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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Richard Fudoli ~ Musician ~ BHS '54

Mitch playing at our cemetery.

"It's purely about the art. I'm not looking for recognition. It just seemed to me a nice place to play and close to my home," Fudoli said. "People know I'm up there for a reason. They hear it in the air. It's a gift, and I'm trying to give it back."

from: The Butler Eagle

From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Sunday, November 08, 2009

BHS Football Results ~ 2009


BHS 14 [L] - New Castle 20
BHS 21 [L] - Norwin 24
BHS 21 [L] - Penn Hills 31
BHS 00 [L] - Canon-McMillan 31
BHS 14 [L] - Shaler 29
BHS 06 [L] - Pine-Richland 28
BHS 06 [L] - North Hills 37
BHS 00 [L] - North Allegheny 44
BHS 17 [L] - Seneca Valley 35

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Silent Heroes Among Us ~

 by
the Senior English Students of Butler High School
Edited by James Clements
1996


From the Butler Eagle: James Clements was an English teacher who assigned students to write stories of Butler and its heroes Sunday, August 28, 2005 By Alisha Hipwell After nearly 30 years as an English teacher, James C. Clements grew bored with the traditional term paper assignment. So the Butler Area High School teacher devised a more meaningful way to challenge students in his advanced placement English class: He had them write a book. "He decided to have the students research stories he had heard about the Butler area," said his wife, Charlotte Clements. Under his direction, Mr. Clements' students researched, wrote and published "Builders Dreamers Scandals Schemers" and "Favorite Sons and Sons of Guns," two books about historical incidents in Butler County. Mr. Clements also initiated and edited a third book written by his senior students at Butler Area High School, "Silent Heroes Among Us," which won a National Freedom Foundation Award in 1997. Mr. Clements, of Slippery Rock Township, died of a heart attack Aug. 19 in Butler Memorial Hospital. He was 61. The inspiration for the third book came from Mr. Clements' neighbor, World War II veteran Ralph "Hap" Nicholas. Nicholas recalled that as he and Mr. Clements sat and chatted one afternoon, the conversation turned to Nicholas' experiences as a B-24 navigator. Nicholas flew 20 missions over Germany. "When I finished, Jim said, 'Well, there you have it. You became 20 years old again while you talked. My students can write your story,'" Nicholas said. And they did. Mr. Clements dispatched his students to interview local veterans of the Eighth Air Force and record their exploits. "The veterans told the students things they hadn't told their wives and children," Mr. Clements' wife recalled. The stories became the book, "Silent Heroes Among Us." "I think it's an extraordinary series of dissertations on what we did during World War II," Nicholas said. Mr. Clements received a grant from the Golden Tornado Foundation to fund his students' book projects. Proceeds from the sale of the books went back into the foundation. Mr. Clements retired from teaching shortly after "Silent Heroes Among Us" was published, but he promptly took on another book project with his father-in-law, the late William Robert Brandberg. Using Brandberg's collection of vintage postcards, Mr. Clements wrote "Lost Butler," a book that told the story of the area's vanishing past. Mr. Clements was a graduate of Butler Area High School and received a bachelor's degree in English from Thiel College and a master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He taught briefly at Brentwood High School, then taught English for 32 years at Butler Area High School. Mr. Clements was a movie buff who worked for 10 years as a projectionist and manager at the now defunct Plaza Theatre in Butler. "If anyone wanted to know a piece of movie trivia, Jim was the one to ask," his wife said. He also was a talented speaker and storyteller who had engagements with a number of community organizations. He particularly enjoyed telling ghost stories and was scheduled to tell Halloween tales for the city of Butler this year. In recent years, Mr. Clements was active in Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumni Association at Thiel College. He served in numerous positions in the organization and had recently received its Outstanding Alumni Award.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Karl Probst ~ Designer of the Jeep

Karl Probst [center] was rightly called the "Father of the Jeep" and thanks to him Butler was duly given the celebrated nickname "Home of the Jeep". Probst designed the vehicle in just 18 hours in 1940, and it took our Bantam company 49 days to make the original, which was cloned for use by the U.S. Army     
Thanks: Barbara Bloom
                                                                        

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Joan Chandler ~ Actress ~ BHS '40

† 1979
The actress Joan [Cheeseman] Chandler was born 24 August 1923 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Lived on McKean Street across from the library. She starred in such movies as Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948) and Humoresque (1946).


Thursday, August 27, 2009

Sunday, August 23, 2009

J.F.Kennedy ~ Natili's Restaurant

On Wayne Street at the corner of Main. This photograph hangs in Natili's restaurant.
Photo: Mary B. Gordon

Friday, August 21, 2009

Hey, That's Our Horse! ~

Guarding the gateways in South Coast Plaza in Orange County, California, and mounted on the entrance signs, are eight hand-carved wooden horses. These animals were made for the Alameda Park carousel in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 1855, and were procured from a couple who had purchased the carousel and brought it from Pennsylvania to California. They had refurbished and erected the carousel and original melodian for the enjoyment of the neighborhood children, for whom the carousel operated on the weekends.
from: The OC Register

Monday, August 17, 2009

Sheriff's Race is On ~ The Candidates

Sheriff Denny Rickard [served 30 years]

[L] Michael Slupe BHS '82
[R] Roland Livermore BHS '89





Monday, August 03, 2009

Sgt. Major Abie Abraham ~

 Congratulations to you
Abie and Christine
on your
Wedding Day

August 3, 2009
Photo: Butler Eagle

BHS '89 Class Reunion ~

BHS Class of '89
20 year reunion
Saturday November 28, 2009
6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
The Grand Ballroom at Cornerstone Commons
South Main St. Butler, Pa.

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Saturday, July 04, 2009

Penn Theater Lineup ~ 1941

The line of kids waiting to get in to see an early full length feature cartoon, "Mr. Bug Goes To Town" and "Pardon My Stripes." Then attend the Armco Steel Kid's Christmas Party held between films.  
Thanks: Beau Olsen

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Medal of Honor ~

The Medal of Honor was conferred on a Butlerite, John Donaldson: Sergeant, Company L of the 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia on 9 May 1865.
He captured the flag of the 4th Virginia Cavalry (C.S.A.).

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

William Lehnerd ~ "Uncle Bill" ~ Teacher ~ BHS '48

+ May 27, 2009
We have lost a beloved dramatics teacher and friend.


Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Brig. Gen. Peter J. Talleri ~ BHS '75

From July 2006-June 2008 Brigadier General Peter J. Talleri of Butler, Pa. commanded 3d Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan. In June of 2008, General Talleri reported to the Defense Logistics Agency for duty where he presently serves as Commander, Defense Distribution Center.

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Second Presbyterian Church ~

Just off the Diamond facing the Court House.
Impressive Butler architecture.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Jamie Green ~ Butler's PGA Golfer

Jamie Green has been named the head men’s golf coach at Duke University.

Monday, April 13, 2009

East Penn Street Kids ~ Early 1900s



Some of the children:Anna Martin, Dale Martin, Ida Benson, Mabel Cunningham, Marie Garber, Pearl Sanders, Nina Martin, Viola Sanders, William Clyde Sanders, Leo Mohan, Ted Coulter, Clyde Bayers, Tom Ford, Arthur Snow, Howard Minehart, Jim Anderson, Leo Dugan, Merle O'Brien, Merle Wise, Merv Stone, Mary Broggdhead.

[Photo taken by: Walter Ammon][Photo thanks: Richard Sanders]


Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Butler Car Show ~ 2008

Looking up Main Street, standing in front of WISR.
Photo: Robert Emigh

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Mary Hulton Phillips ~ Butler's Philanthropist

She gave us the 
Meridon Museum 
 . . .  and shared with us the beauty she loved.
† January 19, 2009