Alief High School

This page is dedicated to shedding light on unsolved mysteries, myths, and local urban legends revolving around the history of Alief and its peculiar student body. We invite you to join us in separating the truth from rumors while unlocking secrets hidden deep within the bizarre world of 'Alief High, our home'......

If you know the answer to a mystery, are aware of the identity of someone involved, or have a legend or mystery of your own to share, please click here and your entry will be posted the following day.

(If you'd like to read the urban legend which first appeared in the mid-1950's, go to www.snopes.com )

Years ago hormone-driven males living in the area known as "Alief" told a story to their dates as they drove slowly down a long, tree- lined road in the country, about a killer on the loose in the area. The boys carefully executed their plan to scare their dates into snuggling closer (unless they got mad and demanded to go home!) timing it so that at the climax of the story, an accomplice dropped out of a tree, onto the car, with a coathanger scratching on the door handle. If you were involved in this little drama or remember the story, click here and we'll post your rendition of the old story.

Vicky YoungLaBonte

Vicky,

The part you forgot about the little drive we took with Bill Herndon 
(my
brother-in-law) for the past 27 years is that when they got to the end 
of
the road, after telling the "little story", the plan was to turn 
around. 
Problem was that the road was very narrow, not to mention dark, and 
when
Bill began to turn around in the ditch, he realized that he
couldn't....the ditches were flooded!  He had to back out, very slowly
and for what seemed a VERY long time to the other end of the road.  By
the time we were finally out of the woods (literally), the guys were
every bit as nervous as we were!  Ah....the joys of payback!

Cathy Ross

Marcus Carpenter writes

I went on that prank more than once. One time was with Phil LeBerta driving his old push-button Valiant. We drove over the levee on Clay Road north of I-10. The gag was to drive as fast as you could up this hill, crest it, then turn off the lights and coast down blind, the road being lit only by the moon if there was one. Then, faking car trouble, turn the ignition off and coast to a stop under a tree where Tim Dones was waiting in the branches, waiting to hang down or reach down scratching the roof or window and inspire a certain "leakage" in/on the girls with us.

This one time with Phil driving we did just that. It went perfectly until Tim lost balance and fell on the roof of the car scaring the %@##!**!! out of all of us. LeBerta couldn't push the correct button on the transmission fast enough for us tough guys to get out of there. I don't remember going back to pick up Tim!

(these mystery men are two real snipe hunters from the class of 74)

If you think you know their identities, click here.

Urban Legend #2 "Snipe Hunting"

Were you a victim of the "infamous" snipe hunts? Let us know if you chased, caught, or cornered a snipe.

There were many guys, my brother, Jim Ross, included, who were 
excellent
in the ploy of "the snipe hunt".  Steve Ogden was generally along for 
the
ride, and could play the part of the "innocent" bystander to a tee.  
The
idea was to take an unsuspecting newcomer out into the fields down by 
the
old Alief  Airfield for the hunt.  You would set the guy (or girl) up
with a tow sack (burlap bag to you city folk) and leave them there 
while
the rest of the group went to "rustle the snipe" out of the bushes. 
This, of course, really meant that you left this poor unsuspecting soul
all alone in a dark and isolated area!  I, being the sensitive type,
always suggested that we return for the victim before daylight!  Oh-I 
was
also given the treatment myself as a newcomer by Bill Herndon and Tim
Donegan.  TD was a cool guy, and will be missed.  Bill was a cool guy,
who grew up to be responsible...but still way cool!

Cathy Ross Linney

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To Vicky & Cathy,

What a buncha hooey!!!!! My O My how 30 years can change ones recollection of the past! Steve O., Tim Dones and I put both of you gals in Uncle Ben's Rice field in the shack in the middle of that field. We left you there whispering "snipe" and holding that sack down low to the ground. When we came back y'all were dirty and scared! Admit it now after 30 + years.....y'all were scared!

Marcus Carpenter

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Marcus,

I admit I'm scared right now because you are having delusions! Time has not been kind to your brain, young man. I was asked to go on a snipe hunt but was too smart and scared to go. I did hear about them and I have no doubt that you did exactly what you said to some other poor girl who trusted you. Shame, Marcus Carpenter! Now Steve Ogden and Tim Dones....oh guys, I'm so disappointed in your 15-year-old selves. I know how Marcus turned out as a result of his devious ways but what about you two? The wives and kids need to hear more about the real you's at the reunion. I think we'll have to give out some information that they'll find interesting.

vicky

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Oh yes, I REMEMBER it now!!!!  I KNEW that I had been victimized, and 
you
know, I at first was remembering it been some of my "pals", but thought
it was just because we've all been talking!  These guys are probably 
the
way my brother and I learned to do the "snipe hunt" scenario!  AND YES, 
I
WAS SCARED!!!!!

Cathy

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Urban Legend #3 " The Ghostly Railroad Lantern"

Old Alief residents have long told a story about a mysterious light being seen near the old railroad tracks. Those that have seen it swear it is really there. Was it the conductor from a train wreck years ago looking for survivors among the Dewberry bushes growing wild along the tracks? Tell us the story as you remember it and your personal account if you have ever seen the lights.

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If you ever hung out at the old gym in the early 70's you might have heard that ghosts left locked doors open for late night basketball games because they missed having children in the deserted school.Every night the doors were mysteriously unlocked only to be locked again by morning. The pattern continued until the gym and school were torn down. If you have a picture of the old school or a clue as to how the ghosts unlocked and locked the doors, click here. (Jerry Horn's name came up as a possible 'person-in-the-know' concerning this story.)

The original Woodstock happened long ago and far away from Alief High School, and yet the two locations are inexplicably tied together in this strange story of a missing man and a lost identity. Late in 2002, a dirty, long haired stranger was found in an alley in downtown Las Vegas. The man was dressed in 'hippy' clothing and had nothing in his pockets but a Grateful Dead ticket stub and a program from the infamous Woodstock Music Festival. The man didn't know his own name, how he got there, or how he got a tattoo of a branch of the service on his derriere. What he did tell the police was his age, his preference for fancy coffees, and what sounded like a common locker combination. The most interesting clue, however, was a single piece of jewelry on his right ring finger, with the insignia of a bear and the name, "Alief High School" inscribed with three illegible initials inside the band. The man claimed that he vaguely remembered hiding a substantial sum of money somewhere near Houston, Texas. He would be willing to share the wealth with someone who might be able to help him find out who he is and where the money might be. Click here if you can shed some light on the mystery.

Guesses as of April 29: Charlie Cutaia, Lynn White, Mike Manley, Joe Harris. Don Jones, Paul Herndon, Roger Baldwin, Jon Straubinger, Ricky Briggs, Steve Cox, Steve Peterson, Larry Burger, Tony Cernosek....

Charlie Cutaia, you share the wealth with our mystery man, if you show up with a shovel on June 21, 7 pm! Below is a current picture of him....he used to go by the name Paul Thrash. Way to keep on guessing, everybody.

*Paul Thrash has served in the military, been a law enforcement officer, owned a coffee shop in Florida, taught at a university, been a constant visitor to LasVegas, and had a role in a Japanese film . He died in the film but lived to attend Mardi Gras as his alias, "Woodstock Dude". To see Paul in person, come to the Alief Class of 73 Reunion!

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