Time flies when you're having fun! ...or though they say.
This past Saturday (Sept. 29, 2012), Julie and I got up early and went to the Willow Street Diner for filling breakfast. We then headed into Lancaster, Pa. to JP McCaskey High School for a 10:00 am tour of my old haunts...Class of '72!
We first met Chaz Aurand at the front doors and soon, Donnie Todd showed. It was good seeing old classmates and for the most part, they seemed pretty much the same except for their age... LOL! "Am I that old!?"
Donnie pulled me to the side and filled me in on our old friend Bill Sheely. Bill has been struggling with cancer over the past six years and was now at the Hospice of Lancaster. Bill was the goalie on our high school soccer team and also played basketball with me on our high school bball team... a very athletic fellow.
Bill had been a phys. ed. teacher and retired when he became ill. He has been working at a campground run by Scott Roberts and his sister in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. Bill started a camp retreat for cancer patients called Camp CaN-DOO! at Mount Pocono Campground.
Please take a moment and see what Bill has accomplished with the help of the Roberts family...
As you can see, it's a tremendous idea and undertaking that brings cancer patients into the great outdoors of Pennsylvania... Good job, Bill and the Roberts family!
We also got to see the old band room where I spent every first period of the day from 1969 through 1972. I was a member of the marching band, orchestra, musical ensembles, and jazz band. I played the valve trombone. I carried on playing the trombone after college and played for the local group "The Sound of Roses" which supported big band era music. We even got to play for Governor Dick Thornburg's (1979-1987) inauguration party at the Hershey School. Pretty cool, huh!?
Band Room
We even got to see the infamous JP McCaskey swimming pool once again. Yes, fellow McCaskey-ites, it still exists after all these years. There was once a time when the students had to swim in the nude... Imagine that nightmare. But once we arrived in 1969, they had communal red swimming trunks for us to wear. Most of the trunks were so big and worn out that they didn't stay up too well... :)
Pool Area
Pool
The swimming pool actually looked pretty clean compared to when we used it by fifth period of the day... UGH!
There are many new areas, including a new gymnasium, and programs offered since we departed 40 years ago. It was nice seeing all the improvements and even some of the older building that has been restored for prosperity.
Hopefully, I'll be back out fishing for smallies this week. So keep and eye open for a new fishing report coming soon.
Take Care and Be Safe!
Dad
