James Wood:  

My favorite high school memory: Graduating.The next day when I did not have to go back and I realized I was awake it really wasn't a dream! What I've done since school Since I left High School --- 1966 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What have I been doing since High School lets see !! Well live takes a lot of twists and turns as "The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray" When I left school I had plans to end up in the automotive industry which did not turn out to be the way it was to be. I married my high school sweetheart and that did not go the way I thought it would either, but through it all we were close till she past away 'I still miss her'. I have taken flying lessons and have my amateur radio license, went through that motor cycle thing also. I worked in sales and sold everything from Komutso Heavy Equipment to drag line dredging equipment, in the automotive field I sold Porsche automobiles and even earned my real estate license. I attended school at Butler county Community college and took courses at Penn State University. I even was a part owner in a Detective Agency and have taken schooling for that endeavor. I did meet some different people in that business venue and I did learn a lot about how life really works. We even did the Rolling Rock Town Concert with the 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' I work with the promoter of the advent, That is something I really enjoy doing is putting on concerts it was different viewing it from the inside of the advent. There is lots of confusion trying to make everything happen in an orderly fashion a real challenge. I was also in a band for a while; you wonder which instruments did I play? Well I have mastered the radio & the phonograph. I lugged a lot of band equipment around and helped book band jobs I got to see what the in side of that business was like. The rewards were great I had a good time and did I mention the music was for free and we could drink all we wanted (love that Diet Coke) I was able to learn how to run the sound board from one of the best sound board operators. She could make any place rock! I met another wonderful girl, yes at the sound board and once again life did not turn out as I thought it would. I wanted to open an auto parts store but by chance ended up in the electronics industry this has lasted for the last 35 years. We sell and repair everything from police radio's to fire and commercial radio, we are one of the oldest warranty stations for Dynascan Corp. (Cobra) we have serviced all of their products form Phones, Scanners and CB radio equipment. At one time we were warranty for every one of the CB manufactures until the industry began to shrink. We were in the phone business before it became the cell business and had our own tower and service with phone capabilities, we have sold at one time or another all the major cell phone services and were even a cell sight for one. I was lucky enough to have been able to learn to water ski when I was about 10 years old but I have never mastered the slalom ski, with the help of friends I was able to get up on one ski and I did it!! 'it took a lot of practice' we then started to do that power boating thing and you know it is true "Too much is never Enough" if a little horse power is good a lot is better, we went from 502 Cu.In. Engine boat to a Blown 454 rated at 525 HP. Glad gas was only $1.25 a gallon for the high test. 'Did I mention at full throttle we could do all most 80 MPH in our 27 foot Fountain Power boat and we would burn 43 GPH'! After the thrill of having a boat wore off and 'the price for gas sunk in' we moved on to cars again it was time for another change. Can you believe it I have even held an elected office in my township! I was elected as one of the Auditors. In the years that have passed I have even been in the art business with 'Woody's Art" we sold automotive car art for a while and have taken and restored some old cars along the way. I al...Expand for more