Saturday - - still remembering

Early morning darkness is just now passing 4:32 a.m. as Earth turns into a new day at 7H. FuroForty this morning, ride to Bonifay this afternoon, Kristen driving. We trade off on which car we go in, Linda's or Kristen's and Tuesday we went in Linda's, so Kristen's car today. My car's a/c is not working properly but it's scheduled into Bay Town for Thursday, so expect it to take its rightful place in queue this Time next week.

Are we pampered? When I was a boy there was no such thing as car air conditioning and all was well, and all was well, and all manner of things were well. No power brakes or power steering either, and automatic transmissions were a promise, Hydramatic for Oldsmobile and Fluid Drive for Chrysler. 

Wandering again, Bubba.

Great pictures from Mike McKenzie this week. In that shot of Mattie's Tavern at Beck and 12th in St Andrews, the car is a Chevrolet two-door sedan, of year model 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, or 1948. 

In this case, the key identifier is the taillights.

The 1940 Chevy had the same body style but different taillights, and the 1949 Chevy was all new and, I remember, beautiful not only for its Time, 

but still today in my eyes.

What we "know" evolves over Time, doesn't it - - I recall knowing that the 1948 Buick

was the ultimate, and wondering how in the world car designers and car manufacturers could possibly improve beyond this.

More wandering.

The pictures that Mike McKenzie sent me also included extracts from the class of 1939 Pelican, the Bay High annual, including pages with faculty photographs. Our bandmaster, R Orin Whitley, was in his first or second year on faculty there. Also on that page are Marjorie Fay, who taught senior year English my years at Bay High; and Isabel Grant, whom I didn't have as a teacher but with husband Harry I knew as parishioners at St Andrews Episcopal Church.

Faculty pages also included Miss Violet Hayward, who a couple of years later had moved to Cove School, and was my first grade teacher. 

My memory of her, as a southern boy, I thought her name was Miss Haywood, is of the first day of school: she held out a yardstick and had me kick at it, and the fact that I kicked with my right foot established that I was right-handed. On that page is also our Spanish teacher, who later married and in my Time at Bay High was the very popular teacher Jane Bailey Clothier.

And of course, Tommy Oliver, coach for whom the stadium is named. Clipping about Coach Oliver, who in his Time was known as Bay County's All American Boy. The news of his death must have astounded Bay County with sadness and grief:

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In his high school years at Bay High School Oliver lettered all four years from 1925 to 1928 in Football, Basketball and Baseball.

He went on to become the first county Football player to earn a scholarship to the University of Florida.

After spending one year in Gainesville, Oliver moved back to Panama City before heading up to Catholic University in Washington D.C. where he finished his college years as a Cardinal punter.

In 1934 against Western Maryland, Oliver hit a punt of 84 yards, a school record. 

Childhood friend Ellis Fowhand, who was younger than Oliver, said Tommy's athletic dominance was unparallel. "Tommy was very athletic in all phases of sports and of course I respected him for that" 

Oliver went on to sign two Professional Football contracts in the 1930's one with the Brooklyn Tigers and the other with the Washington Presidents. 

He returned to Bay county in the late 30's where he coached Bay High's Football and Basketball teams from 1939 - 1940.

He joined the military in the 40's. Just before the war ended on June 5th, 1945 Oliver was killed in Okinawa, Japan trying to aid a fellow soldier.

Tommy Oliver's memory and legacy will always be remembered here in Bay County. 

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Finally, below, news that the Archbishop of Canterbury has taken issue with the Archbishop of Uganda for his support of that nation's new draconian law condemning gay people to prison and death. 

Archbishop of Canterbury condemns Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ+ law, urges Uganda archbishop to drop support
By David Paulsen
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said in a written statement that he had contacted Uganda Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba to object to his Anglican province’s support for the country’s criminalization of homosexuality, which includes sentences of life in prison and execution for certain violations of the law.