January 29, 2018

Golf, anyone?

BHS Golf Team 1968: (L-R) Jack Bray, Shannon Hill, Art Sullivan, Mike Mooney, Randy Prescott, Tom Tanksley, Gene Allred

Remember this photo of the Golf Team in the 1968 Ceralbus with the inscription:

This year the varsity golf team has the largest squad to turn out for golf in the history of BHS. There are nine men bombing the ball, averaging about 38-39 for nine holes, for the first six spots. Led by Captain Gene Allred, they are Rich Upstill (high point man), Tom Tanksley, Steve Potter, Mike Mooney, Randy Prescott, Art Sullivan, Shannon Hill and Pat Sullivan.

Our BHS’68 classmate Tom Tanksley wrote recently to say that he will be visiting Burbank soon to play golf and was reminded about fellow golfer, Gene Allred, whose death we announced in the post, “Rest in peace, Gene Allred.” He then read Randy Prescott‘s comment about Gene: I was really looking forward to talking to Gene again this side of Heaven. He used to make me so mad. He and I were on the Golf Team, where of course he was always #1. One day I “dared to challenge” him and cobbled together my best game of my life. Gene shot a 1-under-par 34. I remember him being very sincere and caring; he always said “I’m sorry” after each of my bad shots.

Tom found the newly-renamed Alumni Snapshots page, formerly called “Inquiring minds want to know” and was interested in reading about classmates who have filled out the Reunion Questionnaire. He especially enjoyed reading Randy’s anti-Lawyer rant, even though he is a retired one himself and shares this joke from Neil De Grasse Tyson, who got this lawyer joke from a lawyer:

The trouble with lawyers is the 90% that make the other 10% look bad.

Tom wrote: I might also add that my entire education and career could have gone into math and engineering as well, but sitting next to him (Randy) in advanced trig made me feel like a borderline dunce. Little did I know how much of a genius he was then given his accomplishments. So he is to blame for me going into poli sci and eventually law school (LOL!)

Hey, don’t forget to fill out the Reunion Questionnaire whether or not you are planning to come to the 50th Class Reunion on October 6! You can easily find the Reunion Questionnaire in the header as shown below:

Tom would like to invite any other golfers to join him at DeBell Golf Course on February 7 when he will be in town. He especially wanted to send his best wishes to Randy Prescott and to invite him to play golf if he is near Burbank on February 7.

(Use the Contact Us form if you want to get in touch with Tom Tanksley).

DeBell Golf Course in Burbank

 

Posted by on January 29, 2018 in Burbank High School and tagged , , , , , , .

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January 24, 2018

Rest in peace, Gene Allred

Gene Allred

Another of our Burbank High Class of 1968 has passed away: Gene Allred died on January 11, 2018.

According to the obituary published in the Mail Tribune:
He had many passions and a profound love of God, family, friends, and wilderness. Gene’s amazing spirit will endure in the many lives he’s impacted with his sincere kindness, contagious enthusiasm, and unwavering optimism.

He is loved and cherished by his wife, Peggy; his three sons and daughters-in-law, Ryan, Rachel, Jason, Kimberly, Kyle, and Ari; his seven grandchildren; his brother, Ed Allred; and his sister, Rives Wiggins.

Gene’s life will be celebrated Sunday, January 28, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. at Rogue Valley Country Club in Medford, Oregon.

Gene was an Emergency Physician in Ashland, Oregon. He was a whitewater guide for 20 years, a swiftwater rescue instructor, avid backpacker, backcountry skier, scuba diver and sea kayaker. He taught wilderness medicine on six continents and was the Director of National Conference on Wilderness Medicine.

Gene Allred

He was Founder and President of Wilderness and Travel Medicine, the oldest and largest organization in the USA which specialized in providing education and training on medical care in the wilderness and austere environments to physicians and other medical professionals.

“Our courses prepare participants to become more adept at rendering emergency medical care in wilderness environments, which can be remote and austere. These courses are also excellent preparation for medical problems associated with foreign travel, medical missions, and disasters.

Our Wilderness Medicine conferences have earned a reputation of excellence for over 30 years largely on the strength of our world-class faculty. Another unique strength is the emphasis on more practical topics and workshops. We are also the largest provider of CME conferences in adventure travel locations worldwide.”

Gene was also the Founder of Adventure Whitewater, which was the largest whitewater rafting professional guide service in Northern California.

In looking over his profile on LinkedIn, I was pleasantly surprised to find out Gene and I shared an alma mater in the University of Southern California. Go Trojans!

Here’s what some of our classmates have posted on Facebook:

He was highly accomplished when he passed. (Steven Lester)

Beautiful description of Gene and his life after BHS. Condolences to his family and may he Rest In Peace. (Louise Good Hernandez)

I remember his broad smile and kind nature. (Michael Katzman)

***We have also received notice that former BHS orchestra and bands teacher, Dave Olson, passed away last summer on August 12, 2017, in addition to former Boys Vice-Principal, Jack Ricketts, who died in early January. Mr. Ricketts later went on to become the principal of John Burroughs High School.

 

 

Posted by on January 24, 2018 in Burbank High School and tagged , , , .

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January 8, 2018

New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year! It’s now 2018 which means that it has been fifty years since we were seniors at Burbank High School! (Yikes, can you believe it!) With a New Year, it’s a chance for a fresh start, a new beginning, time for a New Year’s Resolution. Oh, you can always resolve to watch what you eat, exercise more, take up a new hobby, etc., but perhaps you can put this one on your list:

In the last post, “Inquiring minds want to know,” you’ll see that we’re posting the results of the questionnaire on our website. There simply isn’t enough time to talk to each person individually at the reunion, so the questionnaire is a way to help everyone “catch up” with what’s been going on in your life. We all want to know the answer to, “Hey, whatever happened to _____ (fill in the blank)?”

In case you won’t be able to come to the Reunion, the questionnaire is also a way to communicate with your classmates when we post your answers on the website.

You can download the Reunion Questionnaire by clicking here. We have also placed it in the Header:

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Because the  post was written in December, when people are distracted by the holidays, only a few brave souls sent in their questionnaires.

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Randy Prescott, 1968

But now, we’ve had our first response in January 2018, and it has come from Randy Prescott! For a long time, he was one of our “long lost” classmates since we had no current address or email for him. No wonder—he has moved from Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa, and now lives in Alexandria, VA. He has been married to Diane Marie Prescott for 30 years—they met at Jet Propulsion Laboratory where she was a CalTech Software Engineer. Altogether he has five children: four daughters and one son. His oldest daughter, Tracy, received a PhD in PT from USC. His second daughter is in Georgetown Law School and working for the US Department of Education as a congressional liaison. His other children are at George Mason in Washington DC and Virginia Tech. (Hmm… that makes how many kids in college at the same time?!) Plus, they have a mini Australian Shepherd and two Maine Coon cats!

He retired at age 65 and finds himself volunteering a lot: dog therapy, Mexican Embassy host, MS Office Instructor and PGA Scoreboard supervisor. His latest volunteering gig is at the Office of Presidential Correspondence—that means if you write to the President of the United States, the response may be written by Randy!

FPOW Picture

Randy with his dog, Josie.

His greatest accomplishments since high school include: (Lockheed) Wrote all RADAR and IR control software for F-117 Stealth Fighter; was the Team Lead on Stealth Cruise Missile. At Jet Propulsion Labs, he wrote Spaceflight Operations Center software to support Voyager-2 at Uranus and Neptune; and pointed antennas at quasars. At Boeing, he wrote software for Spacecraft, Satellites, and Aircraft. His last assignment was at Missile Defense National Team in Washington DC, integrating top-level control programs.

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Another photo of Randy.

His favorite memory at Burbank High, Randy says: This one is easy. Back in 12th grade, I had Ms. Scott for English. One day she assigned us another “girly” book to read—something like Scarlet Letter. I couldn’t resist and questioned her judgment. She in turn made me move my desk out into the hall and sit there for the rest of the class. It was actually fun out there, I was very popular with passerbys. Well, later in the day, I was notified to visit the Principal’s Office. When I arrived, the Principal and the Vice-Principal started to shake my hand. As it turned out they had called me down to congratulate me for some worthless award. Of course, I didn’t know that and I responded with “What happened? Did she quit?”

Randy has some advice to his classmates: Don’t go to law school. Law is good; lawyers aren’t. 

Thanks so much, Randy, for sending in your questionnaire!

Now for the rest of you, get busy and fill out the questionnaire!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by on January 8, 2018 in Burbank High School and tagged .

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December 5, 2017

Inquiring minds want to know …

I’ll never forget seeing this cover!

Maybe you remember this old slogan, “Inquiring minds want to know” which was used in the 80s by the National Enquirer, one of those supermarket tabloids you see in the checkout line. The magazine changed it to “Enquiring minds want to know.”

Others say it originally came from the E. F. Hutton stock brokers’ commercials in the late 70s. “You’d see these two business types in the middle of a crowd and one of them would say, “Well, my broker is E. F. Hutton, and he says…” and, in the next scene, you’d see the whole crowd stop in their tracks and look over at the guys, straining to hear what he’d say. Then, the commercial would end with “Inquiring minds want to know” across the screen.

Whatever the origin, we have started a new page on the Burbank High Class of 1968 blog called, you got it, “Inquiring minds want to know.” The source for information from this page comes from a Reunion Questionnaire which amazingly Donna Canzoneri Wray and Fred Lee Stenson miraculously found and filled out. Hey, with all the people who have signed up to come to the 50th Class Reunion, there will never be enough time to talk to everyone! This questionnaire is one way to help everyone “catch up” with what’s been going on in your life. This is your chance to brag, people!

Look in the header of the blog and you’ll see some new menu options. Here’s the “Inquiring minds want to know…” containing the Reunion Questionnaire answers.

Inquiring minds want to know …

And here is the page with more details about the 50th Class Reunion Cruise:

50th Reunion CRUISE

George Frigerio and Tonia Szilagyi Mapston, Autumn 2017

And then, we love photos! Don’t you just love “Before” and “After” pictures? Tonia Szilagyi Mapston just sent the latest side-by-side photo of herself with surprise love, George Frigerio. You can read their miraculous and amazing love story in these posts: “A BHS love story” and “49 years in the making.” Toni, who lives in Oregon, will again travel to Philadelphia to see George after Christmas, and promises “Will be taking my selfie stick to PA 12/26/17! All in due time! Slow and sure! Stay tuned! 😉❤️✈️”

Here are some of the Facebook comments which have been posted:

Jan DeJaegher Love wins!❤️❤️
Larry O’Brien Great looking couple
Debbie Burpee Wilander Beautiful pictures! Congratulations!
Timothy Zuma Tim Tolnay Great pictures of you two. Can’t wait to see you.
Nancy McNamara Zambrana You both look so happy! ❤️❤️
Tonia Szilagyi Mapston We are! 😊❤️
Sarah Urbanski Andrews Congratulations! Love this story!
Marcia Maahs Sanchez I love this picture. So happy for you both.
Larry O’Brien Damm, I just realized he looks DeNiro! Uncanny
Tonia Szilagyi Mapston 3/4 Italian! 1/4 Spanish! ❤️ Maternal grandmama from Espana!
Sue Meeuwsen Lewis Happy you are Happy ♥️😜 Go George 👍
Jennifer King Adishian Wow, exciting
Tonia Szilagyi Mapston Unexpected and Amazing Gift! High School pals in Burbank to “this”! ❤️
Kathleen Wyatt Richardson So happy for you guys… Great picture ❤️
Larry Lohmann Keep Smiling and Showing off the Happiness
Tonia Szilagyi Mapston Thank you, Larry! Cannot stop smiling and laughing even if we try! 😂😉❤️
Crilly Butler Who woulda ever thunk? So cool!
Debbie Aylward Juth Woe that picture looks just like Robert Di Niro
Linda Weintz Nelson Absolutely wonderful
Leslie Reel Rozek I thought De Niro too!! George must hear that a lot. You make a beautiful couple!
We R Rasmussen ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS💚❤💛💜💙❣ Super happy for you😇!!!
Marilyn M. Peters This is wonderful. So happy for you.💑

George Frigerio WHO’S IS THAT GORGEOUS LADY?
Tonia Szilagyi Mapston Your Everafter! 

In case you haven’t found it yet, click here for the Photos Now page to see recent pictures of your classmates.

So, please! Fill out and submit the Reunion Questionnaire TODAY! And send those photos to us here! We’d love to share YOUR story with the Class of 1968 classmates.

P.S. In case you don’t bookmark the link, the Reunion Questionnaire is under the “Contact Us” option.

 

Posted by on December 5, 2017 in Burbank High School and tagged , , , .

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December 2, 2017

Announcing … the 50th Class Reunion Cruise!

In what may be the beginning of several 50th Class reunion events next October, BHS’68 John Wray has announced a 50th Class Reunion Cruise, October 1-5, 2018. This means that you can make a real vacation out of it, with the cruise returning in time before our dinner at the Angeles National Golf Club on Saturday, October 6.

Here is the itinerary:

Monday, Oct. 1, Depart Long Beach port, 5:30 pm
Tuesday, Oct. 2, At sea
Wednesday, Oct. 3, Arrive Catalina Island, 7:30 am. Depart at 4:30 pm
Thursday, Oct. 4, Arrive Ensenada, Mexico, 8:00 am, Depart at 6:00 pm
Friday, Oct. 5, Arrive Long Beach port, 7:00 am

The ship is the Carnival Inspiration, which has a seven-deck Grand Atrium. “Designed to inspire, this ship features bars and lounges with an art nouveau theme, such as the Café des Artistes and the Avant-Garde Lounge. The Rock ‘N Roll dance club has a guitar-shaped dance floor and hundreds of video monitors, the softly lit Candlelight Lounge provides an intimate setting for various entertaining acts such as Punchliners Comedy Club, and the Rhapsody in Blue piano bar always attracts a lively crowd for sing-alongs. When it’s time to relax, Spa Carnival will soothe your mind and body with a variety of spa treatments. Out on deck, guests can lounge by a resort-style pool, splash around at Carnival WaterWorks aqua park, or practice their putting skills on the nine-hole mini-golf course. The Inspiration also features an adults-only “Serenity” area that offers bar service, ocean vistas and whirlpools for relaxation. At meal time, the Inspiration offers a nice selection of dining venues, including a casual bar and grill, pizzeria and two main dining rooms. Staterooms feature high-thread-count linens and duvet, custom pillows, fine cotton towels, terry cloth robes and 24-hour room service.”

All you need to know about the cruise, the ship, its cost, and FAQs are found at this link.

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If you are interested in booking the cruise, sign up directly here. What fun it will be to cruise with your former classmates, catching up on the last 50 years, rediscovering or exploring Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico!

Posted by on December 2, 2017 in Burbank High School and tagged , , , , .

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November 17, 2017

Remember PRIDE?

The cheerleaders led us in P-R-I-D-E cheers. Photo shared by Les Heller.

Remember PRIDE? It was hugely important in our day, and I seem to recall that during our time at Burbank High, the sign was vandalized with red paint, perhaps by some John Burroughs students. Cheerleaders also spelled it out for football games. Later it was painted high up on the Gym so that it couldn’t be vandalized.

The PRIDE sign on the gym. Photo is from the Burbank High Centennial book.

But now, if you drive by the campus, PRIDE is nowhere to be seen, at least not from the street, so I asked several Burbank High “experts” on what happened.

Wes Clark, who manages a blog on the history and lore of Burbank, wrote, “I’m guessing that, over the decades, it was simply forgotten – which was also the case with manners, respect, good learning habits and ambition.”

Mike McDaniel, another Burbank expert, said, “To the best of my knowledge they still use ‘Pride’ but things like school spirit are not as important as when we were all there in the 60’s and 70’s. I have seen it used on paper banners and on cheerleaders’ wood blocks that they paint in BHS colors. So it is still used.”

Hey, Class of 1968, let’s show the world we still have some school spirit! Consider attending our 50th Class Reunion on October 6, 2018 by sending us an email. You can get all the information about this event from the following links:

Save the Date!

50th Reunion FAQs

Tentative Guest List

Senior Class Photos of Attendees

What people look like now!

Memorial List

Posted by on November 17, 2017 in Burbank High School and tagged , , , , .

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November 9, 2017

Whatever happened to ?

In case you haven’t found it till now, you’ve reached the blog of Burbank High School, the Class of 1968. If you are one of our classmates whom we haven’t contacted yet, the biggest event of our school life is coming up next October 6, 2018 when we celebrate the 50TH REUNION of our Class at the Angeles National Golf Club in Sunland, CA.

Here are some important links for you to check:

50th Reunion FAQs. All you need to know about the 50th Class Reunion for now. More information will be forthcoming as the reunion nears.

Who is planning to come to the Reunion? The tentative guest list is here.

Want to come to the Reunion? Use the Contact Us Now option. 

I don’t remember what someone looks like. Here are the senior class photos of people who are interested in the Reunion.

I wonder what they look like now. Click here for “Now” pictures of our classmates.

Who in our Class of 1968 has died? Here’s a memorial list.

What’s a blog all about anyway? It’s a way to catch up with your classmates, and find out what’s happening in their lives. It’s the answer to, “Whatever happened to … ?” Perhaps you’re saying, “I won’t be able to come to the Reunion, but I’d like to know what happened to my classmates.” Check out these recent posts:

John Ferguson

This classmate recently ran an election for mayor of his town. (Update: John Ferguson recently posted this: By now, you have all heard about the results of the our run for Mayor of Pine Knoll Shores.  I am sorry that things did not work out.  However, I do wish to thank all of those of you who have assisted me throughout the past several months.  Many have assisted in Meet and Greets, as well as helped with the campaign.  I am in your debt.  I also want to wish Ken Jones well as he proceeds with the next two years as Mayor.  Last night I communicated with him and congratulated him on his victory.  It is time we all did our part in assisting him, as on the surface things look pretty easy, but of course they are not.  It requires many dedicated people to continue making this Town a great place to live.  Again, I thank those who supported me in this run for Mayor and wish Ken congratulations.) — What a gracious man John is! We hope you will try again.

Toni Szilagyi

George Frigerio,

It’s been forty-nine years since our Senior Grad Night. That’s how long it’s been since Tonia Szilagyi and George Frigerio last saw each other. Last weekend they met in person for the first time, and the love sparks are flying! Read about this amazing love story in these two posts: A BHS love story, and 49 years in the making. Our classmate, Norm Sabin, commented, “With all the garbage going on in the world today, it was incredible to watch a true love story unfold before our eyes. Kinda puts things in perspective. I wish each of you the best.”

Mike Katzman, 1968

Mike Katzman

Dale Rubin, 1968

Dale Rubin

This graduate was known to be a really funny guy in high school. After retiring from teaching and administration after thirty-one years, he has written several books. About Mike Katzman, this comment was written by fellow classmate Cynthia Lindholm Cavanaugh, Mike Katzman is a very funny guy. He and Dale Rubin, his Dynamic Duo partner, were two of the smartest, wittiest kids at BHS. Clearly, that hasn’t changed. Mike’s partner in Burbank’s Hi-Life newspaper “Dynamic Duo,” was Dale Rubin, who became a criminal defense attorney. Read about updates on these two funny guys here.

Carla Robinson, 1968

Carla Robinson

This brave graduate has met cancer head-on and won! Read about Carla Robinson Pollard’s inspiring story here. She endured chemo and radiation, plus surgery, but then wound up in the hospital with infections, and even had a seizure. But now she is working out at the gym, and running two successful businesses — and is feeling very grateful to be alive and feeling so good!

Laura Ziskin 1950-2011

Laura Ziskin

Probably the most famous graduate in our Class of 1968 was Hollywood’s Laura Ziskin, who produced such movies as Pretty Woman, As Good as It Gets, and the Spiderman series. Read a previously-unpublished interview here, which details her seven-year battle with breast cancer, and the organization which she founded, StandUp2Cancer.

The posts about the graduates above are only a sampling of the stories that have been written in this blog. If you’re retired and have all the time in the world (Ha ha!), you can look through the archives. See it in the header above?

If you know someone’s name but don’t see it in the Tag Cloud, use the Search Box at the top left of the menu.

There are many stories yet to be told! The best way to start with YOUR STORY is to fill out the REUNION QUESTIONNAIRE. We had a large graduating class, and there is never enough time to talk to each person individually. The answers to the questionnaire will help everyone “catch up” with what’s been going on in your life.

 

 

Posted by on November 9, 2017 in Burbank High School and tagged , , , , , , , , , .

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November 6, 2017

49 years in the making

This weekend, I witnessed a beautiful love story between two of our Burbank High School classmates which unfolded after a period of 49 YEARS, and was so excited about it that I kept checking Facebook every hour for updates!

What a bright light in the midst of another mass shooting this weekend, when we learned about the love story between Tonia Szilagyi Mapston and George Frigerio which has just happened in the last year. In case you missed it, you can read the previous post, “A BHS love story,” on this blog—which apparently started with Mr. Buckner’s biology class.

It all happened in Mr. Buckner’s biology class!

And how perfect is this: the 1968 Ceralbus was dedicated to Mr. Kenneth Buckner!

In appreciation to Mr. Kenneth Buckner for the tremendous amount of devotion he has shown to his students, we would like to dedicate the 1968 Ceralbus. Mr. Buckner, who teaches biology, is also head of the science department at Burbank High. He is not only a devoted and interested teacher, but a wonderful person to know, with a cheerful and friendly personality.

Mr. Buckner is the kind of teacher who does not simply impart knowledge to his students, but he awakens their interest in it and makes them eager to pursue it on their own. It is not unusual for him to spend many extra hours helping students who show such an interest.

We hope by this dedication, Mr. Buckner, to express our sincere gratitude and thanks for your contribution as a friend and teacher to the students of Burbank High School.

Dedication to Mr. Kenneth Buckner

Little did Mr. Buckner know that 49 years later two of his students would get together!

Along the way, Tonia posted images on her Facebook page, which I am reposting here—all clues to this developing love relationship! What is so miraculous is the last time these two saw each other in person (outside of Facebook, text messaging, and videochatting)—was Grad Night 6/13/68! Isn’t that incredible! Since mid-July 2017, they have been videochatting every morning, and falling in love as they went.

For those who do not have a Facebook account, I thought you’d be interested in some of the comments on the blog post— and a reminder: there is a comments section on the bottom of each post. If you write your comments there, everybody will be able to see them!

Sallie Shelton Thomas I was right there with you, Katherine. I thought I was going to wear out my iPad checking Facebook all the time the past few days to see what was happening with these two. May the giddiness and happiness never fade.

John Ferguson What a great story!

Norm Sabin With all the garbage going on in the world today, it was incredible to watch a true love story unfold before our eyes. Kinda puts things in perspective. I wish each of you the best.

Jan DeJaegher Love wins! Again!!❤️❤️ SO happy for you both. Tonia, your Girl Scout Troop 50 pals should be your attendants. Loving all this nostalgia! George and Tonia, now NEITHER of you can hide!😎Nor can your kids.😄We who are your friends will ALL find you…😉 Your news is a bright light in all the craziness going on right now.

Annette Dinolfo Bennett Good luck to both of you💑 for finding each other after all these years❤️

Robyn Campbell Morrow The stuff dreams are made of. Soap Operas too! Ha!

Katherine Crosier I suspected as much when I saw them commenting each other’s posts so often. Wow, what a great story!

Dale Rubin What great news. Congratulations to you both!

Jill Gipson I didn’t know either of these “kids” during my time in Burbank, but I’m a sap for a love story and this is one of the best I’ve heard in a long time. Congratulations to you both! ❤

Alice Hanson I didn’t know them either; but so very happy for the both of them ❤️

Laura L. Young Congrats to both of you!!! Let everyone know when!! Finding Love at this stage of our lives is outstanding…enjoy every minute you have together!!!!! ♡♡♡

Les Heller Totally Jealous….On SO Many Levels !!!!!

Jan P. Williams Soo happy for you Both!! Congratulations 🥂

Larry O’Brien Got ya, hook line and sinker. George and Tonia sitting in a tree, kiss..ing , first comes love, then comes Marriage; then comes baby in a baby carriage.

Jodi Tillotson Huddleston We are so happy for you and we’ll see you next year!

Robyn Campbell Morrow It’s like hitting the lottery! Congrats!

Teri Clark I’ll leave you two alone now 😄❤

Tonia Szilagyi Mapston Watch for relationship status in the near future …

Jerel Perry West How about a Christmas Wedding, fun!!!

George Frigerio if y’all haven’t figured it out,,,i asked toni to go steady and she stayed,,i guess that’s a yes, boy…  i’m in trouble… we’re happy and in amoree… i won the lotto.

I found the perfect song for Tonia and George:

Reunited, and it feels so good
Reunited ’cause we understood
There’s one perfect fit
And, sugar, this one is it
We both are so excited ’cause we’re reunited, hey, hey.

Written by Dino Fekaris, Frederick J. Perren • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group

Posted by on November 6, 2017 in Burbank High School and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

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November 5, 2017

A BHS love story

Toni Szilagyi, 1968

George Frigerio, 1968

We who are Facebook friends with our BHS’68 classmate Tonia Szilagyi Mapston have witnessed something beautiful over the weekend. A few months ago, she posted something very mysterious—about her life changing unexpectedly. On this blog we did report that it was two years ago that her beloved husband of 45 years, Darrell Mapston, passed away after a heart attack. The Mapstons had four daughters, Danielle, Tara, Nicole, and Tiffany, and eight grandchildren.

A couple of months ago, I seemed to notice that another BHS’68 classmate, George Frigerio, began commenting on nearly every post Tonia wrote. And she changed her Facebook relationship to “It’s complicated” as of May 23, 2017. Hmmm…

When I sent out the “Save the Date” notice about our 50th Class Reunion, and George wrote, “ME AND THE BOSS ARE TALKING ABOUT IT!” Was he referring to Tonia?

Then this tell-tale post appeared on Tonia’s Facebook wall:

On November 2, Tonia posted a picture of her boots with the caption: “Leavin’ on a jet plane ✈️ yet again! Philly bound … three week vacay, here I come! 😉” On a hunch, I checked the database of Burbank High Class of 1968 graduates, and found out that George lives in Pennsylvania!

I began checking Facebook every hour for updates to this post!

Over the weekend, another BHS’68 classmate, Teri Hill Clark, posted this: “These two have been carrying on for months! Actually tip toeing around it for, what? A year? I just happened into the mix via geography😉 I’m sure they will spill the whole story for a class reunion blurb! It is totally sweet and romantic!

And Tonia wrote this: “sparks in HS, a year and a half reconnected, seven months serious … bulletins as they break … he has asked me to go steady (HS ring and letterman’s jacket) lol … and I said … wait for it … Yes! 😉 He plied me with bouquets of les fleurs, sweet 🎼, chocolates, and vino 🍷🍷! He makes me laugh and smile! Happy dance! Who’d a thunk! Out of left field! Neither looking and Shazam! The brainiac as he called me in HS and the jock aka the brat and the pest! I do not let him get away with nuttin’ and he was a pest everyday in HS in the bio lab attempting to get me in trouble with Mr. Buckner and Mr. Bugg! 😂 Life certainly took Us on a circuitous route to Us! I am twice blessed in this arena of life … hubby and the Pest! 😉

Tonia further explained:

“lost touch after high school grad night but weird connections kept happening we discovered along the way or after the fact … him being on a flight with my cousin and realizing they had me in common, being back in Burbank at same time after both being gone many years, being in North Carolina nearby towns same time … reconnected inadvertently over FB, a mutual friend, a daughter of mine going back to July 2016 … evolved to Messenger on 2/14/17 … phone 4/2017 … video chat 7/2017 and the rest is history! Took it slow! Nothing forced! My youngest and her kids visited him in July 2017! My family and friends have been connecting with him since April 2017! Life certainly does take interesting crazy turns!”

Finally, tonight I asked “what happened on May 23rd?” and Tonia answered: First time George definitively told me he was in love with me, sent me a first bouquet of red roses of four bouquets of flowers he has sent me since then, and it was my 67th birthday and he was in cahoots with my youngest daughter on Messenger … we posted awhile back we were in a complex 2885 mile apart relationship … later this week, we will post we are going steady … the other day he gave me his BHS letterman’s jacket and senior ring! He wants me to pick out a St. Christopher medal necklace this week! 😉☺️ all symbols back in JHS and HS of going steady! We are having fun with this!

[Editor’s Note: George still had his BHS letterman’s jacket?! He still had his senior ring?!]

Tonight we saw this:

No more doubt about it! How exciting for them both!

What a beautiful story! George and Tonia, we wish you much happiness together!

 

 

Posted by on November 5, 2017 in Burbank High School and tagged , , , .

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November 4, 2017

The mayor of Pine Knoll Shores?

John Ferguson, 1968

John Ferguson, mayoral candidate

Yet another of our illustrious BHS’68 classmates is entering the fray of politics. This time, it’s John Ferguson who is running for Mayor of Pine Knoll Shores, NC and the election is only a couple of days away.

If you check out John’s website, you can read his bio here:

My wife JoAnne and I moved to Pine Knoll Shores in 2012, subsequent to our respective retirements.  When we moved here from the Raleigh area, it became important to get involved with this great community.  We joined the Country Club of the Crystal Coast and found many friends there, and I was elected to the Board of Directors in 2013.  I have also been honored to be the president of our condominium homeowner’s association for several years before we moved to our current home.  JoAnne has been involved in the Pine Knoll Shores Women’s Club as well as the Garden Club.  I now think it is time to give back to the community directly by participating in the Town’s political environment.  I believe my background supports a leadership role in this wonderful community.

I attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, and served this great country for five years after my graduation.  My service took me to Germany and various stations in the USA.  I left the service and joined Carolina Power & Light Company (now Duke Energy) where I worked in human resources as a recruiter, human resources manager at the plant and group levels.  I spent two years in strategic planning in our marketing department, and finished my career in supply chain management, where I was responsible for contract management, procurement engineering, quality assurance, warehousing and purchasing.  

JoAnne and I love this area and the opportunities that it provides to not only us, but all who are lucky enough to live in this great place.

John is running on a platform of public safety, fiscal responsibility, public service and care of the environment.

I was curious to find out more information about Pine Knoll Shores, and found that it is 2,667 miles away from Burbank, CA but vastly different in terms of  the type of community it is. For one thing, the population is only 1,547 people, 776 households and 557 families residing here, according to a 2008 census. The town was developed by the grandchildren of President Theodore Roosevelt.
John is running against an incumbent, but finds that the biggest challenge is voter apathy. Early voting ended today and apparently it is lower than previous turnouts.
We’ll hopefully see John and his wife, JoAnn, at the 50th Class Reunion!
Good luck, John!

John’s family

(Update: John Ferguson recently posted this: By now, you have all heard about the results of the our run for Mayor of Pine Knoll Shores.  I am sorry that things did not work out.  However, I do wish to thank all of those of you who have assisted me throughout the past several months.  Many have assisted in Meet and Greets, as well as helped with the campaign.  I am in your debt.  I also want to wish Ken Jones well as he proceeds with the next two years as Mayor.  Last night I communicated with him and congratulated him on his victory.  It is time we all did our part in assisting him, as on the surface things look pretty easy, but of course they are not.  It requires many dedicated people to continue making this Town a great place to live.  Again, I thank those who supported me in this run for Mayor and wish Ken congratulations.) — What a gracious man John is! We hope you will try again.

 

Posted by on November 4, 2017 in Burbank High School and tagged , .

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