Pontiac Senior High School Class of 1958

The great thing about the cyberworld we now live in is our ability to join together across space and time. And, we should take advantage to connect with our PCHS 1958 classmates for fun, information, memories, and planning parties and reunions. As we age (yikes!) it seems that we need the comfort and memories of friends from long ago, and to connect with the warmth and friendship from years before but are beginning to lose through the haze of time.

This blog is for you. Its success will be measured by how often it is used and the quality (interest, fun, usability, etc.) of the posts and comments.

There are three ways to use the blog.

First, merely reading the text and looking at the pictures of the submissions (posts)This is interesting and fun but really does not contribute to the communal nature of our effort. Remember the most current posts are at the top so take time to scroll down through the whole blog. At some time I probably will begin archiving older posts.

Second, commenting on posts. At the end of each post there is a "comment" line. Click on this and you can read comments (if any) and submit your own comment. Easy to do and fast. Comments for each post are related only to that specific post.
They are not collected together in a comments area for all the posts .

Third, and the best way I think, is to become a full fledged member of the PCHS blog team. This way you can create your own post with text and pictures. Easy to do, the editing takes only a short time to figure out (really is simple thank goodness). To become a PCHS blog contributing member send me an email that includes your primary email address and a note saying something like Wow, I want to become a PCHS blog team member! I will add you to the "team" list and you will receive a message on how to join. You will need to set up a user name and password. There is no cost and security is very good.
My email is rhathaway2@comcast.net
If you want to call: 517/321-4272, or write: 2609 Edgebrook Dr. Lansing, MI 48906.

Please read, enjoy, learn, comment and post.

All critiques and suggestions for improvement are welcome!! Webster school was a great progressive school but I missed out on some fundamentals. So I always need help in editing.

Many, many thanks to Dave and Barb Kimball for their help in establishing this blog and publicizing it to classmates. You can also help market the blog by telling other class members about it!

Dick Hathaway

Dave hosting classmates September 2005 at he and wife Barb Patterson ('59) Kimball's house in Del Ray Oaks, CA (Carmel-Monterey area).

Dave Kimball returned to Pontiac to visit his mother late December 2005.

He was able to connect with some classmates at the Royal Park Hotel restaurant in Rochester. Here are some pictures.

To the left are Top: Karen Bowman Conley and
Bottom: Carl Holstein and wife Sharon

Pontiac Central High School class of 1958, this is your communal space. A place to share your memories and current affairs (well maybe not all your affairs). And for planning class reunions and parties. I have learned the last couple of years that our classmates are intensely interested in the past, current, and future of the people we shared our high school days with.

As you probably know our beautiful (well at least attractive) school was replaced with, in my eyes anyway, a less engaging structure. Here is a picture of our school when it was built in 1913 .

This is the website for Pontiac High School: http://216.11.111.59/education/school/school.php?sectionid=24
The site is worth visiting for some current school information. Also, this very short history on the main page:

In 1849, The first high school in the City of Pontiac was erected. By 1858, the school in enrollment had already increased to the point that a new school was necessary.The new school built in the oak grove on Huron Street, was finished in 1871, and called Oak Grove High School. In 1913, a new school was built at 250 Huron street and was officially called Pontiac High School. This building served the city high school students for 60 years, with additions made in 1928 and 1953. In 1958, with the opening of Pontiac Northern High School, Pontiac High School was renamed Pontiac Central and the great cross-town rivalry began. Our present seal was designed in this year. In the late 1960's, after the roof began to fall in, it was decided to build a new facility for Pontiac Central. The present building was opened in September, 1973. Pontiac Central is reverse model of itself, forming the two wings including a media center, auditorium, gymnasium, field house, and an Olympic-size swimming pool. The Frances W. Staley auditorium seats 1000 people and can be sectioned off in to three smaller audiences. The Arthur VanRyzin field house seats 3000 people for many types of sports and entertainment, primarily basketball games.

Following our last reunion in 2003 there have been two class parties due to the hard work and generous nature of classmates. In 2004 Sandy Sommerville Setterlind hosted a fun-filled party in Las Vegas. Last year (2005) for three days in September David and Barb Patterson ('59) Kimball arranged and hosted a wondeful three days in Carmel, CA.

Here are just two pictures of some of your classmates in Carmel.

Look at many pictures (classmates are identified there!) from the Carmel party at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhath/ .

Several ideas and locations for a 2006 and/or 2007 party have surfaced. And, of course we need to start thinking about the blow-out 50th reunion in 2008.

Another news item. Gretchen Whitmer has just been elected to the Michigan Legislature as a Democratic State Senator for the Lansing area. Gretehcn is the daughter of our classmate Richard Whitmer. You probably remember Dick Whitmer as a stand-out football and basketball player. He is now the President and CEO of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan. Retirement is planned for mid-2006.

Finally, let us remember (mourn yes, but better yet celebrate the memories of) classmates no longer with us.

Please post comments including, family (we all love to hear about kids and grandkids), hobbies, interests, memories!!, travels, and thoughts on class get-togethers and reunions.

Join in the discussion. Become part of our PCHS 1958 community. Send me a message including your email address (is that redundant?). I will add you to the approved blog posters. It is easy to sign up and create your own posts.

Or send me your ideas for posts and pictures that I can use on this site.

My email is rhathaway2@comcast.net . Mail: 2609 Edgebrook Dr. Lansing, MI 48906 Phones: 517/321-4272 517/896-3026

That is it for now. Time to do yardwork. Still cold here in Lansing but maybe I can get the leaves and sticks and stuff out of the front yard.

Dick Hathaway