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.