Page 90 - some-stuff-i-wrote-and-some-stuff-i-didn't-(2011)-h-morris-williams

Some Stuff I Wrote (2001) H. Morris Williams

6
Some Memorial Stadium Firsts’
October 12,1993

Memorial Stadium ‘firsts’ ... The first game played in the brand new Memorial Stadium
back in 1949 was a 7-0 upset win over Tallahassee Leon High School. The CHS coach was Bill

Armstrong. The captains were Tommy Ives and Jesse Thomas (both CHS, 1950). The first
touchdown was scored by sophomore Gene Cox (CHS,1952) and first extra point was kicked by

Tommy Ramsey (CHS, 1950).
CHS fly-by. ... Tom Jeffords (CHS, 1941) was a happy-go-lucky guy who wanted to give

his alma mater something special to remember him by. So, when he graduated from Marine pilot
training school during World War II, he reportedly flew his war plane back to Lake City and buzzed

his old high school building. He really let it rip with a thunderous, low level, fly-by. But, he didn’t
get away with it. Music Teacher Ann Wilby - who caught a lot of young mischief-makers in her

time — ran outside, wrote down the plane’s ID numbers, and turned him in. Some said that Tom got
off lighter from the Marines than if Ann Wilby had handled the discipline
Alumni directory ... Did you graduate from CHS, Ft. White, Richardson, or Mason City?

Do you have an alumni roster of your classmates, even one that is incomplete or not current? If so,

please call 755-8183. We are trying to compile an “all-time” alumni directory and need your help.
The Schmoos, Moonbeam McSwine, et. al.... Remember those and other odd comic strip
characters who populated LiT Abner’s hometown of Dogpatch? Creator Al Capp once held a

nationwide contest inviting readers to create a character to add to his strip. Local artist Leyland
Smith’s drawing came in second place ... he drew the “ugliest man in the world.” Leyland’s

character was so wonderfully ugly that everybody here felt he should have won- and he remembers
getting more condolences for coming in second than he got congratulations for nearly winning.

Horticultural break-through. ... The late Dr. Joseph Crescimbini, former Director of
Instruction with our school system, liked to grow plants. One year, his coleus plant won a blue

ribbon and an award of merit from the Lake City Garden Club. When asked how he nurtured his
plant from a mere seven inches in height to a phenomenal two-feet-tall, three-feet-wide, Joe gave

this non-technical answer, “I dumped my pipe ashes on it every day.”

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