Kip and Jerry Kirkendoll hosted an open house party at their home on a recent Sunday that proved to be an afternoon full of memories.

Kip is the general manager of The Times, while Jerry has operated the Hair Hut beauty salon in Fountain Hills since 1984.

Kip recently received a phone call from her longtime friend, Maureen Kimber.

“We’re coming to Arizona, Kip,” and “we thought we could find some time to get together,” Maureen said.

Well, Kip took it from there. The Kimbers and Kirkendolls were close, spending many holidays together. Besides sharing food, there were the Christmas basketball competitions between the two families after dunner.

Then the Kimbers moved to Maryland 20 years ago, where Dick got a new job. He has since retired.

Before moving, Maureen was very active in the community and served two terms on the Fountain Hills School Board.

In Maryland, she has been employed as a high school teacher. She is planning to retire at the end of the school year.

They were both amazed at the growth of the town since moving away.

Kip invited former teachers and administrators in the Fountain Hills School District and members of the School Board that served with Maureen.

Former school Principal at McDowell Mountain Elementary and Four Peaks Elementary, Joanne Mee-han, came for a brief period of time. She retired several years ago.

Esta Finley, who was a teacher in the district for many years before retiring, was among the attendees. Her former husband, Dave Finley, who worked as a teacher and principal in the district for many years, came to talk old times with the Kimbers.

Lynn Hughes, long-time

School District nurse, also stopped by.

Three other friends of the Kimbers, former board members Eileen Vitiello, and Fred Pulve, stopped by to reminisce with the Kimbers.

Vitiello commented on everyone’s appearance. “We’ve added a lot more gray and wrinkles over the years, she said. I went from being a redhead to a blonde and now my hair is totally white.”

Beracy, a former physical education and history teacher with the district can often be seen jogging up and down Saguaro Boulevard in shorts and running shoes. His body appears to be in the condition of a 20-year old rather than a man in his mid 70s.

Pulve, a longtime Realtor in the community before his retirement, was recovering from a bout with the flu and pneumonia. He had both at the same time. He almost died and went into a coma for two days after entering the hospital.

He was hospitalized for four weeks, and after leaving the hospital, he was in a rehab facility for another two weeks.

He served on the School Board with Maureen.

We all had a great time and our thanks to Kip and Jerry for hosting the party and making this reunion possible.

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The Friday night before the party, we had dinner with my baseball friend, Charlie Vascellaro. His dad is a very vocal opponent of the property tax and we did not talk politics, just baseball and stories about early-day Fountain Hills.

He was staying at the CopperWynd Resort, and was writing a story about the facility for some publication. He is a freelance baseball and travel writer.

Upon checking in, he was asked if he was familiar with the property.

“Not with buildings on it.” he said. He later explained

how when he was a teenager growing up in Fountain Hills, the CopperWynd site was a big party location for the young people in town. “We had the best views in town,” he laughed.