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Posted Thursday, May 27, 2010 12:46 PM

Who is this?  Everything that appears in this format was written by actual warm and fuzzy classmates, Lane Yoder and Carolyn Geiman Wilson, not some crass, commercial web programmer. 

New to the site?  If you're a classmate and haven't joined, please do so.  See the first announcement below for some information about signing up. 

Already a member?  Sign in on the right and see what's new.  Equally important - upload a picture, something from your scrapbook, something new, a memory, an opinion, a video.  Send a message to a classmate.  There are a lot of options. 

Feel like you're back in Miss Johnson's Latin class?  Clicking on "Helpful Hints" on the left might be helpful.  The hint on privacy is somewhat important.

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Want to listen to "Top Hits of 1962" while you browse the website? Click on that link on the left and follow the directions.

Start or join a class conversation by clicking on "The High Life Forum" and sharing yours. Or go to "Message Forum" to read the lastest posts or add your own.

Know how to contact a missing classmate?  Click on "Missing Classmates" and help spread the word. It's easy to let someone know about the website. 

Want more?  If you want to help on the website, or even if you don't but would be willing, click on "Contact Us."    

Where do we go from here?  This is just a start.  Stay tuned as classmates add more content.  To see a couple of sites that are more established, check out the class of '60 and class of '63.  

Not a classmate?  You're welcome to explore the open pages. 

Other?  If you have questions, suggestions, comments, criticisms, or complaints, click on "Contact Us."  Some of these features have a lot of options that can be overwhelming, so don't hesitate to ask your helpful and friendly website administrators. 

Rock out to new music by clicking on the Top Hits 1958-1962 link on the left. Turn up the sound and sing along to some of the 142 songs while you clean a closet, sweat through your exercises, read your email, paint your toenails, fix a bite to eat, or do whatever fills your day. (Sorry 'bout the ads, but the music is free.) Carolyn 7/9/2010 

Remember when the flag had just 48 stars? Both Hawaii and Alaska became states while we were in high school. Do you remember when? (Answer: Alaska was admitted as a state on January 3, 1959, and Hawaii followed on August 21, 1959. The first fifty-star flag was flown across the country on July 4, 1960.)

Vacation in Kansas! It's not often that a travel site features Kansas, but The Away Network (www.away.com) had this picture today as its free screensaver, with the tagline "Quirky Kansas."  The caption reads: In Kansas, almost everything can be described with the words "as far as the eye can see." With the endless stretches of roads, fields, and sky, at times the peace radiating from the wide openness of the place can be daunting. We suggest stopping for some good ol' roadside attractions, a Kansas specialty—visit the dugout Boston Corbett lived in after killing John Wilkes Booth (Concordia), Truckhenge (Topeka), World's Largest Ball of Twine (Cawker City), and a 24- by 32-foot reproduction of Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers painting (Goodland), easel and all. Have you visited all these attractions? And do you have any idea where this picture might have been taken?  Carolyn 7/17/2010

Note: Picture was likely of the Flint Hills. It wouldn't copy here.

Mac, Manor or Ritz?

Ah, summer! And all that surfing that was going on at Kanopolis!

Remember Gidget? I think it showed at the Ritz, but I could be wrong. I thought everyone in California must live like she did, cute boys and skinny girls on the beach...no parents in sight. I also thought my four boy cousins who lived in LA (and who I had only seen maybe twice) probably lived like movie stars. After all, they had a swimming pool! Later I visited their home and found out I had been mistaken.
Just imagine. McPherson had three theatres in 1959 when Gidget was playing, and a population around maybe 8000?
A bit of research turned up some astonishing facts about McPherson's movie theatres, long before our time. Is it more amazing that this info actually exists on the web, or that I take the time to look it up?
1888-Today - McPherson Opera House, which became the Empire Theatre 1926-1928, and later, of course, the Mac, and later, of course, the McPherson Opera House! 219 S. Main
1909-1909 - The Lotto Theatre, don't know where, but it obviously wasn't a huge success
No dates - The Cozy Theatre and the Grace Theatre, 114 S. Main
1909-1929 - Electric Hall, don't know where
1916-1917 - Mikado Theatre, 223 S. Main
1931-? - Ritz Theatre, later the Spiral, 116 N. Main (See the marquee on the photo in the Photo Gallery from the 1940s.)
1942-? - Manor Theatre, 105 S. Main
And today - McPherson Cinema 4, 316 N. Main
And then there was the Starview Drive-In on Hwy, 81, 1949-1985. Check out the article and pictures in the Photo Gallery. I imagine everyone has some very special memories of the drive-in, right?     Carolyn 7/31/2010