1. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all of the Barnstable 1978 graduates! We added a few new members recently and hope for a better turnout in 2008 as we celebrate our 30th year anniversary of graduation.
2. Click here to see the story on the demise of Kennedy Rink in Hyannis. A new facility will replace the old dinosaur. The youth of Barnstable will miss out on a lot of things when the new space age rink is built. Like frozen fingers and toes, trying to eat honey glazed donuts from the Kennedy snack bar with a frozen jaw and taking a shower in ankle deep urine in the locker rooms. I still remember Dean Snell's dad, who coached our Senior Hockey League team in high school, yelling at us that if you show up drunk you cant play. And this was a school day 6am game....these guys started early....or never stopped drinking from the night before. When we were Juniors there was a Senior on that team named Dean Stanley who threatened to beat us up if we didnt pass him the puck. Great team spirit. Another tough bird in that league was Ronnie Lutz who used his hockey stick as a hatchet and your head as a target. You weren't safe in that league on the ice or in the locker room. Good times.
3. Click here for a story and pics on the installation of lights at our old Junior High where the Hyannis Mets now play. That site is now being used as a Catholic High School. Click here to see a story about the same subject on the Pope John Paul II High website. They recently hired the Barnstable High Football Coach who was sacked by the Administration. Hopefully for these new students that school has been updated since we were there. The desks we used came over on the Mayflower. They still had those little wells where the ink went and the quills were dipped. For part of the year that school was so crowded they would send a portion of the student body down the street to the place that is now Town Hall. The overcrowding issue also forced us to have a 4 day school week in 9th grade as well. During those years it appears the Town Fathers were spending more time and taxpayers money at the Velvet Hammer Bar on Main Street than on school projects. Here are some memories of that school that have come in with recent emails:
- The music teacher was a cool guy named Mr Weber. He had a vampire-ish look but some of his classes still stick in your memory when certain songs play on the radio. He played rock music for the class that had to be a cutting edge educational method in those days. Maybe even a little risky. One time he analyzed and dissected every line of Seals and Crofts "Diamond Girl" with such passion that when that song plays today you can still hear him explaining what it meant. He also won a lot of fans when he had class hottie Lori Taddeo gives us a small concert with her guitar.
- There was a math teacher named Mr Belanger and one day he brought in a record player and broke down John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High". Belanger claimed it was really a song about a UFO sighting. I will never forget Belanger yelling out "I saw fire in the sky...Rocky Mountain High!!". Where did the school department find these people....the unintentional comedy level was off the charts!!!! One time I was out sick and Belanger gave me a make up test to take in the library. I come back and he says "There is no way you could finish that fast". He grabs the paper and starts jumping around like Koko the Monkey and claims I intentionally took the Phase III test off his desk and didnt take the Phase I test handed to me. I believe this guy was a part time cop as well.....okaaaayyyyy....lets give these people guns. Another thing Belanger did in the school when we were there was try to increase attendance at basketball games. He started a thing called SSR which stood for School Spirit Revival. The basketball court was actually on the stage of the auditorium and no where near and official sized court. Anyway there were kids walking around with armbands with the SSR on them. Wether it was a success or not I dont recall but the memory of one Norman (or was it Nelson) Belanger will live on.
-In the Junior High they forced the girls to take metal shop and the boys to take Home Economics. I am not sure who the Home Ec teacher was but she assigned me a partner by the name of Butch Lindo. Not sure if he was still with us in high school. During the muffin baking class I botched the recipe and added too much milk and the whole class laughed at our muffins that looked more like a pancake. Lindo and I almost came to blows over the mistake....he was a tough dude too. I still cant cook s**t.
-The graduation scene in the John Cusack movie "One Crazy Summer" was filmed in front of our old Junior High building. In the scene each kid gets a brand new car but Cusack got a street sweeper. Other scenes in that movie were filmed at Mass Jeanery, Mid Way Gas Station in Osterville and Hyannis West Elementary. Also at the old Hyannis Drive In. Get the DVD.
4. The website staff is working on a bunch of new stories for the 30th anniversary year. If you have anything to add send it in barnstable1978@hotmail.com
5. During our 4 years in High School the Patriots won 30 regular season games and 0 playoff games. How times have changed!
1977 9 - 5
1976 AFC Divisional Playoff 11-3
(lost to Raiders in playoffs see here) http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nwe/1976.htm?redir
1975 3 - 11
1974 7 - 7
6. Here is a link to the story of the passing of BHS teacher and 4 Seas Ice Cream boss Mr Warren: Click Here
7. To leave a blog comment click on the word "comments" below. You dont have to sign in to post comments just fill in a nickname or select anonymous.
14 comments:
Lots of good memories in there. Thanks!
You could have done a whole article about the Junior High and the experience of having to shower for the first time with your classmates after 7th grade gym class. The akwardness and uncomfortableness of that experience probably still haunts many members of the class. The other thing about the Junior High I remember is how many kids smoked on the bus after school. When the bus went down Main Street it left a trail of smoke like on the Cheech and Chong movies. Lots of kids used to spark butts on the bus and the bus driver didnt care. The bus drivers had probably spent a good chunk of their day at the Hy Port Lounge anyways. Thanks for the update and keep them coming!
I enjoyed the blog I remember mr weber very vividly I can still here him reciting the words to benny and the jets and a scene in the movie 27 dresses they fracture the song in a funny way all I could think of was mr weber will I was watching it though
What about the art teacher Mrs Giffels I believe. I'm not saying she was old but I think she was in the theatre the night Lincoln was shot. My other memory of art class was when we were moved to the Town Hall building for a semester they brought us down to the wharf where the Hy Line leaves. We each had a camera and had to take pictures of various things for our project. The reason that class stands out is because while looking for photo subjects I stepped in a pile of dog crap on the grass near where Spankys Clam Shack is now. I would have thrown the shoe into Lewis Bay but it was cold out.
One more story about Mr. Belanger - in advanced Math Class one day, he was telling us all about the planet and solar system he came from [no lie!] and the person next to me told a joke about something else, that I laughed at.
He came over and yelled at me, rather red in the face, accusing me of making fun of his extraterrestrial origins. Even though I explained that I was laughing about something else, I don't think he believed me.
Oh - and about Mrs. Giffels, she got very upset at me when we were assigned to carve something out of those stinking blocks of sulfur, and I made a Guinea Pig. My sister Terry hated her too, yet my sister turned out to be an artist as well . . . lol
- Dennis Chase
Good story Dennis. Belanger acted tough but no one took him seriously. The toughest teacher to ever hold an eraser in Barnstable was a guy named Mr Schmonsees. He was at Centerville Elementary and Osterville 6th grade. He was one mean dude. One time at Centerville kids were taking drinks at the playground water fountain and spitting the water as they chased each other. Schmonses catches the 2 of them and holds their faces against the spigot with the water on yelling DRINK!!!!! DRINKKKKK!!!!! Never forget that...never. I played softball at that field last Summer and can still think about those poor bastards.
Lori Taddeo is the only member of the Class of 1978 in the BHS Sports Hall of Fame:
http://www.redraiderpride.com/halloffame.htm
I'll give you all a hint how old MISS Giffels was--she taught art to my father at the old Barnstable High School back around 1937.
And I would bet Mr Barry, who taught chemistry, was right there with her. At least he was pleasant, if a bit mixed up.
Who else remembers the geyser of flame from the bunsen burner at the back of the lab? Or being choked on clouds of burning sulfur? And the experiments that never worked--odd that after nearly failing chemistry, I get to play mad scientist every day (rats included!)
Too many memories, good and bad. Hard to believe it was all 30 years ago.....
Does anyone remember a teacher in junior High named Mr Wanamaker? As I think about it he was sickly and very frail. He was a science teacher and he liked to be called "Mr Bill". It would really grind his gears if he caught you doodling in your note pad during his class. In the Town hall Annex there was a very nice science lab that must have been used when Cape Cod Community College was housed there. I cant remember a goddamn thing we did in that class. All I remember was Wanamaker giving a lecture and a kid named somethng Kelley was just staring at him. Mr Bill says "Take notes, son" and Kelly says "I dont have to I can memorize it". I am sure the kid failed the next test with flying colors!!!!! Here are 5 people I would like to know whatever became of them
-Brian McVey
-Leslie Souve
-Mark Weller
-Peter Ostrander
-Chip Willman
Thanks...Sally in Cotuit
Some fantastic stories there - I have so many hilarious memories I could write a book, I'll try to drop by again and add some.
I remember Mr Weber, when taunted to distraction by the class dunce would stop his lecture to summon help from the principal's office via the intercom. He would hold down the button, and shout up at the ceiling-mounted speaker in his crazy Transylvanian accent "R-r-room Nine, calling office.."
ah, I remember mr webber he wore pointy toed loafers and used to slide across the floor from the light switch to the projector. Anyone remember the principal's secretary? I don't remember her name but caught her smoking cigars a few times. Can anyone say.... well better not!
I remember Mr. Weber!!! Black slick hair and great posture! Wow! Brings back memories. Hoping to reconnect with folks. Dean Snell, Vicky Hanley, Cindy Parker, Mike Famelli?! Anyone out there? I used to be Velicia Gourdin...
Just came upon this site, and imagine my surprise to find a "wonder what's up w/ Leslie Souve"..too funny(!),comment by Sally in Cotuit! Contact me via FB Lezlie Souve. Love to catch ya up w/info on the others. A fun group to be included in!
To "Do it in Cotuit"! This is Leslie Souve.Wondering about you now, so FB me and I can catch you up on the others!
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