Wayland Central School - Hi Lites Yearbook (Wayland, NY)

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CLASS PROPHECY HERE I am on a beautiful day in May, 1950, once again in the halls of old W. C. S., my Alma Mater. The occasion is a minstrel show put on by a group of young men from Wayland. As I stand in the lower hall, I sec many familiar faces and realize that the Class of 1950 is well represented. There is quite a discussion being carried on down by the office. Roger Humphrey, a successful Webster’s crossing farmer, and Harold Wood, an equally success- ful Perkinsville farmer, are arguing the age-old question, Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” I am sorry I cannot remain to hear the final decision. A little farther on, I meet those in- separable Atlanta girls, Barbara Middle- ton, Carol Hagadone, Vyrna Stocking, and the newest member of the group, Gloria Doty. Since Gloria became the proprietress of the Mountain View Inn, she has been accepted by the Atlanta Clan. I hear that Barbara operates a ferry on the Cohocton River, Vyrna is a switch operator on the D. L. and W.„ and Carol is a traffic cop in the busy main street of Atlanta. There seems to be a commotion at the other end of the hall, and as I walk over I see Stephen Cowley, who is a barker with a traveling side show, demon- strating his profession to Joyce Holmes, who runs a promising boarding house for bachelors in Springwater. Dorothy Lawrence, looking skeptically on, has just purchased a station wagon to ac- commodate the latest addition. Why, there’s Helen Alpaugh looking very breathless from her hurried trip up here. She is a charming hostess at the Copacabana and has just flown up from New York. But now, I must hurry to my seat before the program begins. As I scan my program, I find the names of several members of the Class of ’50 in the cast and as property men. Among the members of the cast are Jack Phillips, who has replaced Frank Sinatra on the Lucky Strike Supper Club (reports have it that Jack has them swooning as Frankie never had); also Louis Wolfanger, a smooth, fast-talk- ing manager of a Dansville gin mill; William Rider, a prominent explosives expert (his friends will recall his high school exploits); Philip Schwingel, who is a pet pilot in the Nicaraguan Air Force (Philip recently hit the headlines for sighting a flying sausage); and Carl Zimmer, Calvert’s Man of Distinction, who recently achieved fame for finding an alligator in Loon Lake. All of these fellows gained their reputations as actors in our Senior Plays. Also on the program are the property men: Norbert Lang, who is now head of the Wayland Garbage Co. (Norbert says that business is continually pick- ing up); Richard Platt, who is a daring stock-car racer; Norris Rowley, a wealthy builder, who has just finished building a model town in Patchinsville; and Clarence Schmitz, a world-famous wrestler, who recently replaced Hy Lee in the ring. But now, the curtain is rising on the first act of this minstrel show. As the curtain falls on the first act, I hear a racket backstage caused by the town band as it sets up for a short con- cert. I notice that here again the Class of ’50 is well represented. In the clari- net section I see Martha Riley, who, alas, is still trying to graduate from a one- year cooking course at Buffalo State; James Folts, who is now principal of W. C. S., and famous for his harsh disci- pline; and Max Eleiott, who is getting his apprenticeship in undertaking by returning the signs that bad boys put on Digger O’Dell’s Establishment. Also there’s Joyce Wolfanger, a canasta ex- pert, who is currently sueing her fifth

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CLASS HISTORY SILENTLY but energetically you walked in the door of Wayland Cen- tral School and took your place among many other inexperienced faces. You were a freshman with an idea that the senior trip was years and years away. You soon became adapted to your superior schoolmates and your new schedule. During this year you won a great honor in the song contest which made you feel proud and chuckle to yourself when a senior passed you in the halls. Other important events during your freshman year were dances and a Christ- mas Party. Your class officers were: President— Peter Gessner; Vice-President — SallLe Capron; Secretary — Elizabeth Cavag- naro; Treasurer—Joyce Wolfanger. Two months passed between your freshman and sophomore years, but at last the bell rang and you took your place with the well-known faces of the other sophomores. You sold candy and had dances after ball games, and had a Christmas Party. Your class officers were: President— Peter Gessner; Vice-President — Max Eleiott; Secretary — Letha Beman; Treasurer—Joseph Lang. At the close of this term you realized that Time waits for no one,” and that you were half way through your school career. When the bell rang once again, you realized that you were older and that the lower classes were less important. You were starting to take a serious look at your schoolwork. You were start- ing to take school with a smile of de- termination instead of just fun, as a Junior should. This year was made a success by your Junior Prom called Country Gardens.” The orchestra which played was the Al- fred Collegians, and the queen was Kath- eryn Fox, who well deserved the honor. Another big project was your news- paper, The Revoltin’ Development,” which was a smash hit because all the seniors put their hearts into its making. This year you sold seeds and sponsored dances after the basketball games, at which you sold candy. One outstand- ing dance you had was your sock dance. You made a wise selection when you chose Harry Bartz for president; Lois Mehlenbacher for vice-president; Edna Drum for secretary; and Norbert Smith for treasurer. To help them, you chose Mrs. Hurlbut and Mr. Temmerman for class advisors. Once again the doors closed for a brief intermission. As September glided around again, you well knew that you were the super- ior class, and you prepared yourself for it. This was your senior year. Your main highlights were the senior plays: Music on the Menu, Teacher’s Pet, and Who Gets the Car Tonight; the Christmas Ball with a theme of Reindeerland” and Katherine Reeser as queen, with Don Jones’ Orchestra play- ing. Your magazine sale which was a great success and the publication of this precious yearbook completed the final year. At last, in June, you obtained your well-earned diploma. You had to slap yourself to believe that it was in your hands so soon. You realized that you had reached the top of the ladder by long hours of work and the many friends you had made. As you walked down the aisle, you realized that the years had been memorable ones, and that you would never forget them. Now you are walking out the front door, never again to return in your capacity as a student. Although you have impatiently awaited this day for several years, it is truly a sad occasion in your life. With this thought, we bid a fond farewell to our Alma Mater, WAY- LAND CENTRAL.

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husband for divorce on the grounds that he is cruel to her (it seems that he keeps un - stacking her canasta cards); and Roy Fisher, well-known man about town, who is a purchasing agent for a glue factory. Last clarinetist is Oleta Larrin, a lady cab driver in Hornell, and who, on the side, sells shoestrings in the Springwater Red and White. In the flute section is Sallie Capron, a lady game warden, whose headquarters are in the Cohocton swamp. In the baritone section I recog- nize Raymond Merrill, who is gathering research on the tailless monkeys of Mindinao. The saxophone section con- sists of Doris Newfang, who is teaching music at Industry; Jane Rosebrugh, who, it is rumored, is an escaped con- vict. No one knows why or where Jane was sent up, but here she is. Here too is Eugene Weber, who is vice-principal of W. C. S., even more famous than James Folts for his disci- pline. The trumpet section is composed of Harry Bartz, well-known Wayland bookie” who is always good for a hot tip”; and Joseph Lang, Chef at the Hil- ton Hotel in N. Y. C. (you know, the one owned by Elizabeth Taylor’s hus- band.) It seems, (and this is confiden- tial) that Mary Shults, another trum- peteer, is absent because of her respect- able position with Lois Mehlenbacher. Lois, formerly in the drum section, has become a ventriloquist and uses Mary for her dummy. They have replaced the Charlie McCarthy Show on CBS. Among the several trombonists, I sec Francis Voorhees, who is a water boy for the elephants at the Barnum and Bailey Circus. The only bass player is none other than the treasurer of the Class of ’50, Norbert Smith. Norbert is a renowned horse thief whose secret hide-out in the Springwater Hills has never been found. In the drum section I find Peter Gessner, a bell-hop in the St. James Hotel, (he also claims that business is picking up) ; and Jean Ben- nett, who runs a Ford Sales and Service in Patchinsville, with Rosie Pcalcr as her chief mechanic,. The curtain falls just as I finish re- viewing the horn section composed of Katherine Reeser, who drives a road scraper on the Schwartzenbach High- way, and Mary Morsch, who surprised everyone by becoming a nun. Now I must return to Act II of the minstrel show. As the curtain falls on Act II, the people begin to rise and leave. As a group gathers in one corner, I decide to join it, as some of the faces seem familiar. Here, I meet Doris Bryant, who, under disguise, is a slugger for the St. Louis Cardinals: Helen Drum and Helen Henry, who run a hot dog stand in Arkport; Marlene Fox, a dog catcher in Kukamonga; Aletha Kling, the American Ambassador to Istanbul!; Kathleen Yochum, who is Miss Moon- shine of i960”; and Eva Stevens, a promising young tree surgeon. Also there are Eloise Harter and Thelma Price, proprietors of a Drive-In Theater in Perkinsville; and Eloise Didas, an air hammer operator with a state construc- tion outfit. Why here comes that dis- tinguished novelist, Mary Palmer, with a copy of her best seller, The Wagging Tongues of Wayland” under her arm. Mary was sued for libel by Lois Mchlen- bacher, who thought the book was writ- ten about her. At the door I meet Charles Selbig, a professional football star with the Grovcland Growlers, and Richard Kel- ler, a famous politician, still lobbying for Women’s Suffrage in the Senate. The last of my old classmates I en- counter after this minstrel show arc Edna Drum, who has the permanent job of mashing potatoes at Antlers Inn; Kathryn Fox, who is still pondering over Mrs. Hurlbut’s parting joke to the 1950 Law Class; and Jeannine Hassler, who operates a service station across the street from Bartz’s.