Memories from Mark Stephens (Class of 1967)

• Shopper's Fair - where I got my first catcher's mitt.
• McKee's Drug Store on Milburn and Ironwood.
• Merrifield Park - ice skating on the flooded tennis court and sitting around the bonfire afterwards in the winter; fishing under the bridge.
• The rink. I had a memorable experience on the rink/tennis court one winter day when I was in the 8^th or 9^th grade. I could skate fast, I just didn't stop too well. The common practice was to slide up to the fence near the entrance and grab hold of the fence to stop. I was coming in for a 'landing' one day and as I reached out to the fence, beautiful, auburn-haired Cindy (Class of '66) stepped directly in front me. I didn't grab the fence. I grabbed both her breasts instead. Honest to God, I didn't mean to do it. I was so embarrassed I couldn't talk; I just left the rink. Cindy always looked at me funny after that. Sorry Cindy, I guess it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
• Merrifield Park tennis court. Friday nights dancing to Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs (c. 1964).
• The sunken garden. I heard that they used to grow flowers in there at one time. I remember it as a place where I used to go make out with Diane (Class of '67).
• St. Joe River at the Merrifield Bridge - remember the rope tied to a tree limb on the west side of the bank? It was great for swinging out over the water. That rope was there for years.
• The "Blue Danube" - the largest hill in the Mishawaka Hills near Ewing and Ironwood. I used to ski down it with Jack Plummer and Brian Brockway.
• The White Spot Restaurant on McKinley.
• Kaiser's.
• Returning from Marine Corp boot camp in 1967 and spending the night at the old Mishawaka Hotel just because I wanted to.

NOTE: Other than formatting text for web presentation, this document appears in its entirety, as written by the author.

News briefs...

ATTENTION - Alumni!
Looking for any information regarding Class Reunions in 2007. Please email info to Keith