"We Get Letters....cont."

The emails are starting to trickle in which makes this lonely old webmaster very happy.

Jennie Margaret, or Senator Jennie Margaret as she's known in Maryland, reminded Jerry Gaudet of an incident that perhaps all of us remember:

Jennie: " Remember when some of the guys put a small car on the steps of the auditorium? Who was that?

We could start a “memory book” of interesting (+ silly!) things we did." CHEERS! JM

Jerry:

"I do recall a Volkswagen, I believe it was, being placed on the auditorium landing...but I can't recall whose car it was or who organized the stunt."

Obie Oakley:

I think the situation to which Jennie is referring is when we carried James Boyces little Nash (Rambler, Ambassador?) up the auditorium steps during one of the lunch hours.

Jerry Gaudet:

After all these years, Obie's 'fessing up.

Well, Obie DID say WE......-Ed

Mitzi Minor Roper has spent the last couple of weeks baby sitting with her 5 and a half year old grandaughter while her daughter in law Missy Roper runs a very fine Christian Camp for girls:

Mitzi:

"She has had a girl's Christian Camp in Asheville since she got out of college. It is called "Hollymont". It is small as she only has 200 girls at the time and will be finished with the actual "Camp" on August ll. It is a full time job, however, and she has a staff that works all year to prepare for the "summer". She works hard too and takes her responsibility very seriously. A lot of girls are "legacies" as their mothers went there as children too. She has girls from all over. Check it out online, www.hollymont.com

"Baby sitting" is really a misnomer. Yes, you're taking care of a baby....but there's not much "sitting"about it. As loving grandparents most of us know exactly how much work it actually is!

-Ed

!!!!!!!BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!

Mystery of Car On Steps Solved!

Our crack investigative reporter, Jerry Gaudet, has solved the case of THE MYSTERY CAR ON THE STEPS!

Jerry says, "It was elementary, my dear Watson. All I did was email Jim Boyce and the mystery was solved!

Here's Jim's reply:

Jerry, am I surprised that anyone would remember the car stunt! Yes, it was my car but it certainly wasn't a VW or Nash (they were real cars!). The name of my "car" was a King Midget. It was given to me by a gentleman who was like a second father to me. Since my dad was the minister at the old First A.R.P. Church at the corner of 11th Street and N. Tryon Street, which is now the Bank of America Art Center, I used to sit with this gentlemen during church and often visited his home out Providence Road across from Providence Square Shopping Center which was really in the country at that time!

Our family later moved to Sardis Road where my dad was the minister of Sardis Presbyterian Church and I attended Central High School.The little King Midget was a chain drive vehicle with automatic transmission (I believe the engine was a Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engine). The braking system were cables that ran from the front to the rear wheels and you simply tightened the cables when needed. I don't recall the size of the gas tank but the mileage was great. I had a few problems navigating some of the hills due to the lack of power, especially coming home on Randolph Road where it intersects with Sardis Road.

Back then traffic wasn't the same as it is now, of course, and the King Midget couldn't have survived in today's madhouse. I believe there were several instances where I found the car moved but it was all in fun and I had no problem getting people to help me put it back on the street! I'll have to dig through some very old pictures to see if I have one of the King Midget! I'm sure I had the only one in town! I don't know where it was purchased (not in Charlotte), the specifications, etc. but it sure attracted attention. I have googled and found a website for kingmidgetcarclub.org and believe my version was the Model II. If you want to pull that up and forward to OO and others, please feel free to do so. Thanks for letting me hear of the inquiries!!

Jim Boyce




I congratulate Jerry on his fine detective work. One question is still unanswered though, and that is......who the heck is Watson? -Ed

"We Get Letters....cont."

The emails are starting to trickle in which makes this lonely old webmaster very happy.

Jennie Margaret, or Senator Jennie Margaret as she's known in Maryland, reminded Jerry Gaudet of an incident that perhaps all of us remember:

Jennie: " Remember when some of the guys put a small car on the steps of the auditorium? Who was that?

We could start a “memory book” of interesting (+ silly!) things we did." CHEERS! JM

Jerry:

"I do recall a Volkswagen, I believe it was, being placed on the auditorium landing...but I can't recall whose car it was or who organized the stunt."

Obie Oakley:

I think the situation to which Jennie is referring is when we carried James Boyces little Nash (Rambler, Ambassador?) up the auditorium steps during one of the lunch hours.

Jerry Gaudet:

After all these years, Obie's 'fessing up.

Well, Obie DID say WE......-Ed

Mitzi Minor Roper has spent the last couple of weeks baby sitting with her 5 and a half year old grandaughter while her daughter in law Missy Roper runs a very fine Christian Camp for girls:

Mitzi:

"She has had a girl's Christian Camp in Asheville since she got out of college. It is called "Hollymont". It is small as she only has 200 girls at the time and will be finished with the actual "Camp" on August ll. It is a full time job, however, and she has a staff that works all year to prepare for the "summer". She works hard too and takes her responsibility very seriously. A lot of girls are "legacies" as their mothers went there as children too. She has girls from all over. Check it out online, www.hollymont.com

"Baby sitting" is really a misnomer. Yes, you're taking care of a baby....but there's not much "sitting"about it. As loving grandparents most of us know exactly how much work it actually is!

-Ed

!!!!!!!BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!

Mystery of Car On Steps Solved!

Our crack investigative reporter, Jerry Gaudet, has solved the case of THE MYSTERY CAR ON THE STEPS!

Jerry says, "It was elementary, my dear Watson. All I did was email Jim Boyce and the mystery was solved!

Here's Jim's reply:

Jerry, am I surprised that anyone would remember the car stunt! Yes, it was my car but it certainly wasn't a VW or Nash (they were real cars!). The name of my "car" was a King Midget. It was given to me by a gentleman who was like a second father to me. Since my dad was the minister at the old First A.R.P. Church at the corner of 11th Street and N. Tryon Street, which is now the Bank of America Art Center, I used to sit with this gentlemen during church and often visited his home out Providence Road across from Providence Square Shopping Center which was really in the country at that time!

Our family later moved to Sardis Road where my dad was the minister of Sardis Presbyterian Church and I attended Central High School.The little King Midget was a chain drive vehicle with automatic transmission (I believe the engine was a Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engine). The braking system were cables that ran from the front to the rear wheels and you simply tightened the cables when needed. I don't recall the size of the gas tank but the mileage was great. I had a few problems navigating some of the hills due to the lack of power, especially coming home on Randolph Road where it intersects with Sardis Road.

Back then traffic wasn't the same as it is now, of course, and the King Midget couldn't have survived in today's madhouse. I believe there were several instances where I found the car moved but it was all in fun and I had no problem getting people to help me put it back on the street! I'll have to dig through some very old pictures to see if I have one of the King Midget! I'm sure I had the only one in town! I don't know where it was purchased (not in Charlotte), the specifications, etc. but it sure attracted attention. I have googled and found a website for kingmidgetcarclub.org and believe my version was the Model II. If you want to pull that up and forward to OO and others, please feel free to do so. Thanks for letting me hear of the inquiries!!

Jim Boyce




I congratulate Jerry on his fine detective work. One question is still unanswered though, and that is......who the heck is Watson? -Ed

"We Get Letters"

That was a regular feature on the old Perry Como TV show of the late 50's if memory serves me correctly.

Well, we only got two, so far, in response to my email request for information regarding your family and what you have been doing since our last gathering in the old CHS auditorium 53 years ago.

I was pleased to hear from Robert Yandle ( better known as Bobby or, because of his Hollywood good looks,"Fernando" as in Fernando Lamas)

"Thanks to Jerry and Ed...you both do a fantastic job sharing information and news.

Wish I had some new stories...like when my middle daughter, Karen, from her perch in the back seat asked the usual questions. We lived in Alabama, and were on our way to spend Christmas in Charlotte. Her main question, after only an hour: "Are we there yet, Daddy?" I explained the length of the trip, that we'd stop for gas and a couple times to eat before we got there, and told her to nap. She asked the question 2-3 more times in a short span. Finally, perturbed, I said, "Karen, if you ask that again, I'll stop the car and get my belt....". She was quiet for a while. Then, from the back, "Daddy....", and I knew I'd have to stop because I said I would. "WHAT, Karen, " I said, irritated. "Daddy...when we get where we're going, where will we be?"

Needless to say, it's a mighty good question to ask spiritually, too, isn't it? If we don't care where we're going, we might end up where we don't want to be.

Retired for exactly 3 years, preached in 30 different churches, in 2006, averaged preaching 7 times a month. Wouldn't have it any othger way. Macular Degeneration (loss of vision) caused the retirement. Since I can't drive any longer because of that, proved difficult to be a full-time minister. But I don't consider myself a victim, instead, I'm a person God seems to feel He can trust with adversity. So, I wouldn't change a thing...but I'd love for Him to do so~!

Again, thanks Ed and Jerry"

b Yandle

Sanford, NC



Great attitude, Bobby!
Hope to hear from a lot of other of our old friends soon.

I have several email addresses. Feel free to use any of them:

edmyers@gmail.com
lee@newsbroadcastnetwork.com
shephard@gmail.com

AND, Linda Huggins sent this note:

Thanks, Ed. This looks great! Hope you're doing well and recuperating nicely. Ross is having a procedure done tomorrow to remove a subdural hematoma from his cranium. Needless to say, I'll be glad to know that it's gone and that he is intact.

All our best to you and Linda,

R & L Huggins :)

Linda,

You and Ross will be in our prayers!

-Ed

"We Get Letters"

That was a regular feature on the old Perry Como TV show of the late 50's if memory serves me correctly.

Well, we only got two, so far, in response to my email request for information regarding your family and what you have been doing since our last gathering in the old CHS auditorium 53 years ago.

I was pleased to hear from Robert Yandle ( better known as Bobby or, because of his Hollywood good looks,"Fernando" as in Fernando Lamas)

"Thanks to Jerry and Ed...you both do a fantastic job sharing information and news.

Wish I had some new stories...like when my middle daughter, Karen, from her perch in the back seat asked the usual questions. We lived in Alabama, and were on our way to spend Christmas in Charlotte. Her main question, after only an hour: "Are we there yet, Daddy?" I explained the length of the trip, that we'd stop for gas and a couple times to eat before we got there, and told her to nap. She asked the question 2-3 more times in a short span. Finally, perturbed, I said, "Karen, if you ask that again, I'll stop the car and get my belt....". She was quiet for a while. Then, from the back, "Daddy....", and I knew I'd have to stop because I said I would. "WHAT, Karen, " I said, irritated. "Daddy...when we get where we're going, where will we be?"

Needless to say, it's a mighty good question to ask spiritually, too, isn't it? If we don't care where we're going, we might end up where we don't want to be.

Retired for exactly 3 years, preached in 30 different churches, in 2006, averaged preaching 7 times a month. Wouldn't have it any othger way. Macular Degeneration (loss of vision) caused the retirement. Since I can't drive any longer because of that, proved difficult to be a full-time minister. But I don't consider myself a victim, instead, I'm a person God seems to feel He can trust with adversity. So, I wouldn't change a thing...but I'd love for Him to do so~!

Again, thanks Ed and Jerry"

b Yandle

Sanford, NC



Great attitude, Bobby!
Hope to hear from a lot of other of our old friends soon.

I have several email addresses. Feel free to use any of them:

edmyers@gmail.com
lee@newsbroadcastnetwork.com
shephard@gmail.com

AND, Linda Huggins sent this note:

Thanks, Ed. This looks great! Hope you're doing well and recuperating nicely. Ross is having a procedure done tomorrow to remove a subdural hematoma from his cranium. Needless to say, I'll be glad to know that it's gone and that he is intact.

All our best to you and Linda,

R & L Huggins :)

Linda,

You and Ross will be in our prayers!

-Ed

It's Really Happening!

After many years of tearing down almost everything meaningful for the thousands of us who grew up during most of the first half of the 20th century, the Queen City is actually restoring the outside of the old Central High School building.

As far as I know, this is the first time in 40 years that the city has built anything other than skyscrapers, sports complexes and arts centers.

Maybe next they'll even decide to build a few more roads in the city. Stranger things have happened.

Anyway, Jerry Gaudet sent in these pictures of the construction project.

Looks pretty good to these old eyes!

-Ed


PS....I hope they don't forget to include that billboard listing the Wildcats football schedule that stood on the corner to the right of the auditorium doors.

It's Really Happening!

After many years of tearing down almost everything meaningful for the thousands of us who grew up during most of the first half of the 20th century, the Queen City is actually restoring the outside of the old Central High School building.

As far as I know, this is the first time in 40 years that the city has built anything other than skyscrapers, sports complexes and arts centers.

Maybe next they'll even decide to build a few more roads in the city. Stranger things have happened.

Anyway, Jerry Gaudet sent in these pictures of the construction project.

Looks pretty good to these old eyes!

-Ed


PS....I hope they don't forget to include that billboard listing the Wildcats football schedule that stood on the corner to the right of the auditorium doors.