Thank you for years of support

My very dear students, parents, friends and supporters of the Music Department at Del Norte High School:

I have wanted to write this letter for several weeks now, but every time I started, I would be overcome with tears of emotion, humility and love. Toward the end of this school year I was treated like a celebrity and shown so much love. I want you to know from the bottom of my heart how this love has profoundly affected me. Let me take you on a little journey that spans my time here at Del Norte High.

The journey begins

Thirty years ago this month I came up to this little town from Los Angeles where I finished my various degrees and teaching credential. I thought that Crescent City was only two to three hours north of San Francisco, but as I drove up here for my interview I noticed how the dry rolling hills dotted with oak trees slowly gave way to the most magnificent forest! I told my dad who was with me, how gorgeous this area of our state was. Little did I know that I was soon to see the mighty redwoods of Stout Grove and Jed Smith Park.

The beautiful people I met the next day rolled out the red carpet for me. Beverly Spitzner, secretary for the Superintendent of the Del Norte Schools was the first wonderful face I met when entering the district office. What a lovely and caring woman. I was very nervous about the interview, but Bev went out of her way to be cheery, making my visit wonderful and memorable. Thank you Bev! Later in the day I met two of the finest soon-to-be-colleagues and dear friends, John Starets and Gene Petrik. John became a dear friend and Gene became a friend and father-figure to me. Both have since passed away, and I miss them dearly.

In my early years at Del Norte High I soon realized what a great community I was living in. Del Norte County reminded me of what small town America must have been like years ago; caring people, a true sense of community and a quality of life I did not have in Los Angeles. Even the tap water was delicious!

The Fourth of July parade and festivities were always something to look forward to. I had never seen lumberjack competitions before. The Marching Band was always something to look forward to also. High school, junior high school students as well as many adults would join this group for our community's Fourth of July parade.

Speaking of this parade, this year I am putting together what I am hoping to be the largest band ever assembled for our Fourth of July parade. I am looking for current jr. high and high school band students, past band members of any band and community members that used to play a band instrument. This is going to be a fun group. There will be only one rehearsal, July 3 at 7-8 p.m. at the high school band room, then we will do the parade the next morning. "Louie Louie" and "The Thunderer" are on tap for our tunes. Please send me an e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call me at 464-6769 to join that terrific group!

Music supporters

Throughout my entire career at Del Norte High, there have been several constants. Let me tell you about these from my perspective.

When I was hired in 1978, proposition 13 had just passed. Many police, firefighters and teachers lost their jobs because of the lack of money. Music teachers were especially targeted by many school districts, because they were seen as "fluff" and not necessarily important.

Del Norte Schools were hit by the budget shortfalls like all of the other schools in the state, but the leadership in our school system felt that music was not fluff, but in fact a valued and important part of a child's well-rounded education. Several times fiscal shortfalls have plagued our state and school district, but our school leadership continued to support the arts.

Currently our state is experiencing yet another horrible shortage of money. I have heard from many of my colleagues across California that they received termination notices, even veteran teachers. The music teachers in Humboldt County have been hit hard during this difficult time. But our little corner of the world is standing firm in maintaining a quality educational program for our kids. This includes music. The commitment to music has remained steadfast and constant during my entire time here. So, thank you Jan Moorehouse, Rodney Jahn, Faith Crist, Bob Berkowitz, Bill Parker, Tom Cochran and Bill Maffett for keeping the arts in education, even when the belt gets so very tight. I also want to thank you all for never saying "no" to me when I would cook up some crazy plan to take kids on musical tours, sometimes even out of the country! I humbly thank you for all of your support.

Parental support

There has never been a shortage of parents willing to pitch in and be active participants with our music program. Many hundreds of parents have traveled with us on tours up and down the western United States, five times to Canada, twice to New England, twice to Europe and once to England. They have barbecued literally tens of thousands of hamburgers and tube stakes for our kids as well as for other traveling bands and choirs.

Back in the 1980s they formed a group called the Del Norte High Music Boosters. The weekly bingo game at the fairgrounds netted over a half million dollars in the eight years it was running. All of that money went to our kids for the purchase of music, instruments, uniforms, facilities, etc. This group continues to work and fund-raise even to this day with our fabulous fireworks stand in front of Safeway.

There is no way in the world we could have accomplished so much for the music kids without them. The care and feeding of the Del Norte High Music Department takes more than the director. It takes a family of adults willing to pitch in. I take my hat off to all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Community support

I think I have run every fundraiser known to man while helping to raise money for our various endeavors.

We have sold Christmas trees, candles, fruitcakes, candy bars, "bandcake breakfast" tickets, raffles, magazine subscriptions, Mary Kay products, gift cards, Tupperware, yard sales, Avon products, puzzles, car washes, silent auctions, mistletoe (hey, Stan Jones, do you remember shooting mistletoe out of the trees so we could sell it at school?), beef sticks, calendars, refrigerator magnets, frozen pizza, cookie dough, and a host of other things that I can't remember.

But you, the members of our community never complained that you were again being hit up for more money. I suspect you realized the value in what the kids were doing and wanted to support such a positive activity in their lives. I thank you for contributing to their music education.

To the wonderful business owners of Del Norte County, what can I say? I can only imagine how many schedules you rearranged so your student employees could participate in the band or choir concert and the various tours we went on through the years. I never received even one phone call of complaint. I also want to thank you so much for the wonderful financial contributions you have made over the years. I estimate that your total commitment to exceed $30,000 over my tenure here. Also, I would like to mention our wonderful radio stations, KCRE and KPOD and terrific newspaper, the Daily Triplicate for all the support and dedication you have given to the music kids at Del Norte High! Thank all of you ever so much.

To all the great organizations we have here, I thank you. The Crescent City Women's Club, The Coastal Aires and Coastal Classics Barbershop singers, Emblem Club, Masonic Lodge, Republican Women's Club, AARP, the Shriners, Kiwanis, both Rotary groups and the various lodges we have performed at over the years, I thank you for opening your hearts to us and letting us share our love of music with you. I know there are many more groups and individuals that is should thank, so please forgive me if I did not list your organization.

The talent

I want to tell all of you how much I have loved working with the kids. They are very talented and have been so much fun to work and travel with. I have always thought of them as my own children. That's why my music room has all the amenities of a home.

We sometimes laugh, because that the only thing we are missing is a shower. Families have struggles, but they also learn to share love for one another. I will remember and carry the love and respect I was given for rest of my life.

For the past 6 weeks various groups have given me many awards. I was the recipient of the BEST EVER retirement party imaginable by my wonderful students and their parents. I brought three handkerchiefs to the party at the Cultural Center, but I needed more. During these past weeks I have felt so humbled and honored by so many current and past students, parents and community members that I honestly don't know how to thank you all.

I have received dozens of heart-felt cards and letters from students, but I can only read a couple of them at a time before getting all choked up. I have heard people say that you don't go into teaching for the money. This is so very true; however the amount of love and respect I have been shown cannot be put into a dollar figure. It is priceless!

In my music office behind my desk I have kept a small scrap of yellow paper that has this inscription. It has meant so much to me. Let me share it with you.

"One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in my bank account, nor what my clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child."

It has been an honor and a privilege to be your high school band and choir teacher these past 30 years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.