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02/05/12    Class of 72' 40th Reunion Committee Meeting:    The AHS Class of 1972 will be celebrating its 40th Reunion during Homecoming weekend (TBD).  If you'd like to serve on the planning committee, our first meeting will be in the evening on Thursday, February 23, 2012 in Bakersfield at Cataldo's Pizza at the corner of Stine Road and White Lane  in Bakersfield,  next to In-Shape City.  We'll get underway at 6:30 p.m. so come hungry because there will be food (pizza) and drinks.

02/05/12    SilverTips Alumni Network To Award $1,000 Memorial Scholarship in 2012: for details or to donate, just follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this sentence.

02/04/12    Class of 1957 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update this morning to the memorial page for the class of 1957.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

02/01/12    Class of 1952 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update this morning to the memorial page for the class of 1952.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

02/01/12    Class of 72' 40th Reunion Committee Meeting:    The AHS Class of 1972 will be celebrating its 40th Reunion during Homecoming weekend (TBD).  If you'd like to serve on the planning committee, our first meeting will be in the evening on Thursday, February 23, 2012 in Bakersfield.  The exact location and time will be posted here within the next week, so check back to get that information.  In the meantime, save the date and make plans to be there.

02/01/12    Tehachapi Area Alumni Luncheon:    There will be a no host alumni luncheon on Friday, February 17, 2012 in Tehachapi.  It will be at the Apple Shed and will kick off at noon.  So far, most of the people planning to attend are from class years between 68' and 74', but every AHS alum who lives in the area (or wants to drive up) is welcome to come by and have lunch and visit.  For more details, you can email webmaster@silvertips.org

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01/25/12    Class of 1968 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update this morning to the memorial page for the class of 1968.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

01/18/12    Class of 1959 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update this morning to the memorial page for the class of 1959.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

01/16/12    AHS Spring Sports Off & Running:    If you are one of those among us who still support Arvin High School sports, you'll be happy to know that Spring sports are getting under way with team meetings and other similar efforts prior to actually 'practicing'. It also means that due to budget constraints every sports program at the high school could use some financial help.  Each year the SilverTips donate money and equipment to the athletic department and each year we encourage every other AHS alumnus and alumni group to do the same.  We like to remind people that not every kid who passes through Arvin High School is going to go on to become a Gold Seal Bearer or a Gates scholar, so frequently athletics is the ticket to a college education or at least a motivator to get students to keep their grades up so they can participate in sports and go on to graduate from high school.  If you want to donate, you can send your donation to us at SilverTips Alumni Network, P.O. Box 21171, Bakersfield, CA 93389 and we'll pass it along 'as directed' or 'where needed', you decide.  Thanks for any help you can provide and if you still live in the area, get out this season and watch some Bear's baseball, golf, track and field, or tennis!

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12/13/11    'Tis The Season:    Each year during December we see a big uptick in the number of people visiting the website or our Facebook page; this year is no exception.  We always assume that it's because this is the time of year that reminds each of us of others times and other places that have passed out of our lives.  It's at those times that people seem to most want to reconnect with old friends and old places.  If you haven't been by either place in a while, or this is your first visit to the website, we need your help.  You see, any cohort that ever passed through Arvin High School has limits on how many years before them and how many years after them they continue to have contact with other alums or the school.  Consequently, without alumni from all generations participating in helping us to gather and preserve information, we gain a view that typically spans a decade or less in the school's 60+ year history.  If you're the kind of person who makes New Year's Resolutions, why not resolve to get involved this coming year in either the actual physical activities and events sponsored by the SilverTips or at the least, get involved in our cyber activities here or on Facebook.  I believe if you look through these pages, you'll see huge gaps in information that you may very well possess.  If you do, would you take a few minutes to pass it along to webmaster@silvertips.org so we can enter it into these archives for everybody to enjoy?  Thanks for dropping by and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year...

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11/29/11    Class of 1963 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update this morning to the memorial page for the class of 1963.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

11/26/11    Year End Giving For 2011:    If you're looking for a place to make a meaningful donation as the year draws to an end, why not donate to our annual scholarship fund?  We have several regular supporters, but can always use more to expand our outreach.  So far, our goal has been to give out one scholarship per year in an amount that can make a real difference in helping an AHS graduate get into and stay in a college or university.  Last year the amount was $750, but in 2012 we'll be shooting for $1,000.  If you haven't been in school in years, you may not know that the costs have climbed astronomically and books alone can easily pass $500 a semester.  If you'd like to help, send your donation to SilverTips Alumni Network, Post Office Box 21171, Bakersfield, CA 93389.  Even $5 will make a difference and it's tax deductible.

11/18/11    Scholarship Winner Claims His Prize:    I'm very happy to report that we were finally contacted by Christian Contreras and received a letter in the mail today with his enrollment and mid-term grades so he can claim his scholarship. He'd lost our contact info and his Mom contacted the high school, who then put her in touch with us, so we could get the required proof he'd enrolled. So far, he's at City College of San Francisco, majoring in astronomy, and has a solid 'B' average while carrying a full load at the mid-term. A check for his scholarship will be going out in the mail.  If anyone wants to send him best wishes, a few bucks, or a Starbuck's gift card, his mailing address is: Christian Contreras; 272 Thrift Street; San Francisco, CA 94112.  His email is contreraschristian14@yahoo.com

11/15/11    Get Ready To Roll:   This Saturday the Class of 72' plans to gather in the parking lot in front of Cataldo's Pizza at Stine Road and White Lane at 9:30a and car pool to the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley.  We plan to tour the library, enjoy lunch, and return to Bakersfield about 6:30p.  If you can drive a car, we need cars and drivers so we can make this as inexpensive as possible.  Admission to the library is $12 and lunch is Dutch treat, so the cost for this outing would be pretty hard to beat.  You can check out the library at its website at www.reaganfoundation.org  

11/05/11    Class of 1972 Field Trip:    The Class of 72' will be taking another field trip this month.  On Saturday, November 19th, we'll gather in the parking lot in front of Cataldo's Pizza at Stine Road and White Lane at 9:30a and car pool to the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley.  We plan to tour the library, enjoy lunch, and return to Bakersfield about 6:30p.  If you want to attend, drop me a line at farrellneeley@aol.com and I'll be sure we plan on you being there.  If you can drive a car, we need cars and drivers so we can make this as inexpensive as possible.  Admission to the library is $12 and lunch is Dutch treat, so the cost for this outing would be pretty hard to beat.  You can check out the library at its website at www.reaganfoundation.org 

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10/21/11    Class of 1952 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1952. If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there. The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

10/13/11    Class of 1961 Memorial Page Update:    There are 16 updates today to the memorial page for the Class of 1961. If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there. The most recent listings are highlighted in yellow.  Special thanks to Dena for sending this information along and helping us keep the record straight.

10/10/11    Staff Memorial Page Update:    There is an update today to the memorial page for the AHS Staff. If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there. The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

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09/18/11    Class of 1961 Memorial Page Update:    There are four updates today to the memorial page for the Class of 1961. If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there. The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

09/14/11    Class of 1959 Memorial Page Update:   There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1959. If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there. The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

09/11/11    Arvin High Alumni Band Texas Hold 'em Tournament:    The Arvin High Alumni Band is sponsoring a Texas Held 'em Tournament at the Golden West Casino in Bakersfield, CA on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 7 p.m.  For more details or to find out how to enter, go to www.arvinhighalumniband.org 

09/11/11      Things We Need Help With To Fill In The Blanks:    1) Updated information for our class memorial pages; 2) Volunteers to type out their class roster for posting here; 3) Names of businesses that belong to Arvin High School Alumni for listing here; 4) Help with pictures and stories (past or present) about Arvin, Lamont, and surrounding communities; 5) Class reunion information; 6) Important dates for our Calendar; and 7) Life updates regarding Arvin High School Alumni.  If you are able to help us with any of these, drop an email to webmaster@silvertips.org and let's start talking.

09/03/11    SilverTips Alumni Network Membership:    Membership dues are currently set at $24 a year or $500 for a Lifetime Membership.  We count any donation of money, materials, or labor against the membership dues.  So if you are retired, disabled, or unemployed there are several ways to be a member without putting out cash.  For more details, contact us at webmaster@silvertps.org and we'll send you an application.

09/03/11    The Annual Frank Barle Memorial Golf Tournament:  is set for Saturday, September 24, 2011, at Sycamore Canyon golf course in Arvin, CA.  If you want to play in the tournament, entry forms need to be in by September 14, 2011.  If you want to attend the luncheon only, tickets are on sale for that also.  Golf is $75 per person and lunch tickets are $15 pr person.  A lunch is included for each golfer as part of their entry fee.  For more information, contact Calvin Meek, with the Arvin High School Alumni Association, at 661-845-0167.  See you there...

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08/02/11    Class of 1974 Memorial Page Update: There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1974. If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there. The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

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07/31/11    Class of 1971 Memorial Page Update:  There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1971.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

07/23/11    Arvin/Lamont Photo Albums:    We've added about a dozen new pictures this week to our 'Local Farming' tab on the Arvin/Lamont page.  They include shots of the recent grape harvest, onion harvest, hay harvest, and shots of orchards and vineyards.  Please follow the blue hyperlink at the start of this paragraph to take a look.

07/16/11    Class of 1962 Memorial Page Update:  There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1962.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

07/14/11    Roster Update On The Class of 73:    We have updated the roster and now have almost all of the first names for the Class of 73'.  There are still a few names with only a first initial and if you can help us out with identifying those people, drop us an email at webmaster@silvertips.org and we'll make the addition.

07/09/11    Roster Update On The Class of 73:    We have updated the roster and now have almost all of the first names for the Class of 73'.  There are still a few names with only a first initial and if you can help us out with identifying those people, drop us an email at webmaster@silvertips.org and we'll make the addition.

07/07/11    Class of 1959 Memorial Page Update:  There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1959.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

07/04/11    Roster Updates On Five Classes On 'Class Pages' Tab:    We've added class rosters for the classes of 65', 69', 70', 71, and 73'.  Take a minute to look at them and see if you can help figure out the first names.  All we have for many of these classmates is their first initial.  If you have information or names we can add, send it to webmaster@silvertips.org and we'll get it posted.

07/01/11    Calendar Updates:    We've made some updates to the calendar regarding five different class reunions (50s, 71', 81' 91', 96') that will be happening in the coming months.  We also added the dates for Homecoming and the Frank Barle Memorial Golf Tournament sponsored by the Arvin High School Alumni Association.  If any of you have information for our calendar that would be of interest to AHS alumni, please drop us an email at webmaster@silvertips.org and we'll get it posted.

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06/26/11    Class of 1971 Memorial Page Update:  There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1971.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

06/24/11    Gathering of the Bears Recap:    First, let me say that if you didn't attend, you missed a great evening, great company, and great food.  Special thanks to those of you who volunteered early to help, or just jumped in to help once you got there and lent us a hand.  We could never have done it without you.  The highlight of the evening was the presentation of two of our Lifetime Achievement Awards.  The Lifetime Achievement Award in Community Service went to Mr. Ken Randolph for his years of service to the Arvin-Lamont Communities.  The Lifetime Achievement Award in Education went to Mr. Don Burkett for the many years he has spent as an educator in the Arvin-Lamont areas.  Both of these men had many friends and formers students in the crowd to wish them well and applaud their being honored in this way.  We were asked why we selected people who were not graduates of Arvin High School if this is an alumni group?  The answer to that was simple, without dedicated people like these two giving those of us who went through the local school system all the support they have, a whole lot of us wouldn't be able to say we are graduates today.  In the future there will be more awards like this to non-alumni and for the same reasons.  But rest assured, we will be honoring many alumni as well in the years ahead.  Let me say once again on behalf of the entire board, thanks for all your efforts and we look forward to seeing you again in 2013.

06/15/11    Class of 52' Memorial Page Update:   There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1952.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

06/12/11    200 Alumni and Guests To Attend This Year's Gathering Of The Bears:    We have about 200 guests who are confirmed to be with us next Saturday  at Noble Park in Bakersfield.  That means they have a ticket in hand.  We've been working on this day for over a year.  We're now down to the final days of preparation and looking forward to renewing old acquaintances.  Some 'out of towners' are already here and others are arriving later this week.  We have folks coming from as far back as the class of 52' and others who came through AHS as recently as the class of 01'.  Classes from 65' to 75' make up about half of the guest list.       

06/05/11    Our Memorial Pages Are Listed Under The 'Class Pages' Tab:    We continue to receive and compile the names of our classmates who have passed on through the years.  The only source we have for adding to these lists of memorials is when one of you drops us a line and lets us know of a classmate's passing.  When you look at your own class year or those of other class years, please jot down any names you are aware of that we do not have listed and email them to webmaster@silvertips.org; think of it as a final friendly gesture you're making to recognize a deceased friend.

06/01/11    Class of 73' Memorial Page Update:   There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1973.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

06/01/11    Win A Pair Of Tickets:    While you can no longer buy tickets to the GOTB, you can still win a pair of them.  From now through June 4th, our trivia contest will still allow you to win a pair of tickets.   If your on Facebook, go to Gathering Of The Bears: 2011 each night this week at 6 p.m. to play.  Over the past 10 days we've awarded 20 tickets and we're down to the last 8 still available.

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05/22/11    Ticket Sales Have Concluded:    That's the bad news!  The good news is that one of our sponsors is putting up 28 tickets to be given away over the next 14 days.  Tickets can be won by playing SilverTips Trivia with us on Facebook.  Each day between Monday, May 23rd through Sunday, June 25th we will be giving away one pair to our daily trivia winner.  Winners may only win one pair of tickets.  The pair of tickets is a $20 value and now it's your only chance to get into the event.  So be sure to check in on Facebook Monday to get the details and the first SilverTips Trivia question...

05/15/11    Final Week Of Ticket Sales:    June 18th is coming up fast.  You can still order tickets through the end of next week by going to www.gatheringofthebears.org, downloading the ticket order form, filling it in, printing it out, and sending it in with your check.  Your tickets should be back to you within two weeks.  You can also click on the GOTB:2011 link n the link bar up above and order tickets there.

05/11/11    New Paint At AHS Auditorium:    If you haven't had the chance to go by the high school and see the new paint job on the auditorium, it's worth the trip.  For those of you who live out of the area, we'll make a point to go shoot some high resolution pictures and post them here so you can see what your old alma mater looks like in 2011.

05/01/11    Rededication of AHS Gym:    We've been asked to remind all of you that the AHS Gym will be rededicated on Saturday, May 14, 2011.  Festivities get underway at 6p and will conclude at 9p. There will be awards, contests, door prizes, and a great evening of enjoying your old classmates and honoring alumni from across the decades.  Admission is $5 and will be going to a great cause that we are asking you to support.

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04/28/11    Gathering Of The Bears Tickets:   Are on sale for about three more weeks now.  June 18th is coming up fast.  You can order tickets by going to www.gatheringofthebears.org, downloading the ticket order form, filling it in, printing it out, and sending it in with your check.  Your tickets should be back to you within two weeks.

04/21/11    Class of 1971 Memorial Page Update:  There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1971.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

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03/20/11    Golden Years Celebration:    Jim Wren and Mary Durham are spearheading an effort to organize a reunion of Arvin High School Classes of the 1950s.  The date of October 15, 2011, has been set to coincide with the annual Dustbowl Days Celebration.  If you'd like to help, you can contact Jim or Mary at 661-836-9887.

03/20/11    Class of 1958 Memorial Page Update:    The obituary for Norma Lee Thompson (AHS 68') is in today's Bakersfield Californian.  I know she was from Lamont, but we could be off by one year on the class, so if you have a correction, send it to webmaster@silvertips.org and we'll get it corrected.  If you follow the hyperlink at the start of the first sentence, it will take you to the 58' class memorial page.

03/12/11    Class of 1961 Memorial Page Update:    Thanks to Dena from the Class of 61, we've been able to update the memorial page to reflect the latest information we have on your classmates.  The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow

03/11/11    Class of 1972 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1972 website.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent listing is highlighted in yellow.

03/04/11    GOTB Ticket Order Form can be filled in and printed out for mailing by following the blue hyperlink at the start of this sentence.

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02/30/11    GOTB Ticket Sales Continue Strong:    We continue to see a lot of requests for tickets for The Gathering of The Bears: 2011.  We'll start mailing out tickets on Friday, March 18, 2011.  Ticket sales end on May 18, 2011, so be sure to give your order form filled in an sent in before the deadline.

02/23/11    Staff Memorial Page Update:     There is an update today to the memorial page for the Faculty.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing was that of David Smallwood and is highlighted in yellow.

02/20/11    Gathering of the Bears: 2011:    Ticket sales have now topped three dozen and we continue to get ticket requests almost every day.  One of the ideas suggested the other night at our planning session, was that for the night of the event we encourage classes to create collages of their old pictures from their Arvin High School days and put them on large poster boards so they can be displayed at the Gathering.  So, spread the word among your friends to break out their photo albums and start making copies, so we can see what you looked like with big hair, tie dyes, a mullet, or in parachute pants.

02/12/11    Golden Years Celebration:    Jim Wren and Mary Durham are spearheading an effort to organize a reunion of Arvin High School Classes of the 1950s.  The date of October 15, 2011, has been set to coincide with the annual Dustbowl Days Celebration.  If you'd like to help, you can contact Jim or Mary at 661-836-9887.

02/12/11    SilverTips Calendar Updates:    We've added several items to the Calendar for the coming year.  Be sure to check it each time you drop by because we add information and dates throughout the year as folks send them our way.  If you have information you would like for us to post, send it to webmaster@silvertips.org and we'll help you spread the word; it's always free.

02/10/11    Class of 1964 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1964.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

02/05/11    Tickets Sales Are Underway:    If you want to order tickets for the Gathering Of The Bears, coming up on Saturday, June 18, 2010 at Shriner's Park, there is a ticket link over on the GOTB: 2011 page.  Use the hyperlink GOTB: 2011 to get there.  Once on the page you can open and fill out the ticket form, then print it out and mail it in with your check to the address on the form.  Your $10 ticket entitles you to attend, enjoy the taco bar, enjoy the entertainment and awards, and visit with old classmates.  There will be no tickets at the door, so you need to order early or miss out.

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01/14/11    Class of 1959 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1959.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

01/19/10    GOTB: 2011 Details:    Here's what we've settled on so far for the Gathering of The Bears planned for June 18th.  We've got a committee started (James Williams, Regina Person, Ric Williams, Matt Regpala, Stacey Burton, David Morrison, and FarrellNeeley); We've chosen a menu (tacos, rice, beans, etc.); We've set a price ($10); We've got a confirmed venue (Shriner's Park, Bakersfield, CA); Tickets will be distributed via this website (download a pdf and mail your request and money); and we've got Public Service Announcements ready to roll (local radio and television).  Your job is to help us spread the word via email, Facebook, phone  calls and the like.  We are not mailing anything but tickets and tickets WILL NOT be available at the door.  We're planning a great afternoon and evening that should be affordable and accessible to anyone who wants to attend.  AND dress will be Casual...

01/18/11    Gathering Of The Bears 2011 Planning Meeting:    If you want to volunteer to take part in helping us put on this multi-class reunion event, then our first planning meeting is happening tonight.  We'll get together at Cataldo's Pizza at 4200 Stine Road. That's in the Stine & White Towne Center.  We'll get underway at 6:30 p.m. 

01/14/11    Class of 1968 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update today to the memorial page for the Class of 1968.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

01/10/11    Larry Hallum To Be Honored As Citizen Of The Year:    We've heard from Liz James (AHS 73') and Randal Thompson (AHS 72') about the big news coming out of the Arvin Chamber of Commerce's 2011 Annual Installation Dinner.  It appears that our own Larry Hallum (AHS 62') will be both 'honored and roasted' on Saturday, January 22, 2011 as Citizen of the Year.  The evening will get underway at 6 p.m. at the Sycamore Canyon Golf Course Banquet room with Dr. Jim 'Fizzer' Young (AHS 56') acting as master of ceremonies.  Tickets are $20.  For more information, contact Randal Thompson at rthompson1@farmersagent.com

01/09/11    Gathering Of The Bears 2011 Planning Meeting:    If you want to volunteer to take part in helping us put on this multi-class reunion event, then our first planning meeting is about to happen.  We'll get together on Tuesday, January 18, 2011.  We'll be at Cataldo's Pizza at 4200 Stine Road. That's in the Stine & White Towne Center.  We'll get underway at 6:30 p.m.  For more details, email the event chairman at farrellneeley@aol.com and in the mean time, keep spreading the word...

01/01/11    Gathering Of The Bears:    In just a little over 6 months we'll be getting together in Bakersfield for an 'All Classes Reunion'.  Make plans now to be with us on Saturday, June 18, 2011 at Shriner's Park for an afternoon and evening you will never forget.  Watch these pages or follow us on Facebook to stay on top of what's going on as we spread the word about 'The Gathering Of The Bears'.  Tickets will be available in March and if you plan to attend, you need to make lodging arrangements ASAP or you stand the chance of having limited or no Hotel/Motel options.  Bakersfield is a busy convention site in June due to its low costs, so accept a word to the wise and plan for lodging now...

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12/29/10    Class of 1972 Luncheon Today:    You Class of 72' members, don't forget there is a class lunch today at Que Pasa Grill on Panama Lane in Bakersfield.  Lunch gets underway around noon, but you can come early or stay late to visit.

12/23/10    Class of 2006 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update today to the memorial page for the class of 2006.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

12/19/10    Then The Rains Came:    For those of you who no longer live in the area, you will recall how important it is that we get some decent rain and snow periodically or there is no water for agriculture. Over the past couple of days we've been 'blessed' with an abundance of rain.  You may also remember that we flood very easily here since we don't expect much rain to ever fall at once.  I noticed last night as I drove into Lamont from Greenfield that there was actually water 'standing' in some of the fields and you had to watch out for water puddled up on the road.  There are no happy mediums here.  As one Alumna told me earlier today, it's either 'dry or drown'...

12/12/10    Get a Hotel/Motel Room Reservation ASAP:    If you are planning to attend the Gathering of the Bears on June 18, 2011, you need to make a hotel reservation as soon as possible.  I know it's hard for some of you who have lived here to believe, but a lot of organizations choose to hold conventions or other events in Bakersfield in the summer time because the prices are cheap.  This means that at times rooms are in short supply.  So, if you don't have friends or relatives to stay with while you're here, you need to reserve a room soon or they may all be gone.

12/06/10    Class of 1976 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update today to the memorial page for the class of 1976.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

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11/24/10    Class of 1960 Memorial Page Update:    Today's edition of The Bakersfield Californian carries the obituary of our classmate, Thaddeus Dunn.  Our hearts go out to his family and friends.

11/19/10    Class of 1966 Memorial Page Update:    "I would like to let the classmates of my husband know that he passed away on August 16, 2010.  His name is Talmadge Eugene Green, but everyone knew him as Eugene or Gene Green.  Gene was a part of the class of 1966."  God Bless, Rose Ann Green.

11/16/10    50th Class Reunion Planning:    Planning for the Arvin High School Class of 1961's 50th reunion is underway and they are trying to get contact information on everybody.  If you can help them with this contact info, or want to help plan the reunion, drop them an email at 61classreunion@gmail.com and they'll get back to you just as soon as possible...

11/15/10    We Need Help With Class Rosters:    Under our link 'Class Pages', we have an area for each class year.  Inside those areas are pages for memorials, events, rosters, etc.  To date we have only managed to get class rosters for 4 class years (i.e., 63', 64', 71', 72').  We have no way of obtaining them from anybody except you.  The school didn't retain them and those they do have are not public information.  If you have a list of your AHS classmates from your class year, would you send it to us for posting.  If you don't have a list but you have the means to compile one (e.g., look through your yearbooks and write down the names), please send it along to webmaster@silvertips.org and we'll get in posted in the right spot.  For those of you who have already shared material with us, we are working on getting it entered as quickly as we can.  It's the classic case of the lots of work and few workers.  We'll return your materials just as soon as we get them processed.

11/09/10    Calling AHS Alumni Who Attended Arvin Union School District:    We received an email from Michelle McLean, the Superintendent of the AUSD.  She's trying to locate AHS alumni, who went to Arvin Schools, who have gone on to become "...doctors, lawyers, politicians, athletes, actors, musicians, business owners, educators, etc.".  She's also "...interested in the names and photos of Arvin High School graduates who’ve gone on to college/university.  She can be contacted though her email at mmclean@ausd-do-com.  My guess is that's she's trying to show kids and parents that people from Arvin can grow up to be successful and productive members of society.  Help her out and let her know we aren't all derelicts...

11/08/10    Gathering Of The Bears: 2011:    We completed an agreement to use the Shriner's Park in Bakersfield for our Gathering.  The new date, is Saturday, June 18, 2011.  We tried to work out a deal to use the Kern River picnic grounds near Ming Lake, but the county now has so many restrictions on it's use and so many separate fees for each thing we might do, that we felt it wasn't workable.  The Shriner's park offers us a centralized locale that is close to hotels, motels, and restaurants.  If you're planning on being there, We recommend you make reservations for a hotel/motel, now.  Bakersfield hotels fill up in the summer on weekend because so many functions come to the Civic Auditorium and the Rabo Bank Arena.  For a lot of you, you'll have relatives here and they'll provide your lodging.  Tickets will be available in late January, once we've sat down as a group and figured out the menu and the entertainment costs.  Our goal will be to make this as 'cheap' as we can so no one will feel they can't afford to be there.  Start telling your friends now about the date change and start making plans to be in attendance...    

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10/20/10    Check Out The Alumni Calendar:    We routinely update the Alumni Calendar as information comes in.  Make a point to check it out each time you visit the site and be sure to pass along information about class events or any other items related to Arvin High School Alumni.  If you have reunion coming up in 2010 or 2011, be sure to let us post the information as soon as you have it.  Information can be sent to webmaster@silvertips.org

10/11/10    Class of 1965 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update this morning to the memorial page for the class of 1965.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

10/10/10    Class of 1961 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update this morning to the memorial page for the class of 1961.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

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09/22/10    Class of 1963 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update this morning to the memorial page for the class of 1963.  If you follow the blue hyperlink at the front of this text it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.

09/02/10    Please Stand By:    As many of you already know we started having website problems back in June-July when our webhosting company upgraded its old servers.  They are still trying to figure out why we continue to experience technical difficulties. The latest one caused us to lose about two months worth of postings and other work on The SilverTips site.  Right now we are working to repost the lost information that we can gather and decide where to go from here in terms of who hosts the site and what software we'll be running.  We built the site in MS FrontPage 2003, but it's becoming so outdated that we feel the need to switch to Adobe Dreamweaver CS5.  This literally means rebuilding hundreds of pages for this site from the ground up.  So, while that is happening, we'll limp along with FrontPage for right now.  Thanks for your continuing support and understanding...

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01/10/10    Arvin High School Class of 1985 25th Reunion:    The Class of 1985 has their own website up now and complete details of their reunion are posted there.  If you or someone you know was a member of the Class of 85' be sure to direct them to the website at http://www.arvinhsclassof85.com to get involved, leave a mailing address or contact info, or pick up the details. 

01/03/10    New Year's Resolutions:    For many of you who find this website, you came searching because you were looking for a way to re-connect or to stay connected with your High School alma mater and your old Arvin High School classmates.  We chose the name SilverTips because in nature so many creatures find themselves with 'silver' in their hair as the years go by.  One of the other remarkable things that happens is that as we grow 'silvered' and hit our late 30s or early 40s, we start to think about the generations who'll come behind us; Sociologists call this 'generativity'.  One of our many goals here is to combine these two factors to reconnect old classmates while addressing some of the issues facing generations that will come behind us. 

As we enter 2010 let us encourage you to begin to reconnect, since today there are more opportunities to do that than ever (social networking).  Let us also encourage you to get involved wherever you can with the generations coming along behind us.  If you can help strengthen Arvin High School that's a wonderful thing to do and there are a growing number of alumni groups, made up of AHS Alumni, who are working to make a difference.  But to do that, you need to plug-in some place.  We hope that you'll look to this site as a way to stay on top of what's going on among Arvin High School Alumni around the globe.  Since our website's inception, our goal has been to provide a place where alumni from all classes can look for information, connections, and opportunities.

Since our inception in October of 2008, we've been steadily working to recruit a board, figure out our organizational path, and incorporate as a non-profit organization.  We've made steady progress in all of these areas while continuing to assist in providing funding to various programs at Arvin High School.  We plan to organize more alumni get togethers in 2010.  Most will be informal and intended for socializing with fellow AHS Alums.  We also plan to expand our efforts in support of programs at Arvin High School because funding is falling like a rock and there's no end in sight.  But more than money alone, we want to facilitate more SilverTips acting as mentors to new alumni.  This is actually the most valuable thing one generations can offer another, even more than money.

In observing the connection between Arvin High School and its alumni, I've begun to understand that out of pure necessity, the school must focus its attentions on the students who are at the high school presently.  They did the same thing for you and I.  The goal of a high school is to educate and launch its students.  Today that takes every dime and every ounce of energy that can be mustered.  Conversely, the efforts of an alumni association focus on building and nurturing a healthy alumni group.  Once a vigorous group is in place, it can be both supportive of other alumni AND it can be a powerful force for good at our alma mater.  To make that happen, we envisioned a 'virtual alumni network' of 'maturing' Arvin High Bears working in collaboration to the benefit of Arvin High School and each other.    

The SilverTips Alumni Network can be accessed here at our website and on Facebook.  We post regularly, we've invested time and money in better technology and the site will begin to show that in the months ahead.  We recently added Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 to our tools and we'll transition the site away from FrontPage and Web Essentials over the next year.  Our goal is a 'world-class' site with all the 'bells and whistles' you'd expect.  We also added a high end scanner to be able to archive pictures and other information in your class pages.  For instance, we want to get class photos for every class year, we'll need your help and the loan of some Praeteritas to accomplish that.  I personally want to thank you for the nearly 8,000 hits we've had in just about 7 months.  Spread the word among your friends, family, and classmates.

Farrell Neeley (AHS Class of 72'), Secretary-Treasurer, SilverTips Alumni Network webmaster@silvertips.org

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12/31/09    Congratulations Go Out To:    Jose R. Benavides (AHS 75', UCLA 79') on his appointment by Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger to a judgeship here in Kern County.  Jose will be taking the bench as soon as he can wind down his local law practice, estimated to be about 90 days.  Since graduating from UCLA Law School in 1983, Jose has practiced law first in Southern California, but since 1993 in Bakersfield.  He and his wife have two children, both students at universities here in California.

12/28/09    Congratulations Go Out To:    Caleb Gabriel Cavazos (Arvin High School Class of 2005) on his recent graduation from the University of California at Riverside.  Caleb earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and has recently joined the 2010 re-election campaign of Congressman John Garamendi.  While pursuing his Bachelor's degree, Caleb spent a year in study at the University of Manchester, England and completed an Internship in the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges in Sacramento.

12/24/09    Staff Memorial Page Update:   There is an update to the memorial page for the Staff of Arvin High School.  Just click on the header at the front of this text and it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.....

12/18/09    Congratulations Are In Order:    The Arvin High School 'We The People' teams have once again earned great distinction.  This past week they won the overall area competition and will be headed to Sacramento to represent Arvin High School in the State Competition.  The local team is coached by Arvin High School Alumnus and current teacher, Robert Ruckman.  He is assisted by many other local alumni who devote great effort to this program each year.  Congratulations to the teams, the coaches, and the high school for this outstanding effort.  Go Bears!

12/13/09    2009 Arvin Christmas Parade:    The annual Arvin Christmas Parade is set to kick off tomorrow night at 7 p.m. after having to be delayed a couple of times due to rain.  If you still live in the area we encourage you to attend, and if you no longer live in the area, you might take a minute to recall your own involvement as either as a participant or a spectator at Arvin Christmas Parades of years gone by...

12/13/09    Class of 1961 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update to the memorial page for the class of 1961.  Just click on the header at the front of this text and it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.....

12/10/09    Local Higher Education Options:    We received a request from several alumni asking us to list more local links for colleges and universities that either have full campuses, satellite campuses, or degree completion programs in the local area.  In this case they are all in Bakersfield.  So now, in addition to links for Bakersfield College, Taft College, and California State University Bakersfield, we also have links to Devry University, Fresno Pacific University, Kaplan College, National University, Point Loma Nazarene University, Santa Barbara Business College, University of LaVerne, and the University of Phoenix.  Our Arvin/Lamont Links page has 45 'Links of local Interest' for you to use.  Check them out by clicking on this link Arvin/Lamont Links and in the next week, we'll add more links to local 'career schools' for your access!  Thanks for asking...

12/06/09    Arvin High Staff Memorial Page Update:    There is an update to the memorial page for the class of 1964.  Just click on the header at the front of this text and it will take you there.  The  most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.....

12/05/09    Arvin Christmas Parade Has Been Rescheduled:    Due to the forecast of rain throughout next week, the Arvin Christmas Parade has been rescheduled to take place on Monday, December 14, 2009.

12/03/09    Class of 1971 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update to the memorial page for the class of 1971.  Just click on the header at the front of this text and it will take you there.  The most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.....

12/02/09    Class of 1964 Memorial Page Update:    There is an update to the memorial page for the class of 1964.  Just click on the header at the front of this text and it will take you there.  The  most recent passing is highlighted in yellow.....

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11/26/09    Congratulations To The Students & Faculty of Arvin High School:    For the 10th year in a row the students and faculty of Arvin High School collected food and distributed 30 Thanksgiving Dinner Baskets to needy families in the local Arvin/Lamont area.  This year it was tougher to do and more greatly needed than in past years as local unemployment rates have skyrocketed past 38% in recent weeks.  There is a tendency among older generations to think that younger generations are not as caring as those who came before them.  These annual acts of charity by the students and their teachers shoots this theory down and reaffirms what's best about human nature in general and being an Arvin High Bear in particular...

11/22/09        Establishing A Bakersfield College Satellite Campus In Arvin:            This past week The Lamont Reporter and The Arvin Tiller/Booster carried a story of a local group’s efforts to get a Bakersfield College satellite campus established in Arvin in close proximity to the existing high school.  The SilverTips Alumni Network would like to go on record as supporting this group's efforts and asking all of you to support them as well.  Over the past year SilverTips representatives met privately with both local citizens and elected officials to discuss the issue of improving access to college for local alumni.  Their responses, of course, varied.  But in general, everybody thinks it’s a good idea, if it can be funded.  These latest efforts by other community members are heartily welcomed!

Many tough issues surround improved local access to higher education, but a local campus would certainly knock out a lot of those roadblocks.  The City of Arvin may even be willing to donate a large parcel of ground for establishment of the campus.  But looking to the Delano Campus as a model, it will take significant funding to make this more than just a dream.  The local group offered a list of suggestions to the college president, but was unable to get any firm commitment for a campus, which shouldn’t surprise any of us given the tough economic times.  They have agreed to keep dialog open.

So what can you do?  The suggestion offered was that folks call Dr. Greg A. Chamberlin, President of Bakersfield College, and let him know of each community member’s support for the project at 395-4211 and the area code is 661.  We’re not sure that you’ll get anything more than a polite, “…I’ll let him know”, from the receptionist, but at least your call might get added to the tally.  We think it’s easier for us to flood his email inbox with emails at gchamber@bakersfieldcollege.edu letting him know of our support for this effort.  So, we encourage you to email him with the simple message, “I support establishing a BC campus in Arvin”.

Establishing the Delano Campus took many years, widespread community support, lots of money, and hard work.  Today they have a beautiful satellite campus with steadily improving facilities and a growing student population.  We doubt that it will take any less to see an Arvin Campus come to life, grow, and flourish.  Confucius is credited as saying that, “…the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”.  Now that the one step has been publicly taken, the journey is underway and it’s up to those of us who are stakeholders here to see it through.  In the coming months we’ll post the emails of local officials and College Board members so you can let them know too.

Some of you who no longer live in the Arvin/Lamont area may be wondering what does this have to do with me.  We believe that many of you will recall your own struggles or those of your siblings or children to get a higher education here.  The problems are the same today, or even worse.  Ask any Arvin High School alumnus who has sat on any of the local scholarship committees; things have gotten worse and not better.  The local unemployment rate hovers at about 38% currently and is worsening.  The brilliant students still find ‘full-ride’ scholarships and go away.  The average student finds it harder and harder to even get to the campus for required classes.  We need your voice to join ours in support!

11/20/09    The Staff Memorial Page Has Been Updated Today

11/18/09    The Class Of 1958 Website Notes The Passing Of A Classmate

11/15/09    Plan To Attend A Winter 2010 Golf Outing In Wickenburg, Arizona:    Now that the AHAA Golf Tournament is over and the Spring golf tournaments haven't started yet, we want to call your attention to a golf outing in April in Arizona.  Jeff Campbell of the Arvin High School Class of 1972 is working to get a small gathering together in his adopted hometown of Wickenburg, AZ.  Jeff is an environmental engineer for a mining company over there and he makes the trip every year to Arvin to play in the AHAA tourney.  Jeff raised the idea of some alumni coming over in his direction for a change.  This is not a fundraiser, this is not a recruitment, and this is not going to be terribly formal.  What it is going to be is an annual effort to make like snowbirds and spend a few days with old classmates on the golf course, the hotels, the RV parks, the restaurants, and what ever other 'entertainment' they have over there.  If you are interested, drop us an email at webmaster@silvertips.org and we'll keep you posted.     

11/10/09    Time To Update Your Adult Vaccinations If You're 19 Years or Older:    Many of us think that once we are leave Arvin High School that the need for vaccinations of one sort or another have passed.  Nothing could be further from the truth or more potentially deadly for alumni out there.  Each year 50,000 adults die from diseases that were completely preventable if they had taken and/or updated  their vaccinations.  Many of you will recall the public vaccination clinics of the 50s and the 60s when we eradicated polio and a host of other common childhood diseases.  But many of you may not know that the effectiveness of some vaccines wanes with the passage of time and other risks arise as we age.  Some of us are now thinking about Human Papilloma Virus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Pneumonia, and Shingles to name a few.  In addition, Tetanus also needs a booster as do some other diseases that can make a comeback as we age.  The SilverTips have added a link on our Arvin/Lamont Links page that ties you into a website at www.adultvaccination.org and we encourage you to check it out.  The information there is meant to offer information without being an advertisement for drug manufacturers.  There is also a link from our Facebook page for those of you who are SilverTips Alumni Network Fans...

11/08/09    Our History Will Be Lost:    We are working hard here to gather and archive all the information we can about Arvin High School and Arvin High School alumni while every class still has living members.  Alumni pass on every month and members of the earliest classes are now entering their 75th year.  Memories, pictures, stories, anecdotes, and personal insight can be gathered now and saved so that in the decades to come, if you, your children, or your children's children want to know more about where you came from and what it was like, they can do so easily.  This month there has been a lot of interest in two local 'food' establishments and we are trying to find pictures. One of them was Johnny's Market out on Sunset and Ruby's Oasis out on Wheeler Ridge Road. 

If you have photos and can share them , we'd love to post them here for all generations to see.  Any pictures of Arvin/Lamont and surrounding areas will be regarded as 'old pictures' someday by some future generation, so even if you don't think they're all that old or relevant, you may be wrong.  Jpegs can be sent to webmaster@silvertips.org or photos can be mailed to SilverTips Alumni Network; P.O. Box 21171, Bakersfield, CA 93390.  Please do not send your only negatives or your only copy since we can't return them.  If you are questioning whether or not something is appropriate, send us an email and we'll help you sort it out.  This site is a multi-generational effort and will languish without alumni input.

11/02/09    Arvin High School Staff Roster Underway:    Of all the rosters we will compile here, the roster of the staff may be the most challenging.  This happens because former students get excited about recalling which of their fellow students were at Arvin High School over the years, but they are a bit less dialed in to who was on staff and for what period.  Today we listed the five people who are at the top of the list and that's principals.  Those names are Clyde Dawald, Ed DeMello, Wes Anderson, Jack Schultze, and Blanca Cavazos.  In Arvin High School's 60 year history, it has only had five principals and Jack Schultze served for more than half of that period by hanging in there for 35 years.  If you have staff names you can provide from your Praeteritas, send the names, the positions, and the dates if you have them to www.silvertips.org or mail them to: SilverTips Alumni Network; P.O. Box 21171, Bakersfield, CA 93390

11/01/09    Alumni Calendar Updates:    If you have information that would be 'appropriate' to post on our 'Alumni Calendar' page, send it along to webmaster@silvertips.org or mail it to: SilverTips Alumni Network; P.O. Box 21171, Bakersfield, CA 93390.  Now that of course raises the question of what will we post?  We are committed to information about, 1) Arvin High School alumni; 2) Arvin High School; 3) Goings on with Arvin High School alumni; 4) Goings on at Arvin High School; and 5) Goings on in the original Arvin High School Catchment area (e.g., Arvin, Lamont, Weedpatch, Hilltop, etc.).  Item five relates to the fact that since 1949 the boundaries have been altered and will likely be altered again and again as the area continues to grow.  We now have a couple of dozen high schools nearby, including Mira Monte High School which is in Fairfax and now takes in some old Arvin High School turf and Golden Valley High School which is in Greenfield.

11/01/09    The Hits Continue To Roll:    Since this time last month we've had over 1,100 hits on the website.  That is likely due to the heightened awareness or memory of Arvin High School and being alumni that was fostered by all the 60th Anniversary Celebration.  Regardless of why you dropped by, we're glad you did and hope you tell other alumni, their families, and friends about what we're trying to do here.  If you are on Facebook, remember to drop by and become a fan.  In your search box just type in 'Silvertips Alumni Network' and you're on your way.  Our Facebook Fans usually get a jump on what we will be posting here and if we have new photos or information we'll likely post it there first.  webmaster@silvertips.org

11/01/09    Class of 1957 Updates:    We have received a bunch of new information from alumna Donna June 'Collins' RuBert, Class of 1957, now living in Latham, Missouri, through her cousin, Millie Collins, a former Arvinite and honorary member of the Arvin High School Class of 1972.  Donna is an artist/sculptor and designer of porcelain dolls.  We are sorting through all the information she is sending right now and figuring out how to best format and post it.  We have her promise that there will be even more information in coming weeks.  If you want to provide information on your Arvin High School class, drop us an email at webmaster@silvertips.org or you can mail hard copies and we'll get them typed into the pages so you don't have to do that work.  All mailings should go to: SilverTips Alumni Network; P.O. Box 21171, Bakersfield, CA 93390.

11/01/09    New Lamont Area Photos This Week:    We have been posting new photos all along and currently have nearly 70 strung out on these pages.  We've had some requests to see the old Lamont Cornet store; the old Lamont Post Office; and the old Lamont Dairy Delight.  If there are places in the Arvin/Lamont area that you'd like to see again, drop us an email at webmaster@silvertips.org and we'll get out and shoot some photos and post them on that page.  For those of you who may have old Arvin/Lamont or old Arvin High School photos, we're looking for them for preservation in our archives.  Jpegs can be sent to webmaster@silvertips.org or copies can be mailed to SilverTips Alumni Network; P.O. Box 21171, Bakersfield, CA 93390.  This link will take you to the latest postings:  Arvin/Lamont Photos

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10/28/09    Download Adobe Reader 9.2 Free:    We try to keep our files and file formats current and to make sure you can open any portable document files (pdf) you run across on this site, here's the latest version of Adobe Reader 9.2 as a free download.  Be sure to un-click the Google toolbar download unless you want that too.

10/28/09    Link To Weedpatch Camp Website:    The link from our Arvin/Lamont History page to the Weedpatch Camp website is now active.  Turn on your sound when you link over so that you can hear the music and the narrative...

10/28/09    SilverTips Photo Galleries Divide & Conquer:    We have split the photo gallery into multiple links so that it's easier for those of you without high speed Internet connections to download a gallery without it taking all day.  For now we have an 'Arvin' link and a 'Lamont' link that are active and have over 60 recent photos.  In the future we'll post photos of all the other areas you know and love (e.g., DiGiorgio, Sunset, Vineland, Meridian, Hilltop, etc.) as well. Arvin/Lamont Photos

10/25/09    Arvin High School Memorabilia:    There is a link now on our index entitled 'AHS Memorabilia'.  We posted this at the request of Arvin High School Principal Blanca Cavazos and Senior Class Advisor Stephen Granucci to get the word out that they have special memorabilia available for purchase.  What makes it so special and not the run of the mill t-shirts, baseball caps, and so forth is the fact that it's made out of pieces of the Arvin High School gymnasium floor. 

As part of refurbishing the school, the floor of the gym has been replaced and a new one put down.  The old one is being made into clocks, desk sets, and key chains.  They are all attractive, all reasonably priced, and all customizable.  We encourage you to support your alma mater by following the link, looking at the merchandise, and making some purchases. 

The purchases are made directly with Arvin High School and none of the proceeds go anywhere but Arvin High School.  The supply is limited to the floor material that was useable for manufacture, so don't wait around for two or three years and hope they still have some left over; buy today!  AHS Memorabilia  The school is working on getting a PayPal account set up to make it more convenient, but right now it's limited to order forms and mailed checks, so be patient.

10/25/09    Arvin/Lamont Chambers of Commerce Crab Feed:    If any of you have details on the annual Chamber of Commerce Crab Feed from last night, we'll gladly post details and pictures.  We figure that by promoting what's beneficial to the Arvin/Lamont communities, we are promoting the high school, its students, and the alumni since it is those communities that sustain the school and many of its alumni in various ways...

10/25/09    Class of 1964, 1979, and 1989 Reunions:    If any of you have details or photos of recent Arvin High School Classes of 1964 and 1979 reunions, send them along so we can share them with alumni who were not able to attend but want the details.  Same goes for the Arvin High School Class of 1989. 

The Class of 1979 was meeting at Luigi's in Bakersfield last night and we believe the Class of 1964 met up at the Ed & Pat Comb's residence out in Arvin.  Both groups (64' & 79') were present at the Homecoming game against Shafter High School on Barle Field Friday night.  There, despite a late rally, Arvin varsity lost in a heartbreaker, but spirits were high due to the festive nature of the weekend and the ongoing 60th Anniversary Celebration.

10/25/09    Dustbowl Festival Update:    Late word is that the Dustbowl festival last weekend at Sunset School/Weedpatch Camp, was the best attended they have ever had in its history.  We've heard nothing but rave reviews about how much fun it was and how well the day went.  If any of you have photos we can post, pass them along at webmaster@silvertips.org and we'll get them posted for everybody who ever lived in the area to enjoy...

10/25/09    SilverTips Scholarship Golf Team:    Many of you know that we sponsored a scholarship golf team at yesterday's Arvin High Alumni Association 'Frank Barle Memorial' Golf Tournament.  The scholarship will be awarded this year in memory of Daryl Bradshaw (Class of 1971) at the Senior Awards Program in the spring of 2010.  This year's team consisted of Genevie Augustinez (Class of 75), Roy Ambrose (Class of 75'), James Williams (Class of 72') and Farrell Neeley (Class of 72').  Next year we hope to be able to sponsor more than one team, but we'll need your help to do that.  If your interested in details, drop us an email at webmaster@silvertips.org

10/25/09    Arvin High School Class of 1969 Roster Posted:    We are merging some pages in coming weeks to cut down on sprawl again as we promised.  To make that possible we will combine the contents of the 'Alumni & Staff Archives' pages into the  'AHS Class Pages' so things are a little easier for you to find.  Today we added 214 names to the roster of the Arvin High School Class of 1969.  We need class members and class friends to look them over, check them for accuracy, and send us any of the estimated 200 other names from that class that do not show up in the 1969 Praeterita.  This means anyone who was part of the Class of 69' for even one day.  That means you need to dig out your old yearbooks and go to work.  The page link is Class of 1969 Roster and any pertinent information can be emailed to webmaster@silvertips.org

10/18/09    Dustbowl Festival:    Once again this annual event was a big success and well attended by both locals and folks from out of the area.  There were arts, crafts, food, speeches, presentations, square dance demonstrations, tours, and oral histories throughout the day.  If you have never attended the event, make plans now to be there next year and bring your kids and grandkids so they can have a taste of what living through the largest migration in American History was actually like.  Check out their website throughout the year for updates at www.weedpatchcamp.com

10/18/09    Class of 1989 Reunion Recap:    The Arvin High School Class of 1989 reunion came off without a hitch recently as planned.  The have a great shot of the crowd on their website at www.arvinhighclassof1989.shutterfly.com that tells the story.  Congratulations to all of the 89' alums who worked to make this event the success that it was.

10/12/09    Dustbowl Days Celebration:    For you SilverTips who trace your family heritage back to the great dustbowl migration to California, the Dust Bowl Committee is once again sponsoring a day of meetings, arts, crafts, tours, and so forth on Saturday, October 17, 2009, at the Sunset Labor Camp.  The festivities will be focused at Sunset School at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Weedpatch Highway.  Tours of the camp are slated throughout the day.  To learn more and to see some great information about that era or the camp and life there, go to their website at www.weedpatchcamp.com or directly to www.weedpatchcamp.com/Festival/festival.htm

10/11/09    SilverTips To Sponsor Scholarship Team at The 8th Annual AHAA Golf Tournament:    This year, for the first time, we are sponsoring a team at the Arvin High Alumni Association's 8th Annual Golf Tournament.  We've chosen the 'scholarship team' route.  What that means is that instead of just entering the tournament at the basic rate of $300 per team, we chose to enter a team at the $600 level so that we could fund an entire $400 scholarship for some Arvin High School graduate in the class of 2010. 

This first scholarship will be awarded in memory of Daryl Bradshaw, AHS Class of 1971.  In 2011 we plan to honor some other alumnus.  We challenge all the other alumni golf teams that are entering the tourney to raise their donation to the 'scholarship team' level.  We also invite any of you who want to work with us on this to help us fund and participate in more than one team in the Fall of 2010, for the 2012 scholarships. 

If you haven't entered this year's tourney yet, complete details are posted at the AHAA website at www.arvinalumni.org and the details for purchasing tickets to attends the alumni luncheon being held in recognition of Arvin High School's 60th Anniversary are posted there as well...

10/08/09    Rest In Peace Bill Dolan:    I like to say that we are not an obituary page, but the passing of a beloved teacher rates some notice here!  I know that by now many of you will be aware of the death of Mr. Dolan.  Like many of you, I was a student of his in Spanish class.  I never did learn to speak Spanish well, but I did get the pleasure of having him for a teacher.  Mr. Dolan was a retired Undersheriff when he went into education as a second career.  That past experience seemed to have shaped him into the gentle person he was by the time most of us knew him.  I was well out of high school when I saw in a national magazine that he had once been involved in solving a very famous case during his detective days.  For all the braggarts we had who tried to teach us, Bill stood out as someone who'd had a real series of adventures in his life and yet he rarely spoke of them to us, much less bragged about events that were actually quite noteworthy.  The last time I saw him was at the 50th Reunion Dance; he was out on the floor with his two canes and two young women, dancing up a storm.  Bill died this past Sunday at the age of 97 after giving a scripture reading at his church and sitting down.  RIP Mr. Dolan...

10/04/09    Tracking Website Updates:    There are times that its tough for those of you just dropping by to know where we are currently updating.  Today I was working on the alumni business pages, but if you don't happen to go by or know what was there previously, you'd be hard pressed to say where we've updated.  In time we'll come up with an index page that lets you know when any page has been updated.  But right now, we have hundreds of pages on this web site and we're desperately trying to archive information as fast at it comes along. 

This means that every visit here is currently more of a 'treasure hunt' and less of a narrow search than any of us would like.  I'm sorry about that, but in the long run it will be worth the inconvenience.  I've avoided turning the home page into an index or filling it with headlines.  I found that an unwieldy approach on the AHAA site and want to find another way here.  So, for the time being I'll post, I'll change the date on the tabs pages, and I'll post headlines on our Facebook page to get your attention.

Keep that information for the alumni archives coming as fast as you can.  We have many alumni who are now in their mid-seventies and the information we don't get now may be lost forever.  webmaster@silvertips.org

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09/29/09    AHS Gymnasium Memorabilia Now For Sale:    The old floor of the AHS gymnasium is being turned into custom memorabilia (e.g., clocks, key chains, desk signs, etc.) for purchase.  Proceeds go to Arvin High School.  Details are being posted as they become available over on the Arvin High Alumni Association website (www.arvinalumni.org) and pictures of the memorabilia have been posted as of 09/28/09.  The SilverTips Alumni Network encourages you to support this effort and your old alma mater.  The memorabilia is very attractive and is priced where everyone who wants something, can afford it...

09/27/09    Class of 1996 Posts It's First Passing:    We don't normally note passings on this update page (they're posted in the 1952-2010 Class Pages), but we make an exception to the first such passing in each class.  With the listing of Christopher Kirkley this week, the AHS Class of 1996 hits an inauspicious milestone.  Christopher is the first member of the Class of 1996 to be so listed.  There may be others from the class who are deceased, or even those who passed away sooner than Chris (2008), but his is the first death called to our attention out of that class.  Our hearts go out to his family and friends, as they do to all other fallen Bears...

09/21/09    Class of 1989 Website Updating & Posting:    The Class of 1989 website is up and posting regularly. As the 20th class reunion approaches and things get rockin', more and more information will be in place. Drop by today, become a member, and send in your updates, photos, and life information.  Monica Esqueda is working hard to build a great site, but no webmaster can be successful with a class site without other alumni's support.  You have the information and contacts she needs to know about to make a great site.  Drop by today http://arvinhighclassof1989.shutterfly.com

09/09/09    Arvin High School Leadership Cabinet Meeting:    Our Secretary/Treasurer, Farrell Neeley, Class of 1972, was the guest speaker today at the monthly AHS Leadership Cabinet meeting.  Dr. Neeley spoke to a group of about 20 key figures (e.g., administrators, departments heads, lead staff) at the high school regarding one of the SilverTips Alumni Network's goals, which is collecting and spreading information about the needs of various programs and departments at the high school to the alumni.  He asked that they contact the SilverTips through the website so we could list in detail problems, ideas, needs, and potential solutions.  Their response was surprise at the offer, but immediate and positive in wanting to take part.

Our goal in all of this is to be able to make alumni aware of all the areas where they could make a difference at their alma mater and in their old communities.  Many of us were not the 'jocks' and we were not the 'brainiacs' and we felt 'forgotten'.  This is an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young men and women who had the same kinds of hopes and dreams that you did.  Agriculture, drama, math, chemistry, biology, physics, music, history, industrial arts, and all of those other 'orphan' programs need champions too.  Stay tuned as we begin to open this up and make a difference with your help.

We'll be posting information on the 'volunteers' tab and we'll develop a 'donors' tab in time.  But for right now, we just need people to take a moment and CARE.  If nothing more, drop us an email with the message 'I CARE' and we'll catalog your name and email address for our SilverTips Flash Mail Alerts'.  None of us care about everything; all of us care about some things.   None of us can give to everything; all of us could give to something.  All we're saying is get involved at the point in which you care. 

If all 50,000 to 60,000 of us would do that, Arvin High School would be transformed and its alumni would be transformed as well...

09/05/09    Building More Arvin/Lamont Photo Galleries:    Our Arvin/Lamont Photo page has almost 90 photos now and we are hearing that the size of the file is creating a downloading speed issue for many of you who are on phone lines or DSL.  Over the coming weeks we'll create new photo galleries and carve this larger page up into more 'bite size' pieces. 

Thanks for letting us know.  The feedback is invaluable because we can only know what we see on the three different computers that we edit these pages from.  In each case we have different size monitors and that usually gives us a feel for how it's going to look to different SilverTips out there with different computer systems.

But even with that, all three computers are on either high speed cable connections or T-1 lines with tons of band width to play with.  Downloading a what would be a 60 minute file for a phone, takes minutes or even seconds on one of those.  So until we can offer multiple download options, your emails are all we have to guide us.  webmaster@silvertips.org

09/02/09    Pictures of DiGiorgio School:    We got a request from a SilverTip in Northern California wanting to know what her old school looks like now.  Since she went to DiGiorgio School more than 40 years ago, she wanted to know why we didn't have photos when we shot the other schools recently.  Good question!  I went out today and shot about 12 pictures and we'll get them up later this week.  In the mean time, if there is an old hangout or place you want us to get a shot of for posting, let us know.  Check us out daily on Facebook as we are posting in both places regularly now.  webmaster@silvertips.org     

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08/29/09    Arvin High School Welcomes The Class of 2013:    This past week the staff, faculty, and other students welcomed the newest Freshman class to Arvin High School.  Having seen pictures of them in the local paper, I can tell you they are as 'bright-eyed and clueless' as you were at that point. 

Over the next four years we'll see them grow up, recognize 'some' of their full potential, and have the same kinds of struggles we all did as we matured into men and women beneath the shadow of Bear Mountain.  The SilverTips encourage you to be involved with your old high school in any way you can. 

More opportunities to get involved with the high school will be presenting themselves all the time, and when they do we'll post them here.  If you can't be involved with Arvin High School, then make a difference where you are and make the rest of us proud of your efforts.  When people ask why, tell them it's because your an Arvin High School Bear...

08/28/09    Alumni Class Archives Continue To Expand:    Back in early July when we launched the AHS Alumni Class Archives we promised to keep building them out as time and opportunity presented it self.  Initially we posted all 58 class years and opened up 5 original class pages; each class page has five sub-headings for data.  To date we have pages opened up and available for class information from 1952- 1990.  The headings include Class Roster, Class Officers, Student Body Officers, Clubs, Cheerleaders & Songleaders, Teams, Staff, and Special Events. 

In the coming days we will finish out from 1991-2010.  We've purchased major storage space though our web hosting company so we can hold an enormous amount of data, including tons of photos.  The only hold up is that YOU have to help us by sending in information.  Send your class information for archiving to webmaster@silvertips.org today so we can preserve our history while there is still time and people who still remember...  

06/20/09    New Photos From Around Arvin-Lamont:    We keep posting photos of interest to folks who either live in the local area or have lived in the local area when they attended AHS.  Many of you who email wanted to know if we could get more shots of well known local landmarks.  Today we posted shots of the Arvin Cemetery, the Weedpatch Market, the Arvin Entry sign, and the Lamont population and elevation signs.  For some of you, the last time you saw them they were in your rear-view mirror just before you tore it off and drove away for the last time.  We'll add more every time we get the chance... Photos

06/19/09    Will The Real DiGiorgio Please Stand Up:   In working through the local history of communities in the AHS catchment area, I have been stumped by DiGiorgio.  I can usually rely on Eugene Burmeister's work to offer at least five or six paragraphs that are pertinent and offer a 'bird's-eye-view' of things.  In this case, Eugene is more tight lipped.  If you can offer a history of the community of DiGiorgio, please email it to me.  Otherwise, for now there is a very limited bit of new information you can see over on the 'Arvin-Lamont Area History' page.

06/16/09    Beginning Month Three:    Today we wrap up our first two months with a functioning website.  We averaged about 20 hits a day in the past month and for a new site without any 'Internet Priming' contracts, that's pretty good.  We are continuing to add content every week and have finished loading up the memorial pages.  In the coming months we look at add to the 'Local People & Places' content and to the 'Arvin-Lamont History' page.  If you have pictures of alumni, the high school, local grade schools, or the local communities that we can post, alumni now in distant places get homesick and want to see what's going on.  If you have information or pictures with local historical content, that would be great too.  Send them to webmaster@silvertips.org and we'll get them posted.

06/03/09    Questions We Get:    We received an email today asking why the SilverTips website doesn't post a full alumni obituary here on our Updates page the way the Arvin High Alumni Association does on its Bulletin Board page.  Since I webmaster both pages, I think I can answer that.  Inside the SilverTips site, each class year currently has three active pages of their own (e.g., updates, emails, and memorials) and two more pages on the drawing boards.  That's about 175 pages, with about 120 more pages coming.  We are encouraging classes to take some ownership and use the pages since they are available free of charge.  We also don't want the main update page to become an obituary page.  Death is certainly a part of life, but it's not all of life.  Consequently, each time we are made aware of a death, we dutifully enter it inside the class year page, under the 'memorials' tab.  Currently there are several hundred AHS alumni and staff members listed in the memorials; there are likely hundreds more who should be.  If you know of the death of an AHS classmate or an AHS staff member that we've missed, please pass the information along at webmaster@silvertips.org so we can share it throughout the SilverTips Alumni Network, and thanks for asking...

06/01/09    Eugene Burmeister:    We are working steadily on the Arvin-Lamont Area History pages and wanted to offer an explanation and/or update.  Many of you will remember Mr. Eugene Burmeister as a local educator and historian who died in 2005.  For some of you, he was your school Superintendent/Principal over at Sunset/Vineland.  He wrote ten books about Kern County.  His book, "Below Bear Mountain" is a truly valuable compendium of local history.  While we can quote it in bits and pieces under the 'fair use' doctrine, we'd rather get the rights to post it here in its entirety and are working on that steadily.  So, check back on the History tab often and until we get permission, you'll just have to live with some synopses based on several local sources.

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05/30/09    Another Graduating Class Joins the Long Red Line:    I was on campus yesterday setting up an appointment with the AHS assistant principal to go over legal criteria for SilverTips volunteers.  While I was in the office, it was bedlam as they worked to get ready for graduation.  The staff were carting out more than 500 diplomas and I had to get out of the way of their efforts.  About that same time, the seniors returned from Grad Night at Disney Land.  There was a moment of déjà vu there.  From 1952 through last night there have now been 58 graduating classes at Arvin High School by my count.  Congratulations to these young men and women...they're in for a long ride now!

05/27/09    Class of 1964 45th Reunion:  October 23^rd – 24^th 2009!  There is a Tailgate party on October 23^rd prior to the homecoming game^.  For more information contact Pat 'Kennedy' Combs at 661-854-5274.  Special thanks to Richard Brantley (Class 1964), who's inquiry about the class reunion brought this information to our attention. 

05/24/09    Time And The Space Shuttle Passes By:    For those AHS alumni who live in other states or even other nations these days, one of the 'cheap thrills' still available here in Arvin and Lamont is that whenever the space shuttle lands at Edwards, we get the obligatory two sonic booms as it passes overhead and we know that if we rush to the television quickly, we can probably watch the landing live.  So it was this morning with the weather dismal in Florida and the Mojave desert being its normal clear-dry self at this time of year. 

The older I get, the prouder I become of our nation's accomplishments.  I recall as a little boy, gathering with neighbors in the back yard at night, as many of you did, to try and spot 'Sputnik'.  Fast forward 50 years, and this morning I watched live while a spaceship, built by this nation, returned safely with its cargo of astronauts, from a trip in space to refurbish a giant telescope.  A telescope which has allowed us to unfold some of the mysteries and marvels of the universe. 

Wherever you find yourself on the planet today, may you have a happy, peaceful, and contemplative Memorial Day weekend.     

05/20/09    If You Are An AHS Alumni Artist:    We've already received a lot of positive response from you about the featured alumni artist page.  This month we have featured Carlos Royal, a member of the AHS Class of 1960.  In turn, we have had several people email suggesting those among you who are artists that we should contact.  Feel free to keep making recommendations and send us a sample of your art if you are an artist.  Drop us a line and some samples.  We'd love to feature your art here for all your old classmates to see and for other AHS alumni to enjoy...webmaster

05/16/09    Our One Month Anniversary:      We'll, we've had the site up for one month today and have already had over a 1,250 hits.  Thanks to all of you Arvin Alums who 'surfed' over to see what's going on.  This is an Arvin High Alumni website, created by Arvin High Alumni, dedicated to Arvin High Alumni, and working to link up Arvin High Alumni for a multitude of good purposes.  We are not affiliated with the Arvin High Alumni Association, so while we fully support their goals, don't blame them for our actions.

First, special thanks goes out to all for you who have already begun to volunteer in the local community.

Second, more special thanks goes out to Carlos Royal, Class of 1960, for being our 1st featured alumni artist.

Third, more special thanks to those who helped us donate $500 to the Rocky Handy Scholarship Endowment this week

Keep checking back as we 'grow out' the site and fill in the blanks with info about Arvin Alumni and Arvin Alumni lives.

05/08/09    240 New Pages of Content Added:        Over the past seven days, we have added more than 240 pages of new content.  Those new pages include opening the pages for individual class updates; individual classmate emails; and individual classmate memorials.  The greatest amount of actual content is on the memorials pages since so much of it is in the public domain.  However, there are no doubt many classmates who have passed on who are not listed.  We'll be adding updates to all of these pages as they come in and the email addresses we already have from some of you will be added over the next couple of weeks.  If you have information you want to pass along, send an email to webmaster@silvertips.org

05/01/09    Free Alumni-Owned Business Links:   Attention Alumni of Arvin High School; if you are a business owner and want to be listed on the Alumni-Owned Business webpage, the listing is available 'free' to AHS alumni and businesses supporting Arvin High School and/or alumni efforts from any of the various and sundry alumni groups, related to AHS, that are now active.  Help us help you!  We appreciate your support of the alumni community and want to reciprocate by making folks aware of your goodness.  Send your information to webmaster@silvertips.org 

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04/24/09    Class Websites For Free:    Jeff Nunnally of the AHS Class of 1978 pointed me to the Shutterfly website where you can build and post a class website for FREE.  I checked out the Class of 1978 website and the Shutterfly templates and they look great.  If you are interested in creating a class website for your class, I encourage you to go to www.shutterfly.com and look at their 'Shared Sites' link.  I also encourage you to check out the class of 1978 site at www.arvinhighclassof78.shutterfly.com and if you like what you see, get in touch with Jeff at nunnallyjln@msn.com he says he'd be glad to help you get going.  There is a catch, but it's a small one.  Shutterfly has some small ads on the page; in my opinion, they are discrete and don't detract from the experience.

04/23/09    New Class of 1978 Website:    The new Arvin High School Class of 1978 is up and running.  I encourage you to check it out.  They have great photos, classmate emails, and pictures of their reunions.  The address is www.arvinhighclassof78.shutterfly.com and you should click over and check it out.  It has also been added into our 'Class Links & More' page for your future use.

04/18/09    Class Links Pages:    The class links are now active.  If you find any errors, let us know.   There are 60 class links.  57 of them currently lack content.  The other 3 are linked to previously active websites at the classes of 58', 60', and 72'.   Within each of the class pages here there will be links to class-specific pages for, (1) class updates; (2) classmates information (e.g., names, addresses, email); (3) class photos; and (4) a class memorial page for deceased classmates.  The only way these pages will fill is if you help us by sending in the information.  webmaster@silvertips.org

04/16/09    Website Launch:    After five months of planning we are finally ready to put up our website.  In the beginning it will be very spare.  But over time, we'll fill in the space with your help with more than 300 pages of content.  Look the tabs over; read the content; send us your comments.   webmaster@silvertips.org