Random Thoughts from a Random Memory

A-C Valley Class of 1967 Reunion: Row 1: Wanda (Whitmer) Sebring, Marilyn (Jordan) Louise, June (Jack) DeMartc; Cheryl (Kost) Pearson; Shirley (Slater) McGinnis. Row 2: Ed Master, Roberta (Sullivan) Gates, Judy (Healy) DeHart, Linda (Niccum) Edinger, Linda (Shoup) McGinnis. Row 3: Bill Kunselman, Sharon (Whitling) London, Ruthie (Grimm) Kluge, Kay(Hilliard) Nowicki, Jim Snyder, Linda (Wolfe) Isbell. Row 4: Brent Long, Jim Oliphant, Mike Rapp, Terry Taylor, Dave Clark, Bob McClintock, Gary Perry.

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By Edward Master

For several years now, the ACV class of 1967 has been holding a summer get together, in lieu of the standard 5-year reunions. We originally began with a picnic at Linda Gerstner’s (Shoup) near Pine Grove, just west of Emlenton. I think the idea came from a class of 1966 event and a ’67 group decided to “Let us do something as a class.” So we did. Voila and away we went.

We’ve moved locations a few times—from Pine Grove to the grove in St. Petersburg to behind the Clintonville fire hall to finally the Plaza at the Emlenton truck stop. We’ll probably stay put for awhile at the Plaza due to easy access and convenience/central location.

We’ve never done anything special. One time though classmate Mike Claypoole donated a complete turkey for our enjoyment. Typical Mike! Unfortunately, Mike has passed on.

I guess the real highlight each summer is just seeing old friends, talking about old times, and eventually moving to our mutual illnesses, 0ur families, our bowels and forced physical conditions and maladies. “Hey, do you remember when?” Time really does fly and it seems it continually flies faster each year.

Lately, I’ve written about our swimming holes in the area—the Grassy Flats, Mickey near Alum Rock, Panther Springs outside Emlenton, and a couple others that were not as well-known.

The Elk City quarry was completely unknown to me until I just happened to be at the right place at the right time at Buck (Carl) Salser’s home in Knox. I still wouldn’t know of it. Sandy Creek near Rockland came to light due to my CSC fraternity days in the springtime.

The swimming holes fit with our hangouts at the Hot Dog Shop, the Honky Tonk, and the Rosebud. As often as we cried “Oh, there’s nothing to do,” we always found something somewhere.

At this time of year, how often did you take in a Saturday night at a Firemen’s Carnival? When I was a youngster, Knox became a regular summer getaway for rides and popcorn. It was a fundraiser for the fire company. I spent my Lester Chadman money earned from hauling in hay, at the festivities. Now I think the carnival has been replaced with Horsethief Days.

One instance stands out from the Knox era though. One summer, with me around 11 or 12 years of age, the carnival brought in a sideshow with a man who self-inflicted himself with items such as long pins. I think he called himself “Zookie.” I believe he was eventually committed to a state hospital/institution in Warren, PA. That was the rumor anyhow. He deserved it.

But Knox didn’t own the only summertime carnival ritual. I went once to Sligo, which I think was in a west-side playground. But I’m old enough to recall my dad taking me to the old racetrack at the top of the Clarion hill, where Memorial Stadium now sits for college football. l’ve been to Franklin (Rocky Grove) for that fundraiser once, but never returned. I think I was shortchanged once at one of these local gatherings, but I don’t recall where. Where ever and when ever the incident occurred, I would have been quite young. I guess that’s why the “carnies” carried the reputation they did. Remember, Austin Powers was terrified of the carnies.

I also, due to age limitations, missed out on the “hoochie coochie” shows. I’m guessing they were forerunners of the go-go/topless go-go dancers of a later era. I’m guessing I really didn’t miss all that much. Face it, consider the times and localitiess.

I also never did much with the county fairs that fell around this year. When I Lived in Indiana, PA, I walked the Indiana County Fair a couple times and once my wife entered and took home a prize with her bread-and-butter pickles. They truly were the best home-made pickles I’ve ever had. She used my mother’s recipe. A few years after Indiana, while employed at the Boyers storage facility, I took a jar to a co-worker one day. The co-worker, a fellow case reviewer, was Josh Defibaugh, the son of an ex-AC grad. Josh proceeded to down the whole jar of my wife’s home-made pickles to his raves in one sitting in one day. Josh was in ecstasy over his new-found treat as he didn’t share one pickle slice with any other co-workers nor his family.

I never had the inclination for any food stuffs competition at any fair or carnival. I left that to the canners and the cooks.

One event that I miss is the Armstrong Folk Festival in Kittanning. I really enjoyed the couple times that I attended. I even took a turn at the watering hole from the Richard Gere novie the “Mothman Prophecies.” At the time, the owners had kept the “decor” from the film. That festival is one that’s fairly new to the area and highly recommended.