Tag: Sp 2021

Beaver Bulletin Board Spring 2021

Karen Holp

Achievements: recognizing important milestones and achievements of our alumni. 1980s Cheryl Reed, ’83, graduated from Cleveland State University in ‘90 with a degree in Physical Therapy. In ’97 she joined Globe Volunteers and traveled to Ecuador, where she became enthralled with the country. In ‘02 she purchased a 24-acre farm (5,000’ elevation) and is raising coffee plants and operating a bed and breakfast. Cheryl spends six months in the U.S. working as a traveling therapist and the other six months on her farm. Cheryl’s parents, Tom and Gerry (Fox) Reed…

Read More

Spring 2021 President’s Message

Tom Trombley

Hi Folks, It’s getting tougher to write these quarterly notices with so very little to report on and so many things in limbo. The board has not had a face-to-mask meeting in a year and I don’t even remember what Loretta Vandervort looks like. (Just kidding Loretta…you’re unforgettable). We are going to have our restart meeting at 7 p.m. on April 12 at Riverside High School in the Lecture room to make sure we have safe distancing. We will be discussing this year’s scholarship and commencement support. We will also…

Read More

The Unanticipated Career of a Firefighter and K9 Handler Part I: Gordon Thompson ’89

Karen Holp

Guest Author: Gordon Thompson ’89 I received a phone call at work from one of my favorite RHS teachers, Mrs. Gretchen Reed. Hearing her voice brought back many memories because of the times I spent with her and her family outside of school. How many teachers take you up in several of their airplanes…and let you jump out of them? I used to skydive with her brother-in-law and a few of her nephews. We were lucky enough to complete several jumps, out of some amazing airplanes, at her property in…

Read More

Clyde C. Hadden Elementary School Memories: Amy Evans Liikala ’73

Karen Holp

Guest Author: Amy Evans Liikala ’73 As far back as I can remember, I loved going to school.  Stepping on the bus with my plaid lunch box, my neighbors and I travelled down Route 20 to Clyde C. Hadden Elementary School, which was actually close to home but felt far away from our small neighborhood.  Pulling into the arched driveway (in on the right, out on the left), Mr. Rippin would send us in the front doors, imploring us to have a smart day.  Even though the building opened in…

Read More

Never Underestimate What a Teenager Might Say or Do, Part II

Gretchen Reed

Any parent or teacher of teenagers tends to learn early on that the emotional responses teens exhibit are usually outsized and often extreme, especially if events involve startling/scary happenings. In addition, when confronted with unexpected situations, teens are prone to needing much time to expound with their peers about them afterward. Most teenagers are similar in size to the adults around them. Meanwhile, older people can be taken aback by the extent of junior and senior high schoolers’ reactions to unusual things; it is easy to forget that teens haven’t…

Read More

A Glimpse into David Burris: Skip Cohen ’67

Karen Holp

Guest Author: Skip Cohen There’s one good thing the pandemic has given each of us…TIME! Even now, as things start to improve, I still have time to take those fun walks down Memory Lane. Writing for the Riverside Alumni Online Log has given me a chance to put into words what so many of us have felt over the years, as we look back on those teachers who helped us most. While many teachers made a difference in my life, only one stayed in touch, Dave Burris. A few months…

Read More

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…

Read More

Tribute to Mr. Ralph Bunnell: Debra Filppi Colgrove ’72

Karen Holp

Guest Author: Debra Filppi Colgrove ‘72 Growing up in Leroy was wonderful. We were a tight- knit community of caring, loving and warm people. Those days are engraved in my memory; and I find as I age, I daydream often about those lazy, hazy, crazy days of my youth. Being from Leroy, I always rode the bus to and from school. We lived on Leroy Center Road and from the dinette window of our kitchen, I could see the lights of the bus coming down Indian Point Road. I would…

Read More