Author: Loretta Vandervort

My Life as a School Bus Driver, Part II

Loretta Vandervort

As a bus driver in my earlier years (see Part I here), I quickly learned it was not an easy job that involved just driving the bus.  It was all the responsibility of the bus driver to be certain that the bus was running smoothly and safely, and that responsibility is as important today as it was then. In my day, all our buses were stick shift. So, for me, it was not that difficult to learn because, back then, most cars were stick shift also. The shifting pattern was…

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My Life as a School Bus Driver

Loretta Vandervort

Many years ago, around 1955-59, I was a student at Riverside High School. I chose to take all commercial courses: typing, bookkeeping and business machines with hopes of someday working in an office as a secretary. In our senior year we were assigned to teachers to help with copying articles or any other secretarial needs they may have needed. Well, as luck would have it, I was assigned to Mr. D.W. Shaner, the English and drama teacher, who was a perfectionist about everything, and to Mr. John DeLong, American History…

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What Do Alumni Beavers Do Best?

Loretta Vandervort

Once a BEAVER, always a BEAVER. What happens when beavers build their homes? They band together and build the strongest, most beautiful home on the river. The year 1984 proved that once an alumni Beaver sets his mind on building something, he and all his alumni Beavers band together to get the job done. That determination is the foundation for how a group of alumni parents, business owners, and teachers formed the Riverside Community Athletic Foundation (RCAF). Their goal was to spark the creation of a private partnership with area…

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New Board Member Introduction – James Hido

Loretta Vandervort

James Hido James Hido, RHS Class of 2003, is a new alumni board member. After serving five years in the United States Marine Corps and traveling and fighting extensively overseas, he was honorably discharged and returned home to Northeast Ohio. He attended Cleveland State University, where he graduated with honors and obtained a Bachelor Degree in Business with a major in Operations. James works full-time at YP Marketing Solutions and helps local businesses and communities grow. He also established and operates VYBE Entertainment in 2009, a company that provides DJ…

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2017 Alumni Picnic Another Hit

Loretta Vandervort

The RHS Annual Alumni Picnic was an enjoyable event. Held on August 12, 2017, approximately 117 people, many from distant areas, attended the gathering at Painesville Township Community Center. Besides local alumni, others were from Massachusetts, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. A note from Carl Taylor, Class of 1968, states, “As you know, I have attended the last two years, and yes, I do enjoy it. I have been able to connect with someone I had not seen in years and was able to have a great conversation. The…

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Class of 1962 Celebrates at 55-Year Reunion

Loretta Vandervort

The RHS class of 1962 held its 55-year reunion in early September 2017.  The reunion centered on three events: a golf outing at the Painesville Country Club Friday morning , an informal get-together and cocktail party at Pickle Bill’s in Grand River Friday evening with special guest Loretta Vandervort from the RHSAA, and dinner and drinks at the Elks Club in Painesville Saturday evening. Prior to the kickoff of events on Friday, the twelve member reunion planning committee got together Thursday night for a final review of assignments and a…

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Walk Down The Halls of Ivy

Loretta Vandervort

Submitted by Mary Zmecek-Lette The Halls of Ivy Recently a friend and I had an opportunity to take a sentimental journey through the halls of Riverside High School. We wandered alone – and even though the building was relatively empty, felt and heard noises and voices from years gone by. On the wall in one of the hallways we saw this verse: “There are those whose lives affect all others around them, quietly touching one heart Who in turn touches another, reaching out to ends further than they would ever know.”…

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The First Beaver

Loretta Vandervort

The Man Behind the First Beaver Artwork When Riverside High School opened in 1949, the school district was starting with a clean slate. School colors, along with a mascot, needed to be chosen. Finally after much thought, research, and contests among the students, faculty and staff, it was announced on December 20, 1949, that the “Beaver” would be the mascot for Riverside. The first Beaver was drawn by Charles “Chick” Dickinson. The cover on the first yearbook, which was published in 1952, contained a drawing of that Beaver and continued…

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Why We Hold an All Class Reunion

Loretta Vandervort

Remember your high school days when life was not so complicated? There were fun times, football games, dances, volunteer projects, field trips, homecoming, and prom. Then there were teachers that you will never forget: Coach Riser, Coach Andersen, Coach Shafer, Fred Moore, Martha Goodwin, Roger Stanley, Dan Grill, Tom Trenney, Rita Tucker, Ruth Mills, Dave Burris, Gretchen Reed, Kathy Riley, John DeLong, Marietta Lipps, Gary Darr, and the never-forgotten David W. Shaner with the notorious fountain pen. The administrators cannot be forgotten as well – Henry LaMuth, George Inscho, John…

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