Mike Kelley

Julie and Me would like to wish everyone from the Class of 68 a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Douglas L. Gage

Mike,

It's a little late, all right, a lot late, but best wishes to you and Julie throughout the upcoming year!

Mike Kelley

Thanks Doug !!!!!!!

Larry Wilson

Just noticed in today's Advocate the loss of another classmate - Ken Molden.  Rest in peace, Ken.

Spencer Null

Talked to Cary Mitchell last night. He will not be back for his induction into the NHS athletic hall of fame but said he would like to come to the 50 year reunion  

Roger McDonald

Here is something a little different . . . .  The Wall Street Journal has been running an occasional series on U.S. regional cuisine, stuff like Cajun Crayfish Crumble and Cape Cod Chowder Cake, all the usual suspects.  But I nearly tumbled off the divan last Saturday at the sight of "Central Ohio:  Johnny Marzetti."  The recipe consisted of pasta, beef, Italian tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and wheelbarrow loads of cheddar cheese baked into a caloric bombshell.  (To me, the only safe way to eat it seemed to require immediate participation in five marathons, assuming post-consumption movement was possible.)  The article's author waxed nostalgic about how much he enjoyed the dish at his school cafeteria back in the '70s.  Do I have a vague memory of its appearance at Newark High?  Anyone with fond Johnny Marzetti memories?  Are you now serving it to the grandkids?  Innovative variations?  The Forum is open . . . .

Gale Cady (Williams)

"Johnny Marzetti" was, indeed, a thing they sometimes served in the cafeteria; I am not one for pasta that has sat on a steam table for hours, so it was not one of my favorites, but the same cannot be said for creamed turkey/chicken on a biscuit, which I loved - it was the only time I bought lunch. The rest of the time, it was PB on wheat with a minibox of raisins and a carton of milk (I still eat that lunch, too  )

Speaking of lunch and random memories, Tony Campolo, do you remember the time you opened my brown bag lunch in the big 101 study hall that we had immediately before lunch (which is why I brought my lunch to study hall)? I think it was the only time I ever got in any sort of trouble at school, ever; I yelled at you and Mrs. Slay (the Latin teacher with the pretty legs) stomped over and told me to "quiet down, young lady!" For me, this was the equivalent of being sent to the office; I never, ever got in trouble in school. hahaha! This is a funny and favorite memory. After years of teaching high school, looking back, I was such a school geek, and I guess I still am. I love school, which is why I became a teacher, I guess. 

Sharon Courson (Croyle)

I remember Johnny Marzetti on the lunch menu.  Anyone attend Newark Township School before it became Newark Elementary?  Prior to the merge with the city, our lunches were prepared on-site by local mothers.  So rather than an institutional menu, we were served freshly prepared lunches.  I can remember walking into the school and the smells of sweets or yeast rolls baking.  Makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

Gale Cady (Williams)

Sharon, 

I think you mean North Elementary, on Deo Drive, right? It used to be in the township, but years ago was made part of the city when most of the surrounding neighborhood was, and then it was torn down a few years ago. The school board made no attempt to salvage it or the gorgeous hand-made tiles along its hallways, so all that is there now is a field of grass.  The lunches you enjoyed there sound WONDERFUL! Wow! 

Sharon Courson (Croyle)

Right - North Elementary on Deo Dr.  I hate that they tore it down.  I haven't been back to Newark in decades.  I imagine there's been a lot of change.

David Roach

During the late '50's - early '60's my grandfather on my mother's side was a custodian at North Elementary. This was the same years my family and I lived in northern OH. Cuyahoga Falls, in fact. His name: Ross Van Winkle. The first name everyone called him: Rip.    

Kris Glaser (Beebe)

The meals at NHS were prepared on site -  building "B" I think, filled the carts and then rolled them down the sidewalks to the 3 lunchrooms.  Of course they also filled carts that were hauled by truck to the various other schools in the area so they did have an "institutional" flair.  I worked in the lunchrooms first wiping tables and later as a cashier.  I remember the day they ran out of food the last lunch period - they took those of us needing a lunch up to building B and fed us in there.  Don't remember what they served.

Jane Michener (Heston)

Hope everyone is putting a few dollars a week back so they are able to come to the 50th reunion next year. I know I am. Need to buy an airline ticket, greatful I have family to stay with so don't need a hotel stay. Looking  forward to seeing local and traveling classmates. Can you believe 50 years. 

Sharon Courson (Croyle)

David - I remember Mr. Van Winkle.  Small world.

David Richards

Anybody know why it's called "Johnny"  Marzetti, instead of just marzetti? Who was this guy?

Malcolm Montgomery

I don't know about the "Johnny" part, but I think the recipe was borrowed from Marzetti's Restaurant in Columbus (on Broad St., I think). I remember eating it there a couple of times and Mom made it a lot at home.

Gale Cady (Williams)

Malcolm is right, it originated at Marzetti's Restaurant in Columbus. 

According to that pantheon of credibility, Wikipedia (  ), the original owner of the restaurant was Teresa Marzetti, and, well, here you go:
"History
Johnny Marzetti originated in Columbus, Ohio at Marzetti's, an Italian restaurant established in 1896 at Woodruff Avenue and High Street by an Italian immigrant named Teresa Marzetti.^[2][3] One of the dishes Marzetti offered her customers was a baked casserole of ground beef, cheese, tomato sauce, and noodles that she named for her brother-in-law, Johnny.^[4] Teresa Marzetti was the first person to serve the casserole Johnny Marzetti in a restaurant.^[5] Proximity to the nearby Ohio State University helped the first restaurant succeed and spread Marzetti's fame.^[6]

By the 1920s, it had become popular across Ohio and the Midwestern United States. The original restaurant closed in 1942, but a second location, opened in 1919, remained in operation until Teresa Marzetti died in 1972.^[7] Marzetti's later became known for various salad dressings, which are still produced under the T. Marzetti Company label."

Sharon Courson (Croyle)

http://ohiothoughtsblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/johnny-marzetti-recipe-and-history.html

Here's a history link.

Roger McDonald

Toss a little pasta pebble into the still waters of the Class of '68, and see what interesting ripples ensue . . . .  Meanwhile, Emily is pleading with me not to proceed with my plan to cook up a vat of JM.  Perhaps she'll fall for the argument that the experiment is essential to a doctrine of Historical Dietary Locavorism, or HDL:  Yes, you can eat "back home" again, at least once.

Roger McDonald

On a far more somber note, I want to acknowledge the death of Mike Stansell.  Mike did not graduate from NHS, having moved to Heath at some point, but he enlivened the young lives of us who attended Cherry Valley Elementary and Wilson Junior High.  As a kid, he carried some extra weight that he lightened with a great sense of humor and, in my memory, a sweet and kindly disposition.  He played for a short time with the Sticks and Stones.  Had he remained in Newark, he would have made a great addition to the '68 roster.  Godspeed, Mike.

Mike Kelley

Time to start thinking about our Class of 68, "50 year Reunion". Any Ideas I know alot of us were looking at a fall time period. I am good with Summer or Fall.

Margaret Freytag (Stewart)

Being from out of state and needing to most likely fly in, I vote wholeheartedly still for fall.  Fares are cheaper, travel easier, and given I fly nowhere without padding extra time if I'm going to pay for flights, we could enjoy the crisp fall air and autumn colors as opposed to hot and sticky humid summer.  I rarely can motivate myself to leave where I'm from in the summer as that is our "season" with our only good weather of the year. Once again, that original date was a weekend when OSU does not have a game; we'd arrive earlier and see the color. 

Patti Ridenour (Adams)

I know I was raised there in Newark and moved my jurnior year, but I still consider Newark High "my school" and I agree, fall would be wonderful!  I haven't been back durning the fall at all and since I now live in Florida, I don't get to see the fall colors.   In case you can't figure out who I was, this is how I looked waaay back in 1966, which is when I moved.

Mike Kelley

Any ideas about where to have our 50th Class Reunion and looks like early fall.

Stephen Fetter

Any idea on how many will be attending?