The Golden Bear Touchdown Club will honor the 2000 Upper Arlington High School State Championship football team on September 10,2010. This is the 10th anniversary for the state championship football team.

A reception for the 2000 team will be held insideMarv Moorehead Stadium near the main entrance from 6:00 to 7:15 pm. Each team member will be given 2 complimentary tickets to the game.

The 2000 team will form a tunnel as the Golden Bears take the field against Toronto Canada's Holy Trinity. A half-time ceremony will take place on the field to celebrate and acknowledge the team's accomplishments.

Please show your support and join the Golden Bear Touchdown Club !

Vicky Saker Woeste was always interested in history. She remembers first expressing her inner history geek in 8th grade, when she astonished her teachers and disgusted her classmates by doing book reports on impossibly long presidential biographies and remembering the five elements of the Compromise of 1850. After graduating from UAHS in 1979, she got a degree in history and American studies from the University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson, and a Ph.D. in Jurisprudence and Social Policy from the University of California at Berkeley, founded by an extinct sub-species of bear. While working on a dissertation involving the raisin industry, she found herself strangely drawn to Keith Woeste, a handsome plant scientist studying walnuts, and consented to the marriage of horticultural specialties in 1989. Upon finishing her education, Vicky did a short teaching stint at Amherst College and then joined the research faculty at the American Bar Foundation in Chicago, where she produced her first book, The Farmer’s Benevolent Trust (UNC Press, 1998; also available on amazon.com) and four children (Helen, 1995; Margaret and Joseph, 1998; and Phillip, 2000, all genetically destined to be nerd/geek types of some kind). The Farmer’s Benevolent Trust is a legal history of the Sun-Maid Growers of California (remember the dancing raisin commercials of the 1980s? same people). Long ago, in 1919, Sun-Maid threatened our nation’s economic stability by cornering the raisin market. But, thank goodness, our government knows what to do with efficient monopolies: it leaves them bloody well alone.

Vicky has just completed her second book, Henry Ford’s War: Law, Antisemitism, and Speech in the Tribal 1920s, which will be published by Stanford University Press (FEAR the TREE) sometime in the next year to 18 months. This book examines the 1927 libel lawsuit against Henry Ford and his newspaper, the Dearborn Independent, which carried on a multi-year war against Jews in its pages. The libel lawsuit flirted with the concept of what we call hate speech today but which law did not yet recognize. Due to Ford’s determination never to be called to testify in court and due to divisions among Jewish civil rights activists and lawyers about how to strategize when their own civic equality was at stake, the case ended in mistrial after a series of bizarre events engineered by Ford and his employees. Ford’s famous “apology” to the Jews enabled him to exit the litigation without being accountable to those he injured and, more lastingly, papered over his responsibility for a lasting contribution to antisemitic hate literature.

During the 2010-2011 academic year, Vicky will be visiting associate professor of law and American studies at Indiana University-Indianapolis, where she will teach American legal history and professional responsibility to law students and history of the First Amendment and Rural America in the 20th Century to undergraduates. Ok, so we’re not a Big-Ten school, but we are Division 1! Go Jags!

From Warren Osgood, Class of 1961:

I have posted previews of Video Photo Albums of UAHS 1960’s South Pacific, the 1960-61 UAHS Band Book and the 1985 UAHS Senior Concert Alumni Choirs Christmas Concert at the Ohio Center, now called Battelle Hall at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on VMF’s website. I am currently working on the 1961 Norwester Year Book, turning the entire year into a Video Photo Album on DVD’s. Should be finished sometime late fall or early winter for the Class of 1961’s 50-year class reunion next summer at this time.

To preview the two Video Photo Albums and the Alumni Choir Christmas Video please visit our website.

At the login form, use preview as the login and yenser51 as the password and click "login."

Once you're logged in, you'll see the buttons for UA Alum 1 (South Pacific VPA), UA Alum 2 (UAHS Band Book 60-61 VPA) and UA Alum 3 (UAHS Senior Concert Alumni Choir 1985 Christmas Concert). The previews run just under three & one-half minutes each.

You may have to download the latest version of Adobe’s Flash Player in order for the previews to run smoothly.

The Upper Arlington High School boy's golf team will hold its annual Bear Am golf outing Friday, July 23, at Cooks Creek Golf Club. The group, in scramble format, will tee off at 2:30. All alumni are invited.

Cost is $50 per person and includes golf and dinner. To register please email Jill Stines (you can call her at 614-481-3429) or email Bridget Watson (Bridget's phone is 614-538-8010).

Lisa Simon, class of 1980 and president and founder of Simon Public Relations Group, Inc., one of the Greater Philadelphia region’s premier boutique public relations agencies, was recently inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) Hall of Fame. PPRA, founded in 1945 and the leading association for public relations in the Greater Philadelphia area, annually recognizes one public relations professional who has brought esteem and recognition to both public relations and the broader community.

Simon was selected as 2010’s honoree due to her commitment to the region, her entrepreneurial spirit, and her dedication to advancing the public relations profession. Since founding Simon Public Relations Group, Inc. in 1990, Simon has built a thriving, award-winning agency with a client list that includes some of the region’s top names in business such as PNC, Shire Pharmaceuticals, and Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT). A prominent figure in the Philadelphia public relations community, Simon has contributed to a multitude of non-profits and has inspired many young professionals. She currently resides in Cherry Hill, NJ with her husband and three children and serves on the board of the Gershman Y, is a founding member of the eWomen Network, South Jersey chapter, and was the PTA President of James A. Johnson Elementary.

From the Upper Arlington Magazine:

Four generations of the Schmidt family have worn No. 34 on the Upper Arlington High School footbnall team. Geoff Schmidt (left) was a fullback and linebacker from 1966 - 1968 for Coach Marv Moorehead. He was part of the state championship teams in '67 and '68 and graduated in 1969. Sixteen-year-old Drew Karram (center), Geoff and Andrew Schmidt's nephew, in a junior running back on the 2009 team. He'll graduate in 2011. Andrew Schmidt (right) played for Coach Pete Corey from 1971 - 1973. The former all-state middle linebacker graduated in 1974. Max Schmidt (not pictured), Andrew Schmidt's son, played from 2004 - 2006 for current Coach Mike Golden. The former all-league tight end, who graduated in 2007, is currently a lacrosse player for the University of Maryland. Photo by Karen Miller.

Three UAHS alums, Tom O'Shaughnessy, Class of 1969, Scott LeFevre, Class of 1969, and Sterling LeFevre, Class of 1973, have formed a distribution company to cover the United States and Canade to distribute biodegradable, sugarcane disposable plates to substitute for styrofoam plates. Their warehouse is located at Rickenbacker, and they are beginning their marketing efforts right here in UA, at Huffman's Market. Look for the display of environmentally friendly products in the store.

From UA This Week: June 23, 2010:

"Three years ago you saw ladies bringing in — smart, astute, hippies-from-the-60s ladies — bringing in cloth grocery bags to the grocery store," O'Shaughnessy said. "All of a sudden, you see more people doing that, then all of a sudden you see stores selling cloth bags. I tell people, within five years, the words 'paper or plastic' will go the way of the rotary phone. You'll never hear those words again." That growing environmental consciousness has convinced O'Shaughnessy that there is a real business to be had in biodegradable consumer packaging, and he wants to be part of it. "I say I'm beating Styrofoam off the planet one plate at a time," he said.

Read the entire article here.

From the Columbus Dispatch, Sunday, June 13, 2010:

Jonathan Putnam just wanted to make people laugh. And, during 24 years with CATCO, the actor often did so.

"Performing was something I always wanted to do," said Putnam, 53. "There's nothing better than getting laughs onstage. It's my greatest joy."

Though best-known for comic performances, the Upper Arlington native has also played many dramatic roles - and served the theater offstage. He joined the company (originally called Contemporary American Theatre Company) as a full-time staff member in 1990 and became its associate artistic director in 2004. Putnam has been "extremely important" to the development of central Ohio's premier professional theater troupe, said founder and Artistic Director Geoffrey Nelson.

But the company's season finale, The Mystery of Irma Vep, through June 27, marks Putnam's farewell, at least as a staff member. In a cost-saving effort during the merger of CATCO and the Phoenix Theatre for Children, his position was cut. Putnam won't be on staff for the 2010-11 season.

Putnam's name and face have become virtually synonymous with CATCO for almost 2 decades via acting, directing and stage managing. He is also the recorded voice behind many of CATCO's humorous, pre-curtain show announcements. He has been a part of almost 100 productions, including major roles in The Pillowman, Seascape, Uncle Vanya, You're My Boy, All My Sons, The Homecoming, A Christmas Memory and Greater Tuna.

Read the entire article here.

Local resident and graduate of Upper Arlington High School ('02) and The Ohio State University ('06) LTjg Matthew A. Goetz, USN, recently returned from his work as Operations Officer aboard hospital ship USNS COMFORT in Port au Prince, Haiti. LTjg Goetz managed boat and helicopter medical evacuations, on-site field hospital assessment teams, patient/procedure tracking, International Non-Governmental Organization coordination, and continued logistical support for the ship's two months mission.

Following his transition into the Naval Reserve this summer, Matthew will attend the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, Massachusetts, working toward a Master of Education (Ed.M) in Secondary Education. His professional focus as a practitioner is redevelopment of international education infrastructure, with future work to include close ties to UN efforts in countries undergoing reconstruction.

Marti Trudeau, Class of 1972, has recently written a pre-chemistry book, Dmitri's Neighborhood, which is ideal for summer reading prior to taking a first chemistry class. Find out more about the book by visiting DmitrisNeighborhood.com.

The Upper Arlington Public Library, in conjunction with the Upper Arlington City Schools, has completed the enormous task of digitizing every page of every Norwester, going all the way back to 1923!

In addition to the yearbooks, the library also has digitized vintage Norwester magazines. This monthly publication served the Upper Arlington community from 1917 through 1922 as a resource for historical, cultural, architectural, and genealogical information. Now you can search these archives and read about and view photographs of Upper Arlington back in its formative years.

The UAArchives.org Web site is constantly evolving and will expand to include collections from the Upper Arlington Historical Society, as well as personal histories, letters and maps gathered from UA residents.

Joanie Dugger, '80, Executive Director of the UA Education Foundation and the UA Alumni Association, commented, "The Norwester projects the views and ideas of eighteen-year-olds from each year of UA Schools' long history, and through each yearbook's photos and commentary - even the advertisements - we see life as it was then, from a student perspective. It is the personal voice of the students for that year."

The Upper Arlington Library Staff has given us an invaluable gift in producing these archives, and at the Alumni Association, we hope that you will enjoy traveling back in time through these wonderful, beautiful old Norwesters, each of which presents an individual flavor of its era, and gives us the students' perspective on life during each year from 1923 to the present.

We recommend that you explore each button on the menu to the left, and read about how to use the archives to maximize your experience. We hope that you enjoy the UA Archives at UAArchives.org.

NOTE: Although ALL Norwesters have been scanned, the online collection goes up to 1999; the contract between the schools and the library provides that the most recent ten years of yearbooks will not be offered online. As a result, one new yearbook will be added per year. Currently, you can view yearbooks from 1923 through 1999 on UAAchives.org.

Visit the UAArchives.org Web site

THANK YOU to all our alums who support the Upper Arlington Alumni Association with their membership dues. We appreciate your interest in the organization and your contribution to the maintenance of our Web site, Bearalums.com. Your membership dues are the reason our site is FREE and AD-FREE!

Many of you have elected to become Life Members or Golden Bear Members, and we thank you for your generosity. Annual membership dues are $15, and as one alum recently pointed out, in just seventeen years of paying annual dues, a person has paid the equivalent of a Life Membership!

Making the one-time payment for the Life or Golden Bear Membership ensures that long after those seventeen years have passed, you will continue to receive every issue of Traditions and you'll be a member forever, without the necessity of paying additional dues!

We now offer Paypal to make paying your membership dues easier, faster, and very safe. See details!

Read more about the various levels of membership and please consider becoming a Life or Golden Bear Member like your fellow alums who have already chosen these levels. THANK YOU for your loyalty!!