IT SEEMS TO ME . . . (The Editor's Commentary) That there must be something we might each (or all of us) do to help those poor, poor people down in Louisiana, Mississippi and surrounds, to survive this terrible catastrophe...other than going on down there with shovels and bug spray! Maybe not. FEMA is supposed to be "ON it" according to GEORGE, but not very quickly. SEND MONEY should be the best thing, I guess, but be sure to mark it for "Katrina Relief", or it may wind up in Homeland Security! By the time you all receive this, the crisis may be alleviated somewhat, but send money anyway...for years even. How fortunate we are. So far. Speaking of fortunate, we are REALLY having the next LAUGHLIN, NEVADA ALL-GLENBARD REUNION on February 28 -- March 1, 2006 The forms for registration, and information about the hotel and town are included at the end of this issue, so consider attending (PLEASE), because it may even be the last one that ever IS, due to lack of enthusiasm for organizing the reunion...not many hands went up when Charlie asked for leaders. GERI DICKS '53, bless her heart, agreed to join with GEORGE (Joe) SPEARS ('40) to do it. IT IS GOOD FUN! Come... and READ ON! PEACE     PHL *     *     *     *     *     *     * PEOPLE AND PLACES: As usual, not a whole bunch of reports have flowed onto my E-mail, but also, as usual, here are a couple of interesting items from 'stringers' and friends: NANCY MACGONAGLE MORE sent an article from The North County Times (CA) written by Tom Durwood with regard to "Teardowns", the practice of buying a house, demolishing it and re-building a larger one on the site, changing the nature of the neighborhood. Glen Ellyn's Historical Society is VERY upset about this phenom, and calls the practice a national epidemic! Rancho Mirage (our desert refuge in the winter months) commissioned a report from GE, having lost a Richard Neutra architectural treasure to a "teardown"...many of our '44s have found their old homesteads replaced like this. Seems "it's a small world after all"! Mr. Durwood was impressed with Glen Ellyn's website, and the caring of the town. NICE. *     *     *     *     *     *     * In regard to the 'teardown' article, by coincidence, we received word from AL BIRKELBACH who was checking to be sure my knee was working well, and reported that, "while driving through Glen Ellyn my brother took us by our old house which WAS a typical GE bungalow. The house was gone, and in its place was a huge 2-story mansion on this tiny lot! Shades of California. This is going on all over Glen Ellyn. I suppose this is progress. Let us hear from you. Sally and Al Birkelbach" The Birkelbachs are travelers like many of our class, and have been here to Irvine for a grandson's HS graduation, to Denver for their great grandson's first birthday, and New York to visit a daughter and Washington DC for an only granddaughter's first birthday! Come to Laughlin this time AL...no Birthdays, but a swell bunch of Old Folks for fun and games! All for little moola. *     *     *     *     *     *     * ALSO: A note sent to Our Publisher, Phil Woodworth, from RUDY CENTOFANTE who attended Glenbard in 1943-44, a 'transfer' from Crane Tech in Chicago, reports that he now lives in Hendersonville, NC, is retired and travels in his 5th wheel with his wife (like Osterlings) all over the U.S. 48, and enjoys the good life! He even says he enjoys our NEWSLETTER. YEA! (Al and Cece...better call RUDY!) *     *     *     *     *     *     * Did you know? The first novel written on a typewriter was TOM SAWYER!   Next page Fall 2005 Newsletter:   Part 1     Part 2     Part 3     Part 4     Part 5     Part 6     Part 7 Newsletter Home Page