Polar Bear Press

October 20, 2008 Volume 7

Websites and newsletter going through major improvementsIf you do not want to receive the news of FSHS just respond with Unsubscribe in the Subject Line along with your class year. Feel free to share with anyone who would like to read this information. They are invited to reg-ister with me and I can send it directly to them. This document is a personal creation and is not an official statement by FSHS. Although I make every effort to verify the facts, mistakes can be made. Please advise me of any errors. I'll correct them in the next newsletter. To see pictures and other special features visit www.fshsfoundation.com as well as http://www.classcreator.com/Fairmont-WV-Fairmont-Senior-1961 select Newsletters in the left menu, and choose the newest news in Pages format or select an archived edition. EDI-TOR'S NOTE: In places where I would use quotation marks I am forced to omit them or use parentheses be-cause quotation marks are used as code in web design.

Fairmont Senior High School Newsletter November 20, 2008 Volume 7

Fairmont Senior High School has been named an exemplary school for the fourth consecu-tive year. Congratulations to Principal Chad A. Norman, FSHS 84, and his veteran staff. If you would like to send a congratulatory email to administrator or staff, you can find the list of current staff at http://www.classcreator.com/Fairmont-WV-Fairmont-Senior-1961 and click on Faculty in the left menu.

Exciting announcements introduce the Thanksgiving edition: You can view this newsletter in visual format at http://www.classcreator.com/Fairmont-WV-Fairmont-Senior-1961

Commemorating 80 years of exemplary education at the Loop Park campus all graduates are invited to visit this website dedicated to the school from 1929-2009 serving graduates for eight decades. View vintage pictures and read the history, policy, and newsletters of Fairmont Senior High School. Academics, ath-letics, and National Register of Historic Places information will also provide highlights. It's a work in progress so email me at cjamos@fairmontseniorhighschool.com with suggestions. The website is designed to allow every class to have a password protected portion for a message board, bios, pictures, etc. Email me with inter-est. John Orlando mentioned the need several years ago for his class of 54. It took a while but we now have that functionality. Email cjamos@fairmontseniorhighschool.com to express interest and make suggestions.

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Principal Chad A. Norman Announces 2009 National Merit Semifinalists

As principal of Fairmont Senior High School I am both pleased and proud to announce the Fairmont Senior High School 2009 National Merit Semifinalists. Congratulations to the following students and their families.

Presented in alphabetical order: David A. Ciarolla, Bradley J. Cox, Nina A. Sabak, and Jonathan M. Turner.

David DeLorenzo Creates Group and Website for Graduates from 1980-1985

David DeLorenzo set up a website for the classes of 1980-1985 in preparation for a reunion next summer. http://www.fshs1980-1985.com/ He also has a closed group on Facebook. Members must be invited or ap-proved by him at FSHS 80-85 Reunion

David's effort is how I learned about the great functionality of the site and set up one for the school and others for classes including one for 1964 prior to their planned 45th reunion next summer. http://www.classcreator.com/Fairmont-WV-Fairmont-Senior-1964

Class of 1989 to reunite next August

Andrea McElroy and Tanya Smigocki have a group set up on Facebook for the class of 1989 as Fairmont Senior High Class of 1989. Their class will reconvene for their 20th in 2009. The tentative plans include the following:

FRI 8/7: Tour of FSHS

Cocktails at nearby Smigoki house After party at Trotta's Harvest Moon Lounge

SAT 8/8: Afternoon Golf for the guys? Dinner/ Dance at the Knights of Columbus (near Armory in Watson)

SUN 8/9 Family Picnic (site TBA) Classmates can also register and fill out a profile on the groups website at http://www.classcreator.com/Fairmont-WV-Fairmont-Senior-1989

Click on the icon above to hear The FSHS Fight Song.

Tanya's had knee surgery so I want to send a get well and heal quickly wish to her.

Facebook Provides Networking Opportunities for Polar Bears

If you're a subscriber to Facebook, sign up for the group Fairmont Senior High School Polar Bears. 473 have joined since I set it up on Election Day.

FSHS Class of 1980 is set up on Facebook by Michael B. Stern and R. A. Evans.

If other groups are established on Facebook, let me know and I'll invite your classmates to register. It's a rapidly growing social network and a great way to reconnect.

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Colin Kelly, the class president of 1994, made partner at Alston & Bird LLP and tells me that FSHS laid the groundwork for the milestone. What I have learned is that everything it takes to make "it" in the world (whatever "it” may be) can be found in good old Fairmont, West Virginia. So I will carry every bit of Fairmont, WV (and Fairmont Senior High School) with me.

www.fairmontpolarbears.comPlease bookmark www.fairmontpolarbears.com for everything relating to FSHS athletics.

Football team qualified for playoffs by beating East 30-7 in the last game of the regular season. In Saturday af-ternoon's Class AAA state playoff opener at Wheeling Island Stadium, No. 3 Wheeling Park turned a competi-tive game into a full-on rout, scoring 28 third-quarter points en route to a 49-0 victory over 14th seeded Fair-mont Senior, ending the Polar Bears' season and hopes of a deep playoff run after the initial contest.

Soccer Brooks Nucilli won all-state honors after a season during which he scored 20+ goals and helped the Po-lar Bears advance to the Region I title game. Playing much of the season without long time Coach Jim DiNardi with health issues, Nucilli had the lone goal in his team's marathon win over North Marion in the sectional semi-finals, doing it with a broken nose.

Dalton, Cattafesta on first team state soccer were instrumental in the Polar Bears success during the past four seasons. Cattafesta as a defender/forward/utility player and Dalton as a midfielder participated with a team that went 17-2-4 this season, with both its losses coming to state finalist and North Central Athletic Conference rival University. The Polar Bears also recorded 14 shutouts, including eight straight from late August to late Septem-ber. Cattafesta had 10 goals and three assists on the season, while Dalton finished with a team-best 15 goals and added six assists.

Cross Country In the Class AAA state meet at Cabell Midland High School Saturday afternoon, Ciarolla further cemented his legacy with a third-place finish in his final scholastic event. The senior crossed the finish line with a time of 16:14. Fairmont Senior, the lone county team to qualify for states, finished sixth.

Rockie DeLorenzo, pictured at right when he was Assistant Principal at FSHS, is the first principal of the new West Fairmont Middle School, located behind the prop-erty that used to be Fleming School. His youngsters are ac-climating to the merging of Miller Junior High School and Dunbar Elementary. The football

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team beat East. Ironically, Principal Chad Norman’s son, Austin, is the quarterback for the little bears. West Fairmont Middle School 110 10th Street

Fairmont, WV 26554 Phone: 304-366-5631 Fax: 304-366-5636 https://www.edline.net/pages/West_Fairmont_Middle_School

Rockie DeLorenzo, principal rdeloren@access.k12.wv.us

West Fairmont Middle School welcomed students from Dunbar and Miller Junior High School on Wednesday, February 21, 2007. Principal Rockie DeLorenzo (’82), son of Sharon Satterfield DeLorenzo (’59) and the late Bob “Big D” DeLorenzo (’59), planned for a seamless transition from Dunbar and Miller to the 5-6 and 7-8 middle school.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Jeffery Courtney with “Medal of Courage” Award

http://www.wvmat.com/hallfame/08induct.htm

Aaron Naternicola advised me of the link above regarding another honor for Jeff Courtney of the wrestling Courtney family. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame honors Jeffery Allen Courtney with a "Medal of Cour-age" award, class of 2008.

Jeffery Courtney graduated from Fairmont Senior High School. His high school record was 156 wins and 25 losses and was a four time state place winner. In 1999, Jeff was a member of U.S.A. Deaf Team at 15 years old. He wrestled in the Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba and won the Gold Medals in Greco Roman and Fre-estyle. His opponents were from Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela and Uruguay.

In his high-school junior year, Jeff was the Outstanding Wrestler in State Tournament and State Champion at 189 lbs. In 2002, his senior year with a record of 42-0, Jeff was the Outstanding Wrestler in State Tournament and Champion at 171 lbs. He was chosen as the Dutton Award Winner State Wrestler of Year. Jeffery was the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dave Schultz Award High School Wrestling Excellence State Recipient. At the 2002 National Senior High School Tournament, he finished in fourth place.

Jeffery wrestled at West Virginia University 2002-03. In 2003, he wrestled USA Junior World Team Greco 96kg. in Istanbul, Turkey and finished 5th place. From 2004-06, he was a member USOEC Wrestling Team in Northern Michigan University. At the 2005 Sunkist Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona, Jeff finished in 4th Place. In 2007, Jeffery attended Olympic training center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. During 2007-08, he was a resi-dential dormitory counselor at Michigan School for Deaf, Flint Michigan, and organized a wrestling program for the school.

Dusty’s Dinner at FSHS Cafeteria

I congratulate Twyla Marra and her volunteers on the huge success of the spaghetti dinner, which she organized for Dusty Grandstaff Garrison. Dusty, a 1971 graduate of FSHS, has developed Multiple Myeloma. She is mar-ried to Rich Garrison, a 1977 FSHS graduate, and has two children, Morgan, a 2006 FSH graduate, and Ty, a junior at FSH. Her sister, Kerri Grandstaff, class of 75, and niece, Adrienne Greene, class of 2004 told me that

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Dusty's appointment at John Hopkins several weeks ago was a very positive one. Kerri has started a blog http://kerri-familymatters.blogspot.com/to keep people informed about Dusty's improvement.

Twyla enthusiastically thanked Mike and Shari Hayes, saying that they could not have done it without them. He did a great job as always as did the Interact Club students. It moved along so smoothly and it was for a great cause. They also raised money on a gas card giveaway and Allegheny Power collected contri-butions as well. Dusty became very emotional at times and her family was overwhelmed by the amount of people who helped,

donated, bought tickets, and attended the dinner. Dusty was put in the hospital today for a throat infection and dehydration. She received a letter from Johns Hopkins and will go for testing the first of December; she'll have chemotherapy later in the month of December and home for Christmas, but her actual treatments will begin on December 29 for the stem cell transplant. We are very hopeful everything will work out for her and her family. It will cost about $4000.00 a month once she is in the hospital so the money will be very beneficial for her. If you were not able to attend and would like to make a contribution her address is Rich and Dusty Garrison, 1347 Goose Run Road, Fairmont, WV 26554. Twyla's phone is 304-366-8967 and her email is tmarra1@hotmail.com if anyone needs further information. Any checks can be made out to The Dusty Garrison Fund. They sold about 800 dinners. It was so kind of Mr. Norman to allow us to use the school, Mike and Shari Hayes advised the vol-unteers and cooked the meal, and the Interact Club participated in such a great fundraiser. The Polar Bear Pride was shining bright on Sunday at FSH.

A Vein of Riches Book Club

Your newsletter had so much about A Vein of Riches that I thought I would read it again and was going to get it from the library. However, daughter, Pam, had the same idea and had ordered two copies from Amazon.com, one for me. So, the word is out in South Carolina too. I remember when I told Jack Knowles’ mother I had got-ten his book, Morning in Antibes, she said, "Buy it, Maronee, buy it." After reading the first part of Vein and the information, I thought your readers might like to get the movie, Matewan. It's a real eye opener and was rec-ommended by Carol Morgan Taylor's husband who is a judge in Huntington. Bear hugs, Maronee Fleming Wroe Note: we weren't the rich Flemings either.

Country Club Bakery Has National Audience

I enjoyed the interview with Chris Pallota regarding the home of the pepperoni bun on Country Club Road. He had a great interview on the Big East Network broad-cast of WV vs. Rutgers. Most of the broadcast had technical difficulties; however, Chris’ promo of the best buns in the nation aired without issues. I recorded it for posterity.

My friend in Finland wrote to me during last football season. I am watching the Champ Sport Bowl from Or-lando, when at half time they had a special left over from an earlier game where there was no chance to show it. It started out, "Twenty miles south from Morgantown is Fairmont, West Virginia, the home of the pepperoni bun." They focused on Colasessanos, over on Pennsylvania Avenue, northeast of downtown. They ignored

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Country Club Bakery out in Edgemont, where we used to buy bread, which is generally acknowledged to be the place where the pepperoni bun was invented. Nevertheless, they got it in Fairmont. It sure looked good. And it felt neat, watching TV from my log cabin in the countryside in Finland and seeing Fairmont. David Sinclair, class of

With that reference, we've made you all hungry for a bun. Right? Country Club Bakery also has a group on Facebook administered by Courtney Kropog. If you aren't on Facebook you're probably wondering what it's all about. It's fun and addicting. Check it out.

I understand that footers for the new Fairmont Field Club will be poured soon. The pictures at right and below graphically portray the devastation of an elegant icon of the City of Fairmont.

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Pictures of Historical Significance On Commemorative Site--1929-2009

http://www.classcreator.com/Fairmont-WV-Fairmont-Senior-1961 select Newsletters in the left menu, and choose the newest news in Pages format or select an archived edition.

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Obituaries

Sorry to say that I am contacting you to report the death of my brother, Charles M. "Jerry" Wolfe, class of 1953. He had a successful career in electrical engineering and retired from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, in 1997. He was, also, a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Hopefully, some of his classmates, who would have no other way to learn of his passing, can be informed via this newsletter. Sara M. "Sally" Wolfe Boyles, Summerfield, FL

Beverly Barrett Childs, born in Fairmont May 9, 1927, passed away November 14, 2008 at Granite Farms Es-tates retirement center, Media, PA, after a very long illness. Funeral and burial services will be held next spring in Fairmont. Contributions in her memory may be made to The Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, 111350 McCormick Road, Suite 906, Hunt Valley, MD 21031.

She was the daughter of the late Edgar O. and Jessie Church Barrett. She graduated from Fairmont Senior High School, and attended Antioch College.

She married Gordon Eads Childs, an engineer with Westinghouse Corp. in Fairmont, in 1951, and moved from Fairmont to Pompton Plains, NJ in 1954. From their marriage were born Valerie Lewis Childs, a nurse in Chadds Ford, PA, and Dr. Barrett Hopkins Childs (wife Leslie), of Riverdale, NY. There are three grandchil-dren, Diana Childs of Ithaca, NY, Danny Childs of Ann Arbor, MI and Megan Childs of Riverdale, NYTheir retirement years were spent in Lancaster, PA and following the death of Mr. Childs, in Media, PA. Also surviv-ing are her brother, Edgar O. Barrett (wife Betty), of Huntington, four nephews and a niece, and eleven great nephews and nieces.

June Suttie was born March 26, 1930 and passed from this life on November 19, 2008. June was beloved by so many for her wonderful sense of humor and caring for others. She will be dearly missed by all of her friends and family. June is survived by son and daughter in law Jeff and Debbie, Sorrento, FL; son and daughter in law Craig and Kristi, Springdale, AR; six grandchildren, Blake, Scott, Samantha, Kayla, Erin and Shannon. Services will be held 1PM, Sunday November 23rd, at CAREY HAND COX PARKER CHAPEL, 1350 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789, 407-647-1942, with Chaplain Larry Martin officiating.

Eddie Barrett writes of his classmate: There was no more popular member of the class of 1948 than June Poling Suttie. And she maintained as many friendships as anyone in the class. She smiled through all kinds of major health problems over the last 25 years. On a trip to Bermuda she had met Bill Suttie, a Penn Stater from Donora, Pa. He was an engineer with Martin Marietta and June an elementary school secretary in central Flor-ida. T hey had two sons and daughters in law and six grandchildren. June's sister Betty died about 20 years ago. Their parents moved to California not long after Betty and June graduated from FSHS.

Marion Hornor Craft, of Fairmont, peacefully passed away on Tuesday (Nov. 18, 2008). She was born on March 6, 1913, in Clarksburg, the only daughter of Ferdinand Yard Hornor and Jeanne Dickerson Hornor.

After graduating from Fairmont Senior High School, she attended Gulf Park College in Gulfport, Miss., and Fairmont State College. At Fairmont State, she met the love of her life, L. Edmund (Eddie) Craft. They were married and raised four children, Mrs. Curtis (Jeanne) Haley, deceased; L.E. (Ted) Craft Jr., Fairmont; Connie Gatto, Reston, Va.; and Mrs. Mark (Debbie) Blankenship, Fairmont. Marion leaves a legacy of 11 grandchil-dren, Jeanne Scott Jackson, Guam; Ann Scott Boone, Westminster, Md.; Curtis E. Haley, Florida; Tod Craft,

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Glenrock, N.J.; Chris Craft, Alpharetta, Ga.; Julia Templeton, Orlando, Fla.; Lisa Burroughs, Miami, Fla.; An-drew Gatto, Orefield, Pa.; LT Clinton Blankenship, USN, Portsmouth, R.I.; LTJG Ethan Blankenship, USN, Virginia Beach, Va.; and Marion (Catie) Blankenship, Morgantown. She was proud of her 19 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

When asked if she ever had a job, she replied that she raised her children and took care of their home. She was a quiet, private and gentle woman who enjoyed reading and nature.

Domico Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. She will be laid to rest next to her beloved husband and parents in the family plot at the Shinnston Masonic Cemetery at a private family ceremony.

Be well, Polar Bears!

We'll talk again soon.

Happy Thanksgiving. Count your blessings and tell people you love that you are grateful to have them in your life. I plan to do just that. While we're on that subject, I appreciate the loyal subscribers who read the news of FSHS. My effort to disseminate the news now informs over 5,000 graduates and I have no way of measuring how many times it gets forwarded. I appreciate the interest and your comments.

Carol J. Amos, FSHS instructor, retired, and FSHS Foundation Executive Secretary

"What we do shall be remembered." Camelot www.fairmontseniorhighschool.com www.fshsfoundation.com www.fairmontpolarbears.com www.eastweststadium.com

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