"Bomber Memories"
August 15 & 17, 1998
August 15, 1998
Marilyn Groff Taylor (63)
Thank you so much for jogging my gray matter, I have a few more thoughts to add to the list
Saw my first Television at Bill Redmond's house. A bunch ofkids from Jason Lee followed him home to see the test pattern.
Buying 5 cent ice cream cones at Taste Freeze after a day of swimming at the big pool by Col Hi.
Climbing "Flat Top"
Saw my first MicroWave at Sears in Pasco about '54 or '55
The story Vera Smith Robbins talked about her mom getting lost, my folks told us once dad came home from work and yelled "Honey, I'm home." This strange woman walked out and said "Hi, Hon.......ekkkk" Wrong house, but our families made some new friends.
When I was about 14, I travel by train with a group of kids, to Seattle. My folks instructions to me were: Don't tell anyone where you are from, where your folks work or what they do for work. My mom worked in a Biology Lab where they experimented with radiation on animals. My dad worked at the bus lot where they bussed people to the areas.
I remember the bomb drills in grade school. Once they wanted to see how fast we could evacuate the town and my part of town walked to Chief Joseph, got on a bus and were transported to Prosser. Pretty scary for kid.
One more comment: The talk about Muscles. You know we were pretty special people, the whole town excepted, loved and kept an eye on him for years. He would get into the movies for free, wearing his gun, holster and cowboy hat. The police let him feel as if he was a help to them. I understand when he moved to California it was not the same. He became an oddity, someone to stare at. We cared about him and even now e love him and miss him because he was a part of our childhood. We're retty cool.
Tony Sharpe (63)
HEY HEY HO HO
Does that sound familiar. I remember him a smallish and lean. With lots of teeth. Remember that they took up a collection to give him a new bike. It was a Schwinn white fat tires and the "Springer" front end. He was definitely retarded, but not a "Downs Syndrome" type.
Lois Clayton Colton (72)
I remember when the coal furnace exploded soot all over our house. It was impressive washing the ceilings. :-)
RE: FIREWORKS I remember the spinners. It was great.
Lois
Teresa DeVine Knirck (64)
Hi all "old" Richlanders--Does anyone else remember going to dances at the Social Club in Kennewick by Sanders Field? Judy Campbell, Kathy Hoff and I used to go there quite often during our junior year. Paula Jill, too. They had live music. Wasn't there also briefly a place in the uptown where the old C and H grocery store was called the Hideaway--live music and dancing I think. During junior high and even high school the girls would walk around and around the Uptown and the guys would cruise--all checking out each other. Anyone else remember the old girls' gym at Col-Hi? It was so dark--I think we had dances in there too, but they tore it down in 63 to make way for the new gym, then the boys' gym became the girls' gym.
Teresa DeVine Knirck
Tony Tellier (57)
What ever happened to Col Hi teacher Jo(h)n Reid/Reed? I recall something untoward, as it were.
Edgar Haag, the VP?
"Smiley" ... The Principal?
Mister Keech?
Pappas the band leader.
Who knows the whereabouts of:
Larry Dibbern
Al Figliola
Richard Chandler
Moonbuttons?
Patri Largé deVargas-Walker (59)
I'm Patri (Large') now deVargas-Walker. My dad moved to Richland in '43' and the family followed in '44' when I was 3 yrs old. We lived at 1308 Perkins and I started school at Sacajawea and then transferred to Spalding when we moved to Birch Street. The first thing I remember is a cow tied to a post in front of a drug store and lots of sage brush. I survived the wind storm in '47' with my brother and sister. We had to walk home from the bus stop by Spading to Birch Street, and the wind was so bad we couldn't see where we were going. I attended school Columbia High until the end my Jr. Year and graduated after I married. I would like to hear about reunion plans for the class of '59'. It's great reading the notes from all of you.Somewhere, I have some photos taken at High Spot. I will try and find them.
Patri deVargas-Walker
Dave Miller (67)
My folks moved to a- house in I think 1958 from Longview WA. We lived an "A" house on Jadwin next to a very large church? Moved to Ritch court about 1960, moved to Jonhson about 1966. Went to Sacajawea Elementary then to Lewis & Clark Elementary. I thought it was Jason E Lee Elementary. Then to Chef J0 and on to Col high. June67 Grad. Nov67 in the Navy 4 years.
Dave Miller
Mike Franco (70)
My parents are Dr Robert Franco and Ilene. They moved us to Richland in 1954. I remember starting school at Jefferson as being one of VERY few kids whose dad did NOT work at Hanford. We started out in a Richland Village house on McMurray, then to Harris, then Davison then finally out to the "new " part of Harris where my parents still live.
August 17, 1998
Gary Turner (71)
After spending our first three years in Richland in a tiny prefab on Rossell, we moved in 1958 into a Ranch house on Birch. After my dad's death in the 1983, while sorting through all of his old papers we found the original bill of sale- $9,500 !! The payments, if my memory serves me correctly (yes, we had the foggers on Birch also) were about $ 60 per month. My Mom still lives there with many of our original neighbors- the Utechts, Steelmans, Geiers, Christophers, Strankmans, and others. Still a wonderful neighborhood, where all of the longtime residents look out for each other and maintain the neighborly feeling that makes it such a comfortable place to go back and visit.
Vera Smith Robbins (58)
I wonder if anyone remembers the USO Club? I know a lot of parents weren't very happy about it being there on Geo Wash Way because all the Camp Hanford soldiers went there. I was a USO girl for a short time. We were there just to play cards, shoot pool, dance or talk with the lonely GI's. That's where I learned to shoot pool and play Pinochle. It was later turned into a dance club but I don't remember the name of it.
Vera Smith Robbins '58
Pam Ehinger Nassen (67)
A lot of talk of the West Richland canal, well just one week before graduation '67 I gave my car or rather my folk's car a bath in it!! Had 3 kids two dogs and a cat in the car at the time!! What Fun!! It happened right in front of Jim Howard's place in West Richland. There are so many memories that we all have to such a small town, then, but they are ours.
Bombers Rule
Pam Ehinger Nassen
Walter Gordon Edgar (78)
What could be more normal than chasing mosquito trucks and getting your radiation level checked at grade school? In 5th grade (Mr. Miller) at Jason Lee the entire class was marched single file to a trailer in the parking lot and we were checked one at a time for radiation while the rest of the class waited outside.
John Northover (59)
I remember the Tri City Braves, my dad would take me to the games, do not remember but I think they were a AA club...the big memory was the right field foul pole. Every baseball field has advertising on the fence. There was a plumbing repair/supply company, do not remember the name, but they had a commode mounted just outside the right field foul line near the top of the fence in right field. If one of the players managed to hit a ball in the commode, they would receive some grand prize. My dad said during one game, as though he had some revelation...looking at the commode hanging on the right field fence, 'That would really be a foul ball!!!' He was very happy with himself, for thinking of that. I think he actually bought a bag of peanuts after that. The swimming pool in Columbia park that was fed by the cold water from the Columbia river. having to get out of the pool every hour and let the next batch of kids in. Once in it took several minutes to get used to the water again...
Using Crisco or that yellow stuff...as suntan lotion.
Trying to get some adult to purchase beer for a friday or saturday night.
The dances held on Friday night in the Richland Community Center????
The 45's we played???
Does anyone remember the headlines in the Tri-Hard Herald that announced 'MOTHER THWARTS BEER BUST' or some thing to that effect???
How about lagging for pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters ... in the boys head in the new section of the high school???
Drinking beer during lunch time at the high school parking lot???
Francis Coelho ... the art teacher ... I will admit to drinking vodka [and not mention others that may have ... ] in the back work room of the art class room during my senior year...
I remember sitting in physics behind Mike Patzer in Mr. Scott's class after a liquid lunch ... and hearing Mr. Scott say 'someone smells like beer ... ' I set a world record holding my breath .. !!!
Does anyone remember getting the 'office girls' to mark us present and then taking off on a trip to somewhere and back before school let out???
The smoking areas????
Dumas Gains???
"New wonders, fast beginnings
Slow endings, all the same
As they fade, all the same
Never to be heard again"
Sue Birge '59
Jay Butler and Pat Hartnett ... the Basket Ball managers???
Setting firecrackers off in the men's room in the UPTOWN Theater???
Operation Weed ... ???
Roger Sharp ... editor of the '59 Columbian
The top five .... Susan Myhre, Judy Rees, Loretta Reich, Gerogette Anderson, Tom Beaulieu
'59 was the first year to wear T-shirts and shorts to school
Remember the '59 Tolo Royalty, King Ernie Trujillo, Senior Princes Gary Lind and Sandy Kross, Junior princes Dennis Waltman and Don Smith, Sophomore's Don Ott and Chuck Rathbun
Newberrys hot dogs???
The State national Scholastic Art Awards, Columbia High School took 27 of the 75 awarded to the entire state....GO BOMBERSSSSS!!!
Remember the Sandmen, R. Williams, D Robertson, C. Carlson and V. Bates.
The Senior trio ... J. Lambert, E. Belliston and S. Seely.
"Plants swaying to their leaning for a bend
petals open with a secret hiding hidden to the bee
a leaf, its vein\s crawling creeping for the sun,
stems support the carring of their secret.
plants have a life so different."
Mary Mankowski
'59 ASO Officers, Bill Roe president, Jeff Hartman vice president, Barbra Haugen secretary, Karen Howe treasure and Helen Clark Publicity Manager...
'59 Cheer Leaders, Ernie Trujillo, Sandy Kross, Kit Bridges, Barbara Stanfield, Vonnie Reed, the YELL QUEEN!!!
Rick Johnson and his radio program???
Pancakes my dad made on a Saturday morning???
'59 Song Leaders...Diane Glover, Judy Fellman, Susie Fisher [SONG QUEEN], Darlene Manning, Mickey Ellingson, Nancy Manning [little sister of Darlene] and Pam Shine
THE boys pep club ... in its first official year ROTTA...ROOOTTTAAAA!!!
Going hunting with a bow and arrow with spent casing of 38's as tips, looking for pararie dogs...
Walking around the hills with a 22 cal cannon hunting rabbits???
Searching
"Searching through a square,
A barren field appears,
Watching close to see,
What little life is there
In the distance stands
A hill in silence bare."
Chris Midkiff
Some on in a previous emailing ... asked the name of the C and L Tahitian Room
'59 IN MEMORAIM: Leslie Mc Intosh, Super of schools??? and Dan Cambell, dove off a bridge and broke his neck...
Sleeping out ...
If our parents only knew!!!!
WWHAT A TIMMMMEEEE!!!
John Northover
Robert Davis (73)
I moved to Richland in the summer of 1970. My Dad took over as Project Manager for the construction of the FFTF (Fast Flux Test Facility) that Becthel was building 'out there'.
So, I don't have a lot of the 'early' memories of Richland that some of the 'old timers' have written about. But I still have more than a few fond remembrances.
Visiting the 'visitor center' and collecting my irradiated glass marble.
Collecting the tumble weeds from the backyard fence.
Watching the construction of the (then) new Hanford K-12 school, just a few blocks north of our house.
Even in the early 70's, Richland was a safe place to be. A tennis buddy (Bill Koshman) and I would walk the streets downtown on Friday night with some of the summer seminary students discussing philosophy and the bible while sucking down real draft root beer from the A&W.
My best bud (Mark Van Tuyl) and I jogging down to the picnic benches 'down the hill' from Col High and playing chess every Sunday... our version of the Boris Spasky and Bobby Fischer face off.
Learning to peck out the Canadian national anthem on the piano in the locker room before cross country practice. ( Olympic fever )
Shaking my head at the mania (and maniacs) that went to the roller derby event in the main gym.
Coach Jensen - Higgins, Melton, and the Rice boys bringing the State Title home for three years in a row in Cross Country. Running miles along the 'green belt' and sucking water from the busted irrigation pipes. Running miles up and down the hills and multiple circles around the pool to check out the females and their swim fashions.
The Guardian Angels cheering all the sports folk on every week. The Bleacher Bums of America... raggedly singing slapped together challengesto the opposition at the B-Ball games.
Me and the entire graduating class of males sweating out the last official lottery to see who might be going off to 'clean up' the mess in Viet Nam.
The Nixon years... and more people bitching about the trials pre-empting their daily soaps than why and what the trials were all about.
And a whole bunch more I'm probably missing at the moment. Makes me sorry I couldn't get up there this summer for the 25th reunion.
Don Winston (63)
TO: Richard Henderson: You don't know me, but I was in the Class of '63 and my sister, Liz Winston, was in your class. I was just reading your post on the 8/14 On-line Sandstorm, and your mention of Mr. Pippo (wasn't it spelled Toivo? -- I seem to remember the pronunciation as "toy-vo") brought back a memory that no one has mentioned --- the "Lung Cancer Film". Did you guys ever see it?
I can remember Mr. Pippo showing the film in, I think, 8th grade (for me). It was a pretty graphic film of a lung removal operation, complete with the darkened lung displayed by the surgeon at the end of the surgery. The shock of the first cut with the scalpel caused the whole class to gasp (and some to leave), and the cranking open of the poor guy's chest with the rib retractor (looked like a torture machine from Hell) was certainly graphic in my mind. I never became a smoker, and I attribute a lot of that to watching that film one afternoon in 8th Grade Health. Thanks, Mr. Pippo, wherever you are.
Regards,
Don Winston
Barbara (Seslar) Brackenbush (60)
Still in Richland and retired almost one year!
Hi! I am really enjoying all the memories. Although I have remained in Richland, the changes going on all around are really something! If you have been gone awhile, it would surprise you.
No one has mentioned yet - Hanna's Malt Shop that used to be in Downtown Richland across from Bell Furniture (which is still there!); JJ Newberry's on the corner of Uptown Richland that used to have a lunch counter; Densow Drug and their wonderful ice cream counter (they had the BEST ice cream!); The Tahitian Room (it hasn't changed!). My family moved here in about 1954 or 1955 and they are still here, too.
Thanks for the memories..
Jim Vaché (64)
I found Mr. Maddy's paper very interesting. For those who don't know, much of the recent topography of the area, other than the river and the higher hills, is the product of the great Missoula floods of the late ice age. The channelled scab lands were formed by immense floods that burst through ice dams that formed in the ranges in the Rockies (Bitteroots, Cabinets, etc.) The immense floods (one thinks of biblical proportions!) deluged the area thru Spokane, south to Wallula gap and west to the grand coulee area. The effects on the landscape were tremendous, as one can see from the air flying in the area, and also far reaching. There is respectable opinion that part of the Willammette valley is from deposits from these floods. The sandy soil in the Tri-Cities area is primarily silt and loess that was deposited in the area when shallow lakes formed as the water backed up at the Gap. I used to wonder how a big piece of granite (much older rock than the lava and basalt deposits that dominate the landscape) came to be deposited on our property in West Richland -- the answer is, I think that it was carried out of the Rockies by these immense floods.
I seem to remember as well that the Palouse Hills were formed by these floods, either directly, or indirectly as a result of the prevailing winds from the West carrying the sand/silt from the Tri-Cities area to the Palouse. (And you think the sandstorms in our time were awful!). Steptoe Butte, a dominating feature of the Palouse and its companion Kamiak Butte, a party favorite for cougs in my day, are left over remnants of the old North American continent western edge, and are composed of that same billion year or so old rock that forms the Rockies.
I am writing this from memory of reading I have done, so there may be some mistakes in it. I would be glad to send out a short biblio. on these general topics, if anyone is interested.
BTW, it is ironical that Mr. Maddy's alma mater was the home base for the man who propounded the Great Flood theory back in the 20s or 30s, and who was laughed out of the mainstream Academy because his theory was thought to be so outlandish. I believe the man's name was Harlan Betz, and if I remember the story right, he lived long enough to be vindicated in his theory in the 70s.
Regards and in the search for knowledge,
jmv.
