Frank Renner:  

Life Fat Tire Festival in Tempe 2006 great time / event. Alexis is putting together an Ocotillo Grade School reunion on Oct. 20, 2007 from the class of 1978 and or 1977 or prior depending on # of guests attending. Would be great to hear how all of you are doing and reconnect. I have had a great time catching up with Alexis and Judy and always laugh my tail off when i talk to Mike Schlink or Jimmy Carreno! My story graduated from NAU in 1987, yea the 5 yr plan and as a graduation present toured Colorado for two weeks on a motorcycle i purchased courtesy of Mr. Pell Grant, remember that guy from College? He really encouraged our future leaders to expand their horizons with cash, the best form of support, lol. Had like 1-2 real jobs that i didn't completley enjoy (Politics) so worked on a commercial gill netter fishing for Alaskan salmon for a season. Plan was to fish in summers and ski bum it in winters in either Colo or Utah but I guess one kid out of 3 had to be responsible and moved back to phx in 1988 to rescue dad in the then depressed real estate mkt. He got back the old apts that I grew up in on Roselane. So managed his properties and tried to mange him for 14yrs when dad had to be left to his own devices. Since 2003 been selling real estate as my own Broker with Frank Renner Realty. Still single with my faithful companion Rusty now 15yrs old. Hobbies include: cycling, road / mtn bike racing, dirt bikes, street bikes, sking - water, snow & boarding, hiking whatever it takes as long as it is outside. Just last weekend did a triatholon in Utah, trying to get back that ol high school physique. Haven't been to Europe since 1998 which is a good thing since I gain like 30 lbs or 15 Kilos (I like the metric system, weren't we suppose to switch over in 1976? ) per visit. Hope to get back to the old homeland in 2008. The family is a typical immigrant story, my parents came over through new york on a boat in the 1950s where i was born in Chicago and we moved to phx in 1969, moving a lot since parents always owned / managed the apts we lived in. We finally settled at the plaza west apts on roselane (across from the old west plaza shopping center, AJ Bayless TGY, gordons Hobby Lobby etc.) in 1974 or 1973 when i started at Ocotillo in the end of 3rd or mid 4th grade. We hung in Europe for a year just before I started Ocotillo. Was nice to finally be in one place for awhile. before that we moved like 4 x within phx. Still stay in touch with a lot of ol Ocotillans & WHS grads like Ken & Richard Hyde, Jim Carreno, Mike Schlink, John Webb, recently ALexis & Judy Chu, Dj Cirzan, Mark Varner, etc. Frequent Park City Utah a lot to get out of heat and to ski / board in winter. Reside in Tempe since 1995 and love being this close to South Mtn for cycling, hiking outdoors. Hiked the Grand Canyon minimum every year in the 90s and even spent a few yr end holidays at Phantom Ranch. Really cool, you meet people from all over the world. Would love to see you all at the reunion on Oct. 20th, 2007 so go and we can all catch up. I know we don't all have the time, but when you go, you'll say, Im glad i did. I remember from the 10 yr WHS reunion just reconnecting briefly with one person made the evening a very enjoyable. I'll tell you the unbelievable story from Tom the mentally challenged kid from WHS that is truly a miracle. and Mike Schlink, Danny Chavez, Ken Hyde and I will grab one of our parents cars and joy ride to reunion for old times sake! Old habits die hard! ...Expand for more