Alumni Sandstorm ~ 04/18/05
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10 Bombers sent stuff:
Ken Ely ('49), Tom Tracy ('55)
Lois Weyerts ('56), James Hutton ('57WB)
Patti Mathis ('60), Judy Willox ('61)
Donni Clark ('63), Patricia Rediske ('63)
Bob Mattson ('64), Nancy Mallory ('64)
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BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Jane Walker ('62)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Debbie Cone ('71)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Gilbert Blankenship ('81)
BOMBER LUNCH Today: Sacramento, CA Area
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04/18 TODAY IN HISTORY:
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the EIGHTEENTH OF APRIL, in '75;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year....
http://www.paulreverehouse.org/events/poem.html
Paul Revere's Ride
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1860
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>>From: Ken Ely ('49)
To: Betty Ely King ('47), Doris Palmer Overla ('49), & Jack Lowrey ('49)
Thank you for your kind thoughts on my birthday. Having birthdays
is the secret to a long life, the more you have, the longer you live.
Re: Tax Time
I just finished a 75 day stint with the AARP/IRS program to prepare
income tax returns. I worked, as a volunteer, at the regional IRS
office in Sacramento preparing federal and state tax returns for anyone
who wanted then done for free. We gave those 60 and older preference
but provided this free service to anyone who walked into the office
regardless of age or income.
It was a very busy, but enjoyable, 2 1/2 months. This is a
nationwide program and I recommend this to all, either to have your
taxes done or volunteer to do those taxes for others.
Maren: Please send your address for my annual donation.
-Ken Ely ('49) ~ Orangevale, CA where it is warming once again.
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>>From: Tom Tracy ('55)
To: Tom Graham ('55)
Thanks for reminding us about Ben. His story about finding options
and making positive choices when life handed him a tough deal is an
inspiration to everyone. He is certainly in our personal Hall of Fame.
Hope someone pens a book about his adventures. We all remember the
March of Dimes promotional Paul Beardsley (Bomber Dad) supported when
we all brought in an entire mile of dimes which were lined up on one
of Richland's main streets in the late '40s.
To: Don Lyall ('52)
Appreciated the reminder about Katie Conley's book, Gene Conley
"One of a Kind". It was a good read. Katie's recall demonstrated the
struggles and tough roads traveled in the early days of professional
baseball and basketball. Gene was gifted with talent, a persistence,
faith and a wonderful life partner. I still remember watching him pitch
against Pasco. He threw curve balls right at players' heads and just
as they ducked and stepped out of the box (into the bucket), the ball
curved smartly over the plate. He was amazing. He could out-jump Bill
Russell. Wilt Chamberlain said Gene Conley ('48) was the toughest guy
who ever guarded him.
In 1969, while coaching in Boston, I got to visit with Red
Auerbach, the Celtic Coach about Gene. He reminded me that a few fans
named him "Jumpin' Gino!" because Conley could usually front Wilt and
steal or knock away all the high passes headed in to feed the 7' giant.
Conley was the big reason Chamberlain's team NEVER beat the Celtics
when Conley was playing. Auerbach exclaimed. Chamberlain could do a
lot of amazing things... he just could NEVER EVER beat the Celtics when
Conley was playing!
After Wilt came to play the UW, the NCAA had to make two new rules
because Wilt 'dunked' his free throws. Out of bounds plays under
Kansas' basket involved a player passing the ball OVER the backboard
while Wilt jumped up and merely brought the ball straight down in an
unstoppable dunk shot.
Every Richland Bomber Basketball Fan or player will understand why
Gene was such a motivating basketball force and inspiration through
several generations of athletes after they read Katie's book.
Tom Heinson, a Celtic player and future coach told a Conley
story... about when no one offered to ride in Red's car on a trip
across the state to play an exhibition game except one guy ...a rookie
named Gene Conley. Red was a wild, erratic, speedster behind the wheel.
It was a foggy day and instead of slowing down, Red stuck his head out
the window and followed the white line while he sped down the freeway
when Conley couldn't even see the hood ornament. The wide-eyed Conley
walked into the gym and said, "Man, we followed one white line off the
highway that veered into a Howard Johnson's Drive Thru service lane,
roaring through at 55 mph and coach didn't even stop for change."
Good thoughts to all Bombers, Bomber fans and WBs.
-Tom Tracy ('55)
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>>From: Lois Weyerts Harrold ('56)
Re: Dorms
I remember my mother taking my sister Virginia Weyerts Wendland ('54)
and I to a dorm to do crafts once a week. We would go and do shell
jewelry. A large room had many containers of different colored and
shaped shells. You could make earrings, broaches (pins), or decorate
vases and I'm sure there were many other uses for them.
Re: Square Dancing
I remember going to Lewis and Clark for square dancing a few times.
It was a lot of fun but I didn't go enough to feel real confident about
the square dance calls.
Re: Another Bomber Lunch
The ladies of the class of '56 had their luncheon on April 6 at
Carol Kibler Payne Kerlee's house. There were 10 of us from the class
of '56 there: Mary Jones Metcalf, Nola Davey Meichle, Benita Wahl
Gottsch, Millie Brooks Bohlke, Barbara Pierce Edens, Karol Brimhall
Smith, Carol Kibler Payne Kerlee, Shirley Bumgarner Wood, Annette
Verellen Parnell and myself, Lois Weyerts Harrold. Someday, Ken
Heminger ('56WB), I may figure out how to send a picture taken with my
"regular" camera so that you can see some of the classmates that you
used to go to school with. My husband, Larry, will be the one to do all
of this. We had a group shot when we went to Anthony's two months ago
so I may try that one. We had a great time visiting, as usual, in
Carol's lovely home. We are not sure at this time where we will be
meeting in May.
Re: Polio
My Aunt Marie who lives in Schenectady, NY, also had polio as a
young child. She is 92 now and has also had the Post- Polio Syndrome
that has affected one of her legs. I lady in my church has also been
affected in the same way.
Re: Movie
Larry and I visited the site of the "Hanging Tree" movie outside of
Yakima. The cliff did not look nearly so high as it did in the movie.
This was quite a few years ago when we were going to college at
Ellensburg. You could see some remains of where the town had been built
down below the cliff.
I'm really enjoying all the different discussions going on these last
two months.
-Lois Weyerts Harrold ('56) ~ in Richland where it looks like a warming
trend is on its way.
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>>From: James "Skip" Hutton ('57WB)
To anyone who might be able to help me:
Looking for a girl (now a lady) that used to live across the street
and down a couple of houses from me when I lived on Perkins Ave. In the
'40s and '50s. Maiden name, Phyllis Jane Struck. Understand she might
be on the Richland school board now.
Any help would be nice.
-James "Skip" Hutton ('57WB)
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>>From: Patti Mathis Wheeler ('60)
To: Mike Brady ('61)
The mention of a nudist camp brought back the memory of a dark
haired girl with a few freckles and the most striking blue eyes I had
ever seen, by the name of Carol. She had a locker next to mine in
Carmichael (or could of been Col-Hi). There was some talk about her
being in a nudist magazine and that sounded so crazy to me that I
asked her if it was true. Don't remember her answer, but sure do regret
the question. As a kid I was so sure she would say no and I could go
around like Sir Galahad and dispel all rumors about this quiet girl.
As an adult I can see that it didn't matter one bit and was no one's
business. Perspectives certainly change with time. Anyway, could this
of been your sister?
-Patti Mathis Wheeler ('60)
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>>From: Judy Willox (Classic Class '61)
To: All Bombers
Re: Green & Gold, Red & White
http://richlandbombers.com/Xtra05/WineTastingForm.jpg
Taste the wines of renowned vintner Charlie Hoppes at Club 40's
Spring wine tasting event! Join us on Saturday, April 23 from 6-9pm at
the Hampton Inn, Richland. We'll be pouring wines from Fidelitas, Canon
de Sol, Gamache and Gooseridge wineries. Tickets are $25, and include
wine, light hors d'oeurves and a silent auction to benefit the Richland
High senior graduation party. Tickets are available at the Hampton Inn,
or by calling Maggie Shallman at 627-4295. Only a limited number are
available, so get yours today!
If you are from out of town and want to attend, attached is a form
to send in to the address on the form.
Bomber Cheers,
-Judy Willox (Classic Class '61) ~ Richland
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>>From: Donni Clark Dunphy ('63)
Re: Movies
Hi Bombers,
Some of you know that my dad died on March 3lst and I just haven't
had time to even send in an obit yet but I want to send a story on my
dad as many of you may have known him and worked with him. I will try
to send that soon. Your entry Rick reminded me of my dad as he also
worked as a logger and was in the CCC camp by Wenatchee. But more on
that later.
Enjoyed the stories on polio and "The Hanging Tree". That was one
of my all time favorite movies and I remember that my dad took us up to
Yakima to see the tree. I loved the song as well as the movie and don't
think they write the wonderful songs anymore for movies that most of us
remember. Another one of my favorites was "The River of no Return"
with Robert Mitchem and Marilyn Monroe. Tennessee Ernie Ford sang that
beautiful song and Marilyn Monroe sang a wonderful children's song in
that movie.
Speaking of polio does anyone remember the movie "Five Pennies."
A great story of Red Nickles, the band leader, and how his life changed
when his daughter got polio. Danny Kaye played in the movie and Tuesday
Weld played his daughter when she got older. The movie is full of great
songs some that I sang to my children over and over as they grew up.
Our family life revolved around movies when I was small. We must have
gone twice a week to the drive-ins in the summer. Remember Buck-nights,
the whole family got in just for one buck? We went so often that the
Buttercup song is ingrained in my brain. Remember this?
Add sweet cream butter to hot popcorn, mix it up,
wrap it up Buttercup is born.
It's delicious, so nutritious, it's a taste delight,
It's so munchy, crisp and crunchy, you'll enjoy each bite.
Eat Buttercup, buttercruch popcorn at it's best.
Served in a King size cup............dah, dah, dah dah
It....beats.......all..........the........rest...........!
Back to the movies. I believe "The River of no Return" was filmed
on the Snake River, and in "Five Pennies" there is a wonderful scene
where they are slapping the hot wool rags onto the little girl's legs.
Weren't we fortunate in the '50s when they came out with the vaccines.
I don't remember the sugar cube just that we had to get a series of
three shots. I hate needles!
-Donni Clark Dunphy ('63)
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>>From: Patricia Rediske Weatherman ('63)
Re: Chins
I have always been under the impression that the "touch your chin
to your chest", was, and as far as I know, still is, a quick test for
spinal meningitis. Had my granddaughter at an emergency room two years
ago and the doc had her try it, and meningitis was rampant at the time.
Just a thought.
Re: Dorms
I think some of the dorms were sold and converted into other
things. My understanding was that the old Richland Lutheran Church,
started life as a two story dorm, and was gutted to the rafters to
make a soaring sanctuary, and installed over a basement foundation. I
remember having Sunday school classes in little cubicles curtained off
down one side of the sanctuary, while services went on the other side
of the curtains. Later we got rooms downstairs.
I also lived in a "rooming house" that consisted of a lot of single
rooms with a large closet in each one. The bathrooms and the kitchen
were down the hall, toward the center of the building. Two story, with
bathrooms on both floors, but only the one common kitchen. It also had
outside doors at both ends, and you could climb outside stairs to the
outside second floor doors, or go upstairs from the center, once you
had entered on the ground floor. You had to mark your food when you
stuck it in the fridge, and hope no one took it. This was my first
"apartment", while I went to CBC, and that wouldn't have been until at
least 1964-'65. My parents told me the building was one of the old
dorms. It was located on Jadwin, I think. Was torn down eventually and
a lot of medical clinics and doctor's offices were built along there.
I think I paid about $35 a month. The "hot spot" at the time was
Adrian's, and a gal that lived down the hall from me, was a cocktail
waitress there.
Re: Polio
I remember the public pool being closed, all, or at least part of
one summer, due to the polio scare. We also had to "rest" every day
because it was thought that overheating and fatigue would bring it on,
though at the time most people didn't really know, and that was the
scariest part of all. When Jim McKeown got it, and he was right next
door, my mom really freaked out!
Re: My Mom
To all who wrote to Len ('66) and I, and said prayers for our Mom,
Lois: She is home, doing PT twice a week with a visiting therapist, and
will go to an outside facility 3 times a week, after she masters what
she is being taught at home. Our dad is doing his usual Mother Hen bit,
and clucking over her a lot. It keeps them both happy!
-Patricia Rediske Weatherman ('63) ~ in beautiful Lynnwood, WA - where
it is overcast, but dry. Yesterday is rained like the
dickens, but we need the water, so that's ok.
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>>From: Bob Mattson ('64)
Sandstormers, with our paper girl's birthday right around the corner,
north of Van Giesen, I figured it was just the time to send her a sweet
home made card and send off a check for my morning bombing, and I
didn't make any reference to her turning 60 either, cool huh. Later,
-Bob Mattson ('64)
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>>From: Nancy Mallory Johnson ('64)
Re: Iron Lungs
Like others, I remember going to the community center to get a
sugar cube with the polio vaccine in it. Also vaccinations at school
(for ?).
Here in Jackson, TN there is a woman, Daine Odell, who has lived
(and still lives) in an iron lung for 53 years. Now and then a fund
raiser is held for her (well known people come to these to help out).
She gets very little financial aid from other sources. I have never
met her, but news stories describe her as a ray of sunshine.
-Nancy Mallory Johnson ('64) ~ we're having a few days of sun and great
temperatures before the next deluge of rain.
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That's it for today. Please send more.
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