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The following are excerpts from "Magic Words" that we thought merited a listing in the Remember When Hall of Fame.
Barberton High School Alma Mater
| Alma Mater, dear Barberton. |
| Alma Mater, brave and strong. |
| Alma Mater, we hail thee, |
| Through all the ages long. |
| Alma Mater, dear Barberton, |
| as we read thy story o'er. |
| We revere thee, and cheer thee |
| as we sing thy praise once more. |
The Barberton High School Fight Song
| Oh, BHS we will down them, down them everyone |
| Oh, BHS we'll be victors til the day is done |
| Oh we will fight all our rivals as through their lines we run |
| For we are fighting for the honor of old Barberton |
| To the team, to the team, to the boys who wear the "B" |
| with luck, with pluck we'll drive to victory |
| we are winning, we are winning, see our goal in view. |
| Oh BHS we will down them, down them every one, |
| Oh BHS we'll be victors til the day is done |
| Oh we will fight all our rivals, as through their lines we run |
| for we are fighting for the honor of old Barberton. |
|
From:
Kathy Quesenbery
(1977) |
| After I
graduated in 1977, I went to OU and my parents moved to
TN. I had not been back to the Magic City until this
year, for my 44th birthday. My husband took me "home"
after 24 years. My
feelings overwhelmed me as we pulled into Woodford
elementary - memories of walking to school, "Saturday
Fun" and Mrs. Hoover playing Mary Poppins songs on the
piano... I went back to my old street where the houses
seemed so small now! Many things have changed - the
greenhouses are gone, but what a beautiful new HS! It
felt strange driving around town after so long. What did
seem like such a long walk from U.L. Light was really
just a short distance...
My husband and two teens loved
the tour of the town. I didn't realize when I was a teen
just how lovely a town Barberton really is; I was ready
to "leave home". I really appreciate my husband's
"present" to me - to have been able see my old home
town, and remember fondly:
-ice skating at Tusc. park
until dark
-watching the swans at Lake
Anna
-working for Mr. George in the
office at UL Light
- Mr. Brand (& math...)
-working at Ponderosa but
longing to leave for college
-learning German from Mrs.
Foraker
-eating pizza at Tonyo's
-swimming at the community
center with my dad (now deceased)
-watching our terrific
basketball team go to state. |
|
From:
Linda Wallet Class of 69 |
|
I think back fondly of my days at Memorial Elementary
School. Mostly what I remember was being scared of the
Principal, Mr. Weaver. You see, we were all told that if
you acted up in school, disobeyed any rule, (or in my
case, got caught sucking my thumb) you would be sent to
the principal's office and get beat with a rubber hose.
(Needless to say the thumb-sucking quit just before the
first day of Kindergarten with Mrs. Ford. Well, Mr.
Weaver seemed so tall and overpowering he would walk
down the halls making sure we stayed in line and quiet
going to the cafeteria. But the years now have softened
that harsh image and now what I remember most is good
old Mr. Weaver waving his arms directing the whole
school in song at the close of each assembly with the
song, "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You." I could
barely remember the words, but I found this version of
it and the sincerity of the words still makes me misty.
The man certainly had a heart for God. I only shutter to
think what would happen to a principal today who would
dare to sing this song, let alone have all the kids sing
along too! Maybe that is what's wrong in the schools
now. |
|
From:
Norma Chase |
Lake Anna and cherry blossoms, of course.
Mrs. Thorne making me feel welcome my first day at
Oakdale. Mrs. Thorne introducing us to Pippi
Longstocking.
The art teacher who felt free to mess up our art in
the process of critiquing it. The cute fellow who
replaced her.
Pioneer Girls at the Community Church. (I can still
rattle off the books of the Old Testament, but the
New Testament is harder. Don't understand why.)
Mrs. Adams getting upset when I brought a dead bird
in for Show and Tell.
Believing Mrs. Adams when she said if we didn't turn
in our book reports we would stay all day on the
last day of school. Last day of school I was at my
desk with pencil and paper, trying to remember
enough about the book to write about it. (I had
discovered that morning, to my distress, that my
mother had returned it to the library.) Mrs. Adams
laughed and told me school was out.
Mr. Finley teaching me to swim at Osage Day Camp.
Mr. Finley making a coffee can roll uphill.
Mr. Roberts busting a classmate on a technical foul
during a basketball game.
My parents laughing when, in fifth grade, I
expressed the opinion that girls should be allowed
to wear slacks in school. "Let's tape record her and
play it back when she's fifteen." Little did they
know. I'll be fifty at the end of this year, and I
wear jeans to work and slacks to court. Parents had
seen too many school plays with a
tomboy-becomes-young-lady plot.
Mrs. Cubbage teaching us to multiply and divide
fractions.
Substitute teachers who rode in on
broomsticks, particularly the one who yanked a
classmate's paper away from me during grading
because my pencil was not hovering over it as she
recited the answers, which supposedly proved that I
was not grading it. Getting saved from a sub's
wrath, on another occasion, by a fire drill bell.
(Think it was the same sub. Not sure.)
Mr. Pavkov becoming Dr. Pavkov.
The wonderful children's librarians at the downtown
library. Summer reading clubs.
Walt Ritzman reading the riot act to a kid he caught
stealing marbles.
Camp Jody.
The first six lines of the poem by Kenny Russell
that won an Akron Beacon Journal award. Kenny
Russell decking out Martin Nelson in the class play,
"Time Out for Ginger." (See above comment about
class plays.)
Dave Lawson playing Tom Sawyer in another class
play.
Miss Sabo trying unsuccessfully to improve my
musical abilities.
"Stand up and cheer...Cheer loud and long for U.L.
Light...For today we raise...Our blue and white
above the rest."
Dennis Weaver singing "Stars Are the Windows of
Heaven" in the school talent show.
Mrs. Slate playing Bill Cosby and Tom Lehrer for us,
and reading to us from Up the Down Stair Case. Mrs.
Slate showing us pictures from her summer visit to
George Papashvily, author of Anything Can Happen.
Mrs. Slate learning us not to dangle our
participles.
Kids finding themselves airborne when they acted up
in Mr. Westfall's class. Mr. Westfall scandalizing
us by using the word "damn" (just once) in class.
In the beginning of eighth grade, making a lifelong
friend with a ninth-grade transplant from St.
Augustine's. She made eighth grade a fun year for
me. Her family moved to Pittsburgh two years after
mine did.
Climbing the tree that used to be on the driveway
leading to the parking lot at Light. |
|
From: Robert L. Carbaugh
|
| A few of us were
sitting around the other night reminiscing about a
few of the games we had seen at the now abandoned
Greynolds gym when the subject of the longest shot
ever made there came up. I remember seeing a
pint-sized ninth grader named Bob Carbaugh hurl a
last-second shot in from the opposite foul line
circle in a Portage game against UL Light in 1960.
Portage was down by 3 points at the time and since
this was long before 3-point shots, they still
lost the game by one point. Does anyone else
remember seeing this remarkable shot? And it Bob
Carbaugh bless his heart, still in the area.
Published in Barberton Herald this past summer by
unknown. Yes I am that same Bob Carbaugh that made
that shot. I live in Akron, Ohio. |
|
From:
Merlinnot@aol.com |
I Remember most
of all in my Junior and Senior year were the
dances in the Greynolds Gym. Norton and Coventry
guys buying tickets at the door. How loud the
speakers were. Gary from Easy Street tossing the
microphone up in the air and catching it. Singing
Sweet Jane. I Remember line dancing and not caring
what people thought of you. Just having fun. Clean
fun. I Remember going to Parrisons after the
dances the juke boxes on the walls. I remember
walking to Angies after the football games. When
coach Sharkey was coaching and coaching was good.
There was respect both ways. Our team was a proud
team. We were the Magics and nothing would stop
us. I remember Basketball and State. I do remember
the street painted purple. Purple beer they served
to adults.
I remember our awesome pep rallies. I remember the
cage lockers, Saturday Night Live. Mr. Bill. |
From:
Don
Witte61
Subject: Paige Ave.
|
Yes Mary
Lou Barberton was a great place to be a kid. I grew up
in the north end of Barberton, I remember, Hazelwood,
Portage, and good ole BHS, in what was a neat and
innocent time, mostly I remember Portage, the assembly's
in the gym, the pictures in the halls of kids who
graduated before us. The dances,10th grade in BHS didn't
we think we were something? High school holds good
memories of friends, sports, even the classes, the
football games, tac dances after on Fri. nights.
Even though I'm quite a distance from Barberton it will
always be a special place for me.-Don
|
From:Mary
Lou Tracy-Carter
Subject: Paige Ave.
|
| I
remember growing up on Paige Ave.just down from the
hospital. My sisters and I would walk to Tusc. park to
play in that big blue pool, have arts and crafts, and
ice skate in the big field during the winter. Walking to
Bozzin's (sp?)IGA for pop and candy on Saturday. I
remember going through the halls of Woodford, Oakdale
and UL Light like it was yesterday. Barberton was a
great place to be a kid...at least it was for me.
|
|
From: Gail
Dean Krug '75
Subject: Mr. Trenta
|
| Class of
'75. Senior year - so many pranks, so little time. Mr.
Trenta's 6th period ChemStudy class. It was in a room on
3rd floor - with a great view of who was cutting out to
go to McDonalds or Jeep-n-Joe's or just cutting out for
general purposes. His first words to our class were
"I don't want to see you looking out that window
unless you're ready to jump" (or something to that
effect...... ) SO....the last week of class Mr.Trenta
walks into class to find the whole class looking out the
window - at the "body" on the ground - who
promptly got up and waved! (poor Mr. Trenta aged a bit
that day...) |
|
From: Linda (Wallet)
Harris '69
Subject: Mr. Lukats
|
|
Yes, I certainly remember Mr. Lukat's Science class. When
he went out to get
his candy he always left the answer sheet on his desk and
a few of the more
resourceful (or braver) guys in the class (names withheld
but you know who
you are!) would scoot their desk up next to his and copy
down the answers.
But the best thing I remember about the cadaver in Med.
School he talked
about, was that the guy had been a heavy smoker and they
literally had to
spoon his lungs out! He said that was when he quit smoking
and left Med.
School!!! Well, Mr. Lukats, wherever you are, your story
helped to deliver
another smoker. I thought the story was a bit exaggerated
then and after
finishing nursing school, I was sure it was exaggerated,
but that did not
stop me from passing it on to my husband whose 4 pack a
day habit was driving
me crazy. Guess it made a believer out of him. He at least
changed his mind
that cigarettes were harmless and not long afterward was
totally delivered.
He had been smoking for 21 years. He now has been a
non-smoker for 23 years. Thanks for your stories, Mr.
Lukats. You
are remembered! |
|
From: Jayne (Powers) Storad '75
Subject: Mr. Lukats
|
|
I remember Mr. Lukats (at Portage) sneaking candy. One of my best memories of his science class was playing "baseball" as a way to review questions for a test. And, his story about being in pre-med student and working on a cadaver with a tattoo on its arm that said, "Sing Sing".
|
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From: Rebecca Loughry - Lucas '70
Subject: Portage Jr. High
|
|
Does anyone remember how Mr. Lukats would sneak and eat M&M's that he hid in his desk and other candy he had in the closet? Does anyone remember Mr. Cooksey and how he would throw erasers across the room at kids that were bad?
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From: Bobby Joyner '66
Subject: memories
|
|
The Draft House, Sands, parking at the water tower, the Castle, the Velvet Rail, Chippewa and Meyers Lakes, caddying at Brookside for money to get In Loyal Oak Lake or Griffiths pool, watching Fred Wentz dive, just hanging out with friends (some that are long gone), jumping in the rock quarry by Rogues Hollow, loving my parents and wondering if I'll ever be that old. Well Dad, I made it
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From: Fred McAtee '63
Subject: Do you remember
|
|
Driving our cool cars or Dads back and forth from Daverns Drive In and the Varsity Drive In. Races every night all night long. Who had the best food? My vote is Daverns because I was the first guy car hop around. What a great job. I got to meet so many girls and I made good money too. The park dances in the summer, street dances around the lake and ice skating at the parks that were flooded. We could walk anywhere at any time and we were usually
safe, not like today. If only our kids or grand kids could see what a great time that was to grow up in. Tac after the games on Friday nites and before or after Tac we had to have our pizza. I close my eyes and I can go back there like I never left. The Class of 63 was there from the beginning of rock and roll, that was cool. The music was great, you could understand it and it had a meaning, not like some of what we have today. Swimming and
paddling on Lake Anna. We had the Lake bowling center where kids (me) 1957 were setting the pins for $.10 per game per bowler. We would make $3.00 per two lanes and most of worked four lanes. $6.00 per night plus tips at 12 years old was good money and we got to bowl for free. As a kid from 57 to 65 was the coolest time of my like now looking back but at the time I don't believe I would exactly agree with that view. I have many missing friends
and I hope with this web site we can contact more and fill the house of our 40th class reunion in 2003.Barberton Chicken is by far the chicken to be called the best chicken in he world and I've done my share of testing. My chicken restaurant is a secret. I'll be back with more memories but in the mean time post your memories to what I've mentioned or add to it with you own. Memories are forever and are to cherished for ever. Talk to you all
soon. Cool
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From: Donna (Starcher) Milan '75
Subject: Varsity Drive-In
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I remember every New Year's Eve my dad would go to the Varsity and get footlong hot dogs. My parents and my sister would see the new year in eating them. Those were to good old days.
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From: Rebecca Loughry - Lucas '70
Subject: JFK assassination
|
|
I remember I was in the sixth grade at Hazelwood Elementary School. Miss Straiko, our teacher got called out of the room by a message over the loudspeaker for all teachers to come to the office. (that seemed a little unusual to us kids).She came back and told us our president was shot and school was dismissed. I remember I was in shock when I left that classroom, but I do remember other kids laughing about it, which bugs me to this day.
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From: Robert Spahr
'60
|
| Found your web site and was
pleased to see someone take the interest to put together
some great memories. I graduated in 1960 "The 100th
Graduating class" Seeing the pictures of them tearing
down the old school brought back a lot of memories.
Remember the tunnel and going to gym and being on the
first Trampoline team. I have been teaching school in
Bradenton Florida for 33 years. Thanks for the memories.
Bob Spahr |
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