From: Ivan Leschber
To: tom.madsen@earthlink.com
Sent: 9/19/2006 1:42:49 PM
Subject: Ro-Hawks former "Red Flame" alias Tom Madsen
Dear Tom:
How could I possibly forget the charming, handsome, red headed stranger basketball start at Randolph Field High School?
I wondered what had happened since I last saw you at my elementary school in Taylor many moons ago. Every once in awhile I run across the little envelope you used as a business card.
My son, daughter and daughter-in-law Mia live in Oak Hill and Buda. The daughter is Christi Davidson and is a high volume seller for Keller-Williams. The son works for Continental Airlines, has real estate, home inspection and broker's license. In addition, he has commercial pilot license. No, I can't afford to buy him a plane!
I have thought about you and the other Ro-Hawks many times over the years. What a great bunch of kids all of the Air Force dependents were at the base. I have many great memories of all of the accomplishments we were able to contribute to the school.
I have pictures of all of the Ro-Hawk teams on my patio wall. I am glad to hear that you visited with Pitzer, Bob White, Norton and the rest. I wonder if you know where Tom McDougall lives? I have not heard from Bill Borellis for years, but have his good looking mug on my wall.
If you will be so kind to write and let me know where these guys currently live and what they do. I hope that in the near future I can join you all in a reunion.
I am not bald or very much over weight. My son Matthew, competes in Triathlons, Iron Man Races, etc. He has got his old man riding a bike every day that he does not officiate high school football games or university track meets.
My very good friend Kelby Kerlin, local business man and I have been calling football for about 25 years together. He is an excellent umpire and takes care of me as the referee. We called the 4-A State Championship in the Astro Dome in Houston in 1967 between Texas City and Corsicana. Texas City won in the last minutes 37-34 in front of 27,000 people and state wide t.v. It was quite a thrill for all of us.
I left Taylor in 1994 because the Superintendent had what I call "little man syndrome."
He never got his contract renewed at any district he worked for because he was a little $%#$. He demanded that the central office control each campus. I worked for the Texas Agencies Accreditation Team as a peer evaluator for 5 years and knew each campus principal was supposed to be in charge of their campus. We won the Academic Excellence Award from the U.S. Department of Education in 1986-87 and I got to drink lemonade with President Reagan on the White House lawn.
I took the elementary principal's position at Llano ISD in 1994. They led me to believe my wife would be given an equal pay job in their system. She is Career and Technology and they simply did not have the programs that would warrant her salary in Taylor.
I stayed for 2 years and would of probably been there today had Barbara gotten a job with the district. There are some great people in Llano County. I had a great time with some wonderful kids and parents.
Last year I went back to Referee two varsity football games. One was homecoming and many of the players and teachers still remembered the old coach.
I retired from public education and soon got bored. I took a job teaching at nearby Bartlett State Jail. I applied for the Education Director's job at Lockhart Correctional Facility and they hired me away from Bartlett.
The Wackenhut Corp built a new jail in Travis County and I transferred because of the long commute to Lockhart. Big mistake! The wardens who hired me were good, but soon hired away by the government and corporate businesses. Their replacements were some of the most ignorant people I ever worked for.
Bartlett Jail asked me to return to my old teaching job. I applied for the elementary principal's job at St. Cyril and Methodius Catholic School in nearby Granger. I did not know you were supposed to be Catholic. The academic principal Sister Cain hired me anyways because of my vast experience.
I helped them celebrate their 100th birthday in 2000. In 2002 Sister Cain was elevated to a higher post and a new superintendent was hired. It did not take her long to find out I was not of the Catholic Faith. I was given the choice of leaving at the end of the year or becoming a Catholic and staying on.
I naturally left and for the past few years have been a very selective substitute teacher in Taylor ISD. My wife, Barbara still teaches. (Reward for marrying younger woman)
at Taylor High School
My daughter Sharon lives in Phoenix and works for Southwest Airlines. Barbara and I get to fly standby anywhere in the world that Continental and Southwest planes fly.
Boy have we taken advantage of it.
That is about all the boring news the old coach has been up to since we last saw one another. My son and daughters dentist is a former student of mine, the only year I coached in Lubbock.
Let me hear from you!
Coach Leschber
ivanrleschber@yahoo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment