Alumni Sandstorm ~ 03/05/05 - IDITAROD TIME AGAIN
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12 Bombers sent stuff: 
Dick McCoy ('45), Mike Clowes ('54)
Ken Heminger ('56WB), Gary Persons ('57)
Barb Isakson ('58), Jim Meigs ('58)
George Swan ('59), Ann Engel ('63)
Maren Smyth ('63 & '64), Lori Simpson ('70)
Mike Hogan ('70), Debra Dawson ('74WB)
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Today's STUFF: 
          Class of '60 & spouses Lunch
          Ernie Curtis Playground Dedication Ceremony
          2005 Iditarod Begins

BOMBER CALENDAR: Richland Bombers Calendar
    Click the event you want to know more about.
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>>From: Dick McCoy ('45)

Re: Musing
To all you Bomber Cougars that would never watch a TV Husky BB game, last
Thurs at halftime of the Dawg-Cal game they showed an excellent bio of
the ultimate Bomber Cougar, Gene Conley ('48). As a sophomore, league
Champs in baseball and basketball, player of the year. As a pro, NBA
Champion ring with Boston, World Series Ring with the Braves. Winner and
loser of two all star games in a row.
    I read where the Go 2 guy, a salivating, ranting Cougar implanted 
with the Seattle PI, wants to see the UW Football program given the death
penalty. Cheez, wouldn't that take away the Cougar's one big payday?
    Then I read that Eastern Wash half wants to break away from the West
half. Fine by me. Maybe we can then reduce some of our taxes over here.
And maybe Richland could win another State title. But, where would you
put the Capitol? Spokaloo? Nah, too much like Seattle. Wenatchee? Too
close to Seattle. One of the Tri-Cities? But...which...one...? If
Richland, it would look best right next to the Uptown Tavern.
    Looking at the last election results, what happened to all the Demos 
in Richland? You folks forget who brung ya to the dance.?

A big Bomber hello from Camano Island in Western Wash
-Dick McCoy of the Tin Can Class of 1945
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>>From: Bob Carlson, aka Mike Clowes ('54)

Re: "Bringing Down the Walls"
Maren, the area of destruction will be the Gym that was built during 
the first remodel of what we know as Columbia High. Back in the day it 
was know as the boy's gym; the girls got the original gym. And as to
"bouncing floor", the gym floor was built on a spring base. Guess that
was a "state of the art" thing back then.

-Bob Carlson, aka Mike Clowes ('54) ~ still in Albany, OR, where the 
  Weather Channel says we're going to be sunny and dry for the next week.
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>>From: Ken Heminger ('56WB)

Re: Tin Can class
    Dick McCoy ('45) forgot to mention one other use for the tin can...
we as kids would stomp a couple of cans and they would clamp to the
bottom of the shoe, and would sound like horse shoes as you trotted
around.

To: Lois Weyerts Harrold ('56)
    Wish you would have included pictures of the Class of '56 luncheon. 
It would be nice to see my classmates again... 

-Ken Heminger ('56WB)
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>>From: Gary Persons ('57)

Re: Bomber Support
    Last Monday a memorial service was held for Bomber dad Harold Persons
(fondly known as Ol' Weird Harold), who passed away at the age of 94.
Because Harold had outlived most of his peers, we planned a small,
informal service in the chapel at C.U.P., where family and some of his
younger golfing buddies could pay their respects.
  http://richlandbombers.com/Obits05/RIP-BomberDad-PersonsHarold05.htm
    As we milled about at the back of the chapel before the service, we
were surprised to see one Bomber after another arrive, and we were so
pleased to greet them that we forgot our sadness for a while. (I noticed
that the pianist had to crank the volume to compete with our happy
chatter!) Many of those people took time off from work to be there and
most had never met Dad, just knew his Bomber kids.
    On behalf of my entire family, I would like to express a sincere 
thanks to those at the service and the many others who have offered their
condolences. Our Bomber family is just the best!
 
-Gary Persons ('57) ~ Spokane
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>>From: Barb Isakson Rau ('58)

Re: Class of '58 Luncheon
    March 6, is this Sunday at 1:00 at the Shilo Inn Restaurant called
O'Callahan's is our class of '58 Luncheon. John Richardson was here in
February and we had a good turn out and a lot of fun. So if any of you
out of town classmates come to town please look us up there.
    See you there this Sunday, March 6 at 1:00 PM.

Class mate
-Barb Isakson Rau ('58)
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>>From: Jim Meigs ('58)

To: Lois Weyerts Harrold ('56)
Re: Yellowstone Park Employment
Lois,
    Your entry on this subject did bring many fond old memories about
working there. In fact I did make contact with your husband Larry one
afternoon the summer of '58 when I became aware of other Bombers working
at Old Faithful. I was working at Old Faithful Cafeteria that summer and
with no reservations I can say that it was an experience I will always
remember. It was the real ticket for someone who had just graduated from
the #1 high school around and had never been out of this area. Most 
of the kids I worked with had also just graduated and I had a lot of
explaining to do with the name and all. The boy and girl who were killed
that summer I believed also worked at the lodge did they not? That was
the only low point of the summer. I made a lot of new friends there,
caught a lot of big fish and in fact spent a year after that summer
living in Salt Lake with some of those friends. I had kept in touch with
some of them years after that, but lost contact in the late '70s. Thanks
for letting me ramble.

-Jim Meigs ('58)
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>>From: George "Pappy" Swan ('59)

Re: Ghillie Suits and Southern Talk
    OK y'all, ready or not, I'm back. Thanks very much to all who 
expressed their condolence in the passing of our oldest son. My dear 
wife, Jeanne, and I thank you, very much. A long stretch of other family 
concerns topped off with Scott's untimely death apparently produced a 
little more stress than ol' Pappy realized culminating in a rather harsh 
bout with one of those nasty flu bugs. Unfortunately for Jeanne, a 
week after Scott's passing, she had to witness my hitting the floor 
unconscious. Six hours in the ER and a few IVs later, she took me home 
with the diagnosis of "Acute Syncope Dehydration." So, I caution any of 
you who may encounter the flu bug ... DRINK WATER! A LOT OF WATER! I 
thought that I had been consuming plenty but learned the hard way. All 
is well now. I used my convalescence time to rest up and complete my 
"Ghillie Suit" Kit. A "Ghillie" is a camouflage suit made by tying about 
a million burlap strings of various colors onto a jacket and cap sewn 
from netting. Ghillies are most commonly used by military snipers to 
disappear into the terrain. Mine will serve me well in a variety of 
hunting scenarios but most importantly, I can now make like a big hairy 
bush next to the puddle and "attempt" to conduct first hand observations 
of elves and Natterjacks.

To: Bob Harman ('51)
    Your "Southern Talk" stories triggered a memory that I feel compelled
to tell on myself. Laughing at one's self purges the soul. As my "much
younger" sister, Marilyn Swan Beddo ('63), says, "We were the real
Clampetts growing up." We moved to Washington from the "Deep South" in
about 1945. Our "Deep South" was southern Kansas, just north of the
Oklahoma state line and west of the Arkansas River. Of course, if you
lived in Kansas, it was pronounced, "R-Kansas River." We left there when
I was about four years old but visited often so I absorbed some of the
"talk." Years later, being the family "clown," I conjured up a story of
turkey hunting. Of course, I never hunted a turkey until about ten years
ago and since then turkeys make a turkey out of me most of the time 
but those are other stories. Anyway, trying to impress folks with my
fabricated turkey hunting abilities, I told of how I lay behind a log,
skillfully calling with my turkey call. A big ol' Gobbler with about a
foot-long beard and spurs that looked like horseshoe nails ran up to the
other side of the log so I "retch" under the log and grabbed him by the
feet but he was too big to pull under the log. So, I let him go and
called again. Unable to resist my amorous hen calls, ol' Tom raced right
back and that time I "retch" over the log and grabbed him without firing
a shot. Those northerners that I told the story to just couldn't seem to
"unnerstan" southern Kansas talk fer the past tense of "reach." Still
amazes me.

-George "Pappy" Swan ('59) ~ Now playing in the "Bush League" at Burbank, 
        WA - where the sun shines brightly like a spring day and its 
        supposed to get up to about 65ºF today -- It might even get hot 
        in the Ghillie so I'll drink lots of water.
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>>From: Ann Engel Schafer ('63)

Re: Freddie's 60th surprise birthday party
 http://richlandbombers.com/Xtra05/050212-Schafer/00.html

-Ann Engel Schafer ('63)
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>>From: Maren Smyth ('63 & '64)

Re: Iditarod Update 
  www.iditarod.com/ and/or www.cabelasiditarod.com/
    Today the 33rd running of the Iditarod begins... with the "restart"
on Sunday. Race officials have changed the restart location because the
trail "between Anchorage and Eagle River and Wasilla and Knik is that
they are not adequate for 79 dog teams to safely travel."
    My usual favorite, 4-time winner Martin Buser -- neighbor of Maggie
Gilstrap O'Hara ('74) and Vickie Andersen Simmons ('67) -- drew #78 and
he's glad to have the extra time to rest before starting this year. On
3/1 Martin had an accident with his table saw and doctors amputated the
"top part of the middle finger on Buser’s right hand and patched up two
other hurt fingers..." He's figuring out how to made adaptations so that
he can do things like hold on to the sled, set the snow hook, etc.,
etc., etc. Check Martin's website for updates: www.buserdog.com/buserdog/

Stay tuned...

Bomber cheers,
-Maren Smyth ('64 & '64)
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>>From: Lori Simpson Hogan ('70)

Re: Gyms
    Maren, the "girls" gym (smaller of the two gyms, Dawald being the
bigger "boys" gym)) is scheduled to be torn down later this spring. This
is part of the entire schools renovation. So I hope that the dance is
being held in the "girls" gym! All the different advertising has been
confusing to me, too, and I live here!?! I thought that originally Club
40 was sponsoring this...then the Bomber boosters joined in and now
according to the latest ads there are a lot of local businesses 
sponsoring as well. Well, they do say that it takes a village to raise a 
child.... and so it goes. Mike and I will be there for sure, with our 
dancin' shoes on.

Take care
-Lori Simpson Hogan ('70)
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[This URL sent by a Bomber today tells it all:
http://www.rsd.edu/view.html?/bondprojects/rhs/architect01_lg.jpg  -Maren]
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>>From: Mike and Lori Simpson Hogan ('70)

Re: Class of '70 in '05
    Hi, this is Mike and Lori Simpson Hogan ('70). Our 35th reunion is
right around the corner and a few of us locals wanted to get as many of
us together as possible on short notice! We haven't picked a date yet,
that's where all of you come in! The plan is to maybe gather at The Towne
Crier in Richland on a Saturday night sometime this summer. They have a
DJ so there will be music after 9pm. Another option in town would be to
gather at Duke's Pourhouse, alias Stalag 13 and Victors. They also have
music, on Saturday nights. Both places offer good food and drink. Now 
the big question is which Saturday should we meet? Write in with your
preferences, ASAP, and we'll tally them up and let you know. There would
probably be no cost involved other than whatever you spend on food and
drink. (Occasionally Dukes charges a $5.00-$8.00 cover charge, depending
on which band is playing.) So let's try to have all our preferences in no
later than March 31, 2005. Hope to see you there...Lori and Mike :-}

-Mike and Lori Simpson Hogan ('70)
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>>From: Debra Dawson Fogler ('74WB)

    I've been contacted by a Dept. of Labor subcontractor in Richland who
is actively seeking claimants against the DOE and its subcontractors for
cancer-related illness and death among Hanford workers. Since my dad died
of lung cancer metastasized to the brain after working many years for
Hanford, my family is eligible to file a claim.
    My question is, has any Sandstorm reader already done this, and what 
are the results? I know of one person who filed a couple of years ago 
and has yet to hear of how her claim will be resolved. Please email me 
directly, as I'm sure this is a subject generally avoided in the Alumni
Sandstorm. 

-Debra Dawson Fogler ('74WB)
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That's it for today. Please send more.
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