We asked a popular Artificial Intelligence chatbot to examine TCHS Alumni News. Here is its report, as enhanced by several follow-up questions. (We’ve omitted the sources and footnotes.)

Request: Evaluate website https://tchsalumni.org in terms of content and style.

Answer: Okay, I can evaluate the website https://tchsalumni.org based on the provided information, focusing on content and style. Since I only have a small excerpt, I'll make some general observations.

Read on!

Temple City was a leader in special education in the 1950s, far ahead of its time. The article makes clear that community support made the whole enterprise possible. Other nearby districts gradually established parallel programs specialized for other forms of full or partial disability. I’ve always been proud to be from a place that exemplified the best in diversity, equity and inclusiveness.

The rest of the story

The Eaton Fire east of what one might now call the Former Altadena is north of Temple City. The western boundary of the TC Unified school district is Eaton Wash. Following the Wash (or Rosemead Blvd.) north onto New York Dr. and on into the foothills takes one to the Eaton Canyon Trail, the north end of which borders Altadena on the east. The distance is about three miles from Huntington Dr.

The adjacent map indicates the location of TCHS and the "Big Hole" — known to 50s kids as the place your mother told you never to go — which has been converted in recent decades into an enclosed impoundment. The Wash was a more interesting place when it was a wild stream, trust me. —RC

UPDATE 14 Jan 2024 — Numerous alumni have written to say they're OK, though some were affected by the need to leave their homes temporarily. You can sign in and report your status in your profile, or comment below this article.

The community of Altadena has been almost completely destroyed by the Eaton Fire, based on images shown on national TV networks today. We've annotated the scene with street names for reference. Hundreds if not thousands of homes and other structures have been destroyed or continue burning, according to various sources.

All persons are advised to avoid the area along with adjacent portions of Pasadena, Sierra Madre and La Cañada-Flintridge.

Temple City High School is closed today until further notice along with most other schools in the foothills west of Duarte.

Map location labels approximate. Screen shot from CNN.

It is with no little sadness that I report the passing of Roger Lockie, who was a founding faculty member of Temple City High School and a long-time teacher, principally of music and director of the TCHS choral program. Lockie also served as a baseball coach at the school for several seasons.

Lockie was known as a guiding force in the reorganization of the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium, along with several of his former students.

He is survived by his wife Barbara, daughter Becky Lockie French, twin sons Roger & Randy Lockie. Preceded in death by one grandson. Other grandchildren include Lauren French Eden, Katie French, Jessica Parker and others (to be updated as we receive information).

A celebration of life will be held at 2:00pm on January 26 at First Baptist Church in Temple City. The community is invited.

Readers are invited to share photographs (JPEG < 1 Mbyte) and stories with the editor.
—RC

Photos and stories

We asked an AI program to analyze our site. Here is the result. You may add your own comment below; what are we missing?

We asked: "examine tchsalumni.org for content and style; comment on both"

The virtual reviewer responded:

The TCHS Alumni website (tchsalumni.org) offers a comprehensive and community-focused platform tailored for Temple City High School alumni. Its content is highly participatory, featuring class updates, reunion announcements, personal messages from alumni, and opportunities for networking through directories and forums. The tone is friendly and nostalgic, fostering a sense of connection and shared history.

Key features include:
The website’s style is straightforward and practical, using conversational language peppered with light humor to maintain reader engagement. While the design is functional, it could feel slightly dated compared to modern web standards, but this simplicity might appeal to its target audience of older alumni.

Overall, TCHSAlumni.org successfully blends utility and sentimentality, making it a valuable resource for maintaining alumni ties and celebrating shared experiences.

Sharon Pattison Stuewe has shared a remembrance of lost classmates as displayed at a recent reunion.

Click the image to enlarge; click again to maximize. For the original full size version click the following link. (From the home page preview first click the title.)

Full size view...

In a Facebook group this week there was a thread about the stone circle outside the TCHS Library, which may not be receiving the TLC it deserves. Here is a possible scenario.

Imagine there exists a TCHS Alumni Campus Fund.

Estimate an annual maintenance budget for "The Readers' Circle" (my suggested new name for the gift from the class of 1960, which did not imagine the library only a few meters away). (Image courtesy TC Historical Society via Facebook.)

Suppose 100 of our worthy colleagues (out of about 25,000) should each give twenty dollars to the Fund each year.

The initial year's donations would exceed the need, so into a simple mutual fund goes the surplus.

In each ensuing year, the Fund pays a mason $500 to inspect, repair and re-point the brick and stonework. (If the actual bill is more, then the mason gets a handsome plaque testifying to his accomplishment.)

In the first year there is a surplus of $1,654, and the effective interest on that at 7.5%, based on the growth of the stock market for the past 100 years.

If the pattern is repeated and the number of donors grows by ten percent annually, then in Year 5 a withdrawal of five percent would exceed the repair bill, and the Fund could consider a gift of another improvement, for example, planting more trees on the somewhat barren campus.

In the tenth year, the Fund's assets would be over $30,000, and a 5% withdrawal would yield about $1,800 for various projects, which might be chosen by a committee of alumni and then-current students. (The latter would, of course, be invited to join the Alumni Assn.)

Basic Econ 101, brothers and sisters. All we need is a skillful manager, drawn from our 25,000 living alumni. You know she's out there!

An oversight and steering committee of three to five plus representatives of the school administration and student body would be a good idea.

At 82 and 1,000 miles away, I'm not the one to make it happen. Are you?

—RC

Since the 1990s various providers have created so-called "alumni" websites as a way of collecting email addresses and other personal data that are not used in furtherance of actual development of communities of former students. Instead they are part of the Worldwide Wile, whose purpose is to sell your personal information to advertisers and worse. Most also ask you to pay for the privilege of being hustled.

In contrast, TCHS Alumni News was founded and is operated by actual alumni of the school, some of whom were "present at the creation." We do not sell or share your personal data, though we can assist with maintenance of class lists that can be shared with event planners. Advertisements on the site are connected in various ways to members, the TC community-diaspora and events of local interest.

All that said, it would be kind of you to provide a little sustenance, as the cost of operation is not zero.

BTW, some of the staff members are reputedly not getting any younger, so if your ambitions are journalistic and you have a couple of hours each week, we'd be happy to hear from you.

After 66 years TCHS's North Field - Hitchcock Stadium officially closed June 7 for reconstruction and refitting. We await news of the intended reopening date, TC folk.

TCHS played away meets and games at opponents' facilities for its first two years. The south bleachers, turf and track were constructed for the 1958-59 seasons. TC lost all its games in its first year and most the second, an inauspicious start to what became a more legendary heritage.

Continues...

Contact the organizers for more information.

Since 2008 my company has provided scheduling services to the used cooking oil (UCO) recycling industry, using a customer relations database with turn-by-turn routing. In the year of maximum activity, our clients made 135,000 stops at about 40,000 restaurants and collected 7.9 million gallons of oil weighing 59,726,437 pounds.

About 77.4 percent of each pound of UCO is carbon. Thus the equivalent amount of carbon (est. 0.774 X 59MM = 46MM lb = 21,012 metric tons) was not extracted from the Earth as petroleum, because the oil came from agriculture, not from drilling, and the majority of the carbon was used twice, once for cooking and once for energy.

The USA adds approximately 1,424 million metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere each year, based on CO₂ emissions data from 2021. A national program to recycle 90% of UCO from restaurants could significantly reduce the US carbon emissions. As with all recycling efforts, each person or industry can achieve little, but together we can do much.

Now let's talk about that half-gallon of two-year-old Mazola under your kitchen counter.

Company profile

Many misconceptions have been passed down among present and former TC area residents for decades. Once and for all — one hopes — be it known: No one who ever attended Temple City High School truly remembers riding a trolley from TC to Alhambra let alone to Los Angeles.

According to Wikipedia and multiple other sources, "the service became a part of the Pacific Electric system by 1911, terminating at the Pacific Electric Building. Tracks were extended to Temple City on July 29, 1924. Cars began bypassing the Mission in 1928.

"The last trips occurred on November 30, 1941. After passenger service ended, tracks were retained for freight until removed in 1951."

To have made that trip one must have been born before November 30, 1941, which would probably have made one too old to be in the TCHS Class of 1956. A person born in 1937 would have been 18 in the fall of 1955 when the first class attended what is now Oak Ave Intermediate School. In previous years TC children attended junior and senior high in Pasadena. If you are the sole exception, please send in your birth certificate and diploma and two boxtops from any 1940s cereal package, and we'll retract this article.

It is likely that a few older alumni, like this author, recall the tracks along Las Tunas from early childhood, but if we went to Alhambra or L.A., it was on a bus.

(The adjacent image shows an early mail delivery via the PE. The genius decision of the founder, Henry Huntington, was to use standard gauge tracks, which allowed freight deliveries during the night when passenger service was closed.)

—RC

The Source (not the novel, the Wiki)

TCHS will close its football and track stadium (North Field aka Hitchcock Stadium) after the current term ends. A new facility will rise in its place. At this time no reopening data has been confirmed, but if you care to shed a tear you can attend the June 7 event described in the poster.

A bit of history: The football and track facility opened in fall 1959 and was named North Field after 1960 honoring school's founding principal, Arthur North. The Hitchcock Stadium designation was added in about 2010 marking former coach Bob Hitchcock teams' long run of successful seasons and championships. To paraphrase Santayana: those who forget history are doomed to name stadiums that already have a name and occasionally to print misleading posters.

High school graduates face an array of opportunities and challenges when entering the job market. Securing a good first job requires a combination of strategic planning, skills development, networking, and perseverance.

Firstly, it's crucial for high school graduates to identify their interests, strengths, and career goals. Self-assessment helps in determining the type of job that aligns with their passions and abilities. Researching various industries and job roles can provide insights into potential career paths.

Next, acquiring relevant skills and qualifications greatly enhances job prospects. Whether through vocational training, certifications, or higher education, investing in skill development is essential. Skills such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and adaptability are highly valued by employers across industries.

Building a professional network is another key aspect. Attending career fairs, networking events, and leveraging online platforms like LinkedIn can connect graduates with potential employers and mentors. Networking not only facilitates job opportunities but also provides valuable guidance and support.

Crafting a polished resume and cover letter tailored to each job application is vital. Highlighting relevant experiences, achievements, and skills increases the likelihood of getting noticed by recruiters. Additionally, practicing for interviews and showcasing enthusiasm and confidence during interactions can leave a lasting impression on employers.

Internships, part-time jobs, or volunteer opportunities offer valuable hands-on experience and insights into the professional world. Gaining practical experience not only enhances skillsets but also demonstrates initiative and commitment to potential employers.

Lastly, maintaining a positive attitude and being resilient in the face of rejection is essential. The job search process can be challenging, but perseverance pays off. Learning from setbacks, seeking feedback, and continuously improving oneself are keys to long-term success.

In summary, high school graduates can increase their chances of landing a good first job by clarifying their career goals, developing relevant skills, building a professional network, crafting strong application materials, gaining practical experience, and maintaining a positive mindset throughout their job search journey.

—Reader submission.