Note From Ron Middleton

Ron sent the following note to let folks know why he can’t attend the reunion.

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Bill,

Please pass on to the class at the reunion that I would have loved to be there, but for health reasons I can no longer travel that far. With my diabetes I can not sit that long at one time. My feet and legs would swell up like a balloon and I would not be able to walk.

For those concerned, I have a great life in retirement with four kids and eight grandkids. We have a beautiful home one block from the beach on Subic Bay. I will certainly be thinking about the great fun and camaraderie you all will be having next weekend. God bless you all and keep in touch.

Ron

Curtis Eugene McInnis

This obituary is for classmate Curtis Eugene McInnis. Please keep his family in your prayers.

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Curtis Eugene McInnis

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WASKOM, TX - Services celebrating the life of Curtis Eugene McInnis, 68, will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 in the chapel of Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, Shreveport, LA. Officiating will be Rev. Bill Stroud. Interment will follow in Centuries Memorial Park. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home.

Mr. McInnis was born on September 3, 1942 in Shreveport, LA. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Waskom, Texas. He was Scout Master of Boy Scout Troop 238 and loved camping. He was a very devoted husband, father and grandfather. He worked as a Dental Lab Technician for 34 years. Many years ago he was a production manager, artist and magician for channel 3 and was known by his viewers as "Mysto". Mr. McInnis served proudly in the United States Marine Corps, (1st Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Division) from 1961-1965. He was a strong loyal and caring man, selflessly giving to others throughout his life, day by day, whether known as "Gene", "Honey", "Sweetheart", "Daddy" or "Papaw". He loved making his wife, children and grandchildren laugh, or doing whatever it took to give them memories.

Mr. McInnis was preceded in death by his parents, Curtis C. and Willie Sanders Ashley and two brothers, Willie Albert Bogues and Robert Warren Bogues.

Left to cherish beautiful memories of Curtis is his wife of 47 years, Jo Ann McInnis of Waskom, TX; children, Gena Ann Weed of Mukilteo, WA, Jeff T. McInnis of Carthage, TX and Gregory K. McInnis of Waskom, TX; one brother, Willie T. McInnis of Round Rock, TX and grandchildren, Keith Q. McInnis, Kyle A. McInnis and Meghan Hallie Weed; half brothers, Bobby G. McInnis, Lonnie McInnis, Reuben Lamar McInnis and LeRoy McInnis and two half sisters, Joan Ashley and Leticia Miles.

Scam

If you get an email that looks like the one below don’t believe that it was sent to you by the person named in the email. And don’t click on the link “here” shown at the end of the email.

Whoever is doing this is using other folk’s name and email address without their permission in an effort to get folks to click on a link at the end of their email. If you click on the link you might get a virus, or worse.  (I deactivated the link below).

_____________________________

Hi,

I set up a profile where I can post photos, connect and share. Do me a favor and confirm our relationship here.

Thanks,
(Classmate Name)

   _____________________________

Addendum 3/16/2011

I received another email today that was similar to the one above, but with a different classmate’s name on it. Don’t be tempted to click on any of the links in these emails. They aren’t coming from those whose names are on them. Just delete any such emails every time you get one.

Sue Brinson Kendrick Harris

This obituary is for classmate Sue Brinson Kendrick Harris. Please keep her family in your prayers.

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M. Sue Brinson Kendrick Harris

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STONEWALL, LA - M. Sue Brinson Kendrick Harris, age 67, went home to be with Jesus on Friday, March 11, 2011 at Willis Knighton Pierremont Medical Center after a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer. Sue was born and raised in Shreveport Louisiana. She was a graduate of Fair Park High School and attended BPCC as an adult. Sue lived in Stonewall, Louisiana in her later years. She loved working in the yard, listening to country music, spending time with her grandchildren, and reading while her cat (Cleo) sat near-by.

Sue was preceded in death by her parents, F.B. and Susie Mae Brinson, and her stepfather Richard Dyar. She is survived by her mother, Mrs. Pauline Dyar, her daughters; Patti Whatley and spouse Brian Whatley; Missi Dugas and partner DJ Chapell; Kassi Fitzgerald; and her son, Ronald Eugene Kendrick, Jr.; six grandchildren: Theresa Kendrick Jones, Clayton Fitzgerald, Kati Whatley Butler and spouse Brad, David Dugas, Matthew Fitzgerald, and Joseph Fitzgerald as well as four great grandchildren, life-long friend Cathy Addington and husband Charles, and a host of friends and loved ones.

A memorial service will be held for friends and family at First Southern Methodist Church in Stonewall Louisiana on Monday, March 14, 2011 at 2:00pm.

The family would like to thank Dr. Joyce Feagan and Brenda Brown, RN, Dr. Randy Del Mundo, Dr. David Green, and the nursing staff at WKP for their exemplary care and compassion during her long fight with cancer.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the American Lung Association or the American Cancer Society , designated to go toward Lung Cancer Research.

Ron Middleton

After the earthquake hit Japan I wondered if classmate Ron Middleton and his family had experienced any problems in the Philippines from the tsunami. Ron sent this reply to my email.

God bless you for your concern Bill. The Good Lord was indeed looking after the Philippines on this one. We were glued to the TV up until the all clear about 7:30-8:00 last night. It was fun explaining to my grandkids exactly what a tsunami was. All we can do now is pray for those left behind in Japan. The northern part is really devastated.

Again, my family and I really do appreciate the concern. Keep in touch!!

RON

Fair Park To Remain Open

(Thanks to Mickey Phillips for bringing this to my attention.)

Final Vision 2020 calls for school closures, consolidations

Written by
Mary Nash-Wood
mwood2@gannett.com
March 8, 2011

Fifteen schools are slated for closure over a three-year period under Caddo Parish School Board's new master plan.

The new Vision 2020 calls for the reconfiguration of 10 campuses and the consolidation of 24 more. Board members will vote on the plan March 24. The plan also gives steps to increase student performance, enhance fiscal health and seek removal from a long-standing consent decree.

The proposal came Tuesday as board members were told of a projected $20 million budget deficit for the coming school year. Finance Director Jim Lee said something must be done in order for the district to stay afloat.

Caddo School Superintendent Gerald Dawkins said if the board approved the plan, it is scheduled to roll out in three phases, beginning this fall and continuing through 2014 with the construction of four schools. He added a bond proposal for the new schools and the renovation of others would not come before voters until the last phase.

"We are in a critical time where we can no longer afford to stand by," Dawkins said. "Our youngsters deserve the best resources available."

Cathy Bonds, head of the Fair Park Alumni Association, said she was thrilled to learn the school was taken off of the closure list.

"I'm delighted," she said. "I feel like community involvement made all of the difference and they seemed to respond to us saying that Fair Park needs to remain open."

Others were not so pleased to learn their schools would close as early as next school year.

"I'm shocked," Carrie Goskin, PTSA president of Blanchard Elementary said of the moment she learned Blanchard would combine with Donnie Bickham this fall. "We had been assured by Dr. Dawkins himself that it would be years before any of this would happen and here it is coming next school year."

The proposal also calls for:

· Initiatives to make sure all students will read on grade level by the end of second grade. The district looked into more stringent reading work, workshops and moving reading interventionists and specialists to lower grade levels to build reading skills from the lower levels up.

· Increased graduation rates, college and job readiness through technical programs beginning at the middle school level and more remediation programs.

· Eliminate inefficiencies in support services through central office reorganization and consolidation of duplicate functions.

· Recommend changes in board policies to directly impact district's efforts to improve effectiveness and efficiency in academics and operations.

· The district seek unitary status from its 1983 consent decree. Unitary status would put an end to direct federal court oversight of the schools.

· Piloting of foreign language exploration classes to have students prepared to communicate in an ever-changing business world.