I set up a new yahoo group dedicated to those of us searching for the parents of Norphlet Green Hill Jones, born December 15, 1823 in North Carolina, died December 8, 1862 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He's my great-great grandfather.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Monsters of Rock Chalk
80's era KJHK staffers and Lawrence music scene veterans will be gathering in the River City for two events on Saturday, July 5th. There is a 1pm daytime event for families at Burcham Park with music by DJ Ray Velasquez (flying in from NYC). Old friends and cronies will no doubt be trading war stories and remembering the bands, venues, and people that made the alternative music scene in Lawrence, KS what it was in those days. The evening event features music from an ever shifting lineup of stars that may include The Von Bulows (= Pedaljets + Lori Wray). Last I heard the music takes place on stage at the Replay. Fun band Gourmet Mushroom X is also scheduled to play. Sponsored by Leslie "Sunshine" Dunham, KJHK staffer from the mid 80's. Get the latest developments at her mySpace page dedicated to the event.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Two Years in a Flash
It's been two years since a couple of great teachers, Frank Robertson and Margaret McClatchey, retired from Shawnee Mission North. I went to their retirement party at the school on May 30, 2006 and wrote this letter to mutual friends about it afterward.
Guys,
It was great to see you Tuesday. I had a wonderful time at the McClatchey/Robertson retirement program and reception at the North auditorium. I was thrilled to see that they renamed the little theater in honor of Mrs. McClatchey.
I appreciate your words Joe, coming from someone who has talent and maturity, about the things that the teachers instilled in us in performance that carry over. Same for you Rick - I'm glad that Ms. Davis allowed you to speak at the end of the evening. You made some great points about commitment and team work, and your Cinderella carriage story was great. Jay T., although you didn't take the podium, it was nice to see you again, to meet members of your family, including your niece who is taking Frank's position at North in the fall. Plus, for those who weren't there, Jay showed up in a photo that was included in Mr. Robertson's video montage - not bad!
I learned some interesting facts about Mrs. McClatchey and Mr. Robertson. For instance, Mrs. M. did 116 shows during her tenure at North that spanned parts of four decades. And did you know that Mr. Robertson taught in California for a time before coming to Kansas? Mr. McClatchey did a great job on assembling the life story montages of both honorees.
There were some other nice speeches and performances as well. About 36 people paid tribute during the 2.5 hour program. Students from the class of '75 through the class of '08 were among those who toasted. No other class had as many speakers as the class of '83 did (three). Maureen Davis put us in a specific order for the evening, reverse order chronologically, except in the case of duets or group presentations.
There were five musical performances. My favorite was Cathy Barnett's ('78) rendition of "Before the Parade Passes By", a number she did for Mr. Robertson. He gave that one to her to learn when she was a student. Cathy also did a killer impression of Mrs. McClatchey, astonishing given the limited contact since graduation.
My speech consisted of some jokes - a jab at the tech theater kids, a bit about doing unsanctioned theater work in the parking lot "Death of a Six Pack", a remark about seeing a local weather anchor in her underwear during a Robertson directed play (Julie Broski, The Philadelphia Story, 1985) and a faux Oscar acceptance speech where I thanked a special teacher at North - Vern Bonar from Woodworking. When I saw Mrs. McClatchey laughing, it reminded me why I was there in the first place. I felt a surge of positive energy, the kind you sense when you're surrounded by people who believe in you, and that's a good feeling.
Cookies and refreshments on stage followed the speeches. Maureen Davis (who assumes the title of grand dame of the North theater department with 20 years in service on her own) told us that they're getting ready to raise the roof on the auditorium to provide more headroom for a pulley system and enhanced stage capabilities. The district also tore up the tennis courts, apparently a gym expansion is happening too.
Well wishers surrounded the two guests of honor. Jennifer Troughton ('84) was there and my old neighbor Margie Vusich ('79) too. We chatted for awhile with everyone and I was the first from our class to leave. Mr. and Mrs. M. are moving to Colorado soon and it struck me that this was probably the last time I'd ever see her - there in the auditorium, as she leaned against the stage surrounded by students. That's how I'll remember her, and the laughing too.
It was great to see you Tuesday. I had a wonderful time at the McClatchey/Robertson retirement program and reception at the North auditorium. I was thrilled to see that they renamed the little theater in honor of Mrs. McClatchey.
I appreciate your words Joe, coming from someone who has talent and maturity, about the things that the teachers instilled in us in performance that carry over. Same for you Rick - I'm glad that Ms. Davis allowed you to speak at the end of the evening. You made some great points about commitment and team work, and your Cinderella carriage story was great. Jay T., although you didn't take the podium, it was nice to see you again, to meet members of your family, including your niece who is taking Frank's position at North in the fall. Plus, for those who weren't there, Jay showed up in a photo that was included in Mr. Robertson's video montage - not bad!
I learned some interesting facts about Mrs. McClatchey and Mr. Robertson. For instance, Mrs. M. did 116 shows during her tenure at North that spanned parts of four decades. And did you know that Mr. Robertson taught in California for a time before coming to Kansas? Mr. McClatchey did a great job on assembling the life story montages of both honorees.
There were some other nice speeches and performances as well. About 36 people paid tribute during the 2.5 hour program. Students from the class of '75 through the class of '08 were among those who toasted. No other class had as many speakers as the class of '83 did (three). Maureen Davis put us in a specific order for the evening, reverse order chronologically, except in the case of duets or group presentations.
There were five musical performances. My favorite was Cathy Barnett's ('78) rendition of "Before the Parade Passes By", a number she did for Mr. Robertson. He gave that one to her to learn when she was a student. Cathy also did a killer impression of Mrs. McClatchey, astonishing given the limited contact since graduation.
My speech consisted of some jokes - a jab at the tech theater kids, a bit about doing unsanctioned theater work in the parking lot "Death of a Six Pack", a remark about seeing a local weather anchor in her underwear during a Robertson directed play (Julie Broski, The Philadelphia Story, 1985) and a faux Oscar acceptance speech where I thanked a special teacher at North - Vern Bonar from Woodworking. When I saw Mrs. McClatchey laughing, it reminded me why I was there in the first place. I felt a surge of positive energy, the kind you sense when you're surrounded by people who believe in you, and that's a good feeling.
Cookies and refreshments on stage followed the speeches. Maureen Davis (who assumes the title of grand dame of the North theater department with 20 years in service on her own) told us that they're getting ready to raise the roof on the auditorium to provide more headroom for a pulley system and enhanced stage capabilities. The district also tore up the tennis courts, apparently a gym expansion is happening too.
Well wishers surrounded the two guests of honor. Jennifer Troughton ('84) was there and my old neighbor Margie Vusich ('79) too. We chatted for awhile with everyone and I was the first from our class to leave. Mr. and Mrs. M. are moving to Colorado soon and it struck me that this was probably the last time I'd ever see her - there in the auditorium, as she leaned against the stage surrounded by students. That's how I'll remember her, and the laughing too.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Missouri Death Certificates, 1910 – 1957
I like to search for ancestors in my family tree. I've done research for the past 15 years. An excellent new resource is online for people like me who have Missouri ancestors. I think Missouri might be the first state to digitize old death certificates. Most states offer a text index online. You send a letter and a processing fee to the appropriate office to receive a photocopy of a death certificate. It's a lengthy process that takes six weeks to six months and sometimes you don't get results. The beauty of the new Missouri system is the PDF files are available for free and you can do searches for direct ancestors and cursory searches for cousins and distant kin. The years 1910-1957 are available for public view and the search engine allows results to be filtered by year, last name, or county. I think its great.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Bob & David: Together Again
I'm late on this but it's still better than Peaches & Herb. Mr. Show's Bob and David are back together on a project.
Monday, May 19, 2008
In the Land of Trees and PhDs
What happens when a holocaust historian gets involved with art restitution and wants to collect a "finders fee" for his effort? It's a fascinating tale that reminds me that we're not that far removed from the legacy of World War II. Read the story by Elise Viebeck
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