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Alumni Sandstorm Archive ~ August, 1998
01 08 10 11 11TTellier 12 13 14 15 16 17 18&19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
PEACE ~ Frank Osgard #1 ~ Frank Osgard #2
Zip's Tarter Sauce ~ Fight Song ~ Alma Mater
***********************************************
From: Gary Behymer (64)
TO: All Bombers
RE: Houses That Hanford Built ~ 8/1/98
The Houses that Hanford Built.... I believe these
to be the actual cost to the government to build
each house.
Type # Year Built Cost
A 408 1943-1945 ?
B 520 1943-1945 ?
C 85 1950-1951 ?
D 8 1943-1945 $11,570
E 84 1943-1945 $ 9,535
F 250 1943-1945 $10,562
G 8 1943-1945 $ 9,220
H 250 1943-1945 $ 9,220
K 60 1950-1951 $11,768
L 44 1943-1945 $11,733
M 25 1943-1945 $12,191
Q 143 1948-1949 $12,608
R 146 1948-1949 $13,580
S 19 1948-1949 $16,049
T 5 1948 ?
U 110 1947 $ 7,941
V 340 1947 $ 9,689
Y 950 1948-1949 $ 9,704
Z 50 1948-1949 $10,755
Prefabs
1-BR 150 1944-1946 ?
2-BR 675 1944-1946 ?
3-BR 517 1944-1946 ?
Where did you live?
******************************************************
******************************************************
....more Bomber Memories ~ 8/8/98
This question has been asked by Barbara Vaché
from the Class of 1968 concerning 'the camp' that
was located next to 'Horn Rapids Dam'.
>From Barbara Vaché '68)
We are looking for any printed information
stating what the camp was used for. Everyone
seems to know of it existance but there is little
info on the camp itself. I was visiting the area
several weeks ago and just wanted more
information on it and have run into dead ends.
Thanks
Barbara Vache Baird class of '8
>>From: Sonny Davis ('2)
My name is Sonny Davis and I graduated in 1962.
After I got my driver's license, I spent almost
every your I could at "the camp". The concrete
floors and foundations were clearly visible and
one could actually drive down the streets of the
camp itself. This was one of the hunting,
fishing, shooting, camping favorites of the area.
The indians were still fishing the river at the
Rapids. In about 1960 they had huge Army
excercises there and there were literally
zillions of tanks, armored cars, artillery
pieces, etc. all over that area. I don't know
what is there now but if I were there I could
take you right to it. I shot deer, trapped
beaver, hunted chukar, pheasant and quail there.
Probably around 1954 or 55 my Boyscout troop did
an overnight right on the old foundations.
Sonny Davis
>>From: Larry Smith ('1)
Hi, I don't have any papers regarding the camp,
but my dad always referred to it as 'the conchy-
camp'. It was a storage place for concientous
objectors durring the war time. I don't know how
long it was used, but when I first remember going
there in about '48-'50, all that was there was
the foundations and some trees. It was a common
camping spot for scout over-nighters without
having to go too far. Kinda secluded and like an
oasis, but still close to home. The water in the
river was pretty clear in those days.
>>From: Joe Ford (63)
Gary, I'm joining Ray Stein, and no doubt
dozens of other folks, in thanking you for the
research on Richland.
My dad told me that the Horn Rapids prison
camp had POWs, mostly German, who worked in the
harvest in the Yakima valley. They were guarded
and escorted but had a degree of freedom. By late
1945 or early 1946, most of them were
repatriated.
When I was a kid (1950 to maybe 1955) we
would occasionally go there on family outings. I
remember fairly tall trees, which probably were
remarkable for a born-and-raised Richland boy.
Anyone else have a version?
Best regards. --Joe Ford ('63)
>>From: Linda Sargent Evans ('7)
I just found out about your website! It's great,
and a wonderful way to keep in touch. Please add
my name to the list. Thanks so much.
>>From: Diane Brown Koehnen ('64)
Dear Everyone,
It is so fun to read these tales of us as kids
growing up in Richland and our shared experiences
like chasing the mosquito trucks, floating down
the flumes, cruising the Uptown, then the
Downtown, hangin' out at Zip's!!! I grew up in a
B house at 1414 McPherson. My parents still live
there and my younger brother Dan and his wife
live on Cottonwood. I ran into Darlene Huesties
in Seattle this week! She recognized me in a
checkout line at Fred Meyer - even after 34
years! Thanks, Gary, for making this possible and
all of you for the memories........
Dianne Brown Koehnen ('64)
>>From: Mina Jo Gerry Payson ('68)
We moved into a pre-fab at 1808 McClelland in
1951. In '56, I remember going down to "housing"
where the Health Dept is now, and looking for our
name. Mom was expecting #3 and we were short on
room. Fortunately we got to move to 410
Cottonwood about a month before my little brother
arrived. The folks bought that house in '58 for
about $11,000. I still have the paper work. They
sold in '71 and my husband, new baby and I bought
it in '78. The small bedroom was just like I had
left it as far as paint and wallpaper. I remember
the painters coming down our block doing the
interiors. I could have any color I wanted, as
long as it was pink!! I tell my kids the only way
I am leaving this house is feet first : )
Mina Jo Payson, Class of '68
>>From: Tonny Tellier
Anyone remember:
By's Burgers
Ray's Market out at the Y
Highland Ranch Market in Kennewick
The Flume
The Men's Room At The Standard Station
Lucky 7
Atomic Frontier Days
Arlo
"Muscles"
Paul Schlagle
Officer Worrell
Warren Scott
Ida Me(a)chem
PasPort Plunge
Drift Inn
Wild Bill's
................more on houses...............
>>From: Bob Mattson ('64)
Hello, yes the DDT sprayers. Those little
jeeps, rolling down the streets of my home town.
Through a network of informats we could locate it
blocks away and swarm in it's clouds. What fun.
Started off in the Kadlec as a lot of us did.
Started off in a prefab on Snow, then to 1514
Marshall which I think was called an "A" house.
Two story half. Then on to 1606 Johnston, could
have been a "Q" house. John Corado, Tom Clements
and David Dowis shared the neighborhood. Quansit
hut at Sackie, Then Jason Lee, Christ The King,
Chief Jo, Then to Col-Hi as that was it. Anyboby
remember swimming at the passport plunge in Pasco?
Include the Nam, a marriage gone south, two
beautiful children, besides some live stage &
stand-up, in a band called Fat Chance, I'll have
some Tee shirts for sale when we all gather once
again next summer. A thanks goes out to Gary and
Maren, I'm sure.
Later, Bob "Tuna" Mattson ('64)
>>From: Gary Behymer ('64)
.....Several people have mentioned the Passport
Plunge. I believe it was out by the Pasco
Airport? Went there but once when I was a
cubscout.
>>From: James Armstrong ('63)
Hey it was another great reunion. I went on a
great sight seeing excursion up the RIVER to the
Hanford reach. With great running commentary from
Mike Quane about his adventures on the river way
back when. Long may you wave Mike! Great to see
everyone.
Jim Armstrong - "Pitts" ('63)
>>From: the Vaché Sisters
Hi from alumni of '59, '66, and '68. We are the
Vaché sisters having a sisters week in Lake
Stevens, WA. This is our first view of the Bomber
Home Page that we heard about from brother Jim ('64).
We are hoping to catch up on some news of "old"
classmates.
The Vaché Sisters: Mary Ellen ('59), Katie ('66),
and Barbara ('68)
================
This 'memory lane' trip is being sent to over 700
emailing Richland Bombers from class years 1945
to 1989. We know that each of you have different
'types' of memories. Realize that this group
represents 45 years and several generations!
Thank you for allowing us to share 'our' thoughts
and memories.
Maren Smyth ('64) & Gary Behymer ('64)
************************************
******************************************************
Richland Bombers Come Out of the Woodwork ~ 8/10/98
from Gary Behymer ('64)
... sending this to the Class of 1964. Note to
Maren -- Please forward to all other classes.
====================
>>From: Rob Williams ('67)
Hi Gary, I ran into an old friend last
spring, thanks to your great site. I saw Jamie
Worley's (Hills) name on the Bomber site and
contacted her concerning her brother Larry, we
all grew up together in Jack-Ass flats, West
Richland. I met with Jamie, she's still a fox,
Larry and his great family out in Benton City
last May, we all had a wonderful visit. What a
great family. Here is a picture of Larry's
youngest son Seth on my Harley. He also has an
older son Silas, both great boys. Larry and I
played baseball together, his father, Ralph and
my dad Richard started alot of the ground work
organizing teams and got the land to build the
baseball park by the golf course. Just to let you
know this site is working to bring old friends
back together...
thanks again, Rob Williams ('67)
====================
>>From: Teresa DiVine Knirck ('64)
Once again, it is great to read all the memories
of early Richland--It was fun to see Sonny Davis'
name. For those who went to Chief Jo, I think it
was Sonny Davis and Ronnie Hoglen who were sort
of folk heroes when I was in seventh grade. I am
sure it was they who somehow added their names to
those signing the copy of the Declaration of
Independence hanging in the foyer by the
auditorium entrance at CJ. Anyone else remember
that--like Sonny? :)
Teresa DeVine Knirck ('64)
====================
>>From: Roberta Gross ('70)
Hi Gary! Thanks for the info! How do I get my
email address added to the list: CLASS OF 1970 TO
1979 EMAIL ADDRESSES (for 1970 list)?
Roberta Gross Darrow ('70)
Another person who would like to get added to
the email list for 1970 is Gudrun Witt Zimmer.
She was the foreign exchange student from Germany
in 1970.
====================
>>From: Stephen Schraedel (79)
Gary, Are there any plans for a '79er's
reunion? Stephen Schraedel
====================
>>From: Barb Gore McCleary ('67)
I just heard of this awesome Web site. I'm a
'67 graduate of Col. Hi. My maiden name was
Barbara Gore, so plrase include me
Thanks! This is simply great!!!!
====================
>>From: Mina Jo Gerry Payson (68)
In reply to Tony Tellier and others
The camp: I agree, a POW camp during the war. My
brothers' Scout troop camped there often.
By's Burgers: My dad told a story about By's
Burgers and the painters. He sent use kids and
mom to grandma's in Seattle while our house was
being painted. One evening he went down to By's,
on the corner of Gillespie and Duane (Goethals,
now). Of course, the inevitable dust storm blew
up. He rushed home to close windows, but was too
late. We had some of the earliest texturized
walls in Richland.
"Muscles": I remember a guy who rode his bike
around town. As little kids, we would see him and
yell "Hey, hey, Muscles" and wave and he would
yell "Hey, Hey" back and wave. He was a fixture
for years. I guess he was retarded or just slow.
The rumors by the time I was 11 or so were that
he had gotten run over trying to ride his bike on
the freeway in California. Who knows?
Atomic Frontier Days: A good excuse for the men
not to shave for a week.
Ida Meachem: Was she the Dr. Meacham who taught
some of the science courses at CBC in the late
60's & early 70's? She was quite a character on
campus and seemed to be older than dirt.
PasPost Plunge: Never got to go there. I was
under the impression that it was reserver for the
military families in Pasco. I think there were
some naval air guys stationed there. It was at
the old airport. I remember going by there often
as a late teen and seeing the remains. No
building, just a big, empty cement pool.
Wild Bills Market: Used to be on the corner of
Lee and Jadwin. I think there was one at McMurray
and G. Way, too. I can remember that we alway
shopped at C & H Market on Wright, next to
Densows, because it was close to home. But
sometimes mom or dad would go down to Wild Bills
because they had good prices on dry goods.
Mosquito trucks: We used to chase them on foot
and on our bikes as they came down Cottonwood. It
is amazing we aren't all dead from inhaling that
stuff!!
-Mina Jo Gerry Payson (68)
====================
>>From: Kathy O'Neil (63)
Thanks for all the interesting information and
great comments by everyone. I really enjoy
reading them!
====================
>>From: Tony Tellier (57)
Hey! I am glad so many have yukked it up on
those snippets. The guy who threw in The Mad Turk
got an extra 10 points!!
Fission Chips
BB&M
McGuire's Shoe Repair
Skip's Drive-In
Q: was the Chinese place in Uptown the "Ming Room"
or was that in Pullman??
Hi-Spot (!!)
"Atomic Harvest" a book about releases of
radioactivity into the Walukee (sp) Slope to the
east
===============================================
>>From: Mina Jo Gerry Payson (68)
My last name at graduation was Gerry. I
remember the pink because mom had a bad habit of
moving bedroom furniture and I came home from
Marcus Whitman one day to find that I had been
moved into my brother's room, which was blue and
he got my pink one. That really frosted my
cookies, but I guess I lived.
===================================================
>>From: Bill Byrd (59)
Gary, here is another slant on the Horn Rapids
Camp. I remember my Father telling the story,
....following Pearl Harbor, the US government
decided to move all of the Japanese living and
working on the west coast of the US to inland
camps until the war was over. While at graduate
school, I met a Japanese who colaborated this
story saying that his father had a store in
Tacoma and was threatened with being turned in to
the authorities if he didn't sell his store (and
for a fraction of its worth). It happened anyway
and his family was moved to the Horn Rapids Camp.
I have no documentation and my Father is no
longer living, so take it for what it is worth.
=====================
>>From: Richard Baker (58)
By's Burgers: The original was located on the old
Columbia Park highway. I used to love it when my
folks took me there. Still today, I think those
were the best hamburgers I have ever eaten.
Later, he opened a By's below Lee Hill. Then, he
open Tim's near Uptown, named after his son. It
was at Tim's that I first remember hearing Elvis.
Ray's Market out at the Y: When I was growing up
at 216 Cullum Avenue, a neighbor, Bill James (who
has long since passed away) used to take me
fishing on the dike that connects Bateman island
with the road. Of course, Ray's is just across
the street. We got our fishing supplies and bait
there plus a treat after fishing.
Highland Ranch Market in Kennewick: I remember it
but don't have any memories associated with it.
The Flume: It was always neat to spend Friday or
Saturday night "shooting" the Flume and then
walking back across the ties to do it again.
Another night time activity we enjoyed was
sitting on the fenders and shooting jackrabbits
with 22's while driving all of the dirt roads
above the flume. Couldn't do that now, could you.
The Men's Room At The Standard Station: I don't
think I remember the Standard Station. But, I do
remember Pott's Rainbow at the corner of Casey
and Douglas. I think this was the only filling
station in town when we moved there in '43.
Safeway was across the street. I think Potts
eventually opened the first station on the corner
just south of the Community House.
Lucky 7: I remember what I thought was the Lucky
5 just across the street from the Gaslight and,
of course, the Frontier Tavern in the next block.
Atomic Frontier Days: I remember these days
vividly. It was a fun time. And then came the
Unlimited Hydroplane races. The night before the
races, we used to go down to the barricade they
set up in Columbia Park and spend the night
having a few bruskies and playing poker. Then the
next morning they would remove the barricade and
we drove (hurriedly) down to get our favorite
spot to watch the races. Chrysler Crew, Miss
Spokane, Miss Tri Cities, Atlas Van Lines, and
many more. Those are fond memories! The Chrysler
Crew actually had two Chrysler engines.
Arlo: Yes, I remember Arlo. His last name was
Beedles. His sister is Irma who graduated with me
and one of the folks I hope to see at the reunion
next month. Arlo used to hang out at the
Carmichael shop. When he got on a wood lathe, he
settled down and performed excellent work.
"Muscles": I had forgot all about Muscles. Yes, I
remember seeing him all the time around town. It
seems like he was always smiling. Boy, a real
long lost memory!
Paul Schlagle: I need a memory jogger here. I
remember the name but can't put a face or story
with it.
Officer Worrell: I remember him. I think we spent
a few times together over the years…if you know
what I mean.
Warren Scott: No memory.
Ida Me(a)chem: For sure I remember Ida. I had her
for biology at Columbia High in '57 or '58. Then
I had her again at CBC in '65 or '66. As I look
back, we kinda gave her a hard time, but she was
a very sincere, dedicated person.
PasPort Plunge: I used to swim at the PasPort
Plunge. It was the old military training pool. I
think it was Olympic size, but can't really
remember. Every time I fly back to the Tri Cities
and land in Pasco, I look over at the few
remaining buildings and think of swimming there.
Drift Inn: I kinda remember the Drift Inn. For
sure I remember the name and associate it with a
bar. But I can't place the location.
Wild Bill's: I want to add the word "Market" on
the end of this one. Am I right?? Was it located
in West Richland??
Thanks for giving me the chance to re-live some
great memories. Here are a few more:
The Richland and Village theaters where I used to
see Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, etc., etc. for a dime
and then 12 cents. The Stile family ran the
theaters. They had two sons. One older than me
and one younger. They originally lived above the
Village theater. And, how about the original
Richland swimming pool that was in the park below
the Community Center. It was so small, that they
rotated kids on an hourly basis. And, last but
not least, Ganzeles Barber Shop where from 3
years old to probably 18 years old, I got my hair
cut. There used to be a black gentleman, Otis,
who shined shoes. He was a nice old gent and was
there a long, long time.
-Richard Baker (58)
=================================================
>>From: Maren Smyth ('64)
I remember Otis!!!!! Must have been on a trip to
the barber shop to watch older brother, Tim ('62), get
his hair cut. And now the last name of Azure pops
into my head.
==============================================
In response to "Letter from a Friend" by Jim Hamilton:
>>From: Kathie Roe (64)
What a great letter!!! As I read Frank's
recollections, I chuckled at our shared experiences.
Misguided as it may be, I still feel a sense of pride
to be part of a generation who who grew up riding bikes
behind DDT jeeps, skating at the roller rink, going to
movies at the Uppy, savoring a hot & greasy Spudnut,
knowing where Zeb's Radiator Shop is located, sneaking
into drive-in movies, parking in North Richland,
swimming to The Island, living under the "mushroom
cloud", and knowing there is nothing more exciting than
chanting "On to State". You guys are the coolest.
Semper Bomberus......
Kathie Roe Truax ('64)
===============================================
Hi, I thought I did this before but maybe not,
you know how computers are, have a mind of their
own. Please add:
Linda Barott - Class of 1971
I am married to:
David Rodriguez - Class of 1969
Thanks
====================
>>From: Mary Lou Watkins Rhebeck (63)
I have loved reading all these wonderful
Richland memories...thank you for sending them to
me, too! Growing up in Richland must have meant
so much to so many people...just amazing. Thanks
again for your efforts....
Mary Lou
==============================================
>>From: Sandi Cherrington (66)
Hi Everyone, Good to hear about and remember the
"people and local hangouts" of the years gone by!
I do remember:
By's Burgers
Ray's Market out at the Y
Highland Ranch Market in Kennewick
Atomic Frontier Days
"Muscles"
Wild Bill's
Flumes
Does anyone remember going to the dances at
Howard Amon Park during the "Frontier Days"
celebrations?
How about going to the "Indoor Swimming
Pool" over in Pasco by the Old Airport? Our
family used to enjoy going there.
Sandi Cherrington (Class of '66')
===========================================
In Response to the Letter from John Coons
>>From: Larry Bowls (64)
John,
An interesting note you have written regarding
the significance of the August 9, 1945 date. By
your concluding comments, I am not sure, however,
if you are an apologist for Hanford war
contributions or condemning them. I'd rather
think the former.
As we know now, after two dropped bombs, the war
came to an abrupt end saving many American and
Allied lives that would undoubtedly have been
lost in an extended conflict in the Pacific. I
think it is fair to say none of us individually
take any pride in the destruction of life and
property caused by these bombs, but can be proud
of all collective efforts to effect the earliest
end to the war.
It is a given that history was made on those
days, but what other history would have been
written if had we not dropped those bombs.
Let's reflect on that too.
Larry Bowls, Class 1964
P.S. John, please say hello to Ginny ('64) from my wife
Donna Young ('64) who was a close friend of Ginny's
during high school. We trust that all is well
with you. We now reside in southern California.
=====================
>>From: Valerie Polentz Topham (72)
Hi Maren,
Glad you are the one keeping up the "page" and
not me! I am reading interestedly about an area I
had little interest for when I lived there. Now
that I'm older and wish to recount memories to my
child, it is soemthing new to tell her every time
I drive over the mountains.
Val (currently resting in Richland)
===============================================
>>From: Marilyn Henderson Boyd-Young (73)
Hey, this ones for Tonny Tellier- I'd like
to know what went on in the Men's room at the
Standard Station, seeing how my father owned
it:):):)-
================================================
>>From: Kathy Rathvon (63)
You're doing a great job passing along all
these memories. People mention things I had
totally forgotten about. This is great! Thanks,
Maren, for all your work.
===============================================
>>From: Jim Hamilton (63)
Received this letter from Frank Osgard today,
thought you might enjoy.
Dear Jimbeaux,
Sorry I missed the reunion. I would love to
attend, but still have trouble dealing with the
clothes I wore to our 10th reunion. I don't know
why I thought a pair of white patent leather
loafers and a matching belt would get folks to
sit back and say, "Hey, Old Frfand is doing OK".
I devoted a lot of time to make sure that I would
be looking "so sharp", that people would forget
about my Graduation Night indescretion on the
Columbia Queen, but I was wrong. That initial
reunion was the inagural trip to Richland for my
first wife. I had bought that paisley shirt with
the John Travolta long point collar to wear with
my sky blue Glen Campbell leisure suit. Then as
we were all crowded in the bar out at the "K of C
Smoker Drinker (fromerly known as the post office
where we used to go to see if Stanley Middelton
was on the wanted posters, yet)", someone yelled
"FIRE". I'm not sure if it was really spontaneous
combustion from all of that polyester and
hairsray, but I lost about 4" off my left "huck'a
huck'a burnin' love" Elvis sideburn. That was
when wife number one bolted and ran, never to be
seen again.
On second thought, I think that was probably
wife number two. I don't remember much else about
her, but I do know that number one would have
probably gone up in smoke as she is currently in
a 12 step program for polyester, big hair and
cheap jewelry abuse. Number one was from
Kennewick, but spent her formative years in North
Richland in the trailer courts and went to John
Ball. When she was six, they moved to one of
those houses up by Sanders Field and Zeb's
Ratiator Shop, that only had a basement. We first
met crawling under the fence at that Drive-in
down by the Y. Me thinks it was a "buck nite",
which should have clued me to the fact that she
wouldn't be real quick with numbers. Her brother
worked at the roller rink down by Tastee Freeze
and always wore black. He could smoke real cool,
and skate backwards with his hands in his
pockets. He still can and he still does.
Did you ever wonder why our folks always
said the Roller Rink was such a horrible place?
It was Ok to go there if it was a church deal,
but no other time. My sister went there on a
birthday party and with the Blue Birds a couple
of times. If memory serves me right, I think it
was over Chicken ala'King that she asked what has
come to be known at "The Hickey Ques-tion". No
way I can recreate the logic, but to Mom, Hickey
= Roller Rink. We never went there again.
We had experienced similar drama over the
pool hall at the "Rec Hall". I guess that is
where "Uncle Sugar's Finest" from Camp Hanford
went to eyeball High School girls. I can close my
eyes and still smell it. I remember it with the
same exhileration that you reserved for the first
day of school, or maybe the ski bus. Pinball
machines, Pools Tables and Bowling Alleys.
Probably the place which God himself would have
chosen to put peanuts in his Pepsi, and learn to
smoke.
Gotta rip, the wife is stranded down at
Costco. She locked herself out of the Volarie and
that case of Kid Bars is starting to melt. I'll
run down with a coat hanger and grab her a couple
of those Hebrew National Polish Sausages for a
buck. And she says we never go anywhere.
More later,
Frank
SEMPER BOMBERUS
=================================================
>>From: Al Parker ('53)
Tony Tellier ('57) asks: Anyone remember:
(Replys to his query in brackets)
By's Burgers
[Sure-- round and round we went, sesame seed
buns, "souvenierable" menu signs on the side of
the building, best Col-Hi hangout spot for class
of '53 and others.]
Ray's Market out at the Y
[Probably passed by it a number of times.]
Highland Ranch Market in Kennewick
[Sounds familiar ... specialized in meat and
custom cutting later on? Trying to remember name
of proprieter, last name started with a T?]
The Flume [Uh uh.]
The Men's Room At The Standard Station [Was it clean?]
Lucky 7 [Was that a tav at the Y?]
Atomic Frontier Days [Oh yeah!]
Arlo [Yes, I remember Arlo and his monkey.]
"Muscles"
[Yes... I remember him well... Quite a nick name
for that guy, but he didn't mind. Always a smile. And
a "hey, hey!"]
Paul Schlagle [Nope.]
Officer Worrell
[Sounds familiar, no specific recall. Did
he catch you going through a red light?]
Warren Scott
[Taught crafts, graduated from Central Wa
College of Ed. b.a., m.ed.]
Ida Me(a)chem
[Ida Mecum taught science, had a b.a. and
b.s. from U of Iowa. According to year book, but
while attending Col Hi, (graduating in '53), I
was under the impression that she also had a
doctorate.]
PasPort Plunge
[Yeah. Big indoor pool in El Pasco, near
the airport, had been built by military for
training and recreation, later operated as a
civilian facility. Good sized place to take a
bath.]
Drift Inn
[Another tav? Downtown? There was one tavern,
perhaps a different one, with doors that opened both
on GWWay and the Greenway. One Col Hi graduate drove
straight through the tavern in one door and out the
other on his Harley(?), in celebration perhaps, of his 21st birthday.]
Wild Bill's
[Don't recall. But do you remember the Mad Turk?]
And how about Ganzel's Barber Shop?
[Dozens of barbers. Hardly any waiting.]
And the Richland and Village Theaters.
[How much did it cost to see the movies then, 35
cents for a Saturday matinee? You could see the
continuing serials and newsreels to boot!]
We enjoyed the outdoor skating rink before an
indoor one was built near by, by the Bakers, I
believe, and the Brinkerhoffs had an amusement
ride enterprise just below Col Hi.
-Al Parker, Class of '53.
====================
>>From: Jay Jacky (64)
This is draggin' deep in the muck of my memory
but I think the "POW" camp was actually a
Japanese-American Internment Camp constructed in
Pearl Harbor hysteria. Incidentally a friend who
grew up in the camps loved it. "One long summer
camp" he said, "Mom and Dad weren't thrilled with
it though." Also, I can not remember a single
Oriental family in Richland, oops... forgot the
"mysterious" Golden Lion crew...told ya it was
muck...
-Jay Jackey ('64)
====================
>>From: Sharon Henry (64)
My brother-in-law has just got into the realty
business and says he has information on all the
houses including floor plans and pictures of each
type of house. He will bring me a copy tomorrow
night. Let me know if you would like to have
this information.
Sharon Henry Eckert, Class of '64
====================
>>From: Terrance K. Liechty (64)
Gary, OK.... how about this one. Does anyone
remember Mary's Doghouse?
It was a little hole in the wall at the "Y" and
run by a little old man who made the biggest
hamburgers I've ever seen. There where, as I
remember not tables or chairs but shelves along
the wall and you stood there and aite some of the
best and biggest hambergers around.
-Terry Lielchty ('64)
====================
>>From: Cathy Biehn Wickholm (64) & Berta Hettinger ('64)
Gary, I don't see Connie Fay Phillips ('64) listed
anywhere on the Bomber pages. Does anyone know
her address? Berta Hettinger ('64) and I would like
to find her again.
-Cathy Biehn Wickholm & Berta Hettinger
=====================
>>From: Joe Largé (class of '68)
Dear Tony,
Yes, I remember Atomic Frontier Days very
much. They had them at Riverside (Amon) Park. I
remember the parades. When I was a Junior Fire
Marshall, I remember walking in the Kiddies
parade. I can still hear the band playing "Stars
& Stripes Forever". We would have the fireworks
display in the Bomber Bowl. I remember as a kid,
sitting on the lawn in the bowl watching the
stationary displays, the waterfalls, etc.
Remember at Sacajawea park when they would
sell snow cones and cotton candy? You would get
SICK on the stuff. There was (is?) an old indian
artifact museum there, made out of round rocks.
You would go through and see the arrow heads, the
rock hewn bowls and utensiles, and the indian
skeleton.
There was a little drive-in right across the
old Pasco-Kennewick bridge (can't remember the
name of the place) that used to sell "Chicken-in-
a-basket". Dad and mom would take us there once
in a while. Delicious Chicken!
Dad played the banjo and alto saxophone for
a Mexican Group lead by Tony Sandoval from West
Richland. They would play for dances all over
the place, usually at a dance hall at the "Y", or
the Kennewick Highlands, or Prosser, Mabton,
Toppenish, Yakima, Grandview, etc.
One of my first recollections of a
basketball game was when we went to (I think)
Prosser, where we watched Richland play Prosser.
The family that we went to was named Szendre
(don't know if Sue Szendre is a relative or not),
but there was this darlingly cute little blond
girl about my age (I was only about 3 or 4) that
I played with. She and I fell asleep in the back
of the car on the way home, huddled against one
another. I can still remember the smell of her
hair. The little girl's name I believe was
Marion Szendre.
I guess that's where I learned to love
blonds. (My wife is a blond - she's definitely
more intelligent than I am. Her only mistake was
in marrying me. I think I got the better end of
the deal, though!).
-Joe Largé (class of '68)
==============================================
>>From: Marianne Matthews Wood (63)
Funny reading about the versions of the
"camp" out at Horn Rapids. I, too, used to go
out their with my folks and I remember being told
it was an internment camp but for Japanese, I
also remember the tall trees and the foundations
but nothing else. We used to watch the Native
Americans fish on platforms at Horn Rapids too,
but darned if I remember ever seeing anything
caught!
Also, someone mentioned the Passport Plunge
out in Pasco, the giant pool that had a great
rope swing out somewhere in the middle that was
so much fun. I really enjoyed swimming in that
pool because it was indoor but also because it
seemed so huge and rather mysterious.
-Marianne Matthews Wood (63)
=================================================
>>From: Tony Tellier (57)
And good replies!!!
Warren Scott was the Physics teacher ..
always touted steam power or some such thing.
"Paper-thin titanium heat exchangers" He cleaned
his Kaiser (or Frazer!!) with gasoline. Nice
paint job! NOT!!! Kind of a "Fast Times At
Ridgemont High" guy. And NOT Spicoli, either.
"Lucky 7" WAS the "5" Frontier was a block
north ... the Tremmels owned it.
Arlo was Irma Beedle's brother. Massively
strong. Like "Chalmers".
Wild Bill's Market: next to the Buck
Private. "No meal is a meal without spuds."
Paul Schlage was a juvenile officer.
Worrell was a cruiser cop. Al Ryles (sic) was a
bug sprayer AND a cop.
-Tony Tellier ('57)
====================
>>From: Bruce Edwards (62)
Might contact Benton County concerning the POW
camp at Horn Rapids. The County's master plan
includes a "developed" park at horn rapids, with
an interpretive center focusing on the activities
there during WWII. Best person to contact would
be the Facilities Manager -- the plan is to have
the Park up and going within the next 18 to 24
months. I'm sure you can get a good deal of info
that way.
-Bruce Edwards (62)
====================
>>From: Tony Tellier (57)
"We" used to buy beer underage at Ray's. He
was busted and "we" (i.e., me) had to testify ..
Bummer.
Almost ditto for the Highland Ranch Market.
Those pesky "21" states. WSU was close to Idaho
(20 age state) so ...
-Tony Tellier ('57)
=================================
>>From: Gloria Falls Evans (58)
Thanks for sending me all this good information.
====================================
>>From: Carol Carson Renaud (60)
I contacted one of my class of '60 classmates and
he asked if anyone was planning a 40th reunion yet? Do
you have a reunion committee or webpage?
>Response to the above from Maren (64)
If there is a reunion committee for class of '60
we don't know who is on it or if any of them have
email. As soon as somebody DOES know, let me know any
particulars and I'll put up a website.
========================================
>>From: Gary Behymer (64)
Please pardon any duplicates.... Maren forwards a
'lot' of information to me that makes all of this
possible. I also pull from my mail and add to hers.
That's why we might have a duplicate or 3 but at our
ages who will ever remember?
Gary Behymer (64)
********************************************
******************************************************
Alumni Sandstorm ~ 8/11/98
This "Alumni Sandstorm" is a joint effort by:
Chief Jo Warrior-Bomber, Gary Behymer (64)
and
Carmichael Cougar-Bomber, Maren Smyth (64)
Email stuff to either of us and we will email it to
online Bomber Alums. Gary collects e-mail and also gets
posts from more than one Bomber 'guest book'.
All I do is copy/paste then send.
Bomber cheers,
Maren Smyth (classes of '63 and '64)
================================================
================================================
>>>Response to Tony Tellier (57)
>>From: Steve Carson (58)
Tony, gee I didn't know that the action was
at the Standard station I thought it was at By's
Burgers, at least that worked for me.
Steve Carson (58) (Cedar St.)
==============================================
>>>Response to Tony Tellier (57)
>>From: Bill Byrd (59)
Tony, the younger Stiles boy was David (59),
who passed away in California in the '60's. He
was singing with a group called the Big Sky
Singers, who he hook-ed up with while at
university in Montana.
Bill Byrd (59)
===================================================
>>>Response to Tony Tellier (57)
>>From: Bob Maulsby (59)
Hi, Tony, This is Uncle Bobby (Maulsby).
Tell that mope that the Standard station was
company owned when we used the biffy as a relief
stop. The Stiles boys names were Doug (56) and
David (59). I think that Dave passed away some
years back. How about Ed Borasky? If you hear
from David Joseph, tell him I'm still waiting for
email. I talked to him a while back and asked
about you, but he hadn't heard from you. Keep in
touch.
Bob Maulsby (59)
===================================================
>>>Response to Tony Tellier (57)
>>From: Walt Bailey (60)
I too recall chasing the DDT foggers in the
evenings hours. One of my fondest memories is
the water slide on the hill at the south end of
Richland. There was an irrigation ditch on top
of the hill that went south from Carmichael JH.
Just before it reached the outer loop, there was
a gated spillway that controlled overflow and as
the water spilled over, it would form a slick
mossy surface. It was great fun sliding down the
spillway and into the catch basin below.
However, sometimes you would hit a dry spot and
the skin on the lower extremities would suffer.
It was a normal hot summer weekend gathering
place for young boys with bicycles and beebee
guns. Does anyone remember Neal Gray that
accidentally shot himself about 1955? Does anyone
know who was lost in NAM?
Walt Bailey (60)
===============================================
>>From: Maren Smyth (64)
Anybody else remember Jet Jackson and his trusty
sidekick, Ikabod Mudd ("with 2 d's", Ikabod would say).
Maury Amsterdam played the part of Ikabod --- I thought
it was a weekly series -- maybe it was a movie?
===============================================
>>From: Sharon Panther Taff (57)
The memories are great. Thank you all for
your hard work and dedication.
I haven't seen anyone mention "The Mart". I
remember the day we moved to Richland and our 3
bedroom prefab was just finished and the
electricity wasn't on. My dad took mother, my
baby brother, and I to "The Mart" for dinner.
This was my first experience with cafeteria style
- I was truly amazed that I could push my tray
along and point and they would put it on the
tray. The Mart was like a great a big convenience
store - as I remember it was the only place to
shop in town at that time and it was located in
the building just south of the current post
office. Clothes, drugs, etc. It was a
carnivorous building like an airplane hangar.
Then there was CC Anderson's - a department
store that was in the building where Ariel's is
now located. Later became "The Bon". I remember
the hardware store on the corner where Jennifers
used to be with its sawdust floors. I also
remember the swimming pool in Howard Amon park.
When the Columbia River would flood the park and
the waters receded the pool would be full of
all these fish. No one has mentioned the Old
Dutch Tavern before you got to the Richland Y. I
remember it on the right just across the Yakima
River - the foundation was there for years after
they built the raised road. The Drift Inn was a
tavern in uptown - mother used to take care of
some children whose family frequented that place.
Used to say "Drift Inn and stagger out." My dad
and I also got our bait from Ray's to fish the
backwater for bass - it was the only place you
could get those black salamanders. I remember a
huge ball of string they had on the floor that
was almost as tall as I was. Doug Stiles was the
older son of the Stiles who owned the theater. He
later owned it. I believe he also started
"Bassett Transit". The only place my dad would
shop was Safeway and it was located just west of
Las Margaritas. The Richland Dry Cleaners has
always been here.
How many of us girls had to wear the old
brown oxford safety shoes our dads could get at
the company store for $3 a pair. I hated them.
They had steel toes. But with 5 children, dad did
the best he could. Oh how I longed for the fancy
"Joyce" shoes with the gillie tie that the
"popular" girls bought at CC Anderson's. I
survived that too.
Sharon Panther Taff (57)
===============================================
>>From: Gloria Falls Evans (58)
hi there guys i was wondering if anyone
here ever lived in N richland later called
hanford. we went to school in the quansit huts
rather known as John Ball grade school and the
later rode the bus to school to Chief Joseph jr
hi and then on to COL HI. the good old days
were fabulous don't you think?
Gloria Falls Evans class of 58
===============================================
>>From: Carol Converse (64)
I remember going to Pasco and swimming in
that pool. It was great fun. It was a few years
after it closed before it was taken out. I
remember each time that my parents and I went by,
I would look over at it with fond memories. I've
been to the POW camp quite a few times. When I
was in Girl Scouts, we went camping there once or
twice. I had always thought that the American
Japanese were taken out there for the duration of
the war.
Carol Converse Maurer (64)
===============================================
>>From: Sue Henderson Semler (68)
Hi, I was born and raised in Richland. My
maiden name is Henderson. My folks always said I
was born in a blizzard (January, 1950) At that
time we lived in a prefab on Thayer just off Lee.
In 1951 we moved to 803 Wright and rented one
side of a "C" house until 1958 when my folks
bought the duplex for $10,500. My mom still lives
there. I went to Marcus Whitman, Christ the
King, Chief Jo (I think it was Chief Jo, the one
on Lee? I only went there one year), Col Hi and
Columbia Basin College, then to Spokane to
Gonzaga, graduated, met my husband, got married
and moved to Colton, WA, 15 miles south of
Pullman. I'm a farmer's wife, raised 3 kids and
work at WSU's Environmental Health and Safety,
"out where the bears are!"
My dad work at Hanford from 1948 until he
retired in 1988. My mom stayed at home and raised
my younger sister and I. I remember going to
Zip's and cruising Uptown which was really fun in
my white polka-dotted red Corvair that needed
shocks! I also remember a few skating parties at
the Roller Rink and root beer freezes from Taste
Freeze. I remember the mosquito trucks, but mom
wouldn't let me chase them! and also the ice
cream wagon playing its tune. I could always
hear that tune a mile off and would run and ask
mom for a dime!
Was there a landfill at the Horn Rapids
Camp? I remember going with my dad and there
were tall poplar trees and concrete slabs. I was
the "boy" of the family so accompanied my dad a
lot. I helped him out in the garage which was
actually a shop. He built trailer hitches,
trailers, lead shot machines and various other
items out of metal in his spare time. I remember
water skiing on the Columbia River off Bateman
Island. Boy, you didn't want to fall down 'cause
you would be frozen in about 2 minutes even in
August's 100+ weather!
Kathie Roe, do you have a sister named
Virginia? I believe she was in my class. Joe
Large, I remember you.
I missed our reunion this summer! Hope it
was a good one. I need to see if there are any
extra reunion books.
If anyone wishes to e-mail me, please send
it to my home e-mail, It's great to hear how other
Bombers are doing and I would love to hear from my
classmates!
Sue Henderson (68)
================================================
>>From: Robert Kennedy (60)
Muscles - a friendly guy on a nice Schwinn
bike -balloon tires, chrome fenders, mud flaps
and a rear view mirror. My first memory of him
was in front of the Community House in about 1952
when he would regale us pre-teens with stories of
boxing and beating Joe Louis - hence the name
Muscles. The story that I heard was that Sonny
(his other name) was at one time a brilliant man
and that at some point his brain just snapped
(whatever that means).
When we talk about Col-Hi faculty, Fran Rish
is a must. I remember, while still attending
Marcus Whitman, walking down to the Bomber Bowl
with A. W. Harness and other neighborhood friends
to watch the football team practice and to hear
Mr. Rish cuss. By the time we were part of his
team, he must have mellowed, because I remember
him as a caring and demanding coach, with a sense
of humor, but without an excessive amount of bad
language.
====================================================
>>From: Marianne Matthews Wood (63)
Muscles, wow, the guy that did smile all the
time when riding his bike - you "had" to respond
to him, couldn't help it. Man, did that come
from the recesses. Anybody remember the trucks
building the dike? I was really little but I
remember the noise and the dirt. We lived right
on Geo. Wash. Way across from the Uptown. My mom
said enormous rocks would sometimes fall off
those trucks so that she was concerned about us
kids running around. I remember before the
uptown went in, all desert except for the ditch
running through it that had lots of tadpoles - we
were sorry to see it built up except for the
nickel movies at the Uptown and Spudnuts for a
nickel too. My brother Tom, class of '57, had a
paper route and delivered to the theater, so got
to sit up with the projectors and watch the
movies -so, when I delivered for him, I got to
watch, through a very small window (not very
satisfying, however).
Fun memories, hot tar on bare feet in the
summer, the bug-ma-spray-ma-man, daily swims at
the "big pool" with guys doing jack-knives
practically on top of you, dreams of war planes
flying overhead (I think from all the air-raid
drills we had in grade school (Jefferson),
sneaking into La Dolce Vita (we were bored!),
seeing South Pacific for the first time and
falling in love with love, submarine races on
flat top, those were the days.
Marianne Matthews Wood ('63), again!
=================================================
>>>Exchange between
Al Parker (53) and Vera Smith Robbins (58)
Al, your name seems very familiar to me.
Don't know if you would remember me or not. I
graduated in '58 and my name is/was Vera Smith.
It just seems to me that we either dated or had
some kind of relationship, but my old memory just
can't remember as well as it used to.
Maybe you can help. I'm at work right now,
but when I get home I will check my annual and
see if you're in it. The name is so familiar
that I feel I know you.
Hope to hear from you.
TTFN Vera >>
---
Hi, Vera-
Very nice to hear from you. We didn't
actually date, but you may still have my razor.
Does that ring any bells?
-Al
=================================================
>>From: Al Parker (53)
Oh yeah, and just because Vera Smith Robbins ('58)
may still have a razor of mine doesn't indicate there
was any hanky panky involved. (Wasn't) Had something
to do with a public shaving (of my face) at Camp Dudley
on Clear Lake circa 1955 or so. The shaver's first name
escapes me, although really should not. Her last name
was Paulson, sister of Lou Ann. Vera just ended up
taking the razor home. Of course, in actuality, I am
sure that Vera would have disposed of the razor long
ago since I didn't go after it.
Maren, This Institute of Col-Hi Memories you have
initiated is really getting interesting. It has spawned
all kinds of additional memories that I must further
respond to as soon as time permits. Lots of wonderful
feed back flowing back and forth between the troops!
Gotta love it! -Al
===================================================
>>From: Vera Smith Robbins (58)
What a wonderful array of memories you collected.
I can never remember the "site" for leaving messages
and/or reading them. Is there a Internet site where the
class of '58 can leave messages? Let me know.
Keep up the good work with keeping everyone
"connected". I don't know how you find the time. I sure
enjoyed reading all the comments and responses from
everyone. Picked up a couple of email addresses of
people I'm sure I remember, but can't put a face to
them. I've emailed them and I'm waiting for a response.
TTFN Vera
===============================================
>>From: Anna Dempsy Dixon (75)
Mosquito trucks: We used to chase them on
foot and on our bikes as they came down
Cottonwood. It is amazing we aren't all dead
from inhaling that stuff!! LOL... I lived on
Cottonwood too... right where Boulder was....
-Anna Dempsy Dixon (76)
================================================
>>From: Eva Clark Perry (49)
Hello Maren, Don't usually write, just enjoy
all the jokes and now all the Bomber News, i
Don't know if i should write to you or to the
Club Forty but don't know if they have a site or
not. Anyway, being so much older than all that
are writing, don't know as any would know about
what i would like to find out. Much to my
surprise on this last move, i started polishing
my folks bedroom set, as we now have a place to
settle in, and lo and behold on the back, it is
an issue of furniture for an F house clear back
to the lst days. I saw the site about all the
houses and the prices and now am wondering how
many people still have the furniture issued for
the houses. This furniture has been to India,
Spain, and California and still is holding up
real well, so even for issue , it is made better
than most today. I thot that amazing. anyway,
if anyone out there knows i'll be reading and
watching. As a youngster, we heard too that they
put the consciences objectors out at the camp.
Eva Clark Perry ('49)
================================================
>>From: Rick Maddy (67)
Can you put me on "the list"
I grew up at 707 Downing (54 - 67) across
the street from Lewis & Clark Elementary. My
parents shopped at Wild Bills. I believe the
Carnation (distributors) milk trucks were behind
the store. Saw The Old Man and the Sea at the old
Richland Theatre. Was officer Worrel aka Tom?
Wasn't it Mario's in Pasco that was a supposed
hot place to go?
I knew of Muscles. He had some really cool
stuff on that bike. i.e., a squeeze horn, a thumb
ringer warning bell.
Arlo, if it be the same Arlo, was
developmentally disabled and changed the
sprinklers on the L&C school grounds. He scared
me, but was a harmless, somewhat non-verbal, man.
My ole man caught me in the DDT one evening,
and that was my last ride.
Anyway - this is fun. Thanks
-Rick Maddy (67)
===================================================
Thanks for all contributions -- including pictures (HINT!)
===================================================
***************************************************
******************************************************
From Tony Tellier (57) ~ 8/11/98
Sending to ALL Online Bomber Alumni.
Bomber cheers,
Maren Smyth (64)
=============================================
In response to comments directed to him,
This just in from Tony Tellier (57)
***Mosquito trucks: We used to chase them on
foot and on our bikes as they came down
Cottonwood. It is amazing we aren't all dead
from inhaling that stuff!!***
Pretty a-mazing, huh. Cough, wheeze.. Now where
is that DAMNED O2 bottle fer my emphazema. And
light me up a Camle, Ma!
***The Stile family ran the theaters. They had
two sons. One older than me and one younger.***
Jim's the one I went to HS with.
***And now the last name of Azure pops into my head.***
not Larry Azure ... class o' '57?
***Hey, this one's for Tony Tellier- I'd like to
know what went on in the Men's room at the
Standard Station, seeing how my father owned
it:):):)***
it was the only open "bano" at night ... late
night. Seedy souls such as perhaps myself would
lurk there
***white patent leather loafers***
Hey! Quit cappin on my Dad!
********************************************
******************************************************
Alumni Sandstorm ~ 8/12/98
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>Response to Tony Tellier (57)
>>From: Pam Ehinger Naasen (67)
Hey does any one remember lost lake out in
West Richland, it was surrounded by tall trees
out in the middle of nothing? We used to have
some good parties there!! At least the ones I
remmber!! We went swimming and I got my folk's 66
SS Chevy stuck between first and revers. Lois
Burnley and her cousin Pam and I had to walk
about 1/2 mile or so to the main road and catch a
ride into West Richland. Then I had to do the
hardest thing for me to do... call Daddy to come
and get us!! Oboy did I hear about that one for
a long time to come.
Bomers Rule
Pam Ehinger Nassen '67
=================================================
>>>Reponse to Tony Tellier (57)
>>From: Gregor Hanson (65)
Maren - the following is some info that you might
want to pass on to others on the Bomber list!
Here's information on the prison camps
which from the chronological dateline entry in a
publication titled "The Long Road to Self-
Government - the History of Richland, Washington
1943-1968!! This is an awesome year by year
historical account of the making of the City of
Richland with lots of pictures, year by year
population count, Dupus Boomer cartoons (first
cartoon depicting Richland life was published Nov
29, 1945), and dates that indicate when various
stores, banks, and types of houses were built,
churches started, schools opened, community club
activities, photos of Atomic Frontier Days
royalty, local government officials, etc. It is
over 40 pages of information only a former
Richlander would cherish. I just learned that
Carmichael Jr. high was originally named Robert
Gray Jr High!!
April 28, 1943 - Housing construction began
in Richland. dupont was prime contractor for
both housing and plant construction, 4,000 homes
completed by 1945.
July 30, 1943 - First house occupied was a
"B" house (duplex) and was occupied by JC Lang -
Coal, water, electric service, furniture, lawn
mower, etc. all furnished.
Back to the prison camp item:
February 1944 - Columbia Camp on the Yakima
River near the Horn Rapids Dam was established as
a camp for Federal Prison Industries. The camp
was closed in October 1947. As many as 250
prisoners from McNeill Island were housed in the
camp and they cared for and harvested fruit from
the porchards left when the project started.
During the four years of operation an excess of
5,669 tons of fruit was harvested.
Since many of us were Hi-Spot dance
attendees the history on that is: December 21,
1945 - The Hi-Spot teenage club for Richland
teenagers opened inthe W-17 Women's Dorm under
sponsorship of the Jaycees.
In recalling some of the early "landmarks"
in Richland - glad that someone mentioned The
Mart Cafeteria and Store - I remember the Green
River lemon lime drink served there. Other early
stores in Richland started in 1945 included
Thrifty Drug, Binyon Optometrist, Mickey's Shoe
Repair, Style Center, Pennywise Drug, etc.
However, I didn't find any entries in the
publication about Johnny's Delicatessen where
teens got their first taste of men's magazines,
nor any rumors of the Sandman - alledged stalker
of parked cars in secluded places and preying on
the couples inside!!
Bomber Cheers!!
Gregor Hanson ('65)
=================================================
>>>Response to Rick Maddy (67) ~ Richland History Lesson
>>From: Tony Tellier (57)
Rick ... Big Fun! You COULD add an
explanation about the huge flood that scabbed the
channel-lands ... or channeled the scab-lands ...
when Lake MIssoula blew through the ice dam ..
musta been something to see. And surf!
TT
=================================================
>>From: Sonny Davis (62)
Really enjoy the memory jogging.... there
hasn't been a name/place come up yet that I don't
remember. Thanks for forwarding it all to me. I
always anticipate reading the latest. I would
especially like to add that I was extremely happy
to hear from Big Frank Osgard. Who wudda thunk
it! Alive and kicking after all these years. I
would really like to hear from all you Bombers
and Bomberettes who were affected, like I was, by
Frank Osgard.
Thanks
Sonny Davis ('62)
Signer of the Declaration of Independence
PS. Ron Hoglen owns and operates Builder's Supply
in Kennewick... drop in and say hello!
===============================================
>>From: Vicki Schrecengost Carney (67)
Great website! I lived in Richland from 57-
66 and attended Col High my sophmore and junior
years. I, unfortunately, had to move east with my
family in 1966 and did not graduate from Col
High. However, my graduation gift from my
parents was a trip west to see all my childhood
friends graduate in '67! I have been to two
reunions there ('87 and '92) and am in touch with
many friends. My sister, Dianna, graduated from
Col High in 1964. She can be reached via email.
Good luck with the site!
-Vicki Schrecengost Carney (67)
=================================================
>>From: Vera Smith Robbins (58)
Thanks for the info. I've been wondering how
those great comments all came together for us to
enjoy. I really wish Florida had a Spudnut Shop.
That's the very first place I go when I get to
Richland. The first morning I'm there at 7 am I
HAVE to make a trip to the Spudnut Shop. You see
just everyone there.
Another drive in that I haven't seen
mentioned is ZIPs. By's Burgers and ZIPs were
about the only 2 places to get juicy hamburgers
where the juice would run down your arm! I can't
wait to tour around and see how much Richland has
grown since I left in 1968.
-Vera Smith Robbins ('58)
===============================================
>>From: Deborah Helin Dawkins (88)
I was forwarded the memory lane email for Richland
alums. If there is a growing list of people for this
group, please add me to it.
Thanks!
-Deborah Helin Dawkins (88)
===============================================
>>From: Veronica Yates Jones (64)
Maren,
It was Sky King (I think) that had the side kick
Ichabod Mudd (with 2 d's). It was my favorite show fron
the era. Remember one show where the daughter was
kidnapped and left behind a clue. She had the time (and
presence) to leave a blood mark on the wall calendar
that had a picture of the mountains. The clue was that
she was taken to the Red Mtns. Of course, Sky King used
his airplane to get to the mountains and rescue her and
send the bad guys to the pokey. How's that for a
memory!
Remember home delivery of milk and bread? Some
mornings just after I got up, I would go with my mom
outside to the bread truck and pick some goodies for
breakfast -- raisin bread or prune bread (yes, it was
good).
I remember Muscles riding his bicycle around the
Uptown--didn't know there were so many chrome
accessories that could be put on one bike.
Anyone remember the blizzard during the winter of
48-49? My mom and I were out, but when we arrived home,
we found that snow had blown in the windows and under
the doors -- little ridges of snow! Must be how all the
sand got in, too. My dad always talked about a flood in
48, too, but I don't remember that. After that the dike
was built.
No one has mentioned the stock car races that were
at the Benton County fair grounds. Had a driver Cassidy
that had only one arm who was sorta the race folk hero.
My mom had friends that lived at Camp Hanford in
the trailer park -- they were not mobile homes, but
trailers. Most had no bathroom facilities, so there
were bath houses that included washing machines on each
block. People lived in the trailers that were smaller
than our motor home!
Sorta sounds like we are a bunch of old folks
sitting on the front swing--but very enjoyable.
-Veronica "Ronnie" Yates Jones ('64)
==================================================
:>>From: Gary Twedt (62)
I've been following the fascinating
recollections of our fellow alumni. Across the
years and experiences, it seems that the same
memories are first in our minds. I thought I was
the only one who would remember the mosquito
jeeps. I haven't seen any mention of the
midnight drags at what is now Columbia Park or of
"the Sandman". We lived in a "B" house at 903
Torbett until '57 when the folks bought at 3-bdrm
"prefab" at 1427 Perkins. Anyone remember
watching TV in the front window of Greer's
Appliance in the early 50's? How 'bout the
booming sounds of dynamite on the Columbia in the
winter of '49 when the river froze over (before
the dikes were built). Brother Richard (64) and I
attended Sacajawea, Chief Jo and Col-Hi. I
recently discovered a number of class photos from
Sacajawea from '49-55, will share when I figure
out how to operate this new scanner (see Jeannie
Crigler, Elaine Wyss and Babbette Petty missing
their baby teeth). Alan Coffman was the fastest
rope climber at Pasport Plunge, toes were long
enough he could walk up the rope, gripping it
between his toes. Ya, I got the wammies from the
skeleton in the museum at Sacajawea Park too (got
over it, being a cop for 31 yrs). We're getting
older, but being able to share memories with
everyone is really great.
================================================
>>From: John Coons (63)
1. Tell the guy who wrote about the bomb
that everyone knows that they were B-29s, not B-
52s. (Thanks Alan, Chuck, et.al.)
2. Here are some more memories:
. Having coal, bread, & milk delivered to your home.
. Day care at the big nursery school at Lee & Jadwin
. Catching tadpoles, frogs, & fish at Welsian Pond.
. The Riding Academy
. C.C. Anderson’s, where you could x-ray your
feet to make sure your shoes fit properly and
have change sent down from the cashier's office
though a vacuum tube.
. The Passport Plunge: We climbed up a rope in
the middle of the pool to get to a platform
attached to the ceiling, then jumped off into the
water.
Later,
I helped tear it down and salvage the wood as a
church money making project.
. Patrol Boys & Girls
. Grade school lunches (Hamburger gravy over
mashed potatoes, carrot stick, & milk)
. Friday the 13th horror movies
. Drawings for live Easter bunnies
. Sleding down Carmichael Hill
. The Tri-City Braves
. The Ski Bus
. Hi-Spot
. Floating down the Yakima River
. Jumping off the rail road bridge
. Jump-Off-Joe
. Submarine Races
. State Basketball Tournaments
. The Camlin Hotel
. Drag races at Columbia Park
. Atomic Burgers at the Atomic Lanes included a fried egg.
. Bateman Island
. Third Island
. The Lagoon
. "Suntan Turnover Time" on KORD
-John Coons (63)
================================================
>>From: Maren (64)
COONS -- YOU were the guy who said they were
B-52's! Is this fun or what?
VERONICA -- OK, I'll buy Sky King, but where did
Jet Jackson come in??? Maybe he was on one episode of
Sky King?
KORD ... and I tell people to this day when they
ask where Richland is, I recite the KORD signoff
"...where the Columbia, the Snake and the Yakima form
their 'highway to the sea'".
...and YES, Richland WAS different from any
other town in the WORLD...
-Maren Smyth ('63 and '64)
================================================
>>From: Mary Collins Burbage (63)
Maren - it is so much fun sharing all these
memories with former Richlanders. I had forgotten
so much. I have been sharing some of these
stories with my co-workers and they think I am
making them up. Were our formative years so
different for everyone elses?
Does anyone remember lining up at CC
Andersons to see Santa Claus? I remember Bozo the
Clown always being there. Or the old canoe that
was in front of Lewis and Clark that we were told
was left there by Lewis and Clark?
I remember Ida Mecham. We used to count how
many times she straightened her bra strap in an hour.
My husband and I were in Richland in May. I
took him up to the Spudnut Shop and made a true
believer out of him. We were with a group of 20
people from Olympia and everytime I see any of
them, they want to talk about the Spudnut Shop.
It was neat to see that one thing from my
childhood had not changed -the best doughnuts
anywhere!!!
I appreciate all the hard work you and Gary
are doing helping all of us to keep in touch.
Thanks so much!!
Mary Collins Burbage (63)
===============================================
>>From: Carolyn Karns Keck (65)
Hi im class of 65 does any one remember the
milk trucks and the bakery trucks that came
around early every morning? Pasco plug was the
greatest. But most of all the bon fires we use
to have and got out of hand some times. My
parents came out in the 40s and then later all
came out in 46. My bother John Karns went to
school here can't remember what the school was
call then but he was 13 years older then me. The
uptown was my favorite place to spend time. Use
to live in "B" house on the corner of Hains and G
Way so got to watch every one curseing. Lots of
fun to grow up there . Thanks for all the
memories.
-Carolyn Karns Keck (65)
=================================================
>>From: Les Brown (66)
Les Brown ('66) sponsored a Association
concert at the Doubletree Courtyard in Richland
with amost 800 people attending - including ('66)
Mike Sheeran, Johnny Cole, Pat Mitchell, Lynn
Berry (Pielie), Gail Setbacken, Margie Legowick
(May) Caroline Stanfield ('65) Terry Knox
(Davis), David Rivers, Ginny Dawsen, Brian
Johnson The place was rock 'n rollin Stay tuned
to next year
=================================================
>>From: Carol Converse Maurer(64)
Maren, I looked up my class pictures this
morning. I wasn't in Mrs. Eubanks [3rd grade L&C]
class. My mother didn't write down the years of
the classes and some of the pictures don't have
the year written down with the class grade. Oh
well, thought that I could help. I remember
getting a spanking from her for talking in the
bathroom though.
Carol Converse Maurer ('64)
[TOUGH TEACHER!!! Talking? -Ed]
================================================
>>From: Lois Clayton Colton (72)
I am enjoying reading about historic
Richland. My father and mother moved there in
1949. My father, Aubrey Clayton taught Science
and Math at Carmichael, and north of town in the
huts, and night school at Col-Hi.
Lois
===============================================
>>From: Joe Largé (68)
Maren, My recollection of muscles was this
skinny blond guy with sort-of weepy, puppy dog
eyes that was friends with EVERYBODY! He rode
around on this old "40's" or so vintage bicycle
with rear view mirrors on it. The Richland police
would allow him to help direct traffic at some
special events. I remember he had mentioned that
he had always wanted to become a "Submarine"
captain. He and I were going to run away and
have our own submarine. Eventually he moved away
to Los Angeles(?) I think. Last I had heard was
that he had gotten into trouble for trying to
direct traffic in a busy Los Angeles
intersection.
The Spudnut Shop, my brother Dennis used to
work there, when he was a kid. Wasn't it "Ernie"
that owned the Spudnut shop? Anyway, while
washing a huge bunch of dishes, he cut his hand
really bad on some knives that were in the dish
water. They were "REALLY SHARP". Had to have
some stitches. I guess Ernie was the one that
took him over to Kadlec for that one. The reason
it was called the "Spudnut" shop, rather than
"Donut" is that "Ernie" used potato batter in
making his donuts, rather than wheat flour. In
any case, they sure were GOOD!
I also used to swim at the PasPort plunge.
I remember it was HUGE (of course, as a little
kid, anything was huge.) And yes, I do remember
it to being Olympic-sized. I seem to remember
that it was not the "standard(?)" 12 feet deep,
but like 15 feet or something of that nature.
Anybody remember the old "Columbians" Drum
and Bugle Corps? A few of us Richandites
belonged to the Corps. We practiced at the bowl
in Pasco. Sometimes in the Sears parking lot.
Started out at the old park with the railroad
train in Pasco. I used to be a member back in
about 1960. I played 1 valve bugle. We went to
VFW Nationals in Las Vegas, NV about 1962 and won
5th. Our chief rivals were the "Thunderbirds"
and later, "Shamrocks" from that stiff nosed town
called "Seattle". It was some blood-feuds
between us and the "T-Birds". One time, one of
our members had even took his Crystal knobbed
canes and placed a good sized dent in one of
their brand-new contra basses. The "Columbians"
got 5th in Nationals over there, the
"Thunderbirds" came in 7th! Yay!!!!
CIAO for Now! Joe Largé (68)
=================================================
>>From: Sandy Kaas Wallace (68)
I'm so glad I'm on this list. Reading all
these letters has been so much fun. I missed the
reunion this year, but this helps a little to
catch up this way. Dennis and I, both 1968
graduates, are in Redmond, Oregon. He teaches
math at the High School and I run the computer
lab at an elementary school. We have two kids.
Tawnya will be 25 in Sept. and Ben is 21. Tawnya
is a Nanny for two children and Ben is a senior
at OIT in Klamath Falls. His major is Mechanical
Engineering. Dennis has taken up fly fishing and
is out today on a two day trip to a nearby lake.
I am really into quilting and can't seem to find
nearly enough time for it. Work gets in the way!
And I only work half time! Thanks for taking on
this monumental task of keeping us all in touch.
Sandy Kaas Wallace (68)
=================================================
>>From: Marilyn Henderson Boyd-Young (73)
Hey Uncle Bobby, It was company owned, managed
by my father till 1960, then he bought it plus
had one built on the corner of Van Geisen and G-
way. (That still happens to be there.)
The Mope
=================================================
>>From: Evelyn Meyer Crowder (46)
Maren: This is in response to Eva Clark Perry (49),
requesting info re: anyone having any furniture from
the "old" days. When Eva was a freshman I was a senior
along with Paul Crowder whom I married. I do remember
her and we just looked her up in an old annual. My
parents were issued furniture in 1944 and it has been
to South Carolina where they worked in the 50's at the
Savanah River Project and then to Arizona where they
retired and where Mom still resides. The dining room
table, ladderback chairs and buffet with hutch are now
in our son's home. The desk and some chest of drawers
have vanished. Paul and I have the desk chair -- it was
called a Windsor-style chair. We also have a flip-top
table. Was interesting reading Eva's letter. I am not
aware of anyone in the class of '46 that we knew well
that is on E-Mail. Bernie Simpson of the '46 class gets
mail via his daughter. Wish more were on e-mail.
-Evelyn Meyer Crowder ('46)
===============================================
Editor's note: I got Eva Clark Perry (49) and
Evelyn Meyer Crowder (46) confused this
afternoon... sent e-mail for Eva to Evelyn (or
maybe it was the other way around)... all about
this picture that was labeled "Richland High
School"... only it's really Sacy in 1945.
http://richlandbombers.com/allbombers/0gspicsSacT.html
=================================================
>>From: Eva Clark Perry (49)
Hi, yes, that is funny, and you are right, seems
like everyone is getting on the bandwagon now and that
is great. I remember Evelyn Crowder ('46), but she
probably doesn't remember me. She must be the one
married to the Bomber..
I'm fianlly getting a chance to start going
thru the pictures in my albums and as i find the
good ole days ones, and will start sending some
along. Don't know how you can keep up with all
this but sure that everyone does appreciate it.
Keep up the good work.
-Eva Clark Perry ('49)
==================================================
>>From: Evelyn Meyer Crowder (46)
Maren: This is from Evelyn. My husband,
(Paul J. Crowder, Jr. '46) is also a Bomber. I
do not know about Eva's husband, but think you
were not even born when Paul lived there (1003
Williams in an "F" House). Think Steven's Drive
has been changed also, but the house is still
there. I lived at 1318 Goethals in an A house
while in high school and later in an "H" on
Barth. There was no UPtown. We are going up to
Richland for reunion next month (40s Club) and if
no one has let you know what kind of houses those
are in front of Sacajawea pic, I will find out.
Can understand your confusion. E-mail is so
fast, I sometimes forget if I've answered a
letter or not.
Evelyn M. Crowder '46.
================================================
Thanks for all contributions
================================================
************************************************
******************************************************
Alumni Sandstorm ~ 8/13/98
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>From: Ray Stein (64)
With all the interest on this site about
Richland's history, I thought I would share an
old newspaper. My mother kept the Tuesday, August
14th, 1945 issue of the Villager. The headline
screams in 4" letters "PEACE!", and below that it
says, "OUR BOMB CLINCHED IT!". There are several
interesting articles with quotes from people at
Ganzel's Barber Shop. But I think one of the
articles sums up how most of our parents felt at
that time. I'll quote it word for word below:
"It's Peace"
"It's Peace," was heard first by village
housewives who had done their housework with one
ear listening to the radio since Friday morning
when announcement was first made of the Japs
peace feelers.
"It's Peace," they screamed to anxiously awaiting
husbands as soon as jammed switchboards permitted
their calls to go through.
"It's Peace," shouted the men to others in the
office, warehouses, plants, stores and streets.
The four-and-one-half long years of war were over
at last. Sons, brothers and fathers - some of
them - would be coming home now. Villagers
exulted! The slaughter was stopped. Villagers
were thankful!
A bomb made in Hanford helped clinch the victory.
Villagers were proud!
As the lights went (o)n all over the world the
villagers joined with the rest of the world in
one joyous, surging son(g) - "IT'S PEACE!"
These are not my words, but taken verbatim from
the Villager. I added () letters that seemed to
be left out.
I suppose these newspapers are available in
archives, but if anyone wants a copy of this let
me know.
Peace,
Ray Stein ('64)
==================================================
>>From: Gary Behymer (64)
Certainly fears and feelings that we
ourselves would not be able to express unless
have lived through it. The above equates to my
answer to why we had to drop 'the bomb' or any
bomb to end a war.
==================================================
>>From: Kenny Wright (63)
Have been following with interest all the
remembrances of the "Atomic Town". A lot of
memories started flooding back. When I was
growing up I assumed all other kids grew up like
we did: no slums, no old people, all new houses
about the same, most all families were young
college graduates (usually WASP's) who were doing
their part for us baby boomers (on the 300 block
of Craig Hill at one time there were 31 kids
about the same age), no crime (as a kid I cant
remember seeing a cop car cruising), and no one
knew what their father did at work. I have a bit
more of a perspective now.
So I have succumbed. Does anyone
remember these:
(1) the last 5-cent Coke machine in Richland
that was in the hallway of old Police Station in
Downtown Richland
(2) the Government would: with just a phone
call come out and replace a broken window for
free; in the winter when you ran out of coal they
would come out and fill up the basement coal bin
for free; on alternative years they could come
out and paint the outside of the house, then the
next the inside for free
(3) when the family would pack up and go to the
drive-in you would leave the front and back doors
open (with screen doors closed and of course
unlocked) to air condition the house
(4) when mom would not let you go to the
community swimming pool in the mid 50's because
of the Polio scare
(5) on a slow Saturday night, ride inside the
Laundromat dryers for a dime
(6) when a kid could go to the grocery store
with a dime and buy 10 pieces of penny candy
(7) on Saturday afternoons for 11 cents you
could see a couple of cartoons, a Buck Rogers
serial, and then a full length Western at the
Village Theater
(8) the bowling alley/bus station (where the
Community Center is now) where a kid (you had to
be 15) could get a part-time job as a pin setter
(9) on Tuesdays and Thursdays the Bakery van
would drive up and down the streets delivering
phoned in orders; ala the Milk man early in the
morning
(10) water skiing behind a car on the West
Richland irrigation canals (you had to remember
where the signs were)
(11) the submarine races over looking the
Columbia in North Richland
(12) the 4th of July fireworks at the Bomber
Bowl where they would rope off 1/2 of the field
and all of us would sit within yards of the
rockets (would they let us do that now?)
(13) the Chamber of Commerce sign as you
entered Kenniwick by the golf course warning "all
negroes must be out of the city limits by sunset"
(14) before the lawns and trees were
established, the residue inside the houses after
a sand storm, or the tumbleweed forts we built
after one of those storms
(15) the 1 1/2-lane bridge over the Columbia
from Kennewick to Pasco, we would stop until we
were sure no trucks were coming
(16) Rachel Carson (Silent Spring) told about
the Eagles and DDT, she was about a decade too
late for the "baby boomers" of "Atomic Town";
ever wonder why the sperm count and infertility
rates are so low among us? It happened to the
eagles etc., etc., etc. .........!
(17) the 15 cent burgers at By's
(18) when a kid needed money we would either go
out along the roads and collect pop and beer
bottles for a penny return or go house-to-house
asking for clothes hangers and turn them in to
the Richland Laundry and Dry Cleaners (which use
to be just East of By's) and get a penny for each
hanger
(19) in the Fall, before school and after sun
rise, you could walk down to the Yakima River and
hunt Canadian Geese and with your limit still get
to first period on time
(20) hookie-bobb'in behind the Area Buses when
it snowed
(21) on one of the hottest days of the summer
chipping in enough money between your buddies to
buy a block of ice and "sledding" down
Carmichael Hill
(22) on a hot summer night when families would
leave their front doors open to cool off, a
couple of kids would go to the back of an "A"
house (is that the 2-story duplex), crawl up on
the backdoor roof, into the hallway window which
was always open, then run down the stairs and out
the front door screaming
(23) the "Why Me Worry" philosophy seemed to fit
(24) after we were suppose to be in bed,
getting up and listening to the old upright
Philco to Wolfman Jack playing the real rock-and-
roll which the TriCities didn't have
(25) the first working television picture in
the TriCities at Rexall Drug store in Downtown
Richland next door to the Richland Theater and
across the street from CC Andersons ( a little
kid could squeeze through the crowd to see a salt
and pepper snow job with things moving and
squeaking for audio)
-Kenny Wright ('63)
================================================
>>From: Maren Smyth (64)
Response to Kenny's memories above:
(6) when jawbreakers were TWO for a penny.
(9) Our Darigold milkman's name was Jerry.
(12) We sat on a blanket on the hill.
(13) WHOA!! I don't remember THAT!!
(15) Only 1 1/2 lanes!! Explains my fear of bridges!
(20) Hookie-bobb'in behind ANYTHING... Ya think
we all had a death wish?
-Maren Smyth ('63 and '64)
================================================
>>From: Carol Wiley (63)
Maren, Thanks for forwarding the messages from
the alumni. I have laughed so hard at some of the
memories... I am fortunate to have some home movies
that my Dad took of my birthday parties. I have put
them on video and I pull them out every now and then
and look that those familiar faces that I knew from
Kindergarten [Spalding] through graduation. Tammy Bond,
Susie Rohrbacker, Judy Fisher, Emajean Stone, April...
We were such hams in front of the camera.! I talk to my
kids about home milk delivery they are amazed... and
better yet, walking to Densow's to have a REAL coke and
look at magazines. As I have met people from other
parts of the country, I am sure we lived a very unique
life growing up in Richland.. I haven't been home in a
long time, but after reading some of the memories, I
think it's about time to make the trip!.......
-Carol Wiley ('63)
================================================
>>From: Robert Stark (70)
RE: Columbia River High School
1970 graduate, live in N.W.Arkansas for past 5 yrs.
Lived in Salmon Creek but visited Richland alot.
================================================
>>From: Mike Franco (70)
WOW Kathie Roe!!!! so tell us.... did any of your
customers kids ever fall in love with their babysitter?
That old Davison street gang did have some raging
hormones working!!!!
================================================
>>From: Bill Compton (64)
Dear Gary, Please add me to the network list. I'm
alive and reasonably well and working as a starving
teacher in Oakland, CA. Isn't Chief Joseph buried in
Colfax? Bill Compton, '64
===============================================
>>From: Randy Buchanan (57)
I came to Richland in 1943, and I am still
here (55 Years!). There is a lot I can tell you
of what has happened in and around the Tri-Cities
during those 55 years. Anybody that would like
some information, I would enjoy hearing from you.
It is good to hear from Tony Tellier. I
don't believe I have known Tony's where abouts
since high school graduation. It seems strange
to think of Tony back then as an 18 year old and
now read his comments and thinking that Tony is
now around the good old age of 60! WOW
It is also great to hear from Bob Maulsby.
How are you doing Bob?
There are also other names that I recognize
from different classes. But, would like to hear
from those in classes '55-'59.
My wife, Karen Moore would like to hear from those
in class '75 also. Yes, we know .. there are a lot of
years betwen class '57 and '75!! Oh Well.
We love reading all the information that is
shared from the Bomber Alumni.
-Randy Buchanan Class of '57
=================================================
>>From: Harvy Irby (64)
Maren, Captain Midnight was also known as
Jet Jackson and "Icky" was his sidekick. Sky King's
real love and sidekick was the "Songbird" (at first a
Cessna Bamboo Bomber and later a Cessna 310). He was
always being helped (?) by his niece, Penny.
-Harvey Irby (64)
================================================
>>From: Vera Smith Robbins (58)
I really didn't think I had any interesting
memories to share with anyone until today while
reading recent stories from others.
My Poppy moved my mom and I to Richland in
1944. He had gotten a prefab on Potter (1210 or
1208) can't remember the address. Anyway, Pop
was on graveyard and it was early evening when we
arrived at the house. Mom dumped the sand off the
mattress, spread a sheet on it for my Pop to lay
down and get some sleep before having to go out
to the area. Then Mom and I went to grocery
store to "stock up". When we finished we started
home. HOWEVER, there were NO street signs and
Mom couldn't remember where we lived. Also, all
the prefabs looked alike in that area and she
couldn't remember the little number that was at
the base of the house. We drove up and down the
dirt roads trying to find our house. She said it
was something like 2 or 3 hours! It was getting
closer and closer to the time she needed to wake
Pop up for work. Needless to say, she finally
found it, but she was almost in tears by then.
Can you imagine all the houses looking alike, no
street signs and it's dark!
-Vera Smith Robbins ('58)
================================================
>>From: Bill Pollard (56)
Good work! Thank you for the "Alumni Sandstorm."
Bill Pollard
================================================
>>From: Ken Finley (64)
I was talking with Carol Southworth who
attended Richland High School and she would love
to find out how to contact Anna Glover. I told
Carol I would try to see if anyone out there
knows where she is. Thanks.
Ken Finley
===================================================
>>From: Carol Converse Mauer (64)
This was great reading about all those long
ago places that were so popular back when.
Nobody mentioned the movie house downtown. I
remember going there and seeing a movie for 10
cents. You'd get the news and a cartoon before
the movies started.
Carol Converse Maurer
===================================================
>>From: Mickey Lynch Rose (66)
Better known as Ronna Jo Lynch's "little
sister". We actually still live in Richland,
however I work for The Boeing Company in
Bellevue, WA. I telecommute two days a week to
Bellevue and am in Richland the rest of the time.
I am married, have two daughters and three
stepsons and one adorable grandson. Being a
grandparent is the best.
================================================
>>From: Kenneth Finley (64)
Someone mentioned Jump Off Joe in one of the
journies through Richland memories and I was
reminded of an attempt to be poetic as we
vacationed through the Tri-City area on the way
to Sun Valley. I thought some might enjoy this
free verse memory.
Vacationing Past Childhood Mystery
Touring in the shadow of Badger Mountain, one can
well imagine the inspiration of some ancient
naming pioneer -Although, I can't recall such a
four legged creature calling it home. Off to the
left, across fields of grain nearing harvest and
those furrowed new to strut future rippened head,
Rises Jump Off Joe like some giant ocean swell
against the horizon.
Ah, now there's the mystery!
Who was this Joe fella anyway?
And was Joe (Jo) ever a fella - we never thought
to ask in those days?
What drove Joe to jump if any jumping Jo did? I
never thought to probe such now tantalizing
mystery. Content was I, amid baseball games,
desert exploration, and quests to hook the big
one, To let truth and mystery play behind the
more riveting distractions of my youth.
-Kenneth Finley (64)
=================================================
>>From: Marilyn Thorp (63)
Maren, just wanted to let everyone know
about the Spudnut Shop. I missed visiting it
when I attended the reunion this year. Everyone
at our table that Saturday night was talking
about how good Spudnut's doughnuts were. Went
back for Mom's 92nd birthday two weeks ago --
phoned the Spudnut Shop and asked for the
manager. The original owner's daughter came to
the phone. She has been working there 28 years
and is carrying on her father's recipes/methods.
Spudnut Shops were a franchise operation and
originally there were 500 of them throughout the
U.S. Currently, there are 33 in business. I
brought a dozen assorted "spudnuts" to work and
everyone raved. My boss said she remembered a
Spudnut Shop in Minneapolis, MN where she grew
up....More later. Thanks for the memories... I
look forward to every day getting more messages.
-Marilyn Thorp (63)
=================================================
>>From: Terrance K. Liechty
I remember a swimming area by the ruver near
Keniwick that was outside not a park but like
atificial beach. It was down by the old highway
and I can't remember the name of it but it was,
for a while the "in" place.
The owner of the Spudnut shop was Barlo
Ghirado, Gail Ghirado's (65) father.
I worked at C.C. Anderson's for awhile. I
did my share of cleaning that old building. It
was one of the originals. I used to like the
western wear area because it always smelled good.
(Leather I guess) They also had a store in
Pendelton and when we went to the Round up we
would go in there and they had an even bigger
western dept. that smelled excellent.
I still have a sticker on a box from KORD 910,
Pasco, Washington.
Terry Liechty (64)
=================================================
>>From: Maren Smyth (64)
Terry --- How about 'the Lagoon'??? GREAT
place to swim!!
Gail Ghirardo's brother is Kevin (78). Email
address for Kevin on "Decade of the 70's e mail site.
-Maren Smyth ('64)
===================================================
>>From: Pat Bezzio (63)
Does anyone remember Taco the Town in West
Richland - might have been my first introduction
to a pun.
================================================
For Veronica Yates Jones (64)
>>From: Gloria Falls Evans (58)
Veronica, I was one of the Bombers that
lived in N . Richland in those trailers it was a
lot of fun we did have the bathhouses and there
was a playground on every other corner. We had a
grocery, a pharmacy, a firehouse, a theater, a
post office and also a beautiful park that my
father took care of. There was also a trailer
retail supply, and yes they were called trailers
at that time. We moved in when the flood took
over previously had lived in Bunch Finnigans in
Kennewick and got run out of there and ended in
the Kennewick High School grounds for three days.
-Gloria Falls Evans ~ Spokane wa. CLASS OF 58
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
================================================
>>From: a Bomber guest book
Record 143
Name: Ed Bartol
Referred by: Just Surfed On In!
From: Marysville California
Comments: Class of 84.
================================================
Thanks for all contributions
================================================
************************************************
******************************************************
AlumniSandstorm ~ 8/14/98
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>From: John Bradley (65)
Gregor
Johnnies was located in the uptown shopping
center around the corner from the Spudnut shop.
The original owner was Mr. Napoli, his son John
graduated from rhs in 64. About in 64 or 65
he sold it to Jack, Jack was the original manager
of the place, and came to Richland from New York
City with the Napoli's. He lost it in 65 or so,
and went to Sears to work, then I lost track of
him. It's been a few years and my memory is
getting weak along with some other things.
If you can find Ken Johnson (65), John
Foster (65), or for that matter John Napoli (64),
they could really fill in the gaps.
I used to hang out there also, but that
ended when my dad found out and all hell broke
loose. Of course that was my normal state at that
time.
This is really a great site, and I enjoy it
very much. I think though, I chased to many jeeps
with the bug spray, and the effects have been
with standing for too many years.
John Bradley (65)
================================================
>>From: STEVE Carson (58)
This is an enjoyable trip down memory lane.
Nice Job!
Steve Carson (58)
================================================
>>From: Rich Henderson (62)
Some of the teachers at Chief Jo and Col-Hi
I well remember for their unique contribution,
style and character.
* Chief Jo - Mr. Harvey. He was my 8th grade
teacher, (1957-1958), and the most memorable of
all I've ever had - that includes college. He
was tragically killed in a bunkhouse fire trying
to save boy scouts. I am sure his memory endures
in many to this day.
* Chief Jo - Mr. Strankman. He was the P.E.
teacher. The part where the boys and girls
practiced dancing was awkward and funny - to me.
* Chief Jo - Mr. Pippo, (Mr. Twevo Pippo). He
was the health teacher (1957-1958). He would
warn us that the Russians were coming over the
hill to invade Richland -or so it seemed so.
Turns out he had good reason to fear; he was a
fighter pilot in the Finnish Air Force during WW-
II.
* Col-Hi - Vice Principal Tom Lyda. He always
seemed so serious and official looking.
* Col-Hi - Venerable Art Dawald. Not only was
he a living institution; he had a personality
that an Army drill sergeant could love. I well
remember his anticts and goofy style he would
pull on us in U.S. Government class. I Could
write a chapter on this alone. Long live his
memory.
* Col-Hi - Dr. Ida Mae Meacham. She taught
biology and physiology. She had this fish tank
full of rare tropical species. I think it was
her passion.
* Col-Hi - Ray Juricich. He was my safe-driving
instructor. He was a hard taskmaster on us in
both the classroom and behind the wheel. He would
have the girls in tears when they goofed up while
driving. NOTE: his admonishments remain vivid to
this day. (i.e., "you contol your car by
controlling your speed".)
Richland is my hometown no matter where I live.
Let us continue the journey down memory lane.
Bombers uber alles,
Rich Henderson
Class of '62
================================================
>>From: Shery Nugent Dupuy (62)
Oh - Randy Buchanan! Have you ever heard
anything of Sara Sartain/'57? She lived a couple
houses down from me and was like a big sister to
me. Would love to connect back with her and
thank her for it. These memories being recalled
bring home what a unique childhood we all shared.
Especially chasing the mosquito spray truck....
people look at me as if I came from another
planet when I relate that memory. God knows what
we breathed in. Does anyone remember what the
game was called when we chased around the well
laid out blocks in town with our headlights off?
And I remember watching Bob Irwin climb from one
car to another as they were driving side by side
at some ungodly speed. There IS a God and He HAD
to be watching over us.
Sherry Nugent Dupuy/Class of '62
================================================
>>From: Kenny Wright (63)
Maren, Something small but could be important if
someone wanted to Email me, on the newest posting
my Email was: [deleted for privacy]. At the very end
there should have been a "u" to complete the "edu".
Thanks Kenny
[Sorry, Kenny! My error.]
================================================
>>From: Chuck Crawley (67)
Maren & Gary, Good job making the Alumni
Sandstorm happen. Great idea!!
Does anyone else remember going to movies at
the Uptown Theater on Saturday mornings in the
summer for the price of showing a receipt from an
Uptown District merchant? We would go to the
Spudnut Shop (it's unanimous, the best donuts on
the Planet), get a glazed raised for a couple of
pennies and we were off to the movies. It was a
long walk from Lee & Wright and no trip home was
complete without trolling for tadpoles in the
drainage ditch behind Kadlec Hospital.
(Obviously, I was in high school at the time.)
Chuck Crawley, CtK, Carmichael, '67
==================================================
>>From: Peggy Sheeran Finch (63)
Don't know if I'm sending this correctly for
all to see, Maren, but you're a good bet, I've
decided.
More memories: Taking a bus with other school
kids to the Horse Heaven Hills as part of an
evacuation practice in case of bombs dropping on
us... Practicing bomb drills by lying in groups
of 3 in the school halls, face down with a hand
over the back of our neck (as though that was
going to save us from the bomb)
Howard Chitty's blonde 3 yr. old daughter as
our mascot at basketball games.
Dr. Ida Mecum keeping her lunch in the
fridge along with dead mice, etc. (And I've done
the very same thing in my classroom as a teacher
of health related things). The Caducean Club
supervised by her inspired me.
Saying "OOH" and "AAH" at the Bomber Bowl
lying on the hill on a blanket during the
fireworks on the 4th of July.
Initiation at Atomic Frontier Days (lipstick
smeared faces).
Using tokens to get into the movies at the
Richland and Village Theaters.
Otis, the only black man I remember seeing
as a child, who shined shoes at the barber shop,
and we had him over for a couple of Thanksgiving
Dinners, I think.
Peggy Sheeran Finch (63)
===============================================
>>From: Denny Hayward (62)
Really enjoy all the memories. Someone
mentioned old Otis who ran the shoe shine stand
at the Barber Shop. He lived down the basement
of the shop and I was there a time or two with
him and my dad - don't know why. I think my dad
was helping him fix something. As a 10 year old I
was amazed - but look back at his situation with
sadness as it was little more than a cot in the
corner and a pile of books.
Would love to Gab about digging artifacts at
Columbia point - I think we are too old for them
to send us to jail.
===================================================
>>From: John Fletcher (64)
There was a Wild Bills Market at the
Richland "Y". When I was about 11 years old
(1957) I was heisting comic books under my coat.
I had made 2 clean trips to the car while my
folks shopped and I got nailed on the 3rd trip.
A night to remember. I believe it was Wild Bill,
the owner, who caught me by the coat collar and
turned me over to my merciless Father. "Why
didn't you ask me for a dime?" Yeah, right. I
was stealing the big 25 cent comics. I was
guilty, and did pay the price. John Fletcher
'64.
=================================================
>>From: Mike Franco (70)
The stories are great... being a relative
latecomer to Richland, we arrived in 1954... some
of this is ancient history. ALL BOMBERS NOTE: if
you are in Washington DC go to the Museum of
Modern History and in the area that displays the
development of nuclear energy you will find
prominently displayed a green and gold Richland
Bombers T-shirt
My parents, Dr. Robert Franco and Ilene
still live in Richland and in 44 years have
become true natives who love hearing and reading
about times in the past. Please add them to your list
Any of you who remember them , Mom and Dad
would love to hear from you.... about half of you
out there must have been stitched up by Dad one
time or another!
[ANOTHER ONE FROM MIKE TO GARY BEHYMER]
Gary, please add my Mom and Dad (Dr. Robert
Franco and Ilene) to your listing...they still
live in Richland and would love to enjoy the
great stories. And my dad asked me to ask
you...do you know Bill Pinick? His mother was
one of Dad's nurses and Bill now lives in
Colfax. Bill's younger sister Marcia was a year
behind me (71) . Thanks for the fun
==============================================
>>From: Wife of Steve Cantrell ('68)
Although I graduated from Ki-Be in '68, I
lived in Richland up until the second grade,
attending the original Sacajawea Elementary
school. My husband, Steve, a '68 Col-High
graduate, and I remember the Frontier Days well.
They used to have an old-time carnival come into
Riverside (Howard Amon) Park just above where the
Fingernail is now --- complete with all kinds
game booths and only a few rides. Loved the
atmosphere there --- kind of Pollyannaish. Also,
the little train ride used to be located by the
market on the corner of Symons and Goethals ---
we lived on Torbett, just up from it. My first
memories of Richland are looking out on the old
trailor camp from my fenced yard (we lived in one
of the trailors) when I was about three.
===================================================
>>From: Arthur (TOM) Hughes (56)
My family moved into the Tri-Cities in late
1943. We first moved into Campbells Cabins on the
Kennewick side of the old Pasco Kennewick Bridge.
We lived there until our Pre-Fab was ready. Even
had a bee hive in the wall of the cabin to keep
things interesting. We moved into a 3 BR Pre-Fab
on Smith just to the east of the "Grocery Store"
behind Marcus Whitman Grade School. In First
Grade Marcus Whitman was not yet finished so I
had to walk to Sacajewa for that year. When
Marcus Whitman opened they also opened a "Candy
counter" in the back of the Grocery Store so kids
could by candy at lunch and recess. We still
lived there when the Bombs were dropped and I
remember how excited everyone was that "Our Bomb"
won the war. I remember the Navy planes from
Pasco dive bombing the hill out by West Richland.
They dropped little 25 pound bombs that had
explosives in them and you could see the bombs go
off. My best friend at this time, and for many
years, was Duane Knott. He first lived in a 2 BR
Pre-Fab but when his sister Jill was born the
moved into a 3 BR just behind where they had
lived.
I remember walking to the "Village Theater"
on Saturday mornings. The Saturday special was 9
cents for the cartoons, the serial and two
movies. We would get a dime and on the way home
we would stop in the dime store and by a bubble
gum. Walking up Lee Hill in the summertime,
barefoot with all of the hot asphalt and
cockleburrs will remain in my memory for all
time. We would stop at the irragation ditch to
cool off and catch pollywogs.
There used to be free bus service all over
town and you could just walk to the bus stop and
get on and go where ever you wanted. There were
always signs on the bus about "Loose Lips Sink
Ships" and "You never know who the Enemy is". The
kids were all told that secret agents would ride
around on these buses listening to you to try to
catch you saying something wrong. Of course we
never understood what was "Right or Wrong" to
say. Most of us did not even know where our
parents worked. Dad got on a bus at the corner
and came home on the bus and we had no idea of
what was going on. My Dad worked "Shift Work"
which meant that when he worked Graveyard shift
we had to be quite while he slept. I still
remember the Aluminum foil covered windows and
the "Day Sleeper" signs.
From the Smith address we moved into an "A"
house on Stevens Drive just a block north of
Sacajewea so I moved back to Sacajewa for my
schooling. I spent one year in the Quonset hut
class rooms on the east end of the school. The
Shegruds and Billy Everett were neighbors at that
time. Billy and Burt Rivers lived with us for a
time in the "A" house because of the housing
shortage at the time.
After the "A" house we moved into a Brand
New Pre-Cut on Willard just north of Marcus
Whitman so back I went to Marcus Whitman. When my
Mom decided she did not like the Pre-Cut because
of the cold floors we traded houses with some
people across the street. They took our Pre-Cut
and we took their 3 BR Pre-Fab.
I lived there during the years I went to
Carmichael and Columbia High. When I went away to
school my Mom and Dad moved into a Ranch House on
Olympia. They lived there until my Dad went to
work for the State of California in 1969. Helen
Cross and the Brileys were close friends from
that neighborhood.
About the Merry-go-round and Trains at the
bottom of the hill below the High School. Jess
and Elva Brinkerhoff and Their family operated
the amusement park for several years. I used to
go down and help Reed, Virginia and Doris run the
place every once in a while.
I remember that we used to go out to the old
prison camp at Horn Rapids after the war. It was
used during the war to hold Italian Prisoners of
War. Most of them decided to stay in the United
States after the war was over.We had some friends
that rented one of the old homes out there and we
used to go out there for picnics and for Easter
egg hunts on Easter.
Other pleasent memories include the
"Spudnut" shop, noon dances in the girls gym,
"Daddy" Dewald and Coach Rish, the NEW swimming
pool below the high school, the Uptown theater
which was a vast improvement over the Richland
and Village theaters, the Atomic Bowl and the
Frontier Days celebrations in the park below
downtown.
Thanks for the chance to remember some of
these wonderful years. I didn't realize how good
most of us that grew up in Richland had it. Our
families had no mortgage worries, rents were
cheap, jobs payed well and there was really no
class distinction in the town for most of those
years. For some of us the real world was a rude
awakening.
Arthur (TOM) Hughes "Class of 56"
==================================================
>>From: Don Panther (62)
I checked with the Hanford Historian, Dr.
Michelle Gerbr, regarding the Horn Rapids prison
camp. Here's what she has found in her research.
There are so many "tales" about the prison camp
that it would be good to pass this along....
The prison camp at Horn Rapids was known as
Columbia Camp and housed prisoners from McNeil
Island prison near Tacoma. These were Americans
-- low risk criminals -- NOT POWS! They were
ordinary offenders. They came here to care for
and harvest the fruit trees during 1944 and into
about Feb. 1945. Then Col. Matthias, the Site
commander, propsed having them do some demolition
work on some of the wartime structures that were
no longer needed -- starting with demolishing the
large construction camp that had housed WWII
construction workers. However, labor issues were
raised (I'm not sure by whom) and it was decided
to send them back to McNeil Island in mid-1945.
There were a few Italian POWs housed at a
camp up the Yakima Valley, but this was closer to
Yakima and not in the Hanford area.
================================================
>>From: Jim "Pitts" Armstorng (63)
Hi. Jim Armstrong again. First, did all you
Bball fans know that Theartis Wallace's "over 50
' team is kickin' butt at the Nike Tournament in
Portland.
More on the DDT sprayers. They were quite
efficient because they apparantly wiped out all
the flying insects and drove away those thousands
of beautiful nighthawks that came out every
evening. Remember them? They've been gone ever
since.
Interesting what Kenny Wright had to say
about those govt. services. We lived in an H
house on Haupt Ave. and my folks paid 50 bucks a
month rent . My mom said even though the houses
sold cheap they were sorry to give up that even
cheaper rent.
Does anyone remember Garmo's, Food liner,
The Hut, Rubinoff and His Violin, or Paul's Inc.
[ I loved their electric train set up at Xmas]?
How about the Goody Good Bakery in Uptown?
=================================================
>>From: Gary Behymer (64)
If has been a 'fruitful' week for Richland Bomber
Alumni. 'Alumni Fever' has struck many of
us...so much that we actually sat down and wrote
a letter...a letter that 650 to 700 people
actually read! (Or so we think.)
Thanking Maren Smyth (64) for loaning me her copy
of Dupus Boomer by Dick Donnell. I do believe
that the Donnells' shared a boathouse next to
Richard Charettes' folks and mine.
Ellen Spitaleri took time out to send me a great
advertising book for 'The Tri-City Area'. It has a
number of Richland photographs. (1) Cambell's Grocery
Store on the corner of Williams and Thayer. Mom used to
walk from 1304 Mahan to Marshall to McPhearson to
Thayer to get groceries most every day. On a 'hot' day
or one that required extra help, I would go.
On Marshall, lived the Calvin Welsch Family. I
was forever over there trading baseball cards.
(Sold all 25,000) of them in 1973 for 7 cents
each! NO, I don't want to know what they are
worth now! There was Keith (64), Kirk, Kyle,
Kim, Klay, Kent, Kristy & Kline....or so that's
what I think? Marilyn Perkins (64) and John
Crigler (64) lived next to the Welschs'. If you cut
thru the alley one could find Joe Fordon McPhearson.
Thanking Frank Stratton (64) for the great!
information on Richland Housing. I will make
copies available to any/all for the cost of
postage.
Jamie Worley (64) has been a big player in sending
items, including photographs!!! Thank you so very much.
Jamie is a 'wealth' of information.
Ray Stein (64) was able to provide a 1964 Columbian to
Patti Mitchell (64)
Photo copies of the 1964 annual are available for
the asking from myself. Just let me know you
need one! (Class of 1964 only.) Norman Klusman (64)
may drop the 1964 Annual on CD and provide copies,
once his schedule slows down a bit.
The Class of 1964 is waiting for the 1st letter
concerning the 35th reunion to come from the pen
of Charles Faubert (64) Hello Charles (;-)!
'Say Hey!' I still have a few copies of the 1980
book Bomber Mania that cost but a mear $8.00
priority mail postpaid.
Gary Behymer (64)
===============================================
>>From: Rick Allen (67) and Jacki Shipman Allen (73)
Hi Maren, Good to hear from you. Yes you
have my name spelled right. Yes my maiden name is
Shipman. Rick and I have been married for 19
years. Yes I do use Allen As my Last Name. Rick
Is the year of 67 or so he says. And yes we are
having fun. We live in Lewiston Idaho. We have
been here for 10 years. We have 4 Boys Between
us, 32-17. You know his, mine and ours. Maren do
you remember Rick????? We have been talking to
Pam, For about a month. Do you know where Marti
Sterns might be located? Maybe somewhere in
California? Let us know. Time to go. Have to e-
mail Pam.
Love Always Two Bombers Rick and Jacki Allen
===============================================
>>From: Mary Lou Watkins Rhebeck (63)
Hi Maren... just got in for the evening and
had to check out what you all had on e-mail.. I
just love reading these memories every
night....so many different, yet so many the
same...tonight I saw a message from Bill Compton,
who was one of my favorite neighbors on Johnston.
Our families were close for many years and my
parents still keep in touch with his Mom,
however, I would love to e-mail Bill, but didn't
see an address... was it there? Or do I need to
look in a different place? Anyway, thanks... and
I will keep reading and enjoying what you send...
ML
================================================
>>From: Sonny Davis (Bomber Dad)
Regards
Having been a resident of the Hanford barracks
and the Richland community from 1944 to 1968, I
am quite interested in the type of information I
have seen coming from this e-mail address. I
will look forward to future episttles.
E.M. Davis
==============================================
>>>Response to Rick Maddy (67)
>>From: DeWayne F. Miller (??)
Rick, just wondering if you are still married to
Mary...if you are...tell her hi from Gay Wear
Miller...and to E-mail me...Thanks.
====================
>>From: Leslie Dreher Schroeder (63)
Where's my maiden name?
The risk of being so retro that you don't use
your maiden name is the risk of being invisible to
your oldest friends. I am, and remain
Leslie Dreher Schroeder
ps -- I married Class of '63 classmate Mike Schroeder.
We'll be there at Kathy's next summer, for sure.
========================
>>>Response to Kenny Wright (63)
>> From Earl Bennett ('63)
1) Heard about a night when the coke machine in
the police station started giving back more
change than put in PLUS a coke; milked dry while
hoping the desk sergeant didn't notice. Probably
not the same machine - memory says the amounts
were more significant than a nickel machine would
generate.
7) Ah, yes, newsreels (vaguely recall some
Korean war footage) and THE BIG PICTURE, INDUSTRY
ON PARADE, etc.
14) Late August, 10-15 foot high piles of
tumbleweed against the walls in the U-shaped area
behind Chief Jo.
23) That's "What, me worry?" Alfred E.
Neuman is alive and well on MAD TV - saw an
episode by accident a couple of weeks ago.
Believe Joe Ford was a dedicated proponent of the
Alfred E. Neuman mystique.
Other notes: Paddy O'Cinnamon, The Cinnamon
Bear, every afternoon/evening for several weeks
before Christmas on (?KORD, KALE?). My sister Sue
Meek ('68) taped a resurrection of the series a
few years ago and sent it to me - fascinating!
And I've seen Sunday Supplement ads for a stuffed
Paddy O'Cinnamon (outrageous prices).
Patronized a Spudnut Shop '81-'84 in
Charlottesville, VA, two miles from Uva and three
blocks from where I worked as translator at the
Army's Foreign Science & Technology Center (now
National Ground Intelligence Center). Just as
good (and fattening) as the Richland version, but
without the hometown memories. Made believers
out of my office mates. May try to get a job back
there again someday - nice place to live, though
not as nice as ...
"The Tri-Cities, in heart of the banana belt,
sunshine capital of the Pacific Northwest!" Was
that from radio, too? Can't remember where I
heard it.
Love the memories, saving the histories.
[more from Earl Bennett for Pat Bezzio Re: TACO THE TOWN]
Earl Bennett (63)
Hi, Pat! I do remember a Mexican restaurant in
West Richland that we went to occasionally when I
was quite young. Probably the same place.
(Maternal) Grandpa Norris immigrated from England
as a teenager with 50 cents in his pocket on
arrival, eventually established a ranch in
southeastern Arizona. I don't remember it, but
Mom said his Spanish was a funny mix of British
accent and Americanisms. Mom was born there in
1922, became quite adept at Mexican cuisine of
that region. Grandpa was living with us during
the warm part of the year, May - September, from
the time we moved to Richland in 1951 until he
died in 1962 (winters were split between my aunts
in California and Arizona). He always paid me $5
or $10 for the use of my room while he was there,
I slept on a cot in the utility room. I always
kept the Roi-Tan cigar boxes ("Stinky Pinkies" he
called them) when he finished with them - may
still have one somewhere.
Back to the point. Mom thought that
restaurant had excellent Mexican food, and coming
from her that meant something. I remember how
upset she got when Grandpa would eat so many of
the awesome jalapenos -I couldn't handle them! -
like they were candy. Eventually his ulcer put a
stop to that practice.
I don't know if Mom originated them, but
she used to prepare what we called enchilada
pancakes: Corn tortillas briefly sizzled in deep
fat, drained, and swished through warm Old El
Paso enchilada sauce; laid flat on a plate,
covered with shredded lettuce, diced tomato,
chopped onion, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar
cheese (if/when the cheese was in short supply,
it would only go on the top layer), and ladle a
bit of the sauce over it; add one to two more
layers of the same; for a special treat, add one
or two eggs (over easy) on top; serve immediately
(i.e., don't try to make this a sit-down dinner
serving everybody at the same time - lukewarm is
not good). Be prepared for a significant cleanup
effort.
If you can't tell, I'm using this forum
to document regenerated memories - haven't
deleted more than two or three of the emails yet,
although I will have to move it to off-line
storage pretty soon, 'cuz I can't afford a bigger
hard drive.
Later. ecb3
-Earl Bennett ('63)
===================
>>From: Gail Hollingsworth (56)
I moved to Kennewick in my Junior year, so didn't
get to graduate with everyone I had gone to school with
from 1st grade.. sighhhhh. But that's another story....
Been reading all this stuff, wondering if
any of you remember HI Spot? It was lots of
fun...... learned to jitterbug there...... and the
bunny hop and a few other fun dances. By the
way, I noticed you teasing someone about being
60..... LOL , hafta tell you, I am writing this
on my 60th birthday. Just got home from my night
job and it's after 2 am on the 14th.
Speaking of babysitters....... my next door
neighbors (when my son was about 4, and I was
working at Anderson's{during the transformation
to Bon Marche'} were the Crow's.....my son's
babysitter was Gary Crow....... now a pretty well
known dj in Seattle.
When we first got to Richland, in 44, my
dad was living with a bunch of the other men in a
house, each of them were waiting for the homes to
be completed so they could move into them with
their families...... My mom, and my sister and
myself all lived at the Desert Inn for what
seemed like forever, back then...... waiting for
our house to be ready.
My Dad used to bring home cartoons with a
character named Dupis Boomer.... does anyone
remember that? Had great cartoons of our
terrible wind storms, prefab roofs blowing down
the street, etc...... funny jokes, but I really
hated those hot sandy winds....... B.L (before lawns).
Oh, and one thing that was really wonderful
about Richland........ someone mentioned the
fireworks in Bomber bowl........ but did any of
you go to any of the Sunrise Easter Sunday
services there....... with the sun coming
up....... it was really beautiful...
Well, that's about all I can think of at
the moment..... hope we will be hearing from more
of the grads from the 50s......Thanx for
reading......
Gail Cherrington Hollingsworth
====================
>>From: Denis "Sully" Sullivan (62)
"Muscles", a.k.a. "Sonny", never without that bike.
PasPort plunge: My dad was a seaman at the Pasco
Navy Yards during the war. I remember his
telling me that the pool was used as a training
facility--something about having to swim under
burning oil a certain distance to demonstrate one
could escape a torpedoed ship.
Potts' gas station: spent lot of time there
filling my bike tires with air and pestering
Potts. The grocery store across the street was
not Safeway, but Campbell's, I think. We spent a
lot of time pestering the produce guys--I still
remember the smell of the place, riding our bikes
with playing cards on the spokes through the
parking lot and other annoying activities. There
was barber shop on the Potts' side of the
building and for a time a couple of us had a shoe
shine operation where more polish got on socks
than shoes.
The Village Theater, at 11 cents a matinee, was
king until it gave way to the "free show" at the
Uptown Theater. The merchants sponsored it to
draw the parents to the stores.
Captain Midnight became Jet Jackson (or vice
versa) in syndication. Kenny Wright and I
pestered our mothers to buy Ovaltine so we could
get the decoder rings that could create an image
when you held it up to the sun. I remember how
ripped off I felt when the first message I
decoded was: "Drink your Ovaltine!"
Remember the Bomber Mascot: the green and gold
bomb shell, in the middle of the floor before
every basketball game? The bomb shell gave way
to sensitivities, but we have never gotten rid of
the mushroom cloud. Most non-Richlanders I know
still cannot fathom that one!
I always thought the Spudnut Shop was a Richland
original. A franchise?
Picnics at Hat Rock.
Thanks for the memories and keep them coming.
-Denis Sullivan ('62)
===========================
>>From: David Clark (56)
These little vignettes have brought back a flood of
fond memories of growing up in Richland and I'll pass
on a few from my own memory bank.
1. The great flood and 'miracle mile' in 52-54?
Not sure of the date. We lived at 1319 Hains St
and watched the Corps put in the miracle mile
dike to save our home and much of downtown
Richland. Went right through our front yard. The
Columbia was full of floating debris and we used
to fish out boxes of apples floating down from
Wenatchee.
2. The winters with the big freeze sometime in
the early fifties. Had several small ponds along
the Columbia in front of our home that would
freeze over every winter - great ice
skating/hockey. What happened to winters like
those?
3. Horse back riding at the riding academy near
West Richland. Used to love taking out the
horses for riding in the areas around the
academy. Fulfilled fantasy's of Gene Autry, Roy
Rogers, Durango Kid, Cisco Kid, and other cowboy
heros we saw every Sat at teh Village theatre.
4. Flat Top in West Richland. Used to take my
old '37 Ford out on the trails to rabbit hunt,
look for old bombs, etc. As a youngster, we also
used to shoot fireworks out there and had the
unfortunate experience of causing a brush fire
which brought folks from all around to fight it.
5. Fishing with Bob Butler in the small creeks
near the Uptown Shopping center. Remember Bob
trying all summer to catch this large trout we
could see but not catch. Well, Bob stayed after
it and did finally catch him. Was over 20 inches
as I recall.
6. Grade school at Lewis/Clark and Jefferson.
Butler and I would spend a lot of time exploring
Jefferson after hours, paticularly in the gym and
stage areas. Jr. High, first at Carmichael where
my acadamic career changed with Mr. Bressler.
Home room teacher, small guy in stature but huge
in character. After one year, moved ot the new
school, Chief Joseph. At CJ, remember the first
boys Home Ec class with Ms. Spain. Still remember
the cooking one semester where we always doubled
the receipe for cakes (ate half the dough and
cooked the other half), sewing classes with the
pins and needles flying and finally
making/modelling shirts that we had made. High
school with Dawald as Home Room and Civics
teacher, Mrs. Buscher, the beloved math teacher,
Mr. Morris, the tennis coach, typing teacher who
nailed me and several others for throwing
snowballs in class by checking the temperatures
of our hands, and Mr Scott, the physics teacher
whom we wired his chair to the Van de Graf
generator.
7. First class at CBC over at the old Pasco naval
base. Think we had around 350 students of which
there were only 3 or 4 girls. Mostly Korean war
vets and us young guys. Ping Pong between and
sometimes during classes. Anyone remember our
first Ping Pong Tournament. .
========================
>>From: Gregor Hanson (65)
Another item I remembered last evening when
reading the posts about early childhood days in
Richland were the listening rooms at Korten's
Music Store in Uptown Richland where you could
play the latest 45 records on a phonograph in a
sound proof room!! They also had sound proof
rooms available for the practice playing of
insruments -especially if you didn't have a bass
cello or a tuba at home!!
-Gregor Hanson ('65)
==========================
>>From: Patty Stordahl (72)
Hello to all this is Patty Stordahl!! Yea I am
still Stordahl tried it twice couldn't do the
domestic thing. Wasn't worth it & kept me to
poor. So here I am & where are all of you? Call
me (206)242-7294 or e-mail me
Kraemer where are you your email keeps returning
to me need good number.
Nancy McWain stop telling people about my very
generous good natured agreement with you. I just
had a bird tell me you told them that while I was
in Walla Walla. I knew we were good friends but
that is a secret. MY MOM OVERHEARD. Silly gal
call me I miss you & Edie & all. I want to hang
with you when I come into town. Mom still lives
down there but I split years ago came back for a
bit & moved to Pacific NW. What's up with any
West side folks lets get together & play. I have
not changed much I still wander like a gypsy but
now I go 1st class & get paid for it. Still
sleep on the couch but now I own the home. Ride
in a van but lost the flower paint job. So call
me or write me lets get reaquainted. If I don't
respond within a day or two I may be on the road
working. See ya. Any one do anything with Trade
shows? That is what I do all over the US. Need
any help or ideas call me(888)767-4697 ask
specifically for me. Thanks.
Bye for now.
[MORE FROM PATTY STORDAHL (72)]
Thank you for sending this info to me. It is
great reading. Memories are too fun for most of
us. I am Patty Stordahl Bomber alum 72. you can
email me at I work on the road
alot so I don't get to read these daily but they
are great. I went to the old Sacajawea grade
school & then moved with my folks to Benton City.
Moved back into Richland summer of 70 to finish
school with old friends. Where is everyone??
with in the years 68 -75?? Talk to me I would
love to have a huge street dance & party with all
the old hippies & see how they have changed or
not changed. What are you all doing now? Any
responce for personal communitcation would be
super.
I was the era with Mr. Stevens, Vandeburg, &
Nash. They were three bad boys that tried so hard
to pretend they were good. Remember the hanky
panky with Ms.B & Mr.N? That was to weird for
me? What ever happened to Dimples, alias Mr.
Stevens? Karlyn, DI, Nancy, Eddie, Sue, Val, &
many more where are you all? Any one remember the
days when the bathrooms had doors. Wasn't it
nice that they took them off so the smoke could
filter out faster?? Hearts or Spades any one?
Where is Jessica Allen it has been a long time
since I have had my cards read. She was really
great. keep me in the loop this is great to read.
Susan Kramer your email address wont work please
find me I want to get together. I grew up to have
4 wonderful kids, Steven (23), Darcia(22) (bomber
alum 94), Rian(20), & Janea (15). No husbands
anymore I think I just move to fast. No time to
pick up any one elses socks. Shoot I have to
have a maid just to pick up mine. I have a great
job that is to much fun. Go figure I always had
to much fun throughout school. My gypsy
wandering ways have not left me. No longer
riding my thumb I now get paid well to fly all
over the US & flap my jaws only this time I
really know what I am talking about. I have
managed to stay out of jail though (knock on
wood). Any one need any help within the trade
show industry. From conceptual to actual
fabrication of display & marketing & graphic
design send me an email I would love to see what
I can do for your trade show needs. Again, keep
me in the loop.
You can call me when I am in town toll free. Try
me or leave a message.1(888)767-4697
Store D doll
[MORE FROM PATTY]
would love to hear from anyone Suzie Kramer where
did you go I have wrong email. Nancy McWain
please respond you been sharing secrets with my
Cousin Lizann. Edie J whats up with you. An