Alumni Sandstorm ~ 12/24/17 ~ CHRISTMAS EVE
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2 Bombers sent stuff: 
Larry MATTINGLY ('60)
Paul TAMPIEN ('64)
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BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Marilyn GROFF ('63)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Dave MILLER ('67)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Kerry LYNCH ('69)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Art SCHAFER ('70)

12/24 ~ 1 day till Christmas
CINNAMON BEAR - Listen to "North Pole" (Episode #26) (last one)  

Accepting Sandstorm entries from now till the new year.
Tell me the date I should save for.

BOMBER CALENDAR: Richland Bombers Calendar
    Click the event you want to know more about.
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>>From: Larry MATTINGLY ('60) 

Re: Greetings of the season

I am off to Anchorage, AK for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
with my wife, Jackie. I expect we will meet her sister's
family for a dinner. The day after Christmas it is back to
the airport to meet Chuck LOLLIS ('64) flying in from Pasco
via Seattle. We will have lunch and perhaps quaff a beer
waiting for the flight to Dutch Harbor, AK where we will set
up and fire the large New Years Eve display for the City of
Unalaska, AK. It is a bit technically difficult event with
having to build a floor on the lowboy rail trailer and then
install the racks of guns. (Mortars). The city provides a
crew that I have been working with and training for years.
The hours are long and can be tedious when installing
ignitors directly into the lift charge. That far north the 
day hours are shorter and it goes from light to dark quicker.

Chuck is looking forward to seeing "Dutch" in the winter as
the eagles winter there and there are thousands. With a
little patience you can get within a few feet of them and
take great pictures. Some of the older birds have great
personality and their antics are wonderful to watch from so
close. 10 to 12 feet, and, if you have a few meat scraps they
will come right up to your feet. No we are not supposed to be
feeding the wildlife. But for doing it sparingly to get
pictures it is over looked.

Weather permitting we will fire at the first stroke of
midnight. I try to hold the time to about 17-18 minutes which
makes a really nice display with lots of big shells, color
and noise. I am kind of old fashioned and I use mines comets
and large bore roman candles. Mines are an instantaneous
blast of effects and color in a line usually about 50 feet
long.

So it is about that time to close up the suitcase, turn down
the heat, turn off the hot water heater. Set my new alarm
system check to see the intruder lights are working. I did
not get the cameras working yet but will on my return. I do
have cameras inside that I can turn back and forth and watch
the view from my Smart phone.

I hear my neighbors car starting up so I will wish all alums
and there families and loved ones a very nice Christmas and a
happy and prosperous New Year.

-J. Larry MATTINGLY ('60)
P.S. (Chuck, I will meet you at Pen Air on the 26th.)
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>>From: Paul TAMPIEN ('64)

Re: A Message from the CEO - Happy Holidays

This came to me via an email from the USO organization that
my wife and I volunteer our time to help America's service
men and women and their families.

I am sure many of you have seen the poem below based on the
famous, "Twas The Night Before Christmas".

Please thank a VET for their service.

THE SOLDIERS NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

-Paul TAMPIEN ('64)
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That's it for today. Please send more.
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