Dave, my old e mail is still good but I prefer to begin using my alumni email which is a lifetime e mail from the University of Texas at Austin. It is aubreywhite@alumni.utexas.net. Also attaching a picture of Shirley and I which was taken this past June in Scotland- the Highlands. A beautiful country. And we certainly lucked out on the weather. We are trying to travel alot  more, primarily with the University of Texas "Flying Longhorns," our alumni group which travels all over the world. We have scheduled two trips for next year. One to Hawaii to visit with our niece and then with the Flying Longhorns to Provence and the French Riviera. Depends on my work load and I am getting some new startup programs. One of these relates to the Military Child and providing an enhanced infrastructure and virtual environment to address issues that the military child faces by transfer of the parent(s) and assignment of parent(s) to combat and non combat zones. I never realized all the issues and I thought I knew them as a former military brat and Father of a military brat. We will collaborate and then partner with the Military Child Education Coalition , non profit organization, which is attempting to develop an enhanced capability for linking counselors, students, parents, communities worldwide in support of the military child.

Abel is doing fine. Still "horsing" around with horses. By the way he really got a good deal on that small ranch of his which is just out side  Bucholtz, Texas. Our Dad is 84 and doing good. I make time to visit with him weekly. I had him in an oustanding  assisted living center in San Antonio after his stroke a few years ago.  He  got to doing so well that he  checked himself out. Still wants his independence and I totally understand that. Also, wants to be near my Mom who passed a few years back this December.

Finally I am still into Longhorn football. I was disappointed that Ohio State beat our team here in Austin. They showed all of us, in Texas, why they are the number one team in the country. By the way their band is also great.

Take care and my best to all,

Aubrey

(Editor's note:  According to Robyn, John is a rather private person, and loathe to talk about himself.  Hence, all of the above is posted at her insistence and under extreme duress for poor old John.  So, gang, it's payback time.  Robyn wants to know what John was like in school, and it's our duty to tell her.  Have we figured out who's gonna wear the pants in this family?)

Illinois?  Why?  I lived in Illinois when I worked for IBM as a Data Processing rep in the late sixties/early seventies.  I retired in Texas in '97 and moved to New Mexico, then Arizona, "double-dipping" the whole way. 

As you may or may not know, my first wife passed away, I remarried eight years ago, so eventually we ended up here.  Melinda was one of our principals in Farmington.  Her dad was 84, a widower and ill, so we needed to move here to help him.  Plus, several close family members lived in the general area and we wanted our (I adopted her) daughter to attend the University of Illinois.  If you haven't looked at out-of-state tuition lately you wouldn't fully understand.  In-state is very expensive, but out of state????

We contacted a good superintendent search firm and ended up here.  It's a small district, rural (about 15 miles north of Champaign in the cornfields) and completely different from anything I've ever done, but I really like it.  Low pressure, constant contact with kids and teachers, they pay me very well and we have a great School Board (which is the best part about the job).  Except for Melinda's dad dying shortly after we got here, it couldn't have worked out any better for us.  Kayla's a U of I freshman. 

At 64 I plan to work another six or seven years, probably right here.  I like the Midwest, but I do miss the Southwest after all those years.  My other two kids and my grand kids live in Farmington, NM, and Durango, Colorado, so I get back there several times a year, sometimes in conjunction with a consulting gig, which my Board allows me to do.  In fact, one of my colleagues and I were in El Paso doing a two day workshop for more than 200 principals and assistant principals just last week.

Actually, the whole thing is patterned after Permian High School in Odessa (they are also the Panthers with that same  stylized "P" for a logo).  We were in the next district over, so we did get thrashed by them early in the season most years and usually ended our season when we won district and bi-district -- which was frequently  -- with a loss to them in the second round of the playoffs.  We never beat Permian, but we did beat several of the other schools in the district, which at one time was called, "The Little Southwest Conference."  That's a reference to the old Southwest Conference which Texas, Arkansas, Rice, Tech, SMU, A&M, TCU, Baylor, etc, and was such a college power until the middle seventies.

I knew all the guys in the movie.  My high school competed against those kids in the year the movie depicted, though I was the principal by then.  One of the coaches from the staff depicted in the movie was actually the head coach that I hired at my last high school, and one of my players from the 70's when I coached, was an assistant on the staff of the 1988 team from the book and the movie.  If you haven't read the book, it's an easy, great read and is very truthful about Texas football.  Warts and all.  By the way, you do know how you get to be an administrator in Texas, don't you?  Two losing seasons and a Master's Degree.  That's almost too true to be funny.  I had never had a losing season, though.  I just got tired of it and all the down sides of what we did to kids to be successful in football.  There were many upsides, of course.

Coaching in a larger city like El Paso -- which has 18 large high schools -- wasn't the same situation the guy in the TV show faces, but it was similar.  There is incredible pressure and there are all kinds of pitfalls if you're not careful.  It got to the extent of people checking your trash cans for alcohol bottles (not a problem for me since I don't drink) and putting For Sale signs in your yard and parking a Mayflower van in the street in front of your house.  I had the for sale sign once.  Dodged the moving van.

Another example, we played our two biggest rivalry games in the Sun Bowl every year, drawing anywhere between 15,000 to 28,000 people to the game.  Isn't that amazing?  Our home field, which looked a lot like the one in the movie, seated 6,500, but that wasn't enough!  Says a lot about night life in El Paso on a Friday night, huh?  We commonly outdrew the UTEP Miners who were pretty awful back then.  But still, it does not compare to the pressure and expectations in one of those towns of 10-12,000 people with one high school "in the "oil patch" where fathers get great jobs in the oil business if they move to Odessa and bring their stud son with them. 

Those kids know the offense and defense in the fifth grade.  By junior high they know who the starters in high school will be!  That's what they're depicting in the TV show.  What they are trying to portray is very, very real...unfortunately.  I did it for 14 years and it was like nothing I could fully describe to you, and we were not that much of a high pressure school.  Pressure, pushy boosters (about 150 of them showed up for booster club every Monday night to see the film and tell us what we did wrong), but not like some places.  The other issue in the book is the racial issue.  That's another whole story out in Redneckville.

Coaching in Texas creates incredible highs, but some very low lows.  You are a celebrity in a very real sense (locally).  Football coaching's a year-round thing at the successful programs like those in the movie/TV show and -- to a somewhat lesser extent -- that was the case at our program at Eastwood High School.  The guy who plays the head coach in the TV show is far too nice a guy!  Most of them are callous and not so nice.

There's another movie called "Varsity Blues" that is the thinly-veiled life story of Gordon Wood, a Texas coaching legend at Brownwood.  Wood was one of those guys the stadium is named after while he's still the coach.  There's a life size statue of him at the main gate to the field.  I'm not kidding. 

Thanks for your note.  Hope you didn't mind the short treatise on Texas football.

Shaw has served as an elementary, middle school and high school principal.  He has been an assistant superintendent of schools since 1997 in New Mexico , Arizona and Nevada .  He is currently the superintendent of the Gifford School District in Gifford , Illinois .   

Montwood High School , a school of more than three thousand students in El Paso , Texas , where Shaw was principal, received the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Award for outstanding public schools, as well as being named one of the original Texas Mentor Schools.  The school was known for its numerous innovative programs and high student success rates.  Shaw was a state finalist for Texas Principal of the Year and was named Principal of the Year by several other educational organizations.  He was recently inducted into the Montwood High School Ring of Honor as the charter inductee.  He has been published in various educational journals and was a contributing editor to the book Effective Questioning Techniques by Dr. Ivan G. Hannel.  

Shaw is married to Melinda, a former special education teacher, elementary counselor and middle school administrator.  Their 18-year old daughter, Kayla, attends the University of Illinois studying to be a Speech/Language Pathologist.  

Art’s oldest daughter, Amy, is a special education teacher in Farmington , New Mexico .  Kristy, his middle daughter, is studying to be a music teacher at San Juan College in Farmington .

Yes, I am retired (still), but am busier than a one-armed paper hanger.  I’m keeping company with a very nice man … John and I have known each other for 20+ years.  He and his wife Margaret and my Bob and I were in the same Marriage Encounter sharing group.  Margaret died 7 months before my Bob and we had John for dinner several times a week after Margaret passed.  Well, John decided to ‘help me through’ the worst of it by going out to dinner and generally being there to talk and listen.  We decided life was too short to waste on being alone so we now share his house.  He has 2 married sons and I have 2 married sons and one daughter, as well as 9 grandchildren.  His first grandchild is due April 2007 so he has been a ‘grandpa in training’ with mine.  Our children get along well with each other and are very happy for us.  My sons especially feel like it is the best thing to happen for me.  So life can be good again.   

I can’t ever remarry because I would loose my military retirement benefits, so my family and his family are all OK with it.  I keep busy with stuff around here (as does John) and we routinely take days off (we’re both retired) and go fishing or whatever.  The days fill up before we know it.  We’re planning a fishing trip next Saturday to Padre Island for a week.  I’m excited because I’ve never done that kind of fishing.  My Bob didn’t like to fish and so I never went either.  However, John loves to fish and I’ve discovered I love it too.  I’ve actually gotten quite good at it, too.  J  I knit and crochet heirloom afghans for family and for raffles at church, as well as volunteer in the office at church.  

I have been retired for the past five years and love it. I do attend the local community college part time, trying to earn an AS degree in accounting. Thought I wanted to do taxes part time, but I was cured of the idea. I am keeping my nursing license current if there should be a need to return to that field.

ERIC ROBERTS ('68): EROBERTS.IE72@GTALUMNI.ORG 
SHANNON ROBERTS ('65): CSROBERTS@CFL.RR.COM 
CAROLYN ROBERTS (their mom): MCMROBERTS@JUNO.COM 

JUDY GROSSWILER Roybal ('63): JUDYROYBAL@PEOPLEPC.COM
LEE MEEKER Albers ('62): ALBERSL@EDMONDS.WEDNET.EDU
PETE BRITT ('56): P_P_BRITT@EARTHLINK.NET 
JANE COGGINS ZIBELIN ('60): JANEZIB@AOL.COM 
JOE CONDRILL ('73): JOEOSBPRES@SBCGLOBAL.NET 

I live in Waterloo, Iowa with my wife of 36 years, Barbara (Bradley) Cardamon.  We are both retired public school teachers. 

I taught the visual arts for 30 years at both public high schools in Waterloo.  I was the department head at East High School for 23 years and taught all the two-dimensional arts (drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, graphics) as well as several three-dimensional and crafts courses.  I spent three of those years as a part time District quasi-administrator, managing a state program on staff training.

My wife deserves sainthood, having completed her 30 years of teaching in Special Education, the last 15 or 18 at the Middle School level.  She also taught lower elementary school in Waterloo and Los Angeles.

We have two grown daughters.  Sarah (Cardamon) Richter, wife of Jason Richter, lives in Shoreview, Minnesota with our first grandson, Samuel.  Torrey Beth Cardamon is a career woman living in Chicago.

As far as a blurb goes, my interest in motorcycling goes all the way back to our days in Orleans.  Only there it was a 50 cc Peugeot moped.  Essentially, I rode a motorcycle in college and during some of my various military assignments (when I was stationed long enough to get one, and it made sense).  After I retired from the Army in '91, my wife suggested that I needed a hobby.  At the time, I owned a Honda CB 750, and regularly used to take various motorcycle rider-training classes, here in Northern VA, at NVCC.  In 1992, one of the instructors I had recognized me from previous classes I took and asked me why instead of just taking classes that didn't become a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) instructor and teach them-so I did in 1993.  Since then I've taught pretty much all throughout the northern part of the state. 

Currently, I'm the site coordinator for the MSF rider-training program at Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown, VA-right where I-81 and I-66 meet.  I teach out there every couple of weekends for the nine months we have classes.  I have 22 other instructors, 17 motorcycles, and more associated equipment than I know what to do with.  We typically run thru 750 students a year, and it's about a $100K a year business for the college.  I mainly do it to keep up my own riding skills (we're not spring chickens anymore), but also to make sure that novice riders start out with the basic physical and mental skills they need to become safe, responsible, riders.  //  LARRY

Hello To All Of You,

Forgive the shotgun email back to you but we are limited to the time on the computer and we have to wait in line to use it.  Hopefully my laptop will arrive soon and I can email away to each of you.  I want to thank you for remembering me at the reunion. I had to take some time and look at all of you in the pictures on the web site.  I wish I could have been there. You really looked like you all were having a great time.  I send my love to you all and you all look marvelous!!!!! Thank you again for wearing my name at the reunion.  God bless you all.  stay in touch. From the Tallil Army and Air Force Base near Nasiriyah, Iraq this is Chuck Wise signing off.

The Trojan Warrior!!!!!!!!!!

Chuck Wise (Class of '64)

Hello To All My OHS Family,  From Tallil Air Base in Nasiriyah, Iraq.  I am wishing you all a happy reunion.  Wish I could be with all of you but I had to do another tour in Iraq. Enjoy yourselves and I will see you next time.  From me and all the Coalition Forces in Iraq, God bless you all!!!!       Chuck Wise '64

Quick bio:  Married to Tom Cottingham nearly 40 years;  2 sons, Tracy
Thomas,IV and Christopher;  2 grandchildren, Quint (Tracy Thomas V) and
Caroline--both perfectly wonderful!!

We've lived in North Carolina, Germany, New York, Alabama and home again
to North Carolina, making life-long friends along the way.  We've been
very fortunate!

Spent my working years as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, working
with sick, injured or developmentally disabled or delayed
children---very rewarding!  Currently volunteering in inner-city
schools working with kindergarten to third graders.  Also very
rewarding!

Tom is a lawyer, and when he's not working, we enjoy traveling,
especially to Europe, but have not made it back to Orleans.  (We're not
proud; we'll go nearly anywhere to see friends or attend reunions!)

Interesting note:  We live three houses away from Pat (Patty Ludwig)
Rodgers a fellow OHS alum!

Will bring photos to the reunion---no scanner and not technically
sophisticated enough to use it anyway!  :-)

See you Friday!

Jeanie

Hi!! thanks so much for the newsy update.  Please take copious notes on the reunion. wish I could be there but it is just not going to work out timewise this year.  Plus I am having another wisdom tooth pulled...the real pain comes with the dental bills in NYC. EEEEKKK!!!  I could come to Va on the Queen Mary for what I pay...love to all, and please don't spare the gossip!  Cynthia Crumlish OHS 1967

DAVE,
BARB MOORE CONTACTED...REGARDING INFO THAT YOU
NEED....MUST ADMIT I WAS A LITTLE LEARY WHEN I FIRST
GAVE MY E MAIL....BUT SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN CONTACTED
BY OLD FRIENDS AND HAVE HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME CATCHING
UP.....SARAH  (SALLIE) MOORE SMITH

David L. de Pauw
Guidance Counselor,
Bitburg American High School

B.S. History/Political Science, 1972
M.A. Teaching of Social Science, 1977
M.A. Educational Psychology, 1987
M.A. Educational Counseling, 1988
Arizona State Certified School Psychometrist, 1986

"It is noble to teach oneself, but still nobler to teach others... and less trouble." -Mark Twain

Dear David,
Barring some last minute health problem, I'll be there.  I'm not big on
snapshots, but I attached a recent one, although I don't have any of
myself from OHS days, at least not on my computer.  For an update, my
book, a personal memoir about my sister Veronica and me, is scheduled
to come out in May of 2007.  So far the title is "Thick As Thieves"
although there's a chance that Holt, the publishing company, will want
to change it to something a bit less shopworn.  A few passages therein
capture my days at OHS, but most of the France stuff that remained
through countless revisions concerns whoring around Pigalle with Buddy
DePaolo.  I had to cover half a century of two lives so the less
dramatic scenes hit the cutting room floor.  See you in Roanoke.  Chuck
Ralston made reservations for both of us, but if Chuck decides to bring
his wife, I'll just get a room at the Holiday Inn where DePaolo is
staying.

Steve Geng

Dave,

We are in WY working our way back east after a family reunion on the OR
coast.  Tony retired in June and we bought an Airstream so we took off
across the country.  We don't get back til Sept. 10th so will miss the
reunion which is too bad -- should be fun.  Hope to get a recap of
activities.

Hope all is well with you,
Irene

Dear Dave,  

I’m sure looking forward to seeing you in Roanoke next week.  By then the effects of hurricane Ernesto will probably have passed and everything will be cooled down and well watered.    

For years and years you have been the one person responsible for keeping our high school memories intact.  We owe you an enormous debt of gratitude.  

Thank you for organizing another Orléans France American High School Reunion .  

Thank you so very much.  

Your friend,

John

Dave,
Since My last update the following has occurred as I own whiteoakranch now.
New e mail   whiteoakranch@hughes.net  ofc e mail abel.white@us.army.mil
New Address   1355 CR 204, Buckholts, Texas 76518
Home ph.  254 593 9201   cell 254 289 7314
I was inducted into the cowboy hall of fame in march 06, attaching a
picture, not sure that is important.
Sure hope I get to see you and friends from Orleans in Sep 06.
Thanks for all you do.  Aubrey, says hello.  We are both active and doing
good.
Abel

Abel White
Quantum Research International Inc
In Support Of G8 DA FDT &
Whitfill Central Technical Support Facility
ofc  (254) 532-8321 ext 2367
cell (254) 289-7314
fax  (254) 618-7392

Survived the storm (Hurricane Katrina) AND the 1 year anniversary of the storm. See you at the reunion, baring any hurricanes.

Frank R. Plichta is budget director for the Child Care Services Association of Chapel Hill, NC.  CCSA operates a variety of programs Ensuring Affordable, Accessible, High Quality Child Care.  With a $31 million annual budget and 168 employees, CCSA not only directs its efforts to North Carolina but its T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Project has been licensed for implementation in twenty-two states.