A. S. S. ~ Alumni Sandstorm ~ 03/06/22
	Sunday. Whatever makes you happy, DO THAT!
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6 Bombers sent stuff: 
Dick WIGHT ('52)
Mike CLOWES ('54)
Shirley ATWOOD ('58)
Helen CROSS ('62)
Jim HEIDLEBAUGH ('65)
Lynn-Marie HATCHER ('68)
	Next A.S.S. will be published when we have an entry from 5 Bombers
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FROM THE EDITOR: Re: Iditarod
The Ceremonial start happened without a hitch. All Teams left the start 
on time and looked great.
The live Re-Start begins 3/6/22 at 1:30PM AKST - FREE broadcast on
iditarod.com/
49 teams, 32 men, 17 woman, 13 rookies, 6 previous champions, 6 countries,
only one other state besides, Alaska (Michigan).
15 have already withdrawn (before the start). I sure wish Jessie Royer,
Nick Petit, and Wade Marrs hadn't withdrawn. I think there was too much 
china virus stuff for Thomas Waerner to come all the way from Norway.
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>>From: Dick WIGHT ('52)

Re: Chapter 2 - my Richland experience. 

So I returned from Hill Military School (in Portland) in early June '49.
Richland looked more like a big military base than a real town, or so I
thought! I think over 25,000 people lived here, and nearly the entire work
force was employed by General Electric Company, Doctors, nurses, school
teachers, city employees, police and fire department members, the guys who
drove the garbage trucks - and of course all the folks who worked out in
"the areas" where the uranium was being being turned into fissionable
material. Out "there" production was going 24/7, as the saying goes.
Hundreds and hundreds of shift workers "commuted" by bus to and from the
areas, 8 hour shifts, day and night, 7 days a week. Some other things were
really "off kilter" from my perspective. No elderly people lived here! At
least very few. It was a two-generation city. Working people and kids. All
the housing was government-owned and maintained. Homes had no
individuality. The city had no history! No landmarks, no "old town
memories", no local lore. And the city had no "down and outers". Everyone
of working age was gainfully employed ..... at least all the male
population. And there was a pretty high incidence of women in the work
force, surely higher than most typical American communities. It seemed to
me that my high school contemporaries and I pretty much had the same
opinion of Richland. We were anxious to grow up and get out of here! This
just didn't seem like "a real place".

I enrolled at Columbia High, and started classes as a sophomore in fall
1949, Class of '52. In the meantime, Dad had steered me to the local Civil
Air Patrol cadet squadron, because of my interest in aviation and radio and
my apparent affinity for military stuff. Most of the cadets were Col High
kids, and the CAP "gang" became my social hub the whole time I lived here.
In retrospect, Col Hi was a pretty remarkable school - built and owned by
Uncle Sam, operated by educators and administrators employed by GE.
Everything was quite new, well equipped, and my sense of it was that the
teaching staff was filled with capable top-of-the-line people. We had good
facilities, a pretty wide scope of educational opportunities for that "day
and age". We had shops - mechanical, auto....home economic facilities, and
an exceptional agriculture program started (I think) in 1949. I was in the
original startup class, We had a large acreage north of town with
shop/classroom, and raised crops and livestock. The high school curriculum
seemed to offer lots of math and sciences and college prep stuff, as well
as secretarial training offerings such as typing et al. Perhaps the mere
nature of Hanford flavored the school system...it was a "techie" cutting
edge facility peopled with a work force of pretty well trained and educated
people. Col Hi was quite a place! Our school had active sports programs and
able coaches such as Fran Rish and Art Dawald, and our teams often did well
in leagues and state tournaments. I don't suppose I recognized these assets
at the time, but I later became appreciative. 

There seemed to be good opportunities for after-school and summer jobs for
high school kids. My family imbued me with a work ethic, and I had part
time jobs most of the time - Garmo's Grocery, Diamond Variety Store I
worked for part of a spring/summer for the wife of the Hanford Project
Manager George Prout, as a gardener/handyman. Other opportunities existed.
I Iearned to fly and solo'd at age 16, for instance. With those activities
and with raising crops and livestock on the school farm, I had a pretty
full agenda. It seemed to me that most of my contemporaries were pretty
busy as well! I know that my brief 2 1/2 years at Col Hi imbued with a
desire to go out and "join the world". I believed I was prepared for it!
And I guess I was. I'll cover that briefly in my next chapter of my
Richland experiences......

-Dick WIGHT ('52) ~ in sunny Richland
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>>From: Bob Carlson, aka Mike CLOWES ('54)

SENT: 3/4/22

There was a "Happy Birthday!" shout out to the ace of the Colt 45s mound
staff Bill GRIFFIN ('54) that must have gotten lost in the shuffle. That
was on 2/14.

And now, for yet another one; this time I wish Pat O'BRYAN ('54) a "Happy
Birthday!"

SENT: 3/5/22

Sort of a trifecta today. Here's "Happy Birthday!" wishes to fellow
classmates Diane and Sue HALE and Ray WELLS (all '54).

-Bob Carlson, aka Mike CLOWES ('54) ~ Mount Angel, OR
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>>From: Shirley ATWOOD Sun ('58)

To: Dick WIGHT ('52)

I enjoyed reading your memories of growing up in the Tri-Cities. As a child
I too was unimpressed with Richland. No trees and too much wind and sand.
What a difference 75 years has made. I'm looking forward to your next
installment.

-Shirley ATWOOD Sun ('58) ~ Chatsworth, CA
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>>From: Helen CROSS Kirk ('62)

First of all it was great to see another Sandstorm, even if it was in my
"junk". I'll have to ask my tech savvy son how to fix that.

I'm eagerly waiting for Dick WIGHT's ('52) next installment of Tri-city
history. So interesting.

And I wish I could go see your upcoming play, Terry DAVIS Knox ('65).
Maybe you'll be doing another one when I come out for my class of '62
60 year reunion, Who knew we'd be this old?

Well, our pond is no longer frozen over, we've had 2 days that felt so warm
it was fun to be with my grandkids; but today was a cold barely 42°.

However, we are expecting 70+ tomorrow, so spring is really on the way!!

	http://alumnisandstorm.com/Xtra/Cro/220305-Little_Lake.jpg

-Helen CROSS Kirk ('62) ~ West Harrison, IN  
Sent from my iPhone
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>>From: Jim HEIDLEBAUGH ('65)

Re: Happy Birthday, Jim ADAIR ('66)

Happy Birthday, Brother! Hope your day...March 5.. is a good one.

-Jim HEIDLEBAUGH ('65)
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>>From: Lynn-Marie HATCHER Peashka ('68)

Re: Some entries for next A.S.S.

Dick Wight ('52) - I really enjoyed your entry of memories up to 1948,
published in the 3/4/22 Sandstorm. Looking forward to the next installment!

Re: Pappy SWAN (59-RIP) and the elves.

Pappy & I used to email back & forth several years ago. I never met him in
person, but he was clearly a kind & delightful human being. I'm working on
figuring out a way to pull together all of his famous "elves of Burbank"
stories from the Sandstorm archives. Once I accomplish that, I will let you
all know how to access them in one place. 

Anyone else from around class of '73 or before still working (like I am)?
Would love to be in touch with any "overage" non-retirees, to discuss your
experience of continuing to work when most all around us have retired. 

Also, any of you into #vanlife? I hope to be full time by this summer
(while continuing to work at my job, which is 100% online). I'm excited &
my son is worried. LOL! The tables have turned!! 

Reaching out with much appreciation & affection to all who still read &
contribute to this incredible virtual institution called the Alumni
Sandstorm - and especially to Maren, of course.

-Lynn-Marie HATCHER Peashka ('68) ~ In Richland, where we had an early 
	thunderstorm today! Love it!!
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