September 30, 2013
I have had lots of questions asking if we are going to have a Special 50th Reunion for our class. Unfortunately, it falls before the scheduled 2015 event for all three classes, '64, '65 and '66.
The ’64 Reunion Committee have said they are all in agreement to do this: JR Brooks, Alice G Preston, Linda Lee Norris, Linda Taylor, Mike Smith, and Jerry Brewer. I have heard from everyone except Jerry, and we all agree we want to do this! I would like to have your input on this because it will take some planning, money and time on both sides.
Anyone in the '64 Class that did not get the email Announcement/Survey about the 50th Special Reunion in 2014, please contact Linda Taylor at lktaylor731@aol.com, 256-469-7567 to leave a message (leave updated email address) or 256-509-7723 to contact. Thank You.
Memphis, TN - We had a wonderful week in Hawaii and got back on Wednesday after a long day of waiting in the terminal and a stop over in Nashville to unload a group of guardsmen who have been serving in Australia. We stayed at the Disney Aulani Resort on the west side of Oahu and it is a wonderful place to visit. I got to do a lot of snorkeling, but did not get to scuba dive as I had planned because they needed a note from my doctor because of my history of high blood pressure, even though it is not high any more.
As expected, I have had mixed reactions to the changes I made to the process of producing Lee's Traveller. For the record - I liked the look of the old format better myself, but I have to be practical. It looks like the explanation I gave did not sink in with some of you, so I will try to explain in a different format. Here are 8 reasons I found it necessary to change the format.
1. This site is a free site hosted by Google - free as in "no cost." The older site was $99 a year to host the site. Since there is no charge to the readers, this helps me financially on the cost of hosting.
2. This site needs less equipment to maintain. The old format used a proprietary software package that only ran on PC computers (no Macs) and required a large amount of computer memory and storage space. The site can be edited and created from any web browser (even with my iPad to a certain extent) which means that I can do it from my Windows table PC and not have to take my bulky laptop with me on my travels. I can even edit it from public library computers should the need arise. Since Sue and I try to travel as light as possible, this will save me several pounds of devices, power supplies, and accessories.
3. This site is easier to format and edit. The format for the old web site was two columns. To lay it out correctly, whenever I added something to one column, the items in the other column might have required adjustments. Sometimes that meant moving six to ten elements of text or pictures around on the page and sometimes left me with large amounts of white space that I needed to fill or leave blank and look funny. This was especially a problem when someone sent me something important after I had already started laying out the issue. Rainer's addition to the Green song question is a perfect example of this. It was received late last night after the issue was almost completed. In the old way of doing it, adding his contribution would have involved moving lots of content to include his choices. In this format I can simply insert it where it is needed. Anyone with any desktop publishing experience will understand what I am talking about.
4. This site allows larger photos. With the two column page width I often had to use very small photos to fit the columns. This site and this layout allows me to use full width (read larger) photos.
5. This site is easier to read on iPads and tablet computer. Users can easily enlarge the text and pictures to see them better. Let's face it, we are seniors now.
6. This site gives us easier access to past issues. With the ability to link past issues in the left navigation column, you will no longer have to step one by one through past issues to see one you missed or want to revisit. You only need to click on the issue name in the left navigation column.
7. This site has a built in search engine which allows viewers to search by keyword. At the top of the page you will see a "Search This Site" option. Although it does not allow searches from the old website, it will allow viewers to search the issues on the new site by just typing in the keyword you wish to search for. For example, in the future if you want to search for the page that announced the passing of a classmate, then all you need to do is type in the name of the classmate and click on search. As the site grows, this will become a more powerful tool.
8. Eventually I will be able to add other permanent information such as a list of deceased classmates and reunion announcements and links to reunion pictures.
The major disadvantage is that it is one column and is a top to bottom format, meaning that you have to scroll up and down to see the content. That is different than having two columns of content visible at one time.
I am still sure that things will change as changes become necessary, but for now, please give it a little longer to get accustomed to it.
Class of ‘64
50 Year Reunion
by Linda Taylor
Class of '64
Brenda Jean Little Keith
Nov 3, 1946 - Sept 18, 2013
Class of '66
Brenda Jean Little Keith, age 66 of Chicamauga, GA, formerly of Huntsville, passed away Wednesday at home. She was preceded in death by her father Wesley Marion Little and brother David Little. She is survived by her husband Edward Keith, mother, Pauline Little, children, Dewayne Clark & Randy Clark, brothers, Don Little, Danny Little, and Dale Little, treasured grandson Brennen Clark, granddaughter Abby Myers, her sister-in-law and best-friend Sandra Harris, and a number of nieces and nephews. Arrangements have been entrusted to Spry Funeral Home where the family will receive friends Thursday 5:00 until 8:00 pm. Funeral service was held at Spry's Chapel with Bill Cantrell officiating with interment at Huntsville Memory Gardens. (Photo from 1964 Silver Sabre.)
Your Favorite Songs Prior
To High School Graduation
Featuring Green in the Title
Jeff Fussell, LHS '66 - Easy one this week. The first thing that came to mind was the 1966 hit by Sgt. Barry Sadler, "The Ballad of the Green Berets". This song, with its patriotic theme and homage to Vietnam war heroes, was a sharp contrast to the mainstream of popular music. Nonetheless, it hit Number 1 on the pop charts and crossed over to become Number 2 on the country charts. Hat tip to "Green, Green Grass of Home" written by Curly Putman. This was a big hit for a number of artists, including Porter Wagoner, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, and others.
Barb Knott, LHS '66 - It’s funny that the first song that popped into my head with green in the title was ‘Green Door’. I had to Google it to find out when it was recorded (1956) and by whom (Jim Lowe). I just remember hearing it and really enjoying the catchy tune. Another song would be ‘Greensleeves’ but that wasn’t what popped into my head first.
Craig Bannecke, LHS '65 - The best song to come to my mind with Green in it, is one Porter Wagoner had a hit with in 1965, "Green, Green Grass of Home". Green Grass, hit #4 on the Country Charts for Porter and was written by a famous Alabamian songwriter Claude "Curly" Putman. Putman, also was co-writer of "He Stopped Loving Her Today" recorded by George Jones and voted the #1 Country Song in recorded history of Country Music. Putman was also mentor to another successful Alabama song writer and fellow Lee Alumni, Jim McBride. "Curly" Putman must have made a small fortune in writing "Green Grass", as it has been recorded by the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Tom Jones, (who had a big hit with Green Grass in 1966) Dean Martin and many others. It was a standard for many years in the country music industry.
Tommy Towery, LHS '64 - One of the things I love about doing this site and about having the knowledge of the internet at my fingertips is the ability to document some of the things that we grew up with that the high schoolers of this generation would never believe. This song is one of those things. In todays world of Rap and songs with explicit sexual and foul language, it must seem strange to look back at the music we listened to. If you have not bothered to do so, then take a minute to click on the "Greenback Dollar" link above and listen to what the Kingston Trio had to do to insure that their song would receive airplay on the radio stations we listened to back then. Being a folk singer and a lover of folk music, I vividly remember hearing this air on WAAY radio (1550 on your AM dial) and beings "shocked", I mean really shocked, at what I was hearing. Even the missing word, which was so easy to guess, still made it sound like a "dirty" song. (Okay we'll take about "Louie, Louie" some other time). Even though the record omitted "damn" , we would all emphasize it when we sang it at parties and around campfires. Later versions and releases and even live performances do not omit the "D" word. I remember seeing the Kingston Trio in concert in Memphis several years ago and they took about 10 minutes explaining the problems they had getting this song released because of the bad word it contained. Times have sure changed!
It was a tough decision between the Kingston Trio's "Greenback Dollar" and another favorite folk song done by the New Christy Minstrels - 'Green, Green". In April 1963 the group recorded their album Ramblin' which featured "Green, Green", a McGuire/Sparks composition that became the group's first hit single, peaking at number three on the Adult Contemporary Charts. "Green, Green" sold over one million copies in 1963.
Rainer Klauss, LHS '64 - Great green songs during my high school years: "Green Onions"--Booker T. & the MGs; "The Green Leaves of Summer"--The Brothers Four; "The Green Green Grass of Home"--Tom Jones: "Greensleeves"--The Lee High Band.
From Our Mailbox
Subject: Website
Sally (Dawley) Stroud
LHS '64
I like the new website. Thank you for all you do to keep this wonderful communication going. Looking forward to the next reunion!
Subject: New Website
Jim Beck
"Confusing" What I had intended to continue to say was the single column layout is a bit like shopping at IKEA. You know that eventually you will get to the place you want, but only by going through a lot of other places on the way. Don't, however, be put off by comments such as mine. They are only opinions, and we all know about the similarity of opinions to other things...
Subject: Website
Barb Knott
LHS '66
They keep telling me at work that ‘change is good’ so hopefully your new version of the Traveller will be accepted. Like you say we just need to get used to the new format….no problem for me.
Subject: Website
Ed (Butch) Rolfe
LHS '64
What have you done to our regular Lee's Traveller page? It isn't good what you did to it. Why did it happen?
(Editor's Note: The reasons are explained above.)
