LOOKING BACK
Young Chang
If you’re looking for a good local history lesson, where the decades
are divided by glass cases and where the unforgettables have their own
little spot, visit the Newport Harbor High School Heritage Hall.
It was started 17 years ago by a teacher named Fabian Giroux. Until
then, the high school relics had been strewn about the campus. During the
mid-80s, retired math teacher Web Jones helped Giroux organize the
history into one designated room.
“If we hadn’t done something, they would all be lost,” the Costa Mesa
resident said.
The 1930s exhibit shows pictures of the school as it was being built.
It took three months and $410,000 to build Newport Harbor, and there are
pictures of the first students walking in. The head count back then was
less than 1,200. The average teacher salary was 25 cents an hour.
“I call it one of the seven construction wonders of the world,” Jones
said. “Think about it: it took three months.”
Relics from the ‘30s also include the blouse of a girl’s uniform. It’s
white with navy blue stripes at the cuffs and collars, sort of like a
sailor’s blouse. The skirt is navy blue.
“Imagine trying to keep those white stripes clean,” said Jones, who
arrived at the school in 1949. “I was in the Navy. I used to have a
toothbrush to clean [my stripes] with soap.”
Other windows showcase lettermen jackets and cardigans, faculty
members from years past and notable graduates.
They include Gregg Schwenk, executive director of the Newport Beach
Film Festival; Greg MacGillivray, a producer of IMAX movies; Alan
Rypinksi, the local founder of Armor All; and actress Irene Worth.
A case filled with newspapers show editions of the school’s Harbor
Beacon from dates including Sept. 14, 1931 and June 10, 1974. The papers have turned a dark yellow and the font looks antiquated.
Heritage Hall will undergo minor construction this summer -- the
pillars in the center of the room will be torn down and a new rug will be
laid -- but the room will continue to house memories as history presents
them.
* Do you know of a person, place or event that deserves a historical
Look Back? Let us know. Contact Young Chang by fax at (949) 646-4170;
e-mail at young.chang@latimes.com; or mail her at c/o Daily Pilot, 330 W.
Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627.
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