Hardy. He is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. David attended Arvin High School and graduated in 1972 and shortly after joined the Army and served overseas in Germany for one year. He worked in the trucking business for many years, working for his father at M.J. Michael Trucking and later owning his own business David Michael Trucking. He had a great love for riding Harley Davidson motorcycles and was a member of the HOGS. After a paralyzing accident in 2001 he became an advocate for people with his same condition. He loved the Lord and now has a perfect body once again. A special thanks to the team of the doctors at Northridge Hospital and West Hills Medical Center for all that they did in keeping him as comfortable in his last fight for this past year. Also, Thank You to Jerry Parks for all of the visits and prayers and officiating his service. "Dad we are so proud of you and it is not goodbye, it's I will see you later." We love you and miss you terribly. We will all see you again.

 

07/15/08     Lunch at Famous Dave's:     Last Friday Gary Luckett invited me to lunch at the new Famous Dave's BBQ joint over on Rosedale Highway.  Gary runs Cal Bean these days and rarely gets time off at this point in the year, so when I asked, he said he'd worked for six weeks without a day off and decided to take one.  At any rate the food was really good and it was good to catch up.  With men, if their kids are not in jail and they're working steady, there is not much more to say on that issue, so we talked about work, politics, religion, and the price of diesel.  All in all, I had a great time and hope Gary did too.  It occurs to me that if any of the rest of you invite me to lunch, I would be willing to write nice things about you too.  As I get older I grow increasingly shameless...

07/10/08     In Case You Were Wondering:     I work from home a lot of the time and try to get my day completed by noon whenever I can.  This leaves me time for important things like cruising through The Goodwill stores and browsing for bargains at Wal-Mart.  Since it was 111 degrees here today, I tried to make an afternoon of it in Bakersfield and hit the car wash and Costco for good measure.  To get to my original point, I ran into TOM SHELTON'S mom at Wal-Mart.  Tom and Rebecca are well and living in Pasco, Washington.  I knew they were in Washington, but didn't know the town.          

07/01/08     7th Annual AHAA Golf Tournament:     On October 4th the AHAA will sponsor its 7th annual alumni golf tournament.  If you golf, you should enter a team.  If you don't golf, you should come out any way and catch up with some of the 200+ other alumni that will be milling around the Sycamore Canyon Golf Course that morning.  The entry form is available here...                        

06/30/08     Save The Date Now:     Each year several of us from the Class of 1972 get together informally and each year I have people from the Class of 1972 tell me they would have come too if they had known far enough in advance to save the date.  So here's the deal...We will be getting together again in 2009 for a BBQ, sitting around with old friends, catching up, and whatever else we can come up with between now and then.  The tentative date is May 9, 2009.  The location is John Culbertson's Place in Woody, CA.  I will be mailing out information to everyone I have good addresses for.  But in the interim, write down that date and set it aside for a nice afternoon and evening in Woody... Be watching the mail in late July or early August with the details...

06/15/08     Jimmie Langston ...Alive & Well:     "...A friend sent me the link to the “Where Are They Now' site.  It shows my LKL as Nipomo, CA.  I moved from there to Seattle, WA for two years and just recently moved back to Shell Beach, California."

06/10/08     Cynthia 'Duffell' Chunn:     Sent a nice email with a bunch of good information on where people are and what they're doing.  I really appreciate this kind of email because its what makes a web site like this worth doing.  Today I made updates on the pages for locations, emails, and for several class of 72' classmates.  Patty & Gary Jeffers are now living in Round Mountain, Nevada.  Rebecca 'Mize' Beck is now back in Bakersfield, CA.  If any of you readers have class of 1972 information, send it my way so we can get it posted....Locations and email addresses (with the owner's permission) are appreciated.  If anybody is in 'witness protection' don't send me their location.  farrellneeley@aol.com

06/03/08    The Passing of an Arvin High School Icon:     

05/21/08     Wendy 'Reiswig' Bailey Writes:     "I'm looking for a current address for Karen Flescher. My brother Randy called me a couple of months ago with the news that she is now up in Washington State, not too far from a house and boat we own up there. Of course, I wrote down her new last name and number on.....something.....which I can't find anymore.  I'm going up in July and would love to see her.  I think she's living in Friday Harbor, which is where we'll be, staying on Neil Young's boat, Ragland. (not with Neil, however, lol!)

ANYBODY who has any kind of contact for her- I would love to hear from.  kbailey@mcn.org  Things are cool here.  We took a family trip to Tahiti in February to the remote island of Huahine- population 5600. It was great- did not see a Barbie doll or photo of Paris Hilton the whole time.  The island was great: re-entry into the real world kind of sucked, though."
 

03/23/08    7th Annual Alumni Golf Tournament:     The date has been set and the applications will start coming in almost immediately for this annual event.  It has sold out early for the past two years, so if you want to field a team, get your name in the hat early.  We need more representation by members of the Class of 1972, so if you are a golfer or an outright hacker, it's a shotgun format and if even one of your team can play golf, you have a chance.  For more information or a entry form, check out the alumni website at www.arvinalumni.org today..........

03/12/08     Inaugural Rocky Handy Scholarship:     On Thursday evening, May 15, 2008, the very first Rocky Handy Memorial Scholarship is set to be handed out at the annual scholarship awards ceremony at the Jack Schultze auditorium in Arvin, California.  Members of the Handy Family and our own James 'Weasel' Williams are going to be on hand to present this first award.  The scholarship was endowed to fund at an annual level of $600, but in memory of the recent passing of Rocky's father, Fayez Handy, generous donors have boosted that to $1,000 for this first recipient.  The Arvin High Alumni Association (AHAA) reports a total of 83 applicants in all categories with as many as 20 scholarships from the AHAA up for award.  Check back on this web site for the latest details...

03/09/08     Jeff Campbell Writes:     I moved from Colorado and my family is at our house in Wickenburg, AZ.  I am only able to be home with them on the weekends now.  I am working for Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold Morenci Operations (formerly Phelps/Dodge) in Morenci, AZ.  I returned to work for them after they approached me and offered to bring me back as their Chief Environmental Engineer.  There is a warmer climate here than in Colorado and I can golf and team rope year 'round here.  The pitfall is that I travel 5 hours on Monday morning and repeat the travel again on Friday night.  At least the drive to Arvin this year for the Alumni Golf Tournament will be shorter...Later, Jeff   

02/07/08     Web Spoof Attacks:     During the last 24 hours our Sister site at arvinalumni.org has experienced a web spoof attack where scammers send emails using the website address as their source for thousands of emails.  Essentially, you would get an email that might say sal.johnson@arvinalumni.org.  The point of the effort is to send thousands of emails with the hope that at least some got through.  These emails would contain offers for drugs like Cialis, Viagra, and Extendz.  There are others that offer software, dating services, and degrees by mail.  In any case, you are smart folks (you survived AHS after all) and you get the picture.  If we send you anything you will recognize it by its "mundane nature and low-profit potential".  If any of you ordered Cialis, Viagra, or Extendz, let me know how it worked...If you can buy a doctorate for less than 72K and four years of advanced study, let me know about that too.

01/22/08     Rumor Has It:    I heard through the grapevine that Jeff Campbell has left Colorado and returned to sunnier climes.  At last word, he was either headed for Arizona or New Mexico to work for another mining company.  A decade ago, when I had a real job, Jeff was an environmental engineer for a potassium mining company near Carlsbad, New Mexico and I used to buy chemicals from them.  It gave me an excuse to hunt him up and take my kids to the caverns.  If anybody knows for sure where he landed, let me know and I'll post the info here...

01/22/08     Our 1,000th Hit:     In case you didn't notice it, we received our 1,000th hit on this website over the weekend.  Since launching the Class of 1972 website in September of 2007, we average about 10 hits on the site each day.  My goal has never been to have a million hits; my goal has been to have a medium for the AHS Class of 1972 to keep in touch.  You can help out by telling everyone you know about this website and getting them to check it out and send me information.  I need names, addresses, emails, pictures, and life updates to keep the site fresh.  I could make it all up, but that would be too easy!!!!!

01/21/08     In The Mail:     I received an email this week from Marion King (Class of 1972) saying he had seen the various Arvin High websites (e.g., AHS, AHAA, Class of 58, Class of 60, and Class of 72) and just wanted everyone to know that he was alive and doing fine.  Marion says he has been driving a truck in the Bakersfield area for the past 30 years with a locally based hazardous materials company.    

01/06/08     Help Me Solve A Mystery:     For years now I have been trying to confirm or deny the story that Ricky 'Rick' Tabalanza (Class of 1972) is deceased.  I have heard from a number of people that they "...heard a rumor" that he was dead more than 30 years ago, but no one is going on record confirming he is dead.  When I was talking with Sharrell 'Heath' Levingston (Class of 1972) the other day, she could only offer the same rumor, and she used to run in the same crowd with Rick.  Here's the problem I have, if Rick is in fact dead, we have failed to note it or memorialize him here or on the Arvin Alumni website.  I figured some of you might be able to say with certainty, one way or the other.  Drop me a line farrellneeley@aol.com    

01/05/08     While I was Out & About:     I ran into Sharrell 'Heath' Levingston (Class of 1972).  Sharrell still lives in Bakersfield and is the proud mother of four kids; I met her youngest daughter while Sharrell and I were standing there in the aisle of the retail store chatting.  Sharrell shared the sad new that her brother Gerald Heath (Class of 1971) had passed on last year, but she was also excited about being able to share that she will be a grandmother for the first time soon.

01/01/08     How Are We Doing:     When I launched this website in September, I wasn't sure how it would be received or who would even notice.  Since that time we have averaged about 9 hits per day and I've heard from a lot of AHS Class of 1972 classmates; the renewed contact alone has made it worthwhile.  In the coming months I will continue to work to improve the content, but I do need your help with email addresses, news of coming events, birthdays, anniversaries, births, deaths, marriages, and so forth.  Without content, any website will grow stale.  So, if you have anything to share about the AHS Class of 1972, and its not something that will get me sued for defamation, email it to farrellneeley@aol.com and I will post it here.

01/01/08     Belated Happy Birthday:     One of the few classmates that I can remember a Birthday for is Gary Luckett.  Gary celebrates his birthday each year on New Year's Eve.  I almost always call his house near midnight to wish him a happy birthday and wake him up; I know he appreciates my thoughtfulness.  This year, age got the better of me and I called early and went to bed by 10 p.m.

01/01/08     Happy New Year:     I was away from my desk and haven't updated the site for about two weeks due to the Christmas Holiday.  I spent time with friends and family in different parts of the state and had an all-in-all great holiday.  In recognition of my effort to recapture any ability I ever had to play golf so I can participate in the upcoming Arvin High Alumni Association Golf Tournament, my friends and family all bought me golf related paraphernalia.  I now have a great selection of golf balls, golf towels, golf tees, and divot tools. 

12/15/07      Rocky Handy Memorial Scholarship Fund:     On Wednesday night, December 12, 2007, the Board of Directors of the Arvin High Alumni Association voted to place $13,000 in funds from the Rocky Handy Memorial Scholarship Fund into a 120-day Certificate of Deposit (CD) with the Bank of America at a rate of 4.85%.  The AHAA also placed $17,000 of the AHAA funds into the same 120-day CD.  The funds will begin to build returns that can be provided to deserving students in the months ahead in the form of scholarships.  This signals the beginning of a new era for the work to 'leverage' donations from various sources to meet the stated goals of the organization.  The RHMSF is well served as is the AHAA General Fund...Well done!!! 

12/12/07     AHAA Monthly Meeting:     If you wonder why the monthly alumni meeting is listed here, it's because we are laying down the ground rules for the Rocky Handy Memorial Scholarship at this meeting and who its future recipients will be.  I am looking forward to our getting this all dialed in so we can focus now on completing the endowment and making the first award...I'll have details here in a couple of days.  Or, better yet, show up for the meeting Wednesday night at El Pueblo in Lamont, CA at 6:30p...

12/03/07     Rocky Handy Memorial Scholarship Fund Update:     Thanks to a couple of generous Class of 1972 donors, the fund grew by $550 over the past couple of weeks.  This brings our current total to $12,825.  I just want to remind all of you that donations of any amount are appreciated and will help put us over the top in our efforts.  Donations should be sent to: AHAA, P.O. Box 272, Arvin, CA, 93203.  Be sure to write RHMSF in the memo line so it gets properly credited...

11/28/07     Moving To Papa:     If I had known how much fun grandkids would be, I would never have had 'any' children and would have instead moved straight to the designation 'Papa' versus 'Daddy'.  My grandkids actually look forward to seeing me and relish the 'wisdom' that the years have brought me.  My kids on the other hand were always sure I didn't know anything and I in their minds I was clearly 'not with it'.  The grandkids email and call me on the phone, but to talk to my children, I have to leave a message on their Blackberry or speak with their executive assistant.  The grandkids are thrilled when I give them a $20; the kids have talked with me seriously about estate planning and if they can count on me when I die for enough for those vacation homes in Mexico, Italy, or Oklahoma.  In short, grandkids are the kids I always wanted.  On the other hand, my daughters assure me that 'Papa' is the 'Daddy' they always wanted and never had...Go figure...

11/26/07    Back In The Saddle Again:    I was away for about a week visiting with my oldest daughter Christina (Class of 1992) and two of my semi-beautiful grandchildren.  I am wading through about 23 emails from this site or the AHAA site and will respond to them as quick as I can.  Most of them have relevant alumni info that I will be posting, one of them wanted to know if it's true that Jimmy Hoffa may be in the foundation of the Arvin High School cafeteria expansion, and another wrote offering me various forms of medically-based anatomical assistance (I think an ex-girlfriend is behind that one).  In any case, I will get it all sorted out by week's end...I hope you had a great holiday...   

11/19/07     On The Road Again:     I will be absent from these pages for the next seven days, so please be patient with reruns until I return.  I will have email access, so feel free to write, but I do not have the program I update the web site with on my laptop and even if I did, the little hotel I stay at in Southern Oregon hasn't joined the 21st Century in terms of high-speed Internet access or being 'pet-friendly'.  I am spending a few days with my oldest daughter, son-in-law, and two of my grandkids.  I plan to look up an old AHS classmate or two as I travel up and down the Golden State as well.  Be on the lookout for me...Please have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving and tune back in on the 26th for updates...Farrell

11/16/07     Back From The Dead:     Many times I am writing here about how another one of our classmates has passed on.  This time is different because I am writing about one of our classmates (who was incorrectly listed as dead) contacting me and wondering if I knew something he didn't...SAMMY CORRAL contacted me today and we had a nice chat.  I kept listening to the voice, to be sure someone wasn't pulling my leg, but it was Sammy alright.  Sammy lives in Bakersfield and works as a Facilities Manager.  He wants all of you to know that he is still alive, doing well, and living in Bakersfield.  I looked back at my support documents and the error crept in from an old reunion mailing contact list that had Sammy's name, no address, and the word 'deceased' next to it.  I promised to buy Sammy a cup of coffee soon and he forgave me for killing him off prematurely...If any of the rest of you have been listed as deceased and are not...Please contact me so I can resurrect you ASAP!

11/15/07     Dropping The Ball:     Back on October 23rd I noted that I had received an email from Wendy 'Reiswig' Bailey and I promised to post a piece on what she had to say.  I just noticed today that I haven't posted anything about that email yet... Sorry Wendy...Wendy is a successful artist living on the Northern California coast with her contractor husband.  I remember from her email that she has had several successful shows, but she seemed most excited about the one daughter she still has at home; ballet is that daughter's passion and Wendy is her 'costumer' and main fan at this point.  Wendy said she doesn't hear from many people from Arvin other than her brother Randy (Class of 1970) and Margaret 'Mahoney' Dietsch (Class of 1972).  Wendy can be emailed at kbailey@mcn.org Thanks for taking the time to touch base Wendy...

11/09/07     Months On Down The Road:   When I launched this website two months ago, I entered the names of all the staff (i.e., administrators, cooks, custodians, nurses, secretaries, teachers, teacher aides, etc.) who were listed in the 69', 70', 71', and 72' Praeteritas.  In some cases I have first initials and last names because I did not know the names, so if you can help out with names, send me an email farrellneeley@aol.com. 

11/09/07     Looking For News     I am reminded of that old Johnny Lee song, "looking for Love" when I start hunting around for updates on Class of 1972 members...Sometime I get information that I can't print; sometimes I get information that I could print, but am ashamed too; and sometimes I hear things that are so sad I choose not to pass them along.  I pass along the best; you will have to imagine the others.  We have classmates who are living the lifestyles of the Rich & Famous and we have classmates who are almost Homeless.  We have classmates who are the picture of health and we have classmates who are struggling with mental and or physical challenges that would test Job...We have classmates who embody the American Dream and we have classmates in Lockup doing hard time.  In short, we are a microcosm of humanity, which, by the way, is what I see in every other class that graduated from AHS.  After all, as the AHAA Webmaster, I hear from classmates from the last 58+ years...  

11/06/07   Millie Jo Collins:  Millie sent an email today asking about Jackie Cissne?  Do any of you know what became of her?  Millie also mentioned wondering about ..."...Other classmates who were good friends of mine include Julie Wernli, Marsha Leonard, Angela Ojeda, Ronnie Newton, Dwight Denney, David and Ron Frick, David Worley, Jackie Cissne and many others. If you have information on their whereabouts, contact Millie at mjcvalleygirl@hotmail.com
 

11/06/07   Renewing Old Acquaintances:     I got the chance yesterday to spend about a twenty minutes on the phone with Cleatus 'Clete' Doyal (Class of 1972).  Some of you may even recall him as 'Skeeter'.  In any event, today he is the Senior Pastor of First Christian Church of Santa Maria.  Clete and I lived in houses that shared a common back fence when we were boys and we grew up in the same south side of Lamont neighborhood.  His mother was active in the church I attended as a young man.  Clete tells me that his wife Bonnie is still putting up with him after 34 years; they have three great kids and one granddaughter.  If any of you want to see what he's up to, the church web site is www.fccsantamaria.org His email is clete.doyal@fccsantamaria.org

10/26/07    Recalled In Passing:    In going back over the week's obituaries in The Bakersfield Californian, I noticed the obituary of one of my grade-school friends and fellow Class of 1972 classmates.  Linda Marie Denny (Class of 1972) passed away this week in Bakersfield, CA.  I note the middle name because we had two Linda Dennys in the Class of 1972.  Linda was a sweet girl and always treated people well.  Her obit notes that these were traits she carried throughout her life.  RIP Linda...

10/24/07     Catching Up:     I got a nice email from Millie Collins this week.  She is now living in Ash Flat, Arkansas (you can't make names that good up) and still has fond memories of her years in Arvin.  I had her listed as Millie Joe Collins and she tells me it is actually Jo and not Joe.  I can only say that among illiterate Okies, we are happy to get close to a spelling and since my brothers name was Billy Joe, and I knew how to spell it, I figured that would work.  I got it corrected now, I think, and I enjoyed hearing from Millie...By the way, Millie had a great John Culbertson story, but since it could be interpreted as both a tort and a crime, depending on how you want to prosecute it, I will not post it until John tells me that the statute has run out on it.  Millie is at mjcvalleygirl@hotmail.com if you want to make contact...

10/23/07       I Promise:      I received a couple of really great emails from Wendy 'Reiswig' Bailey and Millie Collins.  I promise to get them posted in the next couple of days.  I had a hard-drive crash last week (never buy HP products anymore) on one of my PCs and then I was off to school in Sacramento for four days, so I am behind on posting...I am slow but I am steady and I work cheap...

10/14/07     In The Class of 72' Family:     I will be posting more detailed information in the coming weeks, but I wanted to keep the details in the 'Class of 1972 Family' until we get the final 'boil down' on the Rocky Handy Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser held last night at the home of Mr. & Mrs. James (Weasel) Williams.  Many of you were in attendance and "...a good time was had by all..."  The initial count showed we raised a little more than $10,000 toward our goal of $15,000 to 'endow' a scholarship in Rocky's name.  We have promises of additional money that will come in by year's end that should take us above $12,500.  We also have a number of annual pledges that run through 2012.  Beginning in the Spring of 2008, the Handy Family will be selecting some 'soon to be' Arvin High graduate to receive the "1st Annual Rocky Handy Memorial Scholarship".  Due to the endowed nature of the scholarship, this annual award will be perpetual and will outlive us all!!!  You guys did a great job.  If you want to make a donation, checks can be sent to the Arvin High Alumni Association (AHAA) with the words 'Rocky Handy' in the memo line on the check.  All donations are tax deductible...contact me farrellneeley@aol.com for mailing details.

10/14/07    In His Own Words:    "My name is Gary L. Carnahan and I graduated from AHS (Class of 1965).  I live in Carson City, NV.  I just wanted to let you know that Herb Allen (listed under cooks and custodians) and Margaret Allen (listed under secretaries) on the staff web page in the Class of 1972 web site, are both deceased.  Their daughter, Linda Allen-Baier (Class of 1965) with whom I am in contact, currently lives in Alexandria, VA.  She can verify this information if necessary.  Her email address is: drbaier@cox.net.  I would appreciate it if you would update their status on the website.".........................Thanks Gary...

09/28/07     Biography Page Updates:     I finally finished the first run through of trying to list names and Last Known Locations (LKL) of members of the AHS Class of 1972.  (1)  I already know that the list is missing some folks.  (2) I already know that some of the LKLs listed may be outdated.  (3)  I already suspect that some of the folks listed may already be deceased.  The only way the information can be more accurate is if you send me updates.  HELP!!! farrellneeley@aol.com  

09/26/07     Now It Can Be Told:     James Williams, John Culbertson, and yours truly got together for a cup of coffee last week...It turned into breakfast and four hours of conversation before we all went our separate ways about 1 p.m.  James, John, and I hadn't been in the same room together since the 20th reunion back in 1992.  It isn't that we don't get along....it's that we are always too busy to get together.  James and I have been making a point of trying to 'make' the time to visit with old friends because we got tired of only seeing them at funerals.  Why not resolve today to take the time to get together with some of your old classmates...even if it's just for a cup of coffee???

09/23/07     Class of 1972 Out in Force:   Out for Saturday's Golf Tournament from the Class of 1972 were some old familiar names and faces...Mike Abapo, Cyndy Blankenship, Jeff Campbell, Bobby Johnson, Steve Hallum, and Farrell Neeley.  Only four members of the Class of 1972 were golfing (Abapo, Campbell, Hallum, and Johnson) and the other two of us were 'working' the event as they say in the biz.  We have got to get more Class of 1972 Golfers out next year....By the way, it was great to see all of you...  Cyndy was the only one of us who hadn't gotten old and ugly. 

By the way, if I missed seeing any of you, forgive me...I was judging a 'closest to the hole' competition on the 17th hole and only got back to the clubhouse for the last couple of hours. 

Jeff Campbell told me that he had been on the road for 16 hours in order to get there from Clifton, Colorado...he pulled over and slept three hours on the way.  Now that's dedication...

09/23/07     Alive & Fine:     I never know who looks at the web page unless they drop me a line...I was just thinking about Steve Floyd last week when I was entering names in the bio page and not two hours later he dropped me an email...I'll call it coincidence, but who knows...At any rate, Steve says he looks at the web sites we have for AHS and wanted other alumni who do the same thing to know that he is alive, living in Bakersfield, and has email.   sunset68@hotmail.com  (Steve, thanks for the nice words and for dropping me a line...)

09/20/07     SOLD OUT:     The Arvin High Alumni Association Golf Tournament is officially SOLD OUT...If you didn't sign up, you can still come out and be part of the Gallery this Saturday.  There should be 150+ alumni out on the links in one capacity or another...Bring your rain gear just in case.....

09/17/07     Locale Update:     Jeff Campbell just emailed to say he is in Clifton, Colorado.  I couldn't remember what town he lived in up in Colorado when I posted the biography data.  He assures me it's Clifton...Thanks for the update Jeff.

09/14/07     AHAA Golf Tournament:     There is still time to get a foursome into the Arvin High Alumni Association Golf Tournament scheduled for Saturday, September 22, 2007 at the Sycamore Canyon Golf Course.  At this late date you need to contact Jim Young jyoung2@bak.rr.com, Calvin Meek at 661-845-0167, or Larry Hallum lhallum2003@yahoo.com directly to get your name on the list.  There is still room for four more foursomes at last report.  All proceeds go the Arvin High Alumni Association to support Arvin High School and it's many fine programs (mainly academic scholarships).

09/13/07     A Little Help From My Friends:    The Beatles said that this is what it took to 'get by'.  I need your help to fill in the biographies page.  Right now I am listing (I am through the G's) the last known location of every member of the AHS Class of 72' that I can find.  There are a lot that I can't find or the information I have is in question...Send me an email and help me fill in the blanks about where you are or where you old running mates made off to.  If you can provide a current location (...unless you or they are in hiding or witness protection), email me at farrellneeley@aol.com

09/09/07     Andrew Hughes:    I received information this past week that Andrew Hughes had passed away in Oklahoma City, in 2004.  Many of you, as I did, had him for Freshman English in 68'-69'.  We learned the term 'sub-human' from him, which he used to describe how he felt about the some of the local community and some of the students.  He also helped some of us understand literature, art, theatre, and that there was a life beyond the South San Joaquin Valley; RIP Andrew!

09/04/07     Staff Page Updates:  Tonight I entered the names of all the staff (i.e., administrators, cooks, custodians, nurses, secretaries, teachers, teacher aides, etc.)  who were listed in the 69', 70', 71', and 72' Praeteritas.  In some cases I have first initials and last names because I did not know the names, so if you can help out with names, send me an email farrellneeley@aol.com.  I will scan in the pictures at a later date, right now I have tons of written material to enter first and I type very slow.