A. S. S. ~ Alumni Sandstorm ~ 02/20/25
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5 Bombers sent stuff:
Ken HEMINGER ('56)
Fred AMES ('60)
Frank "Mac" QUINLAN ('62)
Tedd CADD ('66)
Maryanne GRENINGER ('68_)
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HOME ADDRESS:
Maren Smyth
144 Briant Street
Gretna, LA 70056
OK... IS EVERYBODY READY FOR THE IDITAROD???
It begins every year on the first Saturday in March with the "Ceremonial Start".
The starting order is determined by drawing at the Mushers' Banquet the Thursday
evening before the Ceremonial start. All teams get lined up to start from 4th
Street in Anchorage. The first team takes off at 10am with one team departing
every two minutes till all teams are on the trail. Ceremonial start day is a fun
day. Mushers meet & greet folks and have their Idita-Rider with them. Those
Idita-Riders pay big bucks to ride with a musher for the first 10-12 miles of
the race. They wind through the streets of Anchorage for about 10 miles and then
they load up their dogs and go to the "real start" point at Campbell Air Strip
outside Anchorage.
The new 2025 official re-start location is Fairbanks. Apparently 20 miles of the
trail just before NNikolai has been deemed too dangerous for all concerned. The
Official Restart will now occur at 11am on Monday, March 3, 2025, in Fairbanks.
The 2025 route will run as follows: Fairbanks, Nenana, Manley, Tanana, Ruby,
Galena, Nulato, Kaltag 1, Eagle Island 1, Grayling 1, Anvik, Shageluk, then
looping back up river to Grayling 2, Eagle Island 2, Kaltag 2, then to
Unalakleet then continuing onto Nome using the traditional Checkpoints between
Unalakleet and Nome.
Teams are in the same order as they were for the Ceremonial Start and they
depart one team every two minutes. The winner will show up in Nome anywhere from
8 to 10 days after the start of the race and there are still many more teams on
the trail once a winner drives their team under the burled arch in Nome. Last
year's winner was Ryan Redington. The only other champion in this race is three
time champ Mitch Seavey.
Some things that have already happened
2/6 - Straw Drop... Mushers send straw ahead to check points where they think
they will need straw
2/12 & 13 - Musher food drops -- mushers send food ahead to check points where
they will need food for their dogs.
2/14 - People food drops
2/26 - Vet checks - All dogs have an EKG. MIGHT happen here - not sure.
2/27 - Musher Banquet Start position drawing.
I am in contact with a guy from Oak Ridge, TN. Their museum has what they call
"B-1" (2 bdrm prefab) that they are setting up for display. I think he would be
very interested to chat with anyhbody who lived in a two bdrm prefab. I never
did. My folks lived in a "B" house when I was born and moved to an "L" house
when I was 2. We moved out of the "L" in '64 when we moved away from Richland.
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>>From: Ken HEMINGER ('56)
Maren...
Just a quick couple of thoughts
Must admit I thought I had seen the last of the Sandstorm.
I had assumed the sandstorm had died on the vine so was really surprised when it
showed up on my PC.
Its great to see there are still some out there who are still interested.
I know the '50s clan is about depleted, and that's the only bunch I would be
interested in.
Actually, Grover SHEGRUD ('56) is the only one I can still relate to.
I will turn 89 (Lord willing) this summer and know all the rest must be close to
that.
It would appear you are still going to post when feasible.
With that in mind, I want to continue as part of the readership and would like
to know what I owe as far as dues go.
[Here's what I've been telling people about the money: I did
the Sandstorm DAILY (365) for 22 years and now I don't have the
heart to ask for money when there's only once or twice a month.
So don't sweat it. -Maren]
-Ken HEMINGER ('56)
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>>From: Fred AMES ('60)
Maren,
I receive the Bomber newsletter; I lived in Richland from 1949 until 1956, when
my father moved us to Cincinnati.
I was looking at the Bomber website today and somehow managed to find myself
looking at what appears to be a no-longer-maintained page:
https://www.facebook.com/RichlandClub40/
[That's a Facebook page and Club40 is no longer active. -Maren]
It contained pictures from what appeared to be the 65th reunion of the class of
1954, and on the page I spotted a picture of someone that at first I thought was
me ? but, clearly it was not. The picture is below, and the person in question
is the one wearing the Pat Wood name tag. I was thinking that one possibility is
that Pat is the son of the couple with him, who might have themselves been in
the class of '54.
http://alumnisandstorm.com/Xtra/Ame/Club40Pic.jpg
I am writing you because my daughter, a few months ago, was contacted by another
user of a genealogy site. This person, according to the information the site
provided my daughter, was the child of my half-brother - who, apparently, had
been adopted at some early age decades ago. My half-brother, until that moment,
did not exist as far as anyone in my (known) family was aware and, because he
existed, either my mother had given birth to this child and he had then been
adopted, or (much more likely) my father ? not the nicest of people - had
fathered this child and then walked away.
Is there any way that you could shed some light on this situation? I am
wondering if there is any way to contact Pat Wood, but I haven't seen any
reference to him in the newsletters or on the Bombers web site. not interested
in any sort of "reunion" or anything else, I would just like to find out what
the history is. My daughter agrees with my thoughts about the picture ? she said
she did a double take when I forwarded that picture of Pat to her.
I would appreciate hearing from you, if you have any ideas or information. And
BTW do you know when my subscription to the newsletter needs to be renewed?
[See my response in the previous entry. -Maren]
Best to you,
-Fred AMES ('60)
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>>From: Frank "Mac" QUINLAN ('62)
Re: A Jumble of thoughts
It was sure good to hear from Maren again! I enjoy it when you write a little
bit each time.
Reading the list of those who have left us is sad. For a lot of them I have
fleeting memories, but for others the memories bring real sadness.
Enough of that depressing stuff. Health wise I am doing reasonably well. I still
Dyno engines and occasionally rebuild an engine. The last engine I rebuilt was a
Keith Black Hemi with two distributors. The engine originally came out of a
blown alcohol dragster and was modified to have an 8 stack intake and fuel
injection. It was built to go in a show car. And yes, All-Show-No-Go.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063101655585&sk=photos
The picture of the Hemi with the 6 Stromberg carburetors is for Sid Sullivan's
'34 Ford. It just won best in class at the Grand National Roadster Show this
past weekend.
I am also just about finished with a frame-off restoration of my 1956 GMC. I
bought it in '83 from the original owner. I drove it for a long time and finally
decided to modernize it a little. The GMC solid front axle was replaced with the
front clip from a '73 Firebird. Now I'll have power steering and disc brakes.
The original Pontiac engine and Hydramatic transmission were replaced a long
time ago. The front fenders are off until I get the fuel injection initially
tuned and finish up some under hood wiring.
Of those who write in, the only one I remember well is Pete BEAULIEU ('62), Mike
WAGGONER ('60) used to write in occasionally. He lived down the street from me.
I haven't heard from him for some time now. I hope he's ok.
I was looking at the Hanford High School shell from Pete's link and thinking it
sure must have been considered an amazing building at the time it was built!
They were really planning for their future?..
It doesn't sound like Terry DAVIS Knox ('65), is slowing down at all. Two
plays. Wow.
-Frank "Mac" QUINLAN ('62)
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>>From: Tedd CADD ('66)
Re: 56 Years
At this hour of the night 56 years ago (9 pm, January 31, 1969) in the middle of
a heavy snowstorm, Pam HUNT ('66) and I were driving from Pullman to Richland so
we could get home in time for our wedding on Feb 1. Also in the car were our
Best Man Gary BUSH ('66) and our Maid of Honor Peg WELLMAN ('66). We got home at
3am on February 1, rehearsal at noon, wedding at 7. I don't recommend that kind
of schedule nor traveling when most roads are closed, but it's been worth it.
"Heavy snow storm" huh? Well, all the roads in the state were closed when we
first set out, It took us a couple hours to even get out of Pullman as we waited
for that road to open. We had our honeymoon reserved in Spokane but we couldn't
get any farther than the new Red Lion in Pasco.
-Tedd CADD ('66)
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>>From: Maryanne GRENINGER Merritt ('68_)
So happy to see a new Sandstorm today, even though my entry was not there.
Nothing makes me happier than to see a new Sandstorm. Richland will always be
my home, birth place and love. Still, so many of my friends are former and
present Richlanders.
[Your entry wasn't skipped intentionally. I don't remember even
seeing it. Sorry. -Maren]
Maryanne GRENINGER Merritt ('68_)
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END OF SANDSTORM ENTRIES. Please send more.
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BOMBER MEMORIAL JPEGs by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66).
I'm just gonna be listing a very few names here. If you
want to see the Bomber Memorial jpeg either contact Shirley
at haskins_4@charter.net
OR go to the
Alpha Listing of all deceased Bombers
OR
By Class Year listing of deceased Bombers
RECENT DEATHS REPORTED
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Charles Lee "Chuck" MINNICK ('64-RIP)
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Marilynn Ruth WORKING Highstreet ('54-RIP)
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Lawrence "Larry" FRITTS ('71-RIP)
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Kenneth L. "Ken" JONES ~ ('57-RIP)
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William Douglas "Bill"/"Mitch" MITCHELL ('68-RIP)
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Millie Mae LAMBDIN Kidwell ('60-RIP)
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Jerry L. BOYD ('52-RIP)
This may not be on the website yet as we just got word of
Jerry's death on 2/20/25. Check back in a few days.
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