Alumni Sandstorm ~ 05/12/05
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9 Bombers, Kirk Vitulli, and 1 Bomber funeral notice today: 
Betty Hiser ('49), Jim Jensen ('50)
Laura Dean Kirby ('55), Jan Bollinger ('60)
Larry Mattingly ('60), Mike Brady ('61)
Carol Converse ('64), Greg Alley ('73)
Doug Martin ('80), Kirk Vitulli (Grandson of Art Dawald)
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>>From: Betty Hiser Gulley ('49)

My mother always told me that home is where you hang your hat. She
cried the first year that we were in Richland but after that would 
not have moved back to Ohio/Kentucky for all the money in the world.

If any of you have prayer lists I would appreciate putting my name on
it - I am suffering a lot of pain - went to the doctor and he gave me
a pain pill that has gotten rid of about 50 percent of the pain - has
many side affects, including the possibility of addiction. That's why
I haven't been writing in the Alumni Sandstorm - I hurt too much to
type, even to think.

-Betty Hiser Gulley '49er - south/government Richland - it looks like
                   it is going to be beautiful today.
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>>From: Jim Jensen ('50)

Re: The Oasis
To all those who have and will express opinions about living in the
"Old Sod" (Richland), greetings. I have followed your comments and the
perspectives you have expressed with truly deep and intense interest.

Upon graduation from RHS in 1950 I wanted, about one week later, to go
somewhere else - anywhere else - to find a "new" and more rewarding
life. I experimented with an educational pursuit for a bit less than 
a year and found myself longing to leave the experiment... with all of
its nuances, new experiences, new people, etc... and go back "home." 
I found that after one leaves the comfort of high school and fails to
substitute that comfort with another group of educational explorers...
life changes. A hint of loneliness creeps in. Finding a new peer 
group is not easy. After a year or so I found a peer group, but its
composition was far different than I ever imagined. About the time I
began to function in my new comfort zone... working in the Areas...
new social experiences... I was invited to participate in the Korean
police action.

My Richland-yearn blew hot and cold for many years as I spent 22 of
them in the Air Force checkin' out our globe, getting married to an
incredible woman, sharing a family with her, finding new things to
wonder about and learn about... Still, every time I thought about
Richland or talked to someone from Richland or otherwise communicated
with someone about Richland - the yearning became white hot. I didn't
want to leave my family, work, etc. - just hoped that I could share
Richland with my loved ones.

It had been 25 years since I last visited Richland. My parents and
siblings had moved to California. The airplane landed in Pasco. The
company that had set up my interview had a rental car waiting for me.
That July afternoon in 1984 was a bit warm, but still pleasant. As 
I turned off the highway and followed the sign that read "George
Washington Way" I could barely breathe. My hands began to tremble.
Before I saw the first recognizable structure I knew I was home - at
last.

Didn't get the position, but I spent three days recapturing the
essence of the place. The tingling sensation never left me. As I
visited each of "my" places the memories came flooding back. Of
course!!!!! The Richland I viewed was not the same place I knew 25
years before. Much of the environment was unfamiliar. I knew that most
of the people that I had associated with were either gone or quite
likely had little in common with me. Still... there was a magic.

Fourteen years later, in 1996, I attended my first Club 40 reunion.
Marvelous!!!! Saw many old friends and made new ones. I began to
appreciate that the people were the key... the people were the true
essence. Even though the "old people" were mostly gone the new people
and I shared a commonality virtually unique during the space of my
lifetime. It was a commonality that bound strangers together. It still
does. Look at the Sandstorm... it is a commonality and mutuality for
people from four or more generations. 

California? Hawaii? Alaska? England? Vietnam? Thailand? Colorado? New
Mexico? New Jersey? Johnston Island? Mississippi? Utah? New York?
Connecticut? Washington DC? Philippines? Japan? Been there... done
that long enough to know quite a bit about those places. Texas? Still
here doin' that. If I could do it tomorrow I would move to Richland,
Washington and stay there the rest of my days.
 
Bomber Cheers to all,
-Jim Jensen (thankfully and proudly from the class of 1950) 
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>>From: Laura Dean Kirby ('55)

Re: Illinois sights
Maren,
    I am sending this piece about the new Abraham Lincoln Museum in
Springfield, Illinois in case some of our traveling Bombers would like
to visit. The article is from the local paper. If you visit the city
be sure to stop at the capitol and the Frank Lloyd Wright designed
Dana Thomas House. There are several other attractions locally as
well. If you go during the middle two weeks in August you can take 
in one of the Midwest's largest state fairs. Have fun!

-Laura Dean Kirby ('55)
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[NOTE: No article attached.   -Maren]
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>>From: Jan Bollinger Persons ('60)

Re: Oops!
    Just in case anyone was planning to watch the torchlight parade in
Spokane next Saturday night, please wait one week! I have been advised
by a helpful Bomber in Moses Lake, that the date is May 21st, not next
Saturday, as I mentioned in the Spokane Bomber lunch announcement. 
So far, no Spokane Bombers have pointed out my error, so thanks to
Shelley Williams Robillard ('84) in Moses Lake for setting us all
straight!

-Jan Bollinger Persons ('60)
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>>From: Larry Mattingly ('60)

Re: Moving Wall
    The "Moving Wall" is very impressive and as close to the real
thing as you can get. I have seen them both and fired salutes
sponsored by the Anchorage VFW when they opened the Moving Wall in
Anchorage, AK. I noted there is every bit as much emotion at the 
Moving Wall as at the permanent one in WA DC. It is worth seeing.

Re: fireworks
    Thank you to the several who sent me nice comments on the 
fireworks display Friday night. It was a technically difficult 
display for a variety of reasons, but we pulled it off to the 
satisfaction of both law enforcement and the sponsor, Windemere 
Real Estate. There was a record number of boats at the log boom 
this year and a good crowd onshore.

"Happiness is the sky in bloom"
J Larry Mattingly ('60)
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>>From: Mike Brady ('61)

    My Southern California born and raised beach kids could hardly
stop laughing the first time I took them to Richland. They said, 
"is this really the place you've been talking about all these years?"
I guess you had to be raised there to understand.

-Mike Brady ('61)
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>>From: Carol Converse Maurer ('64)

To: Lynn-Marie Hatcher Peashka (68)
    I must say that you have spoken to my heart of how I feel about
Richland. When I wrote in a couple days ago, I didn't really express
how I felt about Richland then and now. I still feel it's my "home"
town, but not my "home" any longer. I love going back to visit, but 
it's rather sad for me also. Seems like another lifetime all together 
when I was growing up there. Perhaps it is because I only go there for 
the reunions now. I know that I can't relive the past and so much has
changed over the years. I loved growing up in Richland and feel that
the kids today are really missing out on living in a safe place where
so many stranger can be your family as well. All adults seems to look
out for all us kids, but not now.

-Carol Converse Maurer ('64) ~ Eureka, CA where the
      sun is shining and I'm about to go outside and weed.
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>>From: Greg Alley ('73)

Re: Richland construction
    As I was watching the 2005 baseball Bombers split a twinbill with
the Southridge Suns, the defending state champions, I was really
noticing the destruction of the old gym. The south parking lot by the
gym was full of twisted metal and the gym was about half way down. You
could still see the stands up on the northside but the walls were all
coming down. I guess the overall observation is how much steel went
into that place. The other destruction was on the corner of Lee and
Stevens as the old P & K Auto building and the old gas station was
also going down. I`m sure many of you can name a lot things those
buildings were over the years. No Mike, it was never a Denny's. By 
the way, the Bombers were ranked number one in the state up until 
that first loss. They have a good team but the league is real good 
and getting out of the district will be tough.

-Greg Alley ('73) ~ In sometime rainy and sometime sunny Richland 
          where it isn't too bad to live. Maybe I'm just stuck here.
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From the new ALL Bomber Alumni GuestBook.
>>From: Doug Martin ('80)

COMMENTS: I'm just impressed that fellow Bombers had the ambition to 
          create these websites. Thank you.

-Doug Martin ('80)
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>>From: Kirk Vitulli (Grandson of Art Dawald)

To: Dave Brusie ('51)
Sorry Dave,
    I did in fact copy the message and have it for mom. Thanks for 
correcting my error.

Sincerely,
-Kirk Vitulli (Grandson of Art Dawald)
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Funeral Notice scanned from the TCHerald
by Shirley Collings Haskins ('66)

>>Bob Maulsby ('59) ~ 2/25/41 - 5/5/05

http://funeralnotices.tripod.com/
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That's it for today. Please send more.
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