I am working on a project that is going to be sponsored by the Perry Township/Southport Historical Society, of which I have been a member for several years. I have had the opportunity to help with a few of the group’s programs, including “A Night to Remember Long Acre Pool & Park” and “Perry Township’s Contributions to the Indianapolis 500.” 

I have been trying to come up with an idea that will allow me to pass on memories, including those of former and present businesses, about the small area known as Edgewood. My family lived on Madison Avenue during my first 10 years of school. Our house is now the Long Acre Bar & Grill. My sister, Kathy, and I attended Edgewood Grade School. 

My first newspaper route covered part of the area. I have so many memories of the drug store that was at Epler and Madison avenues. Mrs. Hurrle operated that soda fountain, and her grandson, David, was often there with her. Several of us paperboys would slide onto a stool and enjoy a treat before starting our afternoon routes.

During my junior high years my dad opened his Sunoco service station on Madison. I began working there the day it opened.

The idea is beginning to take shape, especially since I have been doing some research. I have cast my idea out to people who might have an interest in it.

Last week I met with a couple of guys who are well-known in the Edgewood area. Steve Harnedy worked hard several years ago trying to stop the demolition of Edgewood School. We are all sorry that the main building on the property was destroyed, but it is wonderful that the James Whitcomb Riley building is once again a school.

Ted Lobdell joined Steve and me at Kim’s Kakery, Bakery & Cafe, which is at the corner of Epler and Madison. Ted has coordinated some amazing Edgewood School reunions. While we were there a friend of Steve’s, Mark Alvis, stopped in to see him. Mark told me that years ago I drove his school bus to Edgewood School. He lived in Rosedale Hills at the time.

This is the second time in recent years that I have reconnected with a rider on my Rosedale Hills/Edgewood route. Kathleen Hash and I connected on Facebook, and I have visited with her at a couple of the reunions.
I have also talked with Donise Kautsky-White, whose family owned Kautsky’s Grocery Store at Epler and Madison. 

One of my favorite Edgewood School memories is of Principal Paul L. “Pete” Bailey. Years ago my sister and I stopped to visit him at his home. After a nice visit he went out to his garage and returned with a gift for Kathy and myself. He had carved ducks from old bleacher seats that used to be at Southport High School’s football field.
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I’m having a blast helping to put this project together. Stay tuned.

I am a member of an amazing high school class – Southport’s Class of 1960.

Our reunions got off to a slow start ... I believe our first one was 12 years after we graduated. I’m thinking we got a late start on our 10-year reunion. Our gathering became more organized after the first one, and now we have one every year. 

This year’s get-together will be Sept. 9 and 10, and we will attend the Southport-Terre Haute football game. Athletic director Pete Hubert and athletic secretary Peg Warner allow us to sit as a group at football and basketball games, and we have been recognized by the public address announcer. 

For many years we have been lucky to have a former classmate, Judy Tout-Snyder, who does an amazing job tracking down members of our class. 

We are missing only two of our living class members: Donald J. Hubbell and Albert P. Priller. If anyone has information on these guys, call me here at the newspaper.

Judy has assisted a few other classes in finding missing members. I have questioned her on a few occasions about her past employment. I’m thinking CIA, but she has never owned up to that.

Besides our reunions we have a monthly breakfast and lunch. The breakfast is mostly guys, and we meet at the same time and location each month. We feel the need to keep things simple.

The lunch group, which mostly ladies, jumps around to a different location each month. I attend several of these during the year. One of the gals who attends on a regular basis told me she enjoys seeing the puzzled look on the face of the waiter or waitress when they notice one guy with about 14 gals.

A few weeks ago I received a telephone call from former classmate Robert Bonar, who resides in Florida. He explained to me that he was in possession of the school newspapers from our junior and senior years at Southport. 

He mailed them to me, and they are in great condition for being about 25 years old ... whoops, make that nearly 60 years old. It is interesting to read about my former classmates and those ahead and behind me.

I have posted several pictures on our class’s Facebook page. One gal, who I won’t name, claimed that she didn’t recognize herself in one of the photos. I’ll be posting several more and will have some copies on display at the reunion.

The past several weeks I have been recalling my experiences as a bus driver for the 1996 men’s and women’s Olympic basketball teams, both of which spent a few days in Indianapolis before heading to Atlanta, Ga., for the Summer Games.

The 1992 men’s squad was better known as The Dream Team, with Michael Jordan heading the star-studded roster, but the 1996 team was also well represented by Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen and Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal.

During a practice I was cutting up with an Indiana Pacers ballboy who was helping with the scrimmage. We were standing under one of the baskets when I suddenly realized that Shaq was standing at the free-throw line, holding a basketball and staring at us. He had been attempting free throws and thought we were maybe laughing at his less-than-impressive abilities, but we had not been paying any attention to him.

I was sure that was the case when he fired the ball to me and said, “You think you can do better?”
I had been a basketball referee for several years and did have the ability to catch a fast-moving ball. Smiling, I said that maybe I could. Hence, a shooting contest was underway. 

At the point when I had made 2-of-4 and Shaq was 2-of-3, a coach ushered me off the court – game over.
I claimed a tie because we had  both made two baskets, but Shaq claimed a win by percentage.

While driving the team around I noticed that Barkley sat a couple of rows behind my seat. We often made eye contact when glancing in the inside rearview mirror at the same time, and that prompted him to initiate a funny monologue: “Look back there in the bus. Look at all those millionaires. Look, they all have on headsets, listening to that music. Boop-dee-boop … boop-dee-boop!”

After we had dropped off the teams to the airport for their flight to Atlanta and returned to the lot where the buses were parked, I found a large pair of high-top basketball shoes stuffed under a passenger seat in my bus.

I had telephone numbers for the coaches, and when I was sure that they were at their team compound in Atlanta I called. They assured me that the shoes were not going to be needed for the Olympic Games. They asked if I had any idea who might own the shoes, and I explained that Shaq had been sitting in that area. I was told to hang onto them and if I didn’t hear anything in a few days they were mine.

After a few months I took the shoes to a store that sold them and explained to the salesmen that they were a gift but the wrong size. He looked at them and was speechless after glancing at my feet. 

I exchanged them for a pair in my size, and there was enough credit left over for four shirts. After the transaction was completed I told the clerk how I happened across the shoes. He yelled ecstatically that he had Shaq’s shoes and that he was going to keep them. 
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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.

Two weeks ago I wrote about spending a couple of days with the 1996 women’s Olympic basketball team before the Summer Games in Atlanta. Well ... after chauffeuring the ladies I was reassigned to the men’s squad.
We took three buses to Indianapolis International Airport to meet a flight arriving with the team and press corps. I was to drive the players, and the other two buses were for the rest of the entourage. We also had a semi and a trailer for all the luggage.

When everyone and everything was loaded and we were ready to head Downtown, I was informed that we would have a police escort to the Westin.

I spotted about 10 officers on motorcycles and they motioned for me to get moving. Since the police had blocked the on ramps to Interstate 70, we had the eastbound lanes to ourselves and resembled a presidential motorcade.

Then the lead officer did something unexpected when he was going about 50 mph: He stood up on his seat.
Beginning to feel uncomfortable and claustrophobic, I noticed several players and coaches hovering over me while trying to get a glimpse.

Upon arriving to the hotel we were led to the rear of the building for security reasons. The officer who pulled the stunt greeted the players as they exited the bus. 

At some point he asked me what I thought of his antics. I told him I hoped that he knew a quick and powerful prayer in case something had gone wrong.

I further explained that if he had crashed, I had already decided there would not be a TV news bulletin stating that some idiot driver flipped the bus with Dream Team II aboard. He didn’t seem happy with my response.
Later that afternoon I took the team to Market Square Arena – again we were escorted – to watch the women play. 

On our return trip to the hotel we circled MSA. Thousands of fans were leaving the arena, and they saw our bus, which had a sign that indicated the men’s Olympic team was aboard. The crowd had small American flags and were waving and screaming at the players.

It was an unbelievable experience so I drove as slowly as possible. 
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Next week I will tell you about some of the players – particularly Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal.
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.