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5/7/2004
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Susan (Cross) Friesen
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Hi class of '74. I am blown - away (this slanguage is '70's surfer lingo) that our 30th year reunion is upon us! Gasp!! I was unable to attend the other reunions as I was in different states and (barefoot and) pregnant each time. My husband was in the Air Force and we lived in Louisiana, Montana, and two parts of Alaska. I graduated from Edison a year early, but consider the class of '74 my class, as it would be if I stayed the senior year. I heard that Mr. Otey retired a few years ago. I loved choir and, if I'd stayed my senior year, would have traveled to Russia with the ensemble. Other teachers I have fond memories of: Amman and Lee, Williams (he wanted me to be the editor of the Edison paper), Bruce Johnson -- Spanish teacher, Mike Poff--English.
I feel terrible to hear that Rick Purnell died. He was such a nice person and I'd hoped to say hi to him again. This goes to show that time on terra firma is temporary.
About me... I've been married 23 years. We have 5 children, ages 7, 8, 9, 20, 21. Our eldest son is in the Marines. Pray for him! Our second son is a lifeguard, musician, and college student. I home-educate 3 daughters, 2 of whom had heart transplants. See http://www.onewhiterose.org.
I look forward to meeting you at the reunion.
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5/13/2004
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Susan (Cross) Friesen
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Jerry, I remember you. I was a part of the surf crowd for awhile. I actually never took up surfing, though, because someone's woody board hit me, almost knocking me unconscious. I loved to bodysurf and was one of the few females out bodysurfing almost daily after school, either off Brookhurst Beach, or near the pier. I used to do my homework on one of the lifeguard stands.
My brother, Mark Cross, was a long-time lifeguard in Newport and HB. Perhaps you knew him? He used to ride a unicycle to EHS.
Aren't you friends with Dez Whelan? Last I heard, he was living near Tacoma, WA. Do you know whatever happened to Craig Peterson? He was a great surf photographer, had many of his photos in Surf Magazine, I believe. I don't think he was the class of '74, though. And does anyone know what happened to Gary Golfos?
I agree with you that the look of HB as we knew it is gone forever. I miss the funky, old surf shops on Main Street and the cozy library that was across from Villa Sweden restaurant (that place is gone). I attended Dwyer Intermediate, near HB High, and remember so many open fields back then (and poor flattened possum road kill). Then the crazy building boom began and almost every field filled-in with look-alike tract homes. I'll never forget that our home—near Indianapolis and Magnolia—was only $21,000.
Tammy DeLillo Morris --- in responding to your post: I will never forget Mrs. Flaws!!! Remember our class was the last one with the dress code? Mrs. Flaws measured our skirts. They had to be an inch above the knee. Don't you remember all the guys (and a few girls) that got paddled in the closet with that thick paddle with the holes? At Edison, dress codes were ousted and we could wear mini skirts!
What year did the end of the pier fall off and the restaurant get rebuilt?
A few years ago, I was in Orange County in July. I really enjoyed seeing the big summer parade in HB. Boy, that event is jam-packed now.
This bulletin board is great! --Susan (Cross) Friesen
P.S. You’ll all be surprised at this. Our first daughter had a heart transplant. Her donor heart came from a boy in Huntington Beach—Shane Rooney, who would have been a freshman at Edison. He was killed by a drunk driver (lady) near his home. Shane’s uncle is Michael Rooney, a '74 grad. Life is so amazing!
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5/20/2004
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Susan (Cross) Friesen
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Jerry,you brought back memories. I remember you at the wedding on the bluffs near Main St., Laguna Beach. You were there with Denean Cambis, one of my bridesmaids. I would love to contact Denean (class of '74) now, but have lost her #. I will write Jean (Pearson) Wronski and tell her about the reunion.
Julie Bodmer: you shared some great memories. I remember the tomato fields, too. After the harvest, lots of us in the neighborhood headed there with our buckets to glean the juicy tomatoes.
I must've rode on the same school bus with you and John Upp to Dwyer. My memories are of so many foggy bus rides to the "fortress." I drove back to that area a year ago, said hi to Chuck Hausen (Edison student, I believe class of '71, who lived near Dwyer) before he and
his sister Lorelei(class OF '74) moved to Maui. Dwyer still looks the same, but its 2nd floor doesn't have the same unobstructed ocean view that we had. I have good memories of the outdoor dances, too, dancing with my first boyfriend, Reggie Anson.
Hey, Paul Parker.. way yonder in S.D., are you coming to the reunion? And Charlene Prince -- whereever you are--hope you can come, too!
Madonna, I used to enjoy the grunion hunts, too.
Tell me it isn't true, John Upp, that Mr. Hoyland went to prison! He was a wonderful horticulture teacher. Does anyone remember Mr. Simpson, cellular biology; Mr. Johnson, Spanish; or Mr. Poff, English?
I must admit that I get down when I come into HB and O.C. now. It's amazing to see the urbanization of Irvine -- the skyscrapers near Jeffrey Rd.; Laguna Canyon Rd. now a 4-lane and a toll road near there (how many remember Lion Country Safari?); the French-Resort-style build-up from Corona del Mar to Laguna.
John Miller: you've done an awesome job in helping organizing the reunion, along with all the other board members working hard, like Aurora, Barbara, Glenn, Chris, Don, and others. A big thanks!
Susan (Cross) Friesen
P.S. I have great memories -- after football game times at either Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor, Bob's Big Boy, and other O.C. places, like Tale of the Whale and Dornan's (Balboa Island), Rusty Pelican (Newport). I used to love bicycling to the "Wedge" to swim BEYOND the big waves. Does anyone remember the feral cat colony at Little Corona Beach? So many more memories I could relate, but then I am starting to feel like an octogenarian. Let's leave it until our 50th reunion to truly reminisce.
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5/24/2004
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Susan (Cross) Friesen
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Jerry, The wedding was glorious, a sunny, refreshing day in January, when, the day before, it had been cold and cloudy. Sure, I'll never forget the impromptu aria from the former opera singer! He was incredible. The lawn bowlers in Laguna Beach always interested me as a kid. I'd hike from Main Beach and walk a mile or so north, checking-out the lawn bowling scene, some of the other rocky beaches (could find lobsters, many varieties of abalone, and shells galore back then--with no fines for taking home shells or rocks!).
Sadly, the marriage to a former Edison student ended a little over a year later. I wish the marriage were annulled. A few years later, after graduation from college, I joined the Air Force National Guard and met my future husband in the military. I was a weather observer for a time.
Good to see your post here, Lee Hill. I bumped into you when I was a student at CSULB, but we never exchanged numbers. Also, Otto Wolfgang.. I feel bad that I'd lost your contact info when I was at Cal State LB, too, as you had a huge influence on my life.You were the one to urge me to graduate a year early from EHS. I didn't know I could, but found out that all the summer school credits helped me start college early (I sure enjoyed summer school at EHS, taking fun classes like skin and scuba diving). Otto, way over in NY, hope you can make it to the reunion. And Corinne Robinson, I wish you, hope you can can travel from France to join the festivities. Cal Beisner, bummer.. sorry to hear you can't travel to CA.
John Upp... sad to hear about Mr. Hoyland.
I must share an interesting story. Our family purchased into a resort in the southern Sequoias. R-Ranch used to be a logging camp, not far from Trail of 100 Giants, the southernmost grove of giant redwoods. Anyway, when the salesman made his pitch for us to purchase a share in the development, I noticed a portrait hanging on the wall. It was of a high school student. Suddenly, I put 2 and 2 together. The saleman's name was Frank Budd. The picture looked like someone I knew from my past. Sure enough, when I started asking more questions, I realized that the photograph on the wall was of Ron Budd, class of '73! I didn't even know Ron that well, but the old yearbook photos must've emblazoned on the brain. And to make matters more bizarre, it turned out that Ron and his wife, Crystal, lived across the street from my mom in Fountain Valley.
Ron has since moved, I understand, but I don't know where he is now. Ron, if you're reading this, hope to meet you and your wife. Condolences on your father's death.
Kathy (McClelland), I had heard that you'd married Steve. I remember you both, looking forward to chatting with you.
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5/30/2004
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Susan (Cross) Friesen
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Kathy, I admire you for having worked in Peds ICU. That must be heart-wrenching to see so many sick children. What hospital in Long Beach do you work at?
I've practically taken second residency at UCLA Medical Center's Mattel Children's Hospital. In fact, I couldn't respond to your last posting, as I was just at UCLA as our youngest daughter had her 4th heart biopsy--testing her heart tissue for rejection: so far, so good--no major problems. Lindsea was hospitalized for 56 days, 49 in the peds ICU, before her transplant the week before Thanksgiving last year. During that time, we became well-acquainted with Siegfried (Siegfried Fischbacher) of Siegfried and Roy fame--the two illusionists well-known for their act with white tigers. We'd both commiserate about the difficult times we endured--- Lindsea, only 6, bedridden; Roy Horn, his brain swollen, slowly recuperating from the tiger mauling.
Kathy, I don't know how you.. or any of the ICU nurses...handle seeing children suffer. I am indebted to compassionate people like yourself who make children feel comfortable when they're going through so much.
We, as parents, feel like we've been through a triple whammy--an unknown virus hitting 2 daughters (yes, doctors can't even tell us what caused our girls' illness, even whether it's congenital. We have 2 older sons, now 20, 21, athletes, rarely sick); earlier, my stepson was murdered in W. Covina (1987) at Domino's Pizza (still an unsolved mystery). Some people go through life barely nicked by pain, whereas others take more than their fair share. I feel very blessed, though, living in these days, when successful heart transplantation is even possible. When at Edison, I remember discussions in social studies about Christiaan Neethling Barnard's achievement: in 1967 he performed the first human-to-human heart transplant. Bernard died in 2001, the same year our first daughter had her heart transplant. He is my #1 hero and I wish he had been alive for me to tell him so.
Kathy, I knew many in the surf crowd, but was actually flittering between different groups when at EHS. I was an Edison flag carrier, so had friends in that group. I started the Critics Circle Club at Edison, so was involved with others in that group was involved in rating movies, restaurants, etc.). In part of jr. year, I hung out at the library and the back of the school to write poetry during lunch hour, meeting more of the "intellectual" crowd at that time.
Wow.. Scott. Congrats on your career. I recognized you once--years ago-- on Christian t.v. as you were in a gospel singing group. I was in choir, too, wish I'd stayed at Edison my senior year to go on that Russia tour! I bet that was great. Anyone who was in choir, if you still have the record, I'd love to meet you and hear it. I never did get my copy of the record we made! I continued involvement with singing, recently asked to sing at the retirement ceremony of Glenn Montague, a maestro who's led choirs for 50 years.
Madonna, I didn't know a Sioux Crause. Three Susan Cross's attended Edison around the time I was there, though, all in different grades. By the way, my maternal grandma's name is also Madonna (I still miss her greatly. She's buried in the cemetary in Westminster, off Beach Blvd.). You've got a cool name!
Lee Hill... I find it amazing that 2 of my sons are so old, too! David, 21, is a U.S Marine, serving at the Presidio in Monterey. Glenn, 20, is moving to Long Beach and hopes to attend my alma mater (and yours) Cal State Long Beach.
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6/6/2004
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Susan (Cross) Friesen
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Scott, that's wonderful to hear Mr. Otey will come to the reunion. I still think it's amazing that he encouraged and directed the choir to go so far in just a few years. I regret graduating a year early, as I would have loved to travel to Russia with the choir. Does anyone here remember the Glee Club at Dwyer? Weren't you in that, too, Scott?
Lee, that's neat to hear your daughter is going into the music business. What is her interest? Glenn, my 20 year old son, is also interested in the music world. He is a self-taught musician, plays bass guitar for the band, "Tin Teardrop" (you can find that online). He and bandmates hope to start a music recording studio someday (nice to have big dreams...). I'd be interested, Scott, in hearing how you got your start making commercials and getting the jingles produced.
Has anyone tried to find Ms. Eiswerth and invite her to the reunion---and other teachers? I think Dave White would be a big help there, as he's a coach/ teacher at Edison.
Kathy, I'd love to meet you before the reunion. I plan on coming down Thursday. Email?
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6/17/2005
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Susan (Cross) Friesen
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Wow, Becky (Fong). I remember you, too, as I also graduated as a junior. Like Madonna, I'd also appreciate keeping in-touch with you. My eldest son is a U.S. Marine, will most likely head to Iraq this year. My father (deceased) used to travel to Bahrain and Kuwait often in his work as an aeronautical engineer with McDonell Douglas (now Boeing Corp).
I home-educate 3 daughters, 2 with heart transplants. We love communicating with others around the world. Please email me by clicking on the link to the left.
Corinne Robinson also graduated as a junior with our class. Last I heard, she was in France. My computer crashed, so I lost her email. Anyone with Classmate.com, can you please let Corinne know I'd like to continue corresponding?
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7/31/2005
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Susan (Cross) Friensen
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Our daughters, Shivan, 11, and Lindsea Friesen, 8, and I recently returned from the XV World Transplant Games in London, Ontario, Canada, July 16-24. The largest donor awareness event in the world, the 9-day sporting event is similar to Olympic competitions and is endorsed by the International Olympic Committee. The 2005 WTG represented about 2,000 athletes with life-saving transplants from more than 50 different countries. Core events included golf, rowing, athletics (track and field), five pin bowling, ten pin bowling, badminton, cycling, lawn bowls, squash, swimming, table tennis, volleyball, and tennis.
The World Transplant Federation began 25 years ago in Portsmouth, England, in 1978. International Summer Games are held every two years and U.S. Transplant Games take place biannually. The last WTG were conducted in Nancy, France.
I have good news to report. Lindsea won four medals in these sporting competitions:
silver in badminton and freestyle swimming, bronze in 5-pin bowling and 50 meter dash. Shivan earned a silver medal in the breast stroke.
Only three children, including our girls, represented California at the WTG. Drug companies Astellas Pharma Canada, Inc. and Roche sponsored about 100 children from around the world. Our only costs were transportation to Detroit, Michigan and back. A charter bus transported Team USA from Detroit to London, Canada and back.
We stayed in the Saugeen-Maitland dorm at Western Ontario University. Our dorm on the second floor comprised mostly children athletes and accompanying persons. We met many adult transplant recipients in the communal dining hall and recreation room, befriending people from many nations, especially Ireland, Australia, Puerto Rico, Great Britain, Denmark, and Canada. We also enjoyed good conversation with teams from Tunisia, France, and Spain.
While eating breakfast in the dorm cafeteria one morning, Shivan noticed the lady beside her brought her new copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. She made fast friends with the lady, a doctor with the Irish transplant athletes. Shivan ran upstairs to retrieve her copy to show the doctor. They both admired each other’s differently illustrated book jackets. On the first day of the WTG, Shivan turned 11. I’d surprised her with a fresh copy of J.K. Rowling’s book tucked into a new velveteen bag.
During the games, the weather was blistering hot and humid, quite unlike our cool, coastal California, but we kept drinking spring water and staying in the shade as
much as possible. School buses shuttled athletes to various venues in the cosmopolitan city of London.
Besides athletic events, our children and others in the Astellas Children’s Program enjoyed excursions to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, Canada’s Wonderland (like Magic Mountain), Ontario Children’s Museum, The Grand Theater, The Butterfly Conservatory, and Storybook Gardens.
We hope to travel to Bangkok, Thailand in 2007 for the next World Transplant
Games, and to Louisville, Kentucky for the 2006 U.S.A. Games.
Blessings
http://www.2hearts.org.uk/children/sisters.htm
About the World Transplant Games:
http://www.2005wtg.london.ca/AbouttheGames.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atwestern/sets/633335/
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11/29/2005
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Susan (Cross) Friesen
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What a nice comment, Tom Trapani. Thanks mucho! I still have plans to purchase a lovely palm fan from you when my house ever gets finished in the renovation process. It looks like it will take two years to finish with the room additions, etc, as our family is doing more than 90% of the work to save money.
I recollect my junior high experiences often, too, and some events--like the wisecracking from some guys in my Spanish class-- Bill Cullum (think that's his last name), Lloyd Luck, and John Himmelberger-- are still as fresh in my mind as they were then. I was able to connect some time ago with Lloyd (he prefers being called Rick now), saw that Bill posted to Classmates.com (I have since not renewed membership, as I get the "scoop" here at the EHS bulletin), and wonder why John Himmelberger was hard to reach (his last name is quite unusual; he was quite popular in jr. high and high school). I still cringe, remembering how I got my first "D" during jr. high, in sewing of all things. I sewed two of the same pantslegs, so I had two right pieces. Of course, this was a failure.
Does anyone else remember the dress code at Dwyer? I think you mentioned that once, Madonna. Mrs. Flaws used to get a yardstick and make sure our skirt or dress hung to our knees. A big paddle with holes in it was used for corporal punishment. I don't remember too many females getting swatted. Mostly the guys would get a couple of good swats by the elderly spinster, Mrs. Flaws. I visited this teacher a couple times when I was at EHS. She lived by the park not far from Huntington Beach High.By the way, I'm amazed at John Miller's ability to keep in contact with so many of his teachers from elementary years through grad school. The only teacher I kept in lifelong contact with was my 6th grade teacher, Mrs.Edna Cullinane (Santa Fe Elementary School, Monrovia,CA). She attended the baby shower of my first child. She died not long after that.
I did greatly appreciate whomever invited the various EHS teachers to the reunion. Seeing Mr. Otey again was a joy. Beside English classes, choir was one of my favorite subjects.
About turning 50 and thoughts about this half-century mark, I feel the wheels of time slipping ever-quickly toward that mark. I turn 50 on December 31st, the same birthday as the singer of an artist I loved in high school, John Denver. My family asked what I wanted to do for the big day. At first, I thought a party would be nice, but I've never been much of a party animal, even in high school, so instead I asked to go to the Grand Canyon. I figure with all the downers in my life the last few years-- two daughters getting heart transplants, three household floods, other events-- life should only be uphill from here, at least symbolically.
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10/28/2006
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Susan (Cross) Friesen
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I haven't checked-out the EHS '74 bulletin board in awhile. Kathy Cunningham-- I'd love to keep in-touch with you. Would you dash me an email--by clicking on the icon to the left? Sometimes I'm in the Long Beach area, as my son, Glenn, is a student at Cal State Long Beach. He's majoring in international business and Japanese. I hope you're healing well. That's great to hear you're doing well with the ligament and tendons transplant.
As many of you know, two of our daughters had transplants, too. The girls, now 9 and 12, received heart transplants at age 6. They're doing incredibly well. They participated in the U.S. Transplant Games in Kentucky in summer '06, earning silver and gold medals in swimming and bowling. In 2005, for the World Transplant Games, I escorted them to London, Ontario, Canada, where they competed in swimming, badminton, bowling, and track and field. They earned medals there, too.
We hope to travel to Bangkok, Thailand in 2007 for the next World Transplant Games. These games are a part of the Olympic Organizing Committee. The hard part will be fundraising. Hopefully, some corporations and private individuals will help donate air miles and funds so the girls can compete. For the 2005 games, a large pharmaceutical company, Astellas, sponsored 100 children to compete, including our girls.
Chedley, as you lived in Thailand, maybe you can offer advice on where we should stay in Thailand, plus places you suggest we sightsee? I loved reading about your adventures. I'm so sorry to hear about how China swindled you and others out of so much money, time, and trouble. That's shameful. Let us know how your experience.
Greg Sands, I'm impressed with your successful weight loss and change in lifestyle. Aging isn't fun. I am working on weight loss, too, deciding to join TOPS this next week. I've had more than my share of stressors the past five years +, so want to work on changes in my life, too. I don't want to go so far as gastic bypass surgery, but see it as an option many decide upon.
John Miller, what an inspiration you are. I think you must feel so good about climbing Mt. Whitney, even though you didn't make the summit, but so close! What a great memory that you achieved this for your half-century mark. I climbed Whitney while in college and it was one of the highlights of my life, too. For my 50th on December 31, I asked my husband if we could travel to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. I figured that one can only go uphill in life after being in the Grand Canyon. Both national parks were so awesome, I'd love to return back and hike. Any takers on hiking with me into the Grand Canyon or into Zion?
Wouldn't that be neat if a group of alums decided to go on a hike together.
I keep busy home-educating my three daughters, traveling, maintaining a daily weblog on yahoo 360. I just published my latest blog, called SURF'S UP, if you want to read it.
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-mN5Y0DMibrXViD7RhcWEixckqye77zk-?cq=1
I also maintain a weblog at:
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/dolphindancer.
If you chat, my yahoo ID is formerlyfromfairbanks. I'd love to have you on my friends list.
Susan Friesen
http://www.susanfriesen.net
Support Our Troops-- please
My son, David, a fine Marine, is serving in Iraq. Please keep him in your prayers?
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1/14/2007
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Susan (Cross) Friesen
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Happy 2007 everyone! I enjoy reading everyone's posts, even though some are few and far between. John Miller: that's so sensitive and thoughtful to leave a memorial to the class of '74 at the summit of San Gorgonio and to dedicate the climb to Whitney in the class's honor. I hope you make it to the portal in the future. I was happy to accomplish that goal during my college years. I hiked with a geophysicist to the top. Somewhere in my massive photo collection are lots of photos showing the triumph. I still hope to walk the length of the Pacific Crest Trail someday. Life does take its detours, though, so the dreams can disappear and new ones take their place.
Chedley, you are an adventurer extraordinaire. How great to enjoy the U2 concert. I love that band, too. That's incredible you were able to travel to China, as well as reside a long time in Thailand. I always enjoy reading your entries and hope you have better business transactions in the future. For shame that China reneged on their contract with you.
Kathy Cunningham-- You and your son are in my continued prayers. I notice you haven't posted in a long time, so please update us?
Greg Sands-- you and your wife are inspirational in the great weight loss success. Gastric bypass is not an entirely safe surgery, so I'm so glad to hear it worked out as well as it did for you. The rest of us just have to keep sweating to the oldies, hiking the golden strand, and looking like hamsters on the perpetual treadmill.
I wanted to share some news. While writing a response to someone's blog about global warming and overpopulation, I decided to research what our fellow alum, E. Calvin Beisner, wrote about the issue recently. Cal is a professor in social ethics at Knox University in Florida. Anyway, I was totally surprised to read that Cal spoke about the environment before the U.S. Senate. Click here for the testimony.
I wish other alums would write here, too. I would love to hear how John Himmelberger is doing, also Leslie Bendees, Mark Callum, others
Life is busy here-- reconstructing our home, homeschooling three daughters (two with transplants), travel, more. Last October was our 25th anniversary and we traveled to Costa Rica. I especially enjoyed snorkeling, seeing Arenal Volcano's lava grace its flanks at night, taking an ecotour at Cano Negro Natural Preserve, and another bus tour to Nicaragua.
Much love
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