Alumni Sandstorm ~ 05/04/05
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10 Bombers sent stuff:
Dick McCoy ('45), Betty Hiser ('49)
Susan Anderson ('49), Dave Brusie ('51)
Wally Erickson ('53), Jim Russell ('58)
John Browne, Jr. ('61), Donna Nelson ('63)
Betti Avant ('69), Jerry Lewis ('73)
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>>From: Dick McCoy ('45)
Re: Hutches
To: Nancy Riggs ('51)
I have one of those original hutches, and I don't know what it
is worth, as I have no intention of selling. It has become a family
heirloom.
I have never heard that they were a one time special issue. My
father who was in procurement for the engineers in those early days
said they were all the gov could find. I believe they were made in
New York State, of solid maple. No veneer at all.
-Dick McCoy ('45) ~ From no downtown, Camano Island, WA.
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>>From: Betty Hiser Gulley ('49)
May Baskets: I was too shy and bashful to make May Baskets when I was
a child but my children made them and gave them to the neighbors. They
really had a lot of fun doing that.
When I was at the old Sacajawea we did a May Pole inside in the gym. I
was deaf, even then, and messed up the May Pole because I was going in
the wrong direction. Oh Well!!!
-Betty Hiser Gulley '49er - south/government Richland - beautiful
days and coolish nights. Wunerful Wunerful
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>>From: Susan Anderson Shattuck ('49)
To: Carol Converse Maurer ('64)
I definitely remember May Baskets. We made them at school all
through the elementary grades and like you said we would ring the
doorbell, put the baskets by the door and run. But we always ran
behind a bush or something so we could the person discover the basket.
After my family moved our here (Dad in '44 and mom and I in '45), I
was in high school and don't remember doing it anymore. I remember the
May Poles, too. I always got to go around the May Pole singing here
we go around the May Pole. The tradition was still alive in the early
sixties as my son (who was 5 in 1960) left May Baskets and with very
little enthusiasm went around the May Pole in 1st grade, but that was
the one and only time his teacher could convince him that he should do
it. His comment was, "That's for girls."
A lot of our traditions have disappeared and I think it is such
a shame!
-Susan Anderson Shattuck ('49) ~ here in the Puget Sound area in
south King County where it is overcast and looks like
rain again.
To all Mothers out there in cyberspace: Happy Mother's Day!!
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>>From: Dave Brusie ('51)
To: Dick Harris ('49)
Re: Response to 4/26/05 Alumni Sandstorm
Dickie Boy!
Sounds about right. I guess we shouldn't pick on McCoy.
How's your saddle shoes holding out??
To: Kirk Vitulli (Grandson of Art Dawald)
Re: Response to 4/28/05 Alumni Sandstorm
I don't know, or remember the chocolate cake incident, but I do
remember coming over to your grandparents' house and eating a lot
of prawns. Your grandmother was a great cook. She was like a second
mother, and of course your grandfather was my basketball coach. Say
hello to your mother for me!!... and your Uncle Richard.
-Dave Brusie ('51)
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>>From: Wally Erickson ('53)
To: Jim Jensen ('50)
Re: Finneys
Yes, Mrs. Finney was a very gracious person. She was very talented
playing the piano and also had a beautiful singing voice. I took
my first piano lessons from Mrs. Mildred Finney. I also took piano
lessons from Mrs. Lyall (Bob ('49) & Don Lyall's ('52) step mother)
shortly afterwards. The piano skills actually helped me with my typing
skills... grin. I never pursued the piano, I was too busy playing with
my friends. I do remember in grade school (Marcus Whitman), when we
had a music test; some of my class mates would want to sit next to me,
because I could read music.
To: John Williams ('56)
Re: Wineries
First, congratulations on the success of your winery business. I
am a evening wine drinker and appreciate good wines. Last year with
the help of our Bomber friends on the Sandstorm, Judy and I went
through the Napa Valley to check out the wineries there. I understand
from Walla Walla, the Tri-City area and Columbia Basin it is
considered great climate and soil conditions for growing great wines.
I personally prefer the Washington wines; the prices are reasonable
for the quality of the wine.
Thanks to your daughter Shelley, Laura Dean Kirby Armstrong ('55),
and the Alumni Sandstorm, we've made a connection from the past. We
were, like many others in Richland during the late '40s and early '50s
have great memories of growing up in a close neighborhood. To think I
use to go out into the hills and sagebrush (outside of Richland) with
friends to hunt jack rabbits with my .22 rifle. I can still smell
the sage after all these years. You needed an auto-.22 to shoot jack
rabbits... they were very fast and didn't dart out in a straight line.
Do you remember when we played croquet in the area behind your
home and the Davis's (Bob ('54-RIP) & Jack ('56). It was a large area
for playing croquet... we spread the wickets out pretty good. Greet
your brother Lee for me.
Re: More memories
How many out there remember "mumly (sp.) peg"?? Making your pocket
knife stick in the ground starting with flipping the knife over the
palm of your hand, then your fingers and working your way up to your
ears, etc.. It seems we played that game several times a week. I can
still feel the point of the knife sticking into my skin.... smile.
-Wally Erickson ('53) ~ Coeur D'Alene were it's cooling down, got a
little rain this morning.
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>>From: Jim Russell ('58)
Re: May Baskets
Before moving to Richland in '49, we used to make the May Day
baskets, fill them with flowers, hang them on the door of our
neighbors and run and hide to see them discover our May Day offering.
Great fun! That was in Silverton, OR. Coming to Richland, I don't
believe we did that.
My question is, does anyone know the cultural source of that
tradition? I remember the great fun making the baskets, collecting
the flowers, and seeing the delight and smiles on the faces of the
ladies who discovered the gifts. Was it a German tradition? Silverton
was heavily settled by German immigrants, and I have German ancestry
on my mother's side of the family.
Sure miss some of those traditions.
-Jim Russell ('58) ~ Mountlake Terrace, half way between Seattle and
Everett
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>>From: John Browne, Jr. ('61)
Re: May baskets
I remember the paper cones, too... from my grade school days
in Tacoma, before we moved to Richland ('53). My grandmother had
extensive flower beds to support some basket stuffing. Of course,
dandelions and other "showy" weeds ended up there, too...
Re: internment camps
I listened to a radio show this morning about local Japanese-
Americans being moved to internment camps. There were people from
Bainbridge who spoke of being moved to Manzanar, and to Tule lake-
but no mention of anyone being held on Bainbridge for the duration.
I know that here (Vashon Island, 2nd one South of Bainbridge) a number
of the farming families were taken off their lands; and it's a matter
of some local pride that the farms were returned to their owners,
after the war. The Mukai, Otsuka, Takatsuka and Matsuda families are
still here. Not so many strawberry fields, anymore... but still some
farming going on (despite the tract houses, farmettes, and other signs
of "progress" hereabouts- and a dearth of milk cows). ^..^
-JHBrowne, Jr. ('61) ~ Vashon Island, WA
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>>From: Donna Nelson ('63)
Re: May Baskets
I still teach school and the May basket tradition lives on in my
classroom anyway.
-Donna Nelson ('63)
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>>From: Betti Avant ('69)
Re: May Baskets
Ah yes, the making of May baskets. It was great fun. When I first
moved to Kansas in 1994 a group of day care kids came to my door with
a May basket. I was home at the time so I knew who left it as they
rang the doorbell. Maybe it isn't a "lost art".
-Betti Avant ('69) ~ Eugene, OR - where the sun is shining and
the birds singing
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>>From: Jerry Lewis ('73)
Re: CBC 50th anniversary
On Saturday May 14th, Columbia Basin College is kicking-off the
50th anniversary celebrations with an event at the college. It starts
at 10 a.m. with the opening of a time capsule which was placed in the
'70s, placement of a new time capsule, and some comments. Starting
at 10:45 a.m., tours will be offered of several locations on campus,
including the under-construction WISE building and the Observatory.
For more details, check out the event listing:
http://www.columbiabasin.edu/celebrate.asp
If you're interested in getting occasional updates about what's
going on at CBC, you can sign up at
http://www.columbiabasin.edu/signup
As this anniversary roughly coincides with my personal 50th
anniversary, I was thinking of inviting friends and telling them it
was my 50th birthday celebration. Never got around to that, but if
you're from the class of '73, come on down and celebrate! Many of us
are reaching this milestone this year. I believe there will be a
birthday cake at some point.
-Jerry Lewis ('73), CBC Webmaster and e-Learning Admin & Support
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That's it for today. Please send more.
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