Paul Simons

Thanks for the good news Phil, that a replacement for the stolen Eden Park bronze statue is coming. I hope there's some way to prevent it from suffering the same fate as the original. Eden park, in particular that majestic overlook of the river, and Ault Park, Alms Park and Burnet Woods always get a visit if I'm in Cincinnati. Even if you took the chili parlors and White Castle burger joints away those parks would keep the town what it's always been which is, like WHHS, a place where the benefits of a cultural melting pot can be realized. It's true that the semicircular drive is a bit noisier but somehow peace prevails for the most part and the unstated but understood maxim is strong as ever - we are all different, all valuable, and here, in this place, we are going to get along just fine.

Barbara Kahn (Tepper)

Beautiful picture! I love that view. I remember summer nights with my parents and a snow cone machine there was our delicious treat. 

Stephen (Steve) Dixon

Thanks for the good wishes everybody. I am really going to miss seeing you all in person. I hope you all have a grand time.

Philip Spiess

Paul:  I, too, was wondering what steps were being taken to prevent a second vandalism of the Capitoline Wolf statue -- making the statue solid metal, or providing surveillance cameras?  (I don't much like "Big Brother" watching us, but if people will insist on acting like idiots. . . .)  Every article I've seen about this gift from Mussolini says that he gave the statue to Cincinnati "in honor of Cincinnatus, that great Roman general."  Well, that may be true in part, but has no one considered that Rome was known as "the city on seven hills"?  That happens to be a major nickname for the city of Cincinnati as well, which is a more plausible reason for Mussolini to have given the statue.

And as to that matter of Mussolini.  I see in the public prints that on January 6, 2020, a Cincinnati Councilman by the name of Chris Seelbach wanted to remove the Capitoline Wolf statue because it was a gift from "the monster that was Mussolini."  No, I don't know the recent City Council men and women, not having lived in the city for so long (maybe one of you Cincinnati residents can put me au courant), but it seems that Mr. Seelbach was going to draft legislation the very next day for the statue's removal -- without, I take it, getting any feedback on the subject from the local citizenry.  Well, it turns out that Mr. Seelbach was also the City Council member who, on June 14 of the same year (2020), announced that he would introduce a motion to remove the equestrian statue of William Henry Harrison from Piatt Park by the Cincinnati Public Library because Harrison was "a slave-owner" (never mind all of those Native Americans he slaughtered in the early days of our republic).  The William Henry Harrison statue happens to be the only equestrian statue in Cincinnati, and it is by one of Cincinnati's most important sculptors, Louis T. Rebisso.  Surely the City Council has more pressing local matters to deal with than busying itself with removing public sculpture.  (Why not remove the statue of Cincinnatus from the waterfront?  After all, his title was "dictator.")  I think Mr. Seelbach should be accused of "statuary rape."

Paul Simons

Phil your research on the Capitoline Wolf statue prompted me to delve into it and the most detailed piece I found told me that it's about the general named Cincinnatus although I found references to the seven hills as well.

I also learned - thanks to Google - that while Cincinnati does have a number of "sister cities" Rome is not one. Rome and Paris are each other's only sisters. Cincinnati's European sister is Munich and although I can't make the reunion this time, next time I'm looking forward to Mecklenburg's for a beer and for me, liverwurst and onion on rye. 

About preventing the next theft I was thinking about teflon insulated titanium, tungsten or chromium rods inside the statue, thick enough to dull, defeat, break even diamond coated sawzall blades, and electrified to 10,000 volts by a transformer in the statue's base to dull, defeat and break the thief when his blade cuts through the insulation and hits the rod.

Ira Goldberg

Glorious photo, Paul! It shows the bench, tree, and viewpoint at which Wendy and I became engaged. Going to print it if my mid 20th Century mind can determine how. Nevertheless, it's a good day to remember!

Paul Simons

Ira glad you like the photo which is just an image from the web. I think I remember one time being there with you and Wendy and my sisters, perhaps after stopping at Graeter's for - you know what they sell there. About high-quality color printing - there I know nothing. In the past there were big-box office supply stores that had fabulous printers but those stores are gone along with Blockbuster Video. But there are still places that specialize in framing, maybe one of them could help.

Laura Reid (Pease)

Question for all my classmates who have better memories that I do....who wrote the infamous words to "Pomp and Circumstance" which begin:  "Hail, P.H. McDevitt, Hail, Raymond and Bill."?

Steven Levinson

Laura, I remember who the primary author was, but, more importantly, I remember that Jon Marks refused to participate our our exercise in mass adolescent foolishness.  I felt so ashamed of myself for going along that I got out my portable typewriter and wrote P.H. McDevitt, Raymond, and Bill a letter of apology.  It read as though I had personally conceived the scheme, which I in no way had, but I felt as though I had.  Mr. McDevitt wrote me a kind letter in response.  In 1968-69, Bill Spreen was my boss at Sycamore High School.

Dale Gieringer

Laura,  I'm reminded by Phil Spiess that the answer to your question appears in my post #116 of May 31, 2014, to wit:

Time to fess up.  I was one of the band of conspirators who co-authored and disseminated the parody of "Pomp and Circumstances."   As I recall, the others were Frank Dauterich, Chuck Cole & Phil Spiess (sorry if I outed anyone, but the statute of limitations has expired).

Not only that, I still have a faded mimeographed copy of all of the verses. ...A very belated personal apology to Ray Brokamp and P.H. McDevitt, whom I didn't really dislike, but who were only doing their jobs and  thankfully rather well. 

Laura Reid (Pease)

Thanks Dale and Steve.  I was asking because a copy of Pomp and Circumstance (revisited) is in our 25th reunion book.  I was going to copy it and give it to anyone at our reunion who is interested.  It is really pretty funny, well written and kind of harmless, especially in this day and age.  Kudos to those who conspired to write the words.  It was also kind of you to write apology letters, but I bet those who received them thought it was all just clean fun......

Philip Spiess

I'll just say that an important factor with us was fitting the words to the music -- especially that tail-end refrain (and we meant no malice).

Margery Erhardt (Feller)

This brings me to a story I have about Bill Spreen - a good guy and friend to all Ohio female teachers. Upon leaving my teaching position in England, I was asked to come back to Cincinnati and work for Forest Park Greenhills Schools. I returned for the second semester to fill the position for a teacher who was moving. This was in the early 70's and I had been at FPGH a year and a half when a new Superintendent was hired for the district, and it happened to be Bill Spreen. I had planned to teach another year but found myself pregnant, by happenstance, that summer. I hadn’t planned this so I started that year. I loved sewing and designed my own clothes. So as autumn arrived, I wore dresses (yes, that was the dress code back then) that just got a bit roomier. Ohio and most other states would not allow women to teach past their third month (first trimester), so I was pushing it a bit. But never being ill a day but actually glowing from pregnancy, I continued into my fourth and fifth month when I was called out by my principal. He refreshed my memory about the 3 months (😊) and said that by law I could not continue teach. He took it to the new Superintendent, Bill Spreen, who remembered me and said that wasn’t going to happen. Bill Spreen then went to Columbus and had the law changed as it was so antiquated and I could then teach as long as I desired. I finished the first semester and two weeks later had my baby boy. Never again did Ohio female teachers or school personnel have to leave by the end of their third month of pregnancy. So thank you, Bill Spreen! Note: I had so hoped to get to the class reunion but a family reunion was planned and I will have to be in East Texas for the weekend instead. Have fun and eat well!!!!!

Laura Reid (Pease)

Margie, what a wonderful story!!!  And good for you....making your own "roomy" dresses!  Bill Spreen did all women a huge service by going to the mat for us.

So sorry you won't be with us this weekend.  We will miss all who can't get here for one reason or another.  Enjoy your families at weddings, graduations, and family reunions!!

Nelson Abanto

I am checked in on my flight and looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow night at the Chili Parlour!  Has anyone seen there wine list?

Paul Simons

Thanks for a really well written account of your experience Margie. It appears that you and Bill Spreen fared a lot better with the Ohio of that time than would be the case today, regarding the autonomy of women - perhaps very young women- who find themselves in that condition and need some type of accommodation. Note that this isn't an opinion, it's a fact in some but not all states.
l can't make the reunion either and am hoping that those who can take pictures and videos and post them. If you put videos on YouTube all you have to do is put the YouTube link into the widget this page has for them and presto! Available to one and all! If you're using your phone and on Wi-Fi it's very fast.
 

Paul Simons

Nelson- having a bit of familiarity with late-night dining at either a Cincinnati chili parlor or White Castle joint I believe it's a slightly different protocol than at say La Maisonette de Normandie. There's no wine list. It's the diner's responsibility to arrive at least semi-drunk and, especially at White Castle, somewhat disheveled, or at least in a condition that one would not find at the French establishment. Bon Apetit!

Steven Levinson

Thanks for the birthday wishes. Jeff D.

Jerry Ochs

Ann Shepard (Rueve)

Thanks Jerry!! 

Laura Reid (Pease)

Nelson,

That's great Nelson!  Sandy and I are looking forward to seeing everyone this evening downtown!!

We asked Pat, the manager at Skyline about his wine list; here it is:

Red

White

your choice 

Becky Payne (Shockley)

Margie, I also just read your story about Bill Spreen and I loved it! Thanks for sharing it!

Barbara Kahn (Tepper)

Loved the story Margie! You and Bill Spreen made history and a ground breaking decision on pregnancy while teaching was born.  Thank you both from all the teachers from that day forward.  

Ann Shepard (Rueve)

 Check out  "What's New" for candid shots from tonight's event. These pictures are especially for you Stephen Dixon. Hope you are recuperating well!

More pictures tomorrow!!

Stephen (Steve) Dixon

Ann, you are such a sweetheart. 

I love all the photos. Everybody looks great! Have fun tomorrow.