Ground Rules

(By posting in this forum, you acknowledge that you have read and will abide by these rules.)

Forums work when people participate - so don't be bashful.  But be respectful.  The administrators reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.  Access and participation on this forum is not a right, it is a privilege and abuse may result in suspension or revocation of WHS60s site access at any time.  

 Posting involving politics or religion are prohibited as they typically and quickly become offensive/demeaning.    

We don't actively monitor the forum, but respond to complaints and take action as deemed appropriate.

V/R, Co-site Administrators Joan Lucchesi ('60) and Gary Wegener ('66)

Click the "Post Message" button to add your entry to the forum

(you always have the option to edit or delete your post). 

Richard Branscombe (1963)

To john Somero:

I must admit that I didn't remember who I sold the car to.  At the time I think I had other things on my mind like the beautiful girl I was going to marry.  I do know that the person I sold it to had to have been a very special person.  I wouldn't have sold it to just anyone.  As I remember you, you were a good person.  I hope you got as much fun and excitement as I had with the "Big Green Machine" .  I always wondered what happened to her.  She was one of 200 made that year.  You can read about her in the "History of Holly Carburator"since that was the only time Chevrolet ever used a Holly on a factory car.

I would take $10.00 bets that I could make it to Davis and back in 10 minutes.  Every thing that Wally said is true.  Looking back we were crazy.  God surely was protecting us.

Sherry new how much I loved that car, so that is why she bought me a hot rod for our forieth  aniversary.  She asked me what I wanted, that is how I got the 23 T bucket, a fun car.  Still like the Chevy though.

In Christ  Rich

Tuni Gravink (House) (1964)

Leroy, i was all of a very young girl in that plane with Janet Huttmans dad flying it I did not know Janet then, her dad crop dusted for Heidricks at the time, and dad arranged for me to have a ride in that plane. I met Janet later on in years at Wld. high school.  I was born in 46, i can tell you i know what Hiedricks was doing at that time, as my dad worked for them!  that land you were and are talking about is called the Conwy ranch area, and Conway Mack owned it, from Southern Cal. I am not sure who owns it now, or if it is leased out for farming. It had many different crop in that area including tomatoes, until they went with rice. I rode with my dad many times and sometimes in a Heidrick truck to look at tomatoe fields, and such, he was all over the area. We were over by Spreckels alot also, and over at the C. Nelson Hacket Place , which is now a riding place for horses i understand. I do not get to that area hardly at all anymore. I was coming maybe once a year the last three years.    Maybe my time was off a bit but i know what he did, with that plane, and to this day i hate flying; I do fly not willingly but i do fly. It is faster than driving. 

Now, the Lucero boys did work at the old Purity, it was on the corner of where the Elks club is, down the street from it, and no,,,, i do not remember the name of the street, and across the street from there was a mom and pop burger place, do not remember its name either. Gramma would sometimes let me get a soda there, not many times, but once in a while. Mom always parked on the side parking lot of the store, which lined up with the Elks club. Across the street from that corner on the other corner was a car place ( i think a dealership cause there was always a car in the window) and next to it was a barber shop.  Yolo market i remember where that was , and later on Purity moved to another location, but it did not last. 

Now, lets see, maybe we are all the age were we are forgetting some things, but i know what i saw, and where i went, and imagination, we all have one don't we? Tom was right i was simply stating before it was there or not there I-5. How many times did parking change on Main Street? I have to say i lost count on that one.

I do remember alot of the guys with really cool cars going out on West Street many times to do the quarter mile drag or some danged name for it.  I thought there were alot of neat cars that the guys owned. I remember going to Vacaville a couple of times for the drag races there, and over to Sacramento. I even went with a friend over to a shop i believe was named Tognoti's  i probably have spelled it incorrectly.

Walter J. "Wally" Summ (1967)

John,

Yes, the runway lights were just on one side.  Donna and her husband, Pat Whelan, spend their winters here and their summers in Canada, I believe.  Check your flight logs for the summer of 1970....I think.--best guess.

And yes, I remember Ronnie Komula's car also.  He lived a block away on Pendegast.  His car rattled the windows in our house went it rumbled by.  Yep, they don't make 'em like that anymore.

John Michael Somero (1967)

Richard Branscombe,

I was in Sacramento one night with the Chevy and stayed late. That evening I got an Irish Setter puppy, and at midnight I was on my way home on the new I-5 when the puppy got sick in the box I had him in on the floorboard behind my seat.  As small as it was, the stuff he threw up stunk! There was basically no traffic that night, so I just floored the Chevy to get home in a hurry.

I used to hang out with Jim Wilson and Steve Crutcher, and if I remember correctly, Steve's dad was a deputy sheriff and one day when he was home for lunch, Steve "borrowed" his car, and we went out to check the speedometer in the Chevy, since I had put larger tires and mag wheels on it.  We found out that when the speedometer indicated 95, I was going 115 according to the Sheriff's car speedometer. Keeping that in mind, my story continues:

I had the car going as fast as it would until I had to start slowing down for the curve that took you to the Main street of Woodland, where the freeway ended at that time and you had to turn left or right onto Main.  As I slowed, I saw a pair of headlights coming up behind me, way back.  A few minutes later as I went 25mph west on Main, the Highway Patrol pulled me over.  I left the car idling and went back to his car (you could do that in those days) and he asked how fast I was going.  I truthfully told him that I had no idea, since the erroneous speedometer had been buried on the right side way past the 120 line.  He told me that he had been sitting on the on-ramp of the new Metro Airport about 9 miles back with his lights off when I went by, and he couldn't catch me until I slowed down going down Main Street.  He estimated I was doing 150-160.  My car just sat there with little blue haze rings on the bumper above the dual exhausts and idled with that mellow blub blub blub sound it made.  I couldn't argue with him, and he said he was going to throw the book at me for speeding, reckless driving, etc., even though I tried to explain that there was no traffic and I wasn't endangering anyone but me and a sick puppy.

As he wrote the ticket, he came to a part that asked where I was employed.  I told him Springlake Fire Dept. (which was the only other rescue unit in the county besides Yolo Co. Heavy Duty Rescue, and we were often helping the Highway Patrol out on wrecks). He then became very nice and told me that had he known that, he wouldn't have given me a ticket, but he couldn't void the form once he'd started it.  He wrote me up for 75 in a 65 zone, and I went to court for it and the judge made me pay $14.  Not too bad, but not as good as the few times I was able to outrun them.

On another note, Richard, I see from your writings you've had a profound Christian experience. While I claimed to be a Christian from my childhood (born into a Christian family), in April of 2001 I questioned it sincerely, and God heard my questions and within 48 hours began a series of almost unbelievable miracles that changed my life forever. For example, on Friday at 4pm I didn't know I was leaving town for the weekend (lived in Chandler, AZ), and on Saturday morning I was in a Messianic Jewish church in Lynwood, WA that I'd never heard of 18 hours earlier. How that happened is a longer story than I'll go into here.  A man was there from Idaho who said God told him in a dream that night to meet me there. He told me exactly what I'd been questioning, and prayed with me and I walked out of there a new person.  I had done many things in my life from my young days that I knew weren't pleasing to God if He was all I had heard He was, and if His commandments were real and true. On April 7th, 2001 at 1:00 in the afternoon in that little Christian Jewish church, I was set free from at least one addictive habit that had me chained, and many other things about myself that I didn't really like. So, that's my story, and no matter how many people think I'm nuts, I'm sticking to it! I've had 13 wonderful years since then, and am thankfully still married to the finest Christian woman in the world (over 40 years now), and am just so thankful for alll that I've been able to experience.  By the way, over 10 years ago, my wife was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer and given only months to live, maybe a little longer subject to undrgoing chemo and radiation after surgery. We were running a food ministry in the streets of Phoenix then, and unknown to us, some Congolese folks who we gave food to had prayer teams fasting and praying for my wife on the hills in Democratic Republic of Congo for seven weeks between her diagnosis and radical surgery.  Doctors operated on her, removing tissue all the way to areas above her heart, thinking the cancer was all the way up there in lymph nodes.  I sat on the bed two days later with her when the doctor came in and threw papers on the bed and said "I don't know how to explain this, but we sent everything to the lab and couldn't find any cancer!" No chemo, no radiation, no blood transfusions, just recovery from the operation. She's at my house as I write this from my workplace, with my oldest daughter and 3 of my grandchildren!  Isn't God good!

John

Richard Branscombe (1963)

John,

My Christian experience actually began when I was 2 weeks old.  I caught whooping cough from my brother and almost died.  Of course I don’t remember that but my parents had me baptized at the Lutheran church across from City Park. I was baptized later when I was older, by my choice.  Then at seven I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  At that age (for whatever reason) I was already aware of a super natural power acting in my life.

God never abandons us.  We abandon him.  And I did many times. The other thing we fail to recognize is that evil is real and exists in this world and is always working to separate us from our Lord.  Human nature is to blame God for what is wrong in our lives.  We are to blame for letting evil turn us away from God.  Christianity is a very simple concept, man wants to make it complex.  Christ died for our sins, period. 

Sorry, I try not to discuss religion or politics.  I think that is a personal subject, but I won't hide the fact or appoligize that I am a Christian.

In Christ, Richard

Duane Jackson (1965)

Howdy Ya-ll...............Was reading most of the latest posting............Wow from Cars to Cruzing to Cache Creek to Christ...............All of it very interesting.............My first car, which got at 17, was a Fiat Multipla, my step dad and mom sold it and got me a Plymouth Station wagon,"POS", but it was wheels.  That was dumped for a very nicely rebuild  51/52 Chrysler 2Dr New Yorker Hard top with a early Hemi engine......Had that thru the end of Hi School, Vicki and I really enjoyed that machine.....was hit on the way to school one day by a 57 Ford station wagon, which the driver was speeding and ended upside down on his top after hitting my car.....I went to the wrecking yard and got a Chrysler Imperial and changed the whole front end to replace the damaged parts.............Cache Creek, I rode my bicycle a couple of time out to Yolo to see Vicki, down West street on to some farmers land, up then down the bank and them up the other side and over to her place, or out the basic same route, but go over the old railroad bridge that was there and then thru Yolo it's self and out to the Hayden ranch..............The final subject, I leave to others, i know what and how I feel about it, I share that with Vicki, whom I've been with since 1963 and married to since I came home from Korea in 1966..............Craig, your a hoot and your posting are "Very Interesting" as the old comic on laugh in used to say,,,"Thanks"........... Law business must be slow...............I hope you all keep it up, the 600's, the farmers...../ffa'ers..../south side rich folks..../north siders...............Me, I just worked mostly in Gas stations (Beacon and Norwalk) and spend all my money on Vicki and the Chrysler till the end of Hi School............."Hi HO Silver and Away!!!!"
 

John Michael Somero (1967)

Craig, re: "John, and on, and on, and on....

If you'd read the first couple of words, instead of the on and on, you'd have noticed that I was addressing Richard Branscombe.  If you went beyond that, it's your doing.  Maybe you learned something?

John Michael Somero (1967)

Richard and Tom,

While I've flown airplanes for most of my life, my flying was mostly confined to the US, Canada, and the Bahamas. Since my 2001 experience and involvement in the food ministry, I've been able to visit Mexico, Alaska, (had a job photographing walruses on the ice in the Bering and Chukchi Seas), Turks & Caicos, more Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Senegal, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Germany, Romania  Israel, and other places I never dreamed I'd get to see. 

Very grateful...

Tuni Gravink (House) (1964)

Don, then be it. I did go in where the Lucero boys worked, and yes, i went into Purity with my mom/ grandmother too. The Lucero boys did say my grandmother always tried to barter the price down more each time, and she did!  I just got so embarassed when she would do that, and i guess i was in the Yolo Grocery at that time. However, i did go in the Purity also. The Lucero boys dad did our yard for years, and once in a while Enrie would come and help his dad. They were a very nice family.

I can just say i remember alot of things of Woodland, and things i did, may not have the dates exact at times, or locations but i did indeed do them.  I left Woodland in 65. I then returned in 81, to do my nursing program, and we moved back to the Bay area in 84 after my father passed away in 83. I worked for Agnews State Hospital for a long time till we moved to AZ. in 2000.  I only got back to Woodland once a year for two to three days only. Now, with mom passed i probably will not be back there and if should go there, i will stop and see Uncle Tom Gravink.  I can see my sister when i go to Utah to see my grandsons, as she has a place there in Park City, and she was there this last June when i was there at Nicoles house (my daughter). 

Woodland has changed so much from when we grew up there, and i do not see alot of what i grew up with as my landmarks to get around town as a young gal on my bike.  Tuni

James Calibro (1966)

I forgot who was handling the obituaries but I thought that I would mention that Larry Still class of 1969 passed away on 11/3/2014. His brother John (class of 65) was and still is my best friend. I known both since the very early 50's. Maybe someone could pass the information on. Thank you

Duane Jackson (1965)

Any one remember the Honda Motor Cycle Dealer that was next to the old Yolo Market in late 60's..........Was wanting to buy a 305cc sized  cruzer at one time from them............When did they stop selling Motorcycles?
 

Tim Tucker (1965)

Duane, It seems to me that Sterling May on West Main St. sold Honda products, beginning back in the late 60s or early 70s. ( Jerry Taylor- Proprietor )

Sherry Bailey (Westland) (1968)

It has been interesting to hear about spiritual transformations of former WHS Grads. I’d like to share a similar experience. Sooooo, if Godly testimonies ‘turn you off’ STOP HERE.  

I had attended church throughout high school, but never felt a NEED for God. My life was, after all, a "bed of roses". I was making good choices, having fun; enjoying life without God.  I had no fear. Out of high school, like most of us, I went to college and then into the airlines. Being a stewardess  was really fun. Sure, it’s just a glorified job meant to save  lives, but there’s more.  I met politicians, musicians, sports heroes, doctors, lawyers, and people from all walks of life.  I was invited to a lot of parties by people I wouldn't have met otherwise, as well as being given some wonderful career opportunities. For instance, I was asked to be a stewardess for a corporate company’s private jet, and I did a TV pilot for a game show with Betty White and Charles Nelson Reilly, etc. My girlfriend (who was also a stewardess) and I were planning a trip to Europe; life was good!  

I had flown home to visit my family in Woodland over the St. Patrick's Holiday.  For my return flight back to L.A., I arrived at the airport only to learn that there was a blackout and my flight had a 3 hour delay. I sat down for the ‘wait’ and a handsome man sat down next to me and struck up a conversation.  He was intelligent, articulate, 10 yrs. Older, and before long, we discovered we had a lot in common. (Did I mention there was also a huge physical attraction?!) He was a landscape architect with his own nursery living in beautiful San Diego. I lived in Westchester by the L.A. airport.  However, after that initial meeting, we were inseparable. I was young, very naïve and innocent but was sure I had met my Prince Charming. So much so that we had a whirlwind (Looking back, seems more of a Dust Devil! lol) courtship and were married, are you ready, just ONE month later!  I remember one night when we were together I actually saw stars, the good kind! lol  It was probably the effects of too much alcohol (that usually leads to something bad! Lol) Our wedding was so romantic. We were married in San Diego, off Shelter Island, by a captain out-at-sea.  As a side note, we were married on the square rigged sailboat that was used to re-enact Cabrillo’s Landing every year. Everything we did seemed exciting and unique.  No, I hadn’t gone to Europe with my girlfriend, but life was good. I was in love.

It didn’t take long to realize I didn’t really know the man I married. And, if you’re thinking ‘boy was she stupid’, I wholeheartedly agree! Sooooo, to make a long story shorter, during the 2 yrs. we were married, I endured physical abuse, including being burnt with cigarettes, bloody noses, black eyes, unfaithfulness, and finally a failed attempt on my life (when I told him I wanted a divorce.  That was back in the day when women didn’t speak out about abuse. Finally at the end of 2 years, I had no self-esteem left. I finally confided in a friend who helped me go through with the divorce. In the court proceedings, my “x” protested and represented himself, during which time the Judge found him in contempt of court and he was fined.  I was awarded the nursery, our condo on the beach, and all of our material belongings. Heartbroken, I only took what I personally brought into the marriage (looking back now, hmmmm…what was I thinking! lol). There’s a lot more to the story, including stealing my car, guns, drugs, etc., but I will spare you.  Maybe one day I will write a book….all I know, and the real reason I tell you this, is that the GOOD thing that came out of all the pain and heartache was that I found a personal relationship with Christ and I have never looked back. I found I don’t have all the answers on my own, like I once thought. And now I’m glad I don’t have to go through this life alone. I'm sure God would have preferred I found him through an easier way, but this is what it took, and I don't regret it for what I found is worth it. 

My faith in God has gotten me through other devastating experiences, including the loss of my beloved son.  I have been given HOPE for today, tomorrow, and am looking forward to eternal life!  It’s good to know other high school friends are on the same journey…

Orval Hughes (1964)

Richard 

Did you play tennis at the city park?

Duane Jackson (1965)

Wow Wee Sherry what life so far..............Funny looking back it's a wonder we even got where we are today..........It's all good???????????

I'm glad this site is still active..............."Keep on Posting Y-all

Stanley Carter (1968)

Sherry, I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to you back then. But I can see you are a strong person and have over some much. Please continue with your great posts and great attitude. Take care.

Aileen Jull (Martinez) (1964)

I must have been a late bloomer.  My step-daughter brought me to Christ in 1982 but her father, my husband, didn't open his heart to God until about 2005.  Life has been great ever since.  Sherry, thanks so much for sharing your story.  When you look back you probably realize God will use our decisions to open doors (good and bad) so that we can find him.  You should write a book.  Your life was so exciting.  Keep sharing.

Gail Smith (Maxwell) (1964)

Tom - you said "Back on the farm in my early days we would typically have ham/bacon/sausage, eggs, potatoes and buttered toast for breakfast every morning."

I think the difference today is "activity!  Back then we could eat like that because we were moving all day long...working, playing, etc.  Now the kids go to school and come home and play video games.  If they ate like we did back in the day, they would all be sludge (and some of them are, unfortunately).  I'm thrilled that my grandkids are involved in sports and keep physically active.  I realize that times have changed and you can't just let kids run around willy nilly but I do wish there was a better balance of eating/activity.

If we could go back to the 50's/60's, would we want to?

Nancy Lee Gilbert (Garcia) (1967)

I sure wish there was a "Share" / "Like" button for the ads and some of these posts.

Theresa Eve (1964)

In reviewing the ads that were posted from the 50s, they did not make the view of women in anyway a positive picture, glad I am not in that period of time.  Also, very glad for those women who worked and stepped up to the plate with disregard to the view of Women stay home, and the man rules!   What a bunch of crap.  Glad that is not in todays word.  Just seeing those ads made me feel sick.  The 50s were good in many other ways, but let it be known that women are of value and it is hopped that we achieve more in the work place.  I know I faced many glass ceilings in the State, with the powers at be controlling the promotions.  I know I was told by one boss to stay home, get married.  Then one boss did not want me to apply for a manager postion as he would have to do the work to write it up.  Many a bad tale.  Just glad those days are behind me, and I tell my family girls to keep working and move ahead.  Some are working on Phds and others are starting their own companies.  That tells a good story and you do not have to be married to make it in this world.  Just keep moving ahead.  Hope to erase all those old 50 ads from any memory, or from sight. 

Linda Lopez (1967)

There is no perfect person here on earth. Each of us do have our own opinion of how the world works it would go so much better if we could appreciate where each has come from and speak with kindness. There are some that go to college and get As but are never guite smart in life skills. Then there are ones that dont go to collge that think beyond the box of this world.   WHS has a mix of all the above.

Theresa Eve (1964)

Happy Veteran's Day, and thank you to all those who have given so much for our freedom.  In apppreciation to all of you, both past, present and future!   

Theresa Eve (1964)

Thank you Tom, yes the 50s had some great things and the times were lovely.  It is just that we all need to be prepared to make a living in some skill or talent we have.  Never know when our support is gone, either a husband or a partner.  I wanted to become a teacher and come home to live with Mother to get my degree, but she told me to keep moving on in life I had left home no coming back.  Actually, it was a good thing even thou some State jobs were not so pleasant (and I know we have had a few).  We cannot look back, just move on.  I did get my degree, but had to work during the day and go to school at night.  It was all worth it, looking back.  Never know what the road of life will bring.   

Gail Smith (Maxwell) (1964)

I agree that those ads were very sexist but that is sort of the way it was back then.  As a child, I didn't understand that but I also had a very good role model in my mother.  She owned her own steno business, was involved in many clubs that were considered "typically male" at the time and was very active in the community.  I grew up knowing that, as a woman, I could do whatever I wanted to do in life, thanks to her dedication and hard work.  I remember applying for a job in the Bay area when my daughter was a year old.  I was asked point blank if I would be having another child soon and therefore not be staying with the job.  Questions like that cannot be asked today (we've come a long way baby!) but they sure could back then.  That is why I asked the question...would we go back to the 50's/60's if we could?  It was an idyllic time for sure but would we give up the strides we have made for freedom, equality, or even the technology that we have today?  It's a hard question to answer!  

Nancy Lee Gilbert (Garcia) (1967)

Theresa Eve, You surley don't think that I want to SHARE the ads because I AGREE with them do you.Yikes! Some people are just too serious.LOL