Nancy Ivers Ferguson writes: In November I was fortunate to be re-elected Mayor of New Albany for a third term, which began January 1, 2012. I feel very honored to be a part of New Albany's growth as it has moved from village to city status.

Through the years we have received some of our best ideas and advice from the Council, staff and residents of Upper Arlington. Several of our Council members grew up in UA and several of our staff members have worked for Upper Arlington earlier in their careers. The wonderful quality of life in Upper Arlington continues to inspire us, and we remain very grateful for the assistance UA has given us.

Happily, I visit Upper Arlington several times a week to visit my mother and sister who both reside there. A few days ago, my son also purchased a home in Upper Arlington and will be moving there from his current home in Austin, Texas in February.

CONGRATULATOINS, Nancy!

From the September 27, 2011 "Dispatch" (article by Denise Trowbridge:

Cream puffs. German beer. Bahama Mamas.

It has to be Schmidt’s Restaurant und Sausage Haus, the German Village dining spot that is the heart of the Schmidt family business, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. The family business began as a meat-packing company in 1886 but has grown into a restaurant, now 44 years old. The restaurant serves 25,000 people each month, sells more than 14,000 cream puffs at more than 50 festivals every summer, caters hundreds of events each year and sells sausages in stores nationwide.

Schmidt’s has been featured on the Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food and the Food Network’s Best of Ohio. But Schmidt’s is the restaurant that almost wasn’t. In 1966, the 81-year-old J. Fred Schmidt Meat Packing House went out of business.

George Schmidt, Fred’s grandson, planned to move to Florida to open a travel agency. “I had to feed my family,” he said. The Ohio State Fair changed his mind. Schmidt’s had been a food vendor at the fair since 1914, a tradition he continued even in uncertain times.

Sales were brisk, so he decided to open a deli in 1967 in the packing house’s old livery stable at the corner of Kossuth Street and Pearl Alley — one of the few pieces of real estate that wasn’t liquidated when the business closed. He was sure the deli would be profitable.

“At the time, Ohio Bell had their headquarters right around the corner, and even before the doors opened, (workers) were coming by and asking when we were going to open,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt’s was a little more modest then, serving mostly sandwiches. But the menu quickly expanded to include the German home-cooked specialties the restaurant is known for today.

Most of the recipes came from the German women who worked as cooks in the restaurant. Betty Tressult contributed the recipe for Schmidt’s now-famous cream puff.

Doug Ezell contacted me to report that his band, The Midlife Chryslers (and you gotta love the name!) was the subject of a video interview on KTVQ-TV in Billings MT. The band, who has been at it for more than a decade, has several iteresting engagements coming up, including a Las Vegas convention during which they will entertain 20,000 audience members!

From Dave Cooper's Web site home page:

We are a family business dedicated to providing the right saltwater fishing gear and freshwater fishing gear at the right price and we love to go fishing. All of our products are NEW and in the box shipped directly to you.

We offer deep-ly discounted prices for every fisherman on Name Brand reels, rods and gear. Our focus is on heavy duty gear for deep sea fishing and open water fishing, however, if you do not see what want, we will find it. We have been satisfying customers for over twenty years.

Visit ReelDeepStore.com here.

Gary Baird sent this link to us to enjoy:

TakeMeBackToTheSixties.com

Take a few moments and enjoy some interesting facts and fun images from the 1960's ... things really have changed!!! Great music too!

View this YouTube video of inspirational coaches and words of wisdom about the lifelong lessons that players learn through the game of football and being part of a team. The video features Kenny Chesney singing "The Boys of Fall."

See this video now.

Three former UAHS educators have been inducted into the Upper Arlington High School Educators Hall of Fame this year.

The honorees this year are: Jean Guddat, who taught English; Marv Moorehead, who was the Athletic Director and Head Football Coach; and Phil Wagner, who taught English.

You can read full bios and see photos of each inductee on the Announcements page of Bearalums.com. A ceremony to honor them will be held in October - details will be posted soon.

Salts of the 7 Seas, a company founded by Linda Nolan Szymanski, offers all natural, unrefined gourmet sea salts with 84 minerals to help keep you helathy.

Linda received the exciting news that her Artisan Cans and Stands are begin incorporated into the set design of a new fall TV show, The Undercovers. The show debuts on Wednesday, September 22 at 8/7C on NBC.

From the Upper Arlington Magazine:

Four generations of the Schmidt family have worn No. 34 on the Upper Arlington High School footbnall team. Geoff Schmidt (left) was a fullback and linebacker from 1966 - 1968 for Coach Marv Moorehead. He was part of the state championship teams in '67 and '68 and graduated in 1969. Sixteen-year-old Drew Karram (center), Geoff and Andrew Schmidt's nephew, in a junior running back on the 2009 team. He'll graduate in 2011. Andrew Schmidt (right) played for Coach Pete Corey from 1971 - 1973. The former all-state middle linebacker graduated in 1974. Max Schmidt (not pictured), Andrew Schmidt's son, played from 2004 - 2006 for current Coach Mike Golden. The former all-league tight end, who graduated in 2007, is currently a lacrosse player for the University of Maryland. Photo by Karen Miller.

CONGRATULATIONS to Patty Furney and her colleagues at The Columbus Metropolitan Library. The Columbus Library was just named, "Library of the Year", by the Library Journal.

Read the article about our Library's honor.

Tom O'Shaughnessy sent in a Powerpoint presentation of images frmo the 1950s and 1960s, and they sure do bring back a lot of memories and thoughts from our childhood.

Watch the presentation here.

Watch this video

What an interesting journey into the world of 1906 on Market Street in San Francisco! Information in some of the comments under the video, taken by a camera mounted on the side of a cable car, indicate that this film was shot just four days before the great earthquake. The clock tower at the end of Market Street at the Embarcadero wharf is still there.

This film was originally thought to be from 1905 until David Kiehn with the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum figured out exactly when it was shot. From New York trade papers announcing the filming to the wet streets from recent heavy rainfall and shadows indicating time of year and actual weather and conditions on historical record, and even when the cars were registered (he even knows who owned them and when the plates were issued!)

Because this planned filming had been announced in the newspapers, you'll see cars, buggies, and people approaching and circling the cable car so they'll be on film.

Notice the clothing, the surprising number of motor cars, the formality of the era! Road travel with no regulations or rules. And just four days before that massive earthquake claimed many of these people and resulted in the destruction of many of the buildings in this film footage.

This is a great deal of interesting information in the many comments posted under the vide, too.

Watch this video

Sue Patterson wrote to let us know that Barb Calendine's husband, Dave Meese, is undergoing some serious testig and surgery to resolve health problems that have been causing him trouble for some time now. Sue told me that Girl Scout Troop 104 from our elementary school days, has stayed close through the years, and that they have formed a network to stay in touch with Barb and pass along their caring thoughts, prayers, and help.

Sue sent along a photo of Girl Scout Troop 104, which you can see below. If you can identify any of the unidentified girls, please let me know.

You can email Barb here.

When Craig Robinson saw Jeff Stevenson's picture labeled as second grade at Tremont, he wrote to let me know that it's not the second grade; it's fifth grade.

Also, Craig reminded me that in 2004, he sent a collection of class photos from Wickliffe and Tremont Schools, and identified a lot of the students in each picture, including Jeff's photo which is actually the fifth grade (I have fixed that error).

Linda Kelsey Simonds posted some Barrington class photos on the UA69 Facebook page, and she has identified the teachers and students. Stop by and see if you remember these good old days! Thank you, Linda!

Visit the US69 Facebook page

From Jeff Stevenson:

I finally figured out a way to take my dad's old 8mm film home movies and put them on my computer. I have been working on it for over a year, but I spent most of that time trying to find and old 8mm film projector, and the rest of it was spent saving $ for a new computer and procrastinating. Anyway, one of the reels has a movie of a Boy Scout camping trip that must have happened around the same time frame as the pic you posted of Mark Bright.

There are lots of Class of '69ers in the movie, some of whom are in the pic with Mark. Lots of hams! I thought our classmates might have fun watching it and seeing themselves and their friends when they were kids - being kids. There are also some dads in the movie who are a lot younger in the movie than we are now.

Larry Wiley sent in two pictures from Wickliffe Elementary and thought it would be fun to try to identify these students. He also provided us with thecorresponding blank faces numbered, so that we can fill in the blanks. If you know who any of the kiddos are, please email me and I will post the namesin the right spots. Thanks to Larry for sending these along!

You can click each photo to enlarge it slightly.

From Sharon Bonnie Judah:

For the Love of Anna

There is a little girl named Anna who is safe, warm and fed today. Less than a month ago she was huddled, cold, starving and unloved on the streets of Transnistria, a region in Eastern Europe. In jail for prostitution, her mother had given Anna to her aunt. Anna's aunt, in turn, decided to sell her into a life of prostitution ... for just $20. At five years of age and weighing only 25 pounds, this eventuality would have been an atrocity, but God’s Grace intervened.

Anna was rescued by one of Christian Broadcasting Network's (CBN) ministry team members, who bought her and placed her in a Christian orphanage in Transnistria where she is being nurtured and loved by compassionate caregivers. Anna now dances and eats and plays with other rescued children.

Unfortunately, Anna’s story is not an isolated incident. There are many children like Anna in Transnistria, one of the poorest countries in the world. Partly due to the economics of this region, parents unable to secure employment, abandon their children, and travel to the Ukraine hoping to find work. Other than prostitution, many orphaned children are used by drug lords to smuggle narcotics. These children are forced to swallow drug-filled condoms to transport out of the region. If they refuse, their feet are placed in concrete and they are tossed into the river to drown as an example to other children.

These stories are hard to hear, devastating actually, yet; they have moved us into action. With funds from my late husband, Steve’s estate, our family felt compelled to purchase a building now called, The Judah House, that will house 75 children. We are in the process of restoring this building by adding heat, electricity, and water. Orphan's Promise, a non-profit organization, has generously partnered with this project and will match any funds we raise, dollar for dollar! Extraordinary!

I am inviting you to join me in supporting the restoration of the Judah House by writing a tax deductible check, payable to CBN. Add the project number, #034642 in the memo line to insure that the check is designated for the orphanage. This is a unique opportunity to double the impact of your charitable donation and most importantly to save the lives of “the least of these”. We have raised $29,674 as of today; with Orphan’s Promise matching funds we are thrilled to have $59,348 of the $100,000 needed to complete the building restoration.

The Pastor associated with our orphanage has orchestrated much of the positive development taking place in Transnistria. Pastor Yuri and his wife, Oksana have exciting plans for a training center that will offer Spiritual insight, guidance and life training to the parents of our orphans, the orphans themselves and others in the community. They have purchased the land and broken ground to begin this project. The hope is to change the culture and transform lives for now and eternity.

Please take five minutes and watch this video.

Thank you for your consideration.

May God lead you,
Sharon Bonnie Judah

Please make check payable to "CBN" and include the project number #034642 in the memo line. Then, send your check to:

Sharon Judah
2112 Sandover Court
Columbus, Ohio 43220

If you have questions, please email Sharon or call her at 614-402-1477.

Art Underwood was recently named Chief Operating Officer of Saudi Re, an international reinsurance corporation located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. For the past thirty years, Art has worked in this field all over the world, as a partner in ReSources, as a senior underwriter for Arch Re in Bermuda, as Vice-President for International Treaty for F&G Re here in the US, and a Facultative Manager for Compagnie Europeenne de Reassurance in Paris, France. Congratulations to Art on this professional accomplishment! See the letter announcing his new position.

The photos taken at the 2009 Reunion are in KodakGallery slideshows. Just click the icon for each party to see the pictures from that event. It takes a moment for these slideshows to load, because there are a LOT of pictures! If you can help me fill in the missing names, designated by "___" please email me and indicate which slideshow it is, and which number photo you can identify. THANK YOU!

Please visit Bearalums.com, the official Web site of the Upper Arlington Alumni Association. Please make sure you're a member of UAAA, and also please check that your name and email address are listed there and are current and correct.

The Alumni Association keeps a database of thousands of graduates of our high school and helps reunion chairmen send mailings to their classmates. UAAA publishes a newsletter, Traditions, for all members, full of information and news about UAHS alumni.

Our class is amazing! Joanie Igel Dugger, Assistant Director of the UA Alumni Association, sent me this list of classmates from 1969 who have joined the Alumni Association at the two top levels: Life Member, and Golden Bear Member. Please show your support of this great school system by joining. You can do it by clicking right here. Thank you!

Bob Russell's middle son, Matt Russell, is currently in Iraq running an EOD unit. He has compiled this very interesting blog that Bob wanted to share with the class. Matt is a Washington Bayhawks lacrosse goalie and 1st Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps stationed in Baghdad, Iraq since March.

Bob now lives in Connecticut, but when he lived in UA, he was among a group who started the first lacrosse club at UA.

Read Bob's son Matt Russell's blog from Iraq here.

In his bio on the Classmates Then and Now page, John Neale talks about his interest in competing in triathlons. He wrote: " In my free time, I have become a runner (I did the Columbus Marathon in 1987), bicyclist, and triathlete. In 1998, I was the Rocky Mountain Regional Masters Champion at the Olympic distance triathlon for USA Triathlon, the national sanctioning body. Last year (2008), I succeeded in crossing the #1 item off my bucket list by competing in and finishing an Ironman triathlon in Tempe, Arizona (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run)."

See the video of the Ironman Triathlon here.
Read John's bio and other classmates' bios here.

Steve Holloway has published his second book, Canadian Foreign Policy: Defining the National Interest. Though designed for college courses on foreign policy, the book serves as a good general introduction to Canada, its role in the world and its relations with the US.

Steve is currently chair of the Political Science Department at St. Francis Xavier University, in beautiful Nova Scotia. StFXU is a small liberal arts college (about 4000 students) which has frequently been ranked as the best small university in Canada. More information about the book and ordering can be found on Amazon.com or on this link.

See Steve Holloway's amazing (and huge!) collection of photos and scans of school programs from Hastings and UAHS.