A. S. S. ~ Alumni Sandstorm ~ 04/02/25
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6 Bombers sent stuff: 
Mike CLOWES ('54)
Helen CROSS ('62)
Pete BEAULIEU ('62)
Cliff CUNNINGHAM ('62)
Donna NELSON ('63)
Nancy MALLORY ('64)
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HOME ADDRESS:
Maren Smyth
144 Briant Street
Gretna, LA  70056

Hard for me to believe I'm gonna be 80 on April 19th.

IDITAROD STUFF

43 teams started this year - the 53rd running of the Iditarod
This year the number of dogs that can be harnessed to start the race on each
team was raised to 16. This is really not historically new, but the past few
years the number had been changed to 14. The minimum number to start is 12 and
to finish there must be at least 5 on the towline when the team crosses under
the burled arch in Nome.

43 teams included 23 men, 11 women, 16 rookies, 2 past champions, many local
Alaskans, 10 from lower 48 states, 4 countries are represented - 2 from Canada,
1 from Denmark, and 1 from Norway, and all the rest are from the U.S.) 

MISSIBNG IN THIS YEARS LINE UP: 6 time winner Dallas Seavey, 1 time champ Joar
Leifseth Ulsom, Jesse Royer, 1 time winner Pete Kaiser, Neither Ramey Smyth nor
his brother Cim Smyth and the two Smyth brothers are often in the running for
the "fastest from Safety to Nome" award. I've heard these boys often put on
their tennis shoes and run with the dogs for that last leg. I wonder if we'll
ever see 4 time champs Martin Buser or Jeff King racing again. I don't think
Deedee Jonrowe or Aliy Zirkle plan to enter again. Same for John Baker.

The 2025 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a record-breaking 1,128-mile race due to
a lack of snow, started on March 3 in Fairbanks and culminated with Jessie
Holmes winning his first Iditarod on March 14.

Winning the 53rd Iditarod comes with the largest percentage of the $500,000
purse for the 2025 race. On his charge to Nome, Holmes also won the GCI Dorothy
G. Page Halfway Award, the Alaska Air Transit Spirit of Iditarod Award, the
Bristol Bay Native Corporation Fish First Award, the Ryan Air Gold Coast Award
and the Northrim Bank Achieve More Award. His winnings from those awards total
$4,500 in cash, $4,500 in gold nuggets, 25 pounds of fresh Bristol Bay salmon
and multiple trophies to commemorate each achievement.

?We fully extend our heartfelt congratulations to Jessie Holmes, he has
exhibited incredible resilience, an unbreakable esprit de corps and
extraordinary care for the dogs. Moreover, his stamina is inspiring; and its
fitting that after 1,128 miles (the longest race in history) his energy on Front
Street in Nome was felt by all of Iditarod Nation as he joyously claimed victory
under the New Arch christened earlier today,? said Rob Urbach, Iditarod CEO.

Mushers currently on the Iditarod trail will continue to make their way to Nome.
The race finishes when the last musher crosses the finish line, claiming the Red
Lantern, a longstanding Iditarod tradition and symbol of perseverance which is
now sponsored by Iditarod Partner, Lynden Air Cargo.

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>>From: Bob Carlson, aka Mike CLOWES ('54)

For 4/2: 

April 1th has passed and I trust you have all survived what ever jocularities
perpetrated. Moving on, it is time to note that a fellow classmate is having a
birthday today. "Happy Birthday!" to Lloyd KENT ('54), and hope all is mostly
well.

For 3/28:

A "Happy Birthday!" to fellow classmates Bill and Judy ALLEN (both '54) and
twins to boot ("How about that!").

For 3/17:

A "happy St. Patrick's Day!" to all. And a "Happy Birthday!" to Richard ROBERTS
('49), Patricia LEIBEL ('54) and Sharon TEMPLEMAN ('55). Just keep things going
 
For 3/6:

Got your basic tri-fecta in birthdays for today, and for The Class of '54. To
get on with it; "Happy Birthday!" to Diane and Sue HALE and Ray WELLS (all '54).
Trust this finds you all in reasonable health.

For 3/5:

A "Happy Birthday!" to fellow classmate Pat O'BRIEN ('54). He was the "leader of
the pack."

For 3/2:

A "Happy Birthday!" to Debbie HOLDEN ('54). It is best I do, lest she does
whatever she may do. I trust that things are calm and peaceful on the shores of
the Canal.

For 2/27:

On this date, a few years back, Dick ROBERTS ('49) and Carol TYNER ('52) got
married. Guess what? They still are! "Happy Anniversary!"

"Oh, how we danced on the night we were wed, If you think we danced, you got
rocks in your head."

For 2/22:

By shear co-inky-dinky a fellow classmate and "The Father of Our Country" share
the same birthdate. So, here's a "Happy Birthday!" to Darlene PICKLES ('54) and
George Washington (the man, not the town over by Ellensburg).
	[George, WA is also the home of the Gorge Ampetheatre 
	where I sat front row dead center for a Jimmy Buffett concert 
	in 1992. Still remember it like it was yesterday. Jimmy even 
	flipped a guitar pick to me. I stilll have it. -Maren

On 2/21:

Got it in the in=box. Read it. Tried to open the link to a picture taken at the
last Club 40, got an error message that the link could not be found. Thot you
might want to know.

	[Yes, there was a problem. Mozilla Firefox had trouble so I 
	downloaded Chrome and still couldn't see it. If anybody else 
	wants to see the picture, let me know and I'll forward the
	email that came from Fred AMES ('60) with the picture. -Maren]

-Bob Carlson, aka Mike CLOWES ('54) ~ Silverton, OR
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>>From: Helen CROSS Kirk ('62)

I was so happy to run across this copy of the Sandstorm tonight; but somehow it
got in my junk file, which I don?t remember to check very often, thus I found
several interesting posts.

I enjoyed, as always, reading fellow 80 year old Peter BEAULIEU's ('62), post. I
celebrated turning 80 in June by taking our whole family, all 9 of us, except my
brother, Roy, in Wenatchee, to Yellowstone. I loved it; my granddaughter (71/2)
said "I'm never going to a park again unless I know it has swing sets or water
slides." She does love animals, but apparently, not as much as I do.
		Yellowstone Family picture
		Yellowstone Family picture 2
		Yellowstone Family picture 3
	[Did you take the dog, too, Helen? See pixc #2 -Maren]

My sympathy to Connie MADRON Hall ('60) on the passing of your husband, John
('60-RIP).

I?ve loved the Sandstorm for many years, and have missed it. Now tomorrow, I
will ask my tech much-smarter-than-me son (we paid big college bucks to get him
this way) how to get it back in my regular email.

Once a Bomber, always a Bomber,

-Helen CROSS Kirk ('62)  
Sent from my iPhone
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>>From: Pete BEAULIEU ('62)

To: Mack Quinlan ('62), and Others

On Feb. 20 you mention the link in my earlier entry showing the shell of the
Hanford High School. That design was almost a template for other high schools of
the early 20th century. About a year ago I was driving SR-395 south toward Pasco
and had time to make a stop in the sprawling metropolis of Mesa (or was it
Eltopia?). For at least ten years my curiosity had been drawn to a vacant high
school on the hill...

Another eye-grabbing monument to an earlier time, as compared to the even more
vacant expanse of eastern Washington. In the morning sun I stopped and finally
got around to making a sketch (my retirement hobby). ATTACHED.

	Sketch of Mesa High School
	
The windows are hollow and while I was there smiling birds flew in and out of
the second story. On the porch was an old upright piano just as it had been left
when the building was vacated eons ago, and some old bicycles, and other random
stuff. A couple of old cars have been dumped around the yard. My educated guess
is that the ol? town has seen better days! ?Nothing was stirring, not even a
mouse.? 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

And, for those who attended the original brick Lewis & Clark Elementary School
(completed in 1938), a smaller but very close replica can still be found in
Thorpe, just off of I-90, ten miles west of Ellensburg, past the fruit & antique
stand. The newest and two- or three-story elementary schools in Richland
(Jefferson, Lewis & Clark) look a lot like prisons to me, but I suspect the
reason is to reduce the number of (secure) entrances. 

A sign of the times...

Just as in the late 1950s, and on a much grander scale, when one purpose of the
national freeway systems was to scatter populations and facilitate evacuation
from urban centers, in case of nuclear attack (The National Interstate and
Defense [!] Highway Act of 1965). The young Lt. Col. Dwight Eisenhower got the
idea for the system back in 1919 when he was part of a military convoy on the
old haphazard road system. It took 62 days to cross the United States from DC to
San Francisco. And, some of the new interstate straightaways were even intended
to double as emergency runways for military planes. 

Multitasking dates from 1956! Any logic to justify what was then a huge budget
item of $25 Billion, then $114 Billion and, considering only inflation, well
over $600 Billion in 2025 dollars. (The extravagant Light Rail System, alone, in
the Seattle area pencils in at well over $100 Billion). 

As Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen remarked in the 1960s: "A billion dollars
here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money!"

On invitation, today yours truly did a show-and-tell to about fifty folks in a
large retirement home in Seattle, of the Apollo XI Recover Mission on July 24,
1969. The overall ten-year cost was about $250 Billion in today's dollars. I
have a couple dozen slides on a thumb drive, and I think I?ve posted the YouTube
at Sandstorm before, but here it is again. It was fun all around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hX7AN3e1R4

-Pete BEAULIEU ('62) ~ Shoreline, WA
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>>From: Cliff CUNNINGHAM ('62)

Re: Surgery

I slipped while walking and fell. Next thing I knew, I had broken my right
femur, It required surgery.

-Cliff CUNNINGHAM  ('62)
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>>From: Donna NELSON ('63)

Nice explanation of the Iditarod Maren!  Thanks

-Donna NELSON ('63)
Sent from my iPhone
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>>From: Nancy MALLORY Johnson ('64)

Re: Spring ?

Was glad to see a recent Sandstorm. I have always enjoyed reading it. Guess some
of us (me) should send in entries.

Weather here is changeable. Often more than one season in a day. Have had some
winter (brrr) with snow (not good here in TN). I'm hoping to have spring this
year. Seems like the last few years we have had winter, couple of days of
spring, then summer. Not a big fan of hot, hot, hot. Growing up we had hot dry
summers. I married in August (many years ago) and moved immediately to MS --
definitely not dry heat!

My daughter and family came here from Nashville for Thanksgiving dinner. My son
and I went there for Christmas (day after as he usually works holidays). Will go
there soon while my son-in-law is out of town.

-Nancy MALLORY Johnson ('64)
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	END OF SANDSTORM ENTRIES. Please send more.
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******************************************************** 
BOMBER MEMORIAL JPEGs by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66)
If anyone wants to see the Bomber Memorial jpeg for any of these
deceased Bombersa, 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 (2025) DEATHS REPORTED

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James Francis ?Jim? BACON (?70)
April 28, 1952 ? February 10, 2025
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Marilynn Ruth WORKING Highstreet (?54)
    Shirley added her obit to her Memorial JPEG
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David Marshall ?Dave? ALDEN (?69)
August 9, 1951 ? February 4, 2025
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James Allen ?Jim? DIEBEL (?77)
January 15, 1959 ? January 18, 2025
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Robert Dean ?Bob? GAINES (?65)
December 6, 1946 ? February 16, 2025
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Christopher Earl ?Chris? MARTIN (?70)
April 14, 1952 ? February 24, 2025
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Carroll Edward ?Ed?/?Eddie? LOWE (?62_)
September 25, 1943 ? February 24, 2025
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Mary Kathleen O?TOOLE (?82)
February 3, 1964 ? February 15, 2025
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Daniel Anthony ?Tony? DURAN (?55)
January 21, 1937 ? January 31, 2025
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David Frank ?Dave? DERBY (?66)
July 24, 1948 ? March 5, 2025
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Ann Marie FREDRICKSON-Chin (75)
August 31, 1957 ? February 19, 2025
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Dean Allen NICHOLS (?66)
June 3, 1948 ? February 9, 2025
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Ruth Viola WINCHESTER Shook (?54)
October 27, 1935 ? March 8, 2025
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Lonnie D. ?Lon? HUNTER (?65)
February 5, 1947 ? February 26, 2025
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Mark Thomas MILLBAUER (?73)
October 7, 1955 ? March 10, 2025
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Kathleen Elaine ?Kathy? SCHUMACHER Kelley (?66)
June 17, 1948 ? March 17, 2025
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Jerry Leon BOYD (?52)
July 31, 1933 ? February 12, 2025
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Wanda Carol MILLER Caylor (?66)
January 8, 1948 ? March 9, 2025
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James Leslie ?Jim? KING (?63)
March 24, 1945 ? February 9, 2025
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Roberta Jane ?Bobbi? RUCKER Webber (?60)
October 23, 1942 ? March 15, 2025
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Matthew Llewellyn ?Matt? RUTT (?77)
February 23, 1959 ? February 7, 2025
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DeVearl Alden ?Dev?/?Toad? JENSEN (?56)
August 27, 1938 ? March 21, 2025
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