January 2022 Newsletter

Happy New Year!!  Hard to believe it is the end of January and our 50+2 Reunion is under eight months away. While there may be challenges ahead, optimism is in the air and we hope to see everyone in September.  

In this Newsletter you will find a few reunion related reminders, a great article from classmate John Schofield as a follow up to our request to share memorable moments, a new book announcement from classmate Julie Bergman and a little history surrounding Lynnfield shopping.

A Few Reminders

New Photo Galleries: recently, we added two photo galleries to the website, The Younger Years and LHS Memories.  If you have additional photos you would like to add, please do so. You can also add in comments or names describing the photos.  Once this is completed, a website Administrator will activate the photos.  If you prefer, you can also send your photos (including names and events) to Mark Sisson (Mark.Sisson@comcast.net) and we can load the photos for you.

Memorable Moments: thanks to John Schofield, we have our first follow up article from our December Newsletter request seeking the following;

• What was the most fun adventure that you have reason to share?
• What have you experienced that you are most proud of and willing to inspire others with?
• What is still on your Bucket List to tackle in the days, weeks and the years ahead?

Hotel Reservations:  it is never too soon to book your hotel reservations for September.  Reunion Event Details and Hotel Information are available on the website.

Reason to be Proud - by John Schofield

Thinking back over my life my first thought was my life was pretty dull. But then I remember helping Ali McGraw get up after she ran into me in New York City. Or when Efrem Zimbalist changed his clothes in my office. Or when I got last-minute plane tickets for Telly Savalas. Or when I fed President  Reagan and Shirley Temple. Or when I hung out with Warren Johnson. 

But what I'm most proud of is how my son, James, turned out.  His mother and I split up when he was six and he didn't handle it well.  School wasn't his forte. His first job was at a Jiffy Lube oil change place making minimum wages. I talked him into applying for a mechanic job at a trucking company and he jumped in with both feet. He was shop steward in six months.  He really wanted to get involved with racing as I had drag raced for several years.  He went to a National Event and came home with a job working for Jay Payne of Alcohol Funny Car fame. His experience with Jay and Jay's father in law Brad Anderson taught him skills that few are privy to.  He has since become a much sought after tuner and most weekends there is bidding war among several teams that want James to tune their cars.  He has tuned cars for Shawn Cowey and Fletcher Cox (Philadelphia Eagles) and set records in their classes.  He has his own performance shop where he has a steady stream of drag racers and off road desert racers bringing cars for him to tune.  He can even tune your car remotely from his shop.  
 
                 
   King of the Hammers race in California

   Final adjustments on Peak car       

   Off road race in Georgia
 
I didn't think he'd ever be that successful but he made me proud. He is doing what he loves and making a very very good income from it. If you ever go to a National Event drag race look him up.  He'll be easy to find as all the pro teams know him!
 
New Book From Julie Bergman

One year ago, in our January Newsletter we shared that classmate Julie Bergman had written a book called "Grieving Ground".  This book is available for purchase on Amazon and we know of several classmates who purchased it.  Below in Julie's own words is some background on her new book as well as a brief summary and a Amazon link should you be interested in purchasing a copy.

"I took a break from writing the next mystery novel following the same character featured in my book, "Grieving Ground", to write a biography of Sheelagh Cullen. I’ve known Sheelagh for a number of years since she has lived in California, and I have always been intrigued by the wonderful stories she tells, her sharp wit, the history of her Irish family and her acting career. I conducted a series of interviews with her and gathered photographs from her extensive archive to tell her story. She is truly one of the extraordinary Irish among us".

Sheelagh Cullen - IMDbhttps://www.imdb.com › name

Ireland's Daughter, The Life and Times of Actor Sheelagh Cullen, authored by Julie Bergman, is the biography of an Irishwoman who made her way from the Dublin of her birth to the stages of London, Hong Kong, and America over her long career in theatre and television. Her story begins with the challenges of growing up in a Protestant family in a predominately Catholic Republic of Ireland. Her path led her to studying theatre while attending Dublin's Trinity College at the age of 16, to adventures in post-war traveling theatre productions in Britain, performing in London's West End, and marriage on the set of a James Bond film. Her artistic journey continued as she started a theatre company in Hong Kong while raising a family, and then moved to America, reigniting her career in California in Irish stage productions. Ireland's Daughter follows Cullen's life as she comes full circle through decades of professional travails and triumphs, and personal tragedies and growth, to reclaim her Irish heritage as an emissary of Irish culture in America.

Ireland’s Daughter, The Life and Times of Actor Sheelagh Cullen is published by Undercover Books and distributed on Amazon.com

Lynnfield Shopping Back in The Day
 
The sketch below is Lynnfield Center’s Colonial Shopping Center as it appeared in 1957. While the basic configuration remains the same, many changes have occurred. The Rodham Gas Station closed in the 1980’s and was replaced by The Savings Bank. Essex Bank, now Santander, was added to the rear of the complex. The Village Room, now Center Court, has continued as a restaurant with a variety of owners over the years. (Image: Lynnfield Shoppers News, November 21, 1957)

The article below provides an interesting perspective on the original Colonial Shopping Center.  Safe to say, the concept of a central location with a variety of retail stores is certainly a precursor of things to come.

By Helen Breen, December 15, 2017

As Lynnfield’s population tripled in the post–World War II years, the Colonial Shopping Center was built in the early 1950’s to serve the needs of the expanding community. The project included the incorporation of Levi Russell’s “general store,” which had provisioned the town with food, grain, yard goods, and sundries in the same location since 1840.

On November 21, 1957, the first edition of the Lynnfield Shopper's News was delivered free to every home in Lynnfield, an arrangement that would continue for decades. The editorial on page 1 queried, “Why travel afar, wearing out your car and nerves, fighting traffic and congestion, when you can fill your shopping needs in the Lynnfield area?” Just in time for Christmas! 

At the Colonial Shopping Center

Lynnfield Jewelers: Popular items included sterling charms, baby silver, stone rings, and a variety of “smoking accessories,” such as ashtrays, cigarette urns, pocket lighters and table lighters by Ronson and Zippo; clocks and watches by Speidel, Bulova and Seth Thomas; electric shavers by Schick, Sunbeam and Remington. Their advertisement boasted a “liberal allowance for your old watch or electric shaver.”

“Barkey” Gulezian, a much beloved figure in town, ran the Lynnfield Jewelers for over 32 years. He died in 2017 at the age of 96.

The Village Footman: A boutique family shoe store featuring such brands as Buster Brown, Bass Weejuns and Sandler of Boston, in addition to a variety of ice skates.

Marston’s Countryside Store: basically a small department store where the Village Pharmacy now stands. Their holiday ad highlighted corduroy or velvet “skating skirts” for $6.95-$9.50 in all sizes. A new housewares section showcased Ecko, Pyrex, Flintware and Rubbermaid goods along with a complete Revere Ware line.

The News and Record Shoppe: opened in 1956 by the Rodham family in the rear addition. Later the business was expanded and moved to the front of the complex when Marston’s Store vacated. Then called the Pioneer Shoppe, the enterprise thrived for many years.

Worthen’s Food Mart: the flagship enterprise of the Colonial Shopping Center. Founded by Ken and Ireta Worthen in 1951, Worthen’s offered self-service, charge accounts and home delivery, amenities appreciated by newcomers and old-timers alike. Christmas 1957 specials included Dromedary dates, Hood’s eggnog and Crosse & Blackwell’s hard sauce, along with “frozen eviscerated turkeys.” Worthen’s closed in the early 1980’s, the end of an era in Lynnfield.

Respectfully,

The LHS 50+2 Reunion Committee