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Fall Class of 1945
I regret the cracks I made about the Cornellians (or should it be Cornellites?) earlier. There are really some nice folks who attended that school, especially my old buddy, Pudge, who can be seen in the front row sticking out his chest in the grades 6 and 7 Cornell pictures.
MARINIANS
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CORNELLIANS
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Even at an early date one could discern the future attributes of the young men. If you look closely you could tell the macho ones who would become athletes while some others sucked on suckers.
ALBANY REMEMBERED
Jerry De Maria wrote this remarkable account of Albany and distributed it to people at a reunion:
Do You Remember ?
The old Red Train that ran up Solano Ave. Starting at the North end of Albany, County Line, just over the border to the north in El Cerrito, the Kona Club and the It Club. At the County Line where Carlsen Blvd comes into San Pablo Ave, the entrance to the Dog Track, the old Peralta Ranch Home and a little Mexican restaurant which is now the El Cerrito Plaza Shopping Center, Heading south on the east side, Hambone Kelly�s New Orleans Jazz. Corner of Brighton and San Pablo, Granholt's Sheet Metal Shop, Going South on the West side of San Pablo Ave., Montano�s Plumbing Shop. l. Coming toward Solano Ave, on the West side, Albany Bowl, Arrow Glass Shop owned by Charlie Tscharner, Markstein;s Beer Warehouse (Brick Bldg) corner of Castro St. and San Pablo Ave. On the East side corner of San Gabriel and San Pablo, the Hotsey Totsy Club. Corner of Portland and San Pablo Ave, Bellasano�s Gas Station. Between Portland and Washington Ave coming toward Solano on the West side, our famous Ellis-Olsen Mortuary, which no longer exits. (Now apartment complexes) Corner of Washington and San Pablo, JV Liquors�s, across the street on the West side, the Mallard Club, Will Senior�s and Joe Cieslak�s Gas Station, King Wo Lo Caf�. Back over to the East Side, Albany Fire Dept, Albany Police Station, Safeway Store, Foster Freeze, Vanderberg's Barber Shop, Albany Pharmacy, formerly known as Repp's Albany Pharmacy, Zinmann's Clothing Store, Joe Villa's Market and Max�s Liquor Store. Over on the east side, Corry�s Hardware, where Corry�s Snail and Slug Bait was originally Campbell�s Ford Dealership, now a Liquor Barn. San Pablo and Solano, North west corner, Douglas Pharmacy, now Cortese�s Pharmacy, years ago DiBiasi�s Restaurant now the Ivy Room., On the 2nd floor of this corner building, the law office of Cecil Lavers, and the Walters� Brothers Dental Offices. Around the corner and west on Solano Ave, Tom�s Shoe Repair shop and Bee�s Shoe Shine Shop, and the old Albany City Hall. South east corner of Madison and Solano, Albany Steam Baths. Back to San Pablo and Solano, southwest corner, Capeluto�s Florist, further south, East Bay Chevrolet, further south, El Torro Bar and Bocci Ct. Corner of Buchanan and San Pablo, U of Calif., Agricultural Fields (the old Gill Tract). At the foot of Buchanon on the South side, University Park which later became the site of the Western Regional Research Laboratory and more westerly, Golden Gate Fields, formerly known as Fleming's Point (where a great sandy beach on the bayside shoreline was located for our swimming purposes). San Pablo Ave and Marin Ave heading toward Gilman Ave, a Pee Wee Golf Course and Driving Range which later became the Codornices Housing Village. Corner of Marin Ave and San Pablo, Brown's Shell Station, Heading Up Marin Ave on the North side between Evelyn and Masonic Avenues, the Albany Hospital. Back to the corner of Marin and San Pablo, going toward Solano Ave a few more bars, the Pastime Club, Lombardo�s Chicken Store, Mary and Joe Carlevaro's Sporting Good Store, Southwest corner of San Pablo and Solano, Mechanics Bank which later moved across the street. Going up Solano Ave, on the South side, Kains Ave, the Albany YMCA, Ted Williams Radio Shop, Dr. Doss' Office Bldg. Corner of Stannage and Solano Ave, Dr. Bacigalupi's Dental Office, Further up Solano. South side, Bert Hill's Union 76 Gas Station, Foley and Bonny's Men's Store (now located in the El Cerrito Plaza). Starting at San Pablo Ave, Solano Ave. North side, Albany Bar, Rykens Men�s Store, Albany Theatre, formerly Shorty�s Pool Room and Dance Hall on the 2nd floor. Geo. Holfelder�s Jewelry Store, Nelson's General Hardware Store, Doctor McMann and Doctor O'Reagon's Office, Sam's Pharmacy, the US Post Office., J. Vila & Sons Contstruction Office which later moved to the County line at Carlson Blvd and San Pablo Ave, Robert J. Foley Law Offices, Chelemedos Market, On the corner of Key Route and Solano, northwest corner, Nick Reckus Sewing Shop, Over on Portland Ave and Masonic, Nausin and Sons' Market. On the south side, Cornell Ave, and Solano Ave, Cornell School, the Albany Times Newspaper Office, Gay's Delicatessen. Further up Solano Ave., Foster Freeze, Flowerland, Dagna�s Market, Palm Gardens Bar, Dr. Ream's. Office On the North side, coming up Solano, from the Santa Fe RR tracks, Key Route Blvd, the French Laundry, Stallone Family Home, Truly Your Phil Mens and Boys Apparel, O'Brien's 5 & 10 Cent Variety Store, Olsen�s Drug Store, Thelan�s Liquor Store, Poppy�s Drug Store. Corner of Carmel and Solano, the Standard Gas Station. Santa Fe Ave and Solano Ave., intersection, North side, Safeway Store. Larson�s Photography Shop, O.C. Yenne�s Market, Carl�s Fixit Shop, Shaw�s Hardware Store. On the South side, Koch's Bakery with the round building frontage, which later became a real estate office, the Albany Library. On the South side, Curtis and Solano, Doctor Steins�Office Bldg. and later Doctor Borgnino's Office. Further up the avenue, at Peralta and Solano, the Capeluto Home, Corner of Tacoma Ave and Solano Ave, Kleinhammerr's Drug Store. Further up Solano Ave, we had Accornero"s Jewelry Store, McCullom�s Ice Cream Store, the Oaks Theater, on the West side of the theater, the little Greek Candy store where we could buy the jaw breakers (licorice and cinnamon for less than a nickel), Carlson�s Bakery and Andronico's Market, Bolton�s Pharmacy and above that we had Indian Rock. I'm sure you all remember, the parks, Memorial Park, Cragmont Park, Live Oak Park, John Hinkle Park, Terrace Park and Wild Cat Canyon. Our schools, Cornell, Marin, Albany High, and St.Mary's High School on Posen Ave. and the Fourth of July Parades and Albany's McGregor Day Parades.
These are personal remembrances of Jerry DeMaria, Class of June 44. The accuracy of the facts are purely memories.�
UNDERGROUND PAPER
In our senior year, we published the school's first underground newspaper.We wisely decided to not publish any additional issues when our beloved V.P., Bill Feeney, seen below, threatened to withhold our diplomas were we to do so.
Those are supposed to be fangs but they kind of look like he had just eaten a copy of SNAFU
Here is how Gene Baker characterized us
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Strange Guys!
IT'S SHOW TIME!
Saturdays were always matinees at the local theatres. The "below the tracks" Cornees went to the Albany Theatre at the foot of Solano Avenue.
The elite Marinians attended the Oaks Theatre at the top of Solano Avenue
One of my funny memories of the Oaks was when they had an appledunking contest on the stage. Athol Nickerson (his real name!) was a contestant and they asked him to strip to the waist and Athol misunderstood and pulled his pants down. Women screamed and mothers put their hands in front of their childrens' eyes. The Oaks got complaint letters for months.
The class was famous for its pickpocketing gang which is seen here.
Then with the threat of the draft facing the boys we finally graduated in January of 1946.
Our classmates careers blossomed as they entered their chosen professional fields. A few of the boys acquired their occupation by joining the Soprano Family.If you look closely you may be able to see the bulges under their coats
In 1997, Albany High School�s main building and gymnasium, both completed in 1934, were deemed to be seismically unsound. They were demolished, and construction began on a new campus. During the four years of construction, between 1997 and 2001, classes were held in portable trailers. The new school building and gymnasium opened in 2001. The front of the school, with its huge, glass facade and adjacent functionless glass tower, were considered by many to be eyesores. Some derided the structure as being �designed by committee,� without input from the community. Many in Albany consider the new school building, which resembles an airplane hangar, to be incongruous with the single-story wood and stucco homes in the surrounding neighborhood.
During the 2004-2005 school year, several security cameras were installed in the building to prevent various acts of vandalism. 2004 was also the year the school suffered overcrowding due to an overly large freshman class. The large influx of students was caused in part by an Albany Unified School District policy, which allowed students from other cities such as El Cerrito and Richmond to enter Albany schools.
NOTABLE GRADUATES
Amani Toomer - NFL Football player (attended AHS for one year before transferring to De La Salle in Concord).
Ron Hansen, 1956 - Major League baseball player, 1960 American League Rookie of the Year and one of the few players in history to turn an unassisted triple play, July 30, 1968.
John Crewdson, 1963 - Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author.
Ron Silliman, 1964 - Poet and author.
Kellita Smith, 1986 - Actress - played Bernie Mac's wife on The Bernie Mac Show
Lloyd "Young L" Omadhebo, 2005 - The Pack rap group
Brandon "Lil B" McCartney, 2005 - The Pack rap group
Matt Freeman, 1984 - Bass guitar player for Operation Ivy and Rancid Tim Armstrong, 1984 - Punk rock, musician, singer and guitarist for Operation Ivy and Rancid
Tyson Griffin, 2002 - UFC Fighter
George Portillo, 2011 - Internet Celebrity
Edi Gathegi, 1997 - Actor. Appears on House MD, and in Twilight.
Warren Thomas, 1977 - Comedian. Winner of the 1987 San Francisco International Comedy Competition, and writer for TV show In Living Color
. Rick "Grizzly" Brown, 1978 - Former professional strongman. Competed in World's Strongest Man competitions in 1985 and 1986
Bill Jacks,1945- Man who covered up Shell Oil's spill in the Gulf
REUNIONS
Over the years we have had many reunions. The first one below was our 1982 bash at Golden Gate Fields. This reunion encompassed many different graduation classes. It should be noted that the lolypops and the football stances had at last dissapeared.If you can't identify the man and woman on the top row, far right, these are my wife and bro-in-law. They snuck in. This is as close as they ever have been to receiving a HS diploma.
The next reunion was our 50th in 1995 and it was held at the beautiful Claremont Hotel and Tennis Club.
BIG 60th
Our most recent reunion, the sixtieth, occured in Oct of 2005 at which time we joined one another for lunch in Albany, took a tour of the high school and attended the homecoming game with Oakland High. (It is rumored that because she was an Oakland High grad, Bette Snowden sat on the visitors side).
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Lafayette
There was an informal get-to-gether in Lafayette in 2007 and many people got heart palpitations when Shyvers picked up the lunch tab!
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MINDEN JULY 08
Minden July 2009
MINDEN July 2009
Pleasanton Oct 2010
Alas, no one came!!!
Bay Area Oct 2012
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
CLICK ON THIS
MINDEN July 2009
Pleasanton Oct 2010
Alas, no one came!!!
Bay Area Oct 2012
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Bill and Helen Shyvers and Bill and Virginia Jacks paid a visit to Jim and Bette Snowden's home in Groveland, CA. recently. The woman are beautiful but are you as shocked as much as I to see how old the men look?
Quill Bill (he has trouble with computers and even fountain pens) and Helen visited Bill and Pat Norin in the Fall of '06
Bill and Helen Shyvers have amassed a large fortune though crooked insurance frauds. Just take a look at their palatial estate
Albany High school had changed dramatically over the years. It now houses grades 9-12, the school population had increased to 1400 from the 900 when we were there and, instead of a lily white student body, minorities were now in the majority with 55%. To accomodate all these changes the old structure was torn down and a new one built. The Albany Historical Society has published a book on the history of Albany. It is well worth purchasing. It can be ordered from the Arcadia Publishing Company www:arcadiapublishing.com. The cost is $20 plus shipping.
Our Mascot the Cougar!
COUGAR
Felis concolor Linnaeus - A large, long-tailed, unspotted cat; body long and lithe; tail more than half the length of head and body...
Yes, it is true, Albany High School, with the permission of the C.B.C.W.A., SSPECIA, OASHA, and CTRBRA, houses 12 live Cougars at the school in our beautiful underground zoo area. Our resident expert zoologist, Dr. Morse Cunningham (cousin to our wrestling coach Kermit Bankson), is in charge of the operation. During games, homecoming, and other events held here in Albany, all 12 animals are exercised on long leashes for the admiration of all. They certainly make an impressive sight strolling up Solano Avenue. The food bill has been running quite high these days, and one wag suggested that the cougars meals could be augmented by throwing a few freshmen to them once a week. Indeed this idea is quite repugnent, and will not be considered at all. Why not teachers? After all they have been tenderized by time and the elements! Or better yet why not students from other nearby high schools (NO NAMES PLEASE!)
GO COUGARS GO!
Click here for the Albany High School Alumni Page.
