ADDRESSES FOR BROTHERS JOHN AND ROBERT

Brother John Doran, C.S.C.
Columba Hall
Congregation of Holy Cross
P.O. Box 776
Notre Dame, IN 46556-0776


Brother Robert Hampton, C.S.C
Avila Gardens
1171 Encanto Parkway
Duarte, CA 91010

BR. JOE PALAZOLLA

Student Photograph Taken This Week At Pepperdine University Malibu
Br. Joe Palazolla sent this photo to give our gang an idea of what impending doom looked like on the Pepperdine campus during this week's wildfires.

FECHT'S KITTY LITTER PROJECT

Jerry Fecht's Kitty Litter Project

These are the lids from kitty litter containers. Each has a picture of a sheep and a little relic of knotted string. (from Breton's game, the Exquistie Corpse - the birth of surrealism) Pictures of people I admire or sheep are pasted inside the lids. When things have dried, I snap in a window of clear plastic and viola.......... little portholes.

There are about 500 now.
I put them about a foot apart across the main walkway at Moorpark College. While students and others looked down at the images, I had a herd of sheep driven by. Viewers were photographed looking at the sheep, the sheep crap, or the little kitty litter windows. I replaced the chimes with Bach's "Feed My Sheep"

Art made from discarded materials pushes people's thinking. What do you think of this?
Jerry Fecht

Save your kitty litter lids for me.

MIKE WALLS STILL KNOCKEN THEM DEAD.

Mike Walls Attends 50th Reunion of the Class of 1957
MIKE WALLS NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1957

NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL - 50TH REUNION OF THE CLASS OF 1957

A MESSAGE FROM JIM LENTINI

Guys,
First chance I had to send you note. I’m home recupping from knee surgery this am. Looks like worked good for old guy. I’m bored so call or email when chance. Had to tell you guys did terrific job with Friday night and gathering Sat. It was best one ever, cause our own class team did it.
Great ice breaker Friday.
Look forward to next one, God willing.
Again, fantastic job. Please send me Rich Marrone’s email, DeCoster, and Gierock.
Ciao

ALOHA TO THE DUDLEYS FROM MIKE'S CLASS OF '57 CLASSMATES

Doris and Mike Dudley came to the Reunion Brunch at Sportsman's Lodge. Mike is very active in the Hawaii Knights of Columbus and has a great concern for the preservation of the natural beauty and ecoology of the Islands. His campaign for that State's governorship brought our classmate's commitment to responsible growth before the entire State. Jerry Fecht, for one, would like to see him be the Green Party condidate again.
Photo of Doris and Mike was taken by Bill Elias.

BRUNCH BUNCH BUDDIES NDHS REUNION 2007

Bill Elias shares this photo taken at the Sportsman's Lodge Reunion Bruch - Sunday Sept. 14th.

Left to right:
Rich Thesing, Hugh Johnson, Rich Marrone, Rill Elias, Joe Wetter, Spencer "Pat" Johnson and Tony Fadale in the background.

Rich Thesing came from the Bay area, Rich Marrone from Sweden, Spencer Johnson from Hawaii, and Tony Fadale (well, we"ll be nice and not mention where Tony is from.) The morning was just right, warm and sunny. koi fish pretending that they were the oldtime trout at the Lodge, service was good, the coffee was great! Bill wants folks to know that Jerry Fecht was wrong about the Sportsman's Lodge closing. It's the hotel next door that has been sold.

OUR CLASSMATE FRED BLAU, FRED THEN, FRED NOW

GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT ND HIGH SCHOOL GAME

Rooting for Notre Dame High School --- Again! Some after 50 long years/

One of the nicest things at the Reunion was the presentation Golden Knight Card to the Class of 1957. The card allows its owner free access to all home sports events at Notre Dame High School. Brother William Nick awarded the Golden Knight cards at the conclusion of the Alumni Dinner on Saturday evening.

A REUNION POEM BY DAN BAEDEKER

I do not write poetry, but this seemed the only way to pay tribute to you compatriots who shared and shaped our most formative years. May it be a contribution to your blog, which is an inspired medium for sharing the incredibly diverse paths our lives have taken.
- Dan Baedeker

TO THE NOTRE DAME CLASS OF 1957

From the tenth floor of a Marriott

Looking out over the San Fernando Valley

To the Mission where my grandparents are buried

Sunday morning cars speed over the 405

A flock of pigeons dizzily circles

Plumes of grey smoke from a fire nearby

Helicopters circle

The arches of Notre Dame still visible in the endless suburban sprawl

Like her namesake cathedral in Paris

A Fiftieth Reunion

Two score and ten years ago

Most of a lifetime

A reception in the Holy Cross Brother's residence

Where no more Brothers live

But our dear mentors John and Robert still living witnesses

A football game under the lights

Our football hero classmates now approaching 70

Gracefully mellowed and still heroic

Brother Eugenio's Band a wondrous array of energetic teens

A glorious clatter of drums and bleating saxaphones

Unfettered joie de vivre

These fifty years a blink in human history

But our blink

Deo gratias

THE BIG 50TH REUNION BEGINS

Remember how excited we all were to get our "Senior Jackets"? George Grabe still has his.

Class of '57 in the Alumni Section at Notre Dame High School Stadium

October 12, 2007 at 5:30 pm. An excellent reception was hosted by the Alumni Office of the High School. A list of all the attendees will soon be published here. From Sweden, Alaska, Hawii, Simi Valley and Africa they came. At 7 pm, the alumni join the 2007 NDHS student body for the big game between Notre Dame and Saint Frances High School.

WELCOME TO THE 50th REUNION OF NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL'S CLASS OF 1957

Here's the best high school fight song ...................... ever!
Who of us will ever forget the first time we heard the boys of Notre Dame High School sing this great song in the gymnasium before the "big game"..... any BIG GAME.

Notre Dame 
"Notre Dame Victory March" 

Rally sons of Notre Dame
Sing her glory and sound her fame 
Raise her Gold and Blue
And cheer with voices true: 
Rah, rah, for Notre Dame
We will fight in every game,
Strong of heart and true to her name
We will ne'er forget her 
And will cheer her ever 
Loyal to Notre Dame. 

Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame, 
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send a volley cheer on high, 
Shake down the thunder from the sky! 
What though the odds be great or small, 
Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While her loyal sons are marching
Onward to victory! 


JERRY BUTTACCIO SALUTES NDHS CLASS OF 1957

Gerald Buttaccio - Notre Dame High School - Class of 1957

Jerry Buttaccio graduated from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks in the spring of 1957. He enrolled in Los Angeles Pierce College, where he became the president of the newly formed Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Psi Fraternity. After his graduation from Pierce in 1959, Jerry attended the University of California Los Angeles, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.
With his diploma in hand, Jerry Buttaccio entered the banking profession. It was to be a lifetime career. His first position was with Security Pacific Bank, where he worked in banking operations. He spent 15 years in operations.
As time passed, Jerry opted to work for Independent - Community type banks. And, he has been involved on this side of banking since. He is skilled in developing smaller banks.
In 2007, Jerry is the Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of Desert Community Bank in the Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jerry and his wife Donna live in Henderson, Nevada. He has five sons and a daughter. Two of his sons live in Las Vegas. Each has a family of two children each. Jerry's other three sons, Mark, Aaron and Brian, and his daughter Becky live in the Southern California area. Donna has two daughter's, each living in the Southern California area.

BILL ELIAS WILL SEE YOU AT THE BIG 50th REUNION.

After leaving Notre Dame, Bill Elias joined the United States Air Force, serving four years as a statistical specialist with Headquarters Air Weather Service in Washington, D.C. He then went on to work in data processing and computer operations until he eventually got into motion picture editing which he enjoyed for 38 years (28 years at Paramount), until his retirement in 2006.
Bill remains a member of the board of directors of The Motion Picture Editors Guild, where he has served for 36 years.
Bill and his wife, Phyllis, have been together 23 years and collectively have four children and nine grandchildren, with one on the way. Bill and Phyllis live in Valencia and have a second home in Big Bear where they enjoy pontoon boating in the summer, and snow skiing in the winter (as long as the legs hold out).
The Elias' children live in Canyon Country, Lake Elsinore, Manhattan Beach, and San Dimas, California. They stay pretty busy with the grandkids, going to soccer, t-ball, dance recitals, school open houses, and track meets. The grandkids range from 21 years to 3 months.
Bill misses his work in motion picture editing but felt he had to retire at some point "because work was taking up too much of his time". Throughout the years Bill Elias has stayed in touch with many Notre Dame High School friends, including Tony Susca, Jack Robertson, Rick Desantis, Spencer Johnson, Tony Fadale, John DeCoster, Frank Salerno, Gary Gierock, Dan Zerfas, and Pat Curtis.

SCHEDULE FOR THE GREAT 50th REUNION OF THE NDHS CLASS OF 1957

REUNION AGENDA

FRIDAY EVENING OCTOBER 12, 2007

COCKTAIL PARTY 5:30 pm *
(Cocktails and Hors d'oeuvres)
Welcoming our Classmate from across the world and
across the United States.
Dress: very casual - your best Hawaiian shirts
Location: Brothers' House on campus
* Background music of the 50s courtesy of Joe Wetter

TRADITIONAL NDHS FOOTBALL GAME*
Reserved seating 50th Reunion section
Notre Dame takes on arch rival Saint Francis High School
Dress: bring something warm - it's California folks!
* all detentions must be completed before game admittance
Time: 7:00 pm. Location NDHS Stadium

Note on food: For those going to the game, the school has great food in the stadium snack bar. The Hanna family does a fabulous job with tri/tip, burgers, etc. Our class has a reserved seating area, so those who want to go out for a late meal can easily share locations etc.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON OCTOBER 13, 2007

SPECIAL TOUR OF THE NEW (and the OLD) NOTRE DAME HIGH*
Time 4:00 pm
Directing the Tour will be Brother William Nick CSC
* all detentions must be completed before tour

MEMORIAL MASS 5:00 pm
A time to reflect on our deceased classmates and friends.
Celebrant: Rev. Monsignor Joseph Brennan

KEEPSAKE CLASS REUNION PHOTOGRAPH
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Just outside of the Activity Center in the Burns Building

VINTAGE AUTOMOBILES ON DISPLAY
Time: Between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Location: Outside of the Activity Center

COCKTAIL HOUR*
Activity Center - Fritz Burns Center for Arts and Technology on campus - 2nd floor - elevators and stairs
* Sponsorship by Thunderbird and Ripple wines in progress)

50th REUNION CATERED DINNER*
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Band Center (first floor directly below Activity Centerr)
Opening prayer: Brother William Nick CSC
Dress: Cocktail party casual
* Nota Bene (Brother Marco would be proud)
Walt Griffin will collect coins at the door for the Mission Club.

50th REUNION CELEBRATION PROGRAM
Time: 8:00 pm (circa - Brother Marco would be even more proud)
Master of Ceremonies: Jerry Fecht
Memories of Yesteryears ("what ... stays in Vegas!")
(an open microphone opportunity to share stories about classmates - living or dead)
Info about the NDHS Class of 1957 "blog" and continuing NDHS
1957 class in the Museum of San Fernando Valley archive.
Presentation of Notre Dame HS "Gold Cards" to Class of 1957
by Brother William Nick CSC

GOLF EVENT CANCELED or maybe it isn't?
Due to a lack of expressed interest there will be no golf event. This
relieves John DeCoster a lot, since he was worried about his game.
Note: "Although we didn't get enough interest in this to set up a special outing Joe Wetter says give him a call at 805-987-8236 or email him at thewetters@msn.com if you are still getting a couple of guys together to play. He and Jim Lentini may still be able to set something up for a small foursome or two Friday morning".

SUNDAY MORNING October 14, 2007

INFORMAL BRUNCH AT SPORTSMAN'S LODGE
Time: 10:00-ish No host brunch


BRING YOUR CAMERAS!
Plan on taking lots and lots of photographs (and, videos if you wish). The NDHS blog needs individual pictures of all of our classmates for our archives. Take pictures of the school, the vintage cars, places you lived in the Valley.
Send copies of your photographs by email or traditional snapshots. If you save your photos on a computer, please send them to Jerry Fecht at:
gfecht@sbcglobal.net
Use jpg or gif format

YOUR BLOG WILL CONTINUE!
We have taken on the heroic goal of documenting the lives and adventures all of our classmates, living or deceased. Pictures from our historic 50th Reunion will be posted to the blog.

SHARE YOUR NDHS AND SAN FERNANDO VALLEY MEMORABILIA
Our 50th Reunion is a great time for you to bring memorabilia that you would like to share with our High School and/or The Museum of the San Fernando Valley. Artifacts from other Valley schools are also desirable.

JOHN DeCOSTER SHARES HIS BIO FOR THE BIG 50th REUNION

After graduating from Notre Dame High School, John DeCoster attended classes at Los Angeles Pierce College. He later studied at California State University Northridge where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.
In 2007 John and his wife Nancy have been married for 43 years. They share three sons. Their oldest Matt (42) lives in San Francisco with his partner, also named Matt. They have been together for 13 years. The DeCoster's son Adam and his wife Elaine live in Van Nuys, with John and Nancy's grandchildren Isabella and Luc. John says, "Adam is a hockey fan, and named his son after a hockey player. Where did I go wrong!"! The DeCoster's youngest David is 38 and lives in Redondo Beach, California.
John taught high school English for 42 years. In 2007, he is teaching one or two classes a semester at the College of the Canyons. Nancy and John lived in a mobile home in Santa Clarita. John calls the town, "God's waiting room."
In his leisure, John likes to golf, ride his bicycle, read, watch movies and television. He and Nancy enjoy going to plays and symphonies and going out to dinner. John likes to play low stakes "Texas hold 'em" in Gardena and often shares activities with other Notre Dame graduates. Between these activities he sneaks in his naps.
John relates that he has several "claims to fame". Among these are winning a $2 bet from O.J. Simpson while playing golf with Dan Zerfas at the Riviera Golf Club (Dan is a member). He plays golf with Hugh Johnson (NDHS 1958), "brother of our most famous alum". John appeared, for about a minute, on the television show Criminal Minds, "because I facially resembled a serial pervert."

ADRIAN ESNARD CHECKS IN BY TELEPHONE

Ernie Pursley as a youth at Notre Dame High School

Just got a call from Adrian Esnard. He promises to get Ernie Pursley in line for us.
Maybe we can get a bio and photo from each of them???
who knows


Jerry Fecht