WC FLORIDA REUNION PLANNED

THIS JUST IN....The WeCaTon News Report is now sent by email to over 300 W.C. grads and friends!

Let's get updated on our upcoming events, shall we? We are booked for the clubhouse of Windover Condo- miniums in Orlando, Florida, for the Second Annual WC Florida Spring Fest on April 3, 2005.

It would take me forever and ever to describe to all of you the great fun we had last year, at this event. It started as sort of a fluke, due to the realization that so many WC folks live down here in Florida. We expected we'd gather up about 10-15 people from the surrounding counties and just have ourselves a good, ol' time. Well, I was HALF-right! We sure did have ourselves a good, ol' time. But the number of people who attended was spectacular. I'll bet there were about 40 of us. The best part was, about 10-12 of those people came all the way from Ohio, JUST for that event.

It's a great time of year to be in Florida, if you don't live here already, and a welcome respite from the northern winter. We already have several non-Florida residents who are planning to attend, I'm happy to report.

Just as last year, our hostess will be 1960's JOANN K. STEMLEY, a condo owner there. So listen, if you were there last year, make SURE you're there THIS year, and make sure you bring along another person this time. Do NOT miss this event! Plan for it NOW! With the terribly sad occurrences we had in January, the point should be brought home, without my saying it again, right? Do NOT miss our WC events. We DON'T have the option any longer of saying we'll, "go next year."

Our crown jewel event, as I'm so fond of calling it, is the annual WC alumni dinner/dance, which is held each year on the second Saturday of October. Another thing I'm so fond of saying is that it seems always to be held on the grounds of a hotel which is located in Miamisburg, our "arch enemy." Ha! I unfailingly travel up from Florida for this event. Make sure YOU travel from wherever YOU are, in order to also attend this event. I'm simply amazed and befuddled (and TERRIBLY disappointed) by those who live right there in Montgomery County, yet make no effort to be there. If you live ANYwhere in Ohio, and you aren't there, then shame on you!! You need to make this event a habit. We also have the Frisch's Frolic on the previous night and I'll bet we had a hundred people or more who were there at the Moraine City Frisch's, just this past October. Again, it was a great time, and not to be missed. All events (as well as this bulletin) are for ALL our WC people, regardless of the class year and regardless of whether or not you actually graduated. Just be there!!

As you all know, we suffered a devastating January, with the loss of no less than 5 WC alumni. Those, of course, are just the ones of which we are actually aware.
They are, as follows: MARIANNE LOGAN, Class of 1988 (we think), due to cancer; RONNIE L. GREENE, Class of 1957, so-far-unknown cause); DAVID LEE MICHAEL, Class of 1958, complications suffered during a surgery relative to heart and respiratory; LAWRENCE EUGENE ZINK, Class of 1960, liver failure: JUDY RAE LINDSEY, Class of 1957, cancer.

To be added to The WeCaTon News Report send a request to Bonnie Risner Miller '60 at wlcmctr@bellsouth.net

Basketball Team Ranked First Time Ever.

I read in the Dayton Daily News online that West Carrollton has NEVER been ranked this high before. They are ranked first in their local division and 4th in Division I Rankings... Way to go...PIRATES!


DIVISION I Rankings...
1. Centerville (13-2): Elks on seven-game winning streak, including 65-60 decision over Spg. South.
2. Spg. South (15-1): Nate Miller went over 1,000 points for career in 78-65 win over Trotwood-Madison.
3. Springboro (13-1): Panthers ended West Carrollton's 13-game winning streak, 65-41.4.
4. West Carrollton (13-1): Pirates hope to get new streak going at Franklin. (they won 67 - 47 so they are 14-1)
5. Beavercreek (14-3): Mike Howell made big free throws in 65-60 win over Fairmont.Tournament Brackets

DAYTON II UPPER BRACKET (At Wright State)
Tuesday, Feb. 15
West Carrollton (seeded 6) vs. Springfield North

Wednesday, Feb. 16 —
Fairborn vs. Sidney Tuesday,

Feb. 22 —
Troy vs. West Carrollton/Springfield North winner . — Beavercreek (4) vs. Fairborn/Sidney winnerMonday,

Feb. 28 . — Sectional final

I I I I I I 'm FIFTY!

So has anyone seen the Saturday Night Live sketch where the old lady is running around saying ... I I I I I I I I 'm FIFTY!

Oh gosh, can you believe it? Our class is turning FIFTY this year (and some of us actually did in 2004 but I won't go there except that I got some emails from Patty Fogt and others teasing me that I was so old thanks to my lovely sister that told EVERYONE but I'm off topic)!!!

So my question is how are you going to celebrate? Any special plans or do you intend to put a cool compress on your head, turn down the lights and forget the birthday this year. My dear little sister, bless her heart, decided MONTHS in advance to start sending me a "50" birthday card. For Weeks I received these little digs and special notations that she is 5 years younger... Her day will come! :)

From now on, I think I shall go backwards... Next year it's 49 again, OR maybe I'll switch the numbers... next year instead of 51, I'll become 15 again... OH if I only knew then what I know now... and am still learning.

So lets hear from you now... What are you doing to celebrate 50???

Jean

Harry Russell Turns 40

Russell Elementary turns 40
West Carrollton school seeks information from alumni to honor namesake
By Lou Grieco
Dayton Daily News
WEST CARROLLTON — For nearly 40 years, Harry Russell was a fixture at West Carrollton schools, where he served as teacher, coach and high school principal.
Then the longtime educatior turned into legend the usual way — by having an elementary school named for him.
"There is a handful of people in our district who are legendary and we pretty much have named a building after all of them," schools spokeswoman Sharon Naragon said.
Harry Russell Elementary School, which opened four years after Russell retired in 1961, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. District officials are planning a May 5 open house, and are looking for more information from former students or faculty.
That could include memories, memorabilia or even information about Russell himself, who died in 1985 at age 90.
School officials have Russell's personnel file and some newspaper clippings, but wish to flesh out the facts to find out more about him, including what motivated him to try a teaching career, Naragon said.
Harry Aston Russell was born in Pennington Gap, Va., on Nov. 28, 1894. There was no public high school in Pennington Gap, so Russell attended and graduated from the Lee Baptist Institute, which was in town.
Russell received his bachelor's degree from Richmond College in 1917. Shortly after he graduated, Russell enlisted in the U.S. Army to serve during World War I.
After the war, he returned to southwest Ohio and began working at the Hamilton Machine Tool Co., then taught math and science in Selma, Plattsburg and Franklin before he came to West Carrollton High School in 1923, where he was a teacher and coach.
Russell received his master's degree from Ohio State University in 1927.
He was appointed principal in 1929, but continued to teach part time for several years, according to district records.
District officials are planning to have an information booth at the open house. Anyone with information to share can call Naragon at 859-5121, Ext. 1133, or Principal Rick Yontz at 859-5121, Ext. 5500.
"We're going to celebrate that it's been 40 years, and we want to celebrate him as well," Naragon said. "He was here for a long time."
Contact Lou Grieco at 225-2057.

WELCOME Classmates of 1973

January 29, 2005
Welcome Guys and Gals! We now have our very own BLOG to add to our class website. I hope this is going to be easy and will inspire some of you to get some conversations going!

So lets start...

Here is some interesting news I just picked up off the internet from the class of 1959...


Friday, January 28, 2005 State ranked Pirates down Stebbins for record tying start - Best start since '39-'40 seasonJohn Cummings, Sports Editor, Miamisburg-West Carrollton NewsWest Carrollton’s road win at Stebbins last week was special for a plethora of reasons. First, it kept the Pirates undefeated on the season and in first place in the Mid Miami League South Division. Second, it was their first win as a state ranked team and it tied school history. The 60-53 win over the Indians pushed the Pirates to 12-0 and tied the 65-year old record for best start in school history. The 1939-40 team started the season 12-0 before dropping number 13. The 1951-52 squad started the season 10-0, but could not match the start of the 39-40 squad when they dropped their 11th contest of the season.“We are happy as heck to be 12-0,” West Carrollton coach Dan Gerhard said. “But, we are not satisfied.“We want to win the South title and do some pretty special things. We’ve got that opportunity.”The Pirates also got a stern test from an athletic Stebbins squad.“We are concerned with every game we play,” Gerhard said. “We knew they were pretty athletic, and we were concerned with that.“We were concerned we were on the road. We didn’t think that it would be easy, and it wasn’t.”The contest was back-and-forth until West Carrollton went on a 10-2 run to start the fourth quarter and turned a 35-35 contest into a 45-37 cushion.“We are happy with the win,” Gerhard said. “It is good to have fun, but when you are ready to compete, you have to be serious about it.“Defensively, I thought we did a pretty good job. We held our composure pretty well, we just did not play smart the whole time.”The game began with seven lead changes and one tie in the first eight minutes.A pair of three pointers by Brian Corn answered early baskets by Stebbins for a 6-4 lead with 4:21 left in the first quarter, but the Indians came back to tie the game at 6-6. Drew Frahm connected on a mid-range jumper, but Stebbins scored the next five points for a 11-8 lead before Chad Muntzinger and Danny Manning hauled in an outlet pass off a steal from Frahm for a 12-11 lead with :48 left in the quarter. The Pirates pushed the lead to 13-11 heading into the second eight minutes when Frahm converted one of three free throws after being fouled on a half-court shot at the buzzer.Chris Dunn pushed the lead to four, 15-11, to open the second quarter, before three points by Muntzinger and a basket by Matt Engle gave the Pirates a 20-12 lead with 3:45 left in the half. The Indians came back to cut the lead to 22-21 with 1:06 left in the half, but Frahm buried a three from the top of the key with :28 left for a 25-21 halftime cushion.“We want everyone’s best shot,” Gerhard said. “We are still trying to get better each day.“I don’t think we have played our best basketball yet. If they get to playing as good as they could, it would be neat.”Frahm scored the first eight points of the second half for the Pirates before Manning added a basket for a 35-29 lead with 3:22 left in the third quarter. Stebbins, however, came back to tie the game at 35-35 with 1:23 left before the Pirates went on their run.Dunn closed the third quarter with a basket before Manning hit a short jumper to open the fourth quarter and Muntzinger got loose underneath for a 42-35 lead before the Indians could find the net again. Manning hit another short shot and the second of two free throws as the Pirates pushed to the lead to 45-37 with 5:20 left in the game. However, a turnover led to a Stebbins three before Manning picked up his fifth and the momentum was starting to change with the Pirates clinging to a 45-40 lead.“We had a chance we could’ve gone up 10 and instead it went to five, and we lost our point guard,” Gerhard said. “It got down to two possessions and I was concerned.“The main way to keep them from being able to set up a press late in the game is to keep them from scoring. There are few people who jump into presses on misses.”The Pirates, however, went on a quick run of their own when Muntzinger scored underneath and Frahm stuck a rebound off the glass and in for a 49-40 lead with 3:14 left in the contest.The Indians never got closer than five the rest of the way as Muntzinger scored their lone field goal in the remaining two minutes of the game and the Pirates hit nine of 11 free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.Frahm led the Pirates with 19 points while Muntzinger finished with 17 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter before fouling out.In addition to the foul trouble, the Pirates were also down a player and Engle played sparingly while nursing an ankle injury back to health.“We are nine deep this year,” Gerhard said. “But, when you have two foul out, and one hurt and one inactive, you look down the bench and all of a sudden you only have one or two to chose from.”However, the role players did their job against the Indians.Dunn gave the Pirates some valuable minutes while Justin Winiecki handled the ball well after Manning fouled out.“I thought that Chris Dunn played well,” Gerhard said. “Justin has done a nice job for us this year.“He would get a sixth man award because he comes out and gives us a good effort defensively, he shoots the ball well and is a good free throw shooter. He has done a nice job for us.”The Pirates face another tough road test Friday when they travel to Springboro.“It should be an exciting night,” Gerhard said. “It should be a sellout.“If I was just going to watch a game on Friday, this would be the one I would pick to watch.“It should be high on everyone’s list.”

Isn't that great??? Undefeated Pirates... Something that we didn't see too much of in the early 70's...

OK.. folks... You can start commenting...

But please... be nice!!!!!!!!

Don't forget, we still have our more complete website at http://myschoolonline.com/site/0,1876,37764-205996-41-65066,00.htmlthis will just allow us to post interactively...

Happy New Year ALL......

Talk to you soon..

Jean