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12/6/02
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PHS Alumni On-Line
Dec 06, 2002
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9 Bulldogs today:
Carol Sue Custer Perkins (`59)
Robert (Bob) Gregson (`60)
Tom Fleming (`60)
Irma Kulp Zacher (`60)
Pat Mitchell (`62)
Karon Mc Culloch (`62)
Candy Gregson Curtis (`64)
Lorie Walleston McMasters (`64)
Patrick Racsa (`95)

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From: Carol Sue Custer Perkins (`59)

  I noticed in the Alumni Member List, that you didn't have a town address after my name. It is Richland, WA.
  I always like to hear from "mature" classmates. :)

  I long to hear what happened to Claudia Jones, class of 59. I haven't heard hide nor hair of her since about 1963. Anyone know anything about her?

Sincerely,

Carol Sue Custer Perkins (`59)
Richland, WA
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From: Robert (Bob) Gregson (`60)

To Don and Causna, `60, who had "Gregson questions,"
  Don, you asked what happened to the `28 Chev Dad drove during our high school tenure. The car actually belonged to his brother in Spokane, who drove a `35 Chev that had been in the family since `35, and only had garage space for one venerable machine, so he loaned the `28 to Dad for garaging purposes. The `28 had been living across the street from where Dad grew up in Hillyard (now part of Spokane) since `28. So in the late `60's, I think, the brother built a large garage and Dad returned the car. It was later sold in Spokane and (both of the Chev's) can now be seen in the old car club outings around Spokane.

  Causna, you noted you weren't sure if Mr. G was principal or vice-principal during our time. He was V-P. Em Morgan was principal. Miss Booth, the guidance counselor, and Jean Dalthorp were, I think, about the only other administrator type persons in the office. Maybe there was another guidance counselor? Pretty small crew, at any rate, and that was in pre-computer days! I remember before the start of each semester Dad bringing home student subject preference sheets and tons of small pieces of paper to lay out on the table to arrange classroom and subject assignments, by teacher and student preference. Quite a task. About 1960 a data processing company (in Walla Walla?) came along and contracted to do that part. He missed the hands-on aspect afterward, believing that the human element was the only way to insure that students got what was best for them, not what was most efficient in terms of the overall system. And it goes without saying that he was fully confident he knew what was best for each of us, despite whatever our preference sheets may have said!

Robert (Bob) Gregson (`60)
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From: Tom Fleming (`60)

  I've been reading the PHS Alumni On-Line and just had to contribute my part. Here is some stuff listed below that those who grew up in the 50's may relate to.
[I've added Tom's contribution to the Special Archives section of the PHS Alumni web site. See “How Did We Survive?” - Paul]

  I just got back from the Tri-Cities for Thanksgiving and drove down Main Street. Guess what?! The Spudnut Shop on Main [Lewis? - Paul] Street has been demolished to make way for progress.
  I also remember very well my Columbia Basin News paper route. My route was Main Street and Columbia Street, from the Ice House at the Railroad Tracks west to the Spudnut Shop and Woods Key shop. I would end my morning route with a stop at the Spudnut Shop for one of those hot out of the cooking vat doughnuts. I would meet Warren Halverson there almost every morning. One thing that hasn't changed yet, the tack weeds are still growing vigorously. I thought Bob Gregson and the other early morning paper carriers would like to know that.

Tom Fleming (`60)
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From: Irma Kulp Zacher (`60)

About favorite teachers:
  Mrs. Doris Lisk was a wonderful lady. I took a Zero Hour English Literature class from her (7:00 A.M.) my senior year `59-60. Mrs. Lisk gave us an assignment collecting obscure words in the English Language. This encompassed getting extra credit for cutting out, pasting in a journal, looking up and writing the definitions. It was a great word building activity. I received lots of extra credit as the Time Magazine and Readers Digest had many of the words we needed to collect and paste in a note book. This activity expanded my reading genre. (I always needed lots of extra credit to survive the World of Education).
  I loved Mrs. Lisk. She was a favorite teacher of mine, as was Bernice Davidson. They were both very kind people and had lovely smiles ready for their students. Both great English teachers. I learned lots from both of them. They really seemed to like and respect their students.
  Mrs. Davidson came to a couple of our Class Reunions before she passed away, so I was able to thank her for being a memorable teacher and for all her efforts to make great Thespians of some of us. I really need to do the same for Mrs. Lisk. One of those `coulda, shoulda' things.
  Mrs. Lisk, last I heard was living in Idaho. She has a daughter Susan who is the secretary at Hawthorne Elem. School in Kennewick, and daughter Jamelyn `61. I don't know where Jamelyn is.
  Mrs. Lisk if you are out there listening -- you were a wonderful teacher!

  Emerson Morgan was our Principal during the my High School years. He was a very nice man. A couple of my children had him for P.E. teacher at Emerson in the 70s. It seems so appropriate that his son is the PHS principal now.
  Robert Gregson was the Vice Principal in our years and kept our PHS years on task & on track in the late `50s. He could be stern, but was he ever a great tennis coach and a friend, and a tough Chemistry teacher -- but I learned lots. He and his wife were also friends -- after I got out of school. Mrs. G. was so friendly and always welcomed everyone to their home. Bob was a great School Board Member. He had seen it all!!! He really stood up for students. I enjoyed talking to him through my adult years about items concerning education and potential new school board members.
  When my father was very ill, before passing on, Bob came to the hospital to see him and brought him a lovely small wooden dog with little pointy ears. Bob said it was a watch holder. He put it on Dad's small table and hung Dad's watch over one pointy ear. It worked. Bob was quite good with wood work. He made doll houses for all the Pasco Kindergarten teachers, I was a Kennewick teacher, however, I received a very special doll house also, and Bob stressed: "This is yours, not the schools!" I used it in my Kindergarten and then my first grade class and after a few years...took it home for my grandchildren to use and love. It is a hit with all of them, to this day.
  I should mention that my Dad, Elmer Kulp, was a Pasco School Bus Driver for many years and he had occasion to work with Bob Gregson, when Bob was Head of Maintenance of Pasco Schools before Bob retired, so there a friendship had sprung up.
  Gosh those school years were great!
  Happy Thanksgiving!

Irma Kulp Zacher (`60)
Pasco, WA
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From: Karon Mc Culloch (`62)

Re: Teachers Revisited
  I never really got to know Mr. Seibert very well - I was too shy in those days, and was somewhat intimidated by several of the men teachers, thanks to Mr. Gower who sent me running out of his classroom in tears more than once - especially after reciting the Preamble to the Constitution perfectly in front of the class - only to be told, "Okay, Miss McCulloch, that was very good. Now, open your eyes, lower your head, face the class and do it again!"
  Mr. Seibert's Sophomore English class was my first experience in accelerated English classes and he was very good - however, because I hadn't had the Freshman accelerated English, I missed out on things like iambic pentameter and the like - we had to write a sonnet - I did very well until I got to the 13th line - needless to say, mine was entitled "An Unfinished Sonnet." He gave me an A- but told me never to try that again. I think it was a toss-up between Miss Ogata and Mrs. Davidson as to my favorite English teacher - I'm still reading everything I can get my hands on!

  Tack weeds really were a lot of fun, weren't they? I still remember those suckers puncturing through the bottom of my rubber soled thongs and we spent more time repairing the tires on our bikes than we did riding them!

  My sister Carol wants to know if anyone knows whatever happened to Tamara Small? Carol named her first daughter after Tamara.

Karon Mc Culloch (`62)
Federal Way, WA
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From: Pat Mitchell (`62)

  Does anyone have a current email address for Jim Coffey (`62)? His old address (Mailbox disabled, not accepting messages 550 <jecoffey@msn.com>... User unknown) isn't working. Thanks.

Pat Mitchell (`62)
Beaverton, OR
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From: Lorie Walleston McMasters (`64)

Re: PHS Alumni On-Line Nov 28, 2002
  So am I not thinking right? Was it Lynda Weitz that died?

Sitting on the confusion futon,

Lorie Walleston McMasters (`64)
Burien, WA
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From: Candy Gregson Curtis (`64)

  Growing up in Pasco was an experience rich in memorable people. One of my early favorites was "Pops," the custodian at Longfellow, who was very kind to us little ones and really fit the part when he doubled as Santa Claus. He was a dear man whose white hair made him seem quite elderly to a kindergartener.

Candy Gregson Curtis (`64)
Spokane, WA
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From: Patrick Racsa (`95)

  Roger [Pidactor], its great to hear from someone from the class of 1995. I visited Blaine Wiggins on a stopover a few months ago and he mentioned that he was a bit disappointed that reunions only come in multiples of five. In any case, he's organizing a class of 1995 get together, something informal for this Christmas.
  On Saturday December 28th, the class of 1995 is going to have "Buckets & Buckets & Buckets." At around 2:00, we'll get to relive some intramural basketball memories at the CBC outdoor basketball courts and then we'll regroup around 6:30, we'll order some buckets of KFC, or boxes of chicken from Albertsons. Even if you don't come for the basketball playing, feel free to join everyone for dinner. The menu is tentative and it may be difficult to fit everyone in KFC, so we're all just going to meet in the Lobby of the Double Tree/Red Lion in Pasco and probably make a final decision from there. Then around 10:00 and later, if you haven't joined in the festivities by now, the final installment of `Buckets' will occur at the Grizzly Bar. Blaine is setting up a deal there so the DJ will only play music from the 90s.

  Well Roger, and anyone else from the class of 95 - forward this to everyone you can get a hold of and we'll see you there.

Patrick Racsa (`95)
Baltimore, MD
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