Last week I received information in the mail about my Southport High School class reunion.

I have written about my 1960 graduating class a few times before, but I have so many interesting and inspiring former classmates that I just feel the need to write about a few more of them. Along with the information there was the annual four-page newsletter, which touched on the activities of some of my classmates.

Mike Warwick, husband of classmate Glenna Shotts-Warwick, was welcomed as an honorary classmate. He enjoys attending class functions and monthly luncheons. There was an article about Kay Saxton returning to Indianapolis and having lunch with friends and classmates. Carol Grimm and Tom Bridenbaugh were congratulated on their marriage, and there were profiles from Will Hartman and Dave Heldman and a memory about a favorite teacher written by Bruce Meikle.

There are several other reminders and remembrances in each edition. This edition also featured some senior humor jokes, but I didn’t get a couple of them. Randi (Bertram) West, a good friend of mine, does a wonderful job of compiling the newsletter. Randi and Judy (Tout) Snyder are members of our class reunion committee. They do so much to ensure that we stay close and enjoy our long friendships. 

As I was thinking about my former classmates and reading Randi’s newsletter, I remembered another classmate who has not been able to attend a reunion for a long time. Robert “Bob” Rosebrock is an Army veteran and for many years has been working to improve matters for veterans in Los Angeles. We exchange emails and communicate in other ways. He has written many articles about what is going on out there.

Occasionally I Google his name to see his published stories. Once he was arrested for placing a small American flag on the fence of the L.A. Veterans Administration. The charges were later dismissed.

Because this article is about friends of mine who write articles and newsletters, I need to tell you about Casey Smith, another friend. She is a graduate of Southport and Ball State and has a book coming out next month titled “Perry Township.”

Several members of the Perry Township/Southport Historical Society were honored to work with Casey as she gathered information, stories and pictures. The cover photo is of the Longacre Lagoon. The book is being published by Arcadia Publishing.

I looked up the publisher online and placed an order. Casey has started a job in Washington, D.C., and is working on investigative news stories in conjunction with The Washington Post and other national news outlets. I am hoping she can get home for a few days when her book comes out. I am blessed to have some special friends.

Saturday afternoon was special because Stuart (our therapy dog) and I picked up my wife, Lynn, at the airport after returning home from her third missions trip to Ecuador. Stuart and I positioned ourselves at the bottom of the escalator that transports people to the baggage claim area. Stuart heard Lyn whistling at him, but it was difficult to tell from which direction the sound was coming. Once he saw Lyn he was overjoyed.

Once the missions group starting arriving in the baggage area, Stuart was  busy welcoming all of them home. His status as a registered therapy dog allows him to enter the airport. He positioned himself on Lyn’s lap for the drive home. We were excited to have her home. Things will be soon back to normal around our house – no more “camp conditions,” the term I use to describe how we live when Lyn is gone.
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A few weeks ago I wrote about some events that happened around Father’s Day at our house. I pointed out the fact that over the years I have given nicknames to several young ladies. Our daughter, Michelle, was first to assume the nickname, “Trouble,” but she is slowly redeeming herself. She came down from Noblesville to have lunch with me during my two weeks of camp conditions.

“Little Trouble” – Diana, who is our grandson’s girlfriend – helped around the house during camp conditions. She had made plans to visit her mother in Atlanta. A couple of days before Lyn’s return I took Little Trouble to the Greyhound station. She commented to me that was the first time she had ever been allowed to ride in the front seat of my car. Stuart always claims shotgun, but he was catching up on some naps and didn’t make the trip to the bus depot.

The third “Trouble” is a young gal named Daphne, who is the granddaughter of one of fellow Southport High School classmate Sharon David. Sharon, Daphne and her older sister, Sophie, went to lunch with me a few weeks ago and then stopped at my house so they could meet Lyn and our chickens. They even got to meet a few of the horses that are in a pasture across the fence from us at the Southport Equestrian Center.

A few days after they visited I got an envelope in the mail, and inside it were three smaller envelopes. The first one that I read was a thank-you card from Sharon. The other two were also cards of thanks from the girls. I got a little emotional when reading the cards.

Over the last few weeks all three of my Troubles have come together to make me smile and be proud to have them in my life. As I was writing this I caught myself thinking out loud and saying to myself, “You can never have too much “trouble” in your life.
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The origin of local streets names will be discussed when the Perry Township/Southport Historical Society meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, at the Perry Township Education Center, 6548 Orinoco Ave. Guest are welcome to attend and share any knowledge they may have on the subject.

Shonk is a 1960 graduate of Southport High School, a ’63 grad of Indiana Central College (now the University of Indianapolis) and a retired bus driver from Beech Grove Schools

As I was having breakfast, reading the morning newspaper and watching “The Today Show” two weeks ago, my interest was aroused when a segment about the Gateway Arch in St. Louis came on. The arch was about to reopen after having undergone a major renovation. Reaching 630 feet into the sky, the arch is the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere and the world’s tallest arch.

During the time of its construction I was training outside sales agents for the industrial maintenance products company that employed me. I was training new agents a couple of times each month; my territory covered 17 states. I was sent to spend a week with a new agent who was working in the St. Louis area.

I knew that it was going to be an interesting week because the agent was inheriting some established customers from the rep who previously serviced the area. One day he drove us down into a large construction area to call on a new account. As I looked around I noticed that we seemed to be at an area that I had seen from a distance earlier. We were near the base of one side of the new Gateway Arch that was being constructed. He had visited this client before and soon we were talking with the maintenance supervisors.

They showed us the large semitrailer that held our bolt bins and cabinets. It took us a couple of hours to check all the cabinets and bins and put together an order to replenish their stock. After our work and the paperwork was completed, a couple of the construction supervisors told us about their part in building the arch. It was cool when they invited us closer to the base of the arch to show us something. I was talking with a couple of the construction fellows when I heard my name called.

I was informed that we were going to be showed to the inside of the base. Before I knew what was happening, we were going up into the base for a better view. This wasn’t something that I had anticipated. I was very comfortable standing right where we were and looking up into the construction area because I get uncomfortable going higher than the third step on a five-step ladder.

I sort of remember riding some lifts, climbing some stairs and scooting over things until we could feel fresh air. I was shown a couple of ways that I could see outside. The view was spectacular. Every time I get to St. Louis or see pictures of the Gateway Arch, I smile and remember that special day.
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I’m well into my second week of “camp conditions” at our house. My wife, Lyn, left about 10 days ago for a two-week church missions trip in Ecuador. Stuart, our dog, began getting upset a couple of days earlier when Lyn got out her suitcase, and he was a mess when it was time to say goodbye at the airport. He stayed in the same room with me for the remainder of the weekend. We have made several trips to Ritter’s Frozen Custard because Stuart loves it. 

Shonk is a 1960 graduate of Southport High School, a ’63 grad of Indiana Central College (now the University of Indianapolis) and a retired bus driver from Beech Grove Schools

Several of my friends have been inquiring about our small flock of chickens. It is a bit more complicated now that there are three different age groups of these girls. Yes, girls are the only chickens in our feathered family. We have no roosters.

A few years ago my wife, Lyn, started our chicken family when she purchased three young hens and a mobile chicken house and fenced in area for them to reside. As the girls matured it seemed that they were running out of space so some adjustments were made and they took over one of our outside sheds. Some months later a new storage building was constructed.

Shortly after that one of our hens got sick and died In February we bought four more young chickens, which lived in our garage during the winter. As they matured we discovered that one of them was a rooster.

We thought it was a good idea to see if we could find him a new home. Charlie now resides out on the Westside and is part of a much larger and growing population of chickens owned and taken care of by a church. Lyn has checked on Charlie a couple of times. We were given a new baby chicken to replace Charlie.

We felt that our one young bird would be lonesome living by herself until she was full grown, so we purchased one more to grow up with her. Now the older five chickens reside in the building. The two younger ones are still living in the mobile unit. They all seem to be getting along pretty well when they are allowed out in the yard.

We have started getting eggs from one or two of the girls that moved in with us in February. One day last week Lyn carried in five eggs at one time. I found four eggs during my Saturday morning visit to the chicken house. It’s fun when we have time to sit outside and let the girls roam around the yard. They are good friends with Stuart (our dog) and Guessie (the neighborhood cat).

This weekend, Lyn leaves on her third missions trip to Ecuador. She will be traveling again with a group and they will visit the same area of Ecuador and reconnect with the same families. Unfortunately, the two-week trip is again being held during the first two weeks of July.

Stuart has become really afraid of thunder and fireworks. He normally goes to Lyn for comfort when he hears loud noises. I’ve learned that if Stuart and I drive to Columbus and back on the Fourth of July, he misses out on most of the fireworks. I play the radio loudly and Stuart curls up in the seat.

​I’ll be living in what I call “camp conditions” while Lyn is gone. I’ll be the sole human in charge of the house, the yard, a dog, a cat and seven chickens. Stuart and I will be at the airport to meet Lyn and her group when they return July 14. Because of Stuart’s therapy dog status, he is allowed to enter the airport.