Newsletter

May-Jun. 2011 - #144

May-Jun. 2011 / Alumni Newsletter

Newsletter Highlights by Carolyn Magee:

First things first:   Our Reunion at Jacksonville / Directions to the Crowne Plaza hotel are at the bottom of PAGE 9. They come directly from the hotel's web-site.    You may want to check out other maps for directions.   I checked with Beth while we were at the picnic, and she said the directions look okay.   Again, reunion registration is on page 7, and will appear in the next 2 newsletters.   If registrations come in, I may have names of some of those who will attend in the July/August newsletter -- This from Beth 4/16 "there was a small article in this morning's paper that they are starting water taxi service beginning today at 10:00 AM for the Riverside Arts Market, running between Friendship Fountain park (on the east side of the river same as hotel I think) and the new city dock near the Fuller Warren Bridge where the market is located (under it.) It will run service every Sat. the market is open from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Fee is $3 per trip per person."   Something to think about on free Sat. afternoon.    Hotel information   Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront   1201 Riverfront Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207   For reservations call: 904-398-8800 x 4027 (Special Group Room Rates for VP8 Alumni & Guests) a. $89+tax for Std. Sunset View Room   b. $99+tax   for Riverview   c. $139+tax River View Jr. Suites    A   block of rooms has been reserved at the above rates and can be available up to 3 days before and or after the reunion. website: www.cpjacksonville.com   Cut off date for   the hotel is Sept. 26, 2011.

     FLORIDA picnic /  For awhile there, it looked as if only the Perrys, their daughter Angela, and the Magees would show up, but eventually a few more came in:   Tom Soyke, Ed Helzel, Ray & Sue Ceynowa (he looked great), Ed & Carol Barski, and Rodney & Lola Chapman.   The food was tasty and plentiful as usual, but we missed the rest of you Floridians who could have made it.   Unfortunately, we did not get there early enough to get the pavilion, so it got pretty hot out in the sun.   I think the temp. was about 86.   No raccoons showed up, but we did have one squirrel who really liked the Texas Roadhouse peanuts that the Magees brought. Sorry, no group picture because we couldn't round everybody up--some wandered off! I do hope the turnout was not an indication of how many will be at the REUNION! in Jacksonville.  

nSPRING has sprung or is it summer   I'm never sure in the South when one season ends and another begins.   Just when I thought that winter was over, we had two unusually chilly mornings   --40 and about 38.   I know that sounds warm for you northerners, but for us it was cold, especially after some days around 80 and a need to run the air.   In the morning it's heat; in the afternoon it's air. Then we have those wonderful spring storms that bring tornado warnings.     I jump every time there is an alert on the weather radio.   Had a couple of them already at the end of March and all through April. Frank's brother lost a few shingles and tree tops but thankfully, that was it.   We have spent hours in our basement   and were without electricity for about 4 hrs.--pine tree limbs tend to break easily.   Anyway, I finally put away my winter clothes that were piled on a chair, and I braved the humidity and mosquitoes to clean out the flower beds and start planting a few new things.   Frank has a nice big garden (not again!--he never pares it down).   I sure hope our tomato crop is better than it was last year.   He also is busy cutting grass--a never ending job.   As I have said before, come visit us.   We have plenty of food to go around. (No tornado here on April 15-16!!! Hoping they are over with.)

Check out this website. "This is an interesting site ---you can pull up all deployments for a squadron. Thought the VP group might like to take a look." Chad Ervin sent it. I checked it out and it is interestig.      Does not cover present day for VP8 however.http://www.gonavy.jp/VP_Deployf.h

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New Alumni RostersAvaliable!

New Alumni Rosters Avaliable!

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Complete up-dated 2009 roster is $8 if it is picked up and $13 if mailed

If you have a loose leaf roster with 2006 as the date, all you have to do is order the up-dated insert which is $4.50 mailed or $2 picked up.

Order by sending a check made out to VP8 Alumni Assn. to Don Rickel, 33 Bridge St., Topsham, ME 04086. When he receives the check, he will let your roster editor know, and it will be mailed out as soon as possible

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The new roster is loose leaf, so as you get changes from each newsletter. I suggest that you put a piece of notebook paper in the roster section and keep up with the changes as they come out--until a new roster is published.

The new roster is very different as it is divided into Sections.

SECTION ONE contains TAPS, the origin of the association, a list of reunions, the actual roster with an index, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and a map showing how many people we have listed from each state.

SECTION TWO contains the history of VP-8 along with lists of Commanding Officers.

SECTION THREE contains other interesting and important documents.