Connecting the Dots

In this edition of Connecting the Dots, we are going to take you for a fast ride.  For many of us we can remember back to that one special car that stole your heart, and still holds a special place in our memories. For me, it was the Red Rocket: a 1975 Chevy Nova 350 4 barrel, candy apple red. Oh, how I miss that car.  But for some of you out there, you still have the car of your dreams.  It amazes me how Rockets are out there driving Corvettes! I can remember my first ride in a Corvette. My classmate Jeff Gardner bought a 1982 Stingray - what a great year! It has been fun going for rides in that car, on those perfect weather nights. I have also seen Lennie Blasing and Bill Reeves from '66 out driving their Vettes, I least I think it was Bill. He was going a little fast.
 
In this edition of Connecting the Dots, we meet a Rocket family who has taken their love of Corvettes and turned it into a successful business. Steve Hack '68 and his son Mike '96 are the owners of Eastern Corvettes in Amelia.  Mike and Steve invited me out to their shop this month for a look around and to hear some great stories.  I had already met Steve at the Class of '68 and Class of '18 luncheon, and then again at his 50th reunion this past year. I soon found out there is nothing like looking at beautiful cars and drinking milk shakes together to really get to know someone.  Steve is not only a guru with Corvettes, but he also masters the milk shake machine in the shop.  I had to try both the vanilla, and chocolate.  I passed on the strawberry as I am trying to watch my weight. 
 
Steve didn't start out in life with this Corvette passion. His first passion was bowling.  And for many a Rocket, you started your bowling career at Mt. Washington Bowling Lanes.  Steve's family owned the bowling alley, and he even remembers meeting with Mr. Bogenshutz to tell him he was going to be a professional bowler when he grew up. Steve went to college for electronics, but the bowling lanes kept calling him back.  Eventually, he bought the lanes from his parents, and he was living his dream.  However, as part of the deal, he was able to buy his first Corvette, and those dreams started changing. He loved working on his car and was soon wrenching on the Vettes of his friends.  He would open the lanes in the morning, work on Corvettes in the afternoon, and then back to the lanes in the evenings.  In the early 80's Steve noticed bowling was on the way out and decided to sell his bowling alley to start Eastern Corvettes.
 
Ever since he was little, Mike grew up with great looking Corvettes around the house, and at a very early age was always willing to help his dad out. Steve admitted with a certain pride, that Mike is way further along at his age than Steve ever was. Mike has been back to McNick as a speaker on career day. He talked about how they turned their garage hobby into a well-known business in the Corvette restoration world. Both are highly-ranked judges in the national car show circuits. Steve said nothing leaves their shop unless it will score at least a 99 out of 100 in the certification show circuits. Both take great pride in their work, but also in how they treat customers more like family.  Steve explained that this is a long-term relationship.  Full restorations take 12-18 months to complete and start at $100,000.  They want their customers to know that the car means as much to Eastern Corvettes as it does to their owners.  Their restorations have been displayed at shows and museums throughout the US and shipped as far as Australia and London.
 
Most dads play cars with their kids when they are young. Some never stop.  Steve drives a 1964 Corvette and Mike a 2010, and both are looking for another, always.  After owning over 50 Corvettes, this father son duo is always just one Corvette away from being satisfied.
 
Mike now runs the show, along with his mom, Gabrae. She runs the office and the books, and even handles the upholstery work.  Mike's wife Sarah is always lending a hand and will eventually handle the office work. And Steve? Well,  Steve still puts in a couple of hours a week and makes sure the milk shakes keep flowing for all of the guests. 

Homecoming Weekend is coming up

We would love to see you back on campus the weekend of Sept. 20 and 21. 

On Friday night Sept. 20 under the lights, the Rockets will be taking on Purcell Marian at 7 p.m. at the Penn.  You can join other Rocket fans by the Rocket Pavilion in the Paradise parking lot for tailgating beginning at 5 p.m.  Plenty of food will be available with the LaRosa's Food Truck, Kona Ice, and the best grill in the land at the McNick concession stand located inside the stadium. The Ford Hall of Fame Tailgate 4 UR Team will be at Penn Station Stadium before the Homecoming game. Come see the latest Ford F-150 from Mike Castrucci Ford and play some games under the Ford tailgating tent on the stadium plaza. Special appearance by a surprise Bengals celebrity!


Also this year, the Athletic Boosters are holding a  Golf Ball Grab.  Buy your $10 chance to win the Golf Ball Grab and y ou could win $700, $200, or $100 if your number is chosen. There are only 300 chances available, so buy yours today.
Funds raised go to the McNick Athletic Boosters to help fund our athletic teams needs. 
Click here to purchase chances.


On Saturday, September 21, the  Boosters will once again be hosting the annual golf outing at Legendary Run Golf Course.  Registration, lunch, and driving range open at 11:30 a.m. A shotgun start will begin at 1:30 p.m.  Dinner, awards, and auction begin at 6 p.m.  Cost of this event is $125. Please contact Susan Rohlfs at 513-231-3500 x 5142 for more information. 

To print off a registration form click here.

To pay register and pay online click here


Call your friends and come up for the fun all weekend long. 

ROCKETOBERFEST - A Rocket version of Oktoberfest

Please mark your calendar now and plan on joining us for the first ever Rocketoberfest from 4 - 9 p.m. in the Courtyard on October 5. We will have a variety of local craft brewers represented with many of their beer flavors available to sample such as: 
PARADISE -  Blueberry Kolsch; Leaping Liederhosen light bach beer, and Red Headed Step Child Irish red. 
BIG ASH - Mulligan American lager, Barley Blonde ale , and Dunkel Dark Lite. DEADLOW - T.B.D.  
FIFTY WEST - Doom Pedal white ale, American Lager, Main Street amber ale. 
BRAXTON - Dry Hop pilsner, Haven hefeweizen
MT CARMEL - Take Home IPA, Harvest ale
BRINK -  Debbie Jean Blond Ale, Moozie Milk Stout, Hold The Reins English Mild. 
Food trucks, brats, metts, soft pretzels and polka music a-plenty will also be present. For the non-beer drinkers wine, soft drinks and water will also be available. The price for admission is $20 and includes admission, one 14 oz. pour, and 4 - 4 oz tastings. There will also be a VIP ticket for $30 which includes, plus 2 additional tastings, access to the event an hour early for VIP members only, and a lounge area inside the school. So break out that lederhosen and get ready to party.  To purchase tickets please click here

Rocket trip to Keeneland

The McNicholas Alumni Association is hosting the fifth annual bus trip to Keeneland. The trip will take place on Saturday, October 19. 
The bus will leave McNicholas at 9:00 a.m. and return after the last race.  The cost for this event is only $45 per person, or $60 if you want a seat in the grandstand. This package includes the bus ride to and from Lexington, tickets to the races, light appetizers, and beverages for the ride!  Once there, we will set up a tailgate area as well.  

This year I have reserved 2 buses, and have ordered 100 tickets. So clear your calendars, and start talking it up with your friends.  For tickets you can either send in a check to McNicholas High School Attn:  Shawn Young 6536 Beechmont Ave. 45230 or you can pay online by clicking here.


McNicholas will host its first Craft Fair on Nov. 9

Calling all alumni who love shopping for crafts! Please save Saturday, November 9, for the first McNicholas Craft fair. We have nearly 40 crafters who will bring in their handiwork for you to buy.    These handmade/handcrafted items will make great and very unique Christmas presents. No vendors will be present. We will have food and drinks available for you to purchase so that you can spend the entire morning and afternoon with us. The craft fair will be located in the CafĂ© and Student Union. The craft fair will open at 9 a.m. and last until 3 p.m. Plenty of parking will be available. There is no charge to attend this event. We will also be having raffles, so that you might have a chance to win some of the items from the crafters. At this point 13, of our crafters are graduates who range from the Class of '59 all the way up to the Class of '08. The crafts will range from McN bags, all the way to pickles and fudge. There is something for everyone!

If you are interested in having a booth at our craft fair, or if you have any questions, please contact Sister Judi Keehnen. In your message please include your name, year of graduation (if applicable) and the craft/s you will be selling. Booth registration closes on Nov. 1.

To reserve a space on line - Click here.

Alumni can help with the McNicholas open house.


Help us spread the word about our Open House for prospective families! We are looking for strategic spots to place yard signs. If you live or have a business located in a highly visible traffic area and are willing to help us promote our Open House, please contact our Director of Admissions, Christina Mullis at  cmullis@mcnhs.org . We can arrange a sign drop off. We appreciate your help in recruiting Future Rockets!
Make a difference, and join the McNicholas High School "Explore" Program.

We're looking for alumni speakers/volunteers, to visit with students in the classroom, to share and provide real-world, or hands-on learning experiences, including career advice, skills or passion/hobbies.
The "Explore" sessions are scheduled on Thursdays, on the following dates:

October 3
November 7 
December 5
January 9, 16, 23
February 6, 13, 20
March 5, 26
April 2, 23
May 7
All sessions begin at 1:15 p.m. and end at 2:10 p.m
For more information, please contact Patti Benigni Dold '71, at padold@aol.com .

Recognition tiles

Tile Wall

Honor a graduate, teacher, parent, or other loyal Rocket with a commemorative tile. The tiles are permanently installed in the main hallway and are available in white ($100), yellow ($150), and green ($250). The deadline for this years order is December 31.
 
Family and friends looking for a meaningful and beneficial way to honor their graduate can click here or call Shawn Young, Manager of Alumni Relations and Special Events, at 231-3500 x5850.

You can also go online,  click here, and print off the form.


Rocket Service Corner - S potlight on alumni making a difference

This is a new feature for the newsletter, and it is one that I hope catches on, and that you find helpful.  Many people contact me about publicizing about service/ fundraising opportunities that would be interesting to our alumni community.  We would like to focus on service that you and your Rocket friends have done, or help support you in your effort to spread the word about an upcoming event to the Rocket alumni community. You can send in your request for help, or your story to Bridget Kahermanes '66 prior to the first of the month.  Bridget is the chair of the alumni service committee. 


Selfies with Santa at the homecoming game on September 20th

Little known fact: Santa loves to summer south (way south) of the North Pole. A few months of sunshine, palm trees, the beach, golf, golf and more golf, rejuvenates his jolly old soul. He has enjoyed his summer break and is now heading back up north to prepare for his busy season. Along the way, he is making a stop here at McNick to meet with the St. Nick crew to help plan and kick off our 3rd annual St. Nick at McNick fund raising project to gift those in need at Christmas. Since he has a little extra time, he will be staying over and is looking forward attending McNick's homecoming game.
McNick would love for alumni to come home for the homecoming game. If you do, keep your eyes peeled for Santa. He would love to say hello and maybe share a cookie or two to thank you for all the ones you left for him years ago. He will be available for pictures, so come and take a selfie with Santa. Our guess is that many of you have pictures of your kids and grand kids with Santa, but do they have one of you with the grand old man?
We will be sharing more information about St. Nick at McNick in the next few newsletters. If you would like to make a donation to St. Nick at McNick, click here

Calling all crocheters to help r e-purpose those pesky plastic shopping bags
 
This month's  Spotlight on Making a Difference could involve you. Our St.Nick at McNick crew is spearheading an additional Alumni project and they would love for some of you to lend a hand.
 
The project will be called Mats for the Homeless. We will be making 3' X 6' mats out of plastic bags. The mats will be crocheted and their purpose is to provide a barrier between the wet, cold ground and a person's blankets/bedding. We will be giving the mats to the Free Store, for the homeless they serve, and Matthew 25: Ministries, to be used in their disaster relief efforts.
There are a few different ways you can help...
 
The easiest way, is to save plastic bags...the ones stores pack your purchases in at checkout, at places like Kroger, Target, Walmart, etc. We are told it takes between 500 and 700 bags per mat so we will need a lot of them. If you live in the area, soon McNick will have a drop off bench located on the front porch of the Convent. Ask your friends and families to save bags for you. We are finding people are happy to save them and feel good that they are being re-purposed for a good cause.
 
As we collect the bags, we will need people to cut the bags into strips and string them together to make the balls of 'plarn' (plastic yarn). Some of the student groups will be helping with this...but we will need more helpers. We will have how-to instructions available but will also schedule plarn-making sessions so we can gab and have a glass of wine or two while we work.
 
After we have enough balls of plarn, we will need people willing to crochet the mats. If you can crochet a very basic stitch, we believe you could crochet a mat. We will have how-to instructions and also a how-to meeting with some experienced crocheters to help us get started.
 
Mats for the Homeless uses those pesky bags that clog the landfills and turns them into something useful that can keep a person dryer and a little more comfortable on a cold, wet night. It is also a no-pressure-type project. While we would like to produce a lot of mats, there is no hard quota we have to hit and there is also no deadline we have to make. Some people might be able to whip out a mat in a week. For others, it might take a month or two. You might have more time in the winter than you do in summer. The bottom line is, that the need for these mats is always there. As we get them, we will deliver them. Whatever time you can spend on the project, will be appreciated.
 
So....are you willing to help? If you are, please email Bridget at bkshome1@aol.com and let her know what you would like to do. Will you...save bags?...cut and string the bags to make the plarn?...crochet the mats?
 
If you live out of town and would like to be involved, we can send you instructions. Perhaps you and some friends can make a few mats and donate them to a shelter or agency in your area.


Alumni Updates


Any news?
Do you have news to share? Let us know what you've been doing since graduation! Update your information by completing our alumni update form on the McNicholas webpage or call the Alumni Office at 513.231.3500. ext. 5850

Sr. Mary Urban Aranyos '47, Sr. Judi Keehnen '59, Sr. Ruth Kettman '59, and Sr. Mary Ann Sullivan; A Mass was held on Sunday, September 8, at Guardian Angels for their Jubilee celebration.  Sr. Urban - seventy years as a Sister of Saint Joseph; Sr. Judi and Sr. Ruth- sixty years as Sisters of Saint Joseph; and Sr. Mary Ann - for fifty-five years as a Sister of Saint Joseph.  Congratulations, and thank you for a life of service.

Thomas Weiss '68 has been married to Sandy for 45 years! They are parents to three fine sons and have three grandchildren!

Paul Wilkin '83 will graduate in December 2019 with a Master of Divinity (MDiv). He was ordained June 23, 2019, Mother of Good Counsel, Milwaukee Wisconsin. Paul is now a Roman Catholic Priest, with the Religious Order - Salvatorians; the Society of the Divine Savior, US Province.

Jason Helmes '99  started his career in education in the Metro Detroit area and worked as a middle school teacher for 12 years. In 2013, he started a business helping people get into better shape using strength training and proper eating habits. In 2016, he quit his job teaching and now does this full time. He can deliver materials virtually via the internet and has clients from all over the world. His website is anymanfitness.com, and many clients are former McNicholas graduates.
In Memoriam

This list is generated from local obituaries and information received from the family and friends of our alumni and current students. Please contact the alumni office  if there is incorrect or missing information. 

Alumni

Mike C. Gunning '62; Brother of Jerry '64, and Jayne Gunning Walker '67.

Beth Kelly Burridge '70; Mother of Daniel '02 , James '00, Sister of Marilee Kelly Giebel '67, Doreen Kelly '69, Therese Kelly Asbury '73.



Distinguished Family and Friends

Earl D. Arnold; Father of Teri Arnold Mundy '67, Judy Arnold Reitenbach '68, Earl '74, and Tim '77.

William E. Davin; Father of Suzanne Davin Thackston '69, William '71, Mary Ann Davin Bryant '77, Rose Ann Davin Crooker '80, and Richard (attended). 

Marilyn A. Fanning; Mother of Deborah Fanning Behrends '72, Patricia Fanning Broshar '77, and Mother-in-law of John Broshar '73. 

Albert W. Hay; Father of  Fr. W. Michael '74, Jim '77, Paul '80, Father-in-law of Connie Knight Hay '79 Brother of the late  Mary Jo Hay Conners-Nash '54, Tom '60, and brother-in-law of Mary Weigle Hay '62, Grandfather of  Adam '05, Aaron '06, Alex '10, Andrew '14 and Abby Hay '17.

Georgena Knight ; Mother of Steve '75, Connie '79, Tina '82, Mother-in-law of Jim Hay '77, Grandmother of Adam '05, Aaron '06, Alex '10, Andrew '14 and Abby Hay '17.

Mary A. Palmer; Wife of late Fred Palmer '61, Mother of Wesley '89, Kevin '90, Luke '00 and the late Jonathan '93.

Francis X. Paulin Jr.; Father of Diane Paulin Fisher '84, Janet Paulin Jansen '87, Brother of Joe '63, Jim '65, Renee Paulin Deis '67, Claire Paulin Edgell '69, and Mary '80. 



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