"Bomber Memories"
October 24, 25 - 26 & 27 - 28, 1998
October 24, 1998
Don Fisher (50)
To: Millie Finch Greg (54): In 44 or 45, my mom let me skip a half day at Lewis and Clark to go down to the "Park" and watch the Richland play Pasco (I think we won). The left side of Lee was the ball field and the right side was the swimming pool.
The Richland team in those days were the "Beavers" and they practiced and showered at the north end of the old Lewis & Clark school.
Don Fisher
Jim Russell (58)
Well, it's that time of year when Halloween memories start to surface. In grade school (Lewis and Clark), we cut out silhouettes of cats and witches; posted them on the cork board to decorate the room. Colored leaves were brought to school to add to the decor. Also we used leaves as a pattern to spray paint on butcher paper (the trick was to dip a toothbrush into various colors of poster paint and use a screen to spatter the paint - no such thing as a spray can of paint in those days).
Halloween parties were in abundance. Probably "the best" one I remember was held at the Brinkman's. Sandy and George and Kippy had a wonderful Mom (probably wonderful Dad, too) who made the evening a super event. We bobbed for apples, ate caramel covered apples, had to endure the peeled grapes and other horrible feelie touchie atrocities while blind folded. Popcorn, cider punch, music - all added to the fun time at this Halloween party. (I don't remember if that party was in my fifth grade year or not, but Mrs. Brinkman was my fifth grade teacher.)
Other Halloweens my brother Jack (60) and I covered the entire south end seeking treats. (I never had the courage to execute the "tricks.") I had a grid system all worked out in our rounds. No house was left untapped to fill our unsatiated appetites. We made two - three trips back home just to deposit those bags of treats. We were aware to be careful about hazardous needles or such in candy or apples, but only because it was a national news item, not something we ever experienced in Richland. The only real danger was to watch for cars when crossing the dark street or tripping over a low slung hedge as we dashed to the next source of cherished goodies.
We wouldn't think of trick-or-treating without a legitimate costume. A lot of planing would go into our home made disguise. Not like some of the trick-or-treaters I see these days. Most don't even wear a costume.
Each year there was one house I approached with dreaded determination. The adults there would always demand we sing a song to earn our treats. I figured it was time to find something else to do on Halloween when I realized I knew the words to the Col-Hi fight song!
Halloween was a special time for a kid. How come it seems like such a bother, now? Darn, I hate growing up.
Sherry Nugent Dupuy
(62)
Joy Stanfield (71): Altho you graduated nine years after me... your memories parallel mine. One thing you mentioned really jogged my memory and that was the Christmas caroling. Is there anywhere in the world they still do that? I remember one year in particular when there was snow on the ground and in that erie quiet hearing the voices of carolers coming down the street. Now we listen to them on CDs on high $$ sound systems - but it loses something in the translation..... like the warm fuzzy feeling.
Sherry Nugent Dupuy
Rick Maddy (67)
Some stuff:
...What ever happened to Fred Milton (66)? Who could forget Fred plowing through holes probably punched by Dave (65) and Doug (66) Strasser, and usually dragging two or three opposing defensive players for an extra seven yards or so?
...a Boston shake from Tastee Freeze. I recall Them having 50 flavors long before that being considered passé.
...being branded by those pre-fab heaters.
...Steve Panther’s (67) twelve foot jumper
...where is Barbie Fisher?
...taking deep breaths until you hyperventilated, then someone pinching off your jugular until you passed out.
...passing through duck tails, flat tops, California rakes, and Beatlemania.
...swamp coolers
...Phil Collins, Alton Spencer (67), Ken “Spider” Webb (67), and I going out to the West Richland dances held in that little building (now gone) set back off the road on right, next to the market as you first crossed the bridge. Wanting to have a dance with Kathy St. George, but with Rob Williams (67), Aaron Anderson (67), Randy Holman (67), and the rest of the West Richland gang standing around, I never pressed my luck on their turf. I bet you were in there too, Pam E.?
...and I would like to mention Jeff Upson (67) who left our class, long before VHS, with film that included many of us in, out, and about the campus (66-67). I am sure many of my classmates and peers are still scratching their heads trying to figure the reason that made him want to leave us so early. We certainly would have wished he were still with us to thank for such a gift.
If I could go back and relive my life, I certainly would never change growing up in Richland, with the exception of maybe trading places with John-Boy Walton. I have several friends that still live there and pull into town now and then to visit. My son was born there. It will always be my hometown. I left in 1979 because it was too quiet, peaceful, and a great town to raise kids in. I left for some excitement, and from some neighbors that thought I should get a job (I still don't have a job), and anonymity in the woods south of Olympia.
Mike Franco (70)
Remember "dock tag" and jumping off the water treatment plant tower... or going across the river to steal water melons but smearing mud over our boat numbers first ?... and remember the cop at ZIPS... Loadafink ??? and beer foootball in the Payless parking lot "under the lights"... sledding on "Bergdahl's hill"... floating the river... walking to the island in August, the island totally gone in May.... the really cool Yakima River floods.... or the Yakima River freezing over... Leonard Soure (mech drawing teacher) at Chief Jo... Gene Bernard at Chief Jo taking us "long-hairs" downtown to get our hair cut because it was over our collars... going duck hunting before school then leaving dead ducks in our parents' cars all day while we were in class... painting "the slab" below Col-Hi... Fran Rish giving us a loud lecture about cussing at basketball games... the deer that used to come up the river on the Richland side in the mornings... going out to the old trailer park in North Richland and beating the hell out of our parents' cars after seeing the movie BULLET with Steve McQueen..... ahhhh I could go on forever.....
Susy Rathjen Whitney
(71)
To Lois Clayton Colton (72)... You mentioned Dolly's Beauty Shop. Well, her name was Dolly Dean and her son Horace Dean was a courier with my dad, for AEC. Her husband Earl Wilson was, at one time, married to my Aunt Judy. And that's all I know.
October 25 - 26, 1998
Marilyn Peddicord
Whitley (53)
We were in Richland last weekend visiting my Mother. I asked her to call one of her high school buddies (class of 34) and ask about the name of the high school mascot from the old Richland Hi. She called Lester Fishback - class of 34 - who still lives in Richland as he was a member of the BB team from 31-34. They were called the Colts - when the project began, the name was changed to Beavers in 43. Mother has lived in Richland since 1927 - Her father, Ray Rose, was a member of the School board in the 30's, her diploma bears his name.
I was in that geometry class with Mrs. Bouscher that had the trap door in the floor. I remember the day some of the boys went down during class and produced a can of beer - there was a great round of laughter and Mrs. B. simply did not know what to say.
Marilyn Peddicord Whitley
Connie Boehning
Nicholson (64)
Marilyn Peddicord Whitley (53) mentioned the dorm complex on Lee Blvd She was a paper carrier there. I also delivered the Herald to these dorms. There were dorms for single women and one dorm for married couples. The men's dorms were on Jadwin. Couldn't have them too close you know. My grandma Strege and my husband's aunt were housekeepers at those dorms. There were plum trees at each dorm. I also remember a Ford dealership being across the street. This would have been on Stevens at the corner.
Does any one remember a man sitting on a pole for 3 or 4 days? I don't know why or when he did this, or is my mind failing.
Connie Boehning Nicholson
Vernon Blanchette (64)
Here is a memory maybe someone can help me with. My parents took my sister and I to a church in Richland called the "United Protestant Church" (at that time). I can remember Margaret Weeks (64) and others doing liturgical dance in white robes at the front of the church. There was a very good pastor there who later died suddenly (heart attack) while playing golf. Keeled over on the golf course, I think. What was his name?
Also, did anyone (besides me) go to the United Protestant Church's summer camp in the mountains? (Near Yakima??).
Vernon Blanchette
John Bradley (65)
Would like to take this moment to thank all of those who have contributed great stories about a city that will remain in my heart forever. I've traveled all over the world a couple of times, but I have never seen or heard of a town like ours. We have to face the fact that we were raised in a unique area and place.
My older brothers will agree, that when we graduated in (56), (60), and (65, we could not wait to get out of the area and visit the wide wonderful world. There were lots of us in the different classes who left and have found memories of home. Some returned to Richland to work and raise a family because they determined that it was really a great place to raise a family.
One place that my mother used as a "Baby Sitting Service" was the Richland swimming pool. We boys all had lessons in the morning, all the way through senior life saving and then spent the day at the pool. I do not know how much it cost in the 50's and early 60's for the season passes, but I can say it was a good investment. We would ride our bikes up in the morning, bring a lunch, and spend the day. The only thnig we had to do was be home before my dad got off the bus from work.
I can remember getting my uniforms ready for school and the hardest part was getting into a pair of shoes. I had worn "flip flops" the entire summer, or had gone barefoot. Damned if a pair of shoes hurt my feet. Most of us had tans that some of the kids today would die for. If we wore a shirt, it was a t-shirt, and the pants were usually cut off's from the previous school year. Talk about a tan line. I don't remember sun blocks, but I do remember tanning lotions for the girls. I suppose, there is an active component in the lotion for sun burns, but I really don't know. Chemistry was never my strong point at anytime.
The drive inn's in the area were really great. I can remember Wednesday night "buck night". Getting as many kids into a car and trying to drive out to the drive in. We used to put them in the trunk of the car too. Over hearing a conversation one day, I heard a lady talking to my mother about "passion pit". I was only 10 or so and didn't realize what she was referring to until I got older. Then I understood the reference quite well. They were quite a place indeed.
Playing "kick the can" in front of the Northovers and Johnsons was a real great time for all of us kids. Mr. Northover (Sparky) had an old Army tent that he put up in the backyard. We kids of the neighborhood used to spend Friday or Saturday night there. He made the best pancakes in the morning you ever had. Ah, those were the days!
John Bradley
Ron Sledge (65)
Most interesting to me is the earliest memories that came flooding back. My first recollection is our house at 1510 Sanford. Our neighbors were Larry Boyd (65) on one side and Alfred Graff [64] (moved to San Jose) on the other. There was also Gary Schirado [62], Mike and Pat McGeehan (sp), Scotty and Kirby Peterson, Nancy Cruz. Other playmates included Charlie Nevins (65), Terry Davis (65), Ray Stein (64), Earl Bennett (63) and his sisters and a few others who's names seem to escape me for now.
During this time I attended Jason Lee for the first few years then on to Christ the King for two years then back to JL. The memory of Rex Davis (49) jumping on the trampoline in the school auditorium (bounced almost to the ceiling as I remember it) had an impact on me that lasted into high school. I later joined the gymnastics team and focused on the trampoline along with Bob and Bill Hyatt [63] and Fred Schafer [63].
I've seen others describe the open fields near Jason Lee. We used this area to make forts and had a lot of dirt clod fights, played cowboys and indians and later even a few BB gun wars. (Not too smart).
Learned to ride a bike by borrowing one from a neighbor, Judy Johnson [59] who, I believe, later became a pharmacist. Played little league on HAMTC with Larry Boyd, Ray Stein [64], Mike Gilchrist [62], Mike Botou [65] and a lot of others. Floyd Gates used to give us hell if we showed up for practice with blood shot eyes from the swimming pool. We had a pretty good team as I recall.
My first paper route at age nine was with the Spokane Daily Chronicle. Covered about two thirds of Richland for 26 customers. Later traded this in for a more lucrative Columbia Basin News route to finance skiing activities. How many remember the buses from the BB&M parking lot to Spout Springs and a few trips to White Pass? Those ski trips were the best.
We used to spend to spend several hours climbing the walnut trees along Sanford. Too bad they cut those down. Recall boxes of walnuts gathered in the fall. The green ones made for good throwing. Stung like crazy when they hit you square. I know my mom cringed when we climbed. I seemed to always be breaking bones. Once when teaching a pet sparrow to fly I recall it landing in a tree. I got a card table out to climb up for a rescue when Larry Boyd kicked a leg out from under the table. A compound fracture of the left arm resulted and I got strict orders to never climb again. Larry got in dutch too.
Recall taking base fiddle lessons from Miss Just. Thankfully it was realized early on I had absolutely no talent for music. The only other teacher I remember from Jason Lee was my kindergarten teacher. Don't recall her name but she was a mountain ranger during the summer and I had a big crush on her.
Ron Sledge
Pam Ehinger Nassen (67)
To: Rick Maddy (67): Yes Rick I was at many a dance in that building in West Richland! I ran with most of the kids there, even if I lived in Richland (1304 Wilson). In those days W.R. was considered the wrong side of the tracks, where the hoods and greasers hung out! But they were the BEST BUNCH of kids you could ever what to know!
Tastee Freeze who could forget, the chocolate dipped cones with sprinkles long before Dairy Queen was around.
Pam Ehinger Nassen
October 27 - 28, 1998
Dick Wight (52)
Some of the old memories are intriguing. I only lived in Richland '48 to '52 though my folks lived there much longer. However, I was born in Pasco ('34) - lived in Walla Walla, Pendleton Ore. and Ellensburg before we moved to Richland. My mother was born and raised in Pasco as well. I vaguely remember Kennewick population sign saying "1726" or some similar number in the 1700's. Richland didn't even rate a route sign off Highway 12, as I recall!
In '51 or so I was in the school agriculture class, and got sent over to the old Pasco airport to pick up a big flatbed semi truck and trailer - I'd never driven anything that big, but the kids in the Ag class had to have government driver's licenses as we had government owned equipment in the school district. I got the truck and trailer "hung up" trying to make it around the corner at the main intersection in downtown Pasco, and local police had to stop traffic, back people up and "coach" me around the corner. One of the officers had less than kind things to say to me! And I was terrified driving that big rig across the only (narrow) bridge across the Columbia.
Anyone know what became of Gene Conley? He was Col Hi '48 or so, was a star baseball and basketball player, I think played for WSU. Later on he played basketball for Boston Celtics and also pitched for two major league baseball teams. He pitched an exhibition game in Kennewick against or local pro baseball team in '50 or '51 - very impressive guy!
Dick Wight
Denny Damschen (62)
In Re: Hey, does anyone recall why we called Denny Damschen (62) "HANDS" in 6th grade?
I don't recall. I'll admit I have downed A LOT more alcohol than ginkoba in my time and thus have destroyed A LOT more brain cells than I have repaired. Let me guess though -- I'm guessing that when the teacher asked a question I was always the first to raise my hand with the correct answer. Just guessing, I could be wrong.
Not in the 6th grade, but starting in about the 9th at Carmichael, continuing on through Col. High, and the last 36 years I have often been accused of having 'International Hands'. You know, 'Roman Hands and Russian Fingers'. (I have been accused of other things during those years too, but that subjects best left to a chat room discussion on alt.sex.ohmygodwhatareyougoingtodowiththose).
Denny Damschen
Paula Beardsley Glenn (62)
Anyone remember learning to drive out where the old trailer park used to be in North Richland. I remember learning to drive a stick shift in my friend Jane Matoon's car and was surprised she still had a transmission when I had finally mastered it. Still can drive a stick to this day. Kind of like riding a bike!!
Does anyone remember those weird snowsuits and leggings we wore in grade school and the girls always wore dresses with leggings - jeans were a big no-no. They were warm but you couldn't move they were so thick - oh for a little Thinsulate or Gortex in the '50s.
Paula Beardsley Glenn
Ann McCue Hewett (63)
Uh oh. Jim Russell's [58] entry has stirred up Halloween memories! Because the past becomes one big happy blur for me, I don't remember my age at the time, but half way up the block on Horn (from Whitten) there was a family who really did Halloween up.... fancy carved jack-o-lanterns.... weird lighting... (remember POPCORN BALLS?). The year I am thinking of they had the doorway rigged so it was all covered except a slot at the bottom large enough for a broiler pan to be pushed out. We never say anyone but there was all the eerie music and noises. When a group of trick or treaters went to the door the tray came out with the exact number of treats needed. My little sister was too scared to go to the door so I went back for her - a big booming voice said, "Why are you back... haven't you been here before?" I was mortified! I never trick or treated there again and even cringed when I passed that house throughout the years... what a chicken!
Jim also commented about how he hates growing up... again, I agree. Things were so fun as kids! I know I enjoyed myself, but I'm not sure I enjoyed it as much as I should have. Thank goodness for memories. Being a kid I can remember the great snow days we had - sledding or "skiing" on 'Bergdahl hill' or the hill behind the Glovers (Seeing that "hill" now, I can't believe we could even get any momentum going!) The long walk home - exhausted, cold, wet, those old white snow boots rubbing the back of our legs... and then getting all the clothing off and warming up on cocoa! The RARE snow days in Abilene when our boys were growing up weren't nearly as fun... (#1 problem, very few hills) - but the MESS... all the wet clothes and the tired, cold kids --- being the Mom wasn't nearly as fun as being the kid.....
Ann McCue Hewett
Mary Lou Watkins Rhebeck (63)
To Vernon Blanchette (64): Vernon, I was a member of Central United Protestant Church (CUP) my entire life.. until I left Richland for college in 1963.... but was married there, in the new church, in 1966. I, too, remember the dance in church, with the girls wearing long white dresses. A classmate of mine, Cecile Phillips, was also one of the cast of dancers. I was very impressed and so glad I didn't have to do it. Dave Seaman was the minister who died... we all loved him. He was so close to all the teenagers. I was a member of the youth choir (we had to sing at the early service with many of our fathers snoozing in the sanctuary) and Rev. Dave always told us.. "If you can't sing well, sing loudly!! And yes, church camp up in the mountains near Yakima was wonderful.... a highlight of our summers in Junior High. Another minister, Oliver Gill, usually supervised those.... Anyway, church provided many things to younger teenagers in Richland.... especially a great meeting place. Do you all remember that many of the churches in Richland had the same floor plan?.. like many of the schools and houses.... thought it was the way everyone lived at the time.
Mary Lou (Watkins) Rhebeck
Peg Sheeran Finch (63)
To Connie Boehning Nicholson (64): I remember the dorms, the plum trees, and picking them when my grandmother took us down to see where she lived. And yes, I remember the pole-sitter, and I'd mentioned it before, but you're the first to affirm my memory - thanks. We lived on Long, across the street Col Hi and the pool, and we walked down to the corner of Lee and Stevens to stare at this man up on the pole.
Remember Halloweens, and the people whose homes you most wanted to go to were the ones who gave you homemade popcorn balls or caramel apples?
Some of us were synchronized swimmers for a few years. Anyone else out there do that with us?
And I remember helping to start the Candy Stripers who worked at Kadlec, but that was my senior year, and I never heard whether they continued it after I graduated in '63.
As a child, Marilyn Simmons [63], Larry Blum, the Wheeler kids, my siblings, Kate and Mike, and probably many more of us played for hours in the huge mountains of dirt made by the construction of Macintosh Hall. Seems I remember digging tunnels big enough to walk through, which can't have been safe, but we all lived.
Peg Sheeran Finch
Erin Owens Hyer (66)
To Vernon Blanchette (64): Central United Protestant Church had a summer camp in the Blue Mountains. The only camp I knew about near Yakima was Camp Roganunda - a Camp Fire Girl Camp near Nachez. I stayed in Camp Fire Girls long enough to be able to spend a week in the summer sleeping in the teepees at the top of the hill. That was totally fun! Any other Camp Fire Girls of old out there?
Erin
Mark DeVoss (67)
Along with the many active contributors I also have great memories of growing up in Richland and attending the schools in town. I started out at Jason Lee, on to Chief Jo and then to Co Hi.
Houses: I lived in an A house on Siebert, across from uptown, moved to the west side of town; a C-house on Butternet and later a K-house on Butternut . Our C-house neighbors were the Newtons (Jim '65, Sherry '66 and Marcia '7?). In '59 we moved down the block to the house formerly owned by the Smith family (RHS'ers Irene, Larry, Frannie and Craig).
Little league: I started out at the American League field across from uptown and tried out for HAMTC and Desert Inn but never made the big teams. I do remember a slugger for Dawson Richards by the name of Dave McCauly (sp) who hit some huge homers. I ended up playing for BB&M over at the Columbia League field at Spalding, where we won the city championship in '61 or '62 (not sure which). Some of my teammates were Bob Utecht, Fritz Strankman, Scott Woodward, Randy Fullmer, Tim Ney, Dave Cleppe, Robert Morganthaler, Billy Wedberg and others that I can't remember at this time, some 38 years later. Neighborhood chums over the years were : Louie Yesberger, Steve Halseth, Boyd Morganthaler, Steve Wood, Craig Lindstrum and Bob Wiitalia. Other good buds for weekend sports and other activities were Terry McBaron, Mike Perkins, Laren Fusman, Mike Maki, Dick Pierce and many more I can't remember at this time.
Favorite teachers at Jason Lee were : Mrs. Jessen for 3rd grade, and Mr. Taylor for 5th grade (I still remember the name of every bone in the human body). Mrs. Barton and Mrs. Edwards at CJ and Mr. Fankhauser and Mr. Sawyer at Co HI. (Both great teachers, at the time I hated Chem, and Physics but I learned so much from them, in spite of myself. They gave me a foundation to go forward and eventually to derive a relatively good living as an engineer in silicon valley.
Mark DeVoss
Glenda Hartley Ackerman (68)
To Vernon Blanchette (64): Regarding your questions about the "United Protestant Church". I think it was "Central United Protestant Church" on Stevens Drive across from the "Christ The King" Catholic church. I have attended that church since I was an infant. The minister you are referring to was David Seaman (great man!). For the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the group that did the dances in white robes to music - I do remember it was kind of neat! The church camp was "Camp Ghormley" and it was towards White Pass out of Yakima. I was there many times between junior high and high school... some really good memories from camp!! I'm still a member there. It has grown alot, not the close knit congregation I remember in the 50's and 60's. It is still a really neat church, though.
While I am "on the air", a note to Bob DeGraw (66). I grew up two houses down from you (643 Cedar). You've brought back a lot of memories about the old neighborhood in your entries to the Sandstorm. I've enjoyed them. The car you were talking about that crossed the Columbia in the late 60's, early 70's belonged to Don Cornell. He lived next door to the Lindbergs. He was the president of Exxon Nuclear at the time. When they moved from Cedar to way out on Court St. in Pasco, is when he got that car. We all thought we were pretty "cool" because we knew the man with the "car that walked on water"!!
Also, the comment about "Boston Shakes" at Tastee Freez brought some memories flying back. I worked there all through High School. I remember the long lines clear back through the park on Friday nights in the hot summer. We thought we would never get through it. Remember the "mistakes" we sold for 5 cents. The kids would flock there before the swimming pool would open to be able to cash in on those mistakes.
Glenda Hartley Ackerman
Mina Jo Gerry Payson (68)
I remember the dancers at Central UP Church.I spent my early years in Sunday School there. What I really remember is that the girls performed barefoot. My mind wasn't on the message of the performance, but how cold their feet must be. The pastor Vernon Blanchette remembered was David Seeman, fondly called Reverend Dave. He had three children, a girl my age and two older sons. All the girls in junior choir had a crush on the oldest son. I remember going to Camp Whooten from CUP and to a dude ranch near Yakima called Lazy F. We changed to Westside Unite Protestant when I was in 7th grade. Our camp from that church was Camp Ghormley, up past Naches. I had years of wonderful times there with kids from the Tri-Cities, Yakima and up and down the valley.
Mina Jo Gerry Payson
Joy Stanfield (71)
Anyone remember:
*Dances at the Pasco Armory?
*Dances at the Community House?
* "The Battle of the Bands"?
*Beer Fests at Christ the King? (Maybe that's not what they called them -- Octoberfest maybe? I seem to recall alot of Sausage, Sauerkraut and Beer!)
Joy
Jean Eckert Imholte (72)
I do remember the amazing sight of the little aqua car driving right into the river, and if it is the same one I am thinking about it belonged to a man who worked at the Federal Building, named Bernie Pigg. Nice last name, huh? He was a really cute little old guy and lived across the river. I always wondered what it would be like going across on a windy day. He probably drove the regular way then.
Jean Eckert Imholte
