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Subject: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: Brina Rood-Sinker [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 00:44:57 08/30/02 Fri Hi Tim and everyone! I think your website is great fun. Of course it makes me feel a bit old...giggle...not really! I especially liked the photos from your reunion and would probably have recognized a few of you even without the names (Janice Russotti, Mimi and Jon, for sure). I was a year ahead of you all and really spent most of my time playing the piano, studying music, teaching piano, and oh yes, spent most of my "free time" riding around in cars with long-haired hippie guys who were older than me (class of '73 mostly). But I do remember you guys too...Anyway, it's a fun site to visit and I am impressed that you had a class reunion. I'm not sure, but I think my class did nothing for our 25th in 2000. Maybe I'll get motivated to help out with something for the year 2005, as that would be our 30th. I live in Minneapolis (since 1979) and have a great 12-year-old son and a tall, dark, and handsome husband who is a journalist. I taught piano for most of the past twenty years but have ventured into the world of publishing lately, though I have realized that I can never stop being a musician. It's what I do! This summer, I came back to Vermont to play a benefit concert with my old friend Cindy Hodder Livingston (class of '74); she's a magnificent flutist and lives and teaches music in Fairfax. Anyway, we did a benefit concert in St. Albans in August, raised money for the local humane society and the American Red Cross, and had a wonderful time. In the audience were quite a few EJHS alumni, from the classes of '70, '74, '75, and probably other years too. We plan to make this an annual event, although next year we want to play in an air conditioned venue in Burlington area rather than up in St. Albans. We're already choosing music for next summer and hope to have some guest artists play with us, too. I'll be sure to let you know when it's coming up (wish I'd known about your site this summer, I'd have invited you all!). Oh, I especially like your "three questions" thread with all the old teachers' names. I'd forgotten some of them, like the Hiawatha teachers and principals. I started there with 1st grade teacher, I think Mrs. Jackman, but my all-time favorite teacher there had to be Mrs. Neuenschwander, whose name was so hard to spell! And by the way, what WAS the name of the little store which used to be at West Street and South Summit? We would stop there on our walk to Hiawatha School in the mornings and buy bubble gum cards and candy. There was a big field out behind it which led to a woods, which in turn led to the big playing field/backyard of Hiawatha, so that's how we would walk there (I lived on Iroquois). My sister Amy and I are still trying to remember the name of the store. (not Park Street store). Does anyone know? Next time I write, I'll tell the infamous Hans Hohl story from Hiawatha days. You'll love it! [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: Brina [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 08:28:45 08/30/02 Fri This is a Hiawatha story, circa 1960s. In the winter, when we girls would walk home (to Indian Acres), there was a group of boys who would follow us and throw snowballs at us. Not that awful, except that some of them were rougher than others. A "new boy" had come to school that year (my fourth grade year, I think): Hans Hohl. He got into this group of boys who would spend their after-school time terrorizing us poor girls, and one February things got really bad. Hans would always make these really sharp "ice--balls" of ice and snow and he was so athletic, he'd fire one at us and it would almost always hit one of us girls in the back of the neck or head. Really hurt a lot. We would ask them to stop, sometimes we'd even end up crying, but they always followed us and pelted us. Finally one day my sister Amy, who was a year older than me, had had ENOUGH! She warned the boys not to throw any more ice-balls at us...or else...Most of the boys were sort of standing back, just watching at this point, but Hans kept at it. He threw a really hard ice-ball at us, hit me in the back of the head, and my sister just went nuts! She ran towards him yelling at the top of her lungs, and when she got up to where he was, she hit him over the head with her purse. Which doesn't sound so bad, except that it had a big old metal clasp on it, which apparently cut Hans's head open, so all of a sudden there was lots of blood! I think we all ran away after that. That evening, we got a call at our house from the Hohl parents. Everything was talked over and the end result was apologies on both sides and no more ice-balls for the rest of that winter. I think Hans had to have stitches in his head that afternoon! I never had a big brother, but I do have my sister! (She lives north of San Francisco now and is coming to Mpls. this weekend to spend her birthday with us. She was class of '74.) Anybody know where Hans is these days? I'd love to hear if he remembers this event!

[> [> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: Patti Rooney [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 08:46:55 08/30/02 Fri I'm not sure of the actual name of the store, but I remember the Laird's owning it. They lived on one of the streets off South Summit. Several daughters and one son, I think. Joanne - class of 77; one was class of 75, Kathy maybe; and I remember an older daughter too. The store at the other end of West Street was St. Peter's. Mr. St. Peter used to make his own root beer and sell it. My sister bought a bottle one day with a fly in it. He also used to bag up several items in brown paper bags and sell them as grab bags. You didn't know what you had bought until you opened the bag.

[> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: Tim [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 15:39:36 08/31/02 Sat Great story Brina! I do think I was too young to have been in that group of boys that pegged the ice balls, but I remember the path and the store (I was thinking it was Lafayette's or Lavigne's but Laird's sounds good, patti). I remeber Hans Hohl and that he was quite popular with the girls, and a decent tennis player too. The Hohl's lived next to the Benoit's and across from Lori Pilus on the corner of Greenwood Avenue, I believe. What is it with boys and throwing things? I was paddled with the "board of education" by Stan Knapp in the 5th grade after throwing an ice ball and hitting a kid near the eye. To this day, I only throw light fluffy snowballs. You should definitely post any musical events at this site, Brina. I still say, if we could drum up enough interest for starting an old home days for Essex someday that we could muster our own entertainment from amongst the alumni. Remember, even you much older Essex people are allowed to use this site and send other older or younger alumni here to share stories and keep in touch, this site was started by the class of way back in nineteen hundred and seventy six, but is open to all Essex alum and their families. Enjoy!

[> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: Brina [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 23:09:19 08/31/02 Sat Laird's sounds right to me--thanks for coming up with it! We've been trying to think of the name for ages. I'll ask my sister if she thinks that's right. Tim, I agree with you: we have a lot of musicians among the EJHS alumni! And some very successful, too! Do you guys remember Alan Krizan (either your class or a year younger), the amazingly talented violinist? I used to accompany him quite often and he was always way beyond his years musically. Anyway, he's gone on to be a professional violinist and conductor and composer. He lives in Portugal but is in Vermont off and on in the summer, as his mom still lives in VT. I just missed seeing him on this visit; Alan and his wife had planned to be at the VT recital Cindy and I were doing on the 13th, but they had to leave about a day or two early for a trip to Alaska, so they left us a phone message with their regrets. Tim, are you a brother of Megan? What is she doing? I remember her from some theatre projects like "Under Milkwood". Did she pursue theatre at all after school?

[> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: tim [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 15:33:57 09/01/02 Sun yes, I remember sitting in the auditorium and watching Alan practice one time; I think I may have been skipping skipping class at the time. He impressed me then, and at that age not much did. He certainly was an amazing violinist and I'm not surprised that he has made a career of it. It was my younger sister Jen (class of '78) that was into the theatre. In one of her roles she played Peter Pan for Lyric at the Flynn way back and then did an amazing repeat performance ten years later, a few years back. She has taught drama and dance around Chittenden County and has two daughters with husband Jim Lavoie ('78). My sister Meghan (class of '87, I think) was the survivor of the 1981 attack behind the pool. She is expecting her second child and lives in Burlington and is doing great!

[> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: Brina [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 21:51:31 09/01/02 Sun Oh, of course it's Jen I'm remembering. Thanks, Tim, for jogging my memory banks. She was wonderful in "Under Milkwood" and I'm sure she made a fabulous Peter Pan. I didn't know she had married into the Lavoie family. They are a great family. Your sister Meghan is a real survivor. When I go to the Fairview Cemetery where a bunch of my relatives are buried, I always stop at the stone for Melissa (hope I got that name right) and say a prayer for her. My old buddy Anna Aguirre (class of '75) is also buried at that cemetery. A bit of Essex Jct. trivia: Did you know that before it was Henry's Market (owned by Henry Lavoie, of course), years ago, in the '40s/'50s that store was called Rood's IGA and was run by my grandfather Tom Rood, Sr.? Same store, different name. It sure looks different now, though, when I am in Vermont I always take a peek at those stores to see what I can recognize.

[> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: Ken Green ('75) [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 08:44:33 09/05/02 Thu I enjoyed reading this thread, thanks. I remember several of the names mentioned here including you 'Brina and Cindy Hodder, and of course you Tim. I remember Jim Lavoie, didn't he play basketball? My family moved from Indian Acres to Birchwood Maner, on a street just down the road from Cindy. I knew Cindy and her sister Carol Hodder. They just lived around the corner from the Vachon's and Rory Fox. Speaking of music, I recall several garage bands around the Hiawatha school area. Never had the pleasure of hearing piano music. I heard "Wipe Out" about a hundred times too many on electric guitar, amped as they say. When I think of piano music I think of Oscar Peterson, 'Brina, I didn't know you played piano. Sometimes I wonder if I was asleep during some of those years in Essex! For a time we lived on Wenonah across from the Gavins, next to the Barniers, down the road a piece from the Wagners. I too remember Laird's Store, their daughter Laura was class of '75. I cut through another way to school and cannot remember the names of the streets, but the short cut ended on Hiawatha (I think) Street just down the road almost across the street from Nikki Marchokos' (sp) house, Gerry and sister Kathy Greene's house, Karen Butler's House etc. After school or on weekends, my brother and I would go to Laird's to buy candy as well, walking past the school and through the fields. I think I remember one of those fields was used for crops in the 60's. I was in Vt a couple of years ago and saw that field, which bordered property on West Street, was developed with residential property. Who was that teacher at Hiawatha that bought that brand new blue Corvette? (P.S.: Tim, I saw the word prayer in the above thread. Positive sign?)

[> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: tim [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 11:30:09 09/06/02 Fri hey Ken, welcome to our Essex forum! It's about time you visited, considering your engineering company incorporates Essex in its name. Isn't it Essex Engineering Co? I wonder where the word comes from? Webster's says it's a county in S.E. England. Yes Ken, I/we encourage prayer here. As the self appointed cyberpastor of the boysweekend.com site (and boy do we need it over there!) I always accept prayer requests. Feel free to post them publicly, or e-mail me privately. By the way, be sure to sign the guestbook and include your websites and addresses. Also, let other people know about this site. Who needs classmates.com, when we have a more personal way to stay in touch with each other, here at ejhs76.com. I don't remember the blue 'vette at Hiawatha, but Jean Claude Guillon (building trades) had a white one, as I remember; this guy was amazing. I remember him telling us how he went awol from the French Army and learned English on the streets of New York, by reading the classified section of the NY Times. Seven years later, he was living the American dream, teaching building trades in Vermont with a bachelor pad in Charlotte and a corvette. To a seventeen year old boy, this was pure inspiration!

[> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: Helen [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 07:14:48 09/07/02 Sat I feel left out having grown up on Pleasant Street. I dont know that side of town!! But we had Tip Top on Railroad Ave. when we walked to Summit Street School. I vividly reemmber that! I used to play in the orchestra with Alan, so am happy to hear he is doing well! I still play bass, a little with the middle school band in South Hero where I teach k-8 French, but I mostly sing now (usually contemporary Christian music with a group out of Community Lutheran in S. Burlington and with Tim)!! Did anyone work on creating the Discovery Museum?? I read that Dick Emerick died a week or so ago. I remember painting the shutters with Mark when we were putting it together!!

[> Subject: Re: Singing--Helen! Author: Brina [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 21:58:17 09/07/02 Sat Helen, hi! I am glad you mentioned Mr. Emerick, Susie and Mark's dad. He died last week in CT. Susan and I are still in touch. I have her e-mail address if you want to write to her or Mark. You probably also know that Laurie Friedman's older sister Debbie died last week (both obituaries were in the same day). Sad. I read the Free Press online every morning as well as the San Francisco papers and the NYTimes; it's part of waking up. So glad to hear you're singing, and teaching French--formidable! Coincidentally, my sister just gave me this far-out CD of Camp Hochelaga Songs...and you're on there...I didn't even know you were a 'Laga girl! When did you go? We always went the first two weeks' session, in June, before they had sprayed for mosquitoes. It was quite torturous really for a person like me who hates bugs, but part of camp was great too. I went from the time I was 5 years old every summer til I was 11. Anyway, I saw your name on the CD. So you're a famous recording artist, giggle... Ken, thanks for your reminiscences, too. I remember a lot of the people who lived over in Indian Acres as I spent my first 11 years in that neighborhood, then moved to Maple Street where we lived in a duplex behind Anna Aguirre's house (20A Maple). I was always a pianist but obviously didn't play in the garage bands. I did spend time listening to them though, esp. the guys older than me who had a group they eventually called Meerschaum: Kevin Martin, Greg Bowen, Lewis Keene, Joe Scannella, sometimes Dan Bills and Jerry Mendicino. And of course I heard the bands Sybil, Heavy Feather, and the McElroy Brothers at Essex Jct. dances. Anyone want to write about those dances?!?!?!?! That would be an interesting thread!!!!!

[> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: David Prior [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 22:17:32 09/09/02 Mon Hi Brina. David Prior here Dennis's little brother. I think I remember a few of those dances over at Prospect Street school. I've been reading along on this thread and have found it quite interesting. I didn't realize your grandfather owned that store years ago. I'll have to dig out an old post card I have and post a URL to it some time. I see Matt Cohen has his dads old store. I have one for you do you remember the time that moose ran through your back yard years ago? Sorry to here about Mr. Emerick. Sue was my brothers girl friend for so long right? How is Amy your sister? A brief run down here.... I just moved back to VT 2 years ago after 23 years in Virginia (Petersburg) just south of Richmond. My wife and I have a 7 year old son and we live in Shelburne. I buy and sell antiques and my wife works for the State of VT. Our son was diagnosed with sever Hemophilia 6 years ago and we are active advocates for this disorder. Before leaving VA we were very active in our community and are presently pulling together a chapter here in VT. We have spoken nationally at meeting as well as locally in teaching hospitals and Senate committee hearings. Needless to say it has been a big part of our lives for the past 5-6 years. Wonder what ever happened to Bob Lovgrin, Dennis Lalancette?

[> [> Subject: Re: Answers for Dave Prior! Author: Brina [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 00:40:10 09/10/02 Tue Hi Dave, great to hear from you. Did you know we have the same birthday? but I'm a year older! I saw someone mentioned your Sept. 6th birthday someplace around here. Funny! No, I don't remember a moose. Can you fill me in? Was your older brother Dennis involved with this event?! I do know Dennis Lalancette somewhat still. He married Steve Wells' sister Cheryl and they have a wonderful big family and live in Vermont, I think it's Williston. I saw him a few years ago. I am close friends with Steve Wells still; Steve lives literally only a few miles from me here in Minneapolis. He is an atty. here. I got to know his wife very well and their three sons, too. Is your son doing well? That must have been quite a scary diagnosis. Don't know if you are aware that we had a son who died at 4 1/2 months old, Ethan. It's excruciating to lose a child at any age. I hope and pray that your son keeps doing well. It's great that you work for the cause and are his advocates. I'm proud of you! Don't remember the rest of your questions, it's getting late! Take care and hope to "talk" with you some more. Brina

[> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: Patti [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 08:56:26 09/10/02 Tue Dennis does live in Williston with wife Cheryl and four kids. He works for Velan Valve in Williston. Bob Lovgren works for Knight's Engineering, where he has worked for probably 25 years or so. He lived in his parents house for quite awhile where he grew up, but now lives in Milton. I see both once in awhile. Bob, I see on construction sites in the area and I see Dennis once in awhile, as his office is just down the street from my office. Used to go skiing with them every now and then, but haven't in a few years.

[> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: Dave Prior [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 10:03:54 09/10/02 Tue Happy Birthday Brina! We went down to Fire & Ice for the B-day my first time and I was very impressed! Food A, Service A+ and decor was fantastic! I own a few classic boats and they have several inside. The Moose. how did you know Dennis had something to do with this? It's been some time ago but the story was he did in fact see it. When he saw it, it was coming through Anna's and your backyard. I believe it made the Essex Record as well! I didn't know that about Dennis Lalancette or Bob. Just a couple that were probably your class or my brothers, I was thinking of. Oh and thanks Patti! I'm very sorry to learn of your little Ethan. I'm sure you were devastated to say the least, always having that question of why. Yes Brina our son is doing well Thank you. I treat him prophylacticly every other day through his central line (port) with a man made factor 8 replacement and not WHOLE BLOOD. We are very grateful for this new technology and of course along with that wonderful technology comes a wonderful price to the tune of 200-250K a year! Thank God for insurance. It was a very difficult time after the diagnosis, but I believe God would not give us anything we could not handle. Well must get on with the day nice chatting with you. Oh yesterday was like 93 record heat and today up to 90 Whats up with that?

[> Subject: Re: Hello from one of your elders! (class of '75) Author: Kathy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 11:54:46 09/16/02 Mon Brina, I finally found out the name of the store on West Street. It was called K&A's Variety. I asked my brother Mike who married Kathy Laird, a cousin of the other family. Kathy, unfortunately died 5 years ago.